Goodnight Mommy

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A pair of twins (Lukas and Elias Schwarz, going by their real first names) suspect an impostor underneath the facial bandages of a woman that's supposed to be their mother (Wuest) after cosmetic facial surgery. The setting of a lakeside house is not only beautiful, but it also creates a sense of isolation and quietness that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The film is not without its flaws; particularly with how it handles its twists and turns—but just like some of the best lies have truth to them, some of the best twists have obvious to them. Even still, directors Fiala and Franz execute well enough to keep you engaged throughout, and do a pretty decent job of throwing you off track at random times, despite the film being guilty of trotting down the path of predictability.

Horrible Bosses 2

The trio are back as their own bosses this time around, inventing a carwash-like shower system that they foolishly invest to businessman Waltz, who shamelessly takes full advantage of their inexperience and stupidity. In an attempt to break even, they kidnap his equally cruel and charming son Pine and hold him for ransom. The banter between Bateman, Day and Sudeikis is just as sharp as the original, and the plot itself isn't half-bad for a sequel. The downfall is the minor roles from Aniston and Spacey that—albeit fun—are too forced into the story that is stretches the movie into unnecessary territory.

So I Married an Axe Murderer

After numerous breakups over what his friends and family consider shallow and a way to avoid commitment, the hard-to-please aspiring poet Mike Myers finally finds himself the perfect match in Nancy Travis... there's only one flaw... she might be an axe murderer! Very Mike Myers humor with lots of buddy comedians in supporting roles or cameos, all taking place in a so-very-'90s San Francisco—this film only works because all the pieces fall into the right place. Surprisingly light-hearted given its title, only getting dark in the third act. Killer (pun?) soundtrack. Travis actually cut off the tip of her finger during a scene at the butcher shop.

Captain Ron

Panned 1992 family-adventure about middle-class family man Martin unexpectedly inheriting a boat, and instead of paying a boat mover to sail it from the Caribbean to Miami to sell it, he takes his wife (Place) and children (Salisbury and Sisto) on a "spontaneous adventure" led by an incompetent captain-for-hire (Russell in the title role). Viewers may be getting too hung up on the fact that it is Russell in the funny role and Martin in the serious one, but the latter is excellent as a dorky yuppy whose patience is being chiseled away by the former's family-unfriendly antics. If you sit back and roll with it, it's like letting the wind carry the sails, with its wonderful score by Pike and beautiful filming locations (mainly shot in Puerto Rico).

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

A group of college kids go camping and cross paths with the two titular hillbilly characters, who end up being far more well-meaning than their appearances suggest, making for some hilariously bloody, tragic misunderstandings. Make a cake by mixing DELIVERANCE, EVIL DEAD, Friday THE 13TH and SLEEPAWAY CAMP together; and ice it with HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, JANE AUSTEN'S MAFIA!, SCARY MOVE and SILENCE OF THE HAMS for the frosting. Labine and Tudyk know how to bring quality laughs to the table; while the makeup, SFX and visual-effects departments all deserve a kudos for their impressive talents that would make a more serious movie legitimately horrifying. And let's face it, the two leads are so likable that they even bring a strange sweetness to this incredibly goofy outing. A parody-comedy that gets some good chuckles from those outside its target.

The Unauthorized Full House Story

Pretty interesting account showcasing the lives of the FULL HOUSE cast while the hit series was in production from 1987–1995 (and book-ended by relevant events outside of the show's run), with a primary focus on Stamos (Gaston), Coulier (Mader) and Saget (Brawith). Very well-casted, and its pacing is impressively smooth. A main setback is the lack of major conflict warranting such a "dramatic story". It's also a bit strange how the characters can say they wish their real lives were as simple as FULL HOUSE when the show was about a young widower and his three motherless daughters.... Still, kudos to the attention to detail—they even make sure to cover Posey as Danny Tanner in the unaired pilot.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Well-received fifth installment follows Cruise as he chases down terrorist Harris; while at the same time staying under the radar (but not without the help of loyal Rhames, Pegg and Renner) of CIA agent Baldwin, who is convinced the IMF has done nothing for global security and has instead been criminally endangering and compromising previous missions. At times, the dialogue is just as bad as Woo's second installment; but from the opening scene of Cruise climbing on the outside of a flying Airbus A400M (without the use of special effects or a stunt double, by the way), there's no doubt another impossible mission will accomplish your entertainment. It's nice to see reprising characters getting fleshed out a little more, and the minor references to previous films are indeed fun; but this excellent series runs the risk of slowing down if each installment is becoming less and less self-contained. Hats off to Harris, who breathes life into a textbook greedy madman just by his unique voice.

Witness

Eight-year-old Amish boy Samuel Lapp (Haas) is the sole witness to a homicide that took place in a train station restroom while he and his widowed mother Rachel (McGillis) are attempting to visit a relative in Baltimore. The two get caught up in the "English"'s laws and crime when the boy is pressured to testify. Detective John Book (Ford) realizes the danger the Lapps are in, and tries to keep them safe from the killers by hiding them back in Amish country. Ford is great at being controlling but gentle, and the action-packed thrills in Lancaster County makes for some unique intensity. Flaws include forced romance between the detective and distressed mother, while supporting characters are so underdeveloped that it feels like director Weir may have cut out an entire subplot, and Naas' character gradually becomes less and less important as the story progresses. Keep an eye out for Viggo Mortensen in his first role.

Nebraska

After an addled Dern is caught numerous times wandering the streets in an attempt to go to Lincoln NE from Billings MT to collect what he believes is an authentic million dollar prize, his son Forte agrees to drive him knowing full well the supposed loot is a scam. On the way, they encounter old faces who are unaware of the falsity, and proceed to tell their own stories of why they're owed a piece of the money. There's a point in the film where Forte mentions the main motivation of humoring his father is simply for a change of scenery, which helps parallel the setting shift that's so different from the L.A. or New York locations we're so used to—and this quality really helps the movie stand out. Orton's gentle score accompanies the farmland atmosphere terrifically; however, it's also apparent that the music is used to fill gaps of residential establishing shots to needlessly prolong the runtime. Very much a film worth seeing, but some of the punch-lines don't land on target and you can't fault someone for calling this "boring". The black-and-white doesn't add to the mood.

Get on Up

Biographical drama about the Godfather of Soul, told in a non-linear timeline of sorts, starting off with a drug-induced James Brown (played very well by Boseman, though the performance reeks of effort) toting around a gun because someone took a dump in his bathroom (an interesting choice of character development by director Taylor) and then jumps back to his sad childhood and then works its way up to his seemingly quick rise to fame. Bard (Ellis) seems to leave Brown's side for good several times, yet he always reappears without any explanation of amends. A hands down fascinating story of a fascinating man, delivered by a very talented cast and crew; but some inexplicable ways of conveying things surely hold this film back from its fullest potential.

All Good Things

Chronicles Gosling, son of wealthy New York real estate tycoon Langelia, who is linked to a series of murders. Great performances by all, but Dunst's brilliance brings a suiting yet odd romance to this crime-drama as the central character's wife. Loosely based on the life of accused murderer Robert Durst, but if you caught THE JINX (also by Andrew Jarecki), you'll know that the events are more authentic than most "based on"s. What makes the film so great is that it refuses to structure itself in a conventional manner and allows things to unravel in a very gradual, strange, and realistic manner. Its downfall is too much focus on the early life of Gosling's character, giving it a fatal uneven vibe.

Lawless

Entertaining tale based on THE WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD by Matt Bondurant about the author's grandfather Jack (LaBeouf) and his two older brothers (Clarke and Hardy) running their own moonshine operation during Prohibition and the allies and foes they make when the Chicago mob comes to town wanting a piece of the action. A pleasantly unique mixture of THE UNTOUCHABLES, TOMBSTONE, LEGENDS OF THE FALL and BOARDWALK EMPIRE, with an incredibly colorful villain played by Pearce. The battles are graphic, but the aftermaths are a bit too glorified. LaBeouf delivers okay but is ultimately wrong for the role what with being so outshined by Hardy that you're pretty indifferent to the main character's fate. Extra brownie points for an interesting rendition of "White Light/White Heat". Screenplay by Nick Cave… yes, of the Bad Seeds, who also makes a cameo.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

This documentary about Kurt Cobain focuses on the life of Nirvana front man rather than his death or legacy. The film's start focuses on Kurt's birth and early childhood in Aberdeen, and proceeds to follows his successes and troubles all the way up to Nirvana's iconic unplugged performance. Director Morgen does an excellent job blending footage, art, music and interviews into a coherent story without any need for a narrator; its style ultimately (and intentionally) dragging the viewer into Cobain's emotional state. The soundtrack makes use of faves, outtakes and a surprising portion of ROCKABYE BABY! LULLABY RENDITIONS OF NIRVANA. Montages are used liberally to help shift tone, but it causes the film to go on way too long.

The Simpsons Movie

Feature-length adventure of the greatest animated family ever. Homer pollutes Lake Springfield, causing the EPA to enclose Springfield in a large glass dome. When Homer and his family escape through a sinkhole and aren't wanted back by the residence, the Simpsons head north to start anew in Alaska. Higher quality than the majority of what the show offered after 2001, but still nothing close to the first 10 or even 12 seasons. Offers an interesting plot and plenty of worthy laughs, but one can't help but gripe when the movie is really nothing more than an inflated episode on an inflated screen. Still, like the show itself, it is funny and has replay value.

Mud

Two 14-year-old boys (Lofland and Sheridan) in a small Delta town cross paths with drifter McConaughey hiding on an island, who intrigues them enough to agree to run his errands on the mainland in exchange for a pistol and the idea that they can contribute in him finding a happy ending. Sheridan looks like a young Tom Hardy, and Lofland competed against over 2,000 others auditioning for the role. Charm is added to this unusual tale by complex supporting characters played by McKinnon, Paulson, Shepard and Sparks. Unfortunately, Shannon just seems to be there to keep up a streak of appearing in Nichols' films, and McConaughey just doesn't have the mysterious element intended for the role… and even in this intelligent coming-of-age drama-thriller, he still can't refrain from taking off his shirt. A movie that brings to the table more good ideas than it ends up consummating.

This Is Where I Leave You

Four grown siblings (Bateman, Driver, Fey and Stoll) are forced by their blunt mother (Fonda) to fulfill their recently deceased father's wish… sitting shiva, which would require them to be under the roof of their childhood home for an entire week while people come to express their condolences. This results in the five of them confronting things they've been hiding from each other and themselves. Ultimately delivers the hilarious consequences the cast of its caliber is expected to deliver; however, there is a healthy amount of drama that is worked into the plot also. Worth the ticket price and the hour-forty-five minutes, but the resolution too easily justifies the avoidable imperfections of the characters we're supposedly rooting for.

From Dusk Till Dawn

A father (Keitel) and his children (Lewis and Liu) are kidnapped by the dangerous Gecko brothers (Clooney and Tarantino) who are dangerously desperate to get past the Mexican border to start anew, but when they seek refuge at the Titty Twister (an isolated strip club and brothel), the criminals and hostages must work together if they want to survive the bloodsucking staff. Suffers from the FULL METAL JACKET-effect, where the first act easily tops the remaining two acts after taking a major turn in events to leave the audience feeling like they're watching an entirely different movie. Tarantino is never at his fullest potential when partnered with the skin-deep action-driven talents of Rodriguez. SFX absolutely amazing for 1996, though; and a fun picture to revisit every seven or eight years. First appearance of Earl McGraw (Michael Parks).

RoboCop

Remake of the 1987 favorite, about a critically injured police officer, whose only chance of survival is to become a part-man/part-robot being that is used to uphold the law. It's easy to nip at the movie for being for more tame in terms of violence (considering the original's R-rating), but it wasn't for a lack of trying by director Padilha and star Kinnaman—and the remake actually seems far more action-packed despite the lack of bloodshed. Another plus are themes of consciousness/mind and free will, which is worked in very fittingly. Keaton and Oldman are excellent, and the film is even further heightened by many homages to the original, especially with snippets of Basil Poledouris' 1987 score. While Jackson is also a pleasure as Novak, a television host and supporter of RoboCop, the film's major downfall is the out-of-place humor in the first and last scenes of the film—the latter of which is followed by The Clash's "I Fought the Law", which is just too distractingly strange to let it go unmentioned.

The Fault in Our Stars

Adaptation of the bestselling book of the same name about a terminally ill 17-year-old who falls in love with a cancer survivor that she meets at a support group. All cast is very likable, with admiral performances by leads Woodley and Elgort, and an exceptional supporting appearance by Dafoe. A real plus for not spoonfeeding the audience; but for a story that insists on being honestly sad, it certainly lines itself up for convenient tragedy with a turn-of-events that is quite predictable to the more observant viewer. Title comes from Shakespeare's Julius CAESAR.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Third and final installment in the original trilogy, picking up one year after the events of EMPIRE. The ruthless Emperor Palpatine (McDiarmid) plans to take out the Rebel Alliance by constructing a second Death Star, while Luke Skywalker (Hamill) struggles to bring Darth Vader back from the Dark Side. The most eventful film of the series; however, this installment rarely tops the die-hard fans' list. Still, an overall great film; its only real downfall is the numerous rushed conclusions to some very key characters. The scenes that take place on Tatooine, Jabba the Hut's planet, make this film worth while. Ewoks are pretty lame though.