Catnip Reviews: THE MASK (4K), MS. 45 (4K) and 7 SINS

Snack-sized opinions from the frisky felines at Free Kittens…

THE MASK Limited Edition (4K UHD) - If Ace Ventura: Pet Detective established Jim Carrey as a bankable star, The Mask cemented it. Back then, his brand of over-the-top, rubber-faced comedy was either endearing or obnoxious, depending on the viewer. Either way, this film certainly showcased his ability to become a living cartoon (with considerable help from FX and make-up artists, of course). But if you squint hard enough, beyond the kinetic comic mayhem are traces of the range Carrey would display in later films. Still, his physical performance is the most memorable aspect of The Mask, which remains an amusing hybrid…part slapstick comedy, part musical, part horror, with maybe even a bit superheroism tossed in. On the other side of the camera, this may not be director Chuck Russell’s best movie (I think The Blob gets that honor), but it’s arguably his best looking movie. Arrow’s 4K release features a great restoration and comes with plenty of new and archival bonus features. A must-own for Jim Carrey fans. (1994/101 min/Arrow Video). KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼

MS. 45 Limited Edition (4K UHD) - Though his headspace appears to have found permanent residence in the ether these days, there was once a time when New York’s nuttiest auteur, Abel Ferrara, enjoyed pushing people’s buttons with provocative exploitation (sometimes with a side order of Catholic guilt). Of those early films, Ms. 45 is probably his most entertaining, though still tough to watch on occasion. Drawing obvious inspiration from the likes of Death Wish, the story of mute teenager Thana (Zoe Tamerlis) going on revenge-fueled killing spree after being raped (twice in one day) is a tidy piece of catharsis. In addition to a 4K transfer that nicely preserves the film’s grimy aesthetic, the disc features a decent selection of new and archival bonus material.  (1981/80 min/Arrow Video). KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺

7 SINS (DVD) - This is a low budget anthology film with seven different directors serving up their own takes on the Seven Deadly Sins. Like others of its ilk, consistency is an issue, though one common thread is an overall air of arty pretentiousness coupled with obvious attempts to shock and repulse the viewer. Some stories are incomprehensible, others are narratively straightforward, but all of them wallow in visual depravity, including plenty of wince-inducing violence (some of it sexualized). Would be thrillseekers might get a kick out of these directors’ efforts to push the envelope of good taste, but overall, 7 Sins is more of an exercise in self-indulgence masquerading as a horror film. (2020/93 min/IndiePix). KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

A Bizarre BODY ODYSSEY

BODY ODYSSEY (DVD)

2023 / 103 min

From IndiePix Films

Review by Stinky the Destroyer🙀

In the real world, Jacqueline Fuchs is a world famous bodybuilder, so for the most part, playing one in a movie isn’t too much of a stretch. Like most athletes-turned-actors, she’s decent in scenes conducive to her profession, sometimes a bit wooden in those requiring anything more.

Still, her performance in Body Odyssey is nothing short of brave. Not because her chosen profession and appearance could be considered freakish to a lot of viewers. And it isn't because she frequently appears nude and engages in graphic sex scenes that are not only intentionally unerotic, they’re contextually disturbing. Fuchs seems perfectly comfortable being presented as an object of morbid fascination.

What’s brave about her performance is that it serves a bizarre, twisted film that at-no-point depicts the sport in a positive light, especially the alarmingly dangerous steps its participants take to achieve what they view as perfection (including steroid use). In fact, one competitor drops dead right in the middle of a competition. In a way, Fuch’s participation almost seems akin to a confessional.

On the surface, Body Odyssey is about Mona (a fictionalized version of Fuchs?) as she prepares for a world championship under the relentless supervision of her trainer, Kurt (Julian Sands, in one of his last performances). The defacto antagonist, Kurt appears even more obsessed with body perfection than Mona, controlling every aspect of her life and goading her into using illegally imported steroids (even though her own doctor insists she’s causing irreparable harm to herself).

Mona shows Kurt where she last saw her watch.

However, this is more of a surreal psychological/body horror film with an aesthetic similar to David Cronenberg's work. Mona’s internal conflict between her desire for perfection and needs as a woman (exacerbated by frequent trysts with a fetishistic young man) is often depicted through dreamlike sequences and imagery. Her own body develops a “voice” of its own, ominously spouting a lot of ambiguous gobbledegook whenever Mona attempts to assert own will.

For awhile, all this is kind of interesting. Mona’s sympathetic vulnerability nicely counters Kurt’s objectification of her (though we do get the impression he ultimately does care about her). Director Grazia Tricarico also keeps things aesthetically engaging (sometimes voyeuristically so), aided by moody cinematography and ethereal visual effects. But the film’s deliberate pace and increasing pretentiousness eventually grow a little tiresome (as does the camera’s unceasing exploration of Fuch’s body).

By the third act, the narrative dives headlong into bleak, baffling artiness and doesn’t resurface. That would be fine if the climax appeared to have anything resembling a resolution to Mona’s conflict (or maybe it does and I was just too dumb to catch it). Either way, Body Odyssey is one of those what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch movies that might be worth checking out for adventurous viewers (and perhaps late-career Cronenberg fans), but once is probably enough.

BLUE DESERT: Looks Aren't Everything

BLUE DESERT (DVD)

2013 / 92 min

FROM INDIEPIX

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Baffled😾

This Brazilian sci-fi film is visually striking, both naturally, with numerous scenes of red desert hills vividly contrasting a piercing blue sky, and through creative production design, depicting a future world of ethereal technology and aesthetic eye-candy.

However, looks aren’t everything.

Blue Desert is an utterly baffling film about a young man named Ele (Odilon Esteves), who’s tormented by his mundane daily existence and seeks to find transcendence. Also serving as the narrarator, Ele is repeatedly reminding us of his quest as he goes through life trying to empty his mind of societal clutter. He also has visions of an old man in the desert, whose goal is to paint it all blue. Hence the title, I guess, though the significance of these scenes are never clear…

…nor is anything else, really, including a lengthy and interminable sequence in a nightclub that we’re forced to endure twice. This is where he meets a mysterious woman, Alma (Maria Luisa Mendonça), who leads him through a perplexing conversation about love before making out with him. Then she disappears. Later, the same sequence is played again, only with their roles reversed. The entire time, an MC spouts pretentious gobbledegook about…well, your guess is as good as mine. Ele's best friend pops up now and again to verbally spare with him, but neither he nor Alma have any discernible relevance to the narrative.

Ele loses his beach ball.

I'm saying 'narrative' like I could actually follow it. I don’t have a problem with ambiguity, or even a filmmaker’s attempt to leave viewers completely perplexed. However, director Eder Santos should at least keep things interesting. Not only is Blue Desert confusing, it’s a colossal bore and moves at a snail’s pace. Characterization is almost non-existent and the only significant thing revealed about the main character is he likes to tinker with robots. It’s just a series of hallucinatory sequences strung together by indecipherable dialogue that sounds profound, but maybe someone smarter than me can explain what the hell any of it means. Speaking of which, some of that dialogue is apparently lifted directly from a book by Yoko Ono, which should tell you something. 

The film ends as it begins, in the barren desert beneath a blue sky. There’s no climax, no discernible resolution and absolutely no clarity. Ultimately, watching Blue Desert is like going on a date with someone who’s drop-dead gorgeous, but might be the dullest person you ever met.