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Reviews
Higher Learning (1995)
Must have seen a different movie
I must have been watching a different movie to most of the people adding comments. I didn't see it as a film portraying African Americans as good and whites as bad but as a film in which all the factions were shown to have good and bad sides. Even the guy who becomes the Nazi skinhead was portrayed sympathetically in as much as he is clearly out of his depth in a social situation and becomes a recruit because only the skinheads will accept him when no-one else will. Overall, the African Americans come out as the most sympathetic but not by much.
I agree there are some fairly silly stereotypes, especially Fishburne's character, but they work in the context of the movie. Most refreshing was the fact that an American college is portrayed as a place with real issues like racism and date rape and drunken behaviour. It's refreshing because colleges are usually shown as places where nice middle-class kids never have any problem bigger than being dumped by their boyfriends before everything is resolved in the last reel.
An overly maligned movie. Not perfect but better than a million other college movies. Loved the ending too.
Nor the Moon by Night (1958)
Good fun but with dark undertones - how about a remake?
Caught this by accident on the TV and, despite having no previous knowledge of it and not being committed to watching it, I was drawn into it and found it very enjoyable. Patrick McGoohan is great as the lead as are the rest of the cast. The background of a game reserve is well presented and the story rattles along nicely and has enough twists to keep your interest. The film is also a treat for Land Rover lovers as they are featured extensively. This is one film that I think might warrant a remake as it has a lot of dark themes that it would be easier to explore today. We must be long overdue for a revival of jungle films that aren't self-consciously camp.
American Psycho (2000)
Son of Blair Witch
It was nagging away at me for some time what this film reminded me of. Then it came to me. It was obvious. American Psycho is the big budget version of The Blair Witch Project. Think about it. Both films are full of characters that are so hateful you wish they would get chopped to pieces by the psycho killer after spending five minutes with them. After 90 minutes in their presence you are prepared to wield the chainsaw yourself in order to end the torture of watching them. Both films have been hyped by their publicists and film critics as being masterpieces even though my cats have a better understanding of what makes a good film. Both films last for around 100 minutes and both films feel as though they last for 100 hours whilst you live through them. Both films feature characters who are afraid of things that normal citizens don't give a second thought to; in the case of Blair Witch, a fear of twigs; in the case of American Psycho, a fear of naff business cards or failure to get bookings at snotty restaurants that only women who want to become stick insects so they can star in more Hollywood product would want to eat in anyway. None of the characters in either film can tell the difference between fantasy and reality; no audience member of either film cares.
As nihilistic, narcissistic and pointless as the book.