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mike-1613
Reviews
The White Buffalo (1977)
Almost cult-worthy
I'm not planning any spoilers in this brief review, but ticked the box to be on the safe side.
I saw this movie in its first release, and I was pretty appalled. I was going to a lot of films at the time, particularly in rep theatres, so there was a great deal of variety. But The White Buffalo simply mystified me. Coming away from it, I was unsure of what I had just seen or what it meant, and the SFX were terrible.
True, it is more than 30 years since I saw it, but it left an indelibly bad impression. And when I read an article about Kim Novak a few years later in which she said it had never been released, it seemed to add the bottom line.
I gave it a 2/10 -- simply terrible, but not quite bad enough to get to the cult status of movies like Plan 9.
Bride & Prejudice (2004)
A wonderful movie
I loved this movie. I've been a growing fan of Bollywood movies, especially those featuring Aishwarya Rai, as well as other non-Bollywood films involving Indian culture made in recent years (such as Monsoon Wedding, Bend It Like Beckham, Bollywood Hollywood), so it was a real treat to finally see Aishu in a mainstream film. But, wonderfully, the sensibilities of a true Bollywood classic are mainly kept intact, especially in the musical numbers, while some western influences are saucily thrown in for good measure. On top of everything, the faithful (but simplified) adaptation of Jane Austen's original works surprisingly well. I had a smile on my face and a tears in the corner of my eyes throughout Bride & Prejudice, and I can't wait to see it again!
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire (2004)
Open, honest, and moving
There is so much tragedy that takes place in the world involving the military and others involved in physical conflict, yet it is rare that a soldier comes forward to tell the truth. In Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire, we are lucky to have not just a soldier, but a leader who took so much responsibility for the Rwandan genocide onto himself explaining through word and deed what happened there, and its meaning. This is a wonderful documentary, and a moving story about an honest man's quest to understand the difficulty and horror he experienced. It is impossible not to be emotionally moved by Dallaire's story, and the well-crafted way in which it is told.