In January 2006, just days into my career as a film critic, a made for TV movie premiered and instantly became a phenomenon. It was Disney Channel’s “High School Musical”. Leading man Zac Efron had done some notable work before (including on “Summerland”). But now… he was a superstar. Efron was one of the first […]
A courtroom frenzy ensues and sweeps 1970s America when a young single mother reluctantly tips the attention of a widespread manhunt toward her longtime boyfriend, Ted Bundy. (IMDB, Netflix) Zac Efron has built a career on musicals (“High School Musical”, “Hairspray”, “The Greatest Showman”) and comedies (“Neighbors”, “17 Again”, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”). […]
Zac Efron has built his movie career on musicals and comedies. But after witnessing his performance as infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, serious dramas may be where he belongs. Efron is captivating and transformative in Netflix’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”. The film is based on Elizabeth Kloepfer’s 1981 memoir, The Phantom Prince: My […]
BAYWATCH follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron). Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay. (PARAMOUNT) Dwayne Johnson has starred in a number of blockbuster action movies, including installments of “The Fast and the Furious” franchise, “San Andreas” and […]
Two months ago, Warner Bros. released a modernized movie version of the 70s/80s TV series “Chips”. It was an abysmal failure, both on screen and at the box office. And now, not to be outdone, Paramount has responded with “Baywatch”, which takes the ‘movie reboots of old TV shows’ genre to depths previously unseen. Dwayne […]
Well, congratulations to “Dirty Grandpa” – which is the first Worst Movie of 2016. And it could hold on to that title for awhile. This film is rude, crude, offensive and wrong in so many ways – but that’s not the reason “Dirty Grandpa” is a spectacular failure. “Ted 2” was all those things and […]
“We Are Your Friends” star Zac Efron has called his latest film the “Saturday Night Fever” of this generation. But instead of a white jumpsuit and disco, Efron sports headphones and blares techno music as a DJ looking to make it big. Efron’s Cole Carter is part of a four friend posse. They live in […]
What if the new next-door neighbors made your life a living Hell? That’s the better-than-average premise behind Seth Rogen’s latest comedy “Neighbors”. Unfortunately, even with a decent concept and cast, there aren’t nearly enough laughs to qualify this as a neighborhood must-watch. Rogen and Rose Byrne play Mac and Kelly, a young married couple with […]
If fans of Zac Efron (particularly young girls) watch this movie thinking they’re going to see him as they did in the “High School Musical” films and “Hairspray” they’re in for a major disappointment. “17 Again” is about a 37 year old husband and father who’s about to get a divorce, has two kids who […]