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The Stranger | DVD Review
Orson Welles’s brief flirtation with hired-gun hackery from 1946. Made a mere 5 years after Citizen Kane, The Stranger is a film notable mainly for its cynicism. To producer Sam Spiegal, who appears in the credits as S.P. Eagle, it was an attempt to cash in on the horrific revelations from the recently liberated Nazi death camps. To director/star Welles, it was a last chance at Hollywood redemption.
Salvador Allende | DVD Review
"Guzman does not spout a mere recounting of Allende’s amazing life and career, although that would certainly be sufficient to hold our interest. Instead, he attempts to capture the true spirit of the times, both the mounting frustrations that led to Allende’s election, and the tremendous sense of loss left in his wake. Through historical fragments in museum displays, we get an icy look at how the Chilean military attempted a total annihilation; not just of Allende the man, but of any physical artifact that proved his very existence."
DVD Review: Rain Man [Blu-ray]
Hoffman and Cruise develop a competition for attention over the course of the film - at least in Cruise’s mind – and he seems hell bent on preventing Hoffman’s theft of the picture. But it’s a hopeless task. Hoffman’s fixation with the classic “Who’s on First?” comedy routine is mirrored by Cruise’s increasing frustration with Raymond’s periodic hissy fits. The result is some unfortunate scenery chewing by Cruise, which in turn makes Hoffman’s baffling eccentricities seem noble and oddly heroic.
Rain Man [Blu-ray] | DVD Review
Hoffman and Cruise develop a competition for attention over the course of the film - at least in Cruise’s mind – and he seems hell bent on preventing Hoffman’s theft of the picture. But it’s a hopeless task. Hoffman’s fixation with the classic “Who’s on First?” comedy routine is mirrored by Cruise’s increasing frustration with Raymond’s periodic hissy fits. The result is some unfortunate scenery chewing by Cruise, which in turn makes Hoffman’s baffling eccentricities seem noble and oddly heroic.
Review: If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle
Given the film’s stark minimalism, the shocking and somewhat histrionic climax threatens credibility, but Serban and Pistereanu manage to somehow pull it off. The film’s quiet and intentionally anti-climactic denouement is handled with utter brilliancy, and magically restores the viewer’s faith in the entire production.
