| Less Than Zero | | Cast : | Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, Robert Downey Jr. | | Director : | Marek Kanievska | | Studio : | Twentieth Century Fox Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | November 06, 1987 | | DVD Released Date : | June 07, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 10, 2005 | | Summary | Downey, Jr. Makes It Worth Watching | Content
 | I don't know what possessed me to watch this-- I rarely watch a movie that's on TV, I'm a big time buyer and a major renter. Since this movie was on a movie channel (no commercials, nothing cut out), I decided to watch it because I saw Robert Downey, Jr's. name in the credits. Watching this movie was worth it just for his performance alone. I can't think of a movie that he disappointed me in. He plays a very convincing drug addict in this one... I wonder why?? (Though I've heard he's cleaned himself up and has several movies in the works, and I'm very, truly, proud of him.)
Robert Downey Jr, Andrew McCarthy, and Jami Gertz play three people who've been friends since high school. McCarthy's character, Clay, went away to college. Julian (Downey) and Blair (Gertz) stayed in L.A.; Julian becoming a serious junky and Blair becoming a coke-snorting model. When Julian begins to get into serious trouble (he owes the weasely James Spader 50,000 bucks), it's on Clay and Blair's backs to help out their good friend.
Their whole world is foreign to me. Lavish parties with every kind of drug available for your smoking or snorting pleasure. The script is good, making this 80s haze very clear to me. Oddly, that's what I really detest about this movie... half of the time the scenes are somewhat hazy looking. I also dislike how several scenes had a funky red tint-- what's supposed to be stylistic is just plain annoying. Good dialogue, so-so performances from McCarthy and Gertz, but like I said, see it for Downey. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 10, 2005 | | Summary | Master OF The Rare LASERDISCs Movies. | Content
| I have LESS THAN ZERO on LASERDISC And on DVD too,'tis A Must See :P |
| Rating | | | Date | June 08, 2005 | | Summary | sub zero: the 80's were awesome | Content
| If you were born after 1980 don't bother. Otherwise incase you forgot, this was a great GREAT movie epitomizing the angst that pervaded through our youth with the 'new' drug-generation; GenX.
It was just a great movie about the lows that people will go to for drugs, a short but invested love interest, AND of course tragedy. Less Than Zero, No-Man's Land, The Rachel Papers, and Dream a Little Dream are all the 80's movies I waited for, and here they all are, Finally! |
| Rating | | | Date | June 05, 2005 | | Summary | Spoiled Rich Kids Who Party Too Much!!! | Content
| In this movie Robert Downey Jnr. plays Julian , a drug addicted kid from the rich side of town. Gee. That much have sure been one heck of a stretch for Robert to play this role!!!He betrays his best friend Clay by having sex with Clay's girlfriend played by Jamie Gertz who is a model although I always thought that succesfull models had to be taller than her. Anyway Julian keeps on snorting and drinking and doing so called "recreational drugs" although it is not made clear in this movie why exactly he is doing this. Perhaps he is trying to escape his overprivelidged wealthy upbringing.Poor guy.The best thing about this movie is the Soundtrack which features the Bangles playing a rendition of "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" I give this movie 5 stars because I have always liked that song. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 17, 2005 | | Summary | cannot think of a title | Content
| I consider this film on par with "Rebel Without a Cause," "To Live" by Yimou Zhang and "Terminator 2 Judgment Day," and would rate it higher than "Requiem for a Dream," "GATTACA," and "Garden State."
The sex scenes, albeit without nudity, are intense.
Some of the scenes of drug use are irrelevant to the story. Their inclusion may leave the impression that the film is tempting the audience, although the opposite is intended.
How the characters think and feel is too easily interpretable through facial expressions and dialogues, compared to how actual people think and feel.
On the other hand, the character Julian is convincing; so are those of Clay and Blair, especially when Clay checks with his hand or pulse on Julian's neck but Blair places her head on Julian's chest.
The literary devices, such as Clay leaving Julian in a playground, allusions to the Bible, the black and red color scheme of the drug dealer in contrast with white and red associated with Christmas, do not appear heavy handed.
The portrayal of relationship is often subtle and effective. I remember how Blair says "miss you" after Clay has left her room for a while, the tension between the ex wife and her successor at the fancy Christmas dinner party, the awkwardness of Julian's uncle giving into -- maybe giving up on -- Julian, how Julian tried to cope with his mother's death, how his father responded.
The music is apt and admirable. I like the Bangles's rendition of "A Hazy Shade of Winter," "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix, Roy Orbison's "Life Fades Away," and Julian singing "Silent Night," interjected by Blair's teasing remark.
The sequence on Julian's death shows off Southern California, its chaparral and semiarid landscape, the open sky, the rural highway, the sun setting behind a field of wind turbines. |
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