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mattlodder
Reviews
The Mark of Cain (2001)
Found it!
This is available on DVD from Black Diamond Films - http://www.blackdiamond.co.uk/ or via Amazon (the 2006 DVD from Black Diamond, not the 2007 film starring Matthew McNulty).
From the box-blurb - "The Mark of Cain, a feature-length documentary by Alix Lambert, explores the dying art of Russian prison tattoos to offer audiences an understanding of conflict and transition in contemporary Russia. Through intimate interviews that enable the prisoners to talk about their life experiences, body art and living conditions, a powerful story emerges of tension between prisoners of different generations and different social-economic systems. The Mark of Cain documents for the first time the disappearing artistic practice of Russian prison tattoos; further, the project investigates the nature of change in Russia by examining what is happening in the country's prisons."
I heard about this film in interviews with David Kronenberg about his new movie "Eastern Promises" - apparently Vigor Mortensson found this documentary and showed it to Kronenberg during the filming, and it became a large influence. It's a nice companion to the Russian Tattoo Encyclopedia volumes by Danzig Baldayev, too.
Ladri di saponette (1989)
Genius
Funny *and* intelligent? When was the last time you could say that about a movie?! A feast for any serious move lover. A shocking indictment of televisual culture and product placement ("Is this the movie or is this the advert?"), this is an amazing, incredible, vital, sharp, witty and telling critique of post-modern society. Lame? Not at all - with slapstick humour and more than enough intellectual depth to keep even the most ardent academic entangled for weeks (intertextuality, postmodernism, surrealism, etc. etc.), this film has something for everybody. For the simple film-goer, its a light hearted comedy, with cues from the Marx brothers, Chaplin and the age-old traditions of slapstick comedy. For the more serious viewer, the sheer depth of the director's passion for cinema shines through. I haven't a bad thing to say about this film... please see it.
Charlie's Angels (2000)
Take it for what it is, not what you think it should be...
This year I have seen a number of great movies. I've also seen some real howlers. Charlie's Angels has both feet firmly in the first category, and is easily one of the best movies of it's genre, ever.
Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, it's slickly produced. But, unlike so many recent films to which that description could be easily applied (Hollow Man, The Cell), Angels is so obviously aware of it's own blatant ridiculousness. For this, it is to be applauded. Sitting through MI:2, another 70's action-based TV show turned into a slick, effects-driven third-millennial movie, you get the horrible feeling that the directors really believed they could turn a ridiculous, campy TV show into some deep and meaningful social critique. No such high-brow pretentiousness in this film - from the opening scene, which slots in a barely-audible conciously self-mocking one-liner, all the way through every clever reference and spoofed scene, through every pointless chase and exaggerated fight-scene, through every nodding innuendo, predictable plot twist and traditional baddie, McG and his cast have made a film which acknowledges all the tongue-in-cheek sass and cheesiness present in the original.
70s TV cop shows, of which Angels was perhaps the perfect example, revelled in their lack of plot but enormous amount of explosions, random car chases and beautiful characters. The clichés in this film are not lazily slotted in through lack of invention, but deliberately sprinkled throughout to give the whole piece a knowing quality. Even the cinematography is deliberately plagiristic of the 70s TV show.
In fact, Angels is nearly as referential as anything Kevin Smith has put his name to. Just check out Drew Barrymore's ET shirt for proof of that. I get the impression that alot of people were expecting a M:I2 style remake, and thus missed the point of this wonderful film.
If you want a great Kung-fu movie, go rent "Enter the Dragon". If you want a deep and meaningful plot, "Fight Club" has just been released on DVD, and "Dancer in the Dark" is still in cinemas. If you want a day-glo cross between Mystery Men, Austin Powers and any James Bond movie you care to mention, all wrapped up in a stunning soundtrack (NOT replicated on the CD, sadly) and very modern effects, go see Charlie's Angels.
Seriously, if you have any memories at all of Farrah Fawcett and her high-kicking pals, you'll adore this film. I did.