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Reviews
Quills (2000)
Roseybuds and longstaves...This film is rated "R"?
I agree with others who went into this picture FAMILIAR with SADE that this was very tame by comparison to his writings. I read parts of "120 days of Sodom" and found poorly written perversion on perversion...In fact it was just plain gross. Not the erotic, 'naughty' scribblings that the higher powers found so disturbing in the opening of this film, but really disturbing, graphic depictions of brutality that should'nt, and cannot be taken lightly.
"Quills" shows a rather sunny side to the Marquis, indeed the first half of the film feels more like a 'comedy'...the second falls into high melodrama that bordered close to camp. You only get a small taste of what the Marquis is truly capable of with one scene showing an interesting version of 'the chainmessage game'.Other than that segment, he seems to be just a perverted libertine with a passion for dirty words. Taken on it's own, it was'nt a bad movie...but Oscar contender? Is the Academy that desperate? The story is simplistic...(Towards the end of his life, the Marquis lives lavishly in an insane asylum, his writing is snuck out by a chambermaid, upon its publishing catches the eye of those in command, a 'inquisitor' is sent to silence the marquis...)There is'nt much depth there...(and yes, there is more to the story, but no, I'm not going to rewrite others same synopsis) What the film lacks in dramatic power it makes up for in witty, biting diologue early in the picture, an outstanding performance by Mr. Rush as the Marquis; nods to the suberb technical qualities including cinematography and costumes, and of course, Kate Winslet's boobs. The film, while wonderful to look at, was like eating an eggo straight from the toaster...hot, tasty...but lacking substance. Another point, how the heck did this film pass with an "R"? While tame to my standards I found the crowds reactions to the sex and bawdy talk to be quite humorous...It's funny to think of those familiar with Kate Winslet in "Titanic" gasping with shock at phrases like 'roseybuds' and 'longstaves', then giggling nervously like children in sex ed. There was more sex, and considerably more violence in it than your average picture... 'NC-17'...hmm, that whole ratings thing urks me. On this note, which brings home the whole or part of what the film relishes in, is the glory of truth...in the good and evil that is everpresent in all... The film was'nt dark enough...it was far too 'enjoyable' and light given that it centers on the MARQUIS DE SADE, who is known as being one of the most depraved minds put to print. Overall, an ok job of bringing the Marquis to 'MAINSTREAM'cinema, ...but the only nuts that the picture dares to exhibit are those that live in the sanitarium with him.
Check out "Paris, France" or "Henry Fool" to experience underrated films with cajones and true staying power!
Hollow Man (2000)
THIS MOVIE SUCKS...BUT IT HAS BOOBS!!!
This waste of film is a totally hack piece of junk with glossy special effects and boobs...
That's it! Hard to believe that Paul Verhoeven has made a film worst than 'Showgirls' and smears our faces in two hours of it... What could've been an interesting film turns into a two hour game of hide and seek with the occasional boob shot for good measure...not even worth a $1 , 10 day rental at VIDEOLAND!!! OH MY GAWD!!!THIS MOVIE WAS HORRID!!! TWO HOURS OF POOR ACTING, A LAME STORY AND BOOBS!!!BOOBS!!!AND MORE BOOBS!!!
AVOID THIS OVERBUDGETED POO BARN AT ALL COSTS!!!
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Cool Movie, leisurly paced and thoughtful...
I liked "GhostDOG", it looked like it was edited in a garage in Detroit. It has a beautiful, gritty texture to it that is enhanced very much by the music and the melancholic performance by Forrest Whittiker.
The story about a hired hitman who lives by the code of the samurai is at times deeply profound, incredibly slow and just flat out silly. I found myself squirming at certain characters presented in the film, but realized that the main thought is people disconnected with the present and living in the past. Both GHOSTDOG and a group a seedy, geriatric Italian gangsters are simply out of time, out of place. With GHOSTDOG, this is in his overall demeanor...still trapped in the cold realties of urban sprawl, his depth of thought planely makes him the minority of the minority. While with the gangsters, their time as hoods of the streets has passed; all the real profit is made by corporations, whom are a bit more intimidating than a bunch of cartoon watching, posturing old men.
The plot is simple, we are introduced to GHOSTDOG, that thoughtful mass of inward thought, then the gangsters. A misunderstanding occurs that has the gangsters after GHOSTDOG, which leads to an inevitable conclusion...
At times very funny, very profound, and as paced by the underrated Mr. Jim Jarmusch, as slow as all heck. Ghostdog is a quiet, thought provoking little gem ...a true garage film of the high order.
7 out of 10
8 ½ Women (1999)
Implied Incest, bestiality, kabuki and full frontal nudity...This is Peter Greenaway, "LITE"
I dont know about you, but I've always felt drawn to 'ART' cinema. The first 'art' film I managed to get a hold of was Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", which blew my mind and creative spiret into overdrive. The film was the ultimate paradox, both beautiful and grotesque...this is what 'art cinema' was about, exploring intellectual ideas and bringing the visceral to the screen with purpose. Life, real life, can be like living in a madhouse, and art expressed shows it for what it is. I love movies of all types, but especially those that both entertain and have something to say, whether I agree with it's stance or no...
"8 1/2 WOMEN", is a dry, clinical 'comedy' where a father and son gather a harem to fufill their many sexual fantasies. There is only a very brief allusion to Fellini in the film, unlike what the previews have suggested. The main focus of the film falls on the 'close' relationship between father and son, brought together after the mothers' death. In the early scenes of the film the fathers' sadness is believable, you can feel his pain. What happens afterwards is plain by Greenaway standards, the gathering of the harem, observations on love and death, and flesh displayed for the sake of flesh...One could argue this, but I feel the movie to be shallow and pointless. And the idea that this could be a comedy is perplexing to me. The acting for the most part if fine,...especially good are Polly Walker and Amanda Plummer(though poor Mandy should put her clothes back on) What the film lacks is a compelling story, and the usual Greenaway touches of excess that made his other films so wonderful to watch.
While filled with moments of insight, and the occasional taboo, "8 1/2 Women" is too cut and paste to be considered art, too bland to considered 'funny', and simply too dull to be considered worthwhile.
Save your money...I can only recommend this film as a sleeping aid.
4 out of 10
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Cool Movie, leisurly paced and thoughtful...
I liked "GhostDOG", it looked like it was edited in a garage in Detroit. It has a beautiful, gritty texture to it that is enhanced very much by the music and the melancholic performance by Forrest Whittiker.
The story about a hired hitman who lives by the code of the samurai is at times deeply profound, incredibly slow and just flat out silly. I found myself squirming at certain characters presented in the film, but realized that the main thought is people disconnected with the present and living in the past. Both GHOSTDOG and a group a seedy, geriatric Italian gangsters are simply out of time, out of place. With GHOSTDOG, this is in his overall demeanor...still trapped in the cold realties of urban sprawl, his depth of thought planely makes him the minority of the minority. While with the gangsters, their time as hoods of the streets has passed; all the real profit is made by corporations, whom are a bit more intimidating than a bunch of cartoon watching, posturing old men.
The plot is simple, we are introduced to GHOSTDOG, that thoughtful mass of inward thought, then the gangsters. A misunderstanding occurs that has the gangsters after GHOSTDOG, which leads to an inevitable conclusion...
At times very funny, very profound, and as paced by the underrated Mr. Jim Jarmusch, as slow as all heck. Ghostdog is a quiet, thought provoking little gem ...a true garage film of the high order.
7 out of 10
Wandafuru raifu (1998)
A bold, brilliant film that will move your heart and mind...
I walked into this film knowing nothing about it...I left the theatre after many moments of contemplation a changed man. Never have I seen a film deal with our mortality in such an elegant, gentle fashion. From the moment I realized what was happening with the many colorful charectors, my thoughts and vision never wandered off the screen...not once.
"After Life" is a beautiful film, the cinematography wonderful, the acting exquisite and deeply passionate. The story itself is laced throughout with moments of humor, and much of the film is deeply romantic in it's own way. The story, a reflection on what makes the individual from the mass, and what moments in our lives have impact and stay in memory. I found myself haunted for days, reflecting on the simple question posed to the many characters that inhabited this graceful gem...
'If Heaven were a single memory from your life played in your consciousness for eternity, which memory would you choose?"
Bravo!
10 out of 10
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Dumbed down epic lacks the oomph of the original trilogy...
This movie had cool special effects... The score by John Williams was brilliant... I loved Darth Maul... The story...ughh...it sucked...but the special effects were cool!!! I've already been threatened with stoning at my job by all the Star Wars fanatics who cherished this overblown piece of poo... I could'nt debate with them! IT WAS STAR WARS HENCE IT WAS THE GREATEST THING EVER! AND IF I DIDNT LIKE IT,I'D FIND MY EXISTANCE IN DANGER!!! What is it with this fanatism! The film was mainly a two hour commercial for its franchise! Not a film that can be enjoyed, truly, over and over again my rationalizing film folk like myself!!! Why cant they see that George Lucas has turned into the motion picture anti christ!!!He's Big Brother!!! Ignorance Is Strength!!!AGHHH!!! Wait, someones' knocking at my door... one moment, I...
After much thought I have realized that the previous review was foolish because I found STAR WARS:THE PHANTOM MENACE to be the greatest Motion Picture of all time and worthy of every award and bag of coin presented it. Therefore I detract my derogatory statements of Mr. Lucas for I've realized that he is brilliant and we are all fortunate to have experienced this wonderful film and the Star Wars franchise that has newly spawned from it. I also believe Jar Jar Binks to be of pivitol importance to the fowarding of the storyline...And, the special effects are cool too.
4 out of 10
Paris, France (1993)
The cure for writers' block...
"Paris,France" is a great film...DARING,SHOCKING and crafted with great wit, I was enthralled by the story and it's methods of provoking gasps of surprised laughter...It is a comedy, hard to believe with it's ill designed poster. Unfortunately, the distributers just saw the rating and heard about the sex and...well, they designed the box for the Blockbuster erotic thriller set in mind. This film will most likely never reach the audience it deserves. It's a movie about creative people who are easily obsessed with ideas,memories and the passion they put forth through their own art. The main charactor is a poetess, whose own obssession is the memory of Paris, and the lover she had there. The prospect of a new lover opens up doors for her, and she soon finds herself trying to relive her experiences with a fellow writer who can barely keep up.
The poetess, as played by Leslie Hope is timid one moment, then surprisingly dominant and forceful the next. These changes happen so frequently we begin to worry about her sanity. Fortunately, these sudden moodswings often ignite powerful setpieces laced with very wise and biting humor.
A low budget film that questions morality, our views on sex and how insane it all can seem. Low budget but filmed very well, and packed with riviting performances by all the leads. I was suprised to find that the director mainly works in television. Hopefully, his next film project will be handled and distributed with more care than this one.
Highly Recomended!!!
10 out of 10
Parents (1989)
Sickening!Vile!Not an ounce of proper morals to be found!I loved every minute!
How many films can make you laugh out loud while you lose your lunch at the same time? Truly a twisted, demented look at the society and ideas which most of us were raised..."Parents" has to be one of the most original and daring films to come out in the past 15 years, and it's quite a shame that it did'nt reach a wider audience. With the exception of the cannibalism, the whacked out ideas probably hit too close to home for most people. The story is basically a childs' nightmare view of his parents. He knows their whacked out, but he cant put a finger on, why... When the answers do come, he's forced to make a truly horrific choice.To eat meat that could be(and probably is) your neighbor, or stick with the salad... Terrific performances by the leads raise this above the level of simple camp...and technically the film is superb in every aspect. (The cinematography is especially cool) I loved this film, and recommend it to anyone whose into the subversive...Friday the 13th its' not... 10 out of 10
CHECK IT OUT!
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
It aint "Driving Miss.Daisy", but hey, It's all good!!!
With cheesy B-movies, I normally stay away from rating them for tech stuff, simply because its' silly...They probably put as much in this movie as I pay for half the utilities every month! What I do look at is sheer entertainment factor. I've felt I've gotten my moneys' worth with quite a few z-grade schlockfests, what they have that big budget poo barns lack is energy and enthusiasm, and lack of pretension...(How much money did they put into the latest "GODZILLA"?) With this film, you know within the first few minutes that you cant take it seriously in any way shape or form...(A hooker is interrogated by police, where she describes a chainsaw as, 'a sexual enhancement device') The filmmakers dont hide the fact that they're making crap, they reveled in it! And you can tell they had fun making this twisted little gem, it's all in the actors' smiles...they look like they're about to burst out laughing at any moment. A simplistic plot about a P.I. on the search for a runaway threads the movies together. It turns out the runaway is apart of an ancient chainsaw worshipping cult, when he tries to infiltrate thats when things get really sticky. His voiceover narration is funny, and provides 50% of the laughs in it. A silly piece of crap, but hey, what do expect?
10 out 10 on the B-movie scale
By the way, this does have quite a bit of nudity in it, so if you're easily offended, look elsewhere for cheesy thrills...
Joan of Arc (1999)
A cheerleader with a sword...
Poor, poor Milla...Stuck in an ugly, boring "epic" of minscule proportions. Yes indeed, the new film by Luc Besson is a poor hodgepodge of gruesome battles and tacky humour, a downer since I loved most of his films. In "Messenger:story of Joan of Arc", the charector of Joan as played by Milla(of 'Fifth Element' fame) is a screaming psycho twit. She flails her sword around her like a baton and squeals mild curses to those who take the lords' name in vain. There is'nt a bit of subtlety in her horrid performance, which is a flaw the whole film lacks. Everything in this film is loud, crude and seriously lacking in the taste department. The technical aspects of the film are just as weak, only hinting at what a great action film this could've been. If only the film were as great as its preview...(which had me drooling for weeks beforehand) Instead I was bombarded by poor dialogue, a story that stunk of manure and poor acting ALL around. SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! THIS MOVIE SUCKS!!!
-6 out of 10
Bian zou bian chang (1991)
A Lyrical, emotionally rich vision from Chen Kaige
Few films have effected me as this one, a quiet gem that details the long life of a blind musician searching for purpose. He is considered a saint by the local villagers, often wisely singing on the pettiness of their quarrels, and the beauty of life and brotherhood...
As in Bergmans' 'Wild Strawberries', the protagonist is at a point in his life where death is around the corner. His one wish is to regain his sight, his hope had been sown by his own dying master. When a set amount of strings are plucked a secret compartment in his instrument will open, the cure inside.
The film is beatifully photographed, the acting heartfelt and believable, and the music,the music...
Well, the first time I saw this film, it wasn't from the beginning, in fact, I caught the last 10 minutes of it. The old man,singing to a crowd , finally excepting his fate. He muses the love that he felt for the villagers, and the disappointments and joys that came with his life. It was one of the most beautiful segments I had seen in film. I was actually brought to tears...
Overall an excellent film, and I'm looking foward to seeing this director's other work.
10 out of 10
The Perfect Storm (2000)
"You're headed for the MONSTER!!! OH MY GAWD!!!!"
That line in Wolfgang Peterson's "The Perfect Storm" pretty much sums up my feelings for this boring special effects carnaval ride passing for a movie... I refuse to insult the actors or techs behind this production, the producers' on the other hand should've known better. And whats' with the cruddy music continuosly screeching for attention over the swish,swishing of the special sound effects? I could'nt wait for AT LEAST ONE moment of dramactic silence... The story is simple,Familiar gruff guys against nature... It's "Twister" with FISH. The acting was as good as could be expected, seeing as how they were given lines that would make a child groan. "Batman" and "Brock Landers" spat out there diologue with tongue in cheek. There were many moments that had me in uncontrolled laughter...Most of it was too stupid to be taken seriously : I cant recommend this film for the action, the special effects, geez, anything... So I guess I have to give this film a 1 out of 10. The 1 is for the only suprise in the film, an unexpected shark attack that was very exciting, and the only major action sequence that was free of the horrible music score...(shame on you James Horner,shame!!!)
SAVE YOUR MONEY
Winterschläfer (1997)
A slow, technically impressive thriller...with few thrills
I really wanted to like this movie...
The director of "run lola run" has made a film that is very intriguing and beautifully shot. The charectors were well thought out and played with believability and impressive skill by all the actors...but...the story drug on for so long that I was hoping for more action and less inverted thoght laid out by the splended actors. After a while they had nothing more to say... It all happens in a small German village over the course of winter. A tragic accident leaves one man searching for revenge, while others live out their personal intrigues...a handsome philadering ski instructor, his sweet nymphet 'girlfriend', the nymphets' marose girlpal and a disturbed man smitten with the marose girl. The actors did an impressive job with creating depth to their roles. Their motivations were very believable...
The major flaw of the film is it's extreamly slow second half and an ending, while hopeful, frankly lackis in the dramactic sense. There was'nt a climax of tension which the film seemed to be striving toward. Instead we are fed an anticlimax that leaves us with a very bitter aftertaste. (and whats' with the Mashed potato, Close encounter of the third time poo halfway into the film?) Fortunatly, the film still has a lot going for it: the acting, cinematography and direction are wonderful till close to the end. ( I will also give kudos for the choice of music and smarts by the director to know when to have silence play with the drama.) I give this film a 6 out of 10; The director has talent, and all those involved with this project should be proud to have this film under their belt. Even with its' flaws, "Winter sleepers" plays as a cool charector study and and worth watching in the comfort of home, where you'll be able to pause it, grab a cup of coacoa, and enjoy it's all to leisured pacing.
It's worth seeing once.
Timecode (2000)
a pleasant suprise...
i went to this movie with caution, seeing as how Mr.Figgis' last film was beautiful to look at, but slight, oh so slight. "time code" was a wonderful distraction from the usual crap that pollutes our cinemas today...while it's story was simple, it's presentation with showing the evolving action in four different quadrants was inspired. This device, and the inventive use of the sound had me in awe from beginning to end. i recommend this film to anyone who likes to be challenged as well as entertained by film, and dare i say, art? See it while it's in the theatre...
Titus (1999)
dazzling to the eye, morbid and at times silly...
From the stupendous opening sequence with almost mechanical roman soldiers marching to the hilariously gross finale "TITUS" had me hooked... Say what you will on this being Shakespere's least liked play, but by god did it make one hell of a movie! Everyone involved did a wonderful job, and special thanks for Miss.Taymor to bring this great film to life! I have nothing but praise for this film, not a boring moment in it's entirety.
This story about the revenge, deciets and wickedness' of Titus and the Goth Queen Tamora will entertain the "PIT", the audience forcefed recycled action epics and melodramas with familiar tones and happy endings.
A great film! See it in the theatre if you can...