Subj : Re: A History of Violence: My No-Thoughts Review
To   : alt.tv.farscape
From : Tyler Trafford
Date : Sun Oct 02 2005 23:37:50

From Newsgroup: alt.tv.farscape

RR wrote:
> weirdwolf wrote:
>
>>> Here's my [plagiarized] reviw:
>>>
>>> OH.MY.GOD.THAT.FUCKING.ROCKED.
>>>
>>> Seriously though, it does. Unfortuantely, to talk about it at this
>>> point in any detail does a huge disservice to anyone who has not seen
>>> it.
>>>
>>> So I recommend it more highly than anything else I've seen so far
>>> this year (granted, the competition for that honor isn't all that
>>> fierce).
>>>
>>
>> I've just looked at the IMDB reviews, they way they talk about it  the
>> film seems to have an old school western feel to the basic plot, say
>> Shane for instance.
>
> I can kinda-sorta-see-that-maybe.
>
> But really, no.
>
> I'm a Cronenberg freak. His last two films ("eXistenZ" & "Spider") were less
> than up-to-par. I have been - for the past year or so - expecting this film
> to follow suit. I was beginning to feel that maybe he was one of those
> directors who had kinda lost it.
>
> Then the reviews for AHOV started trickling out and they were positive
> across the board, which I don't believe a Cronenberg film has had since
> probably "Dead Ringers" or "The Fly".
>
> AHOV is Cronenberg exploring many of his usual themes while also daring to
> tackle a few new ones, but most importantly it's very likely his most
> accessible film to date, but at the same time it doesn't feel in the least
> bit sanitized or designed for the masses.
>
> It's rare that I assign the term "genius" to a film and even rarer that I do
> it within days of the seeing a film, after only one viewing. But as I sit
> here typing, I have no problem using that word to describe AHOV. A better
> word may even be "flawless", which frankly is a far bigger compliment. Its
> exploration of humanity's most primal urges is a huge part of its
> accessibility, because reason (which strangely is the opposite of said
> urges) dictates that such instincts reside in all of us.
>
> It will perhaps be viewed as an unsettling film for some, but it's hard for
> me to believe that anybody would deny that it is outstanding filmmaking.
> Personally I was too excited by it to be unsettled. It's a perfect filmic
> blend of message and commerce. It's tight; the running time is 96 min. and
> not a scene or line is wasted or unimportant. It's far and away Viggo
> Mortenson's (sp?) best performance ever. Come Oscars, if he doesn't get a
> nom for Best Actor (if not a win) there is no justice, and it should get
> Best Pic & Adapted Screenplay noms as well.
>
> I'm always fearful of overselling movies, but in this case I'm not even
> certain that's possible.

I liked eXistenZ, not great but good.  I don't think I've seen anything
else by him.  Oh wait, I saw Crash as well.

*imdb*

Ah, he did Naked Lunch too?  Awesome.

(Tonight I choose between these three movies: Million Dollar Baby,
Brazil, and Eraser Head.  Recomendation?)
-- 
Tyler Trafford

It is only the great men who are truly obscene.  If they had not dared
to be obscene, they could never have dared to be great.
		-- Havelock Ellis

.