Category Archives: Reviews

El Norte

Posted on by

I saw this in spanish class during high school. I’ll have to say that it was one damn fine movie. I have seen few movies that have this one’s element of tragedy. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s about a brother and sister who become illegal aliens – crossing the US/Mexico border (in the northerly direction). If you don’t speak spanish, it is subtitled. If you can read, it’s one of those movies that’s worth seeing even if you don’t like subtitles (and if you can’t read, then you won’t be reading this, so nevermind.). I loved the non-hollywood ending.

 

No Man’s Land

Posted on by

Another movie about the horrors & pointlessness of war – especially when seen from the front lines. I liked how all these characters are just “regular guys” and not uber-macho robotic types (like they are in typical American war movies). They’re all just in a screwed-up situation. Plus, I liked how the movie really didn’t pick sides… And the end was great too! Don’t be expecting a happy movie, cuz war ain’t happy.

 

Noi

Posted on by

Why do people go all gaga over these artsy movies? I mean, it was OK, but come on… Simply being stark, depressing, low-budget, quiet, and obscure doesn’t mean a movie is great. What is Noi? A small-town Icelandic kid tries to cope with being a small-town Icelandic kid, and then everyone dies. Perhaps the most fun part was trying to read all the Icelandic names in the credits – holy moley!

Update: I watched this and wrote the above before visiting Iceland. After having gone there, I have a better appreciation for this. I can see the desperation that would come with coming of age in a small Icelandic town, and having few choices about your life’s direction. Anyway, I guess it goes to show that the “me of  7 years ago” wasn’t all knowing ;-).

 

Natural Born Killers

Posted on by

It’s too bad that most people can’t get past the disgusting exterior of this movie to see the genius inside. This is Oliver Stone’s best movie in my opinion. It was so completely over-the-top that it was completely free from any barriers. Life is a fuse… lots of sparks and then one day, BOOM! Actually, this movie was one long mushroom trip – Mr. Stone conceived much of it while under the influence (so I’m told), and there are references to funky mushrooms throughout the movie. Beside that, it’s a great commentary on the state of our society and media. If people are offended by this movie, they better wake up and take a look around them. This movie is just a fantasy, the world around them is real and it’s a lot more scary than “Natural Born Killers”. Closing one’s eyes in denial only makes things worse. Shielding oneself from reality by selective attention is the path to an early death. Not using one’s mind is the same thing as actively destroying it with a noxious drug or a bullet between the eyes.

 

Naked States

Posted on by

A documentary about a guy who photographed naked people all over the country a few years ago. At first I was thinking – this guy is a shallow, “why doesn’t the world appreciate me?” guy. But, he grew on me as the movie progressed. I think his reaction to the nudist colony made me like him more. A few of the photographs were really neat. I think my favorite was the heavy woman on the rocks near New York.