|
|
-
The Owners (2020):
This horror-thriller has a great table-turning aspect to it as a gang of thieves and thugs sets its sights on a deserted home in the country, known to contain a safe and a hoard of cash. In the middle of their heist, the elderly owners come home unexpectedly. This couple isn’t just any pair of seniors. In fact, what they do to the gang is far more horrible than anything the gang could have done to them, and what ensues is a cat-and-mouse game in which each member of the ne’er do wells is dispatched in the most horrid of fashions. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark from “Game of Thrones”) and Rita Tushingham star in a nightmare of a horror movie. Rated 14A.
-
Attack of the Unknown (2020):
It’s always got to be something. If it isn’t a crime boss being transported out of LA County amidst forces that are hostile to the SWAT team doing the transporting, it’s an alien invasion. In this sci-fi thriller, we get both stories at once. We are told that, throughout history, entire cities have disappeared at once, and this day it is the turn of Los Angeles. Aliens don’t want us for anything but medicinal purposes – human blood, it turns out, is a great medication for what ails them. With the SWAT team suddenly without communication with those outside the detention centre, no TV no radio, no phones, nothing – they are unaware of the invasion that is crippling the population. In order to get out, to find out what’s happening to their world, they have to work as a team – the good guys and the bad guys together. Tara Reid (the “Sharknado” movies) and Richard Grieco “21 Jump Street”) star along with Russian actress Tania Fox. Rated 14A.
-
-
FriendsGiving (2020):
A recognizable, and skilled cast straps on a tired and predictable script that seems to be a requirement as we enter the Holiday season. Molly (Malin Akerman from “Rock of Ages”) and Abby (Kat Dennings from “Two Broke Girls”) along with their friends, acquaintances, and at least one relative, host a Thanksgiving dinner that goes off the rails as old rivalries arise, and new ones come to the fore. Watch for a good turn by Wanda Sykes, a great appearance by Jane Seymour, and by Margaret Cho as a Fairy Gay Mother … not “Godmother” … gay mother. Ryan Hanson (Andy on “Tow Broke Girls” also stars. Comedy and drama go head-to-head. Rated 14A.
-
|
 |
-
Enola Holmes (2020):
Netflix acquired the distribution rights for this whodunnit after it was decided to stream the movie rather than put it in theatres. It's a Sherlock Holmes story, but unlike any that have come before. Enola (Millie Bobby Brown who played "Eleven" on ``Stranger Things") is a much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, but she has the detective genetics that it takes to go looking for a mystery to be solved. None of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books mention a younger sister, but here she is, and when her mother goes missing, Enola sets off to find her. Helena Bonham Carter plays Mother Holmes, and Henry Cavill is Sherlock. When it's discovered that mother is missing, and that there are a number of gifts and trinkets that she has inexplicably left behind, big brother Sherlock continues to insist that Enola leave the matter alone, and head off to boarding school. Not her ... soon she is searching all of London, looking for clues. A crime-adventure, rated 14A.
Country-ish (2020)(TV series):
This Netflix original is a reality series that features country singer and internet star Coffey Anderson and his wife Criscilla. It walks through their daily lives with the couple, and focuses on their careers - she's a hip-hop artist - their Christian faith, and their desire to provide wholesome entertainment in a world that seems to want things a lot more raunchy. A former U.S. Marine, and an active participant in the Nashville music scene, Coffey has released nine albums so far, about half of them faith-based and the other half mainstream. He was a contestant on season 2 of American Idol in 2003 where he made it as far as the Hollywood round. Rated PG.
Pets United (2020):
A perfect animated film for youngsters, parents, and grandparents, but only if they watch with the kids. The central characters are all pets of one sort or another, and their common thread is that they are spoiled, they are selfish, and they live a life of luxury, because their owners have all the mechanical denizens of Robo City doing the hard work. But what happens when the robots run amuck and the humans have to flee? Time for the skate-boarding pug, the self-aggrandizing Siamese, a pet pig, and a smart fox to grow up and take some responsibility. Good fun for kids of all ages - meaning, much past 13, they will probably think it's lame, but younger ones will relish it. Rated G.
|
 |
|
New on CRAVE
A Hidden Life (2019)
This dramatic re-enactment of actual events that took place during WWII tells the story of an Austrian farmer named Franz Jagerstatter (August Diehl) who was recruited by the German army during the days prior to the outbreak of the war. After basic training, he, and the other able-bodied men who had been conscripted, returned to their farms and villages, and to their previous lives. With the fall of France, Jagerstatter and his peer group were called to active duty, and as their first requirement, had to swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler and to the 3rd Reich. He refused, despite the fact that the consequences of doing so could be severe. He fell back on the support of his wife and children, and despite the pleas of people in his village to capitulate, Jagerstatter refused. They told him he could face prison, and even death. He refused to swear allegiance, and was whisked away to prison to await trial. Many of the locations used in the film are the actual places that Jagerstatter lived, raised his family, and ultimately faced incarceration and a trial. Directed by Terence Malik, rated 14A.
The Witcher (TV Series, 2019):
This Netflix original series is a sword-and-sandal thriller that follows Geralt of Rivera, a solitary monster-killer who roams the earth righting the wrongs created by monstrosities everywhere. Henry Cavill stars as the title character, based on a novel series. A second season has already been announced, so you can binge watch this one safely. Rated 14A.
New on AMAZON PRIME
The Legion (2020):
This Amazon original takes place in the time of the Emperor Nero, who was busy fiddling - actually, if he played anything, it was the Lyre - while Rome began its torturous fall. Noreno (Lee Partridge) is perfectly cast here, a short holdover from his badly groomed days in 2017's "Viking Siege." The invasion of Parthia by the Roman Legions has been a total screw-up, and now two full Legions are stranded in the snowy mountains, slowly facing starvation and death by freezing. There is a larger part of the Roman army that is in Syria, across the mountains and down into the desert, where the facing of the elements is different. Someone needs to get from the snowy soon-to-be-graves, to the rest of the army so that help and supplies can save the remaining soldiers. That someone is Noreno, as he is an amazingly fast runner and could cover the distance in the shortest time. The problem? Noreno is only half Roman, and his other half hates the city state that has never done him any favours. Mickey Rourke and Bai Ling also star. Rated 14A.
New on DISNEY +
Mulan (2020):
T21 years after the animated version of this classic story was in theatres as an animated, full-length feature, it's now a live-action film that was originally headed for theatres this summer, but which is now going to be streamed by Disney + for an extra fee - probably in the $30.00 realm, in addition to the five or six dollars that is your monthly Disney + fee. 33 year-old Liu Yifie plays the title character here, a young woman who steps in for her ailing father when the Emperor decrees that one man per household must serve his country in a war against northern invaders. Disguised as a man, Mulan is tested every step of the way, as no one knows her true identity. The story is based on a Chinese folklore tale and also stars Jet Li and Rosalind Chao. Rated 14A.
|
 |
|
