bunny-31 Reviews

King Kong Lives (1986)

one big old plastic heart of love

[2/10 · 6 January 2001]

I love this movie with the plastic heart and the lovely Linda Hamilton putting it in with a crane and a crew of a dozen scalpel artists. King Kong is strong but a little rugged around the eyes from his fall in downtown New York. Very sexy with a female member with the gorilla bosom about to make Kong's blood boil asunder. I recommend for some late viewing while you eat pumpkin pie and nothing else is on in your parent's basement. Live on Kong.

All the Pretty Horses (2000)

Pretty to look at, good acting, but story too rushed

[6/10 · 29 December 2000]

The film should have been longer. It starts out well with three boys heading to Mexico but when you get into Act 2 things get too rushed, the relationship between Matt and Penelope does not get a chance to develop. They share a few flirting glances from atop their horses and the next thing you know she is knocking on his door to go skinny dipping, are madly in love, and ready to die for the other. If pushed to a three-hour film then their passion may have been just as intimate for the audience as it was for them. Otherwise, the acting was good, I liked Matt, Penelope did not have much to work with, Lucas Black was excellent, and Henry Thomas did well as a sidekick except in one scene where he inexplicably gets up in a dazed death wish. If you want to see the film definitely check it out on the big screen because the scenery is spectacular, don't do video. I recommend for lovers of outdoors, Westerns, horses etc. Otherwise, it is only just okay.

Stalker (1979)

Beautifully bleak very long film

[10/10 · 29 December 2000]

I have seen this film about five times but never watched it straight through. I usually break it up in 3 or 4 sittings on my VCR. It has fantastic images and sequences, very long with inexplicable situations escaping rational thought. It is a fascinating piece. I hope I get the chance to see it in the theater or a released on DVD because the video version is of a horrible quality not giving it any justice. I always talk to my friend about Tarkovsky and he appreciates him, respects him, but hates watching his films. They are very long, very slow, and can be very boring. But in this time of compressed stories with meaningless one liners and fast paced action and cutting he stands out as a testament to a higher potential for filmic story telling. I have seen a couple of his other films but Stalker is my favorite. An excellent brainy sci-fi flick which can be enjoyed on a base level or ridden out as intellectual head trip. The choice is yours to make but I recommend seeing it at least once, and if you did not like it the first time then please watch it again.

Shock Waves (1977)

Nazi zombies decimate annoying Americans

[27 June 2000]

The two old notable actors are great in this film while the rest suck except for Brooke Adams who is cute diving into a little pool by herself. I love Cushing´s plastic scar and scarf as he runs around the island shouting commands in German to his zombie platoon. The film must have been made on a zero budget, shot on location with almost zero gore and zero special effects. I love the sea urchin death. Very creative. Don´t plan to be scared by this one unless you are ten years old and the parents are out as you catch a late night spook treat on the cable station. Film is gritty, with an interesting but almost incomprehensible plot line but still entertaining. I would not be surprised if they made up the story according to what the location presented them with. It reminds me of a film also from the seventies where a group of people are trying to get away from a flock of giant ants as they flee through mangroves; but this one is much better not resorting to cheap projected effects. Kind of like Italian made ``The Zombie´´ without all of the gore. A treat for insomniacs, but don´t force yourself to stay up for this one.

The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

Good love story with Lynch quality characters in fleabag Hotel

[8/10 · 26 June 2000]

I went to the theatre not expecting much having been disappointed by Wenders latest narrative works but was wonderfully surprised. Everyone is good in this, even Milla and Smits. Music is beautiful, the story great, and Jeremy London plays a captivating ``skateboarding riding half wit´´ who turns out to be much smarter than everyone expected. Camera work is beautiful, performances excellent, story great. The relationship between Eloise and Tom Tom is inspiring, very romantic. Also check out Bud Cort and Mel Gibson as driven but compassionate freak, and a fifth Beatle. Buy soundtrack as well. I did and don´t regret it!

The Cement Garden (1993)

Put mom in a can and share the bed with siblings

[10/10 · 26 June 2000]

I like Ian McEwans writings, especially his early short stories, and this is a generous contribution to the haunting quality of his work (much better than Comfort of Strangers or A Good Son). Charlotte Gainsbourg is wonderful as the impish sister and Andrew Robertson does very well hiding behind his shag cut and masturbating in his private bunker. Camera work is wonderful in a fantastic location in middle of English dump sites with broken houses and bricks. Film´s strength rests not on incest but on superbly explicating a child´s value that it places on it´s family over the rest of the world. Reminds me of long ago isolated family vacations fighting and playing with siblings and forgetting everyone else, just stuck in time. Ignore the poor shock value trailer (``...but he is your brother!´´´) and dip your head into this haunting world of adolescence. Very sad and beautiful. Don´t see with siblings or Mom, I did (an uncomfortable mistake).

Race with the Devil (1975)

B+ action film with lots of guns, cars, and satanic rituals

[26 June 2000]

This film could have been horrible if it fell into the wrong hands but supported by the craftmanship of Warren Oates, Peter Fonda, and a fine director it pulls through as a very entertaining chase film with road action that would make George Miller jealous and Satanic rituals causing Anton LaVey to roll in his grave. I rented it expecting something to laugh at but instead enjoyed it all the way through. So if you like RV´s, motorcycles, guns, and caped disciples of Satan then this is the film for you. Don´t wait for a recap at the drive in, just rent it. Now! (Also check out Oates´ and Fonda´s ``92 in the Shade´´ that was made the same year.)

92 in the Shade (1975)

Highly competitive fishing guides in overheated Florida

[10/10 · 26 June 2000]

I rented this film one hot NYC summer night and fell in love with it. Some of the characters are a little cartoonish but overall it is a good piece worth seeing that exemplifies the beauty of a US state that I have never been to. Wonderful cast that includes Peter Fonda, Burgess Meredith and Warren Oates as an insanely territorial fishing guide. Also stars Margot Kidder when she looked good and Harry Dean Stanton as a melancholy side kick to Warren Oates. Classic all American cast from the seventies. I enjoyed this film because it is a fair portrayal of the working life of a fishing guide and the Florida landscape. It has the same qualities that I enjoyed from Fonda´s later effort Ulee´s Gold. Film is highly recommended.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)

An action film supported by it´s humor and melancholy

[26 June 2000]

I don´t know why Jeff Bridges and Clint Eastwood only made two movies together; the two partner up very well. Maybe they just got tired of it. I liked this film, very funny. The relationship between ``temper temper´´ George Kennedy and the smart ass Jeff Bridges is hilarious, as is Geoffrey Lewis´ performance. All four perform a bank heist and things don´t exactly turn out as they want them to. Just another Eastwood winner with melancholy music in the end. Highly recommended for late night cable viewing.

The Bermuda Depths (1978 TV Movie)

giant turtle in lovely blue Bermuda waters

[23 June 2000]

I saw this film when I was four years old on TV and it has forever haunted me since. I saw some of it again recently on a poor quality VHS tape and the minitaures suck, the title sequence is corny, and the acting is wanting, but the story itself, the images and tones that it offers from it´s romance of the sea is simply lovely and wonderful. Maybe they could do some kind of remake or clean up the effects somehow, but if you liked films like the Big Blue or Atlantis then this corny little number is for you. Just please be warned, it is not a well made piece, just a great story and tribute to the mystery of the ocean.

Satantango (1994)

Beautiful 7.5 hour black and white film of muddy country side

[10/10 · 22 June 2000]

I saw this film at a Bela Taar festival and I remember it having 3 or 4 breaks because it was so long. But it was worth it. I am constantly remembering the images from this piece, I don´t even remember the exact story, but the images, the sequences, were just lovely. If you ever have a chance to see this film projected, take it. Don´t worry if you can´t sit through the whole thing, just see some of it, you won´t forget it. Marvelous long takes, wonderful characters. That first scene with the tracking shot of the cows and the two guys walking down the street with the garbage blowing in the wind around them. Wonderful black and white film. I advise all cat lovers to stay away. Bela Taar is one of the best.

El Topo (1970)

Unforgettable western with old testament references

[9 June 2000]

This is Jodorowsky´s strongest work in the sense that it has sequences that are simply unforgettable. I have never met more people whose outlook was changed from the viewing of this film alone. I love the opening scene between him and his son, the creaking of the hung men in the massacred village, and the whip fight between his two female disciples. The blood letting is wonderfully organic and sensual. The piece can be a little long but definetely worth seeing. I also recommend his other pieces (Holy Mountain, Sante Sangre, and Fando & Lis). Stay away from Rainbow Thief. Also read the Incal comic series that Jodorowsky drafted with Moebius. I also recommend viewing High Plains Drifter for it´s biblical references, whip scene, and brutal interaction. It is a step down from El Topo in insanity and much more narrative but also very striking in landscape and tone. Both are two of my favorite westerns and films of all time.

Jamón, Jamón (1992)

One horny little Spanish devil with Penelope Cruz all over it

[8 June 2000]

I loved this movie. A perfectly delightful piece for fetish voyeurs. Mixes food with sex and animals. Delightful comedy with pigs, tacos, garlic and parrots. Something for everyone from getting erections during bull fighting to eating a pet pig. Penelope Cruz is fantastic as is what´s his name that played the cripple in Live Flesh. See Bigos´ earlier films if you liked this one. I recommend both Golden Balls and Luna, or Lua. This director has imagination and his cast is always fantastic.

Fat City (1972)

boxing, getting drunk, and migrant labor in loser city, Ca

[8 June 2000]

This is John Huston´s best film. A very simple subtle piece with excellent humor delivered with exquisite performances that makes up the dead end lives in the hot town of Stockton, Ca. Story portrays boxing, various field work, and alcoholism. I love this movie. I also recommend that you read the book and check out Barbet Schroeder´s Barfly as well. Candy Clark is the maneater here and if you like her then also catch her digs in Handle with Care and American Grafitti. She just does that smalltown girl of California so well.

Titanic (1997)

Looks good but no originality

[7 June 2000]

The film was well made but nothing worth applauding for. It does not have one creative bone in it. The whole thing is obvious from beginning to end and I am not talking about the well known fact that the ship sinks, I am referring to the exchange of the characters. The film is choking on stereotypes from begining to end. The acting is good only because the actors don´t have any hurtles to jump over. Mabye this is why the film made so much money, it is food for the masses. I did enjoy the realism of the desperate hours on the boat but outside of that it all sucks. If you did not like this movie then I recommend that you see Bigas Luna´s ``The Chambermaid of the Titanic´´, a much more original piece that does not put us through the typical paces. If you liked Titanic then you will not enjoy Bigas´ effort. I was so embarassed when the audience clapped at the end of Cameron´s long film. It only made me have to go to the bathroom, twice during the film, it was sooo long. And that was in France, and all of my friends were applauding for it at the Academy Awards with Celine Dion sang the overplayed ballad. Please avoid, if possible. I wish I had, but I have a wife, so that was a lost cause.

The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)

romantic poverty in Paris

[9/10 · 3 May 1999]

Maybe a bit too long, some corny hang-ups and too easy of an ending still can't completely undermine the overall enjoyment of the film. It is visually stunning, both Denis Lavant and Juliette Binoche are great to watch on the screen and are very dynamic together. A worthwhile film to see, one should see on the big screen, not on video at home.

The Black Hole (1979)

ernest borgnine gets blown to bits and another gets chopped up by Max

[2/10 · 3 May 1999]

My favorite part was when they removed a mask from one of the bad guy's slaves and the face starts moaning from a green skinned little puckered up mouth. They was also a cool part when one guy tries to fend himself off from the main robot's attack with an encyclopedia and gets chopped to bits by his revolving fans. Another cool one is the little floating sidekick automaton that makes little funny comments and gets himself around. He can also shoot lasers from his nipples. Check out this corny edition.

A Boy and His Dog (1975)

black comedy, science fiction prioritizing canine companionship

[10/10 · 3 May 1999]

a crudely made science fiction w/ a talking dog and a young horny Don Johnson scouting for available vagina in a wasteland of gangs, canned peaches, mutants, and telepathic dogs. free porno film included, Don Johnson calls Jason Robards a hairlip. a must see by Harlan Ellison a LQ Jones