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majormarco
Reviews
Æon Flux (2005)
Lives Up to the Hype and Then Some
Fans of the MTV short circa 1994 will well remember Aeon Flux. I know I do. Even for a cartoon, I thought it was a fascinating storyline with a hot female lead. And despite having watched each and every episode, I could never quite figure out exactly WTH was going on. I had no idea why the other agent was always after Aeon, the significance of what I call the floating "tick" in the sky with the parachute trail, or the fact that Aeon & Trevor Goodchild went at it every chance they got. These things were never fully explained, but the movie ties up all of the above quite nicely.
That said, I was expecting yet another Hollywood, cheesy reproduction of a brilliant idea, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Aeon well exceeded my expectations right down to the cartoon's subtle visual curliques and obsession with the tongue-kissing characters. In short, this movie is a keeper!
Hockey: A People's History (2006)
Ken Burns Eat Your Heart Out
Wow. Is the only word to describe this powerhouse CBC documentary. I am so glad I found this series when I did! If you are a hockey fan and have any historical interest in the sport and/or the country of Canada itself whatSOever, then this boxed set is for you. I can't say enough positive things about it other than the series makes me wish I had grown up in Canada. Simply outstanding.
The only negative is that the publisher clearly assumed that widescreen televisions are being used en masse. Note: They're not. Not everyone feels the need to spend $X thousand on technology *just* for the sake of buying a new TV.
Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006)
Gritty reality from a pre-pubescent perspective
The subject matter isn't really something I would have an interest in, but that said, I thought the film was a creative way to express what a 13 y/o must surely feel as he is realizing that he likes boys instead of girls.
I enjoyed the cinematography and the surreal imagery. IMO, it really underscored the gestalt of the film. In particular, the use of fantasy-like settings for the phone calls as "Leah," as well as the intermittent usage of repeated images of familiar faces and audiobytes. These items lent a dreamlike vibe to the storyline. After all, how else would you depict what it must be like to be so confused and so socially awkward at the same time. It's bad enough going through heterosexual puberty and I can't imagine going through it and realizing homosexual tendencies.
Obviously, as evidenced by so many who have commented that they walked out, this flick won't appeal to the mainstream American public simply because it hasn't been dumbed down, oversexed and over inundated with violence. Then again, if that's what appeals to you, then you've really got no business patronizing an IFC film.