Troy M
"I'm Lutheran and Lutherans don't believe in exorcism" (attempts exorcism anyway)...10/10
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
07/19/23
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Audience Member
Home Movie - Christopher Denham<br /><br />(Absent sur Flixster)<br /><br />Visionné dans le cadre du festival Fantasia 2008.<br /><br />Dix films échelonnés sur deux ans au Festival Fantasia. Un seul grand gagnant: Home Movie.<br /><br />Si je vous disais que Home Movie, mon coup de coeur du Festival, est un conte d'horreur réaliste sur une famille américaine, une fenêtre euphoriquement ouverte sur la haine et le non-sens du rêve américain... Et que je vous disais par la suite que l'horreur est justement le genre cinématographique que je déteste le plus au monde parce que j'ai l'impression qu'il me fait perdre mon temps... Cela suffirait-il pour vous convaincre de son unicité?<br /><br />De toute façon, vous auriez probablement bien du mal à aller le voir, car Home Movie n'a, à ce jour, trouvé aucun distributeur qui acceptait de se risquer dans la commercialisation de ce dernier, quand bien même l'incroyable Adrian Pascar (Heroes) aurait la principale tête d'affiche dans ce film d'horreur filmé à la caméra-épaule. Lorsqu'il est question de l'importance du médium, il faut dire que Christopher Denham a bel et bien exploité les avantages que lui permettaient la caméra-épaule tandis que la famille Poe se laisse tranquillement décortiquer sous les yeux des spectateurs à la manière d'une viande crue.<br /><br />David, prêtre protestant, et Clare, psychiatre renommé, font l'achat d'une caméra pour filmer leurs ébats familiaux avec leurs deux enfants, Jack et Emily. Ce qui est intéressant dans cette intrusion mondaine, c'est que le spectateur se retrouve rapidement coupable de voyeurisme, et qu'il devient malgré lui un pervers forcé d'assister à la déchéance des enfants Jack et Emily, dont le comportement se transforme progressivement en un condensé de violence et de tortures. Tour à tour, la religion et la science sont au coeur d'un débat éthique sur l'éducation contemporaine, et leurs défauts se font de plus en plus distincts au fur et à mesure que les deux disciplines échouent lamentablement. Forcés d'abandonner la soutane et les médicaments, David et Clare n'ont plus d'autres choix que d'enfiler leurs costumes de parents pour tenter d'avorter le comportement dissident de leurs rejetons.<br /><br />Révolutionnaire à sa manière, Home Movie fige le temps et propulse l'auditoire dans un univers déjanté où aucune solution ne semble appropriée à l'épouvantable infamie qui frappe la famille Poe. Définitivement à voir et à revoir.<br /><br />Clare: It proves that there are no good child, that there are no bad child. It proves that there are only diagnostics.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Documentary about five different homes and the people who live in them. I particularly liked the pragmatic Japanese-sitcom-acting Hawaiian lady and her treehouse in the middle of nowhere, but all five had their qualities, not least a conviction in their way of living that was engaging to watch.
I like unconventional people. Ben Skora's soap dish was freaky though.
From HENRIKSCHUNK's favourites list
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Chris Smith's follow up to "American Movie" is not quite as good, but interesting to say the least. He does a very good job at finding some of the most interesting (and sometimes odd) people of our culture and capturing them on camera.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/13/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Chris Smith, who directed the great 1999 documentary, "American Movie", about an aspiring horror director from Wisconsin, returns to subjects who would be called "eccentric", to say the least, in "Home Movie". But, just like he did so so eloquently in "American Movie", he doesn't judge these people. Instead, he seems to be showing us "outcasts" who simply do what they love. His films are a full embrace on the individual, and both of these films show us people with tremendous creativity and vision. You may call them strange, but these are real people who are fully in touch with their dreams and desired way of living.
"Home Movie", running just over an hour in length, introduces us to five subjects who live in peculiar homes. Smith doesn't introduce himself to us, nor does he pry in any of his philosophy about these particular subjects. The film, instead, is simply an observation of how these people have adapted to meet their needs.
Bill Tregle lives in a houseboat in Louisiana, but it's not your typical houseboat. Perhaps "house-boat", is more appropriate, as it simply looks like a typical well-furnished home floating on water. He makes a living by selling alligators, and takes Smith along to some of the most beautiful sights the river has to offer.
Ed and Diana Pedan live in an underground missile silo that's been converted to a home. Not only do they have ample living space, but they're well equipped for a nuclear attack. Ed gives us a tour of his home by standing on an open field and claiming that his family room is below.
Bob Walker and Francis Mooney have given their home to their cats. It's been furnished with tunnels and walkways suspended from the ceiling - a sort of playhouse for the couple's eleven felines. No less a playhouse is the home of Ben Skora, who has a house familiar of an episode of Star Trek. Everything he owns is automatic, with rotating rooms and even a robot that brings him soda.
The last subject is Linda Beech, who achieved fame as a soap opera star in Japan despite not knowing much Japanese. She lives deep in a rain forest in Hawaii, far separated from society, in a gigantic treehouse. She has her own waterfall, and cannot fathom how people could live without one.
The homes here are obviously splendid to be taken through, but it's the people, not the houses, that are the stars of the film. They're all highly endearing, well-spirited, and passionate people that you would love to spend a weekend with. Just, you know, maybe not high in the trees of a secluded rain forest.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Wonderfully unique and entertaining documentary by the same director of "American Movie" - I totally enjoyed it and highly recommend this movie - Everyone's got a story :)
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
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