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Nyello
Reviews
Confessions of a Serial Killer (1985)
A cinematic assault
This film takes the glamor out of serial killin'. The titular murder is a simple man, and his country-boy manner and affability caused me to like him in the scenes where he was not hacking at women and then copulating with their corpses. The happy-go-lucky sidekick character--an essential element of the Henry Lee Lucas story--is especially sleazy in this film, which is a nice touch, I think. The fact that he is named "Moon" only sweetens the pot. I am a fan of disturbing cinema, and this film definitely disturbs. I found "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" absolutely unwatchable, simply due to its lack of plot, characters, and satisfying gore. This movie, on the other hand, boasts down-home characters, good performances, vile acts of posthumous sodomy, and paints a gritty portrait of what it is like to house an insatiable bloodlust. The other obvious advantage over "Henry" is that the more acclaimed picture lacked the proper plot structure necessary for such a film. This movie, on the other hand, with its flashback setup, is a tasty treat from start to finish. I give it three stars out of five.
Supernova (2000)
James Spader murdered my soul
This is the sloppiest movie I have ever seen in theaters. So poorly made, so monotonously acted, so many close-ups and shaky camera tricks; then they threw in James Spader's bare keyster, and I just about ralphed right there and then. I mean, there aren't even opening credits or a frigging title card! Then after the "climax" the word "Supernova" flashes onto the screen in gigantic letters, mocking you for having endured its many sordid tortures. In other, more familiar words: worst movie ever.
Very Bad Things (1998)
Gold!
Depressing? Maybe. Disturbing? Certainly. Tasteless? My God, yes. Brilliant? Without a doubt. If one sets aside one's prudish moral beefs with this film, there is no disputing the fact that this motion picture takes total advantage of its medium. The story is well-constructed, the direction is solid, and the performances are impeccable (they finally found a use for Daniel Stern!). And, sure, it's got some graphic violence, and a pinch of gratuitous sex, but in the end, it does have a moral. I'm sorry, but this is easily one of the best films of the 1990's, and I'll personally spit on anyone who says otherwise.
Eraserhead (1977)
This will keep you up nights
My God...what a brilliant film. It's REALLY hard to find, but if you appreciate the other films David Lynch has done, THIS IS THE ULTIMATE FILM. It has so many subtexts and ambiguously addresses so many issues. I'm not very good at reviewing things, and only write when I feel REALLY STRONGLY about a film, and this is the film I feel strongest about. There's just one thing I can't figure out (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT): What significance is it that Henry is a printer, yet they make his head into an eraser? I've got most of it pinned down, but I just can't quite coherently grasp what this means. This film fascinates me. See it.
Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
Those crazy apes...
During one of the Sci-Fi channel's many "Planet of the Apes" marathons, I caught this little making-of special that covers the various "Apes" movies. I thought it was an intriguing look at the first movie franchise to really milk the cow dry. Good narration by the late Roddy McDowall, good film series (the first three, anyway...), worth a watch if this happens to pop up on TV again.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Oh heaven, oh bliss...
My parents forbade me from seeing this movie at a very early age (it is the only movie I'm not allowed to see), so I was always under the impression that it was a gratuitous orgy of sex and violence. It wasn't until one of my friends loaned me his copy that I realized neither of them could have actually seen it. To deny me a film like this, but to recommend such trash as "I Spit on Your Grave" and "From Dusk Till Dawn" is a sin. This is the most brilliant film I have ever seen. I had always enjoyed Kubrick's work, but it wasn't until the infamous "Singin' in the Rain" scene that I realized just how incredibly deep and meticulous Kubrick's direction is. Certainly not for every taste, this film balances carefully choreographed violence with deep philosophical, theological and satirical commentary that left me speechless and opened my still young eyes to the wonderful world of cinema as an art form.