Maps to the Stars (2014)

Directed by David Cronenberg
Written by Bruce Wagner
Starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson and John Cusack

A tour into the heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.

A dark, unapologetic satire on societies obsession with celebrity and the fight for fame, Cronenberg puts his personal twist on the world of Hollywood. Although I'm sure it's exaggerated (at least I hope it is), this film showcases all of the degenerate, self obsessed people that create the movies we love. And it will disgust you.

In true Cronenberg form, he adds an element of psychological thrills to this story. Throughout half of the film, you still find yourself trying to fit the pieces together to figure out exactly what the hell is going on. But unlike his other films, when everything comes together, it's a little underwhelming.

Throughout his career, Cronenberg has given us some of the best psychological thrillers ever made. And this movie wasn't bad, it was just not to par with the rest of his work. It's also just hard for me to enjoy a movie in which I want to get as far from it's characters as humanly possibly. Or give them a swift kick to the throat. But it's a DVD… It doesn't have a throat. Oh, well. It could have been worse.

My Rating: 6/10

Seventh Son (2014)

Directed by Sergey Bodrov
Written by Charles Leavitt, Steven Knight and Matt Greenberg, inspired by the novel "The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander

A young man named Thomas becomes the apprentice of the last Spook (not the racial slur) to fight evil spirits in the wake of the blood moon. His first great challenge comes when the powerful witch Mother Malkin escapes her confinement and aims to destroy the Earth.

I'm convinced that Jeff Bridges saw the synopsis of this movie, asked "can I grow awesome facial hair and speak in a funny old man voice?" and accepted once the answers to those questions were yes. For some reason, he is the only person that speaks with a British accent in this entire movie, albeit a slight one.

While the premise is interesting enough, the movie itself failed to keep me engaged. It is filled with questionable choices and poor performances. The plot seemed rushed and it felt as though many of the performances were "called-in". Julianne Moore specifically, was not at the top of her game. Granted, with her Oscar Nomination, I doubt she really cares.

Just give me my Oscar!

The action sequences were fun and the effects were decent. But overall, this is one you could skip. At least until it's released on DVD. It's not the worst movie ever made, but it's far from good. It's lackluster on all fronts.

My Rating: 4/10