Reviews
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
From A Non-Christian:This movie is a work of art
The Passion of Christ was a 10 out of 10, for me anyway. I can't think of how it could have been better. It was one of the best pieces of "filmed art" I have ever seen. It's like Michelangelo's The Pieta...a work of art. If there can be any complaints about it, they almost have to be political, though I believe the Jews who fear it miss the point. However, any Christian who takes away from it that "the Jews are at fault" are also entirely missing Christ's point, since Mr. JC made it abundantly clear that it was his choice and no one had any power over him and none of the people doing it were at fault. As a non-Christian, Non-Jew, I didn't see any politically or racially inflammatory anything in it. If the complaints aren't political, then the only other thing I could see was if someone just wanted to be "entertained". I don't know if looking at the Sistine Chapel or The Pieta or David or Van Gogh or Da Vinci is "entertaining" either. Beautiful, stunning, touching, but not entertaining. This film was beautiful, stunning, touching. And Mel Gibson's direction was utterly unbelievable. I put the direction on par with Orson Welles, or my new favorite, Peter Jackson. It was....art.
This film is what art is about...a true artist with a passion for his art, and then let the public decide. This particular member of the public was moved, quite literally, to tears by it. And isn't that what all great art strives to do? Tears of sadness, and of joy. Thanks Mel. Just...thanks.
Ator l'invincibile (1982)
About as spectacularly bad as Plan-9
There are approximately 4 movies that I hold to be so utterly, spectacularly bad as to transcend that badness and achieve a level of surreal "goodness". They are: Plan-9 (the classic), Laserblast, Highlander 2:The Quickening, and yes, Ator The Flying Weasel. Err. Flying Eagle (Credit also should be given to Mark Borchardt and "Coven", a short film). I was unaware that the official title was "Ator l'invincible", but I saw it in the theatres long ago, billed as "Ator The Flying Eagle". Anyway, all I can say is that this film fails on every front. The acting is so bad it is laughable. The giant armies of the Huns number about 6 guys in bad Mongol costumes. The "Giant Spider" who bleeds beer at the end just has to be seen to be believed. And the little bear with the "white fur" on it's head that moves from place to place all over it's head in each scene...brilliant. The director, like Ed Wood or Mark Borchardt, is Dali-esque in his presentation. Spectacular, stunning in it's badness.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
About As Perfect A Film As Could Have Been Made
I will be brief. This film was brilliant and engaging, and such a near-perfect rendition of the book that I couldn't have asked for more. By seeing this, I truly lived it. And that is what the highest achievement of any film should be; make you completely forget who and where you are as it utterly immerses you in another world. Lord of The Rings does that...to the highest degree.
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
Much as Plan 9, So Bad It's Good
This film is so utterly, mind-numbingly, profoundly, astoundingly insipid that it breaks nearly all barriers of general insipidity. That, by the way, means it's just plain dumb. Or, in "Highlander 2"-ese...It's A Kinda Magically Idiotic. The plotline isn't just bad, it is absolutely incredible that anyone could even imagine, in their own worst nightmares, a storyline so implausible and ridiculous. The acting is the worst kind of fluff, the whole "Planet Yeast" (sorry...I forgot the 'real' name of the planet) stuff is excruciatingly hilarious, what with it's advanced race using Sporks (or some other such rather unfrightening low-tech weapon) in warfare with their enemies...and then the two "assassins" that are sent down are only slightly less absurd in their outrageous and incredibly stand-out garb (they clearly didn't go to assassin school, where they usually teach you to be inconspicuous) than their insane, gibbering, idiotic leader is (played by Michael Ironsides not just as "over-the-top", but as SOOOOOO far over that he goes UNDER).
This film is magical in it's lack of intelligence, it's boldfaced and proud display of a complete lack of continuity or cleverness, it's outright miraculously tragic writing style, and the supremely enchanting proposition that the public's IQ has dropped so far below that of the average science-experiment mouse that people would actually go to this film and walk away with any look on their faces other than that of utter disbelief.
This film joins Plan 9 From Outer Space and Ator The Flying Eagle as one of the finest examples of Ed Wood style film making: Films just so stupendously awful they transcend their own terribleness to become good in spite of themselves.
Starman (1984)
A wonderful film full of hope for the human race.
Through the eyes of an alien, we view our world. Such is the beauty of John Carpenter's 'Starman'. His gentle alien comes in the form of a human clone (Jeff Bridges), and as we watch him interact with the rest of our race, we see both the good and the bad in all of us. It is this particular role that I find to be Jeff Bridge's most superb acting (or close to it, given his amazing work in 'The Fisher King'). To me he always did seem an alien in an unfamiliar human body, rather than the actor "Jeff Bridges". While there is certainly some over-simplification in the movie, and it can get a little sappy, I find the 'sap' in this case to be both touching and beautiful. How wonderful, how sad, how miraculous, to watch ourselves through the innocent and wise eyes of this alien being. A brilliant look at human beings, a sweet love story, and an excellent exploration of our spirit.
Fall (1997)
An unlikely love story which reaches at our deepest dreams
While it is true that this love story is unlikely (NY Cabbie gets Supermodel), that is, of course, the point of the story. That is a dream, is it not, to obtain the unattainable, not only in physical beauty but to find "True Love"? Eric Schaeffer boldly attacks this idea with wit, superb dialogue, and brilliant direction. You must get past the idea that a cabbie could ever get a supermodel, and if you let yourself go, that is where you find that some cabbies are brilliant poets, and some supermodels are not stupid, but actually have as much beauty inside as out. Poignant, lilting...a poem on film.