I watched this twice today. Wallace Shawn speaks from a place of familiar futility. He's the voice of the audience. Upon first viewing, I somewhat disliked Andre. He has the luxury of purchased hipster reality. He participates in quack cult-like retreats in foreign countries as away to reconnect with his humanity. Wally struggles to pay his bills and is content with the simple details of life, but in turn never bothers to ask important questions or take any risks.

Having…

This was my introduction to Almodovar and is my forever favorite.

When I first saw this film I would soon be entering the last echelon of my marriage. I didn't know it at the time but soon he would cheat, and I would catch him. I would have what I later realized was a nervous breakdown, and I would quit my job, digging us even deeper into poverty. I would lose forty pounds because I couldn't afford drugs or alcohol…

Viridiana isn't a good person. She's barely a person. She may seem virtuous and humble but at the core there's a self-righteousness that's prideful and disgusting. Bunuel was a known Anti-Catholic. It's not in the subtext but in the overtures. At the surface, Viridiana is about a nun falling from the grace of God, but it's the characters around her who are pure. While Viridiana is busy isolating her thoughts, human animals are living in God's image. Unnecessary Shame compels…

I've thought about this film a lot in the past year since I first saw it. Softly steps on very big subjects. Dealing with the universe, aliens, mysterious illnesses and ecological concerns, it could so easily be schlocky and ineffectual. Ishii captured the essence of a Pure Moods tape and transforms it into an engaging tranquil science fiction narrative. It tells a story mostly in the form of sounds, textures and a dream-like atmosphere. Giving details only when completely necessary;…