hotnoodletuna

What makes this documentary so intriguing is having seen both "Eye of the Beholder" and "Priscilla". One cannot dspute the fact that Priscilla was a terrific film. It was hilarious and touching in equal measure. This is important because it justifies the absolute dedication to the preservation of one's artistic principles that is so clearly on display here. It is equally important to note, however, that "Beholder" is an almost unwatchably bad film. Inasmuch as you might find the idea of watching a documentary about a mediocre director making a poor film to be boring, you would be entirely mistaken. "Killing Priscilla" gives us wonderful insights into the workings of Hollywood (from distributors who have never seen the film, to financial backers who want to make a soft-core porn out of the film) and its utterly fickle ability to ignore the passion of artists in favor of the big cash-in.

That said, however, the truly fascinating part of the film is the singlemindedness with which the director views his project. Not only does he not see that "Beholder" is incoherrent and laughable, he actually believes that he is creating a visual masterpiece. Instead of scoffing at his naivety, however, I actually began to root for him and admire his dedication to his vision. This film almost succeeds as an expose of an artist's battles against the shallow studio system. The only problem, of course, being that the execs were justifiably upset by the fact that "Beholder" is such a god-awful film. The film succeeds almost accidentally, however, as an insight into the creative mind of the artist, and how dedication to one's vision is just as alive and well for the bad artists and hacks as it is in the work of the true visionaries.

After reading the comments about "Hoop Dreams" I feel that I must help to set the record straight. Though a few of the reviewers saw this film correctly, the vast majority see this film as a basketball movie. It is not. This is a film about poor and impressionable children who are promised a better life by people who seek only to exploit them. Form the opening seen where the fat Artful Dodger-like recruiter is watching 14 year old boys play basketball and trying to entice them to attend the same prep-school as Isaiah Thomas, to the moment when Arthur is expelled because he cannot pay his tuition, we see how savagely exploited these poor children are. They have been reduced to work-horses by white America, promised a better life if they compete on the modern-day gladiatorial stage. These kids will never make the big show, and they will never escape the ghetto. They will perform like circus clowns until they no longer have the ability to excite us. This is modern-day slavery and apartheid on display in the USA, and some of you folks out there have the nerve to criticize these desperately poor families for accepting a welfare check. Shame on you for perpetuating such exploitation. This film is not about basketball. This film is about the continuing development of a minority underclass in this country, and the fact that we all promote it with our love for gladiators, and our Dickensian willingness to exploit children to fulfill our gluttonous desires. This is a film with heroes and villians. If you think its just a heartwarming story about kids playing basketball, then you are one of the villians.

this is the finest film ever made. The Shakespearian elements of the family tragedy are beautifully portrayed. The juxtaposition of De Niro's Vito to Pacino's Michael is wonderful, and the scene the young Vito Corleone sitting on the bed at Ellis Island alone is perhaps the most moving single image in film history.