Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

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Director: Michael Almereyda
Writer: Michael Almereyda
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Anthony Edwards, Jim Gaffigan, Winona Ryder
Genre: Biography, Drama

About: Based on a true life series of infamous psychological test that were conducted on unwitting subjects in 1961, by the highly controversial, social psychologist Stanley Milgram. His radical experiments delved into why so many Nazis readily obeyed orders in the concentration camps. His experiments involved a 'teacher' who would ask a series of memory related question to a 'learner' subject, located in the next room. Every time the 'learner' got the answer wrong the 'teacher' would flip a switch sending a painful jolt of electricity. The first shock was a harmless 45 volts, BUT the voltage increased with each wrong answer, all the way up to a dangerous 450 volts!

Review: What a movie! and to think hundreds of people were subjected to these experiments all in the name of science. I don't want to give away to much here, as this is a must see. The results of the test and the suffering the victims endured has to be seen to be believed!

This movie was a real eye opener. It's odd as it's done in a semi documentary style with the psychologist breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to us, the audience, about events that would happen latter in his life. Very different type of movie. But what I found most disturbing was the results of these test, and for that you need to watch this movie!

Equal odd is that the first time we see an older Winona Ryder she looks for all the world like an older Audrey Hepburn. I had never noticed that before about here. If that's not enough oddness Jim Gaffigan,reminded me of Chris Farley. In reading about Gaffigan I seen that he started as a stand up comic too. Though in this movie he plays a victim who screams for mercy as he's being electrocuted. ...Proving that this weird movie is even weirder with consequences, the actor who plays the infamous psychologist Peter Sarsgaard is a twin to a younger Ben Gazzara.

If you have a curious mind and can stomach what you see in Experimenter, you will learn something shocking about humans.

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Rules, one compliment deserves another - so I must compliment you as having some of the best reviews on this site!

You cover all the things I look for - I always want to know the date (especially since there are so many films with the same titles). And I always look to your list of stats/facts/credits - especially the stars. Then you give a write up saying WHY you like or dislike a film (can't stand when people's reviews consist of "this was good" or "this film sucked!" without giving any reasons for such critiques).

Your additions of photos, subject headings and ratings make for very professional and easy-to-read reviews!

Thanks Captain As I watching Experimenter, last night I was thinking, 'Captain needs to see this one!'...I found the subject matter very interesting, I think you would too. Have you seen this? If not maybe it's available On Demand cable? It might not be the fanciest movie, but it's got brain food! Really.

Yeah, I'd love to see this. I remember learning about these tests in psychology classes in school.

Another famous one was the prison test (college students were put into the roles of the prisoners and the guards, the experiment went bad as the students got too caught up in their roles and abuses began to occur) - I know they made at least one movie about that - don't recall if it was a made-for-TV movie or not.

So, I'll definitely be putting this one on the list.

Despite her real life, I still think Winona Ryder is very attractive. And yes, Jim Gaffigan is a hilarious stand-up comedian. What I really liked about his stand-up act is it is relatively clean (compared to almost all other stand-up comedy these days) but roll-on-the-floor funny. If you can find his live performances on the DVD's "Beyond the Pale" and "King Baby" - I highly recommend them!

Have to post a sample (not his best bits - for those look up "Gaffigan Hot Pockets" on YouTube!)

I wish I would have taken some sort of psychology classes, I was always fascinated by the subject. I suppose I could check out some documentations on the subject.

Anyone know what movie that is? I've heard of the experiment, but not the movie.


Yup, but she looked different, her face was more thin, more gaunt.


If he's not already doing so, he needs to star in the Chris Farley Story, movie

There's at least three that I've seen.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420293/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250258/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997152/

Thanks Mark

I've seen those bottom two and liked them. Not confident you'd feel the same way.

Thanks Cricket, I read about them...I think you're right.

I think I saw a bit of the German one.
Had a feeling there was more than one of these.

Review: Is there anything more iconic that Robert Mitchum's LOVE HATE finger tattoos? Those ink marks have been imitated everywhere, from rock musicians, to the Simpson's TV show. Just Google Love Hate finger tattoos and you'll see, they're everywhere! Even on toes!

I'd seen this movie before when I was first getting into film noir and I remember how it impressed me. This time around I'm even more impressed by the unique cinematography and set designs. Especially the river voyage scene where the children drift downstream in a small boat. I loved the way the river set looked almost poetic, with the small animals along the shore and in the background silhouettes of old farm houses. I loved the lighting and the star filled sky too. And that was all done on the set. No it doesn't look real, and it doesn't look gritty noir either, it wasn't suppose to...It does look like a storybook, as the children take the same journey Moses did down the Nile.

I thought this film balanced it's religious themes quite nicely. One of the highlights was when the stalking Reverend (Robert Mitchum) was singing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms cappella with Rachel (Lillian Gish). I like the juxtaposition of how the evil Mitchum sings lean on me while the good Lillian Gish sings lean on Jesus. A nice touch to define the difference betwixt them.

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The first time I watched that was with my wife and it didn't do much for me. I really need to see it again.

It was a big hit in the Film Noir Part 2 Hof. Most liked it very well. It's a strange mix of visual beauty with a really good-bad! Robert Mitchum. I almost gave it a 5/5.

Totally agree with you Captain...a title that was more specific regarding what the film was about would have been less troubling to me...even just "Diana and the Queen" would have let the viewer know they were going to watch something set in a specific period and not a bio of the Queen.

Enjoyed this review...will be adding this to my watchlist...I actually saw the television remake with Richard Chamberlain and really enjoying it, it's about time I looked at the original.

I like Richard Chamberlain, especially in Shogun and The Thorn Birds. I didn't know he did a remake of Night of the Hunter in 1991, I see it only has a 3.8 IMDB rating. Yea, you should see the original! Nobody is more wickedly good than Robert Mitchum.

Not to drag this up again. But why on earth does it trouble you? Why do you care about the title? I can see it being a problem in the 1940s maybe when it wasn't as easy to find out what the film is about beyond its poster but not today.

Love Night of the Hunter. It looks amazing as you say, too bad Laughton didn't direct anything else. Weirdly there seems to be a decent amount of members along with Cricket that found it underwhelming, i thought it would be a major favourite here.

I liked Night of the Hunter, but I didn't love it. I remember thinking there were a couple of small plot holes, but offhand, I can't remember what they were. But I thought Robert Mitchum was terrific in it.

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