Several troubling themes hidden within a tense killer-on-the-rampage melodrama. This film was released as an on-demand video, with a very limited theatrical rollout. Most of the few critics who cared to review it were not especially kind. Perhaps they were confused. Indeed, one wondered whether it is “…a crime drama, a psychological thriller, a biting
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Taut actioner, featuring Jason Statham and an oversupply of villains: The Russian mob, Triad gangsters, corrupt cops, evil politicians, and shady government operatives. All this against a backdrop of the mean streets of New York City. What’s not to like? Mei (Catherine Chan) is a gifted 12-year-old Chinese girl, who has been taken out of
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A clever spin on the typical mad slasher tale, featuring send-ups of virtually every horror movie cliché you can think of—and some you would rather have forgotten. Replete with numerous twists, reveals, false endings, pointless details, and plot holes you could drive a truck through, this entry (sitting on the shelf since 2009) is nonetheless
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Professional sports is probably at its most pathetic when it attempts to police itself. The first big scandal occurred in 1919, when several Chicago White Sox players agreed to intentionally play poorly in the World Series—based on bribes from gangster Arnold Rothstein. Since the White Sox were overwhelming favorites, the fix was in for gamblers
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The Catholic bishops are refusing to take the bait of the silly “compromise” offered by the Obama administration, whereby the insurance companies would be paying for the contraceptives, rather than the employer or the employee. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that such costs would simply be passed on to the employees
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One more teen angst flick, this time supposedly presented in the “found footage” format, ushered in by The Blair Witch Project (1999). I say “supposedly” because helmer Josh Trank makes little effort to promote this concept, except for occasional references to TV and security cameras, and the fact that protags are constantly filming everything. Editing
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Too talky, too long, and more introspective than many viewers probably expected, this feature does touch on some big themes. However, helmer Joe Carnahan gives us plenty of room in how to interpret them. As the pic opens, Ottway (Liam Neeson) is introduced as a sort of low-grade soldier of fortune, currently employed as a
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The Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde is Bishop of Arlington and spiritual leader of Northern Virginia’s nearly half million Catholics. He recently commented on the decision by the Obama Administration to mandate sterilization and contraceptive coverage, including abortifacients, in health insurance plans offered by religious institutions, such as colleges and hospitals. Here are my feelings
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Having one of the most storied careers in college football, only to see it all come tumbling down in the wake of a sordid sex scandal, was not what anyone anticipated for JoePa. Sadly, his death will only heighten the speculations as to his involvement in the Sandusky affair. Likewise, the achievements of this same
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What a game, and what an ending! After all the hype about how the overtime rules for the playoffs have changed, Tim Tebow and the Broncos proved that none of that mattered. The new rules provided for both sides to get the ball, unless one team scores a touchdown on its first possession. Not only
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