The Black Douglas Soooooo bad I only sat through it because it was soooo bad it was almost comical (certainly funnier than some of Adam Sandler's movies). I paid 50 cents for this off the clearance shelf at the local cheap shop (the aptly named Reject Shop) with a few other titles, most of which were very watchable tele movies. The movie started with some bizarre editing where the screen blacks out every few seconds (thought I had a dud disc for a minute or two). The movie then proceeds with a combination of over acting, weak acting, appallingly cheap and hastily prepared gore effects, and then just when you think it's going to improve it dives back to poor editing, shoddy acting, even lamer "special" effects, and all the while the script is unravelling before the viewers eyes - more holes than a rusty sieve. But it was worth getting to the end to see the pile of dynamite in the centre of the room go off like a can of coke in a bonfire in a multitude of pyrotechnic fizzes as the "stars" are making their escape. Gaseous explosions then erupt from everywhere OTHER than the central location of the dynamite after their escape as if steel doors and concrete walls magically turned into flammable materials. The special effects guy and the script writer - I hope they have regular jobs. The casting guy must have liked blondes, all the ladies were attractive blondes, except for the main character's wife, but she must have been told to get her hair dyed blonde, which she did, but it was done very poorly, like everything else in this movie. 10 cents may have been a fairer price, as long as you have a bit of time to kill (or murder more like).

kgbx-988-330954 Start off with the directing. While brother John may have been able to get away with being a low talent writer and director- thanks to his undeserved Oscar for Rocky- Joey has a big zero in the talent department. While his actors are truly of the B-list caliber, his directing lowers their performances to a D- level. Their performances could easily be outdone by actors of adult films.And let's not forget the so-called authors of this play who covered no new ground but ripped off at least a dozen other manuscripts and screenplays to come up with an obvious ending. Then we finish with the tired cliché' of concluding the story by telling everything through a final meaningful dialogue.PS: As a retired police officer would someone tell these fools that that they are carrying their pistols wrong (do not bend the off-side elbow), and cops do NOT put their flashlights in front of them because that is exactly where the bad guys will aim! Duh!

Comeuppance Reviews "Final Move" is a disappointment, especially considering the B-list cast and director. I have very low standards when it comes to flicks like these.The plot is: The chess piece killer is at it again. After his last victim, he is caught and sentenced to death. After his execution, the killings don't stop. Which is weird for detective Marlowe (Schulze) who has psychic vision. He teams up with Roman Krieg (Lochlyn Munro) to stop the madness."Final Move" tries hard (too hard) to be a slick mystery-thriller. The opening credits are snazzy, but the opening scene is downright horrible: after the killer murders some woman, he takes off his mask and starts laughing for about ten minutes. You'll see.David Carradine and Daniel Baldwin don't have a lot of screen time despite their mugs on the cover. Schulze is alright, but his best role is in "The Transporter". The explosion near the end is faker than Milli Vanilli.If you like the actors, don't subject yourself to this mess.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

LadyLiberty Let's be honest here: Final Move is a direct-to-DVD film. Worse, one of its stars is a former high fashion model (and an ex-Mrs. Rod Stewart to boot). These are not things that, in my mind, bode particularly well (if you've seen Cindy Crawford engage in what can only loosely be called acting, you know what I mean). But I liked the description I received of this film and decided to give it a try. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised.Dan Marlowe (Matt Schulze) is a former cop so emotionally brutalized by a case involving a chess-obsessed serial killer that he has a breakdown from which is only now recovering.When Detective Krieg (Lochlyn Munro) is called to a murder scene in Los Angeles, however, he believes he has little choice but to get in touch with his former partner. The murder it seems, bears all of the hallmarks of a serial killer the two thought they'd caught — and who has, in fact, just been executed.Along with the FBI agent the pair worked with on the previous case (Iris Quarrie, played by Rachel Hunter), the two work frantically to catch the killer. At the same time, they all worry that there's some small chance that an innocent man may have died to pay for crimes he didn't commit. Marlowe has an edge, though, that could help solve the new murder sooner rather than later. But t hat same edge could also tumble him into insanity: Marlowe has psychic flashes during which he can see a murder as it's committed.While the police engage in their manhunt and scramble to prevent another murder they're certain is to come, Marlowe must also deal with his wife's resentment of his job. Amy Marlowe (Amanda Detmer) only wants her husband to retire from the work that almost took him from her, but he can't let this case go until he both catches a killer and answers his own doubts as to the man he sent to his death.Most of the actors in Final Move have fairly lengthy résumés, and the quality of acting in the movie is generally quite good. Schulze in particular does a fine job. The real surprise comes from Rachel Hunter who is actually okay. The supporting cast is also just fine, particularly David Carradine — a favorite of mine — as a police captain in charge of the new investigation. There are moments where Detmer, however, is wooden; a sexy turn by Lyndsay Griffin is mitigated by what appears to be nothing so much as an over-rehearsed performance. And don't even get me started on the wanna-be creepy performance that opens the movie!I personally found the production values to be surprisingly good. The cinematography is excellent, and the sets convincing. In some instances the lighting was lacking but the truth is that I thought that added far more than it took away. Most of the make-up effects were good; an explosion series had both good and bad moments.Director Joey Travolta made some poor editing decisions, I believe (most notably in the opening sequence) and I suspect some of the instances of poor acting must be laid at his feet as well. The script is good (though not quite as good as it could have been), but I found some substantial mistakes to be glaring: a cop with a gun handles the weapon in an entirely amateur and dangerous manner; an execution is conducted via the electric chair which California does not use.Still, Final Move had an interesting premise and did an overall nice job in getting its story across. The bottom line here is that, with the addition of a little popcorn and a cold soda, you'll be set up for a diverting afternoon or evening if you pick up a copy of Final Move for yourself.POLITICAL NOTES: Final Move doesn't address the issue blatantly, but it's there throughout the film: What if an innocent man was executed? It's a point well worth pondering, particularly given the number of cases in recent years in which jailed men have been released after better technology or new information showed their innocence. It's tough to go back and correct a mistake, though, if the wronged man is dead! To their credit, these cops seem to appreciate that.FAMILY SUITABILITY: Final Move is rated R for "violence, language, and some sexual content." I believe that rating is just about right. There are moments of violence and gore that are much too much for children, and though the sexual content is included largely as comic relief, it's also a little too graphic for the youngsters. I'd reserve Final Move for those of 16 and up or so.