Nick Broomfield knows how to get people to shoot themselves.   on February 19, 2003 - 3:55 PM PST   of Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1995) 6 out of 6 members found this review helpful   I was first exposed to Nick Broomfield's documentary style in the film he did on Kurt Cobain (Kurt and Courtney). I was remarkably impressed with two aspects of the film and filmmaker. First, his ability to continually confront his subjects with a very polite directness that seemed to console while at the same time demand honest responses. He reminds me of the type of person that can argue any point from the aspect knowing (or at least thinking they know) everything about the subject at the center of the argument. Second, I'm amazed at his willingness to investigate every aspect of a story and talk to anyone who is willing (or maybe not so willing) to talk to him. The sequence where he drives down Hollywood's sunset strip questions street walkers about Heidi Fleiss is classic Cinéma Vérité Favorite scenes Ron Jermey as a key informant. Yeah! The Ann Margret look-alike talking about how she'd rather have a nice dinner and a screw and get paid $500 rather than make $1500 and have to watch some rich dude shoot up heroin. Me too! Victoria Sellers going into detail about a trip to the Bahamas with two other Heidi girls. Clothes hangers and rolls, that's all I'm going to say. Worst scenes Interviews with Madam Alex and Ivan Nagy. Not the fault of the filmmaker but man these two should tied together with barbed-wire and dropped into a vat of acid. IMHO. Movies with similar themes: Bowling for Columbine Kurt and Courtney Biggie & Tupac - One of the best documentaries I've seen.

So much potential so little talent - disappointing!   on February 19, 2003 - 12:03 PM PST   of Dagon (2001) 5 out of 6 members found this review helpful   I was incredibly disappointed in the result of Stuart Gordon's latest attempt to expliot another H.P. Lovecraft's story. Re-animator was a great film that really had little relation to the Lovecraft story but it was a well acted and well paced horror film. Dagon is anything but a well acted or well paced film. The attempts to establish the character, Paul as the reluctant hero of the story fails miserably due to both the flat dialog of the script and the awkward performance of Ezra Godden. The story itself showed hints of an interesting concept. The expatriate who returns to his homeland unaware of his true ancestry only to discover that a cult order is lying in wait for him and his friends. But the film really snags in so many places as the story continues. This film is something I would expect to see as a USA network T.V. Movie. The low budget was evident in the camera-work, special effects and makeup. I couldn't recommend this movie to my dog! Favorite scenes: The sacrifice of Barbara to Dagon. Yikes! boobies and stumps! The final sequence, both because it was an interesting digital animation and because it meant that the film was finished. Whew! Worst scenes: - NEW! Any that involved Ezra Godden trying to act! (Jeeze, who did this guy f**k to get in this movie?) Any other scene that involved any of the other "actor." Movies with similar themes: Gilligan's Island - the Movie.

Some families just shouldn't exist...   on February 14, 2003 - 3:03 PM PST   of Visitor Q (2001) 11 out of 14 members found this review helpful   Except in fiction! The story line of this films is hard to follow in the beginning. Of course I probably shouldn't have been watching this @ 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon but whatever. Once the film got into the drug use, necrophilia, lactating momma and murder with household tools I got sucked in. I won't call this a great film (or even a good one) but I will say that I was thinking and talking about it for days after I saw it. So the film did leave an impression. I recommend that you watch this with at least one other person so that you can turn to each other every now and then and say "Did you see that!?" Favorite scenes: The opening montage with the prostitute. The first time mommy shoots-up. The strangulation of the girlfriend on the side of the road... And then every scene after that. Movies with similar themes: Bad Lieutenant Any Robert Downey Sr. film. Any other video that, if real, would get you arrested by the FBI.

Hellsing = Vampire Hunder D w/ pistols   on February 14, 2003 - 2:36 PM PST   of Hellsing Vol. 1: Impure Souls (2002) 5 out of 6 members found this review helpful   I enjoyed the animation and some of the characterization of this series. I have to say, though, that I was disappointed with the hole plot of the rogue vampire (Dampyre?) recruited by a government organization to hunt and kill his own kind. Also the rookie side-kick character wasn't developed enough, to even be a good cliché. Watching the first three episodes I was reminded of the Blade movies with Wesley Snipes--Visually interesting but not much of a story. Still I may just rent the 4th volume just to see how the whole story ends. Favorite scenes: Episode 2: The Vamp-streetwalker dissolving into a pool of maggots. Episode 3: The side-kick gets it in the throat from the Vatican hitman. Episode 3: Arucard feels the sting of Alexander's blades and "it actually hurts!" (Good line). All episodes: The Music is pretty good for the entire series and I like all of the religious puns, e.g., The engraving on the side of Arucard's BFG that reads Jesus Christ is in Heaven. Similar movies/series: Vampire Hunter D Blood the last Vampire Vampire Princess Miyu Blade I and II

Giallo master Argento has beat this genre piece into the ground.   on February 4, 2003 - 2:10 PM PST   of Opera (1987) 3 out of 4 members found this review helpful   My admiration for Argento began when I first caught Cat-o-nine tales on cable in the late eighties. It wasnt until I moved up to SF from Bakersfield that I was able to catch classics like Deep Red and Suspiria. Opera has some of the elements that made Argentos film interesting such as elaborate set designs, the use of heavy color saturated lighting effects, and of course gore thats always just a bit sexual. But Opera just doesnt have a very well developed story and some of the lead characters are so poorly acted that I really lost interest in the film half way through. For Argento fans I think the film is worth seeing once. The short documentary on the film thats part of the special features is actually more interesting than the film. )Daria Nicolodi rant about how much her ex-husband movies sucks is a great bit of interviewing.) I definitely won,t be adding it to my collection of Gaillo DVDs. Favorite scenes: Cutting open the costume girl to get at the evidence that she swallowed. Bullet to Daria head through the door. (I wonder if Argento still performs as the hands of his killers!?) Movies w/ similar themes: Tenebre Trauma Phantom of the Opera (Pugh!)

Not the best but not the worst I've seen.   on January 31, 2003 - 10:46 AM PST   of 801 T.T.S. Airbats (Disc 1 of 2) (1994) 2 out of 2 members found this review helpful   I rented this anime thinking it was a Kenichi Sonoda character design/story work but didnt see his name in the credits although the characters did bare some resemblance to those Gallant Force girls that I admire. Still the story and characterization was ripped straight out of U.S. wacky sitcom-dom. One guy, two girls and a conniving authority figure whose endless attempts to undermine the fun loving group are thwarted at the end of each episode. The animation is still quality work and the air-obatics are actually pretty good. Still I wasnt involved enough into the story to bother renting the second disk in the collection. Favorite scenes: The air-show scenes were well done. (I think I said that already but just in case you missed it.) Movies w/ similar themes: I think most of you know at least a dozen or so. -johnny;j

Displacement, loneliness and the triumph of the human will.   on January 28, 2003 - 4:51 PM PST   of Bread and Chocolate (1973) 3 out of 3 members found this review helpful   Absolutely one of my all time favorite films. I first saw this film in the 80s and was amazed at the skill with which both director Brusati and actor Manfredi blended the disturbing themes of murder, suicide and racism with the slapstick gags and comic songs. Manfredi's performance is subtle at times and blatantly buffoonish at times but his characters emotional struggles and desires to succeed are so easy to identify with that you really get the sense of living vicariously through this one man's story. Favorite scenes: The chicken coop dinner scene. The pub scene with the football crowd. The Labor camp. Movies w/ similar themes: Ikiru Women on the verge of a neverous breakdown Pretty much everything by Vitorio De Sica

Kobo Abe visualized.   on January 28, 2003 - 4:49 PM PST   of Woman in the Dunes (1964) 4 out of 5 members found this review helpful   This film adaptation of Abe's novel is as engaging with it's stark B&W photography as Abe's words are in the novel. The characterization is well developed in the 2 hour film. There's a sense that you are watching the events of another planet or examining insects in a terrarium. The sand walls crumbling reinforced the feeling I had when I read the novel of a man imprisoned in a menial existence that he soon finds he is unwilling to escape from because the bond that develops with his captor. My only complaint with the DVD is that the B&W contrasts was sometimes so dark that several scenes where pretty much just a black screen with voices. Favorite scenes: Niki's first attempted escape. Sand covered love scene. Scene where Niki bargains with his captors to get a view of the ocean. Movies w/ similar themes: Tie her up, Tie her down Quiet Earth I would like to see more Teshigahara/Abe collaborations in the GreenCine collection. -johnny;j