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Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Tubi Movie Name/Year: Killer Sofa (2019) Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror Length: 81 minutes Rating: Not Rated Production/Distribution: Mad Kiwi Films, Midnight
Shepherd Productions, At Entertainment, High Octane Pictures, White Pearl
Movies Director: Bernie Rao Writer: Bernie Rao Actors: Jed Brophy, Jordan Rivers, Piimio Mei, Nathalie Morris,
Harley Neville, James Cain, Trae Te Wiki, Hamish Boyle, Adrienne Kohler,
Michael Fowler Blurb from IMDb: A killer reclining chair
becomes enchanted by a girl and starts committing crimes of passion.
Selina’s Point of View: I have to be fair
here. Killer Sofa did meet every single one of my expectations. The
problem is, I didn’t think it would be all that good. The acting was
awful and the script was rough. Some of the music even made it feel like an 80s
porn despite the lack of any kind of sexual action – which is difficult. Worst of all, it
was boring. I could barely
stay awake through the majority of it. In fact, I actively paused to take a nap
at one point just in case I was just tired and not giving it a real chance. I still had
trouble staying awake after that.
If I had to say
one good thing about it, I’d point out the ending. Just in case you’re
interested in viewing it, I won’t spoil anything, but I have to say they took
it in an interesting direction. In a better film, that ending would have been
something I poured praise onto. However, because it was backed by such lousy…
everything else… I can’t get as excited about it as I could have. Killer
Sofa is not something
I find worth watching. There are so many better ‘inanimate object’ flicks out
there. In fact, we reviewed one last month that was phenomenal. If you really want
a campy film about horror objects, one that won’t put you to sleep, hop on Shudder
and go watch Slaxx (2021).
Cat’s Point of View: When someone
mentions a title like Killer Sofa, it tends to immediately call to mind
movies like Attack of the Killer Donuts (2016) or Attack of the
Killer Tomatoes (1978). While I’m not sure about the donut movie, the
homicidal tomatoes were meant to lampoon monster movie tropes as one of the OG
horror comedies. I was rather surprised to realize that Killer Sofa
doesn’t really fall into that category. Sure, it’s a
movie about a deadly chair – how serious could it be? Well… my answer
is that I think it tried to be a ‘real horror movie’ rather than some sort of
parody.The next question that
immediately springs to mind, of course, asks whether or not it succeeded. It’s
hard to keep a straight face even thinking about the topic in general. How
could it possibly be a legit horror film? Killer
Sofa actually
delivers a real attempt at horror, with a sliver of comedy. I was not expecting
as much substance as this film offered. It wasn’t an Oscar contender by any
means, but I wouldn’t send it to the Razzies, either. It’s somewhere in the
middle as a solid B-movie, though definitely closer to the razzing territory.
Parts were a little awkward with the acting and whatnot, but it was tolerable.
I found myself actually interested in what was going on. It was rather odd,
really. I was fairly giggling at the silliness of it all, while at the same
time really creeped out by this chair. It’s clear that
this indie project was working on a shoestring budget and a prayer to put this
together – but they did a bang-up job on the production quality, all things
considered. It’s hard to suspend disbelief regarding a murderous piece of
furniture, to begin with. I’ve got to tip my proverbial hat to whoever’s idea
it was to buy THAT chair. It has to be the best hundred-dollar purchase ever. As horror movies
go, this one is fairly light on the gore factor. Most of the carnage is
off-screen – though, there are a couple of rather grisly scenes. If you’re a fan
of the horror genre and are looking for something to watch along those lines
that isn’t super scary or heavy, this wouldn’t be a bad way to spend your time.
I could probably watch it again and not be upset about it.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None Metascore – None Metacritic User Score – None IMDB Score – 3.6/10 Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1.5/5 Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5 Trust-the-Dice’s
Parental Advisory Rating:
R Movie Trailer:
20 – The Enormity
of Life (4/6) Production/Distribution:
1031 Films, Garage Creative Studios Director: Eric
Swinderman Writer: Eric
Swinderman, Carmen DeFranco Actors: Emily
Kinney, Breckin Meyer, Giselle Eisenberg, Rick Montgomery Jr., Debra Herzog,
Bryant Carroll, Davis Aguila, Andrew Gordon, David Vegh, Daniel Repas, Aubree
Stone, Carter Anderson, Allen O’Reilly Genre: Comedy Rated: Not Rated Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: After a failed suicide attempt, a man receives a substantial
inheritance from a long lost relative and meets a struggling single mom with an
eccentric young daughter. Together they embark on a journey of self-discovery
and healing. This film is going to be a gut punch. The trailer is as clear
as possible about that. It’s going to touch on suicide, as well as other heavy
triggers. I think it’s all going to be worth it in the end, though. The Enormity of Life seems like it’s going to show
what it means to hit rock bottom and then climb out. I’m pretty sure it’s going
to wind up having a hopeful message – which I think people need right now. The only reason I couldn’t put this movie any higher, is
because there’s the possibility it may go too far, without any real resolution.
Sometimes, flicks like this are guilty of that kind of thing, and that makes
them a chore to watch. It’s labeled a comedy, which isn’t really shown well in the
trailer. That makes me a little suspicious as well. Here’s hoping this one gives us what we need. 19 – The Believer
(4/2) Production/Distribution:
Gypsy Lane Films, Relentless Escargot Productions, 611 Films, Black Powder Works,
Artist View Entertainment, Freestyle Releasing Director: Shan
Serafin Writer: Shan
Serafin Actors: Aidan
Bristow, Sophie Kargman, Susan Wilder, Lindsey Ginter, Billy Zane, Robbie
Goldstein Genre: Horro Rated: Not Rated Length: 91
minutes IMDb Blurb: None shown This trailer looks like a rom-com gone evil. The Believer seems to go into a relationship where
the female is the abuser – which is not something movies tend to explore. Sure,
you’ve got stuff like Gone Baby Gone (2007), but it’s rare. It’s
something I feel needs more examination. Abusers come in all shapes and sizes,
and so do their victims. In all honesty, the horror aspect feels reminiscent of Audition
(1999). There are scenes in the trailer that immediately pull that Japanese
flick to mind. Which is not a bad thing. I’m not familiar with anyone working on The Believer,
but I do think there are some good signs in the trailer. 18 – Vanquish (4/16) Production/Distribution:
March On Productions, Lionsgate, Signature Entertainment Director: George Gallosw Writer: George
Gallo, Samuel Bartlett Actors: Ruby
Rose, Morgan Freeman, Patrick Muldoon, Julie Lott, Nick Vallelonga, Ekaterina
Baker, Joel Michaely, Richard Salvatore, Miles Doleac, Juju Journey Brener, Ele
Bardha, Bill Luckett Genre: Action,
Crime, Thriller Rated: R Length: 96
minutes IMDb Blurb: A mother, Victoria, is trying to put her dark past
as a Russian drug courier behind her, but retired cop Damon forces Victoria to
do his bidding by holding her daughter hostage. With Vanquish, it’s less about the story and more
about the actors involved. Ruby Rose (The Doorman, Batwoman, John Wick: Chapter 2)
is a hell of an actor in her own right, but Morgan Freeman (The Comeback Trail,
Ben-Hur, Lucy) is legendary. I am very much looking forward to seeing how
they mesh in a film like this. It also looks like a solid action flick. I doubt it will be
too deep, but there will almost definitely be amazing fight scenes. 17 – Bloodthirsty
(4/23) Production/Distribution:
Voice Pictures, 775 Media Corp, Brainstorm Media, Première TV Distribution Director: Amelia
Moses Writer: Wendy Hill-Tout
Lowell Actors: Lauren
Beatty, Greg Bryk, Katharine King So, Michael Ironside, Judith Buchan, Jayce
McKenzie, Jesse Gervais Genre: Horror Rated: Not Rated Length: 84
minutes IMDb Blurb: Grey is an indie singer who is having visions that
she is a wolf. When she gets an invitation to work with notorious music
producer Vaughn Daniels at his remote studio in the woods she begins to find
out who she really is. Bloodthirsty could go one of three ways. It could
either be an honest werewolf film, a metaphor, or all in the characters mind. I’m
fine with the former two, but if it turns out to be all hallucination… that
would be tricky. There are so many pitfalls this flick could fall into if it’s
the latter. The worst of which would be leaving the audience unfulfilled. Way
too often, when that’s the case, it feels like the whole thing just didn’t
matter. Why bother telling the story if nothing’s affected by the contents –
right? I really want to see a new, modern, actual werewolf film.
But because of the aforementioned possibilities, I couldn’t put this any higher
on my list. 16 – Justice
Society: World War II (4/27) Production/Distribution:
DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Director: Jeff
Wamester Writer: Jeremy
Adams, Meghan Fitzmartin Actors: Matt
Bomer, Stana Katic, Chris Diamantopoulos, Matthew Mercer, Elysia Rotaru, Liam McIntyre,
Omid Abtahi, Geoffrey Arend, Ashleigh LaThrop, Darin De Paul, Keith Ferguson,
Armen Taylor Genre: Animation,
Fantasy Rated: PG-13 Length: 84
minutes IMDb Blurb: The Justice Society of America, a group of heroes
aiding the allies in World War 2, acquire an ally from the future who sends
them on an adventure that changes history. Any time DC intends to put out an animated film, chances are
high it’ll be on my Top 20 for that month. DC’s animated features are just as consistent as their live-action
films are inconsistent. It’s that simple. Sure, you’ll get the occasional Dark
Knight (2008) out of their blockbuster-type flicks, but it feels more
likely that you’ll get a Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
Their animation work is just a significantly higher quality. That’s what I expect here. I expect a movie that sticks to
the feel of the comics and fulfills audiences. It will be somewhere between
watchable and amazing. 15 – The Power (4/8) Production/Distribution:
Air Street Films, British Film Institute (BFI), Head Gear Films, Kreo Films FZ,
Metrol Technology, Stigma Films, Shudder, VR Films And Studios Director: Corinna
Faith Writer: Corinna
Faith Actors: Rose
Williams, Emma Rigby, Charlie Carrick, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Paul Antony-Barber,
Clara Read, Diveen Henry, Robert Goodman, Nuala McGowan, Shakira Rahman, Marley
Chesham, Joe Haddow, Maria Major Genre: Horror Rated: Not Rated Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: 1973: a young nurse is forced to work the night
shift in a crumbling hospital as striking miners switch off the power across
Britain. But inside the walls lurks a terrifying presence that threatens to
consume her and everyone around her. The more I watch this trailer, the more I’m feeling it. I thought it seemed a little basic at first, but my opinion
slowly evolved. Now, I think the time period it takes place in, and the setting,
may wind up elevating what could have been a basic supernatural haunting story. The trailer seems terrifying. I’d love to move it higher on
the list… but I have to admit that the plot (on its own) seems rather tropey. We’ll find out soon enough. 14 – Concrete
Cowboy (4/2) Production/Distribution:
Green Door Pictures, Lee Daniels Entertainment, Neighborhood Film Co., Tucker
Tooley Entertainment, Waxylu Films, Netflix Director: Ricky
Staub Writer: Ricky
Staub, Dan Walser Actors: Idris
Elba, Lorraine Toussaint, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Method Man, Swen
Temmel, Byron Bowers, Terez Land, Jennifer Butler, Ivannah-Mercedes, Liz
Priestley Genre: Drama Rated: R Length: 111
minutes IMDb Blurb: A teenager discovers the world of urban horseback
riding when he moves in with his estranged father in North Philadelphia. You had me at Idris Elba (Luther, Thor: Ragnarok, Beasts
of No Nation). Elba is just one of those actors I will follow to any
project. I trust his professionalism, and I trust his process. No one is going
to have a 100% success rate in the movies they work on… but I know that the projects
he opts to join have a leg up on the rest. The trailer looks interesting, heartbreaking, and honest.
Down-to-Earth, even. It’s going to touch on some serious subjects, but I
believe it will wind up being heartwarming in the end. 13 – Monday (4/16) Production/Distribution:
Faliro House Productions, Automatik Entertainment, Protagonist Pictures, Blonde
Audiovisual Productions, IFC Films Director: Argyris
Papadimitropoulos Writer: Argyris
Papadimitropoulos, Rob Hayes Actors: Sebastian
Stan, Denise Gough, Dominique Tipper, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, Elli Tringou,
Andreas Konstantinou, Sofia Kokkali, Syllas Tzoumerkas, Chloe Sirene, Marisha
Triantafyllidou, Orlando Seale, Prometheus Aleifer, Efi Gousi Genre: Drama,
Romance Rated: R Length: 116 minutes IMDb Blurb: A spark on a Friday can lead to a sizzling weekend
fling, but what happens when you get to the inevitable Monday? Sebastian Stan (The Devil All the Time, We Have Always
Lived in the Castle, I’m Not Here) is going to be trending for a while
because of his work in the Marvel Universe’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier
(2021). For that reason, I was expecting to see other films starting to pop up
for him in the next few months. He’s a great actor, no one can deny that. I think it’s important
that he’s branching out into a variety of parts, so that he doesn’t get type-cast.
As such, I’m looking forward to seeing him as a romantic leading man. Romance films don’t always speak to me, but this one seems a
little more modern in its story telling. I feel like we’re going to see less in
the way of tropes, because it’s trying to weave the plot into our current
societal norms. Most flicks still try to stick to the past, and they utilize
all the problematic aspects that people have started rolling their eyes at. Monday seems like it’s going to be a unique take on
love. 12 – Four Good
Days (4/30) Production/Distribution:
Indigenous Media, Oakhurst Entertainment, Productivity Media, DeAPlaneta,
Vertical Entertainment Director: Rodrigo
Garcia Writer: Rodrigo
Garcia, Eli Saslow Actors: Mila
Kunis, Glenn Close, Stephen Root, Carla Gallo, Michael Hyatt, Chad Lindberg,
Violet Brinson, Joshua Leonard, Rebecca Field, Gloria Garayua Genre: Drama Rated: R Length: 100 minutes IMDb Blurb: A mother helps her daughter work through four
crucial days of recovery from substance abuse. Addiction is a very serious subject. One that Hollywood tends
to tackle in pretty much the same way all the time. It takes the obvious stance
of “drugs are bad,” and they teach us that lesson through showing people spiral
down until there’s nothing left of them. Granted, there are some extremely good films in the sub-genre.
Requiem for a Dream (2000) being the first one to come to mind. The problem is, we all know that. We know drugs are bad. Our
parents pushed it into our mind, the schools we went to, the after-school
specials of our favorite TV shows… etc. That makes it difficult to feel like there’s
anything new to say on the subject. What I like about Four Good Days is that it assumes
we know that drugs are bad, and it seeks to show us a different perspective. It
wants to show us what happens after someone has already decided to leave drugs
behind. I like that it’s going to go into what an addict goes through when they
want to quit, but they don’t feel capable of it. I’m also looking forward to seeing Mila Kunis (Family
Guy, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Bad Moms) step into a role that seems outside
her comfort zone. 11 – Thunder
Force (4/9) Production/Distribution:
Marc Platt Productions, Netflix Director: Ben
Falcone Writer: Ben
Falcone Actors: Jason
Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Pom Klementieff, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Cannavale,
Melissa Leo, Sarah Baker, Melissa Ponzio, Braxton Bjerken, Tyrel Jackson
Williams, Trevor Larcom, David Storrs Genre: Action,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: PG-13 Length: 105
minutes IMDb Blurb: In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two
estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that
gives them powers to protect their city. I wanted to put this movie higher on the list but, when I
think about it, I don’t believe I can. I said it while I was streaming the trailers – Melissa McCarthy
(Life of the Party, The Kitchen, The Boss) is like a female version of
Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems, The Week Of, Murder Mystery). She’s a good
actor – great even – but she’s known to make some rough project choices. Her
name feels like a draw, but her films often prove disappointing. For every Can
You Forgive Me? (2018), there are several The Happytime Murders
(2018). Now, I’m not saying this will definitely be a bad film. If I
thought that, it wouldn’t be on my list. In actuality, I believe Octavia
Spencer (The Witches, Onward, Ma) is a good choice to work with McCarthy.
I’m thinking she’ll be able to reign her in a little and offer a good sense of
balance. The trailer itself looks interesting. There are a bunch of
funny moments, but I don’t think they did that thing where they left nothing
for the movie. I look forward to seeing for myself.
Movie Name/Year: The Dig (2021) Genre: Biography, Drama, History Length: 112 minutes Rating: PG-13 Production/Distribution: Netflix, Magnolia Mae Films, Clerkenwell Films Director: Simon Stone Writers: Moira Buffini, John Preston Actors: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes,
Lily James, Ben Chaplin, Johnny Flynn, Archie Barnes, Monica Dolan, Danny Webb,
Robert Wilfort, James Dryden, Joe Hurst, Paul Ready, Peter McDonald,
Christopher Godwin, Ellie Piercy, Bronwyn James, John Macmillan, Ken Stott,
Arsher Ali, Eamon Farren, Amelia Stephenson Blurb from IMDb: An archaeologist embarks on the historically
important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.
Cat’s Point of View: I’ve been looking forward to setting some time aside to
watch The Dig since I listed it as my
#9 pick on the Top 20 Movies to Look Out For in January 2021 article. In my article, I geeked out a bit about Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Spectre, Holmes
and Watson) portraying the excavator of the Sutton Hoo site in the film
while actually being involved in real-life archaeology with his brother. Then
there was the famous Sutton Hoo sword’s appearance on a historical weapon
recreation bladesmith competition show. I had a little inner squee, let me tell
you when the familiar blade made an appearance in a scene of the movie. A lot
of my interest expressed in anticipation of the film’s release was very meta in
nature. It was a movie certainly worthy of anticipation on its own
merit, however.
The risk that historical and archaeological depictions run
up against is that the subject matter can become too dry and procedural if not
handled correctly. I was very relieved to find that I didn’t feel the passage
of the nearly 2 hours of this production. The story was woven in such a way
that it kept me engaged with the people and the stories that interwove with the
titular dig itself. Of course, as this was an adaptation of a book that wove a
bit of fictional creative license into the telling of the story, not everything
portrayed on the screen can be taken for gospel. There’s at least one fictional
character, some of the ages are different, and things of that nature. It’s been
said that the fictional aspects were left in this film to help solidify the
emotion of the time period. This excavation did take place on the literal cusp
of World War 2, after all. The author of the book The Dig was based on is the nephew of the real-life person the character Lily James (Baby Driver, Sorry
to Bother You, Yesterday) portrays in the movie. I’d say they had a unique
window into events as groundwork to fashion their re-imagining around.
There was a surprising bit of tension and thrill as the film
progressed. Historical radio broadcasts of the news at the time and the
fly-overs of warplanes as the RAF prepared for the inevitable gave the film
grounding and reminded you that war was a clear and present danger just over
the horizon. Weather and politics worked in counterpoint with the imminent
military actions to keep me firmly entrenched in the plight of this massively
important excavation. The human element of the story was poignant and relatable. I’d
have to say that Carey Mulligan (The
Great Gatsby, Mudbound, Promising Young Woman) was brilliant in the role of
the widow Mrs. Pretty. I wasn’t even aware of the age difference between the actress
and the age of the real Edith Pretty at the time of the Sutton Hoo find until I
went looking up more information on the story. If I had known, I don’t think I
would have cared.
I have a feeling that The
Dig will appeal to a wider range of audiences than you might think. I’m
glad that the book and movie were made to bring more attention of the
mainstream to this significant historical moment – and in doing so brought some
posthumous recognition to those involved with the dig that were not correctly
credited for their work at the time. The themes of family, friendship, loyalty,
and perseverance transcend the subject matter a bit and make it very easy for
me to recommend this film. It’s even one I wouldn’t mind watching again.
