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Stigmata

Stigmata

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $12.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A hip and scary movie.
Review: I like this movie. It is good. It's a supernatural horror/mystery and drama. it's about this girl who suffers the wounds of christ and a priest comes and solves the mystery and must silence the messanger that posesses her before it can do any damgae. This movie isn't as bad or scary as the exorcist and it isn't a demon movie because she isn't being possesed by one. so it's okay to own. wouldn't watch around kids. Buy it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not worth the effort
Review: Despite it's glossy visuals, production values and dependable performances by Gabriel Byrne and Patricia Arquette, Stigmata is an utter failure at it's core. At the basis of this overwrought dreck is a Catholic conspiracy revolving around a hidden gospel written by Jesus himself. A gospel that the church doesn't want anyone to know about. Their line of thought focuses on the belief that this testament would somehow challenge the basic tenants of Catholic faith. Most pointedly in the removal of a mid-point between man and god. Essentially saying that you wouldn't have to talk to god through the church and follow it's methods of repentance, (hail marys and whatnot). Unfortunately for the pretentious drivel that is Stigmata, there is a simple flaw that makes this film completely null and void. Apparently everyone involved in the production of Stigmata wasn't aware that all evolutions of protestant faith are already based on the iconoclastic tenant of a direct connection with god. Growing up a baptist I am well aware of it. I'm also aware that it's nothing new, and catholocism isn't any worse for wear because of it. Stigmata's intensely self involved delusion is, quite frankly, pathetic. That this film actually caused any ripples whatsoever in the Catholic community is beyond me.
Beyond that more obvious failing, this film has loads more. Logic leaps and plot contrivances are par for the course. We also get to revel in and underlying cheapness. This is most apparent in the occasionl and utterly pointless nudity of Patricia Arquette. Not that she's not a pleasure to look at, but it doesn't serve any purpose other than a thrill. Neither do the over stylized and over loud effects. At one point she is possessed by some kind of demon who procedes to toss Byrne around, trashing the place. The only reason it happens is so they could have some sort of evil and menacing presence in all this mumbo jumbo. Once this film goes all Exorcist on us, (a film who's shoes Stigmata couldn't even shine), there's no saving this mind number.
Yeck! Avoid like the plague.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Misunderstood thriller with a meaning.
Review: While it's certainly no Exorcist, Stigmata is a successful film that engaged me enough to give it an above average rating. I watched this film with a bunch of friends and I don't think they enjoyed it very much. But I really liked this film. I think if you look closer into the movie, just try to enjoy it and see its message then I'm sure you will be able to appreciate the film a lot more. Stigmata is surprisingly very intelligent. It explains with excellent cleverness exactly what is happening to the main character. The film also searches into the depths of religions and pulls out things we never knew about and some great philosophies about God. The movie is also visually stunning. We get slow motion, blood and water drips splashing spookily, statues crying and brilliant makeup and special effects. When you see what is happening to Frankie as a retread of what happened to God while he was on the cross, you feel like you can actually hear the whip lashing, or feeling the nails going into your wrists. So, the movie is smart, intriguing, looks great and has an interesting moral. What more do you want? Perhaps the movie could've cut the romance story, which really peeved me off, and there were a couple of boring parts. The end sort of leaves on an unexciting note. However, the big picture is a movie that has a great meaning and terrified me with its scenes of intense violence. This movie is not for the faint-hearted and hard-out Christians, but I recommend Patricia Arquette fans, thriller and supernatural movie fans and people who enjoy good visuals and eerie settings to watch Stigmata.

NOTE: I loved the production notes and alernate ending to the movie on the DVD, but felt they could've had something that journied a little further into the genius of the excellent visuals. This remains a good DVD buy, and the sound is fantastic!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: total let down..
Review: When I saw the previews ( before the movie came out ) I could not wait to see it.. Whoever put together the previews for this movie should win an award, he/she made this move look like it was going to be the "NEXT EXORCIST" which by the way is a great movie! After seeing it in the theater, I was totally let dowm, you keep waiting for something to happen, but it never does. [...]DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY RENTING IT, AND WHATER YOU DO, DO NOT BUY IT! You will be better off taking you money and burning it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Movie!!!!!!
Review: I liked "Stigmata" not only because Gabriel Byrne and Patricia Arquette are very good actors but, the storyline was good. I did see some of "The Exorcist" characteristics within this movie but, I thought that it was a very good thriller because it definitely wasn't horror for me. It had some great special effects though.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: do not waste your time
Review: this film is not worth your time and money first of all the only good thing about this film is that it shows the hypocrisy of the catholic church And as a catholic I was shocked to learn that the church would deny such historical documents. such as the gospels of st thomas, anyways that is the best parts of the movie the performances by arquette and bryne are so bad that everyone who saw this movie with me fell asleep watching it need I say more, and we were all in our teens in early twenties, so you have been warned about thiss dvd buy at your own risk

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: If I could give Stigmata -10 stars I would.
Review: There aren't enough words in the English language to describe what an atrocious piece of crap this movie is. To call it a monumental disappointment is an understatement.

First of all it was promoted as an "Exorcist" styled psychological chiller. Naturally I was psyched to see it based on that but in truth "Stigmata" is nothing like the "Exorcist" in story, style, or quality. After seeing it it was obvious that this comparison was merely a shameless promotional scheme meant to deliberately deceive the viewer.

Furthermore, and not the least of its problems, was the casting. Gabriel Byrne was fantastic, as usual, even with the dull material he had to work with. I swear the guy must be an alchemist but instead of turning lead into gold he achieves the same result with garbage. Patricia Arquette on the other hand could suck the life out of an Ed Wood production. She's the only actress I can think of that's guilty of underacting and here she is with top billing! All the while they had Portia de Rossi in the cast who's an extraordinary and capable actress, despide credits the likes of Ally McBeal and Scream 2, and she's in the movie for less than twenty minutes. I defy you to find the logic in this.

So what we have here is a miserable addition to the "end times" cadre of films that experienced a mercifully short life in '99. It had a few chilling visuals but in the end it utterly squandered any potential it may have had. You can bury this right next to "End of Days" for all I care.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A woman as the Crucified....
Review: ....how up front can it be?

A hairdresser is battered by stigmatic sufferings. In Aramaic, a language from the time of Jesus, she writes on the wall of her apartment that "the Kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you." Heresy!!

The voice that announces her bleedings and butcherings and self-slashing agonies is always male. The traditionally masculine principle of arid spirituality can even elevate her off her bed, suspending her in mid-air.

It is women who suffer being pinned up, being hammered, being crowned with thorns, all the world over, but without getting any hearing on the agendas of the governments.

Let us be aware that the female victim in this film is taken over, not by just any old man, but by a religious idealist. Dying wasn't enough for him. This has a patriarchal angle; but it also reflects the fact that something worth hearing speaks forth from our wounds.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GABRIEL BYRNE AT HIS BEST!!!
Review: This film is one of the best of the late '90s. Gabe Bryne is at his absolute finest, and Patty Arquette is as beautiful as ever. The DVD version has some great shots that were deleted from the final version. It also has an alternate ending. The widescreen ratio is perfect for any size television. ENOUGH SAID!! GET THIS ONE TODAY!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty deep religious thoughts here...
Review: Although the over-all cinematography in this one was dark and dreary, the storyline was excellent. It has cutting insights into modern religion, comparing them unfavorably with Christ's original intentions.

The concept of a non-Catholic suffering from stigmata, and a dubious priest confronting a side of religion he hadn't previously encountered, is original and fascinating.


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