erwan_ticheler Reviews

August Underground's Mordum (2003 Video)

Sick? Yes. Any good? No!

[1/10 · 16 June 2008]

Having noticed this film when it was put on #1 of the sickest films ever made, I had to see it as I was at the time working on an article about infamous cinema. Having seen quite a few sick and bizarre films (like Saló, Men Behind the Sun, Cannibal Holocaust, the cinema of Miike and yes dare I say: Funny Games) I was poised on watching this one. Was I ever to be disappointed! Mordum tells no story, it's more a collage of rapes, murders and mutilations. In that sense it has a porn kind of look, instead of 15 minute sex-scenes you now have 15 minute scenes of the mentioned above. And after the first scene that gets, strangely enough, very boring and not that offensive. Yes, it has some really hardcore stuff like necrophiliac sex with a minor (yes, very sick) and ruthless murder scenes but don't believe the hype: from the word go it looks artificial (even when you are aware of this). The cheap Blair Witch approach doesn't really work because of the horrific over acting. Instead, it looks more a sadomasochistic home movie made by bored low-lives.

Obviously, this is not for the faint-hearted. The effects are actually pretty OK and the constant swearing (which becomes very annoying) and shaky camera is pretty heavy stuff. But the movie doesn't seem to have any further purpose than just to shock, there is no ideology. That is why I dared to mention Funny Games, which is not just a hard to watch film but also an in your face assault on the viewer's lust for violence. And with that in mind a film like Funny Games (but also Saló for that matter) hits the mark much better and heavier.

Mordum is nothing more than a piece of trash hardcore horror. Of course when a film is marked as being the sickest film ever made people are bound to disagree. I won't contest the fact that this is sick stuff, because it is. But it serves no further meaning and is therefore completely forgettable and inferior to true shocking films (I guess I didn't mention Island of Death, another much more interesting and quite shocking film).

Watch this with care, since it is truly sick. But don't expect a good film. Actually, this film as a piece of film sucks big time! 1/10

The Wild World of Batwoman (1966)

I was drunk and I still didn't get it

[1/10 · 31 March 2008]

What the...? This is one dreadful film. I watched it but there absolutely nothing that made any sense. I saw the MST3K version after watching "Manos" the Hands of Fate a night earlier. That movie is obviously worse than Batwoman but has a fairly straight forward narrative. Batwoman has none. What is the deal with this bunch of garbage? There is this old gal that wears a mask for no good reason and leads a bunch of dancing broads.

After this all is up for grabs. The film goes every direction while making no sense at all, if it was to confuse it's audience at all times. Although the handling isn't as bad as Manos there is no redeeming quality to this picture. The comments on the MST3K version are priceless though, from quoting Doors and Who songs to rants on dreadful scenes, this version is amusing although the movie is a disaster.

And what is the story about vampires that starts the picture? There is reference on vampires what so ever in the continuum of the film. A true travesty, this excuse for a film. I thought it might be a wise decision to see this film being not that sober, but it didn't help that much. It is really beyond help!

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Another lame Halloween sequel

[3/10 · 29 October 2006]

It is so sad to see that the Halloween has bogged down into a never ending story of bad film making.After the highly praised and indeed brilliant first installment by John Carpenter the film have gone from reasonably okay (part 2), to bad and even worse (the next sequels although I must say that I've never seen part 6).No it has never been good news since 1978 when Michael Myers is concerned and that's a pity.The first film that had all the great stuff a good slasher should have (except maybe for the supernatural ending) was never equaled,not even close.Even part 3 that tried to give a new non-Michael tail to the story was pretty disappointing if you ask me.Not to mention the stories with Michael's niece.H20 brought back Laurie but with no good effect although we all thought that Michael was dead by now (hey,his head got chopped off).

In Halloween:Resurrection (lame title) the first thing we hear is that Laurie killed the wrong person cause Michael put his mask on a father of 3,poor Laurie now she is a killer.In the opening she is again stalked by Michael who tries to kill her and seems to succeed when he stabs poor Laurie several times after we see Laurie fall down (but is she really dead,that's something for everybody to discuss about,I'm not really sure).Anyway,in the rest of the movie she won't be bothered again.

The rest of the film is an unmotivated and uninspired follow up of badly shot death and mayhem in Michael's old house in Haddonfield.The attempt by Rick Rosenthal (who actually made the first sequel) to recreate some of the tension and atmosphere of the original fails entirely because of the bad story,bad cinematography and bad acting.The story is full of flaws (why does he go on killing after Laurie's death what he sincerely believes and why can he simply kill people without anyone noticing it on the web cams,it's too accidental),the cinematography is not any better (the small cameras make for a pretty unpleasant viewing experience and the slow motions are very annoying not to mention the full view shots of Michael as he comes storming towards someone,which is totally against the great first person view of the original) and the acting is inert especially by Tyra Banks and Busta Rhymes although the rest of the cast isn't much better.The characters are too standard to give any depth.

No,this Halloween installment again fails to compete with the original or with any good or even decent horror movie for that matter.Myers becomes more and more some kind of immortal godlike (or Satan) creature who refuses to die as we also see in the ending of this movie sadly enough.Another sequel seems to come although thanks goodness none has arrived yet,maybe Hollywood has come to senses and Michael laid to rest.Poor Michael (or poor Laurie) does not deserve another hellish Halloween sequel.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Good idea, badly executed

[8/10 · 12 August 2006]

This third installment in the Halloween saga is a strange one since it has nothing to do with Michael Myers (or Laurie Strode for that matter).The film is centered around a strange plot concerning brainwashing millions of American kids on Halloween night by Irish blooded freaks.The idea is pretty intriguing and it is okay to create a new niche in the Halloween story but the execution is very poor.

Carpenter (who strangely enough produces the film) traits are obvious, but the Myers tale has vanished. Still there are some shots that resemble "Halloween" like shots over the shoulder of a unknown man and shock effects made heavier by synthesizer tunes.But even then,it sucks. The acting is terrible,Tom Atkins is a complete miscast as the hero Dan and his love interest is even worse.The romantic story between the two is never explained although the hero seems to be married and has kids yet he sleeps with the girl without questions,very strange. By the way,Dan's wife is played by Nancy Kyes who also starred in parts I and II of Halloween.

The tail in the climax is pretty funny although it very much resembles endings like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". "Halloween III" is a bad excuse for a movie and the only reason I saw it was because I want to see every Halloween flick (I've seen 6 of them now) and every time I see a new one, the original gets better.Thank goodness that in part 4 Myers returns although the movie isn't much better. Still, the Halloween story should be centered around Myers and not some kind of conspiracy concerning mass child murder.

Oh yes, be advised that there are some pretty gory scenes that are not for the faint hearted although it doesn't make the movie any better. 3/10

Godzilla (1954)

The first and probably the best

[9/10 · 12 August 2006]

"Gojira" is a very entertaining although rather dated action sci-fi flick with some nice action sequences and pretty good acting from Akihito Hirata and character actor Takashi Shimura (who features in a lot of Kurosawa films like "Ikiru"). This first Godzilla film would set the standard for the follow ups but to me those never reached the level of this one.

The American remake "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" is a stripped down version of the original with lame synchronization and the Emmerich version is good looking, but inert story wise. To me the real competition comes from "Destroy all Monsters" and "Godzilla: Final Wars" which both feature a lot of monsters and tons of action.

This film is to me such a cherished movie because of its dated yet well worked out frenzy when Godzilla crushes the city of Tokyo several times. The ending is not bad and the final thoughts of Dr. Kyohei resemble the American sci-fi movies concerning weapons of mass destruction. If you want to be entertained,this is a good movie to watch although the romantic scenes are a bit slow and don't do the movie much justice,still this is a matter of taste.Great fun. 7/10

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Surely the best of the new trilogy...

[6/10 · 4 December 2005]

Revenge of the Sith is a very good closing part of the Star Wars saga.After seeing it for the fourth time I can really appreciate the film in every way.It has all the elements of a good sci-fi movie and then some.Starting of with a complex and exciting first shot the story then takes off in a great first half hour,just like the great openings in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi.After that the movie seems to go all wrong (although we can see a glimpse of the Millennium Falcon at the arrival on Coruscant) with a pretty dull and horrendous acting part that is luckily saved by a brilliant Ian McDiarmid.Hayden Christensen shows once again that he's a bad actor and good actors like Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson get no chance to show their talents.But let us not forget that Star Wars is a serial based on it's effects and wondrous worlds.And with that RotS succeeds.State of the art SFX and great planets and creatures are made standard in this flick.

To me,probably just as any other SW fan,this movie couldn't have any surprises.The question was whether Lucas would succeed in melding the different assets of the story together.And again it succeeds,the final battle between Anakin and Obi Wan is very well made,although totally ridiculous(two guys standing 1 meter above boiling lava?)and the final pieces of the puzzle are put together perfectly.The mysteries around Obi Wan's ability to communicate beyond the grave,the exile of Yoda,the successful disappearance of the remaining Jedi knights and the fate of the two droids,all is explained with great ease and success.

RotS is not the best Star Wars film,as some people say it is.It still lacks something that made the original trilogy untouchable,especially parts IV and the greatest one,part V.But it exceeds my expectations after being slightly disappointed by part I and II although those two were still very good movies.RotS is great because of it's darkness and it's dark characters.Ian McDiarmid rules in every scene he plays in and the SFX do the rest.RotS is a worthy finale of an unforgettable saga that will always remain one of my favorite movie experiences.

Now it is time for me to start thinking about a great marathon.Watching all parts after one another is my next goal which will keep me on my couch for about 13 hours.It might by a tough start but after let say 4 and a half hours the real fun can begin.The original trilogy is still high above the rest,but RotS is very close to it's masters.In that way it doesn't really fit in the new trilogy or as Darth Vader himself would put it:The Force is strong with this one. 9/10

The Last House on the Left (1972)

Strange and full of holes, not Craven's best work

[6/10 · 6 October 2005]

Last House on the Left is a very strange and brutal film that exploits the dark side of human beings. There are several gruesome scenes in the film (for instance when one of the girls is forced to wet her pants. It is said that this film is in the style of Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a very weird argument since this film was made 2 years prior to Tobe Hooper's classic horror masterpiece. Sure,it has the same rural terror but to call it a TCM kind of film is not right.

Last House reminded me very much to Straw Dogs made,in 1971.That film has the same idea since it is also about so called civilized people who are forced to act like animals when they are under severe threat.The booby traps set in Last House are almost a copy of the traps set in Straw Dogs and the whole fight is triggered by a rape (and a murder), also alike.

But where Straw Dogs had great acting and a good story,Last House falls down.The acting is very bad and cheap and the story is full of holes and continuity faults. At one point it is midnight but it is still bright outside.There are several strange jumps in time which make it pretty hard to follow.

Still,despite all its shortcomings it remains of interest.It is a film that they don't make anymore and it set off the career of Craven who would make his best film 5 years later with the incredibly scary The Hills Have Eyes,a classic in the genre of horror. Best to watch that movie.

BTW: Not for the squeamish this film is...

Corporate Ghost (2004 Video)

Almost perfect

[8/10 · 8 August 2005]

Since this is a compilation of songs starting at the Goo album,I won't be too harsh on the fact that Sonic Youth made a lot of great albums before that(EVOL and Daydream Nation rank amongst the greatest albums ever made)which aren't present on this DVD.

This DVD is a great add-on for any fan of the band as I am myself.The videos might be cheezy at times,but it's obviously all about the music which is brilliant.Highlights on this DVD are Mote which has a great video and Hoarfrost.It is a shame that some of the songs are edited like Sugar Kane,Sunday and most of all The Diamond Sea.Sugar Kane and Sunday are slightly shorter than their album originals which is directly noticed by any fan but the short version of the epic song Diamond Sea is a mayor let down.Where the songs clocks at 20 minutes on the album Washing Machine,on the DVD it only clocks at about 5 minutes which means that the entire noise explosion at the end of the song is taken away from us.

Despite that obvious negative point it still is a great disc which can be put on at any party as background or foreground music.And when you reach Diamond Sea just put on Washing Machine and play the original classic.

A definite must have for any SY fan!

Hercules in New York (1970)

Watchable for just one evident reason

[1/10 · 2 August 2005]

The fact that this ridiculous movie is to be seen is the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger plays in it,even more so,it's his screen debut. And what a laugh!The man is totally failing in every aspect of acting and his speech is so bad that it becomes absolutely funny.That's where the charm of this movie lies cause in every other way it is a bad 90 minutes of celluloid.The story sucks,the acting is worse and the camera-work is terrible.

Nevertheless,a must see for everyone who wants to know something about cinema and it's rather strange history.We had to wait another 10 years before Arnie came back in a big way with Conan the Barbarian.

Cinema history,for sure,although it will never be written down in any book about the subject.

Melinda and Melinda (2004)

Woody's best achievement since Husbands and Wives

[8/10 · 31 July 2005]

The last decade has been very up and down in terms of Woody Allen films.Some very good(Deconstructing Harry),some were mediocre(Curse of the Jade Scorpion).Melinda and Melinda is a very nice film to sit back on and enjoy.It has a good script,some great camera-work and the usual strong dialogs.The master himself is absent on screen,but he put his soul in the character of Hobie(Will Ferrell).

The acting is great all round,it's amazing how Allen always seems to get the best out of his actors.The style of the movie is also great,some nice long takes make it enjoyable to watch.

It is by far not his best film(Annie Hall,Manhattan,Bananas and Husbands and Wives are way better),but it is very good and high above the average that's coming out these days.Still,it is imperative that you like Woody Allen films,cause this is as typical as it gets.

Badlands (1973)

A bit boring at times,slightly disappointing on a whole

[6/10 · 31 July 2005]

I expected quite a lot from this movie since it was so highly recommended by a lot of people.Maybe it's my problem but I didn't see it's so called brilliance.Sure it has some nice moments but hardly enough to make it an all time classic.

The acting is good though and some of the shots of the badlands are very beautiful.Still,at times I almost fell asleep during the long conversation scenes.

Maybe it was that my expectations were too high or it was the fact that I saw "Mulholland Dr." for the second time just before that,after that film almost everything pales in comparison...

Live 8 (2005 TV Special)

Great concert for a great cause

[8/10 · 4 July 2005]

Live 8 was a great concert with great artists from the present and the past.The greatest thing about the music was the choice of songs by a great number of performing artists and bands.The Who played "Won't get Fooled Again" and Sting "Every Breath You Take".All songs with a double meaning during this concert,cause it's all about raising awareness towards the poverty in Africa and pressuring the G8 leaders.

Still,the ultimate highlight for me was the performance of my favorite band (together with Sonic Youth) Pink Floyd in their entire line up (except Syd Barrett of course).They also had a great choice of songs (Money,Wish You Were Here,Breathe).Still,there final song took my breath away and I wasn't the only one. "Comfortably Numb" was sung so beautifully and played with such intensity that it was unreal (considering the fact that they are old rockers and haven't played together in this set for over 20 years). Truly the musical highpoint of the day! But all in all it was about the message and it was spread out in a good and sincere way,thank you Bob Geldof! Now we can only hope that the G8 leaders have a heart...

Missing bands: Sonic Youth,Radiohead,The Prodigy,Lou Reed,Underworld,etc... But hey,you can't have them all!

Crash Dive (1996 Video)

B Grade 13 in a dozen nonsense flick

[2/10 · 17 March 2005]

Michael Dudikoff is one of those "actors" in Hollywood that makes his living on B grade action movies that don't have any story or fun what so ever.The same goes for "Crash Dive", a totally inert flick that borrows heavily from "Under Siege","Die Hard" and so forth.The acting is horrible as is the story.Come on,a middle east terrorist group (that contains Russian speaking Germans WAAHAA) that invades a sub marine and then wants to destroy New York or Washington to rule the world.The same old story told without any humor.I'm starting to feel a little sea sick now...

At one point I was cheering for the terrorists,I mean who would put nukes on a sub.Then you're begging for total destruction.Dudikoff is no action hero and he wouldn't be a good terrorist either,he's below that. And then that ugly "Russian" woman,she looks awful,why couldn't she die earlier? No surprises,bad acting,a dull story.lame one liners and ridiculous special effects (the explosion in the Empire State Building is stuff from the forties,I mean really) make for a totally forgettable VHS B grade movie. Dudikoff should be fired once and for all or killed by those movie terrorists...

2/10 (just because it's not that awful for a 1.)

Last Year at Marienbad (1961)

Disgusting,pretentious movie

[5/10 · 7 December 2004]

I saw it today since it was part of the screenings of Film History,I study Film you see...

This movie is a true disaster.A so called classic that doesn't go anywhere and tries to be intellectual.No wonder it is loved by the elite,They don't understand so it must be good.Makes me wanna puke!

I hate this film so much that I made it my new worst movie ever,it just is so bad and soooo overrated.Lame semi intellectual dialogues and likewise timewarps.The only reasonably good thing is the camera work, but that doesn't save it one bit.

It is so pretentious that it makes some Godard films look like kidplay. Watch it and be convinced of my criticism or love it (hey you can't judge taste).It is often compared with Kubrick and Lynch but that just doesn't make any sense.Those two guys made much more enjoyable films with at least great humor.This film is absolutely humorless.

A great disappointment.No the greatest disappointment in cinema history if you ask me!

Eraserhead (1977)

Early Lynch Masterpiece

[9/10 · 24 November 2004]

Strange,confusing,shocking,beautiful,hard to look at but even harder not to,experimental,surrealistic,hallucinating,mind boggling,psychedelic,industrial,Jack Nance,David Lynch,early work,his best work,MASTERPIECE!

Best to explain "Eraserhead" is to watch it.A review is almost impossible to give since it's so strange. Still,the acting by Lynch actor Jack Nance and the hallucinating soundtrack make it an unforgettable experience.The greatest surreal film since Bunuel's short masterpiece "Un Chien Andalou".

I've seen quite a few Lynch films and this is my favorite.

A definite must see for everyone loving film!

Angels in America (2003)

Very impressive series

[9/10 · 7 November 2004]

HBO Films did themselves and the rest of the world a great favor by making "Angels in America".The story is very well worked out and all the characters come together somehow.

The acting however is the greatest part.Superstars like Al Pacino,Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson are in this one and they all play superbly.The actual leading actors are much less famous but they all do a terrific job.Justin Kirk and Jeffrey Wright are outstanding.My favorite actor in the series is James Cromwell and I was a little bit disappointed that he didn't get a larger part.We only see him in the first and fourth episode.

The soundtrack is very minimalistic.Still,the opening title score will stay with you forever.It is just that beautiful.The entire opening credits are superb by the way.The zooming shot at the end of the credits is stunning.

Although the story takes place in the 80's,I could not help but hearing criticism on the contemporary Bush government.Maybe it was done deliberately,maybe it was not.

Overall,a great TV experience that I will remember forever and I hope to see it again in a couple of years.A definite must see and worthy of the awards that it got. 9/10

Turkish Delight (1973)

The Epitome of 70's Dutch Cinema

[8/10 · 26 October 2004]

"Turks Fruit",based on the novel written by the legendary Dutch writer Jan Wolkers,is a true Dutch classic. That doesn't mean that much since my country isn't a major player in World cinema.Yet this film is very good and very famous.

It was voted the best Dutch film ever a few years ago when a national poll was held in Holland.It's tough to agree with that,since I haven't seen all the classics but it's right up there,that much is true.

The sex and dirty images of poo are not for everyone to see,yet it is essential to the free culture of Amsterdam in the 1970's.

Amsterdam was the center of the world in the 70's,so my mother told me. That was probably the reason why she left France (she is French) and came to Amsterdam."Turks Fruit" shows a very poignant picture of the city at that time and the sexual liberation of them days.

The directing by the,at that time,young Paul Verhoeven is splendid and it's no mystery why he left Holland to go to Hollywood.His talents are clear but another reason was that he was misunderstood in Holland so he said himself.

The camera work is great,but that's no surprise since it's done by one of the greatest cameramen Jan de Bont (who became famous in the 90's with his action classics "Speed" and "Twister",especially "Speed" show the superb talents of de Bont when it comes to camera work).

The film also launched the careers of Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven. Van de Ven stayed in Holland,playing in some of the best Dutch films and Hauer went to Hollywood and gained cult fame when he starred in "Blade Runner",a terrific performance by Hauer.

Verhoeven and Hauer would team up again 4 years later to make the Dutch war classic "Soldaat van Oranje".

"Turks Fruit" is truly the epitome of 70's Dutch cinema with it's liberated sex approach that would echo in several other Dutch films in the 70's and 80's.

Very important for Holland but maybe too much for the rest of the world,especially for the rather prudish Hollywood.

Essential viewing though for everyone who wants to know something about the Dutch cinema. 8/10

Save the Last Dance (2001)

Predictable Hollywood Rubbish

[2/10 · 24 September 2004]

How many times have I seen movies like this? The plot twists can be seen from miles away,hell from San Francisco if you are in New York!

I have always wondered how much an audience can take for this crap,it hasn't got any surprises. The acting is very bad,especially by Julia Stiles.The music is,well,it's popular.Not that I don't mind that but they could have also put in some real heavy songs.

The blacks are so typical in this movie that it's uncanny.There is of course the black woman with a child she didn't really want,there's the "good" black guy who will make it in the future(woo,maybe he was escaped from the "Cosby Show") and there is of course your typical black "victim",the so called gangsta bro Malakai.I can't stop thinking why the black community in the USA don't stand up against this bad exploitation of black people in America.

I'm not sure if it was the director's idea but Julia Stiles plays a real wench of a girl.There's no way you can get sympathy for this woman,even if she lost her mother.Them dance moves are not bad,but it's not Stiles who's doing the moves.Every time a dance moment occurs the camera only shows her feet(waaah,that's a very cheap way to do it).

Well,that's about it.Just a 13 in a dozen movie with absolutely nothing in it,better skip it than watch it. 2/10

Tout va bien, on s'en va (2000)

Hard to take at first, but after a while it becomes fascinating stuff

[8/10 · 29 August 2004]

I really enjoy watching French Film,not only because my mother is French but also because the French make great films.

TOUT VA BIEN, ON S'EN VA is another great French film although I didn't think it would be one at first glance.The film is very slow and not much happens,but after a while(say 20 minutes)you get into the system of the film and then it's a joy to watch.

The acting is what makes this film.French acting canon Michel Piccoli puts down a remarkable performance as the demented father(Louis) of three sisters played by Miou Miou(great name),Sandrine Kiberlain(stunning,especially when she gets mad)and the young Natacha Regnier.Each player is doing a superb job with Piccoli as the stand out.

The comic touch is provided by Laurent Poitrenaux who doesn't know the difference between left and right.This isn't always good because the film itself isn't funny at all,but we'll forgive him.

The scenes in which Louis is trying to remember his girl's addresses or names is really heartbreaking as are the scenes in which he quarrels with them.The director one time uses a "Brief Encounter" trick to show the desperation of Louis.The image behind him turns completely black.Although he plays a dark character it is never possible to really hate him.

A first class acting film that takes time to adjust. 8/10

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Superb anti drugs movie

[9/10 · 25 August 2004]

SPOILERS:

Darren Aronofsky already surprised me with his breakthrough yet underground movie PI,but this time he shows his talents to a bigger audience.With REQUIEM FOR A DREAM Aronofsky makes quick shots,fierce editing and a convincing story all in one.

Although it doesn't have the power,humor and sublime acting of TRAINSPOTTING(a movie that is very similar to this one yet a true masterpiece)it still is one of the best films I've ever seen.Sure the acting of Burstyn is very good(yet sometimes a little overdone)but it just isn't masterclass like the actors in TRAINSPOTTING.

What I really enjoyed was the editing in the film.With quick,sometimes hallucinating shots Aronofsky gives the audience a trip of it's own. This technique comes to full effect in one of the last sequences in which all the three(possibly four)stories become one in a mind blowing editing frenzy.In raging tempo several shots of the several characters are shown,almost like the end of a psychedelic song in the late 60's(for instance THE END by The Doors). Then all stories come together in one similar shot of a character lying in a certain way.

It is impossible to explain everything in this movie,you really have to see it for yourself.But a recommendation it definitely is!

Not for the Squemish!

9/10 (currently number 46 in my all time top 100 list)

Women Are Like That (1960)

What do ya know? It's watchable!

[7/10 · 17 August 2004]

After seeing the first half hour of LEMMY POUR LES DAMES(1961)and really finding it awful and turning it off,I said to myself to give Lemmy one more chance with COMMENT QU'ELLE EST! and he,it was not that bad at all. I can't say that it's good but at least it's watchable!

It is a general opinion that ALPHAVILLE is the best Lemmy Caution of them all,probably because of Godard.I haven't seen that film yet but I intend to.

COMMENT QU'ELLE EST! is pretty enjoyable brainless fun and Eddie Constantine is for once not completely annoying. The supporting cast is not bad,especially Andre Luguet and Robert Berri give away good performances.

But still,it's miles away from the French greats. 6/10

Brief Encounter (1945)

Probably Lean's best film

[10/10 · 14 August 2004]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

I'm not a big fan of David Lean.Big spectacular epics like LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI didn't make an unforgettable impression on me,as they did on a lot of people.But BRIEF ENCOUNTER is a very good film with splendid acting and brilliant camera work.

The story is not very impressive but the handling is great.The black fade outs behind Laura(Cecilia Johnson)are very well done as are the several flash backs. The first scene is one of high class,you see Alec(Trevor Howard)and Laura talking as an annoying friend of Laura joins them.The looks on the faces of both Alec and Laura tell something wicked but you don't get to know what it is until the end of the movie.

The storytelling flashbacks are great.Laura is confessing to her husband in her mind and the flashbacks are so well done that at one point you're totally forgetting that it is a flashback.

Both Howard and Johnson act great and the direction of Lean is first class.The musical score is provided by Rachmaninov. For a similar but lesser known romance film about born out of wedlock relationships watch DAMA S SOBACHKOJ(the lady with the little dog) by Iosif Khejfits that is based on a book written by Chekhov.Both films walk the same path although I have to say that BRIEF ENCOUNTER is more pleasant to watch.The music of DAMA S SOBACHKOJ is brilliant by the way.

BRIEF ENCOUNTER is considered as a classic(which I can understand)and for a classic it is a very good movie. 8/10

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1938)

The Dawn of Sports Registration

[7/10 · 13 August 2004]

Leni Riefenstahl started something that we all take for granted nowadays when we watch sports.From the following camera in the 100 meters to slow motion action to the build up of tension(start with lesser athletes and end with the winning performance).All this is combined with some beautiful shooting of both the athletes as of the crowd together with the impressive Berlin Olympic Stadium.

OLYMPIA is not a propaganda movie like Riefenstahl's magnum opus TRIUMPH DES WILLENS but it still shows hitler and his gang plus the swastika flag several times(but hey,why is the waving swastika flag propaganda and the waving stars and stripes in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN just a flag).Anyway,it isn't so much about the nazi's,it's about the Olympics and Riefenstahl gives us a journalistic report of it.

Highlight to me(and probably to everybody)is the winning performance of Jesse Owens,one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.

The second part of the documentary is the lesser of the two with too much emphasis on the diving,but it has got a comic sequence with the Militry.

A good documentary with high historical interest,but I would rather recommend TRIUMPH DES WILLENS.It is more shocking but it gives a better view of the nazi's. 7/10

The Narrow Margin (1952)

Good RKO film of the 50's

[8/10 · 10 August 2004]

THE NARROW MARGIN is a suspenser in the right sense of the word.Taking not longer than an hour to finish it had to be brief and fast.And that it is.With pretty good acting,a simple but effective story and good directing it couldn't miss.

The setting of almost the entire movie is a train and although it is 1952 this is not the first(not at all)or best train movie.A film like TERROR BY NIGHT from 1946 is a better movie with better acting,especially from Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes.

Still,THE NARROW MARGIN is an enjoyable flick that will be fun when you have some time to spare. 7/10

The Lovers (1958)

Rather mediocre French Film

[6/10 · 3 August 2004]

SPOILERS!!

I'm a big fan of French film,I've got a French mother and therefore I saw several French films of several decades.LES AMANTS is not one of my favorites.Sure,it has some controversial moments in it for instance the love scene in both bed and bath(for 1958 it must have been quite something)but that just isn't enough.

Jeanne Moreau is pretty good in LES AMANTS although she's miles away from her star performance in Truffaut's classic JULES ET JIM.Another major turn off was to see Moreau with hair under her pits(one of my biggest turn offs),Maybe this is where the gag in HOME ALONE is based on!?!

LES AMANTS reminds me in a far way to LA REGLE DU JEU by Renoir,although both films are miles away from each other.Still,the land house sequences are in a way similar.

Some of the scenes are quite good,for instance the scene in which Moreau meets up with her later lover(amant) Jean-Marc Bory,who's very good in this film by the way. Still,the fact that she leaves her kid behind to run away with her lover is highly irresponsible. The final shot is very good though,on the side of the road a white horse is standing as the two lovers drive by(in a brilliant deux cheveaux by the way,the greatest car ever made).This shot symbolizes the fact that Moreau has found her prince on the white horse.

But overall...no not very convincing. 6/10