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KeithFromKC
Reviews
Liquid Sky (1982)
I am crazy about this weird, beautiful little film!
I saw LIQUID SKY at a Midnight Showing here in Kansas City, back in 1983 or 84. I was in my late teens and just discovering Independent and Foreign films. A true cinematic oddity, this was a far cry from most of the schlock I was paying to see at the multiplex at that time. To each his own, but I LOVED LIQUID SKY! It's everything a Cult classic should be. The cinematography and use of color are incredible and has the Empire State building ever looked as majestic on screen? In retrospect, I also think the film is a harbinger of what was to come in the mid-late 80's. It's look at excess and style over substance more or less defined that period in time......and despite the crazy hair and Day-Glo makeup, Anne Carlisle is simply stunning.
About two years ago, I bought the DVD from AMAZON.com and although the packaging and overall quality could have been better, I was just glad to finally have a copy of the film in ANY format. Until that time, the only place in KC I could find Liquid Sky, was a beat up copy on VHS from my local Library(!). I probably checked that tape out a dozen times, just to show friends, many of whom, despite what you might think of us simple folk (alleged) here in Middle America, absolutely loved it's warped charms. The film made New York and it's hip, arty inhabitants seem as if they were from another planet. They were no less strange than the killer Alien, or whatever the hell that thing in the film was.
I am curious to know what ever became of Anne Carlisle and Paula E. Sheppard. There is almost zero information about them anywhere in Cyberspace. I did want to join in to say, after viewing the film again last night on DVD for the umpteenth time, that I am crazy about this weird, beautiful little film. It as if an 80's equivalent of Andy Warhol's Factory pooled their money and ideas together to make the coolest low-budget film ever. It captures everything that was fascinating about Independent film in the 80's. A visual experience that is colorful, bizarre, risqué, dark, smart and yes, even funny. I can see how this film would divide people, but if you like it, that's cool. If you don't, well, that's also cool. That I still have it etched in my brain over 20 years later, to me, says a good deal about Liquid Sky's unusual appeal.
Begotten (1989)
This movie warped my mind....and I LOVED it!
If you read the User Comments, you can see that this is a film that divides people. The people who dislike this film, really, REALLY dislike it. Going into BEGOTTEN, you have to open your mind and imagination and experience this film. It's not an easy film that you can merely watch. You are going to have to do a little work. If you are looking for something to throw on the DVD player on a cozy afternoon, then you might want to steer clear of BEGOTTEN. People who have seen it either find it pretentious and/or boring, while others are amazed by it's dark beauty and it's outright audacity. I am in the latter category!
Being a massive fan of films from the Silent era, I was sucked in by BEGOTTEN's 'speckled Chiaroscuro' cinematography and absence of dialogue. Despite some of it's grotesque images, it really is a beautiful film to look at. On the DVD, the trailer alone will give you chills. Describing the story would take too long and others have already tried in past comments. All I can say is that once you see this, whether you like it or not, I assure you, I PROMISE you, that you'll never forget it! How many films, especially these days, can you say THAT about?
In past comments, people have called the film silly and even the worst film ever made. I think they totally miss the point (I also think they are wrong). It's a film that challenges everything you thought you knew about cinema. If you are a fan of adventurous filmmaking, then give BEGOTTEN a try. E. Elias Merhige's vision cannot be denied. This is a totally original and thought-provoking film. Even if the thoughts are less than positive. Quite frankly, I'd love to see a sequel! But beware, it may warp your mind. As the trailer says: "Nobody will get through BEGOTTEN without being marked." It's true..........