Crash

Rating:
Summary: Very different and creative movie!
Review: I have to say...this is definitely a "different" kind of film! I am a huge fan of James Spader, and I was VERY impressed by his quirky, sinister performance in this movie.

As you probably already know, CRASH is a film about car crash hedonists who use the automobile to meet their sexual needs. This movie is fairly explicit and is certainly not for everyone. Personally, while I cringed during some scenes, I found this film to be an interesting look into the way technology can alter human behavior and make people unable to relate to each other in ways that society considers normal.

If you liked this movie and have not read the book, I would highly recommend that you do so. The film is just the tip of the iceberg...you can get a lot more detail about what the characters are feeling if you read J.G. Ballard's novel.

Overall, I was impressed by this movie. The acting by James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas and Rosanna Arquette is superb. I did not particularly care for Deborah Unger, though. Howard Shore's metallic score is also fantastic. If you are looking for something different, something that can provide you with a good look at the darker side of human nature, then I would highly recommend that you check out CRASH. Use caution: this film IS NOT for everyone!

Rating:
Summary: I'm beginning to feel like a potted plant.
Review: I remember watching this film about ten years ago when it was first released. I was younger then, and I remember hearing all the hype that surrounded this devilishly dark drama by director David Cronenberg. I had to see it. So one night, I rented it and watched it after my parents fell asleep, and I couldn't believe it. This was a horrible film. I couldn't get into the characters, the story seemed forced, and nothing seemed to match what I remember hearing about when it was released. So, I decided to watch it again when I was older and wiser in the cinema world. I thought perhaps my perspective would have changed and this would be a better film. I had seen other Cronenberg films, so I was ready for this. Sadly, it was no better than the first time.

I rented it and watched it, then suddenly returned it. I was unimpressed. Perhaps because I have seen scenarios like this work better in other films, or maybe it was just as I had described above. The characters seemed to just randomly do whatever they wanted, the story seemed forced and definitely not plausible, and finally there was just nothing spectacular about this movie. I really wanted Cronenberg to chisel his way into the human psyche after a traumatic accident like this occurs, but instead he resorts to a border-line sex film.

While favorites of my like James Spader and Holly Hunter decently act their way through this film, there was nothing that made me excited about their characters. Their chemistry seemed basic and their on-screen connection seemed dull. They were not the best choices for this film. I felt as if Cronenberg was catering to the Hollywood community with this film.

Overall, I needed a darker story, less sex and more character, and more Cronenberg. He has done better work, and I don't know why he gave up on this film. Perhaps he should take some lessons from David Lynch that may get him back on the right track.

Grade: ** out of *****

Rating:
Summary: I got only one word to say to David Cronenberg....WHY ?!!!!!
Review: A pile of junk, this movie is. Jame Spader hits Holly Hunter's car and is put into the hospital. Spader and his wife Deborah Kara Unger gets into the world of Elias Koteas and family, including a leg brace Rosanna Arquette. God, was this movie boring and I could barely hear any of the cast talking except the parts where their all doing each other. It's like, oh, look a car, let's have some sex, ok, thumbs up for the car. The only interesting thing in this was the recreating of James Dean's car crash that ended his life. Koteas is really a sicko- moefoe in this movie. Spader and Hunter are wasted. Hunter must of been wasted when she signed on for this movie. Arquette is not hot in those leg braces. Cronenberg fans might get a kick out of it but others beware. The sickest and horrible scene in this movie would be when Spader and Koteas get it on. stupid

Rating:
Summary: Pitiful; a major turn-off. What was Holly Hunter thinking?
Review: No, there are no limits to human stupidity. I don't know where to begin...Crash opens up like an after-dark Cinemax movie (which made me cringe). However it foreshadows the promise of a strange sensuality between metal and skin, something that James Ballard and Remington slowly find it as a kindling to stir up actual emotions to their boring, orgasm-less sex lives. Ballard meets Vaughan (played by Koteas) and he descends into the strange, twisted and druggie like world of Crash. Koteas is the real star of the movie here...James Spader and Holly Hunter merely serve as vehicles of boredom and a sense of being lost, finally finding what's missing in the oddest of places, while Koteas really drives the point across, really gives you an idea of what this underworld is like. He's slimy, creepy and insane, yet plausible.

This movie is not for everyone. There are a heavy amount of explicit sex scenes--and I only use the word explicit when I mean explicit. These scenes aren't porn. You watch these scenes, and they add to the mood. They add to a creepy, dirty feeling that's set on you from the beginning of the movie. And that's where Crash takes place...in the underworld. These scenes are done to enforce the mood. It's eerie. If there's one bad thing to say about Crash is that you'll go through over an hour and a half without hardly cracking a smile...and if you do, it's probably because the movie feels so good at parts that you just can't help yourself. This movie is far, far, far away from being trash. Everyone has their own opinion. Some opinions are just plain wrong.

Rating:
Summary: The most sickening film I've probably ever seen
Review: Crash was three things: sick, slow, and unbearable. Sex and car crashes? SEX AND CAR CRASHES? This movie basically frightened me with its stupidity. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love movies that are, well...different, but this just...MY GOD! Words can't even begin to describe how pointless and idiotic this movie was. Crash simply goes nowhere. It's just...there.

Here's something else that's really sad: in isssue #234 of Fangoria, America's Horror Magazine (the 25th anniversary issue), there is a listing of the Top 25 Fright Flicks. Year 1997. Guess which movie got top spot for '97? Crash. That's right. CRASH. How the hell is that even POSSIBLE! Crash was meant to be scary? ARE THEY JOKING? I am dead serious. Hell, I'm even looking at that very page right now. Page #65. I'm still in shock. I mean, there were actually great horror movies that year. What about The Devil's Advocate? THAT SHOULD HAVE NAILED TOP SPOT! STUPID, SENSELESS PEOPLE!! And what about Lost Highway? That was a masterpiece! Event Horizon? OVERLOOKED?! The Relic? SHOT DOWN?! These (whoever is reading this) were labeled as just notables. Yes, well, I guess not ONE of those movies could measure up to CRASH, huh? No one kicks aside an Al Pacino masterpiece! NO ONE!!!

So please, please, PLEASE do yourself a HUGE favor. Keep away from this train wreck of a movie.
CRASH IS TRASH!!!

Rating:
Summary: Art...with a capital "F"
Review: I am not going to write a review here that contains patter about this film being artistic in this modern time that we live in. I am going to be as plain and truthful as I can be. I am not ignorant and know a thing or two about art as I studied it for many years, however I can safely say that I have never seen as much (...) as this in my entire life. This film is so bad I never finished watching it to the end. Save yourself the time and money and watch The Dead Zone again instead.