Change Your Image
sutoke
Reviews
300 (2006)
Passion of the Antichrist
This is in my book one of the worst movies ever made ... down there with the gore spewing, plot-less "Passion of the Christ" only this time we're supposed to root for the war-worshipers instead of the Peace Maker. Except that there's no reason to care about any of them. Past the adrenaline, these warriors are one-dimensionally boring. Perhaps wooden block-head dialogue like "I've filled my heart with hate..." "Good..." looks interesting hand lettered in a graphic novel, but coming out of human actors' mouths on screen, it's eye rolling.
I couldn't stop thinking that these thong-wearing, pierced, waxed heavies should just have a gay orgy and get it over with instead of taking up blood lust as substitute. The audience laughed involuntarily at first sight of S&M poster-boy Xerxes.
Not to mention this movie is pure propaganda from the let's-go-to-war-with-Iran-it'll-be-glorious crowd. Fanning the flames of "kill, kill, kill" at this critical time in our nation's life is to my view sinister. We will suffer greatly if we go to war with Iran as the administration is planning right now. Save your money -- you're just paying to be brainwashed.
Play Dirty (1969)
Gripping look at the chilling underbelly of war
Prescient, dark slice of a desert war campaign -- a band of jaded misfits is sent on a critical dangerous mission -- that you will not be able to erase from memory. The tension De Toth creates in one scene of a booby-trapped way-station, with long patient shots and close ups of sweat beads, surpasses any but the most masterful of Hitchcock. Michael Caine's role as a reluctant oil executive tagged on to the mission is a study in ambivalent survival. The characters are some you'd never expect.
De Toth is among the most interesting directors no one has ever heard of. His distaste for the studio system has meant that many of his movies have been overlooked. His style of storytelling is terse and sparse, almost unfinished, leaving the viewers to fill in their own ideas. Probably unsatisfying to some, but fascinating in his contrast to so many over-explaining movie makers.
Syriana owes much to the tenor of this story. It is the flip side of Band of Brothers. A story that today holds more lessons than ever.