Viewed as a movie, this is one of the most laughably awful things that I've ever seen. I watched it with my family and none of us could sit through it. They were actually begging me to turn it off but I left it on just to torture them : ) But anyway, the problem with this "movie" is simple: It has no plot. This is really just a bunch of dance sequences strung together, there's no story to it. Unless your into dance to the point where you'd enjoy watching a 2 hour video of dance sequences without a plot, or an obsessive Neve Campbell fan who needs to see all of her films, I would suggest you steer clear of this like the plague. It's one of the most pointless and mind-numbingly boring things that I've ever seen. The only good parts are the girls locker room scenes, Neve Campbell's semi-nude scenes, and the final dance sequence which features a giant Olmec-looking head that eats the dancers (best part of the film!) as well as a dancer with a balloon attached to his/her head. Anyway, if you want something like this but WITH a plot, I would suggest the much better "Center Stage".
Reviews
6 Reviews
The Village
(2004)
Ignore The Nay-Sayers, This Is A Brilliant And Important Film
6 August 2004
I have no idea why so many people seem to dislike this film, but I assure you that they don't know what the *)&@# they're talking about. This is a truly incredible film that continues M. Night Shyamalan's reputation of genius, and I certainly would recommend you all at least see it before you judge it. I think maybe a lot of people came into it with the wrong idea about what it was, and that's why they were disappointed. This is not supposed to be a horror movie or a monster movie, or at least not in the traditional sense. Aside from about 3 points in the film, the director is not intending for people to jump out of their seats in fright. So if that's what you want, then don't see it.
What this movie is, and what it's supposed to be, is a creepy, unsettling, and darkly humorous commentary on humanity, society, and the modern world. And although it may or may not be ripped off from a book (the author of a book with a similar story is apparently suing), it's certainly a unique and extremely thought-provoking cinematic experience. It's really hard to explain without giving away anything, but you'll likely be debating for quite some time over whether the village elders were right to create what they created and do what they did to preserve it, and whether their methods are used by real-life governments. And it's hard to really explain how this fits in, but it will also spawn debates about whether constantly hearing about horrible things in the news has a negative effect on society.
Anyway, in addition to touching on a lot of fascinating subject matter, the film is also visually beautiful, with incredible use of color, and the two main characters are interesting, likable, and memorable. In the middle of the film the director actually switches the focus of the film from the seemingly central character to another character, which I think is a really fascinating and ballsy move from a story-telling perspective. Some people of course didn't like it, but I loved it. It reminded me of when Hitchcock killed off the main character in "Psycho". I love it when directors throw the traditional Hollywood moviemaking formula out the window like that.
In any case, most of the negative things said about this film are pretty ridiculous. The movie is certainly not predictable, and it's certainly not "slow-moving and dull". The dialogue is occasionally cheesy, and some of the camera shots are annoying, but other than that the movie continues M. Night Shyamalan's tradition of near-flawlessness. As for the ending, I found it to be both greatly satisfying and greatly amusing : )
Anyway, it really disgusts me that so many people have been saying negative things about this movie, because I really think that it's an incredible film. It may in fact be my favorite Shyamalan film, although it's very close between this and "Unbreakable" (I tend to think "The Sixth Sense" is slightly overrated). Please go see this if it sounds at all interesting to you, particularly if you appreciate art more than horror, because I think there's a very good chance that you'll greatly enjoy it. It's kind of a love-it-or-hate-it thing I guess, so I supposed there's a 50% chance you'll love it : ) Anyway, I give it a 10/10.
And by the way, M. Night Shyamalan is only my 5th favorite director (my fav is Zhang Yimou), so don't dismiss this as the word of just some crazed Shyamalan fan : )
What this movie is, and what it's supposed to be, is a creepy, unsettling, and darkly humorous commentary on humanity, society, and the modern world. And although it may or may not be ripped off from a book (the author of a book with a similar story is apparently suing), it's certainly a unique and extremely thought-provoking cinematic experience. It's really hard to explain without giving away anything, but you'll likely be debating for quite some time over whether the village elders were right to create what they created and do what they did to preserve it, and whether their methods are used by real-life governments. And it's hard to really explain how this fits in, but it will also spawn debates about whether constantly hearing about horrible things in the news has a negative effect on society.
Anyway, in addition to touching on a lot of fascinating subject matter, the film is also visually beautiful, with incredible use of color, and the two main characters are interesting, likable, and memorable. In the middle of the film the director actually switches the focus of the film from the seemingly central character to another character, which I think is a really fascinating and ballsy move from a story-telling perspective. Some people of course didn't like it, but I loved it. It reminded me of when Hitchcock killed off the main character in "Psycho". I love it when directors throw the traditional Hollywood moviemaking formula out the window like that.
In any case, most of the negative things said about this film are pretty ridiculous. The movie is certainly not predictable, and it's certainly not "slow-moving and dull". The dialogue is occasionally cheesy, and some of the camera shots are annoying, but other than that the movie continues M. Night Shyamalan's tradition of near-flawlessness. As for the ending, I found it to be both greatly satisfying and greatly amusing : )
Anyway, it really disgusts me that so many people have been saying negative things about this movie, because I really think that it's an incredible film. It may in fact be my favorite Shyamalan film, although it's very close between this and "Unbreakable" (I tend to think "The Sixth Sense" is slightly overrated). Please go see this if it sounds at all interesting to you, particularly if you appreciate art more than horror, because I think there's a very good chance that you'll greatly enjoy it. It's kind of a love-it-or-hate-it thing I guess, so I supposed there's a 50% chance you'll love it : ) Anyway, I give it a 10/10.
And by the way, M. Night Shyamalan is only my 5th favorite director (my fav is Zhang Yimou), so don't dismiss this as the word of just some crazed Shyamalan fan : )
Sex and Zen II
(1996)
A Guilty-Pleasure Masterpiece
14 June 2003
Quick plot summary : A creature takes the form of a beautiful woman (Shu Qi) and has sex with pretty much everyone it encounters so as to steal their energy. It eventually kills the entire family of this other beautiful girl who then has to destroy it by having sex with it and forcing it to orgasm before she does.
Most people in the US would probably call this a porn movie, but I don't think that's giving it enough credit because it's really so much more than that. It definitely works as porn thanks to the amazing Shu Qi, who made her debut with this film (and who's possibly the most beautiful person in the world), but at it's heart it's more of comedy that just happens to be about sex. I seriously think most people, even if they weren't interested in the porn aspect, would not be able to resist loving this film because it's just so hilarious and bizarre. It's not for conservatives obviously, but if you like sexual humor this will definitely be one of your all-time favorites. If nothing else, you'll definitely see some stuff you've never seen before!
To summarize, an incredible achievement in guilty-pleasure filmmaking that should not be missed!
Most people in the US would probably call this a porn movie, but I don't think that's giving it enough credit because it's really so much more than that. It definitely works as porn thanks to the amazing Shu Qi, who made her debut with this film (and who's possibly the most beautiful person in the world), but at it's heart it's more of comedy that just happens to be about sex. I seriously think most people, even if they weren't interested in the porn aspect, would not be able to resist loving this film because it's just so hilarious and bizarre. It's not for conservatives obviously, but if you like sexual humor this will definitely be one of your all-time favorites. If nothing else, you'll definitely see some stuff you've never seen before!
To summarize, an incredible achievement in guilty-pleasure filmmaking that should not be missed!
Amélie
(2001)
Why do people like this movie???
26 May 2003
I hate to be one of those negative people, but I hate this movie with an incredible fiery passion. I think it's very possibly the most overrated film of all time. I watched it a while back expecting to see something amazing but I was disappointed beyond words. The main character is very possibly the most annoying movie creation of all time. She's really cutesy and pale and she doesn't say anything. She's like a cross between Shirley Temple and a mime. By the end of the movie you just want to reach into the screen and choke her. Beyond that, as far as I can tell, the movie has no point whatsoever. And just for record, I'm not just saying this because I'm an idiot American who can't appreciate French cinema--I actually love French films (my favs are The Girl On The Bridge, La Haine, and Leon: The Professional). But this one just makes me want to pull my hair out. Anyway, I'll certainly attempt to watch it again at some point and give it another chance, but so far I'm at a complete loss as to why this movie is ranked at #18. Feel free to reply and tell me why I'm wrong.
The Birth of a Nation
(1915)
The most repugnant racist piece of trash I've ever seen
16 July 2000
I've already commented briefly on this film, but after reading some of the other comments here I feel it's necessary to say more. It amazes me how anyone can defend this film. Many of the comments here have stressed it's technical achievements, and suggested that it's only fair to view it as a product of it's time, and that's all well and fine, but I think some of you are losing sight of the bigger picture.
It's true that the most controversial movies are often the best. Certainly that's true of many of my favorite movies. But there's a reason why they're often the best and that's because they're often the most insightful and thought-provoking. But the problem here is, as far as being insightful and though-provoking, The Birth of a Nation is about as far from that as you can get. To be totally honest I thought Showgirls was more insightful and thought-provoking. What this movie is is a fantastic piece of racist propaganda that was created primarily to boost the popularity of the KKK and to foster a nationwide feeling of hatred toward blacks.
And that brings me to my central point: PEOPLE WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS MOVIE. Do you people realize that? How can anyone defend a movie that in all likelihood was a prime factor leading to the murders and harassment of hundreds if not thousands of blacks? I hear people here talking about camera angles and filming techniques, and I'm sure the film's all very wonderful in that regard, but I don't think that would have mattered very much to the people who lost loved ones because of this film.
I, as you might have guessed, gave this movie a 1, and I think anyone else that looks at their conscience will have to do the same.
It's true that the most controversial movies are often the best. Certainly that's true of many of my favorite movies. But there's a reason why they're often the best and that's because they're often the most insightful and thought-provoking. But the problem here is, as far as being insightful and though-provoking, The Birth of a Nation is about as far from that as you can get. To be totally honest I thought Showgirls was more insightful and thought-provoking. What this movie is is a fantastic piece of racist propaganda that was created primarily to boost the popularity of the KKK and to foster a nationwide feeling of hatred toward blacks.
And that brings me to my central point: PEOPLE WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS MOVIE. Do you people realize that? How can anyone defend a movie that in all likelihood was a prime factor leading to the murders and harassment of hundreds if not thousands of blacks? I hear people here talking about camera angles and filming techniques, and I'm sure the film's all very wonderful in that regard, but I don't think that would have mattered very much to the people who lost loved ones because of this film.
I, as you might have guessed, gave this movie a 1, and I think anyone else that looks at their conscience will have to do the same.
The Birth of a Nation
(1915)
This is very possibly the most racist movie ever filmed.
22 March 2000
This beautiful piece of racist propaganda centers around the moving story of how the heroic Ku Klux Klan saved the South from being ruled by the terrible immoral Negroes after the Civil War. It includes such unforgettable scenes as the one in which a group of Klan members race into town to save a white girl from being raped by an evil black pervert--of which there are a great many in this film. I think you can get the basic idea of what this film is like without me going any further. What's astonishing is that it was once considered the greatest movie of all time. It was even shown at the White House by President Woodrow Wilson, who was a big fan. Thankfully though, in recent years it's finally begun to lose it's popularity.
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