Fantastic Four
Director Time Story (2004's Taxi, 2002's Barbershop) tries to take another comic book from the page to the screen with Fantastic Four when Doctor Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), along with his partner, ex-military pilot, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), approach their long time adversary, billionaire businessman Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), in search of funding for an experiment on Von Doom's space station. For Reed, the experiment could prove a cure for disease and other ills plaguing mankind. For Von Doom it's a chance to become even richer. With the deal confirmed Reed learns his ex-girlfriend, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), now working for Von Doom (who also hopes to claim her as his bride prize) will accompany them into space along with Sue's brother, Johnny (Chris Evans), a hotshot ex-pilot. But when a space storm hits the station the five characters find their DNA has changed. Ben has turned into a rock man with super strength known as The Thing. Reed learns he is elastic (Mr. Fantastic.) Sue becomes invisible (Invisible Girl) and harnesses incredible powers of strength, while her brother Johnny, who loves his new self and the celebrity it brings, becomes fire hotter than the sun (The Torch). Dr. Von Doom, who lost his business and fortune from the failed experiment, is becoming an impervious metal, with the power to harness electricity (Dr. Doom). Of course, since Doom is portrayed as a megalomaniac from the beginning, it's not hard to believe he turns evil to get revenge while the others learn to use their powers for "good." I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek light-heartedness of the "Fantastic Four," where if you listened closely you heard plenty of jokes about themselves and who they were destined to become, but than the film tries to switch into serious mode, which it never quite achieves. One problem is that the threat of Dr. Doom is limited to the "Fantastic Four" and some of Doom's business partners who probably deserve what they get, unlike Batman Begins or last year's Spiderman 2 where an entire city and its inhabitants are in peril. As with all films of this subgenre, the best parts are when the superheroes are in action and Fantastic Four falls short here as well. After one good scene involving a multiple car/truck pileup on a bridge, there's little action until over 90 minutes into a two-hour movie when we get to the confrontation. Too much time was devoted to Reed's and Sue's previous breakup (we got it the first time, guys) and the internal conflicts among "the four" at the expense of comic book action. Again, compare the timing of internal conflicts to the action in Batman Begins and Spiderman 2 for how to do it better. Maybe it was the timing of F4's release, but Fantastic Four fell short for me. Definitely rent it on DVD, but with the other films out there this summer (2005's War of the Worlds, Batman Begins, Land of the Dead), there are better films to see first.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Tim Story (2005's Fantastic 4) returns to direct Rise of the Silver Surfer. This time, a mysterious alien on a surfboard comes to earth, but wherever he travels, the area dies as he paves the way for the coming of giant planet-eating creature. It's up to the Fantastic 4 (Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards—Mr. Fantastic; Jessica Alba as Sue Storm—Invisible Girl; Chris Evans as Johnny Storm—The Torch; and The Shield's Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm—The Thing) to save the earth. At least in this installment the stakes are raised (see my review of Fantastic 4 above)—the entire Planet Earth is in danger—making for the potential of a better film, but unfortunately, as with the last F4 film, too much time is spent on relationships. For god's sake, this is a comic book! Last time it was Mr. Fantastic's and Invisible Girl's past romance and breakup; this time, we spend almost half the film dealing with their upcoming wedding. Watching someone prepare for a wedding is boring, even if the bride and groom have super powers. On the positive side, the Silver Surfer was cool, and, finally, after an hour, the real action starts as the military and a surprise (?) guest, along with the Fantastic 4, try to combat The Surfer allowing for a more satisfying second half. So if you are willing to go for half a film watching people plan a wedding, then see the Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Otherwise, wait for the DVD when you can fast forward.

Fear Dot Com
When an Internet web site causes users to die within 48 hours of visiting, Detective Mike Reilly (Stephen Dorff) and Doctor Terry Houston (Natascha McElhone) investigate by logging on. After the first 40 minutes, I liked this film, unfortunately, it continued, spiraled and crashed. It started off reminding me of David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983)—a must rent film! In Fear Dot Com a mad doctor uses the Internet to present live torture and death—and the site is popular, a similar theme explored in Videodrome. Then, the ghost of one of his victims haunts users causing them to go insane and die. Either story would have worked, but not both. I liked Stephen Rea as the mad doctor. He made me shutter during the torture scenes, but it took me too long to realize there was the other "ghost" plot, and by the time I did, I was too confused to care. It's a shame. This film is well acted, well directed and creepy enough until it gets tied up in interweaving plots and too many loose ends that make you ask "why?" You might try it as a rental, but then you might as well rent Videodrome as well.

Feast
For once, it appears a reality show, in this case HBO's Project Greenlight 3, may have actually produced a product worth your time. Written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, and directed by John Gulager, Feast takes us to a bar in the middle of nowhere at 11:30 p.m.—a time and place where all hell will break loose in the form of a family of creatures that feast on humans. Who they are, what they are, or where there are from is never explained, nor do we care. The real focus is the patrons—a long list of entrees with Eric Dane as The Hero, Navi Rawat as The Heroine, Balthazar Getty as Bozo, Henry Rollins as The Motivational Speaker, and veteran actor Clu Gulager (1985's Elm Street Part 2 and Return of the Living Dead's Burt Wilson) as the Bartender, to mention but a few. On one hand, we've seen it all before—the group, isolated and trapped, that needs to band together to survive, but Feast takes the stereotypes and twists them into some unexpected directions that will have you cringing and laughing at the same time. You might call this "splat-stick" with all the gore and guts, or when one of the creatures gets neutered by a slamming door and we see his "package" squashed on the floor, but it reminded me more of 1995's Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight than Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy. Especially ingenious, and innovative, was the introduction of each and every character with a freeze frame and individual summaries that included each character's name, job, occupation and life expectancy. But again, it's the misdirection that sends you into a whirl until you learn to expect the unexpected. Feast went directly to DVD uncut (although it might have played on HBO first, I don't know) so look for it even if it takes some time to find because it will be worth your while.

Fight Club
Not what you think! This is Sigmund Freud on Acid. A great satire. Just wait for the "punch" line. Watch it again from a different perspective.

Final Destination
Death (Tony Todd) uses inventive and amusing, cause and effect mouse traps to kill people who escaped a plane crash. Some laughs, some scares, good all around fun.

Final Destination 2
This time, a new character, Kimberly (A. J. Cook), is treated to the premonition of a spectacular fiery freeway pileup that kills her and her friends. She refuses to enter the freeway onramp and ends up saving herself and the people lined up in the cars behind her. And again the question is raised: Can you cheat death's plan? And again, the survivors are hunted down one by one as Kimberly, Clear Rivers (Ali Larter), the only survivor of the first film, and Officer Burke (Michael Landes: recently from TV's "Special Unit 2") try to keep this cast from more inventive and amusing, cause-and-effect mouse trap deaths that had the audience and me yelling "ohhh!" after each bloody demise before breaking into laughter. If you liked the original and enjoy dark humor, you'll get your share of thrills, chills, laughs and gasps. Go with a crowd.

Final Destination 3
It's round three as Death vs. seven more teens who think they've escaped Death's grasp, from a roller coaster accident. The character with the premonition this time around is Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and the only other person she can convince of their impending doom, Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman), after both lose loved ones to the roller coaster. As in the other films, they figure that people will die in the order they were sitting in the coaster, so the race is on to save them. And, as in the other two films, it's the inventive and amusing cause-and-effect mouse trap deaths that had the audience and me yelling "ohhh!" But what actually saves this film from a worse review is that it was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, with Wong also directing. You might remember these two writers/directors from The X-Files television series since they were responsible for some of the show's best episodes, including the often-banned-from-reruns episode about the murdering, inbred Peacock family. Their talents made what would have been just another so-so Final Destination film into a tight, tongue-in-cheek ending to the series. And I do hope this is the end. Don't rush to the theaters for this one unless its with a crowd; otherwise, invite a crowd to your house when you rent it so you can all say "ohhh!"

Final Destination 4 (3-D)
In the first film of the franchise, a group of teens escapes a rather visual, fiery plane crash, only to be hunted down by death, who wants his due. In Final Destination 2, it’s a freeway pileup. In 3, it’s a roller coaster accident. Now, in Final Destination 4, it’s a deadly racecar pile up. Nick (Bobby Campo) and his girlfriend, Lori (Shantel VanSanten), along with another couple, Hunt (Nick Zano) and Janet (Haley Webb) attend the car race. Within minutes, Nick gets a funny feeling. Soon, as with the other films, we are treated to the string of cause and effects that send the speeding cars spinning widely, some flying into the stands with bloody, catastrophic results. This scene alone, like the hooks of the other three films, does a fantastic job of capturing the audience. So what can director, David R. Ellis, whose only directing credits include stunts, second unit, or assistant director, do to make this one stand above the rest, or at least be different. You know the answer—go 3-D. And damn, does it work! The opening hook, the premonition of the crash, had me ducking and dodging the debris that flew off the screen—right at my face. It reminded me of driving down the freeway and ducking from objects that hit my windshield. It was all reflex and it was great. But that was just the opening hook. After the initial horrific crash, we follow the survivors as they try to out smart death, who once again chases them down to finish them off in ways—believe it or not—not done in any of the other films. I won’t give these away, but trust me; they work well, especially with the help of 3-D. Another positive for FD 4 is that Ellis (along with writer, Eric Bress) foregoes having only teens this time and makes the stalked victims (Mykelti Williamson, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Stephanie Honore, Justin Welborn), people from all ethnic groups, ages, and professions. This decision unmistakably adds a dimension not found in the other films. Of course, if you’re a horror fan like me, you’ll be happy to know that the blood and gore is plentiful and definitely more graphic then I remember in the other Final Destination films. Watching death’s mousetraps spring on his unsuspecting prey was delicious, especially since it looked as if an invisible hand moved things along. Even the misdirection worked to add and sustain tension. You never knew if what you were watching was going to do someone in. And if it didn’t, it wasn’t long before the actual trap sprung, all the time keeping you on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t find any reason not to recommend this film, except that my neck started hurting from dodging objects flying at me from the screen. If they could only make it in 4-D, we could feel the spray of blood on our faces. For a fun and an extremely entertaining time, go see Final Destination 4, preferably in 3-D. You won’t be disappointed.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
The voices of Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rames, Donald Sutherland, and James Wood help bring this animated sci-fi to a level never before seen. Character motions and emotions were so real, I thought I was watching live actors. I even caught myself staring at Aki's butt—a lot! (I think I'm in love.) Except for an ending that falls flat and too much metaphysics mixed in with the science fiction, this is definitely worth a look. Could this be the end of Anime as we know it?

Five Across the Face
Five young women (Jennifer Barnett, Angela Brunda, Danielle Lilley, Sandra Paduch, Mia Yi) are heading home in a van from a football game when they get lost on a back road, soon to be tormented and brutalized by a crazed woman (Veronica Garcia) after they accidentally bump into her car. Five Across the Face is as low budget as it gets with the two directors (Greg Swinson, Ryan Thiessen) serving also as writers, cinematographers, editors, and producers. In addition, most of the film takes place in the van, on one road, using a hand-held camera for a realistic look. So expect some unusual angles, a camera that needs to be refocused more than once, and lots of night shots. However, the real surprise in this all-woman cast is the brutality and out-right nastiness of what they (and we) must endure, like vomit cupped in one girl’s hand for us to contemplate, or the act of throwing feces at the woman chasing them. Then come the molestations with screwdrivers, fishing hooks . . . you get the point. Five Across the Face has its moments, but there was a point where I thought “they need to start wrapping this up.” The ending is satisfying, especially if you are into slash and gore; and that’s the audience for this film. If you’ve seen everything in this sub-genre, but missed Five Across the Face, you might want to check it out on DVD. The rest of you might want see it to satisfy your morbid curiosity.

The Fog
A small seaside town preparing to celebrate the installation of a stature honoring their four "founding fathers" (I hate that expression) is suddenly besieged by a mysterious fog that brings death and mayhem. Penned from the original 1980 John Carpenter screenplay, this updated version is basically that. Characters now have computers and cell phones in the film and the special effects makes use of current day CGI technology. There is a slight alteration to the motives of the "founding fathers" (If you've seen the original, you know what I mean), giving it more depth, but that's about all that's changed. So is that good or bad? I didn't rush to see The Fog because I figured, what could they do to cult legend John Carpenter's film that would make it worth the rush? And I was correct. Yes, the special effects are better, the ghosts are better, even the fog, looking like a tidal wave at times and much more ominous most of the time, was better, but this wasn't exactly one of Carpenter's greatest films to begin with. The characters, from what I recall, remain essentially unchanged with Selma Blair (2004's Hellboy) in Adrienne Barbeau's role (an annoying role, then and now, that could have been eliminated), Maggie Grace (TV's Lost) in the Jamie Lee Curtis role, and Tom Welling (TV's Smallville) in the Tom Atkins role. You get the idea. On the plus side there is a bit more to the plotline this time, which I appreciated, but a downer was the too many "spiked music" false scares. And why, after witnessing the weatherman being burned alive on a video cam, did the Selma Blair character not call the police, but instead get on the radio and plead for someone to check on her son? Remember, that's the role that could have been eliminated. Anyway, to my surprise, the remake was better than I expected, but you also don't need to run to the theaters. Wait for the rental and then give it a look.

The Fold (Six-Part Web Series)
I had the opportunity to preview the first three chapters of the six-part web series, The Fold, season one of a projected ongoing mini epic, directed, produced and written by Matt Lambert, Polly Frost, and Ray Sawhill. In “Part One: Enter the Fold,” a NASA deep space listening station picks up a musical message sounding like a porn movie soundtrack. Soon, the two scientists rip off their clothes and have soft-core sex on the floor. Six months pass and we meet Cody Ferguson (Josh Matthews), inventor of the Ferguson Time Machine, who uses his devise to travel back in time to seduce Jeanne D’Arc (Julie Atlas Muz.) Cody’s father, CEO Avery Ferguson (Jeremy Lawrence), is looking to package his son’s invention as an alternative to vacations as he himself prepares to travel back in time to change the Constitution of the United States. Add to this a plot about Ferguson employee Stephanie Blommaert (Ampora Mclean) who is willing to do anything to claw her way to the top of the corporate ladder, including bribing a fellow employee to resign by giving him her slightly soiled underwear. Soon, the tide turns on Stephanie as she becomes the target of a scandal.  “Part Two: Marital Aid,” introduces Jef Garaway (Jake Thomas)—a hot tub salesman—and his wife, Cindy, who wants to do something special for their anniversary. However, Jef just wants to spend the day having sex. Soon, Cindy discovers “Jef’s Hot Tub,” an Internet porn site where she sees Jef having sex with multiple partners. When Cindy confronts him, Jef discovers that the site is taking place in the future. In “Part Three: WWO,” Rachel Campaniello (Angela Lovell), a reporter for Gaming Babes Magazine, investigates the time travel machine, when she gets a strange message from a character in a PC game who warns her about the coming of The Fold. Her investigation leads her to Jef’s hot tub. Also investigating the hot tub is Agent Ziegler (Stephanie Sellars.) The hot action in the tub spreads as Rachel and Agent Ziegler begin masturbating. Soon a wave emanates from the tub causing the entire world to reach orgasm at the same time. According to the publicity material, The Fold was made for next to no money, and with the exceptions of a few scenes—the NASA opening and Jef’s dream sequence—the producers did a good job allocating limited funds. Some scenes actually rival the production quality of television and I mean that as a compliment. The acting worked well enough without being over-the-top—a common symptom of non-professionals or actors with limited experience. The publicity material also claims that Lambert, Frost, and Sawhill dreamed up The Fold from some of their favorite influences like the inventiveness (and I’ll add—the ability to work with limited budget) of Roger Corman, the DVD flamboyance of Takashi Miike, and the tacky seductiveness of Roger Vadim’s Barbarella. I admit that one of my initial impressions of The Fold was Barbarella-like, on a very, very tight budget. The one area where I had the most problems was with the plot. It took two viewings and rereading the publicity material before I started to see a plot interweaving the first three episodes. Characters from one part didn’t seem connected to any of the other parts or were totally absent in one part and then suddenly thrust upon us as if we were supposed to know who they were and how they connected with the story as a whole. I would imagine, and hope, that with the release of all six parts, the plot will become clearer, but the audience will still need to make it through the first three parts. One last thing—there is plenty of simulated sex in The Fold, most of which is quite comical and does work as such. Nevertheless, can The Fold be all things—part science fiction, part sex comedy, and part art movie? I say stick only with the sci-fi and raunchy comedy, because I saw little, if any, art movie in The Fold. You can make up your own mind when The Fold is released online on August 3rd, 2008 at http://www.thefold.tv

The Forgotten
In director Joseph (1993's The Good Son, 1991's Sleeping with the Enemy, 1984's Dreamscape) Ruben's "what the hell is going on" sci-fi thriller, Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) is having a very difficult time getting over the death of her young son, Sam (Christopher Kovaleski), killed in a plane crash. But things get worse when her psychiatrist (Gary Sinise) and husband (Anthony Edwards) tell her she never had a son. Labeled psychotic, Telly is on the run trying to find the truth. Help finally comes in the form of Ash Correll (Dominic West), a man who also realizes he had a daughter in the same plane crash, but had forgotten. This one starts fast and with a seasoned cast manages to keep up the momentum throughout. I was hooked by the tension, mystery, and Julianne Moore. If you miss The X-Files this one's for you, although anyone can enjoy it. While the ending wasn't totally satisfying for me, most will like it. This would make a good weekend rental.

The Forsaken
This film forgot it was supposed to be about vampires and gave the bloodsuckers shotguns instead of fangs, forsaking the audience. It sucked for all the wrong reasons. Rent "The Lost Boys."

Frailty
If you like films that don't end with closing credits but continue to play in your mind as you drive away from the theater, than you'll love Frailty, directed by Bill Paxton (coming a long way since his directorial debut with the video "Fish Heads"). Frailty is about a widowed mechanic (Paxton) trying to convince his two young sons that God has chosen them to kill demons disguised as ordinary people. After producing a list (also provided by a divine vision), the "family" goes hunting, snatching, and chopping to do God's work. But don't fear if you're getting queasy, there's no blood and guts, the audiences' torture comes from watching the two sons ( the "frailty" of the title) trying to deal with their father's divine calling . or is it madness as one son comes to believe. There's something about children in creepy films that makes them even more creepy. Remember the brother and sister in The Others (2001)? And my favorite, the undead little boy in Pet Sematary (1989). Frailty is a tight, top notch psychological thriller (not horror! Read my article, "The Many Faces of Film") with great acting (Paxton, McConaughey, and Matthew O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter as the kids), great directing, and a unique and creepy story told in flashbacks that will leave you feeling twisted at the end. But isn't that why we go to see films like this? Just don't go alone because you'll need someone to talk to when it's over.

Freddy Vs. Jason
Ronny (1998's Bride of Chucky) Yu directs this long-awaited film combining the two cult series. In this corner stands Freddy (Robert Englund) Krueger of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, armed with his signature stiletto-bladed fingers. In that corner stands Jason (Ken Kirzinger) Voorhees of the Friday the 13th films, armed with his signature machete. The plot? It seems Freddy's been forgotten by the residents of Elm Street (and plenty of movie-goers). His plan? Resurrect Jason to stir up scares from the Elm Street teens so Freddy can regain his former evil powers and reap the bloody rewards. The problem? Jason wants the blood and guts all to himself. Expect the obligatory shower scene; plenty of cantaloupe-sized breasts; beer drinking, pot smoking teens who can't tell the police what's going on; plenty of stabs, slashes, slicing and dicing, and blood, blood, and more puddles of blood. Except for the CGI-enhanced special effects, there's nothing new here. The teens are still annoying and the adults are still idiots. But that's its charm! If you've seen the rest, you've got to see this one. If you've never seen a Freddy or Jason film (and you call yourself a horror fan?), first rent 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street and 1980's Friday the 13th to see these killers in their prime, because this one is strictly for Jason and Freddy fans. Me? I've seen every one of their films . in theaters, so I had to go. The next bout? Alien vs. Predator, due out in 2004, and I'll be at ringside bringing you the blow-by-blow.

Friday the 13th (2009)
Marcus Nispel (2003’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre) tries his hand at another remake with Friday the 13th. He starts with a short teaser that takes us back to the 1980 original where Jason gets his signature machete from his dead mother to begin what will be become the longest of the slasher franchises. Then we jump to a near future for a second extended teaser that brings in the B team of victims. This group of obligatory twenty-somethings is searching for a hidden pot crop that just happens to be near Crystal Lake. Needless to say, they find more then pot. Now the film finally starts with the introduction of the A team, headed by Jared Padalecki (2005’s House of Wax, TV’s Sam Winchester from Supernatural) as Clay Miller. Clay is looking for his missing sister, Jenna (Danielle Panabaker), one of the B team victims. I will admit, I wasn’t expecting much, but having seen every other Friday the 13th film, I felt obligated, and I was pleasantly surprised. The characters managed to break the mold enough to make the psychological mix different, especially the conflicts within the A group that added some extra depth, not ordinarily found in slasher films. Then of course come the deaths. Again, I wasn’t disappointed. There were plenty of new and innovative ways for Jason (Derek Mears—Chameleon from 2007’s Hills have Eyes II) to dispatch his victims. Expect plenty of impalings, deaths by garden tool, and one of my favorites, an outdoor campfire roast. We even get to see how Jason discovers the infamous hockey mask. Except for a minor slowdown toward the end of Act II, Friday the 13th (2009) is a good film to see in a crowed theater because of all the loud, jack-in-the-box scares. If you miss it in theaters, do rent it and invite a group of friends over, especially if you are a fan of the series.

From Dusk to Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
Based on my expectations, this may actually be better than the first film. Mexican bandits and vampires with salsa.

From Hell
Favoring the royal family cover-up explanation, the infamous Jack the Ripper Case is finally closed by Johnny Depp in a film that's beautifully filmed to recreate a late 19th century London that includes a guest appearance by The Elephant Man. But the well-trodden Ripper plot is labored, lacks suspense, and even tries to pull-off a (somewhat) happy ending. If you must have closure to your Ripper Case lore, wait for the video rental.