Change Your Image
mongo46538
Reviews
Clown (1968)
Enchanting Film
I saw this as a small child. More by accident than anything else, by flipping channels (all three) on TV. As long ago as this was, I remember how it made me cry. I am 46 today.
As a small boy I have never been move so emotionally by any film. Today the memory of this film came back to me for some reason and I remembered the name of this film even though I had not seen it since.
Very powerful, film makers of today need to watch films like this to relearn how to capture the essence of a story without special effects or bizarre twists.
I would recommend this to any parent to watch with their children. Especially if you like Dogs.
The Incident (1967)
Innovative and artistic storytelling
A type of storytelling that has been lost on Hollywood as of late. I truly appreciate a film that can keep me riveted without the gonzo big budget formula Hollywood has fell into. What I like the most about this movie is how it puts you right into the seat next to the other terrorized victims, evoking response about what you would do in this situation and forcing the question would you react the way you think you would or would you find yourself frozen and terrorized like the other passengers on this subway car.
I think there is a deeper hidden commentary on the effect war (Vietnam?) has on a person, in the way a bright faced young boy (Beau Bridges), after finally losing his temper enough to retaliate, methodically and mechanically beats his vanquished foe (to death?) with his cast, and then standing up to finish off the other hood in an equally brutal fashion.
I highly recommend this movie.
Hide-Out (1934)
Very Funny in Spots, and a Happy Ending.
Yeah Yeah Yeah, I read about the Cliché's, but thats why I watch movies like these. I want a predictable ending, I want cliché's. I don't want to be emotionally challenged, I want to be entertained. A forgotten concept in todays movies. Occasionally weak acting and improvisation that lends a sense of realism. I like the mix between actual barnyard scenes and studio shots, probably technologically difficult in those times. Overall a very satisfying movie, and you gotta love Mickey Rooney as an ornery boy. I would have liked to see a sequel where the main character gets out of Jail and goes back. Marries the Girl, fixes the milk problem for Pa, and raises a passel of little piglets.
Doom (2005)
Low Budget Gore-Fest versus Sci-Fi Thriller
Being an Avid FPS player I was once again disappointed at how Hollywood botched following up on the specifics. In this case there are several things that would have piqued the Gamer's interest that were either left out or poorly done. Number one, the FPS sequence was extremely slow, there should have been attention payed to how fast these games are actually played. The FPS sequence in which Reaper (John Grimm) encounters Pinky Demon (with wheels) was well done, a nice but rare piece of Computer generated Graphics, something you might think avid gamers would want to see more of, but instead we get a steady barrage of B-rated "Night of the Living Dead" style ketchup drenched human zombies making wet sloppy noises. Lost Souls, The Forgotten, Tics or Trites would have been nice and the (I believe) Imps were decent but easily recognizable as guys in suits, when you look at all the creatures in this game, you could have easily come up with more suited characters, see link.
http://ucguides.savagehelp.com/Doom3/enemies.htm
I was also disappointed by Sarge's evil nature, exposed by his killing one of his own men and wanting to terminate Women and Children. He's supposed to be the Hero in this story, since he is the person you are playing throughout the whole game. I realize that Hollywood needed to add to the storyline to make an actual movie with a real plot, they could have achieved this without taking as much away from the game as they did. The acting was first rate and there were some thrilling moments but unfortunately the obvious, easily recognizable low budget aspect to this movie may impede future movies of this Sci-Fi Gamer genre. A shame because I would like to see a Quake4 movie with all the of Doom's Shortcomings properly addressed.
mongo
13 Moons (2002)
Order out of Chaos, and a Happy Ending
At first glance the initial scenery was enough to make me change the channel until I saw that Steve Buschemi was one of the leading characters.
The dull grainy cinematography in combination with sad clowns performing poorly before a local TV station child audience, was enough to make me think, OK this is just weird.
But even during those first few scenes I saw a dark humor typical of today's attitude towards the unfailing reality of life, so given that, I decided to watch on. What I witnessed was a film about one of those strange nights when the Moon is full, the mystical powers are strong in the air and the lives of strangers will cross.
The relationships of these strangers center around the Bail bondsman "Mo" (David Proval) but the events of the night surround his estranged son "Timmy", whose mother comes to the father in a babysitting emergency.
Unbeknownst to the father his son has only one kidney that is barely functioning and he is waiting a beeper call from the hospital for a donor. While this is happening most of the other characters also need Mo for Bail at the very same time, sort of a convergence of need all at one moment. After going to the Jailhouse to perform his duties, the child wanders out in the parking lot and almost gets hit by a car. At this very moment the story changes from a group of quirky adults trying to solve their own problems to a group of adults realizing that all of their selfish desires are nothing compared to the needs of this child.
From this point forward the scene changes are chaotic and bizarre in a Pulp Fiction type fashion, but the message remains clear, even while whining about their pathetic lives these adults keep their focus and do all that they can do to help the boy and find his Kidney donor who has wandered out of the hospital.
There are defining moments that will remain with the boy, the scene in the hospital, the trip his father takes after hours to the zoo to see the monkeys and when everyone jumps into the pool, giving the child a sense of joy you feel he has had yet to feel in his pitiful little life. There are several epiphanies amongst the cast of characters. One of my favorites is when the night watchman from the Zoo tells Mo "shooting me with that gun isn't going to make you a better father". In the end the child is saved by the supreme sacrifice of the priest "Owen", who had been suffering from doubts about his priesthood and searching for the meaning of his life.
This Movie has genuine moments of dark humor and a very meaningful and happy ending. If your looking for something a little different that doesn't leave you feeling haunted, you will enjoy this movie.