Attack on Titan: The Last Attack, in Cinema Daily US

ATTACK ON TITAN: THE LAST ATTACK might confuse newcomers to the franchise it concludes, but the titular behemoths size-up nicely forthe big screen and the characters' espirit de corps is appealing. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.

I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, on Lifetime

She won the first and only Grammy for best disco song in 1979. The following year, disco died and so did the award category. Yet, her hit was a fitting winner, because it might be the most enduring disco recording of all time. If you go to a wedding, party, or club tonight, there is a strong chance you will hear the DJ spin it. She endured hard times to, but, yes, she survived to see her story become a Lifetime movie, Alicia K. Harris’s I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, “Presented by Robin Roberts,” which premieres tonight on the network.

Gaynor’s mother had an unshakable faith that helped sustain the future super-star and her younger sister Irma, after their matriarch’s untimely death. Music was always the way she earned their keep, but her first real (but admittedly crooked manager) guided her to her breakout hit record, an early disco cover of “Never Can Say Goodbye.” Unfortunately, she had to leave her Jersey band behind.

Eventually, she leaves her exploitative manager too, but she replaces him with her future husband, Linwood Simon, who presumably did not cooperate with this production. To be fair, he helps Gaynor’s comeback, as she recovers from an on-stage accident. Her new label wanted her for a tune she did not dig, but she insisted on the B-side: “I Will Survive.” Obviously, it soon became the A-side.

It was a great year, but success changes Gaynor’s manager-husband. He books grinding tours, while making dubious career decisions on her behalf. He also seems a little too familiar with the temptations found on the party scene.

It is rather frustrating how closely Gaynor’s biography parallels those of other musical greats. Indeed, there are considerable similarities with Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story, including bad management, the wrong man, and serious health challenges, but I Will Survive is a much better-looking production. It also appeals to both disco and gospel listeners, giving substantial time to the uplifting direction she took late in her career.

Renner: A Man and his Creepy AI

AI is creepy enough. We do not need one spewing a bunch of self-help doubletalk. There ought to be regulation preventing this questionable artificial intelligence “life coach.” Instead, her code is coveted. Frankly, she does not seem to work very well, because her inventor allows himself to get involved with the wrong woman in Robert Rippberger’s Renner, which opens today in theaters.

Renner is a genius with code, but an idiot when it comes to human relations. He is emotionally stunted, introverted, and obsessive compulsive. His invention, Salenus, coaches him to be more confident and assertive, but it will take a lot of work. However, the process gets a jump-start when Jamie moves in across the hall. Despite his awkward social skills, she is friendly and patient with Renner.

Her deadbeat brother Chad is a different matter. His passive aggression grows increasingly aggressive. Salenus is less than supportive of Renner’s courtship as well. She becomes downright rude and insulting when addressing Jamie and even starts to lie and deceive Renner.

Arguably, Frankie Muniz delivers one of the best performances of his career in a film that never comes close to deserving it. Every twist is blatantly obvious. In fact, just about every plot-point requires appalling levels of stupidity and negligence.

Nevertheless, Muniz really delves into Renner’s neurotic self-loathing, taking viewers to some very dark places. Sometimes, he is painful to watch, for the right reasons. The rest of the film can be painful for the wrong reasons.

Kidnapping Inc., Haiti’s Leading Industry

Heritage ranks Haiti #155 out of 184 countries on its Index of Economic Freedom rankings, deeming it “repressed.” Taxation and inflation are high, government regulation is not transparent, and property rights are infrequently protected. With little incentive for investment, domestic or international, illicit enterprises thrives. Ransom kidnappings are an especially dangerous business, for reasons that soon become clear in Bruno Mourral’s Kidnapping Inc., which opens today in Brooklyn.

This was supposed to be Doc’s last abduction, so you know what that means. Their latest target is Benjamin Perralt, Jr. (a.k.a. Ti Ben), the semi-estranged son of Perralt Sr., an elite politician running for President. They assume it is a straight ransom job, but it is really part of a bigger political power play. Regardless, they are not supposed to kill Ti Ben, but they do, accidentally.

Obviously, they are in serious hot water, so they ferry the dead body around Port-au-Prince, almost like Weekend at Bernie’s, trying to devise circumstances to explain Ti Ben’s death that would not appear to be their fault. Instead, they dig themselves into a deeper hole, kidnapping the Voltaires, a bickering and extremely-expecting couple, as part of a hair-brained, improvised plan.

Frankly, Kidnapping Inc sounds more farcical than it really is. The comedy is about as black as it gets, but the conditions behind-the-scenes were even more serious. Three crew members were kidnapped during the production and one member of both the cast and crew were fatally killed after shooting wrapped. No film needs that kind of authenticity.

Understandably, the screenplay credited to Mourral, Jasmuel Andri, and Gilbert Mirambeau Jr., expresses considerable anger. Sometimes, it comes out in questionable ways, particularly the constant, divisive association of lighter-skinned “mulattos” like Perralt, Sr. with wealth, privilege, and corruption.

Love Hurts, Yeah Yeah

Marvin Gable was once a ruthless hitman/enforcer. Now he is a real estate agent. Many in New York would not draw much of an ethical distinction between the two, but there is a world of difference in Milwaukee. Regardless, Gable’s old life comes looking for him—on Valentine’s Day—in Jonathan Eusebio’s Love Hurts, which opens tomorrow in theaters.

Gable used to be his gangster brother Alvin “Knuckles” Gable’s chief assassin and leg-breaker. However, he has worked quietly for several years as a real estate agent, apparently keeping a low-profile, despite plastering his photo on bus stop ads and yard signs throughout the city. This February 14^th, he gets a Valentine from Rose Carlisle, as do all his former associates.

He was supposed to execute Carlisle and burry her in the quarry, but Gable let her go instead, because he was smitten. Now she is back, hoping to reclaim her life, under her real name. Obviously, Knuckles feels disappointed by his brother’s deception, so he sends “The Raven” to collect information regarding her whereabouts, which Gable does not yet know.

Fortunately, she will soon find him, before Knuckles’ large bench of colorful hired-killers track down either of them. M. Gable just wants Carlisle to disappear again for her own safety, but she insists on somehow righting past wrongs.

Ke Huy Quan is a real-deal accomplished martial artist, who has worked in the business as a professional fight coordinator (including choreographing scenes for the HK action movie The Avenging Fist). As a result, the many fight scenes are considerably more brutally realistic than you might expect. Arguably, this film might have played better if it had played it straight, because the comedy is meh.

The one-sheet proudly proclaims Love Hurt shares producers with Violent Night and Mr. Nobody, which probably means more to the Producer’s Guild than everyday viewers. Yet, in this case, it looks like the screenplay (credited to Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore) was assembled out of outtakes from those two films.

There are some things that work well. Sean Astin (Quan’s co-star in The Goonies) is terrific as Gable’s supportive boss, Cliff Cussick. Quan himself has a lot of earnest charm, as well as impressive martial arts chops, as the new and improved Gable. However, the chemistry he shares with Ariana DeBose (as Carlisle) is tepid at best.

Dark Nuns: from the World of “The Priests”

Catholic clergy are tough in general, but sometimes nuns are even fiercer than priests, as some Catholic school alumni’s knuckles might attest. In this case, Sister Giunia is far and away the most capable expeller of demons the Church currently has in Korea, but since she is not even ordained yet, she cannot perform exorcisms. Unfortunately, the priest currently treating a possessed little boy believes demonic control is a metaphor and possibly a sign of mental illness. Of course, he learns better through horrific experience in Kwon Hyeok-jae’s Dark Nuns, which releases this Friday in theaters.

Sister Giunia, originally known as Kang Sung-ae, learned all about exorcisms from Fathers Kim Bum-shin and Choi Joon-ho, the heroes of Jang Jae-hyun’s The Priests (and his short 12^th Assistant Deacon which it was expanded from). Consequently, she is considered kind of spooky, so some in the Church call her the “Dark Nun.” Regardless, two different priests completely botched the sanctioned exorcism of young Hee-joon. She stepped saving their necks (and most likely souls), but the demon retreated deep within the boy, biding its time, while imprisoning its host in a feverish, semi-conscious state.

Father Paolo, who is also a medical doctor, insists Hee-joon only needed aggressive drug therapy, but maybe it is too late, since the Church wasted so much time on hocus pocus. He points to Sister Michaela as an example of what he means, since he supposedly “cured” her of her visions when she was a teen. However, all the bad things that happen around the boy quickly convince Sister Michaela that Sister Guinia knows her demonic stuff.

Unfortunately, the Church refuses to sanction further exorcisms, so the nuns must turn to the Shamanistic community for back-up. Awkwardly, none of the fully trained shaman are available, because they have all been engaged to cleanse the karma of political candidates before the upcoming election. (It would be an understatement to describe Sister Giunia as unimpressed.)

Aside from the mixing of Catholic and shamanist forces, the plot points in Dark Nuns do not radically depart from many other demonic possession films. Nevertheless, the execution is tight, tense, and sometimes even terrifying. Arguably, the final twenty minutes or so constitute a masterclass in horror movie suspense.

Sister Giunia also emerges as quite a remarkable character, sort of like a cloistered Van Helsing, who happens to be doctrinally conservative yet spiritually flexible enough to wield tarot cards as a weapon and accept considerable elements of shamanism. She has seen horrors, that’s for sure, but Song Hye-kyo’s steely performance inspires considence.

Heart Eyes: Happy Valentine’s Day

The good news is restaurants should be much more affordable this Valantine’s. The bad news is a serial killer has been killing couples on Cupid’s day for the last few years. Conspicuous PDAs can be fatal, as well as causing nausea in others. Ally and her new work colleague Jay are absolutely, positively not a couple, but they look good together, so they still attract the killer’s attention in Josh Ruben’s Heart Eyes, which opens this Friday in theaters.

Ally just released a bizarre ad campaign featuring famous dead lovers, like Romeo and Juliet, that would be considered grotesque even if the so-called Heart Eyes Killer (H.E.K.) weren’t terrorizing romantic couples. He is definitely still active, as we see during the Scream-like prologue. Many of his targets are obnoxious Instagram-driven Millennial jerkweeds, but HEK willingly slashes through any innocent working stiff who get in the way.

Jay is the supposed marketing wizard brought into clean up Ally’s mess. They are natural rivals, but there is also an undercurrent of attraction, making their dinner meeting, on Valentine’s Day—the boss will love his expense report—even more awkward. That also means he goes with it, when she kisses him for her ex’s benefit. Of course, you know who else sees that smooch and starts chasing the not-lovers through the city.

Arguably, Heart Eyes is a better Scream movie than the later Scream movies that perversely shifted away from Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers. The screenplay (credited to Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy) is slyly droll in a knowing but not excessively ironic way. There is a lot of humor, but Ruben and the screenwriters are just as concerned with the start-and-stop development of the hunted non-couple’s romance.

Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding have terrific romantic and comedic chemistry together as Ally and Jay. Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster are also perfectly matched as the two lead detectives, Hobbs and Shaw—yes, its an in-joke, which the cops themselves don’t get.

The Fishing Place

No Catholic priest should ever be a complete pacifist, because of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Just War doctrine. He is the only saint who was beautified because he was miraculously smart. Technically, Rev. Adam Honderich is a German Lutheran now, but he is a former Father known to associate with pacificists. Yet, the National Socialist officer in charge of this sleepy Norwegian coastal district fears Honderich has also put his pacificist past behind him and now supports the local Resistance. Like it or not, the Reverend will have a minder, but he won’t mind her so much in Rob Tregenza’s The Fishing Place, which opens tomorrow in New York, at MoMA.

Anna Kristiansen and Honderich ought to get a long, considering she was imprisoned for implied Resistance activity, until Aksel Hansen sprung her to be his snitch. New to domestic work, she apparently gets a bit of training in the dysfunctional home of the wealthy local collaborator before Hansen foists her on Honderich.

Of course, Honderich understands Hansen’s intentions, but he and Kristiansen still get along relatively well, in a reserved Teutonic-Scandinavian kind of way. For her part, she appreciates the first task he assigns: caring for the orphan they find squatting in his cottage.

That all might sound like the start of an aesthetically severe but heartfelt wartime drama, which it could have been. Rev/Father Honderich is a fascinating clerical character. Keenly aware of his own humanity, the good Father will call out passive aggressive behavior when he sees it. Nevertheless, he still must humor Hansen. Hence, the fishing trip that bestows the film’s title.

However, Trengenza takes a wild experimental turn that completely changes not just the vibe but the entire identity of the film. It is bold filmmaking that does not work. Arguably, this is a shame, because there are early scenes that suggest The Fishing Place could have been a minor companion film to great, sympathetic but darkly hued cinematic portrayals of priests, such as Jean-Pierre Melville’s Leon Morin, Priest and Klaus Haro’s hidden treasure, Letters to Father Jacob. Unfortunately, Trengenza halts all such lofty thoughts after about an hour.

Batman ’89, Softcover Edition

Based on reports in the media, Warners made the right choice cancelling the partially completed Batgirl movie. Bringing back Michael Keaton as many fans’ preferred Batman, only to immediately kill him off would have produced enormous ill will for the DC brand. It is pretty clear Keaton and Adam West remain sentimental favorites, considering DC Comics have given them both similar treatment to the Christopher Reeves-esque Superman ’78 limited series. The first story-arc set in the world of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, Sam Hamm’s Batman ’89, illustrated by Joe Quinones, releases again today in a new tradepaper edition.

In this Gothic-styled, vaguely late-1980s-feeling Gotham, District Attorney, Harvey Dent, looks a lot like Billy Dee Williams (who played the pre-Two Face DA in burton’s Film), rather than Tommy Lee Jones in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever monstrosity. He is still a handsome devil at the beginning of the story arc, but he is also a slippery one. He clearly wants to be governor, so he crusades against Batman’s vigilantism, the only thing keeping Gotham safe, to score points in the media. That means Commissioner Gordon is often in the line of his fire, which is awkward since Dent is engaged to Gordon’s daughter Barbara.

Bruce Wayne is most definitely not engaged to Selina Kyle, but he has been cat-sitting for her, during her mysterious disappearance, to Alfred Pennyworth’s sheer delight. Recently, various gangs have adopted both Batman masks and Joker makeup while committing mayhem, often under the guise of pursuing “street justice.” Consequently, they give Dent more fodder to attack Batman and Gordon.

However, the opportunistic politician seems to have a change of heart after visiting his old neighborhood—in terms of politics, not with regards to Batman. Tragically, his newfound idealism will be cut short by a serious accident that both disfigures and deranges Dent into the super-villain we all know and love: Two-Face.

It is very cool to essentially see a Billy Dee Williams version of Two-Face. In fact, the way Hamm and Quinones depict his split personality is the best thing about Batman ‘89. It is also warmly nostalgic to see a Michael Gough-like Pennyworth. However, Batman and Cat Woman do not resemble Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer as closely as the characters in the Superman ’78 series looked like the cast of the Donner films.

Beyond outward appearances, Hamm’s storyline also clashes with the ostensive 1989 setting, in a bad way. Obsessed with themes of “two Gothams” and rich white liberal guilt, it feels like it written in 2021, which it was. As a result, it also feels embarrassingly dated in 2025.

Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist, a Documentary

Out of the seven Catholic Sacraments, it is one of two that worshippers can experience on a regular basis (along with Confession). Yet, a fairly recent poll showed nearly 70% of American Catholics do not believe in the transubstantiation part. This was alarming news for the Church, but not just for doctrinal reasons (if you know your history, you know this has been an issue worth fighting for in centuries past). Indeed, for many Catholic clergy and theologians, it is more than just Church teaching. As the word “Communion” suggests, it is a way to directly and tangibly connect with Jesus Christ. Obviously, this is a very Catholic topic, but the underlying discussion of faith and tradition eroded by materialism parallels other wider social dynamics. Regardless, both the ordained and Catholic laity explain the true significance of the sacrament in Tim Moriarty’s Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist, which releases today on VOD.

Admittedly, the title is terrible, but the documentary itself is much more accessible, even for non-Catholics, than a brief logline might suggest. Yes, the film’s experts ardently argue skeptical worshippers are missing out if they dismiss the Eucharist as a mere “symbolic” act. However, they also provide a fascinating history of the sacrament, including Biblical incidents that prefigured and influenced the Eucharist, including the first Passover, breaking bread on the Road to Emmaus, and the Manna from Heaven, the literal “Daily Bread.”

Moriarty and his battery of commentators also discuss cases in which taking the Eucharist has helped truly sustain worshippers, such as those served by the prison ministry producer James Wahlberg visits. He would indeed be the brother of Mark and Donnie, but the film never plays the Wahlberg Brother card for attention.

Wild Cards, Season Two, on CW

Maybe it takes a thief to catch a thief, but you still need a cop to make the arrest. Basically, that is the principle behind the partnership of supposedly “reformed” con artiste Max Mitchell and Det. Cole Ellis, who recently had his detective shield fully restored, thanks to the cases they cleared. Much to his outward chagrin (and maybe secret satisfaction), the commissioner wants them to continue working together. For every case she works, Mitchell knocks two weeks off her criminal mastermind father’s prison sentence. That might not sound like much, but they have another full season ahead of them to chip away when season two of creator Micheal Konyves’s Wild Cards premieres this Wednesday on CW.

The whole plan throughout season one was for Mitchell to use her police access to ultimately switch out a fake for a Faberge Egg and leave Ellis looking like a fool. However, she uncovered evidence regarding the murder of Ellis’s brother, so she canceled her getaway. Instead, she delivers the flash-drive recordings to Ellis and swaps back jeweled egg before anyone notices—anyone else than Ellis, that is. Consequently, the detective has serious trust issues during the rest of the season opener, “Con in 60 Seconds.”

Of course, this episode also demonstrates why they are so well-paired. In “60 Seconds,” clearly more inspired by Fast & Furious than Gone in 60 Seconds, Mitchell and Ellis go undercover to bust a gang of street-racing thieves. It turns out she can handle the wheel, having fled her share of crime scenes, while he knows his way around an engine. In most ways, it is an average odd couple undercover procedural, but it sets up several of the continuing storylines for the season. It is also a good example of the grounded credibility Terry Chen brings to the series as eternally patient, but exasperated Chief Li.

The season’s second episode, “Once a Con a Time in the West,” features one of the most notable guest-stars of any show airing this month. Original Brat Pack member Ally Sheedy appears as ranching matriarch Rose Pruett, whose prize stud horse is targeted by an assassin. Evidently, the Pruetts are under pressure to sell the family farm, so if they lose Paul, the professional equine papa, they lose it all.

Sheedy definitely has a nice Big Valley vibe as Pruett, while writers Konyves and Marcus Robison address the rural country elements (apparently right outside Vancouver) without sounding conspicuously phony. This episode also notably features Martin Sheen in the recurring role of Jonathan Ashford, a legendary con artist, whose video memoir Mitchell watches to bone-up on her sharp practices, but might just lead her question her illegal ways even more.

Schrader’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist

If ever there was a “cursed” film, this film would be it. For starters, John Frankenheimer was hired to direct, but had to withdraw for health reasons, tragically passing away shortly thereafter. Paul Schrader took his place, stepping into what would be one of his worst studio battles (and he had more than his share). Eventually, they hired yet another director to re-write, re-edit, and largely re-shoot the picture, but the results were so poorly received, Schrader was brought back to reshape his original footage into something salvageable. Eventually, his cut released one day after Star Wars: Revenge of the Stith opened. Cursed, right? However, William Peter Blatty had some nice things to say about Schrader’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, which viewers can judge for themselves when it airs Tuesday night on the Movies! digital channel.

Arguably, the cruelty of the National Socialists Father Lankester Merrin witnesses in the prologue might be worse than that of the demon. The young Dutch parish priest was forced to make a horrific “Sophie’s Choice.” Since then, his position in the Church has been iffy and his faith even iffier. While he and they decide his future as a priest, Merrin works on archaeological digs throughout Africa, as a civilian.

His latest excavation in Kenya is a little….weird. Apparently, a pristine 5^th Century Byzantine church was buried under the sand as soon as it was completed. The art and architecture inside are stunning, but uncharacteristically, the statues of the Archangel Michael are pointed downward, in a protective posture.

As we all expect, inexplicable violent incidents start happening after the site is unearthed. The local tribe is particularly restive, so Major Granville arrives with his troops, which only further fans unrest. Father Merrin tries to defuse tempers, with the help of Father Francis, a devout missionary, and Dr. Rachel Lesno, a Holocaust survivor, who also suffers from painful memories of the war.

While the village and tribe descend into hatred, Cheche, the shunned beggar afflicted with woeful birth defects, makes a suspiciously “miraculous” recovery. Of course, horror fans know if something looks too good to be true, it is probably very bad news.

Reportedly, the studio wanted more jump scares, earlier and more consistently. Yet, the thoughtfulness of Schrader’s cut is its greatest strength. Obviously, we know what is coming. Ironically, the more Schrader forestalls the fire and brimstone, the more suspense he builds. The script, originally credited to William Wisher and Caleb Carr explores themes of evil and faith with surprising insight. Again, this adds further fuel to the demonic horrors, when they finally come. Plus, the design work that produced the hidden church is quite amazing.

Stellan Skarsgard and Gabriel Mann are both terrific as the good Fathers. Skarsgard broods quietly as the pre-Exorcist Father Merrin, but there is also deep complexity to his portrayal. Mann’s Father Francis is admirably earnest, but not simplistic. Clara Bellair also tacks a shrewdly understated approach to playing the survivor’s guilt-plagued Dr. Lesno. However, Billy Crawford looks completely out-of-place as Cheche and the way the character’s physical deformities are presented is also questionable.

Dog Man, in Cinema Daily US

DOG MAN is colorful, energetic, silly fun, and not much else, but who says it needs to be anything more? CINEMA DAILY US review up here.

Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story, on Lifetime

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam had more chart-toppers than some Gen X’ers might remember from MTV, because many times they scored “club hits” that landed on the “Dance” list. Regardless, the two mega-hits you’re sure to know, were huge, “Head to Toe” and “Lost in Emotion,” both of which went all the way to #1. They also had a song on the Caddyshack II soundtrack, but that “honor” is overlooked during this bio-drama. Lisa (Lisa) Velez tells her story and portrays her mother in Tailiah Breon’s Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story, which premieres tonight on Lifetime.

Velez’s family struggled with an abusive father and past-due bills, but she had a crazy dream of singing to provide for her family. Through the club scene, Velez meets and auditions for a duo, Mike Hughes and Alex “Spanador” Mosseley, who are looking for a vocalist. The three click and their somewhat shady manager, Rocco approves of her look and sound.

Soon, they sign with a major label, which remains unidentified throughout the TV-movie, where they work with/for/under the even shadier A&R guy, Barry Conner. Technically, Velez’s mother had to sign on her behalf, since she was only fifteen at the time. Of course, that does not stop Rocco and Conner from creeping on her. Fortunately, they hire street-smart Toni Menage as a back-up singer (she would be so closely associated with Velez and Cult Jam, many fans consider her a member of the band).

Eventually, everyone figures out their contract stinks, but at that point Velez suffers a double blow when she is diagnosed with cancer. However, she cannot take time off for treatment, because she already took advances from the label to pay-off her family’s debts.

This is definitely the Lisa Lisa story rather than the Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam story. In fact, Hughes and Mosseley might not always be thrilled by the way they are portrayed—or the fact Menage gets considerably more camera time than they do.

Regardless, Can You Feel the Beat feels very familiar. It also looks conspicuously cheap. This is not a very convincing 1980s period production, not just because of budget limitations. Frankly, Breon and screenwriter Rebecca Murga should have leaned more heavily into 80’s nostalgia. Ed Lover’s appearance as himself might be the best this film does in that respect. Probably, a lot of names were changed and many composites were created for legal reasons, but that means it never comes close to recreating the MTV/Z100 vibe.

As Velez/Lisa, Jearnest Corchado never really looks like a teenager, but she is earnest and relatively convincing during the musical performances. Velez herself gives a heartfelt performance as her mom. Yet, Bre-Z is by far the standout for her tough but vulnerable portrayal of Menage.

Green and Gold, in The Epoch Times

GREEN AND GOLD is fictional, but it captures the very real-life struggles of family farmers (and their sports fandom). Its authenticity and hardy spirit might just convert some viewers into Green Bay Packers fans. EPOCH TIMES review up here.

The Martial Artist

It is easy to lose sight of the spiritual aspect of martial arts in a steel cage. Consequently, when an up-and-coming MMA fighter loses his way, he must reconnect with his heritage and the transcendent spirit of martial arts practice to regain his mojo. Of course, nobody wants to watch a long meditation session, but a few seconds can help round out a training montage. Regardless, Ibby “The Prince” Barkan’s path to MMA glory takes a detour through the mountains of Pakistan in Shaz Khan’s The Martial Artist, which had its release bumped to April 4th.

After years of training and many questionably sanctioned matches, Barkan finally signs with a major mixed martial arts promoter. However, he lets success go to his head, before he fully attains it. He starts drinking, partying, and making enemies. Soon, the violence of his needless grudges spills-over onto his family. Barkan’s resulting guilt, compounds his anger, leading to a self-destructive cycle.

To save Barkan from his demons, his mother sends him to Pakistan, to learn about his late father from the Dada, the grandfather he never met. Nestled in the rugged mountains, Dada’s retreat trains disciples to be warriors, both physically and spiritually. It is exactly the kind of discipline Barkan needs, but he must come to that realization for himself, before he can reap the benefits of Dada’s teachings.

Although Khan emphasizes the loftier ideas underpinning martials arts, as the director, co-screenwriter, and star, he often showcases the practice at its most brutal. Much of the action consists of gritty, no-holds-barred street-fighting. Barkan’s two MMA showcases are impressively staged, against strikingly cinematic backdrops, while still featuring absolutely ferocious fight choreography.

Indeed, the fight scenes are far and away the best aspect of The Martial Artist. In contrast, the family melodrama is clunky and cliched. Frankly, some business with Barkan’s brother-trainer Ali will elicits groans from many viewers. Admittedly, Barkan’s quest for re-centering also travels a well-trod thematic path, but it is nicely executed and the Pakistani setting adds a distinctive vibe.

The Hunting Party, on NBC

How frequently does the Joker break out of Arkham? How many times did Stallone wriggle out of super-prisons in the Escape Plan movies? In that case, three times. The point is putting all the worst eggs in a fancy basket never seems to work, but they did so anyway in this new series. Hidden under the plains of Wyoming, “The Pit” secretly housed some of the nation’s worst serial killers, including several that were supposedly executed. They were the guinea pigs for some weird government research, because they wouldn’t be missed, until there was a massive escape. Semi-disgraced FBI Special Agent Rebecca “Bex” Henderson and her team scramble to capture the fugitives, while cautiously investigating the shadowy conspiracy that apparently facilitated their escape in creator JJ Bailey’s The Hunting Party, which starts its regular first season run this Monday on NBC.

The Pit was totally off the books and undisclosed to the public. Then a supposedly freak, but actually deliberately planned explosion rocked the facility. Given the destruction, it is not clear how many inmates escaped. It will probably depend on how long the series runs. One of the worst was Richard Harris, who happened to be the first case Henderson worked. Given her insight, Attorney General Elziabeth Mallory reactivates Henderson to track down Harris, teaming her up with Ryan Hassani, a CIA officer, whose agency has absolutely no domestic jurisdiction, and Shane Florence, a former correctional officer at the Pit, who manages to invite himself along.

Richard Harris? Seriously, JJ Bailey? I’m not a profiler, but I would suggest looking for Harris in MacArthur Park. After all, there have been reported sightings of cakes mysteriously left out in the rain.

Despite the presumably accidental disrespect to King Arthur and Dumbledore, the first four episodes already show some decent chemistry between the three lead “hunters” and Oliver Odell, a former FBI agent who served as the warden of the Pit and clearly seems to know more about the escape than he wants to admit. However, the trust-and-suspicion dynamics Henderson has with him and her natural agency rival Hassani, elevate the energy of the fairly routine fugitive chase stories.

Harris and the second episode psycho, Clayton Jessup, are quite familiar in their motives and methods. However, “Lowe,” from the like-titled third episode, has the unusual distinction of being a human-hating environmental extremist, whose M.O. involved feeding victims to a wolfpack. Perhaps episode four’s Dr. Ezekiel Malak is the creepiest, especially considering his new extreme method of killing, which is definitely a fresh and horrifying wrinkle.

Melissa Roxburgh is a strong lead. She has credibility in both the deductive and action-oriented scenes and develops nice chemistry with her co-stars. Nick Wechler is appropriately shifty as Odell, generating potentially spoilery tension with Roxburgh.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis

In the recent first issue of DC’s “All In” Aquaman, the Atlantean king is learning how to use his wife Mera’s telekinetic power over water, when they shifted to him after the conclusion of the Absolute Power miniseries. (Long story short, everyone lost their super-powers and then they mostly got them back, but sometimes slightly differently). It is a bit of déjà vu, because he had to learn his original powers from scratch back when he thought he was a mere mortal named Arthur Curry. Aquaman’s origin story had a snappy DC animated treatment in Ethan Spaulding’s Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, which makes fitting viewing today (Curry’s in-world birthday) and this Friday (1/31, Mera’s birthday).

As the film opens, the relatively new Justice League has a lot of fancy infrastructure, but only Cyborg really takes it seriously. Consequently, he answers the call when a US Navy submarine is attacked by mysterious forces. Viewers soon learn it was destroyed as part of Prince Orn’s false flag operations to foment a war between Atlantis and the surface world.

Deep down, Queen Atlanna recognizes the Prince’s ruthless nature, so she designates Curry, her secret half-human love child as her heir. Slightly disappointed, Orm responds by killing her and framing land-dwellers. Of course, Black Manta is the Svengali pulling his strings.

Cyborg will need the full Justice League to deal with this problem. Mera understands Atlantis also needs Curry, so she goes rogue, revealing his birthright. He can breathe underwater and communicate with fish, but learning how to best apply his super-powers will take time he does not have.

Heath Corson’s adapted screenplay roughly follows the 2013 Throne of Atlantis comic arc, but some of the best parts focus on other JLA members. It often seems like Cyborg gets unfairly overlooked by casual superhero fans (as a sometimes member of both JLA and the Teen Titans), but he has a new licensed flavored coffee that sounds delicious. Cyborg also gets some of the best scenes in Throne of Atlantis, wherein he considers the effects of his constant robotic upgrades on his underlying humanity, nicely expressed by Shemar Moore.

In addition, there is a cool subplot following the burgeoning romance between Clark Kent and Diana Prince (a.k.a. Wonder Woman). Yes, they were an item for a while in some of the comic storylines, because fans demanded it and it made logical sense. After all, Wonder Woman might be the only love interest who can withstand the force of Superman’s passion, so to speak. Obviously, the film does not go there, but its depiction of their courtship is quite appealing. Both super-characters are well-served by the winning voice-over work of Jerry O’Connell and Rosario Dawson.

The Devil and the Daylong Brothers

When the Devil goes down South, he often enjoys the local Americana roots music. He tuned Robert Johnson’s guitar at the Crossroads and fiddled with Charlie Daniels. Logically, Robert Johnson was a particular inspiration for this blues-rock-flavored horror-movie-musical. Yes, this is a musical and it works. On the other hand, the deal a father made most definitely does not work for his three sons (from different mothers). He shook hands with Old Scratch, but they were the ones who were left to pay in Brandon McCormick’s The Devil and the Daylong Brothers, which releases this Friday in theaters and on VOD.

It was sort of Satanic child abuse when Nehemiah Daylong sold the souls of his future sons, Ishmael, Enoch, and Abraham, rather than his own. Understandably, the Daylong half-siblings rather resent his bargain. Facing damnation, they made their own deal with Clarence, a soul-collecting demon, filling his quota of similarly damned souls in exchange for their father’s location. Theoretically, if they kill him first, he takes their place, voiding their debt.

Unfortunately, trusting Clarence is rather foolish, as most viewers would expect. However, Frankie, a damned soul known to associate with infernal folk, might lead them to their troublesome father. Of course, as a femme fatale with demonic experience, she has a knack for exposing their weaknesses and offering temptations.

One of the titular characters never appears in the film, but the brothers rage and bicker together in almost every scene. As the Daylong trio, Brendan Bradley,  Nican Robinson, and Jordon Bolden are unnervingly fierce. They are also decent singers, thanks to some help from songwriter and music-and-film producer Nicholas Kirk. Some of the musical numbers feel more like 80’s music videos than Bollywood-style musicals, in that characters might initially breakout into song, but they do not always lip-synch the entire tune, but they mostly flow quite smoothly.

This Woman: Filmed in China, Produced in Malaysia, Only Released in the USA

As the central subject, or rather cast-member, Hihi Lee intends to tell her husband, all the scenes she filmed phoning her lovers, were actually made with a very gay friend. Whether he believes her or not, may depend on whether he keeps watching once the closing credits start, or if he misses her Marvel-like postscript. Regardless, her daughter might need therapy as teen when she hears some her mother’s comments regarding her unmotherly feelings. Fortunately for Lee, the docu-hybrid film she stars in has not been approved for release in China and it probably never will be under the current regime. Regardless, mother and marriage are not exactly sacred to Lee in Alan Zhang’s This Woman, which opens this Friday in New York, at the Metrograph.

Lee, adopting the “persona” of Beibei, makes no secret she essentially caved to pressure exerted by her mother and society, when she agreed to marry and have a child at age when she was not mature enough to handle either. Frankly, she often sounds like she has only now matured to the point where she recognizes her previous immaturity. She is still not great with commitment and fidelity—or maybe that is just her “character.”

In her mid-credits “stinger,” Lee is very nonchalant when asked how she thinks her husband might take the film. Most viewers will wonder more about her daughter, when she hears “Beibei” tell the camera she does not miss her daughter when she is away and only feels guilt regarding her long absences when she sees happy mothers caring for their children. Savvier viewers may wonder if Lee assumes this will never be seen in China, so she can freely confess/perform without fear of personal, familial repercussions.