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2 Frenchies that win my heart – Regarde Moi & Frontiere(s)

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Two films, one from the Rendezvous with French Cinema Series and one from Film Comment Selects Series, both at Lincoln
Center, that start off terribly and win me over half way through.
Horror fans…please read this review.


Regarde Moi

Okay… we all know Bake Snaker’s favorite genre. The
gritty urban, social-realist thing. That mixed with it being French
AND being that the director is only 23 years old, I was intrigued. So I sat there…
and although nicely shot ( a little over-lit), I was squirming cause honestly the
first half sucks. It basically follows a bunch of young guys around
the projects one day. The characters were appealing but something was
not doing it for me… suddenly the audience realizes that Audrey is
breaking the film in two parts.. … the first half focused on the
guys.. the 2nd focused on the girls. And BOOM…. it all comes
together and actually makes the first half work.
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The casting for the girl’s half is FANTASTIC!!! I loved all the
characters even if sometimes I didn’t believe their motivations or
actions. The style is uneven but who says style has to be even. See
this film. Oh yeah.. the last minute sucks royally.
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Frontiere(s)
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Okay… Frontiers begins like an awful rehash of the “crazy family in
some backwoods area that traps and kills you” plot. Heavily stylized
with flash frames and steely blue “day for night” sequences. “Gone in
Sixty Seconds” meets Hollywood remake of Texas Chainsaw. Awful. The
actors are way too good looking, everything is implausible..just
moving the plot along, etc, etc. But then HOLY SHIT…. this film
takes a turn. And stands as one of the most outrageous, violent and
over-the-top horror films (with a budget) that I’ve EVER seen. This
is a MUST SEE manly because of its relentlessness. The “family” in
this case turns out to be Nazi cannibals… of which an old war
criminal runs with an iron fist..trying to keep his family “pure”…
all the while inbreeding is actually screwing them up.
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And although done quite blatantly…. I have to give it credit for its
political overtones. The filmmaker is obviously relating the French
right-wingers to Nazis. The kids who are trapped in this situation
are the Muslim rioters. The lead girl is incredibly hot by the way,
even after they shave her head. Her name is Karina Testa. One of my new screen loves.
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Please see this film… this is obviously a Hollywood calling card…
with actually more promise than Haute Tension showed. I’m positive
that this film will be unrated if released here…. and it is
well-shot and worth seeing on big screen… so check release
dates…if not coming out here… Ebay this right away!!!

UPDATE!!!! – Just found out that it was pulled from AfterDark Horrorfest (8 films to die for) last year (2007)…
because the MPAA refused to give it an R rating (understandably) however some deal was struck and it will be released in theaters May 9th
…see it on the big screen please!!

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No Responses

  1. cybergosh says:

    i should have gone with you to Frontiere(s).

    ps – why are you reviewing films naked?

  2. Bake Snaker says:

    hahah.. yes, from now… Reviewed in the Nude!!