Movies
This was only my second Jodorowsky, but I liked it way better than The Holy Mountain. Maybe not all that surprising, seeing it is one of Jodorowsky's more recent projects, even so it felt like a different type of film altogether. It was still completely bonkers, but sporting a lighter and happier atmosphere. No doubt Christopher Doyle's involvement helped a lot, though I don't think Jodorowsky made the best use of his talents. The film looks very colorful and has a handful of striking scenes, but the camera work and framing were a bit too static for my liking. Ultimately, it's a far cry from Doyle's best work. It's interesting to see Jodorowsky's son plays the lead (the film is semi-autobiographical), there's plenty of craziness and even though it's two hours long, there's never a dull moment, but I don't think Jodorowsky is really 100% my cup of tea. I guess it's a still a little too classical in its approach, that said this film was pretty enjoyable.Read all
Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of those directors who cultivated quite a reputation for himself. This is only my second film of his and even though I see where he got his reputation from, it's all a bit too hit-and-miss for me. There's plenty I like here, but there's also way too much I hated with a vengeance. Fenix is a young magician working in a Mexican circus. He gets seriously traumatized when his parents get into a big fit and mutilate each other. When Fenix is released from the mental institution, he returns to his mother. She's the leader of the cult and has no more arms, so she orders Fenix to assist her. The visuals are colorful and there's some unforgettable imagery here. Sadly, the soundtrack is absolutely excruciating, killing a lot of the atmosphere. Performances are pretty poor and the runtime is a bit too long. Santa Sangre is an interesting film, stylistically though there was too much I didn't care for.Read all
