Brazil (1985)--director's cut

In short: If you haven't already seen this, then get your butt in gear. But be sure to rent the director's cut.

Kate:
I was looking at Rotton Tomatoes to find out when this film was released, and I noticed that it has a 97% approval rating. With good reason, since it's FREAKIN' GREAT. I liked this film the first time I saw it, and I liked it even more the second time. Funny, creepy, downright frightening. I've only seen the director's cut--the original theater release is thought to be inferior by nearly everybody. If pricing is any guide , the director's cut is around 4 times better than the theatrical release (the director's cut sells for upwards of 80 dollars online). Seeing it in the theater was great.

Ross:
So, everybody knows that this is an excellent film. Two things struck me when I watched it this time, both related to the fact that the last time I saw this movie, it was (1) before 9/11 and (2) probably on VHS. If you're like me, you think of the 80's as basically taking place in "VHS Color," which is to say crappy color, just like you think of the 50's as taking place in black and white (at least before seeing "Capote"). The print was a nice one, and so it wasn't in VHS Color. In fact, there were very few indications that this was made in the 80's -- the love interest looks a bit dated, but otherwise the movie holds up quite nicely.

In other ways, it's eerily prescient. I'd forgotten that the whole motivation for the Big Oppressive Government was Fighting the Terrorists. With that in mind, there were lots of moments that struck a chord that, four or five years ago, they would not have struck. So watch it again, if you haven't watched it recently.