
BEAST (2022) Idris Elba goes mano a mano with a rogue lion in this well-made but by-the-numbers when-animals-attack thriller. After his wife succumbs to cancer, an emotionally distant father (Elba) takes a getaway with his two teen daughters to the wilds of Africa, unaware that an enraged, vengeful lion stalks the grounds looking for the poachers who slaughtered its family. Shades of Cujo hit once Elba and kin are trapped inside their stalled truck, but, unlike that 1983 classic, Beast never utilizes its dire situation to its fullest potential. Instead, the film relies more on Elba’s father-cum-hero subplot. The screenplay is also a bit lazy when it comes to character consistencies: Elba spends a good amount of time being overly cautious about safety in the early scenes, yet later, while seeking shelter in an abandoned building, he leaves the doors wide open for the hungry cat to walk through. A fun concept that should have gone full-tilt gonzo (รก la Anaconda) instead of trying to be something else. Sharlto Copley (District 9) is well cast as the movie’s Quint-like animal expert. C

COLOR OF NIGHT (1994) A big-budget slasher whodunit dressed up as a glossy erotic thriller about arrogant New York psychiatrist Bill Capa (Bruce Willis), who, after the suicidal death of a patient, goes to Los Angeles to spend time with Bob Moore (Scott Bakula), a college friend and fellow shrink. After Moore is knifed to death in his office by a hooded killer, Capa must try to figure out who the killer is (while avoiding the assassin’s blade) while simultaneously having lots of sex with a mysterious beauty (Jane March). If you’ve seen one or more of these films you can see the twist coming a mile away. The screenplay – by erotic thriller expert, Matthew Chapman (Consenting Adults) – is littered with too many red herrings and double-crosses, with the plot usually circling back to a lengthy sex scene between Willis and March. That said, Color of Night is often very entertaining, having the ostentatious, sleazy feel of a giallo, and at times attaining a so-bad-it’s-good quality. Willis does a good job at shedding his John McClane persona (as well as his clothes, especially in the unrated director’s cut), while March is cold but sympathetic. The supporting cast, including Brad Dourif, Leslie Ann Warren, Kevin J. O’Conner, and Lance Henriksen, is excellent. Given the right audience, this could become a trashy cult classic. B

THE FIRST POWER (1990) L.A. detective Russell Logan (Lou Diamond Phillips) is haunted by unexplained visions and incidents after the capture and death of the evil Pentagram Killer, Patrick Channing (Jeff Kober). Logan’s old-school, tough guy mind can’t wrap his head around the seemingly bizarre occurrences surrounding the deceased Satanic serial killer, until Tess (Tracy Griffith), a spunky psychic, informs him Channing has become more powerful after death, and is body-jumping to continue his murderous deeds. Although similar in plot to the later, and duller, Denzel Washington vehicle, Fallen, First Power offers up exciting material for the patient viewer. What starts as a typical cop/serial killer cat-and-mouse game turns into a fun, demonic horror/action hybrid. The film’s unfortunate predictability is silver-lined by its energy and some truly impressive stunts and set pieces, including the water- and fire-filled climax. Phillips and Griffith make a very likable pair of supernatural sleuths. B

REDNECK ZOMBIES (1989) Goofy backyard splatter-comedy that looks like it was made by your brother’s high school friends over a long weekend. A barrel of toxic waste is discovered in the woods by some tobacco-chewing, gun-toting, straw hat-wearing country bumpkins and, after it seeps into their moonshine, turns them into flesh-eating zombies. Shot on tape, this ultra-low budget cheapie has some spirit and energy to (almost) carry its lengthy 90 minutes, but, as with most slapstick flicks, for every laugh there’s whole lotta crickets. A funny concept, but one can’t help feel this movie is a joke without a punchline. Terrific make-up FX, though. C