CHILL FACTOR (Theatrical Release USA 1999)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì 

Chill Factor—interesting, simple—works on the quality level of movies like Tremors. This film’s weakest scenes take place before the prison sentence. The acting needs more warmth there. The story picks up pace when the order is issued to take the doctor’s bio-weapon and keep it safe. The movie is average; the acting is okay to good. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

A parolee wants revenge for the time he spent in prison over a military experiment that went wrong. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Hugh Johnson for directing efforts. Thank you to Producer James G. Robinson for making the film possible. Cast includes: Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Peter Firth, and David Paymer. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Maybe. Overall, it’s a good watch but needs tightening of script to produce a stronger delivery. 

Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers

THE NEWTON BOYS (South by Southwest Film Festival, Austin Texas USA 1998)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

The Newton Boys—based on a true story—can be a little slow, but has enough comedy in it to push it into the ‘good watch’ category.  The film uses the talents of Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Skeet Ulrich to tell its story. It doesn’t have the flare that O Brother Where Art Thou (set roughly within the same time period) has, but it’s interesting to see another film that operates within that time frame and gives additional information of years when Charlie Chaplin was at the peak of his career, the Three Stooges were just coming on the screen, and Walt Disney, in about 5-7 years, was about to be the biggest name in children and family cartoons. This film is a little piece of history that is worth catching. Watch for the live interview of one of the Newton boys at the end of the movie.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Willis Newton (Matthew McConaughey) finds robbing banks becomes much easier when one stays up-to-date and one step ahead of current technology.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Richard Linklater for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producer John Sloss for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Joe Newton (Skeet Ulrich), Jess Newton (Ethan Hawke), Ma Newton (Gail Cronauer), Orphan Singer (Jena Karam), Orphan Singer (Casey McAuliffe), Orphan Fiddler (Regina Mae Matthews), Waiter (Lew Temple), Brentwood Glasscock (Dwight Yoakam), Slim (Charles Gunning), Farmer Williams (Glynn Williams), Bank Teller (Charles Bray), Tailor (Robert Iannaccone), Avis Glasscock (Chloe Webb), Crooked Banker (Gary Moody), and Louise Brown (Julianna Margulies).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes.  It sets a piece of American history, in an entertaining way, into a worth watching film.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

ARMORED (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 1.5|5.0 Starsì

Armored starts like any good movie should and plays well like any high three-star entertainment piece. Then Mike Cochrane (Matt Dillon) and Ty Hackett (Columbus Short) go to a hot dog stand and the viewer begins to realize there is not going to be much story to this movie. It almost seems like it wants to be a documentary. Then, to make things even worse, after the characters start discussing a bank robbery, the movie moves to a laughable warehouse scene where money is moved from two armored trucks into a hole in the wall with a homeless man secretly watching the monetary transfer. After the homeless man is injured, Ty Hackett gets a conscience and tries to make a getaway with the homeless man. The homeless man is dispatched and Ty Hackett tries to make a getaway in one of the armored trucks. The rest of the movie then proceeds to meander toward its final resting place in a process that includes approximately twenty minutes viewing Ty Hackett’s perils in a crashed armored truck beleaguered by his former outlaw buddies—Mike Cochrane, Baines (Laurence Fishburne), Quinn (Jean Reno), Palmer (Amaury Nolasco), and Dobbs (Skeet Ulrich). While Duncan Ashcroft (Fred Ward) and Eckehart (Milo Ventimiglia) play strong performances, Armored is a total waste of viewer’s time and a waste of good actors like Fishburne, Reno, Dillon, and Short. This is not the expected thriller, but more of an action drama with a script that couldn’t find itself. Director Nimród Antal couldn’t improve it. Hopefully, Antal will perform better with Predators.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Ty Hackett (Columbus Short) faces eviction from the family home and possible loss of his kid brother, Jimmy (Andre Kinney) to child services. He decides the solution to his financial challenges is to help friends rob the Federal Reserve.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Nimród Antal for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Russell Hollander and Debra James for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Mike Cochrane (Matt Dillon), Quinn (Jean Reno), Baines (Laurence Fishburne), Palmer (Amaury Nolasco), Duncan Ashcroft (Fred Ward), Eckehart (Milo Ventimiglia), and Dobbs (Skeet Ulrich).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

No. This production does not present well on screen.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers