The Reflecting Skin
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Starring
Jeremy Cooper, Viggo Mortensen, Lindsay Duncan
Rating
Rating within genre
Rated
R for violence, adult language, perversion, and nudity
Directed by
Philip Ridley
Written by
Philip Ridley
Genre
Thriller *stereo-indie*
Film
Color; 1 hr. 35 min.
Date of Release
1990
Filming Locations
Alberta (Canada)
Synopsis
A young boy named Seth, living in a redneck prairie town, is thrown into the adult world through a series of strange events. He's become fanatical about one of the neighborhood women, who he believes is a vicious vampire....and when his older brother returns from the war, he gets involved with her. Seth believes the woman is out to get his brother, and torments her nonstop through mean tricks and destruction of her property. To add to it, a group of gothic freaks in a cadillac have been seen around town, a terrible truth about his father is revealed, and Seth's friends are starting to die one by one.
Summary
I don't know how to review 'The Reflecting Skin'. On the one hand, it's a terribly dark movie that makes absolutely no sense, and is so disturbing it could turn you off Stereo-Indies forever. On the other hand, if you can stomach the content....well, I'd say give it a shot. The acting isn't exactly all that, with the exception of Jeremy Cooper (yes, I was even disappointed with Viggo Mortensen) and the storyline is confusing as hell.
I'd never heard of this movie, but my friend bought it for me for my birthday because she thought the little boy on the cover was adorable. So I watched it, and by the time Cooper discovered a stillborn baby in a box in his barn, and took it home believing it to be an angel -- I was having trouble thinking straight. The cinematography wasn't anywhere near outstanding...and for the most part I had no idea what was going on. I love Stereo-Indies - I really do. I'm the kind of movie buff that'll watch anything. But I really had trouble watching this. It's just so beyond weird that I couldn't decide whether it was complete stupidity or extremely realistic. When the film ended with Cooper on his knees screaming up to the setting sun, I realized this is one of the most powerful movies ever created. For its genre, it's an amazing flick. For the general public, I'd put a warning up. It's really not for everybody - so if you aren't sure you can handle it....don't even go near it.
Notable Quotes
* * * * * *
Reviews
Stygian Films: "The Reflecting Skin is, to me, the embodiment of stereo-indie films. It's as hardcore as they get. You can think you've seen everything, and consider yourself a strong mind and all. But if you see this film, your opinions might change. It's haunting and completely disturbing....a movie that makes you love and hate it all at once."
File Thirteen: "The Reflecting Skin is a masterpiece. A delicately twisted and beautifully bent cinematic journey deep into our own American psyche intent on revealing the nothingness in al lareas of our troubled and disdainful existence. But not it's inherent nothingness. No, this is a picture of human nature in negative, of our negation of life, sexuality, childhood, freedom, and of the Earth itself. The mirrored half of life seen on film."
Michael Betmanis: "The Reflecting Skin isn't really to be enjoyed as a great film, but is definitely worth seeing if one desires something completely opposite to the pictures of conventional Hollywood. Yet, ultimately, I was bored with the absurdity of everything. Weirdness can be very entertaining, but not when it's as transparent as this."
Leonard Maltin: "Offbeat to say the least, and not for all tastes, but still worth a look."
Unusual Vampire Movies: "Basically there's our hero who has nothing better to do so he hangs about with this pale old ghosty type who all his playmates are dead-set is a vampire. Then all his playmates start to die. Then his brother enters the mix. And then........."
Cast List
Jeremy Cooper...............Seth Dove
Viggo Mortensen............Cameron Dove
Lindsay Duncan..............Dolphin Blue
Robert Koons................Sheriff Ticker
Duncan Fraser................Mr. Dove
Sheila Moore..................Mrs. Dove
David Bloom..................Deputy
Evan Hall........................Kim
Codie Lucas Wilbee.......Eben
Jason Wolfe....................Goth leader
David Longworth............Joshua
Sometimes terrible things happen quite naturally.
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Black Circle Boys
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