Deadly serious psychosexual rethinking of the previously Disneyfied chestnut, with the Seven Dwarves as a group of filthy miners who slobber over the young Snow White's heaving bosom and Sigourney Weaver as stepmother Claudia, whose cursed mirror and a serious case of post-partum bitchiness (following the stillbirth of her son) spell endless trouble for Snowy.

Weaver is delightfully wicked, but the director may have been unsure whether to film this as a symbol-heavy grim/Grimm tale or as an overwrought supernatural slasher film. Too humorless and murkily lit to be a top-drawer item, but it's still worth filing this one next to such superior fare as _The Company of Wolves_ and _Dolls_ on the shelf where you store your adolescent nighty-nightmares.

A lesser known (and somewhat lesser) film from Philip Ridley, director of the superb The Reflecting Skin, abandoning childhood innocence-lost for the violent sexual awakening of one extremely repressed guy, the titular Darkly Noon (Brendan Fraser). Fleeing from his mysterious cult-like background, Darkly runs right into the arms (well, truck) of Callie, the beautiful lady of the backwoods (a very fine Ashley Judd). The shy, stuttering Darkly soon falls for Callie in the worst possible way, but her mute coffin-crafting boyfriend returns from parts unknown, the lines of a deadly triangle are pencilled in, and Darkly starts wrapping his torso with barbed wire, conversing with the bullet-riddled bodies of his dead parents, painting himself ritualistically (ala _White of The Eyes_) and paying heed to the popular rumors about Callie's seductive ways.

Astonishingly beautiful at times (the underground stream is a triumph of set design), Unfocused and undisciplined at others (what's with that giant shoe?!), the film present's Darkly's slow mental disintegration as a frightening spectacle with a truly horrifying climax. Fraser isn't quite up to the demands of his role, but he attacks the final reels with such gusto that comparisons with a religiously-driven Jack Torrance aren't be unwarranted. Still, _Darkly Noon_ is most captivating when Ridley allows events to unfold with the hypnotic rhythm of a folk tale. He's less successful when he crashes through this sensitive emotional minefield with cameras set on 'stun'.

I saw David Lynch's "Eraserhead" for the first time recently. For a long time it wasn't available anywhere around here, but a West Coast Video that just opened carries it (I'm happy to see Blockbuster Video getting some real competition). I believe this is Lynch's first film although i may be wrong. It is a very raw yet very surreal film which shows Lynch at some of his most unbridled moments. This film is an amazing example of Lynch's ability to use sound and visuals together to create a very surreal and compelling atmosphere. Although the techniques are less refined than on more recent films such as Lost Highway they still work amazingly well. I wont reveal any of the storyline here since i think it would ruin the experiance but if you havent seen it already i think its a definite must for anyone who enjoys surrealist, experimental or just plain weird forms of art in general. 

When I first heard that Disney was buying up Hayao Miyazaki's animes, I got worried. I feared the Americanization of two of my fave children movies (and up there in my list of adult movies, too), My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. My fears were not based on solid ground however. Both films were left with the culture intact and very (very!) good dubbing.

Kiki's Delivery Service includes the voices of Kirsten Dunst as Kiki, Phil Hartman (to whom the film is dedicated) as Jiji the cat, Debbie Reynolds and Janeane Garofolo.

The movie follows a young witch named Kiki. When witches turn 13, they leave home on the full moon and find a city or town to watch over. Kiki and her cat, Jiji, hop onto her broom (her flying skills are suspect at best) and find a beautiful city by the sea, where she sets up shop, makes friends and runs a broom-powered delivery service.

Hayao Miyazaki shows once again that he understands the devil's in the details with amazing animations where grass ripples, wind blows, crowds bustle and clouds float. It's one of those rare films where you visit another world and don't want to come back. The movie is gentle enough for a three year old, but charming and with enough pathos for any age.