The Crazies

Release Date: February 26th, 2010

Genre: Action / Drama / Horror

Stars: Radha Mitchell, Timothy Olyphant, Danielle Panabaker, Joe Anderson

Synopsis: Something mysterious in a small Iowa town is causing some of the locals to lose their minds and become homicidal.  The local sheriff and his deputy head up the quest for answers.

AltAss Rating (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                

Delivers the framework nicely for this thrill ride.

Writing:                     

For the most part not noticably bad, but there were a few extremely hokie moments.

Acting:                         

Doesn't kill the picture by any means but it would have greatly enhanced the film greatly to get a lot more talent for the lead roles.

Originality:                 

This is a remake of a 1973 movie of the same name but any movie that boldly calls the morality of the U.S. government and military into question is going against the grain.

Overall:                       

Not a bad little flick.  It will make you jump a little and while the story is overtly dramatic the cause of the incidents in "The Crazies" are highly possible in reality.  Lets hope we don't deal with the problems in the same way if we are ever faced with them.

The Killer Inside Me

Release Date: June 25th, 2010

Genre: Crime / Drama / Thriller

Stars: Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Ned Beatty

Synopsis: A small town deputy sheriff in Texas crosses the line and becomes a murderous criminal, continuing outside the law while covering up his crime.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                

I liked everything except the ending as a legitimate structure for this style film.

Writing:                     

This was adapted from a novel written in the 50's so I'm not sure if it was just adapted poorly or based upon an inferior book.  The movie just didn't seem to pop or fizzle and walked a line right down the middle between super exhilirating and deathly boring.

Acting:                           

The cast was one of the reasons that this film was convincing from the shelf.  Nobody really jumped off the screen as having a super impressing outing in this one but Casey Affleck in retrospect probably thrilled the filmmakers for giving them exactly want they wanted.

Originality:                

Based on a book written 60 years ago but it definitely is different from most films made in this light.

Overall:                      

Basically the success of the entire film hinges on the audience being haunted and believing in the coolness and remorselessness of Casey Affleck's character as he becomes a murderer seemingly out of the blue and is able to return to his everyday life unaffected.  The problem with this is that there are a lot of people like myself who believe in the basic goodness of people and that monsters are made, not magically released from the human psyche.  This audience will find the movie unbelievable and be disappointed with "The Killer Inside Me". 

On a side note the violence against women in this movie was explicit and disturbing enough that I personally do not wish to view it again.  Even though it was pertinent to the film it does toe the line of gratuitous.

American Cowslip

Release Date: September 7th, 2010

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Stars: Ronnie Gene Blevins, Diane Ladd, Rip Torn, Val Kilmer

Synopsis: An agoraphobic heroin addict shares a subdivision with quirky neighbors and enters a gardening competition in an attempt to avoid eviction.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                                          

Lent itself, for the most part, to the comedy that this film was attempting to achieve.

Writing:                       

What absolutely killed this movie for me was that I found absolutely nothing to like about the main character.  He is a junkie that never showers or changes clothes and he won't even leave his own yard to score when he is suffering from withdrawal.  For me there is not one thing charming about the character and yet most of his neighbors adore him and value his company which was just not believable.

Acting:                             

Rip Torn and Val Kilmer were the primary source of humor and they delivered very well for the most part.  The rest of the cast was very professional and I can't think of many instances where acting was to blame for ruining a scene.

Originality:                      

Usually stinky junkies are depicted in the alleyways of the inner city and not in the suburbs with a beautiful garden growing in front of their house.

Overall:                       

Maybe this movie had a deeply important message to relay that I missed because the protagonist was distractingly repulsive.  If the movie had centered on Val Kilmer as the Bible believing church goer / Sheriff it may have been a riotous comedy start to finish but that is not the case and laughs are minimal.  Most people should avoid this like the plague.

The Laugh Factor

Belly Laughs: 0

Chuckles: 4-6

Bitten

Release Date: July 6th, 2010

Genre: Comedy / Horror

Stars: Jason Mewes, Erica Cox, Richard Fitzpatrick

Synopsis: A young male paramedic finds a beautiful woman in the alley outside his apartment that appears to have been bitten by something and takes her in to nurse her back to health. 

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                

Most concepts in these types of movies are not as well thought out and detail oriented as this one.

Writing:                         

Again a much more solid effort than I honestly expected to see here.  The dialogue is sound and the pace is proper.

Acting:                                               

This is the achilles heel of an otherwise well crafted film.  Jason Mewes and Erica Cox are downright dreadful.  Most of their scenes together reminded me of a bad high school play.  What makes things worse is that the supporting cast, led by Richard Fitzpatrick, are so much better than Mewes and Cox it draws even more attention to their poor performances.

Originality:                               

Vampires are very in these days but I did appreciate the attempt at a different idea from the ever present Twilight saga of what a relationship between a vampire and human might look like.

Overall:                       

Tearing my hair out over what could have been if more capable actors had been cast in the lead roles because this film had a lot going for it everywhere else (except the sound track which was one of the worst I've ever heard).

The Laugh Factor

Belly Laughs: 1-3

Chuckles: 6-8

I Do & I Don't

Release Date: June 1st, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Stars: Bryan Callen, Matt Servitto, Alexie Gilmore, Jane Lynch

Synopsis: An engaged couple's big day is three weeks away and they forgot to schedule the churches' mandatory couples counseling.  They are forced in last resort to one on one sessions with an eccentric middle aged married duo from the congregation.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                            

Provided endless comedic possibilities, a solid concept.

Writing:                         

When it worked it was hillarious and when it didn't it wasn't awful enough to lose the audience completely.

Acting:                            

Jane Lynch can just walk into a camera shot and get a laugh without saying a word.  Casting Matt Servitto as her husband was a good decision as he does a nice job matching her energy even if he wasn't always as funny.  I was very impressed with Bryan Callen as the groom to be and Alexie Gilmore doesn't do a bad job either.  Acting is definitely a strength for this picture.

Originality:                 

The premise for the comedy was a somewhat different idea, but the comedy itself was old hat.

Overall:                           

This is worth watching because there are several moments that are of the "laugh again later" variety even if there are some mild groaners in between.  A very solid rental for cheap thrills.

The Laugh Factor

Belly Laughs: 3-5
Chuckles: 6-8