I have to agree with Az on this one. I watched Secretary and I was so incredibly offended, I barely made it through the film.

I feel as though the controversial issues of self-harm and sadomasochistic sexuality were paraded before the audience strictly to be risque, but didn't serve as an actual representation of the demographic. I felt as though the portrayal of self-harm and S&M were presented in terms of what someone thinks these traits should be, but not how they actually are.

I don't think that the writer/directors had any understanding of self-mutilation issues and I feel as though it was incredibly dumbed down for the sake of being controversial.

Same with the sadomasochism.

Perhaps it is intended for the yuppy who wishes to be full S and M yet thinks this is such a hight they are reaching without knowing they themselfs are missing the point. Not everyone is aware of the truth in certain circumstances or subcultures. This is probably as far as the imagination of people similar to the characters stretches. In which case would make it a true representation.

For one, you have to look beyond the S&M portrayal on-screen and delve a bit into the background of both characters - their mentality, thinking, emotions, intelligence and fetishes.

What we have here, are two very complex characters who stand out in a crowd not because of their identities, but because of their unique personalities. The first 15-odd minutes give a perfect insight into the first character, and the last 20 show us the other side of the second character. Both of them on the brink of an emotional abyss, and looking to stretch/attach themselves to anything they can find solace in. Its a perfect take for any one of us in today's world, and to deny it would be like avoiding a mirror of sorts.

To dismiss the flick as just a controversial exotic parade would be unfair. Anyone who has an emotional side and even empathises with their movies' characters would realise this.

I guess this flick is not meant for the practically inclined ones. You need a sensitive side to your own personality to watch this one and appreciate it.

The "complexity" of the characters are the traits of self-mutilation and sadomasochism. For Maggie, she is a depressive with a severe self-mutilation addiction. That is the crux her personality and what was painstakingly portrayed onscreen. However, since I think that the onscreen affliction of self-mutilation was more of a stereotype or caricature of the illness than an actual victim/persona of it, I was frustrated. In short, I DO identify intimately with this personality type and I thought that my demographic was horribly misrepresented onscreen, and that is what I thought was offensive.

So the issue wasn't that I was looking at the movie in a practical or pragmatic perspective; I was absolutely emotionally involved with the two characters. I just feel as though their construct was a horrible misrepresentation of the actual demo (the demo that I have identified myself with in various times of my life).

In short, these "complex characters" were nothing but caricatures and stereotypes; the outsider's view of what it is like to have these traits and desires. It's more the assumptive vision of the masses, a generalized and simplistic view of what it is like to live with that kind of depression and desperation (and sadomasochistic sexual desire). The characters didn't seem real to me at all. It played out more like poorly-written erotic fiction from an author who fantasizes about being a sadomasochist, but has no idea what the lifestyle is actually like.

Deadringers
liked it a lot, but then, when has Cronenberg ever made anything i didnt like?

Last House On The Left (77)
I liked this a lot too, a creepy film. This is my fav from Wes Craven.

Dark City


Dark City is a surreal place. Its filled with bleak yet powerful images, a man with no identity coming to terms with who he really is and Strangers with sinister motives.

I like this film, I like it alot.

session 9
 

Just finished Session 9. Was kinda disappointed. Any semblance of a scary scene just fizzled out. Anywayz.
d

Simon Says.

mind numbing piece of crap. assembled by a butcher, written by a moron.

Last House on the Left

I enjoyed it but I found the original more disturbing, mostly because the torture the girls went through in the original was more humiliating and disgusting.