renaldo and clara Reviews

Wild On... (1997–2009)

All hail Brooke Burke

[18 June 2003]

Everytime I'm done watching an episode of this, I feel drunk.

Anywhere the Wild On crew goes , whether it's in South America,

Europe, or the Far East, everyone is always drinking and exposing

their boobies.

Jules Asner, the first true host(I think there was briefly one b4

her)was really cute and funny, like the girl next door. I identified

mostly with her because I can't dance for the life of me and when

you see footage of Jules dancing, she is as clumsy as can be.

Brooke Burke came next, and with as much charisma as Jules

had and then some , she also added that exotic beauty she carried

so well. Brooke was my absolute FAVOURITE Wild On! host-she

did what she had to do on the show, took risks but looked cool and

collected doing it. She was pregnant twice during filming(!) but she

could've fooled us! Brooke was the heart and quiet party-girl soul

of the Wild On! atmosphere...just look at how the Wild On! show's

popularity soared after she started hosting. .When Brooke asked a

question to anybody-even to a total drunkard in a really loud club-

she handed them the microphone and awaited their response.

She was a listener. When she hooked up with those cool young

travel guides from each "destination"-Italy, France, etc.-she always

blended in with what they were doing. No action from her ever felt

forced or was made to draw attention in any way. A graceful,

sophisticated, sexy, beautiful but truly groovy and down-to-earth

chick. Brooke was the model host.

Now Cindy is hosting, and though she's real sexy and cute as a

button, it's just too hard for her to match up to the charisma

Brooke, and even Jules had. Although she's an adequate host-it

always looks like she's having fun, and she doesn't run her mouth

or anything,-she doesn't seem to "control" or "own" the

camera....maybe she's very young yet and has to grow into it. I'm

also not as keen on the directing style of this season-they added a

sort of interview with Cindy in each episode, Let's say one is when

Cindy is talking about her personal experience with a party that

night while the show inter-cuts with footage from that party, for

example. Last season would've shown you actual footage of

Brooke interacting with the people and situations first-hand...She

seemed to make acquaintances as she walked by with the

camera close behind her. So there was never any need for

explanation afterward..the party was what you saw first-hand.

This-in my opinion, was a much more natural way to shoot such

scenes.

Either way, the show is entertaining, and definitely one of the best

shows on E! If nothing else, it really does open your eyes to a little

bit of culture -to people who have never even left their U.S. state,

while still realizing that people from all over the world like to get

"wild" in pretty much the same way.

Super Troopers (2001)

License and registration....chickenf*cker!!!

[24 April 2003]

This movie was funny from beginning to end. Random jokes and

funny parts come out of nowhere, and a lot of cases that's what

makes a comedy so great... ..but then again, I'm biased. Just seeing these guys in umiform

makes me laugh..What keeps the charm of this film is that these

characters are believable as cops. Casting the crew-unknowns in

front of the camers-was a great idea.

I'm convinced there are cops who like to kick back and watch this

for a good time.

Dr. Phil (2002–2023)

really embarrassing

[3 April 2003]

This show stirs up a lot of negative emotions within me for Dr. Phil,

but mostly its embarrassment in general. I am embarrassed for

adults that need to come on his show and listen to him load spout

stuff that is already common knowledge. Embarrassed at myself

for flipping through the channels and stopping on him for just a

few minutes to give him the time of day. What a big mistake.

Can't people just talk things out without having this mentally-challenged pretentious, "doctor" telling them what's ok?

The saddest thing of all is it seems like most of his guests are

extremely well-off, intelligent people who can work their own

problems out through time. I sincerely wish they wouldn't waste

their time on his show. I even feel like I'm wasting my time now,

but I had to balance out the gushing reviews for this man.

If you're in a really good mood and you feel like diminishing it,

watch Dr. Phil. He's useless, pretentious, and boring. "Dr. Drew"

would be a much better show.

The Crow (1994)

an old comment

[10/10 · 13 December 2002]

I found this in my old stuff; a review from 5 years ago for this movie...though I already commented on The Crow; I feel this may be the most honest review for it:

Once upon a time-not so long ago- Halloween was something more magical. Up until the early 90's kids were happy to be frightened because it was about being alive and honest, without the fear that evil truly did reign the Earth. It was optimism and how it related to human darkness. Moreover it was about how "Goth" had come back in style, the education in literary background that came with it. There was a lot of culture behind black attire and make-up of this time- whether it was referenced to writers, music, religion, or just pure romantic love.

That's where this film comes in. Its theme-"love conquers all"- is not about romance-but about true LOVE. This film is all about staying true to the essence of its theme. If you're talking about "love" during this time(1992-4), you're not talking about any "areas" around it- like romance, lover's quarrel, jealousy, self-doubt. It's not about enhancing the faces of your film's attractive leads; Brandon Lee's face is mostly covered in make-up and similarly Sofia Shinas is barely shown, but when she finally is it is only her face-she is more like an angel than an attractive woman. Point being that everything needed to make an action/horror film was there. But it's like the director wanted to show how he deliberately ignored these aspects and remained loyal to his theme.

Sarah and Officer Albrecht are plot thickeners and serve to give the film a modern perspective, so they are shown as realistically as possible. But all the "bad"-guys are purposely unrealistic, they are shown as symbols for you to HATE-out of pure emotion. You don't want them in the slammer, you want their evil out of this world.

This film is like a landmark in a temporary (American-I can't speak for other countries) pop culture between 1992&4. Kurt Cobain's suicide, Real World London, Live, Pearl Jam's zenith of pop influence, Nine Inch Nails, STP...this is the era when some young kids today (and older folks who passed by this era) complain we took ourselves too seriously. It was right before grunge supposedly"died" and before humour and obsolete issues came back into rap and rock; before new-wave "punk". Financial gain/monetary value was shunned during this short-lived culture, because it didn't have to do with human emotion. Incidentally the "bad guys" of this film aren't out for money, just for the glory of madness, anarchy, and hate.

There is a line in The Crow where Eric tells Albrecht, upon fond reflection:

"Little things used to mean so much to Shelly. I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me-nothing's trivial."

There was a little gap in pop culture history, reminding us how important love and classic literature was, and how youthful optimism and love could be combined with negative attitudes(like anger,sadness, and vengeance) to create a character everyone could identify with. This is the time when "nothing was trivial"-the "important" stuff mattered, a feeling to which music of the time consequently made a huge impact. Nothing was done without thought, so words could make you fall in love or cry.



If there ever was a film that could reflect this confusing and beautiful revival of the Romantic Period, The Crow is the movie. It will take you back. This is the only film that I wish could've lasted longer.

Jackass: The Movie (2002)

Jackass

[26 October 2002]

while I watched, the grown-up part of me kept saying, "ok, they just really got hurt, right?" and "It's just a matter of time b4 someone really gets hurt"

But the kid in you reminds you of how courageous all performers were, and dedicated to getting that shot or stunt just right.

The whole film is hilarious.

Explorers (1985)

I liked it better than E.T.

[3 September 2002]

This film really has nothing to do with E.T...people seem to think it was a 'reaction' to it...I say that maybe it made a wonderful film gem like this, a sci-fi for and starring kids, possible.

Funny and inspiring. Probably the first film I ever saw with both of these qualities. I was 6 when it came out, and though it stars 3 boys, the tomboy in me came out...even as an adult (I watched it recently again) I become awed by the scenes of the boys constructing the 'scapeship'. The writer and Dante were good about packing in little extra details, like the "talking" mouse, Wolfgang's strange family, the kids using walkie-talkies, the dog who chews gum, the drive-in movie, Ben writing a will, one of the kids living in a trailer, etc. Without being hokey, these tidbits add more depth and charm to a story that could've been called a Mickey Mouse approach to E.T. These kids are older than Elliott and smarter and the film doesn't go for tearjerking scenes; EVER. Some of the direction reminds me of Spielberg, **however... instead of this film being a kid's approach to space-travel, it's a space-travel approach to a kid's film.

Then there are the aliens. Well, we feel the way the kids do about them; disappointed. But that is the point. What would you expect to see? It is kind of like the mataphorical satire of the grass being greener on the other side.

I tried not to get too emotional when reading the viewer comments on this film. I do not consider myself a Yank-I like to use the term American-but being 1st generation -born here, I still consider myself part-European, and the fact that the film did better in Europe than in the States, and from what I hear- Joe Dante's apology for the film- makes me sad. This film started my fascination toward the unknown and the general sciences. I happen to be one "Yank" who really enjoyed this movie!

The Concert for Bangladesh (1972)

Amnesty must be jealous..

[16 August 2002]

..yet this concert is nowhere to be found......

Damn.

Ok, I'm the only reviewer here who hasn't seen the rockumentary, but I can assure you that it's not like I haven't been trying. Just don't know where to find the friggin' thing...If anyone knows, please e-mail me at [e-mail]

If anyone's curious as to why I am so interested and desperate to see it-well I'm Dylan's #1 fan and heard the live recording of "Mr Tambourine Man" -sung during this concert, and wow..just hearing it was an experience I'll never forget. RIP George!

The Time Machine (2002)

Awful!

[19 July 2002]

I'm still confused as to where the positive reviews came from... because what *I* saw on my 10 hr plane ride a few days ago-since there was nothing better to do-was watch this "reimagining" of <The Time Machine>...*guessing* it would be not as good as the original..*guessing there was gonna be some sort of cop-out in the plot somewhere.. was TOTAL CRAP.

Sure there are cute little semi-precious parts, like the change in time while the professor is going through it..it was like a man dressed in drag..they don't look more feminine-only stranger..the nice touches in this film didn't make the film nicer because the entire structure of the film was crap to begin with.

Like the ONE nice touch they put in the plot; to show the automobile guy twice - SPOILER**the 2 "death" scenarios-which WOULD'VE been normal anyway for any time travel movie, was a hint that the screenwriter had a sense of what he was doing. But that all gets overshadowed by a severe bunch of stupid parts -to call them plotholes would be an understatement-that I only recommend seeing if you are in a plane for a long time and have about 4 glasses of wine in you.

*** SPOILER<Back to the Future> may not offer cutting-edge insight to engineers, but it did for me when I first saw it. One of those insights is that, if you travel into the past, there are 2 you's, depending on whether or not you were born. In this case, the professor is reliving a past event...where in there did it show him dealing with his other self? What would have been intelligent AND just as effective would be the time traveler to try and fight the guy behind the bushes..you know the *bad guy...but, no.

Oh, well. There's always the 1959 version to watch, and besides the monsters' blue make-up, it aint bad.

Hearts of Fire (1987)

For Dylan & Fiona fans...

[16 July 2002]

..if you're not a fan of either, you may not be able to stand the cheese!

Well, it seemed pretty low-budget; not many characters get introduced. Though the script didn't have much, it was still better than having stupid dialogue..

For Dylan fans, if you've seen <Don't Look Back> or even interviews with him, you already know that he likes doing things his way, and sometimes pushing people's buttons. That's why it's funny to watch him "sleepwalk" through his character, as someone said, you have a feeling you're watching "the" Bob on a set acting, and *that's* hilarious! Punching someone, trashing his hotel room, etc. I only wish there was even more romance going on between Bob and Fiona :)

Fiona's really cute and sexy, and has a great voice; she defines the 80's rock star.

Rupert Everett was just a tiny baby way back then, playing the "next generation -big $ 80's music industry" part well. It seemed like his mullet had been growing out since it was cut to look like Bono's..If it was even real..

A decent flick..watch it for Dylan, Fiona, and the wonderful music they play together. And the Zim punching Everett's character is just classic/charming!

-Heidi

The 73rd Annual Academy Awards (2001 TV Special)

Memorable

[30 June 2002]

The show was great, although Bjørk's swan dress will probably be more remembered than Gladiator.a very cool dress in my book...I was personally rooting for Crouching Tigre all the way...because once in a blue moon a fantasy flick should win for Best Picture!

...And what else can you feel when Bob Dylan wins an Academy Award other than pure happiness and joy? His humble acceptance speech was no less riveting than his exciting via-satellite performance. I only wished I could've been there to start a standing ovation. Truly memorable.

Adventures of the Little Koala (1984–1988)

A memorable cartoon

[14 May 2002]

I remember that as a kid I didn't admit to watching this, probably because I was already 7 when it had just come out and thought it was for ages toddler to 5 ys. or the agegroup defined today as the "Nick Jr. crowd". Although this was the case, there were themes aimed at older children, themes preschoolers wouldn't have understood. Like both Rubear's and the troublemaker's (forget his name)longstanding crush on that other female koala Betty, and one episode I remember clearly, when that troublemaker called the female penguin's character chubby and she started running and became anorexic and passed out. Weather-the wise grown-up(cat?) who always hid his mouth with a scarf (and always had a little pet squirrel on his shoulder)used a metaphor of red balloons-blowing one up halfway and the other all the way, and asked the girl penguin which one looked nicer..that episode really stuck out...

....Which brings me to Weather. His name was Weather, though he didn't talk about the weather, just gave a lot of great advice. As weird as it sounds I've always had a crush on Weather and think his character should be involved in a spinoff of some sort!...

Finally, this show marks when I first noticed the dramatic power of animation ...that it could be drawn and directed to convey emotion..it introduced me to animae, which I later became very fond of. I believe <The Adventures of the Little Koala> was also the introduction for many children of my age in the United States to Asian animation.

The Last Unicorn (1982)

Either I had no life, was poor,

[14 May 2002]

or this film had some sort of supernatural power over me...I think all three are true because I saw this film once when I was 3 or 4 and fell so deeply in love with it that since we didn't have a VCR I somehow found out when it was on again, mashed scotch tape over a cassette I found, shoved it into my new huge Fisher Price tape recorder and audio recorded the entire movie. At that age I already knew this film held the secrets of the universe and if I could get that on tape I had it made. Well I lost the tape and haven't seen the film since, so someday I'll watch it again and see if I was right....wow...the soundtrack must've been awesome because I can still hum the song in my head(!)

Panic Room (2002)

too bad for hype.

[10 April 2002]

Maybe it's not hype that is the problem.... because I don't think that people who rely on how much hype a film gets just to see movies, are the same people who appreciate Fincher and all he's worth as a director.

The bottom line: I was bored out of my mind watching this "thriller". Once I'm bored, I can't really judge anything else, like how good the acting is, etc, etc, . I can say that I think the acting was fine by everyone-even Leto-but I NEVER thought a Fincher film would bore me.

Maybe this is just me, but I could kinda' tell from the very beginning that it was gonna disappoint me. When it first started, it took forever to build up. Before any action had happened, I already knew it was a formulaic script. The daughter, mentioning the father: "F- 'im.", and Jodie saying, "Don't start....but yeah...f- him." Sure it could be realistic and probably is, but have we heard it before? About a million times.

The reason why I thought I would love this movie(besides not thinking that Fincher could make a bad film) was because I did think it had potential. And because it was based in one house-particularly in ONE ROOM, the script would have to get *creative with us, so we'd get a double dose of a great script and Fincher's narrative genius.

It turns out that he went halfway: Fincher thought the best thing would be to minimize his directing style to allow the script to tell the story. But again that would only work if David Koepp's script was any good. So alas we get a dumb script with only a little bit of Fincher.

The first minute of <Fight Club> you knew the movie was gonna be good. I hope Fincher blows us away with his future projects...then we'll forgive him for <Panic Room>;)

Don't Look Back (1967)

hypnotic...

[10/10 · 31 March 2002]

Before it became necessary to narrate documentaries (with rare exceptions, a sign that they truly SUCK) this one was dialogue-free. It was a floating camera that followed Bob going from venue to auditorium, from speaking to reporters to meeting ...Donovan.

Right from the start you can tell Dylan is sick of being on tour, either that ir he's sick of people(note how he rolls his eyes in the very beginning when he explains to a woman why he's carrying a lightbulb) so we become accustomed to the way he answers questions; sometimes rude but always originally, many times hilariously. He was afterall, still a very young guy in a foreign country. It didn't matter how he spoke with people, though, because he communicated enough-as we can see in Don't Look Back through his music.

When you watch him play, it's amazing to see the stillness in the audience, the entranced eyes, fixed in concentration, minds in fear that they may miss a word of one of Dylan's songs. I love how, right at the beginning when he gets asked "When did you know you wanted to become a performer?" and he seems to think for a minute...and it cuts to: Dylan about 6-8 years prior..playing in a field surrounded by a bunch of African Americans...seemingly singing about (an)African-American...and when the camera pans close to his face, you can see tears rolling down his cheeks! It made me cry...........

The good thing about it is you see a little bit of everything...Dylan on stage in his element, Dylan f*ked up;), w/his pals, p***ed off, and Englanders...

We also get to see a very young Joan Baez( whose voice I had never even heard before watching this)- an innocent, beautiful woman who despite this had morals and a voice that would also be heard....like Dylan she was way ahead of her time.

In short, I cannot say enough about this documentary-it gets better everytime I see it, and I don't say that about a lot. I still cannot hear enough of his music or his lyrics...

Long live Dylan and Baez... -Heidi

Memento (2000)

Stylishly, neurotically depressing

[17 March 2002]

****WARNING! There Are SPOILERS** In This Review***

I watched <Memento> tonight and feel it it is safe to say that for a film I liked overall, it had to be the longest 113 minutes I've ever had to sit through. Usually you like a movie, you want it to be longer, or the movie sucks and it'll never end. With this I was intrigued at first (because who wouldn't be by a lead character with complete short-term memory loss?), but slowly and surely I began to feel like the dude from <Clockwork Orange>; *TORTURED.* Not because I wanted the film to end or that it was boring; on the contrary, I was glued to the screen for every little thing. I wasn't comfortable with being potentially disappointed by a bad ending, being manipulated by the gimmick of backwards storytelling, but worst of all, the dramatic irony involved with the lead.

Irony...well yeah.. Because the character seems more "with it" and seems more determined to "figure things out" at the end of the film, you realize this is only the beginning, and then figure out that he *was* able to retain a bit of his memory at this time, but the more he told himself -and people-about his "condition", the more confusing it got. The depressing part is you vaguely remember what happened in the beginning by the film's end, but remember enough to know that the main character will be doomed with this forever.

One of the characters-was it Natalie?- asks him why he wants revenge if he won't remember having done anything 15 minutes later. His answer pretty much sums up why he ripped the photo of a murdered Dennis and why he always mentioned Sammy's name and story: The truth hurts. Ignorance may not be bliss in Lenny's world, but if the only 15 minutes he ever remembers is that he is the hero out looking for his wife's 'murderer', he won't remember what actually happened: that he felt so guilty for the rape happening that he went nuts and faked the STML thing and so was responsible for his wife's insulin overdose.

Disturbing, depressing, stylishly narrated, and very thought-provoking. I should see it again, but I may not want to;)

The Osbournes (2002–2005)

It works because you feel the family's love and Ozzie is beyond hilarious:)

[8 March 2002]

This family is no stranger to publicity and cameras; the show reveals that. Even Peter-the Osbourne son- who is probably the most introverted of the 4, seems comfortable. Or is it rather Kelly who is more the introvert..her brother thinks so!

All the while the viewer gets to see Ozzie just being Ozzie... but with a twist, because now we get to see him at the dinner table, or snuggling on the sofa with his son, kissing his wife tenderly while his daughter gags and tells them to stop. My favourite quote was when his daughter tells Ozzie that he doesn't listen to her and he responds with "Look, you've never gone from 35 billion decibels to 35, so write me a f__n note!!"

Siblings fight, there are pets everywhere, the house is filled with colorful, freaky stuff, the family conversations average out to 1.5 swear words per sentence...and then there's Ozzie...these are the reasons why the show should be watched and why it will be so successful...

Long Live the Osbournes; they're all "f__n mad!"

Real Genius (1985)

We had one entry for the Madame Curie lookalike contest and he was disqualified later...why do I bother?

[8 February 2002]

(Ah, so there is a dvd version...MUST check that one out:) I made a comment before how this is the best teen 80's movie...well, no. I lied. This is the BEST MOVIE ever made...PERIOD.

Why do I think so? I know...Well I couldn't find my tape and just now realized my tape is @ my mother's house, but the fact that I miss the movie so much that I had to come on this site to write about it again...I'm really not that desperate, but I make exceptions...

There has never been a film with more or better one-liners than this one, but rather than list them, just rent the movie and memorize them all, if you haven't already.

Long live Real Genius-#1 MOVIE OF ALL TIME

Show Me Love (1998)

Just caught this one on cable today...wow!

[4 December 2001]

Usually when I flip through the channels and come across a foreign film, it's either an unrealistic sexual crazy flick or a Gerard Depardieu period piece with WAY too much dialogue....this sure was a pleasant surprise.

I'll admit-I'm skeptical when it comes to any movie anymore, much more so when it deals with teens, as so many films on adolescence are completely unrealistic. I started watching this expecting a false move any second now. .....A-any minute.....

But no. In fact, the beautiful acting was the first thing that took me by surprise. Everyone did a tremendous job..especially the character of Agnes...but everyone did great.

The second thing I noticed was the direction, which moved perfectly at all the right times. As someone mentioned, "directed with love", this certainly was...the characters set the pace and the tone...the camerawork let them do that.

The final thing.....the language. How glad I was that I got to hear those heartfelt Swedish sounds, spoken so earnestly, yet so carefully, like Nutella on toast! (Is that Swedish OK, well you get the idea, no? =)

I'd recommend this film to anyone...but even if you're like me, with a bit of ADD who likes to hide from anything "artsy", you will be pleasantly surprised!

Two Moon Junction (1988)

As steamy and erotic as you let it be

[10/10 · 20 November 2001]

I have to admit that, of Zalman King's films, the only other one I've seen is <In God's Hands>-which is not erotic, but very sensual- and this is the only 'erotic' film I've ever really watched.

Having said this I let the film be what it wants to be; erotic. Nothing more, nothing less. If you watch <Two Moon Junction> having preconceptions about how erotica HAS to involve bad acting, or a lame script, you won't let its passion take over your film experience. I have to admit I wasn't particularly interested in the acting as much as the chemistry between the characters. I felt the acting fine, and chemistry top-notch=)

Not many people have seen <In God's Hands>, a film about three nomadic surfers, but just in case you either have or are planning to see this other Zalman King "great": After seeing it, you will appreciate what King was trying to put forth in <Two Moon Junction> after seeing <In God's Hands>. Passion. Sensuality. The difference is TMJ is erotic wheras IGH was about the surfer mentality and spirituality. In both films however, what you see and think are not as important as how you feel while you're watching them. The whole is greater than the sum of their parts.

Richard Tyson as the lead may or may not be adequate for guys, although attractive to most of us women. But whether you're a chick or not, you will find Sherilynn Fenn outright gorgeous, point blank. She's beautiful, sexy, sultry, seductive, mischievous, etc...not to mention a platinum blonde with a charming Southern accent. (Watch for a few tiny but oh-so-precious Milla Jovovich scenes=)

Overall this film obviously isn't an Oscar contender, because there is no category for "most sensual film". But the fact that this is a little-known gem with a LOT of sex appeal,- no taboos, no manipulations or even morals to shove down your throat- is what gives this film its unique appeal, and "the sky is the limit" sexual power; the less preconceptions you have, the more you will enjoy the film =)

Did I mention the soundtrack perfectly complements the eye candy and captures the mood of the film? Another Zalman King strength.

Shallow Hal (2001)

Better than I had imagined.......

[13 November 2001]

.....that just does not sound like correct grammar...but anyway.....



Yeah, this movie shocked me. But not-as you probably all agree if you've seen it-with the usual sight gags (I can still think of a few at the top of my head (minor SPOILER-SPOILER-SPOILER-SPOILER!!!!! ..like a tail and some vasoline)..but it shocked me with the Farellys ability to create a powerful drama.

See, this film isn't completely realistic anyway...which is why it would be absurd for anyone to find this film the least bit offensive. If anything, those who live mostly through their physical beauty standards should be the only ones offended by the film. The idea of anyone making a splash big enough for a kid to fly into a tree; I mean not even an 1500 person can do that. So if no fat person could relate to the exaggerated situations, there is no reason to cry out offended. BESIDES the fact that this film deals with a very real situation...not a lot of films are dedicated to this subject because it is very sensitive. You want it appealing without offending. The Farellys accomplish this heavy, heavy task.

I definitely expected to laugh with this movie, but I **NEVER** expected to cry; and I'm telling you, unless you have a cold heart, you will at least come close to crying during a certain scene(SPOILER ALERT!!!!! one involving a little girl whom Hal sees again after having his 'reality' back). It will add all the credibilty it needs for the rest of the film. You won't necessarily think this IS the most realistic movie, but you will somehow accept the ending as completely credible and sincere. Hope I didn't give anything away.

By the way, if anything****SEE IT FOR ONE REASON....

**************** A N T H O N Y R O B B I N S !!!! ************

***** This guy would normally charge you like 1000 dollars an hour to see him, but here you get to hear his voice and see all 7 feet of him for just $9!

Kuffs (1992)

unpredictable and refreshing

[28 October 2001]

I was at Albertson's in the video section and wanted to pick up a "good" movie; well I always want to rent a good movie..but sometimes you're just really *not* in the mood for any bs, and well...you know how that goes..

The problem is..what movie *haven't* I seen that I could trust? I actually had seen Kuffs already, but not since it came out way back when. Well Christian Slater was still in his prime in this film and he's always cool to watch,(besides..I had totally forgotten what the movie was about!) so I rented it.

Sure it's a bit low-key (Slater narrates to the camera, and throughout there are series of techniques used: sound effects over swear words, subtitles used during Christian's gagged mouth scene, etc.) but that's what makes it stand out. There are several twists and turns in the story, and though the direction is simple and easy on the eyes, it is never predictable.. and funny-even hilarious- scenes and lines seem to come out of nowhere. Of course the fact that Christian Slater stars in it adds depth, sincerity, intelligence, and attitude to the picture.

What also makes <Kuffs> stand out is a certain fish-out-of-water feeling you get when watching ..meaning... Here you've got a total Hollywood moviestar, a gorgeous Milla Jovovich-who seemed to have immediately come from the set and popularity from <Return to the Blue Lagoon> in a pretty trashy neighborhood, under extremely bad circumstances. It seems pretty unbelievable that a 'perfect' young lady w/perfect parents would be ok with their daughter pining after the guy who got her 'in trouble' and then ditched her for it, whose apartment is covered in bulletholes!

But this is Christian Slater ! With his uncanny ability to make everyone around him feel stupid and uncool, (at least in films), he also has the power to move you, to let you trust him... Sure the part was probably written for him, but that's why I rented it in the first place!

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Something else

[15 October 2001]

Something else to say about how great this film is: the acting. I recently rented <Dazed> yet again and even though I remembered loving this movie, I again became shocked at how well it was acted out. Not one character falters...Linklater is a genius!

Lord of the Dance (1997 Video)

what can I say?

[26 September 2001]

Well, what can I say about a show choreographed by a guy who is obviously influenced by Michael Jackson (also judging by his clothes) and who is perhaps the best dancer out there today?

What makes <Lord of the Dance> so good are, in my opinion, are the technical aspects: *no* dialogue (except for the singing which in my opinion is the only time when <lord> doesn't shine), a variety of instruments, and a quick pace.

Even if you're like me. watching it thinking "if I were to do this I would've changed that or had rather done this" in some instances- well, the fact that you're watching something that makes you think of how you can do it yourself means it has quite a bit of positive energy, and allows for the viewer to reflect on a lot about himself- which is the goal of art... n'est-ce-pas?

Rushmore (1998)

the Amazing Wes Anderson

[10/10 · 26 September 2001]

Since I've already gushed over this film in the user comments section a while back, I', using this space to advertise the upcoming Wes Anderson film, < The Royal Tenenbaums >.

Sure it doesn't come out 'til December, but you know....



********************************************************************* * * * * * * LET'S ALL GO SEE THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS IN DECEMBER AND * * PUT ALL THOSE OBNOXIOUS DISAPPROVING FILM CRITICS TO * * SHAME!! * **********************************************************************



Peace and love always, Sep

Fight Club (1999)

Let's get it straight

[10/10 · 10 September 2001]

Let's get it straight people: Fight Club was about one man's mid-life crisis; the way he got past feeling helpless with his work and love life. That's it; that's the summary. Now I can go on....

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER !!!!!!

I've commented on this film before but since then , like A BILLION (no offense, but) mind-numbingly *STUPID* comments have been entered about why the film's ending "didn't make sense" or "brought the movie down", or "to be anti- Corporate America is too easy"....whatever, shut up already; you've missed the whole point! About THE ENDING:

Guys, Tyler is NOT REAL. We all realized that he is a fictional character in the Narrator's head. Now, that being said, the narrator's also got a horseshoe up his ass, because he's been pretty damn lucky up until that point; being beaten up every day and starting Project Mayhem w/out getting killed or arrested. Not even getting fired! Getting eveybody on his side! For a split-personality disorder sufferer, this guy has got some positive force on his side. Could it be within himself? Where Tyler has become unrelentingly powerful and threatening to the Narrator by the film's end, could it be that there is another character opposite of what the narrator was; a strong person, willing to survive and care and live life to it's fullest? This is the narrator's new outlook on life, Marla changed him and forced him to grow up.

When he shot Tyler, he believed he was shooting himself, tbus killing his mind, thus killing Tyler. What people don't realize is that this other force, the one that began seeing that Tyler was too over-the-edge, the one that started to like Marla, TOOK OVER when he shot himself with that gun. So he shot himself in the ear/mouth instead of the head, because there was the will to live. When Tyler is present, you can't take what you see at face value, bc there are no other witnesses. When Tyler breathes out smoke b4 dying, that is the Narrator's mind thinking he has killed that demented, egotistical side of him to get past this mid-life crisis and to be able to understand women and to fall in love with one.

Another thing : the entire movie is always hinting that today, men go through mid-life crises at a younger age. The narrator just went through his, and we got to see it!