Posts by Brent Lorentson

Following the Lifetime original movie Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles is a continuation of the tale about the young woman accused of killing her stepmother and father with an axe.  It’s tricky enough to do a feature length film about real people involved in real events; liberties seem to be taken for the sake of telling a good story.  It’s one of those things that when you see “Based on true events” or “Inspired by true events”; is there a difference, and does it even matter?  Well, if you are watching The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, accept the fact that though the character and her sister are very real, this is hardly biographical, but instead a fun game of “what if” that the creators have done with Lizzie Borden.  And it’s a wild eight-episode ride that they have set the viewers on.

Have you ever had a dream that you wake up from and as your head spins from the snippets of the dream you can remember it takes you a few moments to clear your head and remember where you are?  Usually this is a result from a hard night of drinking, but for Major John Cafferty (Tahmoh Penikett) it is a battle he is waking up from, and it is not a dream.  With no memory of what happened, Major Cafferty wakes up in a special military hospital with several members from his platoon, only some of his soldiers are dead, and no one has a clue as to how they found themselves in the medical facility.

Scott Adkins is one of those actors that I’m surprised hasn’t quite hit the mainstream success he deserves.  In the late 80’s and 90’s this is a guy who would have been an action superstar who would have crushed such icons as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.  It seems that somehow Adkins has been lost amongst the glut of superhero films; he’s one of the true great tough guys who even does most of his own stunts, which is surprising, since some actors these days can’t function on set without their own personal chef and have stand-ins when their face is not on screen.  Close Range is the new release for Adkins that once again shows off his martial arts skills while leaving a high body count in his wake.

Over the years it’s become a bit of a trend to read headlines discussing a pit-bull attack. Sure, it’s been known to be an aggressive breed, but I tend to be in the camp that believes it’s the owner who truly reflects a dog’s behavior.  Another unsettling trend that has been in the news lately is the abuse inflicted upon these animals, whether it is to “toughen” the dog up for fighting or simply that the dog was an unfortunate object that a person decided to unleash their cruelty upon.  I note this not to attempt to make any social commentary, but instead to set up this film that tackles both sides of the coin when it comes to pit bulls, and it just so happens to be based upon a true story.