Change Your Image
gramdal
Reviews
Brazil (1985)
A Cerebral Blow-out
One of the top 10 movies of all time, in my book. I would call this the Citizen Kane of my generation (Baby Boomer/X).
This is easily Gilliams best work.
When I first saw this film, with a good friend, I sat slack-jawed at the sheer visual spectacle. But what moved me to call this one of the best films ever, was the story and the atmosphere.
Gilliam has predicted, in many ways, the world we now live in.
Gilliam paints a picture of a country controlled by a secret police state, where information is exchanged and lives are changed. Terrorism and secret state torture are but a few of the themes he touches on in this dark Orwellian view of the future.
Amid these darker themes is Jonathan Pryce as Lowry, an "Every man". Lowry trudges through his boring bureaucratic job. In his dreams he is heroic, saving the woman he loves from monstrous threats. When he meets a woman in real life that looks exactly like his dream woman, he suddenly breaks free from the yoke of oppression, and pursues her with all his suppressed passion. Unfortunately this action takes him down a one-way street, into the depths of the "Homeland Security", where he ultimately succumbs to torture. Dark? Yes, brilliant? Absolutely! When we finally came out of the theatre, we turned and looked at each other, my friend said "That was a cerebral blow-out!", I nodded in agreement.
This film changed how I look at the world around me. There are many layers to this film, and it may take several viewings to really "Get it". Many people may never understand its genius. Those who make the effort will discover the underlying message about government bureaucracies, and the dangers of giving the government too much power, while surrendering many of our freedoms, for the illusion of "Security". Proof that this is a timeless classic is the fact that it has more relevance today, then when it was made.
Beyond the fabulous cinematography, character development, acting, effects and action, is an atmosphere that is haunting.
The Lathe of Heaven (1980)
One of my top 20 Favorite Science Fiction Stories
As the die-hard science fiction fans know, special effects are great, but without a great story, it won't stand the test of time.
Based on Ursula K. Leguin's book, this is (I hear) a very faithful adaptation. And easily one of the very best made for t.v. movies ever.
The effects are low budget, but that's not important, the story is amazing. Great science fiction takes us away from the familiar structure of life we understand, and stands reason and convention on it's head. It makes us see the things that are so close to us they are invisible. Great science fiction frames the familiar, in a new context and sheds truth on things we were unable to recognize in their mundane form.
This story moved me, in the way the book Stranger in a Strange Land did. Like the first time I read 2001 (The movie is meaningless without the book).
It is a story about reality, how we perceive it, how we shape it. How we are important to everyone and every thing, as our actions shape not only our own sphere of existence, but ripple outward effecting everything. This is of course told in an abstracted way, but the message is clear.
If you are looking for crazy robots and sleek starships, move on.
If you are looking for a thought provoking story, that will stick with you for days, or as I see with myself and others here, decades, then this is a cult classic that you simply can not miss.
I would have given it a 10, but the effects are low budget, though that does not make it any less amazing.
Gojira tai Hedora (1971)
My Favorite Godzilla movie
Anyone who says that Godzilla movies are nothing more than men in rubber monster suits, wrestling and destroying scale models of Tokyo... has not seen this film! When I first saw it, I was like 5 or 6 years old and it scared the beejeezus out of me! I agree with another reviewer, definitely not a "G" rating. What makes this a rare and exceptional Godzilla movie is the not-so subtext. Pollution was a big concern in the late sixties and early seventies, and this film has the most powerful images of anti-pollution propaganda that I have seen in any film! Add to this, a bizarre mix of dancing disco hippie chicks singing "Save the Earth", with real images of the horrendous pollution in Japan and things like spontaneous animated clips...and you have THE most unique of the Godzilla films ever made! But don't worry! There is plenty of all-monster-wrestling!! You either like Godzilla movies, or you don't. If you don't like the franchise, avoid this like the plague. If you are a huge fan of the big "G", like I am, this is the most interesting variation on the standard zilla plot. And a refreshing, bizarre and disturbing mix of imagery!! I gave it a 10 of 10 because it is my favorite of all the Godzilla movies.