All posts by Kenna

About Kenna

Kenna McHugh is an established freelance writer living in California. Her writing credits include the published book, BREAKING INTO FILM, Film Production book for inner-city kids, three screenplays, seven produced plays and hundreds of how-to videos on the Internet. "I love the challenge of writing because the end does satisfy the means. The writer is a valuable being. If the words aren't there the message isn't received. It is as simple as that. Give me a circumstance, a theme and away I go at my keyboard."

“Corridor of Mirrors” Compromises Past Life Obsession

fantasy, horror, romance, suspense, thriller

Directed by Terence Young, Corridor of Mirrors is a 1948 film based on a book by Chris Massie. It appears Massie may be best known for his novel “Pity My Simplicity,” which was also adapted into a 1945 movie, Love Letters, starring Jennifer Jones.

Corridor of Mirrors is Young’s directorial debut. He’s best known for kicking off the James Bond franchise by directing the first two Bond movies, Dr. No and From Russia with Love. His last Bond movie was Thunderball. Additionally, he directed Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna in Wait Until Dark.

Edana Romney and Rudolph Cartier adapted Massie’s book for the screen. The script was a vehicle to showcase Romney’s talent and launch her career, which never took off, though she spent her later years writing a screenplay about the life of Richard Burton.

On the other hand, Eric Portman as Paul Mangin is impressive. His movie credits include A Canterbury Tales, The Golden Mask and The Bedford Incident. If you’re a Prisoner fan, he played Number Two.

With Young’s gothic horror, romantic melodrama and film noir, the movie held my attention despite the weak storyline. In fact, the remastered quality of the Cohen Film Collection’s Blu-ray makes the cinematic images fascinating. Watching Young’s camera work with low then high angles that include the striking contrast of the cinematography of Andre Thomas was a marvel.

The story follows Mangin as a contemporary artist obsessed with the Renaissance lifestyle and art. He wears clothes from the era and rides around in a hansom cab. He meets the stunning Mifanwy, and they become lovers. Even though she is married, Mangin becomes possessed with the idea that the two of them are past life lovers from the Renaissance. In their past life, they were married, but the relationship ended tragically. Mifanwy is mesmerized into thinking his fantasy is accurate, and she goes behind the corridor of mirrors in his mansion, where the fantasy begins. She dresses up in Renaissance gowns made by Mangin.

The fundamental problem with this movie is visualizing spiritual connections because such an occurrence is invisible to the naked eye. Though Young uses mirrors, angles and melodrama to help, it’s a challenging subject to film. Kenneth Branagh mastered it in his 1991 Dead Again with a clever twist at the end. As a matter of fact, Albert Lewin tried an earlier film in 1950 with Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, which bettered Corridor of Mirrors.

The movie is worth seeing for those who’d like to see a suspense thriller that borderlines horror. Note that this movie is Christopher Lee’s film debut, playing Charles.

Thank you, Blu-ray Down Low, IMDB and Theater Byte, Good Reads, for providing information.

“Last Call” Offbeat Story Stars Jeremy Piven

comedy, drama, , ,

Directed by Paolo Pilladi, Last Call follows Mick, played by Jeremy Piven, a successful story and estate developer. He returns home to his offbeat blue-collar Irish neighborhood in the shadows of Philadelphia, Darby Heights, for his mother’s funeral and must stay to ensure his parents’ ailing family business gets back on course.

Amidst all of this, he grows closer to his childhood crush, played by Taryn Manning, who is also back in town, while enduring the constant ridicule from his old hometown crew.

Mick reconnects with the neighborhood where he grew up, and he finds himself at the crossroads when forced to raze or resurrect the family bar.  He needs to decide whether to develop a casino near gentrification or keep the tradition of neighborhood bars. If Mick pushes the casino through, it will destroy Darby Heights.

Unfortunately, the movie falls flat despite an impressive cast that includes Bruce Dern, Cathy Moriarty and Jamie Kennedy.

Thank you, The Guardian, for the additional information.

“Dark Shadows” Documentary Goes Beyond Barnabas, Jonathan Frid

documentary, legend,

Being raised by a single parent of three children, I didn’t watch Sesame Street. Instead, I watched soap operas because our babysitter insisted, “they were more entertaining.” Dark Shadows was one of her favorites and mine, too.

Dark Shadows was an unlikely daytime hit TV show. It even became a cultural touchstone for generations of viewers as the only gothic soap opera. Some say it still casts spells on new and old fans.

Jonathan Frid, who played the tormented vampire Barnabas Collins, is profiled in a biographical film, Dark Shadows and Beyond – The Jonathan Frid Story. The documentary is currently streaming on digital platforms and is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

The documentary shines a positive light on Jonathan Frid, which is refreshing compared to other documentaries of late. The 102-minute movie covers the Canadian-born star’s fascinating life and career as a Shakespearean actor — on stage with Katharine Hepburn and poignant advice from Sir Laurence Olivier.

If you are looking for a scandalous past or real skeleton in Frid’s closet, you’ll find none of that in this detailed story of the man beneath the vampire’s cloak. The documentary explores his personal and professional struggles, artistic triumphs and rises to fame shared through personal letters to his mother read by fellow soap star Ian Buchanan.

We also hear from Frid’s friends, family and colleagues, who offer a fresh view of the soap opera legend. We hear from veteran talk show host and Yale Drama School classmate David Cavett, actresses Marion Ross and Christine Pickles. Even the co-stars of Dark Shadows share a positive portrait, including David Selby, Lara Parker, Marie Wallace, Nancy Barrett, James Strom, and Kathryn Leigh Scott.

Frid’s story is about a dedicated actor who is passionate about his craft. He was well-liked by many, mentioning his generosity and kindness.

In archival interviews, Frid found the Barnabas role fulfilling because of time shifts in the storyline. He jumped back in time before he was a vampire, which showed the complexities of the character most soaps could never fathom. It was as if he was playing a dozen roles. Despite the circumstances Barnabas encountered, Frid knew being a vampire meant he was never just a vampire. He was a tragic character who felt deep emotions — including guilt. Intricacies only an actor with well-refined acting skills would perceive or understand, resulting in a sensational character and an enormous fan base.

The DVD or Blu-ray comes with rare performance footage, such as archival material from Frid’s private collections, which are gems. Also included is a PBS TV discussion with Frid, promotional pieces with the actor, Frid reading an excerpt of Washington Irving’s classic tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Best of Barnabas, a compilation video.

As producer Mary O’Leary says, “Jonathan’s years on Dark Shadows have been well covered in print interviews. To gain insight, I chose to interview people who were close to him, ranging from his years at Yale to his work in regional theater to those involved in his one-man shows, which he toured across the country in his later years.”

Any fan of Dark Shadows will appreciate this well-thought-out documentary of a professional actor. He hit his mark on a unique and yet dissimilar soap opera on American TV.

Thank you HiTechGlitz.com for the additional information.

“The Sound of Silence” Discovers High-Fidelity of Existence

drama, movies, review,

Directed by Michael Tyburski, The Sound of Silence impinges into a symphony of almost undetectable sounds that make up a moment of silence.

The story follows Peter Lucian, played by Peter Sarsgaard. He’s determined to catalogue all of the undetectable sounds. Through his job as a New York City “house tuner,” the hyper-methodical Peter works meticulously to diagnose the discordant ambient noises —produced by everything from wind patterns to humming electrical appliances — adversely affecting his clients’ moods. It’s an intriguing premise to speculate or theorize, and I have heard of the government creating “silent sounds” to influence people without being aware of the sound. 

When Peter takes on the challenging case of Ellen, played by Rashida Jones, a lonely woman plagued by chronic exhaustion, Peter discovers the mysteries of the soul, maybe even more significant than the mysteries of sound. 

The film is a quietly moving portrait of a harmony-obsessed man learning to embrace the dissonances of human emotion. Sarsgaard has a huge list of impressive credits, such as Jarhead, Shattered Glass, Education and a couple of episodic shows: Dopesick and Interrogation. ​

Jones is the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton. She’s starred in Parks & Recreation, The Social Network and several voiceovers: Spies in Disguise, Klaus and Duncanville TV series.  

Betty White’s Pet Set: The Complete Series

Uncategorized

Betty White’s Pet Set makes me wish for more celebrity shows like this one. The long-unseen series created by and starring the sitcom legend made its debut on digital platforms and DVDs. Celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary, Betty White’s Pet Set finally has a venue for the first time in decades. “If I haven’t told you already, I will now. The Pet Set is one of my favorite shows. I’m thrilled it’s going to be seen again after all these years,” says Betty White. 

As a Betty White fan, I am just as thrilled. White is an icon for animal rights, and though I never heard of her show until now, I am not surprised she created it. In an unparalleled television career spanning over 70 years, the beloved Betty White has brought laughter and joy to millions of fans of all ages via such hit series as The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Hot in Cleveland, as well as countless game show appearances. 

In 1971, just before Betty’s sitcom superstardom, she created and hosted a weekly program celebrating her lifelong love of animals. Produced with her husband Allen Ludden, known for Password, her show featured her welcoming celebrity friends with their dogs, cats and horses. It also included a wide range of wild animals, including tigers, bears, elephants, lions, wolves, gorillas, chimps, cougars, cheetahs, seals, kangaroos, zebras, eagles, snakes and penguins – both in the studio and on location. 

The 39 episodes feature such entertainment greats as Carol Burnett, Doris Day, Jimmy Stewart, Mary Tyler Moore, Burt Reynolds, Shirley Jones, Michael Landon, Barbara Eden, James Brolin, Della Reese, Vincent Price, Rod Serling and many more. 

Betty White has received eight Emmy Awards in various categories, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award, among many others. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a 1985 Television Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2009 Disney Legend. Dubbed “the first lady of game shows,” she was the first woman to receive a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host.

A television pioneer, she was one of the first women to exert control in front of and behind the camera and is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, which led to her receiving the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood in 1955. 

Special features on the DVD set include a look behind the scenes of the series, original promotional spots, the featurettes Betty White: Game Show Goddess and Daytime Hostess: The Betty White Show, Betty’s Photo Album, and public service ads. 

“Audrey Hepburn: More Than an Icon” Documentary

documentary

“… but there is another side to Audrey that is relatively unexplored. Audrey suffered great tragedy and trauma in her life, but she was always able to transform this into something better, and more beautiful,” says Helen Coan, director of the documentary Audrey: More Than an Icon.

Audrey Hepburn playing golf and holding a parasol, circa 1955

As a definitive feature documentary on Audrey Hepburn, the film is about the star, fashion icon and humanitarian. Coan uses re-enactments, genuine footage, recorded testimonies, and Audrey Hepburn herself on film and recordings.

The story begins with a recording of Audrey, then winning her first Academy Award at age 24. Coan telling the story of Audrey’s family and her experience during WW II — in Holland — one of the worse Nazi-occupied countries.

From there the movie tells Audrey Hepburn’s story through the eyes of those who are in the film industry, close friends, grandchildren of photographers, and fashion designers. You’re drawn into a well-made movie with cuts to a ballerina dancing on stage as a symbol of Audrey’s desire to become a ballet dancer.

Audrey performing during her childhood years.

Wayne McGregor crafted the film dance sequences. McGregor is a multi-award-winning British choreographer and director. Three dancers play Audrey in various stages of her life are Francesca​ Hayward, principal dancer in the Royal Ballet, plays ‘Hollywood era Audrey’, at the height of her fame. Alessandra​ Ferri, ​one of 13 dancers ever to receive the title of ‘prima ballerina assoluta,’ plays Audrey in her later years. The documentary introduces Keira Moore as ‘Young Audrey.’ Moore audition as part of the process at various ballet schools. Composer Alex Somers wrote the movie’s original score, inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood composers who scored Audrey’s films.

As Coan skillfully cuts in Audrey’s recordings, as a voiceover, industry footage, and home movies, the viewer meets the magical icon based on how Coan weaves the story, which emphasizes her hardship.

Audrey with her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer

She had three marriages, and her last marriage seems to be a success.

In 1980, Audrey meets Robert Wolders. Brought together at a dinner party, Robert is overcoming the recent death of his wife, and Audrey is trapped in an unhappy marriage. This shared feeling of disillusionment with life and love bonds the two together, as well as their harrowing shared experiences of Nazi-occupied Holland in World War II. As Robert explained, “We met at a time when we each had gone through trials, but we knew exactly what we wanted — togetherness.” 

Audrey with Robert

Audrey and Robert’s life is relatively simple, and they detach themselves from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Together they live in the foothills of the Alps, away from the glare of the paparazzi as much as possible, and begin a life of service, dedicating more and more of their time to UNICEF.

In the years that follow, Audrey’s commitment to UNICEF results in her retiring from acting, and she spends the last years of her life dedicated to helping and campaigning on behalf of children living in developing countries, from Bangladesh to Somalia.

Audrey and Robert

Her life coming full circle, Audrey, often with Robert by her side, makes many UNICEF field trips, visiting and drawing attention to life-saving initiatives, from projects providing drinking water in Guatemala, orphanages in Ethiopia, training programs for women in Venezuela, polio vaccine projects. They appointed Audrey as Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. 

Three years later, Audrey, having experienced severe abdominal pain, is diagnosed with a rare form of appendix cancer and told she has only three months to live. 

“Such a valuable human being” is the only thing Robert can say. 

No one has matched her unrelenting work with UNICEF. When she passed away, it’s told with endearment. She seemed at peace and content with her life.

The documentary covers her entire life, including marriages, her children, and her association with UNICEF. Coan’s portrait may feel conflicting with the display of vulnerability and strength, “… whose complexities, insecurities, challenges and intricacies made her a force of nature whose presence is still felt worldwide today,” concludes Coan.

Dune Drifter

“Dune Drifter” Absolutely the Lowest High Tech

science fiction, , , , , , , ,

Written and directed by Marc Price, Dune Drifter begins during an ongoing battle for humanity. A rookie space fighter pilots become assigned to join a pivotal battle against an armada of unbeatable enemy ships.

A trainee pilot, played by Phoebe Sparrow, navigates a combat ship called Gray 6 as part of the Gemini unit and the Dune squadron, hence the movie title. She and her gunner, Daisy Aitkens, are shot down. They crash land on a nearby planet called Erebus. With the gunner mortally wounded and her life support only set to last two days, her only option is to fix her ship.

The sudden appearance of an enemy craft offers the answer, but as the pilot looks for parts to use on her ship, she’s horrified to spot another survivor. An enemy alien soldier, Simon Dwyer-Thomas, has no intention of letting her escape.

The low-CGI effects remind me of the science fiction movies Roger Corman produced, where some talented directors such as James Cameron and Joe Dante emerged. Price keeps the film fast-paced, including twists to keep me interested in the story. Price uses low-budget backdrops to keep the post-production down. Sparrow holds her own, convinces me she’s a survivor and gets the bad guy. Though the story is not original, it held my attention, focusing on the story more than the special effects.

I must admit, I needed help reviewing this movie because I am not a big science fiction fan. I looked at Erik Mortensen’s review on Geeky Hobbies, and Camillo De Marco’s on Cineuropa. Both helped me understand the excitement of this movie.

Science fiction movie fans are sure to rave about this movie. It’s an indie, a sci-fi film that they can pull the DVD from their library and share with their friends in the comfort of their home theater.

A Dark Path

“A Dark Path” Limits Horror By Lack of High Tech

horror, science fiction, thriller, ,
A Dark Path

Written and directed by Nicholas Winter, A Dark Path follows sisters Abi and Lily on their way home from a party in eastern Europe. They get lost. With no signal and an unreliable GPS, they try to navigate their way out using road signs. Their front tire suddenly blows out along a narrow road through a deep forest.

They find themselves completely cut off from the outside world with no spare tire or cell service. Soon they discover that this is no ordinary forest. They understand why no cars come here because the locals know what lives in the woods. They’ve woken it, and there is nowhere to run.

The movie lacks a lot of essential elements. All the reviews I saw were negative.

Guilt

“Guilt” as a Simplistic Story Reduced to Flat Ending

suspense, thriller, ,

Co-directed by Karl Jenner and Lyndsay Sarah, Guilt is another story about how screwed up a psychologist is and the field of psychiatry. The story follows a psychologist, played by Janet Shay. Shay co-wrote the script with Sarah. Jessie is the psychologist’s name, and she feels angry about all the world’s child abuse. As a child psychologist, she goes vigilant by targeting child sex offenders. It’s not just any offenders, but those who escaped severe sentences. As the story progresses, Jessie has second thoughts about her bent on being a vigilante when she questions a former case with disturbing revelations—perhaps she has gone too far. The movie is available on Amazon.

A small-budget film with a limp script. The acting is functional but misses the underlying realistic angst of the anticipation of knocking off a few child offenders. The writing is void of a lot of dialogue, which is probably good since the actors lack harmony in the storytelling—like disjointed communications of “Now, why am I here?”

A background story of some characters would have added to the storytelling. Perhaps the two writers could have created more depth in their dialogue. According to the co-directors statement, “Dipping our toe into a feature film for the first time, we knew we would have to be as self-sufficient as possible. Guilt is a self-funded project by us both, but also two of our filmmaking buddies.”

Their statement says quite a bit, as Guilt is their first movie. “We carried out most of the roles and labor ourselves from the birth of the story idea to the last stages of post-production, and we’re still going. Quite an achievement, and sure, we’re proud of each other. Most importantly, we think we proved that you don’t necessarily require a big budget (or even a reasonably sized one) to produce a noteworthy film. It’s the team behind the film that counts,” they added.

Shots of stalking, walking, and dripping water faucets are standard-issue suspense/thriller ploys that fall flat in dry sand—no substance. The filmmakers could’ve learned about camera angles, timing, and undercurrents from Martin Scorsese.

I kept waiting for Jessie to roll with the revelations and change as a character, to no avail. The ending came abruptly without the movie offering any meaning to what I just saw. Inclusion was slow, tedious, and had multiple substantial plot holes, making me frustrated because they were obvious. They are first-time filmmakers, and it shows, but you have to admire them for completing the movie and getting it distributed.

The movie also stars Hayley Flowers and Sandra Stockley.

Killer Therapy

The Horrific Truth About Making “Killer Therapy”

horror, review, , , , ,

I used to volunteer a lot of my time for the Citizen Commission on Human Rights, documenting, exposing, and disseminating psychiatric abuse. Today, I still volunteer, though not as much. Therefore, I feel qualified to say Killer Therapy into the making of a psycho killer.

Co-written and directed by Barry Jay, Killer Therapy follows a young man named Brain, played skillfully by Jonathan Taylor, who looks for help in his therapists, because he has issues with his father, mother, and adopted sister.

His life becomes lost in the mental health system, bouncing around from therapist after therapist, growing up into a young man, also played skillfully by Skyler Caleb, who is worse off than when he started going to the therapists. He still has anger issues, but it’s all twisted and confused from his psychotherapy.

When his life eventually hits rock bottom and falls apart, he correctly blames his therapists, embarking on the dark revenge of everyone who ever wronged him.

One-by-one, he kills his former therapists, then finally he comes to terms with the fact that that system doesn’t work, and he must accept his shortcomings by helping himself get better.

Killer Therapy is a horror, slasher movie, but not like the usual. Here you get the killers backstory, finding out that his therapists contributed to the making of a psycho slasher. It’s driven but a disjointed view that offers insight into the importance of reforming the mental health system.

The rest of the cast includes Elizabeth Keener, Thom Mathews, PJ Soles, Adrienne King, Daeg Faerch, Javon Johnson, and Ivy George.

Here is the only clip available, interviews with the actors and director.