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kennyhughes
Reviews
The Stalker (2020)
80's flashback so wrong its right!
Total 80's flash back so wrong its right. Eploitation Grindhouse (look it up kids...so you know where you are gonna go!). The music is excellent...really good era perfect. It's an excellent 2 beer fun fest. It's predictable and unpredictable as it should be. Some excellent outrageous moments. (yes...stay around after the credits! tee hee hee)
Are You Glad I'm Here (2018)
A sweet, deep, diverse, indie to blow your mind and give you some hope too.
This was a lovely reminder of the humanity shared of peoples from different cultures. It is a testament of women needing to come together to help women. "It's family and work...the honey of life." --- I really, really want to tell you a spoiler...but that would spoil it. It's unexpected life...and enjoyable for it. If you can't handle half a film of subtitles...then run away. But if you enjoy a good indie, an original - non studio story...here's your flick.
Turnover (2019)
Unexpected community love in the time of so much else...
This is one of those soulful indies loaded with unknown folks that keeps drawing you in to see where it will go and where you end up is in a graceful, soulful, place that ALL people can fit into your community no matter how kooky...and maybe the kookier the better! Get kooky! Fly by the heart...hooray!
Kensho at the Bedfellow (2017)
Sexy, Wildness, that boils on down to some Life wake the F*#$! Up stuff.
This is one of those gems you find while rooting around in Indie land. It's fast, sexy, fun, smart, and our hero has got the life scar...and its dragging him down and he's bringing all his people with him...and then...splat! Straight into some serious levels of crazy. I don't want to ruin it for you but suffice it to say...damn good, refreshing, and fun. You get all the moving stuff and life lessons and love...love people...love is good if you don't ruin it with...
The Mentor (2020)
Indie, Original, High Concept! And wild in the streets!
This is an indie production with no known actors so if you need studio bla bla bla...then you can turn around it get right the beeps out of here! For the rest of you. It's high concept so you gotta take a minute to let it go. Then it gets into some interesting layers and writing and goes all kinds of places. I enjoyed the boldness and layers. I enjoyed not knowing where it was going to go. I enjoyed the passion and perspective. Lots of fun twists and turns. It is fearless to be silly, pretentious, opinionated, wild in the streets. Right on!
Ab Negative (2019)
Indie semi-zombie mayhem for ya
It's indie, with a lot of fights, and that horror kinda vibe, but its more of a thriller with some morality tale woven in. You won't know any actors in this. AB Negative is the rare blood that can keep you alive from some crazy virus...kinda creepy especially when I am thinking hey...maybe I drink some ab positive blood to keep the covid away from me. They all have these cute accents too.
Closure (2018)
Mad Hatter of family and LA koo koo
Crazy lil jaunt into family and LA LA land -- I liked the original story. It is on the farcical bent with oddball characters in "LA" and they all sort of grow to be valuable in their koo koo ness. But underneath it is a sweet story about a lost woman trying for find pieces of her family and self. I was taken with the grace of the ending....simple...and sweet. The actors were all pretty solid. It is an indie flick with lots of unknown actors. I enjoy seeing new faces.
7 Hills (2019)
Just Watch it. International, Skate Boarding, Tony Hawk.
Just watch it. Especially if you are a skater, internationally minded, philanthropic, want to see goodness. This is a great tale about a skate park popped up in a country where they are all different colors, religions, and see a heap of human misery. And all the kids wherever they are from brighten, lighten and have fun. The things that kids are best at...and the skate well too. This is one of those things you watch with your kids to bond. You watch with your parents to bond. You watch with your friends that have not traveled internationally to bond. Good stuff. Skaters Rule!
Distiller (2016)
Two beers and relax into a indie bit of silliness
It's one of those indies that if you can relax your how gloss, super budget film habits...maybe a beer...maybe get your 420 glow...it's all gonna be just fine. There is some clever quips and that sorta Ghostbuster glow to it. I adore the spirit trapping power of booze bottle horn blowing to capture the mean spirits! Where storage of the evil after lifers is more profitable than capturing them! It's indie indie so if you are to enjoy a flick where you don't know the actors and enjoy the charm and simplicity of low budget visual effects...jump in. My friend calls it a two beer, two shot or two puff kinda flick. Sounds good to me.
Risen: The Story of Chron 'Hell Razah' Smith (2020)
Wow...this defies description...right on!
What a crazy cool ride. Very unpredictable. It starts with the hard core hip hop kids out of the east coast. So good for all the hard core kids to see this...cuz...it gets real in the best way. It starts with the music and the crazy creativity that rocketed them all out of the hood...and then...left turn...major medical issue...the kind that makes you grow up fast...then left turn...love and sacred discovery. I don't say this lightly...I don't flop over when someone says a religion BUT...when someone finds the sacred path through the inner city, creativity, fame, medical crisis, crash and burn and loss, struggle, hanging in, loss...then finding it. Like Luke in the cave with Yoda battling himself, like that time that any of us has lost it all and then hung on...except times 2000. Grow and learn by watching this all the way. It will twist and turn so get ready to take a ride.
Hey Diddle Diddle (2009)
Indie film tells a unique tell on social anxiety
It's an indie with no superstars and no studio overlords...so it is real, fresh, and raw. Maybe not perfect but with that comes the gems of authenticity. I suspect someone wrote this that lived with intense social anxiety and the pains of perfectionism and ego. It has a love story and friend story and the challenges for those that don't suffer to understand those that do. And why not...right on!
The Stand Up Doll (2019)
Indie doc that is perfect on the inside
Indie documentary that has over a decade of footage of Risa! A woman coming to 100 years of age. She has seen more than we can know and survived it with class and dignity. No it is not a studio film with all the polish expected of such films...and as a result you get to see so many other pieces and bits. Life is an attitude...and she is the proof.
Curry Munchers (2011)
Authentic and original...a great indie flick.
I always enjoy an original and authentic story. This takes you into East Indian Culture and mixing with western. The locations and performances are all a great way to travel the world and get a diverse experience. The performances are good and nuances are all fascinating to me. The story is good...and I think of it as indie. It's basically a romantic comedy...but a family comedy and a world perspective. I say give it a try!
The Droving (2020)
Gorgeous lands and purdy accents too!
I always enjoy these foreign flicks...but don't worry...its all in english. It had a somewhat indie vibe but big pretty studio looks. I thought it was easy to get sucked up into the differences of the accents, and patter, and different country. The story is edgy digging into the mystery drama trauma of what happened to a person that disappeared during a festival. It's a good watch that is refreshing to see and be in a different place, land, and way. The performances were solid which made me care. Watch a flick and take a vacation too.
Torn: Dark Bullets (2020)
Ouch...that one leaves a mark
It's a tough movie because that topic we all either totally agree with or totally disagree with (Racism) unravels in our face. It's an indie film which means you don't have your giant stars making it all easier to get behind which intrigues me more. Most the story and acting is pretty zesty. This stuff can get depressing but the obvious questions are important and all too real.
What Love Looks Like (2020)
What lovely melinnials look like trying to figure love out!
It's a light romance film. The indie film has no known actors which is nice to see fresh attractive youngsters all trying to figure it out. The modern couples have interesting new complexities which I think relate to the current city folk. I think the story gets funny with a few cringe moments...and mostly there is a sweetness to it all. Just folks trying to figure out how to meet and hold a relationship.
Love Is Not Enough (2019)
Indie Romantic film from Detroit...
I enjoy the indie world and this was a surprise. Detroit as a town of romance? Locals trying to figure stuff out. It is a real independent with no known actors. It gets real about the various issues that come with characters having imperfections and working through it. It is a very mellow paced film with a lot of good intentions that I am appreciative in these times.
Don't Call Me Bigfoot (2020)
Obsessed Big Foot Lovers...
I knew nothing about Bigfoot or cryptozoology. Both are pretty interesting. I enjoyed getting to learn why folks believe or not in the BIG FOOT. Two main guys are the primary sources of info and both seem earnest and know enough to be interesting to me. I enjoyed contemplating the talks on what Bigfoot would need to exist. It seemed like a good gateway piece. It is indie feeling but I enjoy that spirit. I may actually look up some more on the topic and delve in deeper..
Miss Multiverse - Australia (2019)
Ladies with brains & looks competing in all kinds of ways...earnest, clean, fun
I am not much of a reality show guy but this one just comes across so earnest. Making humans endlessly compete for all the things we do is normally too much for me. But this was sweet and fun and it didn't seem like they took it too harshly. And...well...come on...who doesn't want to watch a bunch of ladies compete with physical challenges, dance challenges, brain challenges...yes...they have to be smart too. It's light, its fun, its a bunch of lovely accents from Australia!
Sweet Sunshine (2020)
Sweet hearted...and why not?!
It's a sweet hearted flick that in these times seems to make sense. Why not?! It is basically a musical type of movie with a country music star navigating all the life stuff. In this time of America's got talent, etc., this movie speaks to the experiences of fame and art, humility, love, and family. Yes it is hallmarky as mentioned in the other reviews but sometimes you just get out that hanky and jump in.
For the Weekend (2020)
Happy Birthday to...wtf!...
This little indie gets all spooky with some desert kooks near a birthday party at an airbnb rental. Some pretty dang believable acting! Some weirdos, some twists and turns that I aint gonna tell you but I couldn't turn it off needing to know where this car wreck was going to end up being. The moral of the story is don't rent a isolated desert party house from a strange dude and expect it to all be perfectly smooth!
Chasing the Win (2016)
Horse Magic and spirit to feed the human soul
Sure this is about the amazing story of a horse winning the impossible odds...but it is also about the incredible Horse Spirit and how it enchants and elevates humans. It is a tough business to race and the grit and heart and soul that goes into it is deeply moving. We see a family horse racing business trying to take on the super wealthy with nuance and cleverness. It is the little guy finding a way. It is a sweet and compelling underdog tale about a trainer and a horse. I give this one a first place trophy!
Unlawful Justice (2018)
Indie Raw Gritty - Drug Dealers and Cops are both struggling to get some light
I found this a tough watch but I also knew that was the point. It was a gut punch of the hardships of being a cop and the class war that rages on. The odd similarities between the struggles of a cop trying to do the right thing and of inner city youth trying to figure out a way through. "The Horror..." - It felt like someone lived both the lives of a cop and drug dealer in those small things that kept coming out. And...finally... Can't we all just get along people...man!
Silent Panic (2018)
Contemporary Alfred Hitchcock Indie!
Dang...this is one of those you stay to the end to get the zing zing. It is a drama of the minds of folks that slowly get consumed into their fears. It has some gorgeous shots and cinematography. It is indie but strong production and actors. And...sheesh...watch out if you ever find a dead body!!!
Shady White (2019)
Bad Guys tearing each other apart...reminded me of Tarrantino inspiration films from the 70's
It's indie and lots of one liners. It's loaded with bad guys (and gals) doing lots of bad. It has a lot of clever script flips and flops and lots of sassy tough guys and ladies. Everyone is someone you don't want to meet in an alley. There is a retro 70's vibe to it that reminds me of all those old Tarrantino flicks you hear he was inspired by.