Gia -- made for cable (1998) is of the "superstar has hard childhood, can't handle the pressure of success, turns to drugs, dies drug-related death" genre. This time it is Gia, the first runway superstar. Played to perfection by Angelina Jolie, the story is essentially a true one. Her lesbian lover, played by Elizabeth Mitchell also does a very good job. As a matter of fact, there was nothing wrong with the production values, the direction, the photography, or any of the performances. Everyone loves this film -- everyone except me.

The first film I saw in this genre was "The Rose." Midler did a great job on it, and after it was over, I was impressed by the achievement, but depressed over what had been depicted. Then I saw "Sid and Nancy." Again, the acting was top-notch. This one left me wondering if I really needed to see a film this graphic about such a depressing waste of two lives. Now, after Gia, I really don't ever need to see another film about a superstar ruined by drugs. One of the problems with these films is that the last half features an obnoxious addict ruining their life and hurting everyone who cares about them. I no longer find this entertaining. I believe drug addiction is a bad thing already, so the message is wasted on me.

The DVD is not bad quality, but HBO chose to release the R version on DVD, which is 5 minutes shorter than the Unrated VHS release. From various reviews, it looks like they chopped full frontal of Jolie, and most of a shower scene with Mitchell. One can only guess which major video chain influenced this decision. If you like the poor little rich addict type of film, see this, but get the Unrated VHS version, not the DVD.

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Angelina Jolie (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) Elizabeth Mitchell (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

"Montenegro" (1981)

Montenegro is a Swedish/English film from Dusan Makavejev. It is a black comedy about a bored and neglected housewife (Susan Anspach) who becomes sexually liberated while the guest of a group of Yugoslavians who run a strip club/illegal still. One of the highlights is Lisbeth Zachrisson doing a striptease, and dancing with a dildo mounted on a radio controlled tank. Zany, offbeat, weird, strange, unusual all apply here. I have to say it was pure fun from beginning to end.

The DVD was not the worlds best quality, but this one is definitely worth watching. It is rated a 7 at IMDB, and even Maltan liked it, and he never likes anything.

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Susan Anspach (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Lizbeth Zachrisson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

The Hunger is one movie that should be on DVD. Not that it's such a good movie. It used a unique technique to dramatize the lives of vampires who live forever. The movie shows every minute of their lives in real time. I think Susan Sarandon and Deneuve were virgins when they started filming. Come to think of it, they'll have to put this movie on about 3000 DVD's. Oh, I jest, it isn't infinitely long. It only seems that way. It is, however, infinitely pretentious in a "look at me, I can copy those European art films" kind of way. Tony Scott directed this movie, but I think brother Ridley (Blade Runner, Alien) got the cream of the gene pool. Tony is kind of the Randy Quaid of the Scott family.

Anyway, the point is that the movie should be on DVD because it features some pretty clear nudity from Susan Sarandon, and a very naughty scene between Sarandon and Deneuve. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Thanks to TomCat who did a pretty good job on the video version of this difficult-to-capture film. In order to maintain their union cards in the Arty Eurotrash Film Club, they filmed it with the lenscap on, and even put some vaseline on the lens, just as insurance, lest some light accidentally sneak through the sides.

Sarandon (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Deneuve

The other file is Sharon Tate in her husband's immortal comedy classic, The Fearless Vampire Killers. Actually, although the concept of a Polanski comedy seems impossible for the human mind to conceive, this movie is actually pretty funny. It is a genre parody, and it does a pretty good job at skewering some of the cliches. Polanski himself, looking about 11 years old, plays an assistant vampire killer, thereby showing that if he had not chosen to be a child molesting filmmaker, he could have carved out quite a career as a child molesting Bob Denver impersonator.

For the three of you not aware of it, the lovely Miss Tate was killed at age 26 by the Manson family, in the low point of the hippie era. Her name is chillingly memorialized in the term "Tate LoBianca killings". I wish we could just remember her as a sweet woman who appeared in doofy movies, but such is not to be the case.

Tate

On a completely unrelated side note...The IMDB lists her as having a salary of 3 million for "The Spy who Shagged Me". Kudos to her agent since the one scene she appears in only lasts about 2 minutes! Now...for the serious movie buffs, here is a question. Kurt Russell was paid 20 million for his role in 1998's "Soldier". He had very few words in the movie, and I read somewhere that it broke down to some ridiculous payscale of like $250,000 per spoken word. I'm wondering what sort of payscale Liz made out with for "Austin Powers 2"? Not quite the same as Kurt's, obviously, but it must be the highest for a female actress! There are only a handful of ladies who get the big bucks in Hollywood anyway, and it's always for intense dramas chock full of cheesy dialog. My guess is that Liz raked in about 80-100k per spoken word in "AP2", I don't think Demi, Sandra, or Julia can make that claim...Even with their price tags hitting the $20 million mark!

Regardless if Liz doesn't get the money per spoken word award, her role in "Austin Powers 2" must be the highest paid 2 minute screen performance ever!