There is a truism in the movie making business that if there are black people in a horror movie they are killed first . This is true with Venom, a horror movie that could have been better than it is.

Venom takes place in Louisiana, that hotbed of voodoo. Voodoo seems to play an important role in this film, but you would never know it by the silly way it deals with rituals. I guess this is because the movie is based on a story idea that's going to become a video game. You got that right. It's a movie based on an unreleased video game. Usually they put the game out then go to the movie. Not this time.

Auggie Rose is a movie that is sometimes titled Beyond Suspicion. I have no idea why the title changed between the time it was released and the time it showed up on DVD and cable. I caught the movie on cable and was impressed enough to watch the whole thing.

The movie stars Jeff Goldblum as John Nolan, a mild mannered life insurance executive who decides to stop and get a bottle of wine on his way home. While he is waiting to pay for his wine a punk enters the store and attempts to rob the owner. In the process the punk squeezes off two shots. One appears to be shot away from the counter, while the other is shot above the counter. You can't really tell since the camera angle is from Goldblum's perspective as he is prone on the floor.

It's funny how movies come and go. Movies that aren't universally embraced by critics fall off the face of the earth. That's the case with Out Cold starring Teri Garr and John Lithgow. The movie was released in 1989, but soon everyone forgot about it. Had it not been for Showtime, I wouldn't have seen this excellent gem of a movie.

The movie involved two partners in a butcher business , John Lithgow and the great character actor Bruce McGill. McGill is the more relaxed partner that hits on every female customer that enters the store. This is a problem since he's married to Teri Garr. Well, problem might be too strong of a word since Garr is also having an affair. Garr decides she's had enough and consults with a detective concerning a divorce. The detective is played by Randy Quaid, and he brings a great edge to his role.