Suicide

Rating:
Summary: Dogma 95 Meets German Horror
Review: "Suicide" is the story of a young couple who decide they can make a fortune filming real life suicides. They create a website advertising their services, and then they stage a few suicides to generate response. Their plan works and soon they are filming the real thing. However, the woman will never come along for the shooting. Hmmm...

The entire film is shot on DV from the point of view of the film's documentarian protagonist. The performances are stellar and a very high level of realism is achieved. The style reminds me of Paul Morrisey(sp?) films like "Trash" and Lars Von Trier's "The Idiots." If this is Raoul Heimrich's first feature, it is a promising debut to say the least.

I do have my problems with the ending. It just was not plausible, especially considering the realism of this movie. Ask yourself, "How dumb is this guy?" But overall, this is an interesting and original independent picture. Pick it up.

Addendum: I felt that I needed to clear up something alluded to in a later review. This is FICTION. Although the mistake made in the review above does attest to the film's realism, let me assure you that no one actually dies in this movie. This is not "Faces of Death."

Rating:
Summary: Dogma 95 Meets German Horror
Review: "Suicide" is the story of a young couple who decide they can make a fortune filming real life suicides. They create a website advertising their services, and then they stage a few suicides to generate response. Their plan works and soon they are filming the real thing. However, the woman will never come along for the shooting. Hmmm...

The entire film is shot on DV from the point of view of the film's documentarian protagonist. The performances are stellar and a very high level of realism is achieved. The style reminds me of Paul Morrisey(sp?) films like "Trash" and Lars Von Trier's "The Idiots." If this is Raoul Heimrich's first feature, it is a promising debut to say the least.

I do have my problems with the ending. It just was not plausible, especially considering the realism of this movie. Ask yourself, "How dumb is this guy?" But overall, this is an interesting and original independent picture. Pick it up.

Rating:
Summary: Turn the camera off
Review: I won't go too much into this. The film is pretty self explanatory. This is probably one of the most depressing movies you'll probably. As teenagers I'm sure everyone has flirted with the idea of death and suicide at some point. Most of us generally pull out of it but for some - they don't. In fact this can be used as an alternative guide to what you might have done had you really gone to the point of no return. It's a very sobering experience. And I wouldn't have said this back then when I did flirt with the idea of suicide but......it actually does make you value your own life that little bit more. Some might question why you watch this....and to be honest I can't find an answer to that ( you probably have to have a morbid obsession ). Towards the end you begin to feel that some of the others are staged. Which happens with films like these ( Faces of Death ). Nevertheless they still have the power to shock but gradually the more you watch - the more you become numb to it. I suppose by exposing yourself to the dangers without actually doing any self harm to yourself you......I wouldn't say stronger but you become more aware of the things you would leave behind

I don't recommend this to suicidal teenagers the world over because this may seem like they're been given alternative ways than to just slit their wrists but......I'd probably only recommend this to people who have watched Faces of Death at least once. Other than that I probably wouldn't recommend this too much - there's a limit to what some people can take. But in the last words of some that have committed suicide on this film " turn the camera off."

Rating:
Summary: German cinema at its very best
Review: This german film, released here with it's original sundtrack and english subtitles, is totally unique in it's subject matter and in its form. Roughly it is about a young couple who decide to offer their services on a website to film other people's suicide. There is a lot more to it, but there are some very interesting and unexpected plot twists that would be a shame to give away - you just have to see this for yourself. It is entirely shot on Digital Video - but BEWARE all those people who have some strange grudge against this medium, let me tell you: this is the only way this film could have been made. This is one of those films where the choice of that medium is essential, enhances the horrifying nature of the film and, indeed, is no less than a character in the story.
Funny thing is that, partly because of the use of video instead of filmstock, this film looks as though it was a lot easier to make than in reality is the case. There is no use of the obvious and much-too-often used digital effects that we are bored with in the multiplex theatres, everything looks as though it is plainly shot with a small handheld camera. But the suicides that are shown are so shockingly realistic and indeed much better looking than rapidly outdated digital effects in any 100 million dollar movie that it is hard to believe that the makers of this "small" film have achieved this level of 100% realism. This is enhanced by the true-to-life acting of absolutely everybody in this film.
It is dark and very unsettling, but essential to everyone interested in intelligent horrorfilms, german cinema from the likes of Jorg Buttgereit or Michael Haneke and for everyone who wants just that little bit more from a movie-experience than just laid-back entertainment.


Rating:
Summary: not the usual Troma fare...
Review: Troma, for those who are not familiar with them, are well known for making some of the best bad films around (or at least releasing them, such as the hypnotically bad "BloodSucking Freaks"). That is part of what makes this a little odd. Even reading the description on the case, this seemed like a, well, real movie. How was this going to to work?
Well, the movie is very good. While I am maybe too jaded to find it scary, it was definately disturbing. Without any warning, the movie leads right into the first suicide, and keeps rolling, letting you sort out all the details. While nothing is really built up for suspense, its quiet realism draws you in and manages to unnerve and even shock. I would highly recommend this movie, and will probably lend it to my neighbor once she gets home from her date.
There are some negatives. The ending does seem like an unlikely moment of stupidity. The Troma extras really tempt me to lower the rating, as they are jarring and do not match the movie at all, but take them separately and they are entertaining in the Troma fashion (meaning not necessarily for everyone).
Oh! and they don't warn you that the movie is in German with subtitles. The subtitles are in white, and the backgrounds frequently are light, so the movie becomes hard to read at times.
>scratching head<
Yeah, I am still sticking with the 4 Stars, but on another day, it could be 3 for all the technical and extra stuff that doesn't work as well as they would like.

Rating:
Summary: not the usual Troma fare...
Review: Troma, for those who are not familiar with them, are well known for making some of the best bad films around (or at least releasing them, such as the hypnotically bad "BloodSucking Freaks"). That is part of what makes this a little odd. Even reading the description on the case, this seemed like a, well, real movie. How was this going to to work?
Well, the movie is very good. While I am maybe too jaded to find it scary, it was definately disturbing. Without any warning, the movie leads right into the first suicide, and keeps rolling, letting you sort out all the details. While nothing is really built up for suspense, its quiet realism draws you in and manages to unnerve and even shock. I would highly recommend this movie, and will probably lend it to my neighbor once she gets home from her date.
There are some negatives. The ending does seem like an unlikely moment of stupidity. The Troma extras really tempt me to lower the rating, as they are jarring and do not match the movie at all, but take them separately and they are entertaining in the Troma fashion (meaning not necessarily for everyone).
Oh! and they don't warn you that the movie is in German with subtitles. The subtitles are in white, and the backgrounds frequently are light, so the movie becomes hard to read at times.
>scratching head<
Yeah, I am still sticking with the 4 Stars, but on another day, it could be 3 for all the technical and extra stuff that doesn't work as well as they would like.