2) Address Unknown is a very enjoyable film, especially because of itsintelligent direction of actors, and the talent and personality of its twochief teenagers: Kyle Howard and Johnna Stewart, even if Howard looksyounger than his character and himself are. I expect to see more of them.The trouble with this film is that once you have seen it and enjoyed it,thefalseness of its initial sequence is evident. What were those twocharactersdoing with a bag of U.S. Mail? Why was it in their hands? Why was it soimportant to them since it did not contain anything of real value, exceptaletter from one of them that was important only to the recipient?

2) "L'Addition" is a worthless film about a man wrongfully accused. Whattripe!

Each and every situation in this film is irresponsibly contrived, andnot a single scene or any of the details are even slightly believable.

In itself, I can understand someone writing a story on a subject inwhich one has very little knowledge but how this story got all the wayto "the finished cinematic stage" (without getting axed by sensibleproof-reading) is beyond me.

The embarrassing dialog in this film might be suitable for an Americanfilm but I just can't believe that this film is French! Not that Francehasn't made its' own share of idiotic films as well, but it's normallydone so in its' own, unique French way – not in the American "believeanything we tell you" cliché-ish character fashion.

Richard Bohringer has never impressed me. His sinister "whisperingvoice" (which is popular in Italo/American Mafia movies) is old stuff,and he does just as little to heighten my appreciation of this film ashe has done in any of the other films in which I've seen him.

On the other hand, I consider Richard Berry to be a very good actor andit is hard to fathom why he ever accepted a role in this crap. He'scapable of making much better films than this. As a matter of factRichard Berry's acting in "L'Addition" is the only thing I can say goodabout the film. But don't be mistaken into believing that hisperformance makes this film worth watching. It is not. "L'Addition" canonly be tolerated by placing corks into your ears and a blindfold overyour eyes…but then you'd have no reason to shove the thing into yourDVD/VCR player in the first place.

This film is a completely unmotivated piece of trash.

• Official Selection into the George Eastman House Film Museum in Rochester, New York.

2) Conclusion: very, but very, very boring, yet I watched till the end,hoping for some upside-down effect, but the end was worse, because itwas nothing. The old black&white game didn't helped at all, it usuallyhelps psychological movies, but this was not the case. The script, theplot, etc were linear, had no substance, nothing in-going. When youdeal with psychological, you deal with analysis, therefore withdetails, that unity-diversity formula….there was no essence, nodetail. Just a story, there are many stories to tell, but somethingmakes them unique and hard to forgive with the tools and creativity ofmovie-makers…well, this is not the one.

3) Saw this at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland, OR – and veryimpressed! Shot on B/W 35mm in the Portland area, this is a film thatsuccessfully blends simplicity and wonder – and really deservesrepeated viewings.

One of my favorite short features – for its story about a son andmother dealing with grief – each in their own way.

Great direction, beautiful B/W cinematography, remarkable performancesand a compelling story.

Has an almost Hichcockian flavor that delivers a satisfyingly darktwist to the finale.

Definitely a must-see…

4) I have to admit that i was a bit surprised and astonished by thismovie. It is somewhat reminiscent of The Sixth Sense for the maincharacter is a young boy with certain powers that reach beyond thehuman reason. I also like the way it is directed because I'm a suckerfor black and white movies especially if they are that way on purpose.The movie deals with traumas and different ways of coping with thesetraumas that life can create. It's wonderful and spooky at the sametime. I was also surprised by the acting of the young Colton Lasater,this being his 1st movie (or so it is stated as his 1st here on IMDb).It's a definite must see.

5) This film is about a grieving wife who lost her husband throughsuicide. She is tormented by her son who refused to speak after that.

Child grief is rarely explored on film, so it is refreshing to see afilm like Addison's Wall. However, due to the very nature of the film,there is no tension or drama. Apart from a few key emotional moments,everything in the film is very plain. The abrupt ending that does notsolve any mysteries certainly do not help the film to be morewatchable. Addison's Wall could have been much better, such asexploration of the contents of the wall, a more intensive care programto help Addison to go through his trauma. Instead, the film feels veryunfinished and non engaging.

6) This film may not be the most high speed thrill ride of your life, butif you are looking for artistry there is a lot at work here.

There were a lot of really good things in Addison's Wall. The thingthat stood out the most was the fact that it took a simple story andmade it a very interesting and engaging film. It takes the plainestdetails and somehow manages to make them interesting.

Great performances, as well as beautiful black and white visuals makethe film really worth while. You didn't need a lot of dialogue, thisfilm doesn't give you a map, but the director really ensured that youare connected with the characters.

7) I was not bored for a second during this film, and I'm not sure whyothers keep feeling this way. I thought it moved at a very quick pace,was tightly shot, scripted, and edited, and maintained a nice level ofsubtlety and mystery without being gruesomely graphic.

This film is not flashy; there are no explosions, no computer-renderedphantasma, no elaborate high-budget sets. It relies on the starkblack-and-white imagery and characters to set mood and move the plot.This is the kind of movie I love: one that doesn't rely on cheaptricks, but on simple, elegant, old-fashioned artistry in film-makingto produce a compelling flick.

Why aren't there more pieces like this out there?

This movie tries to say something profound; I'm just not sure what itwas. Too much is left unresolved in the end for me to figure out themain point. A couple scenes really have me wondering what was left onthe cutting room floor. I don't think the wall was very well developedI never got what was actually going on there. When the mother finallyunveils it I just couldn't make any connection to the boy's silence.What was the point of the boy not talking? Was he just delusional ordid he acquire some sort of power. What was the scene with the burntgirl all about? Another power the boy has or what? I don't understandhow that developed any character or moved the plot. I got the bully bitbut what happened to the dog? Did the dog come back or did mom get ridof Fido for good somehow?

There were several additional plot elements that were more clutter thanuse. Like the radio talk show in the background discussing the IraqWar. I think that was supposed to create some sort of comparison to thegrief and insecurity the mother and Addison were experiencing but forme it was distracting and strained. I didn't buy the link very much. Ialso found the teacher getting on Addison about not saying "here" forroll call a bit much. The mom seeing the doctor was pointless, how didit serve the plot? Was that to show how desperate the mother wasgetting, or was it something about the medicine that I didn't get? Wasthat the dad coming back in the last scene, or just some guy? So didwriting on the wall work? What happened to the Dog?

9) I saw this movie on the strength of the single positive review and Ican only imagine that guy is a shill.

The acting of the female lead is actually quite good, but the entirefilm is just so excruciatingly boring I could hardly bear to sitthrough it. This is the very definition of dullness.

So far, this film is rated as 8 out of 10 on 7 votes. That must meanthe director, director's girlfriend, producer, actress and drinkingbuddies have given their own film a 10.

For the rest of you, who simply want to be entertained or enjoy a goodstory, avoid this.

This man on the street shall give it a 2 out of 10.

FDA note: while this movie can be used as an aide to obtaining a goodnights sleep, no medicinal value is implied or offered.

10) This was the most god awful movie I have had to sit through. 30 minutesinto the film and I couldn't take any more. Seriously, do not botherwith this one unless you are a sentimental nut job or one of thosepseudo-arty types that like this kind of tripe so that they may feelmore cultured. Boring, although the acting is fine; the kid is justplain irritating. Some scenes are a little strange with very weirdclose-ups. I don't know why they did the whole movie in black andwhite, but whatever effect they were hoping to have failed miserably.There was just nothing to watch, and although its a sad tale,supposedly, its just so stupid that its hard to feel any sympathy forthe characters.

With some effort it can now be found in a 100-minute, wide-screen DVDversion in Italian, with optional Japanese subtitles – but no English.If you know and love this film as I do, you won’t care. You will revelin the sheer beauty of its design, photography, and cast (includingAntonio Falsi as Giovanni’s friend and confessor). Illustrative ofwriter/director Griffi’s vision and eye is his creation of such aravishing ensemble. All simply exude youthful animal magnetism andappeal.

The violence is typical of a tragedy of this period with subjects likeincest, blasphemy, obsession, and revenge. Suffice it to say, the 17thCentury was not a time when such things were taken lightly! But thereare many moments of great poetry as well. Allegory and symbolism aboundand, as Oliver Tobias (a major British sex symbol) never looked soextraordinary, Maestro Griffi unabashedly exploits the actor’sresemblance to a suffering Christ throughout his gorgeous, breathtakingfilm.

2) Family drama concerning the love of a brother, Giovani, for his sister,Annabella. At first Giovanni tries to reject his feelings but through theefforts of Annabella he soon finds himself in her arms and her in his bed.Unfortunately Annabella is promised to wed Soranzo by her father, and aswith all great sagas of love and lust, revenge soon raises its ugly headasthe sordid saga heads towards its bloody finale.

This is one of the great unknown treasures of cult cinema. I’m lookingforward to when an appreciating audience finds this challenging Italiancostume drama and it is given the DVD SE treatment it deserves. Thisfabulous movie, based upon the stage play by John Ford, is directed withaneye for the beautiful, bizarre and tragic by director Giuseppe PatroniGriffi, stunningly photographed by Vitorrio Storaro, beautifully scored bythe great Ennio Morricone, and contains ravishing costumes, authenticlocations and stunning sets, not forgetting muscle bound men, buxom womenand Charlotte Rampling looking absolutely gorgeous.

This is the kind of film Jess Franco would have made if he had any talent.Indeed, for anyone who enjoys cult movies and/or Italian/European trashcinema of the late sixties/seventies this film offers it all. The endingisa corker, one that the makers of Caligula would be enviousof.

NB: Tis Pity She’s a Whore was released to video by Redemption in the UKinthe mid nineties. Wisely they chose to release it in widescreen and used anice print. No longer available.

3) *minor spoilers*

"Tis Pity, She’s a Whore" presents a steamy tale of incestuous love betweena brother and sister from an affluent family. The resulting pregnancybecomes grounds for church intervention, and the girl is appointed a husbandto become the child’s name father. When these truths are ultimately revealedwithin the marriage, the sordid situation threatens the very lives of allinvolved.

Pretty lavish production is a visual dream, every shot is absolutelystunning. The sets and costumes are beautifully appointed, making the film’srather tawdry goings-on seem somehow less trashy. Strong performances allaround, too… this is a historical love tragedy that rises above the usual"Harlequin Romance" level, and will more than likely be especially appealingto women.

7/10

4) ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore’ is a lavishly produced and strongly acted moviewhich raises a lot of fascinating questions about where to draw the linebetween art and exploitation, and indeed, if there is any need to. Based onthe play by Shakespeare’s contemporary John Ford, it manages to work as anengrossing historical drama, and captivate as a passionate, albeitunconventional, romance, while still being sensationalistic enough toentertain any fan of AIP-style Seventies sleaze. The central relationshipbetween Charlotte Rampling (‘The Damned’, ‘Zardoz’, ‘Angel Heart’) and longforgotten 70s sex symbol Oliver Tobias (who I grew up watching on several UKTV shows popular at the time, but now too obscure to bother listing) isincestuous, and the movie ends up with a surprisingly bloody climax thatwill please splatter buffs. Like the recent controversial adaption of’Titus’ it reminds the modern viewer that sex, violence and extreme imageryare are nothing new and have long been the subject of great literature. (Orif you prefer so-called "great literature") ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore’ is oneof the great lost European movies of the early Seventies, and deserves amuch larger audience. Knowing nothing about it before viewing, and not beingfamiliar with the original text, I expected it to be a lighweight eroticromp worth a giggle or two, but was very impressed at just how powerful amovie experience it was. After watching it I immediately watched it again.Highly recommended.

5) Cinematically beautiful but utterly confusing in plot, the film versionof Ford's revenge tragedy was a tad disappointing. As a Drama andEnglish Literature student, the text was a gripping and dramatic pieceto read- but the film is to be avoided if you want to retain anyknowledge of narrative and character.

This said, the epic 'Tis Pity deals with the central themes of incest,religion and revenge in a stunning manner, with unforgettable images ofGiovanni seemingly stuck in a well (a metaphorical purgatory, perhaps)and a bizarre shot of horses weaving around unexplained whiteflagpoles. Dialogue, and any kind of linear narrative is missing;replaced with close ups of Rampling and Tobias' pensive expressions andhair blowing in the breeze, and a sequence that is almost pornographicin nature (incestuous pornography at that.) If you are familiar withthe play, you will be disappointed to find that half the characters aremissing, which leaves the screen empty at the best of times.

Even the bloodbath climax of the play seems contrived, but after allbut five minutes of the film watching expressionless faces, it's arelief to see some action. Expect dramatic speeches and hearts ondaggers…not for the faint hearted.

Overall, 'Tis Pity is visually impressive, but not suitable for anyonestudying the play or hoping to see a decent interpretation.

6) Well, I have to say that 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore wasn't exactly whatI was expecting. Given the title, and the fact that it was made inItaly during the 1970's, I was expecting something a lot more sleazyand bloody than this! The film is based on a stage play by John Ford,and this is always obvious as it's all very stagy and the focus seemsto be on the performances. This might be a good thing if you were goinginto the film looking for something 'great' – but I just wanted sleaze!The plot line, however, is about as sleazy as it gets and puts most ofits focus on the sick idea of incest. There's a bit of the standard'arranged marriage' theme thrown in for good measure, and the plotfocuses on Annabella; a woman who marries Soranzo after it was decidedshe would. However, this isn't good news for her brother – a man namedGiovanni, as he's also in love with Annabella, and has managed to gether pregnant, despite the fact that she's his sister.

The plot is actually rather good, in that the central theme isinteresting. It's the way that its portrayed that was the problem forme, however, as the plot pace isn't very exciting and it seems to takean eternity to get to the point. There's a fair amount of sex in themovie, but it isn't very graphic; so fans of the rough stuff are likelyto be disappointed. One of my main reasons for seeing this film wasbecause of the fact that it stars Charlotte Rampling. She might not beas beautiful as some of the other women making trash films around thesame time (e.g. Edwige Fenech, Rosalba Neri, Barbara Bouchet), butRampling is a classy lady who doesn't seem to mind starring inunsavoury movies, which is OK with me. She is joined by Fabio Testi andOliver Tobias, who apparently was some sort of sex symbol around thetime. The film does get more interesting towards the end, when thestory opens up and we finally get to see some blood. I'm not sayingthis is an overall bad film – but the story and the way it's portrayeddidn't work very well.

7) The title pretty much says it all. I remember when I saw this movie andI remember where I saw this movie. I remember that Charlotte Ramplingwas in it, and I remember that it was revealed that she was in fact, atsome point in time, a whore, and that it somehow spoiled her chanceswith her current beau. Don’t remember much else since I saw it 12 yearsago while working in a video store and watched about 10 films a weekduring that period. I think Charlotte got nekkid. Does this help?

Rampling devotees will have to see for themselves, but I suggestrenting the new widescreen version of "Night Porter" instead. Heck,even "Zardoz" would probably be a better way to spend time with theinimitable Mrs. Rampling. Besides, it’s doubtful you’ll ever see "’Tisa Pity" on the shelf of your local Schlockbuster.

• DECAMERONE NERO German Import DVD has a Super-8mm Version of “Goodbye Uncle Tom”, (German Audio only) as a special feature on the disc.

The premise of the film is brilliant–an Italian documentary filmcrew is transported "back in time" to interview and bear witness toAmerican Slavery on all levels–from rich slave owners, to the"veterinarian" who must clean and delouse the slaves, to the poorwhites who don’t own slaves but invade their quarters for thepurposes of rape this movie holds nothing back, etc. It losespoints for some gratuitous nudity and violence (Mandingo,anyone?), and it’s contemporary ending (which tries to connect theBlack Power movement and the Nat Turner 1831 slave revolt) issomewhat muddled and clearly designed to leave viewersterrified. The concept that Black men still hate white people butcrave their women but would prefer to kill them rather than makelove to them is an idea better tackled in the film version of Baraka’sDUTCHMAN. If the film were made a few years later it might endby raising the question of whether or not Black are stillenslaved–not by carnal lust, but in a prison of the mind.

But the recent DVD release of this film (and its Director’s Cut)brings to light two things the shoddy bootlegs didn’t. (1) Unliketypical grindhouse exploitation, this is first and foremost a work ofart–the opening shot, taken from a helicopter flying over aplantation over a field of slaves, then drawing low enough to blowaway the bales of cotton and causing the slaves to flee in glee isGENIUS. Every image and idea is incredibly thought out. Thescore is up there with the best of Morricone and Rota . Thephotography and widescreen compositions are top-notch.

However, it is unsettling to discover (2), most of the film was shotin Haiti with the full cooperation of mercenary dictator "Papa Doc"Duvaluier and the Tontons Macoutes (who probably had noproblem getting hundreds of Hatian natives willing to degrade anddehumanize themselves for the purpose of making a film). ). Inthe end, this is a painful film to watch on many levels, but deservesto be seen alongside Alex Haley’s ROOTS. 8.5/10 Stars.

2) Goodbye Uncle Tom is a downright jaw-dropping and surprisingly professionalproduction in the Mondo Cane series. Terrifically shot documentary-style,this film explores the interaction between the races in modern America.Slavery, Black Rage, White Oppression…Jacopetti and Prosperi are allshowing it uncensored and without mercy. It’s repulsive, shocking and theviolence subtly get more under your skin as opposed to the average teenagehorror slasher. The inhumanity of previous generations makes you bow yourhead in shame. Guided by a thrilling Riz Ortolani score (perhaps known bestfor his Cannibal Holocaust music) Goodbye Uncle Tom shows how black peopleare being exploited, raped and killed for no reason other than being"inferior". The films opens with a truly atmospheric portrait of how MartinLuther King’s death mobilized the black community. Right from that moment,you just know that you’re about to see a film that is a lot more intelligentthan it seems and ahead of its time when it comes to being provocative. Ahistory lesson that sticks to you! Of course, because of its realism, itcannot be recommended to everyone. Goodbye Uncle Tom is better not watchedby the faint-hearted. Highly recommended piece of revolutionary cinema!

3) Not exactly a "humanitarian masterpiece" as someone else said (yeahright!). More like cryptic super-exploitation. This is wildly,hilariously, rollickingly misguided pseudo-history at best. Outrightrace-baiting at worst. Made by the sleazoids who barfed up "AfricaAddios" (giving Africans their own country back so soon just wasn’t theright idea, was it!!), a film that featured the genuinely bizarre whiteSouth African girls on trampolines montage. A fervent call-to-arms forAfrican-Americans made by white Europeans must inherently ring false, Iam afraid. (we enslaved you. kill us!) Manages to be both numbing andcompletely, hideously insulting at the same time.

The film is, under its very "SO racist it isn’t being racist" exteriora sly work of racism. Presents blacks as nothing more than animals andsavages, capable only of violence or submission to the will of whites.All the while remaining mute and mindless. No African-American in thefilm is presented as having a personality, substance, or intelligence.Every white all but glows. Every caucasian is a verbose, mercurial,immaculate sprite.

That said, the film does (I would assume) approximate the way Africanswere treated during the slave era more closely than other films. Inthat respect it deserves respect. The conditions are shown as filthy,disgusting, cruel. Every imaginable indignity is portrayed (and someyou probably could not imagine).

However, the film does have some power. The camera work is veryinventive and the directors handle some of the chaotic scenes aroundthe plantation very well. Some of the imagery is genuinely striking.There’s a general feeling of chaos that comes through that’s veryeffective. I’m not sure what the point is. But it’s effective.

Anyway, see the movie if you really want to be grossed out andinsulted. File this one under SUPER exploitation. The directors mayhave had good intentions when they started out, but I think they justlost it when they got onto the set and decided to see how far out theycould go. And no one, it seemed, was around to tell them to tone itdown or put on the breaks. This is up there with Cannibal Holocaust andMen Behind the Sun. It’s that sort of a deal.

But don’t kid yourselves, this AIN’T no humanitarian masterpiece.

4) The story goes that when this played Times Square it caused a riot. Ihave no idea if its true or not, but if it did happen I can see why.

The film is an examination of race relations that focuses on slavery.As an indictment of the institution of slavery this film can not betopped. This is a nightmarish look at what slave mills must have beenlike almost 200 years ago.

The film exists in two versions that are very different different, andif you ever wanted to see how one film could end up as two differentfilms, look no farther than this film (both versions are in the MondoCane box set)

Both films contain much of the same footage cut for differenteffect.The original Italian cut deals more heavily with race relationsnow, while the American version deals more with the slavery aspect. Thefinal moments of both versions makes more sense in context of theItalian version since in the final moments we see that in many waysthings have not gotten all that much better for the black race. Bothfilms also have a good amount of footage unique to that version. Idoubt seriously that the footage could be combined to make one superfilm since you’d end up with a third film with a third point of view.

I like both versions of the film. I think that right or wrong this is afilm that will get you talking and thinking and wondering, which iswhat the film is suppose to do. I can’t say that one is better than theother, both are flawed, however both should be seen, preferably with ina day or so of each other since the duel versions play off each otherin unexpected ways.

See these films., But be prepared to get angry. You may not get throughthem, you may not like them, but you will be provoked into a reactionon some level. For better or worse you will be challenged and movedwhich is what the point of the film is.

9 out of 10.

5) Many people who have claimed to see this film have not. Most of those whohave seen it, have not understood.GOODBYE UNCLE TOM was directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti & Franco E.Prosperi,the two men who pioneered the documentary movement that came to be knownasthe "Mondo" film, a term the two dislike immensely. Hot on the heels oftheir controversial and still-relevant AFRICA ADDIO, it was meant toexonerate them from accusations of racism. Ironically, it would do theexactopposite. It was developed as an idea to adapt the novel "Mandingo" as anhistorical, documentary style drama. What emerged was a shocking,difficult-to-watch-at-times, treatise on the horrors of slavery, and thesource of racism in America, if not the world, today. It was thefilmmakers’intention not to pander to a politically correct theory that slaves ofthe1840’s had a 1970’s awareness of their situation. The events are allhistorically correct. Many of the characters are people who actuallylived.The dialogue is verbatim from true manuscripts of the day. The racism isagenuine depiction of plantation life of the day. It was felt thatglossingover the African experience in America would be an insult to the pain andsuffering of the millions who survived the "middle passage’ only towelcomea life a slavery, no different from an animal or piece of property.

Years after it’s initial release, the directors have expressed a regretatnot opening the film with an explanation stating that this was a filmaboutthe emotions of that bygone era, not of the filmmakers themselves.

The controversial final scenes, which take place in contemporary America,are based on "The Confessions of Nat Turner", and are meant to representanangry, reactionary vengeance on behalf of the millions, with whom thecharacter identifies. Malice for sure, but not unmeritedmalice.This film should cause strong emotions. Any film that tackles a moralissuemust cause debate and conjecture if it is to succeed. What makes the filmeven more extraordinary is that it succeeds without claiming a moralsuperiority, or taking a moral stance.What appears on screen are the most graphic, realistic depictions of theNorth American slave trade of the 19th century, and this film should berequired viewing in Black History classes on college campuses, and highschools all over the world, particularly in America. This film precededROOTS by six years and stands as a much harsher indictment of the evilsofhuman bondage.This is one of the bravest works of cinema and remains a misunderstoodhumanitarian masterpiece.

6) Anyone thinking of checking this film out: be warned, words can notexpress what an awesomely brutal experience it is to sit through. I’m abig fan of horror films, but nothing I ever saw came close to thefeeling of revulsion this 30 plus year old film gave me. Trust me, youwill have to use the fast forward button on your remote control severaltimes sitting through this one.

A group of Italian journalists goes back in time to America during thetime of slavery and documents what they see. The viewer is spared noamount of detail as we are shown what it was like to travel aboard aslave ship, be sold in market as common livestock, be raped, torturedhunted and killed, and basically denied even the slightest bit of humanempathy or compassion at every turn.

While Roots covered the same subject matter a whole lot better, it camenowhere near delivering the visceral reaction of this film. For thatreason, I recommend people watch Goodbye Uncle Tom. While by no means agreat film, if society is truly never to forget the injustices andwrongs of the past, work like this is necessary viewing.

7) Every American should see this movie to understand the horrors of slavery.It exposes the wicked nature of Europeans and the oppressive facets ofRacism and Capitalism. This is what this country is built upon. Althoughsome of although some of Jacopetti’s works such as ‘Adios Africa’ areconsidered racist this film has a reverse effect. If we all were to watchthis it would aid in exorcizing some demons that have lain dormant toolong.It forces the viewer to look not only at the history of this world but thescary world we live in. Brilliant. NOT FOR THE WEAK AT HEART OR STOMACH!!

MONDO CANE and AFRICA ADDIO creators Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E.Prosperi take us on a journey through time, back to the mid 1800’s, not toolong before the civil war. The movie is styled like one of their previousdocumentaries, with actors talking to the camera as though beinginterviewed, and just about every form of human cruelty being enacted on theAfricans who have been dragged overseas to become slaves.

The movie is certainly disturbing, and it did indeed enrage me thatancestors of mine took part in this treatment of fellow human beings. Butthe movie lost me whenever it tried to create a parallel between the climatebetween blacks and whites in the 1800s and the 1960s.

Not that there weren’t (and, unfortunately, still are) problems with racialtension in this country, but the movie seems to think that the average blackperson is still a savage at heart, just waiting for the right moment tobreak out an axe and slaughter the first white person he comes across. Themovie climaxes with a radical black man reading The Diary of Nat Turner andimagining doing just that, including a horrific moment in which he smashes ababy’s head against the wall.

To me, the movie seems to have a negative opinion of just about everyone. Obviously, due to its decidedly anti-slavery stance, the slave traders areviewed as sick, inhuman monsters with only the faintest mask of civility onthe surface. But the African characters are portrayed largely as ignorantbuffoons, too dim-witted to understand what’s happening tothem.

Later, during the modern day scenes, the sole black character is shown ashaving a major chip on his shoulder that has driven him nearly insane withrage, while the white people are a bunch of care-free bubble heads. Suchgeneralizations and lack of depth or character development greatly lessensthe power the movie may have had.

But, as a purely gut-busting exercise in sleaze and disgusting imagery,GOODBYE UNCLE TOM sits confidently alongside other such gross-out movies asCANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, SALO and MEN BEHIND THE SUN. Also, like those movies,GUT (hmmm, interesting abbreviation) goes so outrageously over-the-top indepicting its atrocities, most of the movie’s true power is lost, and itbecomes little more than a freak show.

I hesitantly recommend the movie for fans of sick cinema as a curiosity. Iwarn pretty much everyone else to stay far, far away.

9) "Goodbye Uncle Tom" remains one of the most notorious exploitationfilms ever made and its easy to see why. According to Bill Landis'essential "Sleazoid Express" book, this caused riots when it originallyplayed in Times Square. The film was made as an attempt for filmmakersGualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi (who helmed the internationalsmash "Mondo Cane") to crush the rumors they were racists. The resultfeels like an attempt to explore one of America's most horrible crimesagainst humanity in a exploitation film style. I still haven't made upmy mind whether this is a humanitarian plea for recognition ofbrutality or simply cheap sensationalism.

One of the main reasons why I question the sincerity of Jacopetti andProsperi is that they made this film only to crush the rumors they wereracists. Did they actually feel strongly about slavery or was this mademore out of self-interest? The facts that they were from Italy andhistorical accuracy is often sacrificed for cheap sensationalismcertainly argues this case. I'm not accusing them of being racists, butthis film seems rather exploitive nonetheless. Its also confusing ifthe team is calling for peace or violence in race relations.

Still, there's no denying this is a powerful experience. The filmcaptures the true horror of humanity at its worst and the actionscommitted on screen are often disgusting. Its also a very well madefilm (the musical score by Riz Ortolani are cinematography are topnoth). Its constantly engrossing and fascinating, but one wonders ifthis is interested in humanitarianism or just mere exploitation,similar to "Cannibal Holocaust". Also, like "Cannibal Holocaust", someof the images are so gut-wrenching I'm in no rush to watch this asecond time to devise an answer. Still, it should be seen once by fansof envelope-pushing cinema. (7/10)

10) This is an extraordinary piece of documentary cinema that is as freshand cutting edge today as it was when it was first released anduniversally crucified. Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and FrancoProsperi, who also made the two "Mondo Cane" films and the equallyextraordinary "Africa Adios", were true originals. The fact that theirmethods were so questionable is what made them unique. In thisbrilliant staged "documentary", the filmmakers travel back in time, viahelicopter, to the "golden age" of Slavery in America’s Deep South.They "interview" white slavers, depict the degradation and humiliationof the blacks, recreate the transportation of slaves across the oceanand show white landowners enjoying the exploitation of people theyconsidered for less than human. An early helicopter shot of thefilmmakers arriving at a cotton plantation, the rotor blades whippingthe fields into a frenzy, is absolutely mesmerizing. Riz Ortolani, thetalented composer who scored "Cannibal Holocaust", the great AmericanWestern "The Hunting Party", and "House on the Edge of the Park", toname but a few of his achievements, enriches this production with asweeping, majestic, searing score that acts as an ironic counterpointto the film ’s bold perspective. You really have to see and hear"Farewell Uncle Tom" to appreciate its incredible originality andcourage.