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Flash Movie Review: Novocaine
THOSE IN MY SPHERE OF FRIENDS and relatives would not use the word “risky” to describe me. Yet, though it would not be the first, third, or tenth thing down the list; I would say I am a calculated risk type of individual. This is especially true when it comes to relationships. I remember this person I had only gone out with twice before they invited me to their New Year’s Eve party, no less. I was hesitant with my reply because I had to go over all the information I had acquired from our two dates. To my advantage, they were an afternoon coffee date and dinner date; so, there was a lot of talking done in those two events. When I replied I mentioned I had another party to go to but I would stop by. This was true, though the other party was a yearly get together at a friend’s house for whoever wanted to stop by. The reason I mentioned the other party was in case I was not comfortable being at a party filled with strangers, except for the host who I had only known for a couple of weeks. It was a risk for me and at the party I was quite aware I was the topic of conversation amongst their closer friends. Gratefully, I had a pleasant time despite feeling like I was on display; I did catch the host telling a friend that I was the one who they had been “dating” the past couple of weeks. I AM NOT MAKING ANY JUDGEMENTS regarding that New Year’s Eve party because I have taken the same type of risk myself. When I first meet a potential date, I tend to steer the conversation into deeper waters because I have never been good at small talk. If I find my mind is engaged with theirs, I can quickly find myself being attracted to them; I want to learn and explore more with them. And for some reason, if a situation comes up where it appears they are taking a risk, that can be quite informative. The last time when I was available and dating, I had met someone for coffee one evening after work. The conversation went well and I felt we had a variety of things in common. It was towards the end of our third date when I decided to take a risk and see if they would accept it. I mentioned I was going to an outdoor music festival in a couple of weeks and asked if they cared to join me. A good part of me thought they would decline because I was pretty sure the artists were not the type of musicians they were interested in. Imagine going on a date and spending the entire time not enjoying the venue; it certainly could be a test. To my surprise, they accepted my offer; I was actually stunned but pleased. The reason being is that this showed me the interest was mutual, which allowed my defenses to recede and let my heart expand. We had a wonderful time and from that moment on, the relationship got stronger and stronger. So, I absolutely understood what the main character had to do in this action, crime, comedy, thriller. WHEN ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES IS taken as a hostage, who he believes might be the girl of his dreams, the assistant bank manager sets out to rescue her, using his unique physical trait to assist him. With Jack Quaid (Companion, The Boys-TV) as Nate, Amber Midthunder (Prey, The Ice Road) as Sherry, Ray Nicholson (Smile 2, Borderline) as Simon, Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man franchise, Tarot) as Roscoe, and Betty Gabriel (Get Out, It Lives Inside) as Mincy; this movie had a novel story line that I found attractive. Granted, there were scenes filled with blood and violence; but I enjoyed the acting, especially coming from Jack and Amber. Some of the scenes were creative but at some point they started reaching to the level of far-fetched. A layer of disbelief formed in my head that lasted through the last half of the film. Also, the same type of gag repeating itself made the last half of the story a bit tiresome. However, with the novel approach, good acting, and creativity involved; I still enjoyed watching this picture, though I had to turn my head away a couple of times. There were scenes of blood and violence.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Thunderbolts
ONE OF THE MOST HUMILIATING EXPERIENCES during my elementary and high school years was when we would have to pick teams in physical ed classes. Usually the teacher would pick two of his favorites in the class to be team captains, and let them choose the students they wanted for their teams. This meant I would have to stand in line with the rest of the students and watch each one get picked before me; if I was not the last one picked, I was always close to last. I knew and everyone else knew right then and there the captain really did not want me on their team because I would not be an asset to the team. Heck, I knew I would not be because I did not like playing team sports. The best I could hope for was not to make a mistake that would cost the team not to win. Depending on the game, I would always stay in the back and just run from side to side with the other students around me, hoping the ball never came close to me. The most amazing thing that ever came out of those experiences was finding myself the last member standing for my team and having to try and make the winning play. The game, I can distinctly remember to this day, was bombardment. Each side would throw the ball to the other side and try to hit a member from the opposing team. If hit, they were then out of the game; the last person standing was the winner for the team. It was during this game that I discovered I could throw the ball fast and really hard. It was a revelation to me. FROM THAT MOMENT ON, THIS WAS the only game I ever wanted to play. And trust me, the other students noticed my “talent” quickly. Added to my new ability, I had a high accuracy rate; I could quickly knock off boy after boy on the opposing team. Sadly, once we graduated to high school, where I thought I could start with a clean slate and not have all the other boys think I was a loser except in this one game, none of the PE classes offered bombardment as a sport. So, I found myself back to being part of a small group of boys who were always picked last in any of the sporting events. If you were never in such a situation, it would be hard to tell you how truly awful the feeling was to stand while everyone around you was getting picked before you. It does a real number on one’s confidence and for many of us, the feelings leaked out into our other school activities. Imagine having to get up in front of the class to give an oral report and see your fellow students not paying attention to anything you were saying, or teaming up on a science project and your lab partner telling you he wants to do the experiment alone because he is in your PE class and knows about your poor performances. Due to these life experiences I have endured, my heart always quickly goes out to the underdog, no matter the venue or activity. This is way I found myself early on, rooting on the castoffs in this action, adventure, science fiction drama. FINDING THEMSELVES CALLED TO THE SAME place, only to discover it was a trap, a group of unconventional beings must form a tight knit group if they want to save themselves and save the world. With Florence Pugh (We Live in Time, Dune: Part Two) as Yelena Belva, Sebastian Stan (A Different Man, Dumb Money) as Bucky Barnes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Tuesday, You Hurt my Feelings) as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Lewis Pullman (Water Rises, Bad Times at the El Royale) as Robert Reynolds, and David Harbour (A Working Man, Violent Night) as Alexei Shostakov; this superhero political drama was a refreshing twist to the superhero genre. The cast was perfectly suited to the script, especially Florence with her character. She has such a strong screen presence that demands one’s attention. Another surprise for me was seeing Julia do such a wonderful job with her character who was so unlike any of her other characters. I appreciated the lack, or at least the soft marketing influences to the script. There were humorous moments throughout the story as well as touching moments that were unexpected but helped balance out the script. Even though the story may not be a total original, I enjoyed watching this film and felt sympathy for this group of characters. I would not mind seeing them come together in a sequel. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Amateur
IT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST pet peeves when I was younger and it still is one of my biggest pet peeves as I get older. I cannot stand when someone says they will do something then not follow through with it. I would always get annoyed when an elementary school friend would tell me they will call me on a certain day then never call. Or, when a relative would say to me they found something in their attic they think I would like, but never show it to me, despite the implications they wanted me to have it. As I grew older, I verbalized my displeasure in a friendly way to a few friends who were always saying they would do something with me, but never followed through with it; even when I would call as a follow up, they would tell me they would have to get back with me, to let me know when we could get together. I learned a long time ago not to put much effort into those friends and relatives who habitually told me one thing but did something entirely different. I had one friend who actually made plans to get together with me but then cancel at the last minute. They would reschedule but as the date neared they would cancel again. This used to upset me because I would keep the date and time open, declining other offers, then wind up with nothing to do because they backed out at the last minute. Talk about adding fuel to my anger and annoyance. IN THE WORKPLACE, I WOULD FIND myself getting annoyed with fellow employees and bosses who did not follow through with what they told me they would do. I had one boss who was always late giving me my annual performance review, which was used partially to justify to upper management the reason for me getting a salary increase. My boss would send me short emails that said they were working on my review, pushing back the date for our one-on-one meeting, then cancel the meeting at the last minute. It drove me crazy. In the workplace, I truly understand things come up and meetings have to be rescheduled; however, for my boss to go through this same scenario each year made me believe he was just a procrastinator. Outside of the workplace, it drives me crazy when a person repeats the same plan over and over. I have a relative who has always ended our get togethers with the same phrase each time. They tell me they will have me over for a BBQ and sit out on their backyard deck. We are going on four years with me hearing them say this each time we are together, but never following up with an actual invite. So you can see why I would act similarly to the main character in this spy, action thriller when he felt his superiors were not following up on the evidence he gathered for them. WHEN A CIA EMPLOYEE’S WIFE IS killed in a terrorist attack, he decides to take matters in his own hands to hunt down his wife’s killers, even if the agency does not follow up on the evidence he has accumulated. With Rami Malek (No Time to Die, The Little Things) as Heller, Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Finest Hours) as Sarah, Jon Bernthal (The Accountant 2, The Unforgivable) as The Bear, Evan Milton (Eyewitness: D-Day, The Lost Pirate Kingdom-TV) as Slater, and Nick Mills (Shilo, Succession-TV) as Finn; the script for this film was not always believable. Some of the scenes were far-fetched and unrealistic. Adding in Rami’s performance, I found it to be an odd mixture of awkward nerdiness vs. cold killer. Some of his scenes displayed a creativeness that was fascinating to watch. But what kept throwing me was his unemotional reactions to some of the violent scenes. Still, I was feeling entertained, remaining hopeful that the “good guy” would eventually prevail. I also appreciated that the advertising for this movie pretty much showed you what to expect from the story. There were several scenes filled with blood and violence.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Accountant 2
THE OPPORTUNITIES SHE WAS MENTIONING WERE ones that never occurred, let alone been uttered, when I was in school. She talked about having multiple aides in the classroom whose sole purpose was to work individually with one assigned student. There were plans laid out for the student with goals and rewards to help their progression. The thing that amazed me the most was her telling me the other students in the classroom were aware of these group of students’ special needs. When I was growing up, I do not recall ever hearing the terms autism or on the spectrum. My science class was the only place I heard about spectrums and it had nothing to do with where a student might lie on the autism spectrum. Not one teacher ever broached the subject and it never appeared in any of our textbooks. This relative telling me about the things available for special needs students is an elementary school teacher. Out of a class of twenty-five students, there are six that need extra attention. The stories she told us about these students varied from heartbreaking to amazing. One student cannot sit still and focus for more than ten seconds before something else draws their attention away; there has not been one test they have passed since attending the school. Another student has little self control, yelling out of turn and fidgeting constantly in their seat. At least, these students have help from the moment they enter the school until the time they leave. FROM HER STORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS, I sat back and thought about the students that were in my classes. I now can say with certainty there were students who were on the spectrum. I have no idea if they were assessed or not, but there never was any extra help for them, nor did any of the students know what was going on with them. Instead, the majority of them were labeled losers, dorks, and other words that simply are too inappropriate to mention here. They were picked on and teased, some to a horrific level of abuse. The other students knew something was wrong but without any guidance, their imaginations came up with reasons these students acted the way they did. Stuff like, they were dropped on their head at birth or the doctors had to use a large set of pliers to get them out of their mother’s stomach. When I think about it, it was truly an awful, even at times hostile, environment for these kids. And the sad thing about all of this is when I graduated to being a high school freshman, I never saw any of those elementary students in the high school. After seeing this dramatic thriller, I think if any of those past students in my elementary school classes who were on the spectrum had the skills the main character had in this sequel, they would have had such an easier time in the school. WHEN HER BOSS IS FOUND DEAD, with a cryptic message sprawled on his arm, a treasury agent finds herself working with a man who does not follow the rules to solve the perplexing mystery. With Ben Affleck (Deep Water, This is Me…Now) as Christian Wolff, Jon Bernthal (The Amateur, Origin) as Braxton, Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Colombiana, The People We Hate at the Wedding) as Marybeth Medina, J.K. Simmons (Red One, Juror #2) as Ray King, and newcomer Allison Robertson as Justine; this action crime mystery had a hefty dose of the first movie built into it. The difference was the added cast members; they provided an interesting and at time humorous mix to the story. These is a lot of violence and blood in this picture, so if you can get past that, the movie can be entertaining. It helped that the story line had a pull the heartstring factor in it because there were times the script felt clunky and farfetched. The surprise for me was when the script did a 180 degree turn and had touching moments; those moments could have even been explored further in this film and I would not have minded. For pure escapism and some interesting performances, this picture kept my attention as long as I did not think about it too much.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Minecraft Movie
FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY FRIENDS who do not have my ability, some say gift, I can help them see what I am seeing. From my earliest memories, i always had this ability to see something more than what the object was made for. A whisk broom (do they even make those anymore?) in my hands became a missile or rocket ship, where the bristles were the flames coming out from the engines. A strainer covering a turned on pocket flashlight was a device that sent stars onto the ceiling of my bedroom. With a spatula in my hand, I would pretend I was chopping through enemy castles’ gates which were really closet doors. I did the same thing with clouds. Sitting out in the backyard, looking up to the sky, I could show my friends all the things the sky contained, from an automobile to a vampire bat to a man’s face. When school started for me, i would do the same thing in the classroom, seeing the chalkboard eraser as the enemy’s secret weapon that would wipe out fields of letters. There were a few times the teacher would call me out for not paying attention, because I was either staring out the window or at the art supplies stacked on a shelf, anywhere but where i was supposed to be looking, namely the teacher showing us something on the blackboard. EVEN TO THIS DAY, I CAN find something hidden or unique in something else. I especially like paintings or photographs of floral landscapes because usually I can find a face or animal hidden in the way the shadows mingle with the sunlight on blooms and leaves. If memory serves me correctly, some time ago I mentioned how a raccoon ate a hole in my roof. One day I walked up into the attic which I used for storage and saw a beam of sunlight shining down like a spotlight. Instead of thinking about who can I call to repair it, I stared at the hole and imagined it being a skylight, seeing how more light coming in would brighten the darkened space that only had one little window at the very back of the attic. As you can see, my imagination has always been overactive and quite vivid. I remember how much I used to enjoy rainy Saturdays when I was a kid because it meant I could play in the living room all day with all the things our household contained. As I sat and watched this action, adventure fantasy; I thought the creators of the video game this film was based on were some very creative individuals. PULLED UNEXPECTEDLY INTO A WORLD WHERE one needs to have an imagination to survive, a small group of individuals will need to work together if they ever want to see their homes again. With Jason Momoa (Aquaman franchise, Fast X) as Garrett, Jack Black (Dear Santa, The Big Year) as Steve, Sebastian Hansen (Just Mercy, Mozart in the Jungle-TV) as Henry, Emma Myers (Family Switch, Wednesday-TV) as Natalie, and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Dawn; this comedy’s filled with imaginative scenes. I have never seen or played the video game, so I was a little unclear about what was taking place at first. However, things soon began to fall in place and I tried to get into the story. Not being a big fan of slapstick, there were scenes that were filled with it, which makes sense when Jack Black is cast in a fantasy picture. My attention kept going in and out of the story, but at least I was enjoying the visuals and special effects. To a gamer or young child, this film will probably be a bit hit for them. As for me, I think I was just too old to play along with it. There were two extra scenes during the closing credits.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Warfare
I CAN GRATEFULLY SAY MY EXPERIENCE with physical fighting has been limited to two, and they both took place prior to me graduating high school. The first one took place after my afterschool religion class, when I was ten years old. A few students from my class ganged up on me after we left the building, pelting me with snowballs and pushing me into a snow bank. i was hit in the face a couple of times which stung my eyes, causing me blurred vision. As quickly as it started, the battle ended with the students running away, their laughter trailing behind them. The second fight happened during my junior year of high school. This one was different because it could be argued I started it. There was a boy in my PE class who constantly picked on me and my friends with the help of his buddies. It got to the point where I was skipping class, hiding in the lunchroom. One day I was more depressed and angry than usual. During our break between periods, I was standing outside of my chemistry class, knowing full well this bully usually walked by on the way to his class. Sure enough, I saw him walking down the hallway towards me. As he got closer he called me a derogatory name. Something snapped in me and I said with a sneer, “What did you say?” He came closer and repeated it to me. I called him a name and dared him to come right up to my face and say it again. He did and I started punching him with all my might. In my mind, I kept telling myself do not get hit because I would start crying. I CANNOT TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW long i kept hitting him, mostly in the head, because i blacked out from rage during the battle. All I remember was seeing a crowd of students forming around us as I kept hitting him. As quickly as I started the fight, I stopped dead cold, turned around and walked back to my seat in the classroom. He stood at the door and yelled at me that he would see me in the locker room. I noticed his face was a bright shade of red and wondered if I had caused it. My best friend who was my lab partner literally had his mouth open just staring at me. He finally asked me what happened and all I could muster up was telling him I was not sure; but, did not know how to avoid the locker room tomorrow. For the rest of the school day and all through the night I worried over what would happen to me if I walked into the locker room to get ready for PE. The world must work in mysterious ways because as I walked out of my first period class the next day, the bully I had beaten up was walking by. He saw me and repeated his threat; however, this time I got close to him and told him what I would do to him in the locker room when we had PE later that day. I cannot repeat what I said, but let me just say I told him I was going to rip something off his body and shove it down his throat. And guess what, he never showed up in the locker room or for our class. If only fights could be so simply solved, people would not have to suffer like they did in this action, war docudrama. A GROUP OF NAVY SEALS IN Iraq, on a surveillance mission, are holed up in a family’s home. They soon sense something is not right. With D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Hell of a Summer, Reservation Dogs-TV) as Ray, Will Poulter (The Score, We’re the Millers) as Erik, Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun-TV, Calm with Horses) as Elliott, Joseph Quinn (Overlord, Gladiator II) as Sam, and Aaron Mackenzie (Lockdowners, Sunray: Fallen Soldier) as Kelly; this drama was written and directed by two war veterans who used their memories for this script. I have seen war films before, but I have never experienced anything like this picture. There was no time for character development (it did not matter), nor putting a Hollywood spin on the story; this was an intense battle that left me breathless. I honestly cannot say I was entertained per se, however, what I can say is I saw a whole new dimension of war. The intensity bordered on brutal, suffice to say there were many scenes with blood and violence. Seeing this movie has certainly put a whole new perspective on fighting a war, and one would think this film could give one pause before taking any kind of action to be a participant. I am glad i saw this picture, but I have to say it was not an easy watch.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: G20
LIKE THE FAMILY MEMBERS BEFORE ME, I can walk into a room and see everything all at once. From a painting hanging ever so slightly crooked on a wall, to a speck of glitter on the floor, I have this ability to see things that other people do not see. The reason I am telling you this is because what I am about to say is only meant as an observation, not a judgment or to be critical. We attended an out of state wedding, where the reception was being held in one of the town’s three hotels. The lobby looked like it had been the set for an old TV western; the dull black and white tiled floor, the chandelier that looked like it had three tiers of wagon wheels with hurricane lamps perched on them, dark wood paneling and a high front desk that i swore looked like it had originally been used as a bar. Once entering the room where the reception was being held, I noticed a couple of drapery panels covering the windows were crooked, with one pleat dangling off of its hook that was hanging from the curtain rod. I saw a spot on the wall that must have been patched to cover up a hole, but the paint used was not from the same color shade, so it looked like the wall had been bruised. The buffet table had four chafing dishes but the silver was dull and unpolished. One of the plates I grabbed was chipped, and for me the worst thing was the spoon I took from the silverware tray was not clean. For me these details take away from the fantasy one wants around their wedding. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER THINGS I noticed, like the restroom running out of hand soap, that I found distracting. However, none of it mattered once the bride and groom entered the room. Both of them were dazzling; her in a white full length gown that bustled out from the waist, giving off a fairy princess vibe. The groom wore a dark gray tuxedo with a pink bowtie and cummerbund to match the bride’s bouquet. Everything in the room faded into the background; the brightness and love emanating from them was so strong I was sure everyone in the room could feel it. I forgot about all the little distractions because none of it meant anything, as it should. The main focus was the newly married couple and being a witness to the love they shared and to the joy they both felt. This is exactly the way I wound up looking at this action thriller. EXPECTING TO ONLY DEFEND HER AGENDA at the G20 summit, the President of the United States found herself defending her family and the attending world leaders when terrorists stormed the resort where the summit was being held. With Viola Davis (Air, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as President Danielle Sutton, Anthony Anderson (The Departed, Black-ish-TV) as Derek Sutton, Ramon Rodriguez (The One and Only Ivan, Will Trent-TV) as Agent Manny Ruiz, Marsai Martin (Fantasy Football, Black-ish-TV) as Serena Sutton, and Anthony Starr (Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant, The Boys-TV) as Rutledge; the story line for this film was compelling and had a couple of good ideas within it. However, the script was all over the place with some far-fetched, crazy scenes that diminished the characters’ authenticity. Without a doubt if the movie studio had not cast EGOT winner Viola Davis this picture would have landed with a thud. However, with Viola in the lead role, she was magnetic, tough and perfect in every scene. She is the reason I wound up enjoying this film as much as I did. Call me crazy but I could easily see her becoming the female version of Liam Neeson, by being the tough”gal” character. Because of her, I believe the rest of the cast had to step up their game to try and match her level of acting. The fight scenes were well done, despite believing Viola’s stand-in was taking on the heavy lifting during the action scenes. This movie wound up being entertaining and i appreciated the effort that was put into the making of this picture. There were several scenes of blood and violence.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Working Man
DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR it, just ask anyone who knows me. When it comes to determination, where I have my mind set, I do not give up. A perfect example just happened last week. I had to call a government agency since I was not getting the answers I needed online. After going through multiple automated prompts on my telephone call, I was given the option to wait for customer service. I agreed to wait by pressing “one” on the keypad and the auto attendant said the wait would be one hundred ten minutes. I was prepared for such an outrageous number since I tried the week before and the message said since the wait time was over one hundred twenty minutes, no more calls were being accepted, to try back later in the week. So, with the clock counting down, I turned on the speakerphone option on my phone and exercised for an hour. Through the hour I heard repeats of various recorded messages that did not require me to do anything except wait. After I finished exercising, I showered while keeping the phone on the floor next to the shower stall in case I heard a human voice; but, I was not expecting to hear it. When I finished showering, drying off, and dressing; I decided to have lunch. And after I finished eating and washing the dishes, I sat and read for a bit. At three hours and five minutes, I finally heard from a live human voice. I ask you, how many of you would have waited that long? I was not going to give up until I spoke to someone. THIS TYPE OF DETERMINATION IS SOMETHING I believe I was born with. I can remember when I was a little kid playing with building blocks; I could sit for hours until I used every block to build a castle or some type of large building or fortress. Depending on what I was doing, my determination would remain strong even if I had to step away from what I was doing for a couple of hours or days; however, my mind remained active in trying to solve whatever I wanted to accomplish, and come back to the task refreshed and just as determined as when I first started. Though aging and maturity showed me not everyone had my level of determination, it did not stop me from pushing the members in my class to keep going and not give up. I would break down my movements into parts, allowing the members to choose the level of intensity that was best for them. Next, I would encourage them to try to go an extra thirty or sixty seconds the closer we got to the end of a song. I felt I was fortunate, because the members who attended my classes always gave 100% of themselves to their exercising. That type of determination, which I greatly appreciated, was similar to the determination I saw from the main character in this dramatic, action thriller. A CONSTRUCTION WORKER’S QUIET LIFE IS shattered when his boss’ daughter goes missing. With the training he received from his previous career, the worker makes a promise to his boss that he will get his daughter back. By making that promise, he knows he can never give up and he will not until the daughter is returned safely home. With Jason Statham (The Meg franchise, The Beekeeper) as Levon Cade, Jason Flemyng (Black Dog, Touchdown) as Wolo Kolisnyk, Merab Ninidze (Conclave, Without Remorse) as Yuri, Michael Pena (Unstoppable, A Million Miles Away) as Joe Garcia, and David Harbour (Black Widow, Violent Night) as Gunny Lefferty; this script with one of the writers being Sylvester Stallone, was a bare bones, no nonsense fight fest. There were no surprises as everything followed a typical Jason Statham movie model. The fight scenes were well orchestrated and I felt the main story line helped greatly to keep audience members engaged as long as they were in the mood to witness such battles. There was no humor, fun, or deep drama within any of the scenes; it was strictly a bloody violent film that was made for Jason’s well known persona—a tough guy who can beat the crap out of anyone.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: In the Lost Lands
WHEN SOMEONE THINKS THEY ARE ALWAYS right, it is a good bet that person would absolutely enjoy having total power. I used to work at a fitness center where I had a boss who always thought she was right. Most of the time, I would not let it bother me; but when she decided that the schedule of classes would start changing every six weeks, I respectfully expressed my opinion. I could tell she was perturbed, but I did not care. To me, we instructors were there to serve the members’ needs, not my boss’s ego. I expressed how some of our members only have a particular time they can come to the center to workout. Members already expressed when they find an instructor they like, they want to stay with them. The proof of that was the fact I had the largest number of members attending my classes. My boss said it was important for the members to experience assorted styles of workouts and instructors. I countered each instructor makes sure to change up the exercise routines that are done in their classes, so the member’s body never gets used to a class and loses the shock value on their muscles. We went back and forth, point and counterpoint, until my boss said she did not care what a few members think, she is changing the number of times we will be changing formats and classes. And just like I predicted the members loudly complained and as a result attendance in general dropped until my boss bitterly gave in and returned the schedule back to the old format. THE STORY I JUST SHARED WAS recently expressed to a friend of mine who was telling me about the changes taking place at her office. She worked for a private company where the long-term president was recently replaced. What she told me was both frightening and sad. This new president was not discreet in showing his disdain for the way the past president ran the company. He was also determined to cut costs, no matter the ramifications. I sat and listened to my friend list things this new person already did and how his actions were affecting the employees. For example, the new president never listened to advice from anyone. Upon one meeting, he would already have formed an opinion of the person; most of the time he thought the person was inferior and would begin to treat them with disdain. After my friend was done sharing all her horror stories, I told her the new person sounded like a power-hungry dictator. I questioned why someone would want to lead by instilling fear in the employees who helped make the company so successful. It was a perfect example of absolute power being corruptive and destructive. I saw the same thing taking place in this fantasy action adventure. DESPITE ON A MISSION GIVEN FROM the queen to acquire a special power for her, a hunter and her guide were being hunted by someone in the queen’s realm who wanted her dead. With Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil franchise, Monster Hunter) as Gray Alys, Dave Bautista (The Killer’s Game, My Spy franchise) as Boyce, Arly Jover (Blade, A Prominent Patient) as The Enforcer, Amara Okereke (Red Rise-TV, The Morning After-TV) as The Queen, and Fraser James (Yardie, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter) as The Patriarch; this movie based on a George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) short story was cheaply done. I thought the special effects and sets were paltry and unimpressive. Even if the entire movie was shot in one room and everything shown was CGI, it was poorly done and unrealistic looking. The script bounced around, never providing a cohesive plan of logic. As for the acting, it was nothing but average at best. I honestly was not sure why Milla and Dave agreed to star in it until I saw they were producers. What were they thinking? This film was a disappointment, and I wonder if there was only one person in charge who greenlighted everything needed to create this waste of time.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Crow
ACTS OF LOVE CAN BE EXPRESSED in many ways, from diamonds to kidneys. Yes, I said kidneys. A friend’s father had issues with his kidneys and needed a transplant. My friend immediately offered one of his if it would be a match. Gratefully, they were, and the operation was done soon after. My friend never hesitated; he and his dad were always close and now this act made them even closer. It was a selfless, loving act, and I am happy to report that the two of them are perfectly fine and healthy today. Another act of love I witnessed was our friend’s girlfriend nurse him back from the brink of death. He contracted a virus that brought on a cornucopia of issues where his body was shutting down. For weeks he was in intensive care and his girlfriend never left his side. Since she had a medical background, she checked everything the nurses and doctors were doing for him, from tests to administering drugs. One doctor was supposed to perform a vital test on a certain day that would lead the medical staff in the right direction toward treatment. This doctor came to see my friend when the girlfriend was in the hospital cafeteria eating lunch. When she returned and asked her boyfriend if the doctor showed up and performed the procedure, my friend told her he showed up but did not do the test. She immediately hunted him down in the hospital and let me just say, “read him the riot act.” The doctor returned that afternoon and performed the test on my friend. BESIDES WITNESSING ACTS OF LOVE BETWEEN humans, I have seen acts between humans and animals. To me, they are just as valid. I was on vacation, staying at an inn where the owners made a breakfast buffet each morning for the guests. While I was seated at a table sampling the baked goods, an obvious senior dog slowly came into the dining room. The dog had a limp as it walked, which was a good thing because it bumped into the leg of a chair that a recently departed guest had not pushed all the way back into the table. Keeping a watch on the dog, I quickly realized it must be blind by the way it was brushing into things around the buffet table. When the owners appeared and made their round of greetings to each occupied table of guests, when they came up to me, I asked the age of their dog. He was thirteen years old, and they confirmed he was blind and arthritic. We started talking about pets and they shared they had to carry him on stairs and serve him soft food because he was missing some teeth. It was obvious to me how much they loved him; when they were describing the things they did for him, I did not detect any negative feelings from them. They simply loved their pet and would take care of him all the way to the end of his life. What loving dog owners. These acts of love and witnessing them are part of the reason I felt I would bond with the story in this fantasy, action horror romance. AFTER BEING BRUTALLY MURDERED ALONGSIDE HIS girlfriend in a home invasion Eric, played by Bill Skarsgard (It franchise, Nosferatru), finds himself being alive in another world. The love he had for his girlfriend prevented him from completely dying, giving him the chance to get revenge on all those who murdered the two of them. With FKA twigs (Honey Boy, Brighton Beach) as Shelly, Danny Huston (The Dead Don’t Hurt, Ride Above) as Vincent Roeg, Josette Simon (The Witches, Tell that to the Winter Sea) as Sophia, and Laura Birn (Void, A Walk Among the Tombstones) as Marion; this supernatural crime film had potential. The chemistry between Bill and FKA twigs seemed authentic and though it took a while to pick up, their love story was interesting despite being quick in nature. Sadly, the script and directing did not create a solid story. The pacing was odd, going from fast action to soft loving reminiscences to supernatural scenes. I found parts of the movie went slowly and never felt deep emotions except for Bill’s character. Also, maybe it was a false expectation on my part, but I thought there would be more back story to Bill’s character, both the inmate and superhero sides. It made me question how he suddenly became this tough fighter, for example. Ultimately, I was bored through most of the time and wished I could have at least liked it. There were several scenes filled with blood and violence.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 