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."
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The title makes it easy to figure out Pay Back is a revenge movie. Directed by Fu Xi, the movie is totally Hong Kong style and enjoyable if you like these types of movies. The style is choppy and unclear at times, which is, most likely, Fu Xi’s style.
The real reason this type of movie attracts people is the fight scenes. Pay Back scores big time with the fight scenes, but there are a couple of mediocre ones. The tongue and cheek aren’t too bad either with a jab at being good citizens. As good citizens, we are supposed to tolerate life as it comes. Not so true oh wise one, karate chop, and jab.
The story is about a decent man, who has a wife and child, but trouble comes along. His family is taken away from him by vicious gang members. Now, it is payback time, so the gang is hunted down and fight scenes ensue. The movie has potential, but a bit convoluted with scenes not relating to other scenes.
I am sure it is worth watching if you like martial arts.
Directed and written by talented and Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan, Mojave indicates that Monahan is better at writing movies than directing them. On his next try, he should take a course in Directing 101. He has a talented cast with moments that are enthralling, but these factors barely compensate for moments of inauthenticity and emotional contradiction.
Thomas, played well by Garrett Hedlund, is a well-known filmmaker who is filthy rich but troubled. He goes on a journey into the Mojave Desert to set himself apart from his life of prosperity, coked-up producers, and seedy agents. He hopes to find comfort and peace. All the same and one of the inconsistencies of the story, Thomas demonstrates the opposite. He screams at the coyotes, drinks, and drives crazily. He even crashes his jeep. Stranded with less than a gallon of water and some smokes, he heads off to nowhere. It obvious he is heading for a death wish. Then, he sees a figure over the horizon.
The figure is Jack, played well by Oscar Isaac, who appears at Thomas’ campfire. Jack has a screw loose with backwoods intelligence. He talks non-sequitur about Shakespeare, Jesus, and government corruption. All in all, he is downright evil. Thomas and Jack start fighting with Thomas leaving him unconscious by the fire.
From this point on, the story gets mighty crazy, convoluted, and just plain wild, depicting the worse of Hollywood. The movie is really about men confronting their demons. The cinematography by Don Davis is magical with wide shots of moonlit landscapes and dark, foreboding interiors.
Mark Wahlberg shows up as the over-the-top, coked-up producer, and Thomas’ producing partner. He offers comic relief to the high-tension testosterone movie. I am not sure that was Monahan’s intention.
Which brings me to the conclusion that I would have liked to have known the characters better, so I could understand their motives and actions. Otherwise, it is just too confusing.
I am sure Monahan will direct another movie. But, his dance card is a bit full with 10 screenwriting gigs, so it will be some time before we see him take another jab.
History Channel is pretty darn good at making documentaries. The History of War Collectionis an excellent example of how well the History Channel produces documentaries. The 17-Disc set takes you on a tour of America’s military role through all of its major wars.
You will learn and see how warfare evolved from the time of the American Revolution up through the Civil War and into modern times. The discs offer so much information about how America became the land of the free and home of the brave.
I was able to immerse into the 17-disc set, which digs deep into the twists and turns of America’s most significant and deadly conflicts-from the American Revolution, the Mexican-American War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War to WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
Produced as a documentary, the set features over 42 hours of programming amassed from over 20 History Channel documentaries. The credits are impressive with renowned historians and scholars, special guest narrators Edward Herrmann, Oscar de la Hoya, and Sam Rockwell on several programs.
Teachers, historians, and students will find the set informative and eye-opening tour of America’s military role through all of its major wars.
I was most impressed with how warfare evolved from the time of the American Revolution into modern times. Evidence depicted with reenacted stories of the countless brave Americans who put their lives on the line to defend their country and their beliefs.
You might not get through the entire set, but I highly recommend The History of War Collection.
Grace and Frankie airs on Netflix and stars four legendary actors worth watching until it is obvious they have run out of material. Homosexually is not uncommon anymore. Nobody has to be in the closet because it is excepted now. I just wish the series moved forward more quickly with the story handling other situations that are funnier and not so sad.
Grace, played believably by Jane Fonda, is straight-laced and a former owner of a cosmetics company. Frankie, played over-the-top by Lilly Tomlin, is an open-minded hippie who tries to generate good vibes no matter if her life is falling apart.
The point to the series is these two women in their early 70s have nothing in common until their husbands, played by Sam Waterson and Martine Sheen, declare their love for each other and are leaving them to live as homosexuals.
All due respect, they are bisexuals and Waterson’s character clearly shows his attraction to his former wife, Frankie.
The series is a comedy with serious undertones, but it would have been much better in the 1980s with the issue a hot topic. Today, this is old news. Though husbands leaving a 40-year-old marriage for another man is not common, the idea is not shocking anymore nor is it funny. Still the series has funny moments with more slow and off-beat situations.
The cast is what makes the series. They bring a lot of charm, verve and truth to their characters. Sheen and Waterston are cast against type because they are not your usual eye-candies. Tomlin is as funny as ever as the flaky hippie, and Fonda timing is beautiful but a bit crusty.
I just wish the four of them would get on with their lives and deal with situations that are more entertaining for this day and age.
History Channel produced an excellent series when they captured the life of an undercover informant who was brave enough to sneak into three outlaw biker gangs. The fact that he lived to relate his story to the world is awe-inspiring as well. Charles Falco, the author of Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws, goes from convict to infiltrator as he secretly documents the Vagos’ illegal activities and ultimately brings them to justice.
History Channel transports Falco’s story to real life in this fact-based series that sees him work as an informant for the Feds on a covert mission inside the dangerous Vagos world of violence, murder, and drug trafficking. Having climbed the gang’s ranks while facilitating 62 arrests, Charles Falco exposes how he crippled the criminal enterprise from the core of the biker underworld in this mind-blowing true story.
The series is by no means the same old thing about biker gangs but rises above the other motorcycle gang TV shows and movies. Gangland is nothing like Son’s of Anarchy, so I will not bother to compare them.
Gangland will ring true for those who are familiar with bikers in the 70s. History Channel avoids soap opera characters and sensationalism. Instead, the show hits on the truth and scores a strong fan base.
Ari Cohen’s acting is good, and the writing is even good. What is interesting about this true story is that Falco was a meth cook, and he had a choice of jail or being an informant, which makes him an anti-hero in real life, but History Channel doesn’t depict him that way. That is Hollywood. The trailer below doesn’t do the television series justice.
Directed by Takashi Shimizu, who directed The Grudge, Flight 7500 introduces us to the excitement of getting ready to take a trip on a plane in the friendly skies. But, soon the flight turns into a spine-chilling journey to the dark side.
Taking off from Los Angles to Tokyo for a 10-hour flight overnight, the plane is shaken up by a server storm. When the turbulence subsides, a violent death of a traveling businessman happens. The other passengers investigate the cause, and it looks like a supernatural force is unleashed. More passengers are taken over by some kind of evil force causing them die while they try to figure out what the cause is.
Shimizu does a good job of moving the mystery along rather nicely, and it is entertaining, but there is nothing original about the story. So, the overall story is kind of flat and goes nowhere but, because of the cast and crew, I was interested throughout. The ending has a twist, but it was very weak and didn’t fit the storyline, so I didn’t like the end. Besides that, it is worth watching when you have nothing else to do and want to be entertained.
Leslie Bibb, Jamie Chung, Jerry Ferrara, Ryan Kwanten, Johnathon Schaech, and Amy Smart are all very good in the movie. The DVD comes with a featurette called “Inside Flight 7500.” The featurette tells you how the movie was made, which is always nice to watch and learn about filmmaking.
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, Room is a hard film to watch, but worth watching because the story is told so well. Brie Larson won an Oscar for her portrayal of a kidnapped survivor. Since she is from my home time, I am very excited for her achievement.
The story arrives where Joy Newsome, played by Larson, is 7 years into her disappearance when she was a teenager in Ohio. She and her son, Jack, played brilliantly by Jacob Tremblay, celebrate his 5th birthday imprisoned in a 15′ by 15′ shed. “Old Nick,” played by Sean Bridgers, captured Joy, who is Ma to Jack, and regularly rapes her. Thus, they produce Jack. Abrahamson keeps the rape scenes off camera, which helped me get through the movie.
Because she cooperates with Nick, he feeds and provides shelter for her and Jack. Yet, they are still prisoners and never leave the shed with a skylight as their only view of the outside world.
Now that Jack is a big boy, Ma teaches him about the outside world. One scene, which I really like, is where Ma teaches Jack about walls. That there are two sides to a wall. Each side had different things. This builds to the point where Jack escapes, and they both become free.
Once freed, Jack is shy and limited on how to survive in the real world. Still, he is a kid and learns how to adapt quickly. Nancy, played wonderfully by Joan Allen, is Joy’s mother. Nancy and new husband, Doug, played by Tom McCamus, try to help them both as best as they can.
Jack starts to do better, and we see Joy’s mental condition worsen. Larson is brilliant as Joy changes from a loving, protective mother to a woman struggling with mental anguish. Anguish she has tamped down for 7 years while in captivity with Jack. Larson is so believable and remarkable in these moments that I can see why she won the Oscar.
The movie is based on Emma Donoghue’s novel, which she adapted for the screen. Like I said, I usually shy from topics like this because it is so sad, but in the end, I smiled. I recommend this movie.
The Royals is a great TV show, and I reviewed season 1 last year, I believe. In general, the series is great. Elizabeth Hurley is the big star of the show and really brings a lot to the storyline. The entertaining aspect about the storyline is the fact that it is not real.
The overall story is completely dramatized and over the top. The Royals has everything to make it a great series with mystery, murder, scandal, and love. You just enjoy it and not take it seriously. Set back watch the royal family and all their fictitious tittle-tattles.
The first season I didn’t notice the soundtrack, but season 2 the soundtrack is rather entertaining. The artists are new and worth looking into like Midnight (Giorgio Moroder Remix) – Coldplay, Sirocco – Terry Blankenship, and Ragamuffin – Silversun Pickups. The music is pretty much Techno and Remixes.
Season 2 has cast changes, which might cause some fans to frown with Sophie Colquhoun and Hatty Preston gone from the show. Still, the Liam and Ophelia relationship spins still back and forth – will they ever get together.
Alas, there are only 10 episodes, so milk it for all it’s worth because it is so much fun to watch.
Directed by talented Louie Psihoyos, who also directed The Cove, Racing Extinction focuses on Psihoyos as he reveals all the dark secrets of the illegal black market trade of animal parts. The footage is captivating with vast underwater splendor at one end of the story and vast human corruption of ocean life on the other end of the story. He also brings a message to the populace of the grandeur and beauty of animals.
The movie follows Psihoyos as he treks to small villages where we see local fishermen hunting and killing manta ray gills for soup. With the help of his crew and other activists, they educate the locals on how their fishing is influencing the entire ecosystems. Another topic taken on is the hunt for sharks. Their fins are a delicacy for shark fin soup. The hunting has caused dwindling numbers in sharks. Clearly and right so, the movie seizes the moment to stand against the destruction that humanity has headed toward for many environments.
Elon Musk, the founder of the Tesla car, joins the crusade and attaches a projector to the Tesla car Psihoyos drives around town, so he can project beautiful animals on various buildings. The citizens see the images on the buildings and are amazed by the beautiful animals, instilling the importance of saving them from extinction.
The grand visual highpoint is when New York architectural representations of ocean life stop crowds walking through the city. They are even recording beautiful images on their devices while we see children’s faces mesmerized. Psihoyos clearly states in the movie, a vital message for everyone, when people truly view the life of the sea, we can choose to “Do one thing” protect species balance.
I recommend this movie for everyone to see, and teachers play it in your classrooms because it is truly an education.
Something new has arrived for home theater connoisseurs. The newest format in watching movies called 4K UHD Blu-rays. The public introduction is calling it “ultra-high definition”.
Because I am interested in this new phase of viewing movies at home, I was sent both Sicario and Ender’s Game in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Before I commence with my opinion of the new format, the two different genres are the best way to review this system. Movies like Ender’s Game prove more enjoyable with the screening quality while Sicario special effects were minimal.
The new format is totally about the technical enhancements that make the viewing of the movies far better. Is it important enough to purchase the 4K TV screen, player, and movie?
For some, I am sure it is a status thing while others thrive on a better viewing pleasure. “Hey, come on over to my house. I have the new 4K player and TV Screen. Ender’s Game looks awesome on the new format!”
With that, here is my take on the new format. Sicario‘s HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.40:1 clearly shows upgrades in detail, contrast and particularly when it comes to color gradation levels. Like I said earlier, Sicario does not have eye-popping grandeur like Ender’s Game, there are some really vivid differences, though, in the 4K version.
I noticed at the beginning of the movie where facial features in the first SWAT scene are far better in texture. Surprisingly so, after Kate, played by Emily Blunt, is almost shot. Her face is bathed in red, but the fine detail comes through. I could almost feel the textures on each element such as curtains in Kate’s apartment. Before, I wouldn’t even have thought of noticing her curtains, but is that an important part of the movie?
The difference really shines with the dark scenes. The long scene with Kate in the bar where the contrast and tones are so much more improved. Everything looks so much more vibrant and alive. However, I had to mention this but it has come up with other sources. The 4K has recurring rapid shaking in some of the scenes. I noticed it particularly with the pan shots. It is quite noticeable in the tracking across the landscape as the SWAT team drops in on the cartel house.
For Ender’s Game, the new format shows more splendor and richness of the colors. Literally, each color stands out. Particularly, the different shades of blues of spaceship and uniforms. They pop out at you from the screen. The spherical zero-gravity battle room scenes are more fun to watch now with the ultra-high-definition.
I sound like I am repeating myself, but it is true. The new format is all about the colors. Looking at the plants in the background is extraordinary with deep light blues, greens, and browns. Every element is so detailed with textures that I didn’t even notice in the other formats. I have to mention the tattoos on Ben Kingsley’s face. They are so rich and alive, like 3D.
I didn’t notice any shaking on the pan shots compared to Sicario, which is interesting. The panning shots of the rocky terrain are gorgeous. I could go on and on, but you need to see and experience 4K for yourself. All in all, the 4K UHD Blu-ray is an exciting presentation. You just have to spend more money in order to experience.
The title makes it easy to figure out Pay Back is a revenge movie. Directed by Fu Xi, the movie is totally Hong Kong style and enjoyable if you like these types of movies. The style is choppy and unclear at times, which is, most likely, Fu Xi’s style.
