Dear True Believers,

Due to the overwhelming ground swell of "comment" support I've received from my previous post, I am pleased to announce that I'll be able to continue to post my random, unedited thoughts for the bored cross-section of friends that will bother to read them.

I rented "Baise-Moi" and "I Stand Alone" today, to see how twisted the French can be. [Also, to get some inspiration for the script that I've been beating around for weeks now.] Perhaps it's just that I'm so irreparably desensitized at this stage, but I honestly wasn't nearly as shocked as I expected (hoped) I'd be.

I guess it's a matter of expectations stacking up against the experience...

I expected "Baise-Moi" to be a lot shittier than it really was. Sure, it looks a bit shittier since it's shot on video, but in truth it looks a lot better than I expected it to. The cinematographer keeps the camera tight, which makes it more intimate but also compensates for the fact that wider shots look a lot shittier on the format. That being said, it is essentially a "Thelma & Louise" rip-off, with penetration shots and no character-development...

I was actually liking "I Stand Alone" a lot up to a point. It looks a hell of a lot better than "Baise-Moi", but it's still very low-budg, but what I respect most is its economy. A lot of the film is built on this on-going voice-over of the main character -- this middle-aged, ex-con, unemployed butcher. Within the first 10 minutes or so, there is this photograph slide-show where he narrates his entire life story -- from when he was born up to the point where we encounter him in the film. Just still pictures and voice over, and it is fast-paced and captivating. I feel the film devolves a bit and loses direction, but there is a lot of good stuff in there, and the whole thing does leave an impact. You should definitely check this one out. (It's not terribly graphic.)

Oh, well, I'm not about to let this page become a damn movie review corner -- I'd rather RANT AND BLATHER about nonsensical non-sequiturs!!!

flux rules,
lamers drool...