Greg-155

"Gog" sure scared the hell out of all of us "Saturday-matinee" habituees in '54. The sound, the monkey experiment, the levels below ground, the radiated plant, the desert mirror scene, and of course, the two flame-throwing robots, Gog and Magog. Ivan Tors (of TV's Science Fiction Theater) did a damned good job in keeping us kids on the edge of our seats. Have a faded bootleg copy. Sure wish that the current copyright owners would issue a restored copy on VHS in the near future.

Lame! Quick breakdown: everything to blame for this movie lies in the crappy screenplay. I've heard better script ideas from a 5-year-old retelling his dream --and this was written by four adults! Smith does the same character he has in "Bad Boys," "ID4," "Men In Black," and "Enemy of the State," but he lacks his charisma and charm. He and Kline also lack chemistry. Hayek overdid everything --I feel she was only put in as a marketing coy. Oh yeah...the tarantula thing. How could that be possible in 1869 if it's not even possible now? And since it's 1869, what's up with the Armani suits and the quarter-sized shades? Too unbelievable for the audience to let slip by.

Here's a prime example of why indie films are so good! "Dream With the Fishes" easily often proves to be a fun, trippy, and often brilliant film. Now I wouldn't say it's a genius of a film, but it has some interesting insight to life, some which just might be true. It was well written and thoughtfully directed. David Arquette, like usual, is convincing and very good, as well as Brad Hunt and Kathryn Erbe.

Obviously as seen, David Lynch isn't for everybody. I remember on January 27, 1997 when I took my dad to see "In Love and War" for his birthday, I saw a preview for "Lost Highway." It didn't have any speaking or any pictures, but it had Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette and David Lynch's name flash across the screen while playing David Bowie's "Deranged." Even though I really didn't know a thing about it, I had to see it. It opened on February 28, but it took me until March 14 ('97) to get to the theater. I'm 17 now, so I was 15 when I saw it, and previously I had never seen a David Lynch film, nor even heard of him. After I saw it,I really wasn't confused, I just took it for what it was. But the Monday I went back to school and recapped the story, I scared the hell out of myself as well as them. It took me 45 minutes just to try and recount the plot points. I was so intrigued by this movie --unlike any I've ever seen before. So I went back and watched all of Lynch's other movies. The man is a genius. I have not disliked any of his movies --I even found "Dune" to be somewhat entertaining. "Lost Highway" has become my favorite film and also the best film I've ever seen. Sure the story's weird and out there, but if you don't strain yourself trying to figure it out, the answers will come easily, albeit not all of them WILL be answered --they're not meant to. . There may be no real explanation to the film, Lynch doesn't want it that way, and I understand his reasons. If you knew all the answers to a mystery, it would cease to be a mystery. Movies should make us think, and in reality, we DON'T always find the answers. The symbolism is great, as is the acting, direction, writing, cinematography, editing, et al, and of course picture! 'Nuff said! P.S. Widescreen edition is best, Lynch makes adept usage of the camera, and you have to see it more than once. I think I'm up to 37! (maybe more).