DVD Collectors Online

Flesh for Frankenstein, a review by Danae Cassandra

Flesh for Frankenstein
Year of Release: 1973
Directed By: Paul Morrissey
Starring: Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren, Udo Kier, Arno Juerging, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Srdjan Zelenovic
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Maverick filmmaker Paul Morrissey's Flesh for FrankensteinMy Thoughts:
"To know death, Otto, you have to fuck life in the gall bladder!"

Well, that was weird. I'd have expected an exploitation/art film mashup from a company like Redemption or Blue Underground. Seems an unusual film for a Criterion release.

I'm not even sure how to review this. A lot of the shots, lighting, and sets are quite good, but the acting is ... well ... Udo Kier is so completely over-the-top as the Baron Frankenstein, I think he's aiming to jump the moon. I think they wanted him to go that way, though. Monique van Vooren is over-the-top as well, but at least her snobbishness is more believable. At the other end of the spectrum, Joe Dallesandro delivers his performance completely wooden, while I've seen mannequins with more emotion than Srdjan Zelenović.

This is likely supposed to be a parody, but they play it straight. That works for me, because I'm not a big fan of parodies. It's a genre that's so easy to get wrong. I don't know who I'd recommend this to - at least, beyond Criterion completists. There's quite a bit of gore, so horror fans might enjoy it, but its art film aspirations come off in certain sections as pretentious. Yet the either flat or exaggerated acting may turn off serious film fans.

Horror+sex+art film is done much better by Jean Rollin, so if you're interested in that sort of genre, check him out first.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016, Scavenger Hunt 19

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 33/52 (31 reviewed)

(From Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge on October 20th, 2016)

Bound, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Bound Year: 1996 Country: United States Director: The Wachowski Brothers Rating: NR Length: 108 Min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Mono Subtitles: English, Spanish

What they say
A mobster, his mistress and a tough female ex-con are caught in a dangerous plot with over $2 million of the mob's money at stake in this new, ultra-hip film by the Wachowski Brothers. Starring Academy Award® nominee Jennifer Tilly ('Liar Liar'), Gina Gershon ('Face/Off') and Joe Pantoliano ('The Fugitive').

My Thoughts
I must say, I had apprehensions going into this movie. The whole LGBT angle was a bit scary for me, not that I have anything against it, I mean, what you do in your own bedroom is your business, but a movie around that? Turns out it is basically a MacGuffin, a way to get the girls together and start the story. After that, it is a mob movie, and a very good one at that.

I didn't know what to expect going into this. I'd barely heard of Gina Gershon (only on Tripping the Rift, and it's only a voice part), and not much more of Jennifer Tilly (basically only the Chuky movies), I was happy though to know that Joe Pantoliano (Cypher in The Matrix) was in there too. All three actors give great performances. You don't really know what anyone's motive really is. And isn't it the whole point of a mob movie? The mystery surrounding everyone's personality and the tested loyalties, betrayals and manipulations?

The imagery is also great in this movie. It's gritty and ugly when it needs to be, yet maintains a visual beauty throughout, especially in the final showdown. There's even a scene where you can sort of see the precursor to The Matrix's famous bullet-time effect (not that The Matrix was the first incarnation of it, but I'd say it was the first time it was used to such an effect).

One negative point though: the DVD I have is the unrated version (which is good!) but it was not enhanced for widescreen! Big let down on that front. Good thing PowerDVD handles that well with a smart stretch.



(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on April 7th, 2008)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

06. Sense & Sensitivity (1999-11-09)
Writer: Tim Minear (Writer)
Director: James A. Contner
Cast: David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Glenn Quinn (Doyle), Elisabeth Rohm (Kate Lockley), John Capodice (Little Tony Papazian), John Mahon (Trevor Lockley), Ron Marasco (Allen Lloyd), Alex Skuby (Harlan), Kevin Will (Heath), Thomas Burr (Lee Mercer), Ken Abraham (Spivey), Jimmy Shubert (Johnny Red), Ken Grantham (Lieutenant), Adam Donshik (Uniform Cop # 1), Kevin E. West (Uniform Cop #2), Wilson Bell (Uniform Cop #3), Colin Patrick Lynch (Beat Cop), Steve Schirripa (Henchman), Christopher Paul Hart (Traffic Cop)

Sadly this episode is boring and rather stupid. I would have liked a better episode, when we have Kate Lockley in a bigger role.

Rating:



07. The Bachelor Party (1999-11-16)
Writer: Tracey Stern (Writer)
Director: David Straiton
Cast: David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Glenn Quinn (Doyle), Kristin Dattilo (Harry Doyle), Carlos Jacott (Richard Howard Straley), Ted Kairys (Ben), Chris Tallman (Nick), Brad Blaisdell (Uncle John), Robert Hillis (Pierce), Lauri Johnson (Aunt Martha), Kristen Lowman (Mother Rachel), David Polcyn (Russ)

A fun episode. But I always had a little trouble with the way, that this series humanized the demons. In Buffy they always made it clear, that demons are evil and there is no question that they have to be killed.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on April 4th, 2009)