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Reviews
The Deep End (2001)
Give this film another chance . . .
I saw this film last summer in the theaters and while it didn't do much for me at the time, something in it stayed with me. I rented it again and watched it twice more and am now convinced it is a terrific film.
A lot has been said about Swinton's portrayal of a frustrated housewife and she is brilliant, she carries the film with a head-on intensity.
But the screenplay should also be lauded. Yes, this is straight out of 1940's noir, but it all works.
A lot has been said about the sex and sexuality switch of Swinton's son, but it works perfectly. One might ask . . . why doesn't she ask her son about the body before she dumps it? But that would involve TALKING to her son about his sexuality. She'd rather bury the evidence, than ever admit to herself that her son is gay.
Over the course of the film, Swinton begins to understand her son better, she realizes that everyone has their secrets and desires. Her son also realizes the worry he has put his mother through. The last shot, of mother and son huddled together on the bed is of two strong-willed people finally understanding each other as equals. It's a wonderfully telling moment.
Be sure to watch this film more than once . . . it can be taken on many levels.
james
Trog (1970)
How do you review this film?
This film is bad -- really, really bad. But it achieves that kind of awfulness that you don't want to turn away from.
Joan Crawford plays a scientist who has discovered the missing link to our ape-like heritage and is forced to fight jealous co-workers, christians, and the law all while teaching the beast about love.
The beast looks exactly like a fat guy who has hair stapled to his shoulders and Crawford is horribly over the top (although, to be fair, perhaps that is the only way these lines could be read).
The strangest part is in the middle of the film when we see inside trog's brain and are forced to sit through a 5 minute+ claymation dinasuor sequence.
But still . . . scenes like Crawford handing the doll to trog and lines like "You sure eat a lot of a senior citizen," make this one of the funniest midnight movies ever.
james
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Wonderful Communist allegory
So, here we are with those ol' pesky body snatchers. Yes, it appears pod people have taken over a small California town and it's finally up to a skeptical doctor to make people believe him . . . and get out of town while he's still awake.
This movie moves at breakneck speed. There isn't a slow moment in the entire thing. The writing is simple (which keeps it from getting hammy) as is the direction (which keeps it from getting slow).
But the best part is noticing the not - so - subtle communist subtext.
Also, I was surprised to notice that this film really isn't so much a sci-fi pic as much as it is a film noir. All the aspects of noir are there . . . and Invasion of the Body Snatchers stands proudly among such masterworks as Kiss Me Deadly, and Out of the Past.
Don't miss it!