Change Your Image
dan-bull
Reviews
Crystal Voyager (1973)
Awesome!
This is a great film.... Despite the negative feedback and low star rating it has received on IMDb. Crystal Voyager is a mystical surfing journey into the mind of knee board legend G. Greenough and his radical mission to be alone in the surf. He unpretentiously informs of the viewer of the harsh reality of crowded surf and the changes within the Californian subculture he grow up in as the 70s passed him by.
The qualities of this film are numerous. For one it is directed by David Elfick who went on to write Newsfont (1978) and produce Rabbit Proof Fence in 02. George Greenough is a surf legend who pretty much invented the modern surfboard fin. His innovative genius is captured in Crystal Voyager as seen by the boat/s he makes. When released this film was used in Pink Floyd concerts in exchange for song rights for the film...
The movie definitely has its flaws... but they are very minimal. This film is a lot better then many other surf documentaries and was a very important movie for the early Australian film industry! Its worth is confirmed by its high popularity at Cannes in 73
Holy Smoke (1999)
Putridity
OK. I have to admit I am not the biggest Campion fan. However, I do like Kietel in some films. But Holy smoke is putrid. I really haven't seen a film that bad for a while... and I watched the 1994 remake of Angels in the outfield this week! First of all the cult she is in does not seem that bad. But the grouse caricaturing of cults and religion in general is horrendous. The African-American woman singing the lords pray seems particular contrived. It is just a very low-brow look at cults and religion. Now for the worst part. As others have previously said Kaitel and Winslet's characters are horrible. They are caricature's of caricatures. Kate Winslet pees her pants in a very distasteful scene.
Oh the supporting cast. They must be the Campion's sisters in-laws or something. How the hades they ever got into this film I do not know. The token homosexual brothers were actually insulting. I do not know why her homosexual brother did not support her quest for spiritual happiness since he also would have felt alienation at one point in his life.
Just please don't watch this film. It is far below par.