Apr 22 2016

Green Room

A small punk rock band is touring the U.S. and Canada, far from home, almost out of gas, and almost out of money. When the opportunity to play a gig at a remote compound and earn some real cash presents itself it seems like a slam dunk, trouble is, the compound is run by Neo-nazi Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart) and his maniacal followers. So, when the band witnesses the aftermath of a murder backstage it’s apparent getting out of the compound alive themselves might be an issue. With the help of insider, Amber (Imogen Poots), there might be a way to escape the green room the band is holed up in, maybe not.greenroom Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, this Panic Room and Saw inspired horror/suspense moves a bit slowly in its first act as we’re introduced to the ensemble which includes Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, and Joe Cole; fragmented character development and writing doesn’t give us much to root for on either side. However, by act two fans of the genre have plenty to sink their eyes and ears into, including duct tape to treat triage, what can’t it fix? On the creative spatter scale there are some definite points to be awarded here, but the film’s resounding thud finale makes this an overall bitter pill to swallow where macabre humor just doesn’t make its biggest splash. Green Room is rated R.


Apr 22 2016

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

Unbeknownst to many, the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) who tormented Snow White, actually had an equally magical little sister named Freya (Emily Blunt); although, as it were, Freya only learned of her magical powers with the loss of her own child by the hand of her lover. Heartbroken and devastated, Freya moved to the North to start her own Kingdom as the Ice Queen. But, as her lead Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and Huntswoman (Jessica Chastain) find each other, love is in the air, for Queen Freya that won’t do, love is against the Queen’s rules. The two lovers are separated only to encounter each other 7 years later as the Queens are sparing, now to rekindle old flames and stop the evil sisters once and for all, unless it’s too late?Huntsman2 Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (Snow White and The Huntsman, The Ring) this latest offering is similar to its counterpart from a few years ago in the fact that the cast isn’t exactly being stretched out of their often typecast roles, not a bad thing per se but not groundbreaking either. Meanwhile, the overall story adds just a bit more complexity to the world of Snow White and the Huntsman but doesn’t blow the doors off either, perfectly safe in its place. Visually the film charges ahead on all cylinders and certainly excels in creating a medieval world full of magic. On the downside, all the glitz and glamor combined with the safe and mediocre scripting makes for cheap entertainment but doesn’t make for a terribly memorable experience either. The Huntsman: Winter’s War is rated PG-13.