Some pithy reviews


The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl aka Macht der Bilder dir. Ray Mueller

This documentary on the life and works of controversial German director, Leni Riefenstahl, despite its three-hour running time has several interesting segments. Much of the film is devoted to Riefenstahl's new film techniques, particularly in her films about the Nuremberg festival and the Berlin olympics. Riefenstahl's comments on life in the Nazi era also reveal the experience of living through the era without knowing how it would end. An interesting comment by Leni - "When I heard Hitler talking about art and praising kitsch, he was totally wrong but convincing. It then made me think about how his political speeches, though convincing, might also be wrong."


Better Off Dead dir. Savage Steve Holland


It has the aura of a brat-pack movie with shades of Say Anything and Revenge of the Nerds, thanks to the plot and appearances by Curtis Armstrong and John Cusack. Our hero, Lane, with the assistance of his friends, deals with surreal life problems and the moguls on K-12. A Dickensian potpourri of characters adds life to this delicious truffle of a film.