oneoneone Reviews

Fargo (1996)

the only thing 'small town' is the dialogue

[8/10 · 9 August 2002]

and that's enough to convince viewers that they are watching a bunch of clumsy and naive quasi-canadians bumble around a hopeless kidnapping scheme. the uncertainty felt throughout about who will get away with what is well justified as it is very difficult to gauge the integrity of the characters presented - this is especially true with the cop portrayed by Frances McDormand. she's hokey just like everyone else, but she seems to be the only character possessing any acumen.

in fact there is constant intelligence present in this film; in the background, hiding behind the ruralness. the Coen brothers weave scenes together at an ideal pace. there are many twists and turns, often unanticipated, always intriguing.

highly recommended : 8.5/10

Blue Velvet (1986)

everything is a multifaceted - this is an art film

[8/10 · 9 August 2002]

in its opening sequence, this movie shows us the underlying evil in Anytown, USA via the ants under the surface of a lawn. this was executed by the gradual zooming of the camera from neighborhood-scale to insect-scale. in fact, this zooming technique would be used many more times throughout the film. so much symbolism, so many metaphors. this camera technique in itself suggests that under closer inspection things are not what they seem. the protagonist here, Jeffrey, is the vehicle for this concept. he acts the part of a junior detective whom we follow as he unearths the ugliness beneath his hometown.

David Lynch exudes style. a comment on here astutely pointed out the difference between the scenes set in dark and the ones set in light. two different movies, right down to the acting (in case you are wondering, everything Lynch achieves, no matter how subtle is intentional). Dennis Hopper's Frank is in my opinion the key character here. when he controls a scene he professes "now it is dark."

and so we have the battle between light and dark (guess which is good and which is evil).

i wondered to myself what the purpose of having such cheezy dialogue and metaphors at certain points in the movie was. at first i found it a bit distracting. then it began to serve its purpose: to further contrast the dark from the light. Frank is a depraved, sadistic lunatic and he never once uses the word 'neat.'

i can't help but measure this against mulholland dr as it is the only other Lynch movie i've seen (check out my comment on that one if you're deciding which of the two to see). Blue Velvet conveys Lynch's style and wit, but it lacks a gimmick to make it great. maybe i don't fully appreciate its intended power (which may have served as the 'gimmick') as i am another desensitized teen.

the film is presented using a lot of contrast. contrast gives clarity and thus Blue Velvet was straight forward, as was most of its symbolism. but even the symbols have multiple interpretations which make this film intriguing.

deliberate, clearly symbolic, possibly shocking

recommended : 7.5/10

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

subtle, haunting, effective - recommended

[8/10 · 31 July 2002]

i try not to incorporate SPOILERS when commenting on movies, but here i must.

let me state right off the bat that the cinematography was especially excellent. though most people will agree with that, some may consider the story to be uninspired once it gains its footing. well, anyone who's seen this film is surely aware that the story plays out on many levels. when we take a step back, however, we are left with the simple reality: vampires do not exist while movies and drugs do.

clever how 'shadow of a vampire' tricks the audience into believing (or at least wondering whether) the vampire is real, which was precisely the intent of the movie within the movie, 'nosferatu.'

Saved by the Bell (1989–1992)

you couldn't ask for a better role model

[12 June 2002]

i haven't watched SBB since the gang flunked out of college in the mid nineties, but i still occasionally reminisce about zach, kelly, slater, jessie, lisa and screech. i remember watching this show back when i was eight or nine and honestly learning valuable lessons from the neatly packaged, moral-whoring utopias that comprised each episode. back in the preteens, emotions are much more sincere and SBB gently takes viewers on an inspiring ride - if they can get over themselves and just indulge in a world of happy endings. as for humor: remember zach's cell-phone or how mr. Belding was just so gullible? i was always a responsible kid and wonder how much i should accredit this to watching the gang's misadventures and subsequent clearcut morals each week. maybe if i watched SBB today i would see it through vain eyes and dismiss it to be lame or hopelessly unrealistic, but from what i remember, this was a great show.

Memento (2000)

film noir that forces you to think

[8/10 · 7 June 2002]

i saw memento on several high recommendations and was not disappointed. the premise is easy enough to understand, but keeps the audience involved as they must reconstruct the plot after every scene. the story has one especially dark and clever twist, but other than that is rather generic to this style of movie. acting is also good, though in my opinion, the acting is not what makes this movie. not the "best movie ever", but a good one with a few traits that i hope aren't exploited in mainstreem movies to come.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

this movie is a real mindf, uh, trip

[9/10 · 7 June 2002]

if intelligence quotient is anything to go by, then i am smart, so please don't disregard this review as the frustrations of some Tom Green fan with ADD. i haven't seen anything by David Lynch since i was ten or eleven, and i couldn't appreciate it then, so this was really me first exposure to his work. this movie pushed me to my limits of comprehension; i found it very challenging. i haven't had my mind messed with like that for years... well, not by a movie. it seemed as though Mulholland Dr. did not end when the dvd stopped since i kept trying to wrap my head around it.

some people might think that this movie was pretentious or boring, but for me there was a feeling right from the start that each detail was relevant. i thoroughly enjoyed the intricacies of this movie after i finally figured it out. maybe i am biased since this movie got the best of me at first, but after thinking about it and replaying it in my mind, i am convinced that Mulholland Dr. is an excellent movie.

the subtleties of its morals and dry, dark humor (especially involving the director) make it something worth appreciating. the sound effects (or lack of at times) create a disturbing, haunting feel throughout the movie, which is beautifully appropriate for the movie's "reality".

i will likely watch this one again at some point, and i have already scoured the net to fill in some holes for me (wtf is with the box at the end!). TO THOSE WHO THINK THIS MOVIE IS GARBAGE: think about it and if you don't figure it out, find some clues online, read some spoilers, then watch it again.

the pieces to the puzzle DO fit!

Blindfold: Acts of Obsession (1994 TV Movie)

latenite tv, or maybe a gratuitous rental

[5/10 · 7 June 2002]

was this in theatre's? did people go see it? i guess this could have stirred up some hype since it stars shannen doherty (and her surprisingly hot body) and came off her departure from 90210. even now, in 2002, shannen is the main reason to see this movie. the plot is unoriginal and the acting is just passing, but the movie is decently directed. i saw shannen on Charmed a few times and thought she looked good so when i was channel surfing one nite and she came on, i stayed with the program a bit. i was very surprised to see her get naked in this movie since i always considered her a bit of a prude and thought that she also would have been beyond taking such roles after her success on 90210. not that i'm complaining. she looked great and i am not digressing from my intention to review this movie: shannen is this movie. nothing stands out from this whole feature but her, thus i'm not surprised that only 4 females have reviewed Blindfold: Acts of Obsession so far. 5/10: average.