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Reviews
Shortbus (2006)
Titillating and Moving at the same time? Why not?
Okay, so people are going to make a huge fuss over the use of actual sexual intercourse in this film and whether or not it's "necessary". Personally, I think it ought to be self- evident that our reactions to the things that upset/offend or please/stimulate us have more to do with our own perspectives than anything else. The use of sex in the film made me feel closer to the characters and drew me further into that vision of New York. It felt more personal, somehow. It didn't take me out of the moment; it made the moment more visceral. Having said all that, the movie isn't without its flaws. Most of the "foreshadowing" tends to be as subtle as... well, as subtle as anything else in the movie. The "inevitable" results of James' and Spohia's respective arcs are painfully obvious from almost the moment we meet them. Don't let any of that keep you from seeing this movie, though. It's touching and sweet and sad and messy. It's a lot like sex, in point of fact. And most of the performances are pretty solid. Justin Bond, in particular, is great to watch and has most of the best lines. He comes off as a Bizarro version the MC from "Cabaret". Lindsey Beamish is awesome, and PJ DeBoy is great, even though I wanted to hit his character with a baseball bat. Often. So, go. Watch the movie. Drop your inhibitions, even if only for a little while. You just might learn something.
Voodoo Academy (2000)
Potentially Hot, Actually Dreadful
This is one of those movies that should have been way better than it turned out to be. I dread to think what the Blockbuster-approved edit must have looked like, because the director's cut on DVD was a bore of the epic proportions. Naturally, you don't expect it to be "The Godfather", but an acting class or two might have come in handy.
Also, there were so many cute guys in this movie, but they were woefully under-exploited. I like watching a bevy of hotties writhe around in their BVDs as much as the next guy, but even I have a right to expect a little more. It wasn't a total loss, though; at least we got a peek a Drew Fuller's (covered) junk and truly upsetting haircut. And there's Huntley Ritter looking even cuter than he did in "Bring It On" (and acting about as well). There's always a silver lining, kids. You just have to look really hard for it. And occasionally, you have to make use of your pause button.