trudgeon99 Reviews

Cecil B. Demented (2000)

Very Very Sweet

[8/10 · 4 September 2004]

He was making fun of everyone, as the second review pointed out so well. Don't take it too seriously! I have loved Mr. Waters for a long long time, loved his book about bad taste, love his take on life, how his characters abhor the straight life, which I do too. He got a little too p.c., a little too nice there for a while, which disappointed me. But this just perked me right up.

It was nice to see Patty and Mink Stole again - I fear the day I don't see their faces any longer - it will mean that my point of reference is ancient history. Mr. Waters was in town a few years ago and I missed him BECAUSE OF MY CRUMMY JOB. Hoping I can see him one more time before the world blows up.

Monster's Ball (2001)

Serious, Huge Themes

[3 September 2004]

I have been astonished to see zero commentary on the death penalty, whose destructive influence permeates the movie. Financial failure, dysfunctional children, the state lowering itself to the barbarity it is said to remedy, dehumanizing the human beings who are the cogs in the machine - a sickening poison that needs to be eradicated from this society!

So many of the moral, Christian people commenting on the movie had their feathers ruffled by the sex scenes with absolutely no comment on state sanctioned, politically motivated murder. You "moral" people, check yourselves!

A sublime, beautiful movie, not what I was expecting. The psychological truths in this movie are rendered in a credible way - Ms. Berry's depiction of the mother's grief had me crying too - very empathetic, coming from a real place. All actors did a splendid job; I have met the Peter Boyle character, Def, superb, Combs, splendid - I just can't say enough. The only character I had a bit of a problem with was the mother's little boy, though I have met him too.

I think there is a lot of sublimated and overt race rage in the critiques I have read on this blog and elsewhere, from both sides of the racial divide. I pray you all work it out and feel better soon.