Product Details

• Actors: Mabel Adams (II), Asckt, Shawn Ashmore, Caroline Aspirot, Nontombi Bovana
• Directors: Thom Fitzgerald
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Afrikaans, English, French, Xhosa
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Wolfe Video
• DVD Release Date: April 3, 2007
• Run Time: 127 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000MRA6XM
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,178 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "3 Needles" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Good performances by an impressive cast, some beautiful cinematography, and a relatively light touch on a heavy subject (AIDS, which is never once mentioned by name) help make 3 Needles an absorbing, provocative viewing experience. Writer-director-producer Thom Fitzgerald's 2005 film assays a global view of the pandemic, similar to Traffic's approach to the drug trade and Babel's slant on the interconnectedness of human events 'round the world (although 3 Needles is considerably less affecting than those two efforts). Using five different languages (Afrikaans, Mandarin, Xhosa, French, and English), he take us to three continents. In China, a pregnant woman (Lucy Liu) pays peasants who donate their blood (which she then sells illegally), in the process starting an mini-scourge that virtually wipes out an entire village. In Montreal, a porn actor (Shawn Ashmore) cheats on a blood test; when his mother (an excellent Stockard Channing) discovers he's HIV positive, she's driven by outrageous fortune to react in some very strange and unpredictable ways. Finally, three nuns (an unlikely combo of Olympia Dukakis, Sandra Oh, and Chloe Sevigny) set out to save souls "condemned to purgatory" by their disease; but when Sister Clara (Sevigny), who's still a novice, tries to save actual lives as well, she makes a startling bargain with the devil to do it. While much of this is quite poignant, it's to the film's credit that little or none of it is handled with excessive sententiousness, self-pity, or tragedy for its own sake. Actually, there's a good deal of gentle humor, not to mention some absolutely gorgeous shots (including Montreal in autumn and the overall geography of the unnamed coastal African country where the final scenario takes place). And the ultimate message, delivered by Dukakis in voice-over, is hauntingly simple: "Why have we not joined together at last to fight this virus?" Bonus material includes interviews, deleted scenes, and a couple of AIDS documentaries. --Sam Graham

Product Description

In China, Ping (Lucy Liu) is a pregnant young woman running a black market blood collection scam that creates a mini-epidemic in a rural village. In Montreal, Denys (Shawn Ashmore) is a porn actor hiding his positive HIV status in order to continue working and supporting his mother (Stockard Channing), who herself goes to extreme lengths to provide for the family's future. And, in Africa, Sister Clara (Chlo Sevigny) is a young novice nun driven to convert the rapidly dying Africans to Catholicism before it's too late who makes a desperate bargain with a corrupt plantation owner to help prevent the spread of HIV in the region.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "You Killed Me For Eight-Hundred Dollars", June 1, 2007

By	Erica J. Dymond (Bethlehem, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thom Fitzgerald has created a haunting, near-perfect work. This piece is divided into three segments:

"The Fortitude of the Buddha":
A mere forty-five minutes in length, this is a potent vignette of a rural Chinese village soon ravaged by AIDS. Lucy Liu plays the role of Jin Ping, a blood smuggler. She travels from village to village collecting blood from its impoverished residents. Initially her presence in this small town is a boon. At five dollars a donation, the residents can purchase seed, livestock, and other agricultural necessities. But, this blessing soon turns dark. Perhaps most painful is watching Jin Ping's internal struggle ... she is aware that her practices are infecting innocent, economically challenged people but cannot stop because she is under the brutal control of her dying husband. The first of the three installments concludes on a quai-triumphant note. This segment is clever and educational. It can easily be viewed and understood by a young adult.

"The Passion of the Christ":
Set in Canada, this segment addresses the fundamental flaws in the adult entertainment industry. Shawn Ashmore (X-Men) plays Denys, an adult-film actor afflicted with AIDS. Young and living at home with his parents, Denys steals his dying father's blood to pass his mandatory AIDS screenings. This triggers an AIDS crisis within the film industry. Following his father's death, mother and AIDS-stricken son are left broke. The mother (Stockard Channing) purchases a life-insurance policy for herself and then begins seeking-out the virus for herself. The results are horrific to say the very least ... a bizarre expression of a mother's unconditional love (maybe!) The conclusion is the young actor being confronted by one of his victims. She looks him in the eye an utters, ""You killed Me for eight-hundred dollars." This segment contains strong dialog, adult situations (in strip clubs and on film sets). It is not appropriate for the majority of young people. Nonetheless, it does serve a purpose in showing the viewer the shocking trend of people deliberately seeking the virus.

"The Innocence of the Pagans":
An all-star cast! Set in a South African nation, Novice Clara (Chloë Sevigny), Sister Mary (Sandra Oh), and Sister Hilde (Olympia Dukakis) have traveled to Africa to "save souls from purgatory" and assist with AIDS afflicted patients. The novice and sisters are appalled to learn that the local men plagued with the AIDS virus believe that having sex with a virgin will rid them of the disease ... and the small children of the area are the victims of this falsehood. Their attempts to bring knowledge and relief to this area are thwarted when the men are jailed for child rape ... with the children "off-limits," other "vessels of purity" are sought. The end result is crushing. Adult language and situations may make this unsuitable for less mature young-viewers so use discretion when screening it with young people.

Each of these segments can easily stand-alone if you wish to use any one for educational purposes. The weakest of the trio is "The Passion of the Christ." While Fitzgerald succeeds in garnering sympathy with "Buddha" and "Pagans" ... "Christ" leaves the viewer repulsed ... and while this approach can be valuable, it strikes a discord with the rest of this fantastic film. Stockard Channing nearly rescues this segment, but it is so repugnant that even her spectacular devotion to role cannot help.

Nonetheless, this is film well-worth your attention. It will leave you speechless.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Big Ideas And An Important Message In A Film That Failed To Emotionally Involve Me, February 26, 2007

By	K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"3 Needles" is a well-intentioned, serious-minded film from Canadian filmmaker Thom Fitzgerald. While Fitzgerald has a following from his previous efforts "The Hanging Garden" and "Blood Moon," this is by far his most ambitious project. He has lined up a first rate roster of talent including Stockard Channing, Lucy Lui, Sandra Oh, Olympia Dukakis, Chloe Sevigny and Shawn Ashmore. Telling three stories revolving around the worldwide AIDS epidemic, "3 Needles" was shown on the festival circuit as an interwoven piece (in the style of "Traffic" or "Babel"). However, after middling reviews, it was divided into three separate stories. Released in major cities for Oscar consideration, it was also shown simultaneously as a Showtime premiere.

The first segment, set in China, stars Lucy Lui as a pregnant woman trafficking in the black market blood business. In a small rural village, we see the repercussions as HIV contaminated blood affects the supply. The second segment stars Shawn Ashmore as a Canadian porn star. Needing money, he continues to work in the business even after he has been infected with HIV. Stockard Channing plays his mother with a very unorthodox way of providing for them after he has been exposed as a health risk. In the last third, Olympia Dukakis, Chloe Sevigny, and Sandra Oh play missionaries on assignment to help a hospital in Africa. They struggle to educate the local workers in facts, not superstitions, to help prevent the spread of the virus.

I admire the scope and the intent behind "3 Needles" very much. Obviously made as a "serious" film, I never think it's bad to use the film medium to educate on important matters. However, I felt "3 Needles" always kept me at arm's distance. For a film filled with such tragedy, such horrors--there was something of an emotional disconnect. I did find the stories interesting enough, but sadly--they never moved me. Part of the problem had to be the characters, they were limited in development. I was intrigued by what they were doing (because they make some controversial choices), but we're never allowed to understand the "why." With a little more depth, any one of these stories could have been a far more effective feature film. But, as is, the segments are a bit distant and the characters cryptic.

It doesn't help matters, however, that each sequence ends with a very obvious message. I had admired, at least, that each tale wasn't overtly "preachy"--but then as each came to a conclusion, so came the heavy-handed lesson (often delivered in an unnecessary voice-over by Dukakis). It's almost as if the film didn't trust you to make the necessary conclusion for yourself. There's no doubt that Fitzgerald is a talent, "3 Needles" is a grand stretch for him. But as I was left rather uninvolved by what was intended to be heartrending, this has to be called an interesting failure. I'd still recommend it--but its not the important document of our time that it hopes to be. 3 1/2 stars for good intentions and a great cast. KGHarris, 12/06.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving film., December 2, 2007

By	Preston C. Enright (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just stumbled upon this film last night on Showtime, I hadn't heard of it, but was totally impressed. The cinematography is beautiful, the acting is great, the writing is thoughtful. I was surprised to find so many negative ratings for this film. Maybe it's because "3 Needles" breaks the mold of so many Hollywood films, but that's part of its appeal for me. What is "boring" for one, is contemplative and authentic for another.
The multicultural orientation of this film is another plus in my book, it utilizes five languages (maybe some people don't like reading subtitles).
"3 Needles" also sheds light on issues of sexism, AIDS, exploitation, etc., while also shedding light on how resilient and kind people can be.

There's a scene with a pornstar helping his sick father bathe. Routine moments of elder care like that, which are usually hidden away in our "old folks" homes, will disturb some viewers who fear their own ageing process. I found it to be a touching moment, and like so many scenes of this film, it was captured with great skill.

This film, and many others, are being shown as part of World AIDS Day. "Link TV" and "Sundance" have also been airing programs related to this disease. AIDS is something of a mystery The River : A Journey to the Source of HIV and AIDS, but there's no doubt that it is having a devastating effect, particularly in Africa. In this era when reactionary forces are fomenting bigotry and empathy impairment, the nuance and internationalism of "3 Needles" is a much appreciated antidote.

I'd also recommend:
The Advocate
Angels in America
On Our Own Terms Moyers on Dying 4 Volume Set
5 Heroes of AIDS in Africa
Lifecycles: a story of AIDS in Malawi
And the Band Played On
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope