Change Your Image
ptoche
Reviews
Redemption: A Mile from Hell (2009)
killer on a rampage in search of a stolen Mexican girl
This movie must fall in the "so bad it's good category." It's a poor movie in every way: poor script, poor direction, poor photography, and generally poor acting -- though to be fair the main actor is doing his best.
This good-looking guy shows up in this God-forsaken place in search of a Mexican girl, to take her back presumably to somewhere she'd rather be. She is currently a prostitute. On his way to the girl, a few guys are killed, spoof-like. Will the girl be saved? Will the guy outsmart enemies? If you really want to find out, there are two ways: either watch the movie or read on...
SPOILERS BELOW: On his way to the Mexican girl, much loss of life. One guy's buried alive, and later shot, in an after-thought sort of way. When the guy finally finds the Mexican girl, she turns out to be this cute, helpless teenager. He falls in love with her in a matter of seconds, and naturally proceeds to bed her. There is an age difference. Plus she looks great and clean, while he's very rough-edged and hasn't had a bath. Not for the faint-hearted.
Later on the guy admits to the Mexican girl that he's the one who killed her family. She's obviously turned off (who wouldn't, especially after a night of sex), but somehow inexplicably later changes her mind and is to be seen by his side as he lay dying.
I couldn't work out whether the guy had a foot (or two) hacked off by a psychopathic doctor. I couldn't be bothered to rewind and play it in slow motion. I'd rather live in this limbo where the possibility is there and the certainty isn't.
On the whole, a movie to be watched high or not at all.
Denise Calls Up (1995)
Will establish itself as a classic
There are very good, specific comments on this film already, so I will limit mine to general, nearly abstract remarks.
While some of the technology used in the film may become obsolete, the main theme is timeless. The paradox is this: as humans get more and more connected by phones, faxes, internet, and so on, they become more and more disconnected from each other. Virtual contact replaces physical contact. We are not the better for it.
For raising a timeless question this movie will become a minor classic.
The film has a great sense of humor. It may appeal to East Coasters, to Europeans, to fans of Woody Allen, and to lovers of independent New York comedies.
Main target audience: you with the phone in the hand.
WALL·E (2008)
boring, boring, boring
This will go down as the most boring movie I have seen this year. It is predictable, shallow, and paceless.
Sorry guys, but I walked out of it.
My 9-year old nephew had warned me: "everyone says it's boring, I don't want to watch wall-e, I want to watch Kung Fu panda (a third time)!" I thought I knew better, having read some IMDb reviews and an impressive 9.0/10 voters' grade (now down to 8.8 and no doubt soon to fall below 8 where it belongs). So I dragged everyone to the theatre, promising them something somewhat deeper and more thought-provoking than Kung-Fu panda. Duh!? yeah,sure, endless piles of rubbish make you think: for instance, why pile it up near the buildings when there are entire areas free of construction...
The robots are cute, but no cuter than the robots in Star Wars (whatever their names are), and certainly no smarter. For one, they don't speak, except some kind of gibberish: it does make you wonder, doesn't it? I nearly lost all credibility with the family. I walked out early and booked us some seats for Hellboy2. My nephew loved it and forgave me my earlier mishap. Close one though.
I noticed this is Disney production: well that's my explanation right there: Disney paid a bunch of unemployed losers a dollar apiece to vote tirelessly for their boring, boring, boring silly animated skit.
The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997)
some good looking guy with no personality doesn't do much
The most disappointing thing about this movie is that it has no literary value. There is no story to speak of, Neal Cassady's life is pathetically boring, and the dialog is without any wit at all.
We follow Neal Cassady -- who is supposed to be 20 but looks 30 -- swap girlfriends and hangs out with some losers, including some totally unrecognizable Beat poets.
The actors are doing their best but the script they are grappling with is empty. It's pretty girls and pretty boys, and pretty boring.
No wit, and, worst of all, no beat!
Neal Cassady : a would-be James Dean without a cause and indeed without a rebellion!
Fay Grim (2006)
a huge disappointment for a fan of Henry Fool
It's hard to believe that this is a sequel to Henry Fool. Hard to believe that the same director and actors were involved in both movies. While Henry Fool is refreshing, witty, comical, Fay Grim is slow, boring, and doesn't go anywhere. Where has the wit gone? I am baffled.
It is 10 years since I saw Henry Fool and many of its dialogs and scenes are still vivid in my memory. Fay Grim is painful to watch. This is no fault of the actors, who are good (Parker Posey) or great (Jeff Goldblum) -- the blame lies entirely with the plot, the dialog, and even some of the filming (low budget is no excuse). A huge disappointment.
Sorry I couldn't pay attention to the plot, I was so bored, so disappointed... if you enjoyed this one you might not enjoy Henry Fool so much... the two movies have absolutely nothing to do with each other... there is no continuity in the characters' personalities... it's all a fraud to entice fans of Henry Fool to watch the sequel.
I'm switching this off now -- Henry in some sort of jail with a Taliban?!?!
Henry Fool (1997)
Hilarious and Deep
At one level the story is a hilarious comedy, sometimes over the top, perhaps occasionally bordering on bad taste (but that's okay). At another level the story is a deep study of literature, and artistic activity in general. The story raises questions about the psychology of the artist. The story shows that, often, fools and grim people are attracted to artistic activities. It also shows that what makes a work of art worthy or excellent is not always what you would expect. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the movie is to have created two authentic and unforgettable literary characters, Simon Grim and Henry Fool.
Nowhere (1997)
Hilarious comedy about a group of US teenagers
Very funny. Pretty accurate, though obviously slightly exaggerated, representation of a generation of white middle-class teenagers in the US. We are talking about a comedy though, and not about a sociological study of teenage angst. I laughed and thought it worked. In my opinion it deserves higher ratings than the current 5.7, say 7.