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zacheh
Reviews
La decima vittima (1965)
run out and rent this oddity!
This instantly shot to up to one of my new favorite films. It's everything the film SERIES-7 pretended to be, based on the Sheckley novel that pretty much invented the televised human hunting sub-genre. This film has all the irreverence of the a mid-60's, the ornate costumes, set design and absurdist wit. Marcello Mastrioni is hilarious as the bored, easygoing contestant who seems to be waltzing through without a scratch, and Ursula Andress is wonderful as the cold-blooded siren. The film falls off the deep end in the last five minutes, must have been some great LSD on the set that day, but overall this is a must see for any true cinephile.
Hard Luck (2001)
Happy Surprise
What a happy surprise this film was when I popped it into my deck. Usually when I pick a random indie film I regret it. Occasionally it pays off as it did with this wonderful, largely unknown gem. HARD LUCK is the kind of film Hollywood had the balls to make 30 years ago. It reminded me of some of the best 70's deterministic character-driven films like FIVE EASY PIECES (it even has Karen Black in a wonderful cameo!) BADLANDS or THE GAMBLER. Kirk Harris is beautifully understated in the ironically named character "Lucky". His humanistic and yet self-destructive decisions are heartbreaking. The film is very low-budget. Unfortunately, with the advent of the "block buster Independent" consuming the alternative distribution market, this type of film can only be made on the outer margins of the "un-dependent" world. Highly recommended.
Happy Accidents (2000)
Oddest, most clever romantic comedy in years
I loved this movie. Vincent D'Onofrio pulls off one of his most complex, hilarious performances I've seen to date. Marisa Tomei proves that her Oscar win was not a onetime performance and that she's actually grown as an actress. The story pulls the rug out from under you about a third the way through going from cuddly to captivating. Moments of the film are utterly hilarious. Parts of it border on downright sinister. I won't give away any details about the ending, but it's a beautiful revelation worthy of some of the best in cinematic history.
An Enraged New World (2002)
Good stuff
Enraged New World is promising homegrown no-budget sci-fi film that appears to have been shot largely in Alaska. The location work is outstanding for what was probably a film that cost the price of the DV tapes and PBJ Sandwiches for the actors. The lead George N. Thompson (as Corp. Roger Corman!) gives a good performance and makes up for some of the unevenness of a few of the other actors. What really make the film enjoyable is the strong, serious, story and direction. Think Tarkovsky's THE STALKER meets Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD with a dash of Bruce Lee. Martinez shows a nack for storytelling and it would be interesting to see what he could do with a budget.
An Enraged New World (2002)
Good stuff
Enraged New World is promising homegrown no-budget sci-fi film that appears to have been shot largely in Alaska. The location work is outstanding for what was probably a film that cost the price of the DV tapes and PBJ Sandwiches for the actors. The lead George N. Thompson (as Corp. Roger Corman!) gives a good performance and makes up for some of the unevenness of a few of the other actors. What really make the film enjoyable is the strong, serious, story and direction. Think Tarkovsky's THE STALKER meets Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD with a dash of Bruce Lee. Martinez shows a nack for storytelling and it would be interesting to see what he could do with a budget.