FRANKENSTEIN vs. THE MUMMY (2015)
What could have been a fun monster flick is instead, at almost two hours, an overlong and extremely talkie bore with the title creatures battling for less than five minutes at the climax. The story has an Egyptian mummy being studied at a university by pretty Archeologist Naihla (Ashton Leigh) while Dr. Frankenstein (Max Rhyser)…or “Dr. F” as his students call him…teaches there while conducting his usual experiments. Obviously, as Naihla and the good doctor date, their respective projects are destined to clash.
Writer/director Damien Leone doesn’t do a bad job directing, it’s just that his script and tone are trying way too hard to make a serious horror out of a SYFY movie plot. There are endlessly long dialogue scenes and while the gore and make-up are quite well done, the film’s main selling point is treated as practically an afterthought at the film’s climax. I appreciate the taking of the story seriously, but do we need a 10 minute bonding conversation between Victor’s henchman and a homeless man he intends to kill anyway? Nowhere near the fun it should have been.
COME BACK TO ME (2014)
Film has an interesting premise, but unfortunately, is a bit weak on the execution. Flick has pretty wife Sarah (Katie Walder) suffering from blackouts and unexplained injuries who finds out her creepy neighbor (Nathan Keyes) is stalking her, too. Unknown to Sarah these events are connected as stalker Dale has a unique gift that he is using in a nightmarish capacity.
While I won’t spoil the disturbing reveal, I do like that writer James Leyden and director Paul Layden took the scenario of someone having a ‘special gift’ and put that gift into the hands of a very disturbed person. It’s like a cruel joke as the power could have been miraculous in the hands of someone with a better moral code and saner mind. Unfortunately, the film could have played the scenario out in a bit more of an intense and interesting manner and the acting could have been stronger. Not bad, but a film you wish was just a bit better due to the intriguing and disturbing premise. Climax did have some shock value.
PREDESTINATION (2014)
I could write a full review for this really interesting and entertaining flick, but the less you know going in the better. I will say that the movie is based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story about a’ temporal agent’ (Ethan Hawke) whose job it is to travel back in time to prevent criminal or terrorist acts. On his current mission to stop a bombing, the agent makes an illegal stop for more personal reasons to guide the fate of a transgendered male writer (an amazing Sarah Snook) and quite possible throws his mission and the lives of thousands into jeopardy…but why?
Written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, this is a very engaging Sci-Fi thriller that makes interesting use of the time travel paradoxes and sometimes really messes with our heads. Added in is a strong performance by Ethan Hawke and a phenomenal performance by Jessabelle’s Sarah Snook and you’ve got some intense thought-provoking science fiction. Highly Recommended!
MonsterZero NJ's Movie Madhouse 