It’s not a stretch to say that Clint Eastwood has had an extraordinary movie career. Perhaps best known for his work as an actor, he has also excelled behind the camera. It fact, it may surprise some to know that he has directed nearly 40 feature films. Even more, Eastwood have received four Academy Award nominations for directing alone, winning two of them (“The Unforgiven”, “Million Dollar Baby”). As I said, he’s had an extraordinary movie career.

Eastwood’s directorial debut came all the way back in 1971 with the psychological thriller “Play Misty for Me”. The film was a hit with critics and a modest success at the box office. Despite being his first time behind the camera, it’s easy to recognize certain characteristics of Eastwood’s direction that would become his trademarks. And while it’s hardly his best directed film, you get good tastes of the filmmaker he would become all throughout “Misty”.

Written by the duo of Jo Heims and Dean Riesner, “Play Misty for Me” sees Eastwood playing Dave Garver, a popular disc jockey for KRML radio in Carmel, California. After another successful evening show, Dave stops at a bar owned by his good friend Murphy (Don Siegel). While there, a woman catches his eye and the two have some drinks. Sounds innocent enough.

The woman introduces herself as Evelyn (Jessica Walter) and first claims to have been stood up at the bar. But she soon admits she’s really there to meet Dave. It turns out she’s a fan and the same woman who has been repeatedly calling his radio show to request Erroll Garner’s “Misty”. The two leave together for a no-strings-attached one-night stand. At least that’s what Dave thinks. Unfortunately for him, Evelyn feels differently. She begins calling him and paying unannounced visits to his house. But what starts as inconveniences quickly evolves into a disturbing and dangerous obsession.

To complicate matters, Dave’s ex-girlfriend Tobie (Donna Mills) returns to town after four months away. Dave’s crazy about her and wants to get back together. But she’s weary about getting involved again, especially after his history of womanizing. Still, he’s determined to make their relationship work – something that gets significantly more difficult with the increasingly unhinged Evelyn around.

As the story unfolds, it’s pretty easy to predict where things are heading. And occasionally Eastwood will make a peculiar choice that can feel out of sync with the rest of the movie (such as an extended scene showing Dave and Tobie at a music festival). Yet his direction keeps us on our toes, and watching him maneuver us around some intriguing late twists really emphasizes his facility for filmmaking. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that he gives a really strong performance. But to have such good senses behind the camera in his first turn as a director is both surprising and impressive.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

I’m guessing you’ve probably heard movies described as “genre mashups”, “genre stews”, or “genre blends”. Few fit the bill quite like “Project Wolf Hunting”. From writer-director Kim Hong-seon, this wild and kinetic South Korean romp has action, horror, thriller, science-fiction, and survival elements all rolled into one ultra-violent and blood-soaked experience.

Sometimes we may use words like “blood-soaked” simply to describe a really violent movie. But with “Project Wolf Hunting”, you can apply it in a near literal sense. Hong-seon drenches his film in the red stuff – sprays of blood, pools of blood, splatters of blood, you name it. Slashed jugulars, crushed skulls, and severed limbs come by the dozens. So needless to say, this isn’t a movie for the squeamish. But if bloody, gnarly, proudly over-the-top action is your thing, Hong-seon has you covered.

To give you a better idea of what you’re in for, “Project Wolf Hunting” is what you’d get if you took “The Raid”, mixed it with “Con-Air”, and sprinkled in a little “Predator”. Most of the film takes place aboard a massive cargo freighter called the Frontier Titan, where a group of hardened violent criminals are being transported from the Philippines to Busan, South Korea. But deep in the belly of the ship lies a gruesome secret. One that takes the story in a direction you’ll never expect.

Seok-woo (Park Ho-san) is the officer in charge of the prisoners, and he accompanies the slew of police detectives, including Da-yeon (Jung So-min) who volunteered for security detail during the transport. Among the inmates is Jong-du (Seo In-guk) a full-blown psychopath with a following and the quietly mysterious Do-il (Jang Dong-yoon) who keeps to himself but clearly has history. As the Frontier Titan leaves harbor, back home in Busan a government agency takes command of the control center tasked with monitoring the transport.

As you might expect, the freighter is doomed from the very start. Once the ship hits international waters, criminals posing as crew members let loose Jong-du who leads the inmates in a brutal revolt against the police officers. The cops versus cons scenes are intense, and for a while we feel like we know exactly the kind of movie we’re in for. And then Hong-seon wallops us with a unexpected right turn.

Below, on the ship’s bottom deck, lies something far more grisly and violent – a grotesque super-soldier-like experiment labeled Alpha (Choi Gwi-hwa). But trust me, it’s no Steve Rogers. And when the action on the top decks inadvertently awakens it, “Project Wolf Hunting” catapults into full-blown slasher territory. The blood increases by the gallons, the savagery intensifies, and the body count soars. It’s a wild and crazy twist that gives a jolt to a movie that was already pushing things to the edge.

It’s hard to believe, especially in a movie like this, but a few things are simply too gratuitous and it’s clear they’re thrown in solely to push the envelope and grab attention (one that has absolutely nothing to do with violence). They’re the only times the movie feels gimmicky and lazy. Otherwise “Project Wolf Hunting” sticks close to its rabid, uber-gory, and undeniably fun vision. It’s a veritable ballet of blood-drenched brutality, choreographed with an unbridled ferocity. I won’t be for everyone (just ask my wife), but fans of no-holds-barred action are going to have a blast.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Bursting at the seams with high-caliber action and loads of panache, “Pathaan” is an off-the-charts, full-throttle Bollywood blockbuster in every sense. Furiously directed by Siddharth Anand, this fourth installment in the YRF Spy Universe flaunts the star power of Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham. It’s somewhat of a comeback role for the screen veteran Khan, who after a four-year hiatus shows he still has the grit and charisma to fuel this fun and fast-paced Hindi-language action thriller.

Written by Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala from a story conceived by Anand, “Pathaan” follows a RAW field agent on a mission to stop a rogue agent with a serious ax to grind with his home country. That probably sounds strikingly similar to the previous film in the universe, 2019’s stellar “War”. But “Pathaan” has its own twists, turns, and angles while still capturing the spirit of its predecessor. And the potential it teases for the future is pretty exciting.

Much like “War”, Anand once again spans the globe, making stops at eye-catching vistas in India, France, Russia, Afghanistan, and Spain among other places. Along with DP Satchith Paulose, Anand uses his locations to soak us in the size and scope of the story. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they also set the stage for some incredible set pieces which are ultimately the movie’s bread and butter.

The story itself has all the marks of a classic spy picture, from the fist-pumping thrills to the undeniable silliness. In 2019, the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution enrages a cancer-stricken Pakistani general named Qadir (Manish Wadhwa). Not trusting his own government to handle things to his liking, the embittered Qadir reaches out to the leader of a privately funded terrorist outfit called “Outfit X” who goes by the name of Jim (Abraham).

As it turns out, Jim is an ex-RAW agent believed to be dead by the Indian government. He too wants India to pay but for reasons entirely his own. He takes Qadir’s offer and begins hatching a plan to bring his former country to its knees. When RAW gets wind that Jim is very much alive and up to something big, senior officer Nandini (a terrific Dimple Kapadia) summons field agent Pathaan (Khan) to head the new “Joint Operation and Covert Research” unit (aka JOCR). Their first order of business – head to Dubai to stop the assassination of India’s president by Outfit X.

Along the way Pathaan learns that a former ISI agent named Rubina Mohsin (Padukone) is involved, although figuring out whose side she’s on proves difficult. Like a classic Bond girl, Padukone adds some spice and brings an air of mystery to the story, all while sharing some good chemistry with Khan. Unfortunately she sometimes gets lost in the plot’s breakneck maneuvering which is too bad considering the energy she brings to several of her scenes.

But it all comes down to Khan and Abraham, and the cat and mouse game between the film’s hero and villain. Anand knows what he has in them, and he really leans into what they bring to the screen. Khan shows he has the chops to be a full-blown action star while Abraham brings plenty of swagger, making him a diverting antagonist. And regardless of the story’s tendency to veer off into the preposterous, the two stars, along with the eye-popping visual spectacle, the kinetic pacing, a cracking score, and one very exciting cameo, keep things fun. It’s popcorn pleasure at its finest.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Christian Bale investigates a series of gruesome murders in 1830 Hudson Valley, New York in Scott Cooper’s “The Pale Blue Eye”, an adaptation of Louis Bayard’s 2003 novel of the same name. It’s a film based on some really good material, that takes place in an intriguing setting, and that sports a terrific cast who all click right into place. Yet despite the many things it has going for it, “The Pale Blue Eye” can never quite get out of second gear.

Bale plays Detective Augustus Landor, a seasoned detective who knows his share of heartache. When we first meet him, it has been three years since his beloved wife died. To make matters worse, his daughter Mattie (Hadley Robinson) has ran off, leaving Augustus alone with his sorrow. Aside from drinking at a nearby tavern ran by Charlotte Gainsbourg’s warm but underwritten Patsy, he copes by losing himself in his work, which leads to him being summoned to the West Point Military Academy by Superintendent Sylvanus Thayer (played by Timothy Spall who wears a well-carved stoic expression better than anyone).

We learn there has been a tragic death at the esteemed institution – a suicide by hanging of one of their cadets, a young man named Fry (Matt Heim). Superintendent Thayer wants Augustus to investigate. But it turns out he isn’t nearly as interested in finding out the truth as he is in protecting the honor and reputation of the country’s premier military academy. Augustus accepts, setting up the mystery that drives the rest of the movie.

Upon beginning his investigation several disturbing truths are revealed. Augustus meets with the medical examiner, Dr. Daniel Marquis (Toby Jones) who informs him that the young cadet’s heart was cut out of his body postmortem, apparently while it was in the Academy’s morgue. To add an extra layer, while examining the body Augustus discovers evidence indicating this may not be a suicide but a ritualistic murder. His suspicions are later confirmed after the body of another cadet is found, it too with its heart removed.

To help with his investigation, Augustus secretly recruits an eccentric yet brilliant cadet named Edgar Allen Poe (Harry Melling). Poe serves as his eyes and ears around West Point, and the two develop a strange but compelling partnership. Both characters have their own interesting angles. Bale’s scruffy and tired-looking Augustus is haunted by ghosts from a past he keeps tightly bottled up inside of him. Melling’s Poe is somewhat of an outcast at the Academy but a keen observer. A future poet himself, Poe begins to see the case through his own unique lens. He also falls for Lea (Lucy Boynton), the sickly daughter of Dr. Marquis which is one place where the story starts to show some cracks.

Unfortunately the mystery itself never quite comes to a boil the way you might hope. Despite its hearty premise and good setup, it feels like something was lost between paper and screen. Even its impressive cast (which also features Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, and Robert Duvall) can’t quite make this overlong and overly staid story hum. It isn’t until the actual mystery is solved, and we get an interesting (though not altogether convincing) final act character shift, that the movie really starts to simmer.

While the story has a tough time finding its footing, the setting is nicely realized starting with Stefania Cella’s production design and Kasia Walicka-Maimone’s costumes. The chilly blues and grays of Cooper regular Masanobu Takayanagi’s cinematography create a gothic atmosphere fitting for a Poe-like short story. It all makes for a handsomely made period piece with a visual presentation that almost makes you look past the borderline sluggish storytelling. “The Pale Blue Eye” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

(CHECK OUT my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

One thing you can say about Gerard Butler – he’s certainly found his comfort zone. And these days it’s rare to see the 53-year-old Scotsman step outside of it. Much like Liam Neeson, Butler has settled into making easy to digest action-heavy thrillers. To his credit, his movies tend to come with a slightly higher budget, with Butler often serving as his own co-producer.

Following last year’s thrill-free thriller “Last Seen Alive”, Butler returns with the generically titled but surprisingly propulsive “Plane”. This time around he plays a commercial pilot named Brodie Torrance (that’s such a Gerry Butler character name). While it may not sport the most inspired title, “Plane” turns out to be a lot of fun. And it lands at a good time, as many of us have been (and in some cases still are) cramming a steady diet of prestige films and awards contenders. It was kinda nice to sit back and take in a straightforward no-frills action flick.

“Plane” is directed by Jean-François Richet working from a script by screenwriter J.P. Davis and spy novelist Charles Cumming. Their story offers up a hearty helping of old-school action with some light survival-thriller elements thrown in. Its framework may be pretty standard-issue, but it’s well shot and especially well-paced. Richet keeps his story and his audience steadily moving forward, spending just enough time on the details to keep us onboard. And Butler makes for a sturdy and believable lead.

On New Years Eve, Captain Brodie Torrance is set to fly Trailblazer 119 and its 14 passengers from Singapore to Tokyo. After the six hour and thirty minute flight, it’s off to Maui where he’ll spend a few days with his daughter Daniella (Haleigh Hekking). Once onboard Brodie meets his co-pilot for the flight (Yoson An) and the head flight attendant Bonnie (Daniella Pineda) and begins preparing for takeoff.

The only concern is a heavy patch of storms over the South China Sea which Brodie recommends flying around. But the higher-ups would rather save fuel than add another hour to such a small flight. So they urge Brodie to push through the weather. Adding yet another wrinkle, just as they are about to start boarding passengers, a federal marshal escorts Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter) onto the plane. He’s a fugitive who was apprehended in Bali and is being extradited to the States for a homicide committed 15 years ago.

After a smooth takeoff, they hit the storm while flying over the Philippines. Brodie attempts to climb to 40,000 feet to clear the weather, but the plane is struck by lightning and loses power, forcing him to make a daring emergency landing. Once on the ground, Brodie realizes he has landed on Jolo, a volatile island controlled by anti-government militias and separatists. In a snap, his job goes from getting his passengers safely on the ground to getting them safely off the island. But to pull it off he’ll need help from an unexpected source – Louis Gaspare.

Meanwhile, back at Trailblazer headquarters in New York, a no-nonsense crisis manager named David Scarsdale (a really good Tony Goldwyn) is called in to find the downed plane and extract the survivors before they’re captured and killed by a ruthless and eruptive militia commander (Evan Dane Taylor). And so the table is set.

Richet never stays in one place very long, and the action quickly moves from a simmer to a boil. It can get a little brutal, especially in its bullet-riddled finale. But Richet never goes overboard. Outside of Butler’s Brody and Colter’s Gaspare (to a degree), everyone else are basically well-acted stock characters. But that’s okay in a movie like this. Some do get lost in the chaos. But most play their parts and fill their roles well.

Outside of some shaky CGI effects and its one-dimensional (yet admittedly menacing) villains, “Plane” is every bit the movie it sets out to be. For action fans, it’ll be right up their alley. For Butler loyalists (I’m assuming they exist), this is one of their man’s better movies. For those who simply want to kick back, unplug, and unwind, Butler and company have just what you’re looking for. Sure, movies like this are a dime a dozen. But when they’re done this well, you can’t help but have a good time. “Plane” lands in theater today (January 13th).

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Russell Crowe directs, writes, and stars in the new feature “Poker Face”, a puzzling movie built around a puzzling premise and hampered by puzzling execution. It’s a movie I’m still trying to wrap my mind around. It’s one that had me onboard with its early teases of some strange and knotty thriller. But then it plays out, and you quickly realize there’s not much to this unremarkable and frustratingly shallow endeavor.

The seasoned Crowe is too good not to give it his all, and he does that here. The Oscar winner has proven to be a great actor and his sadly underseen “The Water Diviner” from 2014 was a solid directorial debut. But here he handcuffs himself with a script full of gaping holes and head-scratching shortcuts. He writes a good enough setup – one that allows him to portray a character much different than most he’s played throughout his over 30-year career. But the lack of focus in his writing, particularly in the second half, is too much for his directing to overcome.

Crowe plays a billionaire tech mogul and high-stakes gambler named Jake Foley. Following a beautifully shot yet rather fruitless intro, we meet Jake solemnly admiring a painting at an art gallery. He’s approached by a young woman named Alyra who wants to paint his portrait for the Archibald Portrait Prize. He gives her his consent and she snaps his picture. “Maybe if I make the short list I will see you at the exhibition,” she hopefully comments. “No you won’t” he replies with an exasperated half-smile and walks away.

We learn the 57-year-old widower has just gotten a bad medical diagnosis and he hasn’t long to live. From there it’s on to a strange sequence as Jake drives his fancy Rolls-Royce deep into the country where he consults with a grizzled old shaman (played by character actor Jack Thompson). The mystic gives Jake some drug-induced peace of mind and sends him home with a prescription. With his newfound clarity, Jake begins getting things in order with the help of his lawyer and personal right-hand man, Sam (Daniel MacPherson). One of his first orders of business – a poker night with friends.

That may sound shallow and frivolous, but Jake actually has deeper intentions. Seeing beyond the facade of success, Jake has come face-to-face with his mortality. It has caused him to self-evaluate and reflect. It’s also led him to examine his old relationships, namely those with his childhood chums Michael (Liam Hemsworth) a struggling alcoholic; Alex (Aden Young) a published author; Paul (Steve Bastoni), a politician; and his business partner and best friend, Drew (RZA). Each have their own unflattering secrets that Jake wants to root out.

So Jake sets up an elaborate plan under the guise of the ultimate poker night. He sends a message for his old friends to gather at a fancy hotel. There they meet Sam who gives them keys to luxury cars and GPS coordinates to Jake’s swanky, state of the art, oceanside home. When they arrive they’re greeted by Jake who offers them an intriguing choice. They can keep the luxury car they drove, no strings attached, or they can trade it in for $5 million in chips and a spot at a high stakes game of Texas hold ‘em (winner take all, of course).

Most of us would probably keep the car and sell it. But these guys all turn it their keys and collect their chips. Now you might be thinking this is where we get the poker in “Poker Face”. Well, technically yes. But there’s only about five minutes of actual card playing. Michael, Alex, and Paul quickly discover that their old pal Jake has something else up his sleeve. It all sounds goofy yet kinda cool, but the suspense is squandered when a goon named Victor (Paul Tassone) shows up with his armed henchmen to rob the place. What unfolds is a tensionless and woefully underdeveloped final act that guts the movie of any remaining potential.

To Crowe’s credit, he throws out some clever ideas and opens up a number of compelling themes. And his restrained, lived-in performance is a nice plus. But his storytelling never quite matches his ambition. Too often the movie bolts from one place the another, leaving out what feels like critical details and skipping over opportunities to flesh out its story more. And the practically non-existent character development in some cases really hurts, making it hard to invest in anyone or anything we say. It’s a shame because Crowe can handle himself behind the camera. His script here just doesn’t give him the room to really show it. “Poker Face” is out now in select theaters.

VERDICT – 2 STARS