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Reviews
Nine Inch Nails: Broken (1993)
Not as shocking as it's made out to be
Bootlegged for years and fairly easily available to anyone who should look hard for it, the infamous Broken movie holds a special place in Nine Inch Nails myth.
However, that's what most of it is. Myth. Hailed as "sick" and "shocking", I would venture to say that none of these, at least to the seasoned moviegoer, are true. Instead, we are presented with a film that, aside from it's relatively innovative approach and quality film making, has no more gore and violence than your average slasher movie.
Contrary to most reports, the movie is obviously a fake. Upon dissection, the filming techniques used do a good job of covering this up, but the fact remains that it is indeed a fake. The major clue to this is the poor quality of the film stock. Granted, the average viewer with a second or third generation bootleg copy will notice this less due to degradation of quality, but the fact is there. The entire film was shot on videotape which serves to mask the fact that various dummies, etc. were used. The dramatic camera angles and fast cuts cover this up as well.
All in all, this is a great piece of Nine Inch Nails history and is part of a number of quality projects that never saw the light of day for one reason or another. However, one would see more shocking gore and sadism while watching Silence of the Lambs or American Psycho than the Broken movie.
Snatch (2000)
Great action, plot, characters, and dialogue
When I saw the trailer for this, I immediately thought that it would either be great or horrible. Thankfully, this movie met and exceeded my expectations. Richie provides a cast of lovable idiots all trying to make it to their own goals in a hilarious plot that starts interestingly fragmented and gets tied up cleanly and elegantly in the end.
In addition, the dialogue is brilliant and the cast does a wonderful job of delivering it. The mix of established and indie actors makes for a great mix within the cast and each actor plays their part wonderfully.
Despite it being relatively devoid of intellectual stimulation, Snatch is an immensely entertaining and action-packed film that is sure to keep you excited throughout.
Nine Inch Nails: Broken (1993)
Not as shocking as it's made out to be
Bootlegged for years and fairly easily available to anyone who should look hard for it, the infamous Broken movie holds a special place in Nine Inch Nails myth.
However, that's what most of it is. Myth. Hailed as "sick" and "shocking", I would venture to say that none of these, at least to the seasoned moviegoer, are true. Instead, we are presented with a film that, aside from it's relatively innovative approach and quality film making, has no more gore and violence than your average slasher movie.
Contrary to most reports, the movie is obviously a fake. Upon dissection, the filming techniques used do a good job of covering this up, but the fact remains that it is indeed a fake. The major clue to this is the poor quality of the film stock. Granted, the average viewer with a second or third generation bootleg copy will notice this less due to degradation of quality, but the fact is there. The entire film was shot on videotape which serves to mask the fact that various dummies, etc. were used. The dramatic camera angles and fast cuts cover this up as well.
All in all, this is a great piece of Nine Inch Nails history and is part of a number of quality projects that never saw the light of day for one reason or another. However, one would see more shocking gore and sadism while watching Silence of the Lambs or American Psycho than the Broken movie.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
So many areas of bad...
I would like to preface this by saying that I loved the first. In fact, I own three versions of it on video. This, however, will not enjoy such esteem. When I first saw this movie, I thought of two outcomes: Either Meyers would do what he did in the first and produce another masterpiece or he would try to force success and fail miserably. Unfortunately, Meyers went the business route and failed miserably. In the first, the humor was subtle and witty. In the second, the humor revolved around the toilet. The first was about Austin. The second was about Dr. Evil. It even seemed that Dr. Evil was done differently in the second! Mini-me was a terrible, terrible addition (not really as a result of the acting choice, mind you) for more reasons than his being totally unrelated to the plot, and let's face it: Shagwell was just a pretty, ditzy, face. This movie was less a sequel than a horrid spoof of a decent movie. Instead of relying on the original humor of the movie and continuing to the next logical level, Meyers forced himself (and, to a degree, the other actors) to exactly play the part he did in the last movie so it comes off forced and stale. Not to mention the utterly disgusting Fat Bastard. I mean, he was so totally revolting that even the younger members of the audience were grossed-out. The central flaw with this movie was that it was obviously made to make money, not for fun. Meyers knew that he had a winning formula and rather than take it to the next level and risk losing audience (which wouldn't have happened--Meyers is too talented), he played it safe and went for business. This meant more gross-out humor (something totally lacking in the first, thankfully) and more, more, much much more product placement. Gee.... I wonder how much VW payed to have a Bug be the time machine, rather than a strange vortex like Dr. Evil's? The saddest part about that is how hypocritical it was of him to do that, especially after parodying it so well in Wayne's World. I guess my hope for any other sequels is that Meyers will return to being himself, talented, funny, and original.
Nowhere (1997)
An artistically exquisite comment on the lives of 90's kids...
Nowhere is the type of film that you either get and love, or don't get and hate. Aside from it's brilliantly artistic cinematography and art direction, it's a pretty accurate representation of life as a modern-day adolescent. As strange as this comment may seem, it does hold true. The events presented are, in fact, realities of the lives of today's young people: sex, drug use, suicide, and mental illness are all dealt with in some way or another. For some, it is truly like being on acid. For those of us that have blocked out the traumatic parts of growing up, then it is understandable why you don't understand this movie. The way each issue is presented is the genius of the art: Each character and their emotional impact is presented artistically as well as dramatically. Although the entire movie is not relevant to everyone, I would strongly suggest watching it for at least the artistic merit. Even if you don't understand it or it doesn't apply to you, understand that it is relevant to some.