Sweetie

She's Not As Sweet As Her Name Might Suggest
"Sweetie" is here! A Criterion treatment! The first time I saw "Sweetie" was purely by accident. It was before Jane Campion went on to make better known, bigger budget films--this film was her feature debut in Australia. And while I respect many of her works including "The Piano" and "An Angel At My Table", I don't have the passion for them that I do for this oddball of a movie. Part of the joy of seeing "Sweetie" for the first time was having no expectations. The film surprised me in every regard--it's wickedly funny, yet horrifying and moving at the same time. A few years ago, I found it again and I made my friends watch it, too. I was concerned it might not hold up to memory, but that feeling was short-lived as soon as the wondrous Genevieve Lemon came onscreen as Sweetie.

"Sweetie" is a film that really explores the notion of family. As the titular character, Sweetie is a powerful presence whose very existence has crippled her family and, in many ways, held...

pure pleasure
I've seen three Campion movies. It took a long time for me to forgive 'The Piano''s humorless, heavy hands and move on to 'Holy Smoke!'. But HS revealed a comic sensibility that 'The Piano' never suspected. 'Sweetie,' Campion's first feature, is by far my favorite yet.

'Sweetie' is an odd film. Mostly, it's an examination of what it means to be an individual--inside of and outside of the repetitive struggles of family dramas--and the perils and joys of exclusion and elitism. Campion uses her sharp wit to draw blood, and without the comforts of a privileged moral voice (e.g. the competent parent or maternal sufferer of most family dramas), the humor can seem a little mean-spirited at times. But 'Sweetie' tempers its alienated perspective with moments of grace that are as terrifying, joyful and sublime as the dry open spaces of its Australian landscape.

Moving the viewer through a fractured world of beautiful and unsettling images, Sweetie is this director's most richly creative...

family trees
This film is to director Jane Campion's The Piano what David Lynch's Eraserhead is to his The Elephant Man - a personal highly stylised experiment before the challenge of the more conventional big budget assignments that would allow for both a controlling of each director's excesses and a streamlining of their obsessions. The parallel between Lynch and Campion can also be extended to their mutual interest in loners, misfits and eccentrics, and they both treat them with piteous dignity, in much the same way photographer Diane Arbus did for her "freaks". Sweetie is similar to Eraserhead also because it's an endurance test for those who hold a high opinion of each director's later work. The fine line between pleasure and pain can be felt with great artists and their fine line between genius and crud. Campion here uses a song "Love will never let you fall" sung by Tony Backhouse and The Cafe of the Gate of Salvation Choir as a backdrop to her tale of two sisters...

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Stoked and Broke

Stoked on this film
Well done and epic surf footage. I like how the boys traveled and told their story along the way. NICE!

Great surf flick
Stoked and Broke is a great little surf flick that harkens back to the good old days that tends to be lost on most of todays high-flying surf videos. Low budget and pure to the intent of riding waves (fun), this movie is a nice way to spend an hour.



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Solaris

One of the best Russian films ever!
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
It also compares it with the version released by the Russian Cinema Council (RUSCICO)

Solaris, released as Solyaris in Russia, is among my favorite Russian films, and my favorite film by Andrei Tarkovsky. It is based on the sci-fi novel by Stanislaw Lem. It is been considered a Russian version of 2001 A Space Odyessy. While some consider it to be the polar opposite.

An interesting note is that the Criterion Collection edition was released exacltly one day before the theactrical release of the 2002 remake directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney.

It is about a space station orbiting an apparently sentient planet. The planet has the capability of reading the minds of the scientists aboard the space station and created 'doubles' of people from their past. When a psychologist comes aboard to investigate, he is confounded by the recreation of his dead wife...

A Haunting Masterpiece
This film is long, poignant, interesting, haunting, dazzling to the eye, and actually quite scary. While watching it late one night, I found myself alone on the first floor of my house, and I must admit, I kept searching the room in fright after every little noise I heard. It's not a horror movie, but it rolls along at a slow, atmospheric, creepy-crawly pace.

One bonus of the film being so long with big spaces between dialogue, it gives you the opportunity to switch to the informative commentary track, to hear some interesting insight into the film. While most other movies you MUST watch it with the commentary off to be able to take it all in correctly, you can actually get away with switching back and forth without missing too much of the actual film. One part of the commentary I disagreed with was when the male narrator noted that in the scene where Satorius takes the gauze off Hari's finger and tosses it, that he is doing this because of contamination. One can clearly...

Rent this unless you know you're ready for it
First of all, this 2-disc Criterion "special edition" of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film _Solaris_ is clearly intended to capitalize on Steven Soderbergh's American remake. I'm not sure whether either will succeed; Soderbergh's version is an art film masquerading as a Christmas movie, and I think it's fair to say that those who can't stand the original won't much like the remake.

Tarkovsky's _Solaris_ has suffered unfairly from facile comparisons with Kubrick's _2001: A Space Odyssey_. The two films are deeply opposed in both tone and content, though on the most superficial level, the pace of both films makes them appear rather similar. That said, Tarkovsky's elliptical, nostalgic work stands very well on its own.

The first forty-five minutes of _Solaris_ are slow going, even by Tarkovsky's glacial standards. (They're also profoundly important to subsequent action, so don't even try to skip them.) Once the action shifts to the mysterious space station, the story...

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My Dinner with Andre

Phenomenal movie, horrible transfer
My Dinner With Andre is a brilliant, difficult movie.

A lot of people are turned off by this film because it's mainly one extended scene of two unglamorous people talking about existence. But what a conversation, and what a scene! Andre Gregory's bizarre, surreal story and his catharsis about the nature of modern life that comes from it is powerful stuff, but the real punch comes from Wallace Shawn, our Everyman, and his reaction to it. It's a shame that so many can't watch more than 10 minutes of this movie, because it is ultimately Shawn, at the end, who speaks their thoughts.

MDWA demands your attention for two hours, which is no easy task, because there is no real narrative in the traditional sense. It also demands multiple viewings, because it is rich with subtle detail, and there's a lot to take in. Notice, for instance, the continual references to the Holocaust, culminating in Gregory's account of his friend's theory about the city-as-modern-concentration-camp. And as you...

A masterpiece! - The best movie of the past 25 years
I just finished this movie, and I feel like I need to simply get a few thoughts down before my head hits my pillow. I didn't know what to expect entering My Dinner With Andre - after all, it is a movie about two guys who have dinner in a restaurant and talk the whole time. But from the moment that the goofy-looking, awkward Wallace Shawn lumbers down a New York street and we hear his voice-over, I knew that something more was taking place in this movie. What it was, I had no idea.

There are no character names; there is no 'plot;' Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, both prominent actors/playwrights of New York, meet after not having seen each other for years and they shoot the breeze. I learned that it's not as extemporaneous as I originally had imagined - Shawn and Gregory got together, recorded hours of their conversations, and then compiled a script based on them. The 'restaurant' is actually a defunct hotel, the waiters and barkeepers all actors. But there's a...

but no stars for the dvd
This is my favorite movie of all time. Period. You can sit inon the most interesting conversation ever and I've done it many times,every time finding myself thinking of different things, contemplating my own life and wondering about how crazy Andre actually is and how seriously to take his ideas about how human life came to an end a few decades ago, leaving us all robots in search of some twinge of real feeling. But the dvd is so bad I suspected it was a bootleg. When the camera switches from Andre to Wally the color completely changes. It's all grainy as if recorded on bad tape off a badly receiving tv. At one point a little white hair appears and vacillates on the lower screen for oh about 30 minutes. Are they kidding? There needs to be a new edition of this great movie, and those of us who bought this sham of a version should be allowed to trade it in. Here is a film critiquing the falseness of what our modern life has become: fine, but I don't need an object lesson costing me...

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The Yards [HD]

TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Director James Gray has elicited some marvelous performances from a really eclectic cast: Oscar winners Ellen Burstyn and Faye Dunaway play domestic characters with the professional verve they always bring; Oscar nominees Charlize Theron, James Caan and Joaquin Phoenix are superb in their roles as Wahlberg's cousin, best friend and uncle-in-law; and then we have Mark Wahlberg, Steve Lawrence and Tony Musante rounding out the cast. This is Wahlberg's shining moment; he has none of the macho bravado usually associated with him, and his performance is complex, multi-faceted and courageous. Caan is also brilliant, and someday he'll get the Oscar he deserves. Phoenix also shows great emotional depth in his role as a borderline sociopath. Theron proves that she is not just a pretty face, but a capable and engaging actress. The film's slow pace is in line with the psychological nuances of the film. I'd never heard of it until I saw a trailer on another video. An outstanding film...

FORGET "GLADIATOR" , TRY "THE YARDS"
After LITTLE ODESSA in 1994, THE YARDS is quite an impressive second movie of american writer/director James Gray who plays in the same league than Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola or Sidney Lumet. Furthermore, James Gray has given two important roles to James Caan and Ellen Burstyn and a choice like this can only be made by a clever and talented person. If you are not so fond of Ridley Scott's bodybuilt gladiators, try for a change a movie with more brains than muscles. In the long run, it gives more satisfaction.

THE YARDS is a movie about ambiguity, a mood created firstly by the images of the movie, cold and almost metallic for the exterior scenes but warm and always red, brown or yellow for the interior scenes. This antagonism is also underlined by the recurrent theme of the electric lights which suddenly plunge the characters in a black no-man's land several times during the course of the movie.

James - Frank Olchin - Caan is the most ambiguous character of the movie. He...

GRITTY DRAMA
After spending time in prison for auto theft, Leo (Mark Wahlberg), decides it's time to go the straight and narrow.

Returning home from prison, Leo, takes a job at his uncle Frank's (James Caan) company working on contracts with the New York City subway system.

Once on the job, Leo, meets his uncle's top guy (Joaquin Phoenix), and before long, he realizes his uncle is involved with corruption, and payoffs.

"The Yards" is a gritty drama that sports an excellent cast;Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, James Caan, Ellen Burstyn, and Faye Dunaway. Although, slowly paced, the film puts a smart, and interesting spin on big city corruption. Very much a character driven film, "The Yards" will disappoint those looking for fast action. But anyone looking for an intelligent, well acted movie will be pleased with this one.

Nick Gonnella

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Bulldog Drummond's Revenge

There's a better way to own these films
This set contains:

BULLDOG DRUMMOND ESCAPES
Starring Ray Milland, Guy Standing, Heather Angel, Porter Hall, Reginald Denny, E.E. Clive, Fay Holden, Clyde Cook and Walter Kingsford.
Directed by James Hogan(1937)

BULLDOG DRUMMOND COMES BACK
Starring John Howard as Bulldog Drummond and John Barrymore as Inspector Neilson of Scotland Yard. With Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E.E. Clive, J. Carrol Naish, John Sutton and Helen Freeman.
Directed by Louis King(1937)

BULLDOG DRUMMOND'S REVENGE
Starring John Howard as Bulldog Drummond and John Barrymore as Inspector Neilson of Scotland Yard. With Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E.E. Clive, Nydia Westman, Lucien Littlefield, John Sutton.
Directed by Louis King(1937)

BULLDOG DRUMMOND'S PERIL
Starring John Howard as Bulldog Drummond and John Barrymore as Inspector Neilson of Scotland Yard. With Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E.E. Clive, Porter Hall, Elizabeth...

Lighthearted British crimefighter saves the day on this DVD!
This is a great deal of a DVD. Two features are presented for your viewing pleasure, starring the very entertaining precursor to The Saint, Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond.

Created by novelist Herman C. 'Sapper' McNeile, "Bulldog" Drummond was a Captain in World War I. After the war, Drummond missed the life of action his military career offered. He joined the police force, and then resigned to become an independent player in the game of crime and punishment.

While each film is only about an hour long, don't let that dissaude you. You'll get a lot of action and fun packed into each movie.

In the first feature, "Bulldog Drummond Escapes", a young and handsome Ray Milland plays the famous action-seeker Captain Drummond. Wonderful as always, Milland portrays the character with such whimsy, you'll be hooked right away.

Drummond sets out to rescue the beautiful heiress Phyllis Clavering from the unscrupulous forces keeping her prisoner for her fortune...

LESS THAN "SUPER-DUPER"
Perhaps we should just be grateful that these nine rare titles are available. Then again, "minimally happy" seems more apropriate. Sound quality is O.K. on all titles, however picture quality leaves much to be desired. It appears as though the source material came from one of the old time 16 MM "basement dupers". Fuzzy picture, washed out faces, poor contrast, etc. Had I been aware of the very poor picture quality, I probably would have passed. But, coming from Alpha Video, I should have been forewarned. They are just like a box of chocolates (you never know what you'll get). So, I remain "minimally happy" yours; Don Kruse, Memphis.

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Hunter in the Dark

One of the most beautiful, intense films ever made
I have seen many Japanese films but this one really stands out along with Gosha's own classic, Goyokin (1969) and Tenchu (1969). If you think samurai movies deal with nothing but sword playing, you'd better try Hunter in the Dark. The plot and main characters are as rich and complex as Godfather, and its beautiful, haunting images will grab your attention like no other films until the last scene where two opponents (played by Tatuya Nakadai & Sony Chiba) take their one final moment in a great fight. All the action sequences are extremely well done and the story plumbs into the mythic legends of the dark side of Samurai era. The acting, screenplay, cinematography, and lighting all go hand in hand to create one of the most beautiful yet intense films ever made. This is Hideo Gosha at his best. It is urgent to issue other Gosha masterpieces as well, preferably on DVD.

Film by an unjustly neglected great director
I saw that the review already posted here was wrongly attributed to this movie.This is actually a Yakuza/Samurai film set in mid 18th century Japan and is a beautifully filmed and powerful film on corruption and double dealing in a world where the underworld simply mirrors the manipulative ways of the ruling class. A samurai carrying a traumatic secret becomes the yojimbo of a gang boss (played by Tetsuya Nakadai) involved in a power struggle with a rival gang boss. The new yojimbo is enticed with offers to betray his new patron but chooses to remain loyal, thus setting into motion a tragic chain of events. Hideo Gosha is one of the world's great directors and it is unfortunate his films Tenchu and Goyokin are not more readily available, as well as his early classics such as Three Outlaw Samurai and Sword of the Beast.

Gosha Hideo's best work in the 1970's
I like many of Gosha Hideo's work in the 1960's, such as Three Samurai(Sanbiki no Samurai), Goyokin, and the one-eyed swordsman Tange Sazen. In the 70's he produced a few ambitious works and the results varied, I found "Hunter in the Dark" to be the most successful among them. It tells a story of love and betrayal, friendships and ambitions. The characters are satisfactorily developed; they are varied, interesting and well presented - Sonny Chiba's overwhelming ambitions, Nakadai Tatsuya's commitment to the clan code of honor and friendship, Harada Yoshio's tragic past and confusions, and Kishi Keiko's helplessness and loneliness. Gosha did an excellent job in casting the movie, and all were excellent in their roles. At the end men died for their ambitions and their believes, while women gave up their lifes for love. It echoes the very primitive curses in our genetic code.

I saw the Far East DVD release in 2002, the transfer of video and audio were not very good. I...

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