Videos

Dennis Lim
Saturday 08 August 1998 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Cannibal! The Musical (18). Alferd Packer was a Colorado mountain guide who, in the 1870s, became the first man to be tried for cannibalism in America. His bizarre life story gets the Rodgers and Hammerstein treatment (well, sort of) in this 1993 student film by Trey Parker of South Park fame. Parker himself stars as Packer (his partner Matt Stone plays a member of the prospecting party) and co-wrote the musical numbers ("Hang the Bastard", "When I Was on Top of You"). As in South Park and the boys' other movie projects (the porn spoof Orgazmo and the sports satire BASEketball), the humour is wilfully adolescent, with a surprisingly effective absurdist streak. Ultimately, the film seems sadistically overlong, but for the first half hour at least, it's difficult to resist.

2 X 50 Years of French Cinema (no cert). True to form, Jean-Luc Godard's contribution to the BFI's "Century of Cinema" series is the most provocative and beguiling of the lot, slyly challenging the prevailing celebratory tone. Also released: Edgar Reitz's Night of the Film Makers and Stig Bjorkman's I Am Curious, Film, surveys of German and Scandinavian cinema.

The Blackout (18). Abel Ferrara's latest is one of his murkier. Matthew Modine displays surprising range as a debauched film star who, once he cleans up (and shacks up with Claudia Schiffer) is haunted by visions of a violent crime. Ferrara's usual commitment to sleaze is in evidence, but for all its attempts at emotional nakedness, the film feels a little stale and trite.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in