Category Archives: Frenetic

2010, Acceptable Trash, Amazon Prime, B-movie, Car Chase, Chase film, Comedy, Contract Killing, Everybody lies, Exaggeration Comedy, Extreme Violence as Comedy, Father-daughter relations, Frenetic, Government-hired assassin, Happy ending, Martial Arts, Mayhem, Mother-daughter relations, Physical fighting, Ridiculous plot, Romantic comedy, Ruthless Killer, Surprise Ending, Violent

Killers (2010)

From Amazon Prime:

Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) is just your average, undercover, government-hired super-assassin. When he meets Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl), he finds true love… Enjoying a picture-perfect marriage, Spencer becomes the target of a multi-million dollar hit. Now Spencer and Jen are on the run for their lives.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 40 minute complete film.

Why brood over Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine when you could waste some quality time watching this B+ rom-com violent piece of cinematic fluff?

Did I mention that this film is violent from start to finish?  However, as bizarre as it sounds, the constant shooting, car chases, and martial arts fighting are not to be taken seriously and are really part of the fun.

Tom Selleck plays Tom Selleck, which actually works well in this plot.

Moreover, everyone except the scores of dead people live happily ever after.

2018, Acceptable Trash, Action Film, Action Hero, Action sequences, Amusing banter, Car Chase, Chase film, Coarse manners, Comedy, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crude Talk, Exaggeration Comedy, Explicit sexual discussion, Fist Fight, Frenetic, IMDB streaming, Improbable details, International thriler, Invincible Hero, Mayhem, Mercenaries, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Nudity, Physical fighting, Plot twists, Psychopath, Romance, Ruthless Killer, Satirical ultra-violence, Spy Versu Spy, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar, Vulgar Action Comedy, Witty dialog

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)

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From IMDB:

Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.

From IMDB you can stream this 2 hour thriller comedy.

If you register with IMDB, then for FREE you can stream using IMDB some of the films you find on that site.  Locate a film and then on that page you will see a list of just which sites stream that film.  Now and then one of those streaming sites will be IMDB.

One of my guilty pleasures is watching acceptable trash films for which I need a new category.   As time goes by such films are in competition to provide the most vulgar conversations, the most explicit nudity,  the most explicit sexual activity, and the most violent scenes possible. Often such films are touted as “comedies”.  So from now on, if I call a film a “vulgar action comedy,” then you know what I mean.

This film under review fits all those criteria except that there is just kissing instead of sexual activity.

Until the end of the film you really do not know who the good guys are.  But as is so often the case,  each of the candidates can shoot guns so well that they never miss a shot.  In addition these candidates are superb athletes that have mastered gymnastics and martial arts and can leap over tall buildings.  Here the two leading competitors are Justin Theroux (from American Psycho) as Drew and Sam Heughan (from Outlander) as Sebastian.

Another requirement for such films are the wild, out-of-control car chases. Usually the car must travel the wrong way on a one-way street or highway.  There must be several collisions in which some cars are turned upside down.

Why do I love this type of film?

2017, Abduction, Action Film, Action Hero, Black Ops, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Chase film, CIA, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Corruption, Ends in Cliff Hanger, FBI, Frenetic, Gangs, Invincible Hero, Israeli Spies, Kidnapping, Large-scale gang activity, Mayhem, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder by poison, Netflix Streaming, Police Corruption, Revenge, Spy Theme, Suspense, Terminal Disease, Torture, Violent, Weapons Dealer

Taken (2017)

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From IMDB:

As former CIA agent Bryan Mills deals with a personal tragedy that shakes his world, he fights to overcome the incident and exact revenge.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of season 1 only. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Whereas the continuing story line is Bryan’s continuing battle against Carlos Mejia, the Mexican criminal that killed Bryan’s sister, each episode also tells an episode-contained story with a satisfying ending. WARNING: Unfortunately the tenth episode is a cliff hanger that urgently wants to lead into the next, so far unavailable, season.

Bryan Mills, whose character overpowers the entire set of episodes, is played by Clive Standen. If you watched the amazing series Vikings (2013-2018), you will recognize Bryan as the character Rollo who was the brother of Ragnar. Recall that Rollo marries into French nobility.

You have seen these plots and action sequences before.  So why watch another version?  For me the attractions were: the intensity of each episode, the well-done action sequences, the fairly good acting, and seeing the good guys vanquish the bad guys.

Once again, our hero Bryan is a superman who never misses a shot, leaps over lots of tall things, never loses in hand-to-hand combat, has (to quote a woman Israeli spy) “a kind face”, is a bit of a ham,  and is a hit with the ladies.

Despite hints of mediocrity, I had lots of fun watching the violence. Maybe I should join the NRA!

2014, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action Hero, Airline pilot, Alcoholism, Clever Plot, Computer geeks, Drugs, Frenetic, Mayhem, Murder, Netflix DVD, Political statement, Suspense, Thriller, Trouble on an Airplane, Violent

Non-Stop (2014)

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From IMDB:

An air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages demanding $150 million into an off-shore account, or someone will die every 20 minutes.

At the conclusion of this film I had no fingernails remaining. Talk about suspense! Clever and inventive plot, a team of well-known actors, and some human interest make this particular airplane film worth watching. Moreover, the post-ending was not too maudlin.

  • Liam Neeson plays Bill Marks the federal air marshal on board.
  • Julianne Moore is Jen Summers who supports Bill despite the plot to make him look guilty.
  • Corey Stoll (Rep. Peter Russo in “House of Cards”) was the cop Austin Reilly.
  • Linus Roache (King Ecbert in “Vikings”) was head pilot David McMillan.
  • Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley in “Downton Abbey”) was the stewardess Nancy.

Certainly this thriller is better than my all time favorite “Snakes on a Plane”.

2016, Action Film, Action Hero, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Brother-Brother relations, Bullying, Computer geeks, Contract Killing, Father-son relations, FBI, Finance, Financial malfeasance, Frenetic, Invincible Hero, Netflix DVD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Suspense, Torture

The Accountant (2016)

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From IMDB:

As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.

From NetFlix

Offering two very different skills to his clients, a financial forensics expert and trained assassin goes to work for a tech mogul who’s determined to eliminate those responsible for secretly manipulating the company’s financial records.

Netflix sent me this DVDS which lasts 2 hours 8 minutes.

Of all the many Ben Affleck films I have seen, in some respect this is one of his best Instead of a romantic hero, he is an autistic,  number savant, assassin. Naturally you can expect a lot of violence. Moreover the action and shooting sequences are over the top if not just plain impossible. Still isn’t it fun to see that our anti-hero never misses a punch or a shot? And such advanced weaponry!

But there is more to the story than just the noise, because in some way the major theme is autism. We get to see Christian Wolff’s childhood traumas, his siblings, and  the extremes to which his father goes so that Christian can protect himself during his lifetime. In that regard expect a great plot twist.

Ben Affleck was 44 during the filming.  Older actors include J.K. Simmons (Will Pope in “The Closer”),  Jeffrey Tambor (the transsexual dad in “Transparent”),  and John Lithgow (who has a huge resumé).  One of the younger stars is Anna Kendrick who plays Dana Cummings, whom Christian is determined to protect.

Such violent action films are my guilty pleasure. Loved it!

2016, Clever Plot, Cult Brainwashing, Drama, Frenetic, Made For TV, Netflix Streaming, Suspense, Thought provoking, Unusual, Violent

Rebirth (2016)

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From Netflix:

Long-lost buddy Zack gets suburban dad Kyle on a bus to a Rebirth seminar, sending him down a rabbit hole of psychodrama, seduction and violence.

Again a Netflix Original film, this time one full-length feature lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes.  Several languages available both in subtitles and audio tracks.

What seems to start as some almost boring story picks up when Kyle reaches the Rebirth seminar, From then on the story crescendos into a horror story of violence, brain washing, and the frightening power of a fanatical cult. Recall how the novel “1984” ends? This is no different and the ending is chilling indeed. Could that ever happen? Think about Scientology.

Such a film may fascinate or horrify you, but it will not make you happy.

 

2015, Action Film, Action Hero, Amputee, B-movie, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Car Chase, Confusing Plot, Drugs, Frenetic, Invincible Hero, Mayhem, Motorcycles, Not Recommended, Nudity, Revenge, Ridiculous plot, Satirical ultra-violence, Sci-Fi, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Somewhat trashy, Unusual, Violent, Vulgar

Hardcore Harry (2015)

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From IMDB:

Henry is resurrected from death with no memory, and he must save his wife from a telekinetic warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.

Seriously in the running for “Most Mindless Film Ever Made”,  there is not a single non-violent scene (more exactly, moment) in all hour and a half of this bizarre form of entertainment. Only because of one unique feature  does this film deserve a review: You never see Harry. Instead you watch the entire sequence of (did I mention “violent”?) events through Harry’s bionic eyes. In fact, just about everything of Harry is bionic. So naturally he is physically super-capable, never misses a shot, is amazing at fist fighting. leaps over tall objects, escapes burning vehicles, and just never gives up. When the film started with a chase sequence I thought “Oh, the usual gimmick to get my attention at the beginning”. But the chase sequence NEVER ENDS.

Possibly there is a plot in there somewhere, but darn if I could figure out just exactly what was happening.

You do get the opportunity to put yourself in Harry’s place and be surrounded for possibly 10 minutes by  voluptuous, ample breasted,  naked women. Probably not a film for children.

You should have some time to waste before watching Harry (who cannot speak) do his thing. Isn’t it great to be a retired film watcher!

2016, Abduction, Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Cancer theme, Frenetic, Grisly, Horror, Made For TV, Middle school students, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Occasional gore, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Teenagers, TV Series, Violent

Stranger Things (2016)

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From IMDB:

When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.

Holy Middle School Nerds!

If my neighbors had not recommended the eight episodes of Season One of this sci-fi creeper, I would not have entered the “Upside Down World”. Unfortunately, once inside this semi-adult fantasy it is obsessively difficult to escape. So instead I binged-watched all the horror, high school romance, middle school bullying, and hysterics this TV series (streamable from Netflix) had to offer. To tell you the truth, it was a lot of fun and possibly a waste of time.

Winona Ryder we all know.  David Harbour has many roles to his name, including David Patrick from “State of Affairs” and Elliot Hirsch from “The Newsroom”.  Most of the cast were very young and did quite well. Indeed it seems to me that the middle school gang of four nerds got their literally hysterical parts just right.

If the plot grabs you, you will never escape. Supposedly there is a Season Two.

2015, Based on a Book, Corny at times, Detective, Fantasy, Frenetic, Mayhem, Religious Theme

Victor Frankenstein (2015)

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From NetFlix:

Putting a new spin on the classic tale of the reanimated monster, this reimagined version unspools through the perspective of loyal lab assistant Igor and his friendship with erratic genius Dr. Frankenstein.

For a PG-13 rated film, this 1hour 50 minutes romp features quite a bit of violent mayhem. At least any sex is minimal to nonexistent. Each time Hollywood tells the Frankenstein story, the special effects are more exaggerated. Have we reached here a pinnacle in cadavers,  arcane iron equipment, lightning, Scottish castles, and a really angry, nasty, two-hearted big monster? Of course, part of the tradition is that the monster must have a flat head.

Daniel Radcliffe  (aka “Harry Potter”) as the loyal lab assistant Igor should feel really at home with all the hocus-pocus. Imagining that Dr. Frankenstein rescues the circus clown Igor and converts him from a hunchback into an attractive adult is a new gimmick in the story. Letting Igor fall in love with a beautiful woman is also a nice touch.

James McAvoy portrays Victor Frankenstein as an ambitious, driven egomaniac of a genius, who is quite possibly a madman.

Andrew Scott (Professor Moriarty of the TV series “Sherlock”) as Inspector Turpin has charge of the theology in the story.

In summary, it is a really good yarn with lots of special effects which you can enjoy as just a fun story as long as you are willing to suspend disbelief at every detail for the entire film.

1996, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Acceptable Trash, Amazon Prime, Arson, B-movie, Bad Acting, Conspiracy, Digital Effects, Frenetic, Nasty Aliens, Nothing special, Sci-Fi, Suspense

The Arrival (1996)

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From IMDB:

Zane, an astronomer, discovers intelligent alien life. But the aliens are keeping a deadly secret, and will do anything to stop Zane from learning it.

Interested in a sci-fi film with interesting special effects, a story that kept me involved, and REALLY BAD ACTING? Then why not tolerate “The Arrival”  which you can stream from Amazon Prime ?

Lindsay Crouse, who was once married to David Mamet, is local to the Boston area. We often see her live in plays at the Gloucester Stage. She reads her lines a bit stiffly.

Enough said about the rightfully paranoid Zane, almost played by Charlie Sheen.

As chief alien we have Ron Silver, who died in 2009. You will probably recognize him as Bruno Gianelli from “The West Wing”. He actually gets the part right.

Suspend a lot of disbelief and either enjoy or make fun of this second-rate romp.