Shadowland (2009)

When I first read the synopsis of this film, they made no mention of vampires. I may not have seen it if I had known.

This low-budget film would have been great had it not been for the horrible acting. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of it (this was supposed to be a horror flick). David Martyn Conley, who plays the cook was the best actor in the film. Still, I kept talking about the movie all the next day. Maybe it was the special effects.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

Shadowland on IMDb

The Soviet Story (Latvia, 2008)

A documentary on the atrocities committed by the Soviet Union before, during, & after World War II, & Stalin's connection with Hitler throughout.

As with many documentaries, these film makers definitely had an agenda. The narration was overly dramatic, & the editing was artful. Even so, they raised some interesting questions about history & how it is written.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

The Soviet Story on IMDb

Irma Vep (France, 1996)

This probably would have been much better if they had just redone the classic Irma Vep (which I cannot find on IMDb - did it really exist?) rather than make a mocu-mentary about making the remake. As it was, I didn't really see the point of this one.

I saw this as part of a Backyard Cinema double feature hosted by the Phoenix Independent, Foreign & Art House Film Club. They have a great set-up in the host's back yard, complete with a large projection screen, & Blu-ray capability - all free of charge! The intermission gives those attending a great opportunity to discuss the first film & speculate on the second.

Irma Vep on IMDb

Chungking Express (Hong Kong, 1994)

A two-story look at life, love, & change.

There was no real transition from one story to the next, leaving me wondering throughout the second half of the movie: "Whatever happened to the guy that was buying all that pineapple?"

I saw this as part of a Backyard Cinema double feature hosted by the Phoenix Independent, Foreign & Art House Film Club. They have a great set-up in the host's back yard, complete with a large projection screen, & Blu-ray capability - all free of charge! The intermission gives those attending a great opportunity to discuss the first film & speculate on the second.

Chungking Express on IMDb

Protagonist (2007)

A documentary including four men who went through extreme u-turns in their lives: a German terrorist, a bank robber, an "ex-gay" evangelist, and a martial arts student.

At first, the German didn't seem to fit with the rest of the interviewees, I guess because I didn't identify with him as quickly as I did with the rest. The other three seemed to be ordinary people who had made major mistakes in life, but the German seemed to be no ordinary man. By the end of the film, though, I realized that perhaps the director Jessica Yu was trying to show that we are all just ordinary people doing the best that we can. It's interesting that a female director chose to include only men in this study.

The puppet element definitely could have been left out. It took the profundity of the film's message & turned it into silliness. It reminded me of Being John Malkovich. However, in that film, the silliness of the puppetry was kind of the point.

Protagonist on IMDb

Che: Part One (2008)

This movie was so long that they had to split it into two parts!

Unless you are pretty familiar with Cuban history & the life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, you probably won't understand a lot of this film. For example, one of the people in the film is named Raúl, but they never explain that he is Fidel Castro's brother, so the importance of his role in the Revolution is completely lost on the unsuspecting viewer. Many historical scenes are recreated like that, without context, without explanation.

I don't plan to see Part Two.

Interesting that one of the actors, credited as "Dinner Guest #1", is named Pablo Guevara. After a short Google search, I found nothing that links him to "Che". Coincidence?

Also, René Lavan from Azúcar Amarga is credited as "Cuban Diplomat #2". You have to look hard to find him, but he's there.

Che: Part One on IMDb

Slaughterhouse Five (1972)

A man travels back & forth through time within his own lifetime, repeating the scenes over & over. (I wonder if this is where Audrey Niffenegger got the idea for her novel The Time Traveler's Wife.)

The film focuses on the main character as he relives his time as a young prisoner of war in Dresden, Germany when it was bombed killing up to 40,000 people in just two days (mirroring author Kurt Vonnegut's own experience).

As with most films of the 1960's & 70's, I had to try hard to look past the cheesiness of the film making, & wonder how much better this film would be if it were re-done today. This is one of the few instances when having seen the movie makes me want to read the book.

Slaughterhouse Five on IMDb

Cocalero (Bolivia, 2007)

There's no way that footage like this would be published about our own president!

Cocalero on IMDb

Iraq in Fragments (2006)

A three-part documentary that shows the US occupation of Iraq from the perspectives of Sunnis, Shia, & Kurds. It was interesting to see all of the anti-US opinions. The photo on the movie poster looks like the aftermath of a bombing, but it's just a brick kiln spewing pollution into the air.

Iraq in Fragments on IMDb

The Secrets (Israel, 2007)

I saw this as part of the Phoenix Jewish Film Festival.

Two Orthodox Jewish women, who are studying at an all-female seminary, befriend a dying French woman, who asks them to perform kabbalistic rituals to purify her soul before dying. There are many secrets in this film, creating several layers to ponder afterward.

The Secrets on IMDb