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janiceflux
Reviews
The Ballad of Little Jo (1993)
ick
i had never heard of this film, and after seeing it wish i hadn't come across it in the video store. the only believable performance was by the always excellent ian mckellan, who breathed life into the woman-hating character he was portraying, although i kept wondering what he was doing in this movie. the lead actress delivered all of her lines in a loud, monotone, stilted voice, reminiscent of junior high school drama class. i had to leave before it was over, but the friend i was with admitted that it got better once you accepted how bad it was and let it wash over you. i never bothered watching the end, her synopsis was probably more entertaining.
La mansión de los Cthulhu (1992)
ick
i rented this movie because i wasn't feeling well and was looking for bad yet amusing or inspiring (either/or, bad doesn't always mean awful) horror to pass the time. this movie has nothing to do with lovecraft in any way, and the only thing i found amusing was one character's over-acting of the horror movie staple line "what have you done to my brother (mother, sister, aunt, hand, etc....)." hilarious, that. for evil supernatural forces, you would do better to look at the evil dead series, for lovecraftian horror look to the reanimator, which is modernized but still excellent and retains some of ol' h.p.'s touches. leave this dog alone.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
whitewash...
i knew nothing about this movie before i saw it, and was therefore shocked and enthralled and really liked it. it was a bit long, and did seem to lose its way a couple of times. my biggest problem, though, is with how it was advertised, something that i believe needs to be commented upon. viewing the trailers for this film i was convinced that it was just another "creepy boy obsessed with pretty girl stalks her and does anything to have her" flick, which i definitely didn't need more of. what disturbed me, more than anything within the film, was that it was advertised as such, when it is really about so much more, particularly the extremities of loneliness and desire. labeling ripley a "loser" is ridiculous, i found his character interesting, and definitely unlike the seemingly pointlessly evil young man of the novel. (perhaps highsmith was attempting to recreate camus, but i found her attempt lacking, and i began to wonder why i should care to finish the book.) jude law was excellent, and yes terrifying, as the selfish rich american brat. i also thought matt damon portrayed longing and solitude quite well. but the way this movie was advertised still haunts me. hollywood obviously refuses to accept that unusual subject matter will attract anyone. how sad. *possible spoiler warning* as for the ending, i see why it was necessary, or rather damon was able to make me see why ripley would think his actions were necessary. just think about it, that is the way his mind works, or the way his mind has started working. some of the comments i read seemed to dislike the ending simply because it was not a happy one. my biggest complaint with american films is when happy endings are tacked on at any cost, even when they don't work. i think this one works.
Closet Land (1991)
oh my
this movie had me stuck in this endless loop of thinking about it for days afterward...granted i am not the movie snob that some folks around here appear to be, but i thought this was amazingly well-acted, and a powerful creation, if lacking a little subtlety in exectution. i happen to admire movies that can effectively recreate the sensation of watching a stage play, it creates an inharmonious eeriness that works well with this flick. i am also a great fan of alan rickman, so that might be my bias. personally i found the lack of spatial landmarks a good thing -- this could in fact be anywhere, and probably is. i say go easy on what was a powerful experience for me, and likely for anyone involved in any sort of political activity.
Glory Daze (1995)
ick
self-righteous boys run around and act stupid, stereotype women and generally annoy me. wants to be a punk rock animal house with heart, but falls amazingly short. brendan fraser and spaulding gray have memorable small appearances, but not even that can save this film.