pete-29 Reviews

De la calle (2001)

poverty & despair

[6/10 · 4 February 2005]

If someone were compiling films about poverty and despair in the Western Hemisphere, I would definitely recommend De la Calle. Two other films to include (which this one reminded me of) would be Cidade De Deus and The Harder They Come. As I recall, someone in all of these films is doomed from the start. In De la Calle, the lead character consistently makes phenomenally bad decisions, leaving his girlfriend, whose instincts are relatively good, to suffer the consequences. It would have been nice if they actually did go to the ocean; the fresh air would have done them good, and the resulting film would have been just as engaging and probably more enjoyable.

In the Time of the Butterflies (2001 TV Movie)

good political awareness raiser

[11 May 2002]

This is a good film for simply raising awareness of this slice of West Indian history. I was reminded of the Soviet classic "I am Cuba". I wasn't aware that similar revolutionary circumstances existed in the Dominican Republic, but it makes sense that they did. The film leaves one outraged that these right-wing regimes were ever permitted to flourish in the western hemisphere, and brings home the fact that real democracy and revolutionary socialism are essentially the same thing.

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997–2024)

above-average show

[29 May 2000]

This is one of my favorite shows on television. The concept is excellent. The production has a similar feeling to "X-files" and "Unsolved Mysteries", but is also in the tradition of "Ripley's Believe It or Not", "Twilight Zone", and other old shows that delved into the weird and wonderful.

I also enjoy guessing whether the stories are fact or fiction. The show invites the viewer to participate and give their belief system a workout.

Suture (1993)

Best film of the 90's

[10/10 · 24 February 2000]

The first time I watched "Suture", in 1994, it ripped through me like some kind of high speed extra-terrestrial spacecraft, and I found myself asking, "What was that?" A year later I watched it again and the whole thing began to make sense. This film is unapologetically bizarre, mysterious, and aesthetically engaging -- almost everything I desire in a film. It is more like a piece of music, becoming more enjoyable with each viewing. One reason for the films superb milage is that it can be enjoyed on so many different levels. It is both a mirror image of contemporary society and a message from some alternative universe. The Surrealists made the point that the transcendent is found in the mundane, and "Suture" wallows in the mundane. Must be seen more than once.