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Watch Out
$16.99
Dolmance, quite possibly a fictional extension of the once very real Marquis de Sade, spoke thus of religion: "Could religion best be described as the pact that binds a man to his Creator, and forces him to prove, by way of blind worship, his gratitude to that great Creator for his existence?"
Jonathon Barrows, Joseph Suglia's main character, sums up a sentried position toward society: "Poets take precautions against the sunlight. Philosophers take precautions against the intrusion of noise."
~Sunlight permits limited visibility. How far do you expect to go when you can only see what's directly in front of you? Most of us are blind to the external world when we have no light to guide our way.
~Sound is the necessary result of disciplined vibration. Noise is a fat man who defecates on your ear while you sleep.
One could easily make the claim that Jonathon Barrows is a modern version of Dolmance, and legitimately make further comparisons with more detailed examples. Or one could attempt to determine whether Suglia's Hegelianism is merely the pseudo-Marxism of Kojeve, filtered French like Bataille's; or if his philosophy is staunch enough to maintain its rightful German authenticity, etc., but one could debate these topics without understanding what's actually in the book.
I've read the book several times with varying intentions, and every reading has satisfied my desires. When I first read it, I read it straight through as one would breeze through any work of popular fiction. I read it again, several months later, after learning of Suglia's credentials in Philosophy, and was just as fulfilled reading it deeply as I had been when I read it lightly. Most recently I read it for a third time, hoping to dissect some of the lingering psychological aspects of Jonathon Barrows. Again, as with my second reading, this book provided great satisfaction. In summary I offer this about Jonathon Barrows:
Jonathon Barrows is the precocious child who filled your kiddie pool with sparkling lime flavored gelatin and charged you your trust fund to watch him wrestle himself.
You felt as though you cheated him and silently wished that your parents had started you a more substantial dowry.
Ego is the mask other children wait to wear on Halloween night to scrimmage their demons.
Demons have calendars, too.

Watch Out
$0.99

Watch Out
$21.99
There's been a lot of buzz about this actor Matt Riddlehoover (one very easy on the eye man) and this director Steve Balderson. I had to check it out for myself. The disc contains some 4+ hours of material. The film - with and without commentary - plus over an hour of bonus video blogs. I've seen a lot of movies, but nothing quite like this. I'm still trying to absorb what I saw and heard. This is a keeper to watch again and again and well worth the price of admission. Act 1 is way-over-the-top-bizzaro-titillating comedy. I kept thinking - where is all this leading? Act 2 take an unexpectedly darker turn until the end. There's ample nudity - OK, more than ample. Someone ask Matt Riddlehoover if he did his own "stunts" and he said "why, yes I did." I'd say this film is a must see to believe, but that's just my opinion. I'll be waiting for Part 2!
Sidenote: click on Steve Balderson's name.

Lucky Bastard
$24.99
"Lucky Bastard"

Very Real and Very Sexual

Amos Lassen

As I watched "Lucky Bastard" last night I thought to myself that this is one of the most honest and realistic films ever made. So many of us have lusted for someone that we know is no good for us and yet we allow ourselves to be sucked in. "Lucky Bastard" looks at just that issue and director Everett Lewis throws it right in our faces.
Rusty is a good looking and muscular home designer who sees his world of stability begin to fall apart because he met and fell in love with a hustler whose first love is drugs. Rusty's business was not doing well so he looked for something to help him rise above the depression he was feeling. He meets Denny at a convenience store. Denny is hot and good looking but he is also trade and a bit rough. The affair between the two began in a moment of passion and escalated into something more serious causing Rusty, normally staid and in control, to follow Denny into a world of decadence, drugs and strange people. The two men share an intimacy based solely upon lust and as the affair continues, dreams are broken and a rift ensues. Denny is soon out of control and Rusty is in a very uncomfortable place. The reality of life is obscured by passion and we get a look at the dire consequences of youth and beauty that is left to run amok. Before the film ends things are worked out and Rusty is Ok but it seems touch and go for a while. Made on a low budget, there are admirable performances and a solid plotline. This is not an easy film to watch because it is like a warning to us but watching it becomes quite a worthwhile experience.