More Blood, More Gore... Asian style

Gore. Everywhere. With heads rolling. And then some more. It’s much to be expected in a straight laced horror film with a dash of kung fu thrown in there for a good measure.

Some movies work. Some don’t.

This one did.

Released over the summer without much fanfare, the film “Blood: The Last Vampire” charts its way through seas of red in theaters without bursting a bubble of popularity. There are no real known actors/actresses in it. And not even the director is even known in these parts of this country.

No wonder no one’s heard of it.

It could even be argued that most people are sick and tired of vampires. It doesn’t help that most people are lovesick from the pretty boy actors in the film “Twilight” that gives a new face to the meaningful life of the nocturnal bloodsuckers. However, it can be pointed out that this film is based on an anime source that came out years before “Twilight” did.

There’s a South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyn in the lead role. There’s also a director Ronny Yu who is from the eastern world. So is the writer Chris Chow. So it’s no surprise that there isn’t much interest in the film. It was released as an American film with an oriental co-production, first being exposed in countries like Japan and other Asian markets before hitting the western shores with its high spirited story of vampires.

I like this movie.

I suppose I am being subjective. But much of the film really holds it together due to the central actress Jun Ji-hyun (she changes her name in for this movie) who gives a very sympathetic portrayal of a 400 year old vampire Saya. She lives a life of misery without a father. Her life grows long and persistent as it is filled with regret… then she grows more fueled with overpowering hatred for her own kind. And so she hunts her own in a way of bringing vengeance to her father’s death.

She often gets rid of the extra baggage of undesirables she often refers to as “bottom feeders.” In a way, she does the dirty work for the Council while the higher ups simply washes their hands clean of the mess. They makes the mess. And they clean it up for her. It’s a sort of working relationship.

She’s only half vampire. The rest are full blooded. She feeds on the night and lives in solitude. Only seeking the one that brought grief to her, the Onigen who is the most powerful of vampires.
Her performance is sincere. And she has no trouble speaking in English when needed. Though she talks in her native Korean language as easily, her voice, the glaring eyes, creates a very momentous figure of beauty. She is a feisty, spiraling hurricane of lusty revenge. Some critics say that her fighting skills are not convincing in martial arts. I disagree wholeheartedly. The drive of her performance remains the focus point of the film, and we can see the energy she brings in many of the fighting scenes.

The story shifts to the American military base where there is a rising tide of vampires creating a shroud of blackness around the city. There are many of them taking form as human. And it’s always up to Saya to pick the humans from the imposters. (Much like the anime version).

The added character of Alice who stumbles into the middle of the conflict is a nice reference to the Alice in Wonderland motif… how a young woman from school discovers the lurking of creatures in the background and learns of a war that’s been waging for more than four hundred years. And she learns of The Council who may have an agenda of their own. Some critics complain that the plot is too convoluted. Again, I disagree with them. I found the plot to be easy to follow and enjoyed the many threads of the storyline that comes together into a strong lattice of content.

Yes, there is gore.

Plenty of it.

But at least the story is well written one. And I would add that not even a hundred Saw movies or Hostel could even compare to this film which is done with a creative stride and a boastful effects that takes the story to an otherworldly appearance.

The story is set in 1970. And the film does show respect to the original source by maintaining the setting and date. So that the cars, clothing and people all fit into the 1970s atmosphere which is very nicely done. And I’m glad that someone went through the trouble of going through history books to get the appearance of the movie looking like a chapter from the past.

Despite being a loner, always fighting the war on her own, Saya forms an uneasy alliance with Alice who becomes friends through life and death as they travel further into the underpinning world that rots to the core. There are some nice flashbacks regarding the Saya character and learn as to why she is a very unhappy girl.

While the Alice character is initially annoying, she does grow into her own person and becomes a force for good as she supports her friend in the great fight.

Some very nice fight scenes are placed at crucial points of the film makes it move along at a very hefty ninety minutes, a nice change for the three hour movie thugs that often fill the theaters space. Some very nice throwaway lines suggesting the council and the elder paints a bigger background for this movie. This is an entertaining ride that shows that the use of vampire isn’t entirely run dry and there’s still more story to follow. I like the Asian characters in the film a lot and will support the talents behind it.

For those who didn’t get a chance to see this film during the summer’s release, there’s still a way to get a hold of a copy to rent. You may want to try Blockbuster video as they seem to carry it on the shelf.

It’s a nice Halloween treat that has a different taste and style. While it does have buckets of blood, reinforcing the film's title, it does provide a very thoughtful portrayal of loneliness, a life of emptiness that can only be filled by anger, violence. But one must only be reminded of being human to encourage life itself. And there are always friends even though one believes herself to be a loner wading through a personal war.

And now...

...For something completely different. Monty Python’s Flying Circus is turning forty years old this month. You wonder where all the years went off to?

Now you’re thinking about why I am doing a blog on something that is a known comedy. It's got nothing to do with science fiction or horror. But you have to admit one thing: their kind of humor is certainly out of this world.

It’s a call for a celebration. And if you’re one of the many who got the series on the shelf, you might want to consider taking it out, brushing off the dusty corners and delight your afternoon with a few episodes. Make it an all-nighter if you want… make it a one night stand with Monty Python if you can.

I admit to not knowing any of this until I ran into a late night show on Tuesday hosted by Saturday Night Live alumni Jimmy Fallon. He’s apparently a big fan of the old shows which ran in part of 1969 until well into 1974. He loves it. And you can tell.

I noticed comedian John Cleese was making a game show sketch, and figured that he would only be appearing in the first five minutes of the show. He gave more than just a helping hand with the comedy bit. He’s very funny in it. He’s giving away all sorts of useless gifts. (In which three contestants had to give them back in the end of the sketch!) And there’s a very lovely, lucky Asian girl who traded a few good laughs along with two other contestants. It was great to see.

But I was even more impressed to see that Jimmy Fallon was able to persuade four of the five living members of the brilliant comedy series that was offbeat, outlandish in its not so typical approach. And Eric Idle sang a song “Bright Side of Life” which came from one of their three movies they did together “The Life of Brian”—which is considered by author and sharp-toothed critic Christopher Hitchens as the funniest comedy film ever made.

Even Terry Gilliam was in the show. And he’s usually busier with his films than the rest of the guys. Michael Palin, who was the only one not attending the show, was busy traveling. Or he could be wounded by Cleese’s sly remark regarding Sarah Palin from the previous campaign fumble, “Mike is no longer the funniest Palin in the world.”

Maybe not.

That’s when I first heard about their fortieth anniversary show that they will be presenting in the making starting on Oct. 18 and will be going on until the end of the month. This is the first time that there were more than several of the cast members having some sort of reunion and it’s a very lovely one seeing a bunch of old fogeys throwing insults and being childish.

But the series remains an inspiration. For any one of us. And that’s not a small thing to say. Much of its radiant brilliance rubbed off the right way with modern day comedians such as Robin Williams, Steve Martin and Kevin Klein. All of them have been inspired, to no small degree, by the craziness of the comedy that can’t be described very easily.

There’s a great intellect in the works when it comes to Monty Python’s Flying Circus… and it always feels like old friends kidding around whenever you see an episode. They’re having fun. And they’re poking at everything. Without making it topical. That’s why it seems to timeless—because their humor pushes outward from the box.

And there’s a right amount of stupid in the shows. Just the right amount that makes it funny. All the while you can scratch at the surface for the intellectual comedy bits that rolls off from their witty tirades. They know how to make the sketches work because they wrote it entirely, delivered it in their usual ways and know how to make the right timing.

The British likes to make a different approach to humor that is vastly different than the American way. It’s very gentle and subtle. Most Americans would say about their humor, “Isn’t it funny if this happened?” As opposed to the British approach which is: “Wouldn’t it be funny if this happened?” This is why Monty Python seems to be so out of this world with their humor because it seems boundless, suggesting everything and anything. And just being plain silly.

I remember when I first Monty Python on a PBS station when I was hitting eighth grade a little after I discovered Doctor Who on the same channel… and I was attracted to the drawings and cartoon bits that joined the shows together by Terry Gilliam. I was a kid. Who can blame me for liking the cartoon stuff? It’s funny.

They often broke off in different writing couples before getting together to put the ideas into works, often pointing intellectually at the number of issues revolving a common theme. They know how to play it off each other too.

But when I grew older, I soon learn to appreciate their more complicated humor in the writing and the subtle touches of physical comedy that remains an enduring factor to the legacy of the long defunct BBC comedy series. But there are a lot of good shows to recommend for an upcoming festival if you’re thinking about throwing yourself into a full afternoon of chuckles. There’s a lot of them to choose from. Monty Python is a f*cking gem.

Theodore Sturgeon once said that 90 percent of everything is crap. But Monty Python is part of the ten percent.

Why don’t you start off with some of the known shows with the Spanish Inquisition or the Fish Slapping Dance. Those have a lot of physical humor that remains very memorable. There is one of my favorite episodes called “Owl Stretching Time” which comes from the first season they did.

Naturally everyone’s favorite one is the Ministry of Silly Walks despite Cleese’s disassociation with it because people always asked him to do the silly walk. I have always had a soft spot for the “Confuse the Cat” sketch because I have a cat of my own. It’s with a very bizarre mischief that they play through in confusing the cat in order to nurse its health.

Bizarre?

That wouldn’t be the start of it.

But it is with this series that provoked a particular format of sketches that was anything unlike before or after… and there hasn’t been a comedy in the long run that has such an individual streak of funny in it. And it took six very brilliant and crazy guys to pull it off. The series inspired three great movies and a huge fan followings all around the world. Not bad for a show that lasted only three and a half seasons long.

In 2007, Time Magazine named it as one of the best hundred shows ever.

So go ahead and have a laugh. It’s on the Pythons. If you laughed, then their deed is done. Sing along with me, “I’m… a lumberjack and I’m okay…” And stroll down memory lane as I chuckle and laugh. It's supposed to the best medicine of all. Having a good laugh.

Treasure of Horrors

So Halloween once again hurls towards us like a horseman throwing a flaming jack o’ lantern in our direction. It’s just around the corner now.

One of the few things I do remember about Halloween, when I was a kid, was the half hour cartoon special called “The Legend of Sleepy Hallow” that always remains a great moment in memory lane. There was a time when we didn’t have machines to record shows nor did we have any modern technology such as discs to be bought off the shelf.

When something like “Legend of Sleepy Hallow” would be on television, I would be settling in front of the monitor making sure I don’t miss it.

I was still living in Manawa at the time, a small place about fifty miles north of Oshkosh, a rather dismal place, not very big. Not much there except for a couple of bars and a gas station along a few other things. It was as if time stopped completely in Manawa because it looked pretty much the way it did back in the mid seventies when I lived there. Not much changed there at all. Manawa was in a freeze frame. So the only real way for a kid to get a glimpse of fantasy was through the boob tube.

But I do remember the cartoon fondly. It used to be part of the one hour long special when it was put together with another half hour cartoon called “Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad.” I never much cared about the one with the toad. Sorry. But the other one. There was a sense of creepiness about it that made me sit down through it. This lonely adventure through Sleepy Hallow, with its beauty of drawings and long shadows, was a far cry of the two.

The show was narrated by the soothing, wonderful voice of Bing Crosby. A familiar face in movies. So it was a sincere piece, hearing his voice peppering his thoughts throughout. It worked better this way. His voice was the kind that would lure you into a stupor, a comfort, making you feel unprepared for the ending of the episode.

It was charming.

The story revolves around a lanky toothpick thin man named Ichabod who tries to get the attention of a local woman while in the heat of a competition with a town bully. Some of the most memorable and funny parts was during the dance when they would strive to fetch the woman’s interest. All of this was topped by Brom the bully’s story of an old legend. There is still some humor punching through the following scenes, but there’s a growing tension, a wrapping darkness that presses into you like a storm. And this cartoon does create a very good building up in atmosphere.

You also have sympathy for the Ichabod character because he was something of an outsider, a nerd, someone who might often be found left in the corner of a party. The one person not very many people understands. So it is with a deep sorrow to see the fate of this character in the show, leaving you a bundled with sadness. You really didn’t want to see the girl end up with the bad guy. And you really didn’t to see anything happen to Icahbod Crane.

This was a Walt Disney film in the fullest of tradition as it brings to life the story written by Washington Irving when he was, of all places, living in England. But the story is set in a small pocket of the New York countryside called Sleepy Hallow, and the town is still there to this very day. And I did get a chance to visit it some years ago when I flew out to New York City to visit with a cousin who gave the grand tour. Part of the excellent tour was a sideline visit to the bountiful village of Sleepy Hallow with all its mood, reclusive beauty.

Yes, I did get to visit Irving’s cottage that he had in this area which is a very modest place. And yes, I did get to see the long trail on which the headless horseman has supposedly rode on like the fire on wind, a monster who hides in legends and gossip. For the most part, Sleepy Hallow has become a sleeping town now awakened with tourism.

This was certainly one of Disney’s little treats. And one of my favorites. I could not tell you how much the imagination was sparked by those short thirty minutes as it quickly pulls me into the story when I was a child.

It would be something recommend for the upcoming Halloween weekend.

Also, I’ve just got a chance to see the 1965 film “Tomb of Ligeia” which is part of the old Vincent Price cycle of movies based off of another familiar author, Poe. This was an excellent offering of mood and a certain different interpretation of the Black Cat. But it’s a good one.

Many people have their favorite actor/director combos. Some might say Burton/Keaton or Scorsese/De Niro. For my money, I would throw in with the greatness of Price/Cormon for their wonderful work of the Poe stories they did during the 1960s.

The films were flooded with great atmosphere, always filmed at ridiculously cheap prices. The films looks stellar due to the fine location shooting as they would find the perfect spots for their stories. And the mood… it is like stepping into a very dark corner without knowing where you’re going.

Vincent Price has a beautiful voice. And he’s the perfect actor to be in these types of movies, bringing a tilting mood that often sits on edge. “The Tomb of Ligeia” is the very last of the movies to round off their excellent portrayal of the Poe stories, and this is no exception to powerful atmosphere. You can feel it in the low ceilings hanging over the gloomy sets, and the cluttered glares of twilight that fills every corridor. There seems to be no way of getting out of the gridlock of horror that the film sucks you in, slowly, like a giant shadow creeping over you. The evil always feels contagious to you.

A great screenplay by Robert Towne.

They make the movies as if they do care about the source material and they do it well here. Some people may complain that Price hams it up. But I think he’s a wonderful actor and couldn’t be better cast than in these delightful tourism into the heart of psychotic horror. You fall into misery just as he does in these films. They’re great to watch.

This story centers on the idea of a deceased wife who is taking possession of another woman and driving her husband to the point of madness… and it is well played through the actors and actresses involved. No stately special effects to create the mood. Just a few good scares created with timing and suspense.

Spend your Halloween evening with Vincent Price. You couldn’t go wrong. These films might be old stuff. But they’re just as good as any they crank out these days. Even better, actually.

So go ahead. Have a good scare.

Bat Review

The Dark Knight. The Last son of Krypton.

Such images can often bring many thoughts, perceptions. Most important, very enduring. It is this longevity that brings these heroes together despite being opposing forces of ideals. In a way, it can be very fun.

However, the latest “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” does fall a little flat.

It isn’t the fault of the writers or the actors who do a perfectly fine job in handling the many layered characters in the story. But it does seem ne a little standoffish in some ways. It could be something made more for fans or long time comic aficionados rather than the more laid back viewers. It couldn’t be helped. It’s bound to happen sooner or later.

However, it isn’t bad. I managed to grab a copy of it from the Best Buy shelf in Oshkosh which opened only last night for a two hour gap. There were enough copies for nearly everyone of this cartoon film. But no exclusive figures of the Batman. They only have four figures per store. What a crock. But I did get the two disc set with all the extras of including Bruce Timm’s two old favorites from the Superman animated series.

Might I also mentioned that I did meet Bruce Timm in the Chicago comic convention more than a year ago during the summer. A very nice guy, super nice. I told him in the conversation, “You produced the best Batman animation of any decade.”

Which is very true. I wasn’t kidding. He’s one of the sole forces for consistent high quality in the cartoon form.

Public Enemies centers on the fact that known arch-villain Lex Luthor wins the White House during a very severe economic upheaval and puts him into the top position as he rectifies the situation by pulling no punches in his ambitious scheme of turning the country into a paradise. It’s too good to be true. Also he enlists the support of all the superheroes in a way to keep them out of his way.

There are only two heroes who doesn’t get swayed by him.

Batman. And Superman.

They are the only ones who still distrusts Luthor. Not to mention, there’s a hurling piece of Kryptonite that is on a crash course to earth unless it is somehow knocked off its intended route. Finally likes the idea of the one billion dollar bounty hunter reward for taking down the two superhero revolutionaries in a story based on Joseph Leob in its original comic book form.

It isn’t bad. There’s a lot going for it particularly the cemetery scene where the Dark Knight rescues Superman from certain death in a very tongue in cheek fight with Metallo.

The problem with the story is that it is very complex and multilayered forcing the cartoon film to ignore huge chunks of the original content. I thought it would have worked better if the story was created into a six part, half hour episode mini-series which would have more appropriate than a ninety minute cartoon film. It would have given more breathing space and writing content to allow for greater characterization depth.

There are far too many cameos made by different character which would leave the ordinary viewer in a storm of confusion. Leaving the elusive story wanting for more. I’m only saying this from a writer’s point of view. By giving it a six part series might have resolved the complexities of the story. It only leaves a “slam, slam, bang bang” fighting mentality of way too many fighting scenes and not enough more subtle scenes for characterization.

The nice thing about the film is the original voice of Kevin Conroy doing Batman once again… if anyone ask me who’s my favorite actor to play Batman, would it be Christian Bale or Adam West? No. I’ll always cite Conroy who always does an amazing job at recreating Gotham’s sole adventurer. Also Tim Daly returns at the voice of Superman from the original days. Many other returning actors so you’ll have to turn in a pretty good ear to pick up the familiar voicies.

However, I did enjoy far more the bonus features of episodes picked by Bruce Timm from the Superman animated series with the first one being “The Deamon Reborn.” Which I’ve never seen before. I thought I had seen every single cartoon episode of the original animated series. So it was a real treat for me to see. This time the story focuses on Superman being assailed by Talia in her intended plot in reviving her rapidly aged father Ra’s Al Ghul by stealing the Kryptionian’s super powers. More or less, his super strength. But Batman must find a way to stop the far flung plot made by Ghul’s daughter. I found this one to be a very lively episode along with “Knight Time” which also tickles the funny bone.

But I’m already seeing several trailers for the next cartoon film to be based off a comic book graphic novel. Again, there might be too many characters involved and could be far more complex than a movie length film could handle. But we’ll see. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the next one will return to he former glory of the original animated series.

It could be sink or swim with this one.

Sorry about that, folks. “Public Enemies” isn’t a solid disappointment. It only received a lukewarm reception from me. But it did leaving me wanting for more.

Until then, just keep looking out of your window for the bat signal.