Cine Beaverhausen: Buddy B Visits 10 Cloverfield Lane

John Goodman is currently one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. His latest vehicle is the suspense thriller, 10 Cloverfield Lane.

The film, which opened on the 11th of this month but which I just got around to seeing, provides us an interesting and original premise, A young woman finds herself with two men in a strange house. She's told she was saved from a car accident and that it's unsafe to venture outside as the area is contaminated from chemical warfare.

Of course, you and she may have a lot to ponder and to question about all this after a spell. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is superb as the damsel who may or may not be in distress. John Gallagher Jr and Douglas M. Griffin round out the cast and are also impressive young talents.

Strong direction by Dan Trachtenberg in an auspicious debut as director, smartly scripted by Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken. The end was a complete surprise.

Frankly, you may want to wait till this comes to video ~ especially if you have big-screen tv ~ rather than run out to theaters, as intriguing as 10 Cloverfield Lane is. Nothing will be lost for he who hesitates in this case.

This is a well developed and cleverly written brainteaser that I promise will be a white-knuckle ride for you no matter what format you choose to watch it in. Goes down well with popcorn, too!.

Cine Beaverhausen: Love the Coopers with an All-star Cast

Love the Coopers? Heck, I didn't even like the Coopers!

This holiday-timed 2015 release is what we now call a "dramedy." And maybe it wasn't intended that I like this dysfunctional family. By film's end, they do, redeemingly,however,  re-discover the importance of family ties and of the holiday spirit.

The film boasts an all-star cast, and Diane Keaton and John Goodman shine as a married couple here.

Alan Arkin is in this as are Marisa Tomei, Amanda Seyfried and many others. Steve Martin occasionally narrates as the voice of the family dog.

Leo Tolstoy wrote "Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" and you might find that applies here. Or you may identify with it dearly.

Worth watching, though -- warning -- it's not to everyone's taste.

Cine Beaverhausen: Robert De Niro Is Dirty Grandpa

In Dirty Grandpa, Robert De Niro is clearly having fun. It's a rather middling comedy, but the actor gets to show off his comic skills.

While the humor is sophomoric and politically incorrect, I got a few laughs out of this lightweight endeavor.

While hardly a comedy classic, it's certainly entertaining enough if you're in the mood for this sort of thing. Still at theaters, it goes great with popcorn and a Pepsi, and has been well received at the box-office, though critically drubbed.

It's a road movie and Zac Efron co-stars, looking mighty fine and in fine shape as a comic sidekick, too. Eye candy always helps although Efron is not just a pretty boy but a fine actor worthy of his co-star.

Some have said De Niro is slumming it in this, but I think he's showing off his versatility as a mature actor. How many featured roles are there for a man of his age? Definitely geared to a younger generation and to the frat boy crowd, Dirty Grandpa is worth some chuckles and a few snickers as well. You could find a worse way to spend your idle time.