Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

Oh give me a break. I'm sick of all these gushing reviews for this movie. I watched it last night and what an overblown, overrated piece of junk. If you're all into art-fart types of things go ahead & go for it. It should certainly be mentioned that some subjects, specifically incest/pedophelia are dealt with in fashions most Westerners will be shocked by, and such things are done in the movie merely as eye candy, nothing really moves the story along as there is so little story. You just have a string of "Oh, this might be happening.. Or maybe it's this.. Or shoot, let's all go get snacks." kinds of scenes.

I don't doubt at all that some of the actors are very talented. Too bad I wasn't watching them in something else. It's just too bad all of this effort couldn't have produced a much more sympathetic treatment of the poor little girl. Nope, sorry, how it played out didn't work for me.

This would have been an interesting, if rather typical, result for an undergrad film project. Else, meh.

So obviously, I didn't like the movie. That's my two bits. For those who do love it, while that's beyond my feeble comprehension, I'm glad someone got something out of it.

I really don't know where to start on this one, because it is just that amazing.

Firstly, the movie is incredibly beautiful, in a mind-blowing, visually stunning sort of way. Everything is very detailed,
Secondly, the acting is impeccable. All of the characters come to life and Masumi Miyazaki does such an insanely good job, I stand captivated long after multiple viewings...
Combined, you are sucked into the world these characters are living in, and sent into the big top of chaos.

Sion Sono, who you may, and most likely know from Suicide Club takes a whack at sexuality, and once again family. Tossing away society, we take a very intimate look at the workings of attraction, jealousy, memories, and a hurricane of other emotions that spawn from love of any sort; in this case it is a distorted love.

About this DVD:
The packaging is very nice, haha... the apparently newly trendy clear box, with nice inserts. The disk itself has the full version of Strange Circus, despite what the box says, this is, in fact the full TLA releasing of the movie, with the time as correct on Amazon.com. Why it is incorrect on the box... I do not know. There is also a great making of featurette, with English subtitles, that runs about an hour.

Though people say that this movie is highly disturbing and uncomfortable, etc. I didn't find it to be that bad. Yes there are some more... off-putting scenes, but nothing I wouldn't feel comfortable watching with friends, and definitely nothing inappropriate given the story/goal of this film, that taken into perspective, it's actually quite tasteful, going so far as to let you in on what is happening, but not so far as to be exploiting anyone. As I said, it is so well done, that you are completely taken along for the ride. The music is dead on to bring you in too, and the visuals are surreal to ordinary, and everywhere in between, but even when ordinary, it is breath-taking in beauty. Sion Sono again takes on a big task, and succeeds, in my opinion, and delivers something to take a look at and open your mind up to!

All around 5/5! A must buy/watch for the Japanese Cinema fan, Sion Sono fan, or the open-minded viewer!!!