selfishbastid Reviews

Protocols of Zion (2005)

starts with a central point, but loses it somewhere

[7/10 · 17 July 2006]

First of all, it's a very interesting theory. Jews being warned about 9/11, a plan for global domination, etc. However, it doesn't stay focused on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, it becomes a window into anti-Semetic sentiments in the U.S. on a whole. For this reason I think it should have a different title, because it's misleading. A loose theme pervades the film by stretching out the different protocols as the filmmaker encounters different opinions on Jews in general. There are very passionate views expressed throughout, some pro-Jew and some not. What makes it compelling viewing is that so many people want to believe that Jews are responsible for the evil in the world, when in fact they have been on both sides of the equation from the beginning of time. Yes, there are many Jews who have prospered in America and throughout Europe, but at what cost? Why are the perceptions of Jews so extreme? Why do all the Palestinians in the movie come across so angry and full of venom towards Jews? Why do so many Jews hate the government, or current administration, if in fact they are so powerful within it? These are all topics I wanted to see more of. So, to summarize, Protocols isn't a bad film by any means, however I found the title to be misleading.

Bukowski: Born into This (2003)

The poet without metaphors

[9/10 · 26 March 2006]

If you go into this film without ever haven read Bukowski, it can be a jarring experience, but rewarding nonetheless. I love his stuff, most of it anyway, and never really had a chance to see him while he was alive. His book Post Office is perhaps the rawest and perfectly written piece of literature that I've ever read. The documentary does him justice in that it captures him in his perfect drunken, creative, and impossibly complex environment. Filmed over 10 to 15 years, it is not hero worship in any sense, it's as raw and revealing of a tortured, yet extremely funny individual as one can capture on film. We see his relationships with women unravel and patch up, the dusty daily grind of a regular job that he hates, his horrible childhood which would serve as material for Ham on Rye, his struggle with celebrity in the twilight of his life. Like all great artists Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Van Gogh, etc., Bukowski uses the pain and suffering of everyday life to his advantage, the result is a great revealing documentary that opens him up and makes him accessible to even his most die-hard fans. Much better than Barfly.

Grizzly Man (2005)

I'm glad that he got it.

[7/10 · 4 February 2006]

Herzog set this guy up to be a complete jackass from the first frame. I can't remember wanting to see someone get killed so badly. The worst part about it is, they never let us hear the actual footage of them getting devoured by the bear. I find it particular that the lens cap just happened to be on the camera during the attack. That being said, some fantastic footage of the grizzley bear in it's environment goes a long way. Also, the pure comedy of how lame this guy really is, he actually thinks he's protecting the bears. Tragic Comedy indeed. It may be a fake, but it's worth checking out in DVD format. Too many commercial breaks takes you out of the flow of things. I'm glad that Treadwell got it in the end.

Syriana (2005)

probably needs to be seen twice

[7/10 · 10 December 2005]

I'm intrigued by the film's subject matter. I felt it was a bit too ambitious with the weaving in and out of the complex characters. It could have just stuck with the big picture, (i.e. why are we so dependent on foreign oil?) Excellent acting. Great insight into dirty CIA tactics and Texas oil strategies. The Hezzbollah angle was confusing for me. I'm not afraid to admit that it was a bit too complex for me upon my initial viewing, I'll probably need to rent the DVD. It also did a good job of showing how easy it is to convert indifferent young men in the middle east to extreme Islam. It maximizes it's 2 hour length for all it's worth. Don't go to the restroom or you'll have some catching up to do.

Rocky (1976)

Who are you to give advice, creepo?

[10/10 · 21 November 2005]

What can be said about Rocky at this point that hasn't already made it's way into these comments? I watched it over the weekend again and it is always a good decision. Now getting well into my 30's it holds an even closer appeal to me. The acting, the story, the music... the raw Philadelphia backdrop...quite possibly the perfect movie. Stallone would never be this textured again. Too bad his legacy has become diluted with Rhinestone and Stop or My Mom Will Shoot, or even Rocky V. Can't say that I'm looking forward to the sixth installment of the Rocky franchise, but I won't let that take away from this great film. This needs to be in the IMDb top 250, in fact, it's just plain ridiculous that it's not. Raging Bull was excellent, but the pace and the characters had nothing on this film, which makes it the greatest boxing movie ever.

Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)

He looks like the missing link.

[1/10 · 21 November 2005]

I have nothing personal against 50 Cent, don't buy his records, kind of view him as a flash in the pan. But after being saturated with his face for the past 3 years I figured, why not see what all the hype is about...yeah his "music" is bubble-gum wannabe gangster rap that couldn't hold a candle to the originators of the genre...(i.e. N.W.A.,Schooly-D,etc.) The music will be forgotten in 5 years time...so maybe the movie will give him some validity, let's see if he can act. BAD MOVE, this guy makes DMX look like Sidney Poitier. The whole movie is the classic template, just plug in a one gear, multi-millionaire so-called rap artist. It just wasn't entertaining, I wasn't expecting the Godafther, but jeez...what a waste. So many other movies, steeped in hood reality have delivered far more...Menace 2 Society and Boyz N' The Hood all the way back to Cooley High. Hopefully the relatively dismal box office receipts will keep this guy out of the movies so he can concentrate on selling dull, bland pop music to the mouth breathing masses who hail him as the king of the streets.

Bomb the System (2002)

the template with good music

[6/10 · 18 November 2005]

We've all seen this story before, it's kind of a combo deal between Wild Style and Bad Lieutenant. Some good acting performances by the lead character and his crew. The girl bugged me, just too formulaic with her Che' t-shirt and her anti-capitalism stance. Good editing techniques, really fit the pace well. El-P should score more films, this seems to be a perfect side gig for him. The music really makes up for the lack of character development and originality in the plot. It's relatively short so it's worth checking out just for the cinematography and the score. And as a former writer, I take offense to the line about real writers never paying for paint. Yeah right, try racking paint from the same hardware store more than a couple times. There's not that many stores selling paint that you can maintain anonymity. This type of pretension, combined with a total lack of humor brings the whole film down.