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5/10
Sometimes the summation of an event fails to capture the true insanity of said event...
7 April 2024
The Truth Vesus Alex Jones functions as a two hour summary of four years of legal hell, and a decade of harassment inflicted by Alex Jones and his fanbase on the grieving families of the children slain at Sandy Hook Elementary. While the film hits on the major milestones in this event and is accurate, there is so much texture that was left on the cutting room floor, so many details that make this proceeding far more alarming than the film's solitary focus on a charismatic sociopath's ability to shape reality and turn grieving families into villains for political and economic gain. This matter is really the tip of the ice berg when you realize that Jones has not only rewritten history for at least 24% of Americans, and has written the playbook for other unsavory characters to do the same, he's twisted our legal framework in his favor to allow him to continue sowing his lies for the foreseeable future.

I watched about 80 percent of both trials, I listened to a significant amount of the deposition regarding these cases and what's shocking is that at no point did Jones or FSS seem to attempt a credible defense, their efforts were instead dedicated to delaying the proceedings as long as possible, and, now that verdicts have been rendered, they continue to do the same thing with the bankruptcy court. The documentary sticks to the basic facts of these cases but misses the true insanity of this whole endeavor. It doesn't mention the revolving door of lawyers that Jones employed, it doesn't really enumerate the ways in which Jones failed to comply with discovery which resulted in the default judgement, it doesn't really touch on the abhorrent silliness in the deposition and it barely touches the jaw dropping moment's of Jones and other FSS employees on the witness stand. I'm afraid that, to the average person who hasn't really digested four years worth of these cases, the real horror of this whole circus isn't adequately enumerated.

Most of the time, I believe docuseries are padded and disrepelspectful of their audience's time, but this is one case where instead of getting a two hour film, it might have been better to have four total hours spread across four episodes. Fundamentally, The Truth Versus Alex Jones is a starting point that should be followed with additional exploration of the topic.
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Moulin Rouge! (2001)
4/10
Cocaine and Skittles
12 December 2020
Baz Luhrmann's kaleidoscopic 2001 musical wowed audiences with its audacious camera work, editing, lavish sets and costumes but nearly 20 years on it has aged like milk. Its pure style over substance and tragically the style Mr Lurhman has employed looks cheap and attention seeking, the meat of the film vapid and well trodden.

Ewen McGregor plays a writer captivated by the Courtesan Satine (played by Nicole Kidman) who is contractually promised to a Duke who is funding the conversion of the night club Moulin Rouge into a theater. Moulin Rouge draws from several Operas, piecing together plot strands like Legos and it's musical numbers are similarly sourced from pop radio, often several songs are cut and spliced together, different familiar tunes sung in counterpoint by different characters. having borrowed from well known material it becomes quite predictable, leaning heavily on its style to hold audiences attention.

In 2001 the novelty of the garish colors, ornate set designs, frenetic camera and snappy editing blew audiences minds in the context of a musical; a genre that had long fallen out of favor. Its style proves fleeting however, seeming to be the result of a raucous cocaine fueld bender that irritates. Performances are similarly heightened with Nicole Kidman's character moaning, writhing and eliciting lupine barks and howls. The absurd firey facial hair and bulging eyes of the Moulin Rouge's owner, Harold Zidler, match the rest of the film's unabashed gaudiness.

There are some ocassions when all of this ostentatious style comes together and functions as a masterclass in editing and sound design, the "Roxanne" sequence in particular is a highlight, cross cutting between two musical numbers and the Duke and Satine in a profoundly affecting highlight. Unfortunately this isn't sustained, the film imbibes in another bump of fine white powder and promptly reverts back to being shiny garbage.

Moulin Rouge may have seemed like a breath of fresh air when it premiered but its stylistic choices have condemned its appeal to a specific period of time. While older musicals like Jacques Demy's Umbrellas of Cherbourg remain timeless, Luhrmann's effort deserves to rot in a nursing home unremembered by future generations, unvisited by those with fond memories of its decadence and high camp.
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8/10
An Overview of Anthology Horror Films Essential for Fans
9 December 2020
The supplemental feature documentary wizard and head of Severin Films David Gregory (Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau) has spent part of his time in the midst of a global pandemic expanding what was to be a bonus feature documentary to Severin Films release of The Theatre Bizarre into it's own feature length documentary. Tales of the Uncanny is an exploration of the anthology horror film format that features dozens of filmmakers, critics and notable fans, providing brief commentary and impressions about major anthology titles. It's a history that expands from the silent film era to today--a much longer history that is much deeper than I realized before viewing this film.

For those unfamiliar with anthology horror or portmanteaus as they are often called by our friends across the pond, consist of several short films often linked by a wrap around narrative. These stories often are adaptations of literary shorts, with Edgar Allen Poe being a constant inspiration throughout much of the format's history. As expressed in the documentary, the anthology format lent itself to experimentation and freedom for filmmakers resulting in some terrifying, bizarre, funny and unforgettable segments throughout the format's history.

Tales of the Uncanny is about breadth rather than depth, which frankly is perfect since this film is likely to introduce fans to at least a few new titles. Films are generally covered quickly, often one or two segments from each film are focused on. It's apparent which films, or more specifically studio, is most influential on the pool of folks contributing to this documentary since Amicus' anthologies are covered most extensively. This makes sense, give the small British studio's commitment to the format and their influence over anthology horror films but this will likely leave younger viewers or those unfamiliar with these films wishing for equal time to be given to more contemporary examples.

Tales of the Uncanny is an enjoyable overview of a much loved film format that should offer many views a string of titles to discover and fall in love with and the blu ray is highly recommended as it contains a few very rare horror anthologies for viewers to enjoy. This is a must watch doc for any horror lover!
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3/10
Rectum of the Dead
3 June 2008
Cinema domesticus, my term for the aesthetic wherein the film makers shoot and sequence a film as though it was shot by an average joe with a camera, is threatening to become a plague on the horror genre. It is mostly a clever gimmick to heighten the sense of reality of the events portrayed in a film and I will admit that in some cases it does provide a clever and original framework for a movie to work within. George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead simply uses this aesthetic to excuse all of it's shortcomings and missteps. The characters in the film are film students and as the film begins it is made apparent that the "footage" gathered by the characters has been edited and sound has been added to give you the audience chills... My understanding of Cinema Domesticus is that the events are supposed to unfold as is, the footage is a time capsule of sorts--an untainted chronicle of the struggles of the characters involved. By letting the audience know that the footage has been edited you are basically saying that the technical aspects will be flawed and amateur-ish but deny the audience the satisfaction of feeling like they are a part of the action. Also you free yourself up as a writer from having to create a logical and engaging sequence of events. Then there are the characters involved... There is the voyeuristic director and his obnoxious girlfriend who is constantly PMSing through the film. There is a dumb blond from Texas, a rich kid... Some other people who don't matter and my favorite the alcoholic Professor with a noble British accent. Seriously I think that Romero just scooped some guy up as he was doing Shakespeare in the park and told him that he was going to play a Professor in a Zombie movie. I bite my thumb at you Zombie! The acting is universally atrocious, partly because the writing is poor. The plot progression is the same as Romero's more important films that are of a much higher quality. This film is simply a pile of Zombie excretion as filmed by archetypal college students...
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Transformers (2007)
3/10
The coolest commercial I have ever seen...
22 October 2007
I have to say that I watched this movie out of curiosity, people have been raving about it since it hit theaters and now that it is on DVD I decided to give it a go... No amount of spit and polish can hide the fact that Transformers is pure garbage. So let me start with the high points. The CGI is beautiful. I have experience with 3D modeling and animation and must say that my mind was blown by all of the beautiful transformation sequences and details in each robot. The team behind Transformers will surely get the Oscar for best special effects and deservingly so. The rest of the movie is mediocre at best... The foundation of any decent movie is its screenplay and this movie is a compilation of stupid character archetypes, clichés and failed attempts at humor that reinforce the summer movie money whoring feel. Slightly nerdy, doesn't quite fit in protagonist: CHECK. Sexy, slightly snobbish girl who needs to be won over by protagonist: CHECK. Life altering encounter with object that alters the ordinary world: CHECK. Source of conflict found in one all powerful artifact: CHECK. The dialogue is riddled with goofy lines that have come to be expected in crappy movies based on comic books and any theme is an afterthought since Michael Bay's only concern is filling every frame with things that go boom and special effects. Bay is what I fear most, an anti-artist out to make millions for movie studios every summer. His movies are empty and formulaic and aimed at the masses for maximum monetary return. He undoes the work of so many great filmmakers that has come before him by allowing audiences to escape into a ridiculous world where they are in no way thrust into cognition. Have Bergman, Fellini, Truffaut, Bunuel, De Sica and Kurosawa's work been for nothing? Literature, cinema, and music are artistic arenas and as such all entries into these forums should be judged on their artistic merit. Period. My biggest grievance is the fact that this film felt like a 143 minute commercial. Not since The Wizard have I seen a film that promotes a product so well. After watching I felt like I was being begged to buy a General Motors vehicle and joined the armed forces. It was disgusting. Performances are mediocre but it is really a moot point considering that the actors really didn't need to convey much, act surprised here, awkward there, courageous at the end... The usual. I beg anyone who has any respect for cinema to avoid this film and indulge in something of substance... To anyone who enjoyed this I implore you to take some time to try and enjoy something less commercial...
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5/10
High Class Porn or Low Class Cinema?
10 October 2007
Female Yakuza Tale is my first foray into "Pinky Violence". The closest thing I have ever seen to this wild Japanese take on the sexploitation sub-genre was Lady Snowblood and I can say that in comparison it hardly counts. The tale involves Ocho, a female yakuza member, who is ensnared (or en-"snatched" perhaps) in a plot to smuggle heroin using the wonders of the female anatomy. Then there is this subplot about a guy who was sent to prison and it cost him his right to be boss of the Ogi family. It really doesn't matter so much. Most of the plot is inconsequential and is really a catalyst for more carnal pleasures... Characters have the usual undeveloped back story elements that one expects from a poorly written film that serve only to frustrate the audience. These elements are handled with little care and are jarring, obnoxious and clichéd interruptions. As a young male the only reason to sit through this flick is for the copious amounts of female flesh. One only has to go so far as the opening credits to be rewarded with the nude splendor of the star Reiko Ike. There is plenty more where that came from, rest assured that if you see an attractive woman on screen you will find out what she is hiding behind her clothing. This film makes a rule of this concept, in fact the finale has almost the entire female cast engaged in combat with only their shoes on. Blood, breasts and posterior... Too bad the camera work is static and boring and coupled with the editing makes the combat painfully staged and slow. Basically this is a film to watch if you crave a low brow cinematic fix. You watch FYT for the same reason you watch Cannibal Holocaust or a Troma flick, you crave the assault on good taste and art in favor of having primal desires satiated. While I got a kick out of this it is by no means a good film and a four star rating is all I can bear to give this.
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Scoop (2006)
7/10
Nothing New... Enjoyable however...
29 July 2006
I am a huge Woody Allen fan and so when I saw that this was playing at the cinema I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see how Allen would follow up his magnificent film Match Point seeing as this is another one of his films shot in G.B. (which is unique among Allen's work) along with what seems to be his new muse Scarlett Johanson. Scoop is much lighter than MP and the humor is Scoop's most enjoyable aspect. The plot revolves around Johanson's character (a journalism student) who gets a tip on a hot story from beyond the grave. She falls in love with a suspected serial killer (Jackman) and she must decide whether the truth is worth finding. Oh and all of this is done with the help of a bumbling magician turned detective played by Allen.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed Johanson's performance but I am a bit bias, I could watch a three hour film with Johanson in ever frame and remain enchanted. She plays a ditsy, yappy, bumbling sweetheart that is kind of a variation in a sense of Allen's stereotypical neurosis stricken character. She adds appropriate body language for comic effect. Needless to say almost anyone who sees this will find Johanson's character sickeningly cute and that is a plus.

Allen is Allen... He is still playing the same character much like Chaplin and his Little Tramp character. Something that occur in this film makes me wonder if I will see the neurotic little hypochondriac again however. He is not in the cast of his next picture and has been spending more time exclusively behind the camera as of late...

Jackman is also enjoyable as the suave, millionaire murder suspect. I cannot say that Jackman does anything in particular to make the role his but he suits his character none the less.

In terms of the plot I cannot help but feel that this is fresh... In fact it stinks of Curse of the Jade Scorpion. Johanson and Allen are more detective-like than anything. However I must applaud Allen on his ending because it is a bit more clever than your typical unoutstanding Hollywood version of this film. Instead of everything being black and white, things are painted in shades of gray. Being entirely innocent has nothing to do with it nor does unequivocal guilt. Though the plot seemed old Woody still has a knack for one liners. I did find his allusions to his last film interesting... Come for the humor, laugh and be merry.

Needless to say if you enjoy Allen's work watch it. If not watch something else...
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Hostel (2005)
3/10
Not Only are those on the Big screen Tourtured... Viewers are Too
28 April 2006
I am not a big horror film fan... I simply wanted to see this because the hype surrounding this movie claims that it is truly disturbing and disgusting. What I got was one of the funniest movies of all time. However a movie should not be laughed at, it should be laughed with. I shouldn't be laughing because the script is completely moronic. I shouldn't be laughing because the actors are ridiculous. I mean seriously I am sure this movie had enough of a budget to hire a few decent actors. Well I guess if I could act i wouldn't go near this script either. I am certain a bunch of foul mouthed 5 year old kids penned it under the name "Eli Roth". Seriously every character is off the shelf stock. Young, pot-headed, hedonistic, horny and above all stupid kids go on massive road trip throughout Europe and end up in an area which lures tourists in and has people pay to slaughter them. Whoa that is a good one... Let me tell you now. I find it funny that soft core porn is distributed throughout Hostel in effort to convince you that there was something in the film that was worthwhile. It is a paradox that anyone who watches this film will be violated far worse than any of the stupid characters in the film.
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Harakiri (1962)
10/10
A Gem of Japanese Cinema
13 April 2006
Harakiri is an excellent human drama set in feudal Japan that involves a ronin presenting himself to a powerful clan and asking to commit harikiri. However, through a series of flashbacks we see that this ronin is motivated by more than the idea of dying honorably. The events that follow are a critique of the feudal system and a celebration of dying for one's beliefs.

Every frame in Harikiri is wonderfully composed and a treat to view. The cinematography is crisp, the sets wonderful and the actors are spectacular. Much can be said about this film's technical merits as well as its social implications. I found out about this film through my love of Akira Kurosawa's samurai dramas (who else...) and I must say that it is very different from Kurosawa-sans work although it draws inevitable comparisons. Due to its themes, Harikiri is more of an anti samurai film. Generally Kurosawa's work seems to glorify the honor of the samurai and celebrate them as Japanese heroes by showing them gloriously in battle. Kurosawa is the Japanese John Ford, taking an icon from his culture and celebrating it. Harikiri exposes the virtues that Kurosawa portrays as being "a facade" to directly quote the film.

I say this so as not to mislead any potential viewers, I do not know enough about Japanese history to judge what the samurai really stood for and really I am not concerned with the idea. This is the only Kobyashi film I have seen and it has been brought to my attention that many of his films deal with similar themes. All in all I think that Harikiri is a wonderful film that offers a new take on feudal Japan.
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5/10
Waaaaaaaaaaay overrated.
18 March 2006
Anyone who has ever seen the original Star Wars trilogy has been waiting for this film ever since. How did Anikin Skywalker become the android in the shiny black samurai helmet? The back story and mystery has always captivated me, so ever since Episode 1 hit theaters I have eagerly anticipated this flick. I, like may people, was underwhelmed by episodes 1 and 2 but really felt that they lacked the same spirit as the first trilogy. I feel that both trilogies stand alone. They are their own tales brought together by common characters. So, On that fateful Wed. I made my way to the movie theater to be one of the first of many eager fans to view what I had waited years and years to see. Well, when I walked out I was a bit disappointed. The battles were epic, the story grand but the acting was lame and every scene seemed to be dominated by CG. Portman as the Queen was unimpressive, in fact she was awful. I love Natalie Portman (especially her roles in Closer, Garden State and The Professional) but she was weak this time around. Christianson wasn't too bad I guess, he looked evil throughout the flick and has improved a bit since his last SW outing. As I said before every frame was dominated by CG almost to the point that I wanted to gag. If you are going to make a film, decide whether it will be all CG or if you are going to use it to enhance effects (not create everything for you). I liked how the original trilogy managed to create convincing effects and sets without CG, so I wish Lucus would have tapped into that creativity he had while making the first film and made the effects and sets work without relying so much on CG. Computer Graphics are a wonderful tool for changing the style of your film as in Sin City or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow but they shouldn't make films for you. Shame on you lazy Lucus... But this Star Wars swansong does manage to entertain. I still felt a chill go down my spine as Darth Vader is "born". The battles were still grand. However this batch of SW flicks as a whole couldn't live up to their predecessors... Of course that is a lot to ask.
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Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
5/10
How to be fair...
5 March 2006
This is not supposed to be a very serious film, so am I supposed to be serious when assessing it? I watch a lot of movies, everything from foreign art films like 8 1/2 to popcorn flicks like War of the Worlds to action extravaganzas like A Better Tomorrow. I was convinced that i had to see this flick by a friend. We sat down and i laughed, partly because it was cheesy and partly because the dialogue. When some Elvis look-a-like (who is convinced he is Elvis--in fact, he just may be...) is sitting in a nursing home complaining about a "growth" on his penis,I must confess that I am immature enough to laugh. Nah, this has nothing to do with maturity, I just have a pulse so naturally I am going to laugh. Okay, so it is entertaining, but the cinematography is bland, the special effects are tacky, the plot is more of an afterthought... So in terms of artistic merit (I do believe that all films must have some artistic strengths to be deemed "good")Bubba Ho-tep is a failure. If, however, you wish to be entertained and enjoy goofy Sci-Fi channel originals, then by all means watch.
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(1963)
10/10
The Highest Point in Cinematic Art
7 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Our tale begins on a congested road. Our Protagonist's car fills with gas. He desperately tries to escape. The camera gives us a claustrophobic sense and within the first few minutes I am on the edge of my seat. Needless to say our protagonist survives but the outcome of this scene reveals so much. Fellini's 8 1/2 is a brilliantly executed tale of a mans life crashing down around him. It is a semi autobiographical tale, Guido is a director who is in a bit of a creative slump. He is giving both the press and executives the run around in order to buy time--hoping to find inspiration. His marriage is shaky and his relationship with his mistress is complicated. Guido tries to escape by going to a spa but his escape is not so easy... This film portrays inner conflict through dream sequences and fantasies as opposed to Expressionism. It is these sequences that enlighten the viewer and add dimension to the tale. To me 8 1/2 is the greatest film in ever, eclipsing Citizen Kane (of course AFI's top 100 list is limited to American movies...) and proving to be enjoyable and insightful.
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9/10
A Shakespearian Tragedy circa 1983...
18 December 2005
I must say, this film's exploration of the tragedy of love is enthralling. I am a male. I am only 18 years old and yet I was touched by each character's dynamic relationship with the others. We view the relationship of a widowed mother, Aurora, and her daughter Emma. We also explore the relationship between the seemingly cold mother and her neighbors of the male persuasion. There is also the relationship between the Emma and her husband. Then of course we have the exploration of Emma's relationship with her own children, mostly her oldest boy. The characters are unextraordinary in terms of who they are. They are "regular people" who are very real and do not display exaggerated or preposterous characteristics like the characters in some dramatic films. The film takes place in chronological order but skips large expanses of time, which is annoying at some points but necessary for pacing purposes. Heavy drama is offset by humor, and most of the humorous scenes are those with Jack Nicholson. The humor adds to the reality of the film and creates a vividness to the setting much like the humor in Forrest Gump. But as the film rolls to its conclusion it becomes apparent that this is a tragedy. The tragedy is two people's inability to recognize their love for one another, and their feelings are strongest in the event of loss. If Romeo and Juliet was the tragedy of one's ill feeling of another interfering with the lives of others then this is to a degree an evolution of that tragedy. Watch the film to see what I mean. Be warned however, this is a tear jerker.
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