Review: "HORSEMAN" Score: D+

So this lame attempt at a serial murder mystery starts off interestingly enough and then it quickly falls apart. What is touted as a Dennis Quaid and Zhang Zihi starrer has lots of Quaid and a misused Zihi. Quaid is a single father of two boys a teen and a youngster. He is a forensic tooth specialist, and is sucked into this "case" because the first clue left is a plate full of teeth from an unknown victim and he is called to it. The other clues are "Come and See" on four trees. After another murder, involving some cruel body hanging devices and help from his son viewing the photos, OH NO its the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Oh yea in what was shot as if it was a dream sequence (confusing in and of itself) Zhang (who is an adopted child who was jealous of the other new children, was abused by the father and) murders her pregnant mother and extracts the fetus to give to Quaid in a confession in a park. No that's not a dream sequence, next she is in the interrogation room acting all evil and seduce-y to Quaid, whom she tells that he will never find the white horse. Add a couple more gruesome murders, a live saw suicide, and lots of blood. OH NO...the group is targeting his kids, ahhhh. Uh oh when he gets home, his partner knock out, his teen's room is painted completely white! He is the head White Horsemen! But where is he? At the abandoned theater where something that has to do with his dead mom. After Quaid races there, he gets knocked out, then awakes to find somehow his son managed to hang himself over the stage, still alive with the torture hooks (also live Internet web casting set up) all because his dad ignored him and didn't go into his room for three years. Uhgg. And after Quaid gets out of his handcuff he shoots down his son and stops the web revolution of the Horsemen. How did this one get made? Its all over the place. Blah. Skip this one.

Review: "JET LI's FEARLESS" Score: B-

A film and story about honor more than about spectacular fights. What is touted as an epic of sorts is based on a true story. What was advertised as a Jet Li fight extravaganza is OK but not one of his best films. ("HERO" takes that prize) I expected better fights scenes more action but wasn't given as much as I would have liked. The fights are OK. Jet Li is a decent actor and pulls off the lead here as well as he does in most of his films. If you are a fan it is worth checking out, if not it still has some worthwhile elements, as long as you look deep enough and past the fighting. As in the end its not about that. Based on events that actually took place in China when the doors were open and the western powers came in. Really the last of its kind a battle of the world's best fighters against only one man. Today we only have the Olympics as that testing ground.

Review: ""DOG SOLDIERS" Score; C+

This is an slightly above average werewolf movie in the horror genre. A foreign film of sorts (Scottish), a group of soldiers on a training mission, find themselves in a forest of high full moon werewolves. Mostly solid acting from the group and decent enough werewolf makeup and costumes lifts this into an above average horror film. The group is bared down on and can do little to escape, a woman in a jeep comes to their rescue, and they take refuge in a small home in the woods. What it turns out to be is the home of the family of werewolves and they are not letting up. After some interesting deaths, a transformation or two. We find out the woman set them up and the military exercise was in fact an attempt to capture one of the werewolves. Its an OK Friday night popcorn flick, none to gross, nor too scary. Nothing spectacular here.

Review: "HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG" Score A

This under-appreciated film is definitely worth viewing. Anchored by the solid performances of Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley this is a gripping drama. As a piece of film making it is expertly crafted and is very well put together. A down on her luck woman, who's husband abandoned her and bills have piled up, looses her home in a tax sale. Ben Kingsley as a former Iranian military official who was forced to move his family to the US works two menial jobs to scrape together money with which he buys the tax lien sale home. The movie then pits the two against each other as she attempt to regain her home and he just wants to stay in it. As more and more desperate she gets she is joined by a helpful sheriff (who in turns starts an affair with her). His attempts to scare the Iranians and force them out are met with inquiry to authorities. After her suicide attempt in her car in the driveway of her former home, the Iranians take her in and care for her. The sheriff arrives and takes it out of context, then attempts to at gun point force them to sell back the home. The results are shocking and lead to even more shockers. This movie is a shining example of the power of Kingsley as an actor (just as "SEXY BEAST" was). He thoroughly invests in and becomes his characters with utter conviction and emotion. Really one of today's finest actors. The supporting cast rounds out a nice group. Great movie, check it.