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zoltanc666
Reviews
Troy (2004)
Silly (heterosexistic) crippled version of the poem...
Well, I guess I don't have to repeat how shallow the movie is - others have done that here before. But what really made me angry was the way the script manipulated the poem, especially how it erased the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus and transferred Achilles' erotic/romantic interest to Briseis. What made this manipulation stranger was that actually in the movie Patroclus and Achilles behaved as male lovers would behave - yeah, OK, they were shown to be great friends but there isn't much of a difference between love and a very close friendship, is there? And I don't mean this in a homosexistic way (meaning that close friendship between men isn't possible without being sexual). But that's the way it is in the poem. This heterosexistic manipulation really robbed the movie of being a great chance in erasing 'gay' stereotypes or encouraging gay youth. Anyway, if you want to find out how it really was check out the chapter "Achilles and Patroclus" of Andrew Calimach's great collection of Greek myths (Andrew Calimach: Lovers' Legends. The Gay Greek Myths. Restored and Retold by Andrew Calimach. New Rochelle: Haiduk Press 2002). The book helped me a lot.
Qui? (1970)
Very interesting
One of Ms. Schneider's early works where she was trying to shake off the 'Sissi'-Image. Here we can see her (great as usual) as the somewhat troubled girlfriend of a man probably killed in a car crash as she tries to support his brother finding out what really happened. But strange things begin to happen and she feels like being hunted by a ghost.
The really good cast down to the supporting roles combined with the great and very suspenseful direction, a really good 60s score and the original and atmospheric script make a French thriller (actually, it's a French-Italian co-production) more interesting than lot of its counterparts from Hollywood. OK, the script tries sometimes a little bit too heavy to create a sense of overwhelming doom or anxiety surrounding Ms. Schneider's character (in her presence and in the things happening to her), on the other hand that low-key suspense is what makes the movie so effective. The main part seems to be just written for Ms. Schneider as she as usual does such a splendid job.
Any admirer of Ms. Schneider's talent shouldn't miss this movie. And any admirer of good (60s/70s) thrillers shouldn't miss this rare movie, either! I think it should really get a release on DVD. The score by none other than Claude Bolling would along with the songs be also great to have on CD.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Dangerous Legends of Dysfunctionality
I found it really surprising what is presented as 'romance' here: A dysfunctional marriage/family (just look at the reasons why they married and why they separated) producing Tristan, the 'hero' of the movie. But he isn't a real man to start with. His very, very boyish or childish behavior doesn't stop during the whole of the movie, even after he's gone on his oh-so-important hunting/self-discovery trip. He seems to completely lack maturity and (consequently) the key to manhood. The woman waits for him which makes one wonder if she has got some problems, too. Indeed in the beginning of the movie Tristan's mother gives us some clues, saying that the girl has lost her parents and is 'fragile' (I think that's the word she used). The real tragedy here is that nobody realises what's the problem or tells Tristan to stop and to grow up. The problems arising because of his dysfunctional personality lead to him causing death and disaster and ultimately being isolated and dying alone.
'Pretty Boy' Brad Pitt indeed seems to be the ideal choice for Tristan, since he didn't need to use his limited acting abilities for this part, anyway. I think he suffers from the same problem as the character does. The only good scene he does is when he broods over the girl playing Tennis at the beginning of the movie. The other actors are decent to very good (I especially liked Karina Lombard, a great and underrated actress) but ultimately they are wasted on this movie (as is the good photography and direction and the score). It's surprising that on the one hand the scriptwriters (and/or the writer of the novel) presented the personality problems so well but on the other hand make those persons (especially Tristan) heroes. They obviously didn't know what they were doing.
This House Possessed (1981)
Great! I'm just desperate for a DVD/Soundtrack (*gasp*) release!
A haunted house where the haunting manifests most of the time through the computer that controls nearly every part of the house... fascinating. Yet the haunting is so powerful it can kill/watch/manipulate people miles away, and it seems the force inside the house has feelings, since it's main aim is to bring the person it loves into it's power. The script of this movie is highly original and most of the scenes are really great - the "bloody shower" scene or the very atmospheric scenes at the beginning, when the house watches the people through some monitors at night...just sitting there and waiting... - this movie really gets in your mind and stays there. Throw in a very good performance by the female leads and a convincing performance by the male lead, a really great score that helps much to enhance the thick atmosphere created by the extremely good directing, editing and photography, and here you have it: a really outstanding haunted house movie! One reviewer here criticized the use of "suddenly opening doors" in this movie: Well, yes, at one point a door opens itself, but since the house is alive a lot of stuff moves itself here, so you can't criticize that, unless you want to criticize that the movie doesn't need a lot of blood and gore to create tension... Yes, the fire at the end looks not so good at the indoor shots, but, since most of this seems to be shot outside a studio in a real (great-looking) house, I guess they just couldn't burn this great house down! But just look at that cool "breathing-wall" shot! And maybe they were low on budget, too, and if this is true, then it makes the movie even more greater, since to create such a great movie with a low budget is really a masterpiece!
Eye of the Devil (1966)
a masterpiece!
This movie is great in every aspect: is has *great* directing, acting, photography and especially very original editing that one might get used to. Sharon Tate is simply great, as are David Mulhare, Deborah Kerr and the rest of the cast. This is atmospheric horror like "The Haunting" (1963), that will have you on the edge of your seat just through the pure atmosphere created by it. The score by Gary McFarland (!) is outstanding! This is a movie just screaming for a proper DVD and soundtrack release!!
The Awakening (1980)
A Masterpiece of a Sophisticated Horror Movie
Ignore the bad reviews the movie got here - I guess they are by people who wanted to see something like "The Mummy" with Brendan Fraser, but this movie is something completely different. This is one of those sophisticated horror movies like "The Haunting" (1963) that build up extreme tension through great directing, acting and an unique score. No silly gore or mummies roaming the landscape. The photography and the directing is great and will capture you immediately. The acting is excellent, Heston is the right guy for this job, just like York and Zimbalist, who is wonderful in impersonating the innocent girl on the one hand and the wicked queen who wants to repeat the affair with her father on the other hand, and this shows one of the deeper meanings of the movie: incest. Kara was forced to marry her father (it was an usual custom in the ancient egypt). The movie is very well historically researched and can give you a lot of info about the ancient egypt. "The Mummy" gets every historic fact ludicrously wrong. This atmospheric movie is one you won't forget, especially the slightly melancholic ending (the melancholic note is delivered by the great score). Yes, you don't really know what will happen, now that Kara is free again, but this is even more than you will know when you have finished the novel, since the novel leaves *everything* unclear, even whether Kara is free or not. And Zimbalist looks simply *great* with that make-up, and her acting is wonderful. This is a movie just screaming for a proper DVD and soundtrack release!