Mystyglass

I was wondering if there was anybody else who noticed that the plot of this flick was damn-near cloned from "Parts: The Clonus Horror" which was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 oh, too many years ago. (How I miss it...)

Anyway, many have. And it is. IMDb actually lists it as a remake. But at least this one starts off being a lot more compelling, stylistically speaking, and even has that "Logan's Run" feel to it. A promising start, but once the protagonist clones head for the hills, or the desert, or whatever, it basically just degenerates into another Michael Bay flick...shaky camera, things blowing up, fast cuts, eternal car chases (known by some as the "drum solo of movies"). At this point I hit the sleep button on my higher brain functions and begin counting the ticks on my biological time clock. Believe me, it is not a place you wanna go...cinematically or otherwise...

So bottom line, sort of a "Parts: The Clonus Horror" clone with a makeover, prettier actors and a new set of kidneys to boot. Oh, and did I mention the commercial breaks or "product placement"? Enjoy! Or don't!

This is a very cold, unpleasant film. And I agree with many of the comments that I've read thus far, both good and bad. I watched it last night and I am still feeling it today. I am still wondering about this woman's motivations, and wondering when she began to build the terrible wall that sealed her off from what she needed most. She seemed to be hot and cold when she was around other people, either isolating them with her cruelty or she would be falling on the floor, desperate for their contact. The only middle ground (and subsequent peace) was when she was alone and in the cold comfort she built around her perversities. Somebody said that this wasn't about repression, but I disagree. Repression was the root cause of her illness, and it seemed to have started early on. Her only calm became in feeding the secretive perverted habits that developed as a result. She didn't know how else to express her sexuality and my guess is that she never really had with another person. Hence her "I've been waiting for you" comment to Walter. It really was pretty pathetic and sad, and I couldn't help thinking it was too bad she couldn't have fallen for a masochist instead of a fairly normal guy who wouldn't know what to do with a person like her.

Anyways, this movie is a tragedy and a character study at heart. It's not fun or easy to watch, but it works for those who find interest in understanding others, whether you can relate to them or not.

And if I do end up watching this movie again, I'll be sure to rent the unrated version. Apparently they cut a scene that explains a lot about a scene to follow. I hate it when they do that!

After years of not viewing this film, I purchased the DVD and find myself even more impressed with it this time around. Perhaps when I was younger I wasn't picking out some of the subtleties and metaphoric connections that it was trying to show audiences when it first came out.

This is not just a self-indulgent film shot off by some self-loathing rock star created solely to gain sympathy from fans. Much of this is autobiographical material married of two members of the original band: Syd Barrett and Roger Waters. The results are a compelling story of a man who cannot break free of the psychological chains that have held him for years, and how it affects the longevity of relationships in his life.

Most of the film is shot in the style of a music video, which some people have put down but I think this is one of those instances where it works. There is very little dialogue but a story is still told by Water's meloncholy songs and Gerald Scarfe's amazing and potent animation. There are some intense and violent metaphors in both the animation and live action sequences that illustrate not only personal illnesses, but social as well.

This film, like the album, is a work of art that stands alone in both the music and film genres. It is very dark and psychological and will probably be enjoyed most by those who are open to the art of self-analysis.

It also helps if you're a fan of the music, because if you are put off by the original album, there is simply no point in you seeing it at all.