THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY (2014) - VIGGO MORTENSEN AND OSCAR ISSAC ARE PLAYING A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE IN GREECE WITH KIRSTEN DUNST

 

A neo-noir based on a old novel from 1964 but after seeing this, one I wouldn't mind reading. The Viggo-Mortensen-Meister plays a wiser than his adversary traveler who while vacationing with his wife (the lovely Kirsten Dunst looking better than ever) accidentally kills a detective. Meanwhile, their shifty and shady tour guide (Oscar Issac) pretends to be on his side to help him escape the local authorities but what he really wants is Viggo's wife. As they try and leave the area, a cat and mouse game between the two men develops but Viggo is always one step ahead of the younger, slightly aloof guide. 

Nice to see Greece used as a backdrop for a mystery noir. It gives fairly good justice to the genre and Mortensen is on here, delivering a nice solid performance. High marks for cinematography, music supervision and particularly, costuming. Give this one a shot, it currently streams free on Tubi, Vudu, Pluto and Peacock.  3.0 stars/5

THE AMAZING DOBERMANS (1976) - THIRD AND FINAL ENTRY IN THE SERIES CAME A FEW YEARS LATER WITH MORE STAR POWER BUT LESS ENTERTAINING

 
The third entry in the infamous Doberman Gang series produced by the Chudnow family went for more star power than the first two movies with Barbara Eden starring alongside Fred Astaire (who actually is really good in this) and good ole five-pack-a-day James Franciscus. This star power however did not translate to a better film and although there are some enjoyable parts (mostly scenes with just the dogs,) the film pales in comparison to the first two entries in the series. 

Amazing Dobermans is and has been a very obscure film to come across with the only release on VHS long gone, very hard to find and pricey. There is currently a user up on YT which I put below, I would describe the quality as adequate or watchable. It's the only online version of any kind that I could locate. If you did like the first two films, then I still recommend this one. It has a good story and moves along at a nice steady pace. It's the actors that are phoning everything in, the dogs are spot-on though, heheh.   1.75 stars/2.75

THOMAS HADEN CHURCH IS THE "ACIDMAN" (2022) AS WE FEATURE THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BORN ACTOR ONCE AGAIN

 

I'm starting to really dig this guy's work. We recently reviewed Whitewash (thumbs way up) and Cardboard Boxer. Now along comes Acidman where Haden Church plays a reclusive father living in the middle of nowhere whose daughter (Dianna Agron) tracks him down after ten years. She finds he has an obsession with chasing UFO's and he also believes that they're trying to communicate with him. 

I'd like to report this indie is as good as the other two films but, unfortunately, it's more of a miss than a hit. No particular directing style is evident and the story really needs to be redeveloped with more bells and whistles in the plotline. It's shot nicely and I think the basic idea appeals to most people but ultimately doesn't deliver. The ending, while handled nicely, is certainly more than expected. 

Having said that, Thomas Haden Church puts in another really good performance with a film that has one foot in a character study, perfect for him to carry the film. Too bad what he's carrying is a sack of rotten potatoes. Acidman streams on VOD, 6.99 to rent.   1.75 stars/5  

MATT DILLON AND ANDREW MCCARTHY ROB A BANK IN "KANSAS" (1988) - THEY SPLIT AND GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS...OR DO THEY?

File this one under vintage Matt Dillon - a crime drama that was a box office flop and recipient of many a bad review. I'm not sure why as I found it to be an engaging, fun bank robbery movie powered by two classic '80's actors, Dillon and McCarthy. 

After robbing a bank, the pair accidentally get split up. McCarthy has the loot and stashes it in a bridge when a car accident happens and he lands up saving a drowning girl. This sets up a new life for him as it leads to a job on a farm, he's the new town hero, right?  Meanwhile, Dillon as the heavy is, of course, trying to get a trace on him so he can get his half of the loot.

It may not have been executed in a way that audiences liked but this is a great story and script from Spencer Eastman who landed up passing away before the film's release. 

Give this one a shot, it currently streams on Paramount+, Fubo and Amazon Prime. 

3.0 stars/5

PLANE (2023) - GERALD BUTLER IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY IN A NICE ADDITION TO THE AIRPLANE DISASTER GENRE

All your problems are solved, Gerald Butler is at the helm. 

If there's one thing I love, it's a movie dealing with planes, trains or boats. Plane is a more than adequate addition to its genre and the first movie I have seen with Gerald Butler. As heroes go, he's not a bad chap, I like the modest but lean look and emphasis more on using his brain than his fists but he's up for that too. 

Not all of the movie takes place on the aircraft which is, no pun intended, a nice departure from the usual. The flying part takes up the first third and then comes back at the end. The rest of the film is a sort of Die Hard in the jungle with a little Flight Of The Phoenix thrown in. It's fairly easy to swallow from a suspend disbelief standpoint although the very last shot of our hero sitting by himself in the airliner calling his daughter is way hokey.

It may not be remembered in history like the original Airport but all in all I recommend Plane. 

Plane is still in the 5.99 to rent phase, I anticipate it will go on sale in a week or two.  3.0 stars/5

Editor's Note - As of 4/18, Plane is indeed on sale, 9.99 on Vudu only for 4k. 

UNDERRATED WOODY ALLEN - SCARLETT JOHANSSON IS LOOKING FOR THE "SCOOP" (2006) ON AN INFAMOUS TAROT CARD SERIAL KILLER

 

2005's Matchpoint is undeniably one of the high points in a rollercoaster Woody Allen filmography. I think even Allen himself might not have seen that film's success coming. Ironically, one of Scoop's biggest problems is it came too soon after Matchpoint and with all it's similarities in location, cast, and so on, whether he liked it or not, Scoop was perceived as a follow-up. Which, of course, wasn't his intention, he was just making his one movie per year, Scoop was next. 

A who-dun-it mystery comedy, Scoop falls neither into his best category nor his total misses. It is, simply put, an adequate and mostly fun picture. Allen certainly isn't spoiled for choice with these types of films in his filmography. 

Many of Allen's regular themes are present, especially death and magic. Here he depicts the afterlife as a big ship with black sails and a grim reaper with it's occupants on deck all talking about how they died back on earth. These are some of the movie's funniest scenes. 

Scoop is available on all the VOD outlets.  3.0 stars/5