
“Clown in a Cornfield finds” a good balance of slasher and comedy
After an eight-year hiatus, cult director Eli Craig returns to the horror-comedy genre with his latest film, “Clown in a Cornfield,” from RLJE Films.
Every so often, I will check out a film just based on who is behind the scenes. Screenwriter John Patrick Shanley’s latest project Wild Mountain Thyme is one of the movies. The writer who won an Oscar back in 1987 for penning the still classic Moonstruck returns to the romance genre. Shanley brings his sweeping romantic vision to Ireland with Wild Mountain Thyme. The headstrong farmer Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) has her heart set on winning her neighbor Anthony Reilly’s love. The problem is Anthony (Jamie Dornan) seems to have inherited a family curse and remains oblivious to his beautiful admirer. When he discovers his father Tony (Christopher Walken) plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew (Jon Hamm), Anthony springs into action.
I love a good romantic comedy. I figured with a cast made up of the likable Emily Blunt and Jamie Dorman that the film would be enjoyable. Sadly the film has earned a spot in one of my years ten worst. The film’s accents are terrible for starters, which is surprising given that Jamie Dornan is from Northern Ireland. Talented thespian Christopher Walken is on autopilot and why he was cast in the role is beyond me. Emily Blunt is ok for the most part, but seeing as she is from London and not Ireland, some may find this offensive. The only bright spot in the film’s casting is Jon Hamm, and his role ends up as an extended cameo.
I also had issues with the film’s pacing as it is painfully slow. I looked at my watch numerous times and couldn’t wait for the film to end. John Patrick Shanley is a talented writer in his own right. Still, his adaptation of his own play to the big screen just doesn’t transition well. Perhaps releasing a filmed version of the stage play would’ve produced a better end result.
Final Grade : D
Wild Mountain Thyme opens in theaters today and is also available on demand here and here
After an eight-year hiatus, cult director Eli Craig returns to the horror-comedy genre with his latest film, “Clown in a Cornfield,” from RLJE Films.
First-time director Felipe Vargas explores the consequences of forgetting one’s roots in the chilling horror film “Rosario,” produced by Highland Film Group and Muchio Mass Media. Alan Trezza wrote the screenplay, which begins with our titular character, a Mexican immigrant, receiving her first communion. After a spooky incident involving her eerie grandmother, it becomes evident that Rosario is destined to move on when she grows older.
Director Duncan Skiles taps into the buddy pic genre for his feature debut in “Neighborhood Watch” from RJLE Films. Simon (Jack Quaid) is a young man grappling with mental illness who becomes convinced that he has witnessed an abduction. When he reports it to the police, and they refuse to believe him, he reluctantly seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a jaded, retired security guard with a troubled past. As the unlikely duo delves deeper into the mystery, their pursuit of the truth forces them to confront the disappearance’s dark secrets and the unspoken wounds that haunt them.
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