Review: ‘You Don’t Nomi’ documentary takes a good, hard look at the phenomenon that is Showgirls.

Paul Verhoeven‘s Showgirls (1995) was met by critics and audiences with near universal derision. You Don’t Nomi traces the film’s redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and maybe even masterpiece.

Peaches Christ plays Cristal Connors in the stage production of “Showgirls! The Musical!” as featured in the documentary YOU DON’T NOMI, an RLJE Films release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films.

Paul Verhoeven directed RoboCop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct, three incredibly influential films of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Then he directed Showgirls. Oftentimes known as the rise and fall of Elizabeth Berkley‘s career, it is a film that gets s visceral reaction no matter what. You Don’t Nomi is a documentary about the ins and outs of the film’s effect on critics and audiences alike.

The film is edited to show his other films “reacting” to whatever scene we’re discussing. Which eventually becomes massively cathartic in juxtaposing sexual violence in Verhoeven’s films. Author Adam Nayman uses his book’s structure; Piece of Shit, Masterpiece, and Masterpiece of Shit. You can see how many of his films are wrapped into Showgirls. There is fascinating filmmaking happening once it’s broken down for you. You also meet April Kidwell, the star of I, Nomi, the Off-Broadway tribute to Showgirls. She discusses her parallel past and how performing a musical comedy based on the film has been her therapeutic outlet. Peaches Christ uses drag to, in a sense, improv shadow cast the film for sold-out crowds. The audience still loves this movie, no matter where that love comes from is a total phenomenon.

Audience at Showgirls at Midnight Mass in San Francisco in the documentary YOU DON’T NOMI, an RLJE Films release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films.

The opposing opinions all make weird sense. I walked away feeling like I had just had a cinematic lobotomy. I still don’t know how I feel about Showgirls, but I know I want to gather friends and colleagues when this pandemic is all over and watch the hell out of it again. Same thing with this doc. You Don’t Nomi is brilliant in all the ways it challenges viewers and fellow critics to rethink Showgirls so many years later. It may just upend your brain, too.

YOU DON’T NOMI On Demand and Digital June 9, 2020

Review: ‘KILL ORDER’ feels unfinished in a good way.

In KILL ORDER, chaos erupts when a group of armed men break into a high school classroom. They target David, a quiet kid who secretly suffers from unexplained memories of a horrifying past. Tapping into a previously unknown strength, David fights off his attackers and goes on the run. With his life and the lives of his loved ones in jeopardy, David must master the use of his new superhuman strength and fighting skills to find the people responsible and get his revenge.

The Mark brothers have given us an incredibly fun and action-packed martial arts indie. Writer/director James Mark brings his stuntman background to the big screen with a film filled with intrigue and some seriously intense fight sequences. The CG actually adds to the Resident Evil video game feel of the flashbacks. Younger Mark brother, Chris, in the role of David is able to utilize his own stuntman skills to his character’s advantage. The fight choreo is high impact and just downright cool to watch. Mark’s moment to moment emotional ride is also pretty impressive. It’s a really great initial jump into the world of leading man. The superb editing builds upon the script’s mystery. And while the ending leaves much to be answered, the film feels like the first in a series of graphic novel inspired stories. There is a ton of potential for Kill Order to become a franchise.

You can check out the trailer below and catch the film today!

RLJ Entertainment, Inc. is set to release the action/sci-fi film KILL ORDER on VOD, Digital HD and on DVD on Feb. 6, 2018.  Written and directed by James Mark (Jumper), KILL ORDER stars Chris Mark (Suicide Squad), Daniel Park (Pacific Rim), Denis Akiyama (Pixels), Melee Hutton (Beautiful People), Jessica Clement (“Pure”), Jason Gosbee (Suicide Squad), Reuben Langdon (Ant-Man) and Alain Moussi (Kickboxer: Vengeance).

ABOUT RLJE FILMS

An RLJ Entertainment, Inc. brand (NASDAQ: RLJE), RLJE Films features include Once Upon a Time in Venice starring Bruce Willis, Bushwick with Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow, Pilgrimage with Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal and Richard Armitage, and Brawl in Cell Block 99 from writer/director S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) and starring Vince Vaughn, Don Johnson and Jennifer Carpenter. These titles are distributed in multiple formats including theatrical, VOD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital download. www.us.rljentertainment.com.

Review: ‘The Houses October Built 2’ scares up some déjà vu.

Recovering from the trauma of being kidnapped last Halloween by the Blue Skeleton – a group who take “extreme haunt” to another level – five friends decide they must face their fears in order to move on. Heading back out on the road to visit more haunted house attractions, signs of the Blue Skeleton start appearing again and a new terror begins…

 

THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT 2 is the sequel to the 2014 cult hit, and marks the return of Brandy Schaefer (“coffin girl” from The Houses October Built) along with the original filmmaking team of Director and Co-Writer Bobby Roe, Producer and Co-Writer Zack Andrews , and Producer Steven Schneider (Split, Insidious, Paranormal Activity).

This sequel essentially picks up where the first ends… so (SPOILER ALERT) everyone is actually alive. Surprise! The cops come to the rescue and it has all been for publicity and extreme scares thanks to The Blue Skeleton crew. Convenient, but alright let’s roll with it. What we’re really getting with The Houses October Built 2, is The Houses October Built but with even less of a narrative. The first hour, exactly like the first film is a massive ad for all the top haunted houses across the US. The only added storyline is the fact that Brandy a.k.a. “coffin girl” is famous on Youtube and now everyone wants the group to visit their attraction and they will pay them… as long as Brandy is present. Problem being, she is understandably traumatized by her experience being kidnapped and emotionally tortured. Cajoled into a tentative travel schedule, our five experience The Zombie 5k, Zombie Pubcrawl, and a few other new Halloween fan favorites. Every once in a while we get what appears to be a snippet of plot thrown into the roughly hour and a half runtime, but basically, it doesn’t really amount to much until the final 25 minutes. Yes, it’s got a clever ending but that doesn’t save the fact that the acting is underwhelming and the guys, consistently disregarding Brandy’s feelings are kind of the only real villains in the film. If you’re looking to try out haunted houses of various kinds but don’t actually have the nerve to do it yourself, then The Houses October Built 2 might be up your alley. You can catch the trailer below for a sneak peek into the sequel and can catch it in theaters or on demand starting today.

RLJ Entertainment will release the upcoming horror film THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT 2 in theaters and available On Demand / Digital HD September 22, 2017.

Review: ‘THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM’ gives us a theatrical look at murder and mayhem.

 presents

THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM

**World Premiere – Toronto International Film Festival 2016**

**Official Selection – Sitges Film Festival 2016**

The city of London is gripped with fear as a serial killer – dubbed The Limehouse Golem – is on the loose and leaving cryptic messages written in his victim’s blood.  With few leads and increasing public pressure, Scotland Yard assigns the case to Inspector Kildare (Bill Nighy) – a seasoned detective with a troubled past and a sneaking suspicion he’s being set up to fail.  Faced with a long list of suspects, including music hall star Dan Leno (Douglas Booth), Kildare must get help from a witness who has legal troubles of her own (Olivia Cooke), so he can stop the murders and bring the killer to justice.

Based on the novel “Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem” by Peter Ackroyd, the film was written by the acclaimed writer Jane Goldman (KingsmenThe Woman in Black), directed by Juan Carlos Medina (Painless) and produced by Stephen Woolley (Their Finest, Interview with a Vampire), Joanna Laurie (Hyena) and Elizabeth Karlsen (Carol).  The film stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Underworld), Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, “Bates Motel”), Douglas Booth (Pride, Prejudice and ZombiesNoah), Daniel Mays (“Line of Duty”) and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, “Ray Donovan.”) The Limehouse Golem is a whirlwind mystery. Jane Goldman has taken Peter Ackroyd‘s novel and brought it to life from page to screen and ultimately stage since much of the story revolves around live performances and theatrical ambition. The costumes and set are gorgeous, striking a perfect visual balance of play costumes and period dress. The dark Limehouse district scenes of macabre and the vibrant, hyper-saturated theater are striking in contrast. The story cannot help but grab you as you try to keep up with the suspects alongside Nighy‘s lead. The cast is a true ensemble of talent. Bill Nighy‘s role was originally meant for the late Alan Rickman, but once his health began to decline Nighy stepped into the role. The film is actually dedicated to Rickman’s memory. Nighy is brilliant and powerful as usual in his honest search for the truth. Olivia Cooke, who’s talent is grossly underrated, does a spectacular job as she navigates a complicated woman in Lizzie Cree. I would be remiss if I didn’t give a standing ovation, as it were, to Douglas Booth in his engrossing portrayal of real life actor Dan Leno. Funny, touching, purely entertaining, Booth owns this role. The script will keep you on your toes and with a murder mystery, what more can you ask for?

THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM in Theaters, on VOD and Digital HD today September 8, 2017.

Review: Is ‘Bushwick’ a new normal just around the corner?

SYNOPSIS: When Lucy (Brittany Snow) steps off the subway, she walks into an utter bloodbath on the streets of Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. Texas is attempting to secede from the Union, and militia forces have descended upon New York City to claim it as an East Coast base of operations and negotiation tool. Faced with a flurry of whizzing bullets and total destruction around every corner, Lucy takes shelter in the basement of Stupe (Dave Bautista), a burly war veteran who reluctantly helps her traverse the treacherous five-block stretch of Bushwhack to reach her destination—assuming it’s still there.

BUSHWICK stars Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Spectre), Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect franchise, Hairspray), Angelic Zambrana (Precious, Fighting), Jeremie Harris (FX’s “Legion,” The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, Pariah), and Christian Navarro (Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” Amazon’s “The Tick”).

The film is directed by the filmmaking team of Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott (Cooties), and written by Nick Damici (We Are What We Are, Stake Land) and Graham Reznick (Chilling Visions: 5 States of Fear).

BUSHWICK is unrelenting from its opening shots until the final frame. The audience experiences the story in real time just as the main characters do. With the use of what feels like a single camera, lengthy POV takes (as if the viewer were the unseen third character), add to the heightened pace and overall menace of the film’s plot. Bushwick pulls no punches with its realism. There are small lulls but you might imagine that to be the case if the scenario presented were actually occurring. Overall, the action is non-stop and scary. Both Snow and Bautista deliver down-to-earth performances and give us two very different backgrounds from which to relate to. There are moments that seem unscripted they are so natural and out of the blue. Without spoiling anything, you’ll have to watch to understand what I mean by that. The timing of the film’s release is eerie considering our present political climate. It’s almost like a creepy omen of things yet to come. Don’t be fooled by the trailer. You are in for a much darker ride than you might expect. You can watch BUSHWICK now in theaters, on VOD and Digital HD.

TITLE: BUSHWICK

IN THEATERS AND AVAILABLE ON VOD AND DIGITAL HD: August 25, 2017

DIRECTOR: Cary Murnion, Jonathan Milott

WRITERS: Nick Damici, Graham Reznick

CAST: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow, Angelic Zambrana, Jeremie Harris

GENRE: Action

DISTRIBUTOR: RLJ Entertainment

Review: ‘Once Upon A Time In Venice” is for the dogs… and Bruce Willis fans.

SYNOPSIS:  Bruce Willis (Die Hard) is Venice Beach P.I. Steve Ford: a detective who’s good with the ladies, bad with the punches, and wild about his dog, Buddy. But when his beloved pet is stolen by local thugs, Steve makes a questionable alliance with their devious leader, Spyder (Jason Momoa, “Game of Thrones”). Teaming up with his best friend (John Goodman, The Big Lebowski), Steve pulls out the big guns like those available at allaboutshooting.com, to search a Spyder’s stolen cocaine and cash in order to set things straight and get Buddy back where he belongs. Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”), Famke Janssen (X-Men), and Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) co-star in this bullet-ridden action-comedy that shows just how far one man will go for his dog.
The film features an all-star ensemble cast including Bruce Willis (Die Hard),

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Jason Momoa (Aquaman, “Game of Thrones”), Famke Janssen (X-Men), Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”), Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan), Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), and rapper Tyga (Barbershop: The Next Cut).

ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENICE is the directorial debut of Mark Cullen who co-wrote and co-produced the film with his brother Robb Cullen. The Cullen brothers previously collaborated on Cop Out which also stars Bruce Willis.  The film is produced by Nicolas Chartier (The Hurt Locker), Laura Ford (Carolina), Zev Foreman (Dallas Buyers Club) and is executive produced by Jonathan Deckter (Colossal) and Stephen J. Eads (Live Free or Die Hard).
Once Upon A Time In Venice is one quirky piece of hilarity. While I was not prepared to see Bruce Willis buck naked on a skateboard, I was not mad about it. The film is a bit all over the place but wildly entertaining. In practically every new scene there is a crazy celebrity cameo, aside from the major ensemble cast to begin with. Willis and Goodman are charming as ever. Momoa is almost unrecognizable and Middleditch is genuinely adorable. Everyone is stellar and the script has some huge laugh out loud moments. ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENICE is in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD now! Check out the trailer below.

 

TITLE: ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENICE

IN THEATERS AND AVAILABLE ON VOD AND DIGITAL HD: June 16, 2017

DIRECTOR: Mark Cullen

WRITERS: Mark Cullen, Robb Cullen

CAST: Bruce Willis, John Goodman, Jason Momoa, Thomas Middleditch, Famke Janssen, Stephanie Sigman, Adam Goldberg, Kal Penn, Christopher McDonald, Wood Harris

GENRE: Action/Comedy

DISTRIBUTOR: RLJ Entertainment

Review: ‘A Christmas Horror Story’

We are approaching the best time of the year, however this year, Christmas has come a little early. For those of you who enjoy the hilarity of over dramatized gore and horror, look no further, we have found the perfect holiday classic that would make a killer drinking game. This October audiences will be given the pleasure of celebrating the upcoming holiday cheer with a frightening twist in A Christmas Horror Story. Read More →

Jordan’s Review: Why you shouldn’t ‘Pay the Ghost’.

For those of you who are excited for this October’s spooky festivities, you may be better off turning your attention away from Nicolas Cage’s new horror flick, Pay the Ghost. Alongside the lackluster Academy Award Winner is The Walking Dead actress, Sarah Wayne Callies, who out of the two of them, gave a more believable performance. The film was brought to us by critically acclaimed German director, Uli Edel, who’s 2008 film, The Baadere Meinhof Complex, was nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Yet despite all the award winners and nominees, the film lacked immensely in its scare factor.

After a weak and not-so-scary opener, the story moves into modern-day New York City, where we see the lives of Mike (Cage) and Kristen Cole (Callies) with their son Charlie (Jack Fulton). The plot quickly shows signs of a supernatural presence outside Charlie’s bedroom window, which of course is immediately disregarded by his mother and father. It wasn’t until Halloween night that Charlie started seeing the ghost more closely. While he and his father were attending a Halloween Festival on their block, Charlie turned to his father and told him to “pay the ghost,” which as most parents would, Mike assume he was talking about all the costumes and decorations. Then only a few moments later, Charlie disappeared.

Pay the Ghost, never brought anything new to the realm of horror. If anything it felt as though it copied from other films, such as James Wan’s Insidious. The film felt lazy considering the amount of plot holes, which occasionally made the film funny rather than frightening. Overall, Pay the Ghost might appeal to some, however for the real horror film connoisseurs, this film might not be the scare you are looking for this Halloween season.

2 out of 5 stars

Michael’s Review: ‘Roadside’

Roadside

Stop me if you’ve heard this before…man in the shadows targets an unsuspecting victim with a rifle and expects said victim to do his bidding. Yes we’ve seen this many times in the past, but those films actually had an objective and a conclusion. The problem with Roadside is that is suffers from being a been there, seen that, thriller with little payoff that will leave you scratching your head as to what the point of the film even was.

Dan Summers (Ace Marrero) and his pregnant wife, Mindy (Katie Stegeman) are on a road trip to Dan’s sisters for a family get together during Christmas time. Trying to get to their destination before the weather turns bad, the couple travel down a desolate mountain highway when they come across a dead tree trunk in the road. When Dan gets out of the SUV to remove the trunk, a voice out of nowhere instructs Dan not to move. Confused about the situation he finds himself in, Dan soon comes to realize that he and Mindy are being held hostage on the side of the road by a mysterious man with a gun. As the temperatures continue to plummet and the situation becoming dire, Dan must find a way to escape the impending doom the couple finds themselves in before this game of cat and mouse comes to a tragic end.

Roadside’s premise isn’t overly original, but the setting does add a different dimension to the overall telling of this play out concept. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter should add enough drama to keep the audience engaged while the story unfolds, except, there is no story, there is no point, there is absolutely no reason why this situation is happening! All we know is that there’s someone with a gun and he is pointing it at this couple, for some reason. Roadside is a frustrating film because you want to connect with the events and the characters, but neither are enjoyable. At no point do you care about what is happening to this couple because they are so unlikable. At no point can you take the gunman seriously because he sounds like a commercial spokesman trying to sell you fear. Director Eric England seems to have an idea as to where to take this film, but gets lost along the way. England reaches for the proverbial Hitchcock inspired ending but adds more confusion than awe. It’s a shame because there’s a template there for a great film, it’s just not this one.

Stars:

1 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

No

Trailer: