An Eric Roberts Holiday Film Review: A Karate Christmas Miracle (dir by Julie Kimmel)

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2019’s A Karate Christmas Miracle, young Jesse Genesis (Mario Del Vecchio) believes that if he can become a black belt in four days, his father — who has been missing for a year — will return home. Jesse’s mother, Abby (Mila Milosevic) tries to get Jesse to understand that his father was abducted and probably murdered by a killer clown. Eventually, trying to understand what happened to her husband, Abby teams up with Elizabeth (Julie McCullough), a quirky law professor who is also psychic.

This is a strange film. Eric Roberts and Martin Kove are listed as co-starring in the film but actually, all of their footage appears to have been lifted from 2015’s Joker’s Poltergeist, a film that stylistically and thematically has next to nothing in common with A Karate Christmas Miracle. Scenes of Jesse practicing karate and trying to work his way up to black belt in just six days are mixed with scenes of Eric Roberts threatening to kill people and Martin Kove rambling about he wants to leave a movie theater to his daughter. The scenes just don’t mix but they do show that if Eric Roberts and Martin Kove aren’t available to do your bad movie, you can just lift scenes of them from an even worse movie.

Sitting through A Karate Christmas Miracle is a bit of a struggle. It’s only 81 minutes long but every scene still goes on for too long and the dialogue is full of overly quirky moments that probably sounded great in the writer’s head but which play out very awkwardly on film. This movie really made me appreciate films that are actually edited in a professional manner. We tend to take good editing for granted. This movie reminds us not to.

Now, to be honest, the story did have some potential. A child is so desperate for his father to return that he sets an impossible goal for himself. Seriously, in the right hands, this could have been a real tearjerker. But everything about A Karate Christmas Miracle just feels off. The film works itself towards an heartfelt ending that it really hasn’t earned.

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this film is that it’s still better than Joker’s Poltergeist.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

An Eric Roberts Holiday Film Review: So This Is Christmas (dir by Richard Foster)

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2014’s So This Is Christmas, Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox play a married couple!

That’s really not the plot of the film but it is probably the main reason why most people will watch it. Roberts and Fox have been frequent co-stars over the past few years, thanks to the “Wrong” films on Lifetime. In this film, we get to see them as a couple and, while they don’t exactly have the greatest romantic chemistry, we do get to watch as the sing a duet of Mary, Did You Know?

Both Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox get to do more actual acting than they usually do whenever they appear in low budget films like this one. Roberts is the father of Ashley (Lexi Ainsworth), an alcoholic teenager who leaves the house in sparkly booty shorts and who has a best friend who is supposed to be in high school but who appears to be about 40 years old. Fox is the mother of Jason (Titus Mankin, Jr.), who has a pregnant girlfriend and a growing cocaine addiction….

That may sound like some fairly heavy stuff for a Christmas movie. What’s interesting is that the film still largely takes a Hallmark approach, even while the characters are getting drunk, cursing, and nearly getting killed as a result. Ashley starts to change her ways when a groundskeeper named Mac (Bryan Massey) recruits her to help direct the Christmas show at the local shelter. Jason learns an important lesson after his girlfriend is put in a coma as a result of his own stupid decisions….

It’s kind of an unpleasant film, to be honest. Scenes of Ashley earnestly working on the play are mixed with smokey scenes of drug dealers threatening to kill everyone. It’s a mishmash of styles that doesn’t come together and, at nearly two hours, the film drags considerably.

That said …. Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox! Singing!

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

The Eric Roberts Horror Collection: 616 Wilford Lane (dir by Dante Yore)

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

2021’s 616 Wilford Lane is an odd film that has a twist ending that makes the entire film difficult review. The easy solution would be to just give away the ending but it’s actually a pretty good (if somewhat implausible) twist and I really don’t want to ruin it for anyone watching the movie. So, just take my word that there’s more to 616 Wilford Lane than meets the eye.

The films open Paranormal Activity-style, with grainy security footage of an apparently possessed young man killing his parents and his younger sister. The murders occur at 616 Wilford Lane, a lovely house in a wealthy town. The house sits empty for nearly a year until the real estate agent, Austyn (Jasmine Waltz), is able to sell it to Jim (John Littlefield). Jim explains that his wife just died and he’s looking for a nice house for himself and his teenage daughters, extrovert Randy (Jessica Chancellor) and intellectual Staci (Alyson Gorske). Austyn, realizing that she finally has chance to sell the murder house, doesn’t tell him about 616 Wilford Lane’s past.

No sooner have Jim, Randy, and Staci moved in then strange things start happening. Staci sleepwalks. Randy thinks that she sees someone looking through her window. There are strange sounds throughout the house. Staci starts to give lingering looks to the rifle that Jim owns but swears he has never fired. Jim seems as if he’s too busy sleeping with Austyn to notice what’s happening in his house. Meanwhile, the town’s mayor (Eric Roberts) warns Jim not to call the police every time something strange happens….

There are a few odd things about this film’s plot and specifically the way that some of the characters behave and talk to each other. When I was watching the movie, my first assumption was that it was just a case of an inconsistent script. However, the twist ending reveals that the film know exactly what it was doing. All of those strange moments — especially where Jim was concerned — suddenly made sense during the film’s final 10 minutes. Moments that I originally dismissed as just being a case of poor writing actually turned out to be clues as to what was going on in the house. 616 Wilford Lane is not a flawless film but it’s one that still turned out to be considerably more clever than I was expecting it to be.

Plus, the film feature Eric Roberts! And, for once, Roberts actually gets to play a real character. As the Mayor, Roberts is all smiles until he starts to suspect that Jim might bring some bad publicity to his town. Roberts gives a good performance here. Also giving good performances were Jessica Chancellor and Alyson Gorske, both of whom brought their characters to life in a way that made the twist ending all the more interesting. Randy had red hair, spent a lot of time talking about her boobs, and flirted with almost every guy she met so, for once, I felt represented in a movie.

I recommend 616 Wilford Lane. Make sure you stick around for the twist at the end.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

October Positivity: Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire (dir by Gabriel Sabloff)

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Eric Roberts is in this!

That, in itself, isn’t a surprise. Eric Roberts was also in the first Revelation Road. He plays the same role in the 2013 sequel. Roberts is Sheriff Jenson, the not particularly religious sheriff who has to deal with a town that’s gone mad in the wake of the Rapture. Over the course of one night, dozens of people (including Jenson’s mother) vanished as their souls flew into the air. Jenson isn’t sure what happened but he knows that there is panic in the streets and that there is also a crazed motorcycle gang to deal with. In the first film, Roberts was onscreen for maybe two minutes. He gets closer to five minutes in Revelation Road 2 and you know what? it’s always nice to see Eric Roberts!

As for the rest of the film, it picks up where the previous one ended. Josh McManus (David A.R. White) is trying to get home to his family while also resisting the urge to become a killer. It’s not easy. Flashbacks reveal that Josh was actually brainwashed by the CIA to be a remorseless killer. He’s haunted by a mission in the Middle East and the amount of people he killed over there. He’s joined in his drive home by Beth (Noelle Coet), a teenage girl who has been sent by Jesus himself (Bruce Marchiano) to help guide Josh in the right direction. Pursuing Josh is the fearsome Hawg (Brian Bosworth), a motorcycle gang leader who is haunted by his own personal tragedy. Hawg’s daughter, Cat (Andrea Logan White), struggles to understand her father’s anger and hatred.

Revelation Road 2 is a definite improvement over the first film. If the first film seemed to take forever to go nowhere, Revelation Road 2 is all about Josh’s determination to get back home. Once he starts that car up, nothing is going to stop him. If the first film seemed to be a bit too eager to show off Josh’s talent for killing people, Revelation Road 2 features Josh trying to hold back on his murderous instincts. Flashbacks to Hawg’s past life bring some much-needed nuance and context to his actions and they keep him from being just a one-dimensional villain. I would dare say that Bosworth actually gives a legitimately good performance in this film.

Though the film wears its influences on its sleeve (Hi, Mad Max!), Revelation Road 2 is still a surprisingly well-done action film.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

October Positivity: Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (dir by Gabriel Sabloff)

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Eric Roberts is in the 2013 film, Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End.

Of course, he’s only in it for a few minutes. In fact, if you blink, you will miss him. He plays Sheriff Jenson, who is in charge of enforcing the law in a small desert community. He appears long enough to tell salesman John McManus (David A.R. White) not to leave town. McManus has just killed three armed men who were attempting to rob a general store. The store’s owner (Ray Wise) invites him to dinner but the cops are curious as to how a salesman could be so proficient at killing people.

Revelation Road plays out over the course of one long night. A group of bikers, led by the fearsome Hawg (Brian Bosworth), are seeking revenge for the death of their compatriots. Meanwhile, Iran is pushing the world towards war. In a motel, a woman asks John for money. Lighting flashes. Lights flicker on and off. The Earth shakes. It’s a fearful time, largely because the world itself is coming to an end. A little over an hour into this 88 minute film, there’s a sudden blinding light and suddenly, a fourth of the cast vanishes. One person who does not vanish runs into a kindly stranger, played by Bruce Marchiano. Marchiano will be well-known to viewers of faith-based cinema for the number of times that he’s played Jesus. So, you can probably guess what’s happened.

Revelation Road ends with the promise of a sequel, which means that the film also ends with a lot of unanswered questions. It makes Revelation Road difficult to really review because it’s obviously meant to be a prologue to the actual story. I will note that Revelation Road is a surprisingly violent movie, at least by the standards of most faith-based films. Then again, most of the violence was in self-defense and the Bible itself is full of stories of violent men who found redemption. In fact, you could probably argue that it’s impossible to do an apocalypse movie that isn’t violent. We’ll just have to wait to see where this story is heading.

I’ll review the sequel tomorrow.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

October True Crime: The Company We Keep (dir by Jeff Edelstein)

Posted on October 24, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Like Ed Kemper, the 2023’s The Company We Keep is based on the crimes of Edmund Kemper.

The Company We Keep does take a few liberties with the true story. For one thing, it’s set in the present instead of the 70s. As well, Carter Holcomb (Cary Mark), who is this film’s version of Kemper, works not for the Highway Department but instead at a grocery store. His boss is Pete Matthews (Eric Roberts). Pete is a terrible manager but he’s played by Eric Roberts so you can’t help but like him.

Otherwise, The Company We Keep sticks closer to the facts of the case than some of the other films that I’ve seen about Kemper. Carter Holcomb has just been released from prison. His juvenile record has been expunged. He’s living with his harsh mother (Sharon Jordan). And he’s murdering hithchhikers, keeping their remains in his closet, and imagining having conversations with them.

It’s a creepy movie, largely because Ed Kemper is a very creepy killer. It’s also rather oddly paced and it doesn’t really have much a plot, beyond Carter getting annoyed with his mother and killing people. Like the real Kemper, Carter is friends with the cops who are investigating the murders and that certainly adds an interesting wrinkle. There’s a clever scene where Carter gets arrested just to discover that it’s his friends playing a trick on him.

Though the film has some pretty serious pacing issues, It’s still a well-acted film. Cary Mark is appropriately awkward as Carter Holcomb and Sharon Jordan wisely doesn’t play his mother as being an over-the-top tyrant but instead as someone who has suddenly found herself living with a son who she really doesn’t know. And, of course, the film features Eric Roberts, giving an amusing performance as the incompetent boss from Hell. As I’ve always said, any film is improved by the casting of Eric Roberts.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

The Eric Roberts Horror Collection: Space Sharks (dir by Dustin Ferguson)

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Odd film, Space Sharks.

This 2024 movie imagines what would happen if a bunch of …. well, space sharks …. were developed by a group of mad scientists in a space station and then were sent down to Earth where they were invisible except for when they bit someone’s head off. This is one of those films where new characters are continually introduced, just to be killed a few minutes later. There’s a subplot about a bunch of former drug addicts taking a hike through the wilderness which leads to some of them getting space sharked.

On the one hand, the movie is pretty bad. Even though it’s only 70 minutes (and about 15 of those minutes is taken up with the opening and the end credits), it moves extremely slowly. The plot never makes any sense. The special effects aren’t very special. The Space Sharks are a lot more impressive on the poster than in the actual movie. In fact, the poster has absolutely nothing to do with the actual movie. You get the idea.

On the other hand, as is so often the case with low-budget horror films, it’s hard not to be fascinated by the dedication that was put into making such a bad movie. There’s an undeniable charm to these DIY productions. At least, there is for me. This film has “Wow, someone actually made this!” appeal to it. Your mileage may vary. What director Dustin Ferguson has done here — coming up with a great title and then making a mediocre film — is what we regularly praise Roger Corman, Sam Arkoff, Herschell Gordon Lewis, and William Castle for doing.

The movie also has a surprisingly effective synth score and Eric Roberts! Eric is in the film for maybe two minutes and, in the role of a random scientist on the space station, he’s playing a minor character that any actor could have played. But who cares? It’s Eric Roberts!

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

The Eric Roberts Horror Collection: 2 Bedroom 1 Bath (dir by Stanley Yung)

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In this 2014 shocker, a young couple moves into what seems like a perfect 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment. Rachel (Michele Hooks) and Kevin (Andrew W. Walker) are hoping to start a family in their new apartment. Their landlady (Dee Wallace) is very happy to hear that. In fact, it’s hard not to feel that she’s a bit too happy to hear it….

In many ways, 2 Bedroom 1 Bath is a typical “is it haunted or not?” thriller. From the minute that they move into the apartment, Kevin starts to have strange and nightmarish visions. He imagines himself trying to pick up a baby, just for it to fall to the ground and shatter like a doll. Dark shadows move in the background while pale faces are reflected in the windows. After taking a shower, Rachel doesn’t notice that ghostly figure in the mirror behind her. Things get creepier and stranger after Rachel gets pregnant and Kevin finds himself not only tempted by student but also taunted by mysterious messages that appear in the mail box.

It’s a bit predictable but Hooks and Walker both give strong performances and director Stanley Yung does a great job of creating an ominous and dream-like atmosphere. This is a film that features several dozen jump scares and just about everyone of them is effective. It’s an effective piece of haunted apartment horror.

As for Eric Roberts, his role is a small one. He plays the fertility specialist and he has three scenes with Rachel and Kevin. When Roberts first appeared, I assumed his character was going to be revealed to be a part of the supernatural conspiracy but no. He was just a well-intentioned doctor with two patients who had no idea how much trouble they were about to face. To be honest, I’m so used to seeing Eric Roberts playing villains that it was kind of nice to see him playing a sympathetic professional for once.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

October Hacks: L.A. Slasher (dir by Martin Owen)

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2016’s L.A. Slasher, an androgynous killer wearing a white suit and a mask decides that reality stars are the worst people in the world so he starts kidnapping them and torturing them and live-streaming their murders. Even worse, he talks to them and talks to us about how he feels about them. I say “even worse” because the voice of the Slasher is provided by Andy Dick. Andy Dick’s nasal voice is even more whiny than usual in this film and it left me wondering what if perhaps death would preferable to listening to Dick speak.

L.A. Slasher is meant to be a satire and I will give it some credit. It hits its targets and there’s even some bite to the scenes in which people on social media start talking about how much they love the slasher. In many ways, this film predicted the Cult of Luigi. Unfortunately, the film itself is so overdirected and cartoonishly-staged that it’s never quite as effective as it wants to be. It’s essentially a live action cartoon and a fairly exhausting one of that. The flashing lights, the constantly prowling camera, the jump cuts, the neon, it’s meant to be overwhelming but instead it’s just annoying.

There are a lot of familiar faces in the cast. Dave Bautista and Danny Trejo shows up as drug dealers. Mischa Barton is the Actress. Drake Bell is the Popstar. Brooke Hogan is the Reality Star. And, of course, Eric Roberts shows up very briefly as The Mayor. Personally, I think the film would have worked better if Andy Dick had played the Mayor and if Roberts had been the voice of the Slasher. Roberts has a much better voice and, with Dick playing the Mayor, it would be easy to just leave his scenes on the cutting room floor.

In the end, I think the main problem is that L.A. Slasher is a film from 2016 that acts as if it’s the first film to ever criticize reality television and the people who populate it. Even in 2016, that argument was hardly new or original. It certainly didn’t need to be made in the voice of Andy Dick.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

The Eric Roberts Horror Collection: Insane Like Me? (dir by Chip Joslin)

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

After his girlfriend and his brother are killed while throwing a party at the local abandoned insane asylum (every town has one!), veteran Jake Morgan (Britt Bankhead) finds himself tossed into a not-abandoned insane asylum. Jake swears that everyone was killed by vampires. The local sheriff (Eric Roberts) swears that Jake is the murderer. The sheriff also happens to be the father of Jake’s dead girlfriend.

Jump forward a few years and Jake has been released from the asylum. He returns to the town to take out the vampires. The sheriff still claims that Jake is crazy but it soon becomes apparent that the sheriff has got a secret or two of his own….

This 2024 movie got off to a good start and it had an effective ending. I appreciated that Eric Roberts got to do a bit more than he usually does in these type of films. Sheriff Eric Roberts gets to beat someone up and I nearly cheered, even when I wasn’t supposed to. Considering the amount of movies that I’ve watched that have just featured Roberts delivering his lines from behind a desk, it was nice to see him moving around and actually playing a character.

Unfortunately, the middle part of the film drags. When is say drag, I don’t just mean that it moved slowly. I mean that it was so incredibly boring that I found myself checking the time every few minutes. We meet a group of teenage victims and let’s just say that some of them were better actors than others. This is a movie that should have been nonstop vampire mayhem. Instead, it got bogged down with not-very interesting characters delivering flat dialogue.

One final note: the movie features a doctor named Stoker. It’s amazing to think that the entire town is full of vampires and yet no one ever points out that oddness of the doctor being named Stoker. I guess today’s vampires just aren’t that well-read.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed: