Mysterious Skin 2004
Mysterious Skin 2004
1h 45min | Drama | 24 June 2005 (USA)
Storyline:
Brian Lackey is determined to discover what happened during an amnesia blackout when he was eight years old, and then later woke with a bloody nose. He believes he was abducted by aliens, and N. McCormick, a fellow player on Brian’s childhood baseball team, may be the key as to exactly what happened that night. As Brian searches for the truth and tries to track him down, Neil McCormick takes up hustling and moves to New York, in attempts to forget childhood memories that haunt him. Together, the two of them uncover the terrible truth of the scars they share.
User review:
I have a feeling that most of the reviewers here have not read the text of “Mysterious Skin” by Scott Heim. Doing so would be most helpful in viewing this film.
Out of sheer luck, I happened to find a screening in Las Vegas, almost a year after the initial release, having finished the book only one day before. It was an interesting experience from the start.
One got the feeling of stepping into an adult cinema, instead of a semi-mainstream release. I was surrounded by sprinkling of older guys watching an NC-17 matinée. A first for me, for sure. The movie captures the feel of the book spot on. Director Araki should be commended for staying so close to the text. Hardly anything was left out and what was deleted did not detract from the storyline in the least.
Heim’s novel deals with subject matter that most people would prefer to deny exists. But back here in the real world, it does. On screen we see the sensualization of an 8 year old boy, along with his sexual fantasy. Not for the squeamish, but Araki communicates this brilliantly without diluting the message. Most people would shy away from a story that has an 8 year old boy having an orgasm as he watched his mother have intercourse, but Araki does not. And somehow he makes it okay.
Hats off to the boys cast as the young Neil and Brian. Chase Ellison captures the emotions of his character very well. He captures the darkness of Neil McCormick incredibly, and translates perfectly from the written page. We sense the confusion turning into acceptance and then, desire. It made me squirm in my seat. George Webster as young Brian is great.
I can’t imagine a lot of actors lining up to play the boylover coach, but Bill Sage does very well. In the story, his role doesn’t seem like a pure predator, but clearly he has devices at work. He’s in the right place at the right time.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a marvel is this film. There was a genuine quality to his character, an aloofness that comes with knowledge at an early age that is hard to put into words. Brady Corbett successfully brought his youthful character along, and I think his interactions with the other characters is spot on for someone who had had an experience like his.
Critics will say that this film glorifies pedophilia. I disagree. I think it shows the effects of pedophilic relationship on different people, and how they react to it. It is a slice of life, albeit a very dark one, that does occur each and every day. Approach with caution and an open mind.
Director: Gregg Araki
Writers: Gregg Araki (screenplay), Scott Heim (novel)
Stars: Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elisabeth Shue
Country: USA | Netherlands
Language: English
Release Date: 24 June 2005 (USA)
Also Known As: Mysterious Skin
Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370986/
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 2.00 GiB
Duration : 1 h 45 min
Overall bit rate : 2 730 kb/s
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This upload differs from the older ones by using the 2020 Camera Obscura bluray, which has a higher bitrate, much more film grain and a (slightly cropped but more correct) 1.85:1 aspect compared to the 2014 bluray. See this review for technical & screenshot comparison between the two blurays: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/mysterious_skin_blu-ray.htm
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4
File size : 30.9 GiB
Duration : 1 h 45 min
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 42.1 Mb/s
Download: Nitroflare
I ul better copy
Camera Obscura version added. More info in the post.
What a classic! I remember how controversial it was at the time because of certain sex scenes. People thought they were seeing things that they really weren’t seeing. They didn’t understand movie magic. It was very cleverly shot from various angles. Very powerful movie.
Very good movie. I remember seeing this on national television first time, many years ago.
Movie showing very good, what can happened those kids who are victims of pedophile. One going to whore himself to old dudes (some kind of Stockholm syndrome). Another “seeing aliens” (very deep mental health issues). Damages is very deep and hard to recover. Both boys are very hard to find normal human relationships, ever again. Friendship or partner.
And yes. Very artistic too.
Those old good times, when Americans make good “artistic” movies “American beautys”. With real story and meaning.
BTW Mysterious Skin was not a Hollywood movie. It was an American independent film. There are still thousands of American independent films being made today. They have never stopped making them. Just as gritty and controversial (and many even more so) than this film.
The distributor is Strand Releasing. You should look up their catalogue.
Here is the link to Strand Releasing’s American films, including Mysterious Skin. Scroll through the 6 pages of them if you can. They specialize in coming of age films. You might see a lot of the films that are here on BHM, in fact.
https://strandreleasing.com/portfolio_category/usa/
TLA Releasing is another distributor of independent films. This page has about 250 of them, including many American films.
http://tlareleasing.com/film-catalog/
You’ll see many films that are here on BHM. They also specialize in coming of age films.
These are just a couple of distributors of American independent coming of age films. They have never stopped making them. Many of them did have theatrical distribution and played in theaters alongside Hollywood movies, and won many awards.
I cannot imagine a film this honest and original and “daring” by the false morality of the US ever getting made in today’s America. Sadly the kind of backward thinking that’s happening there now means countless good, important films will never be made out of fear and hatred. It’s shattering to think about.
There are thousands of films like this being made in America today. They have never stopped making films like this. Many are even more “honest and original and daring” than this one. You’re just not looking in the right place. This film was not made in Hollywood. It was an independent film and distributed by an independent distributor. The independent film industry is alive and well and had been making films like this and has not stopped making films like this.
You speak thousands of movies all the time. And tell Us, this site is plenty of those movies. Please, educate me. Named Me some examples those movies on this site?
I don’t say, there is’n those movies. But I want to reference some quality, what You mean.
I can tell one example, “Boys 2016” (I Don’t know why this site says “Austria”. Movie is clearly US-movie). That is good American short-movie. Telling real kind of story wery well. Not “Close” or “Mysterious Skin”, but near.
Tell Me more that kind of movies.
I already educated you and gave you the links to 2 American distributors of films like this which are here on BHM. Here they are again. You’ll see plenty of films that are here on this site.
https://strandreleasing.com/portfolio_category/usa/
http://tlareleasing.com/film-catalog/
Thanks.
Ok. But I don’t mean that. TLAmovies is mainly very poorly acted. Stories, not so good. There is marbles of course (Like “Jitters” or “Center of my World, not American actors). Something like “Erodditys”, Even sex-scenes not geniuine-like. But I don’t look nakedness, or sex scenes at all. Those are bonus, but not “must have”.
Im looking the “feeling” and good story. What is nowadays (not 90s or 70s or even 2010s), Purely American “Close 2022”, or “Le variabili dipendenti 2022”? That is My question. And hint. Those boys clothes is on, all the time.
Hint. I accept this “Mysterious Skin” that what I’m looking for. This is GOOD movie, all the way. Every way. But … 2004.
I appreciate the followup. Understand that this is my life. I’ve been involved in the American independent film industry for awhile. Films like “Mysterious Skin” are being produced all the time. They make up the vast majority of films at film festivals. The goal is to get picked up for distribution, of course, and many do. Some play art houses or even major multiplexes. Many eventually end up on streaming platforms and DVD. The fact that you’re unaware of them is more a function of the media, and the lack of entertainment writers posting articles about them as they are more interested in the latest Hollywood superhero movies. It’s not that they’re not being made – it’s more that they’re not getting the attention they deserve. That’s why you’re unaware of them and believe that they are no longer being made. I see films like “Mysterious Skin” every day as a film festival director, consultant, and screener. They just aren’t being promoted, and that’s a different story.
Last purely American tv-series (not movie), FULL of feeling, VERY good story, VERY good acting, Pure art, every scene, even soundtrack is art, is Mr Robot.
And story is ultimately “Mysterious Skins” – but different shape. Mr Robot wipe even this Mysterious Skins hard way.
So of course I can believe, Americans is very capable do this kind of stuff. But where it is? Mysterious Skins and Mr Robot both showed our national television. Why you Americans don’t won’t to show us those movies anymore? I want see those ofc.
Thanks Devon. If it wasn’t for boyhoodmovies I would never have been aware of so many films that don’t make it to the mainstream.
@Devon: Thanks for the links, quite interesting to take a look.
@everybody: Real good movie, but read the book, it’s (as almost always) much better and deeper.