October 16, 2020
October 14, 2020
THE OWNERS and a Bit of Title Trouble
2020 / 92 min
However, Dr. Huggins and Ellen aren’t quite as helpless as they seem and the real torment has just begun. Maintaining a ruse of being helpful and sympathetic, Dr. Huggins slowly turns the tables on them in ways that would be unfair to reveal here. Sure, the title more-or-less has us suspecting something sinister about the Hugginses before we even see them, but there are still plenty of narrative surprises and well-timed shocks. While the performances are all good, McCoy totally steals the film, never breaking the character’s kindly demeanor even after his motives and secrets become known. In fact, his joviality actually enhances the menace.
From RLJE FILMS
Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀
The Owners is an impressive slab of psychological horror with a good premise, solid performances and a lot of tightly-wound suspense. Some of that tension, however, is sort-of undermined by the title. Not that it’s terrible, but it does tend to spoil the surprise at who the real villains are.
In a story of bad guys vs. worse guys, Gaz, Nathan and Terry are three bumbling thugs who plan to rob a safe inside a massive country mansion while the owners are away. Nathan’s beleaguered girlfriend, Mary (Masie Williams), wants nothing to do with the robbery, but gets coerced into sticking around because she has the only car. Unable to open the safe, they decide to wait for the owners and force the combination out of them.
Those owners are Dr. Huggins (Sylvester McCoy) and his wife, Ellen (Rita Tushingham), a kindly old couple that Gaz is willing to torture to get the combination. However, the others actually know the Hugginses and are reluctant to go that far. The best scene in the entire film happens in the basement (where the safe is). Gaz is dangerously psychotic, stabbing Nathan during a fight. But just as he’s about to kill Ellen, Maisie bludgeons him to death with a sledgehammer, saving everybody.
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| "These are my stalking stockings." |
The conclusion might infuriate a few viewers, though it’s certainly effective. Elsewhere, The Owners is a lot of fun, with a compelling story, interesting characters and tension-filled sequences. Too bad the title gives away the film’s biggest surprise, but that’s a minor quip.
EXTRA KIBBLES
FEATURETTE - “The Making of The Owners”
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
October 13, 2020
BLACK WATER: ABYSS and the Soft Spot
2020 / 98 min
But hey, Black Water: Abyss ain’t a documentary. It ain’t much of an ensemble piece, either. Aside from a late-inning bit of manufactured drama, character exposition is fairly minimal. We neither like nor dislike any of these kids. And that’s perfectly okay because most of ‘em are just croc fodder anyway. As such, the film delivers the goods, wasting little time getting to the animal action and even generating several moments of claustrophobic suspense. While gorehounds might be disappointed in the lack of on-screen bloodletting, the special effects are decent considering the budget. Wisely shown in only brief glimpses, the croc is more-or-less convincing.Anchored by a chuckle-worthy false ending, Black Water: Abyss is no Jaws, nor is it as much outrageous fun as Crawl. Still, the film is a solid no-frills creature feature...well made, fast paced and entertaining. That’s more than I can say about most movies featuring ragin’ reptiles. Then again, I've always had a soft spot for these things.
From SCREEN MEDIA
Review by Tiger the Terrible😽
I have a soft spot for killer critter movies - even a lot of the bad ones - so forgive me if I give Black Water: Abyss a more generous review than some might think it warrants. This is a horror subgenre so rife with bargain basement buffoonery that when I come across one which is put together pretty well, it’s hard not to view it favorably.
The film is a sequel to 2007’s Black Water, which I’ve never seen, but don’t fret if you haven't either. Aside from the director and another ravenous reptile, it’s an all new story with different characters. Five standard-issue twentysomethngs go spelunking in a deep underground cave. When a sudden storm causes flash flooding, they find themselves trapped. Making matters worse is the killer crocodile that’s down there with them. Or maybe several; the film doesn’t make it quite clear. If there is just one, he gets around this labyrinthine cave pretty damned fast,. On the other hand, all that exercise might explain his massive appetite.
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| Guess who's about to own this round of Marco Polo. |
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
THE POOP SCOOP: Cats, Dogs & Creatures of the Night
Exclusive Video On The Evolution of Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite - Now available on Digital, Blu-ray & DVD. You can officially get your paws on your very own copy of Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite! on Blu-ray Combo Pack & DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. In honor of this highly anticipated release – we just got in a spyware themed supercut from all three Cats & Dogs movies - exclusively made for this all-new original movie!
About Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite!
It's been 10 years since the creation of the Great Truce, an elaborate joint-species surveillance system designed and monitored by cats and dogs to keep the peace when conflicts arise. But when a tech-savvy villain hacks into wireless networks to use frequencies only heard by cats and dogs, he manipulates them into conflict, and the worldwide battle between cats and dogs is BACK ON. Now, a team of inexperienced and untested agents will have to use their old-school animal instincts to restore order and peace between cats and dogs everywhere.
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NEW TRAILER: SPELL, starring Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine and more!
IN SELECT THEATERS, ON-DEMAND and DIGITAL PURCHASE 10/30
Omari Hardwick (“Power,” Sorry to Bother You), Loretta Devine (“Black-ish,” Crash) and John Beasley (The Sum of All Fears, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) star in the terrifying thriller SPELL, coming to Premium Video-On-Demand and Digital in time for Halloween on October 30 from Paramount Home Entertainment.
SYNOPSIS | While flying to his father’s funeral in rural Appalachia, an intense storm causes Marquis (Omari Hardwick) to lose control of the plane carrying him and his family. He awakens wounded, alone and trapped in Ms. Eloise’s (Loretta Devine) attic, who claims she can nurse him back to health with the Boogity, a Hoodoo figure she has made from his blood and skin. Unable to call for help, Marquis desperately tries to outwit and break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.
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Directed by Stephen Norrington (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and written by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy), the film stars Wesley Snipes and the half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter Blade, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N’Bushe Wright, Donal Logue, Udo Kier, and Sanaa Lathan. Blade was produced by Peter Frankfurt, Wesley Snipes, and Robert Engelman, and is based on the Marvel “Blade” created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
MORTAL on Digital, On Demand 11/6 and Blu-ray and DVD 11/10
Dive into a thrilling tale when Mortal arrives on Digital and On Demand November 6th, and on Blu-ray (plus Digital) and DVD November 10th from Lionsgate. From critically acclaimed director André Øvredal (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Trollhunter), executive produced by Academy Award® nominee Fred Berger (2016, Best Picture, La La Land), the film stars Nat Wolff, Priyanka Bose, and Iben Akerlie. In this spellbinding thriller, a sleepy Norwegian town erupts after an American backpacker is arrested. Witnesses claim a teen died after touching the stranger, and that he inexplicably started a fire that engulfed a farm. He warns a psychologist, Christine, that he has supernatural powers, and that anyone who gets too close to him dies. Is he a liar, a freak of nature, an angry god? Determined to find the truth, Christine draws nearer, and what she finds is beyond her wildest imaginings…
October 11, 2020
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE Leaves a Scar
1990 / 112 min
Beleaguered as he may be, Claus may very well be guilty, but the lawyer he hires to write an appeal, Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver), certainly earns his fee by planting seeds of doubt over the original verdict. With an abrasive personality, Alan’s not all that likable either. Then again, neither was the real Dershowitz, meaning Silver plays him perfectly.
From WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION
Review by Mr. Paws
There’s a good chance Jeremy Iron’s legacy will be defined by Reversal of Fortune and, to a lesser extent, The Lion King. Not to take away from his impressive body of work on both stage and screen, but his performances in these two films left an indelible mark on popular culture. And as it happens, they are irrevocably linked.
Irons’ voice-work in The Lion King made Scar one of Disney’s most memorable Disney villains. Yet the Scar we know and hate wouldn’t exist if not for Irons’ Oscar winning portrayal of Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune. It’s no secret that Simba’s conniving uncle is an exaggerated homage, right down to copping one of Irons’ most memorable lines as an in-joke (“You have no idea”).
Since the outcome is a given, it’s the strength of the performances that make Reversal of Fortune worth watching. What’s sort-of ironic is even though it’s well established that Claus von Bulow was almost universally hated after being found guilty for killing his wealthy wife, Sunny (Glenn Close), Irons manages to make him an almost sympathetic character, at-least compared to her. The film’s unreliable narrator, Sunny is in a coma - which she never awakens from - at the beginning of the film. But through flashbacks, the film paints her as a vindictive, selfish, high-maintenance, suicidal addict.
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| "Uh...line..." |
Reversal of Fortune has no real heroes or villains, nor is the narrative all that revelatory. It’s a film driven almost entirely by the three lead performances, and as such, remains enjoyable and engaging, despite the outcome being a foregone conclusion. If nothing else, it’s amusing to see where the inspiration for Scar came from.
EXTRA KIBBLES
AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Barbet Schroeder and screenwriter Nicholas Kazan
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
October 10, 2020
STAR TREK: PICARD - SEASON ONE: Old Dog, New Tricks
2020 / 488 min (10 episodes)
Like classic Trek at its best, Picard’s greatest asset is its characters. Obviously, everything centers around Jean-Luc himself and Stewart does a remarkable job, not-only stepping back into the role, but depicting him as older, more vulnerable and disillusioned over what he sees as Starfleet’s betrayal of its own principles. While he’s the focal point of the show, Picard is surrounded by an extremely well-rounded batch of mostly new supporting characters, with a few old friends popping up from time to time. His “crew,” in particular, is unlike any we’ve seen in previous series, but all of them have unique personalities and fascinating back-stories (most with significant character flaws of their own). I especially liked Michelle Hurd as Raffi, a bitter former Starfleet colleague of Picard’s who’s battling a lot of personal demons, and Santiago Cabrera as Rios, a freelance pilot Picard hires.
From PARAMOUNT
Review by Cuddles, the Coach Potato😹
Think back to some of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s best episodes, the ones which have the most intriguing stories, terrific character exposition and a far-reaching impact on the direction later seasons - as well as the subsequent movies - would take. Picard plays like one of those classic episodes, only it happens to be eight hours long. It’s also the best Star Trek series since TNG.
Picard certainly remembers the past, but doesn’t appear concerned with whether or not viewers do. Allusions to events depicted in TNG, Voyager and Star Trek: Nemesis (the film franchise’s only box office failure) are important elements to the story, which displays considerable confidence that most of us are already familiar with Hugh (a character that appeared in only two TNG episodes), the malevolence of the Borg and the titular character’s relationship with pasty android pal, Data.
However, Picard is not a nostalgia trip and the series does a decent job succinctly bringing newcomers up-to-speed (though more explanation for Seven of Nine’s transformation into a kick-ass space vigilante would have been cool). For the most part, it’s warp speed ahead with a new story that takes place 20 years after Nemesis. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has retired to his France winery, embittered by Starfleet’s decision to cease aid to the Romulans - whose star went supernova - and banning all synthetic life forms following an android attack on the rescue fleet (which also destroyed Mars).
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| "Sure, you've boldly gone where no one has before, but you can't cook for shit." |
Then he meets Dahj (Isa Briones), one of two twins that are actually “synths” cloned from Data’s original programming (or something like that). But unlike Data, they are flesh-and-blood, capable of emotions and don’t initially realize they’re androids. When Dahj is killed by rogue Romulans, Picard is compelled to find her twin, Soji (also Briones) before they do. Without Starfleet’s help and permission, he hires a ship and assembles an eclectic crew to take him in search of Soji before the Romulans find her.
However the Romulans already know where she is: Onboard an abandoned Borg cube - known as the Artifact - where she is aiding efforts to restore former Borg back to their old selves. It turns out Romulans despise all synthetic life-forms and a radical faction believes a prophecy which warns they will destroy all life in the galaxy. Narek (Harry Treadaway) gets close to Soji in hopes of learning where the synth homeworld is. His sister, Rizzo (Peyton List), is impatient to wage a genocidal attack.
That’s the nutshell summary for a story that’s far more complex than described. Spread-out over 10 episodes - though I think ‘chapters’ is a more accurate term - the narrative is filled with plot twists, deception, conspiracies, spies and action, as well as a surprising amount of humor and poignancy. It’s a story that requires your constant attention and discourages skipping episodes, especially since it ‘s constantly revealing elements vital to the overall plot. But in the end, our time and dedication is rewarded by an intriguing story, slam-bang conclusion and bittersweet denouement.
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| "Well...it could use a few throw pillows." |
A few familiar faces return, but most are glorified cameos and only Jeri Ryan (as ex-Borg Seven of Nine) is an integral part of the action (literally). Despite all the obligatory nods to the past, Picard is forward-thinking, a different animal with a look and tone far-removed from previous series, including the frequent use of “colorful metaphors” once deemed archaic in Star Trek IV (one of the biggest laughs comes from someone imploring Picard to “shut the fuck up”). This is the best show CBS All Access has offered so far and plays even better on these binge-worthy discs, which are supplemented by a slew of great bonus features.
EXTRA KIBBLES
“STORY LOGS” - Individual 3-8 minute featurettes for each episode.
FEATURETTES - “Aliens Alive: The xBs” (make-up effects for the recovered Borg); “Picard Props” (smaller props made for the show, many inspired by previous series); “Ser Me Up” (set design); “The Motley Crew” (casting the main characters, featuring interviews with actors and producers); “Make It So” (the story behind creating the series).
4 DELETED SCENES
GAG REEL
VIDEO COMMENTARY - The first episode features pop-up video commentary by the series creators.
STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS - “Children of Mars” (one of the episodes from the Short Treks web series; this one is relevant to the primary plot in Picard...though not essential viewing).KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE TAUNTING A MOUSE TO DEATH.
October 9, 2020
BROIL and the Unwelcome Dinner Guest
2020 / 90 min
When focused on the conflicts between June, August and Sydney, Broil is a lot of morbid fun, with some amusing twists up its sleeve and good performances. Lipnicki, in particular, is terrific, convincingly depicting Chef’s autism without resorting to mere caricature. Conversely, Chance is insufferable, a standard-issue bitchy teenager you’ve seen in countless other movies (horror or otherwise). For a protagonist, she’s dull, generally unlikable and indifferently performed by Konrad, yet given an unhealthy amount of screen time. With just a few story tweaks, Chance could be removed from the entire film and never be missed.Though Chance’s intrusive presence threatens to squash our engagement at key moments, Broil repeatedly manages to bounce back just enough to make her scenes worth enduring. Never particularly scary, the film has an interesting premise, some narrative surprises and, at times, a pitch-black sense of humor.
From WELL GO USA
Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀
Broil is an oddball horror film that, at-times, feels like it’s going to unfold as a darkly comedic anthology film, with individual chapters featuring their own main characters. However, they’re all part of the same story arc, which is fairly interesting and, at times, surprisingly original. On the other hand, one of those main characters is so terribly realized that she torpedoes the tension whenever she’s on-screen.
The Sinclairs are a dysfunctional family of soul-harvesting demons led by vicious patriarch August (Timothy V. Murphy). One of his daughters, June (Annette Reilly) and her husband want to break from the family, which August will allow in exchange for their oldest daughter, angry teenager Chance (Avery Konrad), who keeps getting suspended from school for threatening staff and classmates.
To Chance’s horror, June agrees to the terms. However, June’s also planning to kill August at a family gathering. Enter ‘The Chef’ (Jonathan Lipnicki), an autistic cook who also happens to be a killer-for-hire (but appears to have an admirable code of ethics). She coerces him into preparing a lavish meal and poisoning August, clearing the way for her to take over leadership of the family. While August is fiendishly clever and appears to use The Chef for his own twisted agenda, he and June both underestimate The Chef’s ingenuity.
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| These napkins apparently didn't come with instructions. |
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.
October 6, 2020
BEFORE THE FIRE: Timing is Everything
2020 / 91 min
In fact, we don’t learn much about any of these people or their relationships to each other. That leaves the story, which mostly puts the pandemic on the backburner to focus on Ava’s dad forming a militia (about five guys), seizing the Rhodes’ house and shooting anyone who pisses him off. Except for Ava. For some reason, Dad’s hell-bent on bringing her back into the family, even if it means keeping her locked in the basement. It’s at this point when Before the Fire descends into just another woman-in-peril film, and a pretty poky one, at that.
From DARK SKY FILMS
Review by Tiger the Terrible😼
I’ll state the obvious right away. The timing of Before the Fire couldn’t have been more perfect. With a plot centered around a global pandemic, the film was initially released just as we were getting our first taste of the real thing.
Which means the first 15 minutes hit eerily close to home. With an unnamed virus spreading rapidly, all airline flights are grounded and people are evacuating major cities. Before the Fire lacks the budget of a film like Contagion, so the story centers around Ava Boone (Jenna Lying Adams, who also wrote the screenplay), an actress whose career is just starting to take off. As she and photographer boyfriend Kelly Rhodes (Jackson Davis) are fleeing, we learn the apocalyptic implications through chillingly-realistic TV and radio broadcasts.
However, the interest level drops considerably once Kelly dupes Ava into boarding a chartered plane that returns her to their tiny South Dakota hometown. While Kelly goes off to capture the pandemic turmoil on-camera, he arranges for her to stay with his mother and brother, the latter of whom doesn’t like her too much. Ava is also terrified of bumping into her estranged parents. It’s never explained what happened between them, which is a serious narrative liability since her dad emerges as the film’s primary antagonist.
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| Rush hour in South Dakota. |
However, the performances are good, particularly Adams, and the climax offers a satisfying slab of poetic justice. But overall, the film never tops its opening sequence, which is uncomfortably compelling. Had the rest of the narrative kept its focus squarely on the pandemic and its psychological impact on the characters, this could have been a small winner. Instead, Before the Fire is mostly dull and forgettable..
EXTRA KIBBLES
DELETED SCENE
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEH...LIKE SHARING THE BED WITH THE DOG.
THE POOP SCOOP: Kreepy Kibbles Edition
The Original TREMORS on 4K Ultra & Limited Edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video on 12/15
A pulse-pounding love letter to 1950s creature features that delivers horror and humor in equal measure, Tremors is a bonafide cult classic that has grabbed audiences' affections ever since its release and spawned a successful franchise that continues to this day. Good-ol'-boy handymen Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are sick of their dead-end jobs in one-horse desert town Perfection, Nevada (population: 14). Just as they're about to escape Perfection forever, however, things start to get really weird: half-eaten corpses litter the road out of town; the phone lines stop working; and a plucky young scientist shows evidence of unusually strong seismic activity in the area. Something is coming for the citizens of Perfection… and it's under the goddamn ground! Bursting with indelible characters, quotable dialogue and jaw-dropping special effects, Tremors is back and bigger than ever in this 4K-restored and fully loaded collectors' edition.
THE CHATTERING HOUR Debuts on YouTube This Week
Just in time for the best holiday of the year, Chris Roe Management and Tea Time Productions will launch The Chattering Hour Youtube show and podcast hosted by Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser, Nightbreed). Each week, Vince will delve into entertainment in the horror and thriller genre and chat with special guests. Initial guests will include Traci Lords (Excision, Cry-Baby), Malcolm McDowell (Bombshell, “Mozart in the Jungle”, A Clockwork Orange), Kathleen Kinmont (Bride of Re-Animator, Halloween 4), Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn) and best-selling author Daniel Kraus. The weekly Youtube show and podcast will debut this Thursday October 8, 2020.
Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality that forces her to confront the past, present and future – before it’s too late. A horrifying, suspenseful thriller comes home when Antebellum arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD, Digital, and On Demand November 3 from Lionsgate. The film is currently available on Premium Video On Demand and was the top grossing title over the first two weeks of its debut. Featuring an all-star cast including Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures, Moonlight, Harriet), Eric Lange (TV’s “Escape at Dannemora,” “Narcos,” “Lost”), Jena Malone (Contact, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Neon Demon), Jack Huston (Kill Your Darlings, American Hustle, Ben-Hur), Kiersey Clemons (Dope, Sweetheart, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising), and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, TV’s “Empire,” Tower Heist), and the film aims to spark a “new and innovative way of talking about modern issues” (Janelle Monáe). Ultra 4k HD, Blu-ray & DVD will include never before seen deleted bonus scenes and the ability to go back and catch all the clues you may have missed in the first viewing. Antebellum is sure to ignite some really animated conversations around the dinner table this upcoming holiday season.”
DEATH OF ME on Blu-ray and DVD 11/17
Vacationing on an island off the coast of Thailand, Christine (Maggie Q) and Neil Oliver (Luke Hemsworth) awake hungover and with no memory of the previous night. They find footage on Neil’s camera, and watch, horrified, as Neil appears to murder Christine. With 24 hours until the next ferry and a typhoon threatening the island, Christine and Neil attempt to reconstruct the night’s events—and are snared in a web of mystery, black magic, and murder. True love takes sacrifice when Death of Me arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) and DVD November 17 from Lionsgate. The film is now available to purchase On Demand. From critically acclaimed horror director Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV, Death of Me stars Maggie Q (TV’s “Nikita,” “Designated Survivor,” Divergent), Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes, The Drone, Midnighters), and Luke Hemsworth (TV’s “Westworld,” Thor: Ragnarok, Crypto).
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