Object of Obsession

Starring:Scott Valentine, Erika Anderson (II), Elizabeth Whitcraft, Robert Keith (II), Jane A. Rogers, Jane Higginson, Alisha Das, Ashby Adams, Andrea Riave, David Strickland, Jennifer MacDonald, J.J. Cohen
Director: Gregory Dark
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Seijun Suzuki's absolutely mad yakuza movie bends the hit-man genre so out of shape it more resembles a Luis Bunuel take on Martin Scorsese. Number three killer Goro Hanada (Jo Shishido) is a hired killer who loves his work, but when he misses a target after a mere butterfly sets his carefully balanced aim astray, he becomes the next target of the mob. Goro is no pushover and easily dispatches the first comers, leaving them splayed in death contortions that could qualify for an Olympic event, but the rat-a-tat violence gives way to a surreal, sadistic game of cat and mouse. The legendary Number One mercilessly taunts his target before moving in with him in a macho, testosterone-laden Odd Couple truce that ends up with them handcuffed together. Kinky? Not compared to earlier scenes. The smell of boiling rice sets Goro's libido for his mistress so aflame that Suzuki censors the gymnastic sex with animated black bars that come to life in an animated cha-cha. Because Suzuki pushed his yakuza parodies and cinematic surrealism too far, his studio, Nikkatsu, finally called in their own metaphoric hit and fired the director with such force that he was effectively blackballed from the industry for a decade. It took about that long for audiences to embrace his audacious genre bending--Suzuki's pop-art sensibilities were just a bit ahead of their time. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Branded to Kill, the wildly perverse story of the yakuza's rice-sniffing "No. 3 Killer," is Seijun Suzuki at his delirious best. From a cookie-cutter studio script, Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece-and was promptly fired. Criterion presents the DVD premiere of Branded to Kill in a pristine transfer from the original Nikkatsu-scope master.

Customer Reviews:

A monochrome dream.......2006-10-18

Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima cranked up the concept of reality T.V a few notches in 1970 when he invited a few of his media pals along to a hijacking of a government building where he then performed seppuku (Ritual self disembowelling) as a protest against the erosion of traditional Japanese values. Japan in the late 60's saw an upsurge of such demonstrations against western influence - an uprising which had seen riots outside the Budokan Sports Arena a few years previously when the Beatles appeared there. Somewhere during this volatile chapter of cultural osmosis director Seijun Suzuki got fired by the Nikkitsu film company for making his masterpiece BRANDED TO KILL.

This maverick film maker was already on thin ice with his fiercely conservative paymasters when his 1966 film TOKYO DRIFTER took the Yakuza (Japanese gangster) genre into new (and thus feared) directions but BRANDED TO KILL was the one that finally broke the chopstick - Rendering the director unemployable for a decade.

BRANDED TO KILL charts the fall and fall of No3 Killer, (Jo Shishido) a down at heel hitman, who bodges an assignment when a butterfly lands on the end of his rifle just at the crucial moment. For this gaff he is now subject to the murderous attentions of the mythical No1 Killer.

Looking like a giant Gopher in a mohair suit and Raybans, No3 Killer finds himself in a bizarre vortex of shadows and monochrome as he attempts to save his girlfriend from being incinerated, get the better of superior Killer No1 and to survive to become No1 himself. His bizarre quirk of using boiled rice as a form of Viagra does nothing to make his journey anymore straightforward.

Surely one of the most beautiful black and white films ever, BRANDED TO KILL is a collision of American `Noir' and giddy Japanese oddness. A genuine cinematic experience - everything within the frame appears to be sculptured from mercury.

Cultural Osmosis is rarely an easy thing, but when it works, the result is often something like the offbeat gorgeousness of BRANDED TO KILL.

A Suzuki Masterpiece!.......2005-04-10

This movie was my first introduction to the films of Seijun Suzuki and man, what a ride! On first glance this movie appears to be just another gangster movie relegated to late, late night television. Tough talking gangsters, intrigue, action, etc., etc. However, watching for more than 5 to 10 minutes highlight the ultra-bizarre characters, very substantial level of brutality, and the uniquely perverse (and amusing) sense of humor that really set this movie apart from other "stock" gangster films. I have all four of Suzuki's films that have been released through Criterion up to this point (Branded to Kill, Tokyo Drifter, Youth of the Beast, and Fighting Elegy) and I feel that this one is the best of the four. The major drawback is that the bonus features and booklet that come with the DVD are still a little skimpy by Criterion Collection standards. However, the exclusive interview with director Seijun Suzuki is excellent. This one is definitely worth renting and if you are a fan of Japanese cinema do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

an odd crime film.......2004-04-13

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This move is one of the most odd gangster films I have seen.

The film follows a gangster [who] is known as the "number 3" killer and is epeatedly threatened by the "number 1" killer.

This film contains nudity to a degree of which I am surprised was legal in Japan at the time the movie was filmed. The film has several clever tricks by the characters to avoid being shot and there is some witty humor in the film also.

The director of this film was fired by the studio after aming this film and was blacklisted for 10 years.

The Criterion Collection DVD has 2 special features on it. There is an 11 minute interview with the director Seijun Suzuki, and a slide show of Japanese movie posters and lobby cards from the collection of John Zorn, who also wrote the liner ntes thant come with the DVD.

great movie.......2004-02-03

I really can't understand how people see this movie as being "incoherent" or "boring". Maybe I've seen too many mst3k movies...now those, THOSE movies that are riffed are incoherent! Plain and simple it's a yakuza movie, there, was that so incoherent? I just saw it on IFC and I loved it. I personally enjoyed Tokyo Drifter more, I really dug the groovy music. And artsy...you haven't seen artsy until you've seen the skateboard video memory screen. They take artsy over the top; of the 44 minutes about 5 minutes is actual skateboarding the rest is weird random images but still good. And boring...at least to me it was boring is Gerry -- it's just walking in the desert. Maybe not boring to others but it was just too much for me. Anyways Branded To Kill and Tokyo Drifter are great movies and not at all boring.

NON STOP ACTION.......2003-09-14

Here it is: BRANDED TO KILL is director, Seijun Suzuki's best movie. Japanese film lovers will tell you that Seijun is one of Japan's greatest filmmakers. A different style than Kurosawa. If you like action, then prepare yourself for a real treat. You will not regret owning this film.
Forget that this film is Japanese, has subtitles, and was released in 1967. This film is a classic masterpiece. Heck, even the director got fired after its release. The film is fast paced and beautifully shot. The musical score is so smooth and keep in mind, we're talking no special effects. There is a scene where a man is literally on fire for over 20 seconds.
All in all, the story is straightforward. A Yakuza gangster is hired to kill 4 people. He learns that he is the Yakuza's third best killer. He does not know who the #1 killer is but he wants his spot. The women in this film are beautiful and the action is intense. Take a chance and see why this film has inspired so many over the years.

Average customer rating:

Not the kind of plot I generally think is likely to turn into a good movie...
Join the cast
Where thought strangles feelings
An interesting Rohmer, but nowhere near his best.
Just like life....

Claire's Knee
Starring: Jean-Claude Brialy , Aurora Cornu , Béatrice Romand , Laurence de Monaghan , and Michèle Montel
Director: Eric Rohmer
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 1572522445
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Amazon.com

Abrasive, self-deluded humor tinges the prickly exploration of sexual politics in French director Eric Rohmer's world and it often makes for less-than-comfortable viewing. Though Rohmer has made movies for several decades, his best-known films comprise a cycle loosely dubbed "The Six Moral Tales" (one short, one featurette, and four features), which also includes La Collectionneuse, My Night at Maud's, and Chloe in the Afternoon. Rohmer's comedies are full of the disillusion and jaded settling that come with age and adulthood, and he sharply contrasts cynicism against the naiveté and easy, innocent wisdom of youth. In Claire's Knee, Jean-Claude Brialy plays a diplomat named Jerome Montcharvin, who agrees to housesit a friend's rural but lavish country estate for a month. Jerome appears contented with life as he's recently become engaged to Lucinde, a woman he's known for six years. He takes refuge in the fact that she is his opposite, and placates his doubts by reminding himself that "a woman made for me would bore me." Into this summer idyll and Jerome's predictable, ordered life come two teenage girls who threaten his faithful but passionless ardor for his fiancée. To temper his awakening libido, Jerome pretends to "experiment" with the young women's affections and, in doing so, exposes himself as a cruel, callous man who is clueless as to his true nature. Though a close woman friend cautions him that "in love, there is will," he dismisses the possibility yet in the end performs an act of "pure will" with one of the teens, the lovely Claire, and brashly hurts that which he most desires. Claire's Knee was shot by the brilliant cinematographer, the late Nestor Almendros, and the color palette in the film is a masterpiece of style and scheme. It's a Monet on celluloid, and its visual prowess, combined with the provocative, unsettling theme, earned the National Society of Film Critics' Best Film prize in 1971. (Unfortunately, the first "reel" of the DVD transfer contains several noticeable scratches and the color is also faded and purple.) --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews:

Not the kind of plot I generally think is likely to turn into a good movie..........2006-09-29

The story told in "Claire's knee" is pretty strange, and certainly not the kind of plot I generally think is likely to turn into a good movie. In a nutshell, a man in his late thirties (Jean-Claude Brialy) develops an obsession for a beautiful teenager, Claire (Laurence de Monaghan). To be more precise, he is obsessed with Claire's knee, and needs to touch it, exactly as her boyfriend does.

That sounds boring, doesn't it? However, it isn't. This movie isn't about Jerome, the mature bachelor who begins to believe that Claire's knee is everything he wants, or about his friend Aurora (Aurora Cornu), that spurs him to flirt with young girls so she can have inspiration for her writing. It isn't about Laura (Béatrice Romand), Claire's sister, eager to flirt with Jerome, and it is certainly not about Claire, that doesn't pay Jerome too much attention. It is a film about wanting what you can't have, and forgetting about it as soon as you get your hands on it. Moreover, it is also story about love and infatuation, and the difference between them.

Will you like this film? I think so, because even though "Claire's knee" is not one of Rohmer's best films, it is a movie that you will enjoy watching, not for the story, but rather for the conversations between the characters. This film doesn't have any answers, but it allows you to ask yourself some very interesting questions, and that is the reason why I give it 3.5 stars...

Belen Alcat

Join the cast.......2006-08-20

An Eric Rohmer film is not a typical film by US standards, or by European stardards either. But it's a very interesting piece of entertainment, at least very beautiful to see.

The story in Claire's Knee is very simple, but even if it was more ambitious or complicated it wouldn't be the point. And this is what people miss when they watch Rohmer's films. It's the pace, the background scenery, the natural ambience. It's an invitation to the viewer to join the cast, and feel like one more character, a very attentive and quiet character. And this is truly the magic of Rohmer's beautiful films, specially this one. Among his films, I prefer My Night At Maud's, because it's not only beautiful to the eye, but the story interests me more too.

Claire's Knee is such a delicate and precious work of art for its simplicity, and it really feels like being sucked into the scene by the characters interactions, and becoming more and more involved in the conversations. You can pick your own sides, and most of all, you can study (try to understand) the characters by staring at their faces without being impolite. And you can also just enjoy the beautiful scenery and breathe fresh air from the Alps.

So I recommend it but warn you that it should be viewed without any expectations as for plot or big excitements. Take it as an invitation to join a few friends for a few days in the French Alps during the summer. Get into the European mood and have a nice vacation.

I wish is had a better quality dvd. The other option is the Criterion edition that just came out.

Where thought strangles feelings.......2005-10-27

Eric Rohmer seems to be especially fascinated with two ideas: (1) a man over-stepping his intellectualized feelings and then stopping at the crucual moment of decision, and (2) that same man's self-disillusionment. In this movie a French diplomat summering on a beautiful lake in France, one month before he's to be married (to a woman he's "been able to stay with" for six years), suddenly has a great desire for a young girl he meets there (Claire). He talks about his will and principles, neither of which he would compromise - he's oh, so intellectual about it - but then there is that nagging desire, which he is able to fulfill by touching her (Claire's) knee.

Rohmer is famous for his characters' endless talking on screen, which leads to some slow moments. But over all, the movie is interesting, and the last 20 minutes excellent. Rohmer understands perfectly the inner workings of this intellectualized buffoon whose feelings are repressed by the machinations of his brain. Definitely worth a watch.

An interesting Rohmer, but nowhere near his best........2005-09-17

Typical Rohmer character study of an engaged man reassuring himself that while he is at the moment "still free", he is not in the least bit interested in any other women. During a vacation, a friend introduces him to a woman with 2 teenage daughters (17-19 years-old). Our main character spends the first half of the film convincing himself and others that he is quite comfortable with his fiancee and needs no one else, however finds himself drawn to the younger daughter. The 2nd half of the film finds him suddenly attracted to the other daughter, and developing an obsession with touching her knee, which he sees her boyfriend doing. By the end of the film, he achieves this goal and that's it, our little Rohmer moral tale is over.

Not very unlike his other films, however the characters and dialogue were not as interesting and compelling to watch as those in films such as My Night at Maud's, A Tale of Springtime, Boyfriends and Girlfriends, Chloe in the Afternoon, and Summer. All of these films I noted, I wouldn't mind repeated viewings, however once was enough with Claire's Knee. I feel this is one of his films that does not stand the test of time too well, as much as the others do. The morals in his other films were more intense and attention grabbing, but this one borders on almost not caring about this guy's situation at all.

As for the DVD quality, yes, we know what to expect from Fox/Lorber, however it is not as bad as other reviewers state. The opening scenes start out with tons of artifacting, but that quickly gets better moments into the film. The audio is clear and I found the picture was sharper than Chloe in the Afternoon. This is still slightly above VHS quality, where Chloe was really not.

Just like life...........2005-08-25

I think the French cinema is my favourite. There is a
subtlety mixed with a maturity mixed with a simplicity
which you rarely get in any other counties' cinema.
It can be a bit chocolate-boxey at times in its
middle-class comfortableness, but that's the only
down-side.

This film is ravishing on the eye, full of sunshine
& sophisticated conversation. Wonderful
naturalistic actors, you'll fall in love with them.

The only thing that niggles is the passive un-requitedness
of it. But then that's often like life. I raved about it
when it first came out and it's a film that has stayed with
me over the years. I won't tell you what it's about
- other than to say if you like male/female relationships - see it!

Average customer rating:

An entertaining movie - but not without its flaws
Cute
a quirky, fun movie about traffic and naked people

Pie in the Sky
Starring: Josh Charles , Anne Heche , John Goodman , Christine Lahti , and Christine Ebersole
Director: Bryan Gordon
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000E69HY
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Description

Hang on for a wild ride! In this fast-paced romantic comedy, Charlie Dunlap (Sports Night's Josh Charles) always dreamed of being traffic reporter# but when he lands his perfect job in L.A., his relationship with the girl of his dreams takes a turn for the worse. Not even his mentor, famed radio personality Alan Davenport (Monsters Inc.'s John Goodman) can help him, and now he's got to put the pedal to the metal to chase after his one chance at true love. Christine Lahti (Chicago Hope), Anne Heche (Donnie Brasco), and Peter Riegert (National Lampoon's Animal House) co-star in this hilarious comedy about life, love and hot pursuit!

Customer Reviews:

An entertaining movie - but not without its flaws.......2006-09-18

In many cases, a solid acting performance and likeable characters can often help an average plot rise to something special. It is possible for the converse to be true in that a very good storyline can succeed despite mediocre acting performances and not so likeable characters. It is this converse that is the case with the film "Pie in the Sky". "Pie in the Sky" was a film from 1996 that didn't garner a lot of attention. It proves to have a solid storyline and a very good lead character played by Josh Charles. However it is hampered by an extremely poor performance by John Goodman and an unlikable character played by Anne Heche.

The synopsis of the film deals with the story of Charlie Dunlap (played by Charles). We follow Charlie's life from his birth into young adulthood. Throughout Charlie's life, he has had an obsession with traffic. Growing up, he idolized traffic reporter Alan Davenport (played by Goodman). While he was growing up, he also struck a friendship with Amy Morgan (played by Heche). The two have a childhood crush on each other, they have a brief pre-College romance before actually breaking up once in College. Once Charlie graduates college, he goes to work for an insurance company until he receives a call from "Metro Traffic" in Los Angeles about a possible career opportunity. "Metro Traffic" is where Davenport currently works. Realizing this is his "dream job", Charlie races and relocates to Los Angeles to pursue this opportunity. Once in Los Angeles, Charlie is reunited with Amy who is now pursuing a career in dancing. After a chance meeting with Davenport, we see Charlie eventually land a job with "Metro Traffic" as Davenport's assistant. We then see Charlie attempt to gain a spot in the famed traffic helicopter and do some live reporting while trying to get his relationship with Amy back on foot.

"Pie in the Sky" tackles an area that hasn't been done much in films - the traffic industry. I can't speak for everyone, but as someone who drives in traffic day after day, I have seen little to no value in a traffic reporter. They aren't very entertaining, often miss areas of congestion - and have little to offer in solutions to get you to your destination. This is where I had a problem with the character of Alan Davenport. There simply aren't any Alan Davenport's out there. Traffic reporters have for years been throwing around buzz words such as "generally jammed" and not provided any value. It would be nice if there were more traffic reporters in the style of Davenport - but they just don't exist. Goodman's performance doesn't help much. I found Goodman to be guilty of "overacting" throughout the entire movie. He put more exaggeration into an already exaggerated type of character. I know I'm not the biggest Goodman fan, but I've seen better out of him. This was not one of his better performances.

Anne Heche's character of Amy Morgan didn't have me doing handstands either. While I can't blame Heche for the character, I just found the character irritating throughout the whole movie. We see the "sweet Amy Morgan" at the beginning of the movie. While she never turns into a vixen, I do think her character becomes more and more selfish throughout the movie. On the other hand, I did like the character of Ruby played by Christine Lahti. Ruby plays the landlord of Charlie's apartment building in Los Angeles. Charlie eventually becomes involved in an affair with Ruby. Not only did I find Lahti's performance to be very good, but I really enjoyed the character of Ruby. In a lot of ways, I almost felt like Ruby and Charlie had more chemistry than Amy and Charlie. This is not a good thing when the end result of the film is to get Charlie and Amy together.

While the movie's focus is around Charlie's obsession with traffic and his relationship with Amy, it is important to know that in the bigger scheme of things - this is really a biography of a fictional character named Charlie Dunlap. There is a chunk of the movie spent around Charlie's days as a child. We learn a lot about Charlie's argumentative parents - especially his father Mike. We eventually see a lot of Charlie's father rub off on Charlie when it comes to dealing with Amy . I think the film does a very good job at bridging this together. I also think that Josh Charles does a very good job with the character of Charlie Dunlap. He might not have been the big name star in this movie, but he left many of the name actors in the dust.

While I did find the overall story very entertaining, I found the ending to the music extremely unsatisfactory. The unfortunate thing is that a common scenario is used to eventually bring a conclusion to how Charlie and Amy end up (i.e. the race to have a last chance to meet the girl before she hops a plane overseas). I kind of felt the film could have gone another way to eventually bring Charlie and Amy together.

Overall, I realize I've mentioned a lot of flaws. But this movie still did provide good entertainment value. It provided the right mix of comedy, drama, and romance - and I think those elements are key when watching a movie. While I wouldn't nominate this movie for any awards, this is a movie I would definitely watch again. I wouldn't have even minded if they did a sequel (especially if they fix some of the short points I've mentioned). This movie is worth checking out.

Cute.......1999-06-22

Hey, sometimes it's great to see a simple movie. This one is no great genius, and it's pretty predictable, but it IS perfectly adorable. An entertaining 2 hours.

a quirky, fun movie about traffic and naked people.......1999-02-06

One of my favorite new actors teams up with Anne Heche to produce a fun, wacky view of live traffic reports and interpretive dance. I was hooked the first time I saw it.

Average customer rating:

OVERCOMES ITS AFFILIATION WITH SLEAZE.
I really liked the surprise ending.

Object of Obsession
Starring: Scott Valentine , Erika Anderson (II) , Elizabeth Whitcraft , Robert Keith (II) , and Jane A. Rogers
Director: Gregory Dark
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Body of Influence 2
Zandalee
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Body Shot

ASIN: 6305130981
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Description

A mysterious wrong number leads Margaret on a journey that takes her to the edge of sexual desire and obsession. One phone call leads her into an affair with a stranger who fills her nights with games and passion. Soon the games escalate into a terrifying kidnapping--but never underestimate a woman cornered, as Margaret plots her revenge in a shocking conclusion you'll never forget.

Customer Reviews:

OVERCOMES ITS AFFILIATION WITH SLEAZE........2004-11-21

Since its director's cinematic background is one of hard and soft core pornography, it would be capricious to expect a film of quality to be a result here, but such is indeed the case for this soundly made psychosexual melodrama that presents expected soft-core slow motion action that is less than many "mainstream" productions tender, and rather offhand as well, with the plot and a nice attention to detail the most significant elements, and with a canny decision made to keep the camera's eye as much as possible upon Erika Anderson, exactly the right place for it to be as she develops a character as victim of her own desires yet resilient enough to arrange a clever reprisal. Inferior sound mixing and a setup flaw in continuity mar the opening scene, but these are quickly overcome since the storyline, direction, camerawork and playing draw in a viewer, with Anderson portraying a frustrated recent divorcee, Margaret, who gambles upon commencing a relationship with a man who has telephoned her, ostensibly in error, with a result that their quickly formed amorous adventure becomes increasingly elaborate as Margaret discovers that she is headed for a threat of betrayal by both her new found lover and herself, leading to her decision to take radical action in order to regain self-command. Dark's direction is tight, with scriptor Brad Marlowe's dialogue often acute, the cinematography of Wally Pfister and the editing and montage under Bob Murawski are effective as is the interior design of this low budget piece, while classically flavoured scoring for cello, flute, and piano that accompanies most of the action is top-flight and appropriate, with most script weaknesses being handily overcome, generally by Anderson's skillful reading and the director's ability to leave fighting room for open signification. It is instructive to make a comparison between this undervalued work and Masumara's cultish BLIND BEAST, the latter notably inferior to the Dark item in its scenario, direction, and performing, with its spiraling and unhinged collapse into repugnant grotesquerie, whereas - - OBSESSION succeeds at its goal of sustained narrative momentum.

I really liked the surprise ending........1999-02-01

A man, probably calling women whose names are in the phone book, finds one who, just divorced, is in need of sexual validation. She learns his game and turns the tables.

Average customer rating:

a patron saint of degeneracy

God's Comedy
Starring: Patrícia Abreu , Raquel Ascensão , Maria Ester Caldeira , Sofia Costa , and Sandra Figueiredo
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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God Is Brazilian
9 songs - Unrated Full Uncut Version

ASIN: B00005B6KA
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Description

Joao is the manager of the Paradise Ice Cream Parlor. He divides his time between designing new flavors and fantasizing about his young female employees. His perverse obsession soon gets the better of him when he sets out to lure an adolescent girl into fulfilling his darkest fantasies. Grand Jury Prize winner at the Venice Film Festival.

Customer Reviews:

a patron saint of degeneracy.......2001-10-05

"Comédia de Deus, A [God's Comedy]" follows a cadaverous, laconic, and self righteous degenerate named João de Deus whose sensual universe revolves around the exotic ice creams he makes and the girls he seduces. His boss, a former prostitute, who knows his proclivities but depends on his unique and exotic ices for her business success, rescued him from the gutter to manage her shop. He, however, despises all official points of view, collects and annotates samples of pubic hair, and pursues ever-younger conquests, hovering over them like a vulture flapping its wings. At best the dark comedy endorses a kind of sainthood of perversity in a disjointed and hypocritical world; at worst it has no heart or meaning at all beyond defiance of all judgment.

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