jnmoviefan Reviews

The Menu (2022)

Far from perfect, but so much fun

[8/10 · 22 March 2023]

The Menu is far from a perfect movie and like most fictional tales, especially horror movies, there are plot holes large enough to challenge the Grand Canyon. Now, get over yourself and enjoy this movie for what it is - high budget, highly entertaining, commercialized horror.

Yes, it mixes genres a bit, but at its core, The Menu wants to be horror. It creates a fun premise bringing a group of characters together in what turns out to be a masterful plan with so much detail and so woefully contrived that it can challenge Glass Onion for its high level of nonsense.

But similar to Glass Onion, this movie accepts what it is, and has fun with it.

Sit back, take i for what it is, and enjoy the menu.

The Pale Blue Eye (2022)

A beautiful but mediocre crime thriller

[6/10 · 22 March 2023]

Yes, the idea that The Pale Blue Eye is a Poe origin story sounds appealing. And, yes, this movie is exceptionally well acted.

In concept, the movie has the makings of a masterpiece, but the execution is so self-aware of this fact that it unforgiving tells an interesting story in the most boring way possible.

The pacing of The Pale blue Eye is atrocious. It is slow, repetitive and predictable.

This is not a terrible movie, not by any means, but it definitely is not the masterpiece the filmmakers assumed they were making. In fact, I image an extreme disappointment in the hubris of the film making team probably feeling like they were overlooked in this year's Oscars.

It you can manage the long runtime and the predictably, it is an entertaining watch on an evening with nothing better to do.

Virus of the Undead: Pandemic Outbreak (2022)

Goofy Zombie Gorefest

[8/10 · 22 March 2023]

It's important to know what you're watching with a low-budget movie like this. It's clearly a b-movie made on a low budget but it is highly redeemable. Most of the acting is good and the action is surprisingly non-stop and there is a ton of gore.

This one just popped up as 'new" on Tubi for me and it says 2022 but I think this movie was probably made a few years ago. I have seen a lot of the same actors in other movies and they all seem much younger here than they actually are. The flip phone is kind of a dead giveaway, but hey, maybe it is meant to be a mid-2000s period piece.

There is a lot of comedy in this movie and most of it really works. You can also tell that the actors were fully committed to their roles.

Role with it and have some fun.

Craving (2023)

A fun low budget indie with lots of gore

[7/10 · 22 March 2023]

I thought this was going to be a werewolf movie, but it's a bit of something else. For low budget fans, the premise feels familiar but the execution is head and shoulders above most crowdfunded movies.

A group of people spend an evening in a local bar, which i soon invaded by another group of people who seem to have bad intentions. Yet there is another group of people on their trail, giving a dire warning that someone in the bar will turn into a monster and no one will be leaving unless that person is surrendered to them.

The premise makes for some fun tension as we move slowly toward the inevitable - a monster. Most of the gore in this movie really works and the cast is solid. Everyone puts forth a grand effort and makes for a very entertaining watch.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

Fun but not magical

[7/10 · 22 November 2022]

Every chance it gets, "A Christmas Story Christmas" wants to remind you how the characters or story tie back in to the original "A Christmas Story."

While all the main kid actors return as 50-something adults, the adult actors have all passed on or have been replaced.

The original movie was seen from the eyes of kids, with parents there to balance out expectations. The new movie is seen from the eyes of adults simply acting like children and making child-like decisions.

It's a movie that is a bit depressing and never really has any Christmas magic, but at times is heartwarming and tackles the nostalgia points for older viewers.

The Electric Man (2022)

Crazy, smart movie

[8/10 · 22 November 2022]

Seems to be a lot of hate for this movie and I'm not sure why.

I stumbled across it on Tubi looking for a horror movie. This movie is not horror and it's not sci-fi, not really. It has elements of both but mostly it's a weird dramatic dark comedy.

The movie is slow and you do have to watch it, which maybe people just don't want to do these days - pay attention.

There are a bunch of Tubi regulars like Eric Roberts and Tom Sizemore but they are at the top of their game in their short appearances.

Most the actors look familiar but I couldn't tell you what I've seen them in.

The story is about a guy who gets electrocuted then spends the rest of the movie jumping across the universe (not a spoiler) trying to figure out where he belongs.

I don't know, I really liked it. I'll probably watch it again.

Find Her (2022)

Solid movie, great acting

[8/10 · 22 November 2022]

I really had no expectations for this movie. I was literally just looking for something to watch and came across this. Sounded intriguing and my expectations were low!

It has some wonderful landscape shots that make this look like a lot of money and planning went into this very independent movie. While there are not any stars I recognized, there were faces that looked familiar and none of the acting seemed amateur.

This looks like it is probably a low budget movie but it looks great and the acting is incredible. The noir crime mystery plot isn't anything new, but the story is compelling. Really enjoyed this. A great surprise.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2017)

Follows the story and is a great education tool

[10/10 · 27 April 2017]

First, let me just say I love this novella. I am a huge fan of movies and literature. In fact, I am a teacher and I have always been disappointed that I didn't have a watchable version of this movie that followed the story. They always make it into a monster movie or horror story and it's not either of those.

Without giving anything away, the entire book is basically in this movie. There are some extras but they make sense. There is nothing gratuitous in this movie that doesn't fit in context with the story.

Guillermo Del Toro may get around to adapting the musical but that isn't the story Stevenson wrote at all - this is. I bought the teacher's edition of this on Blu-Ray which had a study guide and screenplay with it.

I have shown this to my middle school students and they really enjoyed it after reading the novella.

Sure the movie is a little low-budget but it's ten times better than any of the educational movies I watched as a kid.

Music and Lyrics (2007)

Guilty pleasure -- far from great.

[7/10 · 8 June 2008]

This is not a great movie ... but damn if I didn't like it.

I am not a huge fan of Hugh Grant or Drew Barrymore or anyone in this movie for that matter, but I did, for some reason, enjoy this movie.

I thought it was heartwarming when it needed to be and it gave a laugh when it needed to break the mood.

The grand finally, with Hugh singing, was especially touching, which was sort of the final decision in making me say, yes, I enjoyed this one.

The two leads, Grant and Barrymore, are adequate at their best, found their stride hear and very much hit the mark.

Reign Over Me (2007)

Did everyone miss the point?

[9/10 · 8 June 2008]

I don't make movies, but I like them, and, oh, I think this was a near great one.

Sandler gives his best performance, but had a better actor been there, this could have been one for the ages. Sandler shows that he can act, but he's just not a generation changer. Had a high caliber pro been here, this would have been a movie worthy of RAGING BULL discussions.

I do not know what writer/director Mike Binder's intentions were, but I am sure that he loves what he sees on these boards.

I look at it one of two ways. Split personality drama or friendship drama. Except, I think most people on the message boards are not seeing what was intended by the psychological drama. This movie is not Charlie's story.

This movie, no matter how you see it, is Alan's story.

THEORY 1: Alan is the one with the loss. He is the one with the insurance claim. That's how he paid for his practice. Everyone is aware of his split personality disorder, but they are growing impatient with it. He has invented (or revived Charlie) to help him cope.

The family that Alan imagines, does not exist, but that's how he sees them -- daily -- as they were- everywhere -- but this explains his distance, since they are dead. The others, the shrinks, the lawyers, the parent-in laws are all real, trying to help Alan cope.

Ultimately, Charlie begins to take over and that is why they must go to court. It is a last ditch effort to save Alan before becoming Charlie. That's why, at many times, we see Charlie rather than Alan (It's the FIGHT CLUB effect). However, in the end, it is Alan riding away on the scooter, not Alan as in the opening credits. He is far from healed, but headed in the right direction.

THEORY 2: This is a movie about two friends helping each other through difficult times.

I like Theory 1 better.

Bad Boy Bubby (1993)

Even better the second time around ...

[10/10 · 20 January 2007]

This is a movie that MUST be seen more than once. On a first viewing, I was appalled, nearly turning off the DVD player, but still, I kept watching. Eventually, I found myself totally engulfed with the story. It's not really a movie you can classify and the closest comparison I could make would be ... image A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, but even more twisted. It makes a social commentary similar to that of Kubrick's film, and at the same time it offends. However, BAD BOY BUBBY not only offends, it takes you to the brink, probably much like ORANGE did to original viewers. I came back and changed my vote for this movie after a second and third viewing. The first time around, I gave it a seven. I watched twice more and realized what a hidden gem this really is. By no means, is it for everybody, but if you are a film fan, a film watcher or a filmmaker, you have to see BAD BOY BUBBY. It's incredible.