Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Das Parfum – Die Geschichte eines Mörders) - 2006

What It Is: A beautiful, if difficult to explain, German film.

Why I Watched It: Recommended to me by a few close friends.

What I Thought: Incredible!

Perfume tells the story of an orphan in 1700's France with a supernaturally potent sense of smell. He becomes obsessed with cataloguing and experiencing every smell in the world. But there is one smell far more intoxicating than any others, the smell of innocence. Unfortunately, this proves a very difficult smell to preserve and his attempts lead to the murders of a several local virgins.

Perfume was beautifully executed from the uniquely disturbing (and equal parts enthralling) story, to the excellent camera work, and the great performances. This movie was fantastic because of and in addition to its strangeness. What more can you really ask for?

Highlights: Gorgeous girls, an excellent lead by Ben Whishaw, beautifully shot, and an awesomely original story!

Who Should See It: Dark fantasy fans, slasher fans, and crime buffs.

How Soon: Now!

Review Dump - March 2008

I can't remember the last time I was this busy. My schedule is just full and it's been hard to find time for reviews. Without including all the boring details, here's the first ever Movie Slut Review Dump. Perhaps I'll give some or all of these titles a proper treatment someday down the road. Meanwhile, I hope you don't find the temporary change of format too offensive.














The Bank Job - 2008
What It Is: Dramatization of a real-life 1971 bank robbery.
What I Thought: A damn fine hiest film.














Hell Comes To Frogtown - 1987
What It Is: Post-apocalyptic cult film starring Rowdy Roddy.
What I Thought: Terrible enough to be pretty fun.














Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte Des Loups) - 2001
What It Is: Werewolves vs. Native American martial artists, in 18th century France.
What I Thought: Ridiculous...ly awesome!














Night Hawks - 1981
What It Is: Stalone the cop chases Rutger the arsonist.
What I Thought: Good cop movie with a good villain.














Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-Hime)- 1997
What It Is: Anime about nature vs. industry/humanity.
What I Thought: One of the best Anime films ever!














Hard Boiled (Lat Sau San Taam) - 1992
What It Is: John Woo's last film before Hollywood.
What I Thought: Ranking #5 for the highest on-screen body count, what the fuck do you think? One of the greatest action films ever made!














Falling Down - 1993
What It Is: The Warriors with a shirt and tie.
What I Thought: Funny and frightening in the best possible way!














The Quest - 1996
What It Is: Van Damme and Roger Moore in a pulpy adventure flick.
What I Thought: Enjoyable when not taken seriously.














Perfect Creature - 2006
What It Is: The vampire film The Breed should've been.
What I Thought: Weak plot, gorgeous movie.











Planet Earth - 2006
What It Is: Most expensive nature show ever.
What I Thought: Best nature documentary ever!














The Beastmaster - 1982
What It Is: Classic sword and sorcery flick.
What I Thought: A little cheesy, but very very fun.














Targets - 1968
What It Is: Aging Boris Karloff vs. a psycho sniper.
What I Thought: A darkly enjoyable classic.














Doomsday - 2008
What It Is: Another Underworld/Equilibrium/Resident...
What I Thought: Just as good/bad as the movies it rips off.

There Will Be Blood - 2007

What It Is: A period piece about an oil tycoon's descent into madness.

Why I Watched It: After Gangs of New York, I'll watch Daniel Day-Lewis in anything!

What I Thought: Amazing!

I thought the movie was supposed to be a biopic about an old dude that was really into oil. I was wrong.

There Will Be Blood starts with some pretty landscape shots combined with music that can only be described as harrowing. It was an odd choice and the first act of the film felt like it was scored wrong. About halfway through though, once the story had time to unfold a bit, I turned to my friend and said "I get the feeling the movie's going to change to fit this crazy music." I was right.

Right off the bat, the movie makes two promises. The first is made by the film's title. The second promise comes from it's score, some of the eeriest fucking music I've ever heard. On both of these promises, it delivers beautifully.

Watch this movie. Watch a desperate man transition into an ambitious man and then a truly evil man. Watch an award-worthy performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. And through it all, keep reminding yourself... There Will Be Blood.

Highlights: Day-Lewis and a ridiculously good Paul Dano, the super unsettling background music, and one man's roller coaster ride to hubris!

Who Should See It: People that like good stories, good performances, and good movies in general.

How Soon: As soon as you're ready for it!

Death Sentence - 2007

What It Is: Kevin Bacon's vigilante justice movie.

Why I Watched It: I dig revenge movies and the grapevine had lots of good things to say about the film.

What I Thought: It was a pretty good revenge flick. Kevin Bacon has never been one to draw me to a film, but he's never been a reason to avoid one either. He was convincing throughout his progression from family man, to victim, to angel of death.

The story follows Kevin Bacon as he watches his son die at the hands of a street gang, then hunt his son's killer, then fail to protect his family when the street gang seeks vengeance of its own, and finally transform into a determined killer. The fact that Bacon practically transforms into the very thing he hates is a strong message throughout the film. Parallels are often drawn between Bacon and the gang's leader. This fact is one of Death Sentence's best qualities.

They hurt someone you love, so you hurt someone they love. Are you no better than them? Are you just like them? These a big theme in the film and it's enough to set the movie well apart from other revenge flicks.

Highlights: A surprise cameo from John Goodman, an amazing quote regarding "the gift of freedom" and very realistic depictions of violence that drive home the realism and prevent Death Sentence from becoming an action movie.

Who Should See It: Revenge fans and Bacon fans.

How Soon: It would make a damn fine rental and allow for some good conversations afterward.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - 2007

What It Is: Film version of a twisted Broadway musical about a 19th-century, revenge fueled, serial killing barber that bakes his victims into meat pies and serves them back to the public.

Why I Watched It: In the words of one of my very favorite actors, and the star of this cinematic gem, "How many chances do you get at a musical about a serial killer?"

What I Thought: Amazing! Incredibly! Expletive! After watching a high school production of Guys and Dolls, then seeing Moulin Rouge and the recent Chicago and now Sweeney Todd, I will officially go on record to profess my love for musicals. Of course, this should really be interpreted as a love for "good" musicals and Sweeney Todd was the best I've seen to date!

Surprisingly though, Sweeney Todd was more than a good musical. It was a good horror film, it was a fantastic revenge story and incredibly suspenseful. Sweeney Todd is fucking brilliant!

Highlights: Laughing in the face of the macabre, buckets of blood, an amazing Johnny Depp, a slew of cameos, awesome songs, a great revenge tale, and one hell of a villain!

Who Should See It: Depp's legion of fans and anyone that's as intrigued by the slasher/musical combination as I was. Seriously, if you're the slightest bit curious, you'll love the movie!

How Soon: An amazing film, just in time for the holidays! Use it as an escape when the big reunited family events start to wear on your patience. Nothin' says relief like tons of laughs and tons of blood.

No Country for Old Men - 2007

What It Is: An intense Coen brothers (Fargo, Miller's Crossing...) drama based on the novel by the same name.

Why I Watched It: It was enough that it was a Coen brothers film, but I was also curious about the now infamous "ending" that has audiences in a twist.

What I Thought: No Country was good, really good.

The movie follows a guy that happens upon a drug deal gone wrong and decides to run off with the cash he finds. Interested parties send a psycho after him and a haggard old cop tries to protect him. This synopsis, does no justice to the film whatsoever. Those were the images on the screen, but they were definitely not what the movie is about.

I think No Country for Old Men was really about violence, death, crime, and murder and how frequently futile it can be to understand them. The movie shows a lot of violence, but often leaves it unexplained. The movie's villain often kills for unknown reasons, or maybe no reason at all. You never see what went wrong at the drug deal, but that's not what the movie's about.

The movie opens with some voice over from Tommy Lee Jones' sheriff character talking about how criminal motive is often unknowable. No Country conveys that exact same feeling to the audience by leaving much of the "plot" unexplained. The movie ends with almost no resolution whatsoever, but real life doesn't always wrap things in a bow.

Aside from all the story stuff, the whole production was executed masterfully. Josh Brolin was very enjoyable as the "protagonist that isn't really", Tommy Lee Jones was a fantastic grizzled old sheriff. But Javier Bardem simply stole the show. He was the hired killer trying to track down the money and was one of the best, creepiest, most disturbing villains I have ever seen on film. Amazing.

Highlights: Inexplicable violence, pulse pounding gunfights, quotable dialogue, and Javier Bardem's entry into the cinema villains hall of fame!

Who Should See It: Coen brothers fans, independent movie buffs, and anybody that wants to ponder why bad guys do what they do.

How Soon: If you're looking for a meaningful film, there's not much else at the theater now. But I think the message will still be there on DVD.

Satan's Little Helper - 2004

What It Is: A super low budget slasher flick.

Why I Watched It: I'm not really sure. Probably the name.

What I Thought: It was a bad movie, very bad, but it did have an interesting premise.

A little kid idolizes Satan and sees a killer dressed as Satan during Halloween. As a game, he decides to 'help' the killer go about his business thinking all the victims are playing along and all the blood is "special effects". Yeah, it's hard to swallow and even harder to execute well in a film. But it's pretty fucking disturbing when you think about it!

Highlights: The kid's impressive innocence, Katheryn Winnick is pretty cute, and "Satan's" mask was really fucking creepy.

Who Should See It: Hard core slasher fans are probably the only ones that could tolerate it.

How Soon: Take your time.

The Killing - 1956

What It Is: Much to my surprise, turns out Stanley Kubrik's first film was a noir crime drama. Who would have thought?

Why I Watched It: Stanley Kubrik.

What I Thought: Often disappointed by the first films of other excellent directors, I honestly wasn't expecting much.

Kubrik didn't disappoint. Not only was The Killing a perfect example of film-noir, but this particular crime story still holds its own against modern greats like Reservoir Dogs and The Usual Suspects. The Killing even features a fractured timeline at the end to heighten suspense!

The movie revolves around criminal Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) and his plans to rob a horse racing track. We see him plotting the 'job', recruiting his help, and skillfully executing his plan. Until, of course, the job goes horribly wrong.

Highlights: Sterling Hayden's excellent criminal mastermind, the broken chronology at the film's end, and watching the plan unfold.

Who Should See It: Fans of Kubrik, classic Hollywood, crime movies, and film-noir.

How Soon: Next time you're in the mood for a good heist movie!

The Invisible - 2007

What It Is: A recent suspense drama about a ghost trying to point the living to his still breathing, but left for dead body.

Why I Watched It: It was an intriguing concept.

What I Thought: I was pretty good. Justin Chatwin sufficiently carried the movie, but with Chumscrubber and Weeds to his credit I didn't really expect any less.

I had a few hang ups over the things the 'ghost' could and couldn't do, but The Invisible wasn't really a 'ghost story' in the truest sense. It was a decent drama about redemption and forgiveness that just happened to use the 'ghost' thing as a vehicle.

It's worth checking out.

Highlights: Justin's character maintaining such a positive moral outlook, despite being dead.

Who Should See It: Drama fans and horror fans should find plenty to appreciate.

How Soon: Whenever.

High Tension (Haute Tension) - 2003

What It Is: A movie that single handedly proves French cinema is capable of more than artsy romances.

Why I Watched It: I've seen a ton of French films and was more than intrigued at the rumor of a French slasher film, done well!

What I Thought: Bloody brilliant!

Cécile de France is incredible as the main character, but the rest of the cast is only mediocre. Not that it matters that much. We don't watch slasher films for the quality acting now do we?

The violence and gore in High Tension are ratcheted many notches above the vast majority of half-assed American horror films. High Tension also plays on our expectations of the slasher genre with a few unexpected twists and turns.

Watch the Unrated Version. Unlike most "extended" or "unedited" DVDs out there, High Tension's NC17 cut includes an entire death scene completely removed from the R version as well as many deliciously gruesome seconds worth of gore that really drive the guttural impact of the film.

It deserves mention that High Tension isn't simply an excuse for bloodshed. There is a very interesting story underlying all the violence that will leave you thinking long after the movie's over.

Highlights: Gruesome death scenes, only the second film I've seen that features oral sex with a severed head, many deaths are drawn out just enough to hit you with some extreme discomfort, interesting twists and plays on the genre, and one bad ass chick with a barbed wire bat!

Who Should See It: Horror fans, slasher fans, or people that think all foreign films are black and white silent films about romance or love.

How Soon: Grab the Unrated DVD and settle in for 1.5 hours of delicious discomfort that only a well crafted gore-fest can bring!

High Tension (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Unknown - 2006

What It Is: A clever movie about identity and choices.

Why I Watched It: I have no idea. Seriously. Sometimes movies just have a way of... popping up in my Netflix Queue and I can't remember what caused me to put them there. Unknown was one of them.

What I Thought: The acting wasn't wonderful, but it definitely didn't detract from any enjoyment during the film. That's more than I can say about quite a few movies.

The story for Unknown is where the awesome really is! Five guys slowly come back to consciousness, they're locked in a small warehouse, most of them are injured, one is tied to a chair, and one is handcuffed and shot. None of them remember what happened! In the first 10 minutes of the film, they learn that criminals will arrive in a few hours.

It becomes a race to find an exit and a race to remember which side they're on. Who's a criminal and who's a victim?!

Highlights: Trust is handled very nicely and there are a few good twists as people remember things they'd rather not.

Who Should See It: Anybody that wants a good mystery.

How Soon: Put it on your list. You'll be pleasantly surprised when you finally get around to it!

Reservoir Dogs - 1992

What It Is: A glorious Tarantino film about a group of criminals dealing with a robbery gone very, very bad.

Why I Watched It: Cause it's fucking awesome!

What I Thought: Intensely enjoyable, as always. The movie is filled with violence and profanity in all the best ways, but the coolest thing is that all the blood is just color to a film that's really about trust.

Six men gather for a diamond robbery, but the cops show up too early and a blood bath ensues. The majority of the movie takes place at the rendezvous spot after the robbery with the men desperately trying to determine how it all went wrong. Obviously, one of them is working with the cops, but which one?

Reservoir Dogs features some super slick performances by Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, and Michael Madsen. The movie is not about the robbery, it's about the group of criminals themselves. It's about the team caving in on itself when everything goes wrong. Reservoir Dogs is all about the characters and the awesome cast easily delivers.

Highlights: Infinitely quotable, the ear scene, the Madonna speech, and the humorous anecdote.

Who Should See It: Action fans, crime movie fans, Tarantino buffs, people that can appreciate an awesome performance, and people that aren't afraid of the word fuck.

How Soon: As soon as possible. Stories like this are what film is all about!

Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition)

Leviathan - 1989

What It Is: An underwater horror movie from my childhood starring Peter Weller.

Why I Watched It: I remember it scared my pants off when I was a kid and I hadn't seen it in at least 10 years.

What I Thought: I must have scared easily as a child.

Some horror movies hold up remarkably well. The prime example of this would be Aliens. The film's pacing, atmosphere, and action make it one of the greatest horror films of all time!

Some films just don't hold up over the years at all. Despite the best efforts of such acting powerhouses as Peter Weller (Robocop), Richard Crenna (Rambo's Colonel), Daniel Stern (Home Alone's burglar), and Ernie Hudson (the black Ghostbuster), Leviathan pretty much sucked.

Highlights: Weller's baby blues? I'm reaching here...

Who Should See It: Anybody that loves cheesy '80s horror. Everyone else can skip it.

How Soon: It's not going anywhere and I don't think it'll get any worse if you wait a few more years. Wait, maybe it will...

Bedtime Story - 2006

What It Is: A remarkably good short story based on an award-winning 53 word short story with drama and a twist.

Why I Watched It: I wanted to see a plot twist executed in 53 words, or in this case about 1 minute.

What I Thought: Incredible.

Highlights: Contract killers, film-noir, suspense, and a plot twist all in 1 minute!

Who Should See It: Fans of short film and flash fiction, film-noir people, anyone else that can spare 60 seconds for some clever cinema.

How Soon: Why not click the link below right now?

Bedtime Story

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