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Reviews
The Last Detail (1973)
"Easy Rider" for the enlisted man
There is something about this film that captures what it is like to be an enlisted man in the military even though it was made over 20 years ago. Today's military seems to bear little resemblance to the military in the early 70s but so many of the things that happen in this film ring true to me. From the feeling of limbo when you are between assignments as they are at first to the haphazard way they create diversions on the way to the almost instinctual way the NCOs take the young man under their wing this movie rings true. Even the way that a distinct line between civilian and military or between enlisted and officer is drawn. I loved the scene with Michael Moriarty toward the end where he is a by the book ass but doesn't even know the simple paperwork rules. It makes me wish that there were more films out there that dealt with the unique situation of the enlisted man. There are some great stories to be told.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
What a shame
It's a real shame that people are so easily led astray. Kill Bill was the movie equivalent of of a Sean Combs song. Nothing original, just "samples" that attempt to draw similar feelings that the viewers/listeners may have felt when they first saw/heard the subject matter. The real shame is that when I look back at the other Tarantino "classics" that I genuinely enjoyed before I find that by and large they suffer from a similar malady. The main difference is that the other three films at least have compelling dialog and some attempt at subtext. Kill Bill was the kind of mindless schlock that I can generally avoid since I stopped watching predictable action cartoons when I was 12. It was particularly sad to see the ham-fisted attempts to create interest in its characters. The way in which Tarantino practically clubs us over the head with the fact that we don't know Thurman's character's name, for instance, seems particularly amateurish when compared with David Fincher's handling of the same sort of device in Fight Club where, if it weren't for the scene where Helen Bonham Carter's character brings it up, you could watch the movie multiple times and probably not notice that you never learn the main character's name. My advice to movie viewers everywhere is that rather than watch a movie that is a remake or "homage" to another movie or genre of movies, just watch the originals. They are almost always better, anyway.
One by One (1974)
Shocking and impressive
While the film is a little dated, it reminds you immediately why race car drivers are considered some of the coolest and most courageous athletes in the world. The opening scene sets the tone for the film. This is no film for the faint-hearted. In fact, if you are at all squeamish about scenes of car wrecks, this is not for you. There are scenes with not only wrecks but the carnage that follows. Far from being a glorification of that carnage, the accompanying interviews with formula 1 drivers from the early 70s remind you that there are people in those cars; people who get hurt or even killed in those crashes. I would recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of racing in any capacity.
King Kong (1933)
Wow
Particularly bearing in mind that this film is nearly 70 years old, i was stunned. Ok, the scenes with the dinosaurs on skull island were a little cheesy (I loved them) and there is some over-acting by today's standards, but let's remember that they were still trying to hash out what the "talkie" thing was all about. The shots of the walls around the village are stunning as are the views of the NY skyline. As silly as the ape may seem to our eyes, i have to believe that the action sequences must have been stunning to the 1933 audience. In short I watched this film having only seen its exceedingly poor revisit from the 70's and expected a fun, campy film. I was wrong. This film is a heavy hitter that will affect you even today. You cannot consider yourself a fan of monster films without it.
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Some may have missed the point
One of the biggest problems with this film had nothing to do with the film itself but with marketing. When a film is billed as being "from the minds that brought you American Psycho and Pulp Fiction" what you expect is, well, not this. Luckily i had read the book a few times before this film was ever released and knew what to expect. The other problem is that there was a little ham-fistedness when it came to the cinimetography (the annoying and lengthy backward running scenes, and the accursed, laughable snowflake). Also, Vanderbeek overacted a bit, but that was to be expected. All of this being taken into account, however, i still walked out of this film satisfied and prepared to recommend it. The reason? Brett Easton Ellis's bleak tone and caustic wit are undeniable. Even in other flawed film representations (American Psycho, Less Than Zero) his genius shines through. Anyone saying "but that isn't the way college really is" may just as well have said the same thing about stockbrokerage after seeing American Psycho.