Change Your Image
NED-10
Reviews
Fringe: White Tulip (2010)
One of the best written TV episodes you'll ever see
Very well-written and tight episode. One of the best sci-fi episodes you'll ever see on mainstream TV. If this were a short story, it would be an award contender, IMO. One of the best time travel stories I've ever seen portrayed in a TV series.
Peter Weller guest stars in an amazing performance. One of the most interesting antagonists you'll ever enjoy. It's one of those cases where the writers just pulled everything together and just didn't mess anything up.
I don't want to spoil anything so I won't elaborate further, except to say that it's worth seeing the series up to this point just to gain the context to appreciate this episode.
El laberinto del fauno (2006)
A captivating allegory about war and redemption
Pan's Labyrinth is a captivating, violent, and at times disturbing fairly tale. The film, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, is an allegory about the Spanish Civil War that is framed as a child's odessy that takes place in northern Spain during the 1940s where the Spanish army was attempting to root-out the last of the "guerrilla" resistance fighters in the years after the official end of the war in 1939. In fact the term "guerrillas", which is Spanish for "little wars", was coined here. Each character in the film is a metaphor for some aspect of Spain during this period. The story itself is a calling for the people of Spain to face their past so that they can move forward with hope.
Enter Ophelia, a bright, inquisitive child who's mother is married to a Captain in the Spanish Army. Ophelia, I think, represents the soul, conscience, etc. of the people of modern day Spain. The Captain, who represents Franco's Fascist government and military, has brought Ophelia and her mother (who represents the old, pre-Franco Spain) to a garrison in northern Spain, where the Captain's troops are attempting to root out the last of the resistance fighters - and killing many innocent people in the process.
The Mother is pregnant with a child, the son of The Captain. The Child seems to represent the new, post-Franco Spain. The child is Ophelia's half-brother because her father, a tailor, has died. Her father seems to represent the old Monarchy (e.g. a king) who stitched together modern Spain from a collection of provinces over the last millennium.
Ophelia is an avid reader of fairy tales and while at the garrison becomes unwittingly entwined in a fairy tale of her own. She meets a faun who identifies her as a future princess and sends her on several quests, which she needs to complete in order to claim her reward. The quests, it would appear, represent a task to the people of Spain today to face this aspect of their past (the Civil War) and come to grips with it, and only by doing this can they move forward.
In the first quest, for example, she is sent to the roots of a giant fig tree where an evil toad lurks. The presence of the toad is killing the tree and keeping it from flourishing. The toad is representative of this dark secret that lies at the underbelly of Spain itself (the fig tree) and is keeping Spain from truly flourishing. Rooting out this toad is the "key" to Spain's future.
Without elaborating too much on the rest of the movie, suffice to say that the Captain, is blindly driven see his new son born no matter what the cost or how much bloodshed. He is thwarted by the guerrilla resistance, who is embodied by an determined and fearless housemaid and nanny. A doctor, representing the hard-working, innocent bystanders in the war gets caught up in the middle of the struggle.
We get a clue to the end of the picture at the beginning of the film. However, that does not entirely soften the impact. Most people do not learn much about this bit of history, so many people will not quite understand why the film is as dark as it is. As violent as it is, it pales by comparison to the real atrocities which occurred. I definitely recommend the film, but with a caution. It's a very involving film but also very difficult to watch at times.
The film is visually amazing and well acted, tightly written and tightly edited. Ivana Baquero's portrayal of young Ophelia was marvelous.
In closing, I would like to thank my high school Spanish teacher, Mr. Gaone, who's passion for Spanish history (along with some clues in the pre-press for the movie) enabled me to understand this film.
The Emperor's New Clothes (1987)
Wow, what a weird movie!
These Cannon fairy tale movies have to be some of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. If you can get past that, they aren't too bad. I have also have seen the "Red Riding Hood movie", with Craig T. Nelson, which is similar in style and a little bit better. The movies are being shown on a locally hosted movie show in Cleveland called "The Big Chuck and Little John Show". They are very reminiscent of the kinds of low budget, semi-musical, family movies of the 1960s.
As for The Emperor's new clothes, The story is pretty basic. A couple of con men, con the vain emperor into believing that they have woven a set of clothes from threads made of diamonds. Of course the emperor has to provide lots of diamonds for the threads. The story holds true to the original tale. No one wants to look stupid by saying that they can't see the clothes, and when everyone around the emperor says what the emperor wants to hear, he believes it himself and makes a fool of himself. Kind of reminds you of some of our own leaders, doesn't it? In this story the emperor becomes a wiser man. We can only hope our own leaders learn the same lessons.
In the mix is also a love story between a princess, one of the tailors, and an evil aristocrat. I wouldn't pay to see this one, but I was entertained by its strangeness.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
They dumbed-down a comic book! Underwritten, Overproduced - What a mess.
This movie is a mess. With all those great characters it should have been great, but it ends up being seriously under written and seriously over produced. They went "Wild Wild West" on us; a little subtlety would have gone a long way. The big question is why? They took great source material, and proceeded to slam it with a wrecking ball. What a bunch of idiots!
Bad Company (2002)
A light-weight action flick that delivers what you expect
BAD COMPANY is what you'd expect when you put Joel Schumacher and Jerry Bruckheimer together. It's a slick, fast-paced light-weight fluff action flick with a few jokes here and there, the requisite plot holes, 2-dimensional characters, 8th grade dialogue and sappy ending. Still, there are worse ways to kill an evening, I suppose.
Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged (2001)
So much in the world to worry about,...but this?!
If one is going to issue a criticism of a book and a film under the guise of a documentary, one needs to do his/her homework. A failed argument by people who apparently feel that they need something to criticize or burn in order to feel that they have moral importance and impact. There are so many real problems in the world and so many constructive answers to them. I wish people would spend as much time and energy working on the real problems instead of things like this.
The Mexican (2001)
As exciting as watching paint dry
The Mexican turns out to be quite boring. The writers forgot to give us any reason to care about any of the characters. There is no real chemistry between Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. I kept looking at my watch and was amazed at how little time had passed. In short, who cares?
Monkeybone (2001)
A brilliant premise gone totally wrong
One of the worst movies I've ever seen. Starting out with a brilliant premise about a cartoonist that falls into the dreamworld a coma and has his body taken over by his subconcious alter-ego. The move is down hill from the beginning. It continues to get worse and worse cuminating in one of the worst, most unfunny comedy scenes ever made in a movie. People in the audience watched with mouths agape in deadpan silence as one failed joke after another rolled accross the screen.
Gladiator (2000)
Interesting Story, but Historically Inaccurate
This was an interesting story, but historically was a little bit mixed up. It combines figures from different points in Roman History. The real General Maximus was declared emperor after conquering Britain, by his troops and some locals. He then went to Germany entered an alliance with the Emperor of the Eastern Empire. He then attacked the Western empire and emperor Gratian and Gratian was killed in battle. Maximus ruled some of the northern and western provinces for a few years and then decided to invade Italy and took over the whole Western Empire for a year or so, then got into a war with the Eastern empire, and lost, and was executed. Marcus Aurelius was an interesting emperor, but he lived 200 years earlier. His chief general in Germany was Avidius Cassius, who usurped him a couple of years before he died, and the conflict forced him to appoint Commodus as joint emperor several years before he died. Commodus went insane, (possibly due to lead poisoning), and was eventually strangled by a gladiator as part of an assassination plot by his sister and his own cabinet. Enjoy the movie, but try to keep it in historical perspective.
The Ninth Gate (1999)
An ironic black comedy by Roman Polanski.
The Ninth Gate ***
This film, directed by Roman Polanski, would best be described as an ironic black comedy. . The the comedy is subtle, the sarcasm is also subtle but pervasive. It combines a peculiar world reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft with a modern world of supernatural conspiracy. The movie stars Johnny Depp as Dean Corso, an amoral, atheistic rare book dealer who is commissioned by a millionaire to investigate the authenticity of a medieval Satanist's book, "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of the Shadows" (written in 1666), by comparing it to the only two other known copies in existence.
The movie looks really good, and presents us with interesting and eccentric characters. It takes us into a fascinating world of rare book dealers and collectors, and occultists. Corso investigates the previous owner of his client's book and the two other owners the book. Each of these people has their own obsession to the exclusion of virtually all else in their lives, one with his wife, one with his collection of books, and one with the study of the occult.
As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that Polanski is poking fun at the genre of Satanist movies that was popular in the late 60s and early 70s. He also blanatly mocking the idle and the rich, who dabble in the occult as an 'excuse to satisfy their deviant sexual urges'. Not suprising, as his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by amateur occultists in the 1960s. Sometimes the 'poking' is anything but subtle, and the audience did pick up on most of the laughs.
At first Corso's "arch" character has an atheistic approach to the investigation of the book. Several people are fighting for the secret of the books. Gradually it becomes clear that the book is choosing its own master, and will not be chosen.
Polanski teases us with a conventional ending that we have seen uncountable times in these satanic ritual movies, and then interrupts it in what is the least subtle, but funniest plot twist in the movie. The ending doesn't have the payoff that we expect. It becomes clear that the book is more about a self-actualizing journey, rather than some occultist secret. It teaches us a lesson, that we don't need to go in search of evil, that it already lies within human nature, and will find us if we choose not to resist it.
Bicentennial Man (1999)
Yuck! A well intentioned, but misguided movie
Robin Williams has a appeared in such a slew of stinkers over the last 6 or 7 years that his face on a movie poster is almost a dead giveaway that the movie is not worth seeing. Bicentennial Man is unfortunately, no exception. While this is not a 'horrible' movie, it just doesn't work on many levels. It goes from cute to saccharine to cloying, and eventually just plain unbelievable. Ask yourself this question: Do you -really- want to see the wonder of a machine that gets a working penis? If the answer is no, this movie is not for you.
Magnolia (1999)
Magnolia brilliantly captures human nature
This is one of the most wonderfully complex and intricate movies I have ever seen. The characters range from some of the most noble I've seen in a movie in a long time to some of the most piteous. The director is able to simultaneously capture some of the best and worse qualities of human nature. The dialogue and interaction between the characters is certainly among the most 'real' and genuine that I've seen. Don't miss this one.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
A fascinating psychological thriller
This movie will make a lot of people uncomfortable. That is one of the things it is supposed to do. Originally pitched to Alfred Hitchcock, it contains a lot of the elements of suspense and "psychosis" that marked Hitchcock's movies. This movie ventures where even Hitchcock wouldn't have dared. The main character, Tom Ripley, is a psychological chameleon. He has no esteem, and no sense of his own identity, and must 'absorb' the identity of those around him. The viewer will find his/herself rooted to the seat waiting to find out what psychotic behavior Tom Ripley will display next. A number of good nail-biting suspense scenes also liven up the show, as well as the magnificent cinematography that makes Italy look as good as it ever has in a movie.
The Straight Story (1999)
A mellow, mesmerizing look at mid-America.
This movie rolls gently along like an early season baseball game or a lazy Sunday afternoon, as the lead character Alvin Straight rolls along the rural highways of Iowa in his lawn tractor. The movie provides gentle insight into many issues about aging in Midwestern America as it follows Alvin on his quest to visit his dying brother. This G-Rated flick is a gem.
Superstar (1999)
A SNL movie that is actually kind of funny for a change.
Definitely not a one-joke movie. Saw the movie with a woman and two girls aged 10 and 12. The audience was really pumped-up. A very weird experience. Mary Catherine Gallagher is every girl. The characters in the movie had personalities, and there was a story. If you like the skit you'll love the movie, if not, better see something else.
Buffalo '66 (1998)
One of the best dark comedies in the last decade
The problem with this film is that it is subtle. It was filmed on a very low budget, and it has a simple story. Consequently, the magnitude of its genius will probably fly over the heads of most critics who are used to more conventional films with larger egos (to match their own).
The main character is unattractive, very unpleasant and the epitome of a looser, he seemingly has no redeeming qualities. Yet soon we all feel sorry for him and constantly look for the good things in him, just like the girl he kidnaps. We want him to succeed. By the end of the film the entire audience will be rooting for him to do the right thing.
There is some incredible acting by the likes of Ben Gazzara and Christina Ricci, as well as Vince Gallo. Gallo has totally captured the crushing disaster that is the life of Billy Brown and done so in an amazing way. The scenes of Billy (Gallo) with his family may be the best portrayals of a dysfunctional family you'll ever see. Billy Brown is doomed, it seems that his life is hopelessly lost. Yet one person suddenly cares for him (divine intervention? karmic balance?). Will he make the right choice or is his life essentially over?
In the middle of this dark and often offensive subject matter the movie packs laughs and humor. Gallo attempts to break up some of the crushing depression by inserting little visual effects scenes that offer some insight into the characters' minds (how many films ever even try this stuff?). Some people don't like movies that have unpleasant things to say, or that show us things that we don't like to see, but this movie presents it in such a way that we can laugh at ourselves and at life as we see bits of us and people we know and human nature, and the the way life is sometimes just plain cruel, etc. peppered throughout the film. If Billy can succeed, maybe we can too. Watch this one carefully, and with an open mind, and you will be rewarded.
Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
The rock opera of the X-generation?
I was in high school when I first saw Pink Floyd the Wall. I found the movie visually entrancing, and at the same time baffling. I understood it at first only through the lyrics, as I had the album. I credit this movie as one of the first movies to open my eyes to the creative powers of film. I watched it over and over again until I thought I understood every detail. I've seen many better films, but the light bulb went on, so to speak, with this one and movies have never been quite the same since.