Author: Darren Lucas

Big Film fan and general entertainment fan

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Movie Review

The Portable Door (2023) Movie Review

The Portable Door – Movie Review

Portable Door

Director: Jeffrey Walker

Writer: Tom Holt, Leon Ford (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Paul Carpenter is an intern at a mysterious London firm with unconventional employers, including a CEO who wants to disrupt the ancient magical world with modern corporate practices.

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Portable Door starts when young man Paul Carpenter (Gibson) stumbles into a strange job interview. He gets to meet the owner Mr Wells (Waltz) along with Mr Tanner (Neill), Professor Van Spee (House), Countess Judy (Otto) and Casimir Suslowicz (Pang).

After Paul ends up getting the role, he meets fellow recruit Sophie (Wilde) who understands more about the company. However, Paul learns there is a much darker side to the company as he looks to understand why he was selected.

Verdict on The Portable Door

The Portable Door is a fantasy adventure movie following an unlikely young man entering a secret society. He must team up with a fellow intern as they look to uncover a secret they are playing to release on the human race.

This is a new attempted young adult-style movie that takes us to a magical world. It creatures the different characters well and the unlikely two need to fight back to learn their place in it. while this offers very little new to the already over-popularity sub-genre. It does everything to make it entertaining throughout. However, it does feel like it could be better off being a television series, over a potential film series. The performances are strong enough, with the big names stealing the spotlight too often from the younger cast.

Final Thoughts – The Portable Door is a simple entertaining fantasy movie.

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Movie Review

Miss Congeniality (2000) Movie Review

Miss Congeniality – ABC Film Challenge – Action – M – Miss Congeniality – Movie Review

Miss Congeniality

Director: Donald Petrie

Writer: Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford, Caryn Lucas (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An F.B.I. Agent must go undercover in the Miss United States beauty pageant to prevent a group from bombing the event.

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Miss Congeniality starts as we meet nonsense FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock). She along with her team including Eric Matthews (Bratt) have a failed mission. Eric is assigned the latest investigation believing the Miss United States Beauty pageant I s targeted by a serial bomber.

Gracie is assigned to go undercover in the competition, turning to Victor Melling (Caine) to prepare her. As Gracie is undercover, she must get close to her fellow contestants in hopes of getting inside information, as Eric leads the investigation from the outside.

Verdict on Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality is an action comedy following a fiery FBI agent that must go undercover in the Miss America beauty pageant. She is assigned to try and figure out who is behind a series of threats made being made toward the contest.

The movie puts the spotlight on the Miss United States pageant. Seeing an outsider enter the competition undercover to stop a crime. It is a nice spin on the undercover criminal movies out there. Using the fish out of water style to bring plenty of laughs along the way. It has a built-in acceptance to meeting and getting on with more people in life. Sandra Bullock is brilliant in the leading role, showing her tough side, despite being thrown into a feminine environment.

Final Thoughts – Miss Congeniality is a fun comedy which lets Sandra Bullock shine.

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Movie Review

Qorin (2022) Movie Review

Qorin – Movie Review

Qorin

Director: Ginanti Rona

Writer: Lele Laila, Ginanti Rona (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Zahra, a third-year student at Rodiatul Jannah boarding school, has always been a model student who has many achievements in school.

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Qorin starts as we head to the Rodiatual Jannah boarding school. Model student Zahra (Maharani) has started having nightmares, of a Jinn (An Islamic Demon) coming for her. Zahra must also show a rebellious new student Yolanda (Haque) around the school to help her settle in.

As Zahra’s nightmares start getting worse, she leads the other students in discovering a secret of the school. They have been helping perform rituals to save possessed people. However, they now believe they are now the targets and must put an end to the haunting nightmares that make them all change.

Verdict on Qorin

Qorin is an Indonesian horror movie following students at a remote boarding school. They are strictly religious until a new student comes along to change the atmosphere at the school. A model student must work to help defeat a demon that has come to the school searching for victims.

The movie gets to dive into the beliefs in the country and takes us down the road of possession being a deadly battle. This is something we have seen in many religions over the years. When it comes to the battle, it shows how the possession can consume the victims, believing they have done something wrong to be put in this position. The scares are good, creating demonic figures you would never want to meet. This movie grabs the religious beliefs for added fear and shows us once again Indonesia is making some effective horror movies.

Where to Watch: Qorin is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – Qorin is a great demonic horror movie.

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Movie Review

Above Suspicion (2019) Movie Review

Above Suspicion – Movie Review

Above Suspicion

Director: Phillip Noyce

Writer: Chris Gerolmo (Screenplay)

Writer: Joe Sharkey (Book)

Cast

Plot: The true-crime story leading to the first-ever conviction of an F.B.I. Agent for murder.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Above Suspicion starts as drug addict Susan Smith (Clarke) finds herself needing to cover up an incident involving her family. She turns to FBI agent Mark Putnam (Huston) who makes her an informant. Susan risks her reputation with the promise of escaping her small town to start a new life.

As the whirlwind affairs start to take over, Susan starts to wonder if Mark is as honest as he seems. This leads to her questioning what she is doing and whether it is right. Leading to one of the first cases against an FBI Agent for murder.

Verdict on Above Suspicion

Above Suspicion is an action biographical thriller about the first FBI Agent to be charged with murder. It shows how an addict gets caught up helping an agent and things start to spiral out of control. This leads to one of the first cases of an FBI agent being charged with murder.

The story is told through the eyes of the victim, telling us how she ended up in the situation she found herself in. This is a strange way to tell the story because it being a true story. It leads to the idea that this is her mindset after everything had gone wrong in her life. Rather than how it unfolded in a realistic manner, showing how things can be put together with any story. This isn’t told in the most engaging manner either, not painting any of the characters in a positive light.

Final Thoughts – Above Suspicion is a strange spin on a real life murder.

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Movie Review

The Last Job (2021) Movie Review

The Last Job – ABC Film Challenge – Action – L – The Last Job – Movie Review

Last Job

Director: Adam Lipsius

Writer: Adam Lipsius (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An old man suffering from cancer seeks revenge on the thieves who have destroyed his life.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Last Job starts when a former criminal Ben (Dreyfuss) learns he is suffering from cancer. He wants to make sure his wife Nan (McFarland) has everything for when he pass. Ben tries to reconnect with his law enforcement daughter Nick (Sorvino) and keep his bar afloat.

However, his illness makes him a target and he gets robbed. In the aftermath of this, Ben sets out on his plan to get revenge on the people that stole from him. This sends him down a dangerous path to the truth to clean up his past mistakes.

Verdict on The Last Job

The Last Job is a crime thriller following a former criminal trying to leave on good terms. It follows the criminal trying to solve his problems and get revenge on his enemies. This leads him down a dangerous path of the unexpected.

The movie looks to give us an interesting idea, only it ends up trying so hard to try and give us big twists, it loses the biggest moments. This movie does have strong performances even if the story can get overly dependent on twists. By the end of the movie, you will feel like this has become flat and we could have had so much more from the story.

Final Thoughts – The Last Job is a movie that wants too much from the twists, instead of the simple story.

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Movie Review

Strain 100 (2020) Movie Review

Strain 100 – Movie Review

Strain 100

Director: Hassan Hussein

Writer: Hassan Hussein, Todd Klick (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Jemma Dallender (I Spit on Your Grave 2)
  • Matt Carriker
  • Alex Rogers
  • Greg Kinman
  • Tori Nonaka

Plot: After surviving a terrifying car crash, a young woman discovers that aggressive, flesh-eating zombies have overtaken the entire area.

Runtime: 1 Hour 24 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Strain 100 starts when Jesse (Dallender) and her friends find their camping trip interrupted. They get attacked by a zombie as Jesse looks for help. While they were away, a virus outbreak caused mass destruction as the infection spread rapidly.

Jesse meets fellow survivors on her journey, as they share their stories of getting out of the situation. This sees them clashing with other zombies and survivors have seen it as their chance to get what they want.

Verdict on Strain 100

Strain 100 is a zombie survival movie following a woman that looks to find safety during an outbreak. This sees Jesse escape the danger and meet other survivors along the way, each one offering up a different story.

When it comes to the zombie survival movie, we have seen it all before. It is hard to escape what we have seen and find something new to bring to the table. This movie is no different, it is going from location to location to deal with a new threat. Even the low budget side of the movie holds it back, which has been a trick other movies have used to their advantage. Sadly, this ends up being a weak addition to the zombie outbreak sub-genre.

Final Thoughts – Strain 100 is a by-the-book zombie survival movie.

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Movie Review

The Bridge at Remagen (1969) Movie Review

The Bridge at Remagen – ABC Film Challenge – Action – K (Krueger Character) – The Bridge at Remagen – Movie Review

Bridge at Remagen

Director: John Guillermin

Writer: Richard Yates, William Roberts (Screenplay)

Writer: Roger O Hirson (Story)

Cast

Plot: As the Allied armies close in, the Germans decide to blow up the last Rhine bridge, trapping their own men on the wrong side. But will it happen?

Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Bridge to Remagen starts in the last few days of World War II. German soldiers are trying to retreat across the Rhine but are being tracked by Allied armies. Major Paul Krueger (Vaughn) is left with a difficult decision to stop the Allied armies. Meanwhile, LT Phil Hartman (Segal) is preparing his men to take on the final attack on the Germans.

As the two sides start getting closer the battle between them intensifies. This leads to the civilians being caught in the middle of the battle, not sure where to turn for safety.

Verdict on The Bridge to Remagen

The Bridge to Remagen is an action war movie following the Allied armies chasing down the German army. This follows both sides as they start getting closer to each other and how they look to get the upper hand. It leads to them wanting to destroy a bridge to stop the pursuit and the battle to maintain it.

This is a good tactical battle between the two sides putting a lot of focus on how the two sides are looking to stay on top of the situation. While history will remember who the villains of the war were. This shows a more neutral approach, showing how they were just trying to stay ahead.

The cast is strong in the movie and the action completes everything you would expect to see in a war movie. Unlike, other war movies of the same time, the big wait for the destruction doesn’t happen, but we still get an engaging war movie.

Final Thoughts – The Bridge to Remagen is the typical war movie.

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Movie Review

Living with Chucky (2022) Movie Review

Living with Chucky – Movie Review

Living with Chucky

Director: Kyra Elisa Gardner

Plot: A filmmaker who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll seeks out the other families surrounding the Child’s Play films as they recount their experiences working on the ongoing franchise and what it means to be a part of the, “Chucky” family.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on Living with Chucky

Living with Chucky is a documentary exploring the Child’s Play/Chucky franchise. The movie is split into each movie, seeing and hearing the different stories. We get to hear from the cast, crew, producer and creator Don Mancini.

This is a documentary that the fans of the franchise will truly enjoy. By taking us behind the scenes we get to learn about different themes the movies we bringing to the table. It shows how the franchise tried to make a slasher figure different. The franchise looked to bring an LGBTQ community to the table in a world where nobody would touch the subject.

Living with Chucky gets to explore the different changes the franchise went through during the releases. Where it went from pure horror with one-liners to a full horror-comedy before returning to its roots in the full horror era. There is a unique way to shoot the changing in the movie being discussed. We have old VHS and modern DVDs being put in a player giving us the experience that we could watch the movie before hearing the different stories behind it.

Where to Watch:  Living With Chucky will be available to own or rent in the UK & Ireland from April 24 via Amazon, AppleTV, Sky Store, Virgin Media and Google Play. Also available on Blu-ray.

Final Thoughts – Living with Chucky is an essential movie for any Chucky fan.

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Movie Review

The Integrity of Joseph Chambers (2022) Movie Review

The Integrity of Joseph Chambers – Movie Review

The Integrity of Joseph Chambers

Director: Robert Machoian

Writer: Robert Machoian (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A family man, hoping to prove his survivalist capabilities and manliness to his family, decides to irresponsibly head off into the woods and go deer hunting by himself.

Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Integrity of Joseph Chambers starts when Joe (Crawford) decides he wants to go hunting. His wife Tess (Brewster) wants him to wait for his good friend Doug (Kennedy), but Joe isn’t prepared to wait. He packs his bags and heads out into the woods to prove he is capable of providing for his family.

However, his trip goes wrong, and Joe is left in an impossible position. He knows the consequences of what he has done and must decide what to do before getting caught.

Verdict on The Integrity of Joseph Chambers

The Integrity of Joseph Chambers is a drama following a man trying to prove himself to his family, despite not needing to. He believes if he can hunt, he will be seen in a more manly light. However, he isn’t prepared for what could happen in the woods and gets torn on what to do.

This is a movie that looks to explore more causes and effects of one’s actions. As it follows the lone man trying to figure out what to do after the incident. It takes us through a weird journey of self-discovery, as well as pointing out the dangers of getting involved with hunting. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t seem to reach the intensity level it desires and leaves us waiting for more to happen. Clayne Crawford does do most of the work in the movie alone, but he doesn’t seem to have much to work with as the movie unfolds.

Where to Watch: The Integrity of Joseph Chambers will be Available on Digital Download and Blu-ray in the UK & Ireland from 17th April.

Final Thoughts – The Integrity of Joseph Chambers lacks the intensity of everything in play.