Reel News: Week of Aug. 29 — As Above So Below, Blended

Upcoming Theatrical Releases

As Above/So Below
Director: John Erick Dowdle
R; 93 mins.
Trailer

Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the secret of what this city of the dead was meant to contain. A journey into madness and terror, As Above, So Below reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all. (Synopsis by Universal)

This isn’t a bad horror film, but not a particularly good one either. It is at its strongest without the supernatural parts, when the atmosphere is allowed to breathe and the claustrophobic catacombs provide the tension. The tired “found footage” element doesn’t help either. Rent it.

Upcoming DVD Releases

Blended
Director: Frank Coraci
PG-13; 91 mins.
Trailer

After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week in “Blended,” the third comedy collaboration between stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. (Synopsis by Warner Bros.)

Nothing, and I do mean nothing, is enjoyable about this. Not funny. Not touching. Not anything except Sandler cashing another check. Skip it.