Subj : Re: A History of Violence: My No-Thoughts Review To : alt.tv.farscape From : John Iwaniszek Date : Sun Oct 02 2005 23:44:07 From Newsgroup: alt.tv.farscape Tyler Trafford wrote in news:3qb5ptFe7hh4U1@individual.net: > 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?) Eraser head first, just to get it out of the way. The Brazil, then A Clockwork Orange, then The Trial, then The Virgin Spring, then No Exit, then The Red Balloon, and that should just about catch you up. .