La cité des enfants perdus (1995)

 

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

Exuberantly imaginative fantasy (more horror than just a surreal fairy tale) is mesmerizing throughout due to its fascinating settings and visuals, some of them disturbing, too; the plot itself is a bit perplexing in its twists.

Halliwell*: "A bizarre hyper-active fantasy that yields many incidental pleasures, although coherence is not among them."

Maltin***: "Provocative fantasy...Although dramatically uneven, this mix of Oliver Twist and BRAZIL is a marvel of production design, with sumptuous visuals and painstaking invention." 

Delicatessen (1991)

 

In a post-apocalyptic world the landlord of an apartment building occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.

Wildly imaginative madcap black comedy seems to know no boundaries and comes up with fast-paced twists and surprises, all made with style and panache.

Halliwell***: "A gruesome theme given an exuberant, witty, cartoon-like treatment."

Maltin***1/2: "At the very least, this is the most original and entertaining comedy about cannibalism made to this date. Brown-and-white color schemes, which would ordinarily look like a lab mistake, contribute to the film's trenchant visual style." 

New acquisition: La cité des enfants perdus (1995)

 

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

 

200 years after her death, Ellen Ripley is revived as a powerful human/Alien hybrid clone who must continue her war against the Aliens.

Too ambitious for its own good this installment of the Aliens series is quite messy, but has some moments, especially concerning the visuals.

On renewed viewing I need to correct my initial rating: this is actually an imaginative and at times quite disturbing new take on the Alien saga and, compared to the last installment, the plot is quite coherent.

On re-watching: meanwhile I do quite enjoy this version; it does have some intense moments.

Halliwell*: "Stylish, occasionally impressive movie that all too soon settles into familiar routine."

Maltin**: "Clumsy sequel with crummy logic, far too many wisecracks; a few good action scenes, but scrictly for series fans."

 

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)

New acquisition: Delicatessen (1991)

A gift from my pal Ralf.

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)