BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Lancoor A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

UK Shaun New Rose Hotel (1998)Willem Dafoe and Christopher Walken, two ageing A-listers along with the sexy Italian Asia Argento, star in this slow paced tale. I won't bore you with details about the story, as you can read them here, besides which, I watched the Italian version, and don't understand a word of Italian, this in itself might have improved the film.I'll come clean. Prior to watching New Rose Hotel, I had read about it, I knew the story, Asia Argento followers appear to do what they can to praise the film where possible, while casual viewers tend to rate the film as a non starter. I wanted to give it a try. On attempting to source a copy, it became apparent New Rose Hotel hadn't made it to Blu-ray, and DVD's were on offer for extortionate prices, probably because it might be a deleted title. What I did find was an original VHS Mondadori Video featuring a rather interesting cover on ebay. I put in an offer for £3 and within two days, it was mine! (like new)Visually, while New Rose Hotel looks dated, there were one or two moments I liked what I saw. The opening credits are rather eye catching, resembling something more from the 80's. I'm not sure what the mood was like on set, but Willem Dafoe and Christopher Walken both appear to be in good spirits, and acted somewhat aloof. I got the impression both took on the job, as maybe there wasn't much else on offer at the time. Willem Dafoe had an added bonus of being paid to frolic with Asia Argento, who would often appear to act in such a fashion as to appear to be having-ago at acting, having a bit of fun, and seize the opportunity to flash her breasts.I had an idea of what was going on most of the time. I doubt if the film has been in English it would have added much. As strange as it might sound, I got the impression the film was acted in English and dubbed to Italian, as Asia Argento's lips didn't synch with the audio.To sum New Rose Hotel up, it comes across like a raw low-budge B- movie.

Dave from Ottawa The film never creates the tense, doom-laden atmosphere of William Gibson's short story about corporate espionage in a grim near-future setting, leaving the viewer to spend a numbing hour and half with unheroic and uninteresting characters doing not much of anything. The original story had little in the way of plot as well. It did, however, have a great overlying menace, set in a world where cutthroat corporate Gestapos kill to protect the technology they control. Here you only get a vague hint of that for the first ten minutes, at which point the film settles into a slice-of-lowlife study of its downbeat characters and loses all forward momentum. Watch DEMONLOVER instead for a similar story done right.

Victor Popov This is a movie for movie-lovers. For those of you tired of commercial crap this movie is mostly intelligent dialog. Christopher Walkin and Willem Dafoe compliment each other wonderfully and I wish I could see em on screen together again!!! Its basically about 3 rogues in an everyman for himself future and corporate espionage. 2 partners Dafoe and Walkin are bent on stealing one scientist from one company and selling him to another. 1 problem... They don't even know the guy!!! The plan is simple throw in a beautiful woman to seduce him and make him join the other company. I think this is an awesome movie and I am a harsh critic.

Joseph P. Ulibas New Rose Hotel (1998) was another strange film from Abel Ferrara. Instead of his usual street dramas. Ferrara expands upon the elements that he utilized whilst making BLACKOUT. A dark and moody film that was adapted from a short story that was written by William Gibson. I was surprised by how intriguing and interesting the movie was. I have heard so many negative things about this production that I was a little leery in watching it. But I was impressed by the story, acting and directing.Christopher Walken and Wilhem Dafoe are two losers who are always looking for rich people to swindle. One day they find the perfect pigeon who'll make them a lot of money. But they need a seductress. They find one in Asia Argento (who's smoking hot in this movie). During the bug hustle, Dafoe falls for her and the two make a side swindle. Unfortunately nothing is really as it seems. Instead of running off with Asia, Dafoe tries to play all sides but he winds up with nothing. Before he can split, his mentor Walken kills himself before the hit men can ice him. Dafoe realizes that he's be burned by a better con artist and flees. Hiding from everyone, Dafoe spends the rest of his pathetic life hiding out in a derelict apartment complex The New Rose Hotel where he re-lives the last month of his life over and over until he ends it all.Even though we never see what happens to Dafoe's character, one can assume what happens to him. He has nowhere to go but inside the coffin he's created. The movie is a serious character study about not knowing what you could have and how greed and stupidity make a dangerous combination. I found this movie to be very deep and moving as well. But it's not for everyone.Highly recommended.