The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell

Runtime 121min. - Rated R

3 Stars (out of 4)

IMDB

A young man forces his way into a surgeon' life. A secret is revealed. Someone must die. Sounds like a thriller, right? 

Maybe it would be a thriller if not for the offbeat dialogue. Even when people are facing life-altering dilemmas they're mostly talking to each other like unfiltered children. Whatever happens to cross their minds, they say. Conversations about armpit hair and watch bands flow like wine in this bizarre film. Except they don't really flow at all, which is, one assumes, on purpose. 

The real star of this film is Barry Keoghan, the mysterious boy who turns the Murphy household into a house of horrors. He seems innocuous enough, especially considering his revealed backstory, which I won't spoil for you. But when the Murphy's start becoming paralyzed, Martin takes the credit. Does he have magic? Did he poison them? I honestly don't know and I just watched the thing. It's not really important. What's important is that not all of the Murphy's have to die. If you sacrifice one you save the rest. Which, in this film's case, leads to a lot of mundane discussions with little to no emotional affectation.

This is not going to please a lot of moviegoers. It's a dry film that defies genre. But you can't find fault in it's craft and creativity. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson

Runtime 136min. - Rated PG13

2.5 Stars (out of 4)

I generally don't go to the theater. Especially not to new releases. I know that seems counterproductive for a movie blogger, but the price is outrageous. Then there's the line, the crowds, the concessions, and all the other stuff I could do without. The screens are awesome, but I'm capable of enjoying a movie on my TV just as well as a theater.

So why make an exception for "Catching Fire"? Two reasons: 1. I had free tickets 2. My wife and I were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary.

So how was this rare trip to a real live movie theater? Pretty good, actually.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" does a lot of things right. It manages to project a sinister tone without the need for grisly on-screen violence. And of course the costumes and sets are amazing, especially the scenes in the capital. The cast is top notch. Really, the talent is over-qualified for the material. Woody Harrelson is one of my favorite performers and Phillip Seymour Hoffman I consider the greatest actor alive. Jennifer Lawrence is always stunning and a prodigious thespian in her own right.

So now lets get to the important stuff. The stuff I didn't like.

Mike Case in: The Big Kiss Off (2013)

Directed by Justin Baird

Starring Les Mahoney and Devai Pearce

Runtime 76min.

Available on DVD from the Official Website

 
So I'm guessing you haven't seen the trailers advertising "Mike Case in: The Big Kiss Off" during the Sunday Night Football games. And maybe you didn't notice it on the front page of IMDB. And possibly even missed the Mike Case blimp on it's 12-city tour.

No, none of that happened. What I'm driving at here is that "The Big Kiss Off" is a low-budget movie that may have never came across my radar if not for a Facebook friendship with the folks at IndieRights Distribution. It's a surprising friendship since they sent me a literal box full of DVD's of which I've only watched and reviewed a few.

But "Mike Case" didn't end up in the DVD box. I was actually contacted by a producer/star/co-writer on the film who'd hoped I might take a look and offer a review. Of course, if that producer had visited this site he may have not even offered. It's not like I've been active lately. And I confess, my first instinct was to politely decline. But, I was in the mood for something different, and in the mood to write, and I'm a big nut for noir. So I said yes. And the result is as follows.

The Movies I've Watched Recently

As opposed to the movies I'd like to have watched recently. I think you'll see a pattern emerging here pretty quickly.

• The Little Mermaid
• The Little Mermaid 2
• The Little Mermaid 3
• Back to the Sea (Direct-to-video cartoon)
• Rio
• Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
• Despicable Me
• The Croods
• A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
• Epic
• Escape from Planet Earth
• Wreck-It Ralph
• Koala Kid
• The Monster in Paris
• Mars Needs Moms
• Megamind
• Wall-E
• Up

I think you get the idea. I also end up watching a lot of Curious George on Netflix and there's bunches of Land Before Time movies that my wife watches with the kids when I'm not home.

So, if the reviews come slow. This is why. Not that I couldn't review kids movies, but I really don't care too.

Bless Me, Ultima (2013)

 Directed by Carl Franklin

Based on the book by Rudolfo Anaya

Starring Luke Ganalon and Miriam Colon

2.5 Stars (out of 4)

Watch instantly on Vudu or Amazon

Better yet, buy the book!

For whatever reason, I didn't read many novels growing up. Hell, I didn't read many novels ever, until the last couple of years. But now I read constantly. Can't get enough.

"The book was better." is what I've always heard about adaptations. But I've had no first hand experience of this phenomenon until now. I happened to catch Roger Ebert's review of "Bless Me, Ultima" about a year ago and decided to check out the novel. I'm so glad I did. It's an excellent piece of literature that added much to the Chicano culture it celebrates.

Why My Blog Sucks

Yes. My blog sucks. I mean, it's a movie review blog and I haven't posted a movie review since May 9th. What gives?

The Silver Tattoo by Laura Treacy Bentley

 The Silver Tattoo

by Laura Treacy Bentley

Published April '13

Having writer/editor/publisher friends on Facebook often comes in handy. Sometimes an author will make their book available for free on Amazon for a 24 hour period. I've gained a few books that way. But, The Silver Tattoo is by far the best free pick-up I've made.

This book is excellent. Voice is something authors are told to develop constantly, but it almost seems like a myth. Bentley's voice, however, is strong. I think I could pick her writing out of a lineup of samples. Part of this is likely due to her poetry background, though admittedly I've yet to read her poetry.

The book is more sentimental than I'm used to, but LTB is so good at building intrigue that you never lose focus. You just have to have those answers. A lot of my reading consists of horror-fantasy and sci-fi. And while I'm a huge fan of Joe Hill and Mark Lawrence, it's nice to expand one's horizons every so often. So there's no beheadings or monsters, The Silver Tattoo still left me completely satisfied.

Horns by Joe Hill

Horns by Joe Hill

4 Stars (out of 4)

Whoa. That was my reaction to "Horns", a novel by Joe Hill. If you're unfamiliar with the author you may have heard of his parents, Tabitha and Stephen King. Maybe it's in the blood, but Hill's certainly got the talent. He's not just finding success based on his famous parents.

"Horns" is the story of Ignatius "Ig" Perrish, a young man who wakes up in his car with a hangover and no memory of the previous night's events. Also, he has horns. It's not a spoiler. Hill doesn't waste time introducing the element. The horns are there from the beginning.

Don't let the supernatural elements fool you, this story is a study of human nature. What do the horns do? Well, they give people the urge to tell Ig their deepest darkest desires. Often they even ask Ig permission to act on those desires. Also, if he makes skin contact with another person he absorbs their memories, often finding out things he didn't want to know. His friends, family, even his preacher has horrible secrets.

The Cabining: A Conversation with the Stars and Director

Melissa Mars as "Celeste"

A recently had a chance to chat with the directors and stars of upcoming horror/comedy "The Cabining". I've seen an unfinished version of the film and I think it's got a bright future. This is a very casual interview and I think my readers will enjoy it.

My subjects are: director/writer Steve Kopera, star Melissa Mars, star/producer Mike Kopera, and star Bo Keister.

I'd also suggest visiting "The Cabining's" YOUTUBE CHANNEL where you can find trailers and exclusive behind the scenes interviews.

Clockwork Phoenix 4 (2013)

Editor: Mike Allen

4 Stars (out of 4)

Order the book HERE.

Clockwork Phoenix 4 takes the reader on a journey through the outer reaches of imagination. You'll find threads loosely tying these stories together, not in plot but theme. That's not an accident. Editor Mike Allen has a fascination with the abstract notion of celestial clockwork. In one way or the other, you'll see that fascination manifested in each of the stories he's chosen.

Even without the author bios you'll recognize many of the authors. If you read the major markets like Analog, Asimovs, Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons and so on, you've probably ran across many of these authors before.

I wrote an comprehensive story by story breakdown of this book a few months ago. Each review was written directly after reading the short story. Unfortunately my hard drive passed on during that time and the review was lost. I've been mourning it's passing for months now and I'm finally ready to move on and give Clockwork Phoenix 4 it's proper due.

The Evolution of DustyOnMovies

About a year ago I walked into this little brick building about five miles from my home. The sign on the front read Public Library. When I walked through the doors there were hundreds of shelves full of little rectangular things with interesting titles on them. Naturally I went to the person in charge and asked"What kind of device to I need to play these movies?" She informed that they weren't movies, but books. So I said, "What kind of device do I need to play these books?" To my dismay, the lady shook her head and walked away.

Fine, I thought. I'll just go check them out myself. So I opened the case expecting to find some sort of optical disc, instead there were a bunch of sheets of paper bound together and printed with words. They were sort of like those things that you read while waiting in a doctor's office or while taking a poop, only thicker and with harder words.

So I took one of these "books" to the counter and asked the lady how much it would cost. It was FREE! All I had to do is sign up for a free membership and I could hang on to it for a few weeks. Obviously, this "library" was a life-changing innovation that should have been around years ago.

Superman: Unbound (2013)

Directed by James Tucker

Starring Matt Bomer and John Noble

Runtime 75min. - Rated PG13

3.5 Stars (out of 4)

Available now on VUDU and Amazon Instant.

This ain't the kind of cartoon your kids watch on Saturday mornings.

"Superman: Unbound" took a little getting used to for me. For starters, I've watched every feature-length animated Superman movie and recently finished the animated series "Justice League Unlimited". So I have a certain idea of how Superman should be drawn. It's narrow-minded and unfair, I admit. The animation of "Superman: Unbound" is a pretty big departure from the D.C. Animated Universe. The characters have slender faces with less jawline than I'm used to. Also, when Kal-El changes back into a mild-mannered reporter his voice changes drastically. This is the first Superman since Christopher Reeve to make his secret identity believable. The change in voice was so major that I waited for the credits to who the other voice actor was. There was no other voice actor, just one talented guy named Matt Bomer.

Sirius (2013)

As some of you know, I have a deep interest in skepticism. I follow loads of skeptic related blogs and websites such as Randi.org, quackwatch.com, sciencebasedmedicine.org, michaelshermer.com, whatstheharm.net and when I'm not devouring fiction novels my reading involves such authors as James Randi, Michael Shermer, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Richard Wiseman. I even wrote a couple of skeptic-themed movie reviews for the JREF such as this review for "Resurrect Dead".

This isn't about me though. Author, skeptic and noted UFOlogist (the real kind) Robert Sheaffer recently posted a movie review over on his blog Bad UFOs. The film in question is called "Sirius" and is a pet project of pseudoscientist Dr. Steven Greer. It gained some public spotlight by promising free energy, a concept that physicists agree is impossible, and the corpse of an extraterrestrial being.

Early Favorite for Best Picture Oscar

Fundraising Campaigns supported by DustyOnMovies

 Details

"Truth or Dare" is a horror film directed by and starring Jessica Cameron. This will be her directorial debut.

Why I'm Supporting

Well, I like the premise and always enjoy a good horror film. Jessica Cameron has been acting for a while and I love seeing someone who loves their craft enough to try directing. It also doesn't hurt that she's so damn pretty.

 

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT "TRUTH OR DARE"

It's in the Blood (2012)

Directed by Scooter Downey

Written by Downey and Sean Elliot

Starring Elliot and Lance Henriksen

Runtime 81min. - Not Rated (R-ish)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Now available on Amazon Instant and Vudu

Typically, when you rent a direct-to-video horror film with Lance Henriksen as its biggest star, you prepare yourself for mediocrity. That doesn't mean Henriksen's low-budget splatter flicks aren't fun, just not good. "It's in the Blood" completely turns that notion on its head. 

*Warning, the following paragraph contains loads of spoilers.*
The film features a father and son who, after an injury, get stranded in the forest where they're forced to fend off some mysterious predatory monster. For most horror films that would be the entire plot but "It's in the Blood" offers exponentially more. In fact, the amount of plot is both its greatest strength and weakness. It's refreshing to see well-developed characters, but sometimes the audience is expected to take on too much information. The lead character is dealing with extreme tragedy. His girlfriend/adopted sister was raped and killed by a stalker. The stalker is the town's deputy sheriff. The lovers' father is the town sheriff. The town sheriff could have saved them but was drunk - he became an alcoholic after his wife's death. Is that enough? No, our lead character also has photographic memory that comes in handy at the most convenient times. Plus he deals with depression by cutting and has been avoiding his dad for over a year. So it only makes sense that they decide to go on a long hike together.

The Host (2013)

Directed by Andrew Niccol

Based on the book by Stephanie Meyer

Starring Saoirse Ronan

Runtime 125min. - Rated PG-13

1.5 Stars (out of 4)

The idea of having two minds in one head has fueled countless sci-fi movie plots. Many of those films were low-budget horror and/or comedy. With "The Host", Stephanie Meyer has shown why the premise doesn't belong in a big budget film, at least not in one geared towards tween romance.

The plot revolves around an alien race that appear as shiny blue critters that look like they came from a deep sea documentary. These critters are then placed into the brain of humans where they take over the body and have access to the human's memories. But when one of these things is put into our resistant hero Melanie, it finds out humans won't go down easy.

Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Starring Mila Kunis and James Franco

Runtime 130min. - Rated PG

3.5 Stars (out of 4)

"Oz the Great and Powerful" is "Army of Darkness". Let me make my case in the form of a synopsis.

A man gets sent to a faraway place where he is claimed to be a prophesied "chosen one". He pretends to have great power to exploit the locals but tries to ditch his responsibilities when things get dangerous. Later he redeems himself by leading the people to freedom from an evil force. He doesn't have a real army so he uses his knowledge of technology to outsmart his enemy.

So tell me, is that Ash or Oz?

Then there's the fact that both films are directed by Sam Raimi. Like in AOD Raimi uses his beloved Three Stoogies-style physical comedy. In the beginning of Oz's trip spikes poke through the hot-air baloon's basket and nearly poke him in the eyes. If seeing that doesn't invoke the memory of Ash doing battle with eye-poking underground skeletons then you probably have never seen AOD.

Evil Dead (2013)

Directed by Fede Alvarez

Starring Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez and Lou Taylor Pucci

Runtime 91min. - Rated R

3 Stars (out of 4)

I saw this film with Mike Allen and Shalon Hurlbert who will be discussing it on an upcoming episode of "Tales To Terrify", a popular podcast from the guys behind StarShipSofa. I expect they'll have a comical, well-informed take on the movie. It was nice doing something nerdy around other nerds, even though my trivial knowledge isn't nearly as impressive in their presence.

I don't usually review current theatrical releases, but so much hyperbole is being thrown at the "Evil Dead" remake that I just can't resist.

Bee People (2012)

Directed by David Knappe

Starring Gregg McMahan

Not Rated

Playing at the Grandin Film Festival in Roanoke, Va.

Visit the Official Website for more information.
And here's a trailer.

"Bee People" is the story of an alien invasion. It involves a race of creatures that closely resemble bees but can disguise themselves as people.

Okay, so maybe that was a Doctor Who episode.

The alien angle would have been entertaining, but probably have taken away from the documentary aspect of the film.