Testament (1983)

There's nothing technically wrong with Testament. It's a story of nuclear fallout, the result of which is terror, loneliness, fear, and death. The acting was impressive – I usually have to give children a little leeway, as I often catch them mouthing the lines of the person speaking or committing any number of acting crimes, which can only be blamed on immaturity. But the acting here was not a problem; it was first-rate all the way around. And the story seemed real. With the threat of Y2K looming near, this didn't seem like a fairy tale.

So what IS the problem with Testament? Relentlessness. I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained by the time the credits were finally rolling. Pretty impressive for a movie only 89 minutes long! It is a powerful, horrible film. I am still haunted by the dull-eyed image of Jane Alexander going through the motions of yet another death in the house – too spent to break down. It's a good movie but depressing as hell. See it, just don't expect to be entertained.

B

Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

This is the story of a leader of losers. We follow a "crew" of junkies as they score, argue, deal with the police on their tail, and confront the reality of their empty lives. Drugstore Cowboy deserves a special prize for refusing to plug formulaic humor or redemption into the mix -- it simply wouldn't fit and the lyricism of the scenes would be compromised.

I always like watching Matt Dillon and James LeGros - but my hat is, once again, off to Max Perlich as David, small-time dealer who's more dangerous than you'd suppose. If you think he's good here, you have to check out "Georgia."

B+