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Kalifornia

Kalifornia

List Price: $14.95
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Serial Killer Slayfest
Review: Movies in the serial killer genre need strong, engaging characters if they are to amount to more than just a sequence of murders. Kalifornia gets close but in the end it falls on the wrong side of the line.

Brian Kessler (David Duchovny) is an aspiring writer and he plans to write a book about serial killers based on visits to the sites of their killings. He also wants to move to California with his girlfriend Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes) who is an aspiring photographer and will take the photos needed to illustrate the book. The only problem is that they do not have the money to do this. When Kessler gets a book deal for his proposal, they decide that this will be their cue to go but they are still short of money for the trip so they advertise for somebody to share the ride and pay half of the fuel costs.

Early Grayce (Brad Pitt ) and his girlfriend Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis) reply to the ad and the four set off for California. What Brian and Carrie do not know is that Early is already a murderer and as they progress to their destination, he continues to kill. At first, his three travelling companions are unaware of his activities but finally even the simple minded Adele comes to see what is going on and Early then turns his murderous attention to his companions.

Everyone, other than the four main characters is incidental, entering the movie in order to be slain or to provide some small step forward for the plot. That makes the film lean heavily on the main cast and that is where the audience is let down. Juliette Lewis does an acceptable job as the pretty but dim girlfriend but in the end, her character is not one to create any degree of audience sympathy. Duchovny and Forbes have the chance to do better as their characters should be a lot fuller than Lewis's. They don't rise to the occasion though and so their characters just do not appeal. Unfortunately, in this type of movie, if the audience doesn't get to care whether the potential victims live or die, there is no real tension left. That just leaves Brad Pitt who, while throwing himself into the role with a great deal of enthusiasm, doesn't quite convince us of the character.

It would be wrong to put all of the blame on the actors though as the script does not give them as much scope as they would need were they to do a better job. Perhaps one less killing scene and a little more time on character and mood development would have paid off. Other that that the movie is fast paced and the action will hold an audience's attention.

While it is worth watching if you are not put off by large amounts of blood, this movie amounts to nothing more than a couple of hours of violent escapism.

If this is your type of movie then you have probably already seen "Natural Born Killers" but you might also like to get hold of a copy of Badlands which is just as fresh today as when it first came out.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Chilling Movie
Review: A movie about a killer...been there, done that, right? Wrong. Although a bit gory at times, this movie tends to focus on what makes this killer tick and the fear of his would-be victims. I gave this movie four stars instead of five because Juilette Lewis's performance of basically an ignorant "country bumpkin" began to wear on the nerves. Other than that, the cast was outstanding (yes, Brad Pitt, at least when he puts his mind to it, CAN act) and the story was solid.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Absolutely dire
Review: It's hard to think of a movie that is more pretentious than this, laying out its subjects the director seems to have sat back and smirked whilst someone thought that gratuitous gore might hide the total lack of story. It's about a criminal pshychologist (Duchovany) and his girlfriend who travel across America with the psychotic Early (Pitt) and his dim-witted girfriend (Lewis).

Yes, so this could have been an interesting premise. Unfortunately though there is no explanation of Early's psycopathic nature or any exploration into the matter - save some glib voice-overs by Duchovany - and his girlfriend's increasingly unbelievable naivity is never really looked at either. Plus, someone should tell Pitt that being unshaven and speaking with an accent do not make a psycopath (watch him in 'Seven' or 'Snatch', he's much better there). Duchovany doesn't really seem to do much at all, retaining the same restrained look on his face throughout the whole movie. Again, any fan of 'The X-Files' will know that this is someone who can do better. Because we know that Pitt is a psychopath from the very start, there's very little tension. Indeed, Duchovany's attraction with the dark side of nature is so half-baked that it shouldn't be in there at all. It's almost as if someone gathered a whole lot of good ideas and actors together and told them to stand there whilst a cameraman shouted 'shoot'.

Shocking scenes of brutality, gore and plenty of screaming do not disguise that there isn't a plot to be found amongst this mess. It's rare to find a movie that fails on so many levels.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: David Duchovny
Review: Wow! Is'nt he just the cutest. Buy this video it's just amazing the gore is so cool and there is a lot of cute characters, especially male ones.i.e David Duchovny(yes I am obsessed!) The plot is so cool, I will say no more because I really don't want to spoil it for you. One last tip from me- BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great film
Review: Kalifornia has everything that makes a film perfect. There's swearing, sex, blood, violence and the most gorgeous guy on the planet (David Duchovny, of course) all in just two and a half hours! I really enjoyed it and would reccomend it to anyone (they'd have to be over 15 or used to graphic violence) being an x-files fan I know the drill only too well...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Modern Day Horror Story
Review: I have searched everywhere for a book version of this film. Only one book called Kalifornia shows up and it's not the one! I'm so bummed because I really wanted to read it! Oh well! This film literally had me glued to the seat. First, I think it fair that I tell you I've seen it over 100 times. Without a word of a lie. That's how much I enjoy it. Funnily enough, it's not the actual story that keeps me watching, it's the fabulous character that Brad Pitt plays! Early Grayce. He seems like the male version of Streep the way he can go into any character at ease. I didn't even recognize him at first. Well, the movie's about four people (2 college lovers and 2 riff-raff types) who share a ride to LA from the East Coast. From the moment David Duchovny's (Brian Kessler's) girlfriend, Michelle Forbes (Carrie Laughlin), see's Brad and Juliette (Adele Corners), she wants to turn around and leave without them. They just look so scruffy and out of place standing on the curbside. Without giving too much away, this movie turns into a thrilling, heart beating film. I can honestly say, unlike other movies I've seen, there wasn't a SINGLE dull or lull moment in this entire movie. You were up on your toes as the four people took a quick tour of murder sites because Brian needed the info for a book project he was working on. His girlfriend, Carrie, was taking the photographs. The only reason for Early and Adele being there was to help with the gas bills etc. Early's not even supposed to be out of state because he's on parole so he really doesn't care what goes on as they travel toward LA. At first, it's kind of hard to separate Pitt from the scum ball, Early but eventually, you do. This movie proved to me once again what a fantastic actor Brad is. Now, if only someone would give him another fantastic script like this one!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Kurio sure to become a Kult item
Review: Despite star power of the leads in "Kalifornia" (Brad Pitt, David Duchovny and Juliette Lewis), this oddball 1993 serial killer/road movie/neo-noir somehow slipped under the radar. I believe that "Kalifornia" is destined for eventual cult status along with similar "Interstate Spree" movies like "The Honeymoon Killers" and "Badlands". Manhattan hipster and aspiring "true crime" writer Duchovny and his avant-garde photographer girlfriend Michelle Forbes (the sexiest pathologist in TV history-weigh my kidneys, baby!) are off to research notorious murder sites across America's heartland, but need to defray expenses. Trailer trash Pitt and Lewis hook up for the ride, and proceed to become poster children for Why You Should Always Check "Rideshare" References. Needless to say, although the convertible is pointed West, this road trip rapidly heads South, with most of the unpleasantness provided by a somewhat "hygiene-challenged" Mr. Pitt, who throws STP and fried chicken grease all over his "Sexiest Man Alive" image in this role. Not for the squeamish, but entertaining for "Noir" fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good Job
Review: I enjoyed this movie. I wanted to see a movie about a crazy person, and this is what i got. The movie delivers this crazy person in a way that is not boring, also. In other words, the plot was good. This movie was funny, to me, above others, because of the insanity of the main character-Early. The couple that must travel with Early and Adelle are thier exact opposites, which makes this story all the more interesting to watch. If you like to watch movies about serial killers and whatnot, i reccomend this movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Clever Off the Beaten Path Film
Review: This is an excellent motion picture competently acted, well scripted and neatly directed. Brad Pitt gives a standout performance. It contains a good score composed by Composer Carter Burwell. This is an underrated masterpiece and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Ultra-Intense Ride Down the Highway of Madness
Review: The first time I saw this movie my jaw dropped. It was so utterly vicious in design and subject matter that I couldn't help but be fascinated. David Duchovny (in a pre-X-Files performance) plays a writer intrigued by serial killers and why they do those nasty things they do. He cooks up a plan to drive cross country, East to West, to visit the homes of known serial killers as well as the places where they commited their crimes. His girlfriend comes along with dreams of California and the purpose of photographing for the book. But driving all the way across the country is expensive, so the couple advertise for a riding companions to share the cost. They get alot more than they bargained for.

Enter Early and Adele, white trailer trash looking initially for a free ride west. But Early's rage and madness get the best of him, turning the road trip into a small, but unnerving bloodbath.

This is probably Brad Pitt's best performance, his take on insanity in the character of Early is almost too believable. It almost makes you wonder what he had to do to get into character...

For fans of movies like Seven, Natural Born Killers, and Psycho or those who are just enthralled by violent films Kalifornia is an ultra-intense ride down the highway of madness.


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