Reviews by skomra

I looked up the review for this in an old movie guide I used to use (Video Hound) and I was surprised that it gave it a fairly low rating. It focused on a negative comparison with 2001 and complained that there was too much talking in the film. This strikes me as a strong indication of cultural bias, as thought the Russians weren't allowed to have their own investigation of memory and the symbolic place of outer space. Which is to say that if you just want to compare movies to 2001 this isn't the movie for you.

That review couldn't have been any more misleading. This film is loaded with long saturated shots that make you feel like you're watching someone's old family photos come to life.

--semi spoiler warning--

The plot is simple but captivating: a dead loved one comes back to life. This is equal parts curse and blessing. This movie fleshes out most of the nuances of this scenario while maintaining a sustained mediation on memory and visual reproduction. A must for those who like Videodrome type movies.

My review from IMDB: This is a video documentary. It details the life of a man living with paranoid schizophrenia. He and his family record and analyze the experience of managing this disorder. Reality is _the_ entertainment of the moment and nothing is as watchable in this new order as someone documenting their own break with reality. My significant other became physically ill watching this film, it is that powerful (and that traumatic). Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the movie is that John's paranoias are based in reality, that his real trouble is not that he imagines things, but instead that he doesn't know how to deal with the negative thoughts that are a part of daily living.

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Although Herzog Completists will obviously want to watch this film, I would recommend saving this one until there is nothing else left in the video store. This doc lacks the passion typical of all other Herzog works.