The Kenblog: “Thor: Ragnarok” Indicative Of What Moviegoing Audiences Need!
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“Thor: Ragnarok” the latest Marvel superhero extravaganza is making a mint at the box office. Filled with comedy, eccentric characters and the best production values The House Of Mouse can buy, the third installment in the continuing adventures of Asgard’s favorite hammer wielding superhero is everything the moviegoing public wants. More importantly, Thor is apparently what the moviegoing audience needs.
Dog’s Movie House: “American Assassin” Vanilla Filmmaking, “Mother!” Decidedly Not!
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Jennifer Lawrence In Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!”
We’ve got two wide releases opening this week and they couldn’t be any more different. “American Assassin” staring Michael Keaton is a fairly standard actioner that has a rather assembled feel to it, while Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!” is an entirely different beast altogether. Aronofsky’s film is the work of a talented auteur at his most prolific, with engaging performances and a sense of dread that moves through the picture like a cold breeze. But “Mother!” takes some narrative choices that will leave many moviegoers scratching their heads. It’s wonderfully crafted but not easily accessible. I found it to be a frustrating movie. You might too if you take a chance on this film. Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: “Hitman’s Bodyguard” Mild Fun, “Logan Lucky” A Near Comedic Masterpiece!
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Channing Tatum And Adam Driver In “Logan Lucky”
With summer winding down, two comedies are competing for the top of a decidedly dour box office. Like so many things entertainment related, marketing often outdoes quality when it comes to getting butts in seats at the movie theaters. The first of these is “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” which seems like a no-brainer. Pairing Samuel L Jackson and Ryan Reynolds in an action comedy seems like surefire box office gold, but unfortunately a limp script keeps “Bodyguard” from achieving true greatness. Fortunately we have Steven Soderbergh, returning from a five-year mini retirement to give us “Logan Lucky” a delightful heist film with a decidedly southern flavor. Continue reading
The Kenblog: RIP Sonny Landham!
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The Late Sonny Landham as Billy In “Predator”
Some sad news today as it’s just been reported that veteran actor Sonny Landham has passed away from congestive heart failure at the age of 76. Landham worked in pornography in the early 70’s before gravitating toward acting. He wasn’t terribly prolific but the roles he played sure made an impression. He first came to filmgoers notice in a small role as a gang member in Walter Hill’s 1979 classic “The Warriors” before being cast as trigger happy criminal Billy Bear in Hill’s “48 Hours”. His best known role came in 1987 when John McTiernan cast him as Billy, the Native American tracker in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Predator.” The role was perfect for him as the film featured minimal dialogue and was heavy on the action. Billy is the first one to notice that whatever is stalking them in the jungle isn’t human and his futile final stand on the log bridge is one of the film’s most iconic moments. Landham later tried his hand at politics with very little in the way of luck unfortunately. Our prayers are with his family and friends and he will be missed! Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: “Emoji” lifeless, “Atomic Blonde” awesome showcase for Charlize Theron!
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Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton in “Atomic Blonde”
This week we’ve got two theatrical releases from opposite sides of the quality spectrum. On one side we’ve got “The Emoji Movie” which, besides being an enormous mistake from a conceptual perspective, is in the early running for worst film of the year. You folks know me as a fellow normally gives most movies something of a pass, but as a public service announcement I’m telling all of you to avoid this animated film like a cinematic plague. On the other end of things, “Atomic Blonde” gives Charlize Theron a chance to flex her action heroine muscles and boy does she do an incredible job. It helps that she’s directed by action impresario David Leitch (“John Wick”). Continue reading
