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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTHE AMBUSH \u2013 Released under the title Al Kameen<\/em> in\nsome territories, this co-production between the United Arab Emirates and\nFrance is a war drama said to be loosely based on a true story. It follows\nthree soldiers from the UAE deploying aid near southwest Yemen who are suddenly\nambushed and trapped in hostile territory. When their commander learns of the\npredicament, he mobilizes his team to try and save them. Not many critics in\nthis part of the world have seen the movie, but those who did mostly\ncomplimented it as being well made. They wrote that while it didn\u2019t have a big\nbudget, the filmmakers chose to simply on the soldiers involved and their\nexperiences, making the final product tense and effective. It stars Omar Bin\nHaider, Marwan Abdullah, Mohammed\nAhmed and Mansoor Al-Fili.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AMERICAN MURDERER \u2013 Also based on a true story, this crime\nfilm details the life of a con man who specializes in detailed scams. Frustrated\nthat the criminal is living an extravagant lifestyle, an irritated FBI agent\nvows to take him down. As his stolen money supply dwindles, the con artist concocts\nhis most elaborate scheme, targeting the man determined to stop him. Response\nhas been very mixed for this effort. Almost half stated that the story itself\nwas interesting and noted some strong performances from cast members. However, more\ncomplained that the screenplay didn\u2019t do enough to make audiences care about the\npeople involved and that it all felt dull and forgettable. The cast includes\nTom Pelphrey, Ryan Phillippe, Idina Menzel, Jacki Weaver and Paul Schneider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BANDIT \u2013 And here is another tale inspired by real events. The\nsubject is a Canadian named Kenneth Leishman aka The Flying Bandit. A career\ncriminal, this feature starts with the figure escaping from a Michigan prison\nand making his to Canada. After arriving, changing his identity and earning a pilot\u2019s\nlicense and plane, he begins flying to various locales and committing robberies\neach day. He earns a reputation as a gentleman bandit. While things go well at\nfirst, his acts get the attention of the police and a noted gangster. Generally\nspeaking, response was upbeat for this effort. A small number of press members commented\nthat the subject matter of a nice-guy robber didn\u2019t lend itself to much excitement\nor thrills. Still, three quarters of reviews thought the lead actor was\nexcellent and thought it was a fun film detailing the life of an unusual\ncriminal. Josh Duhamel, Mel Gibson, Elisha Cuthbert and Olivia d\u2019Abo headline\nthe picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE BLOODY MAN \u2013 This low-budget independent horror flick is\nset in the 1980s. It involves a young boy trying to deal with the unexpected loss\nof his mother. He finds himself becoming drawn into the world of comic books,\nin particular one title detailing a threatening figure. Soon, this fictional individual\nis summoned out of the pages and begins to cause havoc and torment in the child\u2019s\nlife. So far, only genre film critics have seen this title. Most of them\nsuggest that while the movie is overlong and suffers from limited resources, some\nelements do work. They also enjoyed seeing several performers from 80s horror\npictures appear in various roles. This looks like it may be a title\nspecifically aimed at low-budget genre film enthusiasts. Tuesday Knight, Lisa\nWilcox, KateLynn E. Newberry and Brian Cage appear in the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CALL JANE \u2013 A married, Chicago-based woman in 1968 finds\nherself expecting, but quickly learns that it will threaten her life if she\ncontinues forward with the pregnancy. After making the difficult decision to abort,\nthe protagonist finds that no hospitals are willing to perform the procedure\nand that she must find an alternate treatment. She asks a group of suburban\nmoms named \u201cCall Jane\u201d and becomes involved in their movement. Reviewers gave\nthe movie good notices. A small contingent thought the script focused too much\non speeches instead of making viewers care through the trials of the\ncharacters. Regardless, the majority wrote that while it was imperfect, there\nwas plenty to appreciate and the cast were uniformly strong. It stars Elizabeth\nBanks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara, Chris Messina, Cory Michael Smith and Wunmi\nMosaku. <\/p>\n\n\n\n CAN\u2019T BE STOPPED \u2013 Those with an interest in graffiti may\nwant to check out this documentary. Shot in Los Angeles, it tells the history\nof the \u201cCan\u2019t Be Stopped\u201d or \u201cCBS\u201d crew of artists. Through interviews with\nvarious members and those familiar with the group, viewers are told the story\nof a man who began the outfit back in the 1980s. He mentors a group of boys, raising\nthem from broken homes and helping to develop their artistic abilities on the\nstreets. As years pass, they eventually earn acclaim for their work. The movie\nis said to be narrated by Everlast and features brief appearances by familiar musicians\nand actors who have crossed paths with the group. It appears that this feature\nis debuting on disc, so there are currently no reviews available for the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A CHRISTMAS KAREN \u2013 This independent holiday comedy combines\ntwo very different elements \u2013 the classic fable A Christmas Carol<\/em> and the\nnickname given to entitled white women in the United States. In this tale, a\nnasty and privileged middle-aged lady alienates neighbors with her constant berating\nand bemoaning of others. One night, a trio of ghosts appear to try and change\nher outlook on others and life in general. So far, reaction towards the project\nhas been muted from the few critics who have seen it. One thought that the movie\nwas an intriguing update of a familiar tale that benefitted from the performers.\nBut others stated that the film was awkward in execution and didn\u2019t effectively\nsatirize its subject or make any interesting points. The cast includes Michele\nSimms, Meghan Colleen Moroney, Rolin Alexis, Leyla Lawrence and Lee Karlinsky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DON\u2019T F*** IN THE WOODS 2 \u2013 Apparently, back in 2016 there\nwas an ultra-low budget horror film that garnered some attention because of its\nprovocative title. This week sees the release of a sequel to that title. It\u2019s\nabout a group of camp counsellors partying before the summer season begins. A\nmysterious woman arrives and not long after the youths are attacked by a group\nof parasitic monsters who are attracted to sexual activity. Like the first\nfilm, response from members of the press hasn\u2019t been exceptional. It seems that,\nas of right now, most are complaining that the feature is terribly paced and\npoorly written. As a result, there aren\u2019t many laughs to be had or much tension\nfrom the onslaught of nasty creatures. Brittany Blanton, Cheyenne Gordon, Jason\nCrowe and Julie Anne Prescott headline the feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LIFEMARK \u2013 This faith-based picture involves an 18-year-old happily\nliving with his adopted parents. When his birth mother sends a message to the\nyoungster asking to reconnect, the lead asks for advice from his guardians. They\ntell the story of this teenage mother and encourage him to build a new\nrelationship. The process helps fill in some gaps and brings the entire group\ntogether. Based on a true story, this title was well-received. While few\ncritics ended up seeing and reviewing the picture, those that did stated that the\nmovie was above average for religious-themed fare. They called it a positive and\nsweet ode to the adoption process and noted that it avoided sermonizing to\naudiences and focused on the upbeat story. It features Raphael Ruggero, Kirk\nCameron, Rebecca Rogers and Alex Kendrick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE \u2013 Based on the poplar kid\u2019s book series,\nthis tale follows a youngster who moves with his family to New York City.\nInitially, he has trouble adapting to his new surroundings and feels like an\noutcast. That all changes after he meets and befriends a singing crocodile. The\nreptile not only shares his gift of song, but also encourages the youth to be\nbold and express himself. More members of the press liked this family flick\nthan disliked it. A minor percentage found it too sugary and had a few issues\nwith the movie\u2019s message. However, the consensus was that while the concept was\nabsurd, they couldn\u2019t help but have fun with it. They thought the visual\neffects were impressive, the songs memorable, also admiring the work of the\ncast. It stars Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, Winslow Fegley, Scoot McNairy and\nthe voice of Shawn Mendes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD \u2013 A sheriff investigating a\nmurder in a small Mississippi town interviews the shifty stockbroker son of the\nvictim and his girlfriend, a local waitress. The cop quickly discovers that the\ndeceased figure (and perhaps the other interviewees) may have been involved in\nan insurance scam. The protagonist attempts to determine if one of those\nscammed out of cash is responsible, or if the family members were responsible. Unfortunately,\nno one who has seen this picture has had anything nice to say. They all suggested\nthat the movie was cliched and that the screenplay was riddled with plot holes,\nridiculous twists and dim-witted characters. The cast includes Cole Hauser, Morgan\nFreeman, Jaimie Alexander, Darren Mann and Andrew Stevens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OLD FRIENDS: A DOGUMENTARY \u2013 Also released in some markets\nas Seniors: A Dogumentary<\/em>, this non-fiction feature examines older pets.\nIt shows their particular needs from family members that often go unmet. The\nbond between pet owners and older dogs is shown, as well as what can be done to\nhelp when an owner passes away or when these animals begin to slow down, suffer\nfrom ailments and start to be seen as a burden. The movie has only been by a small group of movie\ncritics, but they have all sung praises of the feature. They noted that the\nmovie does an excellent job at making us rethink how we view aging animals and\nwhat needs to be done to help them age gracefully. These notices also suggested\nthat one may end up shedding a tear or two by the time the credits roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ONODA: 10,000 NIGHTS IN THE JUNGLE \u2013 Near the end of World\nWar II, a group of Japanese soldiers on a remote island in the Philippines are\ntold by their generals to keep fighting no matter what occurs. The war ends, decades\npass and one lone soldier remains on duty, cut-off from the world., living\nalone and still standing guard in the jungle. In 1974, a Japanese reporter hears\nreports about the figure. He heads out to find the soldier and convince him\nthat the country has surrendered. This multinational production is based on a\ntrue story and has earned raves and awards across the globe. There are no\nnegative pieces for this foreign-language feature. All of the write-ups suggest\nthat the movie avoids dealing with politics and instead is a moving character\nstudy about a man who follows orders and ends up losing much of his life in the\nprocess. It stars Y\u00fbya End\u00f4 and Kanji Tsuda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PIRANHA WOMEN \u2013 A pair of detectives are assigned to\ninvestigate a brutal killing in a seaside town. After checking out the bodies\nand interviewing locals, they come to the shocking conclusion that a mad doctor\nmay be using patients to create \u201cpiranha women\u201d with oversized teeth and a\nvoracious appetite. This is the latest title from low-budget, independent horror\/science-fiction\nveteran Fred Olen Ray (Star Slammer, Cyclone, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Alienator,\nAttack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds<\/em>), who has also recently also been making a\nton of Christmas-themed romance TV-movies. The movie is debuting on disc from\nFull Moon and hasn\u2019t been reviewed as of yet. So, interested parties will just have\nto take a chance on it. The cast includes Houston Rhines, Jon Briddell, Carrie\nOvergaard, Shary Nassimi and Sof Puchley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RIOTSVILLE, USA \u2013 This documentary addresses protest\nmovements in the 1960s and how police departments became increasingly\nmilitarized in their efforts to stop them. The filmmakers uncover and show military\ntraining footage used to develop strategies to quell civil disobedience. Viewers\nsee full model towns called \u201cRiotsvilles\u201d and witness practice exercises. Law\nenforcement agencies are encouraged to use any means necessary to handle crowds.\nCritics gave this effort high marks. A tiny number didn\u2019t think that the film made\nthe most out of its discoveries, calling it repetitive and the narration\ndroning. Still, almost everyone else was stunned by what they saw. They claimed\nthat it was an informative and effectively critical piece with modern day relevance\nthat shows how the government overreacts and succumbs to paranoia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE ROUNDUP \u2013 Action\/martial arts fans may be interested in\nthis effort from Hong Kong. It\u2019s a sequel to the 2017 hit feature The Outlaws<\/em>\nand follows the heroic detective of the first movie. Some years later, he and\nhis compatriots are asked to head to Vietnam to extradite a suspect for\nquestioning. While there, they discover additional killings and try to stop a terrifying\npsychopath who targets tourists. Response was just as strong for this film as\nit was for the original. One or two reviewers didn\u2019t like the protagonists or\ntheir tendency to break the rules in the name of justice. All others thought\nthe leads were compelling and the action scenes phenomenally staged, writing\nthat the film deftly mixed thrills and humor to maximum effect. It stars Ma Dong-seok,\nSukku Son, Choi Gwi-hwa, Heo Dong-won and Park ji-young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SMILE \u2013 A therapist witnesses the disturbing suicide of one\nof her patients during a session. Their discussion involves visions of a\nsinister, smiling figure whose appearance foretells imminent death. Wracked\nwith guilt over the ordeal, the lead takes some time off. Unfortunately, she\nbegins to experience the same trauma and unsettling sights as her client. She\nbegins to fear that she is the next victim. The press was generally upbeat\ntowards this chillier. About 20 percent of reviews believed that the title was\nnothing more than a collection of jump-scares that didn\u2019t offer as much food for\nthought as the concept promised. Still, most admitted that it was tense throughout\nand noted that it would definitely impress anyone looking for a good scare. The\ncast includes Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert, Kal\nPenn and Rob Morgan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TICKET TO PARADISE \u2013 After learning that their daughter is engaged\nand about to make the biggest mistake of her life, her separated and embittered\nparents head off to Bali to try and stop their child\u2019s wedding. In order to\ncomplete their task, they are forced to work together. As they spend more time in\neach other\u2019s company, old feelings return to the forefront and the pair begin\nto question the mission. Reaction was muted towards this rom-com, although\nthere were slightly more positive reviews than negative ones. Those who disliked\nthe picture commented that it didn\u2019t focus enough time on its two marquee stars\nand that the script was bland. Other voices stated that the charisma of the two\nleads helped make up for the story problems and found it fun to witness. It features\nGeorge Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Sean Lynch and Billie Lourd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE VELVET UNDERGROUND \u2013 This documentary on the famous 1960s\nrock band debuted on Netflix at the end of 2021. It is now arriving on Blu-ray\ncourtesy of Criterion. Considered one of the most influential rock bands ever,\nthe film uses never-before-seen footage and interviews to delve into the New\nYork underground music scene. It details how founding members Lou Reed and John\nCale teamed up to write iconic music and collaborate with artists like Andy\nWarhol. The movie received exemplary notices. A tiny faction said that the\nmovie didn\u2019t offer anything that enthusiasts wouldn\u2019t already know. Everyone\nelse wrote that it was stylish, captured the era perfectly, presented facts in\nan unusual and compelling manner and served as a thrilling document of an\nexceptional band. <\/p>\n\n\n\n THE WOMAN KING \u2013 Based on real events, this drama tells the story of a faction of all-female warriors called the Agojie who served in the African kingdom of Dahomey. A young woman joins the group after refusing to take part in an arranged marriage. She ends up training under General Nanisca and doing battle with a foe who threatens their entire country. Response towards the movie was very strong. A small number critiqued the liberties taken with the actual story, called the presentation formulaic and thought that the battle scenes weren\u2019t as epic or exciting as they should have been. Still, the majority were impressed by the central performances and thought the female perspective given was inspiring and exciting. It stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and John Boyega. Read a review of the movie here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DVD-American-Murderer-fixed.jpg\")
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