"No One Will Save You" Review

 

by John Zenoni

If you want to watch a really good, creepy, sci-fi alien flick then you have to watch ‘No One Will Save You’, currently streaming on Hulu. It's so much better than I expected and is one you should put on your list. It's one I think would be perfect to watch around Halloween for a few good scares.

In the film, we only have one primary character - Brynn, played by Kaitlyn Dever (probably best known from the television series ‘Last Man Standing’) - who lives alone in a house and has no other immediate family that we know of. A flashback reveals her mother did live with her at one time but has passed away. We also learn - via looks, stares and an interaction with a policeman and his wife when Brynn runs into town - that she's hiding another story, as people are avoiding her. That story will be revealed in flashback as well as the film goes on and plays a central part in how the film ends. The craziest thing about this film though, is there is practically no dialogue! I was told about this ahead of time and thought how horrible it would be, but it actually works out very well. All the emotions, scares, insights into what the characters (and aliens) are thinking and feel come across perfectly in just their acting and actions.

Speaking of which, Dever does a great job in this film, carrying it pretty much all by herself, other than the strange beings she encounters. As for other aspects of the film, the tone, noises and special-effects are great as well and left me wide-eyed on a couple of occasions. And the ending will blow your mind! It can probably be interpreted in several ways. But I'll just say that I ‘got’ it as far as what I was expecting.

"Point Break" is not the movie G.O.A.T.

 

by Robert Zenoni

I initially called this the GOAT of movies but truth be told…. I wasn’t being completely honest. Although I am a huge fan it’s 100% not the goat. I’m sure everyone has seen this and if you haven’t, hop on it. I’m sure if you have a keen eye for mistakes and continuity errors you’ll notice them.

But Point Break is about Johnny Utah's journey to find bank robbers and resorts to any means necessary to find them. However, there’s an issue: he ends up becoming friends with the criminals and tries to mediate until it ends poorly for everyone. Starring a young Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze (along with Gary Busey), this is a very good film. But like I said, there’s some noticeably bad editing and it’s a little hard to watch once you notice it. I’m just a fan of how fun the movie is, the cinematography is well done and the soundtrack is decent. Acting by some of the characters needs a little carrying from Swayze and Reeves but overall it's a solid movie; it’s in my top 15.

"The Equalizer 3" Review

 

by John Zenoni

Denzel has done it again (although I have read this is to be his last entry in the franchise -- but I hope not) with ‘The Equalizer 3!’ Yes, it says ‘Final Chapter’ but you never know. I thoroughly enjoyed this slow-building, slow-burning action thriller and love that he is given the chance to explore himself as a person and question why he has had to do the things he has done. As always, Denzel is great, as are the other actors in this film. It is indeed slower to get to the action but in this film, with the storyline, it works and it makes it worth the wait. I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a good revenge film.

"9/11: One Day in America - The South Tower" Review

 

by Robert Zenoni

So this isn’t a movie, per say, but it’s a documentary about 9/11 and since we're coming off the 22nd anniversary of the travesty, I decided to watch it. This is “9/11 Day 1 South Tower”. This series covers more than just what happened, but also the people these events happened to. It’s very sad, obviously, but it’s good to know these people, while filled with the fear of dying, still went out of there way to help others. And it really instills the human condition of humans always wanting to help others. Nobody wants to see others fail, or in this case, lose their life.

There’re also stories from the people on the ground who got hit by debris from the planes. There’s a story about a lady who got hit by one of the landing gear of United 175 (the plane that hit the South Tower). The horror of this day didn’t just belong to the victims of the attacks but also to the people who were sent to try and preserve life. And you see even 20 years later they still battle the PTSD they gained from what they experienced. If you enjoy history and want to get a better idea of how the people on the ground view these events, watch this series.

National Geographic made it -- they released Episode 2 for free on YouTube. There’s a whole season of this documentary, each 45 minutes to an hour long. While most of what I told you about stems from just Episode 2, the whole series is great and I recommend it. I just love to hear the stories, because I was too young to understand what was happening; so different outlooks are healthy to really understand why the United States is the way it is.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

– George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.

Al

"A Haunting in Venice" Review

 

by John Zenoni

I absolutely loved ‘A Haunting in Venice’, another Kenneth Branagh film about the famous crime detective Hercule Poirot. In this latest film, Poirot - who is supposedly retired - gets invited to a Halloween party/seance by a writer friend - played by Tina Fey - and ends up investigating a murder that takes place while he is in attendance. The seance takes place at a supposed haunted house in Venice, Italy.

This film has it all - suspense, mystery, laughter, murder, intrigue - including a great cast. Besides Branagh and Fey, other cast members include Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan, Emma Laird and Michelle Yeoh. Yeoh is yet again amazing in her latest role and really she almost steals the show as the psychic who leads the seance. I only hate that her part was not longer. But she shines during the time she's in the film. I truly hope the Poirot series will continue, as this one has left me wanting more.

"A Million Miles Away" Review

 

by John Zenoni

If you are looking for an amazing and heartfelt story - based on real life events - then you have to check out ‘A Million Miles Away’, starring Michael Pena. Pena portrays Jose Hernandez, born to migrant workers in California, who kept moving from place to place for work; so he never had a steady, stable life. That is, until he meets a particular teacher in school who realizes the amount of potential he has as a student. She convinces the parents to settle down in one place so Jose can focus on his studies. He does and goes on to be the first in his family to attend college and dreams of becoming an astronaut. He eventually gets married and begins applying to NASA, only to be turned down year after year until he perseveres and finally gets in. That will be when his life changes forever.

This is a great, inspiring film that everyone should see. Highly recommend and I hope that Pena gets recognition for his outstanding performance!