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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
Flash Movie Review: Lost Girls
I LOOK AT A PARENT AND wonder sometimes, why they ever had children. From the variety of news stories I have seen, I know there is good and bad in every type of group. I am aware of mothers and fathers doing extraordinary things and downright dumb ones. Just recently there was a news report about a father carrying his 2-year-old daughter over barriers to take a selfie in an elephant enclosure. Can you believe it?!?! As you might guess, the elephant charged at them, where the father at one point dropped his child as he was trying to make his escape. I was glad to hear the man was arrested for trespassing and child endangerment. In my opinion, this would be an example of bad parenting. I am reminded of an episode that took place at a movie theater a couple of years ago. A child in the row behind me was kicking the seat in front where a theater goer was sitting a few seats down from me. The movie patron nicely asked the child a couple of times to stop kicking; the child did for several minutes before starting up again. Finally, the person turned around and firmly said to stop it or they would tell the manager. You should have seen the mother; you would have thought the movie goer said they were going to kill the child because the mother went off, yelling and calling the person names until the person got up and went to the manager. The manager told the mother and child they could change seats or leave. ENOUGH WITH THOSE EXAMPLES, I WANT to balance things out by telling you about a couple of friends who I think have amazing parenting skills. One mother picked up her family and moved out of state so her challenged child could attend a special school with a sterling reputation. With the schooling and parenting her child not only graduated high school but is attending college while working a part time job. The growth the child has shown has been remarkable. I have another friend whose child is now 12 or 13 years old. Besides being well mannered, they have such a well-rounded assortment of interests that go way beyond their years. Hearing some of the things that come out of their mouth; you would think you are talking to an adult. There is no denying that many parents sacrifice for the sake of their children. What I witnessed in this film festival winning mystery thriller was a strong example of a mother who never took “No” for an answer; it was a sight to see. WHEN HER DAUGHTER WENT MISSING MARI Gilbert, played by Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone, Strange but True), refused to accept what the police were telling her. In her mind it just was not right. With Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Leave No Trace) as Sherre Gilbert, Gabriel Byrne (Louder Than Bombs, The Usual Suspects) as Richard Dormer, Lola Kirke (Gone Girl, Mistress America) as Kim and Oona Laurence (Pete’s Dragon, The Beguiled) as Sarra Gilbert; this movie inspired by true events squarely rested its success on Amy Ryan. Her performance was something to see. Despite what I felt was some choppiness between scenes, I found myself drawn into Amy’s character’s plight. The story has an ick factor and there were a couple of rough scenes to watch; however, I thought overall the directing was good and it tried to keep the story moving forward. As for the script, I appreciated the way it did not sugarcoat things; this was especially noticed during the final scenes. There was a realness that came through that did not seem manufactured. Based on this film, I can only imagine what the real details of the events must have been like. Either way, what an example of a mother fighting for their child.
2 2/3 stars
moviejoltz 