Pearls Before Swine (1999)

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

In this film Boyd rice plays a killer who does a few things that really hack-off the regular film viewer. He runs about for a bit shouting and acting extremely poorly, and rants on in a monologue format about his own views. in fact in one scene he quotes his own book, while pretending to be reading it from someone else's But that's not the point. - This film, to me, is excellent because of its "extreme" ideas and content. Some of which are: Nazis (don't get me wrong I hate racism), sex/BDSM, women, religion, murder and violence.The thoughts of Rice's character on these issues are extremely important as they relate to the target audience of this film. As most horror/thriller viewers will have at least one or two opinions as to how Nazis (don't get me wrong I hate racism), sex/BDSM, women, religion, murder and violence relate to media and how they may or may not mirror, and/or be applied to, real life.On the whole I think if you are interested in Nazis, sex/BDSM, Boyd's theories, feminism, or violence this will be of interest to you. However, I beg of you, think open mindedly about the film and the issues raised within, go beyond the aesthetics. No matter what your tastes dictate. - +DO NOT see this film if you get uneasy around sex scenes especially ones with such a low budget that you really do think you are watching porn. +DO NOT see this film if you are offended by neo-Nazis (Boyd Rice is NOT a neo-Nazi however his character does 'hint' at it in this film (costumes and monologues) +DO NOT see this film if you are horney (it way warp your impressionable little mind) +DO NOT see this film if you are disgusted by fecal matter +DO NOT see this film if you think the random slaughter of 'innocent' homeless people is disgusting...you wont be able to handle it. seriously i almost vomited at the 'fecal matter' part.

I have a fairly high tolerance for low-quality and low-budget movies, especially when they strive to be different from the usual Hollywood pap. In fact there are only two such films I have seen this year that I felt had no redeeming qualities: this film and Red Cockroaches. And even Red Cockroaches made me look at ketchup differently.The script is horrible. It is obvious from reading the liner notes of the DVD that the writer/director changed the script on the fly (including the addition of the silly twist ending), probably after a late night session bulls^H^H^H^H^Hbrainstorming with the actors. It is even more obvious from watching it ("a Dr Who scene? sure!").The dialogue is horrible. People don't talk that way. Boyd Rice delivers monologues that sound as if he is reading from one of his own articles. I'm sure these were intended to be socratic dialogues (especially since they reference the concept, albeit poorly), but they managed to sound even *more* contrived than that, impossible as it sounds. And the attempts at slang? Ouch. Painful embarrassment for the character.The acting is horrible. The only one of any note was Daniel's partner Paul; he may not be able to carry a movie on his own, but standing next to Boyd Rice made him look like John-friggin-Malkovich. Once again, reading the liner notes made it apparent that the director knows/idolizes Boyd Rice, to the point where he was unable to give good direction (if he had it) to an actor. Stilted, wooden, monotonic moments are what we get. Keanu would be proud.The violence is poor. Maybe a viewing of Doom Generation is in order. It *is* possible to do good violence with a low budget. Simply firing guns (most of which were poor, though Paul's revolver was actually a quality piece) and splattering red paint around doesn't do it. Unless of course you're talking TROMA, where violence isn't actually the point.I cannot continue this review without addressing the terms 'controversy' and 'artistic integrity'. There is nothing controversial about this movie. The views expounded upon (at great tedious length) are not original or unique; they have been gracing the pages of zines and books from the fine folks at loompanics, paladin press, and the anarchist bookstore in SF for DECADES. In the course of my checkered literary past I have encountered these same arguments and views repeated ad nauseum.I'm sure the director and actor both hold these opinions as their own -- that's patently obvious from the ham-fisted way they were inserted into the plot(?), and the lackluster delivery (i.e., it's not an actor making you believe they believe this, but a believer droning on and on about their religion with no regard for their listener). I do believe they thought they were casting pearls before swine in the making of this film. But that does not make the opinions original, controversial, well-thought-out, appealing to any but the most philosophically naive, or indeed anything but what they are: a reactionary position against the established order which would not succeed on its own merits and thus must actively strive to emphasize its difference and novelty.To paraphrase Tom Stoppard's play The Real Thing, which actually treats the subject of watching a work such as this quite well, "Making a bad film is no proof of integrity".What makes a good movie? Interesting characters. A compelling script. Convincing acting. Natural dialogue. Incredible cinematography. A sense of mood or atmosphere. You don't have to have all of these, but you need at least one. And Pearls Before Swine strikes out.

Richard Wolstencroft's latest film represents a distinct change of pace. The main ingredients of sex and violence are still prominent but Pearls Before Swine takes a far more philosophical approach than the director's early films. It seems a bit redundant to call a film that is bookended by quotes from Rilke and Hoelderlin as cerebral, but I can't think of a better description. The film kicks off with a bang. Boyd Rice plays Daniel, a killer who nonchalantly shoots a group of homeless boys for their organs before going out on a date with his bondage mistress girlfriend, Christy. This act sets the platform for the film's exploration of morality, a theme which is covered from every imaginable angle. I found Daniel's monologues on religion and Nazism particularly thought provoking. The concentration camp S&M role-play is also one of the film's highlights and a perfect example of Wolstencroft's fearlessness, a quality that sets him apart from his contemporaries.There are times when the material veers towards pretension, such as the 'violence in the movies' dinner debate or Daniel's pro "Dr. Who" rant. However, on the whole, the film is refreshingly apolitical. Wolstencroft has found a fantastic spokesman for his challenging world view in the form of Boyd Rice, the man behind NON. Boyd is perfect as Daniel, discussing philosophy and shooting children with equal conviction. The rest of the cast is vastly superior to Wolstencroft's earlier films, perhaps with the exception of the actress who plays Christy. My only criticisms of the film are the rather dull final twist and the preference for dialogue over action. I wish that violence was less frequently discussed and more frequently depicted.Pearls Before Swine is technically light years ahead of Wolstencroft's earlier films. Here is a director who has grown and continues to refine his craft. I just hope Richard doesn't refine his craft to the point where his films become a blunt instrument. There were fleeting moments during Pearls Before Swine when I missed the rawness of "Bloodlust". That is not to dismiss the thought and intelligence that went into making the film. Pearls Before Swine is probably the most interesting and perplexing debate yet about the roles of sex and violence on film and in life.

I think it's an extraordinary question of cinematographic life how movies like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) received an 8.7 and stands just below The Godfather, while such jewels like "Pearls before Swine" got an 3.1 (last time i checked). It's good to know some critics can see beyond the cultural imperialist Hollywood genre, but sadly, none of these seem to have watched, or shown appreciation of, this particular movie."Pearls before Swine" doesn't stand out on quality of acting, plot or any other conventional measure of rating a movie, but, as the title suggests, places itself above the average viewer in its magnificent value of INTEGRITY. Indeed, those who know its main actors, such as Boyd Rice and Douglas P. (Death in June) are well aware of the closeness this particular movie stands with the opinions of aforementioned men. Boyd's lack of a any expressionist inclination with his own statements ('how marvelous') for example therefore not only parallel the plot and introspectuocentricity of the movie, but match perfectly well with personal opinions that, to themselves, hold great value. Essence, being for oneself and a great belief in self-actualisation thus gain their credibility through a whole life of great accomplishments.Maybe this movie doesn't .shock., or deliver a moral message, but still it delivers a message that centers oneself to understanding itself.