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Reviews
Blow-Up (1966)
More a study than a movie
The mistake of people who dislike "Blow up" is that they conceive it as an ordinary movie that can be consumed together with popcorn. Antonioni´s masterpiece is definitely not entertaining, it requires high attention. "Blow up" is a philosophical study about pictures, cinema and the act of looking itself. An adventure for your eyes and brain. And because of Herbie Hanckock´s jazz soundtrack even for your ears.
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Slaughter and Violence
"The Dirty Dozen" is a horrible film and maybe Aldrich´s worst.
American Criminals are trained to kill and in fact they manage to destroy a nazi-headquarters. They slaughter all men and women inside with hand grenades and finally burn them alive. One of the most violent and cynical movies I´ve ever seen. It glorifies war as a gentlemen´s game and if women appear in the film they are shown as objects only designed to satisfy the sexual needs of soldiers. I cannot understand the popularity of this movie which sometimes is called a "classic". There are good and there are bad war movies, "The Dirty Dozen" is a splatter-movie. Even worse is the huge number of sequels.
L'aile ou la cuisse (1976)
French comedy at its best !
"Aile ou la cuisse" is a satire about french gourmet-bible "Gault Millau". French comedian Louis de Funes plays restaurant critic Charles Duchemin who struggles for the subsistence of french cuisine. Because of its many slapstick scenes it is one of my and my friends all time favourites. A great satire about contemporary eating habits and french "grandeur". Just right for a boring sunday afternoon.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
One of Sam Peckinpah´s masterpieces
Watching this modern western for the first time was an unforgettable experience. This movie is one of Sam Peckinpah´s great masterpieces. Most impressive are the slow motion scenes of deadly gunfights combined with the peaceful songs of Bob Dylan. Dylan wrote the score for this film and appears in a small role. Interesting is also Peckinpah´s vision of Mexico as a sort of wonderland just across the border.
Xích lô (1995)
One of the greatest independent films
"Cyclo" is one of the greatest independent movies ever made. Vietnamese Auteur Tran Anh Hung shows how by accident violence becomes dominant in the life of a poor, young worker toiling in the streets of Saigon. Brilliantly shot with sometimes shocking and very intimate close-ups of violence and perversion, this movie deserves more attention. Besides "Cyclo" is also a documentary about the sad daily street life in giant third world cities and the permanent fight to survive.
Love and Death (1975)
Brilliant intellectual comedy
"Love and Death" is one of the funniest movies Woody Allen directed. It contains enough slapstick for at least three films. For cineasts it is even more fun to watch it because of the disrespectful insinuations on nearly every film that has been made after a russian novel. The influences of Dostojewski, Tolstoi, Groucho Marx and Ingmar Bergman are mixed up and the result is an intellectual comedy about a coward named Boris Grushenko who by accident becomes a highly decorated war hero in the russian fight against the invading Napoleon. Allen´s decision to use Sergej Prokofjew´s music contributes to create a bewildering atmosphere. I liked "Love and Death" when I was a child because it simply made me laugh. I even like it more today because every time watching it it reveals more of its subtle humour.
Wild Man Blues (1997)
Woody Allen visits Europe with his New Orleans Jazz Band
"Wild Man Blues" is a truly entertaining documentary about Woody Allen touring through Europe with his New Orleans Jazz Band. Every Monday they use to play at Michael´s Pub in Manhattan. It took a long time until Mr. Allen was persuaded to leave New York and to play in European concert halls, he knew too well that people would come to see him and not because of his inspired clarinet soli. Director Barbara Kopple accompanies him during his concerts and even into his luxurious hotel suites. Not unexpected it turns out that Mr. Allen has strange travel habits. The best moments of the film are when the people that always surround Allen never cease to to express their admiration for him, just like they do in his movie "Stardust memories"(1980) which was a disaster. His fans realized that this satire was directed at them and they recognised themselves in the characters of "Stardust memories". Kopples film reveals that Allen has learnt to live with them. He reacts with a warm smile and a little bit of sarcasm when every day he is told a dozen times "you are the greatest, I love your movies, mostly your earlier and funny ones, why can´t you go on making funny movies...". However, "Wild Man Blues" is a very funny film.