The Harvest (2013)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - September 1st, 2015 - Blu-ray and DVD

The Harvest is a nice, solidly directed thriller from esteemed – if reclusive – filmmaker John McNaughton (his first in almost 15 years), featuring superb performances by its central cast members Calis, Tahan, Shannon and especially Morton. It lulls the viewer into a false sense of security before leaping out to sever the jugular with ferocious tenacity, sending uncomforting shivers up and down the spine that last long after the film itself has come to an end.

The Harvest is a nice, solidly directed thriller from esteemed – if reclusive – filmmaker John McNaughton (his first in almost 15 years), featuring superb performances by its central cast members Calis, Tahan, Shannon and especially Morton. It lulls the viewer into a false sense of security before leaping out to sever the jugular with ferocious tenacity, sending uncomforting shivers up and down the spine that last long after the film itself has come to an end.

We Are Your Friends (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 28th, 2015 - Movie Reviews

There’s not a lot to director Max Joseph’s We Are Your Friends. Working from a story by Richard Silverman, co-writing the script with Meaghan Oppenheimer, the man behind MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show” hasn’t exactly come up with a coming-of-age looking-to-find-stardom scenario anyone, anywhere likely hasn’t seen before. It’s A Star is Born for the Under the Electric Sky generation, a hallucinogenic sojourn into electronic dance music craziness given a Millennial twist if only in somewhat patronizing fashion.

There’s not a lot to director Max Joseph’s We Are Your Friends. Working from a story by Richard Silverman, co-writing the script with Meaghan Oppenheimer, the man behind MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show” hasn’t exactly come up with a coming-of-age looking-to-find-stardom scenario anyone, anywhere likely hasn’t seen before. It’s A Star is Born for the Under the Electric Sky generation, a hallucinogenic sojourn into electronic dance music craziness given a Millennial twist if only in somewhat patronizing fashion.

No Escape (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 26th, 2015 - Movie Reviews

What follows is ferociously visceral, and not for a single second do either Dowdle coddle the audience into believing anything warm or fuzzy is going to take place. This is a meat grinder movie, a motion picture that wraps itself inside the blood and viscera of its central characters asking the audience to sweat, cry and bleed right alongside of them.

What follows is ferociously visceral, and not for a single second do either Dowdle coddle the audience into believing anything warm or fuzzy is going to take place. This is a meat grinder movie, a motion picture that wraps itself inside the blood and viscera of its central characters asking the audience to sweat, cry and bleed right alongside of them.

Mistress America (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 24th, 2015 - Film Festivals Movie Reviews

Not that I’m dismissing Mistress America. As much as the stagy pitter-patter of the dialogue didn’t sit as well with me as I’d have liked, that doesn’t make the structural, character-driven cohesion of the plot Baumbach and Gerwig have constructed any less attention grabbing.

Not that I’m dismissing Mistress America. As much as the stagy pitter-patter of the dialogue didn’t sit as well with me as I’d have liked, that doesn’t make the structural, character-driven cohesion of the plot Baumbach and Gerwig have constructed any less attention grabbing.

Sinister II (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 22nd, 2015 - Movie Reviews

Sinister II is a horror sequel with real potential. It has a central conceit that’s inherently intriguing, building on the disturbing premise of its predecessor with real ingenuity. Yet in the end it’s nowhere near as satisfying as it might have been, and while glimmers of chilling astonishment can be found it just isn’t enough to make Bughuul’s return anything memorable.

Sinister II is a horror sequel with real potential. It has a central conceit that’s inherently intriguing, building on the disturbing premise of its predecessor with real ingenuity. Yet in the end it’s nowhere near as satisfying as it might have been, and while glimmers of chilling astonishment can be found it just isn’t enough to make Bughuul’s return anything memorable.

Cop Car (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 21st, 2015 - Film Festivals Movie Reviews

In the end, it’s hard not to find plenty to like about Cop Car, and as minor as this little thriller might be Watts directorial talent is still undeniable, and as such for those who tend to like this type of thing the movie offers up a ride potentially worthy of the taking.

In the end, it’s hard not to find plenty to like about Cop Car, and as minor as this little thriller might be Watts directorial talent is still undeniable, and as such for those who tend to like this type of thing the movie offers up a ride potentially worthy of the taking.

Final Girl (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 21st, 2015 - Movie Reviews

Final Girl is a fairly tedious enterprise and watching it start to finish is something of a major chore. It’s bad, but is so in ways that have more to do with forces arguably outside the filmmaker’s control so coming down hard on this is awfully difficult to do. That doesn’t mean I think anyone should watch it, mind you, I just think it’s best those that accidentally do are prepared for the obscene levels of mediocrity they’ll end up witnessing if they end up doing so.

Final Girl is a fairly tedious enterprise and watching it start to finish is something of a major chore. It’s bad, but is so in ways that have more to do with forces arguably outside the filmmaker’s control so coming down hard on this is awfully difficult to do. That doesn’t mean I think anyone should watch it, mind you, I just think it’s best those that accidentally do are prepared for the obscene levels of mediocrity they’ll end up witnessing if they end up doing so.

Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 21st, 2015 - Movie Reviews

[After] all these years, after so many bad movies and disappointing misfires, I still like to be the critic who feels any movie, any movie at all, could potentially be awesome. Hitman: Agent 47 is the type of disaster that can kill those sort of aspirations, this lethal killing machine nothing more than a dream assassin making it the most heinous type of misfire there possibly is.

[After] all these years, after so many bad movies and disappointing misfires, I still like to be the critic who feels any movie, any movie at all, could potentially be awesome. Hitman: Agent 47 is the type of disaster that can kill those sort of aspirations, this lethal killing machine nothing more than a dream assassin making it the most heinous type of misfire there possibly is.

Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season (2014-2015)

by Sara Michelle Fetters - August 19th, 2015 - Blu-ray and DVD

Fans won’t care, and Frozen fanatics are almost certain to disagree, but gosh darn it if I didn’t feel like Season 4 of Once Upon a Time is running in rather obnoxious and tiresome circles while it’s dealing with the Elsa/Anna storyline. Same time, there’s still a lot of quality stuff going on here, and the writing involving both Regina and Emma is, more often than not, wonderful.

Fans won’t care, and Frozen fanatics are almost certain to disagree, but gosh darn it if I didn’t feel like Season 4 of Once Upon a Time is running in rather obnoxious and tiresome circles while it’s dealing with the Elsa/Anna storyline. Same time, there’s still a lot of quality stuff going on here, and the writing involving both Regina and Emma is, more often than not, wonderful.

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