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The Big Chill, a review by Antares

The Big Chill





Year: 1983
Film Studio: Columbia Pictures, Carson Productions Group
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Length: 105 Min.

Director
Lawrence Kasdan

Writing
Lawrence Kasdan...Writer
Barbara Benedek...Writer

Producer
Marcia Nasatir
Lawrence Kasdan
Michael Shamberg

Cinematographer
John Bailey (1942)


Stars
Tom Berenger (1949) as Sam
Glenn Close (1947) as Sarah
Jeff Goldblum (1952) as Michael
William Hurt as Nick
Kevin Kline (1947) as Harold
Mary Kay Place (1947) as Meg
Meg Tilly as Chloe
JoBeth Williams (1948) as Karen

Review had given birth to what historians in the future will dub the . Just two years into the , American society shifted course as the children of the , their spoiled and selfish upbringing would foster a deep desire not to just keep up, but to always outdo the next guy. But we humans have a conscience, and it sometimes beats the drums of reason in our brain. When all was said and done, all of these material acquisitions proved to be hollow trophies which could not sustain a truly well rounded and fulfilling life.

       The first film to explore this growing apathy amongst a generation dubbed , was an independent film by an up and coming director named John Sayles. The Return of the Secaucus 7The Big Chill fuckfest. At no time are there any great revelations made, just a cheap and tawdry way of bringing this mess to a close. As I watched the end credits start to appear, I felt as if I had been invited to one of the most majestic and grand buffet dinners and all they served was cheese doodles. If you really want to see a good treatment on this subject, check out the Sayles film.


Ratings Criterion
- The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.
- Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.
- Historically important film, considered a classic.
- Borderline viewable.
- A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.



(From The Big Chill (1983) on January 30th, 2010)

Detour, a review by Antares

Detour (1945) 4/5 - I've lost count of all the films I've watched in my lifetime, but I can make this assessment without hesitancy...Ann Savage's character Vera, is the most evil bitch I've ever seen in a film. And she's great. I used to think that Out of the Past and Double Indemnity were the truest expression of Film Noir imagery and dialog, but Detour engraves the template that all successive noirs would follow. Sure it's low budget, and it's pieced together rather amateurishly in spots, but this doesn't diminish the power of the film. And the power rests solely in the performance of Ann Savage. I used to think of the ultimate femme fatale as played by Marie Windsor or Audrey Totter as the mold for the quintessential bad girl. But they have nothing on Ann Savage. Every second she's on screen, I felt a whirlwind of emotions towards her character, ranging from disgust and hatred, to lust and longing. It's a shame that they didn't have enough money to make a complete film, as there are many loose ends in the plot that could have been expounded on. Top tier noir!

(From Antares' Short Summations on August 16th, 2011)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: SG-1 is in hell. Their plan to escape didn't work after Apophis had unexpectedly risen from the dead. And he needs a dead pledge to prevent Sokar from executing him. But the Tok'ra have also a plan B: They intend to blow up Ne'tu.

My Opinion: Cool continuation. Apophis managed to save his skin again. I also liked the hallucination sequences due to the "Blood of Sokar".

Synopsis: After SG-1 returns from a mission something strange happens: Teal'c awakes in the infirmary and overhears a conversation between General Hammond and an unknown alien. There are two possibilities: Either the base has been overtaken or they have been exposed to a dangerous chemical that causes hallucinations.

My Opinion: When I watched the episode for the first time, until a certain point it was unclear to me which one is the truth, especially with the argument between Jack and Maybourne. What I like about such disguise devices is that they can actually change the size and form of a person.

Synopsis: Klorel crashes with a Deathglider on the Tollan homeworld. For a short moment, Skaara is in control of his body and he asks the Tollans for help. They agree to hear both sides.

My Opinion: A great episode. I love episodes with court hearings, especially when you could agree with both sides. I also liked the split where Daniel argues with logic and Jack with his heart. I thought this episode stands in one row with Star Trek TNG's The Measure of a Man. Regrettably we haven't seen Omac (Enigma) again.

Synopsis: SG-1 can't remember being on a planet for 15 hours. But then they find a microscopic device implanted into their brains. It generates an audio-visual hologram that only SG-1 can see and hear: Urgo.

My Opinion: Dom DeLuise (Cannonball Run, father of Peter DeLuise) is too funny as Urgo. I had a really good laugh, it was a great fun episode.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on March 17th, 2008)