PILLION – Review

A pillion is the seat behind the driver on a motorcycle, or it can mean the passenger who sits there. The movie PILLION is a gay romance between a rather innocent young gay man (Harry Melling) who is introduced to the world of bondage-dominance/sadomasochism by a handsome motorcyclist (Alexander Skarsgard). Although the film is a well-acted, well-made romantic drama about a star-crossed relationship, the subject matter and it’s frank, even graphic, depiction means this is not a film that will appeal to everyone, or even most.

That said, Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard turn in strong, even tender performances as this pair, whose ideas of what their relationship should be doesn’t match up. First-time director Harry Lighton leans into the romantic for this tale of star-crossed love set in a rarely-seen world, and Lighton also wrote the screenplay, based on Adam Mars-Jones’ novel “Box Hill.”

Young Colin (Harry Melling) spots handsome biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgard) at a pub, where Colin is singing as part of a barbershop quartet, when Ray arrives as part of a biker gang. You can sense the thrill from Melling’s Colin from the moment he spots the handsome biker.

Colin is not only a singer in the barbershop quartet (Melling does his own singing and has a lovely voice), but the quartet is a kind of family thing, with his father singing as well. Colin lives in the suburbs with his parents, and seems to be recently out as gay. While his doting parents are very supportive, and his mother has even arranged a date for her son, back at the same pub. They are more wary when Colin goes out to meet up with Ray, fearing that the meeting is a prelude to a beating rather than a date.

However, the encounter introduces the innocent but willing Colin to what nearly-silent enigmatic Ray wants. Repeatedly, as the relations develops, people comment on the difference in physical beauty between homely Colin and handsome Ray, which helps pushed Colin further into the relationship.

The film follows their relationship, where it evolves or doesn’t, with Melling’s character wanting it to be love and Skarsgard’s stoic one basically trying to keep a lid on that idea. It turns out the whole motorcycle gang is part of this SM world, that Colin now joins as well.

How authentic the depiction of that world may be, I couldn’t say, but the scenes are explicit enough to mean this film will mostly appeal to a select audience. Director Harry Lighton frames this in as romantic a way possible but this is a world of bondage and SM, and there are plenty of graphic scenes in this film. The scenes are more graphic rather than pornographic, and there is less full nudity than one might expect, but the scenes make clear what is happening in each.

Skarsgard and Melling give what could be termed brave performances here, with the subject and the graphic scenes, although there is less full nudity than you might expect. There are plenty of sex scenes, often involving SM costumes and bondage, so you have no doubt what kind of biker gang this is.

Colin and Ray couldn’t seem more mismatched but it is more complicated than that. There is yearning and openness on the side of Melling’s character that runs up against Ray’s secrecy and emotional closedness. Skarsgard’s Ray seems to be protecting the other part of his life from this secret one. Still, occasionally there are moments when stoic Ray reveals feeling for his partner. It is this tension between what Ray wants and what Colin wants that the film spends most of its time exploring, along with these SM bikers’ lifestyle, was they go on outings and camping trips, and we get to know the other couples as well.

We get a glimpse of other relationships in this gay SM biker gang, which contrast to our central pair’s arrangement. Some are also chilly and functional, others are emotionally warm, but none seem as mismatched as Colin and Ray, with one member longing for something more.

Again, not a film for everyone, despite being a very well-made movie, with strong performances from a pair of gifted actors.

PILLION opens in theaters on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

RESCUE AT DONGJI – Review

I’m surprised that the fascinating historical event from WW II providing the basis for RESCUE AT DONGJI hasn’t been dramatized before. In 1942 a Japanese ship named the Lisbon Maru was carrying 1800 captured British soldiers to POW camps in Japan. An American submarine sank the ship near a Japanese-occupied Chinese island inhabited by a few hundred fishermen. The Yanks didn’t know who was in the cargo hold, or they wouldn’t have fired those torpedoes. Embarrassed by the loss of a vessel, the captors intended to let all the prisoners drown, or be shot if they tried to swim away. The islanders bravely rescued many of them. 

In this film, a fictional pair of brothers, Bi (Yilong Zhu) and Dang (Lei Wu) and the former’s girlfriend Hua (Ni Ni) spearhead the uprising and rescue, with varying degrees of reluctance, and over opposition from the intimidated village elders. As usual for Chinese productions depicting ANY era of Japanese occupation, the invaders are portrayed as sadistic oppressors, with no regard for the lives they control or callously end. I’ll leave it for others to advise how accurate this is, but it certainly makes a compelling good vs. evil drama here.

I recently reviewed another film set in the same period and vicinity, MONSTER ISLAND, in which a condemned Japanese sailor and American captive wash ashore in the eponymous location, and must overcome mutual distrust and a language barrier to bond for survival against the huge reptilian beast that calls it home, and Japanese military pursuers who want both of them dead. The Japanese navy there is presented as even more beastly than the creature.

I call this an epic endeavor with a caveat. For most of its running time, directors Zhenxiang Fei and Guan Hu build a rather intimate character drama centered around British soldier Thomas Newman (William Frankllin-Miller) who the brothers saved after he was blown off the ship in the original attack. Bonds formed awkwardly due to total lack of a common language. Disputes among several leaders over the risks and rewards of defying the invaders also run at some length, as we witness numerous acts of excessive cruelty along the way. The villagers are simple folk, isolated from news and understanding of the rest of the world. They didn’t need to know anything beyond their waters until the war came to them.

Finally, we get to the climactic rescue, and it’s well worth the build-up time.  The ship has been sinking so gradually that there was ample opportunity for their navy to transfer all captives to other vessels and continue home, as planned. But NO WAY, JOSE They chose to bury any record of  the incident and everyone who witnessed it, leading to the massive sea rescue by the entire fishing fleet, while under heavy fire from their enemy.  That long, riveting sequence reminded me of the stunning D-Day landing at the beginning of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN for its scope and detail. Soldiers desperately swimming to the humble native boats as bullets flew copiously among them, while the sinking ship created an eddy that added another layer of threat – pulling many among them down with it. Heavy casualties are inflicted upon the locals and the Brits before the massive effort ended. The underlying historical facts are provided in print and pix just before the closing credits.

The film runs 133 minutes, which may feel long as it plays out, but that finale delivers a memorable reward for one’s patience. It’s not quite as large-scale as that D-Day landing, but it’s just about as intense. Performances from the leads are solid, but the most award-worthy contributions here are for directing, editing and cinematography in the last act. 

RESCUE AT DONGJI, mostly in Mandarin and Japanese, with subtitles, debuts on Digital formats from Well Go USA on February 24.

2 stars out of 4

https://wellgousa.com/films/rescue-dongji

Apple TV’s FOR ALL MANKIND Drops A Stellar New Trailer

Apple TV has debuted the pulse-pounding trailer for season five of “For All Mankind,” the hit, critically acclaimed space drama series from creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. The 10-episode fifth season will make its global debut on Apple TV with one episode on Friday, March 27, followed by one new episode every Friday through May 29.

The series, which imagines that the space race never ended, first started airing in 2019. It’s absolutely brilliant and a must-see… for many reasons. NASA is on the brink of launching the Artemis II from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to travel to the Moon. And on the eve of PROJECT HAIL MARY, fans have an extra helping of sci-fi tech nerd-ness before the Phil Lord & Christopher Miller film opens on March 20.

Season five of “For All Mankind” picks up in the 2010s, years since the Goldilocks asteroid heist. Happy Valley has grown into a thriving colony with thousands of residents and a base for new missions that will take us even further into the solar system. But with the nations of Earth now demanding law and order on the Red Planet, friction continues to build between the people who live on Mars and their former home. The ensemble cast returning for season five includes Joel Kinnaman, Toby Kebbell, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Wrenn Schmidt, alongside new series regulars Mireille Enos (“The Killing,” “Hanna”), Costa Ronin (“The Americans,” “Homeland”), Sean Kaufman (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”), Ruby Cruz (“Bottoms”) and Ines Asserson (“Royalteen”).

“For All Mankind” is created by Emmy Award winner Moore, and Emmy Award nominees Wolpert and Nedivi. Wolpert and Nedivi serve as showrunners and executive produce alongside Moore and Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions, as well as Kira Snyder, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson and Seth Edelstein. “For All Mankind” is produced for Apple TV by Sony Pictures Television.

All four seasons of “For All Mankind” are now streaming on Apple TV.

MURDER IN… Season 15 – TV Series Review

Barbara Cabrita Quentin Faure

The title “Murder in … (Season 15)” applies to a wraparound for an anthology of 90-minute French crime telefilms that all feature different casts and locales. The common thread is that each murder mystery occurs in a new picturesque locale with protagonist cops of varying types and combinations dispensing justice, after sorting through a handful, or more, of suspects and motives. The lovely, plentiful transition scenes are noteworthy for showing why each site “du jour” – mostly coastal – attracts vacationers. One almost wonders if the national tourism board underwrites the productions to spread the business around the country. 

These TV movies have been running for about 15 years as stand-alone dramas. There’s little repetition of characters, though some actors may recur in other roles. MHz Choice streams them here under the” Murder In… “ umbrella, mostly adding the city or town for each to the title. This release is eight cases, all of which work well for those who like intelligent procedurals with relatively little blood and gore. The array of plots is as diverse as the range of settings. And since none relate to each other, one can watch them in any order, and without any need to binge – unless you’re pushing to screen them all in time to write a review in time for the first of the eight weekly releases.

They open with a Dutch ex-soldier found dead in a strange pose on the French side of lush Caribbean isle of Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. That gets resolved after a brief jurisdictional turf dispute between the two counties that share dominion there. The one set in CATALONIA begins with the murder of an aging flamenco dancer who is trying to revive her career. In CONCARNEAU, the body of the owner of a fleet of vessels washes ashore in a wet suit, though no one knew why he would have been in the water. The surly lead cop here, Gabriel Riviere (Guillaume Arnault) is the least likeable of the season’s crime busters, seething with old grudges.

In PERIGORD, a woman is crowned queen of a territory that still maintains a mostly-symbolic royal lineage. Her reign lasts only a couple of hours before she’s assassinated. I suppose it counts as one, rather than just a garden-variety murder, since the title comes with a mansion on valuable property, a nice bundle of money, and a multi-generational tradition of supporting Chile’s Mapuche Indians as its main cause.   This struck me as one of the more interesting plots.  Next, we go to the BALAGNE area of Corsica with a citadel surrounding much of the town. That’s important since the stiff that triggers this case was ostentatiously hanged from the top of its high wall, overlooking the busy harbor. This one really delves deeply into the emotions of the principals, as the lead cop came there from Paris for her late husband’s memorial service before being roped into the investigation. Very solid, moving character drama.

AUDIERNEflirts with the supernatural. Local legend has it that ancient ruins are buried under the sea just off the coast, and that church bells can be heard by some as a warning of impending danger. Of course, that becomes a tourism lure, with dive cruises to find it, as other entrepreneurs do in many places with their local “haunted” houses. As far as I know, this is the only one that starred actors (Evelyne Bouix, Jeremy Banster) as protagonists who’d paired in those roles before. Twice.

REGULUS CAVES plied more familiar thematic territory, with a guy found on the cliffs by some ruins, fatally stabbed and posed just like a woman’s body had been 20 years earlier. That murder remained unsolved. Are they related? Anyone who’s ever seen even a handful of crime shows knows they must be. But the process of making the connection is still well played by perhaps my favorite pair of sleuths of this lot, played by Shemss Audat and Antoine Hamel.  

The last one is set in a tennis tournament taking place in Paris, on the Roland Garros’ clay courts that host the French Open. The most promising young woman in the competition is found dead on Court 13 just before matches are scheduled to begin, unearthing a web of rivalries and issues among the teen players, their parents and staff members. This one is noteworthy for the presence of former pro star Yannick Noah in a significant role. It also stars an engaging pair of cops played by Florent Peyre and Roxanne Roux, who might deserve their own series.

Bottom line – not a clunker in the bunch. Each offers pleasing visuals. All are typically restrained on displays of violence and number of shots fired, as in most European procedurals. Casting directors made fine choices all around, even including the dude I didn’t like. Genre fans will vary as to which they prefer, but none will be disappointed with these relaxing bits of mystery escapism.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/murder-in

“Murder in… Season 15”, in French with subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice on February 24, with one release each week thereafter.

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING – Review

Charming Glen Powell goes after what should have been his, in the dark comedy crime tale HOW TO MAKE A KILLING, in which the son of a disowned daughter sets out to eliminate the seven other relatives standing between him and a 28 billion dollar fortune. Classic movie buffs will recognize this plot as a retelling of Alec Guinness dark comedy KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, in which Guinness plays all the relatives. Glen Powell doesn’t try anything so ambitious in acting here – he just plays the lead character – but writer/director John Patton Ford (who also directed the top-notch EMILY THE CRIMINAL) adds a new layer that makes his murderous campaign more personal.

The central character of Alec Guinness’s original just accidentally discovers he was in line for a fortune, and sets out to kill relatives he doesn’t know and has nothing against, other than that they are in his way. HOW TO MAKE A KILLING is different. Even though he also has never met any of them, Glen Powell’s Becket Redfellow has a personal history, and potential proverbial ax to grind, on behalf of a mother who was disowned by her father, the patriarch of the family. Revenge, for himself but also his mother, as well as greed, drives this version. There weren’t any moral gray areas in the Alec Guinness film but the personal history of being wronged changes that for this one.

Glen Powell’s natural charm and charisma does much to sell this story, where the audience finds itself hoping a character gets away with murder. But that doesn’t look likely since the film starts with Glen Powell’s Becket Redfellow on Death Row telling his tale to a priest (Adrian Lukis).

In HOW TO MAKE A KILLING, writer-director John Patton Ford puts nepotism, the idle rich, unearned wealth and privilege, and income inequality on full display here. The Redfellows have money and largely have no intention to do anything good or constructive with it.

It isn’t just the injustice done to Becket’s mother, it is the character of those Redfellow relatives who are in line to inherit, a string of useless “trust fund baby” types – yacht owing party boy Taylor Redfellow (Raff Law), egotistical wannabee artist Noah Redfellow (Zach Woods), self-centered would-be philanthropist Cassandra Redfellow (Bianca Amato), showboating explorer and thrill seeker (think Howard Hughes crossed with Richard Branson) Mcarthur Redfellow (Alexander Hanson) and, weirdest of all, the shady rock star pastor of a mega-church Stephen Redfellow (Topher Grace). At the very top is the ruthless grandfather who disowned his daughter, Whitelaw Redfellow (Ed Harris). This family is knee-deep in entitlement, self-absorption and arrogance, with cold-hearted ruthlessness at the top.

Becket’s mother Mary Redfellow (Nell Williams) was stubborn and proud, and despite living in a humble home in New Jersey, worked to give him a proper, cultured education while raising him with a sense of upper-crust values and as much cultural refinement as she could. Becket has archery lessons, piano lessons, and learned how to dress properly and have aristocratic manners, and rubbed some elbows with his mother’s upper class.

Although the Redfellows are mostly stinkers, Becket does find decent people in the family tree, an uncle, Warren Redfellow (Bill Camp), who does something to right his father’s wrong, but that kind gesture of taking Becket under his wing also showcases the power of nepotism (he is literally a nephew) in corporate success.

Two love interests both complicate and sometimes drive the plot, The first is Julia (Margaret Qualley) whom Becket meets as a child and becomes enamored with immediately. She becomes enamored with him when he tells her about the fortune he’s in line to inherit – maybe. The other is Ruth (Jessica Henwick), the girlfriend of one of those relatives standing in Becket’s way. Sparks fly between them when they meet, as her relationship is fizzling.

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING’s greatest strength is Glen Powell, who makes his character sympathetic and likable despite what the character is doing. Powell’s Becket is complicated but Glen Powell makes him also so charming and such a sweet, decent guy that it is easy to forget his mission, which is partly driven by his mother’s last words, to “get what is his,” as well as his own ambitions. Even Becket at times wavers in his aim but the basic unpleasantness of his relatives often helps him along.

As Becket goes about his bloody business. HOW TO MAKE A KILLING offers some damning social commentary as it showcases a rogues’ gallery of individuals bent by unearned wealth and privilege. Still, this film story is comedy, satiric dark crime comedy, like the film that inspired it. Since it is comedy, this one doesn’t have the bite of the director’s crime drama EMILY THE CRIMINAL, where a conviction, for assaulting an abusive partner, is a black mark that hangs unfairly over an ambitious businesswoman. HOW TO MAKE A KILLING is lighter, more fun, despite the murderous plot and an ironic ending, but it does still have some punch with its look at entitled people with more inherited wealth than sense and little in the way of decency or humanity.

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING opens in theaters on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT – Review

You’d think that Aussie director Baz Luhrmann would’ve had his fill of “the King” after making his big-budget Oscar-nominated biopic of ELVIS nearly four years ago. And you would be so wrong. And Presley fans (and scores of fanatics), along with general movielovers are all the richer for it. Turns out that Baz wanted access to all the footage from the two Elvis concert films from the early 70s, and was probably gobsmacked by the 68 boxes of 35mm (and some 8mm) film delivered from deep within the vaults of Warner Brothers. We do get an overview of the man’s life and career, but the main focus is on the legendary performing tenure begun in 1969 at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. All the hi-tech cleaning and polishing only add to the legend, and truly earn the main title of EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT. Lace up those blue suede shoes…

The taut ninety-minute documentary/concert deftly combines both cinema elements. Baz assembles little “sidebars” that pop up almost like chapter bookends here. There’s a section devoted to his adored “Mama”, initial cultural impact (an explosion almost) with a TV preacher’s warning of the “beat” that summons Satan, his Army stint, the “Colonel”, his romances (yes, Priscella’s there), and many other milestones. Plus, there’s a montage of his often silly (“See Elvis karate chop a tiger!”) later movies that prompted the big 1968 “comeback” TV special. But the real “meat” is the preparations for the big Vegas concert with several unlikely tunes that were considered. It’s interesting to hear the King’s take on a couple of Beatles tunes, along with a Simon and Garfunkel classic. And yes, he’s in excellent “voice”, this being some of his most polished vocal stylings. The rehearsals and preparation scenes build to the big Vegas opening, in which Elvis almost “reinvented” himself and began his new era of live-performance spectacles.

For some viewers, this new reworking of long-thought lost footage will reinforce their perception of this icon, while for the unfamilar much of this may be a revelation or a discovery. We see long hours in minimal facilities to tweak the sound, in order to go beyond the “flash and glitter”. Oh, but there is plenty of that, though. His gaudy, often loud fashion ensembles are on full display, making us think of how it’s the male peacock who attempts to dazzle the ladies. Dazzle is a restrained turn for Elvis’ magnetic appeal to the hordes of enraptured women fans of every age. He is their idealized lover, even if there’s a hint of danger. One great bit has Elvis zeroing in on one of his most prominent female backup singers, which inspires both fear and quivering desire. That’s just one of the scenes of his “clownin””, as we witness him cracking up over his persona. There’s a darkness to one of the “jokes” as Elvis inserts some drug references to one of his tunes, strange since he’d get a “drug buster badge” from then President Nixon less that a decade before he was felled by his addiction. Ah, but that feels like the distant future as we see the celeb-packed audience at that first Vegas concert. Why, he’s visited in his dressing room after the show by Sammy Davis, Jr. and Cary Grant! Oh, to be a fly on the wall to hear what they discussed, or at least to have better microphones trained on them. This is also an incredible time capsule of that time when beehive hairdos (or don’ts) ruled the skies, probably blocking a lot of the audience, who “dressed to impress”, perhaps to garner a glance or a quick smooch from their idol (he does love to wander through the smothering crowds). Yes, these are fun, happy snippets of kitsch, but there’s still some tragedy as Elvis mentions his interest in touring the world, though he would never venture beyond North America. My only complaint about Baz’s passion project is that some songs are cut short in order to avoid a long running time for the IMAX venues. Yes, I wanted more, but what’s there is really great. Oh, and don’t leave when the end credits begin. There’s a brief shot of E flanked by his “Memphis Mafia” as he briskly strolls down the hotel staff corridor past their cafeteria. In his bright blue jumpsuit, he looks like he popped in from Mount Olympus, making us wonder how this rock and roll deity existed on this planet with us. Sure, the music is still wonderful, but the whole mystique is what makes this time-traveling trip so memorable in the truly EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT. And yes, sadly, Elvis has left the building…

3.5 Out of 4

EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT is now playing exclusively on IMAX screens. It expands to theatres everywhere on Friday, February 27, 2026

LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY Brings The Horror Back To Mummies In First Trailer

Hot off the record-setting resurrection of EVIL DEAD RISE, writer/director Lee Cronin turns to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time with an audacious and twisted retelling: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY.

The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace – eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

Cronin’s now made mummies scary again.

The film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falcón. The film is written and directed by Cronin, and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher and Lee Cronin.

Cronin is supported behind the camera by a team of sterling film artisans, including director of photography Dave Garbett, production designer Nick Bassett, editor Bryan Shaw, costume designer Joanna Eatwell and casting by Terri Taylor and Sarah Domeier Lindo.

The score is from the awarding winning film and television composer Stephen McKeon, whose recent work includes Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, KIN, and The Cellar. He also composed the lovely score for QUEEN AND COUNTRY.

New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Present, A Wicked/Good Production, A Lee Cronin Film: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theaters and IMAX in North America on April 17, 2026, and internationally beginning 15 April 2026.

Check Out The New Trailer For STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU

“Do we run… or do we fight?”

A brand-new trailer and poster for “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” have arrived.

Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” opens exclusively in theaters May 22, 2026.

The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.

Directed by Jon Favreau, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White and is produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce,  with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.

FRONTIER CRUCIBLE – Review

FRONTIER CRUCIBLE is an odd throwback to the Spaghetti and other Westerns of the late 1960s-70s. It opens in 1872, with three faceless thugs killing a seemingly random stranger they stumble across in the desert. Fast-forward two years. The US Cavalry must get a wagon of medicine through hostile Apache territory to a plague-infested town. Since a uniformed patrol would just piss off the natives, they delegate the task to a civilian who knows the human and geographic terrain, Beckford (Myles Clohessy), to drive it through the desert alone. We can see at a glance that he’s the sort of honorable, laconic frontiersman who can calmy handle any situation.

Enroute, he finds a seriously wounded man and his wife, Jeff and Mary Butler  (Eli Brown, Mary Stickley), who have just been joined by a sketchy trio (an unrecognizably grizzled Thomas Jane, Armie Hammer and Ryan Masson). All their horses were stolen by the Apaches, and they know another attack is inevitable. Beckford reluctantly agrees to take them along, leery of some of the characters and worried about Jeff’s condition. He imposes strict rules on his charges to minimize delays of his urgent mission. Many conflicts arise among them. Beckford maintains the stoic integrity and focus of a Gary Cooper or Clint Eastwood character in the face of assorted menacing elements. He may remind some of a slimmer Cheyenne Bode.

The film unfolds slowly, gradually revealing more of their backstories, providing context for how they all wound up there, and what their motivations were. There’s not a lot of surprise in what happens, but there are a satisfying handful in HOW they happen. Director Travis Mills could have cut about 20 of its 124 minutes without sacrificing plot or character development. He does make good use of the distinctive Monument Valley rock formations that every Western fan has enjoyed dozens of times. They tacitly provide a Seal of Approval for any oater filmed before their looming heights.

The script fleshes out enough diverse personalities among the players for dramatic tension. When the action scenes come, they’re well done. Enjoy seeing William H. Macy in the second scene. Though the biggest name in the cast, that’s all he stuck around for.  When you’ve run out of vintage late 1800s frontier fare, this one just might fill the niche for you.

FRONTIER CRUCIBLE is available on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD from Well Go USA on February 17.

Rated R for strong/bloody violence and grisly images.

RATING: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars

BLOOD BARN – Review

In BLOOD BARN, the latest entry into the Cabin-in-the-Woods aisle of the glutted horror supermarket we begin with seven college-age camp counselors celebrating the end of their season by spending a weekend at the rambling isolated former home of the ingenue’s grandparents. That’s Josie (Lena Redford – no relation to you-know-who), who is as wholesomely naïve as they come. The other two gals are Amanda (Andrea Bambina), sporting the look and edginess of a Krysten Ritter; and Rachel (Chloe Cherry), a leggy blonde whose sense of adventure is halfway between that of her gal pals. The four guys are such generic frat bros, I’m not sure who was which… and it really didn’t matter much.

The requisite menace is some mostly-unseen entity that lurks at this long-neglected (though the electricity is somehow still working when they arrive) house and barn for reasons having to do with some sort of evil stuff that happened in the past. Standard set-up. Clothes shed for swimming in the pond are sucked into the ground; things go bump in the night; people start disappearing; some resurface as if possessed; not everyone will survive to leave the property.

The monster doing the damage is mostly on screen as a malevolent vine that grabs folks and kills or changes them in a variety of gruesome ways. Besides fake blood and zombie-esque makeup, the vine that resembles spider legs more than anything botanical, and eerie red lighting fill the bill for most of the mood-setting special effects.  

This formulaic exercise is missing a few easy add-ons that could have made it a whole bunch better. Such flicks typically thrive on more titillation than this one serves. A sprinkling of naughty bits and boinking would have been easy to fit in, so to speak. Some of the encounters with the whatever-it-is were soft-pedaled, as if trying to keep it PG-13 for marketing. Even worse, co-writer and director Gabriel Bernini didn’t bother to let us know just what that thing was, or why it was there. Backstories are essential for such productions to seem grounded in the supernatural peril its characters are confronting. We’re not expecting realism, but we do expect an underlying reason for what we’re witnessing. 

Having a low budget justifies flicks making the best of inexpensive fx elements. They did have enough money to hire competent actors, and chose them well. But it don’t cost no more dough to flesh out a script with the whys and hows of its alternate realm – especially since one of the writers is on set doing the directing. A near miss from what it could have been.

BLOOD BARN streams exclusively on Screambox on February 17.

RATING: 1 1/2 out of 4 stars