Tag: Abraham Benrubi

#STUCK (AKA THE MORNING AFTER) (2014)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written, Directed & Edited By: Stuart Acher

Story By: Dana Waxman and Neil Pollner 

Cinematography: John Matysiak 

Cast: Joel David Moore, Madeline Zima, Abraham Benrubi, Jayson Blair, Joanna Canton, Joel Michaely 

A hot one-night stand turns into an awkward morning after when GUY and HOLLY get STUCK in a dead-stopped traffic jam. As they begrudgingly get to know each other, we learn of their sexually raucous evening and then they’re led to their surprising destiny.

One might label this an MTV version of the BEFORE SUNRISE films as we watch characters learn about each other only after they have had a one-night stand and are stuck in Never-ending traffic.

While there are plenty of conversations throughout the film. There are also plenty of cutaways of other passengers and flashbacks of the precious night. Where we get to see how they got together in the first place.

So that we learn about each of the characters. As they do, which helps us in the audience to become more invested in the characters and their fates. 

The film does tend to people in other cars stuck in the traffic jam as well. Though only for minutes that feel more like filler and some distractions to keep the film from being a two-hander. Even though in the flashbacks we do see plenty of others. However, it also makes the independent production feel bigger in scope to a degree. 

It’s a cute romantic indie film with plenty of humor and the leads will charm the audience. I enjoy both lead actors but really watched the film for Madeline Zima and wasn’t disappointed.

At times the film is a bit mroe risqué than expected year manages to stay sweet throughout. Even when it tries to be cynical. It still manages to leave you with a smile on your face.

Grade: C+

CHRISTMAS BLOODY CHRISTMAS (2022)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Joe Begos
Cinematography: Brian Sowell 
Editor: Josh Ethier 

Cast: Riley Dandy, Sam Delich, Jonah Ray, Dora Madison, Jeremy Gardner, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Abraham Benrubi, Graham Skipper, Kansas Bowling 

It’s Christmas Eve and Tori just wants to get drunk and party, but when a robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree through her small town, she’s forced into a battle for survival.

A punk rock trashy horror film, that indulges in all that is a naughty bit of violence and gore excessively. That plays as a slasher massacre for an hour.

While the first thirty minutes is what seems like an endless set-up of characters. As the reason for the killer, Santa Claus comes and goes so fast that it’s almost an afterthought. Then the film just goes forward with nary a hint of backstory.

It is obviously meant to be more of a love letter to 80’s horror films set during the holidays. Though it seems more like a quick exercise in excess.

A kind of anti-Christmas movie that does match the director Joe Begos’s style and interest. Which I am usually a fan of, but oddly doesn’t feel like it works this time all the way through. 

The Death scenes are more excessive than creative or too noteworthy. Luckily the film moves quickly and might remind the audience of a kind of rock n roll Rob Zombie horror film only without the more artistic flourishes and visions of grandeur. Though the director Begos does add slight sci-fi flavor or b-movie indulgence by making the killer Santa practically a more terrifying Terminator, only in a horror film. 

The film is modern but could be made in the 1980s trashy. So that it feels a bit retro. It seems like It’s going for fun at least in the first half of the film. As the first 20 minutes seem like exposition little of which ends up mattering. 

It seems an attempt to explore a friendship on the verge of becoming more. 

The film has low-budget action that keeps the audience interested with a high body count. That proves that no one is safe or sacred.

The film feels more like a film to watch to pass the time. A popcorn movie of sorts may be nice to play in the background. As it is easy to follow visually.

The film isn’t too inspired or inspiring. It actually feels like a quickie. It’s a movie, movie.  Nothing too deep is meant to be taken seriously. 

The conversations feel like Twitter-type ones. Where the dialogue is supposed to be cool but it never does. Even with hip characters. 

These horror films are supposed to be Empowering for women. All these skilled so-called warrior men in horror films. Who can barely stop the monster or slasher, maybe not even cause a dent, but a so-called regular woman who uses her head ends up defeating them in the end. Becoming the final girl. 

That character used to be kept virginal to make them Saintly or sex but diluting thoughts or bloodstream as well as a duality that was special or made them different. Usually, a way to please religious rights or moral codes is by being exploitative but the one pure makes it to the end. Even after the trauma of losing friends and/or family with great losses. A weird extreme scared straight. Here the female is sexual 

In the end, this should be a fun dream fantasy project, but it’s bogged down in bad dialogue. To lead to some uneventful hookup and a long introduction for disposable Characters where only one truly lasts.

Grade: D+

MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED & FABULOUS (2005)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: John Pasquin
Written By: Marc Lawrence 
Based on Characters Created by: Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford & Caryn Lucas 
Cinematography: Peter Menzies Jr. 
Editor: Garth Craven 

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns, Diedrich Bader, Treat Williams, Abraham Benrubi, Nick Offerman, Eileen Brennan, Octavia Spencer, Elisabeth Rohm, Stephen Tobolowsky, Leslie Grossman, Eve Gordon, Affion Crockett, Adam LeFevre 

F.B.I. Agent Gracie Hart is assigned to promote the F.B.I., touring with the brutal Agent Sam Fuller as her bodyguard. While traveling around the country, her friend and the Miss United States Cheryl Frasier is kidnapped along with Stan Fields, and Gracie decides to investigate the abduction in Las Vegas on her own, and against the direct orders of local F.B.I. Assistant Director Walter Collins. 

After the surprise success and enjoyment of the first film. Most I can imagine would think this would naturally be pleasing? No

First of all the series gets rid of Benjamin Bratt’s character and all hope of a love interest with him. So that this film can focus on more two mismatched partners working together. While taking matters differently. So in other words this becomes more of a buddy comedy with the audience having a history with at least one of the partners.

In the first film, it seems there was more room for side characters to make their mark. As they seemed to have something to do and were allowed to be as funny as the lead. Instead of just feeling like suspects and a plot device.

Sandra Bullock’s performance here seems more indebted to vaudeville. As she is more at the center of things but also seems more silly and wants to dress up in silly disguises.

Regina king is really the only one who has a chance to come through with her head held high. In making this a buddy comedy, just a more female-centered one that feels more predictable than the first film but also more stilted and outdated even for the time period in which it was made.

The film doesn’t feel as fun or silly as Ms. Bullock’s performance and the fun she seems to be having. Even as the situations and script get sillier. As do William Shatner and the usually hilarious Heather Burns in their roles.

As usual when a formulaic film is likable and comes as a surprise enjoyable hit. The sequel tries to replicate the formula all wrong. As it seems to be focusing on the wrong chemistry and elements. Leaving the product lacking in flavor that the first one brought that made audiences enjoy it in the first place.

It’s a shame as Regina king is a good and enjoyable actress, especially with the right material. But this is the second sequel where she plays a tough-as-nails thankless buddy in a buddy comedy that is bad (LEGALLY BLONDE 2 Is the other) she deserves better.

One can guess most of us expected the same from Sandra Bullock as she seems such a likable screen presence and films she stars in are usually enjoyable and passable but her me while she seems to be having fun. Watching this feels like the equivalent of homework

Grade: C-

BLISS (2019)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

bliss1

Written & Directed By: Joe Begos
Cinematography By: Mike Testin
Editor: Josh Ethier 

Cast: Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield, Jeremy Gardner, Graham Skipper, Chris McKenna, Rachel Avery, Abraham Benrubi, George Wendt 

A brilliant painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to anything she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and murder in the sleazy underbelly of Los Angeles.

Continue reading “BLISS (2019)” →

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (2017)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

thebelko-experiment-tiff-2

Directed by: Greg McLean
Written By: James Gunn
Cinematography by: Luis David Sansas
Edited By; Julia Wong 


Cast: John Gallagher Jr., Adria Arjona, Tony Goldwyn, John C McGinley, Melonie Diaz, Sean Gunn, Owain Yeoman, Josh Brenner, Michael Rooker, Abraham Benrubi, Brent Sexton, Gregg Henry, Rusty Schwimmer, James Earl 


In a twisted social experiment, eighty Americans are locked in their high-rise corporate office in Bogotá, Colombia, and ordered by an unknown voice coming from the company’s intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed.

Continue reading “THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (2017)” →