Phenomena (1985)

October 1, 2018

A young girl who is both a psychic with a strong connection to insects and the daughter of a famous actor is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland, where her unusual abilities may help her to solve a string of gruesome murders.

MV5BMTQ1MDA5NjUxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjAwMDg5MzE@._V1_.jpg — Buzzard (2014)

**Directed by: Joel Portykus**
**Starring: Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus, Joe Anderson**
**Rated: NR (Suggest R for Some Language and a Scene of Mild Violence)**
**Running Time: 1 h 37 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Acting, Writing, Originality**
**WEAKNESSES: Last Scene (?), Some Makeup**

Buzzard (2014)

September 21, 2018

A slacker goes to extreme lengths to avoid doing any kind of work whatsoever.

MV5BMjYxYmRlZWYtMzAwNC00MDA1LWJjNTItOTBjMzlhNGMzYzk3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,675,1000_AL_.jpg — King Kong (2005)

**Directed by: Peter Jackson**
**Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, Kyle Chandler**
**Rated: PG-13 for Frightening Adventure Violence and Some Disturbing Images**
**Running Time: 3 h 7 m**
**TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Ambition, Direction, Production Design, Most Visual Effects, Character, Story, Doesn’t Take Itself Seriously**
**WEAKNESSES: Some Dated Visual Effects, Length, Somewhat Episodic**

King Kong (2005)

September 19, 2018

A movie director convinces his cast and crew to travel to a mysterious island where he plans to shoot his next film. The inhabitants of the island complicate the shoot.

MV5BNmY0MWY2NDctZDdmMi00MjA1LTk0ZTQtZDMyZTQ1NTNlYzVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUzOTY1NTc@._V1_.jpg — Barry Lyndon (1975)

**Directed by: Stanley Kubrick**
**Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 3 h 5 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Mise-En-Scene, Cinematography, Writing, Acting, Directing**
**WEAKNESSES: Length, Pacing During Second Act**

Barry Lyndon (1975)

September 19, 2018

An Irish scrapper slowly rises through the ranks of English aristocracy.

MV5BMTY3MjM1Mzc4N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODM0NzAxMDE@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,675,1000_AL_.jpg — A Clockwork Orange (1971)

**Directed by: Stanley Kubrick**
**Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates**
**Rated: R**
**Running Time: 2 h 16 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Direction, Story, Irony, Writing, Production Design**
**WEAKNESSES: Content, Some Acting (?)**

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

September 18, 2018

After a couple nights of ‘ultra-violence’ Alex DeLarge is sent to prison, where he undergoes an experimental surgery that will curb his more devious impulses.

satb 1.jpg — Smokey and The Bandit (1977)

**Directed by: Hal Needham**
**Starring: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 1h 36m**
**TMM Score: 2 Stars**
**STRENGTHS: Burt Reynolds’ Charisma**
**WEAKNESSES: Everything else**

Smokey and The Bandit (1977)

September 13, 2018

The Bandit is the legend, the greatest trucker, smuggler, runner of them all, so when two rich southerners want to haul some beer across state lines in a record time, he’s the only one to call, but will the Bandit still be able to make his run on time when he picks up a runaway bride hitch-hiker?

Spartacus (1960)

September 13, 2018

A slave, Spartacus, leads a rebellion of thousands of slaves across Italy, threatening the power of the Roman Empire.

Reign of Fire (2002)

September 11, 2018

A post apocalyptic action thriller set in a world where dragons have wiped out much of the human population.

MV5BMTc2MTQ3MDA1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODA3OTI4NjE@._V1_.jpg — The Martian (2015)

**Directed by: Ridley Scott**
**Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover, Aksel Hennie**
**Rated: PG-13 or Some Strong Language, Injury Images, and Brief Nudity**
**Running Time: 2 h 24 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Acting, Visual Effects, Story Themes**
**WEAKNESSES: Some Farfetched Cheesy Moments**

The Martian (2015)

September 5, 2018

After an accident, an astronaut is stranded on Mars and has to figure out a way to survive.

MV5BNTQ0Njc3ODkyMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODQxOTE4MjE@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,676,1000_AL_.jpg — Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)

**Directed by: Sion Sono**
**Starring: Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaido, Hiroki Hasegawa**
**Rated: NR (Suggested R for Frenetic Bloody Violence and Strong Language)**
**Running Time: 2 h 9 m**
**TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Practical Effects, Crazy Story, Unique Chracters**
**WEAKNESSES: CGI Effects, Pacing**

Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)

September 3, 2018

An independent film crew becomes entangled in a yakuza war.

Interstellar (2014)

August 28, 2018

A team of astronauts travels through a wormhole in search of a planet that might support mankind.

MV5BNmM1YmM1NjAtNTlhMC00YjJiLTlkNjctZmVjYjIyMTRiMzBlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjM0ODk5MDU@._V1_.jpg — Return to Oz (1985)

**Directed by: Walter Murch**
**Starring: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 1 h 53 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Story, Production Design, Atmosphere**
**WEAKNESSES: Trouble Finding Target Audience**

Return to Oz (1985)

August 27, 2018

Six months after the tornado took Dorothy to Oz, she must return to help lift the curse that a witch and the Nome king have placed across the land.

MV5BZDJjOTE0N2EtMmRlZS00NzU0LWE0ZWQtM2Q3MWMxNjcwZjBhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDk3NzU2MTQ@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,675,1000_AL_.jpg — The Rock (1996)

**Directed by: Michael Bay**
**Starring: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris**
**Rated: R for Strong Violence, Language and a Sex Scene**
**Running Time: 2 h 16 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Acting, No Holds Barred Action, Ridiculous Premise, Humorous Writing**
**WEAKNESSES: Ridiculous Premise, Directing**

The Rock (1996)

August 23, 2018

An ex-con and a chemist team up to stop a general who has taken control of Alcatraz Island and plans to release nerve gas on San Francisco.

MV5BMTlmNzhiMWEtOWVjZC00NmM0LTgxNDItMDJmYTkxYTZkY2FjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTUyMzE4Mzg@._V1_.jpg — Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

**Directed by: Brian Henson**
**Starring: Tim Curry, Billy Connolly, Kevin Bishop**
**Rated: G**
**Running Time: 1 h 39 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Humor, Innocence, Fun, Music, Story**
**WEAKNESSES: Not As Tight As Other Muppet Movies**

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

August 17, 2018

The Muppets embark on a quest to Treasure Island.

MV5BNDBiZGJmY2EtZTNhYi00NTM2LWE2NjQtZTAyN2RlNDM4NjEyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,684,1000_AL_.jpg — Straw Dogs (1971)

**Directed by: Sam Peckinpah**
**Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughn**
**Rated: R for Strong Brutal Violence Including a Sexual Attack, Menace, Some Sexual Content, and Pervasive Language**
**Running Time: 1 h 58 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Pacing, Acting, Directing, Editing, Characters**
**WEAKNESSES: Uncomfortable Controversial Material**

Straw Dogs (1971)

August 14, 2018

A young American and his English wife move to the wife’s hometown, only to face harassment from the locals.

MV5BMjIzMDk2NTcxMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzUxMTM4NA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,666,1000_AL_.jpg — Red Sonja (1985)

**Directed by: Richard Fleischer**
**Starring: Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman**
**Rated: PG-13**
**Running Time: 1 h 29 m**
**TMM Score: 1 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Production Design, Practical Effects**
**WEAKNESSES: Literally Everything Else**

Red Sonja (1985)

August 10, 2018

Red Sonja, a fiery warrior, seeks revenge on the evil queen that murdered her entire family. Meanwhile the evil queen seeks to use a magic orb for darkness.

91zeY8ObC-L._RI_.jpg — Kull the Conqueror (1997)

**Directed by: John Nicolella**
**Starring: Kevin Sorbo, Tia Carrere, Thomas Ian Griffith**
**Rated: PG-13 for Fantasy Action Violence and Sensuality**
**Running Time: 1 h 35 m**
**TMM Score: 1.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Interesting Premise**
**WEAKNESSES: Execution of Everything**

Kull the Conqueror (1997)

August 10, 2018

After Kull is named the successor to a Kingdom, the kingdom’s heirs conspire to overthrow him by resurrecting an evil sorceress.

MV5BMTQ1NDUyODk5NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODk0MjIwNg@@._V1_.jpg — Conan the Barbarian (2011)

**Directed by: Marcus Nispel**
**Starring: Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang**
**Rated: R for Strong Bloody Violence, Some Sexuality and Nudity**
**Running Time: 1 h 53 m**
**TMM Score: 2.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Gloriously Gory, Silly Sword and Sorcery Premise, Production Design**
**WEAKNESSES: Acting, Directing, Writing, Pacing**

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

August 10, 2018

Conan the Barbarian seeks vengeance on the warlord that killed his father, while the warlord tries to find a power that will help him to resurrect the dead.

MV5BNDExOWE2N2YtN2QyMi00ZWI2LWE4MDAtZWJiNjg4MTI3NzI0L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg — Conan the Destroyer (1984)

**Directed by: Richard Fleischer**
**Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Olivia d'Abo**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 1 h 43 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Production Design, Effects, Story**
**WEAKNESSES: Acting, Dialogue, Some Effects**

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

August 10, 2018

A queen asks Conan to help her daughter princess retrieve a ceremonial horn from a dungeon so they resurrect a god named Dagoth.

Solomon Kane (2009)

August 10, 2018

After an encounter with a demon that tells him his soul is bound for hell, a mercenary renounces his ways of violence for a life of peace, but when he’s forced to travel back to his homeland, his vow of peace is tested.

Search the Archives…