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Reviews
Videodrome (1983)
Criterion's New Flesh
Pros: It's a Cronenberg film with extras. Cons: Cut footage for the feature not replaced.
This is not entirely a movie review, but a DVD review. This may contain some spoilers, but will not go into detail of the plot. Please consult another venue for information on the movie itself.
This is Cronenberg. How can you deny a Cronenberg horror/sci-fi film? You can't, really. And you must be a fan of David's or you wouldn't be reading this. Because to fork out the nice sum to purchase the Criterion Videodrome, you're either a Criterion Collector or an avid David Cronenberg fan.
But, there's a catch.
Criterion in the past has come out with some decent stuff. Sometimes there's an excellent transfer and restoration, and most of the times they have excellent extras that you can view for hours, if not, days.
But, there's still a catch.
For those of you who haven't seen Videodrome, I recommend that you search previous venues to see what this feature entails. For those of you that know this film well, prepare for David's head to become a reality.
Maybe because I'm so used to viewing restored, digitally enhanced films, that I can't see any difference in the video and sound quality. It's been sometime since I've seen the VHS version, admittedly. But, shouldn't I at least go, "Wow! this looks like it was filmed this year!" It's hard to tell, but perhaps I was so engrossed into it that I didn't care. The extras, on the other hand, that was something different. I loved to see the interviews, all those publicity photos and photos of cut scenes, the monotone commentaries, the f/x foo.... oh wait. Did I say cut-scene PHOTOS? Photos? Let me see this right... they release the film that is the (quote from box) "new high-definition digital transfer of the unrated version...". OK.. gotcha. But, why-oh-why did you not replace the cut scenes that were depicted in the stills library? Perhaps I didn't listen or read too well that perhaps the scenes were scrapped, but it never caught my attention. Did I see it wrong? If there are still cut scenes in a tupperware box somewhere, why would Cronenberg "Director-Approved Special Edition" this? Oh, I mean, cool... I get some other nice extras like the full version SAMURAI DREAMS softcore porn and seven minutes of the Videodrome snuff transmissions, but where's the scenes with Woods and Harry? Should I have spent the $40 retail price for a tease put on a few photos?
Yes.
I love Cronenberg's disturbed little mind. Little, but brilliant. There is no director/writer out there like him. He's ahead of his time like H.R. Giger is for the art world. If Giger was to say that his SIL painting wasn't suppose to look like it does now and presents us with a photo of an old scribbled notebook paper of what it WAS supposed to appear, should I be upset? The final release is what their vision of how it should of been, and I should nod at that decision.
As online costs goes down on this great viddy, should it be bought? Why, yes. Cronenberg fan or not, your world will spin in disbelief.
Häxan (1922)
The Criterion Witch
Pros: Excellent extras of behind the scenes footage. Cons: This film is underrated.
This is not a movie review, but a DVD review. This may contain some spoilers, but will not go into detail of the plot. Please consult another venue for information on the movie itself.
I first seen this film years ago on PBS when I was a preteen. Now that I am thirty and have purchased the Criterion release of Haxan, I am totally in awe.
The film I had seen on PBS was embedded in my head because of its awesome scenery, something important for silent films. The grain of the film gave it a more controversial feel since this was released in 1922 and depicted images of daemons and witchery unseen before. When I first seen it, generations later, I could still see controversy in it. The grain now, however, is cleaned-up, and restored a sepia tone to various scenes. Beautiful crisp images fill the screen, making the Devil (played by director Benjamin Christensen himself) more realistic than the Exorcist's Pazuzu (speaking of: Pazuzu is first mentioned and shown in this film, later referenced and characterized in the tale and film The Exorcist). It's truly amazing how this reel got so cleaned up and speed-corrected.
The extras are even more extraordinary than the film itself. There is a collection of outtakes (or what I want to call Behind the Scenes) that will blow your mind. How often do you see a film before the forties even have FOOTAGE of outtakes, besides photos? Here, you will see special effects test of the "witches flight", set design work, of what appears to be just Christensen being himself, and stills gallery. What is interesting, but I could have done without, was the 1968 William S. Burroughs narrated version, filled with '60's dope music, full-screened, and cut. I'm am glad that this was included, for historical value, but I just can't stomach it. Too darn trippy, and (ironically) blasphemous to Christensen's version.
This "documentary" has long been underrated. Ahead of it's time in f/x and content, this RSDL dual-layer edition will aim to please. Criterion's new release, and best transfer to date by them, is for the Horror film enthusiast and collector who takes their films seriously.
Elephant (2003)
The Real World Apocalypse
Pros: A film depicting realism in a teen student's life. Cons: This is not a Columbine dramatization.
This review is in reflection to both the film and the DVD. This may contain some spoilers. Be advised.
I've been following the Columbine Massacre case since it was first reported, in real-time, on national news the day it occurred. It struck a nerve in me that still affects me. For those of you who have heard that this is based loosely on those events, you are mislead.
On the film's website, Van Sant titled the film as such "because it was about a problem that was hard to identify, because of different ways of looking at it." (http://www.elephantmovie.com/production/3elephant.html). This is how the film is directed. Different views, angles, characters, intertwined within the same day, intermeshed within each other. That, I believe, is pretty cool. Think of Pulp Fiction or Resavoir Dogs on lithium. Yeah, this is slow. Thinking this was going to lead up to the snap of the two students into the school shooting, it basically says "ok, the shooting happened, but what type of lives did the OTHER kids live?"
Realistically portraying these children is done well. But, as you will notice, if you ever experienced high school life in the past 15-20 years, it can be quite dull. It hits no emotions in me, only questions. One character, a goofy girl who appears to be a bit of an outsider, is one of the first to get shot. But why? She was just like them, as I could assume. I believe Dylan and Klebold WOULD HAVE NOT shot someone of her type. They're main targets were teachers and the type of people that ousted them. That scene did not sit well with me. But one scene that did was when one of the shooters began to harass a teacher in the hall saying he wasn't going to shoot, but have him live so he could learn from his mistake of not listening to his problems, "listen to them when they have a problem" because he did not with him. But after a brief moment, turns around, shoots the teacher, and mutters "B*tch". That, to me, was realism in an individual who was tormented and in self-angst.
Classical music fills the air for most of the movie. Adds a finesse. I liked. But, it almost labeled the movie as an 80 minute intermission.
The extras... ummm... "On the Set of Elephant: Rolling Through Time (12 minutes)". This was quite boring. You could have just watched the movie and get the same feel and see the same thing. You see the kids be themselves (ironically, they act the same as they do in the film), retakes after retakes of scenes, classical music, the sky, the sky, the sky..... (oh yes, watch the film and you'll know what I mean).
Overall, I was disappointed. This is not Columbine as led to believe. This is about how average a teen's life is: it's the misinterpretation of love, family alcoholism, bulimia, homosexuality, and angst. This is a film, honestly, that should be shown to students in or preparing for high school. A study course. But not an answer or dramatization to Columbine.
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
"Have you checked on the viddy?"
Even to this day, the opening sequence (like SLING BLADE, this movie is a feature length of a short film, THE BABYSITTER, from the same director; the beginning being that of the short film.) is the most heart-curdling scenes to date. Like most films of the 70's genre, this taps a nerve and embeds a scar on your mind that will last a lifetime. Many have noted that when the adulthood sequence comes to play, the movie pretty much dies out, like that of FULL METAL JACKET. But because the movie dies out, it gives you time to collect yourself from the beginning. This IS NOT to be viewed by those that babysit or are parents, especially mothers! You have been warned! This is far from being an exploit or gore movie, it is a genuine suspense flick that will chill you to the bone.