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chrimsun
Reviews
Dennis Miller: The Millennium Special - 1,000 Years, 100 Laughs, 10 Really Good Ones (1999)
Not the best Miller show but still worthwhile
Granted I've only seen it once, I was a little dissapointed with this show for laughs. It is an interesting concept with plenty of funny moments, as you would expect from Dennis. Unfortunately for me I didn't laugh as much as I normally do in a Dennis Miller Live show. This pales in the comparison of his more recent Raw Feed, which makes me bust my gut every 20-30 seconds. Any fan of the Dennis Miller show should seek out the Millenium Special and the Raw Feed, but the latter is definitely better. The Norm McDonald "cock" references which occur over and over is an inside joke to those that saw him on a prior show. Problem is, if you're not in that small, probably minority audience who is familiar with the joke, it would just seem stupid... Since I got the reference I thought it was amusing, but it may have made Norm look bad to some (not that Norm probably cares). Anyway, its worth a look, but I'd look for it on TV or a rental store first before buying it outright. Trust me though, go ahead and buy Raw Feed if you don't have the opportunity to see it on the air.
Sur mes lèvres (2001)
One of my favorites (possible spoilers at end of my piece)
I was tempted to call this one of the best suspense movies of all time, but I will need to watch it again. I was thoroughly enthralled.... at one point I was standing in front of the TV for about five minutes, unable to go sit down, for fear of missing something or temporarily detatching myself from the story. Vincent Cassel was awesome as usual, and Emmanuelle Devos won my heart and respect-- she was dynamite. Whatever you think of the story, I was just compelled to watch the less-than-perfect looking leads play seedy but sympathetic characters, and was rooting for them the whole way. This movie could have gone in 100 different directions, but I'm glad it went the direction it did.
Spoilers: I interpreted it that the parole officer had killed his wife and she had been found in the cellar that he had mentioned to the police. I like this bit of unresolved plot myself.
Hei tai yang 731 (1988)
Imperfect but moving historical docudrama
Some of the effects are a little fakey for 1988, the story is somewhat episodic, but overall the film is very powerful and uses recurring thematic elements to elevate it into a higher-class production that its reputation would otherwise suggest. This is not a horror movie (but the events it depicts are horrific) nor is it an exploitation movie ( though its extremely graphic torture sequences earn it a place in the extreme/shock sections of the video store). As best as I can tell through the language barrier, the acting is very well done. The film was scripted, photographed, and directed in a very primitive Hollywood style. Other than the violence, I would have assumed this film was made in the early 70s. I guessed 1977 after I watched, but it turns out it was released in 1988. Perhaps it was produced earlier than that?!?! The onscreen violence and nudity are what separates this from those older war movies. There are many similarities between this movie and Schindler's List which was released about 5 years later. You should not feel guilty for picking this title up. This is not the sweeping epic that Schindler's list is, but the feeling at the end is nearly the same. If you're looking for a schlocky horror exploitation movie, you will be bored with this one. If you are interested in WWII history, Japanese/Chinese recent history, or want a glimpse of the barbaric treatment that thousands, perhaps millions, endured during the 20th century, then don't pass this up.