ActorMartinezDotCom Reviews

Tokeasy (2012)

Stoner film with intelligent undertones.

[8/10 · 24 June 2012]

Tokeasy follows the hapless adventures of a crime scene cleanup crew (Joshua Ray, Chaz Grundy, and Scott Jones) as they try to survive in a world of prohibition. Marijuana prohibition that is. By highlighting the parallels with alcohol prohibition, Tokeasy creates an intelligent examination of current drug policy and completely slathers it with moronic comedy. It's like taking the finest steak and deep frying it into a sinful pleasure.

And before you write Tokeasy off as just another stoner comedy, consider that the entire story is based on Dafne, the very first opera.

But enough with the brains, let's talk about the laughs. The lead actors, Ray, Grundy and Jones move with a well oiled chemistry and inadvertently end up with an old speakeasy that been upgraded for smoking rather than drinking. Of course, a building that old would certainly have a ghost and a la Dafne, this is a different sort of haunting altogether. Let's just say that the Drug Enforment Agency becomes the least of our hero's worries.

Considering the long lines at the theater to see Tokeasy I give it ten stars, and take away two stars to be fair since I play a supporting role myself. Watch for Tokeasy, because it's popular enough that you'll have a chance to see it soon.

Killer Ink (2016)

Serial killer, Grindhouse style.

[10/10 · 15 June 2012]

It's hard to make a movie. So when I heard the Killer Ink production suffered sound problems, I feared the worst. But Derrick Redearth and crew took those lemons and made the best hard lemonade you've ever had. And let me make it clear, this lemonade is hard. It's not for the faint of heart. But if you like grind house, in it's hedonistic glory. Killer Ink is your flick.

Set in the nowheres'ville of Riverdale Colorado, Killer Ink is a touching story of a young man (Chris Romero) who hopes to one day reconcile with his parents. Of course his parents are right out of a grind house movie so they paint that touching story as garishly as possible.

Chris Romero as Gauge is the perfect counterbalance to all this mayhem. His performance is the eye of the storm. It's an unabashed, completely deadpan delivery. And you find yourself clinging to it because it feels safe. But Gauge gives no mercy and makes no apologies. And that amplifies the horror.

Everything Gauge has underneath comes out in the sound production. It's harsh, aggressive, sexy, and even comical. They took everything that makes grind house great and they pummel your ears with it. It's glorious.

Killer Ink rounds out a well balanced cast with a fantastically dangerous portrayal of Gauge's tattoo client Ethan (Digger T. Mesch) on one end, and a charming off center performance by Peter Mayhew of Chewbacca fame. While Digger's performance gives us what we expect of the best grind house, Mayhew's character is completely unexpected and serves well to reinforce how little family Gauge has.

There are many more things to love about Killer Ink, but all you really need to know is that if you want chick flicks and sparkles, move on. But if you like that smoking electricity a fork in a light socket gets you, Killer Ink is it.

Searching for Sonny (2011)

Outrageous Comedy/Mystery

[9/10 · 16 January 2012]

Searching for Sonny is a roller coaster of mystery and laughs. Done in mock film noir style, it has enough twists to make any corkscrew jealous. The hijinks start when Elliot Knight (Jason Dohring) gets a strange invitation to a high school reunion that blossoms into a full blown murder mystery. This sets a hapless group of friends on a quest filled with misadventures as they follow is an endless variety of twists that keep everyone guessing. The film relies heavily on the comedic talents of Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher so this is a must see for BriTANick fans. And if you haven't heard of BriTANick, Searching for Sonny is a great introduction. So when you want to break out the popcorn and just have some fun, Searching for Sonny is a great choice.