|
When The Wall Came Tumbling Down:
50 Hours that Changed the World
reviewed by Chris Cooke
It‚s easy for Americans to think back to the fall of the Berlin Wall and fail to appreciate the hows and whys of the events that led to this historical moment. Along comes When The Wall Came Tumbling Down: 50 Hours that Changed the World. Documentarians Hans-Hermann Hertle and Gunther Scholz have pieced together extensive footage and interviews to create a chronological portrayal of the miscommunications and political slip-ups that started East Germany on an inevitable slide toward either freedom or catastrophe.
This is the real deal, not some watered-down-for-your-entertainment, sentimental history gloss. Interviewees rank among the prominent leaders of the day: Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, George Bush, an assortment of higher-ups in the East German government and even journalists like Tom Brokaw. After a brief bit of background to explain the travel and emigration controversies at the time, Hertle and Scholz plunge us right into the fray, with a play-by-play retelling of East German officials‚ decision to lift travel restrictions, the inadvertent early leak of this decision to the press and the ensuing chaos.
Admittedly, it's a bit hard for the non-historian to keep up with the who's who of German politics. But even if you only follow half of what's going on, it's impossible not to get caught up in the events, to feel a swelling of political joy as the wall slowly begins to tumble. This engaging and highly informative documentary should come with a warning label attached: Viewers May Experience Urge to Beef Up on Cold War History. Maybe you‚ll want to do a quick review first.
>> Buy a copy of it at BuyIndies.com
The Edge of the World
reviewed by Jennifer M. Wood
|
For true cineastes, there is perhaps no greater British director than Michael Powell whose films, including I Know Where I'm Going, The Red Shoes and Peeping Tom have reached near-legendary status. But the film that brought him to the forefront of the director's curve may very well be 1937's The Edge of the World.
The Masons and the Grays are two families living in a close-knit community on an island off the coast of Scotland. In the middle of these families is Andrew Gray, who is the best friend to Robbie Manson, and the fiance of Robbie‚s twin sister, Ruth. Though Robbie dreams of leaving the island and finding out what the rest of the world has to offer him, Andrew doesn't believe he will find anything outside of their own community. So the two make a bet: they will race to the top of a cliff and whoever makes it their first will win. But once at the top, they learn more about their world -- and the imminent tragedies that exist -- than they ever dreamed possible.
|
Though considered a true talent throughout his career, Powell always seemed to push the cinematic envelope to its limits. Though The Edge of the World would likely be met with critical praise if released today, its outright discussion of such then taboo topics as premarital sex would not seem at all surprising. Powell was always a director for another generation. And it‚s lucky for today‚s moviewatching public that staunch preservationists like Martin Scorsese have stepped in to make sure that Powell‚s films will be widely available for future generations as well.
>> Buy a copy of it at BuyIndies.com
Pumpkin Man
reviewed by Chris Cooke
Most films set on Halloween aren‚t the kind of thing you‚d want your children to see. With all the slasher flicks out there, it‚s nice to see a Halloween picture that offers solace along with its scares. Director Jennifer Wynne Farmer‚s charming Pumpkin Man is just such a movie. Jason (no, not the Friday the 13th guy) always loved Halloween, until his favorite costumed companion -- his dad -- moved out. Still reeling from his parents‚ recent divorce, Jason (Christopher Ogden) wants nothing to do with any tricks or treats.
But of course he does go (as the Invisible Man˜a fitting choice, considering his state of mind). But first, he and his mother pick out a mysterious pumpkin, one that seems to rock itself off its perch and roll right in front of Jason's feet. The pumpkin shows up later, in a more threatening form, as Jason and friends make their way through the neighborhood to their traditional last stop -- the house of reputed father-killer Sammy Hain (Milton Greagh), where they plan to ring the doorbell and run.
Things are not always as they seem here, but Farmer‚s tricks turn out to be kind-hearted when all is said and done. Perhaps a bit too scary for the wee ones and not cool enough for teens, Pumpkin Man will be quite a treat for all kids in between, especially those who have lived through a parental divorce. There are no razor blades in this apple.
>> Buy a copy of it at BuyIndies.com
|
reviewed by Jennifer M. Wood
A throwback to all that made the seventies the decade that pop culture dreams are made of, Bikini Bandits seems intent on offending the sensibilities of the general American public. Take „The Big Top,‰ which pits our bikini-clad heroines against a circus of homosexual clowns.
|
This DVD, which contains seven separate segments, is very stylishly created˜a pumping soundtrack and super-quick edits make the entire disc seem more like an hour of MTV watching than anything else. And, like the crowd that MTV targets, Bikini Babes is much better suited to the tastes of adolescent males who were caught by the title of this film. The rest of us might have better luck -- and a more enjoyable time -- watching some Dukes of Hazzard reruns.
>> Buy a copy of it at BuyIndies.com
Vibration
reviewed by Chris Cooke
Those of you jonesing for some decades old Swedish erotica (and I know you're out there) should check out Torbjorn Axelman's Vibration (1968). Mauritz (Sven-Bertil Taube), a writer of astrological pap, leaves Paris for a remote Swedish isle so he can write his next book before his publisher asks too many questions about where his latest advance has gone. Once on the island, he finds himself surrounded by an assortment of artists, locals and high society loafers. Needless to say, he gets distracted, pairing off first with a beautiful maid before moving along to the more sophisticated Eliza (Essy Persson).
As far as the erotic goes, Vibration implies more than it shows (always good for the imagination). There is playfulness aplenty, but few cheap thrills. And though Vibration wears its Euro-art-film vibe on its sleeve, there is little exploration of character or philosophical insight beyond Mauritz's inevitable astrological musings. Rather, the film delights in the transitory nature of human interaction, never exploring any emotion more extreme than mild amusement or the occasional happy sigh of resignation at love lost. Vibration is very much of its time; it‚s mellow, hip -- a bit like Ingmar Bergman meets Emmanuelle, only cooler, without the tension or the heat. So pour yourself a Pernod, pull up a chair and press Play.
>> Buy a copy of it at BuyIndies.com