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."

Lords of London

drama, movies, murder, thriller, , ,

lordsoflondonWritten and directed by Antonio Simoncini, Lords of London is about family ties and loyalties being tested.  The thriller takes place in the dark city of London and exotic Italy with lush sunsets and beautiful, colorful landscapes. Ray Winstone (Snow White and the Huntsman) is billed as the star of the movie, but he is not in the movie all the much. Glen Murphy, Giovanni Capalbo (The Passion of the Christ) are the real stars of the movie while introducing Cassius Terence Murphy.

On the Internet, the reviews are not all that great, but the movie won Best Film at Italy’s Abruzzo Film Festival and New York Hell’s Kitchen Film Festival World Cinema.

We follow London gangster, Tony Lord, who is believably played by Murphy. Lord is the son of the notoriously ruthless Terry Lord, who is played very well by Winstone, which is a typical role you will see in other movies like The Departed.  He is a natural gangster while being shown in flashbacks and is not in the movie all that much. The story is about his son Tony, who must confront his father’s past. We see his father being violent and abusive toward his son.  The scenes work in the film because they build the tension of the storyline as a whole.

All in all, Simoncini crafts a well-honed movie through the editing of the film. He cuts from the present to the past, which is very effective as the story unfolds.

Man Up

comedy, romance, , ,

manupDirected by Ben Palmer with whimsical music by Dickon Hinchliffe, Man Up is a romantic comedy one doesn’t expect but is still very good and fun to watch. Jack, played honestly by Simon Pegg, and Nancy played heartfelt by Lake Bell, take an unusual situation and make the most of it. It’s not quite a blind date, but still they have a night on the town. The talented supporting cast adds, even more, sparks to the believable and well-honed script by Tess Morris.

The movie starts with Nancy who seems to be having been a hard time in general. She meets Jack at the train station, and they end up spending the day together even though she promised her parents she would give the “Happy Anniversary” speech at their party. Running into Jack sets her boring life on a whirlwind, and the stimulating chemistry and ease they have with each other is fun to watch. Pegg is not the typical handsome leading man, and for him to play Jack makes their situation a bit twisted though the attraction is percolating.

The movie flies along with the couple getting along quite well while sharing sharp-witted humor and going with the flow of just having an awesome time. They move from place to place and become comfortable with each other as they communicate and laugh together.

They have a run in with Jack’s almost ex-wife, Hilary, played caustically by Olivia Williams, with her new boyfriend.  The scene is fun to watch because Hilary is so arrogant toward Jack, and when she gets her comeuppance, it’s so perfect to see.

More twists happen in the story that I will not disclose because I want you to enjoy the movie and be surprised. I will say at one point Jack completely goes whacky with such blatant sarcasm and over-the-top wit that Pegg pulls it off brilliantly as he is so well-known for doing.

All in all, the ending really brings the movie to a nice closure with a feel good, let’s have fun attitude. I am happy I saw this movie and highly recommend it.

For Better or for Worse

comedy, movies, romance, television, , ,

For Better Or For Worse DVD 3D (1)For Better or for Worse brings former TV series The Facts of Life co-stars Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields together again in two very different roles for each actress. If you like the former TV show, then you should find these two women together again a scream. Antonio Cupo also stars in the movie and is a regular in Hallmark movies, appearing in Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and I Do, I Do, I Do.

Based on the novel by Diana Hunt and directed by Marita Grabiak, Wendy (Whelchel) is a wedding planning coordinator. She is coming to grips with her grief of losing her husband.  In walks charming, and a bit of a thorn in the side, divorce attorney Marco (Cupo). He establishes his practice next door to Wendy’s wedding chapel. Rosanne (Fields) works for Wendy, is a good friend, and offers sage advice to the two business conflict with each other. A feud emerges as it becomes clear that weddings and divorces are like oil and water. When Wendy’s son and Marco’s daughter meet, fall in love and get engaged, Wendy and Marco are forced to team up and plan the kids’ wedding.  Opposites attract and well…you need to see the movie and find out how the romance blossoms between the two.

The movie is fresh and delightful as a romantic comedy and is a little too predictable for my tastes.  Yet, if you are a fan of Hallmark movies, then you will love this happy, go-round, and up and down movie.

My Boyfriends’ Dogs

drama, movies, romance, television, , ,

My Boyfriends' Dogs DVD-f (1)Hallmark movies have their own flavor of entertainment based on a formula that works most the time. My Boyfriends’ Dogs works for me because of Ericka Christensen, who plays Bailey Daley, creates a very believe able winsome character that you can’t help but love.  She is on her own, unattached, charming, cute in a funny way and attracts guys more often than one would think.

The crux of the story is each guy who approaches her turns out having a dealbreaker.  It’s not because they are criminals or killers. It’s because they are control freaks or just don’t like dogs, which Bailey says is the grounds for a breakup.

In spite of everything, she meets three different guys, played by Jeremy Gilbaut, Oliver Rice, Jesse Hutch, and she gets serious enough to be smitten with their dogs.  She ends up breaking it off with the guys, but keeps their dogs, a golden retriever, a Dalmatian and a Shih Tzu. Here, we begin our story with Bailey because the rest of the story is told in flashback.  I like it.

Being a Hallmark movie is a shoe in to have a happy ending, and for this movie, it’s called a twist of fate. But just how it happens is what makes the story interesting to watch until the end.  You will like Christensen, the dogs, and even the ex-boyfriends.  The story may seem a bit slow, but it is worth watching for all the talent on the screen.

Tooken

action, comedy, ,

tookenDirected by John Asher, Tooken is a gut wrenching spoof from Liam Neeson’s Taken.  The movie is billed ‘…a retired CIA agent uses his special skills to get his beloved dog back from Albanian mobsters.”  The mobsters are lead by Brown Finger, play wonderfully by Margaret Cho.

It sure sounds ridiculous, and it is ridiculous as we follow Bryan Millers, played over the top by Lee Tergesen, as the counter version of Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills. Some of the other cast held their own  like Money Maker, played by Reno Wilson, is very funny, and Dirty Lady, played by Barbara Ann Moore, is pretty funny, too.

If you look at other reviews on the Internet, you will see Tooken doesn’t have much to offer, though some might like it. It is surely not for everyone or just for a selected few with offending nudity and crude humor.  It is nothing but crazy and nonsensical comedy filled with immature situations. Yet, there is even a spoof on “Non-Stop,” which is kind of nice to see.  That is about as good as it gets.

I am not a fan of spoof movies, so I am biased. But, if you are a fan, then you’ll probably laugh your socks off because it is completely stupid.

Stonewall

history, , ,

stonewallI find it interesting reviewing Stonewall because I am not gay and never heard of the historical time for the gay movement.  Another aspect I find interesting is the movie is directed by Roland Emmerich. The genre is completely against his norm with movies like Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, The Patriot and Godzilla.

The feedback from those who were at Stonewall says Emmerich’s take on the event is a total lie and doesn’t capture what really happened.  I am sure the overall message from what happened is there, but it was not about a young, white, blonde, blue-eyed young man from the mid-west named Danny Winters, and played wonderfully by Jeremy Irvine. He arrives in NYC because he earned a scholarship to Columbia University.  He is without room and board and hardly has any money. He befriends a group of drag queens and transgender males. Ray or Ramona, played wrenchingly by Jonny Beauchamp, senses a connection and brings him into the fold. Ray convinces Danny to join their way of life and hustle in order to survive.  Sure, Ray is romantically interested in Danny, but he doesn’t feel the same way.  Though a nice story, it doesn’t have anything to do with the true story about Stonewall Riots.

Hardly any white people were at the riots. It was not a white young man who threw the brick and started the riots. A Puerto Rican drag queen named Marsha P. Johnson, he was black, started the riots. The reason for the riots is because black drag queens and black transgender males were relentlessly harassed by the NYC police department.  The true story makes sense to me because NYC is so diverse.   Yet, Emmerich’s version is just the opposite, and I am not sure why he went to the extreme and tried to rewrite history. Most of the non-white characters in the movie are non-threatening and exaggerated. Unreal.

All in all, the movie is a good story with great emotional acting from a talented cast and the music by Rob Simonsen creates the strong undertones need to support the story, but not the true story, only based on the incident.

Ladrones

comedy, foreign films, movies, , , , , ,

LadronesDirected by Joe Menéndez, Ladrones follows a pair of modern day hoods who rob the rich and give it to the poor.  This is the sequel to the hit movie, Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón. Starring two of Univision’s biggest stars, Fernando Colunga and Eduardo Yáñez, they play Toledo and Guzman.  The hoods set out to steal the original 1848 Texas land grants and return them to their rightful owners. The grants were stolen from the lawful owners by Miranda Milroy, played by Jessica Lindsey. She plans on leveling the ranches in order to build a cultural center where she plans to sing opera.  How these two pull off this caper is quite good.

The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles throughout.  It feels like a movie made for TV, though.  Comedy is not raunchy but mild, so I can’t figure out why it is rated PG-13.  The storyline is simple with a little bit of action that makes the movie slow at times. On an upbeat note, Jackie played by Cristina Rodlo is funny as super intelligent, and her ranch hand boyfriend played by Vadhir Derbez is undoubtedly hired for just his looks. The characters keep the movie fun and entertaining, but the plot is just too straightforward with not enough hooks to keep me strongly interested.

Though you think this is a guy’s movie, it is not. Families with older kids can watch this movie without much flack. Some points in the story go unexplained or are just too simple to bother me.  Like when Toledo and Guzman nabbed the land grants. The situation should be handled, but it didn’t. The conflict kept going, which didn’t make sense.

Born to Win

drama, foreign films, movies, , ,

BorntoWinWritten and directed by Frans Cronjé, Born to Win is a Christian Faith movie based on a true story that will get believers inspired and follow one man’s journey to find his faith.

From the producer of the hit faith movie Faith Like Potatoes, which sold over 2.2 million DVDs in 17 languages worldwide, Born to Win is not quite as good, but still tugs at your heartstrings.  The movie follows Leon Terblanche, played brilliantly by Greg Kriek (Momentum), a teacher at a school for disabled children. He finds himself confronted with the question: “Where is God?” This sets him on a journey where he discovers that he has never been alone through all the hurt and brokenness of his past. Leon learns that no matter how broken you are God is always our only living hope. Born to Win shows how God turns the hurt, frustration and emptiness of a man into hope, faith and victory to inspire people to be the winners they were born to be.

The movie is beautifully shot by Jorrie van der Walt with an endearing soundtrack by Simon Ratcliffe. Both set the movie’s rhythm and poise creating intense, realistic, and heart driven levels of pain with impossible odds. Leon goes through a failed relationship and circumstances beyond his control. What he experiences with the children is pure heartache.

The movie was theatrically released in South Africa in 2014 and received the Golden Crown Award for Best Evangelistic Film in 2015 (ICVM).  The movie is poignant with very touching performances by other cast members including Leoné Pienaar (Break Away), Nadia Beukes (Mooirivier), Cobus Venter (Skin), Marie Cronje (Faith Like Potatoes), Dorette Potgieter (Citizen Verdict), Anrich Herbst (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Sylvia Mdunyelwa-Kobus (Tula Tula), Garth Collins (Zulu), Merlin Balie (Break Away), Tim Theron (Mooirivier) and  Leandie Du Randt (Semi-Soet).

The Condemned 2

action, legend, , , , ,

TheCondemedIn the ring, Randy Orton is close to being WWE’s most lethal idol. Being a third generation wrestler gives him the DNA talent that makes him a legend in his own honorable way. “The Viper” is his ring name for the way he can strike like a snake from nowhere. By the token of his talent in the ring, one would think his acting hits the mark as well.

Directed by Roel Reiné, The Condemned 2 is not the ringer WWE fans would like to see. The movie is a sequel to the Steve Austin movie released in 2007. The movie was knocked out before the end of the first round.  Surprisingly, WWE Studios never throws in the towel, and the studio keeps making modicum movies with their wrestlers.

With the visceral of taking on the bad guys, Orton plays bounty hunter Will Tanner. Tanner and his team are on a mercenary venture with the intention of capturing a leader, played by Wes Studi. He runs a tournament where challengers are forced to kill one another in televised games. Tanner’s operation hits a glitch right off the bat, and his team misses out on any potential cash they would have been rewarded for the capture of the leader.  Identically, Will is in difficulty with the law because they are not happy with his day job as a bounty hunter.

Tanner turns into more than a wanted man once a newcomer to the games Raul, played by Steven Michael Quezada, recreates the televised games. Not only he makes Tanner primary target but it is not long before Will is kidnapped.  He is hurled into fighting for his life and survival against his former team. A flash of big shots betting on Tanner’s chance of survival is set among a lively cast of warriors and places Tanner up against interesting fighting styles.

Reine seems to do a decent job of directing with the budget available. He can blow things up with cookie cutter choreography mapping out a so-so plot. The hodgepodge, dull soldiers take whimsical shots at Tanner through rifle scopes. They even put him through a desert with land mines.  Still, nothing seems to work for the movie because so much potential is lost in the acting and budget constraints

“Full of Grace” Virgin Mary’s Story

drama, family, indie, , , , ,

full of graceUnderstanding the passion related to Christian stories has flocked our existence since the beginning of telling stories. Each biblical story brings an example to us while the parables offer a lesson, and here we have the Virgin Mary’s account, “It’s not about explaining things. It’s about living….”

Directed and written by Andrew Hyatt, Full of Grace captures the soul of the perfection of our Lord Jesus and his blessed Mother. Even though the movie was produced on an indie budget, it still shines with the Christian influences of heart and soul.

The movie is about the Virgin Mary, played by Bahia Haifi, with pure dignity, gravity, and a keen sense of maternity related to such a heroine. We follow as she deals with the rising church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord. Mary spends her final days helping the church regain its initial encounter with the Lord.

The movie is awe-inspiring, with a very fitting musical score composed by Sean Johnson. As the film follows Mary, the story speaks from her heart to every angle for each generation. Hyatt wove a masterful message while sharing the love and understanding of a mother, particularly the Holy Mother of God. With that, Hyatt won the Reel Rose Award for Best Feature Length Screenplay at John Paul II International Film Festival.

The movie is indeed very Christian for all Christian beliefs, from Protestants to Catholics and the ones in between.

I would not be surprised if this movie played at every church social night because it does educate. It does reaffirm the gospel of the Lord Jesus. The story is good to know whether you are a true believer or just an interested bystander since society has lost its idealism and social graces. We need to be reminded how important religion is to our existence.