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Reviews
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
A disturbing, downward spiral that stays with you
Man, this movie had some of the best acting, camerawork & editing in recent memory. A tough, bitter pill to swallow, yet so well done it grips you and you can't turn away till the credits roll. This movie's disturbing imagery stuck with me for weeks afterwards.
As Roger Ebert said, this flick should be required viewing for anyone contemplating trying heroin. Elley Burstyn should've won an academy award for her role. I'd see it again but I seriously don't know if I could handle it.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Giant, steaming waste of time & money
How does David Lynch do it? Unlike the legions of thick-black-framed-glasses-wearing types and pretentious movie critics who praise his name, I just don't see how this guy keeps getting paid to make such tripe. How can Lynch sloppily cobble together leftover footage from a failed TV pilot into a nonsensical, poorly-acted mess & have critics rave about it & actually include it on Year's Best lists?
I'm baffled. If you're looking for a good film noir, rent "Bound" instead. If you're looking for a good "puzzle" movie try "Memento." But beware of this over-hyped stinker unless your idea of a fun night is throwing away 2 1/2 hours of your life & $3.50 of your hard-earned cash.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)
From the Guy Who Brought You Spinal Tap - More Brilliance
Ah, what can I say about this flick, it's just one of my all time faves. My wife & I rent this whenever we're feeling down & soon we're cracking up together.
Christopher Guest of "Spinal Tap" fame skewers small-town theater while at the same time somehow celebrating the spirit of community in these productions. There is a certain sadness in this movie that somehow makes the characters all the more memorable.
If you don't like the mockumentary format (also used in Guest's "Best in Show") then don't bother, but believe me the mostly-improvised dialogue & hilarious turns from SCTV alums Katherine O'Hara & Eugene Levy, not to mention great character actors Fred Willard & Parker Posey, is side-splitting. And the songs, you'll never get those songs out of your head -- "Stools are cool, everyone wants a stool!"
The Woman Chaser (1999)
"Putty" From Seinfeld in Hilarious Hollywood-Noir!
Patrick Warburton, famous for playing dim-witted mechanic David Putty on TV's "Seinfeld," expands his comedic and dramatic range in this witty, black-comedy satire of the movie biz. The high-contrast black & white cinematography accentuate the retro look and feel of this very funny film. Warburton plays a slick-talking, womanizing cad who talks his way first into the used car business and then into writing and directing a movie (the two industries apparently requiring similar levels of BS-artistry.)
With his burly body, Warburton is a welcome throw-back to the leading men of classic film noir Hollywood. He does a wonderful job of keeping a straight face while delivering some of the most original and hilarious dialogue I've seen in quite a while. While the film has some very dark undercurrents, they are so tongue-in-cheek and true to the main character that they make his Icarus-like fate all the more believable and satisfying.
Warburton is a gem; he effortlessly breaks the one-dimensional mold of his Seinfeld role. His razor-sharp delivery of the pitch for his movie-within-a-movie ("The Man Who Got Away") is destined to make this flick a staple of the cult-classic and employee-picks shelf at good movie stores for years.
The Woman Chaser flies off the tracks a bit towards the last reel, but this is only because it's been taking so many risks. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded with one of the most original and funny movies I've seen in several years.