Reviews

I've watched every single documentary and dramatic recreation of the Yorkshire ripper murders. Some of them are better than others, but this one stands tall among them all.

The perspective here is less on the police efforts and more on that of the victims, including the plight of some of the suspects who suffered at the hands of the police.

What also makes this version stand out are the details showing the extreme level of sexism and often outright misogyny that existed among the police force during that time period. And how the focus of the police was on the belief that the victims were all prostitutes, when in fact, only a small number of them actually were.

The acting here is excellent, as is the overall pace of the film, and the set dressing and costumes really reflect the time period that these awful murders occurred.

I highly recommend this.

I am a dues-paying advocate of the North American Bigfoot Center and believe that Sasquatch is a real, living creature. Groups like the NABC, BFRO, the Olympic Project, and various scientific researchers like Dr. John Bindernagel, Dr. Jeff Meldrum and the late Dr. Grover Krantz, have gathered enough evidence to convince me that very large apes are alive and well in the vast reaches of our forests. And the cultural histories of many Native American and First Nations peoples include stories and beliefs about non-human "people" of the wild. Many of these descriptions bear a striking resemblance to the hairy man-like creatures reported today. I have always found that to be most convincing.

But, as with many other subjects that are on the outlying borders of what is generally accepted by mainstream science and society in general, there will always be certain kinds of people who infuse such subjects with what is known as the "woo woo" factor. (Woo woo refers to paranormal, or fringe religious beliefs, and other forms of "New Age" philosophy. And the woo woo is definitely applied liberally to the subject of this film).

This is the second release of the "Flash of Beauty" film series. This edition, titled "Paranormal Bigfoot," includes many of the same witnesses as we saw in the first film, only now we are presented with tales of people who claim to have had psychic interactions with Sasquatch, that a Sasquatch can "cloak" in order to become invisible, can disappear by moving through portals or dimensional shifts, can "shapeshift" into other animals, and the suggestion that they ride around in glowing orbs of light or UFOs.

I'll go ahead and say that, while I will always respect the beliefs, practices and choices of others as to what they want to believe, I'm definitely one of those persons who prefers to stick with hard science and tangible evidence, so far as this subject is concerned. So yes, I was a bit put off with the heavy emphasis of the film along these kinds of woo woo lines.

I own a copy of the first "A Flash of Beauty" release, titled, "Bigfoot Revealed." That film was much more grounded in science and consisted mainly of interviews with witnesses who recounted their Bigfoot encounters, along with a few photos, videos, and physical evidence, such as hairs and track impressions. Pretty straightforward, well-grounded stuff, and typical of other good Sasquatch documentaries. (I gave "Bigfoot Revealed" a much higher rating on here).

I want to include here that I don't completely dismiss claims of the paranormal. And if real evidence comes forward that can definitively show that these creatures can do any of the things that the witnesses claim in this film, I'll be as excited as anyone else. But right now, I tend to prefer Sasquatch evidence that can be measured in a laboratory or examined scientifically.

If you enjoy Bigfoot documentaries, but are skeptical of extraordinary claims that are firmly rooted in the realm of the supernatural, then you may feel that you wasted your time watching this film. Be prepared for a whole lot of New Age Woo Woo throughout.

The case of serial killer Joel Rifkin is unique in multiple ways, not the least of which has been his willingness to openly discuss his crimes.

As a result of that candor on Rifkin's part, the documentary filmmaker behind this series was able to get new information from Rifkin in order to assist the police, who were still trying to identify two of the victims who remained as Jane Does (Victims 6 & 9)

I was impressed by the determination of the many police officers who have continued to work long hours on the case, all in order to find out who these girls were in the hope of giving some form of closure to the families. That is the kind of professionalism that one likes to see happen and I applaud them for it.

During the course of the many interviews conducted with Rifkin in prison, I was constantly amazed at how much detail Rifkin could still remember after more than 30 years, such as which piece of jewelry he kept as souvenirs belonged to which victim, how he had killed each one and, most importantly to the subject matter of the film, where he had left some of the victim's bodies.

This film may not be for everyone and it is hard to listen to a person such as Rifkin discuss his crimes with what appears to be severe emotional detachment. But then again, I suppose that is exactly why he kept going for as long as he did.

Definitely worth a watch if you enjoy true crime stories.

I was living in Naples, Florida when the news was first reported that a man had been found deceased inside a tent in the woods of the nearby Big Cypress reserve area. And I remember that the angle of the story was one of mystery as to just how the man had died and that his identity remained undetermined. The case was in the news for a few days, then it essentially vanished and we, the public, moved onto other things.

So I was genuinely a bit surprised to learn that the search to find out just who the person was and how he died had become such a massive undertaking by those people on the Internet who style themselves as amateur sleuths.

This documentary is an interesting look at how those Internet communities, along with law enforcement and the assistance of a sophisticated DNA lab, were finally able to determine who the deceased man, known by his trail hiking name as "Mostly Harmless," actually was, and just what his backstory consisted of.

And the final reveal definitely included some real surprises, once the actual truth is discovered.

Like all of these kind of modern documentaries that look at the world of amateur sleuths who immerse themselves in true crime and other similar unsolved mysteries, there is good and bad and even some extremely ugly aspects to what people will allow themselves to devolve into so far as their emotional investment in a case is concerned.

Worth a watch if you enjoy this particular genre.

Film based on the Sarah Waters novel of the same name (she of Tipping the Velvet, Affinity, The Night Watch, and Fingersmith).

This is a very moody story that has many of the most essential elements of a well-made Gothic tale: a deteriorating family estate, a dark and brooding atmosphere, a distinct sense of melancholy, hidden secrets, and a most unreliable narrator.

I can see where some critics might not be overly kind with reviews for this one, but I'm a lover of ghost stories and Gothic literature and really appreciate this type of movie.

It is indeed a very slow burn. And there is a very distinct feeling of claustrophobia that prevails through the film.

I was kept guessing right up to the end.

Like many others who have reviewed this movie on here, I consider The Abyss to be James Cameron's "forgotten great." Exceptional performances are turned in by such notable actors as. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Ed Harris, and Michael. Biehn, whose talents are on full display in this film. And even though the movie has a slightly dated look as an "80s action movie," this was actually very well done for the time period. The action is fairly constant and the amount of tension one feels from the natural claustrophobia invoked by the underwater setting is palpable. Throw in some madness effecting certain characters, add a bit of Cold War paranoia, and stir in a few aliens and we have an exciting mix for a great action film.

Normally, I don't care for this kind of romantic comedy, but, being a bit bored one evening, I gave this a watch, and wow, did I ever enjoy this film!

Anne Heche and Harrison Ford are excellent together and to my eye, had some real chemistry going on.

Part comedy/romance and part action film, this one satisfies on many levels: an exotic location (the South Pacific), a dangerous flight through a violent storm, being stranded on a remote, deserted island, the threat of pirates, and two seemingly opposites whose attraction for each other blossoms into romance under the tropical sun and stars.

Not going to give away any more here and spoil this for anyone, but even though you can see the outcome coming from miles away, you are happy when it happens and I ended up cheering everyone involved on.

Give this one a watch, you will not regret it.

I have been interested in the Sasquatch nest discoveries made by the Olympic Project bigfoot research group since I first heard about it on a podcast several years ago.

I'm happy to report that this film is primarily about the nest finds, which I personally was most happy about, as too many programs about bigfoot are nothing more than a few witness interviews and then some footage of people whacking on trees while filming with night vision cameras.

This film is an important historical document about what has to be one of the most significant discoveries of evidence of the actual existence of these creatures.

If you are already convinced that there is a strong possibility that an unknown primate may be living in the vast forests of the Pacific Northwest (and elsewhere), then I think you will be most pleased with the way that the evidence is presented in this film.

Film is shot at the actual nest sites in the forests of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, an absolutely beautiful and amazing area.

The director of this video, Todd Standing, has a poor reputation among the community of serious Sasquatch researchers, in part due to allegations that he has faked video footage. That alone is enough for me to have a biased attitude while watching this film. And really the only reason why I even gave this a look was due to the presence of both Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum and Dr. John Bindernagel, two highly respected professionals who have contributed quite a lot to the field of Sasquatch research. And while both Meldrum and Bindernagel manage to exhibit skepticism to much of the alleged evidence that Todd Standing supposedly has uncovered in this film, I still have to wonder just why both of those doctorates chose to appear in this film at all. And yes, I am one of those people who is convinced by the currently available evidence that Sasquatch/Bigfoot is a real, flesh and blood creature. But, in my opinion, documentaries such as this one do more harm to the subject than they do good. I cannot help but feel that Todd Standing is primarily an opportunist who is seeking fame and nothing more.

OK, I really enjoyed this film. It was definitely different than what I had expected it to be; rather than just being a straightforward, linear biography, the format here has David Johansen performing on his birthday before a crowd of friends in a small, swanky New York lounge with a great backup band, all while recounting stories from his varied musical career in between numbers.

I've been a fan of The New York Dolls since the 70s. I admit that I did not follow David Johansen's solo career, as I was way too deeply immersed in punk rock at the time to appreciate him as Buster Poindexter and his hit song, "Hot, Hot, Hot." But one thing for sure, David has always been the epitome of New York cool.

This movie may not be for everyone, but then again, the New York Dolls were never for the general public, either.

I have enjoyed all of the UFO documentaries from James Fox.

His style is to let the story unfold from the voices of the witnesses. That same approach is taken here with the case of the Varginha, Brazil UFO crash and subsequent recovery of the craft's occupants.

Fox is able to locate many of the primary witnesses to the event and interview them.

While watching the film I felt a sense of deja vu as the story unfolds, as there are many aspects of the case that will remind you of the Roswell incident.

Having had a UFO sighting myself, I have always been fascinated by stories that involve more than just lights in the sky. Very nicely done.

Take one mediocre script, a generous portion of cliched, stilted dialog, mix it in with a whole slew of substandard CGI, add a Predator, and viola, you have Prey, easily the worst addition to the Predator series (and that's saying something).

I seriously tried to like this film and to give a chance. But 45 minutes in and it was pure tedium just to maintain watching.

I do give some points for the original idea of placing the action in the 1700s, which is an interesting perspective. Beyond that, for me, this movie failed on multiple levels. As others have pointed out, the use of multiple languages does nothing but add more confusion.

Cannot recommend it.

This movie isn't as bad as some of the reviews will lead you to believe, but it's certainly not a really good one. Like many other people have noted, the music overlay is just awful. I kept wishing there was an option to "mute all music" while I was watching it. Many of the actors are familiar faces that any war movie fan will recognize as being very competent at their craft. But for some reason, they come off very badly in some scenes where the dialogue seems stilted and unnatural. I saw this on Netflix, which seems to be right on target with the general quality of the movies offered on that platform: mildly interested but nothing to really get too excited about. I'm going to blame a lot of the bad things in this film on the director.

I watch a lot of true crime films and television shows, so I have a definite opinion about what I feel works for me personally.

Manhunt is absolutely perfect and I wish that every true crime drama created in the future would follow this same script and production.

Martin Clunes is absolutely wonderful in this role, as both a professional investigator and a family man who is trying hard in both areas. I typically don't like it when the script mixes in the personal dramas of the police involved, preferring "just the facts" of the investigation. But, in this case, the added tension from his home life made this work even better.

I really hope that Manhunt goes on to produce many more seasons and episodes. Well done.

The story of the murder of Rachel Nickell and the police honeypot that setup an innocent man is a compelling tale, and hopefully one day, a good true crime drama about the case will be made. But, this certainly isn't it, though it tries very, very hard to be. The scenes are often overly-dramatic, full of cliched, unnecessary scenes and dialogue, and shot using some sort of camera filter that just looks bad to me. The actors are all competent, but I'm thinking that the direction and final editing was the problem here. You'll find a much better telling of this story by just watching any of the true crime programs that have already covered the case.

A movie about hardcore fans of The Smiths aimed directly at hardcore fans of The Smiths.

People are either going to love or hate this film, I'm sure. I fall somewhere on the "loved it" side, but only just barely.

The first thing that you will notice is that there is an overuse of Smiths lyrics in almost every scene. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't. Where it did work is when you don't sense it coming, and then it will make you smile. But where it did not work, I found myself cringing slightly, as the use of a lyric at that moment felt a bit too forced, even campy, and I got the feeling that maybe the actors themselves were cringing, too.

But lovers of The Smiths will appreciate all of the inside jokes and will probably enjoy this film much more than they will be willing to admit.

Try not to take this one too seriously, say, along the lines of a John Hughes film, which this movie seemingly aspires to be the antithesis of (you'll see what I mean during one particular scene).

I also really enjoyed all of the scenes between the heavy metal radio DJ and the obsessed Smiths fan hijacker and the eventual bonding that occurs

I'm giving this a much higher rating than it probably deserves, mainly because I'm a true Smiths fan and because we need more movies that explore the 80s and the music scenes of that era.

I am a fan of made-for-television movies that feature true crime cases. This movie is about the true case of the Hillside Strangles, two psychopathic cousins who terrorized Los Angeles back in the 70s.

Richard Crenna plays the part of LA detective Sgt. Bob Grogan, a role that he was perfectly suited for, as Crenna has starred in several true crime films and he totally nails it. I've always admired his low key style and he seems to be completely at ease in this role.

Billy Zane and Richard Farina play the roles of Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono and both are great in their parts, as they come off as very creepy characters who abduct and murder multiple women.

The film stays pretty much focused on the crimes and does not meander too far with side plots, something that can really put me off on these kinds of movies. There are indeed a few side stories within, where the focus is on the fact that the lead detective is overworked and neglecting his children, and scenes where he romances a local woman. But even those distractions are mixed in quite well with the central plot and add to the overall story quite well.

All in all, I really enjoyed this movie and it brought back all of the horror and terror of those times when two vicious killers were at large.

There is just something about the pace of this film that immediately grabbed me in a very positive way.

The two main characters, Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen, engage in a lot of low key banter and casualness that is completely out of keeping with the sudden violence that sometimes erupts as these two go about the business of restoring the peace as town marshal and deputy.

Later, we meet Harris' love interest, in the character played by Renee Zellweger, a most excellent choice for this role, as her own coy charm and genteel sweetness are a cover for a rather insidious and scheming mind working underneath.

Finally, we add in Jeremy Irons as the ruthless leader of a local group of ne'er do well cowboys. Mr. Irons also engages in the same sort of low key intellectual wordplay that is the central flavor and ambiance of the film.

This is the story of friendship, its meanings and requirements, something that was central to the honor code that once prevailed in the wild west.

This is the kind of movie that you will want to watch multiple times as there are so many small details and nuance.

More like this, please!

I have watched many of the available documentaries about the Yorkshire Ripper case and have read two books on the subject. So I feel that I know quite a bit about the factual details. This film, though a dramatization of the events, is highly accurate and does not drift far from the known facts, something that I really appreciated, as sometimes film producers and script writers like to interject bits of their own in order to give a film a more artistic touch. You'll find precious little of that here and I was grateful for that.

This film focuses heavily on the role that Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield of the West Yorkshire Police played in finding and arresting Peter Sutcliffe, a serial killer responsible for 13 murders that spanned over a five year period. It portrays Oldfield as a man so deeply immersed in the case that his health was affected, likely leading to his death at age 61.

If you like to be submerged deep in the details of a massive police investigation, then there is much to please you in this film. I really appreciated how the film showed the multitude of methods that were used in order to try to identify and ultimately catch the killer. (At times, the massive volume of data accumulated threatened to derail the case, which demonstrated just how complex and difficult this crime was to solve).

There is a lot of gritty realism in this film, as we watch the inner workings of the police and that of the ordinary people who were victims of the killer.

The acting is top-notch and the settings are very realistic.

At three hours long, the film is definitely a long watch, but I actually found myself not wanting the movie to end.

Almost any film with Tom Hanks in the leading role will draw my interest. I mean, who else do you want in control of a desperate situation other than Hanks? (Saving Private Ryan, Sully, Captain Philips, Apollo 13). In this role, as the captain of an American war ship during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic during World War Two, Hanks slips easily back into his role of the steady hand at the wheel while catastrophe looms and unfolds.

If you like war films, then this one is right up your alley. The filming looks and feels very authentic, as mighty battleships cut through the gray seas of the North Atlantic, while deadly U-Boats prowl, looking for the kill. People who appreciate authenticity will be pleased with the dialog in the film, as they strictly adhere to the use of military/naval jargon while combat situations are unfolding.

The film is rather short, so character build up is almost non-existent. But it doesn't feel as if things aren't working in that department, as the action largely just deals with the kind of human emotions that are present in battle scenes.

This film is a good addition to your war movie and Tom Hanks collection. Nicely done, Tom and thanks for allowing this one to be streamed online while we are all stuck inside during the pandemic.

OK, I'll start by saying that I normally DO NOT like movies of this genre and as a rule, will never bother watching anything like this.

However, on a Sunday afternoon, bored out of my mind, I decided to give this movie a look. I'm actually glad that I did, as I found it pretty entertaining, well-produced, well-acted and well-directed (the only other film that I have seen that matches this one was The Shallows, which I also actually enjoyed, so there may be a trend for me in the works here).

Appreciate this one for what it is (one of those classic monster movies ala Jaws) and avoid overthinking while watching.

As a lifelong fan of Poe, I have always been rather disappointed in the many film adaptations of various Poe stories. And I was also unsure of how I'd feel about John Cusack in the starring role as the Master of the Macabre himself. Very happy to say that I was most pleasantly surprised with how nicely made this film was; it was very atmospheric via the combination of great sets, costumes, and excellent camera work. The acting is also top notch. Add in a pretty good script and some good direction and all comes together for one heck of an enjoyable tale. Poe fans may be a bit put off at some of the twists involved, but I thought that they worked quite well and would daresay that Poe himself would likely not be offended one little bit. Definitely recommended.

When you watch this film, you will begin to ask yourself, wait, is this a supernatural story? Or a murder mystery? Or a romantic thriller? Something else entirely?

The River King certainly has elements of all of those things, some of which are red herrings, while others, well, you'll have to figure things out for yourself.

What I like best about this film is that you are not being spoon-fed anything here and you are required to do a bit of thinking, sleuthing, soul-searching and gut checking yourself.

Edward Burns is perfect for this part. I've enjoyed his subtle style of delivery ever since I first saw him act in Saving Private Ryan.

Definitely worth watching more than once.

Like many other film fans, I have become jaded with all of the "found footage" movies out there. So I began watching this film under the presumption that I would find it to be just another rehash of similar films. I'm happy to say that my assumption was wrong and that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. First of all, the film is not 100% "found footage," as it relies more heavily on screenshots of running computers, cell phones, CCTV, and various web browser/phone applications for text, email and chat. Those "new" elements alone added a very interesting and novel approach to the included "found footage." The plot and pace of the film really pulled me along and there were some genuinely tense moments. About the only downer for me was the ending, as I found it to be a bit of a let down. But you may have a different experience. Definitely worth a look and as an addition to anyone's collection of thriller films.

Yes, I am a fan of the original 1985 version of Fright Night, so much so that I consider it as one of the best in the genre of vampire movies.

I am not a fan of the majority of reboots/remakes of films, particularly when I feel that the original was great. So I had little hope that this version would be any good.

I'm happy to report that I was mistaken. This new version of the story is done quite well, and adds in some new elements to the plot that I found refreshing. Actor Colin Farrell is sufficiently creepy in the role of Jerry, the vampire. And I liked the fact that the Peter Vincent character was morphed into a cheesy Las Vegas act and that he gets forced into becoming an actual - though largely reluctant - vampire hunter. Nice work, Nine stars!