11 best reviewed Wilmington-shot movies (and a few with no love) – StarNewsOnline.com

Hunter Ingram|Wilmington StarNews

WILMINGTON You win some, you lose some.

That has certainly been the case for the Wilmington film industry when it comes to the critical reception of the moviesit has churned out in the past 35 years.

From Oscar nominees to box office disasters, Wilmington's big-screen record runs the gamut, especially when it comes to Rotten Tomatoes, the imperfect but oft-used review aggregator that gives movies scores based on an average of their reviews. The more positive the reviews, the higher the score.

Taking a look at the critical reception of Wilmington's movies on Rotten Tomatoes offers some interesting revelations about the local industry's track record.

For example, despite a few recentyears when the state struggled to draw in projects,two of Wilmington's best-reviewed movies came out in 2020 "Words on Bathroom Walls" and "Uncle Frank."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, five prominent locally shot movies managed to land 24% scores on Rotten Tomatoes "Tammy" (2014), "Stateside" (2004), "Domestic Disturbance (2001),"Radioland Murders" (1994) and "Super Mario Bros." (1993).

For those wondering, the industry's pioneering project, 1984's "Firestarter," didn't come in at the top or bottom, but rather held a higher-than-expected 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, considering it is not a beloved movie by any measure.

It should be noted some movies were small enough they didn't receive reviews or not enough to get Rotten Tomatoes scores. Four moviesgot enough reviews, but still managed to land a rare 0% on the site (see those below).

So what did come out on top and what locally shot movies got little love from critics? We break it down, complete with their Rotten Tomatoes score.

This may be a surprising first-place finisher, but this 1991 Great Depression drama actually garnered two Oscar nominations for its actors Laura Dern and, her real-life mother, Diane Ladd. Costarring Robert Duvall, Dern plays the titular Rose, apromiscuous domestic worker hired by a family as a means of keeping her away from sex work. Dern, who also starred in "Blue Velvet" (more on that later), would go on to win her Oscar in 2020 for "Marriage Story." But "Rambling Rose" is special asher first nomination.

Although a lot of its location shooting was done near Charlotte and even some in Detroit, this 1987 sequel to the original cult classic "Evil Dead" did spend time filming on what is now EUE/Screen Gems Studios' lot, then owned by Dino De Laurentiis. The sequel is beloved for its willingness to rib on the original's more outlandish scares and effects, with original star Bruce Campbell and director Sam Raimi back to poke fun at their own movie.

The quintessential example of Wilmington's contributions to the cult classic genre, this David Lynch film from 1986is an all-time favorite of some and still a headscratcher for others. From a deranged Dennis Hopper to a severed ear, the film is a masterpiece of filmmaker vision, for better or worse. No matter where you fall on the film, Hollywood still managed to reward its vision with two Oscar nominations, including a Best Director nom for Lynch. More than three decades later, the appreciation for it has only strengthened with many calling it one of the best films of all time, including Entertainment Weekly and Time Magazine.

Although not exclusively a Hannibal Lecter film, "Manhunter" from 1986was the first timemovie audiences came face to face with one of Hollywood's most fearsome villains. Lecter was played by Brian Cox in this Michael Mann-directed film, which primarily focused on FBI profiler William Graham (played by future "CSI" leading man William Peterson). It was based on Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon" novel, and essentiallyremade in2002's "Red Dragon" and then NBC's stylish "Hannibal."

One of the most recent additions to the best-reviewed list, this independent movie shot in 2018, but sat on the shelf for more than two years waiting release. It stars Charlie Plummer as a teenager wrestling with his own coming-of-age story, complicated by his schizophrenia diagnosis. It was released during the COVID-19 pandemic when most theaters were closed, limiting its audience. But critics still seemed to like the film, which is now available to buy and stream.

Wilmington has a scary good history with horror movies, and it's only getting better with the recent productions of "Halloween Kills" and "Scream." But this 2013 film that used the cases of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as its source material remains the most beloved. Not only was it a massive late-summer hit at the box office and gained plenty of acclaim for its performances from Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Lili Taylor, but it also launched a cinematic universe known as the "Conjuring Universe." It has since produced eightsequels or spinoffs, with "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" due in 2021.

Tragically, "The Crow" is best known as Wilmington film's darkest chapter, even though it received some of the industry's best reviews. During production on this 1994 thriller based on the comic book of the same name, actor Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot on set by a malfunctioning black ammunition. He later died in surgery on March 31, 1993. The film was almost finished and completed production by reworking the script and using a stunt double. It remains a cinematic cult classic, notable for a real-life tragedy.

Jessica Lange, Diane Keaton and Sissy Spacek joined forced to play the Hawley sisters for this adaptation ofBeth Henley'sPulitzer Prize-winning play. The women struggle under the weight of their family's reputation and their own personal struggles in this movie that shot primarily in Southport.

More: WilmOnFilm Flashback: Crimes of the Heart

The biggest movie to ever shoot in North Carolina, let alone Wilmington, is also one of its best reviewed. Had all gone to plan, Marvel's third solo out with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his Iron Man suit would have been the first of several movies to shoot in Wilmington. Unfortunately, changes in film incentive legislation sent those hopes to Georgia.While it was here though, the film took over most of the EUE/Screen Gems Studios lot, shot elaborate aerial stunt scenes and brought plenty of big-budget acclaim to the hundreds of local crew who poured themselves into the state's marquee production.

More: WilmOnFilm Flashback: 'Iron Man 3'

This virtually forgotten 1997 tale of rural North Carolina con men starred the late Bill Paxton, Julianna Margulies and a young Mark Wahlberg. Although the film didn't make much of a dent at the box office, it managed to engage critics, with Siskel & Ebert giving it their signature "Two Thumbs Up" and calling it "fascinating."

The most recent Wilmington film release only came out at Thanksgiving on Amazon Prime, but it has already made its critical mark. It remains to be seen if this passion project from Oscar-winning writer and director Alan Ball will have legs when it comes to awards season. But plenty of critics have praised Paul Bettany's performance asthe titular Frank, a gay man living in 1970s New York who goes home to South Carolina for his father's funeral with whom he had, let's call it, a fraught relationship.

More: 'Uncle Frank' cast share why Wilmington was perfect for Amazon's family drama

More: 'Totally in love with Wilmington': Judy Greer on filming 'Halloween Kills,' 'Uncle Frank'

Dino De Laurentiis' follow-up to his own 1976 "King Kong" starring Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges lost its two stars and picked up Linda Hamilton, who was hot off "The Terminator" and still half a decade from its superior sequel. Sadly, this second bout with the King of the Apeswas terminated from the start, receiving the lowest possible score from Rotten Tomatoes one of only a few local productions to do so.

The most recent film to garner zerocritical praise was this attempt to launch a new teenage action hero from Hasbro's Max Steel toy line, whichstarredthe likes of Maria Bello and Andy Garcia. Sadly, the story of a teen boy fused with an alien technology didn't resonate with critics or fans. The film shot in 2014 but wasn't released until 2016.

This coming-of-age drama found a group of high school seniors contemplating their future at the end of the millennium in 1999. Not much about this film is memorable, but its cast did feature some young starsAmber Heard, Melonie Diaz, Alexa Vega, Leighton Meester and future Oscar winner Brie Larson.

Two massive stars Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd couldn't save this 1990 comedy that, no joke, is about a gruff cop who teams up with a detective with multiple-personality disorder (which causes him to slip between characters like Captain Kirk and Popeye)to hunt down a sex tape featuring Adolf Hitler and another man. Yeah, that is a real movie and it shot here.

You've probablynever heard of thiserotic thriller and no one would blame you. Taye Diggs stars as a North Carolina sheriff who investigates the near-overdose of a college student, only to uncover the dangerous world of her past.

Even a stellar cast including Chlo Grace Moretz,Eddie Redmayne,Rory Culkin,Juliette Lewis,Blake LivelyandAlec Baldwin didn't offer up enough for this 2011 movie to win over critics. It follows Moretz as a teenager who leave her alcoholic parents in Nebraska and heads for La Vegas.

This 2001 fizzy baseball comedy starred Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel at their height of their stardom, with supporting assists from Matthew Lillard, Brittany Murphy andBrian Dennehy. Filmed primarily in Southport, it is still a good showcase for the region, even if critics were amused.

The late Patrick Swayze starred in this by-the-book action thriller as a man who takes a shady job driving a truck, only to learn he's hauling illegal guns being targeted by a crime boss (Meat Loaf).

North Carolina author NicholasSparks has seen five of his novels turned into movies in Wilmington, but none have hooked critic like they have fans. "Safe Haven" (2012) is the most successful of the local adaptations, singlehandedly increasing tourism in Southport. But it was the most recent film, "The Choice" (2014), that got dragged by critics the harshest.

Reporter Hunter Ingram can be reached at 910-343-2327 or Hunter.Ingram@StarNewsOnline.com.

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11 best reviewed Wilmington-shot movies (and a few with no love) - StarNewsOnline.com

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero