Frankenstein's Bloody Nightmare (2006)

Posted on July 27, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

“Frankenstein’s Bloody Nightmare” basically has its head on tight with intentions of being both experimental and surreal, and in many respects, Director Hand knows how to convey both a nightmarish and surrealist theme with a hazy picture that drifts from plain and sterile to multi-colored and intense. Hand’s film has a very noticeable Lynchian feel as yet another take on the Doctor Frankenstein character. Hand’s film is a pure mixture of sixties psychedelic grind house exploring the sheer utter madness behind a man seeking to help his wife.

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The Coatroom (2005)

Posted on June 17, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

I swear, if I wasn’t aware this was an independent film from someone else, I’d insist until my face turned blue that this was directed by Terry Zwigoff. Take the demented attitude of Zwigoff, the situations of “Clerks”, and the awkward realism of “The Office” and you’ll pretty much have “The Coatroom”. Gilbert’s film is an entertaining absurdist existential comedy about a group of people, working in an awful job, contemplating life and their dead end careers in art.

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Mysterious Skin (2004)

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

The most frightening tales of the world, regardless of genre, be it horror, or drama, is always childhood trauma and abuse. Childhood trauma stories are always the most universally disturbing such as “A Tale of Two Sisters,” “Radio Flyer,” or “Mystic River,” because they always reach down and connect with us, no matter what occurs to the characters. Stories told through the child’s point of view always manage to bring the audience closer and makes us feel much more capable of relating even if the situation before us isn’t one that’s ever happened to us.

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The World's Fastest Indian (2005)

Posted on June 13, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

Every now and then, every so often, you just have to watch a film that makes you smile and makes you happy. “The World’s Fastest Indian” is the surefire antidote for depression or cynicism. Anderson’s film, in the spirit of coming of age stories like “Harry and Tonto” and “The Straight Story”, evolves from a story of friendship, then of a small town, then of an old man refusing to lay down and die, to a road flick, and then to an underdog sports film. And it’s just such a treat to watch everything unfold with Burt Munro played with such genuine charm by Hopkins.

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Duma (2005)

Posted on May 27, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

“Duma” is basically the sort of film children can watch without damaging messages, and I’m all for that. These days it’s impossible to find watchable children’s films, but “Duma” treats its audience with consideration presenting heroes that are relatable, and an animal character that’s never goofy. “Duma” is an epic story about a father and son whom discover a baby Cheetah on the side of the road one night in their homeland. They take the baby back home with them and decide to raise it until its old enough to go on its own. But when young Xan’s father dies (Campbell Scott), Xan is forced to move back to the city with his mother along with Duma who can not adapt to his urban settings.

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Millions (2005)

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

Danny Boyle puts the usual cynicism he injects in much of his films on hold, for a Spielbergian fairy tale of greed, wealth, and saints. Boyle’s tale of young boys whom fall upon an enormous amount of money is often times a very sweet and bright film very much in the vein of “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” sans the violence. Boyle’s departure from darkness is a rather unique and well done story of greed and emptiness. In usual fashion, Boyle unusually goes from red eyed infected monsters, to two brothers coming of age with a million dollars. Well—it’s not really a million dollars, it’s more like thousands, but the fact that the two main stars describe it as millions adds to the charm.

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Trudell (2006)

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

Is it ridiculous to think the government killed Trudell’s family? Is it dumb to think the government had it out for Trudell at all? Not when you pile on the evidence. Lennon, Hoffman, Kennedy all were radical thinkers whom are still discussed as men possibly done in by their own government, but the documentary “Trudell” is apologist in every way and form making exception for Trudell who, simply put, incited violence and in many ways had the potential for terrorism. Not only was committing the crime of burning an American flag a possible clue, but he called for revolution and war. The fact he hated America didn’t make him less interesting to me, but the mere fact that he had the potential to be a terrorist in the sense of Guevera makes him a slight threat, thus a reasonable worry for the government.

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