I wish I could give 11 stars because this truly is the ultimate movie. A lot has been written about it already, so I'll just make it very short: Leone wanted to make a cool, gritty, badass drama, so he casted Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, respectively. Brilliant choices, brilliant concept, brilliant finale. Greed has led three men into a deadly scramble for a chest of gold. The standoff takes place at Sad Hill Cemetery, and it is the most memorable standoff in movie history, with 'The Ecstasy of Gold' the icing on this cake of perfection. Gives me goosebumps every time just thinking about Tuco running over that cemetery. 10/10
Reviews
13 Reviews
The People vs. George Lucas
2 November 2008
After having ruined the Star Wars series for fans, George Lucas is now guilty of besmearing the only remaining franchise in movie history where the sequels did not suck (Explanatory note: I see Godfather 1+2 and LOTR as one long movie each). Why, oh why didn't they make 'Fate of Atlantis'? The perfect story was already there. They could even have transferred it from the Nazi to the Cold War era, with the Soviets trying to harness the mystical powers of the Orichalcum. Instead, Mr. Lucas' genius revisits the world in the from of the 'Crystal Skull', which gives 'power over the mind' to whoever controls it. Unfortunately Mr. Lucas does not manage to control the minds of his audience, who easily see right through this revolting effort to turn some cheap & easy money from the desperate fan community. No additional effort was put in to come up with an interesting or at least plausible story line. The plot feels like it was designed by Mr. Lucas sometime between lunch and dinner based on some old junk that sprang up for recycling from the back of his mind. It's pitiful and a little bit sad.
The most important film of all time
6 February 2007
Just how important the message of this film and the intellectual discussion of de Sade's Nihilism in general really is was shown to us not long ago in the case of the tortures in the Iraqi POW prison of Abu Ghureib. The culprits are none other than the devils shown to us in Pasolini's play. And this is the sad message, of which we constantly need to be reminded: Humans, if given the power and chance of going unpunished, are worse than animals. Animals kill for prey and self-protection, but humans differ from animals in that they kill, torture and humiliate others for sheer pleasure of power. They are devils, not animals. When watching Salo, I felt exactly the same shock and outrage I felt when I saw the pictures from the Iraqi prison.
Hopefully, reminders of this potential for human fiendishness will in future come to us more in form of great movies such as Salo, rather than sad and outraging actual events, such as in Abu Gureib.
Hopefully, reminders of this potential for human fiendishness will in future come to us more in form of great movies such as Salo, rather than sad and outraging actual events, such as in Abu Gureib.
A religious viewing experience
6 February 2007
This is a truly religious movie experience. My mind and eyes were riveted to the screen, for 2.5 hours I found myself almost in a state of trance. I felt that for the first time I was witness to a personification of the real Jesus of Nazareth. All the true messages of religion are beautifully highlighted. You can really feel with Jesus, his temptations by lust, by power, by conceit. Finally on the cross, his last and biggest temptation of simply living life. His story is truly the mirror of all our souls, and it is in this movie that the medium of film for the first time allows us to feel this truth.
Only they should have left out the miracles, which everybody knows were added by popular myth and the gospels to aggrandize Jesus' simple message. I'm always annoyed particularly by the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus doesn't need miracles.
Thanks to everybody involved in this wonderful project!
Only they should have left out the miracles, which everybody knows were added by popular myth and the gospels to aggrandize Jesus' simple message. I'm always annoyed particularly by the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus doesn't need miracles.
Thanks to everybody involved in this wonderful project!
Paradise Now
(2005)
Paradise Now vs. Munich
2 May 2006
This movie begs for a comparison to Steven Spielberg's 'Munich'. Both deal with the same theme from different perspectives. But while 'Paradise Now' had me at the edge of my seat throughout, 'Munich' had me dozing off more than once in between. The story here is so much better. The emotions were far more intense and believable. 'Paradise Now' is everything one can expect from political and human drama. Dear Mr. Spielberg, it doesn't take three hours or millions of dollars to make a good movie. 'Munich' is a fair enough attempt, but 'Paradise Now' is the perfect drama. The actors were great, the twists and character development were unpredictable. Bottom line: When compared to this director, Spielberg is revealed as the true Sandman he is.
Ken Park
(2002)
Well Done
13 December 2004
Warning: Spoilers
**********SPOILERS************ This is an acted documentary, as it puts unrelated characters next to each other (Ken Park, Tate). If you watch the movie from that angle, it becomes less over-the-top, as I really felt it was trying to put EVERY possible teenage drama (suicide, incest, sexual abuse, killing grandparents (!!)) into one movie. Apart from that it was all a bit much I really liked the style of the movie, the characters and the plots on their own. In any case a movie worth watching.
A word on 'pornography': Larry Clark really has to be praised and admired for his approach to show detailed sex scenes in 'normal' movies. Why not show on the screen what we see in our lives every day (i.e. genitals and sex, which mostly includes erect male genitals)? Nobody screams about heads blown off and bodies ripped apart on screen, and how often do you see that in real life? IMHO, this is true perversion, and it should be standard to show whatever you like of the human body in 'normal' movies, because our bodies are normal and sex is normal too, believe it or not.
A word on 'pornography': Larry Clark really has to be praised and admired for his approach to show detailed sex scenes in 'normal' movies. Why not show on the screen what we see in our lives every day (i.e. genitals and sex, which mostly includes erect male genitals)? Nobody screams about heads blown off and bodies ripped apart on screen, and how often do you see that in real life? IMHO, this is true perversion, and it should be standard to show whatever you like of the human body in 'normal' movies, because our bodies are normal and sex is normal too, believe it or not.
Irreversible
(2002)
An Irreversible Experience
26 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
The title sequence shouts the pretense of 'Irreversible' right in my face: This is new, this is brutal, this is art. Expect an experience. Then the camera-work picks up, and up until the closing sequence (history of the universe traced back to the big bang), this movie sticks to its pretense. It definitely IS an irreversible experience.
Time destroys everything because it is irreversible. We cannot make a horrible event undone. A single act can destroy a whole life. The epilogue (which breaks the narrative frame of time-reverse scene order) however shows that horrible events can, if not undone, at least be redeemed by time (i.e. by following events, in this case birth).
***SPOILER AHAD*** Story summary: Alex and Marcus are a happy couple. Alex learns that she is pregnant. They go to a party with their friend Pierre, who used to be Alex' boyfriend. Marcus is doing drugs. Alex is p***ed off by Marcus and leaves the party. On her way home, she gets brutally raped and beaten up by a pimp. Marcus and Pierre see her when she is taken away by an ambulance. They are offered help in finding the rapist by two local gangsters. They lead them to a gay club and tell them the name of the guy who raped Alex: Le Tenia (The Tapeworm). At the club, Pierre ends up killing another man, with The Tapeworm standing by watching. Marcus and Pierre are arrested by the police.
Later Alex is shown at home highly pregnant and in a park playing with children.
The very simple story deals entails the whole scope of human drama: Love; Hate; Evil; Senseless Sadism; Innocence Lost; Helplessness; Revenge; Fury; Death; Resumption of Life (Resurrection, Birth). ***END SPOILER***
Avantgarde movie in the truest sense. Very fine, innovative camera-work. Highly Recommended.
8/10
Time destroys everything because it is irreversible. We cannot make a horrible event undone. A single act can destroy a whole life. The epilogue (which breaks the narrative frame of time-reverse scene order) however shows that horrible events can, if not undone, at least be redeemed by time (i.e. by following events, in this case birth).
***SPOILER AHAD*** Story summary: Alex and Marcus are a happy couple. Alex learns that she is pregnant. They go to a party with their friend Pierre, who used to be Alex' boyfriend. Marcus is doing drugs. Alex is p***ed off by Marcus and leaves the party. On her way home, she gets brutally raped and beaten up by a pimp. Marcus and Pierre see her when she is taken away by an ambulance. They are offered help in finding the rapist by two local gangsters. They lead them to a gay club and tell them the name of the guy who raped Alex: Le Tenia (The Tapeworm). At the club, Pierre ends up killing another man, with The Tapeworm standing by watching. Marcus and Pierre are arrested by the police.
Later Alex is shown at home highly pregnant and in a park playing with children.
The very simple story deals entails the whole scope of human drama: Love; Hate; Evil; Senseless Sadism; Innocence Lost; Helplessness; Revenge; Fury; Death; Resumption of Life (Resurrection, Birth). ***END SPOILER***
Avantgarde movie in the truest sense. Very fine, innovative camera-work. Highly Recommended.
8/10
Cannibal Holocaust
(1980)
This movie is intense. It's shocking. It has a message.
25 May 2004
The message of Cannibal Holocaust' is: While human society has advanced tremendously in their technology over the past 5000-10000 years, modern man has become alienated from life itself. Behind the veil of modern technology and (political) philosophy lies a pervert, not a savage.
The killings and atrocities of the Westerners are erratic and sadistic, while the punishments of the Natives follow ritualistic patterns related to their lives as a group and the groups' struggle for survival. In other words: the murders committed by the Westerners are unnecessary, while the ones committed by the Natives are not. The native brutality and cannibalism are part of ritual, i.e. they serve a distinct function. The brutality of the Westerners imitates those of the Natives without understanding the ritualistic function. The savage breaks loose, but it is a perverted savage who does not understand what he is doing.
In terms of this message, Cannibal Holocaust' does a better job than Apocalypse Now' or other movies that deal with related topics. I wonder however how Ruggero Deodato shot this film: the Natives don't look like they are actors at all, but like real Natives who really don't know what a camera is. That makes the movie very realistic and shockingly disturbing.
Highly Recommended Viewing.
8/10.
The killings and atrocities of the Westerners are erratic and sadistic, while the punishments of the Natives follow ritualistic patterns related to their lives as a group and the groups' struggle for survival. In other words: the murders committed by the Westerners are unnecessary, while the ones committed by the Natives are not. The native brutality and cannibalism are part of ritual, i.e. they serve a distinct function. The brutality of the Westerners imitates those of the Natives without understanding the ritualistic function. The savage breaks loose, but it is a perverted savage who does not understand what he is doing.
In terms of this message, Cannibal Holocaust' does a better job than Apocalypse Now' or other movies that deal with related topics. I wonder however how Ruggero Deodato shot this film: the Natives don't look like they are actors at all, but like real Natives who really don't know what a camera is. That makes the movie very realistic and shockingly disturbing.
Highly Recommended Viewing.
8/10.
Rigor Mortis - The Final Colours
(2003 Video)
Deliberately bad...
24 May 2004
It is as though the makers of this movie intended to make the story (story !?), acting, and dialogue as hilariously bad as they are, but I am not sure why.
The splatter scenes are actually quite shocking and partially well done, but are set off by the total lack of story and incredibly stupid characters. This one feels like a high-school production from beginning to end.
Even if this was intended to be a (black)comedy, it fully deserves to be ranked among the worst movies ever. Unless you watch movies to laugh about the movie itself, steer clear of this one.
1/10.
The splatter scenes are actually quite shocking and partially well done, but are set off by the total lack of story and incredibly stupid characters. This one feels like a high-school production from beginning to end.
Even if this was intended to be a (black)comedy, it fully deserves to be ranked among the worst movies ever. Unless you watch movies to laugh about the movie itself, steer clear of this one.
1/10.
12 Angry Men
(1957)
Henry Fonda, the Big Manipulator
24 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
***THIS COMMENT IS A SPOILER***
True, the acting is great, the dialogue is great for most of the time (except for some unrealistic/wooden lines), but what spoiled the whole movie for me is that in the end they acquitted an obviously guilty defendant. Even with all the testimonies not as reliable as they seemed in the beginning, who else could have done it?
Although very interesting from a sociological as well as psychological perspective (it was the Freudian epoch, you can tell by every second line), 12 Angry Men leaves a bad taste in your mouth because in the end Henry Fonda saved a murderer, AND HE KNEW IT ALL THE TIME. He was just against the death penalty, and very cleverly persuaded (manipulated) the jury employing group psychology. However any reasonable member would have sticked to his opinion. Some of them just wavered to easily, which is another flaw of this still quite good and interesting classic. 5/10.
True, the acting is great, the dialogue is great for most of the time (except for some unrealistic/wooden lines), but what spoiled the whole movie for me is that in the end they acquitted an obviously guilty defendant. Even with all the testimonies not as reliable as they seemed in the beginning, who else could have done it?
Although very interesting from a sociological as well as psychological perspective (it was the Freudian epoch, you can tell by every second line), 12 Angry Men leaves a bad taste in your mouth because in the end Henry Fonda saved a murderer, AND HE KNEW IT ALL THE TIME. He was just against the death penalty, and very cleverly persuaded (manipulated) the jury employing group psychology. However any reasonable member would have sticked to his opinion. Some of them just wavered to easily, which is another flaw of this still quite good and interesting classic. 5/10.
Scherbentanz
(2002)
Nice make, but disappointing finish (possible spoilers ahead)
17 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
'Scherbentanz' is a typical German art-house family-problems flick, although this one is particularly dark. Jesko is dying of cancer and only his mother's bone-marrow could save him. Problem is: She went insane 20 years ago, ran away from her children and became a drug-addict. The mother gives a very good and creepy performance. I sat through the film because I wanted to know why she went crazy, but the solution is, frankly, disappointing. I expected much more to have happened to her. Bottom line: interesting plot, beautiful photography, well-written dialogue, well-developed characters, but be prepared to be disappointed by the (non-existent) final twist.
Quiero ser (I want to be...)
(2000)
Highly recommended (possible spoilers ahead)
17 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Two orphan brothers grow up together in Mexico City. Their fate is shaped by their different characters, the younger one becoming a successful businessman (or lawyer), while his older brother ends up begging on the streets. Touching story, very well developed and beautifully shot. Go see this movie!
Get Carter
(2000)
Sly's best performance...
17 June 2003
after 'First Blood'. I wonder why he doesn't sport that beard more often, it looks terrific! Also the dyed hair. The acting is the best I've ever seen from him, better than 'Copland'. If you're in for Stallone, go see this movie!
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