Ligeia

The review cited on the DVD box claims that this flick is "filled with softcore sex, hot naked chicks and a twisted plot of cheatin' hearts, murder and weirdness." Believe it, buy it and be the sucker too.

Yes this is twisted and weird. However that is only because of its combination of pretension and lack of cinematic sense. When are filmmakers going to learn that if you want to sell a film on the basis of sex, you have to recognise that people take ALL their clothes off to perform the act? Everyone in this sad little indie flick wore panties and shorts the whole time. Why? No idea. Some of them appeared to have nice bodies. Doubtless contractual reasons prevented any real attempt at eroticism ...

Anyway that removed the sole reason for buying this rubbish. Don't buy it, don't rent it- if you want recent homecam sex, then get one of Jess Franco's crappy latest releases.....

Like the above review mentions, if you expect to see quite a bit of nudity and sex in this little budget number, you will be disappointed. This is unfortunate because there are some really fine, and beautiful, actresses in this, but for the most part they are kept under wraps. Ms. Knox, for example, is ravishingly beautiful with a sultry voice that could melt a man's heart. The problem is one of direction. Ms. Knox and the other beauties could have, should have, been shot with more careful consideration. Both their talents and their beauty are not covered fully in either shot selection or screen time. This is regardless of the initial point that there isn't much sex in the film at all. Erotic film can do so much more without giving too much away. So the lack of (or prohibition against) full blown sex cannot be viewed as a limitation. With proper camera work and thoughtful editing, the director could have truly captured Ms Knox's talent and charms. Instead we get far to short glimpses of what might have been. The world is full of small hurts.

This is the third occasion I've read reviews pointing to the abundance of visible underwear in my film. The film seems to be rated perfunctorily on the basis of the appearance of underpants and the rationale and obvious posturing in these reviews is utterly ridiculous. If you don't like the movie, just say so, but don't point to that quality as it's failing. The reviews I prefer to read tend to show the movie as having a great deal of potential, but that it ultimately fails in the end - at least the reviewer was considering his/her options. Reviews like that give the film a fair shake and make an honest argument. Comments about underwear upset me to no end. When I watch a movie, I try to find some good in even the worst scenarios and I've seen a lot of underwear in even the best movies.

I'm also getting tired of this movie being called a "video" or that it was shot on somebody's home movie camera. It was shot with a combination of several different formats on very expensive (at the time) equipment. The film has a visual feel that is singular and stands out (whether you like it or not) - something I strive for with each project I undertake. I do believe that the internet should continue to exist as a open forum for the exchange of ideas and comments, however moronic or ill-advised, but take everything you see and hear (including movies and subsequent reviews) with a grain of salt.

I gave my movie 5 out of 10 stars because every movie deserves 5 out of 10 stars simply for being a movie - whatever it is, it should provide a thin grain of entertainment for someone who can appreciate the enormous undertaking involved in producing a story for film.

One has to have a certain level of sensibility to enjoy low budget endeavors such as this one. Having been in the trenches of independent film making for a number or years I have good eye for judging monies available for any given project. In this respect I am able to weigh factors based on talent rather than budget shortcomings. Ligeia is a typical case of non existent financing backing up a labor of love. Having noted that I can freely judge the movie entirely on what the producers and director did within these limiting constraints. And while there is much to note on the positive side, the real standout is Ms. Knox herself. Her performance was quite good. She has a natural screen presence and is capable of a wide range of emotions coupled with an incredibly sensual demeanor. Sexual, but in a very atypical way. The Catholic girl next door who only needs a nudge to turn her into everyman's dream. I look forward to seeing more of her in future projects