lee_eisenberg

We film fans know David Cronenberg as the king of body horror: his movies often depict people's physical structures turning against them in visceral ways.

So where did Cronenberg start on this path? The answer is "Shivers", Canada's first major horror flick. This is one of those horror flicks that apparently doubles as social commentary, in this case focusing on the modern world's determination to live in a "pleasant", sterile environment (only to see it upended). One scene reminded me of "Alien", and Cronenberg did in fact say that the latter basically ripped his movie off.

All that I can say is that if you consider yourself a fan of shocking cinema, then you owe it to yourself to see this movie. You won't be disappointed. Maybe a bit grossed out, though.

If you recognize producer Ivan Reitman, it's because he went on to direct "Ghostbusters".

Chantal Akerman's third feature consists entirely of footage of New York, with Akerman narrating by reading her mom's letters. One obvious point in "News from Home" is Akerman's apparent disconnect from her family. But watching it, I was transfixed by this candid look at the Big Apple at this point in time. It's a world of dismal-looking buildings, spray-painted subway cars, and people in bell bottoms. I kept wondering how many of the shops that Akerman wanders by are still in business (especially since Times Square has gotten turned into Disneyland).

All in all, a fine look at alienation, and a look at the soul of a society different from Akerman's native one. It's the first Akerman work that I've seen, but I'd like to see her other movies.

I'm planning a trip to Ireland - both the Republic and the North - later this year, so I decided to read some of its literature. I started with "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce, and I've now watched Joseph Strick's movie adaptation. A pretty good one, even though it's not the easiest book to adapt. This focus on a man's slow rebellion against his conservative surroundings and evolution as his own person is likely to please literature fans.

I suspect that the protagonist stands in for Joyce himself. Although Joyce was a lapsed Catholic, I don't know what his views on the Catholic Church were; in the movie at least, it comes out looking pretty bad. Maybe that's just a modern interpretation (especially since the once devoutly Catholic Ireland has become rather irreligious).

Either way, I recommend this adaptation of the novel, and obviously the novel itself.