Ninja III: The Domination

Don't ask why Ninja III: The Domination begins with a ninja assault on a municipal golf course. Just be grateful it does. You also may wonder why its sex scene employs a can of V8: Don't question it. Just lie back and enjoy it.

06/14/2013 | Comments 0

Lifeforce

Tobe Hooper got a raw deal. The director of horror hits The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist didn't deserve to be sent to movie jail for 1985's Lifeforce. It's a well-crafted, well-intentioned work that was mismarketed and misunderstood, losing a bundle of money and soon sending Hooper into the lands of episodic television and direct-to-video features.

06/14/2013 | Comments 0

Dead Souls

With Dead Souls, we can prove something about the Chiller cable network's original features that Remains could not: Source material is not to blame for their pervasive generic nature — it's the economy, stupid.

06/11/2013 | Comments 0

The Philadelphia Experiment

There's a theory about remakes that perhaps Hollywood should stop remaking good movies and instead remake the bad ones, so that they may be improved. The problem with that theory is one runs the risk of the remake being bad, too. Case in point: The Philadelphia Experiment.

06/12/2013 | Comments 0

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

A few surprising things about Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters:
• It comes from MTV Films,
• is produced by Will Ferrell,
• and is as fun as its title is dumb.

06/11/2013 | Comments 0

This horse doc is a joy for anyone

June 23rd, 2011

Love horses? You're going to love "Buck."

Could do without horses? You're going to love "Buck."

Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary tells the story of Buck Brannaman, Wyoming-based horse whisperer. He travels three-fourths of the year, conducting clinics all over the nation on breaking horses — and sometimes their owners — of bad behavior.

What's so great about that? Looking like a Will Rogers for the 21st century, this calm, gentle soul is the product of a household of abuse. Rather than bemoan his wretched, nightmarish past, Buck chooses to live for the moment. He's taken his lumps, then his lessons, and moved on.

Opening Friday exclusively at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, his story is inspiring, whether or not you identify with the modern-day cowboy's old-fashioned, stripped-down lifestyle. Without even trying, Buck will have you charmed, and debuting director Cindy Meehl's film will have you laughing, crying and leaving the theater with enough joy in your heart to fill a 10-gallon hat. Take the kids. —Rod Lott