miloustein Reviews

Lammbock (2001)

No use for such bad movies

[1/10 · 23 April 2024]

I learned of this crap movie because I sadly watched the sequel film Lommbock (2017). Essentially, see my comments there. I dissaprove totally the golrification of drug use and the lowest neveau of jokes and acting. Talentfree acting, and waste of time are the main findings. There is no moment in the film when an adult could enjoy whatever scene. Just stupid, for stupid audiences.

Don't know what to ad. I am fully against all those propaganda movies for weed and drug abuse, And this together with toilet humor are the least essential ingrediens of any movie, even comedy. Besides the script writer's talentless writing and the fact most is watered-down "inspiration" from other directors.

Stay clear of such movies.

Lommbock (2017)

Promoting drugs, no use for such movies

[1/10 · 23 April 2024]

I don't normally voluntarily watch films with talentless actors like Moritz Bleibtreu. I stay true to myself (ich bleibe mir treu, pun) and steer clear of his films. Anyway, I watched the "film" and then sadly discovered that it was already the sequel. Like everywhere else, there's only money involved when bad (or good) films are cloned.

Yes, that's another important basic question: is a film good because it's successful? Exactly. No.

Let's move on to the film. Boring dialogue (my mother tongue is German), full of platitudes and very predictable. And what really bothers me is this endless glorification of drug use, everything is made ridiculous, easy and problem-free. Even drug-related crime is trivialised. Films like this send out all the wrong signals to young people, who then find it normal to rob others and be permanently stoned. Such films should be censored and burned. I hate stoners in the worst way.

Plane to Busan (2022)

Is that not a copyright infringement?

[5/10 · 31 August 2023]

Well, I got this through a Hindi movie portal and had not seen the original movie from 2007: Plane Dead aka Zombies on a Plane aka Flight of the Living Dead by Director Scott Thomas.

So I watched it and well, as I don't speak Hindi, could not follow the dialogue, which of course was not necessary. But the movie was still fun to watch, I now bought the DVD of Scott's 2007 movie and will enjoy that next week-end. However, the fact that this "producer" steals an older movie is beyond my understanding and also the title which was used: Plane to Busan, clearly taking advantage of the totally fun movie Busanhaeng 2016 and sequel Busanhaeng 2: Bando, two superb South Korean high octane horror zombie thrillers.

Of course, the movie is creditet to "T. Scott" but with no link to Thomas Scott and no other infos of the cast. And the title misleads you in the search. Anyway. Just wanted to give this info for this copy crap.

Fazit: a shame.

The Break Up Man (2013)

Not worth viewing

[2/10 · 25 March 2023]

I give that crap wannabe comedy a 3 because I am clement. The plot as described was interesting and I thought would be watchable... alas, as a German native speaker, the longer into the film I felt let down. No one of the characters were likeable, to care about. Mostly predictable, and not executed well enough. And after the chase in the Chateau with the mean father, the stupid English Soundtrack proved to be exactly what I felt, it was a German movie done for stupid young (mostly) US viewers. Seemed exactly the vein of all the American Pie and Van Wilder crap. Just a real downer. I spare you the rest. Just don't watch that crap I saw tonight 2 UK comedies of the 70ties and I was delighted at many aspects of these movies. US and German wannabe are really dissapointing p.s. And if you ARE a young US moviegoer, maybe try to educate yourself on movies from the 50ties to the 70ties Culture and history awareness helps.

Mad Heidi (2022)

Perfect Popcorn Cinema

[8/10 · 16 December 2022]

Short version: a surprisingly sober, good-natured comedy with some silly and funny effects, refreshing in all his indefinable style. Absolutely recommendable. And all the mothers who cried out loud as their poor teeny kids are able to watch the movie (admitted starting 16 years in Switzerland instead of 18 like in Germany) should shut up. This harmless comedy won't hurt the mental health of their youngsters. Besides that those kids watch porn on their mobiles at age 13 already, as recently discovered in Swiss schools. Go and watch Mad Heidi!

Long version:

The idea of using a world-famous, well-behaved children's story, "Heidi" (written in 1881 by Johanna Spyri) as the framework for the film, was refreshing. The film genre called "Heimatfilm" basically takes place in the German-speaking regions, mostly in the Alps. This glorified, naive world also served as the basis for many Heidi films. I have all of them: Heidi 1927, Heidi 1952, Heidi and Peter 1955, Heidi 1965, Heidi Returns Home 1968, Heidi Part 1+2 1993 (Walt Disney) and Heidi 2005. Oufff. So I was more than happy to get an alternate view at that girl, being nevertheless really an exploitation and horror movie fan. Thus, this new Heidi had a lot of potential.

But alas, due to the previous intensive advertising, crowdfunding marketing and trailer, I expected more, more action, above all more horror, also harder, not so comedy-like. It was not boring at all, but not captivating enough. The story is a bit thin, everything is predictable. Here the saying is once again perfectly true: anticipation is the greatest joy. Besides this, the movie was absolutely enjoyable and not annoying. Just not good enough. I expected more. It's like a bad Tarantino. But to be honest, Tarantino is also starting to get boring. I own all of the original films that Tarantino and others and subsequent Mad Heidi quotes from. Admittedly, it's not easy to surprise after the pimped movies like Machete Kills or even better Kataude mashin gâru (The Machine Girl). It seems to me that all the borrowing from iconic exploitation films was just a cheap ploy to lure viewers into the cinema.

Some of the movie quotes weren't convincing because the acting was a bit amateurish. I am thinking, for example, of Knorr quoting Apocalypse Now (Napalm). But anyway, it doesn't have to be top notch, it's a first film and we hope more will be made in this style. It's always a thousand times better than the shallow Hollywood comedies we've been getting for years. I would have to give a point more for that alone. I'll go see the movie again soon and of course I'll buy the DVD as well. Belongs in a collection of every lawful film buff.

A fun point for viewers familiar with the Swiss geography is that they mixed every region together, you find Château Chillon from Lake Geneva on a hill and Valais and Grison mixed together in front of the ever towering Matterhorn... I liked that very much. Generally a film who shows love to Swiss cliches and uses them cleverly. Great idea the killer fondue and finish a guy with a Toblerone.

Besides the movie, the local press is the funniest: in large headlines "outraged parents are up in arms against a brutal Swiss film. Even minors can see the Swiss splatter film "Mad Heidi" in the cinema, despite the most brutal bloody scenes. Now parents are demanding an increase in the age rating." Well, those few seconds of splatter really ... they should watch Netflix or TV for an evening and see for themselves that there is way more real brutality in many mainstream films and series. Boring parents.

Last not least: at least +1 point for being the most creative Swiss movie in a very long time, the innovative creation process and the new lable Swissploitation. Hope they try to realize another project. At the end of the movie they "preannounced" (might be just for fun)(because it has been done many times now) the sequel "Heidi & Klara".

And sorry if I went on to be a little too serious. Fun cinema and most warmly recommended.

Swissview (2007–2010)

Like A Bird - Magnificent!

[8/10 · 10 February 2022]

From 1995 onwards, the films could be seen for hours on Swiss television, channel 4, as fillers between programs and especially at night, and I was totally fascinated from the start. You glided over valleys and lakes and felt as free as a bird. The tension increased each time the helicopter started to fly extremely low. In every region, every village, town where you knew something, you looked diligently for familiar buildings. When the first DVD box (13 DVDs, 1150 minutes) appeared on the market in 2004, of course I jumped at it immediately. I still watch a DVD now and then. Timeless fun for those who know Switzerland and people who want to discover it from above. From 2009 the series appeared gradually in Blue-Ray.

Short story about it:

Marco Fumasoli, born in 1951, first worked as an editor for Swiss television and at the Berlin Film School and for two advertising agencies. After studying law on the second educational path, he worked as a lic. Iur. In Marketing and at the District Court of Zurich. In 1987 he returned to SF DRS, this time as a director. As creative director from 1990 to 1994, he completely revised the appearance of the Swiss national broadcaster and invented, among other things, the legendary Switzerland 4 balloon for Switzerland 4. This gave rise to the vision of filming Switzerland from above. He started his first helicopter flights for SWISSVIEW in 1995 from Schindellegi SZ. He installed a camera on board, which he ran on all his flights. Since then, it has crossed region after region in extreme low-level flight. The result is called SWISSVIEW: well over 1,600 films from all parts of Switzerland. And there are always more.

Today, SWISSVIEW is a phenomenon that is unique in the world!

The most beautiful sides of Switzerland are within reach: majestic Alpine peaks, rugged glaciers, quiet mountain lakes. Picturesque villages and remote valleys, where people rarely get lost, are documented. But the journey also goes through cities, along pulsating motorways and railway lines or to airports. SWISSVIEW shows the whole of Switzerland from a bird's eye view - and in impressive quality. The appeal of the recordings lies in their unadulterated perspective. Due to the natural slowness and the absence of any cuts, the viewer himself becomes a traveller, gliding over the landscape like a bird. He dives into a unique world, left entirely to his thoughts. The images are accompanied by spherical sounds that were specially composed for each film and to match each individual setting. The combination of optical and acoustic sensory impressions leads to an incomparable, almost meditative experience.

Wavelength (1967)

My experience

[10/10 · 18 May 2021]

There are enough comments from other viewers on the course of the movie. I just want to share my personal experience.

I met Michael Snow at the opening exhibition 1980 in our local Art Museum, of which I was a member at young age. There were objects and visual installations. In a separate room, there were screenings of the main movies of Snow, i.e. Wavelength, Back & Forth, La Région Centrale, Rameau's Nephew. Maybe some others, can't recall. Trough the movies, particularly Wavelength, I became instantly addicted to Snows work, and after 40 years of seeing them, on an irregular basis (I have most of them on DVD), I must admit, still today Wavelength and Back & Forth capture my attention.

I guess if you are seeing a film in a Modern Art Museum, your expectation is unlike from a cinema set-up with popcorn and mainstream viewers. The mindset is different, more open. For me, this has not changed over time. Over the years some experimental films, as other movies, loose some appeal, because they are children of their time. Often the Zeitgeist is lost in the next generation of moviegoers. But movies like the two abovementioned from Snow, or Scott Bartlett's OffOn, 1968, keep their power. Just open your mind. This is experimental at its best. Nothing to do with entertaining action movie.

Anyway, I was also experimenting with recording tapes since 1978 and thus had a different ear to the sinus wave. And while the camera got closer, the sound higher, my inner tension grew, came to the climax once the waves of the pinned image were close. I thought I heard the ocean surf. With such a strong impression upon the first viewing, it was easy to become a fan of Snow. The problem was, in the 80ties impossible to see them films again. Only in the nineties, through endless contacts in film buff forums, I was able to locate copies of the movies and see them again.

I can only recommend watching at least the 4 films mentioned at the beginning, but Rameau to a big lesser degree. Go with an open mind. You'll be rewarded. Excellent 10/10.

Back and Forth (1969)

My experience

[10/10 · 18 May 2021]

There are enough comments from other viewers describing the movie. I just want to share my personal experience.

I met Michael Snow at the opening exhibition 1980 in our local Art Museum in Switzerland, of which I was member at young age. There were objects and visual installations. In a separate room, there were screenings of the main movies of Snow, i.e. Wavelength, Back & Forth, La Région Centrale, Rameau's Nephew. Maybe some others, can't recall. Through the movies, particularly Wavelength, I became instantly addicted to Snows work, and after 40 years of seeing them, on an irregular basis (I have most of themon DVD), I must admit, still today Wavelength and Back & Forth capture my attention.

I guess if you are seeing a film in a Modern Art Museum, your expectation is unlike from a cinema set-up with popcorn and mainstream viewers. The mindset is different, more open. For me, this has not changed over time. Over the years some experimental films, as other movies or books, loose some appeal, because they are children of their time. Often the Zeitgeist is lost in the next generation of moviegoers. But movies like the two abovementioned from Snow, or Scott Bartlett's OffOn from 1968, keep their power. Just open your mind. This is experimental at its best. Nothing to do with entertaining action movies.

Back & Forth aka Back and Forth was intriguing with its camera moving left and right. That was new, and I let it happen to me, not judging anything. But when the camera got faster, I got more fascinated. And when it moved up and down, I laughed in happiness and had a confirmation, that at least those two films will ever be loved by myself. Also, it was a forerunner to La Région Centrale.

I can only recommend watching at least the 4 films mentioned at the beginning; Rameau to a big lesser degree. Go with an open mind. You'll be rewarded. Excellent 10/10.

Gehara: The Dark & Long Hair Monster (2009 TV Movie)

Excellent Indie Revival

[7/10 · 24 July 2020]

This is a very enjoyable NHK produced TV short, which I liked very much. But I found a very informative comment from Mark Cole from March 17, 2020. As there is no comment yet and I'd like to give viewers in the western world some insight, I copy his comment, no copyright infraction intended (I wrote Mark), as long as there are no other comments here on IMDb. In Japan, there might be much more comments. Thus, with the words of Mark Cole:

It was the end of Godzilla. Again.

For the third time, Toho's series of Godzilla had come to an end, this time with the release of Godzilla: Final Wars. But that didn't change the fact that there were a lot of people out there who still loved giant monster movies.

So, in that decade before the release of the second American Godzilla, there was a wave of more or less independent Kaiju Eiga films, many of them parodies or homages, including such efforts as Big Man Japan (2007), The Return of Monster X: Attack the G8 Summit (2008), Reigo, the Deep-Sea Monster vs. the Battleship Yamato (2005), Raiga: The Monster from the Deep Sea (2009), the CGI short, Negadon: the Monster from Mars (2005), and, of course, this film.

It starts in a very familiar way (and there are a lot of references to past Kaiju Eiga films): the engine on a fishing boat far out at sea falters, and when the crew tries to find out what is wrong, they find that their propeller is snarled up in...hair!

Which is when Gehara rises from the sea and destroys their boat.

The beast then rises from the sea and attacks, while a young reporter realizes that it matches an old legend - but when he goes to a temple dedicated to that old god, he finds that Gehara has broken the seal they put on him and escaped.

This is a stunning little film. It was made for TV and, while it may not have had a huge budget, it looks as good as the films it is copying. Their creature is unique and familiar at the same time - and it is actually quite impressive. The battle scenes are as well, and we even get a bittersweet moment reminiscent of the ending of Rodan when the Self Defense Force defeats the monster.

Which is when Gehara switches to parody, with a scene reminiscent of 1965's Monster Zero, and a trailer for an imaginary sequel.

All in all a brilliant effort: it looks great, it offers a comfortable blend of the familiar with the new and surprising, and there is enough creativity on display here for not just one short film, but a whole series of movies. I particularly love the aliens who make an appearance at the end, with their silver clothing and matching skin, their bald heads, and these marvelously squeaky and silly cartoon voices.

For those of us who could never get enough giant monster movies, this film is a treat. About the only thing I can complain about is that it is short. But then, that is part of its charm, as well. It doesn't have long enough to stick around too long.

So, if you love Godzilla, Gamera and Mothra, this is a film you need to see.

It's worth the effort it takes to find it.

Mark Cole

Gutshot Straight (2014)

Keith Waggoner's music saves this film

[5/10 · 13 August 2016]

I came across this film unintended. Saw the name Seagal and thought OK, another B- Action movie... exactly what I wanted to see. But it said Thriller.. so I watched with interest... the opening credit went on with some pleasant music but I didn't realize then... the film did not develop as I hoped, no violence explosion, no hard shooting etc.. no running LOL... actually, now for me *SPOILER ALERTS!!!* this is a Drama /Existentialism (I always label films with 2 categories). This is by no means a Film Noir like some here on the board try to say. That is an insult to all the great films of the 40ties and early fifties... but alas, so many here have no clue about it and write stupid comments. Here we have no tension, we have no suspense and bleak outlook, that only can be done with good actors committing themselves and a good script. Here we have lame acting at best, and a director who wants to be more than he can achieve. Anyway.

.. so about 30 min. into the film, I was already a little less interested, Duffy proposed Jack to fu*k his girl (May), that was the moment I said to myself Stop... what is this? Made no sense to what I was expecting from the movie.. but anyway, I was emotionally maybe a little opener that usually (because of personal reasons)... so as Jack was hit, fell in the pool.. woke up ... and then, looked at May, asking her if these were his cloth...... ever from the first second where the music came back in, when Jack was talking to May, the two tones from the song "The Spider" give an introduction, more noticeable than in the beginning of the film... same song, but at first watching, this was not clear to me. The talk, the story, was weird, but this music kept me captive... I stopped actually the film and googled the soundtrack, none available.. it is the only essential music in this film. astonishing... and a real discovery. love it, even the entry lyrics are intriguing...

"I must confess, I've done you wrong, and now you're tangled in the web of my song... "

exactly what i was... falling in the web of this song. GREAT!!!

the song is available on Youtube, either film clip or video clip.

The ending of the video clip with the vampire kiss is not necessary, because the retro look was cool enough.. (Greta didn't even have the heavy red lips as expected, she looks gorgeous). Sometimes newbies want to add too much things together which do not fit. That is maybe the border between amateurish/mechanical and real talent.

The film has real flaws and weaknesses, others here have commented on that, so I refrain. But: We look movies for many reasons... this one is slightly below average but will stay in my memory because I discovered a great song.. and besides Films (DVD, MP4), I collect music... so thank you Keith Waggoner for that great song... One song is enough to make me happy and don't feel I had wasted time on the movie... :). Will even revisit the film, even though I have the lead song in my iTunes database... and listen to it a lot. 5/10

Der Teufel hat gut lachen (1960)

Only For Kurt Früh Fans

[6/10 · 27 February 2016]

The Film is also called "Der Teufel hat gut lachen". I admit it isn't on the level of Früh's top Films "Hinter den 7 Gleisen" or "Bäckerei Zürrer", but still watchable, at least for us who we grew up and lived in Switzerland. I love all these silly old Swiss films who show us our lost past, it is kinda traveling back in time. Anyway for me it matters that I think Kurt Früh really knows how do depict simple people in their daily struggle and that cannot be compared to mainstream cinema. Of course I can speak of it because I myself feel that many of those characters are played simple-minded, naive or sometimes even stupid (not only from Früh's films). That is a characteristic of many old Swiss films which I sometimes even feel a little embarrassed. But it is as it is. We have to accept that. So, I love to watch that film even a second and third time because of where it is filmed and it is not that bad a story, admitting there is no highlight in acting. Even Gustav Knuth.. anyway. Said enough. I really prefer Kurt Früh in his dramatic films.

Skyline (2010)

I collect Movies which are so bad they're good

[4/10 · 28 November 2010]

This is more a philosophical digression.

...after drafting this comment, I bring my conclusion first, so you can skip the rest:

I saw the film on a long distance flight. I skip most details, there are enough reviews. I give the film 4 stars because I love alien invasion films, actually liked the big aliens walking over roof tops, just wanted to see them more often, clearer, understand how they function, also liking the end with humanity annihilated (we suppose). It was not a real difficult film to watch.

Of course some scenes in the film made me scream. I particularly didn't like Jarrod. No logic in all his actions & talk. The second worst scene was certainly the covering of the windows with bed sheets? Now that is defense!

The highlight: near the end, after machine guns, bombs didn't kill the monsters. Jarrod hits the alien with a concrete brick, then bravely combats with his fists... that is the scene worth all the money you can spend on the film!!

The end is not worse than, let's say what I've seen recently: The Crazies (2010). The nuclear bomb blast blows their truck off the road, but the couple walks off unharmed... right into the radiation at sunset or sundown... ah, that was terrible.

Throughout Skyline victims are snatched in seconds, but the last fight on the roof top is endless and over the top. There are many films, where in a chase - for the sake of suspense - the evil party is not catching up with the victim, even though comparing to other scenes that should have been the case...

I agree with one reviewer: no Uebermensch in Skyline who saves the world... that is a positive. Also agree that an alien invasion might rather turn out like this than most other films depict. The national interests of the superpowers would never lead to a coordinated action in time - nor might we have the weapons.

...now back to my philosophical bla bla:

I think some reviews are too biased. Why complain about a few $ or an hour wasted. Check how many times you buy a beer when you had already enough, or how much time you waste at certain occasions.

Sometimes there are euphoric comments for an absolutely dull commercial Hollywood film. One may tend to over/underrate films, if one watches only a certain kind of popcorn movies. Myself, I look at everything from 1890 till today. When you compare films of all genre, you start to judge differently. How does my 8* for Sunset Boulevard compare to 8* for I Stand Alone or Alien or La Soupe Aux Choux?

Besides: a heretical question: is it normal to watch Star Wars IV 100+ times? And never have watched let's say some great 50ties SF flicks? How is the judgment of that viewer. Would you dare to question his holy grail? It's all biased.

Today, big Hollywood films start to look all alike, same plots, jokes and over-engineered. Rare to get a new idea. Why do we need remakes of good old films we can buy on DVD? Ocean 11, Ocean 12, Ocean 13. Is THAT what you like? Because when I check the ratings, they are high. Not because the films are good, but because a lot of I'd judge younger film goers write in IMDb for such films. Quantiy has never been a prove for quality. So many 9* for an average action flick does not mean it's great by any standard. Just a view of a group of movie goers who are in the web more present.

I am suspicious for the high number of 10*, looks fishy. Best is to look at the Gaussian distribution pattern of votes to spot such deviances. Certain Turkish films being at the bottom of all films here show clearly politically motivated manipulation of film rating distribution (check e.g. Keloglan kara prens'e karsi (2006).

As I wrote in the title, I buy also DVDs of films with low ratings. Why? Because I want to judge myself. Of course most of these films are B-Movies from the 50/60ties (e.g. the Something Weird collection). Some are really better than their reputation. Others not: Jess Franco is totally overrated. Even though if I give some of his films only 3, or 2*, I bought the DVDs... just cannot watch them more than once. Have you never seen a film with so bad acting that it was fun to watch?

For example, if you check Amazon.com 20 Movies So Bad They're Good, there is the ultimate cult film Plan 9 from outer Space. Now you can judge the film for it's making, story etc. Or you can like it even more just like me because a) I love Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson and last not least Vampira. I have many films with them, and b) the most exciting with 50ties SF is when you spot the wires which hold the UFO etc... fantastic! So It's a prove you can like bad films.

Now again look at this Amazon list: there is Foxy Brown!! How come? What kind of nut-head would put that film in such a list. It's full of pep, fun, action and has a sassy Pam Grier. All what I say is you cannot logically always agree with all others on the "quality" of a film. Here, most writers are young and their comments are less differentiated. It's not always black or white.

Be happy movie goers & collectors!

Last not least: Before I decided to write here, I opened a bottle of Chardonnay and read through the comments for Skyline - it was almost as much fun as to watch the film!

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Seen Film again after 35 years - Fantastic!

[9/10 · 22 November 2010]

I saw this film in primary school catechism class in 1974, because we got a very young teacher who had a broad mind and wanted us to see it for further discussions (I remember before him this class was so dull). We went to the cinema and were happy not having to explore the Bible. Immediately afterwards I bought the double LP. I love the music since then extremely and got some all time favourites, songs I sing along with (you don't wanna hear)

Now I got a chance to see the film again after almost 35 years (seen it twice at the time and never since). I am really enchanted by it's modernism in many accounts... much better realized than some operas or theaters which do Greek classics I've seen, with sometimes dreadful mise en scène. Meaning in the film they don't hide it's done in 20th century showing the bus, modern cloth, tanks etc. I particularly like the Pharisee's scaffold, and when they sing tapping with their hands for percussion, that is really great. So I discover again a lot of details I forgot over time, having only the score.

Look e.g. at the dance scene ca 28 min. To me, it looks so fresh, dynamic & entertaining compared to the ENDLESS TIRESOME recent Hollywood/Music scene dancing of groups (dance virus initiated maybe by Michael Jackson's great Thriller video), and worse, the Bollywood inflation we get now. I look Bollywood films since 15 years & am getting really tired of it by now. So I think, Hair & JCSt are the best music films we have (not judging anything with music & dance before 1965.

I am not gong to talk about technical quality of filming etc, there are already enough such comments. Just want to point out that this was a real great event for me to see this film again, and I encourage everyone to see it at least once. It has so much emotions in it, sometimes cannot keep back the tears. You may say, I am much influenced because I listened to the score for 35 years. I admit and say, when we have great Rock Operas such as this, we can just be grateful for both, a fantastic score, and a fantastic film. This Film is a must see.

Polnoe dykhanie (2007)

A sad love story

[8/10 · 16 October 2010]

a few day ago I saw A full Breath in Russian language, with no subtitles. I don't speak Russian, but I thought I will understand the story, which was the case.

It depicts a holiday couple traveling by car from Moscow to a fisherman's village near Kerch, in the Crimea. That village once had a thriving fish market, but now was in decline. The inhabitants lived a modest life.

Irina, a business owner in Moscow, must be some 10 years older than her lover Kostya, and they visited the village because of his childhood memories. Once he was friends with a ca 10 years younger girl named Katya, who not only had not forgotten him, but hoped he would return one day.

As Kostya and Katya meet again, Irina, knowing the nature of her boyfriend, decided not to disturb him - let them live a moment of the past. She hoped everything would return to normal once they left for Moscow... But she did not take into account that people from the fishing village think and feel differently.

The end is sad. Katya and Irina struggle for the love of Kostya. Is Kostya just naively enjoying the fact that two women love him? How is his conscience? I cannot judge the dialogs, as said, don't understand Russky. But you do not need to understand Russian for the film.

The moral can be found in the last few scenes, where we see Katya's aunt wanting to get rid of the past, but due to some comic accident, decides differently. The parting images show that life must go on, will go on...

Overall, the acting was good, very natural. To me, Katya and Stepan were very convincing, not lowering other actors. Besides the tragic there was some humor, the vodka-addicted policeman, and the "swimmer". If you have a chance to see this film, please don't hesitate. Nobody with experience how love can guide will find this film dull.

Grief in Bagdad (1925)

One of the funniest parodies!

[10/10 · 4 May 2008]

I got this short movie GRIEF IN BAGDAD, 1925, in 2001, along with the French DVD of The Thief of Bagdad with D. Fairbanks, 1924. Unfortunately, the film doesn't give any details which studio produced, nor director etc. However, it is only 10 Minutes in PAL To say I was delighted would be an understatement. The bonus is better than the main film. Since the first viewing, my friends and I roll on the floor because of this overly funny gem. I have hundreds of Slapstick movies from the old days, this is my favourite one.

It's a similar story like in "Thief of Bagdad", but the main "actors" are actually… chimpanzees… it makes the story so funny.

I won't tell too many details: watch the second scene with the mule, to get a lift to the first floor, to steal the noodles of Pung Chow (a Pekin sheik!!!), then the cut of the magic rope, where Ali Bi, the hero, remains in the air and checks below the cut rope, and only then falls down; later in the palace he jumps on the praying Muslim's back; not to forget the acrobatics on the flying mule, the magic doors in Pung Chow's palace… oh boy, what delightful entertainment! Besides, the film has the same crazy, nervous, dynamic organ music than "Thief", which was played by Gaylon Carter.

Prospero's Books (1991)

The best possible film on many levels

[10/10 · 25 November 2003]

Let's keep it short: i like old books, literature, calligraphy, textiles, body paintings, expressive theater, architecture, cinema - all this has been perfectly put onto celluloid. add to this john gielgud's fantastic art, unforgettable music and the paint-box technique.. - can't be beaten... it is my favorite film, followed by "a walk through prospero's library" - i dream of such books. that's the peak of cinematographic vision!