Change Your Image
mad0644
Reviews
Humboldt County (2008)
A Gem Called Humboldt County
I rented this film a week or so back and just got around to watching it last night. What a pleasant and refreshing surprise. Definite to make the shelves of my home DVD collection. What resonated with me was how effortlessly this family totally embraced this introvert that was Peter, basically a stray that was dropped on their lap by Bogart. And the sense of community the main family and their friends depicted. It reminded me of my college days and just how wonderfully communal my friends at that time and others from this segment of our society tend to be. I too appreciated the intelligence of this film given the subject matter. Not your typical stoner film at all. The one thing I would liked to have seen to make the film even more of a gem, would've been to be able to witness an even deeper bond between Peter and Max. I don't feel like we got to see the full extent or depth of their relationship that ultimately cause Peter to transform as he did by the end of the film. Their on screen exchanges were my favorites and I just wanted there to be more of them. And while I can agree that there may have been some liberties taken with the film's background and even decision choices regarding some of the characters, it is a fictional story. Overall, I loved the main message that I perceived, about our ability to be receptive and implement change when it comes to self preservation. I live in the DC Metro Area, work for Corporate America and believe me, Humboldt County would be a refreshing change of pace. Great film!
Running with Scissors (2006)
5.8 out of 10! C'Mon!
I just watched "Running With Scissors" (RWS) this evening and immediately came to IMDb to see what others thought of the film. I could barely keep my head from exploding when I saw how low of rating this film had. What a brave and beautiful film! Annette Benning should be up for an Oscar for her performance, and Jill Claybourgh even more so. I had not read Augusten's book, so I'm coming from completely the film's perspective with no comparison to the his writing. To think that "Little Miss Sunshine" which I did like, is up for "Best Picture Oscar," and RWS is not being recognized at all, is a cinematic crime against humanity. The entire cast is superb! If you like smart, introspective films the cover the entire emotional canvas, in the tradition of American Beauty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Miss Sunshine, Prozac Nation, Hard Candy,Hedwig, and others of the same genre. Then you will love this film. Hopefully more people will see it and the ratings will eventually soar!