Blood Done Sign My Name

Release Date: February 19th, 2010

Genre: History / Drama

Stars: Michael Rooker, Omar Benson Miller, Rick Schroder, Nate Parker, Afemo Omilami

Synopsis: Based on the true story of an African American that returns from the Vietnam war and is murdered in his small North Carolina home town by racist store owners.

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

Plot:                                         

Focusing on the segregation era south and a racially motivated murder is usually a good formula for an effective drama.

Writing / Production:          

The film starts slowly and doesn't seem to generate the heat and passion that similar films have brought in the past.  The dialogue is a strength especially during the inspirational speeches of the activists and the closing statements of the prosecuting attorney.

Acting:                                      

When this kind of film is successful there is usually a performance or two that stands out and makes the drama particularly real for the audience which simply isn't the case in "Blood Done Sign My Name".  There are several nice performances, most notably Nate Parker as Ben Chavis, but this film is missing the "it" factor in the acting category to push it over the top.

Originality:                         

The reality of the racist segregationist south has been brought to light many times much of them more impressively than in this movie.

Overall:                                  

This film is based on a book written by the son of the methodist minister who is one of the main characters in the film but it might have been more successful to focus more on the perspective of the little known civil rights activist Golden Frinks that travelled to communities struck by tragedy and garnered support for the movement.  As important as it is to never forget the many tragedies and injustices brought about by our racist history, this film suffers from being too similar to others movies that are more entertaining and moving.

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King of the Avenue

Release Date: September 17th, 2010

Genre: Thriller / Crime / Drama

Stars: Ving Rhames, Simon Rex, Esai Morales

Synopsis: A drug dealer makes a deal with the devil to become top dog in the local criminal underworld.

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

Plot:                                 

An awful attempt to mash together two or three classic movie storylines that does not even come close to landing on its feet.

Writing / Production:        

There is a lot of distractingly awful dialogue to go along with the a plot and characters that are impossible to take seriously. 

Acting:                                 

Ving Rhames is a master at playing the kind of characters he does in this film and his brilliance flickers through the darkness during a few short lived scenes.  Every other actor in this film should be (and probably are) waiting tables.

Originality:                         

This movie draws hard from serious gangster flicks and tries to throw a curveball that you will definitely recognize from another well known movie or two.

Overall:                                

The opening sequence which is largely carried by Rhames and features none of the other leads was actually pretty damn good and sets the audience up for the massive disappointment to come.  This has some value as a "so bad it's funny" movie if you are into that sort of thing, but don't expect anything more.

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Holy Rollers

Release Date: May 21st, 2010

Genre: Crime / Drama

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Danny A. Abeckaser

Synopsis: A young Hasidic Jewish prospective Rabbi happens onto a drug smuggling scheme in his community and is slowly lured in by the money and lifestyle.

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

Plot:                                            

A really intriguing story that is based interestingly enough in reality.  This is definitely one of those stories that is a no brainer to turn into a film.

Writing / Production:         

What should be a hard hitting and easy to sell subject matter is somehow dulled and dampened by the filmmakers.  There is not much pace and the characters just really arent that interesting. 

Acting:                                    

This is my least favorite Jesse Eisenberg picture to date and the efforts of everyone in this movie are by and large unnoticeable.  Nothing horribly awful and nothing extremely praiseworthy.

Originality:                              

The one thing this film definitely has going for it is that this is a special story that happens to be true featuring Orthodox Jew drug smugglers and they didn't even have to make it up.

Overall:                                  

I got excited to see this picture upon discovering the unique subject matter, not to mention the super clever title, and was very disappointed that the film whiffs so badly on a ball that should have easily been knocked out of the park.  "Holy Rollers" is a film that threatens to become interesting for 90 minutes and never does.

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The Kids Are All Right

Release Date: July 30th, 2010

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Stars: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo

Synopsis: A married lesbian couple's children contact their sperm donor father and begin a relationship with him that complicates life for the entire family.

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

Plot:                                            

An original and solid premise is backed up well by a detail oriented plan for where the story is going and ending.

Writing / Production:                 

Moves well and does not drag in the manner that this type of film can be guilty of.  There were plenty of humorous moments and the tension and drama was very real.

Acting:                                       

Kudos to the entire cast for making the non-traditional family unit come alive on screen and making it real enough to expose the vast similarities to traditional experiences.  Moore, Bening, and Ruffalo are proven and talented actors and the kids really were quite alright and talented as well.

Originality:                                 

The most original picture I've seen in quite some time.  Even the things that are the same feel different while watching this film.

Overall:                                       

"The Kids Are All Right" is as moving as it is entertaining and most audiences will feel the angst of the characters throughout the film.  Religious fundamentalists will probably want to avoid this picture because it could cause their heads to explode but everyone else should give this film a look.

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