In the movie "Wide Awake," M. Night Shyamalan presents us with a real boy who is dealing with a real problem: Now that my grandfather is dead, what CAN I believe in? Joshua Beal, played by Joseph Cross, narrates as he goes on a quest for answers, and the one person who can provide those answers, God. Neither preachy, nor condescending, Mr. Shyamalan guides this film through to a resolution that is more surprising in how deftly it's handled than in how well it resolves the questions raised. In the end the answer waits for Joshua to be ready.

I had only heard of Mr. Shyamalan's "Praying With Anger," when I saw this movie, nor did I realize that he was also the director of "The Sixth Sense," which was in theaters when I saw this on pay-TV. Initially I started watching because of Dana Delany (China Beach, Last Exit To Eden), who is not just easy on the eyes, but whose past performances put her on my "watch her stuff" list. Dennis Leary (The Ref) was another draw. But, it was the screenplay and directing which locked me on my couch for the rest of the movie. And when I sprang this movie on my family for Christmas, with no introduction, and no other information other than, "You're going to like this movie," words which no doubt only made the prospect of watching this film only slightly more desirable than being boiled in plum pudding, they balked, objected, and complained for about two minutes. Within five minutes the room was quiet. By the time Joshua tries out for the football team, everyone was charmed and delighted.

I believe the magic is that Mr. Shyamalan understands that there really is no such thing as a "children's" story. I had a similar trauma by the time I was in the sixth grade, and there were no "wise-cracking" kids, "wacky next door neighbors," nor any talking dogs there to help. Just people, normal mortal, fallible people doing what they can with what they have. Mr. Shyamalan seems to understand what it means to be on this quest. He seems to realize, we are, all of us, on the same quest.


"Wide Awake" tells the story of young 'My name is Joshua A. Beal. I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I go to Walton Academy, Catholic school for boys ... don't laugh' (played with great feeling and sensitivity by Joseph Kross), and his quest to find meaning after the death of his beloved grandfather. 'Know what? This mission could take days...'

Told with warmth and humour -- under the beautiful direction of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan -- this film explores life's universal questions by gently pushing the boundaries while remaining safe at the same time. Issues of pain, heartbreak, and loss are explored with compassion and tenderness. Though it may be too slow or 'good' for some, "Wide Awake" is my style of comedy.

However, "Wide Awake" isn't really a comedy in the same sense that Shyamalan's subsequent film "The Sixth Sense", also dealing with matters spiritual, isn't really a horror. They have a deeper, more noble depth to them that can't be expressed with mere labels. They compliment each other nicely.

Mr. Shyamalan -- you are indeed 'wide awake'.


This movie was the most unexpectedly wonderful movie I have seen since Forrest Gump. Young Joshua goes searching for God and end up finding his whole world. His speech at the end of the movie is a powerful summation and a fantastic way to think about how we go about out lives.


One of the best Dramas I have ever seen. This is a must rental!


This little movie was a total delight. It had a great story line, was well acted and had a strong message while being poignant and humorous. The story of a 5th grader at an all boys Catholic school on a mission to find God is extremely funny, witty and compelling at the same time. This movie will make you run the gamut of emotions; you'll laugh, cry and at the end be satisfied that yes, there is indeed a God. Joshua's mission includes his discovery of life around him and for the first time he notices the wherefore's and why's of his family, friends and life in general. I found this movie to be very moving, so much so that I bought the DVD and am passing it around to friends and family. I give it my highest recommendation and know anyone who watches it won't be disappointed.


A bit of a preview to The Sixth Sense, the theme treats childhood conflicts with a respectful interest. Not only does the director get virtuoso performances from his juvenile leads, but his pacing, lighting, visuals, humorous one-liners is simply overwhelming in a neophyte. Rewatch the scene where Joseph Cross and his Grandfather are walking outside and the kid eventually cries on Grandfather's chest. Long, complicated scene with changes in emotion, relationships, timing etc...and done in a single cut. Amazing. I appreciate the Oriental Philosophy touch (as in Eastern). While I heard that M. is an Episcopalian, he retains at his core some mysticism which is evident in both movies. Once Cole Seer understands his "gift" he stops being a psychotic outcast and starts a new direction in his life. Once Joshua wakes up and accepts his surroundings, he gets his sign and his answers...what is this, Zen/Hindu/Catholic??


One of those rare movies where the acting is good, the editing, direction, filming and pace are all excellent and not over done in any fashion. Movie never really misses a beat and despite times it could have rolled over into being way too heavy kept it just right. There are no bad guys and just some good old raw emotion is played out in a tasteful fashion. If you want to have life look a little better a very good way to do it.


This movie is kind of disappointing. First, Rosie O'Donnel is in it. Second, Dennis Leary isn't funny when he keeps his comedy clean. However, there is one aspect that completely saved this film for me; the extras. The extras in this film are among the best I have ever seen in a movie hands down. One extra in particular is incredible. His name is Sean Judge. Although he is uncredited, his performance rivals that of Marlon Brando's in "The Godfather". He is consistently on cue and never misses a beat. Professionals everywhere could learn a lot from the work of Mr. Judge. "Wide Awake" will not go down in history as one of the greatest films of all time, but I will never forget the powerful performance of Sean Judge, the greatest extra of all time.


I got to see this movie this weekend. I had to BUY a copy to get this one, and I Loved it. Maybe I have been slow to get into M. Night Shyamalan movies. I saw "Sixth Sense" and "Lady in the Water" close to when they came out. Then after "The Happening" I decided I had to see ALL of his Movies in the last couple of weeks. I'm glad I saw most of his works and some DVD Extras before I saw this one. If it had come out AFTER some of his better grossing movies, this might have been appreciated as one of his best ever! (Following "Sixth Sense" and "Signs" anyway.) I feel that this movie may be a bit Autobiographical, and would love to confirm that with something more than Movie Trivia correlations. I can't believe this early in his Movie Making he gets Rosie O'Donnell, Camryn Manheim, and Julia Stiles to play supporting Roles! This is the same guy who gets Kids into Roles BEFORE They get Oscars!

Shyamalan's works are always more than one layer of meaning, as might be hinted in double entendre of the Titles. I see Josh's search for God, not as a doubt of his faith, but as the first search for the meaning of the faith he saw in his Grandfather.

There are so many reason's I loved this film besides the obvious art of Writing / Directing of Shyamalan and this wonderful Supporting Cast that I mentioned above.

The hints as to Shyamalan's personal history? The fact that the character Josh has both parents as Doctors; Josh at an Early Age seeking more Meaning in Life than his peers; Josh in a Parochial School. I'm sure there's more I missed, and will view again when I am more Wide Awake.


I just saw this movie yesterday - running on one of the Starz channels and didn't really know it was directed by MNS until the titles scrolled by. After that, there was surely no getting up from the couch! I think it is subtle and understated and somewhat contemplative. We all have similar questions, is there a God? If so, what does he/she look like? This was done without any special effects but with some basically simple yet tight screenplay. With excellent performances by almost everyone involved, including Rosie *gulp*.

I particularly liked the performances by the kids. Just comparing the characters here to the first two Potter films, where IMHO the kids are relatively flat, you'll see some genuine emotions ranging from sadness to satisfaction to fear to uncertainty but most of all a sense of doubt in something almost everyone else seems to take for granted. Highly recommend watching it in a silent environment at home!


I saw this movie this morning by chance on cable and it is absolutely charming.

Though this doesn't have the plot twists that Sixth Sense had, it does address some of the same issues, including death and the spirituality of children.

Joseph Cross, the kid who plays the main character, is great and so is Rosie O'Donnell as one of the nuns at the school he attends. Also very good is Dan Lauria(he was the Dad on "The Wonder Years) in a small role as one of the priests.

All in All, very good movie for kids 9+ and families.

Bob C.


Good story, but the film is marred by "pretentious child actor" overload. Children really do not speak this way. ALL of the children in this film suffer from an overwritten script. The lead child actor, Joseph Cross, spends the entire film (with the exception of one scene) with a depressed scowl on his face. True, he is a sad little boy, but it becomes very annoying nonetheless. The film comes off very heavy handed and preachy at the end.


So I'm relaxing (sobering up) on a fine Sunday morning when what do I see on UPN (latterly CW)? this movie. I wasn't interested in it for the first few minutes, and then I saw Shyamalan's name come up on the credits as writer and director. Like any self-respecting movie connoisseur I grabbed the remote intending to change the channel to any other paid advertisement that would have been more worth my time.

Maybe it was laziness, maybe part of me was interested, maybe I felt bad about considering Shyamalan a hack after only watching and not enjoying one and a half movies of his (Sixth Sense and the end of the Village), but I watched it and it was great. Humor? Strong dialogue? Emotion? Utter lack of pseudo-intellectuality? This doesn't sound like Shyamalan!? What the (exp. del.) happened to this guy? M. Night Shyamala tackled a simple and realistic story and it worked, no ghosts, no superheroes, no aliens, no giant porcupines, and no water-nymphs, just a boy going through what boys go through, pure existential crisis (or in another word, "puberty") Of course it's also his lowest-rated movie on IMDb (not counting "Praying with Anger") which shows you something about the modern world.

So, my world was turned on its head. My brother always said "every good director will make a bad movie, and every once in a while a bad director might make a good movie" but I never expected something halfway this decent to come from Shyamalan. My new open mind concerning Shyamalan was soon re-shut when I read about his dissatisfaction with the movie and his lack of total freedom with the project. "Whew, what a relief. I was starting to think you weren't some story-driven, twist-crazed, formulaic egotist and were rather a guy who has trapped himself in his own image. Good to know I can still hate you. Oh, and liking the color red (symbolizing death in this movie, too, don't you know?) doesn't make you a genius or an artist, but making a movie (like this) that doesn't rely on plot twists to sustain the audience's attention, is a step in the right direction." For every one interested in a good cry, this movie takes some low-blows to get you there, but I'll be darned if they don't do the trick.


This is a real curiosity from the vaults, a late 60s Swedish sex education film which became an enormous box office hit across Europe and even, when it was finally released uncut with an X certificate, in the UK in 1973 (it was initially refused a certificate); this is historically interesting, as The Language of Love (as it was titled in English speaking markets) features some sections of actual hardcore footage, with close ups of fingers masturbating vaginas and a penis penetrating one. The film is apparently meant as a serious attempt to allay people's fears and misconceptions about sex & improve the sex lives of heterosexual couples, but undoubtedly the enormous box office success of the film was due to the prurient interest of the public.

It is hard to image people actually sitting in a cinema and watching the film. The bulk of the footage has four "sexperts" (sex therapists plus a gynaecologist) sitting around in a living room, swilling gallons of tea & coffee and talking earnestly about sex. I don't know about the time of the film's release, but these days the sexperts chat is unintentionally hilarious, as the foursome are humourless, po-faced and rather brusque in their talk (as well as being an extremely plain verging on ugly bunch).

Inter-cut with this mirth-producing talk are mockumentary scenes ( purporting to illustrate the findings of famous sex researchers Masters and Johnson) in which couples talk about and do the sex thing. Here the film falls even further into risibility, as although these couples are meant to represent (or actually be) real people, they are so one-dimensional, robotic and mono-subject orientated that they seem like no one anyone has even met in this world, rather being dead ringers for the inhabitants of some future Brave New World-type dystopia. The most striking moment comes when the most focused-upon couple, who've previously experienced sexual problems, talk to each other after a bout of now satisfying sex and tell each other that they are now "real" - two less "real" people you'll have trouble finding in the history of the cinema.

The last third of the film is mostly taken up by the gynaecologist going about his business, inserting diaphragms, coils and caps into various young women or advising them to go onto the pill. This is followed by a completely unnecessary montage of shots showing a red-light district, pages from lurid pornographic magazines and couples walking around lewdly - all supposedly to illustrate what's wrong with society's prurient attitude to sex but edited and scored in such a way as to encourage an adolescent and voyeuristic attitude.

The film is poorly shot and goes on for too long, yet it gets extra stars for its camp value today. There's also a saccharine and quite repulsive score by Benny and Bjorn pre-ABBA. This is, btw, the film which Travis Bickle takes Betsy to see in Taxi Driver; the fact that she was offended instead of sitting there laughing her head off shows how unsuitable a date she was! The Language of Love is little more now than a historical document, and a testament to how self-deluding the experts in pseudo-sciences can get as they pretend to serious encouragement of a healthy loving sex life whilst adding to the creation of a culture of voyeurism and conformity.


Bleak, uncompromising and hard-hitting. The quality of the acting, scripting and direction pull together to create a contemporary urban drama revolving around the lives of drug addicts and dealers living in the slums of downtown Baltimore, a figurative cancer eating away at the American heartland.

Based on the true life story of Francine Boyd (played here by the mesmerizing Khandi Alexander) from the book by Edward Burns & David Simon - subject matter experts on the Baltimore drug scene and writers for TV's "The Wire". As with real life, there aren't any easy answers or happy endings.

With "The Corner" HBO raised the bar on the quality of television drama forever.


You want to force politicians and lawmakers to watch this film. You want high school kids considering drugs to watch this film. And you want to watch this film yourself, over and over, for the sheer drama of the story and for the tremendous performances by each and every person in it.

Equally poignant were the appearances by the people who weren't performers: at the end of the series, there's a brief meeting with the real individuals who were portrayed in the six episodes, along with a "five years later" update on what actually happened to other characters whose real-life counterparts didn't live long enough (or live free long enough) to participate in the on-camera reunion.

Dutton's direction is brilliant, presenting the cold facts of a deadly situation with great compassion as well as narrative force. Although not explicitly political and never preachy, the film makes the unpopular point that medical treatment backed up with intensive rehab works and pouring money into fruitless attempts at law enforcement doesn't.

This series is a great American tragedy and crime story combined, a fit companion to "The Godfather" and "Grapes of Wrath," combining the gritty crime story of the first with the deadly grind of verité poverty from the latter to produce an engrossing synecdoche of our culture at the end of the century.

This isn't an "inner city" movie -- this is about all of us. What Dutton shows us in the Baltimore ghetto happens in rural towns in the heartland, too. One small mistake leads to another until, all too soon and too often inevitably, the chances of a happy ending become very, very slim. A universal plot, as timeless and as touching as Shakespeare's finest.


I have read this book and bought the DVD collection. I would really like to know how DeAndre is doing now. I love the book as well as the series It couldn't have been done any better I really felt these people's pain.Does anyone know how Fran DeAndre Tyreeka or DeAnte are doing now. I would really like to give DeAndre some words of encouragement. I felt a connection with him. In fact I felt a connection with all of these people even though we come from two different worlds. This book and this series will forever be in my heart and I wish the best to everyone involved. And if anyone has any information on these people I would really appreciate a reply.

This story touched my heart so much that I drove 15 hours straight to Baltimore to the corner of fayette and monroe just to see some of how it really is. I cant say how much I am truly touched.


THE CORNER is a powerful mini-series that delivers a ruthless, depressing, and depraved view of the lives of drug abusers and dealers. Told semi-narratively by a documentary crew, the viewer is delivered into the bowels of a hellish neighbourhood in America. Being based on a true story only serves to rattle the viewer further as you get to watch all the horrors of growing up on the streets from the comfort of your own home.

Truth be told, at times, I could barely watch the events of the program as the pain and suffering of each character seemed unbearable. Each has a struggle to deal with, from a father who has fallen into the depths of heroin addiction to his son who deals the same drugs on the unforgiving streets. Yet, they still try to maintain some sense of their former selves. Gary (the father) tries to get back on his feet numerous times, but failure seems to be the only result. DeAndre (the son) has had no worthy role models to teach him the value of honest living. The failure of his parents has reduced him to no more than another lost soul wandering the ghetto for his income.

Each event in the mini-series seems timeless and not easily forgotten, as I write this now, five months after I last saw THE CORNER, all I can think of is a shoot-out in the latter half of the story. We are shown kids with guns (somewhat echoing Columbine), however the shooters are scared. And you can see it, the fear in their faces and their random shooting. I was breathless watching this scene unfold as the youths who we have come to know have to defend themselves from rival dealers who have promised blood shed. All their talk and acting macho is instantly discarded as we watch them shoot up a once peaceful, beautiful neighbourhood in order to eliminate an unseen foe. There is nothing honourable about this scene and by the end I found myself lacking breath and on the edge of my seat. It is still one of the most incredible things that I have seen on television.

The fact that this story happened in Baltimore just enhances the story that much more. Usually, when people think of the drug problem in America they first think of the big cities. New York or Los Angeles, but here we are shown that the drug problem is in the backyards and backalleys of America, as well. IT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED.

By the conlcusion of this story there seem to only be bodies left over as lifeless as they were wandering the slums for their next high. But there is no more highs after death, there is only a gap. The absence of a person has a great effect on the lives of those that surround them. But what's truly sad is that by the end the understanding is that only the dealers feel the loss...of customers. The death of their friends only serves to limit the junkie's chances of 'scoring' easier. Herein lies the saddest fact. Hope is fleeting on THE CORNER.


After viewing all six episodes of "The Corner" I sincerely believe that this extraordinary mini-series could've been a great film. I can see this film challenging the majority of so called masterpiece films in the theater right now, probably putting most of those films to shame.

This film has everything I expect from masterpiece film-story telling. First of all, unlike a lot of the films made by African-American filmmakers, it doesn't hold back on the truth. Charles S. Dutton did a marvelous job of telling a story about real life in inner cities all across America and with out holding back on the truth. The film consists of stereotypes most African-Americans, especially those who are living safely in Hollywood away from the ghetto, want deny being reality in most Black communities. But this film doesn't apologize for the stereotypes or anything, while some of the characters are apologetic about many things in their own lives. Secondly, the acting was one of the best by an ensemble African-American cast in recent years. Thirdly, the film was shot well, using little style to the shots so that it would have that documentary feel. I also found each scene in the film to be well written, like some great scripts of the past like Good Will Hunting and the Deer Hunter, both great films. So we've seen films about the inner city before (Boyz N'the Hood, Menace II Society) this one. Who cares? Hollywood had made dozens of titles dealing with the mafia, and most of those films are great. However, this film stands alone from the rest, making viewers sympathize with and see each character as being exactly who they are: human beings that make mistakes. This film doesn't demonize the drug addicts in the film regardless of their sometimes immoral ways of getting that drug. "The Corner" ranks amongst one of the best mini series ever made for television. Despite the fact that it wasn't a feature film, I still rank it over the majority of films of recent years as well.

If you had never been to the ghetto and you want to grasp an understanding of how must people in the inner city lives, this mini series is what you should see. Out of a grade of an A+, which is super excellent, to a F, I give this film an A+. I also give it 10 stars...


Mr.Dutton does it again by bring true life drama to the screen. "The Corner" is in anybodies neighborhood and everyone should be able to appreciate the talented people in front of the camera and behind the camera. Award quality work!


It's 2009 and I have just watched the best television drama I have ever seen and it's called 'The Corner'. Having been a late comer to 'The Wire' series on the FX channel in Britain then when that finished they advertised 'The Corner'. I expected the standard ghetto junkie story but 'The Corner' has an emotional pull that hits you right in the guts. I watched the show with friends and everybody was glued to the screen and the room was in total silence during this drama. The acting was incredible and the characters stay with you forever. I can't remember the last time that I genuinely couldn't wait to see the next episode of a programme. In my opinion this show is a lot better than 'The Wire' because it has heart in almost every character and you are desperate to see life improve for them. The Corner deserves a DVD release & I'll be the first in line to buy it. The cast & crew should be very proud of making a modern masterpiece.


I watched this miniseries after seeing the documentary, The Boys from Baraka. Damn, this entire mini-series is so depressing. I dreaded watching it, yet could not look away. I had to find out what decisions each person would make and the impact it would have on their lives. I really wish more of the character's back story would have been more drawn out and not shown in flashbacks that seem to last milliseconds. I'd like to have know the very moment Gary first picked up that needle, the day he and Fran split and more about Fat Kurt's past. The short flashbacks didn't do the story justice. Tears filled my eyes as the ultimate fate of Gary was revealed. The man had so much going for him at one time and could have very likely had a lot going for him again. He showed all the signs of wanting to give up the life, yet he did not. Just like the rest of the miniseries, this made me very sad.


When oh when will this miniseries become available on video or DVD? At least let HBO rebroadcast it so I can make a copy. It is as close to excellent a view of its topic as I have ever seen and a great tool for use in a substance abuse recovery program. (I am a drug counselor.)


The Corner is an EXCELLENT drama series directed by Charles(Roc) Dutton on HBO. If you don't know what its like in the hood...please check this mutha out!!! The series takes place in Baltimore(based on a true story), and it is about the everyday happenings in a particular neighborhood and its down and out residents. The Corner takes you into the hellish lives of dope fiends and what they must do to stay high. Of course, this story has been shown before but, the talent of the actors make you feel as though you are watching a true life documentary such as, Investigative Reports(Bill Kurtis). A+ acting from the entire cast makes this show a must see! 10/10 stars!!!!


I don't get where all these jealous people come from who are writing those bad comments... First of all, this is not a comedy, it's a drama about the modern television, how it manipulates us and our lives.

The actors, as in DIE FETTEN JAHRE SIND VORBEI are very well casted and do a pretty good job here, especially Bleibtreu. The photography is manily realistic and in a documentary style and so is the acting. Some might think that its a bit overdosed showing the TV-producers doing nothing else than sniffing coke and being assholes but those who work in the business will recognize most of it.

I really enjoyed watching the movie, even if it could have been a bit shorter and to the point. There are not many directors in Germany which are brave enough to write such explosive stuff!


I saw this movie yesterday in the San Sebastian Film Festival. I liked the message a lot.A German TV executive has a wake-up call and changes his life ,supporting a culture-driven society.

In these days , TV programs are usually rubbish, and a lot people think in that way, it's difficult to find programs with real interest. So Reclaim your Brain for me is a very good title. We,Citizens, are very tired of this rubbish we are sold day over day. we can change the world!.

But this change is not in the movies, but In our everyday's life.

thank you to all the crew of this movie for doing this picture.


We saw this film in a screening down at the film society. Loved it. This film is an excellent comment on the sick media world. Quite dramatic and brutal in the first part, warm and funny in the second. Full of mad ideas. A prankster movie and at the same time a political statement on the brainwash. Is it comedy? Drama? I don't know. Does it matter?

Definitely worth seeing. I also really loved it, because it's so different from the standard European art-house flicks. More fun, more diverse, crazier. A raw film. Moritz Bleibtreu, the male lead, seems to be one of Germany's finest. Camera is doc style, hand-held, but never nauseating.


This film created quite some controversy. It really depends on how you see it. You shouldn't take it as a drama, that's for sure.

I just loved it! It has a great sense of humor. Many really dark humored scenes that made me laugh out aloud, just like the rest of the audience in the cinema I was in.

Some bourgeois critics didn't like it, but that for me is only a sign of the narrow mindedness of todays film critics. The film just doesn't follow any of today's rules of art-house cinema. Which is what made it such an refreshing experience to watch for me.

A crazy, wild piece of cinema with a strong political message. I liked it much more than "The Edukators", because it's more honest in a sense that it doesn't camouflage it's intent, and also because it's much more satirical.

Definitely fun to watch, positively a must-see.


(This review was written after I saw the film at the Toronto film Festival in September '07)

For anyone struggling to find an artistic direction, a new voice, or inspiration, this is a must. Blisteringly angry, intelligent, subversive, and furiously cynical about contemporary society, this is film-making as it should be.

Wingartner's target is the dumbing-down of popular culture, primarily via the medium of lowest common denominator television. It tells the story of Reiner, a TV executive specialising in Reality TV - his latest project involves a sperm race between three contestants to win the opportunity to impregnate a woman - who experiences a Damascene conversion following an encounter with a woman whose grandfather committed suicide after being falsely indicted in one of Reiner's news shows. When his attempt to introduce intelligent programming bombs, Reiner decides to artificially manipulate the TV ratings to force the channels to alter their schedules in favour of more informed material. Gathering a motley collection of unemployed workers - the unlikeliest band of anarchists you'll ever see - he audaciously sets off his own cultural revolution.

A relatively simple story is wonderfully elaborated by a marvellously sympathetic cast. Moritz Bleibtrau (now definitely laying claim to being the most interesting actor working today - just look at his resume for the last 9 years) gives a tour de force as Reiner. His character's metamorphosis from coke-snorting, brash yuppie to contemplative, passionate man of reason is never less than convincing and a wonderful exhibition of his range and charisma. He's ably supported by the luminous Elsa Shultz Gambard (unbelievably making her major film debut) as his guiding angel. The direction - though potentially overindulging in montages just a bit - is uniformly superb, allowing the actors free rein to tell the story. Nonetheless, Weingartner's deferential camera is fully capable of stepping to the fore - the opening 6 minutes constitute probably the most exhilarating car sequence I've seen this year. Though dealing with decidedly academic, political and radical themes, "Reclaim your brain"'s 129 minutes absolutely fly by. It's a blast.

Anyone into cinema should see this film. Anyone who's bewailed current popular culture should see this film. Anyone who'd champion education over soma, action over passivity, or quality over quantity should see this film. And I mean SEE. At the post-movie Q&A, Weingarter was disturbingly pessimistic about his ability to continue to make films. Getting the money to make this feature has apparently been a real struggle, and he claims to have sunk most of his money from "The Edukators" into the project. "How can I continue," he asked "if the people who aren't interested in this never see it (he reckons it'll never be on TV), and those who are copy the DVD or download it? Cinema tickets and DVD sales are all I have." I'm not going to preach regarding the crime of copying/downloading, but it'd be a genuine atrocity if this man went out of work. PLease, go see.


There is something when it comes to film and German, during their film history they have give us several of the best films ever made, but the latest decay film in German has only been about Tom Tykwer. Perheaps Hans Weingartner is the man to change that, his earlier film Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei was a great comedy/drama. In this film he is using basically the same theory, but it is much better done. It is not about young people protesting against society, it is about a man that wakes up and discover that everything he stands for is "shit", and then gathering some folks to start a revolution against the entertainment industry and television companies. The film entertains until the end.


This movie is what it claims to be! It does not claim to be realistic, it claims to be a funny revenge story on somewhat, what really needs to be revenged. This movie is not education, it's only a very small part and a wet revenge dream against the other part on the scale pan, we see everyday: The awful TV program, which became our religion. And on the other side, where it should be in balance, but is not - it's like that: Total Trash. Incredibly stupid game shows, which try to force people to call and to give money for nothing, like for example: "Yes now you can win even more, tell me when do you have birthday!... 21. of August?! Oh i am so sorry, you would have won if it were the 31. of June." Or somewhat - the next superstar model casting shows. - Like it's so good to get money for doing nothing. TV became our religion, so that we reconstruct our world from, what we see and believe to be real a few people tell us so (not very normal people, who have much free time to do so). And the problem is, that we partly have to believe that it is real, so i just don't get the critique of some people "Weingartner used trash to bury trash"... The problem is - our world is slowly becoming trashier everyday. So what. Hit it with it. It's just a nice and funny movie, which unfolds to show a bit how it could be and that supposed clarification is never total. This movie has the claim, what i would call, to have a nicotine patch effect on the media world. It's not as good as a cigarette (which is trash) but it tries to help against the pain. And i think this effect is the reason for bad comments. Not for me - Because of the message - i like it and give it a ten plus.


Hans Weingartner's third movie is a harsh but highly legitimate comment on today's television program.

Unlike in "Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei" you could find many things to criticize here - while the comparison to that last movie can hardly be avoided. Much of "Free Rainer" has obviously been inspired by the same concepts, which could make you question how much inspiration there was behind this movie at all. You will find many points that leave a rather ambivalent impression concerning realism - the ending has to be called "fantasy like". At few points does the movie really convince with its' optimistic idea of how the characters and the whole scenario develops.

So what makes "Free Rainer" worth watching? Simple as often: It's the message behind all of this - which can only be understood as a comment on today's world of television. And as for this comment: There has since long not been said anything more important in a movie! Weingartner's portrait of a sick and sickening life standard drawn by the TV world is very close to reality. The rather negative way in which the TV executives appear might even be called too optimistic - while in the movie they seem just to be immoral and very well knowing what they do, reality might look somewhat worse: Most of the people in charge are probably acting in accordance to their very own moral principles.

One critic wrote "Weingartner's movie is a crude comment on an even cruder television". Very right!


Free Rainer is a German movie from 2008 starring well-known German actors Moritz Bleibtreu and Milan Peschel. Rainer (Moritz Bleibtreu) is a TV-producer whose only goal is to have the best quotes he can get, to have the most beautiful girls and as much cocaine as possible. After a hospital stay he realises, that he has stopped at nothing for his quotes. He decides to change his life; the guerrilla-campaign against the entertainment industry begins

This is one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen. The story is very innovative and critical of society on a high level. 'Free Rainer' is a wonderful anti-globalisation movie, gripping and very entertaining. The actors did a great job; Hans Weingartner demonstrates again after 'Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei', that he is one of the best German-speaking directors of today's industry. Last but not least also the soundtrack is wonderful, beautiful pop-songs math perfectly to the story.

'Free Rainer' is a must-see movie for all interested, critical of society (German-speaking) people!

10 out of 10 ranking-points for this movie!


The film has a very simple basic premise. Television has been reduced to the lowest common denominator and people swallow it because they have gotten used to it. As such, they are reduced to an antisocial drone-like resistance that no longer resembles life as our fathers remember. Improve what's on the TV and you'll improve society.

For someone who's himself quite sick of all those reality soaps and the garbage that comes out from the Hollywood assembly line, I found this film refreshing and inspirational. Although I wasn't quite fond of the obvious ultra-left ideology you can find in between the lines, the message of this film goes beyond ideology and is a call to all of us.

"Democratic" capitalist society has become a tyrannical system run by corporations who enslave us for profit, while we, the average consumer, are barely aware of the golden cage in which we live. We've all become paranoid little f***'s who waste our time on shallow small talk and brainless entertainment rather than having real conversations on real topics and devouring real culture. This film tries to open your eyes to that reality and reach the inner child in all of us.... the inner child that makes us human.

Obviously this film doesn't have the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster and the story is most definitely naive, but the very optimism of this film and its lonely dissident cry make it far more interesting to me than anything Hollywood has produced since "V For Vendetta".

That's all I have to say......


With "Das weiße Rauschen" and "Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" Hans Weingartner was well on his way to become one of the most promising Austrian directors. Then he goes on to make this movie and his talent seriously has to be questioned.

"Free Rainer" seems like the story an over motivated class representative would think up. The little message that the movie has got - most of what's on television is stupid - is driven home with a mallet. The conclusion - people watch whatever is on, and if you give them "intelligent" television they'll be more than happy to imbibe it - is implausible, to say the least.

The acting and editing are awkward for the most part. The usually mediocre Gregor Bloéb shines as a sleek program director, but the rest of the cast is forgettable at best. From the get go, when Rainer (Moritz Bleibtreu) drives through the streets, drinking Vodka, toting a gun and a baseball bat, listening to "aggressive" music (Downset's "Anger"... Jesus Christ, you seriously live in the past, Weingartner), you can't help but wonder: Is this meant seriously? Is it just a dream sequence or something? Is it going to get better? The answers to those questions are Yes, No and No.

"Free Rainer" is an embarrassment, a career shatterer. Its intentions might have been good, but the result is a boring, unbelievable and annoying movie, that wishes it could maintain the anarchic power of "Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" (which is awkwardly referenced as a "quality" movie in "Free Rainer"). Weingartner's next project will have to make up for this mess.


Someone said that if you want to know them you're funny, don't tell them you're funny, tell them a joke. In this case, the last laugh is on the audience. Hans Weingartner's movie is all telling and zero demonstration. Irrespective of temperament and motivation, his characters preach to the camera on the corruptive influence of mainstream television, the liberating powers of learning and movies as a moral institution. At no point in the story do we have any idea why the characters behave the way they do. Laughable. Three reasons to see "Free Rainer" anyway: Rainer's initial display of road rage that leaves even a group of short-tempered skinheads green with fear, an amusing portrayal of a nameless millionaire's wife, and the very lovely Elsa Gambard. It's obvious she can't act, but with face and grace like that, she should have no trouble at all finding work as a model. - Guest appearance by Sarah Kuttner. God knows what's gotten into her.


At first I didn't believe such a gem could exist. Then, after seeing it a couple of times, I had to admit that the RED NIGHTS OF THE GESTAPO was one of the best films of the genre.

The plot is a little confusing, but the emphasis is given on the directing, the acting and the shocking sex scenes. A nazi officer has to bring the 12 most influent german personalities into a "castle" for the week-end. 12 girls are already there, sexually trained to "entertain" the men. What follows is an orgy where sex and violence are king and queen, and a general atmosphere of spreaded madness. The scenes are powerful, the actresses are perfect, and I can't help but raise a couple of cut thumbs up to Fabio...


If, like me, you prefer your Nazisploitation loaded with gore, perversion and nudity, with a generous side order of camp, then you would probably be best advised to goose-step straight past Red Nights of the Gestapo.

Ezio Miani plays Werner von Uhland, an SS Colonel attempting to infiltrate a select group of the bourgeoisie who are known for their dislike of Der Führer. Inviting the seven men to a secret meeting, Werner pairs each guest with a women chosen for her ability to cater for that person's specific perversion (amazingly, each guest seems to have his own unique sexual weakness).

By recording each couple with hidden microphones, Werner hopes to uncover the group's plans to overthrow Hitler's regime, whilst also gathering material for blackmail.

With a script that delves rather too deeply into the political history of the Nazis circa 1941, Fabio De Agostini's movie proves to be more concerned with factual accuracy than in delivering sleaze. Thus, we get frequent extremely dull conversations about the defection of Hess, the progress of the Wehrmacht, and anti-Nazi sentiments amongst the German intelligentsia, and not nearly enough time devoted to the lesbianism, sado-masochism, violence and extreme decadent behaviour that is normally associated with the genre (although a hilarious nymphomaniac and a female Hitler impersonator do try their best to liven up proceedings).

And with the entire movie set in a castle, rather than a concentration camp (like so many other films of its ilk), we don't even get any unnecessarily painful experimentation performed on prisoners. Shame!


Disappointing "Salon Kitty" wannabe WW2 WIP flick. This is Nazi exploitation at its most mediocre. The production values are higher than some of its co-genre (viz Love Camp and SS Camp), but it fails to deliver in most other areas.

If you like full frontal nudity, you wont find much. If you are into jackboot torture, again it is not going to deliver for you. If you really want to see "wimmin who shag in ze name of exposing traitors to ze Fatherland", then you have come to the right shop (again). How many times have we seen this old yarn re-worked and churned out?

Fraid it doesn't work for me any more. Watch the original if you are into this cinematic style...


Unlike the typical example from the short-lived but oddly prolific Nazisploitation subgenre, THE RED NIGHTS OF THE GESTAPO does not deal with the dehumanizing activities in Nazi concentration camps but rather with all the salacious perversions that a group of renegade anti-Nazi Germans get down to when they are holed up in a castle one night under the supposed pretext of plotting Hitler's downfall. What is even more surprising is that the plot is not only based on a book by one of the supporting characters but is ostensibly driven by actual historical events like Rudolph Hess' defection to Britain in early 1941 seeking to sign a Peace Treaty, the proliferation of anti-Hitler sentiments among key figures in the German bourgeoisie which came to a head in the unsuccessful "Night of the Long Knives" assassination attempt on Hitler's life, Hitler's march on Russia in mid-1941, etc.

The Gestapo blackmail Hess' right-hand man (after bugging his apartment and threatening him with the kidnapping of his son) into organizing a party which would gather together the leading figures of the uprising. But, for most of the film's running time, the Gestapo's intentions seem not to find out how the latter plan to overthrow the Nazi regime but rather to prove that even these would-be saviours of the Fatherland have their sordid weaknesses: aided by a handful of truly loose women, the meeting degenerates into one sleaze marathon which ends with the unceremonious gunning down of all concerned by SS troops. As can be expected, there is a sheer barrage of nudity on display exacerbated with the pre-requisite traits of lesbianism, paedophilia, sado-masochism, etc. Unfortunately, there are none of the familiar Euro-Cult faces or even a rousing score which would make all this palatable; what we have instead are an abysmal SS anthem, "Lullaby for Monsters"(!!), whose lyrics have to be understood to be disbelieved, stiff acting (pardon the pun) including a female Hitler impersonation and a hilariously defiant farting gesture from one silver-haired stud of an aristocrat!


Although "Red Nights of the Gestapo" is extremely boring, poorly made and totally unmemorable, I somewhat feel obliged to reward it with a *slightly* higher rating than the majority of Nazisploitation flicks I've seen before. Why? Because these stupid films usually always revolve on sleaze and repulsive experiments in concentration camps, filled with perverted guards and deranged doctors, but "Red Nights" is at least a little more ambitious. The plot revolves on a Nazi (a typical one with blond hair and blue eyes) who has to come up with a plan to prevent an already plotted murder conspiracy against Hitler himself. To accomplish his mission, Werner does a whole lot of things that don't make any sense  unless I wasn't paying enough attention  like kidnapping the daughter of a Swedish industrialist, recruiting nymphomaniac women for the army or forcing a fellow officer to drink the breast milk of a female prisoner. What the hell? The absolute funniest sequence shows a doctor giving a scalpel to a female prisoner and commanding her to hurt herself. The scalpel is clearly just a red pen and the blood she licks is simply ink! Practically ALL Nazi-exploitation movies are total duds and not worth tracking down (two exceptions being "Salon Kitty" and "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"). They're the most boring films imaginable and the sexual footage depicted here is of the most UN-erotic kind. For example: in "Red Nights", there's a scene were a poor girl gets raped with a gun and some sick bastard even bites off one of her nipples! If that idea arouses anyone, they're in urgent need of professional psychological help.


I don't know if George Lucas really knew what he had in this picture--surely the script seemed funny enough, and the thought of the cars and the period music was enticing--but did he really know these "unknown" actors who bring these characters to life? It seems almost a fluke, shot in 29 days and on a tight budget, but "American Graffiti" is a four-star classic. It is perhaps pure nostalgia, mixing pathos and humor, sadness and craziness, hope and reflection, in quiet little bursts of excitement. After cruising with Milner all night, teenage Carol hates to say goodbye but does, waving from her porch with the light on; Toad survives one bad accident after another, but his real moment is in hearing praise from his date (fantastic, husky-voiced Candy Clark, dolled up like a speeding Sandra Dee) just before she says good night; after chasing his dream date all night, Kurt (Richard Dreyfuss, green and anxious, and appealingly bemused) finally gets to talk to the stunning blonde wonder on the telephone, where she whispers a wrenching goodbye. The whole movie is steeped in reflection. It has great, great humor, yet it leaves one with a bittersweet melancholia. For yesterday is in the past, with our music, our memories, and our hesitant farewells.


Probably the single greatest teen movie ever made!

George Lucas' wonderful coming of age film that takes place one late summer night, is one that inspired several other films, including "Dazed and Confused", and "Can't Hardly Wait".

Fine performances, superb directing, and wonderful writing make this one a winner that has endured over the years, and has solidified it's position as one of the greatest films of all times! "American Graffiti" is a film that can be funny without being stupid, and touching without being maudlin.

This is a movie that should be seen at least once by everybody, it was a great film in 1973, and is even better today! A very intelligent and believable film that only seems to get better with repeated viewings, and after seeing it for the first time, you will want to see it again.

"American Graffiti" is a wonderful film that has stood the test of time, and will stand the test of even more time! Thirty years from now, people will still be looking back on this and remembering how much of a superb film it was, and how many fine films it inspired!!!

***** Five Out of five stars! (Outstanding!)


As many people know, George Lucas is most famous for the fact that he wrote a certain series of fantasy films. Most of those films certainly were a great achievement, but one thing that many Star Wars fans overlook is the other entries in Lucas' list of directorial credits; one of which is this film, American Graffiti. The movie tells the story of the last night in town for a bunch of school kids about to leave to go to college. Now, this might not seem like a great base for a classic movie to work from; and it isn't, it's the handling that makes it great. In spite of his latest batch of movies, Lucas has shown with this movie that he has the talent to create an innovative and groundbreaking movie in spite of the plot. It's this fact that made Star Wars work so well, and it's nice to see the same effort transplanted into an earlier film that doesn't have the special effects and grandiose that Star Wars had. The energy and vitality that Lucas gives his multiple stories makes for a great ride, and American Graffiti is a lot of fun throughout.

The film is most notable for the way that it captures the American youth of the sixties. It benefits from a great soundtrack that adequately helps to achieve this, and includes the likes of Buddy Holly and The Beach Boys. The film takes place in one night, and makes use of a number of different characters and story lines; all of which are interesting and unique. A lot of which are also really funny, and this is where my favourite part of American Graffiti comes in. The film works because it's such a good time, and the way that Lucas shows us that ensures that we have just as good a time as the characters on screen are having. The events that befall the characters in the movie will no doubt touch a nerve with anyone that has gone through childhood - things such as splitting up with your girlfriend, to being forced into doing things that could get you into trouble...all the way to asking an adult to go into a store to buy alcohol for you are shown with great care, and show that Lucas obviously knew what he was doing when he took on this movie. On the whole...it's very good stuff indeed.


American Graffiti was a compilation of pop culture pique, a harbinger of political changes, and the birth of an era that explodes the "Leave it to Beaver America" simply by saying farewell to it!!!...Set in a small town in Southern California, with a bunch of people who's existence in 1962 means the 13th and final year of the fifties, it correlates a cosmic awareness with an innocent societal disagreement.... People are happy, but not happy enough to want to stay the same.... The constant bond throughout the film is Wolfman Jack, the "supercool" disc jockey who creates a thousand different images of himself just by virtue of what he says on the radio...He is illuminating as well as socially influential to a bunch of naive teenagers....The music in this movie is extremely entertaining, as it signifies the end of an Eisenhower style Utopia.. The couples that are paired off in this movie homogenize the attitudes and aspirations of these precocious 1962 teenagers, who are on the verge of growing up!! All of the characters in this film have an imperviousness to the objections related to a perceived totalitarianism brought on in the sixties, not just because the radical aspect of the decade has yet to be, but also, because locking horns with the authority figures is not second nature to them ...(Even Big John Milner)... The bevy of Radicalism which besieges our nation over the remainder of this decade, (the 1960's) created a metamorphosis in social behavior that would change all Americans, even the people living in the town of Graffit, California!!! This movie superbly exemplifies the phrase "The calm before the storm" It gives the entire movie audience a crystal ball concept analysis report that sparks a bittersweet realization and empathy for everyone who plays a significant role in this George Lucas masterpiece!! Director George Lucas has never been better...The cast is sensational!!and the film's unassuming demeanor surprisingly captures the honor of being one of America's greatest films on record!!! Five stars!! No question!!


I remember watching this movie on May 31, 2002, the night before my high school graduation and when I watch this film, it reminded me of the things that happened with me throughout my senior year: from a guy I knew, who cheated on his girlfriend with a cheerleader, to the terrorist attack that tore America apart; causing Americans to go against one another, from the crushes, the heartbreaks, prom night, to Spider-Man being the movie of the year, graduation rehearsal, and technology becoming the new aspect in my life and when I watched American Graffiti, it reminded me of when the good times meant something with those around me.

The film takes place in 1962 California, a pre JFK assassination which showed the innocence of youth crusin' the streets and talking to buddies outside of their windows as they drive; now, in today's world it's a bloodbath. Even the music played a part of innocence back in the 60's where artist such as Fats Domino, Beach Boys, Bill Haley and the Comets, The Platters, even Chuck Berry were a pain in the butt to most of the adults of that time, but a joy. Now? Songs about sex, drugs, and murder have become the new waves to today's youth of America.

American Graffiti has four teenage boys who cruise in different directions in their hometown where some question their own faith. The main character in the story is Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) who is about to leave east for college where he is dubious on whether or not he should leave town in order to start a new life. Yet his friend Steve (Ron Howard) encourages him to leave and tells him not to crawl back into his little nest. All night, Curt cruises the streets with his sister Laurie (Cindy Williams) and Steve, where he sees a blonde woman driving a white T-Bird who mouths "I love you." Now Curt is on the hunt to find this blonde woman as he encounters a gang called The Pharaohs who want to pound him after he scratches the gang's car.

The next character is Steve whose Curt's best friend and happens to be dating Laurie and wants to rush things as quickly as possible. He wants to break up so they can see other people; but later when they are named King and Queen at the homecoming dance, they are together again where he tries to have sex with her. Yet, things don't work out well between them, and Steve questions his own destiny on whether he should stay or not, leaving Curt to be right as usual.

John Milner (Paul LeMat) is the hotshot of the state who doesn't want to leave town because he is afraid that everything will change. After the beginning of the film he talks to Curt about "The Pickin's are really getting' slim" that everything is changing in terms of music, girls, crusin' the street even from his friends departing. He cruises the streets where he accidentally picks up an underage girl (MacKenzie Phillips) who becomes more of a pal to John as they listen to Wolfman Jack and hear good old time music. Yet, John is up for a little competition, as a new drag racer by the name of Bob Falfa, (Harrison Ford) wants to race him.

The other character of the gang is Terry "The Toad," Fields (Charles Martin Smith) the nerd who drives a mophead, gets to take Steve's car for a ride in the town. Yet, as he tries to impress people, he meets one girl Debbie (Candy Clark) who decides to go with Terry after she hears about him talking about his "new" car. Terry who thinks he is a reject is now proved that he is a man as he cruises the streets with the girl on his arms, and just trying to prove that even nerds have their moments as well.

American Graffiti in my opinion is a retrospect of the good times that people had when everything was innocent, in an era where crusin' was important, especially rock n' roll. But as time changes on, people will always remember the good times.


This multi-layered DVD version of "American Graffiti" is the best trip back to the summer of 1962 Hollywood ever had to offer! The eventful night when freshly graduated high school friends contemplated their futures while immersed in small town America's car-hops, drive-in movies & doo-wop music (the soundtrack is one of the best featured in ANY film!), is shown in "real time".

Richard Dreyfuss is perfect as the smart kid, ready to drive off to college the next morning, but wondering if he's doing the right thing. Ron Howard and Cindy Williams get some practice for their soon to follow "Happy Days", while Charles Martin Smith and Candy Clark are wonderful as the goofus who wants to show a pretty girl a good time.

Wolfman Jack plays himself (and cupid) when he plays a very special request going out from Richard Dreyfuss to his dream girl Suzanne Sommers. Look for a pre-teen McKenzie Phillips and a young Harrison Ford in minor roles. This film is a big winner in my book!


Nostalgic look at one night/morning of a small California town and some of its teenagers. Story-wise this is nothing new--all the stereotypes are in place--the loving/bickering couple (Ron Howard and Cindy Williams); the rebel (Paul Le Mal) stuck with a 13 year old (Mackenzie Phuillips); the nerd (Charles Martin Smith) having a disastrous date with a blonde (Candy Clark); the hood (Bo Hopkins) showing the good boy (Richard Dreyfuss) a night out and Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers in small parts.

What makes this movie better than average is the great direction by George Lucas--he fills the Cinemascope screen masterfully; the non-stop soundtrack of 50s/60s hits; a great script and the cast of then-unknowns. It's incredible to see some of these actors so young (especially Ford and Dreyfuss) and full of life. Without this cast, this movie would probably have long-since been forgotten.

So, no great shakes, but very sweet and nostalgic with some good acting. Worth catching. Try to see it letter-boxed or on a big screen.


1973. It was the ten year anniversary of JFK's assassination. The US was still in Vietnam. College students were dying and being beaten during protest demonstrations. Watergate was happening. Rock stars from the psychedelic era of music were dropping like flies. America had officially completed the decade long process of losing it's innocence. It was gone. Then something funny happened. A young film maker who was trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood made a movie that was supposed to be simple. It wasn't supposed to be important. But it was. That movie was "American Graffiti".

"American Graffiti" is a story about one night in the lives of a group of small town teens. They are all on the verge of something great, but none of them know it yet. That something is called growing up. This night is their farewell to innocent youth. It is an obvious parallel to what America was about to go through. Within a couple of years, most of the people that the film's characters represent would be affected by the chaotic events that occurred in this country. But on this night, none of that existed. These kids were still dealing with the all important activities of cruising, muscle cars, going steady, street racing, the choice between beach music and rock & roll, and whether or not they should wait a year before going off to college. It is the last great American night.

Why is this film so important? It was made during a troubled time in America. People seemed to have lost pride in themselves and in their country. We had changed. This simple little movie changed that. It reminded us of what we used to be like. It reminded us of what we could be again. It was about good times. And the country needed a good time. We needed to go cruising for girls (or boys) while listening to Wolfman Jack crank out rock & roll classics. We needed to play pranks on each other without the fear of violent retribution. We needed to be innocent again. The movie did not make us innocent again, but it reminded us that we could be.


It's hard to believe that this year marks the 30th anniversary of "American Graffiti".

Other reviewers have already made mention of the fact that the outstanding success of this landmark film was almost single handedly responsible for igniting the "retro" craze that quickly grew into a major international subculture and is still going strong today. Although, back in the '70s we used the word "nostalgia".

The movie's soundtrack album, which was nothing more than a compilation of 1950s and early 60s Top 40 hits, generated massive sales figures across the globe and immediately triggered a flood of similar vinyl offerings from other record companies.

I turned 13 in 1973 and, like so many teenagers of the time, I totally lost interest in the music of the day and started to collect many of the aforementioned compilation albums.

Again, as others have correctly pointed out, the initial retro scene was mainly confined to the musical side of things which included the establishment of "Oldies" radio stations. It wasn't long, however, before the general mood of nostalgia became more widespread with an increasing number of people becoming interested in other pop culture commodities of the era such as movies,TV shows, cars and clothes.

Pretty soon the whole thing exploded and the "Good Old Days" suddenly became big business. And why not? There's some fabulous entertainment to be found in the archives for those who care to look.

Give me 'dem ole' time movies any day of the week! In fact, when you look back, I think we owe a debt of gratitude to George Lucas and the gang for giving us "American Graffiti". It started a positive and enjoyable marketing trend which has brought a great deal of pleasure to millions over the years. And that's a pretty nice legacy for any movie to leave behind.


In "American Graffiti", director George Lucas follows the misadventures of four Californian teenagers one late summer night in 1962 as the focal point for an audience trip back to the last innocent year of the 60's, before the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam and revolting students. It is also a trip back to the last days of childhood, when everything was cool and easy, but we reluctantly started to realise that it would not stay like that forever.

The film lacks a straight plot in the conventional sense, it just cruises along, relaxes, and then cruises some more, as do the characters: sensitive Curt has to decide whether he is the competitive type (and runs into a street gang while he's at it), All-American Steve contemplates life with or without his girlfriend, dragster John manages to breach some of his untouchable daredevil image by baby-sitting the twerpy Carol, and Terry the Toad finally gets himself a girl (and what a girl she is). At the end of the night, they all had a great time.

Of course, the main protagonist is the rock'n'roll station, which broadcasts not only some of the greatest singles ever heard, but also the sum and substance of a way of life. Not the burgeoning hippie counter-culture lifestyle that would make headlines later on, but the frenzied materialist, frantically silly and boldly consumerist lifestyle of the 50's, with all its artefacts: fast food and drag racing, high school prom nights and acne remedies.

"American Graffiti" is the cinematic equivalent and homage to that easy-going yet troubled universe, superficial and profound, funny and deeply nostalgic. Both the acting and directing are fresh, energetic and sparkling, accompanied be a doo-wop soundtrack that would have made Frank Zappa proud; all adds up to a living and breathing world of a movie.

It could have been a masterpiece if George Lucas had tinted his romanticism with a bit more irony, but then, "absurdity" is not a word commonly found in the blockbuster dictionaries. Everyone who was ever young will love "American Graffiti" anyway.

Overall rating: 7 (inspired) out of 10


Time is a speeding train.We must embrace the good times of our life,particularly those of our youth,while we have them,because they are gone before we know it.This is the lesson I get while watching American Graffiti.This is not just a classic film with featuring a heavyweight Hollywood line up in their youth,it is one of the ultimate lessons of life.Times change,people change,and those changes take place with a lightning fast speed that we never seem to see coming.We owe George Lucas and everyone involved in the making of this film a great deal of gratitude for teaching us this.Also,who doesn't fall in love with Suzanne Somers while watching this.We see her only for a moment,but that's all it takes.WOW! Watch it,man!


One of the all time great nostalgia films presents a bigger than life look back to the early 60s. Its hard to view this movie 20-20 given the widely viewed subsequent series Happy Days which, while excellent, lacked the excitement and charm offered in the film. The soundtrack is wonderful and the Wolfman clearly demonstrates that a good voice can be hit you more directly than visuals given that you don't see it coming. I would have preferred it if Lucas has continued in this direction rather than become overly enamored with special effects in his subsequent films. Harrison Ford was fine as a young actor, although his acting skills did develop considerably in later years.


Seeing American Gaffitti now is a curious experience. It was set in 1962 but made in 1973 with several future stars in their early roles. If you look carefully, you can see that many of the boys have struggled to turn their 70s hairstyle to match those over a decade earlier. But overall, AG is a dazzling and memorable nostalgic drama superbly written and directed, falling just short of a masterpiece.

The editing is particularly good, depicting the experiences of all main characters as they go through the last night of celebration before going off to college. I liked the idea of using the local haunt - Mel's Drive-in - as the focal point for the gang's fun even though they actually spend very little time inside it during that night. Also interesting and nostalgic is the all night 'cruising around' by the kids looking for fun and mostly getting it. One possible complaint that I have is that there should have been an attempt at introduction of the characters at the start. Ideally, it could have been by way of a nostalgic voice-over by Curt Henderson (Dreyfuss) looking back at that night and introducing various characters as they arrived at Mel's.


I watched this the day before going to University. It was one of the most appropriate and moving moments of my film viewing life.

First off; this is no complex or intriguing film. Its concept is very simple; various teenagers enjoying their youth with pranks, racing, outrageous flirtatiousness and most beautiful and touching of all the teenage dream of romance. My favourite moment of the film is when Dreyfuss's character sees an attractive, young blond early on - he later tries frantically to contact her - she eventually does, but just says her dues and leaves him - the boy, instead of being heartbroken or dissatisfied is happy and upbeat - at least he gave it a chance, at least he lived, as my father put it 'the teenage dream'. It touched me like few films can.

That is what makes his film so good, so classy. It shows youth in all its beauty, without cynicism - the simple joys of life are shown in all vibrance. It also does not contain those elements that are omnipresent in modern versions; unnatural lighting, a unrealistic script, profanity. Lucas and Wexler were the perfect combination, Lucas could hide his shortcomings in dialogue behind Wexler's excellent photography and the great performances of all the cast.

The ending moved me greatly, being at the stage of life that I am. Every student must watch this film before going to University because it highlights those qualities of youth so well and so elegantly that one cannot help feel tinges of remorse and sentiment at the sight of the plane soaring into the sky carrying the boy to University and away from his childhood.


I can't recall the first time I saw this movie. It is still one of my dad's favorite movies and he's always had a copy (be it on VHS or on laser-disc, yeah he's had it that long). I guess you might say that I grew up with this movie. I rented it recently, mainly because of the nostalgic value it has for me, but remembered why I enjoyed it so much. This film is pure Americana and represents an era of American innocence. George Lucas really took some risks on this one. He made a film about cruising in the early 70s (an era that was marked by down beat films). I have to say that when Lucas was young, he had balls.

The plot is extremely simple (but I still hope that I can do it justice). Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steve (Ron Howard) have graduated from high school in southern California and are headed out east to go to college (the whole film takes place on the last night that they're in town). Their friends are Terry the Toad, the geek (Charles Martin Smith), and John Milner (the best driver in the valley, played by Paul Le Mat). The story follows the four as they cruise around town. Curt is worried about leaving town and decides he may not want to leave.

Curt starts cruising with Steve and Laurie (Curt's sister, Steve's girlfriend)he sees a blonde in a white T-Bird, who becomes his obsession for the night after she mouths "I love you" to him. Curt goes from being with Steve and Laurie to cruising with his ex-girlfriend, to being abducted by a car gang, to finally finding disc jockey Wolfman Jack to play a song for the blonde in a white T-Bird.

Steve decides to break up with Laurie because he's going off to college. Laurie takes it very badly (of course) and the two go through the ups and downs about their relationship through the night.

Steve lent Terry the Toad his car for safe keeping while he's out of town. Toad cruises around and eventually picks up Debbie (Candy Clark) who normally would be way out of his league. The two get into several bizarre situations (including a liquor store hold up and having Steve's car stolen).

John ends up having to drive around with Carol (who is probably about 13) after some girls who are cruising play a trick on him. John and Carol definitely have a love/hate relationship, but John tries to look out for Carol. John is being chased by Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford) who wants to beat him in a drag race.

The separate stories all tie in due to the friendship shared between the four. Ultimately, the story is about going away and remembering the good times that everyone has when they're young. The epilogue really puts this theme in perspective.

The film really could have been made about any period, but the fact that it was made about the last great period of American innocence really drives the point home that it is a film about growing up and changing. Granted, Lucas grew up during this period and was into cruising, but the setting is still essential to the theme of the movie. This period is coming to a close, for the characters because they're moving on and because of the events that would happen in the 60s. The setting is 1962. However, as I have previously stated, the film is not merely a period piece because the themes involved are timeless.

I recommend for anyone.


The first time I saw this film, I was utterly taken with it. My folks ran a restaurant which became a hangout for the kids of the mid to late fifties and early sixties. It wasn't a drive in, but it became a place for much of what went on in this movie. We were in a small town, so there are urban elements that didn't apply. But there was cruising. There were fights. There were tough guys. I remember John Steinke who spent his Saturday evenings shooting up people's mailboxes with his .22. Most of the kids were normal kids. Some portrayals of the fifties make it seem like everyone had a leather jacket and a duck tail haircut. These were just a small percentage. Most postured and pranced around like the kids we have today. Different times; same basic behavior. I loved the mythos. The girl in the white car. The average Joe (Richard Dreyfuss). The nerd. The girl friend who you thought would be your love forever. The scary future. It's all here. Then there is that midnight journey, that quest. Wolfman Jack, whose career was really made big by this film. The police, who are understandably obsessed with these hoods and what they do. It's a lot of fun. I don't know why, however, this film didn't wash quite as well the last time I saw it. Was it too many Happy Days episodes? Is it less relevant now? Have we no innocence? I just didn't feel the magic. Or is it that I was so much closer to the ages of the characters when I saw it the first time. It's still a landmark film. The cinematography is striking. See it if you haven't.


I saw this movie on TV as a pre-teen. It took place well before I was born and I had never been to California. But even today--decades later--the movie has an incredible tone that has universal appeal. On one level, it appeals to Americans (and Canadians) ideal of a simple time: it takes place just shortly before JFK was assassinated and American pop culture went out the window in a mayhem of drugs, acid-rock, and bizarre envelope-ripping behaviours and lifestyles. On another level, if you've been a teenager, you will be able to relate to this movie. The movie was somehow--even to us in Canada hundreds of miles away in a different climate and culture, and a different era--it was somehow OUR last night of summer too. What more can I say? Brilliantly shot with the hand-held camera at times for a suggestion of reality. An incredible film with classic, universal themes and characters. Absolutely love it.


Before all of the present day knucklehead mash of mindless teenage movies, this intelligent, Oscar nominated (for best picture) film shows the last night of summer retreat for a group of young people in a small northern California town, one of whom is about to head back east to attend college. Richard Dreyfuss provides the intelligence, Ron Howard the aloof personality, Paul LeMat the muscle, and Charles Martin Smith the comic relief as the four main players in director George Lucas' first major breakthrough in movies before his adventure with the 'Star Wars' films began in 1977. 'American Graffiti' and 'Star Wars' are the only truly great films that Lucas has been involved with and 'American Graffiti' is shot like a documentary, edited with care, written with charm and performed with excellence by a cast that will always be remembered for this film that helped them launch careers that would take them to the top of their profession.


This is one of my favorite movies. I'm a little younger than Mr. Lucas but I find myself taken back to high school when I see this. Each of the main characters is struggling with the idea of their futures and what they ultimately value in life. In this movie you have all the usual suspects, Mr. Prom ,Mr. Gearhead, Ms. Easy. Ms. Perfect, Mr. Troubled, but somehow the fear and uncertainty of the future seems to connect them and they become stronger. There is a wonderful sense of community which is illustrated so well through the music and the almost fatherly figure of Wolfman Jack. My two sons just graduated from High school in '03 and '05. It doesn't seem as though they feel as connected to each other, everyone has their own personal reality. In this movie they all share this bittersweet night for better or worse and struggle with elusive dreams.


While I was watching this movie, I was shocked at how unfunny it is. I have absolutely no idea why this movie is classified as a comedy. It doesn't have any jokes in it. I'm not saying that it doesn't have anything funny in it, lots of comedies don't have anything funny in them. I'm saying, IT HAS NO JOKES IN IT. There are a few gags here and there, but they are the kind of thing that would only have been remotely funny if you had been there. Sort of like when your 6 month old child calls your cat a dog, kind of funny if you're there, but if you saw it in a movie you wouldn't exactly be slapping your knee. Possibly the most pointless movie I have ever seen, and it just went on and on. My rating: 2/10.


People can talk about its impact at its release, hailing back to a more naive America. But having not experienced the 70's let alone the 50's I don't have these reference points. What hits me is the youthfulness of the whole thing. That nearly all the characters are kids. The adults are mere secondary characters; exactly how it seems when were growing up. We don't care about what our parents are doing, what our parents friends are doing, about the owner of the local arcade. What we care about is the little world filled with kids. Older kids. Younger kids. The kids working at the local burger joint.

The film seems to aim at displaying the world Curt will be leaving, what they have experienced as opposed to what they will experience in the future. In growing up. Maybe it's a sign of the times but where I live and the world I grew up in life outside of the schoolyard was painfully filled with adults. Once 3:30 hit we were once again thrown into society where adults were everywhere and what adults said went. So while 'American Graffiti' strives to illuminate Curtis' decision on whether to take that adventure and ship off to college, to engage in that world where he is in control the irony is that he already inhabits that wonderful place. And this wonderful place where the boys cruise in their muscle cars; the police officers efforts are futile and a disc jockey named 'Wolf man' is thoroughly loved across the board is completely foreign to me. But that's the charm. And that's why I loved it.


American Graffiti is a movie, set in the 50's, about a group of friends that spend their last night together riding around the town. Most of them will still be together, bu they have to say goodbye to a good friend who is going off to a distant college. This friend also has only one more night together with his beloved girlfriend. During their drive they run into several antagonists. They challenge some of these antagonist to race them. These scenes are pretty unrealistic but only make the movie more appealing and fun. This movie has great characters, and a great soundtrack. I loved all of the songs they played in the movie. Those old doo wop songs created the perfect score for the film.


American Graffiti is aBurroughsesque cut up segment movie about what George 'Me's a so sorry' Lucas got up to when he was a teen in the 1920s. It seems that George 'Warwick "Willow" 'Wicket' Davis' Lucas liked to drive cars, avoid school, listen to rock in roll Muzak and get into various scrapes with girlies. Of course George 'Never see me and Spielberg in the same place' Lucas's favourite past time was defacing local establishments with graffiti. George 'Short Round' Lucas and his gang would scrawl such witticisms as 'Nerds suck!', 'Berry Rulez OK!', and 'I have visited Lola's pants' all over buildings and walls. Theu would ruthlessly organise 'hits' on certain places: homes of teachers and enemies, toilet walls (sometimes not with paint), and alleyways. 'The Fonze Is My Daddy', 'School is 4 fools', 'LOLZ! I fragged sum Noob's Ass on Halo 20 timez ROFL!' and 'George "we cannot agree to this Treaty, Senator" Lucas Waz ere!' also make appearances. It's all very funny and perplexing.

George 'Strike Me Down' Lucas directs his first feature feelim here and gathers together a cast of unknowns who would go on to remain unknowns, with the possible exception of Harry 'Son' Ford. It was quite a success for George 'Akbar' Lucas, earning him a lovely first pile of money and an Academy Award nomination. The film has an authentic 50s feels as all the characters have funny names like Curt, Chad, 'Steve' and Flapiddy Sshlap. The cars and clothes and musics and hair cuts are all fairly accurate proving that Gunga Lucas was about in those days and observed everything from his mother's basement. We watch the lives of these characters over a few years, some race cars, some race tractors, some die, some go on to have successful careers. Of course the most successful career prize would go to George 'I killed them all, even the children!' Lucas. With the money he made from this he made, after a brief 3 year holiday to Jamaica, the greatest film trilogy of all time- Star Warp! Best Scene: When two main characters are having a game of Turkey in their cars, and the bad guy spins out and crashes. The hero, based on George 'ooh my, R2!' Lucas, leaps over the front of his car and punches out the bad guy. A blue flash takes over the screen and he is suddenly transported to another place, in the arms of a naked lady who kisses him. Just as he wonders what is going on a burly man bursts into the room with a shotgun- 'Daddy!?' she cries. 'Oh boy!' replies our hero. George 'no to Jabba Wanka' Lucas.


This film was a deserved success and a revolutionary approach in film making. It integrated songs into the story and created a product that was greater than the sum of its parts. It observed the classical unity of time, place, and action. The small town where it is set may now be as obsolete as 25 cent gasoline. Downtown small businesses are mostly gone. Its simple story is really a glorified version of 1962 memories, which were not likely the "happy days" shown, except in retrospect. There were a lot of changes since 1962. The story is about some high school students who are graduating. Some will go on to college and have a bright future possible in those times. Others will remain and work in middle-class jobs like small businesses. No mention of the agriculture in that area. There are a few hard cases who will meet the police in their professional duties. The 1960s represented the best years of their lives for most people, as measured by the wealth of ordinary people. The story plays upon the ignorance and lack of experience of teenagers, compared to what they will know in a few years. Education isn't always taught, it often must be learned. The entertainment comes from the seeming naive comments from teenagers who find themselves in tight spots. Its filmed from a teenager's viewpoint, adults appear as obstacles or in the background. Its locale appears before the Federal and state highway systems eliminated isolated rural areas with two-lane blacktops. A follow-up film was made showing many of the characters years later. Some are married with children. "Its a Wonderful Life" compressed people's lives into one film. Could a third sequel be made? Yes, but it would not be a success because it would remind people of realities best left unmentioned. The early 1970s were not "happy days" after the devaluation of the dollar.


George Lucas's second feature film is definitely an A-plus when it comes to life in the early 1960s. This movie also paved the way for future stars particularly Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Harrison Ford. The movie is basically about a eventful but hectic night in 1962 that has friends cruising up and down the main street and also some wild escapades involving mooning, spraying shaving cream on car windows, and tying the wheels on a police car to break apart. It also includes interlocking stories that eventually meet up in the last fifteen minutes of the film. There's some nice drag racing sequences as well, especially the one at the climax of the film that has a 1955 Chevy flip-flopping after losing control. The soundtrack is the best feature in the movie, about 50 or 60 songs were used in the movie alone. It's nice to check this movie out again when you have the chance.


One of my personal favorites of all time, "American Graffiti" proves to be one of the most hilarious and entertaining films I've ever seen. With no real plot, it gives us nothing more than an inside look at a 1960s graduating high school class's last night cruising the town before officially becoming adults. Although they are probably just a little exaggerated, we probably laugh at most of the material in this film because we know how funny it could be if it happened in real life. Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, and Richard Dreyfuss were all excellent as some of the film's main starts. The film also features a young Harrison Ford (before he proved himself to be a good actor). There's not much to say about this film, since the laughs come from a bunch of simply random elements of the film. Perhaps it's each characters reaction to each situation that makes the film so fun to watch. The ending adds a small touch of drama and sadness to the film, but the movie is a far greater portion of comedy than the latter. What a masterpiece directed by a pre-Star Wars George Lucas. "American Graffiti" is one of the most enjoyable films ever made. Not the Best Picture of 1973 (that was rightfully earned by "The Sting") Nevertheless, this one is not to be missed.

**** out of ****


George Lucas hit upon a classic theme, 1950's nostalgia in 1973. When folks wanted to forget about being a modern teen, getting drafted, and wanted mindless fun this movie did it. Lucas got this inspiration from his own teen years as he turned 16 in 1959. This meant that while he would later draw on Ben Hur for the Star Wars saga, he first achieved success here drawing on his earlier childhood.

The brief introduction of Suzanne Summers & Harrison Ford in this movie were not noticed until years later. Wolfman Jack on the other hand got a great boost from this film and became an icon of his own. Ronnie Howard was already a big name from Andy Griffith. This movie would boost him into the Happy Days.

This film is our look into the 1950's age that Lucas remembered oh so well. This film does it so well that you almost forget the 1960's ever happened & we all grew up. The sexual innuendo from this would carry on for Lucas. Chewy, get into there, I don't care how it smells. Just let me turn on that radio dial & spend another night with the Wolfman.


I saw this yesterday, and I thought it was great. I am a big fan of Lucas' art, and I think Indy 4 was the best movie of the year. I had been looking forward to seeing his first major picture, and it really was great. The use of 60s music is just awesome. After the first half hour I was mesmerized like I had been sucked into another world. We can really get to know all the characters like it was our own friends, and the story is certainly excellent getting all the pieces together in the end with a very touching ending. Look out for Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss in early roles. There are also a lot of references to American Graffiti in Indy 4, by the way. I will not mention them here, but it is obvious that you can draw references to other projects by Lucas - even to the computer game Maniac Mansion which also portrays a lot of young people who are quite similar to the characters of American Graffiti.


Don't get me wrong, the first Star Wars film is a masterpiece for many reasons, but none of them are the clunky dialogue in the script. George Lucas is known for, along with his special effects and Star Wars films, awful scripts. The most recent Star Wars films are so poorly written they make me cringe, and this is George Lucas's only good script to date, possibly because it wasn't entirely written by him. "American Graffiti" is a low budget classic that really makes you feel like you're in 1962, and by the end, you won't want to leave.

Here we have four stories about teens graduating high school, each one different, each one surprisingly good. There's Curt (Richard Dreyfus) who's confused if he wants to go to college or just stay home and go to junior college. After some turn of events, he ends up with a gang of hoodlums. Steve (Ron Howard) said the wrong thing to his girlfriend and is trying to patch things up. Terry (Charles Martin Smith) is taking care of Steve's car when Steve goes away to college, and he picks up a good lookin' chick, which results in many comedic situations. John Milner (Paul Le Mat) is a drag racer trying to pick up chicks, but he gets more than he bargained for when he ends up with the 13 year old sister (played by a young Mackenzie Phillips) of a female acquaintance of his. All four of these stories take place over one night, and they all level each other out nicely.

All the kids give good performances here. Some are stereotypes, but they are likable stereotypes that break out of the mold and become more than one dimensional characters. The sub-plots are genuinely funny, and in some ways this actually reminds me of two later movies rolled into one. This movie is like John Landis's two films "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers" packed into one good movie. It has the rowdy teens, and fast cars, and it has the cool 50's and early 60's music. The situations these characters face are often imitated in more recent films. For example, in "Superbad", an underage character trying to but alcohol almost gets away with it, but the store is robbed. Here, the character gets away with it, and the store is robbed...it's like the same scenario.

I know my review contained a few comparisons to other films, but with a great teen comedy like this, all you can do is compare it to imitators, and this comes out on top. Perhaps a young George Lucas was inspired to (co)write this good script, or perhaps he just happened to strike lightening, something his writing would not do again. Prove me wrong Mr. Lucas!

My rating: *** 1/2 out of ****. 110 mins. PG for language, sexual innuendos.


American Graffiti is a true masterpiece. George Lucas was able to make a truly realistic film sharing his "cruisin'" days in 1962 with a budget of $750,000.

The overall cinematography of the film was outstanding. You have the film shot at night with unforgettable scenery, cars and cinematography, with familiar characters that everyone can relate to at some point of their life.

The film also comprises many talented stars, including Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Charles Martin Smith, Paul Le Mat and Harrison Ford to name but a few. Each character paints a bold picture of the times that they are living and they are also important in the overall progression of the story.

The film is also backed by an excellent soundtrack that set the mood for each of the scenes and enable you to relive the times.

The film also has unforgettable scenes, including the drag racing scenes, the school dance, the loss of the police car axle and the cruisin' scenes.

This film was a true triumph for Lucas, just watching makes you want to be a part of the times. It should be watched at least once during a life time to enable you to experience or reflect the times of 1962.


This is a great movie about the Cambodian genocide. Refusing any sensational or sentimental approach, it is just made out of testimonies, and patiently, slowly tries to understand how such a thing could happen. The mechanics of the Khmer Rouge crimes, the paranoiac will to obtain (by torture) a "reason" (completely absurd) to kill their victims is terrifying. And testimony's of the torturers are striking of refusal. Patience, the intelligence and the firmness of one of the rare surviving victims give again fortunately confidence in humanity. This movie is made on a similar approach to Claude Lanzmann's "Shoah". Which means to place the testimonies in the center, and refusing any reconstitution or archive images. Maybe the only way to speak about such an event ?


I got to see this film at a special screening at the Alliance France in Manila, the French embassy's cultural center. Many of the small audience in the screening room (the copy screened was a DVD) did not bother to finish the film.

For myself, I found the film a flawed but powerful experience. One major flaw is, as other reviewers have pointed out, its cold opening. In other words, it assumes you already know what S-21 is and what the Khmer Rouge are. Without this valuable background information, which the documentary does not provide, the viewers may be lost at first.

It is also kind of dry, since the movie takes place only within the walls of S-21, involving only the few survivors of the prison and some of their former jailers. Essentially they spent the entire film talking. There is no attempt on the part of the director to make it more cinematic.

However, the patient viewer will soon find him or herself immersed in the horrors of the Khmer Rouge as detail after detail of the atrocities committed in the prison emerge. The handful of survivors go through mementos of the prison, including logbooks detailing the tortures committed against inmates, along with some of those who worked in the prison, including a guard and a doctor. The question the survivors constantly ask their former jailers is: How? How could you do these things? And they have no answers.

The most chilling scenes in the film involve a former prison guard recreating in an empty cell the routine he took with the prisoners, bringing them food, water or a container to pee in, threatening them with a beating if they don't go to sleep or cry too loudly. Its throughly disturbing to see, even if there are no actual prisoners there.

S-21 is not for everybody. But if you're already familiar with the Khmer Roune and this part of Cambodian history, the documentary may be worth watching to deepen your understanding of this dark period of history.


I have read the other comments on here and think that many people missed the point. This documentary illustrated the banality of evil very powerfully; it did not preach or try to shove the makers' opinion down the viewers' throat, like SO many other so-called documentaries do. This is not one of those "documentaries" which show edited footage and historical footage as a mere backdrop to put forth someone's opinion. That's what made it so powerful, to see the people who committed this incomprehensible evil and those that suffered it asking their own questions, trying to make sense of it all, trying to justify it, analyzing their roles in real time as the cameras roll. It was very evident that this was the first time many of them had questioned themselves on what they had done. The repetitive re-enactment and explanation of the guard's day to day activities were horrific in their normality. Even after all these years, after all that's happened, these men had no qualms about showing the world their routines, making it obvious that they don't equate their actions directly to the effects it had on their fellow country men and women. One has to remember that the guards were brain washed and indoctrinated by the communists at a very young age. This can be directly equated with what's happening in the world today with militant Islam. They're creating their own amoral killers and fanatics by indoctrinating and brain washing children. If nothing else, this documentary shows how once indoctrinated at a young age with fanatical ideology, all that remains for the rest of that persons life is an empty shell incapable of comprehending basic humanity.