Funny Games Michael Haneke 1997 Austria (1st time; DVD) A bourgeois family is held hostage and tortured at their holiday home by two young males with no motive. It is telling that by the end of this film, we are immune, even bored with, the disturbing violence depicted onscreen; the torturers are constantly aware of their role in the film, making direct reference to audience expectations and what they should be doing. At the end of the day, it's the director pulling all the strings, and we are completely helpless, puppets in his hand.
Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen / Even Dwarfs Started Small Werner Herzog 1968 West Germany (1st time; DVD) A colony of dwarfs rebels against its leader. A humorous, original film with powerful images and a descent into chaos which makes it seem like it may have been best suited to a short. One of Herzog's most absorbing films, and a clear inspiration for Korine's Gummo.
...dot com bold typeface rhetoric. You go clickety click and get your head split. 'The hell you look like on a message board Discussing whether or not the Brother is hardcore?
