Screening Log

This new site feature is a collective effort to summarize our viewing habits. Occasionally, you will find titles here that are coming to a theater near you, in addition to films viewed on television, and even films viewed in piecemeal. The screening log is archived each month; to view past entries select a month in the menu below.


January 2007 activity

Total Log Entries: 84

Total Comments: 32


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Love Object / USA / 2003

Now if more horror movies were made like this I’d be a die-hard fan of the genre. I’ve never laughed so hard at a first viewing. The film is essentially about a lonly tech writer (Kenneth Harrington) who orders a female sex-doll to fill the void in his life. Trouble is, he models it on a real live aquaintance. As the real relationship begins to bloom the doll takes on a life of its own and begins to destroy him.

The film is well written, directed and executed, for the most part, though the twist conclusion is a bit tired and, of course, (the director) Robert Parigi had to go the gore route. Why I don’t know. If it had remained a satirical psychological thriller it might have been a real classic. Instead, I’m afraid it’ll become one of the cult-classic, bargain-bin DVD specials. It appeals to the ridiculous in us all (which, imo, we don’t see nearly enough of in American Cinema). Parigi takes his treatment of contempoary alienation and lonliness to hilarious limits and then goes overboard for the sake of cheap effects. In doing so, however, he throws the premise away. The bite of Parigi’s social commentary is muted with the ending. Perhaps others here who have seen this feel differently. I do think, however, that he may have taken a wrong turn.

None of this would have worked without the the fabulous performance by Desmond Harrington in the lead. His performance is utterly convincing save the banal ending – but I suppose that given the script it couldn’t be helped.

Bravo.

by Marlin Tyree | Source: Lions Gate DVD
09 Jan 2007 6:10 PM | Submit Comment


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