enigmann Reviews

Schlock (1973)

Subversive Comedy That Works

[10/10 · 10 October 2011]

This movie did something to me, something subversive. (I can't remember what, exactly, but it was really something.) It was like lighting a bottle rocket, which whooshed up into the air and exploded my sense of humor into a million tiny bits of laughter. To this day, I cannot even THINK of this movie without laughing out loud. Even now, lo these many decades later, just watching the trailer still sends me into full-on crack-up.

Looking back, I can clearly see how this film served as a kind of weird initiation that ultimately pointed me in the direction of The Church of the SubGenius™. Praise Bob! (and John Landis also...)

Can anybody stop it?

Big Bad Love (2001)

Intimate slice o' life portrait of a poet/novelist & those close to him

[10/10 · 26 September 2005]

Part warm comedy, part bleak tragedy, part hallucinatory vision, this film paints an irresistible and touchingly human portrait of a Southern writer's life and it's milieu. Rural and small-town scenes and characters are rendered with loving attention to detail and respect for the rich eccentricities and quirky oddities of the main character and his family, friends and townsfolk. Every role brilliantly acted, every scene beautifully photographed, and as an added bonus the author's first-person narrative voice-over comes chock-full of fascinating samples of original poetry and poetic prose.

Produced by Debra Winger, who also plays a major speaking role, written and directed by Arliss Howard, who also plays the lead character, their love for this story and these characters literally oozes from each frame, each word of dialog, each piece of soundtrack music. Anyone who finds inspiration in wild free-form poetry will fall in love with this film. It made me laugh out loud, sob till I had to grab a tissue, and think to myself as the credits rolled, "THIS is what film-making is all about!" If your taste runs towards literate, character-centered stories and you are not put off by surrealist visuals and poetry, I urge you to SEE THIS FILM!

Pollock (2000)

The actor paints!

[10/10 · 13 February 2005]

Most astounding accomplishment. If I ever have the pleasure of meeting Ed Harris, this is the film I will ask him about. An inspiring insight into the creative process, the chaos, the idea, the fevered imaginings, the immediacy of the act of flowing paint onto canvas in a way never before done. To see the artist pissing into his wealthy and influential patron's (or more accurate, matron's) fireplace, to see him falling off his bicycle amidst the detritus of beer and glass, to see him befriend the normally distant crow... all of these scenes are a perfectly brilliant use of the art of cinematography and a testament to the greatness of Jackson Pollock. But then I always make a point of watching any film about artists, poets and musicians.

Highball (1997)

Absolutely Brilliant Top-to-Bottom

[10/10 · 8 February 2004]

There is so much here to praise, where to begin?

Writing the equal of Woody Allen's sharpest urbanity. Story woven with understory interleaved with back-story. Non-stop desert-dry humor delivered with cutting but subtle irony. (E.G. the scene in which the subway girl at the Halloween party looks at Felix and says, "Are you always this funny?".)

Acting so natural it could not have been acting.

Photography and lighting primitive but perfect. Sound quality excellent. Editing expert and effective.

Like a layer of transparent frosting, in nearly every scene the filmmaker smears mockery over the film itself and its characters. And yet, after being immersed in a seemingly non-stop train wreck of sarcasm which eventually mildly sprained my sense of humor, at the final scene I cried.

Reality TV wishes it might maybe someday approach this level of authenticity.

I will always cherish this film and those shining talents who created it.

The Poor & Hungry (2000)

Strong debut, several impressive performances

[26 December 2003]

IFC screened this film Christmas Day, and it was a nifty Christmas present! Although I'm not a native Memphian (I landed here in 1989), the opening scenes quickly established Memphis as the setting using a number of easily recognizable landmarks, and managed to portray a very realistic and at the same time sentimental view of the city. So I said to myself, "A movie about Memphis, cool!" and on that basis decided to keep watching.

The next attractor for me was Eric Tate's physical resemblance to someone I know and like personally. So I developed a strong emotional connection to Eli from his very first scene. And then the plot line about Eli's reluctant involvement in a car theft ring hit home with me as well, as I was victimized by just such a ring within two weeks of relocating to Memphis in '89. So within the first few minutes of the film I was hooked three ways. And you know what, it just got better!

Although it took me awhile longer, I did connect with Harper, and I must say Lindsey Roberts stole the acting show with her end-of-the-film closeup portrayal of Harper's grief-stricken heartbreak over the tragedy of Eli's self-sacrifice and Amanda's mis-timed ignorance of it. A great dramatic moment! Nobody with normal emotions could look at Harper's face in that ending scene and not feel the tears welling up in sympathy. I certainly did.

Lake Latimer's Amanda is also poignant and touching. Such a good job playing the exquisitely talented but shy, suffering, lonely introvert with no intimate friends beyond her cello. An unusual, even unique, beauty graces her performance. Especially in the scene where she is alone in Eli's room inspecting his model cars -- Amanda's repressed sexuality longing for expression with Eli, in inner tension with her innocent shyness and fear of intimacy, and the young actresses' body language and facial expressions betraying the struggle. Great stuff from a previously unknown but promising new talent.

The only disappointing element I found is the relatively stiff and somewhat unrealistic, if not hokey, attempts at depicting physical violence and its resulting wounds. Thankfully, the fight scenes in this film are few in number -- the fake blows are more obvious than in an old Western and I found myself wanting to laugh during these serious moments of violence. And there is nowhere near enough bleeding from Eli following his presumed fatal knife wound in the belly. But really a minor distraction from the overall quality of story and characterizations.

The supporting cast does an equally complimentary job. And then the ending credits reveal this film was nearly a one-man production. How about Craig Brewer as writer, director, photographer, editor, and co-producer! Yowza. What a fantastic debut, I'll be getting all my friends to see this one. And I hope one day to stop by the P&H Cafe on Madison and maybe meet Wanda in person -- what a gas.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)

Mrs. Parker's isn't the ONLY side of this story

[28 November 2001]

While watching this film last night on IFC, I found myself appreciating the social, historical and artistic subject matter. Despite Mrs. Parker's obvious and overwhelming psychological dysfunctions, I felt this was a genuine "true to life" expression of one participant's subjective experiences. This was a unique, if not quite legendary, circle of literary talent -- certainly deserving of serious cinematic treatment such as this.

BUT....

There was another side to the story -- a healthier, less appalling, less depressing side. To discover "the rest of the story", I highly recommend Harpo Marx' autobiography "Harpo Speaks". Although Harpo also recalls the scathing insults and practical jokes that were a central part of the story of this Round Table group, his book relates a number of hugely funny and sometimes heart-warming scenes that indicate that at least some of these people truly cared for each other and expressed strong positive feelings in many different settings. In short, Harpo's stories (e.g. several "croquet fanatic" episodes) offer a telling comedic counterpoint to Mrs. Parker's almost continually cynical and self-pitying pathos. Read Harpo's book to balance out the negative. You'll be glad you did.

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Pretty but Schmaltzy

[21 July 2000]

Visually impressive but, like candy, lacking in real substance. Another vehicle for human wishful thinking masquerading as deep spirituality. While you may find it possible to enjoy this film simply for it's exquisite cinematography and elaborate special effects, ultimately the story's lack of reality and cotton-candy-sweet moralistic preachiness left me unsatisfied. I wouldn't recommend this one.