mythago-3 Reviews

In Your Eyes (2014)

a magic realism and love story that succeeds

[10/10 · 9 May 2014]

A beautiful, heartfelt, wonderful movie about a connection formed by two people who encounter each other by seeing through the other's eyes, and other senses, though they live on different sides of the US. This bit of magic realism, being able to talk to each other and see/experience each other's environments while in different places, is handled quite well. Also, their conversations remind me of Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight series, and its clear and believable how much they care for each other. The supporting cast also does a fine job.

It is amazing to me is that this film was made for $1,000,000, a very indie budget for the caliber of production and talent behind it. Inspiring! May more films like this one from Bellwether Pictures continue to be made, it's a treat to come upon a movie that doesn't have to be a multi-million dollar blockbuster to be enjoyable. Many of those aren't, actually. Story and emotion have a bigger impact than special effects in the long run.

Shrooms (2007)

a worthy entry to the psychedelic slasher genre

[7/10 · 20 November 2007]

I watched this film last week. I enjoyed it; it was decent light entertainment for the suspend-your-disbelief "young people go out to the woods and are killed off one by one" slasher film genre. And I don't usually like that genre. This one adds the psychedelic element that the group eats mushrooms and drinks mushroom tea. The mix of whether things are real or not, especially the shimmering effects in the woods, are quite well done. The cinematography is what kept me watching through the weaker story moments. I'm not sure I like the violence meme the film's plot seems to attribute to a particular super-strength mushroom, but again this is fiction. You will have to suspend some of your disbelief in regards to the tripping elements - those in the know will know it is not quite like portrayed. And the visuals don't meet the wild, dark beauty of the last sequence in Blueberry/Renegade. That said, its worth watching and stands out for an indie horror film.

On a related note, has anyone seen "The Tripper" directed by David Arquette? Also a decent psychedelic slasher movie. Maybe a bit more effective because of its satire.

Pandaemonium (2000)

A Study in the Ways of the Imagination

[10/10 · 28 September 2003]

Pandaemonium is one of the better films I've seen in a long time. Some of its themes are much like the ideas (ala Hassan i Sabbah & assassins & hunger for paradise) that have attracted me lately. It is about the poets Wordsworth & Samuel Taylor Coleridge (who wrote "Kubla Khan"). The exploration of the creative force, mingled with the desire to see deep into reality is amazing (Coleridge tried to do it with opium, and both succeeded and kind of destroyed himself in the process). The movie is based on real history but I think it took some liberties to make it a more powerful story. Coleridge also wrote "The Ancient Mariner," and that poem is incredible, I've even more taken by it to see it so lushly explored in a visual sense in how the idea and language came to Coleridge. There's some really funny parts too, like a time when they eat datura and almost fall up off the world (or their perceptions convince them they are about to, and then they start playing with it, realizing the joke, but still pretending that they can fall up.) There's a scholarly literary study on Coleridge published in 1927 called "The Road to Xanadu - A Study in the Ways of the Imagination" by John Livingstone Lowes, a brilliant book, and I wonder if the filmmakers got many of their ideas and details from that extraordinary book.

Pandaemonium (2000)

A Study in the Ways of the Imagination

[10/10 · 29 October 2002]

Pandaemonium is one of the better films I've seen in a long time. Some of its themes are much like the ideas (ala Hassan i Sabbah & assassins & hunger for paradise) that have attracted me lately. It is about the poets Wordsworth & Samuel Taylor Coleridge (who wrote "Kubla Khan"). The exploration of the creative force, mingled with the seeking to see deep into reality is amazing (Coleridge tried to do it with opium, and both succeeded and kind of destroyed himself in the process). The movie is based on real history but I think it took some liberties to make it a more powerful story. Coleridge also wrote "The Ancient Mariner," and that poem is incredible, I've even more taken by it to see it so lushly explored in a visual sense in how the idea and language came to Coleridge. There's some really funny parts too, like a time when they eat datura and almost fall up off the world (or their perceptions convince them they are about to, and then they start playing with it, realizing the joke, but still pretending that they can fall up.) There's a scholarly literary study on Coleridge published in 1927 called "The Road to Xanadu - A Study in the Ways of the Imagination" by John Livingstone Lowes, a brilliant book, and I wonder if the filmmakers got many of their ideas and details from that book.

The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

to dream of love

[9/10 · 25 July 2001]

Wow, this movie is pretty incredible, unique, beautiful. Especially the character Tom (played by Jeremy Davies).

Still reeling from its beauty, which really, was in all the little details. It was made like a dream, some characters over the top, some more real than real.

See it if you can.