Dog’s Movie House: “The Menu” A Sharp Comedy Skewering Pretentious Food Culture And Compelling Thriller All In One!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here with a confession: I’m not a big fan of the current foodie culture. There seems to be a constant game of elitist one-upmanship in terms of holier-than-thou analysis of what the food means to the environment, as if by partaking in such a unique item makes you a better person than the fools who partake of the simple cheeseburger. Pricey and pretentiously annoying, aspects of this type of foodie culture have become the new avenue for cultural elitism. This is the subject that the makers of the movie “The Menu” skewer with much delight, all the while creating a compelling thriller featuring outstanding performances and some unique twists and turns.
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “The Visit” A Return To Form For M. Night Shyamalan!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
Deanna Dunagan in “The Visit”
I have a great amount of admiration for filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. Ever since “The Sixth Sense” exploded on the scene in 1999 I’ve been a fan of his slow burn, cinematic style. He’s fallen out of favor since his heyday in the 90s, with bombs like “The Happening” and “After Earth” on his resume. Apparently his solution is to venture into the world of low budget filmmaking, partnering with Blumhouse Studios (“Insidious: Chapter 3) to write and direct his own entry into the “found footage” horror genre. While I generally think most found footage films are dubious enterprises at best, I have to say that “The Visit” is one of the spookier horror films I’ve seen in a while and a good return to form for the talented Shyamalan. Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: “The Perfect Guy” Slick But Predictable!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog!
Michael Ealy & Sanaa Lathan in “The Perfect Guy.
I find it interesting that African American cinema seems to be engaged in the remaking of films traditionally tailored for white audiences. Some of these films work well strictly on their own merits. The redo of “About Last Night” for example, featuring Kevin Hart, was extremely entertaining. That said, simply switching races doesn’t guarantee a fresh take on a movie. As an example of this, I submit “The Perfect Guy” a film that provides an African American spin on the “Fatal Attraction” sub-genre of thriller. Unfortunately, the change in race is the only noticeable element in this slick yet formulaic exercise. Continue reading
Dog’s Movie House: “The Gift” A Pleasure To Unwrap!
Howdy folks! It’s The Kendog!
Joel Edgerton as Gordo in “The Gift”
Debuts behind the camera can be a tricky thing, especially if you’re an actor. Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck, and others have had success as directors, but other acting luminaries such as Sally Field, Jean-Claude Van Dam, and Johnny Depp have found that changing their day jobs not quite as successful as they might have thought. So it’s with a great deal of delight that I report that actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, the upcoming Black Mass), has crafted a solid effort in the thriller genre not only as star and director, but as a writer as well with the vastly entertaining “The Gift.” Continue reading
