Rating: 
Summary: An evening with the directors.
Review: When "C'est arrive pres de chez vous" was released in my city (Aix-En-Provence) we had the pleasure of an after viewing chat with the directors. A little background on this movie makes it an even better achievement! Let me stress it also, this is an intense movie, definitely not an easy watch, but a very, very good intense movie none the less.This is the three directors final project from the Cinema School they attended in Belgium. My understanding is that they never intended to have it released commercially, however it was entered into a festival (needless to say after they graduated with honors) and became a phenomenon. In my opinion it is one of the best movies ever made in French in the past few years. During our after movie chat, where Benoit Poelvoorde scarred the hell out of me by entering into the dark movie theater screaming, they launched into a few anecdotes regarding the making of "Man Bites Dog". All of Ben's family is actually played by Ben's family, a family which is clueless as to which type of movie they are starring in, the directors would just briefly give them an idea of what the setting was like before engaging the cameras. His uncle plays the old guy at the hospital who launches into songs, songs which he improvised on the set to everybody's surprise. Each person who watched this movie would agree with me that the rape scene is the hardest one to bear, which trust me is sort of a weird reaction considering the rest of the movie, upon discussing it, all three directors agreed on how they wished they would have tammed it down. However in order to ease us they told us of how they came about filming it, how this lady had to stay lying down for hours while a make-up team was working on her and how she kept on drinking beers upon beers and finally had to take a leak. They had to take a vote on who was going to hold the bucket. Remy was the chosen one. Man Bites Dog is indeed disturbing, especially because you end up laughing all the time to a very intense subject matter. It is a complete achievement and recommended viewing for anybody who is not afraid of facing a certain aspect of life.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing
Review: where did the crewmen find this serial killer? At first, they won't even share a beer with him because he is so distasteful to them. By the end of the movie they are helping him dipose of bodies that will potentially be discovered. My interpretaion of this film is that the director was trying to poke fun at journalism and it's minions. Can you imagine cameramen filming the murder of a child without becoming involved in trying to stop it? All for the sake of the story.
Rating:
Summary: Shocking
Review: This movie defines its genre. The literal translation of the film's real name is "It Happened in a Neighborhood Near You" (C'est Arrive pres de chez vous). It is creepy to watch because it could be true, but just couldn't. I would recommend it to anyone who has a strong stomach and an appreciation for social commentary.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Dark and Macabre Satire
Review: Man...who knew the French were capable of this? A black & white "documentary" of a serial killer named Benoit that's an extremely graphic satire of the media and it's effect's on violence(I won't go into the plot description, since plenty of other people have done this so read their reviews if that's what you're looking for). This movie is not for the easily offended or disturbed(That explains a lot of the 1 star reviews) because of it's graphic depictions of murder and rape. But for those who like their comedy dark...this is perfect. A very well done movie, hilarious at times and very disturbing at others. I like how instead of this being just another pointless movie with explicit violence it actually has a meaning behind it, which a lot of movies nowaday's lack.
4.5/5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Darling I don't know why I go to Extremes
Review: Let's get one thing straight right now: look carefully at Criterion's cover picture for "Man Bites Dog". Zoom in on it, take your time; I'll wait.
Got it? All clear in your mind what the Bad Man with the Gun is doing on the cover? That's right, that's a baby binky flying up out of that cloud of blood and brains and clotted gore.
Why a binky? Because I expect the baby was sucking on it before our hero Ben (Benoit Poelvoorde) showed up to do his thing.
His thing is killing people: men, women, postal workers, clerks, schoolgirls, elderly women with bad tickers, little kids, entire families. Come to think of it, "killing" doesn't get close to describing what Ben does to his victims---I'm thinking 'butcher' is closer to the truth. Anyway, a man's gotta have a hobby, and Ben sticks to what he knows best: slaughtering in pretty much every fashion imaginable.
Best of all, "Man Bites Dog" charts the rampaging wild rumpus of a whacked-out Belgian killer through the streets, attics, dive bars and country lanes by means of a documentary film crew---complete with narrator, camera-man, and two sound guys!---who follow and film Benoit's every brutal move.
Why did I start by asking you to check out the DVD cover art? Because you should know what you're getting into: this is a sick film. This is a warped, deranged, merciless little nugget of pure, horrible filth. If you get offended easily, if you're disturbed by what amounts to a stinking cinematic toilet of human filth and barbarity, if you find yourself saying "I'm Appalled!" a lot---trust me, stop reading, and stay far away from "Man Bites Dog".
Alright, are the Legions of the Appalled gone? Whew, excellent---now we can talk. "C'est Arrive Pres de Chez Vous" (which means "It Happened Close to your House", bafflingly translated stateside as "Man Bites Dog"; I don't know, don't ask---but it works) is one of the sickest, bleakest, funniest flicks I have ever seen, and perhaps the only decent thing to come out of Belgium besides the waffles.
Originally a student film shot with practically zero budget, "Man Bites Dog" astounds on a technical level: the cheap, grainy film and the bumping herky-jerky warzone feel of the photography add to the seamless, searing reality. The film crew that follows our snarky assassin around is the actual film crew that masterminded this brutal nugget of horror: director Remy Belvaux (Remy the reporter), director of photography Andre Bonzel (Andre the Cameraman)---even trigger-man Benoit worked on the screenplay.
We don't exactly know what Ben is, or how he makes his money and gets around: is he an assassin, petty criminal, mass murderer, happy sadist, philosopher? Does he do contract killing, or just slaughter people for sh*ts, giggles, and money?
The point seems to be: who knows? Who cares? Who says there has to be a reason? In the meantime:
*MARVEL as Ben regales his film crew with his thoughts on art, architecture, music, and social justice! Take a jaunt with him to hear his favorite floutist Jenny (Jenny Drye, who suffers a fate that shouldn't happen to a dog)show off her pipes!
*SWOON as Ben demonstrates: the best way to suffocate a victim with a plastic bag! PLUS---how to get rid of those pesky bodies using a tarp, a little rope, and a handy drainage ditch!
*EMPATHIZE as Ben complains about the lack of good help in holding down a potential victim these days, lecturing his film crew about the one that got away!
*APPROVE as Ben hangs wif da homeyz and accepts no sh*t on his birthday. Admit it: in his shoes, you'd do the same.
*SING with Benny as he shows off his singing voice after getting thrown out of a bar! See if you're not crooning "CINEMA! CINEMAAAAA!" long after the credits roll.
LAUGH as Ben and his film crew run into another serial killer---followed about by his *own* documentary film crew! Bullets fly, celluloid rolls!
Some reviewers try to gussy this thing up as an "astute social commentary". Come on. "Man Bites Dog" is divinely inspired, and it is what it is: it is honest, brutal, deadly, black gleeful fun. "Man Bites Dog"---I'll be honest---is terrible, perhaps, but it is also liberating.
There is something in many of us---perhaps most of us---that languishes beneath the shackles of our politically correct high-minded Republic of Nice (the bane and curse of 21st century democracies, where everyone takes pains not to offend)---something that longs for firebombs, and midnight massacres, and death squads: rapine, torture, carnage on a massive scale. I'm not saying that's not demonic, but the truth is---that Demon lurks in all of us. "Man Bites Dog" opens up the pen and slips the collar off for 90 minutes.
You'll laugh; maybe, if you're still human, you'll feel guilty about it afterwards (I didn't, but I'm a jaded creature). Ben is trenchant, witty, funny, totally loyal to his friends and devoted to his parents. He is, in his own warped way, considerably moral. He just happens to have shifted left where many of us shimmied right, and kills people for amusement, mega-bucks, and GREAT door prizes!
Whatever: see it. You'll find it is entirely possible to be deeply morally offended *and* laugh like a madman.
JSG
Rating: 
Summary: A Shot in the Dark
Review: No, this one did nothing for me. As with Michael Haneke's later films Funny Games and Benny's Video, Man Bites Dog is another one of those vicious Euro-trash 'satires' that supposedly places the media's fascination with serial killers and unmotivated violence under the microscope, in order to come to the conclusion - in this instance - that it is the audience who are to blame for any controversy or worse, copy-cat violence, because it is the audience that desired to see the shocking spectacle offered to them by the filmmakers in the first place. Now, call me a bore, but doesn't this strike you as being a tad hypocritical? I mean, where is the sense in producing a violent and controversial film in order to condemn and chastise violent and controversial films and those that enjoy them.
The film is riddled with serious problems that break any sense of drama or tension or anything approaching cinematic assuredness (oh wait, they're being post modern, let's scratch our chins and say "Ah!") and, for me, comes across as little more than a dull exploitation picture that hides it revelatory violence and attempts at black comedy under a veil of self-important social commentary. The black and white cinematography screams 'ART' more than realism (even film students in the early 90's wouldn't have been shooting on black & white stock), which further establishes the films "hey! Look at me" aesthetic, whilst attempts at juxtaposing moments of calm reflection with intense, noisy violence is pulled off with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop (yes, clichés like that are rife in this film). Another problem would be the acting, with the performances standing as nothing more than showy, theatrical caricatures that again, undermine any sense of drama, tension or actual horror being established through the scenes of (admittedly, not particularly shocking) violence that also fails to back-up their oh-so controversial argument. Now, I am aware that there are many number of people who enjoy this film and have tried to argue it's merits as a satire, or even a black comedy or post-modernist critique on the essence of filmmaker, but you and I both know that this holds about as much weight as the rumour that Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music actually features snippets of Bach and Vivaldi hidden beneath those swathes of white noise.
In my day (then again I'm only 21, so what do I know?) a black comedy or satire was something like The Producers, Harold & Maude, The Ladykillers and MASH, serious films about characters and situations that were both real and surreal at the same time. Using those classics as a yardstick, it's hard to grasp quite how something as vacuous and misguided as Man Bites Dog could ever be considered a comedy, black or not (unless a few miss-timed guffaws and the fact that the jokes aren't funny enough to merit a comedic appraisal). It's all very dull to me and should really be filed away with other films of this ilk, notably Series 7: the Contenders, Natural Born Killers, I Stand Alone and the Michael Haneke films aforementioned, with these bloated, would-be auteurs exercising a big budget in order to comment on the vapidity of cinema as a valid art. Hmm, deep! Man Bites Dog is lazy filmmaking in which a group of individuals seemingly uneducated in the medium of film have witnessed the furore and success surrounding something like Reservoir Dogs - which came about through the violence depicted on screen and the later tabloid controversy - and thought to themselves "yeah, we want a piece of that".
Because of this, every single scene becomes a bombardment of lazy clichés and failed shock-tactics, the kind of which Chris Morris would ably parody in his excellent Brass Eye series. The film is brutal, but like the similarly bloated and pompous cinematic lecture Funny Games, never wholly violent (save for a few choice scenes purposely designed to whip the papers into a "ban this sick filth" frenzy) so the film is even less likely to appeal to the lad down the pub as it is to those curious bourgeoisie student types... the kind that pop up on the IMDB and proclaim films like Natural Born Killers & Funny Games to be socially significant. For me, Man Bites Dog was the absolute worst kind of film... one that preaches a message without sufficient evidence to back up it's argument whilst, even worse, promoting the very essence "that violent films make violent people" when it was supposed to be analysing this debate in an intelligent and confrontational way. What a failure.
Rating:
Summary: A stunning masterwork of violent satire.
Review: Benoit is an ordinary man, if by "ordinary" you mean an unremorseful serial killer. A documentary crew follows Ben and at first only films his crimes, but later becomes a part of them.
This film satirizes media violence through graphic and unrelenting depictions of Benoit's exploits. It is a gritty and overall well-made film and looks great in black-and-white.
Warning: This film is hilarious, witty, intelligent, and thoroughly disturbing. The Criterion Collection DVD is unrated but upon the film's release it received an NC-17 rating. It contains graphic violence, strong language (though subtitled), and a rape scene; not for the squemish!
Beyond its lack of family-friendly subject matter, Man Bites Dog is a must see film. Its genious satire can be compared to Dr. Strangelove (Kubrick's doomsday-comedy masterpiece). If you enjoy cinema I recommend Man Bites Dog for you.
Rating:
Summary: Sadistic trash. No stars.
Review: This review is for the Criterion collection DVD edition of the film.
Man Bites Dog, released in Belgium as "C'est arrivé près de chez vous" which translates to "It happened in your town" is the worst film yet released through the Criterion Collection on DVD. It recieved an NC-17 rating in the US and damn well deserves it. Too bad there is not a more strict rating. This film contains extremly graphic depictions of rape, murder, and even torture. It has been banned in several countries including 2 in Europe. I could not help but turn my face away from many scenes
This film, shot in documentary style presents an "interview" with a serial killer and he demonstrates how he kills his victims. In a shockingly cold manner, he notices while in the home of an elderly woman, that she takes a medication for a heart condition. Instead of shooting her, he pulls out the gun and yells in a threatening manner, she has a heart attack as a result. He notes that bullets cost money and not worth wasting when they aren't necessary. There are also scenes where he smothers a child to death with his pillow and murders his parents.
This film was an attempt to satirize media violence but all it does is glorify it.
There are special features on the DVD also. There is a theatrical trailer, an interview with the filmmakers, a photo gallery, and a short film made by the filmmakers titled, No C4 for Daniel-Daniel, officially know as, "Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel" This short film, though is good and has some martial arts like slapstick humor reminiscent of the Yuen brothers' "Wu-tang" films.
Avoid this movie unless you like similar films.
From now on, I will get more info about Criterion DVD's before watching them, I will still note and rate the special features of each one though.
Rating: 
Summary: Glorified Saturday Night Live Sketch
Review: Very disappointed with this film. This film is really nothing more than a glorified Saturday Night Live sketch- you get the joke in the first thirty seconds and the remaining hour and a half is more of the same. People refer to this film as poignant commentary concerning the media's obsession with violence. It's really not. See Natural Born Killers- its much more effective-if this is the subject matter which pricks your interest. I would really give this 2.5 stars but you can't on Amazon, so I rounded down. It's definitely not a three star movie. So there.
Rating:
Summary: Mind-Numbingly awful
Review: OK, I'll be the first to say it: Overly-expensive, beautifully-packaged DVDs from the Criterion Collection do not necessarily a good movie make. Let's get that clear...
This rotted-out carcass of a film that Belgium spat out in the early-nineties as a satirical look at reality entertainment (which wasn't much of an issue in 1992, so maybe that's why people see a joyous precognitive quality about this) concerns a film crew who follows around a brutal serial killer whose slaying after dirty filthy slaying remains unchecked by human morality, and as his rampages continue, the filmmakers gradually become his unwitting accomplices.
Big deal. The film fails as social commentary (we get it, we get it) and as black humor (not funny, not particularly clever). So what's the point, really? The film wants to shock us into submission by casually brushing off infanticide, thievery, and gang-rape, but I was never offended by the relentless violence and gore, I was offended by how boring and tedious this whole project turned out to be.
The serial killer is the star of this movie, and the only character we get to know at all. His relationships are under-developed, his psychology untapped, his motivations unclear. The actor (co-director Benot Poelvoorde) is cloying, unattractive, and has severe overacting issues.
The film has a completely un-arresting visual style, and is badly edited. The repetitive circular scenes of chaos where we see (again and again) lots of running and shooting and dying wear thin almost instantly, making for not a single redeemable quality in the entire movie. The Mahabarata didn't seem as long as the 92 minutes that this movie took to make a single gruesome point over and over again.
The film is shot entirely in grainy black and white, and is extremely talky. The white, rapid-fire French-to-English subtitles are punishing to the eyes.
Those viewers more in touch with a sense of virtue, intelligence, and beauty simply won't get past how sick all the killing is, never mind all the rest of the ugly flaws peppered like acne scars across the screen. A total waste of time.
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