waywardastronaut

Casting an 8/10 for "L'Inferno" was perhaps the hardest vote I've cast so far on IMDb, and it wasn't because I doubted the film's quality. Considering it was made in 1911 for approximately $2 million and had to be rebuilt almost a century later, it's a fantastic exercise in early cinema. The footage is spectacular, and the primitive special effects still evoke the same shock and emotion they must have upon its premiere.

My issue with the film is the soundtrack. Just as so many others on IMDb have noted, the Tangerine Dream music added to the DVD is terrible. Normally a bad soundtrack wouldn't be a problem, but with "L'Inferno" it's not optional. So, for my second viewing, I muted the television and played an old piece of classical music based on Dante's original epic. Needless to say, the second viewing was much better. Unfortunately, since there's no other version of "L'Inferno" to watch, I have to cast a bad vote for this film.

Any comments about this film should be prefaced by a simple, undeniable fact: Despite the genius and talent of Robert Altman, this film succeeds solely on the shoulders of Philip Baker Hall. Sure, he looks and sounds absolutely nothing like Richard Nixon, but any discerning viewer quickly realizes that it doesn't matter. Hall embodies the role, inhabiting every paranoid quirk and arrogant mannerism of our 36th president; and as the film's only star, it's a 90-minute testament to his skill and abilities. (In my opinion, Hall is the most underrated actor in Hollywood today, by far.) With that said, I would much rather see "Secret Honor" as a play, which is how it was originally written. This doesn't mean that Altman's adaptation is bad; on the contrary, it's one of the finest pieces of cinema I've seen in some time, and definitely one of Altman's best. But the director's constant focus on props takes away from any emotional investment we're supposed to feel. Still, I give this 9 stars out of 10--I highly recommend it to anyone interested in different forms of film-making.

PS: Anyone who claims this film is politically misguided missed the point entirely--it's not meant to be a political observation or satire, but only a way of understanding. Nixon left us with so many questions and so few answers, this so far is our only way of trying to comprehend...

One of the best stand-up specials I've ever seen, "Norman Rockwell Is Bleeding" is almost like a Shakespearean tragedy. Complete with stories of joyous drinking, reflection, celebration, happiness and death, Christopher Titus infuses all 90 minutes of his routine with a deep sense of human monologue.

The son of a constantly drunk father and manic-depressive mother, he basks in the fact that his family was dysfunctional, reliving every painful moment of his youth with perfect insight. It's more than comedy; it's a story of how he managed to survive.

I would recommend "Norman Rockwell Is Bleeding" to anyone interested in comedic reality over stale "airline food" comedians. Though it hasn't been released on DVD yet, I'll be one of the first to buy it when it is.