Reviews Written By: A39QS3R8GFOVYXprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Detour | |
 | "Classic No-Budget Noir." | 2008-09-14 |
| Let me preface this review by mentioning that this was filmed in 6 days Yep, that's right. SIX DAYS. The director was also rationed a certain amount of film and was told by the studio that he had to shoot within 15 miles of the studio's headquarters. Despite those limitations, this is a classic 1945 low-budget film noir directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. Though I wouldn't go as far as to call it surreal, the low budget quality and the simplicity of the plot make it almost dream like. It's 67 minutes of pure noir bliss. This is a fatalistic and bleak film that also features one of the bitchiest femme fatales ever: the sexy Ann Savage who plays Vera, a nasty little woman who gives our main character a lot of trouble. Highly recommended for film noir fans and for fans of low (no) budget cult cinema. | ||
 | Killer's Kiss | |
 | "Gritty little noir." | 2008-09-14 |
| Brutal, raw, low budget noir by Stanley Kubrick. This was only his second feature and even though it's roughly edited, it shows just how much talent he had. At 67 minutes, it's pretty short (and there's a chase scene at the end that could've been trimmed by a minute or two) but it's an enjoyable but bleak look at what happens when a washed-up boxer gets involved with a girl and her shady, obsessive boss. There's no melodrama here. It's pure gritty film-making on location in NYC. Excellent noir. (This would also make a good companion piece to Robert Wise's 1949 film The Set-Up which stars Robert Ryan as a boxer on his way out. And it has a bummer of an ending.) Another reviewer said this was "ugly". I think that it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be beautiful. It's a realistic, gritty, and dark look at NYC in the fifties. Compared to the high budget police procedural noirs from the same year, of course it's going to look ugly. It's not going to be for all tastes but it's worth a look especially if you like bleak film noir. | ||
 | Killer's Kiss | |
| "Gritty little noir." | 2008-09-14 |
| Brutal, raw, low budget noir by Stanley Kubrick. This was only his second feature and even though it's roughly edited, it shows just how much talent he had. At 67 minutes, it's pretty short (and there's a chase scene at the end that could've been trimmed by a minute or two) but it's an enjoyable but bleak look at what happens when a washed-up boxer gets involved with a girl and her shady, obsessive boss. There's no melodrama br /here. It's pure gritty film-making on location in NYC. Excellent noir. (This would also make a good companion piece to Robert Wise's 1949 film The Set-Up which stars Robert Ryan as a boxer on his way out. And it has a bummer of an ending.)br /br /Another reviewer said this was "ugly". I think that it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be beautiful. It's a realistic, gritty, and dark look at NYC in the fifties. Compared to the high budget police procedural noirs from the same year, of course it's going to look ugly.br /br /It's not going to be for all tastes but it's worth a look especially if you like bleak film noir.br /br /br /br /br / | ||
 | Killer's Kiss | |
| "Gritty little noir." | 2008-09-14 |
| Brutal, raw, low budget noir by Stanley Kubrick. This was only his second feature and even though it's roughly edited, it shows just how much talent he had. At 67 minutes, it's pretty short (and there's a chase scene at the end that could've been trimmed by a minute or two) but it's an enjoyable but bleak look at what happens when a washed-up boxer gets involved with a girl and her shady, obsessive boss. There's no melodrama br /here. It's pure gritty film-making on location in NYC. Excellent noir. (This would also make a good companion piece to Robert Wise's 1949 film The Set-Up which stars Robert Ryan as a boxer on his way out. And it has a bummer of an ending.)br /br /Another reviewer said this was "ugly". I think that it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be beautiful. It's a realistic, gritty, and dark look at NYC in the fifties. Compared to the high budget police procedural noirs from the same year, of course it's going to look ugly.br /br /It's not going to be for all tastes but it's worth a look especially if you like bleak film noir.br /br /br /br /br / | ||
 | Sweet Smell of Success | |
| "Holy Crap!!" | 2008-09-14 |
| I always sort of put off seeing this even though I've heard good things about it. I think it was because Tony Curtis is in it and the only thing I've ever seen him do were really bad introductions to some Alfred Hitchcock DVDs. In those introductions, Curtis fumbled his lines (which were often filled with errors) and so I assumed he was the worst actor in the world. I should kick myself. This movie is not only one of the best "noir" films I've seen but one of the best movies I've ever seen PERIOD. It's included in the noir category despite it not being a crime drama at all. The reason for this is it's shadow-filled cinematography and its theme of corruption. According to this movie, human beings are bleak, cold-hearted creatures. It's about a Broadway columnist (played by Burt Lancaster in one of his best roles) who manipulates everyone he comes in contact with. He is one of the vilest, cold-hearted bastards I've ever seen in a movie because he's just so real. This isn't a noir hit-man in a fedora hat. This guy could be real and I'm sure some of us have met or will meet someone like him. Tony Curtis plays a bastard publicity agent though you sort of feel bad for him even despite his faults. He's the "protagonist" and we are told the story through his eyes. There are a couple of characters who have integrity and are not so corrupted but they only count as victims of the manipulation. The acting is top-notch. Both Lancaster and Curtis had me in awe throughout the whole movie. Usually movies about "show business" don't interest me all that much but this movie was fascinating. This is dark look at NYC life in the 1950s. I recommend it with every noir-loving bone in my body. | ||
 | Sweet Smell of Success | |
| "Holy Crap!!" | 2008-09-14 |
| I always sort of put off seeing this even though I've heard good things about it. I think it was because Tony Curtis is in it and the only thing I've ever seen him do were really bad introductions to some Alfred Hitchcock DVDs. In those introductions, Curtis fumbled his lines (which were often filled with errors) and so I assumed he was the worst actor in the world. I should kick myself. This movie is not only one of the best "noir" films I've seen but one of the best movies I've ever seen PERIOD. It's included in the noir category despite it not being a crime drama at all. The reason for this is it's shadow-filled cinematography and its theme of corruption. According to this movie, human beings are bleak, cold-hearted creatures. It's about a Broadway columnist (played by Burt Lancaster in one of his best roles) who manipulates everyone he comes in contact with. He is one of the vilest, cold-hearted bastards I've ever seen in a movie because he's just so real. This isn't a noir hit-man in a fedora hat. This guy could be real and I'm sure some of us have met or will meet someone like him. Tony Curtis plays a bastard publicity agent though you sort of feel bad for him even despite his faults. He's the "protagonist" and we are told the story through his eyes. There are a couple of characters who have integrity and are not so corrupted but they only count as victims of the manipulation. The acting is top-notch. Both Lancaster and Curtis had me in awe throughout the whole movie. Usually movies about "show business" don't interest me all that much but this movie was fascinating. This is dark look at NYC life in the 1950s. I recommend it with every noir-loving bone in my body. | ||
 | Razor Wire Pubic Hair | |
| "Bizarro Orgy of Sex and Violence" | 2008-05-14 |
| In the author's introduction to this novel, he states that it is a book that is "all just sex. It is not porn, not erotica, but all sex." He couldn't be more right. PROS: It is a novel full of perversity, sexual body-horrors, and excessive use of the C-word. As with all of CM3's work, the imagery is excellent. He has a way with language; he is able to use the minimum number of words to create the biggest visual impact. It is rather thought-provoking, making the reader wonder about the role of sex in one's life, or rather whether or not sex is really the purpose of our lives. Do our lives just consist of boring moments between intercourse? Are we all just tools for another's pleasure? Also, the sinister rapists and the crazy zombies are damn cool. The end was excellent as well. It gave the reader a satisfying ending to the whole messy (and I do mean MESSY) journey. CONS: Though there is a plot, it seems too buried in the imagery as well as the excessive use of that C-word as well as the F-word. Granted, I have no problem with either word, at times I found it a little bit distracting though maybe that was the point. Also, compared to some of the author's other works (Sausegey Santa, Sex and Death in Television Town, The Ultra F*ckers), this one isn't as compelling. CONCLUSION: If you are looking for some mind-blowing sexual imagery, this is the book for you. If you like the movies of Takashi Miike and Shinya Tsukamoto, this book will satisfy your need for perverse images. However, this book would probably be unfilmable.. which is unfortunate. If it was ever made, it would be a big cult favorite. So, if you already like weird extreme fiction, check this one out. However, if you have never read a bizarro book, go with one of the other CM3 books I mentioned above. RAZOR WIRE PUBIC HAIR is an oftentimes overwhelming dose of sick imagery that will surely satisfy even the most jaded of readers. | ||
 | Satan Burger | |
| "SMILE! You're working at Satan Burger!" | 2007-09-14 |
| Okay, okay. I've heard enough about the so-called juvenile shock tactics that people accuse this book of having. It's untrue, plain and simple This is a complex and entertaining book about a really, really screwed-up future. It's punk rock surrealism, baby. It's gonna be weird, it's gonna be off-the-wall. But it's also gonna be fun as hell. Let's get serious. There is crazy stuff that goes on in this book. If you are a Christian, you probably shouldn't read this. If you like your sci-fi by the book, you probably shouldn't read this. However, if you like your futuristic tales splashed with a healthy dose of bizarro, then by all means, read SATAN BURGER. If you have a warped sense of humor, then by all means, read SATAN BURGER. Carlton Mellick makes some pretty interesting observations about religion, music "scenes", consumerism, society, and human nature in general. Despite the sometimes gruesome imagery and the sex-death-blasphemy that abounds, the author has a lot to say about religion and life. You'll find yourself being forced to THINK about things while reading this book. It's not just entertainment, really. Well, at least in my experience. The organization of the book was also pretty interesting. (Act One, etc). CONS: The book could have probably been shorter. I found that it dragged in parts. Still, that's not enough reason to not read the book. You'll enjoy it if you like your fiction weird and with a sense of humor. If you don't mind an author making fun of religion, this is for you. If you don't mind an author making fun of people in general, this is for you. There is enough imagination in this book to power a whole series of books. You'll find so much mind-blowing imagery that you can't help but feel that you've ripped off the author by what you paid. You will feel like you owe him quite a bit more. You can practically feel the energy and the passion that the author obviously put into this work. And so, you should buy and read SATAN BURGER. In fact, buy a few copies and give them out to your friends. They'll thank you for it. | ||
 | Straight Cut | |
 | "Well-written but ever so boring.." | 2007-03-02 |
| Yes, maybe I was expecting something different from Hard Case. I devoured the previous books in the series and enjoyed most of them. But this one stopped me dead in my tracks. It was well-written, no doubt about that. The author has a way with words. But as far as plot goes.. Cliche after cliche. *spoiler* (and as if by the first chapter, after we are told about his dog, we aren't supposed to EXPECT him to sacrifice someone at the end? come on..). *end of spoiler* It was a real chore to get through this book. When I want high literature, I want a layered plot with atypical characters and situations. This book, however, had a plot right out of a Europe-based crime movie complete with idiot foreign gangsters. I probably could have dealt with the cliche plot if the narrator didn't just go ON and ON about philosophy and about film theory (though the chicken thing was interesting, I'll admit) and film editing. Very tedious. Boring. If I wasn't collecting every Hard Case Crime book, I'd through this one right in the trash. I also think HCC was stretching it by releasing it under their name.. This was a mild crime novel that was mostly about friendship and love (not a thriller as the cover blurb says). So yeah, if you enjoyed the other Hard Case Titles, just skip this and get any of the previous ones. You've been warned. | ||
 | Among the Blacks: Two Works | |
| "Four Stars for Raymond's part.. NO stars for Padgett" | 2007-02-05 |
| I'm not sure what the strategy was.. Maybe Roussel's story was so small, the publishers know they couldn't release it on its own and so had Padgett write an unrelated story with the TINIEST bit of similar ideas (oh, Roussel's character is among black people albeit in a surreal, twisted story.. I think Padgett should have a dry memoir about being around black people.. Hmm.. yeah that fits!). Disregard Padgett's self-absorbed story and just read Roussel's. It's a pretty fevered account of proto-surrealism. | ||
 | Spasmo | |
 | "Interesting giallo.." | 2006-02-22 |
| The other reviewer is right.. It is a bit confusing and muddled in the middle but the movie as a whole is satisfying. I'd rather a movie be too complicated than too simple. At least it makes me want to see it again. If you like twisted mysteries and/or 70s Italian cinema, this is a nice choice. It's not up there with The Case of the Scorpion's Tale or any of Argento's movies but still, it's worth a look. | ||
 | No Sanctuary | |
| "Intense... but..." | 2005-10-02 |
| This is the third Laymon book i've read and the best of the three. (The first was COME OUT TONIGHT and the second was RESURRECTION DREAMS). It was suspenseful and intense (especially the ending). The guy sure knew how to write psychos. I do have one small criticism of Laymon's writing though: His dialogue. Its more evident in the other two i've read but he cannot write the dialogue of young people convincingly. His characters use expressions that almost come out of the 1950s. Such as the word "swell". How many teenagers use that word? (They use it in COME OUT TONIGHT). There are other examples that I can't think of off the top of my head.. but keep that in mind when you read it. He seemed to be an older man trying his hardest to come up with what younger people would say. That is NOT one of his strengths. On the other hand, if you can over look that and think of it just as Laymon's charm and a characteristic of his writing, then you are in for a wild and entertaining ride. No one is safe in a Laymon novel (from what I can tell). He is NOT predictable. Overall, I recommend this book. | ||
 | Monstrosity | |
| "Very good, fast read, Above average" | 2005-07-25 |
| The first Edward Lee book i read was "Flesh Gothic" and i wasn't too impressed with it. I liked it enough to read another Lee book, though.. and that next book was this MONSTROSITY. I must say, his plotting is excellent and he gives just enough details and background on the mystery to make it interesting. Some authors make the mistake of trying to explain the thing to death but here Lee makes some hints and does give an explanation (through dialogue which honestly isn't too clear). Also with horror, a lot of the times the ending isn't as good as the set-up. This is not the case. I felt satisfied with the ending and was glad I read the book. I say if you like horror with extreme touches and want your imagination to work for you.. Read this book. Its a good page-turner. | ||
 | The Art & Craft of the Short Story | |
| "Good tips and insight but enough with your own stories.." | 2005-07-05 |
| Yes, this book is helpful and does give tips for the struggling writer.. But as I was reading, I just kept getting annoyed at the author.. He kept bring up his own work and giving long examples of his stories to give his point. Yes, from one standpoint I can see that being logical.. but after a while you just want to say "Give me more examples from OTHER authors!".. which he does, in little doses. I just couldn't help but feel like the author was plugging his own work. | ||
 | Haunter | |
| "Great, deep, horrific book." | 2005-07-05 |
| I read this book right after reading a book by Edward Lee. I was disappointed at the lack of disturbing and realistic imagery in the Lee book.. but BOY, did I get it in this one! This is deep, dense, poetic, surreal, mystical and sometimes disgusting stuff. I didn't give it 5 stars because I felt like it could of been trimmed.. I think the author lost her way in a few parts. Anyway, I am dying to read more by her. This book is original and beats the heck out of most of the horror out there. | ||
 | Seether - Karma and Effect | |
 | "Hello, Seether? Alice in Chains and Nirvana would like their singers back." | 2005-06-27 |
| So unoriginal, its scary. | ||
 | Four Dark Nights | |
| "Amateur night at Leisure Horror." | 2005-06-27 |
| I looked forward to this book. I read the reviews and since people were saying Doug Clegg's story was pretty much the best, I read that first. Dang. After I read that, I thought "If this is the best, what's the worst"? My problem with Clegg's part was its amateurish writing and its Lovecraft-ripoff of a plot. I mean, if you ignore those two things..its MILDLY entertaining. Then I read Christopher Golden's story. The writing was better but the plot was dumb, plain and simply. Did they write these in high school? Anyway, right now I'm in the middle of Bentley Little's part and I must say that this is much better than the previous two I've read. Its funny, absurd and a bit creepy. Much better writing, too. I probably won't be picking up anything by Clegg (I've wanted to). If his writing in always that quality, I'm surprised anyone bothers to read him. As for Christopher Golden, maybe he should tutor Clegg in writing above-12th Grade sentences and dialogue. | ||
 | Hollow Point | |
| "Funny Funny Funny" | 2005-01-23 |
| I may be partial to Thomas Ian Griffith but this movie was great. What made it great was its sense of humor. There are countless movies similar to this.. but they take themselves too seriously and therefore, fail. "Hollow Point", however, has a pretty good plot with unique characters. Not to mention really funny parts (like Griffith and the garage door). I must say that Thomas Ian Griffith should do more comedic roles because he really clicks. | ||
 | Hollow Point | |
| "Funny Funny Funny" | 2005-01-23 |
| I may be partial to Thomas Ian Griffith but this movie was great. What made it great was its sense of humor. There are countless movies similar to this.. but they take themselves too seriously and therefore, fail. "Hollow Point", however, has a pretty good plot with unique characters. Not to mention really funny parts (like Griffith and the garage door). I must say that Thomas Ian Griffith should do more comedic roles because he really clicks. | ||
 | 21 Jump Street - The Complete First Season | |
| "Show is Great but the DVD quality is POOR" | 2005-01-10 |
| The show is great and worth having.. I didn't notice any music changes, however but regardless, it doesn't bother me. Its still crappy 80s sounding music. This season IS from 1987. Anyway, the dvd quality is POOR. But even if just for nostalgia, this is worth having. | ||
 | Captain Beefheart: The Biography | |
| "More of a biography on the music and not the MAN" | 2004-12-21 |
| This book is pretty good as it is a fast and interesting read. As it progresses, it analyzes the albums in order (which is good for those who don't know much about them). However, the author is not a great writer. I'm not talking about grammar, I'm talking about creativity and the ability to bring the people to life. He doesn't do this. Good biographies make you feel like you KNOW the people (not just the main person) after you read it, but sadly, this book doesn't describe the people at all. Also, he quite often mentions a person as if we should KNOW who they are (he did this a few times, like with Grannie Annie. Maybe i'm not a big enough fan to already know who that person is). Also, Beefheart himself doesn't even feel like the focus. Its more of a musical biography and when I mean music I mean the music from the other bandmembers. The author analyzes the music from a musicians view.. which I can understand since he's a musician. But still, to just call this "Captain Beefheart: The Biography" is sort of a stretch. We don't get too much into his personal life. The author jumps around and makes mention of one of Beefheart's girlfriends and then BOOM!, a little while later, Beefheart is married to a different woman. A good biography would go into that. Or, if the information is unavailable, the author should have made note of that. Basically, this is a dry clinical approach yet is somehow interesting. Like I said, its a fast read and its good for people who want to know information about the songs. Also, a small criticism.. In most biographies the author does not make an appearance.. they do not use the word "I" and talk about themselves. Some biographies DO, and there's nothing wrong with that. They make it a more personal thing (if they knew the person in question). However, this author does not mention himself at all until more than halfway in the book in just one sentence. Strange!! What do we care about him buying a Beefheart record? We KNOW he is a fan and has listened to the music, why else would he be writing this? Anyway, I do recommend it to be read by Beefheart fans but I wouldn't call this a "biography".. more of a book ABOUT beefheart's music career and an average one at that. The author's gotta learn how to be more creative. | ||
 | Mississippi Fred Mcdowell - Long Way From Home | |
| "Haunting................." | 2004-11-20 |
| This is a haunting, trance-inducing album.. Simply wonderful. I don't want to say "If you like the blues, get this.." because this surpasses any one genre. If you like music that has emotion, creates an atmosphere and is a showcase for great guitar playing, GET THIS. | ||
 | Bassholes - Haunted Hill | |
| "GRRREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT" | 2004-11-18 |
| Yah, not lo-fi like other Bassholes albums but still GREAT. Even a Skip James cover. Yes, awesome. This is rockin'. Go get it. | ||
 | Bassholes - Long Way Blues 1996-1998 | |
| "Scary" | 2004-11-18 |
| Collection of tracks.. very scary. Cabooseman Blues is Twisted. The title track is eerie. True American music. | ||
 | Toby Keith - Shock'n Y'all | |
| "Ignorant .... Toby Keith should read more!" | 2004-11-17 |
| I honestly feel bad for the people who like this. It means that they are most likely from a poor, uneducated background. I'm not going to bash the fans.. Only wish that they would get a better education and stop watching Fox News. Anyway, this isn't real country. Go get a Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, or Hank Williams cd. | ||
 | Bassholes - Blue Roots | |
| "Masterpiece" | 2004-10-16 |
| This is a raw masterpiece. Pure and simple. Kicks the White Stripes a$$. Check out my bassholes fansite (the one and only on the web) its called LONG WAY BLUES. Its on the links page of Dead Canary Records who released the Bassholes last album. | ||
 | The Bassholes - When My Blue Moon Turns Red Again | |
| "Gooood" | 2004-10-16 |
| Yah, this isn't as rough and raw as Blue Roots or Deaf Mix, but it grows on ya and does have some GREAT tracks.. "She Came on the Bus" is awesome. YAAAAAHHHHHHH look for a new bassholes full length as well as a collection of their first 6 singles.. out in nov/dec! | ||
 | Fantasies of the Master Race: Literature, Cinema and the Colonization of American Indians | |
| "Good set of essays" | 2004-06-18 |
| This is a must read for anyone who has a passing interest in the Native American in popular culture. It will make any fan of Westerns (movies/books) think twice about indulging in such things. This is not as compelling as some of his other work but it is still valuable nonetheless. | ||
 | A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas, 1492 to the Present | |
| "Another brilliant book by Ward Churchill" | 2004-06-18 |
| This should be read by every student who is learning about "The" Holocaust. It shows that genocide is NOT limited to WW2 and the actions of Nazi Germany. Genocide has been happening all this time (to myriad groups of people) but most are too blind to see it and come to terms with the reality that it could happen in such a WONDERFUL country such as the U.S. He provides extensive references and footnotes so that the reader could do the research on his or her own. You do not have to take Ward Churchill's word for it. He simply leads the way so one can make up his or her own mind. | ||
 | Reflections on the Justice of Roosting Chickens | |
| "Brilliant" | 2004-06-18 |
| Anyone interested or concerned about the world around them MUST read this book. It will surely anger some people but that will just show their inability to think about the world without hiding behind the mask of being an "American". Anyone who is interested in freedom must also read this book. It'll prove that America is, indeed, not the land of the free or the peaceful and friendly country that many try to pretend it is. | ||
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