“Grilled”
This probably isn’t the first time that someone thought casting longtime pals Ray Romano and Kevin James in a comedy was a good idea, but when it involves the term “direct-to-DVD,” it’s probably not something you should get too excited about. Actually, the film isn’t half bad, considering it’s about two door-to-door meat salesmen who get mixed up with the local mob, but it’s still a tough sell for anyone who’s not a fan of the two comics’ earlier work. And no, “Hitch” doesn’t count.
“Asphalt Wars”
Drawing comparisons to a film like “The Fast and the Furious” isn’t exactly a grueling endeavor. Heck, any movie that features fast cars and an underground crime scene (not to mention shitty acting) is bound to play that card at some point during their sorry-ass marketing campaign, but that doesn’t make it any good.
“Beautiful People”
The ABC Family series about a recently-divorced advertising executive (Daphne Zuniga of “Melrose Place”) and her two daughters is like “Gilmore Girls,” minus the great writing, great acting and, well, great everything. Case in point: “Gilmore Girls” has been on the air for seven years running. “Beautiful People”? Not so much.
“The Lost City”
Andy Garcia offers up an interesting view of the social and political tragedies that took Cuba by storm during the late 1950s – a revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara – but it’s far too ambitious for its own good. Starring Garcia as Fico Fellove, owner of the El Tropico nightclub, the actor/director attempts to use Cuban dance music as a buffer between Havana’s past and its Communist future, but ultimately fails in presenting a substantial plot. It’s mostly just “Godfather”-like run-ins with the mob and government, mashed alongside a boatload of musical sequences better suited for the background. If given the choice, we’d rather watch “The Godfather III.”
