Film Reviews

Known for his wild hair and his often-imitated phrase, "What's up, fool?," comedian Felipe Esparza headlines his first solo concert since winning television's "Last Comic Standing" competition. Famous as the subject of many stories told by fellow comedian Gabriel Iglesias, the Boyle Heights native mines humor from the struggles of everyday life for this hilarious one-hour special.

The Progressive Party convention is deadlocked for governor, and so both sides nominate the dark horse Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee). Kay Russell (Bette Davis) suggests they hire Hal Blake as campaign manager; but first they have to get him out of jail for not paying alimony. Blake (Warren William) organizes the office and coaches Hicks to answer every question by pausing and then saying, "Well yes, but then again no." Blake will sell Hicks as dumb but honest. Russell refuses to marry Blake, while Joe (Frank McHugh) keeps people away from Blake's office. Blake teaches Hicks a speech by Lincoln. At the debate when the conservative candidate Underwood recites the same speech, Blake exposes him as a plagiarist. Hicks is presented for photo opportunities and gives his yes-and-no answer to any question, including whether he expects to win.

The man called Obam struggles with the increasingly hostile forces facing each other in a colonial African country. The African natives want their land and lives back from the British colonists. Obam's motives are questioned by his own people, in particular his brother Kanda. With the help of his wife Renee and missionary Bruce Craig, will he be able to get things under control before the country self-destructs? Written by Greg Bruno

An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.

A young man is plunged into a life of subterfuge, deceit and mistaken identity in pursuit of a femme fatale whose heart is never quite within his grasp

An evil sorceress feeds the blood of new brides to a Shaitan, an ancient and fearsome demon.

A stockbroker (Robert Young) tells the court how his rich wife and one of two girlfriends (Susan Hayward, Jane Greer) died.

E.B., the Easter Bunny's teenage son, heads to Hollywood, determined to become a drummer in a rock 'n' roll band. In LA, he's taken in by Fred after the out-of-work slacker hits E.B. with his car.

A four-member teen girl group named the Cheetah Girls go to a Manhattan High School for the Performing Arts and try to become the first freshmen to win the talent show in the school's history. During the talent show auditions, they meet a big-time producer named Jackal Johnson, who tries to make the group into superstars, but the girls run into many problems.

In a Japanese school, 5 adolescent geeks join the new sport teacher and take up the challenge to take part in the synchronised swimming competition, in-spite of the mockeries of the "real sportsmen".

Sherlock Holmes is drawn into the case of Jack the Ripper who is killing prostitutes in London's East End. Assisted by Dr. Watson, and using information provided by a renowned psychic, Robert Lees, Holmes finds that the murders may have its roots in a Royal indiscretion and that a cover-up is being managed by politicians at the highest level, all of whom happen to be Masons.

On a post-apocalyptic Earth, Leila Dawn (Natalie Floyd), is the only human survivor. Raised by Robots after humanity abandoned the planet they destroyed with nuclear warfare, Leila cannot forget her parents nor ignore her yearning to find other organic life. A hunt she sets out on with Swat Team robot, Marker (Lex Cassar), leads Leila to discover a human disguised as Robot, Ray (Jake Lyall), and the reality she's been denied-a reality that sparks her ultimate quest. PLUG is a short film from acclaimed science-fiction film art director, David Levy (Tron Legacy, Prometheus, Enders Game, Tomorrow Land). It is the first installment of Levy's yet to be produced epic series/feature, which follows Leila on her quest to reunite with humanity and the impossible choices she must make about her allegiances - Human or Robot.

A psychic housewife and her husband become burdened with a kidnapped girl who escaped her assailant. Junko will not let her husband call the hospital or the police for purely selfish reasons. The girl dies while still in their house and her ghost begins to haunt the couple.

After attending their friend Elise's (Sudano) wedding to Nate (Bishop) on New Year's Eve, Trista (Hall), a career-­driven talent agent, Viviane (Scott), a successful gossip columnist, and Amaya (Cooper), a struggling actress, make a pact to get married within the year to either a new love or a man waiting in the wings. But the close friends face their own set of challenges - Trista has not gotten over her commitment-­phobic ex-­boyfriend Damon (White), Viviane is secretly in love with Sean (George), the father of her son, and Amaya is desperate to break up her boyfriend Keith's (Sanders) unhappy marriage so they can live happily ever after. Each woman starts the year with high hopes and dreams of what will happen over the next 12 months... but will they all make it to the altar?

One of the most ambitious spaghetti westerns, The Forgotten Pistolero is a retelling of the Greek legend of Orestes, who avenges the murder of his father with the help of his friend and former mentor Pylades and his sister Electra. In Baldi’s movie, Orestes is called Sebastian, a man living on his own. One day a wounded stranger called Rafael/Pylades takes shelter in his house and tells him that he, Sebastian, is the son of a Mexican general who was murdered by his wife and her lover. Sebastian has no recollection of the massacre, but the tolling of the bells announcing the Ave Maria bring back fragmented memories. Finally Sebastian is re-united with his sister Isabella and together they avenge the murder of their father. The film is a bit confusing from time to time, with a storyline that seems over-complicated for a spaghetti western, but patient and attentive viewers are rewarded. The Forgotten Pistolero is also known for Roberto Pregadio’s awesome score.