Cookies & Cream

Uncovered Film Review


From the outside, Cookies & Cream may seem similar to another film we've covered, named "One Hour Fantasy Girl". One Hour Fantasy Girl even follows a similar path - that of a girl on a struggle to find herself, while working an odd-job to pay the rent.

However, now I have a better frame of reference, having watched Cookies & Cream; and I can clearly see what is lacking in 1HFG that C&C has in abundance... heart.

Carmen (Jace Nicole) has an 8 year old daughter that she gets to see only three days a week. She has a high-rise apartment, but a lack of a substantial and steady relationship. The only men she sees are those she meets through work on her website. A decidedly adult web page featuring only herself, called Cookiesandcream.com. Every man she works with tries to take it further, but she won't allow it. They often spew pick-up lines out of a book, and Carmen wants a truthful person who will just be himself.

By chance, not too long into her story, Carmen meets a man who seems to fit all of her criteria... and she starts to fall for him. But the guilt hangs over her, as she tries to figure out how to tell her new boyfriend about how she makes a living (only going so far as to say she works with computers).

Jace Nicole is the biggest revelation amongst this cast. She shines in every scene, and just when you expect her to crack under the pressure of an emotional moment, she somehow keeps the conversation real - and believable. The director does a good job of getting into the head of most of the characters in the short span of the movie - rather than glossing over half of them in favor of quickly telling a story.


Perhaps my only real complaints are debatably minor, but I couldn't shake the thoughts of them even after the film ended. Several of the characters smoke cigarettes in plain view, without hesitation - something I thought we were getting away from in films. It really sullies the reputation of the actors to see them take something that's so important (their lives) so lightly.

And one other bother is the way some of the earlier conversations in the film are presented. Characters are filmed in the city streets of New York, and surrounding areas - but the problem is how they are recorded. They are shown from 100 feet away or more - with their voices sounding dubbed in, whether they are or not. When you're watching conversations in a film, you want to pay attention to the faces, the gestures - all things that need to be experienced up close and personal (not from the bushes across the way). When these cannot be seen, ranging from 30 seconds to a minutes worth of staring at their backs, the viewer becomes frustrated.

These moments do make you appreciate how important it is to see your actors when they deliver their lines. If there were many more moments that could not be seen, it could've ruined the film.

However, as it stands, I can easily say that this film presents a modern drama in a new way. If this had turned out to follow the methods of every romantic "comedy", while trying to pass as a drama, I certainly would've considered it horrible. But with the mantra of our main character Carmen being "The show must go on", It definitely does, and without the flaws of a big-budget production. This is the kind of film that can only ever exist in the independent realm, because no major studio would have enough guts to film the story of an adult film star in any way but a comedy.


Official Website | IMDb

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The Fangoria Chopping List

Fangoria.com, the online world of the best horror genre magazine in the world (Fangoria, of course), also hosts a lot of news, previews of upcoming issues, and lists.

One such list on their fine site is the Chopping List (Also linked in our sidebar). The frequently updated list has a rundown of all the upcoming releases on home video, and notes if their DVD, Blu-ray, Remake, Special edition, etc.

This list is a great resource for those wondering what's on its way out next. Though it only covers the horror spectrum of releases, it does that aspect better than any website you can find. I check it frequently just to keep myself up to date... it's great to find out "that movie's coming out next week?! Awesome!" Bookmark it, and check out their magazine when you get a chance... both are top notch!

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Happy Halloween - enjoy these horrific images!

As these people would attest, it's not a crime to enjoy Halloween!

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Mantra

Uncovered Film Review

I am not entirely sure yet (let me know if you find any sacrificed lamb suddenly cropping up around town), but I think I've been initiated into a cult by watching Mantra. If not that, then I have absolutely no idea what I've just witnessed.

However, my duty is to do my best to explain it (I would hate to have to piece together the synopsis for the box!), if nothing else. Mantra is about a group of strangers that take a bus to an isolated group of mountain cabins for a spiritual retreat. The rules state - among other things - that they cannot talk to each other, and they also may not pleasure themselves or anyone else. These rules don't apply long, as things take a horrible turn on their very first outing.

Once everyone gets talking, things go from bad to worse. Turns out, most of these people are at the retreat for a reason - for the most part being that they've done something wrong, and want to make up for it by praising Buddha, eating slop, and meditating all day.


O.K., so the plot sounds simple when explained as a package deal, but when viewed in long form, it is extremely confusing to the viewer. I thought I'd watched complicated films before, with lots of twists and turns, but with Mantra, you aren't supposed to understand any of the "twists" (and if you are, and I somehow didn't manage to decipher a single one, then take away my critics license, because I guess I'm just not smart enough to keep doing what I do).

You see, this is one of those psychological thrillers that is lacking in thrills, and overflowing with the fetishistic thoughts of some psychotic people. From Flintstones vitamins to a painted naked woman that just will not stop acting out, I am going to have to deny this invitation into the cult of Mantra, no matter how artistically and prettily filmed it may be.


Mantra official website | Purchase the DVD from Amoeba Films

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