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adam1117
Reviews
Live Freaky Die Freaky (2006)
Stops being shocking or funny after about ten minutes - and there's an hour to go
I saw a midnight screening of this movie in Chicago last night, and had to fight very hard to stay awake. The idea of a remarkably vulgar stop motion musical about Charles Manson isn't such a bad one in and of itself, and there's about a ten minute stretch after the opening sequence that's really quite funny. However, once the novelty of seeing explicit puppet sex wears off, it's not shocking, it's not offensive, it's not subversive, and and it's not funny - it's just boring, and there's a good hour left to go. Once you've established that the real agenda is to shock and offend by any means necessary, it's hard to find anything really offensive. One or two of the songs is kinda catchy, in that "here's a show tune written by the drama teacher from the local high school," Guffman-esquire sort of way, but most are instantly forgettable. About the only thing to break the monotony of puppets trying their hardest to be shocking and offensive is when they take breaks to let Charlie do some ranting - and then it's even more boring. The movie even jokes about how dull Manson's rants would get, but makes you sit through them anyway. The live action sequences from the 31st century at the beginning and end seem pointless - could the guy in them even read in the first place? Would he sit through all of Helter Skelter if he could? I'm not sure which kind of people are going to get a thrill out of this - some might see Manson's scenes and feel really rebellious, like they're questioning authority and "seeing something they don't WANT me to see." Who's the "they," exactly, that would find this so threatening? While there's a segment of the population that will always be ready to object to people seeing violent and/or naked puppets, you can disturb those people just as much by watching CNN - and that would be a much better way to spend your time than watching puppets try to offend you.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Some misconceptions here
I just want to point out that a lot of people here are pointing to the "evil adults" thing as a problem in this movie. This is nonsense; there are no evil or villainous adults in this movie. Sure, the scientists come off as a bit frightening, but they aren't malevolent. There are only two adults who really play roles (the detective guy and the mother), and both are "in touch with their feelings" and, while not always acting towards the same goals as the kids, they never act remotely evil.
This is a great Film. Not a sci-fi movie, a film.
Halloweentown (1998)
not exactly good
I love Halloween movies and specials. Love 'em. But this one is not what I'd call good. I could blame the overacting, but it may not be the actors fault; they could only do so much with the sloppily written dialogue. The notion of a place like Halloweentown was much better done in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," and the plot was cookie-cutter at best. There are some awful Halloween specials out there, and this is, admittedly, better than a lot of them. But it's not among the greats of the genre. Younger kids might like it, of course. I suppose I shouldn't complain, seeing as how it's for them, not me.
Wolf Girl (2001)
You can't turn away...
There's a saying about freak shows and movies featuring Tim Curry: You can't turn away. So it is with this movie, which features both Curry and a freak show. It's not a great movie, by any means, but you can't turn away. The plot involves an oddly attractive extra-hairy teenage girl who has lived her life in a freak show. She meets an odd boy who gives her an experimental treatment, but, as a side effect, the treatment turns her violent. In other words, there are no real surprises in the plot (though it didn't end quite the way I expected it to end), and there are a lot of "what the?" scenes. How did that character know that, why does this character do that, why was this scene in the movie at all, etc. It's an affliction common to made-for-cable movies, of course, and this one actually has less than most. But, beneath all of that, there are some great looking scenes. The scenery, costumes and photography give lots of the movie a neat, old-world sort of feel (even though it appears to take place in the present). Freak shows are an anachronism today, and the movie presents them as such. To watch the scenes around the show, you'd think that the movie took place at least a century ago, and that's to the movie's credit. It's the style that makes this movie worth watching. I've seen plenty of horror movies, made-for-cable and otherwise, that didn't even have that going for them.
The Adventures of the American Rabbit (1986)
No complaints from the Marxists, actually
No one watching this film casually is going to find anything political about this movie. They'll just see it as a fun little superhero cartoon. But, after reading some reviews here, I decided to watch it again. I didn't see anything that would suggest putting the National Anthem into a cartoon, as one review suggested, or anything all that patriotic, for that matter. Surprisingly, this isn't anti-Marxist at all. If anything, it's pro-Marxist.
There's an early scene in which the characters organize a rally against the bad guys, and the scene, in a not-so-subtle way, suggests unionizing workers. The bad guys, led by a dude in a business suit, take over the city's supply of chocolate (controlling the means of production and what have you). I thought my idea that the shoe was Marxist was falling apart when one of the good guys said "I know people who can help us. Big, corporation guys!" Then, however, it turned out that the corporations were working for the bad guys!
My favorite Marxist moment comes early on, when the bad guys ask an "intellectual" for directions to the library. Her reply: "Turn left on McCarthy." It's a bit of a stretch, I know, but it's fun, and may even be intentional.
Of course, non-Marxists should still enjoy this movie, and there's no danger that it's going to make your kids into commies. While I for one found it to be, well, more pro-marxist than anti-marxist, it still isn't a political movie at all. An unfortunately overlooked picture. Not a masterpiece, but a fun movie for kids.
Zardoz (1974)
Pretentious, not profound
I'm surprised to see so many positive reviews. "Thought provoking?" "Masterpiece?" Heh. There are some very interesting ideas presented in this movie (describing the origin of the title will make anybody want to see it), but they tend to do a lousy job of fleshing the ideas out. The movie tries very hard to be symbolic and thought provoking, but comes off as hilariously pretentious; and, of course, the line between pretentious and silly is always very blurry. There's some interesting imagery here, and a couple of neat scenes, but it largely comes off as a movie made to impress 14 year old deadheads. I actually find myself wishing that this was made into a "mindless" sci-fi picture, as there are enough neat ideas that it could've been a really enjoyable movie if it wasn't trying so hard to seem really intelligent. That oft-mentioned opening line makes you wish it was Chartlon Heston in the lead role; now THAT would make for a terrific homespun mst3k experience!
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
That old, weird America
Reactions to this movie can typically be cut into two groups. Those who love it, and those who just don't understand what's going on. While such a requirement may keep a film from being accessible, to appreciate this movie, you have to know where it's coming from. Forget Homer, what you really need is an understanding of American folk and bluegrass music. This movie is a screwball comedy set in the land where all those bizarre old ballads came from, what Greil Marcus calls "That old, weird America." (other movies that have been set there include "Night of the Hunter" and "Housekeeping.") This movie uses folk more effectively than any movie since "Bound for Glory," and maybe more improves on even that. If you saw the movie and didn't understand it, but would like to understand why so many people are calling it a masterpiece, you should start by reading "Mystery Train" and "Invisible Republic" by Greil Marcus, then listen to some of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, or at least some Stanley Brothers. Get a basic understanding of that, and you'll see why this movie is so brilliant.
Surviving Desire (1992)
Delightful intellectual comedy
This movie is not for everyone; the illiterate and anyone who can't appreciate dialogue that sounds just as dead pan as it should aren't going to understand what's going on here at all. This movie takes a simple relationship, and, in a rather dead pan, witty manner, the characters go through the motions of a long term relationship in about a day. The dialogue is absolutely delicious, and the supporting characters are wonderful. The movie does a magnificent job of dissecting the personality of stereotypical people and relationships. Those who can appreciate the style will be rolling on the floor laughing.
Housekeeping (1987)
Best use of "Goodnight Irene" in the history of film
Though the box (identifying it as "A tidy comedy") is one of the most flagrant cases of false advertising ever, this is a wonderful movie. Set a bit after 1960 (you can tell because the song the mother sings in the ten-years-before opening was a hit in 1950) in a small town that hasn't caught up with the rest of the world yet, it shows a woman who isn't so much a free spirit as a person who just can't settle into basic routine. Mentally ill? Maybe, maybe not. But, if so, it's a pretty swell madness. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted. Haunting is an excellent word. Just don't get it expecting a tidy comedy, whatever you do.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The "Citizen Kane" of suspense
This movie plays like a folk ballad (one of the distinctly American, yet ultimately timeless) variety. The scenery is remarkable, the characters fascinating, and the songs haunting (listen to the lines of the opening song: "Dream little one dream...fear is only a dream...so dream little one dream." Get it?) The attention to detail throughout this movie is absolutely top notch; I've seen it a dozen times and I'm still finding new things. One odd thing about this movie is that the villain, Harry Powell, is terrifying. There's no real reason to be terrified; there's little to no real violence in the movie, and Powell has no special powers, just a small knife. I could probably beat him up myself if I had to. But the man is terrifying, no question about it. Get this movie. You will never regret doing so.