The Lazarus Effect

The Lazarus Effect (2015)

Runtime: 83 minutes

Directed by: David Gelb

Starring: Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Evan Peters, Sarah Bolger, Donald Glover

From: Several different companies, including (unfortunately) Blumhouse

This sure was a Blumhouse movie. Even back then they would make… “slop” is a WAY overused word so “gruel” will be substituted instead. Why in the world would I give this a shot despite its poor reputation? I was always curious/puzzled that this gruel had an overqualified cast: Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Sarah Bolger, Donald Glover, Evan Peters, and (for a minute) Ray Wise. After viewing, I’m still puzzled as to how this attracted such a cast, unless the putrid script went through a massive metamorphosis between casting and filming.

The plot: naïve goofballs working at a university create a Lazarus serum to revive animals. Of course Big Pharma becomes involved… for a minute, which was the extent of time that Ray Wise appears in the film. The film was actually OK in the beginning; however, when a human dies, someone else decides the worst and uses that serum to resurrect her, to predictable results… actually, I didn’t predict what happened afterwards.

Beforehand, I presumed this would be “inspired” by Flatliners; perhaps it was, as neither version of Flatliners has ever been tackled by me. However, I noticed a major inspiration was another film-one that came out not too long before The Lazarus Effect. That “another film” has never been seen by me either… but my late mother did one night on TV. That redacted movie I know becomes bizarre by the end-my mother was bamboozled. She might as well have seen Funky Forest, she was so baffled!

Me, I was baffled that Lazarus went in this direction; it was the wrong direction and that’s not even factoring in the illogic of the plot, how dopey all the characters became, the lack of any scares (even the plentiful jump scares didn’t make me jump nor scare me), the squandering of the premise-a true Blumhouse trademark-and how the 83-minute runtime was a hindrance as I barely knew the characters so when chaos happened, I didn’t really care.

There’s a decent idea or two but despite that, how bad the movie became after an OK start especially was an irritant. Even a fine score from Sarah Schachner (yes, of Prey and Predator Badlands fame) couldn’t elevate the What a waste of the cast; I hope THIS wasn’t what they signed up for and the story made unfortunate changes by the time filming began. But I’ve said too much about this disappointment, so best to forget the effect this gruel had on me.

The Rules of Attraction

The Rules of Attraction (2002)

Runtime: 110 minutes

Directed by: Roger Avary

Starring: James Van Der Beek (RIP), Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Sommerhalder, Jessica Biel, and many other famous faces

From: Lions Gate 

RIP James Van Der Beek

People my age will be AGHAST to hear that I barely watched Dawson’s Creek and never saw Varsity Blues. This doesn’t mean I did not find it sad that Van Der Beek had cancer or that he passed away at an age only a few years higher than mine. I won’t address the controversies over how much his healthcare cost, how he allegedly treated his cancer, or his family’s GoFundMe.

Rather, I can finally revisit a movie that was watched during my college days; naturally, me and a pal-young and dumb-guffawed at the debauchery in this film devoted to a gaggle of sleazy, reprehensible characters, mostly college students themselves. Their version of university life wasn’t like ours… except for the barfing and promiscuous sex! There were no nude parties nor outdoor bashes where Wicker Man-esque effigies were burned, regrettably.

The film is full of sleazy, unlikable college students who engage in bad behavior. While naive, the one clearly designated as the most charming was Lauren, as portrayed by Shannyn Sossomon. There’s someone I should have better appreciated at the time. The main plot thread is a messed-up love triangle involving a guy, a girl, and a bisexual guy. Of course, I’ve never read the book so a comparison can’t be made there; however, the obvious comparison to American Psycho can be made-despite the change of setting from “late 80’s” to “early 2000’s” Van Der Beek’s character is still Sean Bateman, and still the brother of Patrick.

Of course, American Psycho eclipses Attraction and Christian Bale as Patrick is impossible to equal… although Van Der Beek still does a pretty good job of playing a deranged person as pathetic as his brother. Psycho is more darkly amusing and slicker... in fact, that had a clear, crisp sound and a sheen of consummate professionalism that gave it a big boost! This doesn’t seem like the right time for me to discuss why I don’t love everything about Roger Avary; he should just not have a Twitter account, and I’m not just referring to his embarrassing attempts to defend his friend Tarantino…

This was an independent production & I did not love everything Avary did as director-there’s a surprising amount of footage ran backwards and even running the end credits backwards was not a decision I agreed with. On the other side of the coin, there were things I did appreciate. There’s an eclectic soundtrack that sounds even more fresh in 2026 than it did at the time. There were several split-screen moments that were well-done, especially one involving a Saturday morning class. In addition, the cast is full of recognizable faces, including some that would find more fame in later years.

I do understand why many rate this film higher than I, regardless if they’ve read the novel or not. Me, I was not surprised that before last night, only a few moments that were retained through all these years: a scene shot guerilla-style in Europe that was a great soliloquy from a character named Victor (still the highlight), some vulgar dialogue involving underaged women, a suicide-there’s a trigger warning for anyone that needed it-and a minor character known as Richard but wants to be known as Dick.

While I wish it wouldn’t have taken the death of someone far too young for a revisit years in the making, The Rules of Attraction still brought back memories of a time I can’t accept as true was literally half a lifetime ago for me. It also reminded me what a buffoon I was for not checking out American Psycho during those halcyon college days.

Chato's Land

Chato’s Land (1972)

Runtime: 100 minutes

Directed by: Michael Winner

Starring: Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, James Whitmore, Simon Oakland, Ralph Waite

From: Scimitar Films

I haven’t watched too many Westerns in recent months. Even if it’s one from Michael Winner (another “separate the art from the artist” director), I was happy to check out a picture starring Charles Bronson. This was one of many Westerns shot in Spain; that scenery still look resplendent in my eyes.

The opening scene is half-Native American (Apache, to be exact) Charles Bronson shooting a racist sheriff in self-defense in a Wild West saloon. Former Confederate Captain Jack Palance rounds up a posse to track down the titular Chato. Plenty of time is spent w/ the posse, full of colorful characters. In contrast, Chato has few lines of dialogue, and most are in Apache.

As it’s Michael Winner, not only is there sleaze-sexual assault occurs-but there’s another controversy. Something rather bad allegedly happened to a quartet of horses, and I’ll leave it at that.

I was fine with the focus on Palance’s posse. When those in the ranks include James Whitmore, Simon Oakland, Ralph Waite, Richard Basehart, Victor French, and Richard Jordan… the quality of the acting can’t be doubted. The drama between those folks isn’t too surprising but was still interesting, especially when their mission turns sour and the friction increases. A nice asset is the vibrant score from Jerry Fielding; in fact, that probably elevated the film for me alongside the lovely desert scenery filmed well by Robert Paynter. Another controversial director (John Landis) was a horse-wrangler on the production; in later years, Paynter would film some Landis films, most prominently An American Werewolf in London.

Chato’s Land is not a must-see in the genre; that said, this Vietnam War allegory may be worthwhile for you, especially if you go in with the right expectations and realize that Bronson isn’t an on-screen presence often in Chato’s Land. To his credit, Bronson was ripped & looked great in the film, especially for someone around the age of 50 during filming.

Victims of Sin

Victims of Sin (Victimas Del Pelcado) (1951)

Runtime: 84 minutes

Directed by: Emilio Fernandez

Starring: Ninon Sevilla, Tito Junco, Rodolfo Acosta, Rita Montaner, Ismael Perez

From: Cinematografica Calderson S.A.

A Letterboxd mutual’s recent glowing review of the film steered my way into seeing this Mexican film on the Criterion Channel. Think of it as a noir done in stunning black-and-white cinematography, but there’s also nice mambo music and exciting dance numbers, all in less than 90 minutes.

Changoo Cabaret is a hip club where great music is heard and there’s lovely ladies all around. Of course, Rodolfo is the guy who provides the ladies; not only is he a pimp, the establishment is a place where you pay to dance with the women. Violeta is the star performer (Ninon Sevilla could sing, dance, and act) but a lady named Rosa threw her infant in the trash because Rodolfo the father refuses to acknowledge this fact. Don’t worry, Violeta rescues the boy and raises him as her own… despite the risk to her job and being able to make a living.

It's a shame that at least in the United States, the task is difficult to track down films like this, or ones featuring Ninon Sevilla. All the same,
I was glad that Victims of Sin was easy for me to view in high quality-the happy song and dance was in contrast to the heavy drama where Violeta is fired from her job, is brutally assaulted by Rodolfo, and worse. Those light moments (and enthralling music new to my ears) brighten the otherwise dark plot. Sevilla was a dynamo as the lead, both with acting and musically. Rodolfo Acosta as the irredeemable SOB Rodolfo was also memorable as the ultimate heel.

I was happy to have viewed such a unique movie. Emilio Fernandez is best known in the role of actor who appeared in such Peckinpah flicks as The Wild Bunch & Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia; judging by Victims of Sin alone, he evidently was a fine director.

The Final Option

The Final Option (i.e. Who Dares Wins) (1982)

Runtime: 125 minutes

Directed by: Ian Sharp

Starring: Lewis Collins, Judy Davis, Richard Widmark, Edward Woodward, Robert Webber

From: MGM

Why not have the villain be a leftist terrorist lady who puts on bizarre stage shows and for a few minutes, wears a fuzzy grayish-blue sweater w/ a brown squirrel on the front, green parachute pants, and knee-high black boots? I’ve known of this movie for awhile and it sounded peculiar enough for a viewing. I was amused.

Lewis Collins is Skellen, a badass member of the SAS (the Special Forces of the British Army) who goes undercover to infiltrate a group of leftists known as the People’s Lobby. Now, they have Communist posters in HQ, are against nuclear weapons and are against Thatcher. More than a few will agree with at least one of those points. However, their decision to hold several American diplomats and government officials hostage for nuclear disarmament… you may feel different but for me, that’s a bridge too far.

As for some others, the highlight was Judy Davis as Frankie Leith, co-leader of the People’s Lobby. She has a strong fashion sense throughout, although the squirrel sweater was the highlight. She also does avant-garde stage shows that’d take paragraphs to explain-they’re better seen, anyhow. She’s dressed like the leader of a New Wave band! Yeah, once the hostage crisis occurs, Richard Widmark (among others) chastises the People’s Lobby for how illogical and foolhardy their plan is, but I understand why the filmmakers didn’t want to make the scheme too appealing to certain people…

In any regards, the movie is low-key often, it’s not free of contrivance and Skellen isn’t great at attempting to report or stop the hostage crises. On the other side of the coin, the Roy Budd score is surprisingly funky, Ingrid Pitt (a henchwoman) fires a 9mm Ingram sub-machine gun, and the final raid-based rather loosely on the real-life raid of the Iranian Embassy in London that ended a hostage crisis in 1980-was great. “Ruthlessly efficient” is the best way to describe the SAS in dispatching the villains and rescuing the hostages.

For all the flaws of The Final Option (the title on the print I saw, rather than Who Dares Wins), the conclusion was quite satisfying and worthy of what at times felt like a lengthy journey.

High Pressure

High Pressure (1932)

Runtime: 74 minutes

Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy

Starring: William Powell, Evelyn Brent, George Sidney, John Wray, Evalyn Knapp

From: Warner Bros.

Some will be overjoyed to hear that that this hitherto difficult to track down motion picture can now easily be seen by those subscribed to the Criterion Channel. This month, they have a section devoted to 10 Pre-Code Mervyn Leroy films. Most are his expected hits-and some were already reviewed by me-but the other rarity part of the collection is 1934’s Hi, Nellie!

The plot of High Pressure is simple: William Powell is a cad named GAR EVANS who is a con artist. We first see Gar in the speakeasy after a bender, as drunk as Cooter Brown. A pal and a business find him & bring him to a spa. As he is refreshed in the spa (some will like that he spends several minutes sans shirt), the businessman tells him that he has a way of creating rubber… out of SEWAGE. That sounds like Number Two to me—but this is supposed to be silly yet fun, breezy entertainment.

Of course, Powell is great as the bold, self-assured con man who could sell ice cubes to Inuit people but there’s many Warner Bros. character actors that fill out the cast and there were things I appreciated, such as some great set design—Gar’s office in particular was awesome, rectangle shape-dominant on both the walls & the windows, & an ornate desk. There’s also the expected snappy patter and rapid-fire dialogue you’d expect, and with a romantic subplot, all in a tidy 74-minute package to boot.

The two lead female roles aren’t exactly dynamic but Evelyn Brent-as Gar’s girl-and Evalyn Knapp-as Gar’s secretary-both do a fine job. I’m glad the Criterion Channel made this film easy for fans of Old Hollywood to check out.

Send Help

Send Help (2026)

93% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 234 reviews) 

Runtime: 113 minutes

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Starring: Mostly it's Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien

From: 20th Century Studios

I didn’t love the ending to the film; it was something I was sour about last night in the hours after viewing Send Help on the big screen. After a good night’s sleep, I still don’t love that they made this narrative decision that was “modern cinema” in a negative sense (that was my problem with it, not my preference to one of the two lead characters in what was mainly a two-hander) and it feels like needless 21st century BS inserted into a motion picture that otherwise felt retro-even the usage of a 20th Century Studios logo that mimicked the old 20th Century Fox logo used in the early 70’s.

However, my negative opinion on that decision has lessened. Much of it I did enjoy; as hinted at in the trailers, Rachel McAdams is an awkward nerd at an office job (who loves reading survivalist literature & watching Survivor) who has a new A-hole boss that is the spoiled inexperience son of the old boss, and he’s a bratty jerk. After a plane crash, only those two remain, stuck on a stunning tropical island in Thailand.

The key to the film: both Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien were great in their roles; I even believed that a conventionally attractive woman like McAdams could be an awkward nerd. The relationship between the two & how it evolved during their time on the island, how both weren’t black-and-white caricatures, the bloody and/or visceral moments… I was enjoying the movie even if you don’t factor in the detail that this is an original idea instead of a reboot, remake, or sequel.

I was happy that a great veteran director was able to make an original R-rated genre movie, w/ an interesting score from Danny Elfman. The CG has been the target of complaints; valid, although there was only a time or two where it was distracting and that’s more a modern industry problem so that doesn’t impact my opinion of Send Help.

I am disappointed that the ending fell flat with me. The movie otherwise was well-constructed w/ nice hints early on of the final act. Despite my misgivings, I still found the movie to be pretty good & am glad it was seen at a Dolby Cinema.