Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

pollystark I really can't understand why this film has such a poor rating. I rented it totally randomly years ago and was absolutely entranced. It's about good people who do bad things, and bad people who do good things, and about the moral values of society. It has a wonderful visual style, portrays an amazingly consistent world.The whole film has an air of sadness pervading it that sticks with me five years on.Difficult viewing, but wonderful.If you see this for rent or cheap purchase anywhere, grab it and see one of the most individual and haunting films ever.

VOGEL211 A young reporter has an incestuous relation with his twin sister who is working as a prostitute. Growing up in unkind circumstances after they became eye witnesses of a murder their father committed, the twins held even tighter to each other and the knowing mother was never disposed to intercept their relation. It is correct that the core story does not provide a great "pointe" but the stereotyped personalities are about to make the movie quite entertaining by creating some kind of suspense with, unfortunately, no determined Issue. The acting was quite good regarding the strange and sometimes absurd emotional actions of the characters. All in all, I wouldn't grant an Oscar but 8 points for keeping me close to the screen for 100 minutes

EyeAskance I'm a long-time fan of Jim Thompson, and I very much enjoyed THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS, a flawed but gritty little project which manages to capture Thompson's hard-edged stylistic virtuosity quite nicely. Regardless, I wouldn't open-handedly recommend it to anyone who's not a foaming-at-the-mouth noir fanatic, as the film's tone of pervasive hopelessness will likely prove unappealing to many. As well, much of the violence is purblindly direct and quite potent. The lurid tale at hand concerns a dejected Chicago news reporter returning to the rustic environs of his youth(and to the sister he once loved in a rather unwholesome way), and finding that the passing of years has reduced the town to a squalid ragdump, rife with sordid lives and ubiquitary misery. Relentlessly dark and subtly sardonic ultra-noir, with even the most likable characters suppressing some degree of unscrupulous shadiness. Not a joyful diversion, but effective, and surprisingly sincere in its illustration of the source material.6/10...recommended.

FlickJunkie-2 This is not a film for everyone. It is dark, sultry, twisted and self indulgent, and that doesn’t have mass appeal nowadays unless Quentin Tarantino is directing and people are shooting each other in the face. It is, however, a terrific piece of filmmaking and as a fifties period piece it is surpassed only by films actually made in the fifties.It is the story of brother and sister twins who were traumatized as children and turn out quite screwed up as adults. There is the ever present hint of incest looming in their relationship and they are both prone to lascivious escapades. The story serves up a slice of their lustfully demented lives together.You almost have to be over 50 to appreciate this movie or be someone who likes old black and white films from that era. Director Michael Oblowitz has recreated not just the look, but the feel of the period. Tom Priestly, who went on to be the cinematographer on “The Thomas Crown Affair” did a fantastic job with filters and lighting to give the film an authentic fifties feel. The sets, props, costumes and music were all meticulously accurate. The use of a first person narrative (the story was narrated by Marty [Billy Zane]) was a very popular device in 40’s and 50’s films (think Humphrey Bogart).Unfortunately, the film was more form than substance since the story was a just meandering film noir libido ride. Still, for fifties nostalgia buffs, this is a treat.Gina Gershon was fabulous as Carol. She was sexy, seductive, and lewd while simultaneously being vulnerable and fragile. I can’t remember seeing her in a role better suited to her talents, nor can I remember her giving a better performance. Billy Zane was really wrong for this part. His acting was fine, but it failed to capture the character considering the context of the period. Men of this period were known for their strength and impassive response to almost everything. Naturally this would always lead to a great scene marked by a fit of anger somewhere in the film as the pressure became too great for him to bear. Zane was too mercurial in his portrayal of this character. He had the male sex thing down, but he came across as shrill and defensive in a lot of scenes, very un-fifties.Sheryl Lee gave a terrific performance as Lois, the sex crazed lady cop who becomes obsessed with Marty. We may never hear from her again, but for one film she grabbed the spotlight and ran with it. She was so desperately needy and shameless in her appetite for Marty that it seemed she couldn’t live unless she was breathing the air he just exhaled.I gave this film a 7/10. It is a 10 as far as filmmaking and period authenticity and the story was about a 5. If you like film noir, unabashed lust and the fifties, this movie is a must see.