I saw this film once in 1973, the first time it was aired on TV, I presume. I found it fascinating and atmospheric, suspenseful and frankly terrifying. Right now, I can't seem to find it on DVD or in any form. I'd love to see it again and hope the powers that be are going to issue it on DVD soon so that it can be appreciated by a new generation. ---- It has a startling premise and I don't want to ruin anyone's viewing pleasure by telling too much. But it presents a Jewish Rabbi, as I recall, who is being forced out of his home in New York, and who uses his magical abilities to take revenge on the young man who is helping to force him out. There is a twist near the end, but the final scene is perfectly horrifying. I felt the film well captured the potentially Gothic atmosphere of Manhattan with its dim old tenements and small ancient grave yards. Highly recommended. The acting was excellent. The writing was excellent. What more can I say except I'm eager to see this again.
Reviews
5 Reviews
A History of Violence
(2005)
Brilliantly about violence without glorifying violence
8 February 2008
No, not for children, but mesmerizing and brilliant, exposing violence in all its hideousness; never glorifying it, even for a moment. Viggo Mortensen is turning out to be one of the most remarkable actors of our time, right up there with Johnny Depp and Gary Oldman. The subtle changes he achieves in his performance are so incredible that you really have to see the film more than once to get the full range. Everybody's excellent. Cronenberg, as always, is superb in his direction, delivering something utterly surprising moment to moment, and consistently thrilling artistically in spite of the most jarring shocks. Highly recommended to those who have a special fascination for the way violence is handled in film or any art form, which means that the title is right on. The pace is perfect. I rank it with the HBO series Deadwood for being a trip into Hell in which we see souls wrestling with absolutes and determined to achieve moral triumphs, in spite of overwhelming odds. I want to see the film a third time to better understand the relationship of the high school sequence to the major theme of the film.
A Conventicle of Geniuses Came Together Here
20 December 2007
And this conventicle has brought us a glistening and irresistible nightmare. There are delicious Dickensian overtones throughout, and the look of the film itself is poetically potent. The entire mix is shockingly seductive with an unforgettable ending. Burton's humor is part and parcel of his sheer brilliance, as always, and, as always, the great Johnny Depp is intense and positively unforgettable. All performances are electric, the pace and length are perfect, and the film draws us deeper and deeper with every moment into its stunning blend of the grotesque and the undeniably beautiful. Analysing the power of a film like this is no simple matter. The whole is dazzlingly disturbing. You don't want to miss a second of it, even though the film is merciless to us and to its protagonists. It sings, it glows, it enchants, it horrifies. I want to see it again. And again. It's a brutal and shattering masterpiece.
Evita
(1996)
A Cinematic and Musical Masterpiece
22 June 2004
The film is brilliant from start to finish. The cinematography and editing are both stunning, and Madonna physically resembles the true Evita Peron physically to an uncanny degree. Banderas as the surreal narrator lends a great cohesion to the marvelous unfolding of acting and song. I've actually watched this film about 10 times. I'm mesmerized by how it captures the full scope of Eva Peron's unique and controversial career. Madonna's acting was excellent, Banderas was his usual highly skilled and deeply compelling self and the supporting cast was handled exquisitely. The cleverness of the lyrics, the profound romantic trust of the music -- all of this is freshly interpreted for the camera in a way that distinguishes this production from any accomplishment of this extremely popular musical on the stage. I don't think this film got all the praise it should have gotten. Madonna's overwhelming reputation actually hurt her here which is lamentable. She deserved awards. Inspired by the film, I searched biographies of Eva Peron and found the film was accurate in its portrayal to an amazing degree. But more significantly, the musical and the film of it portray a hungry and desperate and talented young person determined to make a mark. It is an old story, but it is a universal story, and it must be told over and over again in new ways. The film's flavor and originality were unforgettable. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves cinema, to anyone who loves music, and if you love both you must stop everything and sit down and enjoy this at once. If you hear criticism of this film, be sure to ask the person whether or not he or she has actually seen the film. This is a splendid movie that catches people off guard.
Deadwood
(2004–2006)
Very simply magnificent
15 June 2004
Ian McShane as the evil Al has established himself as one of the greatest actors of the moment and of the time. He's up there with Pacino, DeNiro and Keitel. The magnificent writing and directing of Deadwood support him completely in mesmerizing the audience. This is for my money the finest work being done on television today. The show has a sure moral compass and a daring to take the violence to the level of Shakespeare or the Greek Tragedy while maintaining verisimilitude with brilliant dialogue and perfect art and set direction, as well as a flawless supporting cast each of whom engages us immediately and convincingly no matter how intimate or distant the focus might be. I can't get enough of this show. I want to see it all in reruns, to cherish it later on DVD. Each episode is fresh and surprising and at times astonishing. But Ian McShane steals the show, no question of it. His face is profoundly expressive and his lines are so marvelous that some of them surely must be ad lib. The guy's a scoundrel but my heart's breaking for him. The Season Finale was the single greatest television drama I've ever seen. We have here a villain who isn't morally bankrupt. And thank heaven, we have a show runner and a writer who isn't morally bankrupt either. Bravo!! I've run out of superlatives. Please, more. And more. And more.
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