teethgrrrinder Reviews

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018)

A potentially good documentary ruined by the ego of the show runner

[4/10 · 30 September 2022]

During the end credits there is a conversation of "but what about this story? And what about this thing that happened?" And the show runner and host Ira Steven Behr and says "we shot it but It didn't make the final cut"

All this interesting stuff didn't make the cut. But what did make the final cut is half of a two documentary spent on a writer's circle jerk talking what about groundbreaking writers they think they are and what they would propose for an 8th season that will never happen.

Just like DS9 half of it is interesting but poorly developed, the other half is boring dribble and great for falling asleep to.

The Loved Ones (2009)

Turn around, bright eyes

[7/10 · 6 June 2010]

from the first scene The Loved Ones is able to achieve what bigger budgeted films cannot - clearly defined and appealing characters that you want to see more of.

the film splits 3 ways - the very serious family drama of the widow and tortured girlfriend - the comic/horror torture porn - and the comic high school formal/prom date. Sean Byrne shows off that he can do it all and succeeds hopping between these styles

the horror thread of this film is what it will marketed on. there is blood, LOTS OF BLOOD but very little gore. disappointingly, much of the violence takes place out of shot or has been cut. it is the weakest part of the film due to some over-acting by Princess whenever she goes 'crazy'. still, it's horrific and compensates by being damn funny

so, SCREW IT! this film is fun to watch!

excellent performances, good soundtrack and smooth production. i saw it at the Sydney Film Festival last night and i was very impressed. my apologies to Jessica McNamee. during a Q&A i referred to her as "thingy who played the goth chick'". she is awesome! her work with Richard Wilson is freakin' brilliant. the disastrous prom date, though loosely connected to the rest of the film, is my favourite part of it

not knowing where this film is going to lead you is half the fun. low-budget non-US films try harder and take risks. The Loved Ones does it all. Perfect date movie. See it!

Greek Pete (2009)

you'd have to pay me to watch this awful film again

[2/10 · 3 June 2010]

this poorly made, unstructured, cheap and seemingly scripted documentary manages to take a popular escort in London's exploding gay escort scene and make it as boring as bat shiz.

it is inept at providing any insight into it's subject, the sex industry, relationships or ...dammit, anything at all!

low-budget film making is fine by me (check out the amazing Tiffany obsessed fan documentary I Think We're Alone Now), but 'Greek Pete' waffles and meanders aimless for most of it's 75mins. around half an hour is wasted on dinner conversations of several hookers babbling half- hearted tales of their clients and sexual history. very little of it is interesting.

it should be interesting, but it isn't.

and i should know. i am a male escort.

over the years London is one of the many cities i've worked in and seen it evolve from when it was a (mostly) lots of fun goldmine in the early 2000s and then suddenly implode into a desperate meth-fuelled barebacking shitfight when the GFC hit. i've also done porn and taken drugs, so there is no prejudice against the content, just how badly it has been captured and presented in this documentary - lifeless and heartbreakingly dull

every opportunity to create an interesting, informative and entertaining documentary is wasted. it even tries to be sexy well after you've learned to hate the subjects

poor Pete. it's not his fault. this film should be 15mins long

Off the Straight and Narrow (1999)

very little celebration from a bunch of cry babies

[5/10 · 23 February 2010]

this documentary covers the history of how GLBT people are represented on US television up until the late 90s. i having a keen interest in how these characters have appeared and this satisfied very little of that.

it shows some great footage from early TV shows and some that i will seek out. every expert interviewed has almost nothing positive to say about any TV show and how fictional gay characters are depicted within them.

what they fail to acknowledge is that television treats everybody badly - gay or straight. every character is dulled down and simplified and treated poorly. their biggest problem (especially with sitcoms) is how straight people react to gay people. drama is based on conflict. without drama there would be nothing to watch

long before the internet, i was a child growing up and seeing these TV shows. television rarely challenges people's ideas - it's just there to entertain. i didn't care as long as there was visibility and, like most people, i could make up my own mind

i've made up my mind here - thanks for your insight, but appreciate something, cry babies

Little Lady Fauntleroy (2004 TV Movie)

great opportunity completely wasted by Lily Allen's dad

[3/10 · 22 February 2010]

Having grown up with little slices of child-freak James Harries making it all the way the Australia, i was damn excited about a documentary.

this incredibly interesting subject of a person so desperate for media attention they have become a fake child prodigy to hideous transsexual. it also delves into the Harries family ...a weird weird family.Most of these opportunities are wasted and washed over by Keith Allen making himself the star of the documentary

maybe we are spoiled with Louis Theroux and how he coaxes people into revealing themselves, but we watch documentaries for the subject, not the aggressive irritating smug host

Anesthesia (2006)

it's funny 'cause it's true

[6 April 2008]

it's a good, clever little student film.

saw it at a festival. it was easily one of the more memorable shorts of the night; for good and bad reasons.

the bad - the patients voice is annoying, so annoying that i wanted her to be tortured longer, and Christian side of the film really bugged me and others.

the good - it's a simple and horrible idea, because it not an uncommon occurrence in surgery; perfect for a horror short

it's cheap but effective. short, darkly funny film and punches straight to it

Otto; or, Up with Dead People (2008)

"The living all seem like the same person to me, and i don't like that person very much"

[9/10 · 26 February 2008]

b-grade gay zombie porn semi-mockumentary. repetitive, irritating sound design, jokes milked longer than they should. for some, there's not enough blood and guts. for others, there's not enough porn.

But all LaBruce's films are bad! that is his charm and the charm of no-budget Cult Films! if you expect more, you won't be alone. but if you expect perfection, then you're a fool. like all those people who complained after seeing Tomb Raider or the Super Mario Brothers Movie - what did you expect?

Otto is fun. it's certainly original. it's gay politics are obvious, but accurate. the jokes range from falling flat to funny to shocking. it's polarizing, memorable and thanks to Fritz (Marcel Schlutt), it's damn sexy to watch.

Otto needs to be watched at a film festival amongst the typical gay indie films that are more sincere than their film makers can give credit to. Only then will something like SkinFlick's 'monkey rape' and Hustler White 'Stumping' hit you with the full impact that it should

like SkinGang - can't wait for the full-porno version of Otto