The Manipulator

File under "interesting but dumb". Creates an ambiguous space with room for fantasy, experimentation, abstraction, metaphor... all of which happens, but doesn't illuminate or build anything. Reminiscent of David Lynch's formative work. Crazy synthesized music, the set design of an industrial metal video, Mickey Rooney hamming it up. It's nowhere as good as it sounds, I swear.

Pretty much a big bunch of crap. It was kind of fun watching Rooney ham it up and ramble on like a lunatic for a while, but it became very tiresome before long, largely because of the idiotic and clueless "avant garde" elements thrown in for no reason. Anders, whom I adore, has her moments but the material and filmmaking are junk. Blah.