Theatre_Guy

An interesting mix of the struggles of an independent international filmmaker, combining surrealism and recent Egyptian history.

There are elements of "8 1/2" and "All That Jazz" in the story of a film maker who faces a trial in which the child and young man he was testify against the person he has become. The surrealist settings are cheap but fun and the central performance is nicely done. The many characters and switches in time are a bit complex and it helps to have a little knowledge of modern Egyptian history, but there is humor and insight worth your time.

A fascinating view of a contemporary woman who returns to Morocco from France and re-discovers the Islamic heritage of her father. This isn't a tightly plotted film and some of the episodes may not work for the healthily skeptical or cynical, but there are some very nice images and views of the central character and the people she encounters as she opens a women's shelter and struggles to find the essence of Islam. This is a world and an image of the Muslim world that many Western viewers would benefit from seeing.

The "Black Tight Killers" are a group of go-go dancing ninja women who use 45 rpm records and bubble gum as weapons. The central character is a war photographer who meets an airline stewardess and unknowingly enters into an adventure for money smuggled into the country by her father at the close of WWII. The money is pursued by Japanese yakuza, American gangsters and the title five with spirited action that very nicely reflects the colors and pop art flavor of the day. All is played with a tongue in cheek style that nicely parodies the spy adventure films of the time. Enjoy the fun. Supposedly also known as "Don't Touch Me, I'm Dangerous."