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Flash Movie Review: Shirley
I WAS AWARE SHE WAS THE only girl in the class, but I thought nothing else about it. However, the boys in the class had a problem with it. I was signed up for day camp because I refused to go to an “away” camp during my elementary school’s summer vacation. There was a list of different activities I could sign up for that would then be spread across the weeks I was attending. The camp was at our community center; I could either ride my bicycle on good days or get a ride from a group of neighborhood parents that volunteered for carpooling duty. Some of the activities I attended, like swimming, only had boys in the class; others, like archery, had both boys and girls. I never thought anything about it. Any swimming lessons I attended always had boys participating, and campfire skills class always had a mix of boys and girls. This woodworking class was different because there was only one girl in it. Either the classes were filled with one gender or a mix; there never was only one or two in class that were of the opposite gender. I wondered if woodworking was supposed to be a boy’s activity. The boys in the class did not interact with her or help her out like they did with each other. I was stationed too far away, so had little contact with her myself; but I felt sad for her. LATER IN LIFE WHEN I STARTED working in the fitness industry, I discovered men were a minority. At one private club, they did not even have a locker for me to change outfits; I had to do it in the bathroom. I cannot honestly say if I experienced any prejudices because I was a man. If a female member did not want to be taught by a man, she simply would not come to class. After I went back to school for yoga, I was the only male instructor, sometimes the only instructor who was teaching yoga classes in the fitness centers where I worked. I did feel not only a sense of responsibility but a pressure because I was laying down the foundation for what members would be expecting out of a yoga class. It was an exciting and thrilling time for me as I saw how yoga was affecting the participants. Though the classes started out with females being the majority, as word spread, I started seeing more and more men trying it out. I do not want to say I was a trailblazer, but I can honestly say I changed many people’s perceptions of yoga. There is something about being the first and seeing how one’s actions can change the minds of many people, just like the main character did in this biographical historical drama. SHE WAS ALREADY THE FIRST BLACK woman to be elected to congress; and with her record and the things she had seen, why couldn’t she run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination? With Regina King (The Harder They Fall, Flag Day) as Shirley Chisholm, Lance Reddick (John Wick franchise, White House Down) as Wesley McDonald, Terrance Howard (Cardboard Boxer, Hustle & Flow) as Arthur Hardwick Jr., Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) as Robert Gottlieb and Michael Cherrie (She Paradise, Limbo) as Conrad Chisholm; Regina King gave it her all in creating a powerful character based on a true person. Soon into this film, I lost track of Regina and thought I was following Shirley. I understood the story focused on her presidential run, but I never really got a sense of the characters and what their relationships were to each other. A better script could have helped because several scenes felt like short video clips of Shirley’s life, instead of digging deeper into what was taking place inside of her and the people around. Because the story is so remarkable, I maintained interest all through the picture. In a case like this, I would enjoy seeing a prequel and sequel to what I had just seen.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
THE RULES WERE THERE FOR A REASON, and I was one who followed them “to a T.” This is how I acted through my youth, especially when it came to any type of games. Whenever I received a boardgame as a gift, I would have to first sit and read all the rules until I was familiar with them, before attempting to play the game. I was a huge fan of boardgames and could play them for hours. One of my fondest childhood memories was playing checkers with an elderly relative of mine. When I think about it, games played a prevalent part of my childhood and early adult life. To this day, I enjoy a good word game or even charades. I would play a game with anyone; however, I started to realize around the latter years of elementary school, not everyone cared to follow the rules of a game. The first time I witnessed this was during a boardgame, when a friend of mine decided, he was going to change the rules in the middle of us playing. I will add, he was losing at that point. We got into an argument, with the other players joining in and I ultimately won by us continuing to play by the rules. After that time, I was cautious whenever this friend joined a game. MY COMMITMENT TO PLAYING BY THE rules stayed with me until I entered the workforce. It was at a well-established company, where the first time in my life I altered the rules. Part of my job involved inventory and the procedures I was trained in was something they had been doing the same way for decades. There was nothing wrong with that method, but I saw there was a better way with less work to achieve the same results. I did not alert anyone to the change I was making, turning in my reports the same way; the only difference I was not spending the same amount of time creating the report. It was not until months later when my boss came over to my desk and saw what I was doing; he complimented me and said I was doing an excellent job. It was at this company where I came to realize, after having lived my life in a black or white world, that there was a gray area of possibilities that could easily work to produce the same results. It is a good thing others realized the same thing, otherwise the incredible undertaking that took place in this dramatic, action thriller may have never taken place, possibly causing us to live in a completely different world. AT A CRITICAL TIME DURING THE war, the British military must depend on a small group of highly skilled individuals who were so unconventional, that if they got caught, Great Britian would deny everything about them. With Henry Cavill (Enola Holmes franchise, Man of Steel) as Gus March-Phillips, Alan Richardson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Reacher-TV) as Anders Lassen, Alex Pettyfer (Back Roads, In Time) as Geoffrey Appleyard, Eliza Gonzales (Baby Driver, Godzilla vs. Kong) as Marjorie Stewart and Babs Olusanmokun (Dune franchise, The Book of Clarence) as Heron; this Guy Ritchie directed film inspired by true events was entertaining. The fact that it was on circumstances that were recently revealed from declassified British documents, boosted the story for me. There were patches of humor mixed in with the various levels of action and suspense. I thought the script was weak, taking the easy way out with lame dialog and undeveloped characters. Honestly, it did not matter because I still enjoyed watching this little taste of history play out on the big screen. There were certainly elements of fun and cheekiness. After the film was over, I thought about how the outcome could have been so different if the band of soldiers had followed the rules.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Civil War
WHEN I WAS A SMALL KID, playing with my friends in the neighborhood, one day we came up with the idea we would form a pact. We decided to become blood brothers. Where that came from, I had no idea but agreed to the ritual that all of us were to do. Each of us was to prick our fingers with a pin, to draw a drop of blood, then press our finger together with someone else’s finger that had a drop of blood on it. All of us went through the procedure until we each formed that bond that meant we were brothers for life. Looking back on that day, I am amazed I did it with no regrets. Not that the sight of my own blood was a major concern but seeing other people’s blood was something I was not fond of, more so today. As some of you may remember, I am not a fan of slasher, horror films where there is violent bloody acts and gore. The ones where it is based more on fantasy like Freddy Krueger, I can actually manage better than the more realistic stories like hospital operating rooms or domestic violence. For some peculiar reason, I can barely listen to people talk about their medical maladies and the procedures they had to endure. I have told everyone I know if I ever need to go into a hospital, I need to be sedated throughout the duration of my stay. I do not want to see, feel, or hear anything. FOR THOSE WHOSE CAREERS INVOLVE SEEING wounds, blood, or breaks, I have the utmost admiration for them. They have a different mindset that allows them to look at blood as if it were some exotic wines flowing out of the wound. A doctor friend of mine accidentally cut himself and gave himself stitches to close the wound. There is no way I could have done that on myself, let alone anyone else. Several friends of mine are in the medical field, and each of them does not bat an eye to anything that looks gory or bloody. Honestly, I admire butchers because of the same reasons. The idea of standing there and having to cut apart this once live animal is something I am not equipped to manage. I prefer my meals not to resemble any animal part. My initial plan for going to college was to become a veterinarian; but when it came down to seeing the inflictions on animals I could not continue. That is why I switched to journalism and photography. It was the glamour of it that attracted me, not the horror and sadness one can see sometimes like what was depicted in this action thriller. BEFORE THE COUNTRY FALLS INTO COMPLETE chaos, a small band of photojournalists try to make their way to interview the President of the United States. The trip was not as easy as they planned. With Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog, The Beguiled) as Lee, Wagner Moura (Elite Squad franchise, The Gray Man) as Joel, Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, On the Basis of Sex) as Jessie, Nick Offerman (Dumb Money, The Great North-TV) as the President and Jefferson White (God’s Country, Yellowstone-TV) as Dave; there was a steady stream of tension throughout this movie. What accentuated it was the fact we live in a divisive climate presently. I thought the acting was excellent and felt because the public has already seen acts of hatred and violence in this country, the story did not seem to be farfetched. However, there were a few scenes that rang false for me, though that may be because of my ignorance when it comes to the ways photojournalists operate. Sadly, the last part of the film was a letdown for me; I was expecting something more out of it. I will say based on what I saw in this picture, I made the correct choice of not pursuing my career in photojournalism. There were several scenes that had blood and violence in them.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Scoop
I DO NOT THINK I AM different from most people, wanting to stay current or in the know. Ever since I learned how to read, I have had a thing about periodicals and newspapers. Growing up we had the city newspaper delivered to us every single day, besides a few magazines coming weekly and monthly. When I was old enough to move out of the house into my own apartment, the first thing I did was subscribe to a handful of magazines. Part of my enjoyment is being able to share a new bit of information with friends and family, plus when someone asks me if I knew about something, I could say yes and tell them where I heard or read about it. Do not ask me why this brings me pleasure; maybe it is because I hated being called on in classes, having never been confident in having the right answers. Even when I travel to a new city, one of the things I always do is buy a copy of their local newspaper. I feel I learn a little more about the area I am visiting by reading their local news. There have been times when I return from vacation with little news articles or tidbits I had torn out of local newspapers or magazines. AS I HAVE MENTIONED IN THE past, I believe there are no accidents. So, it turned out my enjoyment with staying current helped me in my fitness classes. Sharing some of the news bits I learned became a fun distraction in my classes. Besides my enjoyment in mentioning both important and whimsical news items, I felt it was a good distraction for the members while they were being pushed by me with their fitness routines. Sometimes we would start a dialog of shared thoughts on a topic I mentioned while we worked out. And if there happened to be a newsworthy news event that contained interviews, most of us would share the same opinions. I always wanted to know more than what was spoken in the news. For example, why did one news source get their news out on a specific recent headlining event first before any of their competitors, or what had to take place to snag an interview with a famous or infamous player involved with the breaking story; these are things I am naturally curious about. Since I am inquisitive, it made perfect sense that I would want to see this dramatic biography based on true events. IT WOULD BE THE INTERVIEW OF a lifetime, but could the BBC really sway the thinking over at Buckingham Palace. The stakes were high for both sides; it was only a matter of convincing them it was the right thing to do. With Billie Piper (Catherine Called Birdy, Doctor Who-TV) as Sam McAlister, Gillian Anderson (White Bird, The Last King of Scotland) as Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell (Judy, A Knight’s Tale) as Prince Andrew, Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education-TV) as Jae Donnelly and Kate Fleetwood (London Road, Beirut) as Annette Witheridge; I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The acting by Gillian and Rufus was wonderful, to the point I believed their characters. Of course, nothing could replace seeing the actual interview of Prince Andrew discussing his interactions with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; however, whether it was true or not, seeing the behind-the-scenes dealings to get the interview were fascinating to me. At times, scenes played out like a thriller, with tension and excitement. I thought the pacing was spot on, staying steady and focused on capturing the “truth” that viewers wanted to see for themselves. Due to the way the story was packaged, I could easily believe all of this took place to get Prince Andrew to open up about what part he played in Jeffrey’s world.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Good Grief
HAVING EXPERIENCED PRETTY MUCH EVERY VARIATION for breaking up, I always found the sudden ones the hardest. There was the beginning relationship where we had around a half dozen dates and I thought things were progressing smoothly, but suddenly I was being ghosted, no responses to any of my communications. I could not understand why the dead silence. My sadness and confusion were quickly replaced by anger because I kept wondering what type of person would do such a thing. If that is how they operate then I absolutely would not want to be with them. It has always been easier for me to deal with anger and turn the painful situation around to put all the blame on the other person. Gratefully, I grew up and learned to look inside myself. I have been in relationships where we both came to the same conclusion that we would be better as friends and that has always been a winning outcome for me. One of the hardest situations is when the ending of the relationship is due to the breaking of trust; I have had a few of those and I must tell you, they are brutal. You cannot imagine what it feels like to come home to find someone else’s clothing under your bed. One of the most important aspects of a relationship is honesty. I could handle my loved one telling me they are in love with someone else instead of cheating behind my back. THERE IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR ME when a relationship ends. It is that mindset that went from a singular train of thought to a dual one then suddenly it must go back to singular. I have mentioned before what helps me transition back to being single is to break up the routines that were created in the relationship. There have been times where I spent hours watching movies and videos or focused harder on diet and exercise. Listening to what my friends have done; I think the breaking of routines may be a frequent practice. A friend of mine went on a trip after her relationship ended. Another friend went through her apartment and got rid of anything that was associated with her ex. In the majority of circumstances, I have heard about, there were few that involved a sudden ending of the relationship, like death; it had either been building up to such a point that things exploded, and it ended or one person noticed a change taking place in their relationship and communicated what they were feeling, having an adult conversation about where the two of them were in the relationship. As I said earlier, the sudden endings are the hardest ones in my opinion. An example can be found in this dramatic, romantic comedy. AFTER A TRAGIC ACCIDENT TAKES THE life of his husband, the widower embarks on an international trip with his two best friends, hoping to fill the void he was now experiencing in his life. He would wind up making discoveries that could change everything about the life he had. With Daniel Levy (Happiest Season, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Marc, Ruth Negga (Passing, Loving) as Sophie, Himesh Patel (Yesterday, Station Eleven-TV) as Thomas, Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, Beauty and the Beast) as Oliver and Celia Imrie (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel franchise, Imagine Me & You) as Imelda; this movie had both a solid script and steady direction in the way it told its story. There were scenes that were sad and amusing, but mostly done in a gentle way instead of being a tearjerker or laughing out loud moment. It was surprising to see Ruth play such a character, because I have only seen her do serious roles in the past. The script offered depth in the characters, but I felt it could have gone farther. Overall, this was a good debut for Daniel in his writing and directing skills.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Poor Things
I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who could make a snap judgment in less than a minute. My first impressions would dictate how I reacted to something. Back then, it was the norm, and I did not know better. It was nothing for me to go out to dinner with a couple of friends and be the first one to nix a restaurant choice, simply based on the restaurant’s outside appearance. At a party, I could be introduced to someone and after exchanging a few sentences with them, immediately have a negative reaction that made me want to avoid them the rest of the night. It took me a long time, along with maturing, to realize I was not being fair to whoever or whatever besides myself. I have learned to slow down and not be so quick to administer my “verdict” when dealing with various situations. It is funny, the point was driven home to me at a time when I was seated in a theater to watch a live production. It was long before intermission and a couple who were seated in the row in front of me excused themselves out of the row and left. I first thought one of them might have gotten ill, but there was no sign of anything wrong as they sat and talked before the show started. I assumed they did not like it because I thought the beginning started out slow; however, it turned out to be a wonderful production. If I had acted on my first instinct and left, I would have missed out on seeing such a good show. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF A restaurant did not look good from the outside, I would not step foot in it. Boy, I am so glad I got over that type of thinking because I have discovered some incredible food at small “hole in the wall” places. There is this Italian restaurant that is in a small run-down strip mall near where I live. Driving by one would be hard pressed to notice it. However, it has some of the best Italian cuisine I have ever eaten. The place essentially is two plain rooms with tables and padded metal chairs, nothing fancy; yet it consistently brings out great food from its kitchen. I took a small group of family members there who were surprised I had eaten at such a place, knowing my quirks about looks and appearances. Obviously, they remember me more as I used to be instead of who I am now. They were even more surprised when they tasted the food; they all loved it. The reason I am telling you all of this is because if I had acted as the old me, I would have missed out on seeing such a quirky, fanciful film that is an Oscar nominee. GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE, a young girl’s thirst for knowledge leads her on a worldwide journey of discovery. With Emma Stone (Cruella, Battle of the Sexes) as Bella Baxter, Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Dark Waters) as Duncan Wedderburn, William Dafoe (The French Dispatch, At Eternity’s Gate) as Dr. Godwin Baxter, Ramy Youssef (See Dad Run-TV, Ramy-TV) as Max McCandles and Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Orlando) as Swiney; this comedic romance drama was one of the most peculiar films I have seen in a long time. I felt I was seeing fresh bits from the old Monty Python shows. The sets and films were so full and unique, I did not know where to look first during many scenes. Emma was incredible in this role as was Mark in his. But I have to say, it took me a while before I started to appreciate where the story was going; I found it to be so unique and different that I could not help but get drawn into its world.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Sound of Freedom
IT EVEN PUZZLES ME AT TIMES, but for some reason I tend to walk in the back when there are several individuals in my group. This is especially true when there are children amongst the adults. At first, I was not conscious of doing it but as time went on, and I was at my fittest, I felt like I was protecting the group from harm. Not that I have any unique skills like Liam Neeson, I simply felt I was adding an extra layer of protection around my friends and family. Looking ahead at crosswalks, observing what type of person was walking towards us, assessing traffic patterns and driveways; I tried to make sure every step forward was a safe one for everyone. This thinking came about because I grew up in a large city and traveled by various means to all areas of it; I do not know. I have a memory thinking whenever I was walking with a person who was carrying a purse or bag, I wanted to be walking on the outside, closer to the curb so a purse snatcher would not be able to grab their bag and take off with it. When little kids were involved, I instinctually wanted to walk behind them so I could keep an eye out, scanning for any potential trouble areas that could put them in harm’s way. FOR ALL THE YEARS I HAVE been walking in the back, we never encountered any type of trouble. I honestly, do not think I had something to do with it, but I can say times were safer back then as compared to the present. There are so many distractions I see when walking outside, I cannot imagine herding a small group of people through it. I saw a tween or young teenager looking at their phone while walking down the sidewalk and they bumped into a streetlamp. Just last week, the car ahead of me nearly went through a traffic light that turned red because they were on their phone. The worse news is hearing and reading about little children who got shot by accident because they were in the line of fire between members of two rival street gangs or a robber. I know in some circumstances there would have been nothing I could do to prevent such tragedy. Innocent children should not have to suffer for adults’ choices/mistakes/wayward ways. Growing up, I do not recall hearing stories about the criminal activities that took place in this biographical, crime drama. Even knowing about them as an adult, I cannot even process the horror of it. A GOVERNMENT AGENT RESCUES A LITTLE boy who was abducted away from his family. When the agent discovers his sister was also taken, he decides he must find her as well, no matter where his search might take him. With Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line, Person of Interest-TV) as Tim Ballard, Mira Sorvino (The Replacement Killers, Butter) as Katherine, Bill Camp (Passing, 12 Years a Slave) as Vampiro, Javier Godino (The Secret in Their Eyes, Operation Mincemeat) as Jorge and Manny Perez (Pride and Glory, A Killer Romance) as Fuego; this film based on a true story was a disturbing watch. I had no idea it was based on a true story, which made the story more gripping for me. As I sat and watched it, I thought some scenes may have been watered down from reality because they seemed a bit farfetched. Also, I think a little more character development would have been in order. But here is the thing; from an entertainment standpoint, this movie was thrilling, creepy, gut wrenching to watch for me. Regardless of its flaws, I still felt it was a powerful picture. I honestly wonder how a parent could watch this film and not want to ever let their children out of the house by themselves.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Thriller 40
WALKING INTO A CLUB ALONE FOR the first time can be a daunting experience. I remember being nervous because I was not the best when it came to making small talk. On the other hand, I did not realize the music would be so loud that I could barely hear the person standing next to me. The first time I went to a club, I spent the whole time standing just off the dance floor, watching people dancing on what looked like a stainless-steel dance floor. I was fascinated at the way people were dancing, some were on the beat, others were not, some thought they were doing the same moves that John Travolta did in Saturday Night Fever but were not. It was interesting watching how people went up to strangers to ask them for a dance. I felt safe in my little nook overlooking the dance floor and preferred to just be an observer. In my brain, it was important for me to feel like I was fitting in with the crowd; I simply was interested in what people wore, how they moved and when I could hear how they talked to each other. Honestly, being a people watcher by nature I loved the experience. And I also had the video monitors that were spread throughout the club that were always a nice diversion. My usual time frame was to stay between 2-4 hours. As I made my way home, I would try to remember certain songs I had heard through the night that I liked, to see if I could purchase them. IT WAS ONLY AFTER A FEW times going that something extraordinary took place one night. Everything was the same; I was standing in my nook watching everything around me while tapping my foot to the beat of the music playing. The monitors that were all playing music videos suddenly went dark and the music stopped. People turned, looking at each other with perplexed looks on their faces. Suddenly words appeared on the screens; it was a quote from Michael Jackson. Then an image of an old car appeared driving down a country road. Michael was behind the wheel. No one moved in the club; everyone’s attention was directed at what was taking place on the monitor screens. The only sound in the place was the ice clinking in people’s glasses. After the car ran out of gas the scene changed to Michael and his date walking down the lane. It was not much longer before Michael started singing and dancing around her. I had never seen a video go this long and, more impressively, told a story. It was just like a movie! If by chance anyone reading this has never seen the video, I will not mention any more details about it. Let me just say everyone in the club went wild with the video. After it was over the DJ played the song again and everyone, I mean everyone including me, packed onto the dance floor as we all tried imitating some of the dance moves while laughing and smiling at each other. That is the way I was able to break the ice with several people that night and wound-up becoming friends with them. All thanks to that extended Michael Jackson video. IT IS FORTY YEARS LATER AND as you can see; I still remember the first time I ever saw that video. Prior to its debut, there was nothing like it in the music industry. This documentary directed by Nelson George (Finding the Funk, A Ballerina’s Tale) was a behind the scenes peek at the creation of the Thriller video. If you are not a fan of Michael’s music, then you probably would not get much out of this movie. Because of my fond memories, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this picture filled with personal interviews of people involved back then, along with current artists like Mary J. Blige, Brooke Shields, Misty Copeland who were affected by seeing Michael’s performances. I would have appreciated more people talking about their feelings and experiences, plus allowing the performance clips to go on longer. No matter how Michael’s career veered to his early death, at that moment in time when the Thriller album came out, it was an historical event that to this day can still move people.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Totally Killer
THE MAN IN THE PHOTO WAS a college football player. He was fit and trim with wisps of hair trailing out under the back of his helmet. What was shocking about the photo was the fact he was my friend’s father, and I could not see any resemblance to the man that was standing next to me. I am not talking about graying hair or wrinkles; the man next to me was short and slightly hunched over. The excess weight he carried was stored in his belly; it hung prominently in front of his frame. His gait since I had known him was unsteady; there were times where I saw him struggling to get up from a chair. The man in the photo compared to the one I knew were polar opposites. Granted, I was not privy to any health issues he might have; but it literally looked like two different individuals. What makes me curious about such a difference is what kind of life did they live to get to their present state. Absolutely, one’s career can affect one’s health. I knew a person who experienced health issues like heartburn, headaches and dizziness Monday through Friday, the days they were at work. Let me just say, stress can seriously damage a person. I guess I am fascinated when a person has a dramatic physical change over the years. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT GIVES me an equal amount of surprise or shock. When someone I know, whether they are an acquaintance, relative or business associate, reveals something unexpected that never occurred to me. For example, a friend’s father who to me was this quiet, older gentle man told me he used to work for the United Nations as an interpreter, having studied seven different languages. There were times he sat in on meetings just so he could hear exactly what international diplomats were saying to each other: I was stunned. It sounded like espionage to me. All I knew about him was he owned a few apartment buildings. It was not like I was making any assumptions about his life; it was just what I observed when I was around him. I think the other reason this kind of stuff fascinates me is because the adults are parents and what child imagines their parents doing something exotic or wild in life. When I see old photographs of friends’ relatives and see them in a different light, it looks like they almost had an alter ego. I think it would be wild if we were able to see our parents and relatives when they were so young. The results could be eye opening, which happened to the daughter in this comedic horror film. WHEN AN ACCIDENT TRANSPORTS A DAUGHTER back in time, she will need the help of her now teen mother to try and solve why a killer has returned after so many years. With Kiernan Shipka (Wildflower, Mad Me-TV) as Jamie Hughes, Olivia Hold (Same Kind of Different as Me, Cloak & Dagger) as Pam Miller, Charlie Gillespie (Love You Anyway, Suze) as Teen Blake Hughes, Lochlyn Munro (A Night at the Roxbury, White Chicks) as Adult Blake Hughes and Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson (Let’s Scare Julie, Big Sky-TV) as Teen Lauren Creston; this movie was a surprise for me. With the mashup of genres and a smart script, I enjoyed watching this picture with its well-placed actors. There were amusing parts sprinkled into the serial killer scenes that gave off a freshness to the story. The acting was good, and I really enjoyed the fun factor. It was as if the writers took a little bit from Back to the Future, mixed it in with the Scream franchise, then added their own twist that provided me with almost two hours of enjoyment. After watching this film, maybe it is not always a good idea to see what one’s parents were like when they were young.
3 stars
moviejoltz 