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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
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This Story to DiggDVDs: Despair Triumphs at the
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Posted August 21, 2007 | 10:31 PM (EST)
Breaking Entertainment News
Despair travels well, which may be one reason German director Michael Haneke has gradually built
an art house following around the world. The Films Of Michael Haneke ($99.95; Kino) collects
seven of his movies (though not the apocalyptic puzzler The Time of The Wolf from 2003). You get
his "glaciation trilogy" about the poisonous effect of the violence spoon fed via television (is it okayto watch it on TV anyway?), the mordant Funny Games , Frankz Kafka's The Castle (an inevitable
project for him), Code Unknown " and his masterpiece The Piano Teacher .
It's best to watch Piano Teacher without any
knowledge of Haneke. The less you know abouthis transgressive ways, the more surprisedyou'll be by Isabel Huppert's tightly woundinstructor and the ruggedly handsome studentshe falls into a masochistic relationship with.
Maybe "despair" isn't quite the right word for playwright and director David Mamet. But surelyMamet is never astonished when life throws him a curve ball, as amply demonstrated in the coldlyclever House of Games ($39.95; Criterion) his directorial debut 20 years ago about a therapist
(Lindsay Crouse) who just knows she can't be conned by a con man (Joe Mantegna). Mamet iscertainly the rare playwright to enjoy such an accomplished career in film.
If you're despairing over contemporary life, one time-honored way of attacking it is science fiction
-- throw current events into the future, tweak them ever so slightly and hope that somebodyrealizes you're satirizing the present in hopes of changing the future. Certainly the wittiest parts ofRobocop ($22.98; FOX) are the frenzied news breaks and over-the-top commercials. They still
seem absurd...but not so far-fetched. Peter Weller still imbues his mechanistic hero with a soul,but it's director Paul Verhoeven's revelation that we're losing ours that really stays with you.
When the world seems dirty and filthy and sad and cruel, why waste time with despair when you
could do something about it? That's the cheerful approach of Dexter: The First Season ($39.98;
Showtime), the well-adjusted forensic specialist who does a little community service as adiscriminating serial killer. The only despair felt here is over actor Michael C. Hall not getting an
Popular Stories on HuffPost
Fashion Face-Off!
Michelle Obama And
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Finally Meet In
France (VIDEO,
PHOTOS, POLL)
*Video, poll and slideshow
Levi Johnston TalksSafe Sex With Tyra
Banks (VIDEO)
***UPDATE*** 8:30pm:
People.com is reporting
that Sarah Palin has
issued...
Oscar de la Renta
Slams Michelle
Obama's Buckingham
Outfit As Major
Designers FeelIgnored
While Michelle Obamahas made lesser...
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Bruni
So here's the thing.There's no shortage of
articles dedicated to thatcertain je ne...
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Discusses MichelleObama's "Fantastic"
Style On CBS'
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More in Entertainment: 'Fast' Rakes In
$72.5M... Madonna Tot's Dad Found...
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Farrah Fawcett Is Hospitalized
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-despair-triumphs-at_b_61347.html [4/5/2009 8:46:47 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
Cenk Uygur: Have WeReached the Tipping Pointon Guns?
RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers
Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden?
SNL: Madonna And
Angelina In
Weekend Update...
Reality Star Jade
Goody Buried In
Lavish...
Robert De Niro
Nanny Sues For
$40,000
Alex Da Silva,
Celebrity
Choreographer
Accused Of...Emmy nomination for Best Actor.
Compared to Dexter, House: Season Three ($59.98; Universal) is a big softie. The show is tilting a
bit too much towards the private lives of all the characters (save the workplace sexual shenanigans
for Grey's Anatomy ). But Hugh Laurie keeps the soapiness in check and his bark is still
wonderfully omni-present and darn near just as bad as his bite.
Finally, film buffs may be ready to despair with the minor up-tick in colorization that's taken place
in the last few years. (Don't ask me why -- no matter how good colorization gets, the biggest fansfor old black and white movies and TV shows are precisely the same people who hate colorizationthe most.) The latest example is 1935's adventure tale She ($24.95; Kino), an otherwise marvelous
restoration of this tale from the people behind King Kong . I don't care if special effects whiz Ray
Harryhausen was involved and old movies were sometimes tinted; there's no need to colorize thismovie. Of course, they give you both versions, so you can focus on the better-than-ever print inglorious black and white when watching this Raiders -like tale of derring do in a subterranean
kingdom
Some people prefer a sunny disposition, so if all this despair has you down, there's always the
cheery Ugly Betty Complete First Season ($59.99; Buena Vista). If this candy-colored bit of
foolishness can't cheer you up, nothing will. Mind you, the show is best when focusing on Bettyand her real life. They've got the tone of a telenovela down pat -- they don't need the silly, over-the-top plots as well.
Also out this week: South Park Complete Tenth Season ($49.99; Paramount), a series that hit its
stride just a few years ago and is better than ever; Serenity Collector's Edition ($26.98; Universal),
the terrifically fun spin-off of the TV series Firefly (maybe if we buy enough copies they'll make
another movie); 1991's The Dark Backward Special Edition ($14.94; Sony), a comedy about a guy
with a third arm that actually deserves to be called a cult classic. Honor Roll: The Best Of College
Football Vol. 1 and 2 ($19.95 each; ESPN) has one problem: at more than two hours each, they're
still too short for the fans who will always want more.
Comments for this post are now closed
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STRASBOURG, France— On the eve of the
NATO...
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Another night, another
fashion opportunity for
NATO leaders and their
spouses! See...
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Palin's Sister-In-Law,
Arrested For
Breaking Into Home
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Never Touch TheQueen (VIDEO)
John Oliver was upsetenough to drop his
monocle when he...
Jim Cramer Declares
The Depression
"Over" (VIDEO)
On Thursday's episode of
"Mad Money" host Jim
Cramer declared that the
depression...
New Jay Leno ShowRejected By NBCAffiliate In Boston
BOSTON — Boston'sNBC affiliate says it will air
a local newscast instead
of...
Ice Bridge Ruptures
In Antarctic (VIDEO)
An ice bridge linking a
shelf of ice the size of
Jamaica to two islands in
Antarctica has
Scientists Find
Rocket Fuel
Chemical In Infant
Formula
ATLANTA — Traces of a
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-despair-triumphs-at_b_61347.html [4/5/2009 8:46:47 PM]Comments 9 Pending Comments 0
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being
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Apples See Profile I'm a Fan of Apples permalink
Michael, make sure you let us know when that special edition of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is
released, especially as I know it's one of your favorite films of '63.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Well, "Mad cubed" is out on DVD already, but you may be hinting at the fact that this very longmovie -- 161 minutes -- was actually 192 minutes (including an overture) when it originallycame out. There was a more complete version on VHS (!) and laserdisc but not completecomplete. Some day soon someone will plunk down the money on restorers will get to workand show us the movie most haven't ever seen and only a few remember from when it first
came out. I wouldn't be surprised if the film's rickety but affectionate standing with critics shot
up at the LONGER version. Sometimes, more can seem like less when it fixes the pacing.
Thanks for reading, Apple.
jvarga See Profile I'm a Fan of jvarga permalink
My god, how many DVD versions of robocop are there? I guess I'll go count on amazon. Here they are
in reverse chronological order:
1) 20th anniversery edition
2) Lenticular cover edition
3) el cheapo version (I think this is what I own)
4) criterion
5) another el cheapo version
also found in 2 different robocop trilogy box sets.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Very true. Like so many movies (especially sci-fi movies), Robocop has been repackaged
endlessly. Soon they'll put it out on Blu-Ray and /or HD-DVD as well and some poor schmuckwil have to buy it all over again. I probably wouldn't have covered this umpteenth reissue if itdidn't tie into my despair theme. At least it's not Terminator 2. That's surely the wmostrepackaged title of all.
jvarga See Profile I'm a Fan of jvarga permalink
You're too late, I didn't include the blu ray and hd dvd versions available on amazonin my list :p
CynAnne See Profile I'm a Fan of CynAnne permalink
AIG
Computers
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Barack
Obama
Michelle
Obama
Sports
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Fox News
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES
»
Books by this author
A cabin of one's own: New
England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine)
by Michael Giltz
Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein. In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine)
by Michael Giltzchemical used in rocket
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
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Comments are closed for this entry... Very entertaining article, Michael. I've seen Hanekes "House of Games", but it was "Funny Games"
that invoked a visceral, unpleasant response requiring some shadow-boxing to relieve the emotional
distress that movie caused. I've never watched it since, and even though there's an American remake
underway (so I've read), I doubt I'll return for a second helping - it affected me that adversely. So did
"Irreversible" with Vincent Cassel - one of the very few times I've ever had to pause a movie for
emotional 'breathers' (those that have seen it know which two scenes I'm referring to - the attack onMonica Belluchi, and the 'fire hydrant' scene). Now, finding out that "Dexter" is available on DVD cheers
me immensely, as I'm behind by several episodes - now I can catch up (on a side note, I'd gladly pay to
watch Dexter 'catch up' with those two sadistic creeps from "Funny Games", oh yes indeedy I would)..!;) ...
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
A Dexter/Haneke cross-over movie? It would be nice payback. Mamet's film is House ofGames -- is that also the French name for Haneke's movie known as Cache in the US? That'sthe movie that is being remade in English -- a truly bizarre idea since it doesn't make senseas a movie outside of the French-Algerian context. I too found Irreversible deeply disturbing,but not offensively so -- a rape scene should be horrific and upsetting. Thanks for reading.
CynAnne See Profile I'm a Fan of CynAnne permalink
... I realized I'd confused the two afterward, Michael, and I can only plead the latehour causing my confusion of the titles/directors. By the time I did see, it was toolate to change it (that 'Edit Your Post' button we discussed in the other HuffPothread the other day would be most welcome at times like last night - wink, wink).And I agree with your assessment of Irreversible - I've seen all kinds of 'things thatgo bump in the night', cinematically speaking, but it's the horror of people who look
normal and yet behave like monsters that I find so frightening. I'll take the zombie or
sea monster any day over the smiling gentleman standing behind me with a pair of
wickedly sharp scissors in his trenchcoat pocket, just waiting for 'his moment' -
*shivers*..! ;) ...
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This Story to DiggDVDs: Despair Triumphs at the
Movies
Posted August 21, 2007 | 10:31 PM (EST)
Breaking Entertainment News
Despair travels well, which may be one reason German director Michael Haneke has gradually built
an art house following around the world. The Films Of Michael Haneke ($99.95; Kino) collects
seven of his movies (though not the apocalyptic puzzler The Time of The Wolf from 2003). You get
his "glaciation trilogy" about the poisonous effect of the violence spoon fed via television (is it okayto watch it on TV anyway?), the mordant Funny Games , Frankz Kafka's The Castle (an inevitable
project for him), Code Unknown " and his masterpiece The Piano Teacher .
It's best to watch Piano Teacher without any
knowledge of Haneke. The less you know abouthis transgressive ways, the more surprisedyou'll be by Isabel Huppert's tightly woundinstructor and the ruggedly handsome studentshe falls into a masochistic relationship with.
Maybe "despair" isn't quite the right word for playwright and director David Mamet. But surelyMamet is never astonished when life throws him a curve ball, as amply demonstrated in the coldlyclever House of Games ($39.95; Criterion) his directorial debut 20 years ago about a therapist
(Lindsay Crouse) who just knows she can't be conned by a con man (Joe Mantegna). Mamet iscertainly the rare playwright to enjoy such an accomplished career in film.
If you're despairing over contemporary life, one time-honored way of attacking it is science fiction
-- throw current events into the future, tweak them ever so slightly and hope that somebodyrealizes you're satirizing the present in hopes of changing the future. Certainly the wittiest parts ofRobocop ($22.98; FOX) are the frenzied news breaks and over-the-top commercials. They still
seem absurd...but not so far-fetched. Peter Weller still imbues his mechanistic hero with a soul,but it's director Paul Verhoeven's revelation that we're losing ours that really stays with you.
When the world seems dirty and filthy and sad and cruel, why waste time with despair when you
could do something about it? That's the cheerful approach of Dexter: The First Season ($39.98;
Showtime), the well-adjusted forensic specialist who does a little community service as adiscriminating serial killer. The only despair felt here is over actor Michael C. Hall not getting an
Popular Stories on HuffPost
Fashion Face-Off!
Michelle Obama And
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Finally Meet In
France (VIDEO,
PHOTOS, POLL)
*Video, poll and slideshow
Levi Johnston TalksSafe Sex With Tyra
Banks (VIDEO)
***UPDATE*** 8:30pm:
People.com is reporting
that Sarah Palin has
issued...
Oscar de la Renta
Slams Michelle
Obama's Buckingham
Outfit As Major
Designers FeelIgnored
While Michelle Obamahas made lesser...
Verena von Pfetten 7
Lessons To BeLearned From Carla
Bruni
So here's the thing.There's no shortage of
articles dedicated to thatcertain je ne...
Huff TV Arianna
Discusses MichelleObama's "Fantastic"
Style On CBS'
Madonna Jets Out Of Malawi
More in Entertainment: 'Fast' Rakes In
$72.5M... Madonna Tot's Dad Found...
Farrah's Son Arrested...
Farrah Fawcett Is Hospitalized
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-despair-triumphs-at_b_61347.html [4/5/2009 8:46:47 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
Cenk Uygur: Have WeReached the Tipping Pointon Guns?
RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers
Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden?
SNL: Madonna And
Angelina In
Weekend Update...
Reality Star Jade
Goody Buried In
Lavish...
Robert De Niro
Nanny Sues For
$40,000
Alex Da Silva,
Celebrity
Choreographer
Accused Of...Emmy nomination for Best Actor.
Compared to Dexter, House: Season Three ($59.98; Universal) is a big softie. The show is tilting a
bit too much towards the private lives of all the characters (save the workplace sexual shenanigans
for Grey's Anatomy ). But Hugh Laurie keeps the soapiness in check and his bark is still
wonderfully omni-present and darn near just as bad as his bite.
Finally, film buffs may be ready to despair with the minor up-tick in colorization that's taken place
in the last few years. (Don't ask me why -- no matter how good colorization gets, the biggest fansfor old black and white movies and TV shows are precisely the same people who hate colorizationthe most.) The latest example is 1935's adventure tale She ($24.95; Kino), an otherwise marvelous
restoration of this tale from the people behind King Kong . I don't care if special effects whiz Ray
Harryhausen was involved and old movies were sometimes tinted; there's no need to colorize thismovie. Of course, they give you both versions, so you can focus on the better-than-ever print inglorious black and white when watching this Raiders -like tale of derring do in a subterranean
kingdom
Some people prefer a sunny disposition, so if all this despair has you down, there's always the
cheery Ugly Betty Complete First Season ($59.99; Buena Vista). If this candy-colored bit of
foolishness can't cheer you up, nothing will. Mind you, the show is best when focusing on Bettyand her real life. They've got the tone of a telenovela down pat -- they don't need the silly, over-the-top plots as well.
Also out this week: South Park Complete Tenth Season ($49.99; Paramount), a series that hit its
stride just a few years ago and is better than ever; Serenity Collector's Edition ($26.98; Universal),
the terrifically fun spin-off of the TV series Firefly (maybe if we buy enough copies they'll make
another movie); 1991's The Dark Backward Special Edition ($14.94; Sony), a comedy about a guy
with a third arm that actually deserves to be called a cult classic. Honor Roll: The Best Of College
Football Vol. 1 and 2 ($19.95 each; ESPN) has one problem: at more than two hours each, they're
still too short for the fans who will always want more.
Comments for this post are now closed
More in Entertainment...
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Blu-Ray Movies On Sale
Pay securely. Fast & easy shipping. Huge
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"Washington
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Arianna was on CBS'
"Washington...
Huff TV Arianna
Appears on ABC's
"This Week"
Roundtable With
George
Stephanopoulos
(VIDEO)
Arianna was a guest this
morning on...
"BRUNO" TRAILER!
Calamity, African
Babies, Chase
Scenes And More
(NSFW VIDEO)
IT'S HERE! The trailer for
this July's Sacha BaronCohen...
NATO Leaders Focus
On Afghanistan, But
Most Reject Obama'sPlea For Troops
(SLIDESHOW)
STRASBOURG, France— On the eve of the
NATO...
First Lady Fashion At
Friday's NATO
Concert (PHOTOS)
Another night, another
fashion opportunity for
NATO leaders and their
spouses! See...
Diana Palin, Sarah
Palin's Sister-In-Law,
Arrested For
Breaking Into Home
ANCHORAGE, Alaska —Police say Alaska Gov....
John Oliver Explains
The Real Reason You
Never Touch TheQueen (VIDEO)
John Oliver was upsetenough to drop his
monocle when he...
Jim Cramer Declares
The Depression
"Over" (VIDEO)
On Thursday's episode of
"Mad Money" host Jim
Cramer declared that the
depression...
New Jay Leno ShowRejected By NBCAffiliate In Boston
BOSTON — Boston'sNBC affiliate says it will air
a local newscast instead
of...
Ice Bridge Ruptures
In Antarctic (VIDEO)
An ice bridge linking a
shelf of ice the size of
Jamaica to two islands in
Antarctica has
Scientists Find
Rocket Fuel
Chemical In Infant
Formula
ATLANTA — Traces of a
Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-despair-triumphs-at_b_61347.html [4/5/2009 8:46:47 PM]Comments 9 Pending Comments 0
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being
approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
View Comments: Newest
First Expand All
Apples See Profile I'm a Fan of Apples permalink
Michael, make sure you let us know when that special edition of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is
released, especially as I know it's one of your favorite films of '63.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Well, "Mad cubed" is out on DVD already, but you may be hinting at the fact that this very longmovie -- 161 minutes -- was actually 192 minutes (including an overture) when it originallycame out. There was a more complete version on VHS (!) and laserdisc but not completecomplete. Some day soon someone will plunk down the money on restorers will get to workand show us the movie most haven't ever seen and only a few remember from when it first
came out. I wouldn't be surprised if the film's rickety but affectionate standing with critics shot
up at the LONGER version. Sometimes, more can seem like less when it fixes the pacing.
Thanks for reading, Apple.
jvarga See Profile I'm a Fan of jvarga permalink
My god, how many DVD versions of robocop are there? I guess I'll go count on amazon. Here they are
in reverse chronological order:
1) 20th anniversery edition
2) Lenticular cover edition
3) el cheapo version (I think this is what I own)
4) criterion
5) another el cheapo version
also found in 2 different robocop trilogy box sets.
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
Very true. Like so many movies (especially sci-fi movies), Robocop has been repackaged
endlessly. Soon they'll put it out on Blu-Ray and /or HD-DVD as well and some poor schmuckwil have to buy it all over again. I probably wouldn't have covered this umpteenth reissue if itdidn't tie into my despair theme. At least it's not Terminator 2. That's surely the wmostrepackaged title of all.
jvarga See Profile I'm a Fan of jvarga permalink
You're too late, I didn't include the blu ray and hd dvd versions available on amazonin my list :p
CynAnne See Profile I'm a Fan of CynAnne permalink
AIG
Computers
India
Barack
Obama
Michelle
Obama
Sports
Olympics
Housing
Crisis
Fox News
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES
»
Books by this author
A cabin of one's own: New
England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine)
by Michael Giltz
Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein. In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine)
by Michael Giltzchemical used in rocket
fuel were found insamples of...
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
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Read All Posts by
Michael Giltz
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 04:40 PM on 08/22/2007
Favorite
Flag as abusive Posted 11:35 PM on 08/22/2007
Favorite
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Favorite
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: Despair Triumphs at the Movies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-despair-triumphs-at_b_61347.html [4/5/2009 8:46:47 PM]
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Comments are closed for this entry... Very entertaining article, Michael. I've seen Hanekes "House of Games", but it was "Funny Games"
that invoked a visceral, unpleasant response requiring some shadow-boxing to relieve the emotional
distress that movie caused. I've never watched it since, and even though there's an American remake
underway (so I've read), I doubt I'll return for a second helping - it affected me that adversely. So did
"Irreversible" with Vincent Cassel - one of the very few times I've ever had to pause a movie for
emotional 'breathers' (those that have seen it know which two scenes I'm referring to - the attack onMonica Belluchi, and the 'fire hydrant' scene). Now, finding out that "Dexter" is available on DVD cheers
me immensely, as I'm behind by several episodes - now I can catch up (on a side note, I'd gladly pay to
watch Dexter 'catch up' with those two sadistic creeps from "Funny Games", oh yes indeedy I would)..!;) ...
Michael Giltz See Profile I'm a Fan of Michael Giltz permalink
A Dexter/Haneke cross-over movie? It would be nice payback. Mamet's film is House ofGames -- is that also the French name for Haneke's movie known as Cache in the US? That'sthe movie that is being remade in English -- a truly bizarre idea since it doesn't make senseas a movie outside of the French-Algerian context. I too found Irreversible deeply disturbing,but not offensively so -- a rape scene should be horrific and upsetting. Thanks for reading.
CynAnne See Profile I'm a Fan of CynAnne permalink
... I realized I'd confused the two afterward, Michael, and I can only plead the latehour causing my confusion of the titles/directors. By the time I did see, it was toolate to change it (that 'Edit Your Post' button we discussed in the other HuffPothread the other day would be most welcome at times like last night - wink, wink).And I agree with your assessment of Irreversible - I've seen all kinds of 'things thatgo bump in the night', cinematically speaking, but it's the horror of people who look
normal and yet behave like monsters that I find so frightening. I'll take the zombie or
sea monster any day over the smiling gentleman standing behind me with a pair of
wickedly sharp scissors in his trenchcoat pocket, just waiting for 'his moment' -
*shivers*..! ;) ...
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