Tag Archive: Jean Paul Sartre


VAMPIRES OF NYC

Filed under: Atheism, Books, Movies, Politics — Leave a comment
December 16, 2012

THE ADDICTION directed by Abel Ferrara (USA, 1995)

I wanted to see this movie since, according to the Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw, it is the best film ever made.

I like Bradshaw’s reviews and more often than not agree with his opinions. I especially like the fact that he doesn’t take an elitist position; he is as likely praise the merits of Toy Story as the works of Tarkovsky.

The Addiction is a vampire movie like no other. Actually it is better to see it as an intense existential drama with theological overtones rather than as a straight horror film.

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BREATHLESS PULP CINEMA

Filed under: Movies, Music — Leave a comment
February 13, 2011

Dig the shirt, Richard!

Jim McBride’s remake of Jean-Luc Godard‘s French new wave classic ”À bout de souffle” was universally panned on release in 1983 . This partly explains why I’ve only just gotten round to seeing it .  It shows that you should never trust the critics.

It may not work as an art movie but as pulp cinema it is brilliant and, call me superficial, but I have to agree with Quentin Tarantino and say that it surpasses the original.

Ok, it hasn’t got any of Godard’s then revolutionary directorial touches but McBride is no slouch as a filmmaker and knows exactly what look and feel he is going for.

While Godard’s movie now looks horribly dated and pretentious, McBride’s is hilariously absurd and highly watchable. The casting of Richard Gere as flashy Jesse Lujack was the masterstroke. Gere’s over the top performance is compelling in its exaggeration. He’s a jerk with no fashion sense but he has the swagger to carry off the part of the ‘live fast die young’ rebel to perfection. Continue reading →

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