B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - DEAD END (2003)

Made for less than a million dollars, the slightly obscure Dead End is a chilling little indie you don't want to miss. It might just be the best Christmas horror movie no one ever heard of and every dollar is up there on the screen. It's quirky, weird, funny, bizarre, and scary all at once. Black comedy for sure but much more, this would make a nice double feature with The Perfect Host, another movie we're big on around here. So, grab some eggnog and a snack or two and check out the inimitable Ray Wise with legendary Lin Shaye as they take their family down a wrong turn, what's up with this road? Why doesn't it end? After all, they're just trying to make it to Christmas Eve dessert at Frank's mother's house. Tubi, Plex, Freevee, enjoy! 2.75 stars/2.75

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

UNDERRATED WOODY ALLEN - COLIN FARRELL & EWAN MCGREGOR ARE TWO BROTHERS FORCED TO COMMIT A MURDER IN "CASSANDRA'S DREAM" (2007)

 

Consider this the first in an open-ended continuing series I'll post every now and then. As far as Mr Allen's personal life is concerned I'm going to say this as plainly as I can - if you met half the entertainers you consider idols or inspirations you would recoil in horror when you see what their personal lives and real personalities are like. I've been following this man's art for decades and decades, he may have made a mistake back on the day in question and we'll probably never really know the truth of that day but a child molester he is not. 

Now, for those that haven't heard, it was just announced that he will start shooting his 50th film soon and it will be shot in France and be shot in French (wow,) a murder-mystery kind of thing along the lines of Match Point. He has also alluded that this will he his last film while leaving that proverbial door open just in case. The man is 86 after all but I like what I'm hearing so far. I think he may redeem himself and go out with a bang on this next one. 

So, while we're talking about Match Point I enthusiastically submit Cassandra's Dream, a wonderfully acted murder mystery thing. Like a lot of Allen's films it feels like you're watching a play and the meat is in the dialog not the action. But this is a good film that moves along at a nice brisk pace, it's also the only Allen film ever to be scored (Phillip Glass, excellent as always) instead of Woody using his album collection and McGregor is particularly good. On the other hand, Tom Wilkenson, if you know what the guys capable of then you know he phoned this one in big time. Cassandra's Dream is currently streaming free on Roku, Vudu, FreeVee and You Tube which I put below.  3.0 stars/5

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