Eric Richardson Movies
Director Yongman Kim draws inspiration from Dante's Inferno for this tale of a Buddhist Monk who longs to help his beautiful and troubled neighbor, but whose deliberate attempt to refuse to choose between righteousness of evil results in torturous inner conflict. Chris (Ivo Velon) makes a marginal living by sketching portraits in Washington Square Park, and attempts to maintain an optimistic mindset despite inhabiting a city that has been hopelessly corrupted by greed, poverty, and rebellion. In the center of this swirling cesspool, Chris envisions his teenage neighbor Lotusia (Diana Gitelman) as a symbol of purity. When the discovery of a hole in his wall reveals that the deeply disturbed Lotusia has suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her parents and is prostituting herself in a twisted effort to come to terms with her dire situation, Chris resists the urge to reach out to the young girl and instead meditates on the Chinese symbol "MU" -- which represents emptiness and detachment. When Lotusia accidentally kills an innocent man while attempting to exorcise her inner demons, Chris feels his morals shattered and sets out in pursuit of the frightened girl in hopes of finally providing the comfort that she so deeply desires. Despite Chris' valiant efforts, fate appears to have other, decidedly darker, plans in store for the conflicted monk and the desperate object of his affections. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ivo Velon, Diana Gitelman, (more)
Iconoclastic satirist John Waters bites the hand that (periodically) feeds him in this humorous look at the underside of the film industry. Self-styled guerrilla filmmaker Cecil (Stephen Dorff) leads a Baltimore movie-making collective/street gang called the Sprocket Holes, which includes Cecil's girlfriend and frequent leading lady, a low-rent porn actress named Cherish Oh Lordy (Alicia Witt). Desperate for attention, they kidnap famous Hollywood actress Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith) during a Baltimore publicity stop and force her at gunpoint to star in their latest production, Raving Beauty. Before long, Honey comes down with a severe case of Stockholm syndrome and joins the Sprocket Holes in their bid to destroy the mainstream film industry. Waters regulars Ricki Lake, Patty Hearst, and Mink Stole highlight the supporting cast, and techno star Moby contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, (more)
