loegend

I respect Margaret Cho even though I can't say I'm that familiar with her stand-up films. I had caught "I'm the one that I want" on cable with my boyfriend of the time (yea, I'm a guy) and had found it pretty entertaining with her reflections on her life, failed TV show, self-image and yes, the gay men in her life that "like @ss". I may be wrong, but it seems in the time from "I'm the one..." and "Assassin" Cho has become far too clued into the kind of jokes her very gay or gay-friendly audience probably wants to hear and seems to only focus on rather easy shots on the queeny men in her life, bullish lesbians, and the Bush administration. It wouldn't be a problem if the jokes were particularly witty or the political observations thought-provoking, but neither is usually the case and Cho herself comes off as sounding juvenile with frequent interjections of "like" during her heavy-handed tirades and reiterative stereotypical imitations. Cho adds to the disappointment with a rather smug and self-congratulatory attitude for material she obviously thinks of as "dangerous" when I found it a bit monotonous. Sorry Margaret, there's nothing "dangerous" or risky when you preach to the converted. I must interject (for I know Cho fans and defenders will assume otherwise) I am in no way Republican, Conservative, STRAIGHT, or pro-life. I am also not a femmy, Ryan Seacrest-clone, Judy Garland fan like Margaret Cho seems to assume most gay men are...am I alone in wanting something a bit more intelligent and less stereotypical pandering in my "gay" entertainment?

Far from terrible, but also far from terribly exciting, this Giallo should have had much more bite as its predecessors in the "school girl trilogy", Massimo Dallamo's "Cosa Avente Solange" and "La Polizia chiede aiuto". Blame must go to Alberto Negrin's tame direction and Testi's slow-moving "investigation" that severely dulls the sparse suspense. The are fair scenes where Negrin displays some flair in the film, but it is not difficult to spot the Argento influence, particularly "Cat O' Nine Tails." Apparently Negrin mostly helmed television before "Rosso" which might explain his limited palette. Dallamo's painterly hand is severely missed, but a few intriguing ideas such as the slutty trio of girls "the Insperables" and a hilariously improbable killer make "Enigma Rosso" worth watching at least once if you can find it.