Reviews by BH72

Eraserhead review

Posted : 2 weeks, 2 days ago on 12 November 2009 09:28 (A review of Eraserhead)

Considering David Lynch, and his slight fetish for the deformed in apperance, behavior, and surreal imagery I am not at all suprised by this film.

This could be interpreted as nothing more than an artistically pretentious, incoherent exercise in self-indulgent weirdness.

But Eraserhead is a film that seems to require interpretation. Answers seem so distant that one wonders if they are even intended. which is why until I know if this is nothing more than Lynch's strange imagination, I'm almost facinated to try and decipher a deeper meaning for this concoction.

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Fargo review

Posted : 1 month, 2 weeks ago on 9 October 2009 10:15 (A review of Fargo)

Considering Joel and Ethan are both from Minnesota, they obviously decided to take the most eccentric cultural cliche's from the state and it's citizens, and incorperate it into a strange murder mystery (which is not based on real events despite what they say). Joel and Ethan have a unique talent for creating bizzare characters with unique qualities which definately adds a creative flavor to the film. Having once lived in Minneapolis for over 20 years however it's safe to say the Swedish accents, goofiness and Hot Dish cliche's applied to everyone is a little over the top.

Aside from the characters and their situations the plot isn't all that interesting, more strange and slightly facinating because of the atmosphere, which was helped by shooting almost entirely on overcast days. Altogether an artfully made film that is unique and above average.

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Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition) review

Posted : 1 month, 3 weeks ago on 4 October 2009 09:49 (A review of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition))

I hoped that George Lucas would have learned what succeeded and what failed in his previous two Star Wars prequels, and to some extent he did, but it's just obvious that he is a completely different director now compared to many years ago where he let imagination, innovation due to limitation of technology, and more honest driving inspiration come through in episodes 4 and 5.

Obviously "Sith" drew on some left over scripted ideas back from the period of the original trilogy, which accounts for some of this films appeal. unfortunately the film reeks of "good enough" touches that plainly overlooks some eye rolling acting, dialog and plot bits, mediocre to poor chemistry between the actors, and some poorly humored or unnecissary CG antics which hurts instead of helps the feel and plot of the film...apparently Lucas dosn't believe in the theory that sometimes less is better.

I understand i'm no longer the same kid watching these films as I once was, but I get a real commercialized and child-like facination on Lucas' part for over special effecting with CG creatures,droids and elements. Instead of the effects helping the story, they almost seem to be more important to Lucas that they be a major factor in telling the story.

It's a shame Lucas comes off now as a wealthy,lazy director,that has too much technology at his disposal, too many yes men instead of talented script people pushing him or challenging him for possibly better ideas, and a fraction of the fresh inspiration he once had.

This is probably the best of the prequels...but then again that isn't saying much, it only ends up slightly above average...It's a shame really because there where moments in this film that really gave me that old Star Wars feeling again.

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There Will Be Blood review

Posted : 1 month, 3 weeks ago on 4 October 2009 04:18 (A review of There Will Be Blood)

I finally got around to watching this film, which turned out to be an unexpected but interesting character evolution (or deterioration) of an oil man (Daniel Plainview) it also seems to hold alligorical issues of religion, power, industrialism and the need of men to manipulate for greed.

While I understand the method Anderson chose of telling the story, it seemed a little unbalanced and slightly unfocused at times and while shifting from one period in the story to the next...As always, the power of even a great story depends on how you tell it.

I should mention that I appreciate artistic and broadly told films with their own sense of morality with no concience towards time and scale..and I do love Sergio Leone and Stanley Kubrick films (interestingly this film does have signature touches of Kubrick's style), but it didn't quite come together the way i'd hoped.

All the same this is still a fine film with some inspired moments that unfortunately I feel slightly missed it's mark.

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Twilight review

Posted : 1 month, 3 weeks ago on 4 October 2009 02:30 (A review of Twilight)

Hearing all the rave about this movie (mostly from teenagers) I decided to watch with my wife and daughter to see what the buzz was about.

Basically what this seems to be is a soapy teenage twist of Romeo and Juliet with a vampire angle thrown in. As appealing as watching a teenage vampire boy trying to practice abstinence is, and how, in the heat of the moment, it's really, really hard. And about a girl who wants to go all the way with him, and doesn't care what might happen is appealing to a teenage audience, I found it yet another film in a trend of irritating cash-in's directed at particular audience.

"Twilight" will mesmerize its target audience, 16-year-old girls drooling over two good-looking kids who want each other so much because they want each other so much. Sometimes that's all it's about, isn't it? They're in love with being in love. Between the soft sighs aimed at the Indian boy with well-developed fangs, and the countless "He's so hot!" directed at pasty Edward who stirs surrender instincts, I tried to remember why this stuff is appealing to teenagers, it made me appreciate that I wasn't one any more.

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The Empire Strikes Back

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 13 September 2008 09:41 (A review of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back)

Next to the original "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back" is the most Mythic, and imaginative of the six "Star Wars" films.

"The Empire Strikes Back" balances comedy, ingenious characters, locations, and action/adventure. But what truly sets "Empire" apart from the other five films is the strength and depth of the relationships between it's characters while together or apart. This film is basic but deep universal storytelling.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 13 September 2008 07:40 (A review of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

Combine Grand operatic visuals, satisfying but unrealistic action set to the sound of a classic Ennio Morricone soundtrack that has a unique Spanish/Western flavor, and you have a true masterpiece by Sergio Leone.

Leone does not care about the practical or the plausible, but builds on an abundance of Western movie cliches, It is a tribute to an American genre surviving the test of time. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, is a mad epic of another day/time or place in the imagination with a deliberate style intended to draw attention to itself with it's celebration of bold gestures and mythic like characters.

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