Anyone else disturbed?
-
eolloe — 14 years ago(January 07, 2012 02:51 AM)
I think rayodeluz misremembered that scene.
It is in the final act, at about 1hr 16 min into the film.
Right after Rubin has watched the troupe's attempts to bring the Be Black experience to the coop building be violently foiled, and he has smashed the television set he was watching all of this this on, the screen fades to black. The next scene opens with the coop building in silhouette at twilight. The titles read, "Three months later the urban guerilla goes into action."
The camera is turned up at about a 60-degree angle from the ground, so that the upper floors of the building are visible, along with a wide expanse of sky, a tiny crescent moon, and what turns out to be the contrail of a jet plane which initially is hidden by the building. The low-flying jet emerges into view from behind the building and very rapidly flies off the top right side of the screen.
So the jet doesn't fly
toward
a skyscraper; it flies above and past a skyscraper.
This happens so fast and almost off-screen that it would be easy to misremember what happens.
I think it's the speed that the plane is traveling at that seems to be the thing that makes the image somewhat reminiscent of the 9/11 plane footage. -
vacousin — 20 years ago(August 24, 2005 12:40 PM)
Actually, I just saw this film for the first time and I was bothered and disturbed by it as well. First, the "Be Black Baby" is rather dated, but the rape is just too brutal and real to be appreciated as a "theatre of the absurb" or "performance art" piece. The second thing is, I never felt Rubin had any genuine or sincere motivation just to blow up a group of pretty much innocent people just because they lived, what, in a government built housing? This is especially true since one of those is not only now his wife but more importantly his unborn child. She may be a bit shallow, but he was using her rather callously. It all emphasizes Rubin himself is much more corrupt and shallow than the people he has murdered. Its bothered me for days, especially since the first third of the movie is so eccentrically amusing.
-
jeffoneonone — 20 years ago(February 17, 2006 02:44 PM)
It's important to realize that Hi, Mom is a satire it gives you a front row seat to the more extreme elelments of the late Sixties. And Rubin is neither a hero or an anti-hero, he just is, so doing something like he did in the end is not out of the question.
-
herzogvon — 14 years ago(September 12, 2011 06:36 AM)
I see that last comment was posted in 2008. This being 2011, the above poster would now be catching all sorts of flack for referring the previous poster as "retarded". That word has since become politically unacceptable. Our lovely world just keeps on changing everyday, don't it? { Slang vernacular intended for effect. }
One more thing: An address by Robert "Rubin the Bombthrower" De Niro was voiced over yesterday's 911 remembrance ceremony at Soldier Field, Chicago. Oh, the irony! -
SkylinexBleedsxRed — 19 years ago(August 11, 2006 02:47 PM)
I have never seen this movie, But it is coming on TV tonight so Iam going to see what it is about.. If it is too graphic I will change the channel because I hate seeing people getting their heads chopped off.. I can handle anything but the neck up LoL.. When it comes to someone being cut in the neck or whatever, I cannot, Makes me cringe! I will just have to see what it is about.. Iam always up to watch a Robert movie that I have never seen before.. As long as the sh*t doesnt have nudity in it.. There are many Robert movies that I actually do not like.. Its not that I dont like him, Its just that the storylines are disturbing.. So yeah, I will give this one a whirl and let you know my thoughts..
If You Cannot Fight One On One, You Are A Bitch
Be Cool Bitch -
chrispoggiali — 19 years ago(September 10, 2006 04:29 PM)
"'Paramilitary Activities in Urban Areas.' Because all organized revolutionary movements have been thoroughly infiltrated by government agents, the successful acts of sabotage will be carried out by single individuals. A lone saboteur must first assimilate himself into the urban community, assuming a lifestyle indistinguishable from the bourgeois members around him."
Robert De Niro reading from The Urban Guerrilla in HI, MOM!
[This coming from Brian De Palma, a filmmaker so subversive he turned the sicko punchline of GREETINGS into a completely different type of film CASUALTIES OF WAR twenty years later, and nobody noticed] -
divineangel — 19 years ago(January 17, 2007 01:26 PM)
the film starts out great with a fascinating premise, then drops it in favor of the be black baby scene which has nothing to do wit te first part. it is disturbing and the screaming bothered me as did the nonsensical ending.
-
lookoutjoe75 — 18 years ago(January 29, 2008 11:37 AM)
by chrispoggiali (Sun Sep 10 2006 16:29:11) Ignore this User | Report Abuse
"'Paramilitary Activities in Urban Areas.' Because all organized revolutionary movements have been thoroughly infiltrated by government agents, the successful acts of sabotage will be carried out by single individuals. A lone saboteur must first assimilate himself into the urban community, assuming a lifestyle indistinguishable from the bourgeois members around him."
Robert De Niro reading from The Urban Guerrilla in HI, MOM!
[This coming from Brian De Palma, a filmmaker so subversive he turned the sicko punchline of GREETINGS into a completely different type of film CASUALTIES OF WAR twenty years later, and nobody noticed] -
JohnnyBlaze1986 — 17 years ago(September 22, 2008 08:25 PM)
It's a good movie. The only thing that I didn't like was that the ending was weak. I looked at the TV(it's on Encore on Demand now) and as soon as he said "Hi, Mom" and the credits showed, I was like "That's it?! WTF?!" It was like that during the "Be Black Baby" scene too. I thought it was some real thing he was filming(YES I know he was the cop in the scene too, but sometimes low budget movies used the same actors in other roles too.) and then come to find out it was a play.
I don't understand the complaining about how disgusting it is. The only turn-off was the swerve and the ending because it came out of nowhere. Then again, I'm used to things like that. I watch Raw.
"What's Your Damage?"
-Heathers -
redhat69 — 17 years ago(March 10, 2009 06:48 AM)
I'm not disturbed. If I have to disturbed, I'll be disturbed in almost EVERY single scene in almost EVERY film! I'll probably end up won't watch any more films, except perhaps some Disney cartoons.
Why do people complaint when they saw some rape scene? The victim ain't DEAD! The only different between a rape scene and sex scene is the 'victim' being against their will. Nudity you ask, how about sex scenes or nude beaches? Talk about dignity, it's the same seeing some fat kid being bullied or a wife beaten by her husband infront of their children. Talk about humanity, people should worry more seeing human being killed on films and ask for banning of murder or torture scenes. And I never heard of a single one, but almost every rape scene is being yelled at.
My point is: rape is bad. But it's not as bad as murder. That is why for killing a person one will probably face life sentence or even death row. But in most country rape don't make death row, not even life. (We're not talking about crime against minors here). And considering the crime itself, ever heard of statutory rape? A murder is always a murder. Statutory rape is not a rape but considered as rape. No murder is a 'considered murder', it's always murder, only the degrees differ. Go figure.
Rape are REAL, tortures are REAL, murders are REAL, etc, etc. That's why it's on films. Wake up!
After all it's only a film, why don't you just turn your head around or close your eyes and plug your ears if you don't want to watch something, the same as some people won't watch disgusting scenes involving feces or something.
I SEE D
UMB
PEOPLE! -
theodore_varengo — 17 years ago(March 31, 2009 11:59 PM)
If I can just throw in my two cents here, a lot of people who say they don't "get" this movie seem to be taking it on a far too literal level. This is experimental cinema and I'm sure was probably more widely appreciated in the social climate of the time it was made. Those who enjoyed it (such as myself, wholeheartedly) recognized it as satire, and appreciate the fact that it was an experimental piecealso some people are put off by movies made many years ago and call them "dated", or can't relate to them, but I'm fascinated by them and interested to know what things were like then. There are different types of filmgoers, and some people enjoy a more mainstream experience with a linear, literal plot, "sympathetic" characters, and a nice, satisfying conclusion where everything gets resolved and wraps up nicely. Then there are people who enjoy something that is open to interpretation, takes risks, delivers a message that on the surface may not be obvious, explores different styles and techniques, is not afraid to shock or offend but does not do it gratuitously, and in the end delivers something out of the ordinary and thought provoking. I feel I'm one of those people and this is one of those films. I'm not above enjoying a mainstream, conventional movie and I'm not judging people that are strictly into movies like that. I just enjoy the rewards of having an open mind.
Insert pretentious signature here -
IceboxMovies — 16 years ago(August 30, 2009 02:36 PM)
Jim Emerson claims that he's seen people run out of the theater screaming during this sequence. That would really be something, wouldn't it?
What I don't understand is how we're going to stay alive this winter.