cryptexcode/MPST huggingface dataset:
Happy-Go-Lucky

Plot synopsis:
30-year-old Poppy is a London schoolteacher who's more upbeat than anyone I've ever met in real life: She dresses in colourful retro-hippie clothing, smiles and waves at strangers on the street, and laughs incessantly. When she goes out clubbing, she stuffs her bra because she likes the way it feels.Poppy can't stand to see anyone unhappy -- or even neutral. She's undeterred by a taciturn bookstore clerk who responds to her many friendly overtures with grunts and glares. It's unclear whether she's actually concerned about his well-being -- her banter is clearly not cheering him up -- or if after a while she's just sort of mocking him.Poppy has a ton of friends, one of whom is her roommate; a couple of sisters, and a very full life that includes bouncing on a trampoline and taking flamenco lessons. She keeps insisting that she's perfectly happy despite the fact that she's single and doesn't have kids or a mortgage, even though she's already reached the ripe old age of 30.In addition to being preternaturally carefree, Poppy is also a bit of a flake. When her bike is stolen early on in the film, she gets over it in a matter of seconds. Her only regret, she laments aloud, is that she never even had a chance to say goodbye. Since she can't bring herself to replace her trusty steed, she decides that -- global warming be damned -- it's time to take driving lessons.Poppy's driving instructor is an angry, humorless racist with bad teeth named Scott who's in no mood for any of Poppy's frivolity; to him, driving is serious business and if you fool around you will crash and you will die! Whoa. The core of Scott's driving philosophy is that one must pay constant attention to the golden triangle of mirrors: the one on the right, the one on the left, and most importantly, the rear-view mirror, which he equates to the all-seeing eye on top of a pyramid, and which he calls Enraha (a malapropism for Eye of Ra, perhaps?).Every Saturday, Poppy and Scott go out for a driving lesson. Poppy keeps goofing around and trying to make small talk, but Scott's hostile demeanor remains impenetrable. Enraha! he screams every time she takes the wheel. Enraha! Enraha! Enraha! Yikes.On the one hand, Scott is clearly a nutjob, but on the other, why does Poppy have to keep torturing him with her antics? Why can't she just shut up and concentrate on driving? I don't think I'd last five minutes with her, but Scott keeps coming back week after week because he prides himself on never having lost a student. And Poppy keeps coming back too, I suppose because she sees Scott as a challenge.Though she refuses to play it straight during her lessons, Poppy clearly has it in her, as is demonstrated by her attempts to help a troubled pupil. Despite this being one of the few serious parts of the movie, it was also probably my favorite, in part because it seemed so real.

Tags: dramatic, psychedelic, psychological, entertaining, feel-good

Review:
Village of the Damned

Plot synopsis:
The quiet coastal town of Midwich in California's Marin County is invaded by an unseen force, causing a blackout for six hours, which leaves ten women mysteriously pregnant. Nine months later, the babies are born simultaneously on one night, though one is stillborn. At first, they all appear to be normal, but it does not take the parents long to realize that they aren't. The children are shown to all have pale skin, white hair, fierce intellect, and cobalt eyes. However, they also do not appear to possess a conscience or personalities. The children display eerie psychic abilities that can result in violent and deadly consequences whenever they experience pain or provocation.
The children soon "pair off", except for one of the boys, David, whose intended partner was the stillborn baby. As a result, he shows human compassion while still resembling the other children and retaining some degree of psychic powers. Their leader is Mara, the daughter of a local physician, Dr. Alan Chaffee. Mara's mother, Barbara, commits suicide by walking off an ocean cliff. Because of his childhood loss, David understands what the other children do not: emotion. He and his mother Jill McGowan (the local school teacher) share a brief conversation about this, displaying empathy and remorse. The children eventually move to the local barn as their classroom and for survival.
Soon it is revealed that there are other colonies of blackout children in foreign countries, but they were quickly eliminated due to their inhuman nature. The scientific team in Midwich quickly flees the town to escape the chaos. Government scientist, Dr. Susan Verner, dissects herself after being forced to show the children the preserved stillborn baby she secretly kept to perform an autopsy, which is unveiled as an alien. An angry mob gathers to kill the children, but the leader is set on fire and burns to death while the state police sent there are instead hypnotized into shooting each other in a chaotic gun battle.
In order to rid the town of the children, Alan devises a plan: to detonate a briefcase of explosives inside the children's classroom. By thinking of a brick wall, he is able to create a mental barrier and keep the presence of the bomb a secret from the children. Jill begs him to spare David because he is not like the others, and Alan agrees. He attempts to do this by asking David to leave the classroom to get his notebook from his car. The children begin to suspect that Alan is hiding something, and they slowly "destroy" the wall. Finally, Jill shows up, but the children stop her and attempt to use mind control. David, tired of this, rushes to her defense and knocks Mara over. The children turn on David, but Jill rushes him from the building. As soon as the children discover Alan thinking of the bomb, it detonates, killing everyone inside, along with Alan.
Jill and David survive the massacre; she says that they will both move to a place where nobody knows them. David looks off into the distance as they drive away.

Tags: paranormal, violence, murder

Review:
Filth

Plot synopsis:
Bruce Robertson is a Detective Sergeant in Edinburgh, Scotland who displays sociopathic, schizophreniac and even bipolar traits. He is a scheming, manipulative, misanthropic bully who spends his free time indulging in drugs, alcohol, abusive sexual relationships, and "the games" — his euphemism for the vindictive plots he hatches to cause trouble for people he dislikes, including many of his colleagues. Robertson also delights in bullying and taking advantage of his mild-mannered friend Clifford Blades, a member of Robertson's masonic lodge whose wife, Bunty, he repeatedly prank calls and asks for phone sex. The only people he shows any genuine warmth to are Mary and her young son, the widowed wife and child of a man whom Robertson tries and fails to resuscitate after he suffers a heart attack in the street.
As the story begins, Robertson's main goal is to gain a promotion to become Detective Inspector, the path to which appears to open when he is assigned to oversee the investigation into the murder of a Japanese exchange student. He slowly loses his grip on reality as he works the case, however, suffering from a series of increasingly vivid hallucinations. It is ultimately revealed through dream-like exchanges with Dr. Rossi, his psychiatrist, that he is on medication for bipolar disorder and has repressed immense feelings of guilt over a childhood accident that led to the death of his younger brother. It also becomes clear that Carole, his wife, has left him and is denying him access to his daughter, Stacey, developments which sparked his desperate bid for promotion, played a part in his unusual displays of kindness toward Mary and her son, and have also led him to start cross-dressing as his wife when off duty in order to "keep her close" to him.
While wandering the streets on such an occasion, Robertson is kidnapped by a street gang led by the thuggish Gorman — who are responsible for the murder — and badly beaten. However, he manages to kill Gorman by throwing him through a window and is found by his colleagues. Robertson not only misses out on the promotion as a result of the events, but is in fact demoted to Constable and is reassigned to uniform, while rookie Ray Lennox is promoted to Detective Inspector. Afterwards, Blades receives a tape of Robertson apologising. Robertson then prepares to commit suicide by hanging himself, but is interrupted at the last moment by Mary and her son knocking at his front door. He then breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience repeating his catchphrase — "Same rules apply" — and laughs as the chair slips from under him.

Tags: psychedelic, murder, flashback

Review:
Galaxy of Terror

Plot synopsis:
On a desolate, storm-lashed planet called Morganthus, the last survivor of a crashed spaceship is attacked and killed by an unseen force.
On another planet a very long distance away, two figures are seen playing a strange game. One, an old woman named Mitri, is identified as the controller of the game while the other, whose head is obscured by a glowing ball of red light, turns out to be an all-powerful mystic called the Planet Master. The two speak cryptically of things being put into motion, and the Master instructs one of his military commanders to send a ship to Morganthus.
Without delay, the spaceship Quest blasts off to Morganthus. Piloting the ship is Captain Trantor, a survivor from a famous space disaster that has left her psychologically scarred and unstable.
As the Quest approaches the planet’s atmosphere, it suddenly veers out of control and plunges toward the surface, crash-landing there. After recovering from the landing, the crew prepare to leave the Quest and search for survivors. The team has a psi-sensitive woman among their number named Alluma (Erin Moran). Both she and the surface team have significant problems with team leader Baelon (Zalman King), who is pushy and arrogant and totally unimpressed by Alluma's inability to detect any lifesigns whatsoever.
Making their way across the landscape of the planet, they eventually reach the other vessel. Entering, they find evidence of a massacre that took place. The rescue teams split into two and explore the craft. They find further evidence of something catastrophic having happened and, after disposing of the rest, take one victim back for analysis. Cos, the highly-strung youngest member of the team, despite being reassured by his seniors, becomes increasingly terrified by being on the ship and, a short time later, he is killed by a grotesque creature.
The crew discover that something from the planet pulled them down, and in order to escape, they must investigate. After some exploration, they discover a massive pyramid-shaped structure, which Alluma describes as "empty" and "dead". Their explorations of the pyramid lead to a series of exceedingly violent and deadly encounters in which a malevolent force causes several crew members to be dismembered, burned, consumed, raped or crushed to death by monsters created out of each person's unique set of fears.
Eventually, only two members of the team, Ranger (Robert Englund) and Cabren (Edward Albert), remain alive. Deep inside the pyramid, Cabren encounters the Master (Ray Walston), who has been masquerading as the cook on board the Quest. The Master explains that the pyramid is actually an ancient toy for the children of a long-extinct race, built in order to test their ability to control fear. Cabren kills the Master for allowing his crew to die, but becomes the new Master in his place.

Tags: tragedy, cult, horror, violence, plot twist

Review:
Tekunoraizu

Plot synopsis:
Texhnolyze is a Japanese anime television series directed by Hiroshi Hamazaki, from a screenplay by Chiaki Konaka, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, with original character design by Yoshitoshi ABe.The events take place in the vibrant yet dilapidated underground city of Lux. Denizens of Lux have come to call it "The City" and treat it as a sentient force. Three factions vie for control of the city: the Organo, a strictly professional conglomerate with ties to the criminal underworld in the prosthetics business ("Texhnolyze"); the Union, a fanatical populist group interfering with Organo's affairs; and Racan, a marauding group of Texhnolyzed youths. The series has an ensemble cast, but events particularly focus on Ichise, a stoic prize fighter who loses a leg and an arm to satisfy an enraged promoter; Onishi, a young but level-headed executive of the Organo who has many enemies; and Ran, a little girl who has a very important gift that affects the entire city. As they struggle to accept the challenges that they are dealt, the characters bear witness to major events that determine whether the city continues to exist.Texhnolyze aired on Fuji Television from April 16, 2003 to September 24 of the same year, totalling twenty episodes. Two "secret" episodes were included in the DVD release.Adapted from Wikipedia.Texhnolyze é uma série de televisão de anime japonês dirigida por Hiroshi Hamazaki, a partir de um roteiro de Chiaki Konaka, e produzido por Yasuyuki Ueda, com projeto de desings originais por Yoshitoshi ABe.Os eventos ocorrem na cidade vibrante, mas em ruínas subterrâneas de Lux. Habitantes de Lux passaram a chamá-lo de "The City" e tratá-lo como uma força consciente. Três facções disputam o controle da cidade: a Organo, um conglomerado estritamente profissional com laços com o submundo do crime no negócio de próteses ("Texhnolyze"); a União, um grupo populista fanático a interferir com os assuntos de Organo; e Racan, um grupo de saqueadores de jovens Texhnolyzed. A série tem um elenco, mas os eventos enfocam especialmente Ichise, um lutador profissional estóico que perde uma perna e um braço para satisfazer um promotor enfurecido; Onishi, um executivo jovem, mas equilibrado da Organo que tem muitos inimigos, e Ran , uma menina que tem um dom muito importante que afeta toda a cidade. Conforme se esforçam para aceitar os desafios que lhes são interpostos, os personagens testemunham grandes eventos que determinam se a cidade continua a existir.Texhnolyze foi transmitido pela televisão Fuji de 16 de abril de 2003 a 24 de setembro do mesmo ano, num total de vinte episódios. Dois episódios "secretos" foram incluídos na versão DVD.Adaptado da Wikipedia.

Tags: neo noir, murder, paranormal, violence, revenge, sci-fi

Review:
Icarus

Plot synopsis:
There were those who called him Icarus. Everyone else knew him as a divorced father working for an investment company. But they didn't know his other side his dark side. Because Icarus (Dolph Lundgren) was at his best when he was killing people. For years, he'd worked as a sleeper agent in America but when the Soviet Empire collapsed, he found himself in a foreign country with no one to trust.
Determined to break from his dark past, he started over with a new identity. But you can only escape your past for so long. When a sudden mishap in Hong Kong blows Icarus' identity, past and present collide and the assassin realizes he is now the target. The people that want him dead will stop at nothing to get to him. And that means going after what he cares about most his wife and daughter.
Fighting for his life, Icarus is forced to face the demons of his past to protect the loved ones in his present. He must fight to save the only thing he's ever done right in his life. He needs to uncover who is after him and protect his family, before it's too late.

Tags: revenge, neo noir, murder, violence

Review:
Ukigumo

Plot synopsis:
This film is based on flashbacks, which I'll ignore here for the sake of clarity. Married Japanese forester during WWII is sent to Indochina to manage forests. He meets a young Japanese typist and promises to leave his wife. He doesn't and after the war, she turns up and the affair resumes. He, who is a womaniser who takes women for granted, is cold, uses her for occasional sex and takes other lovers. She, while forced to become a mistress of a GI when she can't get a job, loves him and cannot give him up, even lending him money. In poverty, she becomes a mistress of a rich man, but gives him up when she cannot forget the forester. When the forester's wife, whom he never leaves, dies of disease, the forester takes a job far away. Despite his lack of interest, the woman, who is being pursued by the rich man whose money she stole, comes with him. Becoming ill on the journey, she continues with him, rather than rest and recuperate, obsessed by her constant fear that he will leave her. As she dies, he realises his mistake in rejecting her perfect love.

Tags: tragedy

Review:
Willie the Operatic Whale

Plot synopsis:
As the story opens, strange operatic vocals are soon heard far out at sea. Some sailors soon report something that leaves many flabbergasted: the vocals are emitting from a whale!The public and a number of notable people are split: some refuse to believe, while others accept the miraculous story.The story soon reaches the desk of opera Impresario, Professor Tetti-Tatti. After thinking long and hard, the Professor can only come to one logical conclusion: the whale has swallowed an opera singer!The Professor charters a crew and publicizes his quest. A lone seagull named Whitey just happens to see a newspaper article telling of Tetti-Tatti's search, and takes it out to sea to show his friend: Willie. Willie hasn't actually swallowed an opera singer, but can really sing. When the seagull shows Willie the newspaper, Willie assumes that the Professor is looking to audition him, and given Tetti-Tatti's credentials, Willie feels his dream of singing at the Metropolitan Opera may finally come true!Willie soon comes upon the Professor's boat, and begins to sing music from "The Marriage of Figaro." Tetti-Tatti demands that his crew harpoon the whale (thinking by killing it, he'll save the opera singer inside, as he believes), but the crew soon grows enamored by Willie's vocals, and applaud for more.Willie soon proves to be a 'singing miracle,' when he begins singing in 3-part harmony, able to sing in Tenor, Baritone, and Bass. The crew is impressed, but Tetti-Tatti now believes that this whale has swallowed 3 opera singers!Willie continues to sing, as the audience is drawn into his imagination, as he imagines himself on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, singing numerous other arias.However, Tetti-Tatti soon breaks free from the crew, and harpoons Willie, killing him.In the closing narration, we see Whitey the seagull who was Willie's friend, dejected over the loss. But the narrator explains that the audience should not feel anger towards Tetti-Tatti, and that some people just aren't used to miracles.The narrator closes by explaining that somewhere in heaven above, Willie still sings, but in 1,000 voices. The closing image shows Willie in angelic garb, singing in a choral tone, before we see the gates of heaven showing that the performance is sold out to see Willie perform.

Tags: psychedelic

Review:
Last Night

Plot synopsis:
Joanna is a writer who is married to Michael, a commercial real estate agent. They live in New York. The film begins with Joanna and Michael attending a party with Michael's colleagues. Joanna notices Michael spending most of his time chatting with the beautiful Laura, one of his colleagues, whom he has never mentioned to her before. She suspects him of having an affair and confronts him when they return home. They argue but reconcile later in the night.Michael leaves for Philadelphia the next morning with associates Laura and Andy for a business trip. Joanna goes out for coffee and bumps into Alex, an old love. They meet later that day for a drink, eventually ending up having dinner with Sandra and Truman, friends of Alex. In the conversations while having dinner, the film then reveals the history behind Joanna and Alex and the nature of her relationship with Michael. Joanna met Alex four years ago in Paris while she was working on a story. She has never told Michael about Alex.Joanna and Alex return to friend Andy's apartment, where they discuss their previous romance. It is revealed that they were together during the period Joanna and Michael briefly broke off their relationship. Joanna then goes out to walk Andy's dog Lucy; Alex forgets the keys when he comes down to greet her, and they are locked outside. They then go to a party where Sandra and Truman are at, with the dog. There, they grow even closer and passionately kiss in the elevator. They return to Alex's hotel room after the party. Joanna refuses to have sex with Alex. Instead, they spend the night together embracing in bed.Joanna and Alex's night together is interspersed with scenes of Michael and Laura on their business trip. After dinner with their client, Laura invites Michael out for more drinks, which he accepts. Their conversations at the hotel bar reveal that Michael has never cheated on his wife. They then proceed to the hotel pool, where they swim in their underwear. They continue to talk about infidelity, which further tempts Michael. They return to her room and have steamy passionate sex.The next morning, Michael tries to speak to Laura about what had happened but is unable to. He also discovers a note written by Joanna slipped into his clothes where she confirmed her confidence in his honesty. Fraught with guilt, he leaves Philadelphia early, leaving Laura and Andy alone for the presentation to their clients. Joanna and Alex have a passionate farewell. Alex leaves New York broken-hearted.Michael comes home early to find Joanna in tears. They make plans for the day, trying to resume their normal lives. They embrace, and Michael tells Joanna he loves her and notices Joanna's shoes left over there that were worn the night before. Joanna is puzzled by this sudden show of affection coupled with Michael's early return. Michael then notices that Joanna is wearing her best underwear, which she had not removed after last night. As Joanna prepares to speak, the film cuts to black...

Tags: thought-provoking, sentimental

Review:
Lilja 4-ever

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with a figure running towards a motorway bridge. When the figure turns around, the film introduces the audience to Lilya, an adolescent girl who has recently been brutally beaten. The film then reveals her past.
Lilya lives with her mother in a run-down apartment block in an unnamed former republic of the Soviet Union (principal filming took place in Paldiski, Estonia). Lilya's mother tells her they are emigrating to the United States with the mother's new boyfriend, but instead she abandons Lilya in the care of her aunt while she moves to the U.S. The aunt moves herself into the larger, nicer flat that Lilya and her mother had lived in while forcing Lilya to move into a smaller, squalid apartment.
A subsequent succession of humiliations and miseries are heaped upon Lilya. Her best friend encourages her to join her in prostitution, but Lilya does not join her. When money is discovered in the friend's possession, she lies and implicates Lilya, whose reputation is subsequently ruined in the community and at school, culminating in her being raped by a group of boys she knows. Lilya ultimately has to actually become a prostitute to support herself.
Meanwhile, she forms another close, protective friendship with a younger boy named Volodya, who is physically abused by his alcoholic father. She buys Volodya a basketball, but Volodya's father punctures it with a pair of scissors. She then meets a young man, Andrei, who becomes her boyfriend and convinces her to move to Sweden, where he says they'll live together. After arriving in Sweden, she is instead met by a pimp who takes her to a nearly empty apartment where he imprisons and rapes her. Lilya is then forced to perform sexual acts for a large number of clients: nearly all the abuse is seen from Lilya's point of view.
Despondent over the departure of the only person who cared about him, Volodya commits suicide. In the form of an angel, Volodya comes to Lilya to watch over her. On Christmas Day, he transports Lilya to the roof of the apartment building where they lived and, deeply regretting having killed himself, gives her the world as a present, but a disillusioned Lilya rejects it. After an escape attempt, Lilya is brutally beaten by her pimp, but she escapes again successfully. With the story arriving full circle to the scene at the beginning of the film, Lilya jumps from the bridge and commits suicide herself.
The film's conclusion presents two different endings. One version shows Lilja being sent back in time after killing herself to when she made the decision to go to Sweden with Andrei. However, this time she rejects Andrei's offer to go to Sweden and she and Volodya are shown to presumably live happier lives. In the other ending, Lilya and Volodya are both angels happily playing basketball on the roof of a tenement building.

Tags: tragedy, violence, depressing

Review:
Randy and the Mob

Plot synopsis:
Randy Pearson (Ray McKinnon) is a wheeler-dealer good ole Southern boy running several businesses at the same time in a small Georgia town. Times are hard and Randy lands in hot water and must turn to some low rent loan sharks to keep his businesses from going under. Unfortunately for Randy, all his businesses are still making very little money. Franco (Paul Ben-Victor), a loan shark for the mob, wants to collect the mob's money, but Randy can't deliver, and Randy is now in deep trouble. His only hope of saving his skin (and his truck) is turning to his family which includes his chronically depressed, carpal tunnel syndromed, baton twirling instructor wife, and his gay, identical twin, antique store owner brother. However, the mob has other plans to use Randy's business to move some of their goods. Franco sends the mob enforcer, Tino (Walton Goggins), to run the operations. Tino begins to make all the businesses very profitable. There is only one problem; Franco must drive down to the small Georgia town to collect the mob's money from Tino. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)From Academy Award winning director Ray McKinnon, comes "Randy and the Mob," a feel-good, slice of Southern life comedy. It's the story of good ol' boy Randy Pearson (McKinnon), who can't seem to help getting in over his head. His latest scheme to keep his businesses afloat goes awry when a long-standing debt becomes due to a couple of low level Italian mobsters. Randy's forced to swing into action, but his only hope is a helping hand from his carpal-tunneled, baton-teaching wife (Golden Globe Nominee Lisa Blount); his estranged, gay twin brother (also played by McKinnon), and "Tino Armani" ("The Shield's" Walton Goggins), a mysterious modern day prophet with a knack for high fashion, Italian cooking and clogging. [D-Man2010]Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the 2007 Nashville Film Festival and shot on location in and around Atlanta by all Southern filmmakers, "Randy and the Mob" is a powerful reminder of the strength of Southern roots, where love and family can usually be counted on to trump all adversities. A good ol' boy, Randy Pearson, can't seem to help getting in over his head. His latest scheme to keep his businesses afloat goes awry when a long-standing debt becomes due to a couple of low level Italian mobsters. Randy's forced to swing into action, but his only hope is a helping hand from his carpal-tunneled, baton-teaching wife; his estranged, gay twin brother, and "Tino Armani," a mysterious modern day prophet with a knack for high fashion, Italian cooking and clogging. [D-Man2010]

Tags: romantic

Review:
The Baby

Plot synopsis:
Ann Gentry (Anjanette Comer) is a social worker whose husband has been injured in a car crash. She takes on the case of the twisted, mysterious Wadsworth family, and takes a special interest in "Baby" (David Manzy), a mentally ill 21-year-old who still acts and is treated like an infant by his mother and sisters. The Wadsworth clan has abused and neglected Baby, but Mrs. Wadsworth (Ruth Roman) has been extremely protective since his father left shortly after his birth, and she isn't going to let another caregiver mess with her son.Ann tries to convince Mrs. Wadsworth that Baby can learn something, but he can't even pick up and return a ball. When his blonde sister Alba (Suzanne Zenor) hits him, frustrated by Baby's baby-like behavior, Mrs. Wadsworth defends him, herself beating Alba in turn. Physically, Baby is an attractive young man physically, and his other sister, Germaine (Marianna Hill), sleeps naked with him. Ann visits a school for "extraordinary children," sees several children play and interact together, compares it to Baby's isolation, and feels sad.The Wadsworth sisters throw a party for some friends. Baby runs around on the dance floor and although he doesn't really fit in, none of the Wadsworth sisters' friends pay any attention to him. Mrs. Wadsworth talks about her runaway husband, and her relief that Baby will never suffer such disappointments. Ann gets dizzy after drinking a cup of punch. Alba and Germaine take her downstairs and tie her down. Baby has sex with Ann, but he doesn't seem to understand what happens. When Ann tries to release herself, Baby starts to cry. The sisters are making out with their loser boyfriends. Baby has to be bathed, and Ann dresses him up in a suit afterward. Ann takes photographs of Baby dressed as an adult, and shows them to his family.Eventually, Ann and her mother take Baby. His family comes after them, but Ann and her mother kill them. Finally, the film reveals why Ann is so interested in Baby:The car crash left Ann's husband with the mental capacity of an infant. Ann wanted Baby as a playmate for him. They play all day, and get along well. Two adult-size cradles appear in their decorated room.The film ends with Ann and her two "babies" swimming in their new pool, which has been built in the backyard over the site where the bodies of Baby's mother and sisters have been buried.

Tags: cult, murder

Review:
Titicut Follies

Plot synopsis:
I saw "Titicut Follies" over seventeen years ago. Thus, what I write is from fading memory. I can't remember all the details. I only wish I could forget about the details I do remember. I'll never shake the indelible anguish I was left with.I saw it once.
I never want to see it again.Plot?
There IS no plot.
Scenes are beyond graphic.This documentary represents the antitheses of Hollywood "airbrushing."For as much as Hollywood values implausible shock, this shock is synthesized, and it will always pale in comparison to the jarring reality of Titicut Follies. Joan Miró, himself, on his best surrealistic day, from the abyss of his blackest subconscious, could not have captured the cruel absurdity these patients / inmates experienced.
Cast in stark black and white, one is reminded of the daily austerity the inmates were faced with every day at the Massachusetts Institution for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater.Humanity?
There IS no humanity.
The title of the film is eponymously borrowed from the name of the annual talent show in which the inmates participated, perhaps the only scintilla of happiness they had ever known.Compassion?
The documentary is rife with ridicule, while cruelty REPLACES compassion.Massachusetts state government presumably went to extremes to censor this film. It was an embarrassment for bureaucrats and pundits alike. It was therefore banned from public viewing for twenty-five years. To this day, the costs of buying / renting this film are prohibitive.Out of misery comes reform.
Because of the genius of director Frederick Wiseman, state government was forced to take an honest inventory of the way it treats its wards, not only in Massachusetts, but also across the country. Reform did come, albeit slowly.I'll spare the reader what graphic details I do recall. Suffice it to say that this documentary will alter the viewer's life in some small but significant way ... forever. Even the most hardened and jaded viewer will know empathy after watching it.

Tags: insanity

Review:
Eating Out

Plot synopsis:
After getting dumped by his girlfriend Tiffani von der Sloot (Rebekah Kochan), University of Arizona student Caleb Peterson (Scott Lunsford) commiserates with his roommate Kyle (Jim Verraros), who notes that while he has trouble getting the men he wants, he could get any woman because he's gay. Later at a party, Gwen Anderson (Emily Stiles) dumps her boyfriend after he comes out to her. Caleb sees her and becomes infatuated and meets Marc Everhard (Ryan Carnes), with whom Kyle is infatuated. Marc, meanwhile, sees Caleb and is instantly attracted. Kyle comes up with a crazy scheme. He tells Gwen that Caleb is gay so she'll set him up with Marc. Kyle figures that Caleb can use Marc to get to Gwen, while Kyle uses Caleb to get to Marc. Also, Tiffani lives next door to Gwen and Marc so seeing Caleb date Marc would make her crazy.
Caleb and Marc go out on a date then go back to Marc's place to watch a movie. Marc tries to put the moves on Caleb, who's unresponsive. Suddenly Gwen, who's stuck at a friend's house and bored, calls. She talks to Caleb, relaxing and seducing him verbally while Marc takes advantage by performing oral sex on him. Gwen hangs up to come home and Marc masturbates next to Caleb. Caleb, feeling confused and insecure, leaves. He passes Gwen on her way home and she seduces him again, this time physically. They have sex in his convertible. Caleb goes home and goes to bed.
The next morning, Marc calls Caleb and leaves a message. Kyle overhears it and realizes that Marc and Caleb had sex. As Kyle storms into his room, Marc calls back. After the call Caleb goes to Kyle and tells him he's invited Gwen and Marc to dinner to clear everything up. Caleb also tells Kyle that he knows Kyle has feelings for him and that, if Caleb were at all gay, he'd be with Kyle. Gwen and Marc come over for dinner and Caleb is chagrined to see that Kyle's invited Caleb's family as well. Kyle convinces Gwen to "pretend" to be Caleb's date and Marc to "pretend" to be his. Dinner is going well, if a little awkwardly, until Tiffani inexplicably crashes the party. Gwen takes it upon herself to out Caleb to his parents (Murph Michaels and Mattie van der Voort). His parents take it quite well and everyone ends up in a bizarre group hug.
After Caleb's family and Tiffani leave, Gwen verbally attacks Kyle, thinking he's trying to steal Marc from Caleb. She makes it clear that "someone like Marc" would never go out with "someone like him." Caleb convinces Marc to talk to Kyle and Gwen figures out the entire scheme, which she thinks is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for her in light of the lengths to which Caleb went to sleep with her. Marc goes to talk to Kyle and tells Kyle that he was into him all along, having feigned disinterest this whole time. They finally kiss.
In a post-credits scene, Marc and Kyle are shown shirtless, making out in his bed; it is implied they are about to have sex.

Tags: romantic, flashback

Review:
Obsession

Plot synopsis:
In 1959, Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson), a New Orleans real estate developer, has his life shattered when his wife Elizabeth (Geneviève Bujold) and young daughter Amy are kidnapped. The police strongly recommend that he provide the kidnappers with shredded blank paper instead of the demanded ransom, and he agrees to the plan. This leads to a bungled car chase in which both kidnappers and victims are killed in a spectacular explosion. Courtland blames himself for the deaths of his wife and daughter.15 Years later. Courtland is morbidly obsessed with his dead wife, and regularly visits a monument he has had built in her memory. The monument is a replica of the church (Basilica di San Miniato al Monte) where he and Elizabeth had met many years before in Florence, Italy. His real estate partner Robert LaSalle (John Lithgow) convinces Courtland to tag along on a business trip back to Florence. While there, Courtland revisits the church, and suddenly comes face to face with a young woman named Sandra (Bujold again in a dual role) who looks exactly like his late wife. The already slightly unhinged Courtland begins to court the young woman, and subtly attempts to transform her into a perfect mirror image of his dead wife.Courtland returns to New Orleans with Sandra so they can marry. On their wedding night, Sandra is kidnapped and a ransom note is left behind by her abductors. It is an exact replica of the kidnappers' message from fifteen years before. This time, Courtland decides to deliver the demanded cash. He withdraws massive quantities of money from his accounts and business holdings, financially ruining him and forcing him to sign over his interest in the real estate business to LaSalle. In the process, he discovers that his entire ordeal, including the original kidnapping, had been engineered by LaSalle as a way to gain sole control of Courtland's company share holdings. The now nearly insane Courtland stabs LaSalle to death.Knowing that Sandra must have been a willing accomplice in the plot against him, he goes to the airport to kill the escaping woman. On the plane, Sandra has a flashback to her part in the scheme; she is in fact Courtland's daughter, allowed by LaSalle to survive the explosive traffic "accident" from years before that had killed her mother. LaSalle had told her lies about Courtland over the years, convincing her that her father had not paid the ransom because he didn't love her. Sandra, who now loves Courtland, attempts suicide on the plane and is taken off the flight in a wheelchair. Courtland sees her and runs toward her, gun drawn. A security guard attempts to stop him but Courtland smashes the briefcase full of money against the guard's head, knocking him unconscious. The briefcase breaks open and all of the money flies out. Sandra, seeing the fluttering bills, stands up and shouts: "Daddy! You brought the money!" Courtland now realizes for the first time who Sandra really is, and father and daughter fall into a deep embrace.

Tags: violence, neo noir, flashback

Review:
Much Ado About Nothing

Plot synopsis:
Don Pedro, prince of Medina (Denzel Washington), his resentful brother Don John (Keanu Reeves), and his noblemen Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Benedick (screenwriter/director Kenneth Branagh) return from war, ready for merriment and love. Claudio loves Hero (Kate Beckinsale), the young daughter of the nobleman Leonato (Richard Briers), but Benedick hates Beatrice (Emma Thompson), Leonato's beautiful, witty, but sharp-tongued niece, who hates him back.Claudio and Hero are soon engaged; as they prepare for their wedding, they decide, with the help of Don Pedro, to trick Benedick and Beatrice into confessing their true love for each other. The plan works without a hitch, but trouble comes in the form of Don John, who is jealous of his brother's power and of his affection for Claudio. Don John devises a scheme where one of his lieutenants will make love to Hero's maid Margaret (Imelda Staunton) at Hero's window the night before the wedding--and call her Hero. Don John takes Don Pedro and Claudio to Leonato's house, where they see the encounter and are convinced the woman is Hero. The next day Claudio disgraces Hero publicly at the wedding and refuses to marry her. She faints and Leonato is persuaded to pretend that she is dead until the situation is sorted out.The foolish warden Dogberry (Michael Keaton) manages to arrest Don John's lieutenants and they confess to the plot. Claudio is crushed when he learns that he killed Hero with his false accusations. He begs Leonato to punish him and Leonato tells him his punishment is to marry his (other) niece, who closely resembles Hero. Claudio agrees but first spends a night mourning for Hero and proclaiming her innocence. Don John escapes Medina. The next morning Claudio marries the supposed niece, who removes her veil to reveal that she is Hero. They are very happy but Benedick and Beatrice almost break up when they discover they were tricked into admitting their love. In the end, Don John is arrested and brought back to face punishment, Benedick and Beatrice marry, and all dance around Leonato's garden singing "Noddy noddy."

Tags: comedy, cute, intrigue, feel-good, psychedelic, romantic, revenge, prank

Review:
Revenge of the Green Dragons

Plot synopsis:
As a kid, Sonny lost his mother on their trip being smuggled to the US. The Snakehead Lady, leader of the smugglers, gave him to a new family thus he became brothers with Stephen. One day Stephen went missing and returned as a Green Dragon gang member. Sonny went with him and they grew up that way. One day the Dragons leader Paul has his relative Teddy and Teddys daughter Tina from Hong Kong. Sonny takes interest to Tina. But as they talk, men from rivaling White Tigers come and open fire on them, serious wounding Stephen with eight bullets in his chest. The Dragons exact revenge by kidnapping and killing a Tiger. Paul take Sonny to visit Ah Tai, the Tigers leader to make peace and propose a new business of smuggling heroine inside mooncakes, which Ah Tai agrees to.Sonny arranges Teddy for the run. Teddy succeeds but as he deliver the powder to the Tigers base, cops storm the place. Paul closes the door on Ah Tai and Tina hates Sonny for Teddy going to jail. One day Sonney and Stephen collect tax from a car workshop owner, which deliver less from his part. A Tiger jumps on them but Stephen kills him quickly. Finding money shortage, Stephen tells their gang captain Dai Lo about his uncle having money stashed. They then rob the place and the captain let the Dragons rape the wife and daughter, which stuns Stephen. One night Sonny and Stephen went to teach a lesson to a restaurant manager who harassed the Dai Los girl. When the manager finds out who Stephen is, he mocks him. Stephen shoots him repeatedly, also shooting a white man out of reflex when the man stands up.This means Stephen breaks one cardinal rule of gang killing: no whites. Tina makes a deal for Teddys sake on info implicating the Dragons, enraging the gang. But after Tina dropped her case, Paul instructs the captain to kill Stephen. Paul leads the Dragons to execute Tina, in front of Sonny, with Paul giving Sonny another chance to find his way back home. Paul then goes missing as the six Asian gangs convene with Dai Lo as the Dragons leader. He kills the Tigers leader, instilling fear to the other gangs and uniting them in a drug running operation. Sonny rats on them so the police easily cracks down the operation, even arresting Dai Lo. Sonny followed Paul to Hong Kong. But as hes about to kill Stephen, The Asian detective Tang whom Sonny ratted to comes and shoots Sonny dead.

Tags: murder

Review:
Any Given Sunday

Plot synopsis:
The Miami Sharks, a once-great American football team, are struggling to make the 2001 Associated Football Franchises of America (AFFA) playoffs. They are coached by thirty-year veteran Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), who has fallen out of favor with young team owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) and offensive coordinator and D'Amato's expected successor Nick Crozier (Aaron Eckhart). In the thirteenth game of the season, both starting quarterback Jack "Cap" Rooney (Dennis Quaid) and second-string quarterback Tyler Cherubini (Pat O'Hara) are injured and forced to leave the field. The desperate Sharks call upon third-string quarterback Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx) to replace them. Beamen played college ball at the University of Houston. While a nervous Beamen makes a number of errors and fails to win the game for the Sharks, he plays well and gains confidence. Rooney vows to make it back by the playoffs, with D'Amato promising to not give up on him.
The next day, D'Amato and Pagniacci argue about the direction of the team. Pagniacci favors Crozier and wants to eventually cut Rooney. D'Amato argues that Pagniacci's father, the previous owner, would never meddle in his team. During the next game, to D'Amato's chagrin, Beamen disregards the team's conservative offense and changes plays in the huddle. As the media hails Beaman as the next model of quarterback, the new-found success feeds his growing narcissism and leads to tension with teammates and coaches. During a confrontation with Beaman, D'Amato demotes him back to the bench. After Beamen gives an interview taking sole credit for the Sharks' winning streak, the other players refuse to perform for Beamen and consequently lose a home game. After Beamen gets into a brawl with Julian "J-Man" Washington (LL Cool J), an irate D'Amato expresses his embarrassment at his team before leaving. Beamen contemplates and amends his self-centered behavior.
As the playoffs come around, Sharks middle linebacker Luther Lavay (Lawrence Taylor) reminds Beaman how lucky he is to be in the league and to find a life outside of football; his words fall on deaf ears. D'Amato worsens his relationship with Pagniacci and berates Rooney for second-guessing his availability. Before the game, D'Amato gives a speech urging team unity that Beaman takes to heart. Rooney returns as starting quarterback, but is injured with a concussion after scoring a touchdown. Rooney and Pagniacci urge D'Amato to let Beaman finish the game, which after an argument he allows. Beaman apologizes to his teammates for his actions and leads the team to win. He dedicates the next game to Rooney.
At D'Amato's final press conference as head coach, he is thanked by Pagniacci. D'Amato is expected to announce his retirement, but he instead drops a bombshell and announces that he has been hired as head coach and general manager of an expansion team in New Mexico. He further infuriates Pagniacci by adding that he has signed Beamen to be his starting quarterback and franchise player.

Tags: violence

Review:
Chaos

Plot synopsis:
Jason Statham plays Detective Quentin Conners, a rogue cop who's been suspended from the force for playing a part in the accidental shooting of a woman in a hostage crisis. His partner's been fired and its funny- but we never meet that partner. At least not until the end of the film. Anyway Snipes and his gang pull a bank robbery and ask specifically for Conners to be the one in charge of negotiations. His superiors take him off suspension but give him a babysitter- rookie Detective Shane Dekker (Phillippe). They head off to the bank where there is a standoff andyou guessed it- a hostage situation! Things end badly and a few hostages die but more importantly Snipes and Company get away. But did they even take anything? Nothing noticeable. This is where the film goes into frenzied, implausible, action mode- as Statham and the super-smart Phillippe go after Snipes, who seems virtually impossible to catch. That's because he's Statham's ex-partner! The two are in on an intricate plot to get rich and flee the country. Conners fakes his own death and while Phillipe is able to foil Snipe's plans he can't stop Conners. In the end, he gets away leaving detective Dekker stunned and dumfounded.

Tags: suspenseful, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, action, revenge

Review: