Voland-4

Perhaps the most brilliant feat of the human mind is its ability to make connections between many disparate pieces of information, with which it finds pattern and meaning, making sense of the chaotic and often terrifying reality it inhabits.

This film is a virtuosic display of that ability. Comprised mostly of archival footage and pop music from the era, it tells the history of the United States from the late 50s onward using recurring characters like Rock Hudson, Lee Harvey Oswald, Saddam Hussein, Enos The Chimp, and Phil Spector. It is a haunting collage of a nation's innocence at the brink of disintegration in the murk of an impending nightmare it had helped to create for itself and the rest of the world.

If you're into Negativland, you'll probably be into this.

I was somewhat hesitant to watch this at first - I frown at cinematic gynotorture, and I absolutely hated l'Interieur, a movie often cited alongside this one in reviews. Basically, my stance is: if I'm going to see people (women, especially!) get horribly effed up, there better be a great reason for it. Martyrs succeeds in that respect on multiple levels.

It's a sober and focused work, unambiguous, and mostly free from the kind of self-aggrandizement and indulgence some "extreme" French films fall prey to. The first half or so is prime horror ribeye - sound design, timing, blood, and a certain amount of ambiguity keep the adrenaline pumping and the brain wiggling to figure out what's coming next. The second half...is somewhat different, but that's already saying too much. Yes, the whole thing is torture-y, but it's not excessive to the point of being almost unwatchable (think rape scene in Irreversible), and pound-for-pound MPAA ratings sheet-style, it's not nearly as graphic as, say, Antichrist or even Cannibal Ferox. Nothing but praise for technical execution - acting, makeup, lighting, etc. And most importantly, there's a common (and rather lofty) Idea at work across multiple levels, one you'll ruminate upon after seeing the film much more than upon any single blood-splattered scene.

The only downside is that it's rather unpleasant to watch, which remains a downside even though this film cannot possibly be any other way. The story arc is also a strange roller-coaster, with all the "boo!" moments over and done with way before the movie actually ends.

Definitely worth seeing, if only once.

It's a real shame I haven't seen a single preview or a billboard for this movie. Whatever, though - the box office opportunity was wasted because someone or other didn't have faith in humanity (I mean seriously, anyone with a droplet of testosterone in them would find this highly entertaining, so of course there's a market for it), but this movie's cult status is assured.

Spaceship carrying terrifying bloodthirsty monster and a mysterious hero (well, not that mysterious) crash lands on Earth during Viking times. I repeat - Vikings! Swords, battles, mead- drinking and all-around Norse badarsery are featured prominently. The acting is good for the most part, the writing isn't stupid and formulaic, and the director keeps a brisk pace throughout the film. And the space monster is simply terrific, imbued with the perfect amount of personality.

If I was 10 years old when I watched it, I would have been running around on the ceiling for months. Being the mature and responsible grown man I am now, I didn't exactly do that - instead, I recommended it to all my friends and watched it 3 times.