Collecting Movie Reviews

Andrei Rublev is a unique and challenging masterpiece set in Medieval Russia, loosely based on the life of a real monk renowned for his Icon paintings. Starkly and beautifully photographed in black and white, its austere settings and classic compositions as well as its depiction of an earlier, simpler Christian faith struggling amid paganism, cruelty and barbarism in those brutish times, reminded me of and compared favorably to Bergman's similar explorations in The Virgin Spring and The Seventh Seal. Tarkovsky's film, however,is completely his own, presented in an elliptical and episodic structure, at times enigmatic, sometimes disjointed and loose, often poetic and fanciful.

Opening with a sequence unconnected to the remainder of the story, unless as a metaphor, yet wonderfully strange and evocative, the film then follows the travels of some monk/artisans, eventually centering on the title character, Andrei Rublev, whose work is described by one of his envious companions as beautiful yet empty, missing something at its center. This notion of unfullfillment in faith and belief and art and the social construct will run throughout the film.

The Christianity of these monk/artists is shown by turns as one of the few lights of charity and gentleness in a brutal and cruel age, and in the next instance as repressive and intolerant and narrow-minded, austere and indifferent to the natural life of humankind. The struggle for faith and meaning, and to what use one is to put not only their faith but their talent and artistry in a world of atrbitrary power & indifferent injustice, of pagan bliss and casual barbarity, are central themes in the film. In fact, faith and art are interchangeable in Tarkovsky's film, the struggle for meaning and purpose in art and how that fits in an, at times, monstrous world is the same as the struggle for meaning and purpose in religious faith, too often suppressed and overrun by the ambitions and passions of the secular world. That artistry and spirituality are at the mercy of the crassness and indifference of power is startling demonstrated with the blinding of the artisans.

Tarkovsky doesn't shrink from the brutality of the era while showing us that ignorance and suppression have a long history in human history. Amazing that he created such a film in the Soviet Union of the 1960's. This is a film with bold and shocking scenes alongside poetic and sublime passages. One could write pages describing the imagery and composition of Tarkovsky's great vision. Suffice it to say that this long, yet entrancing film is rich with very different settings, scenes and ideas. It is world class cinema, well worth the time of those interested in something beyond simple entertainment. 5 Stars all the way.

A film so great and so original as to inspire writers to impossible heights of language to describe its genius is also a film which requires its audience to learn a new filmic language in which to fully appreciate it.

I prefer to watch this film alone, with no sound, letting the images and movements utterly absorb me, without any thinking or attempts to contextualize the work whatsoever, setting the disc on "auto-shuffle" to emphasize this point. Try it!

Watching this film with another person, especially someone who has not seen it, can prove problematic, however. Explain to them that the next scene will be a sex scene (you will, in a very real sense, be right). Use the title of my review if you must. But share it all the same.

Then watch it the way you like best again, for this film, like a great novel, merits and indeed insists upon multiple viewings--it is truly a universe unto itself.

this is probably the best movie ever made.

When I first picked up this series at a local video store, I expected it to be some cheesy, melodramatic shojo (girls') anime. Was I ever wrong.

Utena, superficially, is the story of a determined young girl who goes through many trials for the sake of her friend, the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya. Underneath all that it is a heavily symbolic story about the balance between masculinity and femininity and humanity's struggle against its own flaws.

Utena is directed by Ikuhara, who also did Sailor Moon - but be warned, Utena is nothing like Sailor Moon. While the anime is still lighter than the original manga, it deals with controversial subjects such as incest, rape, and lesbianism. Young children can watch Utena without fear, as it contains no nudity or violence whatsoever, but a ten-year-old simply won't get the complexity of plot in Utena, which was written for teenagers.

Ikuhara's handling of Utena is superb: the music, the animation and the voices are great - but the English pronounciations are still awful (Utena TenjOH, people, not Tenjoo). Utena is a geart watch even for guys; you can't call yourself an otaku if you don't see it!

When I saw the first episode I was more than a bit confused, I thought, 'hey, maybe the next one will clear things up', but it just got more and more complicated.
What I like about this serie is that it's original, I mean, which other serie can you name that has an unwilling heroine looking for a mysterious prince from her past ending up in a strange academy where people are fighting to possesss the equally mysterious 'Rose Bride'?
Initially I only watched the first load, the Rose Collection, it was left me by my cousin, and afterwards I was just like...man, why didn't he have the REST?!!! It's truly an original masterpiece, just what I'd expect from the director of Sailor Moon.

I had heard about this show alot, especially about the movie version and it was precicely that fact that made me stear clear from it for a while. I am a huge fan of Sailor Moon, and it was the beauty and purity in my mind of that show and that world that I didn't want to pollute with something that was supposedly more "edgy" but just dirty and gratuitous. Luckly, when I got sick in Japan this winter and had to stay home in bed, my boyfriend and I went to get videos at the video store. One piece and Inuyasha were being rented, so we went with the DVD's of Utena. They were GOOD! Way better than I thought they would be! The setting (kind of a bizarre non existant place highly influenced by gothic french architecture) is gorgeous and kinda makes you wish you were there, and the characters are memorable. The only one I can say kindof annoys me is Anthy but I think that's kind of supposed to be the intention of the author.

Anyway, I was really impressed though I thought I would dislike this show.

Am i the only one one who found this movie like having a tooth pulled out with a pair of pliers? That boring.

Someone suggested this movie that I might normally would not have chosen. It took a few scenes before I warmed up to it. This is a very funny and grimy movie. If you are as squeamish as I am, it can make your skin crawl, but it compensates with some very good acting and a creative script that must have been adapted from a play. If you need cheering up and you are the perky sort, this might not be the pick-me-up you need, but it can be a hoot. Richard E. Grant always challenges my disbelief. He has that angelic face that can really take you for a ride. Paul McGann is good as well as the other character actors. It is not a favorite movie, but I highly recommend it if you have not seen it already.

Probably one of my favourite movies of all time. I purchased this DVD after my VHS copy had come to the end of its useful life. The movie is there in all its glory including some vocal touchups (that my tape didn't have)on account of the sound being so awful, many people had trouble hearing what was said. The DVD is fairly well stuffed with Withnalia but I'm left with the feeling that the DVD would have better if both the sound and vision had been overhauled extensively to present this low-budget movie in the manner that is deserving of it.

Federico Fellini's "8 ½" is often cited as the late director's masterpiece but it is a maddening film to watch. It is filled to the brim with symbols, abstract ideas, ambiguity, and inner ruminations that taken together imposes on the audience the same disorienting feeling its main character is experiencing. This absence of a conventional narrative is an intriguing and bold step taken by a true artist of the medium, but experimentation alone does not make for a good film.

Guido (Marcello Mastroianni) is a film director who has just completed a hit film and is now taking refuge at a health spa. His downtime is interrupted by a parade of individuals who do not realize that a crisis is at hand - the director has no idea what to do for a follow-up feature. Money has already been spent for an elaborate film set but Guido does not know what to do with it. Hoping to find inspiration, Guido starts to look into his past and experiences a spiritual crisis as he finds it difficult to reconcile his carnal, commercial, and creative sides.

The famous sequence where Guido is reunited with all of the women he has crossed paths with in his life is a powerful sequence that is full of passion and energy. Yet, this same level of vigor is not maintained for the entire film and after a while the vivid yet disconnected imagery we are left with that is meant to symbolize Guido's aimlessness just becomes annoying. Fellini was a man ahead of his time in exploring the notion of creative bankruptcy in a commercial medium on such a sophisticated level. However, by using the narrative of "8 ½" to symbolize and deliver the message at the same time, he produced a film that comes across as too clever for its own good.

The best thing about this most classic of classic films about filmmaking is that all of its greatest and most famous sequences are both brilliantly done and profoundly funny. There's the great opening fantasy sequence of the confused film director at the center of the work, Guido (Marcello Mastroianni), rising out a traffic jam and ascending into the clouds; his initial walk through the Italian spa where he is recuperating catching a glimpse of his dream girl (Claudia Cardinale); and the hilarious sequence of his mistress (Sandra Milo, in a very endearing turn) arriving at the same outdoor café where he is dining with his wife (Anouk Aimee), locking eyes with her, and futilely trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Of course, there is also the great flashback of his childhood watching the monstrous prositute La Saraghina dance an erotic rumba for a group of schoolboys; the Dantesque descent into the spa's steambaths; and (funniest of all) the nightmarish press conference with the battery of reporters shouting out impossible questions the hero cannot answer. These are perhaps the best and most beautiful individual sequences Fellini ever did, and earn for this film its reputation as one of the greatest films of all time.

These scenes are so terrific that they even sustain you through what comes in between, and be warned: some of it is indeed pretty dull and excruciating, no matter how famous this film's reputation. The scenes with Guido arguing with his bitter and miserable wife Luisa are pretty hard to take, and your heart goes out to poor Anouk Aimee for having to wrestle with such a horribly unrewarding role. (Clearly, Fellini must have felt he gave the wife short shrift too by presenting her point of view with his next film, JULIET OF THE SPIRITS, which despite its grosser flaws is much more affecting than this more famous film, in part because so much more seems to be at stake for its more likeable central character). Also, you have to forgive this film for the self-justifying and self-glorifying works it inspired form many other artists from Woody Allen to Stephen Sondheim: Fellini is much more cognizant of his flaws in this autobiographical work--and of the horrors his artistic egotism can wreak upon his loved ones--that anything this film later inspired.

Everyone has already said everything that can be said other than hearing it from the horse's mouth. Fellini is the man and this is his finest work.

Contrary to most, I believe the people who dubbed Sailor Moon made an excellent choice in not making Neptune and Uranus homosexuals. I don't think people need to be subjected to that kind of trash. People who stand behind their so called "relationship" are obviously lacking in morals and in no way can they call themselves Christians. I am a huge fan of Sailor Moon and, if you can stand listening to Serena's new voice, viewers who would like to be spared from the two cartoon characters who are portrayed as lesbians should definitely stick with the dubbed version.

This is the third Sailor Moon series. It's about teenaged girls with magical powers who fight evil forces that threaten the world. In the S series, they fight humans who have been possessed by demons and forced to steal people's pure hearts in order to bring their master, Pharoah 90, into our universe. The Outer Senshi were introduced in this series: Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto (though she had appeared in a few episodes of the R series). They're awesome. The original Japanese version is the best (more mature), but the English dub is also provided. Apparently, Cloverway had dubbed all of the dialogue, so you'll be able to hear English lines on here that you hadn't heard on Cartoon Network. Still, the English dub is censored and dumbed down. It's also incredibly inconsistent. Attack names (and even some transformation phrases) constantly change. Names of important objects in the series change also. Amara (Haruka) and Michelle (Michiru) are turned into "cousins", and that "fact" is constantly shoved down our throats. Still, listening to the English audio track while watching the uncensored video will provide some (unintended) laughs. I recommend watching an episode in Japanese with English subtitles first and then watching it in English. It's like getting two different series - 12-14 episodes per disc instead of 6-7. I do have some complaints. First, they used only the final version of the opening theme for all of the episodes. In the original, the new characters were added to the theme over the course of the series as they were introduced. On these DVDs, characters that haven't appeared in episodes yet are in the opening theme. That is not the way it originally aired, and it ruins the surprises. Also, on my computer monitor, there's a fuzzy line at the top of the screen during the opening theme in every episode. That means that the theme was spliced in. Were they too lazy to put the English credits over each version of the opening theme? Why did they have to put English credits there at all, anyway? They could have put them in the closing credits. I don't like the new English voice actors for Moon, Mercury, and Venus, but at least the original Mars is back! I also like Rini's new voice actor. I still think that Rini's an annoying character, though. The next episode previews were not included. The only extras are profiles on some of the Senshi/Scouts and some of the earlier opening themes from the S series. The DVD covers are reversible, so you can pick your favorite characters to be displayed. All in all, these 38 (or 76) episodes form a great story and are worth buying.

I love this DVD. Ever since I bought the original uncut season one in Japanese I've fallen in love with Sailor Moon all over again! For anyone who is a true die hard fan of Sailor Moon, get this series!! It may be a little expensive but just buy each one once every 2 months :D I loveee Haruka and Michiru, they are such a cute couple and so in love. Haruka's got a very tough attitude but that makes her character even stronger because you don't really run into rude, ignorant characters like her in Sailor Moon. Ohhh and I just loved the part where Mako-Chan attacks her. Their intro music is also really beautiful. I can't wait to get Heart Collection two!

If you are a SP fan you will love this DVD.IT has all the videos(-1)and 2 live performances.Buy this DVd-i swear,you will love it.-ZER0dude

All the Pumpkins videos and commentary. Perfect.

Hey!Ok, i told you great info. so-i will not lie.First off, The Film Is Very Gross and if you have a weak stomach do not watch it.Its about this one girl,her boyfriend and street life-lots of throwing Up.Gross.By the way it is called Try.The rest of the dvd is awesome.in a minute or so i will give you the track listings.D'arcy(the bassist) does not do any Commentary.ok here are the track listings:

1.Siva /4:20-May 1991
2.Rhinoceros/5:47-SEPTEMBER 1991
3.Cherub Rock/5:01-july 1993

4.Today/3:49-August 1993
5.Disarm/3:19-December 1992
6.Rocket(alternate performance cut)/4:07-April 1994
7.Bullet With Butterfly Wings/4:21-OCTOBER 1995
8.1979/4:21-January 1996
9.Zero/2:46-march 1996
10.Tonight Tonight/4:19-March 1996
11.Thirty Three/4:07-October 1996
12.Ava Adore/4:18-May 1998
13.Perfect/3:31-july 1998
14.The Everlasting Gaze/4:03-January 2000
15.Stand Inside Your Love/4:33-December 1999
16.Try,Try,Try/5:23-june 2000
17.Geek U.S.A/5:50-October 1993
18.An Ode To No One(live at the final metro performance)/4:21-December 2000
19.I Am One/4:09-January 1992
20.Try-A Short Film/15:09-june 2000
21.Untitled(*)/4:21-November 2000

Untitled*---it is on the DVD but most people cant find it-go the ... and it will tell you.I can not find it even with the advice of Cheatcc.And i can also not get the ottakes.5 STARS.GREAT.

This is one of the most beautiful film ever made. It tells the story of how two people's lives became somewhat entangled after discovering that their spouses were cheating on them with each other. There is nothing new about this in movies BUT the way the story was told is what made it so memorable. It unfurled at a slow and easy pace with soundtrack that matched the mood perfectly. The secret glances and silent stares that said everything yet nothing all left viewer with a case longing for weeks and weeks.

There's more here than can be appreciated in a single viewing. I just finished my third pass and the film just blows me away.

If you think it's too slow you're just skimming the surface of what's there.

And if the final scene doesn't make your heart ache, you're not the kind of person I want to know!

This is one of the most complete DVD packages I have ever seen ... something that couldn't have happened to a nicer film.

This package is one of few that takes advantage of what the DVD medium promised when it was launched. In the same small package all DVDs come in, the producers of In the Mood for Love somehow manage to include an array of the movie's trailers and posters from around the world, interviews with the major actors and director Wong Kar-wai, a second short film produced by Mr. Wong, an alternate ending to the story that had been under consideration, and director's commentary about all of it, along with a variety of subtitle options. There is also a special booklet that has the translated short story the film was based on, an essay about the film by a well-known Hong Kong critic and a very interesting (if unevenly translated) essay about the setting for the film by a local historian. All in all, a really amazing collection of information.

Of course, none of that would matter if the film it was all based on wasn't so darn good.

The story is wonderfully understated, told with deft simplicity and a delicate hand. On the surface, it's a relatively simple tale about two couples in neighboring Hong Kong apartments in 1962. Through circumstantial evidence, Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan discover that their always-on-the-road spouses are having an affair -- a discovery that comes into focus as the stay-at-home half of each couple discovers the attraction each has for the other.

But the beauty of this film comes more from what is left out than what is put in. The dialogue is sparse, and the acting is elegantly austere. The faces of the unfaithful spouses aren't shown at all during the film, and the film's main conflict comes not when Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan discover they are being cheated on but when they fail to react the way most would expect.

Add to that unusual camera angles that at times pull the viewer into the scene and a haunting soundtrack guaranteed to stay in mind hours after the end of the film. The final result is a film that feels like a blend between an old classic and a modern masterwork, a recipe for great entertainment.

boring, stupid, utterly forgettable movie. what a waste of time.

If a good film is a film that will implant some outstanding scene in your mind for a long time (or forever), then Man Bites Dog is highly successful. This is a very uncomfortable movie. The horror, no matter it is from the graphical sense, or from the subtlety from say the narration, is a pure challenging experience from everyone. The documentary-style is not totally believable (if you compare with say Blair Witch), but it demonstrates the expertise and supremacy on film-making, especially from a country we are not usually familiar with - Belgium. Highly recommended.

If your a fan of films like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Snatch or other films that deal with underworld characters, then you must see this film. A psuedodocumentary, Man Bites Dog follows a serial killer living out his life. Sure, there are scenes of violence and death, but there are also scenes depicting the killer with his family and reacting to children in his neighborhood. What makes this film truely unique is it's graphic subject matter and the fact that it all seem to real. The interaction between the director and the protagonist give it that real life feel. If you are looking for something different, then check out Man Bites Dog.

A lot of people seem to be reviewing the event rather than the film and how well the film documents it. Of course the event was stupid, poorly planned, and evil, and I'm sure the Stones aren't proud of it...and the film captures all those things perfectly.

This film is more interesting to me than Woodstock (still excellent), mainly because it has an aura of evil around it (evil is more interesting than peace and love on screen obviously). The impending doom makes the whole thing incredibly creepy. Though I love the music, it appropriately isn't placed as the centerpiece of the film; the cultural significance is focused on instead.

The stabbing and other fights aren't overly graphic, so like a classic horror movie the horror is created in the viewer's mind. This ends up being brilliant, although probably due to lack of footage rather than necessarily a directorial decision.

Another interesting aspect is the way in which the rich and famous performers are thrust into being "equals" with the crowd (as when the Jefferson Airplane guitarist gets punched-out by security, or the dog walks carelessly across the stage ignoring Jagger). Often it's even humorous in an "adding insult-to-injury" way, and gives the viewer the sense of helplessness everyone there must have had.

I'd say this should be on a viewing list for documentary film classes, but it already is....

I have to be honest, I can't BELIEVE some of the negative reviews of this film and DVD! First of all, this has been and continues to be one of the greatest rock documentaries of all times. As many of the more enlightened reviewers point out, this film is a true snapshot of the end of the sixties -- philosophically, emotionally and idealistically speaking. If you're a Stones fan, like I am, then this is a must-have. That's a given. If you're a film student, a film lover, an aspiring director, or you just want to see what it was like to be young and living in that era, it is, once again, a must-have. Regarding the "production" of this DVD, I think they did an admirable job of cleaning up the 16mm source footage. And it sounds great for a concert film recorded over thirty years ago. This film is a piece of history. It should be required viewing in high schools across the country when the "sixties" are covered in history classes. Yeah, the sound quality of the Stones' "Bridges to Babylon" DVD sounds and looks better, but it's a concert film that utilized the latest recording technology. In terms of historical significance and plain-old good documentary film-making, this film cannot be beat. Case closed. Oh, and by the way, Mick Taylor is the most underrated lead guitarist that ever picked up an axe. He still does club dates -- if he hits your town, don't miss him...

Concert films are, inevitably, pretty unrewarding spectacles. Iffy sound, endless crowd shots, migraine-inducing overuse of the zoom lens, and a sense of "well, you had to be there, of course" permeating every grainy long-shot of a "legendary" ten-minute Credence jam, all add up to an experience akin to someone telling you about a dream they had last night. That this Maysles brothers' Altamont doc was rescued from such Woodstock-the-Moviedom by the tragic events caught therein is certainly nothing to cheer about, but the results leave an indelible mark where your average festival film just washes over. Perhaps working with hindsight, but still believably, the atmosphere of impending disaster is magnificently built up over scenes of preparation for the speedway gig - from Andrew Loog Oldham's Partridgean attempts at crowd control ("You're rendering that scaffolding unsafe!") to the massive communication gap between the Hell's Angels security detachment and the strung-out organisers. Meanwhile The Stones hang about in local civic offices as the finer points of car park regulation are ironed out. By the time the famous on-screen audience stabbing is being played repeatedly, in slow motion to the shell-shocked band by the directors in a squalid edit suite, you're as sucked into the nightmare as they are. Chilling, compelling stuff. Oh, and the music's pretty good, too.

Adapted from Robin Moore's fact-based novel, THE FRENCH CONNECTION was the breakthrough film for both direction William Friedkin, who later went on to direct THE EXORCIST, and Gene Hackman. Hackman stars in his Academy Award-winning role as "Popeye" Doyle, a New York City cop who, along with partner "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Scheider), stumbles upon a drug ring headed by a Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who uses an innocent-seeming actor (Frederic de Pasquale) to cover the operation. Along with Hackman's forementioned award for "Best Actor", the film also took in Best Director for Friedkin; Best Film Editing; Best Writing (Ernest Tidyman) and a deserved Best Picture. The chase scenes are outstanding and some of the best ever filmed; Hackman is excellent in one of his greatest roles. Action fans won't want to pass this one by; followed by FRENCH CONNECTION II and a floppish TV movie.

William Friedkin is really underrated in terms of direction. This movie, The French Connection, has a great documentary feel to it, and is very realistic. Gene Hackman's performance as Popeye Doyle was one of the best roles I've seen in an action movie. Roy Scheider was awesome too. Favorite line from him: Shove it up your a$$. The movie has the best car chase ever, even if most of it was an accident. Friedkin said that there were supposed to be no crashes in that chase. Just near-misses. I think the crashes help the movie. The French Connection is just a great action movie. I loved it.

To a significant extent, this film is based on a real-world situation in which hundreds of law enforcement officials worked for many months to locate and eliminate the connection between the source of heroin in France and its underworld contacts in the United States. As examined in Robin Moore's book, 112 pounds of heroin (with a then street value of about $90-million) were scheduled to arrived in the United States. Narcotics detectives Eddie ("Popeye") Egan and Sonny Grosso completed a lengthy investigation to learn who, when, where, how, etc. In the film, Hackman plays re-named Jimmy ("Popeye") Doyle and Roy Scheider plays his re-named partner Buddy Russo. (Both Eddie Eagan and Sonny Grosso have small parts in the film.) Other variations from the book are relatively insignificant. The situation remains essentially the same. The film carefully follows the extended and tedious period of surveillance which reveals the NYC source; preparations are then completed in anticipation of the shipment's arrival; finally, the connection is consummated and....

Under William Friedkin's brilliant direction (which resulted in an Academy Award for him), this film weaves several separate but related plot threads, both within and beyond the United States, which involve criminal activities in meticulous coordination with efforts by law enforcement officials to respond to them. I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of elegance and luxury in affluent (albeit criminal) society with the squalor and decay of the world within which the heroin will ultimately be distributed. I was also fascinated by the style and temperament of Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) who supervises the shipment in striking contrast with his principal adversary, Doyle, who resembles an enraged bear wearing ill-fitting hand-me-down men's clothing. (FYI, Hackman received an Academy Award for his performance.) Doyle becomes obsessed with destroying the French connection, no matter what. This is most evident during a car chase through the streets of New York which remains the most harrowing ever included in a film. (Even better than the car chase in Bullitt three years earlier? Yes.) All of the acting is outstanding as are the cinematography and editing. The Academy Award for best film was one of five received and each was well-deserved. It is probably impossible to measure accurately the nature and extent of this film's impact on subsequent films as well as on programs produced for television. Seeing it again recently, I was again struck by the fact that it has lost none of its "edge" and that Hackman's performance has even more power now than it did in 1971.