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scudkat
Reviews
Blood Simple (1984)
Couldn't they have killed Meurice too?
Blood Simple is a tangled fishing line. It has curves, knots, and every way you look, you're headed in the wrong direction. Somehow, though you know there's gonna be a predictable outcome. Everyone's got to start somewhere, and here's where the Coens start. Now, i'll give credit the style, and some to the plot, but other than that the Coens have a few cool camera shots (thanks to Barry Sonnenfeld) and gripping scenes, but thats it! All the meaning, and imagery, and tastey characters couldn't save this movie. The actors, besides the spicey PI, were all boring, especially Ray and Abby. I could have cared less about them. And I wanted that saucey, pimpin, afro bartender Meurice to just diappear from the moment he said "Well, I'm from Detroit!" Great, go jump down a well. Music was either out of place or marginal, and the sound was terrible, I could hardly hear what they were saying, and that twangy texan accent didnt help. The biggest killer, however, was the flow and pace. I didn't know when to be excited or when to tuck myself in, which you might think is good, but in actuality is really tiresome, just like the surprises. They gave the surprises away too easily, and I'm thinking, "waiiiit a minute, sumthin wrong here..(!BANG!).. gosh, i WAS expecting that." The Coen Brothers got off to a rocky start, but I'm glad this was their first film. If they ever had a chance to learn from their mistakes, it was here.
Short Cuts (1993)
A Tedious Story of Uninteresting People
Not even the rare cameo by raw talent Tom Waits could save this movie. This movie was adapted from the Ray Carver collection of short stories. Though the book may have been worth something when it was written, the film is useless. Most of the stories are real testaments of modern life, and in that is the only reason why it should be recognized. After that, not much is left to praise, except for a few amusing moments with Peter Gallagher, and Lyle Lovett. The film could be compared as the Magnolia/American Beauty of the early 90's. But then one would fail to realize that at least both Magnolia and American Beauty were fun to watch, artistically enjoyable, have key points, and kept your interest. It's bad enough you watch an eyesore with no cinematographical appeal (ala documentary style texture, angles, and movement), but having to go through 3 hours of it... lets keep our nasty comments to ourselves here. This movie is sequenced into fragments you get to see in parts. STAY AWAY FROM THIS FILM unless you are doing case study on LA, or social decadence, or blunders of film, or poop. Other critics praise how Altman makes you relate to the characters, and the rarity of realism this film has to offer on social decadence. Well for one, I can relate to my Dad's life, that doesn't it would make a good story. I would have liked to see Peter Gallagher and Tom Waits gone on a drunken, balled-up rampage around town and fish tail Gallagher's classic car into various mailboxes and small erect structures. And if Altman wanted to display sociopaths in real life situations around LA, he could just as well have had hired retards to work at Del Taco for a day. Did I mind you to STAY AWAY FROM THIS FILM?
-The main grudge with this film is that it is NOT interesting-
and it's 3 hours long
scudkat
Europa Europa (1990)
A true Screen Gem
If I was a west-euro student in highschool, i'd thank heavens to see a movie like this. It has a belivable and captivating plot, marvelous acting and directing, and a premise that works so well WITHOUT any sappy, disgusting hollywood spin. Though it was altered from the book, I never throughout the whole film had a tinge of disbelief. The reason why Americans would doubt the greatness of this film is either they are too lazy to keep up with the story through the subtitles, or they just can't appreciate a slower paced war film. When will we ever learn?
Xing mu zi gu huo zhao (1979)
Lots of fun
Others who reviewed this movie failed to realize that this isn't a hollywood movie where everything has to have $million budget, keanu reeves acting, and and stupid sexual inuendo's with corny sappy stories. This is a Kung Fu Flick, and you can either take it very seriously, or very not-. This movie, you would not. And if you did, you'd probably end up in writing a nasty stupid review like the others did. This is a movie where the writers/director didn't have to actually make fun of kung fu movies to be funny and have satire. A very delightful cast of characters, with traditional cartoonish acting, a good story, and well-mapped/inventive fights; what more can be asked for? I gave it an 8. ~Side Note: I love the bald eyebrow guy, he so cute n' cuddley, I just wanna pet his bald noggin ^,^ .
American Beauty (1999)
Exactly how a portrayal should be done.
Anything that can be said about this movie has already been said by others. The acting was great and I don't care what anyone has to say, Spacey earned that oscar. Directing along with editing was top notch, nothing out of place. Camera was decent, really liked the bag in the wind, nothing special other than that, but no complaints. The script was marvelous. The writer knew stereotypes and worked them in outstanding manner. Things fit, no where did I not believe the story, I was always interested.
When I look at negative reviews of this movies I have to wonder whether or not they are earnest or just want to be contradictory. Why this was such a good movie was because of the stretching of the truth. The stereotypes were there, they said "hey what's up, it's us" and you knew it. What became of that was brilliance. People say that no one in the movie is ordinary. Well duh, I don't want anyone to be ordinary in my pop-culture movie, it's BORING, and it doesn't help the film. Because these people are so twisted is why they blend together. You may say that it's not believable; why not? Really, why not? All the characters are based on stereotypes. If they all exist, why not together, in the same neighborhood, in Upper-middle class suburbia? Why not, because any other movie is based on coincidences (maybe not as blunt and repeated as Magnolia, but yeah). Just because this movie fits together so sweetly people have to go and find a reason why they shouldn't like it, and that is a true shame. I gave it a 9 because the camera work wasn't spectacular, so there ~NEahhhhn~ Scudkat
Boys (1996)
This was good
I do not care what other users say, this was a good movie. The acting was superb, the directing was on target, and the photography was absolutely beautiful. A fitting soundtrack, a very sufficient cast, and quality transition between short-story and screen. Winona Ryder and Lukas Haas give a chemistry that you cannot find in many movies these days, especially with youth actors. Ok, Granted- that the story builds up and then lets you off to a bad explanation and dull outcome, the ride up to the climax was marvelous. I voted this movie an 8, and anyone who devoutly disagrees can go take a film making course and actually learn to critique.
Beetlejuice (1988)
One Good Movie by Burton
I could go off on all the good and bad points on this movie, but this movie doesn't really need it. I can say after ten years of seeing this movie time to time, I can still watch it any day. It's one that I'd recommend if you wanted to see a good tim burton film, or just a good dark comedy. I voted 9.