Haven't seen such a massive exchange of body fluids on screen for ages

No, blimey, I wasn't watching one of the adult movies you can only see in one of the "special" cinemas.

It happened this week that I went to cinema to watch "Drag me to hell". The film was really entertaining and funny though frightening and sickening the same time. I don't know how others can cope with the presentation of saliva and puke emitted by zombies or undead on screen, but I am not very good in it. I was so happy that I didn't take anything to eat with me inside....

Despite of that, I very enjoyed watching the film. It was very entertaining and funny in its way, and the atmosphere inside the showroom was fantastic as the audience seemed to enjoy the film as well. They giggled constantly, though most of them sounded really nervous not knowing when to expect the next shock between the funny parts.

"Drag me to hell" reminded me somehow of "Beetlejuice" as I remember "Beetlejuice" as being funny and disgusting the same time as well, and some of the special effects looked really cheesy like those which were created in the same time when "Beetlejuice" came out.

Being Human

About 2 weeks ago I started to watch Being Human online. Now I finally watched Episode 5 and I still don't really know what to say about it. My opinion about it is kind of mixed.

On the one side I absolutely like the idea that a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a flat together and I think the idea is quite new. Especially when you consider the fact that vampires and werewolves are actually enemies and should fight each other. I think the plot bears a lot of potential.

On the other side I am not sure if the characters' attributes will work over a period of several episodes or even several series without becoming annoying.
All three of them live in self pity and run from one crisis to the next. I can't really see a development in the characters although they try to cope with their individual conflicts. Additionally I think the path of the different stories are not very clearly constructed. For instance the relationship between the ghost and her former fiancee. Sometimes the plot moves on and on without any visible progress and then suddenly it turns so that you get quite confused because you couldn't understand what happened.
Also I don't really get the notion why they live with each other. Is it just the fact that they can't live anywhere else? After all, it is not the normal flatshare you would find every day. Thus I think there should be a conjoint development in their community which I haven't seen yet.

However, I am nosy and thus I guess I will continue to watch it.

The most depressing cartoon film ever

A couple of days ago I was recommended to borrow the film "Graves of the Fireflies" from the library. I was told it is one of the best cartoon films ever made.

Well I did so, and I can just recommend everyone as well to watch it. The story is partially based on a autobiographical novel. Anyway, I can't remember if I have ever seen a more astonishing and depressing cartoon before.

Normally I think I associate cartoons with Disney films like Arielle, Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast,who all live in a world where - actually very strange - nobody dies except the evil characters (...okay, "Bambi's" Mother doesn't count...).

There are only a few cartoon films which display in a matter-of-factly way the naked and undisguised facts that can happen in life or which are actually part of it. The only films I remember now are "Animal Farm" and "When the wind blows". Both are very good as well.

I guess that is the point. As less cartoons there are like "Graves of the Fireflies" as more they are unique and have a greater impact on the viewer...at least on me.

Piano Teacher

This week I made it up to the library and borrowed "Piano Teacher" which I could remember I wanted to watch in cinema a couple of years ago. However it was absolutely worth to watch it finally.

The story is about a woman between her 30's and 40's who is a piano teacher in a music conservatorium. Despite of her age she still lives with her mother. They even share the same bedroom.

Her mother tries to control the woman's life completely. Thus she is not able to freely live out neither her interests nor her needs (...you know...physical needs which every human being has). Instead she sees herself forced to lie to her mother when she looks for a bit of privacy. For example when she wants to go to cinema (...a special cinema where you can watch kinky films).

This brings us to the next point that she has strange and in a way extreme violent fantasies about sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
Eventually by trying to put them into reality and experience them ,things go terribly wrong and she has to face the naked truth. The end is quite dramatical but also down-to-earth.

I don't want to tell more of the story here as everybody should experience this film himself. I just can say:

What a outrageous and disgusting but simulataniously GREAT film.

And I guess by mentioning strange sexual fantansies and cinemas showing kinky films I could at least attract some people to watch that film.

Bedtime Stories or why it is dangerous to watch a film that is only shown in the afternoon

Since I am in posession of a one-year-go-as-often-to-films-as-you-like-for-just-11,99£-per-month-cineworld-ticket I have done so and went to cinema several times yet. One of the movies I watched was "Bedtime stories"....ooooh my goodness.

The only thing I definitely can say about it is that a mixture of Adam Sandler humour and Walt Disney Productions should be labelled as highly dangerous.

The jokes were absolutely flat and more than predictable. Russell Brand's acting abilities like fingernails on a blackboard. I still cannot believe that he shall be a comedian. Also the typical "Disney-kids" (who look like cut out putti of a Raphael painting) acting in the film did not really improve the whole gruelty. With their articulation disablement it was very difficult to understand them (...I am tthhhooo ttthhhweeeeet).

At least with my pass there is no reason any more to get angry about the wasted money just about 2 hours of my life that are gone...forever...

Russian Ark

Yesterday I watched the documentary "Russian Ark", directed by Alexander Sokurov. During 90 minutes he leads in a single shot through the Winterpalais and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
The journey also includes a walk through through 300 years of Russian history, starting with Peter the Great up to the last Tschar and his family.

However the most fascinating part was the "making of..." of the documentary which was also included on the dvd.
It tells in detail what they had to prepare in advance and all the organizational work to conduct hundreds of actors and extras during the shooting, so that they are one the right place at the right time when the camera passes them. I don't want to imagine what a strain it must have been throughout the whole 90 minutes. Again, it is absolutely amazing.

Capturing the Friedmans

Did Arnold and his son Jesse do the crimes they were sentenced for?

I guess that is the question you automatically have to ask yourself after watching the documentary. And I am afraid I didn't come to a conclusion by just watching the film.

The story, that Andrew Jarecki told in his film or rather the arrangement and content of the footage that was used in the film does not influence the spectator in any way. I think it is very difficult to create a film about such a topic as child molestation and a family breaking apart by being involved in such a crime without taking party or reveal your own opinion. I guess it was very helpful that he could use a lot of private film material that revealed a lot about the family life of the Friedmans, their thoughts and behaviour.
Those who are more interested in the case can pursuit the latest news on that site.

http://www.freejesse.net/