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Man Bites Dog - Criterion Collection

Man Bites Dog - Criterion Collection

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A movie that you have to see
Review: It's probably one of the best "Serial Killer" movie I've ever seen. A Belgian "Natural Born Killer" with 10 times more violence, blood etc...
If you are not at least schocked one time during this film, you'd better go to see a psychiatrist.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Startlingly well made satire
Review: This film has been compared to other American prototypes released around the same time: Reservoir Dogs, and Natural Born Killers. Both are violent, very violent. While NBK is violent to make a message (and one hell of a message it makes) Man Bites Dog is far more subtle in its delivery. Sure, there is violence a-go-go. But it also uses alot of what you do not see to its advantage and disturbs you.

Besides, in a day and age where violence is a fad and a moneymaker, Man Bites Dog is a genuine film needed to be witnissed for its message to be understood. You are allowed to enjoy Benoit. He is a smart, philisophical, funny, and poetic person who just happens to have a different outlook on the importance of human life. You grow to like his character, even at his most liquored and obsene.

As for the violence...besides the rape scene only included on the NC-17 version of the film, the violence is relatively low key. It disturbs you more because it isn't presented in that fast paced mtv style approach where your brain doesn't have enough time to register what it has seen. You witness everything. And you are not allowed to look away from the atroctites. In many ways, we are the eyes of the film crew. If we're along for the ride, then we wait until it has finished. We aren't spared the details.

This is a fine film. A film that I respect and wish that more film makers had the gumption to make these days. Modern cinema needs a severe enima. Man Bites Dog is a film that may be forgotten over time, but if it is, it was undeservedly so.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classic!
Review: Hands down one of the funniest and original films ever made! And all the talk about a "violent rape scene" is completely overblown and ridiculous; but if you take yourself way too serious and are politically correct, you probably won't like the film very much. But it's a definite classic and a brilliant film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Man Bites Dog, but first the man has to get it!
Review: ... There are difficult scenes in this movie, painful at times to watch (rape scene, child murdered), but one needs to realize that that's exactly what the film is suppose to do to us. It's hilarious, yes (guy getting shot at Benoit's birthday party is absolutly one of the funniest scenes put on celluloid) but it also makes us constantly appreiciate the filmmakers going out on a limb and pushing the bounds of comedy out to new limits. Those who try to compare this movie to "Natural Born Killers" and "Reservoir Dogs are wasting their time. This movie is so original it makes those films, which are great pictures don't get me wrong, seem like copies of a genre started here.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very close to the bone
Review: This Belgian satire makes for gruesome viewing. It involves a film crew that follow a serial killer (Benoit Poelvoorde) and gradually become implicated in his crimes as they start to aid him in escape and even in the acts themselves.

There's a great deal here to admire, not least its satire on the media fascination with violence. Filmed in the style of a true-life documentary it is very close to the bone. Whilst it's true that several of its scenes are shocking beyond belief, it's rare to find something which consistently attacks its audience with such vigour. As the makers of Benoit's film go in front of the screen more and more before finally succumbing to his hideous seduction the audience not only question the morals of those partaking in the acts but also themselves for watching it.

My only real criticism is that despite being very well acted indeed we're never quite convinced that this is real. Then again, this is probably a good thing. This is a highly intelligent movie on a disturbing subject (and not dissimilar to hte later 'Series 7: The Contenders'), and I certainly wouldn't want to watch it again.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Original yet not violent or graphic enough.
Review: It was an original film with a great cast. The main actor was great and i loved the way murder was done with such ease (because it was his occupation). I also liked the way he was so knowledgable about mostly meaningless stuff and i liked that he always had an opinion. Being shot on a handheld in black and white also added to the affect as did most of the scenery. It is subtitled in english but believe me the french language is very elegant and also added to the effect.

What i didn't liKe was that it was very un-violent. Contrary to what others say, this film wasn't graphic at all and the rape scene was, well it was just a rape. The only graphic scene was the corpse of the rape victim but it to left to much to the imagination. Otherwise a very decent film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dark, Disturbing, should never be seen...Too bad! I saw it!
Review: I think this film is great. What suprised me was that this was fake. It looked so real! Anyway, this is a comedy (sort-of) that is the life of a serial killer that loves chamber music and poetry. Weird, huh? One moment he comes up with brilliant art ideas for skyscrapers and walls, the next he's blowing some guys brains out. And there are accidents. Like some of the film crew dying. Ho ho! That was funny, in a I-hate-myself-for-laughing kind of way. Good film...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: dark comedy
Review: This was morbidly funny. It's like a mock documentary of some serial killer french guy. Not for everyone, but I thought it was hilarious.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Twisted humor at its best.
Review: This film is a "documentary" about the life of a callous serial killer. While the protagonist can go around killing people with no remorse, during the breaks from "filming", we see that the killer is also entirely capable of having congenial conversation with the "film crew". After a meal, they go back to work, continuing to document the killer's "work". What I found so hilarious about this was the matter-of-fact manner in which the documentary is made to be done. The very notion that a serious group of film-makers would think of doing a film on a serial killer, and actually record his killing people, is so preposterous, that it ends up being very funny!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Watch out for this one!
Review: There is something to be said about fake documentaries, especially if they're done well: This Is Spinal Tap, Blair Witch, etc. This one beats them all. Shocking, funny, you find yourself laughing and feel guilty about it later on. A movie is supposed to illicit some type of feeling in a person. A movie making you feel guilty about an emotional response is remarkable, and speaks volumes about emotions in general.
(...)This movie is very entertaining and will have you thinking about it for months after watching. Too bad it's not on DVD.
Maybe later on.


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