I first saw this film at the age of 10 and thought it was one of the best films that I had ever seen. I taped it on VHS and must have watched it at least once a week that summer. Come to find out years later that most people did not enjoy this one and I'm not sure why. Yes, some of the criticism is valid regarding certain things making no sense and yes, the plot is derivative with its "hero forms ragtag group to go on a dangerous journey and save the world" theme. However, the pluses far outweigh the negatives. The pace is excellent, and the film is never boring. The production, look, and set design are great, making the viewer enjoy being in this world for a while. Although many outdoor scenes were very obviously filmed on soundstages, it's still much better than CGI and adds to the eerie feeling of being on another world. The soaring score by the famous James Horner is awesome, and lastly, the acting is amazing. I'm not sure why Ken Marshall didn't have a bigger career because he's great here in the lead, and the other actors, many of them classically trained Shakespearean actors, add gravitas to their roles. Overall, I would definitely recommend watching this or showing this to your 10-12 year old child if you think this is the type of film they would go for.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Black Moon
(1975)
Lynchian Tale Of The Journey To Womanhood
12 October 2023
It would be futile to give a synopsis of the plot because there really isn't one. If you enjoy watching video installations at art museums or the films of David Lynch, then you might enjoy "Black Moon". It's one of those films that I wasn't sure I was actually enjoying while watching it but then couldn't get out of my head afterwards and will probably watch it a second time soon just to see what I may have missed.
Instead of a plot, think of this film as a collection of images meant to evoke certain feelings or associations. Very loosely inspired by Alice in Wonderland, my interpretation of what is going on is that we are watching the subconscious of a teenage girl dealing with such themes as gender identity and politics, sexuality, and basically everything about the journey from being a child to being a woman that one would experience at that age. Lily starts off as a childlike person looking for anyone to help her and gets easily frustrated by things that she can't understand but ends the move with more maturity and confidence. Assisting her on this journey are a pair of siblings, both aspects of Lily herself in my opinion, with the fact that the siblings are both also named Lily being the hint.
Some of allusions and imagery defy explanation and some are more obvious such as the gang of naked children who act like a Greek Chorus of childhood innocence, or the snake slithering its way up Lily's skirt. Speaking of that latter one, most interpretations of this film focus on the themes of sexual awakening. Most contemporary viewers may be shocked to find out that the actress, who is dressed and posed in ways that are obviously supposed to elicit an erotic response, was only 15 at the time of filming. However, I think there is much more going on here then just sexuality, and I would encourage anyone who thinks that they might enjoy this film to see it. Currently streaming on Criterion as of the time I'm writing this.
Instead of a plot, think of this film as a collection of images meant to evoke certain feelings or associations. Very loosely inspired by Alice in Wonderland, my interpretation of what is going on is that we are watching the subconscious of a teenage girl dealing with such themes as gender identity and politics, sexuality, and basically everything about the journey from being a child to being a woman that one would experience at that age. Lily starts off as a childlike person looking for anyone to help her and gets easily frustrated by things that she can't understand but ends the move with more maturity and confidence. Assisting her on this journey are a pair of siblings, both aspects of Lily herself in my opinion, with the fact that the siblings are both also named Lily being the hint.
Some of allusions and imagery defy explanation and some are more obvious such as the gang of naked children who act like a Greek Chorus of childhood innocence, or the snake slithering its way up Lily's skirt. Speaking of that latter one, most interpretations of this film focus on the themes of sexual awakening. Most contemporary viewers may be shocked to find out that the actress, who is dressed and posed in ways that are obviously supposed to elicit an erotic response, was only 15 at the time of filming. However, I think there is much more going on here then just sexuality, and I would encourage anyone who thinks that they might enjoy this film to see it. Currently streaming on Criterion as of the time I'm writing this.
Save Me
(I) (1994)
Average Erotic Thriller
22 May 2021
In the wake of "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct" came a bunch of bad to average movies that followed the same basic formula. This is one of those such films. On the surface, this film should have been better. Lysette Anthony, Harry Hamlin, and Michael Ironsides are all great actors, but it's obvious that they weren't giving 100% in this one, and the writing and dialogue didn't give them much to work with. A viewer will easily figure out what's going on long before the main character does.
I've had a crush on Lysette Anthony since seeing her in "Krull" as a child, so, as other reviewers have said, the only redeeming feature of this movie for many people will be seeing her nude for much of it.
Incidentally, if you want to see a better but similar film, try "Dream Lover".
I've had a crush on Lysette Anthony since seeing her in "Krull" as a child, so, as other reviewers have said, the only redeeming feature of this movie for many people will be seeing her nude for much of it.
Incidentally, if you want to see a better but similar film, try "Dream Lover".
Some Girls
(1988)
Good movie, surprised at all the very negative reviews
22 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I found this to be a solidly enjoyable, if not great film, and I'm surprised at the very negative reviews and also the relative obscurity of this movie. Michael, a college student, travels to Quebec City to spend the Christmas season with his maybe yes, maybe no girlfriend Gabby. There he stays with her quirky, wealthy family. Well, maybe quirky isn't the right word so much as semi-incestuous.
Michael does make both an emotional connection and a sexual connection during his visit, but neither with Gabby. The emotional connection comes with the grandmother and the sexual connection comes with Gabby's older sister. I found Michael to be a likeable, relatable character and I enjoyed seeing his journey over the course of the movie and shared in his frustrations.
The film is gorgeously set in a snow-covered Quebec City during outdoor scenes and the home that the family lives in is decorated like a medieval church. Kudos to them for choosing such memorable and unique visual images.
Where my rating goes down is with the ultimate message and meaning of the film. I came away not quite sure what the film was trying to say. There is a scene towards the end between the father of the family and Michael where they are basically shrugging their shoulders and saying "hey...women...just can't figure them out, am I right?" which I found to be disappointing. The three sisters are clearly meant to be associated with the Three Graces of classic myth, but again, I'm not sure why or what they were trying to say. Perhaps the three sisters (and perhaps the mother and grandmother) were all so intermingled and connected that it was impossible to love just one of them? That's the best I've got.
I do recommend that people track this one down as I did ultimately enjoy watching it. And I do mean track it down because it's not easy to find. I only found out the film existed because I'm doing a deep dive into Jennifer Connelly's filmography, and yes, she is quite lovely in this one.
Michael does make both an emotional connection and a sexual connection during his visit, but neither with Gabby. The emotional connection comes with the grandmother and the sexual connection comes with Gabby's older sister. I found Michael to be a likeable, relatable character and I enjoyed seeing his journey over the course of the movie and shared in his frustrations.
The film is gorgeously set in a snow-covered Quebec City during outdoor scenes and the home that the family lives in is decorated like a medieval church. Kudos to them for choosing such memorable and unique visual images.
Where my rating goes down is with the ultimate message and meaning of the film. I came away not quite sure what the film was trying to say. There is a scene towards the end between the father of the family and Michael where they are basically shrugging their shoulders and saying "hey...women...just can't figure them out, am I right?" which I found to be disappointing. The three sisters are clearly meant to be associated with the Three Graces of classic myth, but again, I'm not sure why or what they were trying to say. Perhaps the three sisters (and perhaps the mother and grandmother) were all so intermingled and connected that it was impossible to love just one of them? That's the best I've got.
I do recommend that people track this one down as I did ultimately enjoy watching it. And I do mean track it down because it's not easy to find. I only found out the film existed because I'm doing a deep dive into Jennifer Connelly's filmography, and yes, she is quite lovely in this one.
Monamour
(2005)
Paint by numbers Tinto Brass
8 December 2019
Tinto Brass is still probably best known in the English speaking world for "Caligula", however most people don't realize that he's had quite the career up through today making soft-core erotica, the type of which hasn't been made much since about the 1970s.
What sets Tinto apart is that he has a very specific list of things that obviously turn him on such as: unshaven underarms, mirrors, infidelity, and most famously, the female rear end. All of these tend to show up in all of his films, including "Monamour". So, it can sometimes feel like if you've seen one Tinto Brass film then you have seen them all. They differ however in quality of script, actors, and scenery. "Monamour" is paint by numbers Tinto Brass. Tinto fans will find all of the usual hallmarks in this film, however little more. I am a bigger fan of his earlier films that I feel have better plots, acting, and scenery while touching upon the exact same themes as this one.
As other reviewers have commented, it feels like later day Tinto films feature female characters who are less realistic than in his earlier films, and certainly no woman in real life would ever act like the lead character in "Monamour" who basically can't say no to any man (or woman) who wants to touch her. This is pure male fantasy, making this film a bad choice I think for couples, especially when compared to Tinto's earlier films. A single male however, provided that he enjoys the same things Tinto enjoys can enjoy this film just fine, especially as Anna Jimskaia is one of the more beautiful Tinto Brass leading ladies in my opinion, and you do see a lot of her!
What sets Tinto apart is that he has a very specific list of things that obviously turn him on such as: unshaven underarms, mirrors, infidelity, and most famously, the female rear end. All of these tend to show up in all of his films, including "Monamour". So, it can sometimes feel like if you've seen one Tinto Brass film then you have seen them all. They differ however in quality of script, actors, and scenery. "Monamour" is paint by numbers Tinto Brass. Tinto fans will find all of the usual hallmarks in this film, however little more. I am a bigger fan of his earlier films that I feel have better plots, acting, and scenery while touching upon the exact same themes as this one.
As other reviewers have commented, it feels like later day Tinto films feature female characters who are less realistic than in his earlier films, and certainly no woman in real life would ever act like the lead character in "Monamour" who basically can't say no to any man (or woman) who wants to touch her. This is pure male fantasy, making this film a bad choice I think for couples, especially when compared to Tinto's earlier films. A single male however, provided that he enjoys the same things Tinto enjoys can enjoy this film just fine, especially as Anna Jimskaia is one of the more beautiful Tinto Brass leading ladies in my opinion, and you do see a lot of her!
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