SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Nice effects though.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

One of my favorite Hartley movies. (As if there could be a "bad" one.) Although, this may be a bit more on the religious side of things than we would normally expect. Nonetheless, it still maintains that Hartley slant to which we've all become accustomed.First picture Jesus and Satan discussing their ideas, opinions, hopes and regrets about the impending end of civilization. Now imagine the entire conversation taking place over a few drinks in your neighborhood bar. And as an added conversational (not to mention visual) distraction, let's toss in PJ Harvey as the sultry companion (aka Magdelena) to Mr. Chist. Then, just for grins, in the background, an ever present Salvation Army Band (played by Yo La Tengo) to serve as an added diversion. The road to moral justification has never been such a pleasure.Quite possibly more questions than answers, but therein lies the fun. And Mr. Donovan is subdued brilliance, as always.

Jesus returns to earth at the end of 1999 with Mary Magdalena in order to carry out the law as approved by his father – opening the book of life and judging the living and the dead according to the law. Meanwhile Satan amuses himself in a bar with a gambler and the good-hearted waitress that has taken to looking after the man. However Jesus has second thoughts and begins to wonder if the letter of the law is a fair approach to take to the humans who have perverted the meaning of what was laid down so many years ago.I have seen this twice now. I watched it a second time because I had completely forgotten what it was about since my first time – my second viewing revealed why this was the case. The film is very arty in presentation, which is partly due to the use of the digital video which allows blurring etc as part of the production. It is also arty in content to the extent that it feels like a student film where they are trying to be deep but only succeed in being pretentious. The plot is not fully explained and any theological reasoning done by Jesus and Satan is best only touched on as deeper thought on the dialogue exposes a weakness and lack of clarity in the logic.The acting is also art-school type that is a surprise to me as a Donovan fan. I know the subject didn't help but I felt he didn't bring Jesus to life (pardon the phrase!). Ryan's Satan is worse as he hams it up – never more laugh inducing when he stops to talk into microphones planted all round the street! PJ Harvey is an interesting Mary but not a good actress. The two humans in the leads (Simonds and Nikaido) are interesting but not really used to any great effect. Their strand of the film is the most interesting but is lost in the latter stages of the film.Overall I accept that this is an experimental film but I had hoped for more from such a talented group – the director along had made me watch it. However the end result is a cross between a pretentious student film and a poor arty theatre production.

I found this on the shelf and swooned with joy !! I danced up to the counter, slapped down my money and ran home! You know what?! I fell asleep less then half way thru! Tried again the next day...YAWN!! What the heck !?!! I could NOT watch it! I love all the other stuff he's done (I didn't see the one with the monster in it yet). What gives? Is it me? Or him? So sad. Boo hoo. P.S, I did like the camera work.

I found the movie to be extremely thought provoking. I watched it twice.I was not annoyed by the digital video aspects. In fact I am encouraged by them. It further illustrates that as the cost of technology comes down so will the walls that bar worthy artists from entering the field of cinema.As I said it was thought provoking. I continue to enjoy Thomas Jay Ryan. He was wonderful in Henry Fool, and his portrayal of Satan in this small movie is at least interesting. He is the kind of Satan I'd like to sit down and have a conversation with.My thoughts after viewing the movie…There are now less than 5 days until the turn of the century. After spending the better part of the year considering the aspects of technology related problems that I have some control over, I now find that I have been quite unexpectedly run over by the human and spiritual aspects that I have no control over.It is as if suddenly, out of the corner of my mind's eye, I am now catching a glimpse of the true significance of the coming millenial shift, and it has nothing to do with the latest Y2K compliance patch to WindowsNT 4.0.It does have everything to do with the seemingly endless number of "directionless human beings" surrounding me and bombarding me with their "insignificant hopes and dreams," and the realization that my own hopes and dreams are also horribly insignificant. In essence I am being beaten down by our collective spiritual deficit and our quixotic quest for meaning.It has everything to do with the fact that out of the corner of my mind's other eye, I am seeing with all too much clarity the fact that there may indeed be forces far beyond my ability to comprehend at work here, struggling eternally to do little more than maintain the current state of human affairs, because a slight shift in one direction or the other, could truly lead to the apocalypse.It has everything to do with the fact that out of my mind's center eye, I see that there may indeed be an immortal soul, and that it is flawed, and that it is the source of intimacy between human beings and between human beings and God, and where you find intimacy you find expectations, and where you find expectations you find disappointment."…we are destroyed by expecting more than there is…" - Charles BukowskiEastern religions suggest living without hope. Another paradox. Hopelessness could ironically be the key to happiness.The clocks on my wall are suddenly extremely loud.12.31.99Forgive me for my irrelevance, and allowing this life to so far remain "unremarkable," I was the good son, and ironically, I find that divine retribution is aimed at me, and if Armageddon is at hand, it serves little purpose other than underscoring my own cosmic impotence. 01.01.00Denial no longer serves me.See the movie