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."

Favorite Sushi Movie Scenes

Movies that have scenes with sushi. Look at my list, and you’ll find some films you recognize.

Sushi in Film

Before we look at sushi movie scenes, I want to share the first time I ate sushi with you. I thought eating raw fish was not a delicacy. I thought I’d develop a super long worm in my stomach if I ate any of it.

A Japanese friend invited me to eat at a sushi restaurant near me. I told her of my fear of eating sushi. She told me the place she had in mind served her favorite sushi rolls, saying, “I will make sure you eat the good sushi.”

One day, I started thinking about sushi scenes in movies. I am excited about the idea and perused movies with sushi themes or scenes worth mentioning. I even asked some sushi masters if they knew of any sushi scenes in film. I went further and asked some sushi experts if they recalled seeing any sushi scenes in movies.

I discovered that there are nine movies with sushi scenes while writing this article. Two I left out because they are not my favorite.

The result of my search is fruitful, and the list is below. Most people will recognize these movies. They are well-known and made tons of money at the box office.

Seven Favorite Sushi Scenes

  1. Isle of Dogs (2018)
  2. The Breakfast Club (1985)
  3. Sex and the City 2 (2010)
  4. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
  5. Defending Your Life (1991)
  6. John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)
  7. Johnny English (2003)

The sushi scene in Wes Anderson’s 2018 stop-motion animation classic, “Isle of Dogs,” took nearly six months to complete.

1. Isle of Dogs (2018)

Stop-motion animation movies by Wes Anderson take a whole new level of the filmmaking process. Anderson’s stories keep the audience interested in the sparky dialogue and visual touches of humor. For some, the movie may seem a bit quirky. The sushi scene in Isle of Dogs is a masterpiece of stop-motion animation.

The whole premise of the scene is to poison the despotic leader of the Asian nation that sends dogs to the remote island. If you haven’t seen this movie, I recommend it. All of the Anderson movies entertain.

2. The Breakfast Club (1985)

John Hughes wrote and directed The Breakfast Club. A few years later, he wrote and produced Home Alone. The movie is about five high school students sharing detention, who eventually talk about their problems and discover they have a lot in common. Each student is different, but all are exaggerated stereotypes.

The poignant movie stars Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall. Even today, I can safely say this is a movie that cuts deeply into the overall problems of public education in America.

My daughter relates to this movie because each student is very different from the others. They become friends while serving detention. Each student copes with the social pressures of high school, adapting to the high school scene as best they can.

The sushi scene is so funny because Ringwald opens up her bento box, and the others look at her like she opened up a can of sardines.

Kim Cattrall (far right) was also a sushi champion in “Sex and the City 2” (2010), but for different reasons. Source: Martamenchini, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Sex and the City 2 (2010)

Sex and the City 2 takes a silly look at sushi to entice a romantic interlude. Samantha covers sexy areas of her naked body. She is waiting for her lover when the phone rings. She obviously can’t answer the phone.

Honestly, I have never seen the cable show or the movies. I did watch the clip, which is age-restricted. Unfortunately, the clip with sound is no longer available. I posted one without sound. Hopefully, you’ve seen the movie and or gotten the idea. The visual of this scene is what is funny, not the dialogue.

The above video is restricted because the content has suggestive characteristics.

4. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

One of my favorite Pixar movies is Monsters, Inc, where we watch Mike Wazowski, the green, one-eyed friend of Sulley, take Celia out for a special sushi dinner. We see the exaggerated greetings of sushi chefs upon the monsters entering the restaurant, and Mike’s girlfriend, Celia, is very impressed.

The scene is hilarious because Mike tries to keep it romantic despite the slapstick humor from Sulley, who’s trying to keep the monsters from finding out about Boo, a child forbidden in the monster world.

5. Defending Your Life (1991)

Defending Your Life follows Albert Brooks’ character, Daniel, who dies after getting hit by a bus while driving his brand-new BMW.

He ends up in Judgment City defending his life. Going through the rigors of Judgment, he decides to dine at the sushi bar. I have a clip of the scene below poking fun at the over-the-top hospitality of sushi chefs.

The movie is fun to watch and also stars Meryl Streep. Her character goes through Judgment better than Brooks’ character, the prevailing theme of this deadpan funny film.

6. John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)

A sushi scene in a John Wick movie fits the production design with vibrant reds and metallic undertones. Of course, Chad Stahelski directs a dark and rainy scene. Though Keanu Reeves is not in this scene, Asia Kate Dillon, playing The Adjudicator, approaches the sushi bar. Here we see how skilled the assassin is at being a sushi chef.

If you know anything about Blowfish, it’s one of the most difficult to prep. True, you only need to cut it. Incorrectly preparing Blowfish releases toxins and could have killed Dillion’s character.

7.  Johnny English (2003)

The hilarious Johnny English film series stars Rowan Atkinson in the title role, with Ben Miller and John Malkovich in supporting roles.
It is a parody and tribute to the James Bond franchise and Atkinson’s Mr. Bean character.

Watch this sushi scene and enjoy the bumbling character Atkinson, who is so brilliant at portraying.

13 Popular Movies to Stream Anywhere

Hit movies to stream anywhere.

Check out these movies, as they surprised audiences and remain worth watching even today.

Sleeper hit movies demonstrate that any filmmaker can create a low-budget movie that becomes a box office success. Tentpole or high-budget movies are not always a shoo-in because, for the most part, they are rehashed stories that producers don’t have to gamble on or question the outcome. Circling back to sleeper hits is a treasure when the public flocks to the movie houses and celebrates a surprising success.

Sleeper Hit

A “sleeper hit” is a surprise smash hit movie that the film industry didn’t expect to succeed at the box office. Let’s take a look at some films worth mentioning, renting, or streaming because they’re sleeper hits.

Best Movie You’ve Ever Seen

Why would you want to see a sleeper hit movie? The same reason you’d like to see a film is that it is the best movie you have ever seen. We’re not talking tentpole movies with large marketing schemes. These are movies made on a low budget without special effects. The story is believable, and the acting is top-notch. Usually, the director is relatively new to the industry. Go down my list of sleeper hits, and discern whether or not they deserve the “sleeper hit” nod.

1. “Happy Death Day”

Must see horror movie you can stream.

When I heard about Happy Death Day and saw the trailer, I predicted that horror fans would flock to the movie theaters to see this movie. Watching the trailer, it appears to be a super-entertaining yet horrific movie, with a plot similar to Groundhog Day.

Apparently, the producers didn’t expect the movie to be a real success, but it was, and now they are releasing a sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, with the same director and cast.

2. “Don’t Breathe”

Don’t Breathe was never considered the best new horror movie and was projected to gross under $14 million. The minuscule amount was fine with the producers because it cost $9 million to produce. It became a sleeper hit, as the movie, a low-budget horror film, grossed over $89 million in North America alone. In other markets around the world, it brought in $67.9 million – the end of the summer box office hit.

Produced by Sam Raimi, known for directing the earlier Spider-Man movies starring Toby Maguire, the movie’s director, Fede Alvarez, is now working on a sequel.

The horror movie follows a blind man who is mugged by three teenagers but turns the tables on them in a hurry. The rest of the story is about how the blind man terrorizes the teenagers. Stephen Lang plays the blind man, and he will look familiar because he’s had a long and fruitful career as a strong character actor.

3. “Lady Bird”

Lady Bird is about my hometown. Greta Gerwig’s film takes place in Sacramento, where she grew up and attended high school. Yes, it is very cool to see the landmarks of my city in such a poignant film. The story itself is endearing, regardless of where you live, whether in Los Angeles or Scottsdale, because it resonates deeply, making it a sleeper hit.

The teenage girl is trying to become who she truly is while contending with the craziness of life in High School and a mother-daughter relationship that is both push and pull.

Although the movie initially received accolades at festivals, the industry and public were captivated by the realistic, heart-pounding drama of a typical high school girl, played brilliantly by Saoirse Ronan.

4. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee and earning $1 million with 44 screens in eight days, focuses on two women, both competent fighters, who follow different paths toward a violent and blistering showdown with a dynamic ending.

Nobody expected a martial arts movie with strong heroines to succeed at the box office using hardly any marketing efforts and, let alone, win four Oscars.

5. “District 9”

Peter Jackson produced District 9, and its budget was 30 million. The science-fiction movie recouped its investment and earned $ 7 million in its first weekend of release.

The story takes place in South Africa, where extraterrestrial refugees have been stranded for 28 years. One man figures out how to tap into their technology, and the government is not too happy about it.

6. “Bring It On”

Kirsten Dunst starred in Bring It On when she was a teenager. The cheerleading movie earned $70 million. It’s about a very upbeat cheerleader navigating the politics of being the best cheerleader. The sleeper hit movie has several sequels that never match the original. Now a Broadway musical.

If you’ve never seen the movie, I recommend it because cheerleading as the backdrop shows how competitive it can be.

7. “Superbad”

Emma Stone starred in this movie with Michael Cera, Ed Helms, and Jonah Hill. Superbad is a teenage movie about getting alcohol as an underage boy and scoring with chicks.

Produced by Judd Apatow, he was virtually unknown, but it didn’t last for long. Over a summer weekend in 2007, Superbad became a household word and a must-see movie.

8. “Little Miss Sunshine”

Released in seven theaters, Little Miss Sunshine became a sleeper hit movie. It took off and generated half a million dollars in its first week, bringing its total to 200 million, with numerous Academy Award nominations and wins. It’s a feel-good movie with lots of laughs.

9. “Memento”

Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, which follows Leonard, played by Guy Pearce, features generous notes throughout the movie to aid his short-term memory loss at every moment.

The low-budget movie catapulted into a sleeper hit, earning more than $25 million at the box office and garnering two Academy Award nominations. Memento even scored big time in the DVD release, selling over a million copies.

10. “Napoleon Dynamite”

Napoleon Dynamite is a cult movie with a huge fan base of followers who quote the movie’s snarky dialogue.

The story is quirky, with small-town characters adding to the funny banter. The movie grossed $44.5 million during its summer release, despite being limited to a select number of theaters.

11. “Paranormal Activity”

Paranormal Activity is a filmmaker’s fairytale. The movie only cost $15,000 to make and grossed $100 million. It quickly became a super hit, with sequels to follow. People do walk out of the movie theater before it’s over, not because the movie was bad, but because it was too scary.

12. “The Blair Witch Project”

In 1999, another low-budget sleeper hit was The Blair Witch Project. The movie’s beginning is promising, but it gradually deteriorates. Still, the public came out in droves, and the cheesy but scary movie made millions.

I mentally berated myself for paying to see this movie, as it was so bad. It just got worse and worse until the end was flat. I am still amazed it made so much money at the box office.

13. “47 Meters Down”

Stranger Things season 1 and 2 star Matthew Modine is one of the locals in 47 Meters Down. He represents the force behind the two women’s horror.

Director Johannes Roberts mentioned in the production notes for his sequel, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, that he was surprised by the film’s box office success.

The low-budget underwater thriller follows Lisa and Kate in a protective cage, who come face-to-face with the Great Whites. The cage snaps apart from the boat, and they find themselves diving to the bottom depths of the ocean floor.

Out of radio range and getting themselves exposed to the ferocious sharks, their oxygen stores were quickly diminishing.

Low-budget Movies

Sleeper hit movies show filmmakers can create a low-budget movie that becomes a box office success. A tent-pole or high-budget movie is not always a hit movie because, mostly, they rehash stories. Producers feel they don’t have to gamble on them or question the outcome. Circling back to sleeper hits is a treasure when the public flocks to the movie houses and celebrates a surprising success.

“The Roundup: No Way Out” Delves into Entertaining Chaos

Variety calls Ma Seokdo, played by Don Lee, a bull in a tea shop whose brute force devastates a difficult situation. 

Step into the world of The Roundup: No Way Out, the sequel to The Roundup. Seven years have passed since Seokdo’s team was sent to Vietnam on a mission to extradite a dangerous Korean fugitive. The twist in the story was the fugitive seemed oddly eager to return home, raising questions about the true nature of their mission. 

In the sequel, we meet up with the likable hunk, who collaborates with a new squad to investigate a murder case at home. Seokdo learns the case involves busting dealers on a new synthetic drug, Hiper. He digs deeper. 

All the while, a Japanese mafia boss orchestrating the new drug, Ichioz, played cleverly by Ju Kunimura, keeps looking for trouble, and the drug distributor named Ricky, played by Munetaka Aoki, and his gang arrive in Korea to add havoc to the mayhem. Here, the entertainment flourishes as things go out of control. 

The film is excellent because, like the earlier films, it’s invariably entertaining and engaging. Watching Don Lee play Seokdo, who punches blockheads and more, is hilarious—he’s no Dirty Harry. Though a reviewer compared it to Beverly Hills Cop and Lethal Weapon, this spontaneous film stands on its own. It’s true to the South Korean culture: a vulnerable and assuming hero saves the day. 

Lee Sang-Yong directed the third title skillfully and brilliantly, as he did The Roundup. The movie won the Blue Dragon Award as the top box office winner of the year in South Korea. The Roundup: No Way Out also nailed the Audience Award at the 2023 Sitges Film Festival in Spain. Another sequel is in the works and will arrive in 2024. 

“Night Of The Killer Bears” Thai Slasher, Campy Horror

Kanpong Banjongpinit co-wrote and directed Night of the Killer Bears. The story follows five teenage friends who live in Bangkok—a long time has passed since they’d seen each other. They decide to vacation together at a quiet, low-end retreat isolated from the city.

Matters turn dark because each friend has a secret, which becomes revealed while someone outside the group watches them.

The brutal murder of one friend motivates the survivors to accuse each other of being the murderer. Yet they consider the possibility that the murderer is not one of them. Someone else in their midst, observing them. If that is the case, they all are in danger.

Killers in bear costumes swing sabers and bisect teenagers while slashing off heads with vicious slices. It’s a bloody mess.

Possibly Banjonginit movie is a play on the franchise horror slasher Scream.

It’s funny but too campy for my taste. With the English subtitles, you’ll get by with the simple and sparse dialogue.

The cast includes Sananthachat Thanapatpisal as Aim, Patchata Jan-Ngern as Win, Khemanit Jamikorn as Som, and Chanagun Apornsutinan as Tony.

“Texas Chain Saw Massacre” in 4K Remastered

Dark Sky Films releases the long-awaited UHD release of the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the groundbreaking thriller that has often been imitated but has yet to equal. The film arrives in the 4K restored version, complemented by a frightening array of bonus materials.

Directed by Tobe Hooper, Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a classic horror film released in 1974. The film follows a group of friends, played by Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail and Teri McMinn, on a road trip through rural Texas. They stumble upon a family of cannibalistic psychopaths. 

The film has a low-budget, gritty style and extreme gore and violence, which boosted its popularity since we’ve had horror films like The Blair Witch Project, Friday the 13th, Halloween and Night of the Living Dead

The group of friends intends to visit an old family homestead. On their journey, they pick up a hitchhiker who manifests strange behavior. The stranger eventually turns on them, attacking them, which leads to a harrowing chase through the Texas countryside. 

They arrive at a farmhouse and meet cannibalistic killers, including the iconic Leatherface with a mask of human skin and a wielding chainsaw. Michael Myers copied the masking technique so beautifully on Halloween. 

The horror film was controversial during its release because of its graphic violence, which doesn’t compare to Coen Bros. films or the SAW franchise. Subsequently, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre shines as a cult classic and the most influential horror movie of the genre. 

It generated many sequels and remakes, influencing countless horror films that tried to deem worthy. 

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arrives in deluxe 4K UHD and 4K UHD Steelbook editions, each containing a bonus disc containing a wealth of supplemental materials. 

Disc 1 holds the 4K UHD feature film and four commentary tracks:

  • Writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen and cinematographer Daniel Pearl
  • Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul A. Partain, with production designer Robert Burns
  • Tobe Hooper solo
  • Daniel Pearl, editor J. Larry Carroll and sound recordist Ted Nicolaou 

Disc 2, a Blu-ray, contains the new, never-before-seen feature-length documentary The Legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and several featurettes. These include “The Cinefamily Presents FRIEDKIN/HOOPER,” a conversation about the film between Tobe Hooper and The Exorcist director William Friedkin; “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth”; “Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw”; a tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar Hansen; “Off the Hook with Teri McMinn”; and “The Business of Chain Saw: An Interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman.”

The generous package I enjoy the most. It has deleted scenes and outtakes, a blooper reel, trailers, vintage TV and radio spots, and much more to thrill fans, old and new.

“The Ghosts of Monday”

British actor Julian Sands stars in The Ghosts of Monday, directed by Francesco Cinquemani, known for Eye for an Eye.

Sands starred in the classic films, The Room With a View and The Killing Fields.

The movie trailer is a jumble of shots from the movie, but it hardly shows the unnerving quality of the horror film experience.

The profusion of suspense and scares is frightening.

The film begins with Mark Huberman, played by Vikings Valhalla, who stars as a television director. He becomes embroiled in a supernatural conspiracy after traveling to Cyprus to make a tv pilot about a haunted hotel.

The cast includes Marianna Rosset, Elva Trill and Anthony Skordi.

“The Roundup” South Korean Action Film

Enjoy this action-packed South Korean film by Lee Sang-yong. The Roundup stars Don Lee and CHOI Guy-hwa as two South Korean cops. Geumcheon Police’s Major Crimes Unit takes on missing to repatriate a fugitive who fled to Vietnam.

Lee plays a beast cop — detective Ma, pounding and slugging his way to solving the crime and situation with the fugitive. GHOI Guy-hwa plays the partner. Together, they intuitively realize that something is wrong. The suspect’s willingness to turn himself in to help uncover a series of crimes.

A terrifying killer name Dang Hae-sang, played by SON Sukku, is behind the suspect’s wavering and evasion. Detective Ma and his force of cops investigate, going across two countries. Witness bloody harsh crimes left behind by Kang Hae.

This film is for fans of action, South Korean and comedy. The humor gives this movie levity to the dire situation. Action sequences are mesmerizing and unbelievable in the delivery. It’s worth watching with a large bowl of popcorn and friends.

“Marineland Carnival With The Munsters”

Enjoy two hours of genuine laughs when you pop this Munsters DVD in your player. You’ll watch some rare shows and featurettes about a silly family on a TV show.

The series aired in the 1960s and continued with a decade of reruns. Do you remember where the Munsters lived?

Mockingbird Lane is where the Munsters entertained audiences of all ages. Sure, the episodes were spooky in a fun way. Kids and parents could relate to the innocence of being a silly monster family — some family members are not too bright.

For the first time in a long time, long-lost television appearances of the cast—Fred Gwynne (Herman), Yvonne De Carlo (Lily), Al Lewis (Grandpa), Pat Priest (Marilyn) and Butch Patrick (Eddie) are available to be enjoyed again in this historical and hysterical collection.

Marineland Carnival & More Lost Treasures with the Munsters TV Show Cast Members have arrived. The DVD includes the hour-long Marineland Carnival 1965 special starring the Munsters. Next is a 1966 full-color Munsters-themed “episode” with Fred Gwynne as Herman on The Danny Kaye Show.

I found the other rare skits and vintage talk show interviews funny while learning a little about the actors.

An all-new featurette called Munster Memories with Butch Patrick is fascinating. Watch before you watch the episodes if you need to become more familiar with The Munsters.

Also included is the hit music from the New Christy Minstrels. And there are guest appearances by legends Edie Adams and Joey Bishop.

This short is not on the DVD but shows the human side of The Munsters.

“Frost” Review

Based on James Cullen Bressack’s story, Brandon Slagle directed Frost, and Robert Thompson penned the screenplay.

Vernon Wells and Devanny Pinn are solid in the story about a young pregnant woman and her father fighting for their lives.

After their car swerves off the road, they become stranded on a remote mountainside during a hellacious storm. The story sets up gore and shock here, where the movie takes place in one location. But the screenplay lacks character development, so the audience can care for the young woman trapped in a car about to have a baby.

More detail about the strained relationship between Abby, played by Wells, and her father, played by Pinn, would have given more substance to the story. I would have cared more about the outcome.

Grant, her father, leaves Abby in the car so that he can find help. They make exchanges over walkie-talkies, which is the only father-daughter bonding in the movie.

However, they never discuss Grant’s drinking or her mother’s passing, and they haven’t seen each other in five years. Had these obvious flaws developed more into the screenplay, it might have kept the interest higher.

Because the relationship between Abby and Grant never bonds, there is no emotional tie to build up from the shock at the end.

Thank you, Film Threat, for the additional information.

“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” Season 1 & 2

Watch the television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: Season 1 and 2 as four-DVD sets from MPI Media Group. The collections contain 39 episodes, representing the complete first two seasons, 78 episodes.

The TV series was a long-running sitcom ranked high on some of the top lists of television. MPI Media Group has restored the entire library of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from the original 35mm picture and sound elements in association with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, which preserves the aspects on behalf of the Nelson family.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet lasted 14 record-breaking seasons, totaling 435 episodes. It aired on ABC-TV from 1952 through 1966 as a positive, wholesome series epitomizing an idyllic American 1950s lifestyle.

Its gentle humor came to the screen through the real-life Nelson family, which included Ozzie and his wife Harriet with their sons, David and Rick. They portrayed themselves in a trendsetting blend of fact-meets-fiction comedy decades before semi-reality-based shows like Seinfeld.

The series humorously chronicled the daily lives of the Nelsons as David and Ricky grew up before millions of weekly viewers. Besides Ozzie Nelson being a real-life bandleader and Harriet Nelson, a singer, the series would help launch the musical career of their younger son, Ricky, who would become a teen idol with such enduring hits as “Travelin’ Man” and “Hello Mary Lou.”

The longest-running live-action sitcom in U.S. television history until It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia surpassed it on December 1, 2021, when the FXX series debuted its 15th season.

Still, Ozzie and Harriet hold the record for most episodes produced, totaling 435. Among its Emmy nominations and many other accolades, TV Guide placed Ozzie Nelson at number 21 on its list of “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time.” Others on the list include Andy Taylor, Ben Cartwright and Steve Douglas.

And now, for the very first time, in association with the Nelson family, the entire series arrives digitally restored for its 70th Anniversary with complete episodes from the original film negatives for superior picture quality. 

Viewing these restored episodes, I am amazed by the picture and sound quality.  

I watched season one, which contains all 39 complete, fun-filled episodes on four DVDs, starting with the premiere show and other rare adventures not seen on television in decades. The humor seems dated, but it’s clean and trouble-free.

I saw Don DeFore (Hazel) as Ozzie’s neighbor, pal Thorny. Others included guest stars from classic television and films, including Hal Smith (The Andy Griffith Show), Ellen Corby (The Waltons), Janet Waldo (The Jetsons), Joseph Kearns (Dennis the Menace), Frank Nelson (I Love Lucy) and other familiar faces. 

Season two also contains 39 episodes — with more lost moments appearing for the first time since broadcast initially — on four discs and features such guest stars as Frank Cady (Petticoat Junction), John Carradine (The Munsters) and Lurene Tuttle (Psycho).

It’s hard to believe Ozzie and Harriet started visiting us on television in 1952, making this vintage series binge-worthy