Reviews

This movie rocks. I have seen a fair share of anime, but I'm not as hard core as some of the purists who don't like this movie. Regardless, this is the best anime film I've seen. The animated action is tremendous. I did see the dubbed version, and I'm sure it is better with subtitles. Nevertheless, there are some classic lines in this movie that had me rolling.

"Death is something to be savored like fine wine... but if you are so impatient I must kill you now, so be it" excuse the inexact quotation;

This movie is all about bad ass fighters. You see one character and you think, wow that dude can kick some ass... he is bad ass. Then a new character comes along... no wait a minute THIS guy is bad ass... then another character... my mistake, THIS guy is bad ass. The heirarchy of power in this movie seems to have no limit. I think this film is much more artistic and creative than much of the pure porno anime that makes up the genre. If I want to watch porn I prefer real life to animation. This movie explores the full potential of drawings in motion.

"You are already dead!"

I saw this for the first time in a theater and it is one of my favorite films of the decade if not ever. The set design for this film is incomprehensibly spectacular, and the computer effects work seamlessly. This stunningly visual film manages to remain unique within the dark future genre. I actually liked this one better than Junet and Carot's earlier film delicatessen. Judith Vittet may have Natilie Portman (The Professional) beat out for best performance by a child actress. I can't wait to see more of her work. You won't forget this movie.

"Nice night for a walk"

I was an action junkie as a kid, and at my thirteenth birthday party, after already watching this movie once, my friends and I watched the entire thing again in slow motion to take it all in. We replayed the police station scene, where a guy carrying a cup of coffee is torn up by a machine gun, about ten times. It is Arnold's best film, mainly because he only has about six lines or so. I've seen this countless times, but I can't seem to get bored with it. I like this one much better than the sequel, which was too preachy. Terminator is pure action with plenty of gore, unforgettable lines, and fast paced energy.

OK, this movie really does suck, but I have to stick up for the 3-D effects. I actually saw this in the theater with 3-D glasses. This was back when 3-D was making a minor comeback... Friday 13 part 3, mailstrom, etc. had come out, and Jaws 3-D probably had the best effects of them all. During the underwater scenes with fish swimming around it looked like the whole theater was an aquarium. The water splashes were awesome. My favorite part was when they blew the shark up, part of his guts flew close to your face, spun around a while, then flew over your head. I wouldn't rent this one or even watch it on TV, but it was cool in the theater. These days, though, you would be better off going to an 3-D IMAX movie.

This is easily Don Johnson's best work ever. This is a hilarious western musical with a mind blowing rock and roll soundtrack. The drum solo by Elvin Jones will kill you. IF you can find it you MUST rent it.

This may be my favorite movie. There are far too many exceptional qualities to this film to detail here. Brazil is the ultimate extreme of centralized society, far darker than 1984, and yet at the core it is a love story. The image of a man flying to meet his dream woman only to be blocked by rising skyscrapers is one of the most poetic depictions of the struggle to find love in a city. Somehow a dreamer is born in the hell culture that is Brazil and, even when he encounters the grim final act of evil produced by the cold mechanisms of the central services, his spirit remains unbroken. A triumph of dark humor and twisted beauty.

There is one name today in the realm of B style soft core skin flicks and that is Sidaris. This is the kind of movie that if you saw it when you were 13, you wouldn't leave your room for a week. This movie knows it is an exploitation flick and doesn't take itself too seriously. It is actually fun to watch as more than just a parade of large breasts. Of course, there is a strip club sequence that is tough to forget. I wouldn't rent this one, but it kept me awake on cable.

OK, praise praise. This movie is pure breathtaking cinematography, a great film to watch with the volume off and a favorite album playing in the background (Not to knock Phillip Glass). I have seen this one countless times, though rarely sober. The last scene is one of the best ever shot. A missile explodes and the camera zooms in on the fireball moving ever forward finding a piece of shrapnel to focus on. It follows the spinning metal scrap as it falls and slowly stops burning, zooming continually closer and closer to it until you can see every detail. If you are tripping, you will swear the tiny metal scrap, which I believe is the very tip of the rocket, is actually the tin man from the wizard of OZ.

Prepare yourself for an unforgettable experience as you watch this film. Argento is the premier artist in the medium of death scenes. That is not to mention his blazing genius with cinematography. I'm not going to argue about whether or not this Argento's best work, but it is a must see for anyone who likes dementia, gore, or technical masterpieces. This movie wallows in the boarding school horror cliche, but makes it work. I mean, the film is set in a school that was founded for the study of dance AND the occult sciences. The Goblins produce some of the scariest music ever and this is probably their best work. I can watch this movie over and over.

Romero is sublime. His ability to take a small budget and turn it into a stratosphericly giant film is unparalleled. This is one of the best apocalypse films ever (along with the rest of the trilogy). The zombies represent a slow moving enemy. It is easy to escape them. You have only to fear your own mistakes. On these the zombies will capitalize. One of the best aspects of this film is the lead character. Romero has always presented intelligent non-stereotypical black characters in his films. This film was made in 1968 while civil rights tensions were high, and the most "in control" character in the whole movie is a black man. If you can get past a couple of cheesy supporting performances, this is one of the best horror films ever.

Sure, this movie is bad. If, however, you have seen tons of movies, including tons of bad movies, you can appreciate just how bad this one is. This film is much more entertaining than any of the Ed Wood films I've seen. This is one of the best of the B classics. If you happen to watch this movie with altered brain chemistry, say you have a fever, it takes on a surrealistic vibrance that parallels a religious experience. every line of dialog has multiple hidden meanings and carry a tone you might associate with a divine manifestation. I felt like people from the future, or from another planet had gone back in time to make this film and bury it in the subconscious of our culture.

Ok, the fools who claim this movie is too slow or too long are completely without taste. This film is a scathing masterpiece from beginning to end. It is difficult to comprehend how this movie has drifted into relative obscurity. It is sometimes hard to find in video stores and to my knowledge is unavailable on DVD. I have decided not to purchase a DVD player until this spectacle of sight and sound is available on the format. This movie is a stunning example of cinematography at its best. Every scene is composed to perfection. It is photography come to life, and the story is a brilliant satire that speaks to all aspects of life. Too literary my ass. The elegant dialogue has a remarkable style with desert dry wit. This is a tragic story of the dreamer defeated by society. Check it out.