The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz

In the Revelation of St. Peter, it is said that a false Messiah will come, and that Henoch and Elijah will appear to expose the impostor. "The Nine Lives of Thomas Katz" draws heavily on such doomsday stories, canonical as well as apocryphal. A solar eclipse is imminent, the astral child is dying, judgment is coming, and, perhaps worst of all, London's tube stations are disappearing. Enter Thomas Katz, a shape-shifting space alien coughed up by a manhole off the M25 motorway. Under the watchful eyes of London's inscrutable chief of police, Katz takes over a string of high-profile identities to set in motion a vicious plan. But where does it lead? Will it, like the M25, eventually circle back on itself? Only Katz himself knows. Or does he? After all, we don't really know who he even is. Extremely inspired nonsense, miraculously produced by veteran German soap opera writer Hans W. Geissendörfer. Did this ever play in theaters? Too bad if it didn't.

This is a film that has been improvised, and you can tell from some of the rather sketchy scenes. Some of the acting comes into its own from this freedom to improvise, and I especially noted the acting of the young Joshua Morrall, who acts the football captain. He really shone through on the screen, and I'm sure that he will blossom into a fine actor. Some of the elder, more accomplished actors seemed a little uncomfortable with the weight of improvising, but all of the characters come out with a lot of depth, and the film comes together very nicely because of it. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by this films turnout. I highly recommend it.

How do I describe this one of a kind masterpiece?

I could tell you to throw the work of David Lynch, Monty Python, Stanley Kubrick, Guy Maddin, and Maya Deren into a blender, and you might have an idea as to what this film will be like.

This film is extremely clever, and very thought provoking. However, one can also enjoy loud bursts of laughter throughout this film as well. The comedy is very fresh and even irreverent at times, making it a great dark comedy for those who like a more intellectual film rather than a box-office hit.

This film is not for narrow minded people. If you can't sit through a film that requires constant thought, you're best to just stay away and prevent people from bashing a great film.

This black and white film was shot on a low budget in London. It is quite funny, but occasionally in fact often very odd. I think the oddness may have been because the production was German and they have a different sense of humour over there or alternatively it may have been because the director was just having a laugh with his Art School mates.

Very funny in places though. I enjoyed it.

Apparently I have to write more so I will also say that the film uses old testament themes to play out an apocalypse in contemporary London. Much of this is quite interesting however according to my mum "the film could have done with better editing". I would say this is accurate

Ben Hopkins in The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz presents a Kafkaesque take on London on the verge of apocalypse. Ian McNeice is a million miles from Bert in Doc Martin, reveling in the role of the blind police inspector trying, through psychic means, to make sense of it all. His enjoyment of the role is infectious. There are some genuinely funny set-ups here, carried off by a cast not afraid to go for high camp. The comedy works most of the time, but when deeper meanings are the target the film is a little hit-and-miss. Shot ultra-low budget, it looks like a very slick student movie, but has enough laughs and surprises to overcome its aesthetic limitations. The films big achievement is to present London in a fresh, and vaguely frightening, way. More of interest to aspiring lo-budget filmmakers than a general audience.