The Space-Time Continuum

The Sound of Thunder...

2011-05-08T22:40:00.003-05:00

Here's a quote from Thor comic books: “Stay thy hand! 'Tis the God of Thunder who doth command thee!”

And so it was commanded. A movie was made.

Sometimes a movie can be a damn miracle.

When it comes together like a strike of lightening, it can produce something really good. The film Thor was one of those things which comes once in a lifetime.

The film worked on every single level. And more.

Norse legends, Viking battles, kings, queens and giants. This doesn't sound like a typical summer movie should be.

But this can be credited to the number of people working on the film. One of the writers of the story is J. Michael Straczynski.

I didn't believe it at first. But he made a cameo as the very first guy who tried to pick up Thor's hammer, as one would try to pick up Excalibur in the King Arthur legends. But he wasn't worthy.

But Straczynski was worthy enough of a storyteller.

He understands how a story should work. He knows how to bring the human element into a story and make us sympathetic to that character. He respects the characters. He also helps to relate the characters to us as an audience.

The story is a tightly wound script which weaves between two worlds: one is earth and the other is Asgard. And set between the two worlds is a brewing war between Thor's noble people and the Frost Giants who is always on the edge of hostility.

When Thor brandishes the hammer, he is a god of thunder. He has control of the skies and the storms. He is able to wield a hurricane of power against armies.

And yet he is unable to control his lust for violence. He is reckless, a fool yearning for glory. His half-brother Loki is seemingly more calm... like a serpent slithering in the garden. However, the father Odin (majestically played by Anthony Hopkins) banishes his son to earth.

This is where the human element comes into play for the story. And where comic books go Shakespearean because of Kenneth Branagh.

It is almost an opera of the heavens.

They know enough to not let the wild FX get in the way of the story. They work enough to allow for a great amount of interplay between the characters. Much of it is extremely funny without getting campy.

Thor has grossed an estimated $66,000,000 in the United States and Canada. It also grossed $176,000,000 abroad with $242,000,000 worldwide. This is a Kenneth Branagh with big numbers.

Good. I'm glad it is doing very well. It's a smart film. It's well written. It deserves some high praise. Many positive reviews erupted with this movie.

One of the things I've said before many times. Any superhero film works well if you have an unknown actor in the leading role playing the superhero. It worked extremely well with Chris Hemsworth. He is very charismatic which helps. Yet he has a telling courage which is important to the character of Thor. He is supposed to be noble. And Hemsworth does this.

The film also showcases a fine performance by Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson. You've already seen him in both Iron Man films. But here he is given more to do.

Thor is the template for future comic book movies. The film holds together a very taunt story while offering an epic glimpse of huge battles between misunderstood sides on both ends. It is a huge bang, this story. Kudoes to all the people involved such as Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Comic books have a good future in movies now.

Thor could have been a very silly movie about a man with a stupid helmet and a hammer to drive dull nails. But Thor is enriched by a good story that allows for us indulge.

If you're a comic book fan, you'll have a good time with it., If not, don't worry. The human aspect of the story surpasses everything making this one of the best made comic book films. I'm not kidding you.

Green Hornet is a Big Mess

2011-05-08T11:19:00.004-05:00

This was a dumb movie.

Gawd, this was a dumb, dumb movie.

There's no other way to describe it. Everything about it is just a practice of stupidity which should never have made it to the big screen.

Because of the development hell it went through, a real grinder, the 2011 film looked every bit of a mess that the writers, directors and actors put it through. “The Green Hornest” was a movie that should never have been made.

Because it was made a comedy rather than action film.

But here are some of the decent actors/actress in the film: include Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, Cameron Diaz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson. So what are they doing in this movie?

But the biggest mistake was casting Seth Rogen in the leading role. He's generally a talented guy with a lot of good ideas with writing and producing. But not this. But I don't blame him entirely for the film.

The “Green Hornet” went through the same problems as did the “Batman” TV series way back in the 1960s. For some reason, against all good judgment, someone decided to make the “Green Hornet” campy.

It wanted to be funny when it wasn't. It wanted to be hip when it wasn't. It wanted to be a comedy when it wasn't supposed to be.

The original source material for the “Green Hornet” started out in the 1940s radio show playing it straight. When the “Green Hornet” came to the TV screens, introducing the very young Bruce Lee as Kato, it was played straight.

So why was the film “The Green Hornet” made campy? There was no real reason for it if the production crew wanted to capture a piece of nostalgia. Anyone who remembers the “Green Hornet” will tell you it was a straightforward action yarn.

Sounds familiar?

The same thing happened with the Batman TV series. It was a popular fad which limped through three seasons of campy material that is far too embarrassing to watch. The original source for Batman was the comic book which started out as a straightforward action story with a dark side to it. The stories were set at night where the Batman would go through his vigilante acts to bring criminals to justice.

The TV series took a 180 degree turn from the original source and made the Batman into a comedy of errors. It was god-awful.

You see it in “Green Hornet” film. Why campy? You were left wondering if any people in the production crew had any respect for the “Green Hornet” source material. Did they even care how to create this film? There was some potential.

Yet the "Green Hornet" flunked.

Tom Wilkinson was in the film for a couple of brief scenes, and his character was written out after being shot. Wilkinson was smart enough to leave this mess behind when he did. He probably just came in to pick up the paycheck. That's about it. The others in the film weren't so lucky.

The critics of this movie knew exactly what it was about. It was bad trash.

It was mostly mixed reviews. In fact, it was mostly bad reviews. People who still remembered the Green Hornet series of old will be mystified by the sudden turn to campy in the film. This movie was geared towards more adolescents with raging hormones.

I wanted to punch a hole through the movie because it treated me like I was stupid. I can't stand that.

Being old enough to remember the old shows, Roger Ebert gave the headache film one star and wrote it as "an almost unendurable demonstration of a movie with nothing to be about.” That was a spot on review. I could add that you'll want your money and two hours of your life back. But I was smart enough to stop the DVD about halfway because I couldn't get through it anymore. The folks in the theaters weren't so lucky. Lou Lumenick of the New York Post wrote it as "an overblown, interminable and unfunny update.”

The comedy theme seems to keep cropping in the reviews. It wasn't supposed to be a comedy. And Lumernick added that star Rogen was miscast. Film crtic Richard Roeper gave it a D+. That's like the film nearly failed on every single level.
A lot of people were unhappy.

So was I.

It's one thing that people in Hollywood like to do these days. They like to take something something from the old days, something nostalgic, and turning it into a train wreck. All for the sake of a simple profit.
Movies shouldn't be made for profit.

They should be made out of respect for work and craft.

The “Green Hornet” failed on those accounts.

What was it like seeing this film? It felt like my brains was splashing around in a blender. I felt like someone was standing on my head with high heel shoes during the whole time. I felt like my head were being squeezed by the awfulness of the film. And that was the first half hour of it. I wouldn't watch this movie again if you gave it to me for free.

Yes, I found it to be a waste of time. Was there anything good in it at all? Well, I thought the darkly painted Imperial the Black Beauty was pretty cool. But that's not saying much.

Hollywood needs to start thinking about showing respect and endearment to old franchises. “The Green Hornet” suffered a horrible round of people being greedy for making a profit. I don't want it to happen to other shows that may have an affectionate fan following. But you know that Hollywood simply doesn't care. And neither should you if you ever come across this travesty in a video store.

A Darker Doctor Who?

2011-05-01T12:14:00.003-05:00

Against all odds, the second part of the Doctor Who season opener paid off. The first part was a proper set up. But the second half really delivered the goods.

You don't see too many examples in film history of great sequels. The number you can count would be the number you can count with you hand.

There is “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back” which is superior to the first. “Godfather 2” was a near perfect film that was better than the original. “Mad Max 2” was better than its original in terms of plot development and remarkable stunts.

The Doctor Who episode “Day of the Moon” may join the fleet of sequels that was better than the first. Perhaps I didn't expect it to be so good. I liked “The Impossible Astronaut” as there were a few good shockers.

But the fun is in “Day of the Moon.” It's got a bunch of plot twists, excellent pacing and enough story surprises to keep you coming back for next week.

I'm hooked again. For good, this time.

Moffat did say that the series is going to get much darker, more glooming as it progresses. I can't help feeling that there's still plenty of sense of humor in the shows.

When President Nixon asks the Doctor what his future will be like, he wants to know like any other president if he'll be remembered. The Doctor playfully answers, “Oh yes, Tricky Dicky, you'll be remembered.”

For all the wrong reasons.

But it's this kind of writing that remains so much fun. Humor is one way of setting off unease. You see it when Doctor River Song is falling from the fiftieth floor to her death only to have the TARDIS stop her in mid-flight. And she's dropped into the swimming pool inside the TARDIS. The next scene you'll find her drying off with a towel.

There's another fun bit when in the middle of a battle, Rory asks her what kind of professor River Song was. Song answers while shooting down one of the Silence, “Of archeology!”

But there are so many great scene in the episode that makes it look like a million dollar baby. The bit with the Doctor caught in the middle of fiddling with the Apollo 11 circuits is hilarious... and the camera pulling away to show the full scene of the rocket soon to make its historical launch in 1969 really paints a big picture. They spent their money well on this show.

Another fun bit: You can see Amy struggling to get out of her captivity when the Doctor, Rory and River Song makes the final assault against the Silence. Watching Amy struggle as if everyone's forgotten about her is actually pretty funny.

You can see Rory fumbling around with the Apollo model when he was at the NASA station. And he broke off a piece of it. That's what you get when you're messing around with a model like that. Another fun bit.

The Silence continues to be a devious race. They hide in shadows. They are like whispers in darkness. They continue to be very creepy. There is a scene when Amy finds a horde of them clattering and whispering. She realizes they are all upside down hanging like bats in a cave. It's one of the creepiest scenes in Doctor Who. This particular scene reminds me of the Alien movies because of the great use of lighting.

What I also liked about this episode is the great use of technology. That's the Doctor's most useful skill. His ability to turn technology into a good thing. He was able to install several chips into his companion's hands... small recording devices to help them battle the Silence.

The Doctor was able to build a transmitting machine in Apollo 11 as another way of fighting the Silence.

This was all about figuring out a way to fight an enemy that makes you forget who they are the exact moment you look away. Thankfully, some devices would be able to record the images or voices of the Silence. People might be able to forget due to post-hypnotic suggestions. But machines can't forget.

The Silence were almost like magicians planting suggestions and ideas into people's heads. They are sorcerers of hypnosis. But the Doctor was able to find a way around it by using technology. Science triumphs once again.

Doctor Who maintains a life of quality that would be difficult to beat. This season opener set the stage for the rest of the series. It was like a hurricane of ideas. It was like a storm of stories. But it establishes with a very firm hand what the series is going to be like. Fast, gritty, pulling no punches. I loved it. And so will you.

Doctor Who has come back with a great nod to science triumphing over danger. And it should be. Time travel ideas are fun to mess around with. And I'll be interested in seeing what is going to happen next.

What will the Silence be up to for next time?

Who is that little girl in the space suit? And why did she fire up like a brilliant energy as would a Time Lord? Is she a Time-Lady? How is she connected to the good Doctor? Is she the Doctor's daughter? Is the Doctor somehow finding a way to procreate his own race?

The Doctor is the last of his kind. But are we seeing the Doctor making his own Garden of Eden in space?

It's an interesting idea to know that the Doctor may no longer be the last of his kind. You do notice that he no longer says in the shows, “I'm the last of the Time Lords.”

Maybe the Doctor has learned to confront his own guilt and moving on. And creating his race again like a god playing with his own minions.

It's almost frightening.

Doctor Who's Easter Eggs

2011-04-24T10:30:00.004-05:00

So what is Easter like without Doctor Who?

Empty, a little dull. But thankfully, Doctor Who comes to us with a blaze glory that matches the feeling and mood of a second coming.

I wonder if the Doctor could walk on water? But this isn't about the Doctor being the messiah or some other crap like that. This is Doctor Who hitting the television screens again while charting unknown territories.

Perhaps the opening episode didn't have breathtaking excitement as the last year's did. It could be that we are all so used to Doctor Who being on TV now. We take it all for granted. Many of us just think that Doctor Who is on for another year.

But this year is taking you along for another crazy ride. What it lacks for freshness it made up for shockers.

The following would be what River Song would endearingly call, “Spoilers.”

The writers of the show are looking to throw you on a curve. They're shaking things up a bit. There are a couple of shockers that'll leave you hanging on your seat.

Number one, the Doctor dies in the very beginning of the show. I'm not spoiling anything here or saying anything at the risk of River Song putting a bullet into me. But it's a nice way to start the season off by creating what could be a Christ-like death.

It'll make you think more about the show when the Doctor comes back again seemingly from life. Is he the real Doctor? Might be be some parallel version of him because he is seemingly much darker character than what we're used to. But I do like of like it when the Doctor acts like douchebag towards others. It's rather funny.

Next on the list. The Silence.

This has got to be on of the creepiest aliens to come along in a while. It's nice that head writer Stephen Moffat and his team are coming up with new creatures to bring menace to the good Time-Lord and his crew.

The Silence reminds me of The Scream painting by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Interesting to note that Munch is from the period as Vincent Van Gogh who made an appearance last season. Probably just a coincidence.

The Silence's intentions are creepy. They move like whispers and shadows in the background. And they can make you forget things. How can you fight something you forget? Is that why they are called the Silence? Because making you forget is their natural defenece mechanism?

They're well dressed in three piece suits which may in fact make them more creepy because they should be civilized.

But they're not.

They make Richard Nixon look like a goody two shoes in comparison.

Moffat's love of time travel ideas is something I enjoy because I like the Back to the Future movies. Those movies offer the idea of time-traveling splintering reality if not fixed right. I think the same thing is happening here. Moffat is putting cracks in the universe and we'll be seeing what the consequences are for the remainder of the season.

Will the Doctor be able to fix all the wrongs here? Give him time.

Th story is set in 1969 America where you can see American at its finest with the colorful landscape while at the same time you see Nixon presiding over the country with his paranoia. It is this mood and atmosphere that creates a tension for the episode.

It's nice for the series to give some scenes to the well known actor William Morgan Sheppard best known for his role in Max Headroom and Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country. More so, his son Mark Sheppard is in it as well who's very good.

But the Doctor Who crew did a nice job of using sights of America to give their opening episode a nice boost. It is a nice gesture for the American fans who have long and dedicated fans including myself.

I'll be interested to see how this new, strange alien race The Silence will pan out for the forthcoming episodes. It's nice to see the Doctor Who team is moving away from reusing old, familiar villains and looking to make new monsters. That's a good thing. One of the reasons why the Tom Baker shows remain my favorite of the old days is because the writers' desire to create new myths and history for the long running series. You already have an excellent fourth Doctor at the helm. Why not take the chance of creating new monsters without relying on the old?

I'm interested in what the role The Silence will play. I know it wouldn't be anything good. How will they be a threat to the Doctor? They were already responsible for the destruction of the TARDIS in the previous season. Now they are moving in closer now like pieces on a chess game, soon to corner the Doctor.

The season makes room for other strong characters such as River Song, the now wedded Amy Pond and Rory Williams. Let's not hope they become casualties in the destructive path of the Doctor's travels.

Anime's True Storyteller

2011-04-19T09:18:00.003-05:00

You might have never heard of Hayao Miyazaki.

But you would have watched one or two of his movies already and not even know it.

There's “Princess Mononoke,” “Spirited Away,” “Castle in the Sky,” “Kiki Delivery's Service,” “Ponyo,” “Howling's Moving Castle,” and many more.

I'm willing to bet you saw at least one of them.

Miyazaki hails as one of the foremost and influential animators from Japan whose crisp and simple style often is colorful, always a visual delight. I call him the Walt Disney of Japan. There are many similarities.

His films often have young, innocent children or older teen adults as the protagonist. They are central to the emotional core of the story. His characters are often strong, easily identified by youngsters of today.

Not only that, Disney films have recently repackaged many of Miyazaki's films as Disney presentations complete with a new English audio track for those who do not like subtitles. The voices are some of the most well known actors in the business today: Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Billy Bob Thornton, David Ogden Stiers, John Ratzenberger and many more gave their voice talents to create an English version of the stories.

For those who prefer the original Japanese tracks, you get that too on the Disney presentations. But it is nice to see that Disney is paying its homage and respect to one of the best animators working in the field. He's semi-retired now with his son working in animation. However, Miyazaki said in an interview, “My son will find his own way in animation. I'm not interested in creating a dynasty.”

His own words hold sway. His works and thoughtful stories often portray a youthful rebellion in a world filled with conflict. He has a stunning imagination that fills the animation with visual schemes that are often otherworldly.

Yet, at the same time, he is able to recreate a sense of the past with familiar settings such as 1940s Japan for his beautiful, yet very sad film “Fireflies of the Graves,” appointing him as one of the best presenters of ideas.
Go ahead and pick any one of his movies.

And you'll be washed away by some of the most simple ideas and beauty. This is what animation should be about. Personal vision. It's a unique storytelling that is his own.

Miyazaki spoke of not wanting to create a dynasty. But he did anyway. His great number of films has dominated the animation scene for years. He also co-created the Studio Ghibli to help finance many of his later films. He is essentially an independent filmmaker who brought his films to the celluloid with a personal touch.

His “Princess Mononoke” film was very successful in both Japan and the United States which might have been the most public exposure of Miyazaki's work. Roger Ebert of the Sun-Times placed it sixth of the top ten best movies of 1999. Filmmaker Terry Gilliiam placed it on one of the top 50 best animation ever made.
High praise continue from directors and other animators.

It's unfortunate that his name is not known throughout the western hemisphere like it should be. As with Akira Kurisawa, his works and achievements do shine brighter than his own name did.

It's difficult to pick which ones are favorites. There are so many to choose. They're all good in their own way. They carry the quality and weight of a very hard-working animator who understands how to tell a story.

There is his most famous work “Lupata: Castle in the Sky” which involves a city which floats in the skies according to myth and legends. But several groups of greedy people want to find the floating caste and take the treasure for themselves.

“Princess Mononoke” is one of my favorites because it was my first film which introduced me to the famed animator's work. It was stylish and brilliant. And it offers a kind theme of saving the forest from the reckless hands of humanity. In fact, such themes still make sense in this day and age.

There are never really any villain in his work. They are antagonists who don't understand the situation around them and may come to reason later on in the film. But the films are children's stories. They are meant to teach a lesson. And hope they would somehow capture the innocence of childhood for you.

If you haven't seen any of his works, be a good sport and check one out now. It's worth the time and effort. And you wouldn't feel ashamed about being greeted to one of the most imaginative worlds

It's nice to see that women characters are very strong in the stories. And you'll find that you're sympathetic with the youths in the stories. And perhaps you may feel that you share their dilemma as well.

Miyazaki should be more well known for his works. It's a shame he's not. They're bringing his works under Disney presentations. It's a start.

World of Narnia

2011-04-10T19:12:00.002-05:00

There’s nothing wrong with watching a good fairy tale.

And the “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” offers just that. It is also the third part of the Chronicles of Narnia series which began with the explosion of popularity with sword and sorcery stories which became popular when the Lord of the Rings movies hit the theaters.

How does it fare? I do like these films more than the Harry Potter series which are coming to the movie screens at breakneck speed. However, the Chronicles of Narnia has more imagination poured into them.

There have been mixed reviews on this film especially with some of the internet critics. I don’t understand why.

The film has many strong performances from all the child actors and remains true to the spirit of the previous films. The third film has become the subject of negative reviews from the Rotten Tomatoes website, a site I never cared for. I would rely more on the critical responses of Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times and Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel… both of them liked the film for all its worth.

It’s a nostalgic trip to the fantasy land where some animals talk and spirits come back to haunt. And there is also a dragon and a sea serpent to boot as well. But the movie really banks on the magnificent performance of the youngest children Lucy and Edmund Pevensie who are kings and queens in the Narnia world. And they tag along a snot-nosed brat cousin Eustace Scrubb.

The interesting thing is Eustace might be the most important character in this chapter. At first, he squeals, cries like a baby and thinks only of himself. No one likes him. Not a one considers himself part of the family except a talking, sword-wielding rat who serves as his good guide. But throughout the adventures the boy becomes all the stronger for it.

Much of the film is told through his own point of view as he writes in his dairy. He hates everything about Narnia at first. But after a time he begins to believe the fairy tales and myths. He starts to accept his imagination as real.

Apparently younger children who still believes in the old legends are magically transported to this world. The adults lose their faith of imagination and is no longer brought back to the tales of Narnia. The older children become embedded in reality. All you have to do is believe enough to find a doorway back to this fantasy world.

I have already mentioned that the children actors are strong in their leading performance because the story of Narnia is certainly told through their point of view. The strongest performance, however, belongs to one of the adults. It is Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie who offers a cameo. She shows a deeper sexuality and forceful personality in the cameo she is allowed in the film.

It is brilliant how they worked into the film how the younger sister Lucy wishes she was beautiful like her older sister Susan. And it becomes a very nice sub-plot that British actress Popplewell is involved in. Such scenes shows how she is becoming a very adult woman who is now interested in getting married and going to rich parties. It is this greed that shows a remarkable flaw in the character.

But it’s a shame that Popplewell won’t be any more films as her character appears only in a few books in the Narnia series. She is indeed a very beautiful woman. And her acting gives a great credibility to the film.

It is all the leading characters in the film are tested by temptation. And the evil is like the trailing snake in the garden of Eden that is seems to overshadow everything else.

The film offers a staggering glimpse of the end of the world with tall waves of waters and the brutal seas in which the Dawn Treader must cross. At the very same time, there is a storm of emotions between Edmund, Lucy and Prince Caspian. They become thrown into a soap opera of jealousy, rage and betrayal which becomes the centerpiece of the film’s pace.

Is it a worthy follow up to the other films in the series? Yes. It is a very enjoyable film which will gain interest from people in all age groups. The film maintains the same kind of innocence and grace reveals the illusion of fantasy.

It is this remarkable innocence that makes this film notable. The same kind of innocence that the Harry Potter films has lost so long ago. It feels like nothing has changed in the world of Narnia. There’s still the sweet nostalgia that lingers in the world between the doorways of reality. It’s a place you wouldn’t mind going to again. And that might be a good thing.

Sucker Punch Review: Good or bad? In between, really.

2011-03-27T16:13:00.004-05:00

I saw “Sucker Punch” in the theaters over the weekend on its release.

It’s not a bad movie. It’s not a great movie either. But there are some real stunning imagery worked into the film that boasts of al lively imagination. A gallery of visuals strike with a feast of special effects circling around several very beautiful women. How can it possible go wrong?

It’s the story that bogs you down after a while.

The final verdict, along with many critics, is the visual department is well done. Shame about the story.

It is a messy storyline which centers on a woman who is brought to the Lennox House for the Mentally Insane where it is run by a sadistic warden and the woman often escapes the terrible world of the asylum to cope with it. But it is really a brothel.

The central girl Baby Brown (aptly played by the always watchable Emily Browning) devises a plan to get out of the nuthouse: get five items being the map, knife, fire and key. The fifth element is supposed to be a “mystery” which she will learn herself.

The most challenging aspect of the film is the intercutting between reality and imagination in which Baby Doll uses when she dances. Her thoughts, ambitions and dreams are tossed into a very high-powered women fantasy where they are stronger and faster than mean. And they kick a lot of butt too.

But is it that good a story? No. It doesn’t make sense until the very last threads of the story comes into focus at the very end of the film. By then, you’re bogged down by the confusion of it all. But the music is pretty good for an action flick like this. It’s like watching a very expensive music video.

You’ll get to see rather towering samurai figures in Baby Doll’s initial fantasies. Which strikes a heap of similarities between this film and Terry Gilliam’s film “Brazil.”

It’s almost a rip-off.

I think Gilliam should look into the possible matter of suing the crap out of director Zach Snyder who gave us enough loud, bombastic movies. Excuse me, Mr. Synder, can you tell me where did you get the idea of those massive samurai men using large swords? That sounds a bit… er… like my movie.

But I’m not going to get into that.

I did have some issues with one of the initial reviews of Richard Roeper who clearly didn’t understand anything about the movie.

He gave the film a D which is fine. I’m not going to say it’s a brilliant film though there are portions I liked in it. But he starts saying the film " confusing house-of-horrors story with busty women…”

Number one, I didn’t think any of the major women were busty in the film. Some of them like Jamie Chung looked well endowed and lovely, but wouldn’t fit Roeper’s description. I don’t know why he would go on with a remark like this. He compares them to the Girl Next Door which is a low blow.

But he calls Baby Doll’s an “imagination a fantasy and reality and alternate reality and alternate fantasy-reality.” He doesn’t seem to understand that it’s just her imagination, not an alternative universe. He seems to be confused between the subject matters. This isn’t about an alternative universe. It’s about a woman who goes to the very corner of her mind which is the safest from the harsh world she found herself.

But he is right about one thing.

It is a confused mess.

But what was Zach Snyder thinking when doing this movie? Was he trying to make a schlock exploitation film with beautiful woman or was he making an action film with a psychological story? Maybe both? He does describe it as Alice in Wonderland with machine guns. Okay. I sorta get it now.

Is Synder going to be the next Terry Gilliam in movies? He’s got a long way to go.

He’ll need to start making a clean slate when it comes to scripts. And try to make more sense out of them. I love all the women actresses in it and did like the idea of the film. But it wasn’t executed very well. What is wrong with that guy?

And what was wrong for me for seeing a movie like this? I guess I really was sucker punched.

Mega Funny

2011-03-25T17:13:00.002-05:00

Megamind was a fun movie.

More than that, the story was an intelligent spoof which takes up the best of comic book themes and turn it into something different. Most people in the audience would enjoy this film even if they didn't follow the comic books.

Don't be afraid to admit it's the comedy that holds up well.

It's not hard to see that much of it is inspired by the old Superman comic books of yesteryear... the lone survivor of an alien planet and an outsider to the human race.

The film “Megamind” pokes fun at everything. And I do mean everything. Even the names of the characters like Megamind, Metro Man and Titan all have their roots in the comic books. Many comic books of old always did have rather theatrical names that were larger than life. The Iron Man issues created a super-villain named Obsidian Stane. That sounded like a dasterdly name. It's the name that's bound to be villainous. What about names like Mr. Fantastic from the old Marvel comics which suggested something heroic?

So the people who created the film “Megamind” really knew their stuff. They loved their comic books and brought to life a spoof with a good heart to it.

Will Ferrel is always a great actor in comedies and manges to make every movie shine brightly in funny with his presence. Ferrel is a funny guy. He plays the biggest bad guy Megamind who is bent on defeating the super good guy wonderfully voiced by Brad Pitt. Their voices were perfect harmony with the story itself. Ferrel manages to bring a spot of humanity to a madman egomaniac who could have easily been buffoonish. But he seems adorable instead. Ferrel pulled it off well.

There were plenty other voices which elevated the story to comedic heights such as J.K. Simmons as the warden and Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live who plays the female lead. But one of the brightest spots is Ben Stiller who also co-produced the film He plays an intellectual dweeb in the film which Roxanne falls for. Stiller plays it straight which is always his best... Stiller is never funny in his comedies, but when he's playing the straight man he's brilliant. Kudos to Stiller's great contribution to the film.

There are other fun stuff in the film with Megamind's turn of bad English when he is unable to pronounce certain words and comes off with an exaggerated accent.

The music is always a perfect cue in the film. And it does help with the comic effect in the film. The choice of the songs actually makes sense in the film such as “Bad to the Bone” by George Thoroughgood, “Bad” by Michael Jackson and “Mr. Blue Sky” by ELO. Those are really good choices made and they got one or two songs by AC/DC in it. You can never go wrong with AC/DC.

It is the comic element that remains strong. Sometimes some comedies run out of steam or stick around far too long. But this 90 minute movie is the right fit for the comedy. It tells the story of a good and bad guy and gives it an ample twist. Perhaps the message is this: being a bad guy isn't always a bad thing?

It's a mind warp.

But they were able to do it. They were able to make a villain who seems capable of some sliver of good. Megamind is able to put right the wrong he's done when he realizes it. So he was able to admit to his mistakes and fix them.

Not a lot of people can do that. Admit they're wrong.

The entire story is like a comic spoof of Superman versus Lex Luthor with a bundle of fun gift-wrapped around it. How can you not like the movie “Megamind”? And you have to ask yourself it's okay to root for the bad guy. Sure, it's okay. Three cheers for the bad guy. You're on the right side this time.

Dragon Age 2 is a Personal Quest

2011-03-10T13:18:00.003-06:00

The fighting cleaves through the battle as effortlessly as a kitchen knife cuts through butter. Such movements are more fluent as my sorceress character carves a path of destruction through the dark spawn.

And that's just the first hour of the game.

This is just a mere glimpse of what is more to come. But the design and controls for the new Dragon Age game marks new territory for exact game playing. It already hit the shelves this week.

It is everything one has been waiting for from the production of Bioware? Yes. It is worth the wait to satisfy the hungers of game playing fanatics? Oh, yes. A big yes.

This is coming from someone who isn't much of a game player. Most games I buy are from certain companies who I know will put out a good product. I ignore everything else stocking up on the shelf. Game playing doesn't interest me that much.

If it’s got the name Bioware on the product, I’m their customer.

Dragon Age 2 is better than just any sequel. It's part of a grander scheme of things as it unfolds into a very satisfying world: you become the author of the game as you dictate what will happen. Your champion influences the events around it. This becomes a chapter of an ongoing saga that feels bigger and better.

For example, my wizard character saves a Magistrate’s ill-stricken son from killing any more elves in the ruins. But the Magistrate has political ambitions when my character threatens to take his son to a court of law where he faces charges. The Magistrate said: “I have great influence in the city of Kirkwall. I will make it very difficult for you to live here.” You better believe it.

I used to become obscenely upset, if childishly angry over popular games such as the Prince of Persia or Resident Evil for their insane control designs. It felt too sluggish and I couldn't get wind of the game without figuring out the control layout. I used to hate these games because of their sucky save spots.

You don't worry about that here in Dragon Age 2. As with its predecessors, you can save whenever the hell you feel like. Not only that, sometimes the game makes an auto-save for you. How nice.

However, the best is yet to come. I always was interested in playing the Mage characters. I've enjoyed the fantasy elements of magic in comic books such as the adult-oriented Hellblazer series starring a street smart, chronic smoking Mage. There's also Marvel's comic sorcerer Dr. Strange or DC's latest addition to sorcery: the Las Vegas styled entertainer and powerful woman magician Zatanna. With fishnet stockings.

Yes, I have a thing for magicians.

So it makes sense for me to play one here. But Dragon Age 2 does one better than the previous. The Mage characters have much better fighting abilities. Not only is the staff used as a source of magic, but the magician can wield it like a weapon. Some of staffs have knife-like edges which can slice an attacking foe in half.

I'm not kidding you.

The Mages kick some real ass this time around.

But it’s the story that's once again the big draw for me. Such complexities is like opening up a long novel from the Lord of the Rings series and digging into it. And you keep peeling away through the plot threads. I've played only through Act one so far and it's laden with great side stories along with major plot points.

The story revolves around a lone survivor and his/her family from the first wave of destruction in the first Dragon Age game. That survivor is Hawke. But here's another clincher in the story: the story unfolds over a ten year period starting from humble beginnings before turning into a champion who makes decision that can alter a war.

There are many controversial decisions you can make in the game. Your companions on the team can either side with your or oppose. They can hate or love you. The choices you make can affect the rest of the game. You are in total control of the game. And that's a personal touch.

It's nice that you’re allowed design your own character, thus lending another personal touch to the game. The story is how you interpret it. I've chosen to create a female Mage with dark, flowing hair and a moonlit pale face who remains a force of good.

However you choose the path of the story is entirely at your own discretion. You can play a rotting, heartless bastard or a gentle warden for good. Whatever you want to play... as a Mage, a rogue or a knight, it's up to you. What matters is how the story evolves and you are taking part of something greater.

It's a huge world in Dragon Age 2. Elves, dwarfs and dragons everywhere. And it's a delight to see that it unfolds with all the right blend of fantasy and sorcery. So lift the red-spilled sword in your hand and run into battle while imagining yourself as the greatest hero Dragon Age has known. It’s a personal journey. And it's quite an blood-letting experience.

Horror Show for Doctor Who

2011-03-06T12:10:00.002-06:00

In less than two years the entire Doctor Who series will be finally brought to the DVD world.

There are still a few titles left in the series to get the digital treatment. This week on March 8 will see the much belated release of “Seeds of Doom.” I wish they would have released this one a long time ago. But I suppose it’s better late than never.

But this is one of the quintessential episodes of the series that brings all the best elements of the series to the foreground which is a sturdy reminder as to why the Tom Baker period remains the best of the old shows.

Why is that?

The gothic tenure of the series comes to a culmination at the end of the thirteenth season with “Seeds of Doom” delivering horror elements along with some of the most horrific images ever devised for the series. A children’s show? I think not.

This is Tom Baker’s second go-round as the Doctor, an alien being who comes from an ultimate advanced race as a harbinger of good to the human race. In a way, he’s like a god. But he brings with him the best weapon of all: science. And this is what saves the day in the end. He’s the best Doctor in the old days. Along for the ride is Elizabeth Sladen who once again plays the role of Sarah Jane Smith, a journalist turned companion for the time-traveling misfit.

There is much to go for here. The isolationism and the air of atmosphere in the first one hour of the show is a jarring kick-back to the story “Who goes There?” The mountains of snow cuts off the small Antarctica facility. The feeling of being in the middle of nowhere becomes rather forceful.

The music here is well done with the composure opting to use nerve-wracking motifs that could otherwise be used in old Hammer Horror pictures. You get the feeling of discomfort when you listen to the music in the background. It soaks with a great measure of atmosphere.

However, it is the gothic mode that became the staple for the Tom Baker period here. The unfaltering shadows which leap into the scene. The constant use of dark alleys and small corners give you a sense of impending doom. Phillip Hinchcliffe, being the best producter for the old shows, knows how to bring the best out for the series. And Doctor Who was at its best when using horror motifs.

The show is divided up into two parts. The first section is set in the Antarctica while the later portion revolves around a plant loving madman bent on destroying humanity. How can you not like overblown villainy like this? It’s played well by the late actor Tony Beckley.

How can you forget the awful transformation of the man turned into a plant that could become a threat to the world? The English millionaire tree hugger, Harrison Chase, would not stop at anything in turning the world into a garden paradise for plants. He loves his plants. And it shows. His strange fascination while watching one of his lackeys turned into a plant is unsettling. Chase describes it as “beautiful” while the man shouts in agony.

Some people may criticize the “Seeds of Doom” to be too much like the Avengers episode with its espionage elements. I disagree. The story written by Robert Banks Stewart is fast paced and well thought-out action. It would feel to some in part like a spy movie. But it fits well with this story in an odd way.

Doctor Who achieves its crowning glory not with being tight-knit in its stories. But by offering horror in the most macabre sense. It’s a perfect setting of fear matched with Tom Baker’s excellent acting. In some ways, you can get a feeling that the episode is inspired by the many darker paintings of Francisco Goya who always glimpsed into the darker corner of humanity. Doctor Who does the same thing here.

The ending is one of the most remarkable especially for the shoe-string budget it was on. But the special effects with the growing seed creature engulfing the house where the Doctor, Sarah and others are can’t be easily forgotten. It holds in the best tradition of the Ray Harryhausen days.

Some of the imagery remains with me to this very day. I remember seeing this episode for the first time when I was a kid at my grandmother’s house in Marshfield. So gruesome it was that my grandmother wouldn’t watch it. But eventually she came around to seeing Doctor Who in a better light years later.

“The Seeds of Doom” still stands against the test of time. And it wins out. The story is placed with the gothic thread in the series. The old traditional elements of horror is mixed well with an interesting story about environmental safety. How long would it be before plants would decide to fight back the humans who have become too reckless with taking care of the world? This story gives an interesting example of such.

Give this one a try to find out why the Tom Baker years is fondly remembered.

Super Dud

2011-02-27T15:47:00.004-06:00

When you hear or see something about Superman, many things come to mind: the powerful man of an adopted planet. He is a force of justice. And the “S” in the emblem often is ingrained in your thoughts.

The character has been around for many decades and shows no signs of retiring anytime soon. Perhaps it is the awkward charm of the character that attracts comic book readers to him.

It's not a surprise that another animated film that comes directly to DVD has Superman for the main character. They're trying something new and different.

But I feel the film “All Star Superman” falls flat.

I'll tell you why.

Though the film is excellently drawn. It is modeled after the clear cutting details from Frank Quitely's art from the comic books. There is a wide gallery of colors filling the movie in every scene. It's a nice film to look at. And the characters do look like that they take giant leaps out of the comic book pages.

But that's where all semblance between the animated film and the comic books stop.

Superman is all about awe and wonder... the man who fell from the cosmos like an angel falling out of the heavens. His mystery is one of bewilderment.

You don't see any of that here in the “All Star Superman” cartoon film. You don't feel very close to the characters. You don't have the childlike sense for the character. It's gone and drowned out by the commotion of the film.

I didn't enjoy the comic books of “All Star Superman” or the animated film itself either. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the most recognized performance of otherworldly character: Christopher Reeve. Perhaps he brings the human element into the character so well.

You don't get it here in the “All Star Superman” animated film. The characters seem too cold and flimsy. I didn't find the conversations between Lois Lane and Superman to be believable when she learns of his secret identity.

Much of the mystery of the character has been trampled by an all too rigid story of Lex Luther trying to dominate the world. Again.

Grant Morrison's original story inspired the film here. He is a very good comic book writer. He's written a few of the memorable stories for Hellblazer along with Animal Man from the Vertigo line of comics. He's done other things worthy of note.

But I never thought Morrison was a proper writer for Superman. Nor was he a proper writer for the likes of Fantastic Four. He doesn't the right fit for the superhero type books. His best books are often non-superhero books. Hellblazer for one.

I felt that I wasn't getting involved in the lives of these characters. Instead they were simply milling around in an fashion throughout the story. I wanted to see more of the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane. But they are more of a mismatched pair.

It's unfortunate that I'm saying all this. Bruce Timm does still produce the best of the cartoons of today. His legend is already in stone when he produced the Batman animated series which became a milestone in cartoon history.

But “All Star Superman” isn't one of the milestones. It's an all dud.

I kept hoping to they would bring something positive out in the film, but it's drowned out by the monotonous sour mood. I feel like I'm watching everyone on a grouchy day. It's no fun.

They wasted a remarkably good actor Michael Gough in the part of the Parasite. His talents are totally thrown out the window and you'll see why. The character of Parasite simply does a lot of mumbling. That's about it. Wasted.

These comic books or the "All Star Superman" didn't need to have an adult oriented theme to the stories to make them feel modern. They need to have a childlike wonder to the stories.

That was what they did with the new Doctor Who series when they tapped into our childlike imagination. They need to do the same thing with the Superman character.

And perhaps it was Christopher Reeve who made us believe that a man could fly. It's true enough. Even after thirty years this actor still haunts our imagination with his unforgettable performance.

Can Ghosts, Vampires and Werewolves lead a Normal Life? Nah...

2011-02-13T15:54:00.004-06:00

It's taken me long enough to see the show. Three years, in fact.

But I was able to check out a copy from the Neenah Public Library. It was like digging into a goldmine when I found it.

“Being Human” is a British series that's a strange hybrid of horror, comedy and drama. Though it's a well written one. Not a major classic. A minor classic. But it holds its own very well as a drama.

It revolves around two roommates living in a quiet corner of a neighborhood. They're trying to fit into a normal stride of life. They got jobs, lives and go out to eat once in a while. The only thing is this. One's a vampire and the other's a werewolf.

There's a third roommate of sorts who's a ghost. So this is a kind of “Three's Company” you never got to see. But all sorts of strange things happen when they're trying to be stay normal. But it's harder than they think.

The interesting thing about the series is that they put these characters into very normal situations such as talking with neighbors, going to a bowling alley for a few games or have a party at their house. They try to keep their secret lives from spilling into their everyday routine.

It doesn't always work.

The BBC series is the brainchild of writer Toby Whithouse who whipped up a couple more follow-up seasons ("series" in British terms) after this. Apparently it's popular enough to have a long lease of life in England.

Whithouse was responsible for writing the story “School Reunion” for Doctor Who which featured the return of Sarah Jane Smith in the series along with a certain robot dog K-9.

“Being Human” is a fun series if you want to go for Doctor Who spotting.

Russel Tovey who plays George the werewolf was also in Doctor Who in an episode called “Voyage of the Damned.” The always lovely Lenora Crichlow who plays the resident ghost was also in the episode “Gridlock” back in season three of the Doctor Who series. There are other Doctor Who veterans you can spot such as Dean Lennox Kelly who played Shakespeare in the new Doctor Who series.

There are only six shows in the first series. Same as all English programs from the BBC, the series is cut in half. They made six episodes for the first series. I was told by a friend of mine that the reason why England's shows are usually six to 13 shows a year is because the shows cost twice as much to make there. I haven't heard of that explanation before. But it makes sense. It takes twice as long to make the shows in England as well. At least the quality would be usually better.

What makes the show watchable are the major characters themselves. Yes, they fight with each other much like friends do. They get upset or run off. But you can also see that the characters do really care for each other. In the episode where the Crichlow character Annie tries to haunt her rotten ol' ex-boyfriend, she finds she is ready to give up on life. She wants to give up on everything that is normal as she lays on the sofa motionless. Her friend George lends her a hand and says, “Let me help you.” You can believe it.

My favorite character is Annie. She's like the next-door neighbor you would want. She's nice, kind and will probably share cookies and coffee with you. She's not a mean spirit at all. So if the afterlife would be filled with nice people such as her, it wouldn't be a bad place.
She starts out as hysterical in the beginning of the series. She whimpers some and feels sorry for herself. But she gains more confidence as the series progresses and becomes a rather formidable opponent.

I thought the writing on the fifth episode was rather good. Near poetic in many places throughout the episode. The story centers on Aidan Turner as the vampire Mitchell who is thinking about going back to his old clan. The perspective written in the story is very interesting.

It gives you an idea of what the monster's perspective on normal people is like. How he said something along the lines: “You live your life searching for who you are. Then when you find out who you are, then you start to live your life.” It's a beautifully written passage that gives you a sense of understanding what life is. And that is what the show “Being Human” struggles for. It attempts to put human life under a microscope and explores the flaws of it.

The British series so far is very good. But there is already an American remake of it in development. Why do they even bother? They should just show the British version on PBS stations which would be enough. But American think it can do everything better. Didn't work out well for the much lamented American made “Life on Mars.” The original British series is one of the most brilliant shows ever made on TV. The American version was basically, "Everything that can go wrong with a series."

The American remake did a crap job and gave it a crappier ending to it. The BBC should have sued for awfulness.

And they're doing the same thing to “Being Human”? No thanks. I'll stick with the original version if you don't mind.

I'm curious to know what happens to George, Mitchell and Annie of the original “Being Human.” I want to hear more about these unsung heroes. They're like friends you wouldn't mind having. And they do lead very interesting lives...

Feathers of a Black Swan

2011-02-02T14:18:00.003-06:00

There are still some visually interesting, compelling films hitting the theatres these days. They do come far and between and sometimes. And without warning.

One of those films is “Black Swan” (2010) where the imagination in the film does take on a life of its own. It has some of the most visual images that can burn into your mind long after you are finished watching the film.

It’s a remarkable feat. Movies should do that. They should haunt you. They should be filled with surreal scenes that stay with you in your head like a lingering nightmare.

Some people have problems with this film being a psychological horror film. They call it “nonsense” and believe the horror elements should be done away with. I don’t agree with it at all. The director Darren Aronofsky knows how to make a good horror film. It needs atmosphere… a slow build-up of mood. Most times, a horror film lets loose toward the very end when all the atmosphere swirls into a chaotic state. The writer H.P. Lovecraft knew how to create a picturesque stream of horror. So did Edgar Allan Poe.

Aronnofski was able to bring these stark images to the film with powerful expression of innocence turning into sexual desire.

There are many little things that leads into the harbinger of bad deeds.

Nina played by Natalie Portman who is slowly transforming in many scenes. She is meek, cowardly in some portions of the film. But other parts is a different side of her… like a broken mirror. She escapes her meek self and becomes dominating.

The transformation scenes can be very telling.

She pulls a long thread of loose skin from her finger in one bathroom scene. Some of the transformation scenes are very jarring. There is another where she is consumed with the itching on her back as she pulls out a feathered barb from her skin. It is a black feather. Her eyes turn a reddish nightmare. She goes through the psychological storm of changing into something else. Perhaps a swan?

There are many other things that create the slow build-up. Many of these are contributed by Nina’s mother played by the always dependable Barbara Hershey. She is controlling, jealous mother who rages against her daughter. Nina is coddled and sheltered by her mother.

Hershey may very well be one of the most creepiest things in the film. She looks ancient in her role. And it is this age that seems so threatening. She sacrifices her entire career as a dancer to raise her own daughter. She takes it out on Nina. She wants to control her daughter to become the perfect dancer.

The young woman Nina goes through a mountain of exertion and hardship to win the role of the Swan Queen. She practices religiously. She works tirelessly in the New York City ballad company to dance in the production of the Swan Lake. There is one problem. She is replacing the now unbalanced Beth McIntyer (Winona Ryder) who was the original ballad dancer for the Swan Queen. In many ways, she foretells the future for Nina. It is violent, dark and bleak.

Nina provides the very soul for the production and is cast reluctantly as the ballad director. But the director feels that Nina is perfect for the White Swan because she is fragile and innocent. However, as the Black Swan, she is too frigid.

But when the director tries to kiss Nina during a confrontational moment, she bites him on the lips. He said, “I just saw a flash of the Black Swan right there.”

There are many sexual scenes which create a darker version of Nina. Perhaps it is the driving desire which pushes Nina over the edge. The need to be in center stage can be very punishing as well. The need to be perfect can drive a young woman out of her mind. There is also the note of psychosis that can be dragging the young Nina down.

Remember the same thing happened to Sid Barrett of Pink Floyd fame… the first songwriter, lead singer and guitarist was unable to deal with all the popularity and stress that he was undergoing. So he went to his little corner of craziness. He was unable to handle all the fame and glory that went with his popularity.

That is perhaps what might have happened to Nina. She was simply pushed too far over the cliff of insanity.

The film “Black Swan” deals wonderfully with the idea of doppelgangers. You see doubles everywhere. Nina sees her doubles in mirrors and often in very frightening moments. Her understudy Lily is a near double of Nina… who believes that Lily wants to steal her role. There are many other moments of doppelgangers. The White and Black Swan are doppelgangers as well. It is a splitting image.

“Black Swan” remains an interesting study of a psychological rollercoaster ride. it’s brilliantly handled in the written story. We already saw what the Black Swan role can do to Beth. Nina seemed to be unable to lift herself out of the abyss either.

I’m not sure how well people will understand the film. It’s a heavy duty film which requires some thinking. And it is a very challenging film. And it’s nice to see a thinking horror film once in a while. We need more of those.

Drunk Capt. Kirk?

2011-01-28T16:49:00.004-06:00

Howdy. Hope things are going well for you as I'm sending along another blog of intense observations while hacking into culture references.

I see that William Shatner was upset about not being in the latest Star Trek movie that came out in 2009. The one with the revamped crew and younger actors. It's a pretty good movie from producer J.J. Abrams. Too bad about the lousy science in it. I hope they will correct themselves on the science for the next film.

But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I'm talking about how upset Shatner was in not being in the film. He said: “I could have been in it too!”

That's the thing.

Number one, it would have been far too complicated to have two people coming out of the prime universe (our own) into the story. The original Spock played by Leonard Nimoy was already in it. We don't need someone else from the original crew.

Number two, Shatner looks like a damn drunk.

Have you seen him recently? The poor fellow doesn't look very good for his age. He looks like a bloated whale. I keep asking myself this question: Do we really need a drunk Kirk? Do we need Captain “Jack Daniels” to be running around with a puffy red nose in a new Star Trek movie? No.

The idea of Capt. Kirk in his prime years was that he was a man who was fit and in good shape. He was all about action and staying in reasonable condition. Can you imagine Capt. Kirk letting himself go and then looking like a stuffed donut? He does now. Check him out in the show “Boston Legal” to see that I'm not lying to you.

It's probably why the new Star Trek crew didn't want Shatner to be involved with the show and shooed him away as quietly as possible. Kirk in his older years looked like he drank fifty years straight.

It's entirely different with Leonard Nimoy in his older days. He looks thin and frail... that's true. But he's in good shape. The character of Spock gives the idea that he grows more “monkish” looking as he gets older. He looks more weary-bound, yet his features offer a vast intelligence. He looks like a man who has been dieting in the same manner of monks: eating next to nothing. Nimoy looked every bit the part of Spock in the newest Star Trek film that came out more than a year ago.

The audiences can believe that it's Spock in his older years. He looks like he's retired well into his elderly period... thin, frail, yet looking like a priest with robes. He resembles a spiritual leader in the midst of war. But there’s an absolute dignity about him.

Nimoy is more suited to replaying the part of Spock rather than Shatner in the Kirk role.

You can see this again in the Fringe series with Nimoy playing the role of William Bell—as a scientist. And Nimoy does resemble a scientist in many ways with is frail and thin frame. He looks overworked. And yet he is still able to hold credibility in his physical appearance. I think it's safe to say that Nimoy stayed well away from booze and sweets in his older age.

Even in the Star Trek: Next Generation episodes where Nimoy redid the role of Spock once more. Tall, slender, he remains a man who is constantly changing and growing into a more settled being of spiritual means. He looked like someone who was going through a rigorous lifestyle of seeking that inner knowledge like so many spiritual people do.

It's too bad that Shatner did go down the path of drinking. But it's so obvious. Perhaps the death of his former wife may have triggered the drinking. It's a possibility.

There was no doubt that Shatner in his fifties was still fueled with a youthfulness. He looked to be in top form during the early Star Trek films such as Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. There's a bit where Kirk was fighting the Klingon commander while the Genesis planet was breaking up. There's a sudden move as Kirk made a somersault and landed back on his feet. That wasn't a stunt man. That was Shatner doing all his own stunts there.

But now he wouldn't be able to do any of that anymore.

I believe that the original Star Trek ended peacefully with the dignity of the older Spock... and remained in our memories as Nimoy was, in every way, the spirit of Star Trek. And to the very end, he made the series proud with his charismatic presence.

Defining Science

2011-01-23T13:50:00.004-06:00

Having a cold isn’t any fun. It started just before Christmas and went away for a while. Then it returned with a vengeance a couple of weeks ago for a rebound. But I was able to take certain pills to help get rid of the nagging cough. I hate colds. They are a misery.

During that time I couldn’t do much when the cold reached its height for me. So I checked out a copy of the Fring series from the Oshkosh Pubic Library. It wasn’t a bad idea.

I’ve never seen the show before. A few people, more of the scientific variety, urged me to see the show for its great use of science. I didn’t bother for a while. But seeing I had a lot of time on my hands during the weekend, I managed to sweep through nearly the entire first season.

I liked the series. I’ll tell you why.

There have been plenty of shows that always misrepresent the use of science. Often the message is “science is bad.” They would tell us that science shouldn’t be trusted. That isn’t the case here.

In fact, science more often than not resolves the situation. Yes, there is some bad science in the Fringe series which gives us a foul reflection of progress. The idea that science is not humane. But yet there is a professor named Walter Bishop who is like the Doctor Who of the Fringe series. He is able to solve many of the problems from the comfort of his own laboratory.

The first season also revolves around another story of a different scientist named William Bell played with diligent care by Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame. Throughout the first part of the series, we are told that he is a butcher of science… and he is evil personified. But it turns out that he is a pretty decent scientist as well.

There are plenty of gray areas in the series and a very interesting story arc which tells about an oncoming war from a parallel universe about to invade our worldly domain. Walter Bishop gives an interesting explanation as to why other universes could exist.

I can see why people interested in science would like this show.

It’s a smart series.

Many of the scientific explanations given throughout the series is reasonable and plausible. In fact, the science can become a possibility. The notions of cloning isn’t far from our world now as it is becoming a more common practice. But the Fringe series really does rely on the interior logic of science for the series. Many times it makes proper sense. They have been thinking everything through.

The series has a great ensemble cast. It’s not a big cast. There are three major characters including Anna Torv who plays the FBI agent Dunham slipping into the strange world of Fringe science and becomes a leader of a group of a misfit department investigating supernatural crimes. The father and son of the Bishop family is played by John Noble and Joshua Jackson. They’re very good in it and gives the series a presence needed.

There are several other minor characters such as Lance Reddick who plays the very serious minded Phillip Broyles—a Homeland Security agent who oversees the Fringe Division. The always lovely Jasika Nicole plays Astrid Farnsworth who assists Olivia and Walter in their cases. One can’t forget Blair Brown as Nina Sharp who runs the Massive Dynamic which is a leading company in science development. Even all the minor characters give some very excellent story background for the series itself.

Much of the first and second seasons deal with the idea of the parallel universes and comes back to the partnership of Bell and Bishop who set everything in motion.

There are minor flaws in the series that should not be bothered with. I’m a little annoyed at the often “cue cards” that would tell you the location of the city such as “Boston, Massachusetts” or “Harvard University” which is often placed into the scene in big, bold letters. I can gather from seeing the surroundings or listening to the dialogue where they are. I don’t need the cues to tell me what the setting is.

Again, it’s a minor gaffe.

I found the first season to be very fresh and bold in its massive undertaking in the storyline. There are several Star Trek and X-Files references in which the series takes its influences from.

The first season is a great storyline which leads right up to the first meeting of Nimoy’s character. However, the second season seems to be lagging just a tad except whenever Nimoy appears to give it an added boost to the stories. It might be possible that the season is losing steam right now. I think it works better in shorter seasons rather than stretching it out to the current 24 episodes as in the second season.

But we’ll see.

I haven’t seen the entire second season in its entirety yet. But I’m confident that the stories will pick up again with a more dramatic tension. I hope so. The stories are usually very interesting and they do have a great cast to work with. There are still so much needed to be learned about the Bishops, Boyles and Dunham herself. Each and every one of them has a story to tell.

The third season is being currently aired right now. But it’s probably better to start the show from the very beginning. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know what is going on. There are a lot of complexities in the series and dropping into the middle of it wouldn’t be advised.

I’m not a big fan of J.J. Abrams’s works who helped create this series. But this one is worthy of television viewing.

Science first here. Guns rarely used.

Using the mind to resolve a problem. It's easily the best thing to do in a civilized world.

Training Dragons is Easy

2011-01-16T15:56:00.002-06:00

It took me long enough to get around to the movie. But I managed to finally get a peek at the “How to Train Your Dragon” movie which came out last year. Yes, it's taken me this long.

Thanks to low prices of the Famiy Video store and a little bit of patience, I was able to rent it out this week. It was good enough that I watched it twice. I did return the movie. No late fee.

I don't apologize for taking this long to see the film. I wanted to see the movie when it hit the theaters. But no go. I was going to see it when it was running in the second hand theater in the Appleton area. Didn't get out there.

In a way, I wished I've seen it sooner.

It's a very good film with a strange moral premise to it. What's the moral? It comes in two parts. Number one, it shows that there is no reason to hurt or wound anyone or anything. Number two, there should be trust between two beings from different cultures.

In this case, it's a Viking boy and a dragon.

The story is told through the point of view of a Viking boy named Hiccup. Yep, that's his name. His voice, his demure, everything reminds me of a Woody Allen character. He's a nervous wreck. He's a weakling. He looks like a geek.

But he is funny. And very smart. Which helps him to weave around between bad situation. He would either run or hide. Very much in Allen's old style of mayhem.

For some reason, the Viking kids including the Hiccup and Astrid characters would talk in a modern lingo while the rest of them speak in the old Viking styled accent. It's very odd.

But it is an odd movie. With a good heart.

Much of it is centered around the blossoming friendship between the dragon and Hiccup. It's a strange universe to be living in because all the dragons and Vikings do is fight each other to the death. And there's very little other ambition. The dragons would raid the Viking villages. And the Vikings would fend them off for another score of battle.

But the lesson of the story is how Hiccup approaches his situation by using his intellect. This film is another example of using intelligence to solve a situation. Hiccup devises a way to create a friendship by giving it raw fish. He creates a new “wing” for the dragon so it would be able to fly on its own accord. Hiccup finds a way to fly the dragon by making himself a pilot and an extension of the flying creature. He uses his brains. Not his brawn.

The films are going through a phase right now. It is the day of the geeks. Seriously. Have you noticed that many films of today are subscribing to a geek crowd? There are the many comic book movies based on original material of Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and others independent books like “Sin City” by Frank Miller. These are geeky stuff. But it's wonderful stuff. You would also notice that the latest leading actor of the Doctor Who series—Matt Smith—is a perfect geek himself. Tall, slender and not at all the strong type... he approaches his situation using his intellect. There are many shows and movies that are designed for the geek audience.

Same with “How to Train Your Dragon.” This is a movie about a geek for geeks. And it's a pleasure to see a film that delivers the universal message: brains over brawn. Anytime. Hiccup is a character that doesn't fit into the old styled macho character such as the Conan the Barbarian or Rambo types. Instead, he reminded me more of Woody Allen in the old days.

The film itself is a nice balance of comedy and drama. We get to see the growing romance between Hiccup and Astrid which is always very innocent. The voices by the actors themselves are usually comedians. But they work very well with the material. Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson has a fairly large part in here as the old mentor of Hiccup which gives him a chance to stretch his comedic skills that he loves so much.

Interestingly enough, one would find that David Tennant has a smallish part in the film itself. (Tennant has previously played Doctor Who). He was the narrator for a smaller feature made for the film itself. I'm wondering since Ferguson is such a huge Doctor Who fan that he might have somehow got Tennant on board the project. Not to mention they are both Scottish.

Is it a good enough movie to take the kids to see? Definitely. There aren't any real violence in the film and there are a few sad moments in the film. But it is intended for the general audiences. The story gives a very good lesson in non-violence which sets it apart from other films. You wouldn't have to worry about any swearing or cursing.

For myself, I've enjoyed the film for its moral code. And there could be no argument against using non-violence in today's world that has become so obsessed with guns. It really gives a wider view that using non-violence is a preferred thing. Children would do well to learn using their smarts when it comes to figuring out something. Not bashing or smashing about. Just good old fashioned and reliable intellect.

Doctor Who on Craig Ferguson's show

2011-01-09T16:27:00.003-06:00

There have been some sightings of a Dalek in L.A. in November.

So was the Doctor seen by many.

How could I have missed all of this when nearly a month has passed? It goes to show that you can miss a lot when you don’t even have cable TV.

I know, I know, the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson isn’t a science fiction show. It has nothing to do with space operas or monsters in metal casings. But Ferguson is an admitted Doctor Who geek... making his confessions on national TV as being a kid growing up with the British Icon.

Well, Ferguson is Scottish so it would make sense that he knows everything about the Doctor Who series. In fact, he is the Doctor’s biggest fan after all the time and effort he invested getting Matt Smith on board. The leading Who actor is filming in the United States… Utah to be more specific. It’s a nice place with the sprawling, jagged rocks stretching like a parched landscape. Smith himself is getting a little piece of Americana during his stay here.

He’s been invited to be a guest on Ferguson’s show on Nov. 16.

I missed the show entirely. Probably a lot of other people did too.

Most people in the United States wouldn’t even know who Smith is. They wouldn’t even know what Doctor Who is. But there is a definite audience for the series here in the States.

It's not hard to see that Ferguson is the biggest fan because he created, wrote and sang a huge production number of the Doctor Who theme song at the very beginning of his episode.

Writing the entire song displays his incredible knowledge of the long British institution that began in 1963 and reached huge popular peaks during the Tom Baker period. Now the series is going through another golden age with Matt Smith behind the time traveling myth.

But there are some great lines in the song. One of my favorite bits is the fact that he wrote the line that it takes “intellect over brute force” to solve the problems. This is brilliant. It's the very gist of Doctor Who. That’s what I’ve been saying to people all the time… the Doctor prefers to use non-violence without resorting to guns.

Ferguson understands Doctor Who completely and uses comedy to deliver his message. It was a line that was repeated two more times to show how important it was to use one’s smarts against violence.

I like Craig Ferguson before. But I like him even more now. He’s awesome.

He plays up the production number with a dance troupe and plenty of interesting sight gags including the steely frame of the Dalek sitting in the background. It seemed ready to blast anyone who might digress from the song.

The entire introduction was filmed and ready to be broadcast. But it was one of the network folks who came to Ferguson just minutes before the broadcast to let him know that his beginning portion could not be used due to copyright issues.

Copyrights.

It’s too bad.

But thankfully we have youtube to see it. You can check out the “lost footage” of the Ferguson song and skit on Doctor Who if you type in “Craig Ferguson cold open.” Standing for cold opening that was unused for television. We are still able to view this amazing bit of comedy. And a brilliant homage to the old Doctor Who science fiction show that’s changed its style through the years.

There’s a nice reference to “geek” and “nerds.” And geeks are now the new audience for the twenty-first century. Comic book movies abound is just proof enough that such things have a huge viewership. Ferguson explains the Doctor Who series well within the three minutes of the song. It was reported that Ferguson was upset when the cold opening couldn’t be aired.

The rest of the late, Late Show was aired however. And the United States was treated to seeing what an interesting actor Smith is.

Matt Smith was equally as good in the show. They gave him a pretty good segment and he also even appeared in the cold opening that was not used. But every ounce of his enthusiasm for the Doctor WHo role is right there. You can see he still enjoys the part. He likes the creativity of the role and the challenges one makes through the time traveling series.

It’s nice to see the banter between Smith and Ferguson as if they are old friends. But it is also how they talk about the Doctor Who series like it’s an everyday thing while some people in the audience are mystified by it. But it is a cultural icon in United Kingdom. The comradeship felt between the actor and talk show host can be felt by the viewers. Doctor Who becomes part of their everyday conversation.

I also liked how they spoke of “old” Doctor Who which many people such as myself-who grew up with the show when it was shown on PBS from the early eighties-can understand. Their comments flood my thoughts with the old days and it’s great to see how other people apart from myself are able to reminiscence on it. Smith enjoys acting for the American episodes that will be slated for the early part of the series this year.

If you watch very closely to the trailer for the upcoming series, you can see the Doctor in the American setting getting his cowboy hat shot off after he said, “I like suspenders. Suspenders are cool.” It seems to be a running gag with the character River Song shooting off his hat now and then. She shot off his fez last season. But the eleventh Doctor is determined to wear a hat yet.

So who’s next on the Late, Late show?

It’s unfortunate that not another person was able to come aboard from the Doctor Who crew such as Karen Gillan or writer Stephen Moffat. But it would be a treat to see them in an American talk show like this. It makes a great opportunity while viewing the TV to bring Doctor Who right to your very living room.

Craig Ferguson is definitely a sap for Doctor Who. So am I. And there are a lot of other people who appreciates the show. It’ll be always a welcome surprise for Ferguson to bring on new guests. Who will it be next time? Who knows?

"Empire Strikes Back" lives on in the National Film Registry

2010-12-30T16:07:00.002-06:00

A towering figure with an electronic voice like a storm soldiers into the room with all the authority of a galaxy. The force is so powerful within him that he is able to choke some to death with a mere hand gesture. His eyes are empty. His armored body like a black knight is without a soul.

These are the first scenes with Darth Vader as he attempts to carve a path in his search for Luke Skywalker while setting a destructive streak through the rebellion base on the snow-smashed planet Hoth.

If any of this sounds familiar, it should. These are scenes of the film “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” which has been a staple of film history for the last twenty-eight years. Now it’s making history once again.

The film is being chosen as one of twenty-five to be added to the National Film Registry, as announced by the Library of Congress on Tuesday. The purpose of this is to safeguard films of cultural interest and preserve them for future generations to be able to view them.

The films in question must contain a heartbeat of artistry. The film must have a sense of worth. It must have some uniqueness about it.

“Empire Strikes Back” has all these elements and more. It is the film that has the very least to do with George Lucas as a contributor. The directorial duties were transferred to the much more skillful and better Irvin Kirschner who chose to give character embellishment to the league of rebels such as the rouge pilot Han Solo and young Jedi Skywalker. Their faces and voices have become iconic in film history.

But none would be able to forget the shadowy presence of Darth Vader who continues to hover as one of film history’s greatest villains.

Even if one didn’t much care for science fiction or Star Wars in particular, “The Empire Strikes Back” still holds a very impressive artistic vision that deserves a place in the National Film Registry.

One of the key points of the film is the introduction of a mysterious mentor named Yoda who now lives in hiding on a swamp planet in the outer reaches. It is there that Skywalker resumes his training as a Jedi. The excellent puppeteering skills, coupled with Yoda’s familiar voice, creates another alien culture we could not even begin to imagine. His wide-eyed glare and on-cue gestures makes him every bit as human as the other characters.

I could care less if Yoda can’t get his grammar correct. He’s one awesome little Jedi Master. And he’s powerful enough to influence Luke Skywalker in the right direction.

There is so much to say about the film: some very beautiful scenes such as the wondrous Cloud City which hovers in peace in the skies to the very darkest corners of Dagobah. The film brings to us reflections of otherworldly ideas that continues to haunt us to this very day.

But it is the relationship of Han Solo and Princes Leia which becomes the epicenter of the film as we are drawn to a fairy story of a princess falling in love with a pauper. There is a magnetism between the two which gives the story romantic reflection that seems so very real. When Leia admits that she likes only nice guys, Han steps in with a remarkable delivery by Harrison Ford when he said with plenty of rougish quality on it, “I’m a nice guy.”

The film also introduces the first black man seen in the entire Star Wars universe: Lando Carrisian who adds to Han’s back-story as they are old friends. I really like how the film seem to play with many ideas and suggestions of what happened in the past including a card game where Han won “fair and square” the Millennium Falcon.

The entire Star Wars films does have an impressive stock of six installments which creates a theatrical vision from start to finish. And the prequels do have their faults only because Lucas was far too involved in them. But it is his creative vision. And the films are his own for better or worse. But “Empire Strikes Back” remains the top of its game for the longest time and reminds us that Star Wars has great artistic value as well.

How does Lucas rate as an artist? He sucks. He isn’t interested in the acting or the writing. Just the special effects. That can have serious fallbacks. But his vision is really a remarkable one when he first conceived it by using all the well known icons such as cowboys, ninjas, samurai and bounty hunters. It is a powerful throwback to the old serials of the 1930s as well.

The original copies of the film are prepared for long storage at the Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center near Culpeper, Va. By doing this would beat out the eventual deterioration of films such as losing color or simply breaking apart. One would hate to see the same thing happen to “The Empire Strikes Back.”

Other films will be seeing the light such as “The Exorcist” from 1973 and “The Pink Panther” from 1964 which is a very nice knowing nod to Blake Edwards who recently died this year.

This is a thankful gesture made for this particular film which has been in the popular culture for years—you see Star Wars on glasses, silverware, toys, games, posters and nearly everything else you can think of. Most fans would have all the films, and this one in particular, lovingly locked away for future viewing in their own homes.

But the National Film Registry is doing us all a favor by doing this. They are also saying that they know the value of the Star Wars film and wish to retain its star-studded qualities. The force is strong in this one.

And just think, Star Wars almost came to theaters with a disco music soundtrack. Wouldn’t that have been awful? Imagine John Travolta in space. It was thankful they turned to John Williams who gave us one of the most familiar cues of all time with his musical gift. It feels complete now. The music, the scenery and the cutting special effects.

By making “Empire Strikes Back” a part of the National Film Registry makes it complete indeed. I’m sure Chewbacca would have chimed in a growl of approval here.

The Doctor's Christmas Carol

2010-12-26T16:23:00.003-06:00

I think perhaps it was because of the brilliant ending of the fifth season of Doctor Who regarding the Big Bang episode written by Stephen Moffat that I expected so much more in the Doctor Who Christmas.

I suppose one was a little spoiled by the dazzling cosmic plot about universes ending and beginning again that it left your senses numbed. So I was expecting more of the same. But it is a little different this time.

The Doctor Who Christmas special for this year didn’t do that for me. It wasn’t a grand scale episode that dealt with the mysteries of the universe. Instead, it went for the small hook of a story: regarding an old man who lost his spirit for Christmas.

In this respect, it is a well done reworking of the now familiar Christmas Carol that so many people have come to love and cherish. It is like getting a heartwarming present all over again. But I can’t help wondering how many more times can they pull off a Christmas special before the novelty of it wears off. How many times before we get bored of the idea of Christmas for Doctor Who?

I don’t like to think about that.

So I’ll try to deal with the ghost of Christmas present for now.

Stephen Moffat writes this time around by working a few clever time travelling gimmicks. This is what Moffat is best at. He knows how to deliver a good plot… and wrapping it around with plenty enough plot twists to keep the story going. My favorite bits are how the Doctor manages to bring the future and the past together through some interesting visuals.

The story revolves a honeymoon trip with Amy and Rory coming to a crash on the planet that is covered with an icy atmosphere in the skies. It’s more dangerous for the ship to come down without any proper guidance. It’s not a fun distress call for the Doctor to receive. But he needs to convince a scrooge-like Kazran Sardick to help the people on the doomed ship.

However, the entire cloudscape is mapped to Sardick’s biological system. And he doesn’t give a rip about the rest of the population on the planet who he considers a low form of life. He lives in a towering castle-like presence that overlooks the rest of the city as if he is a god. And the others are mere people for him to crush.

What a happy guy.

But it doesn’t stop the Doctor. He thinks of some clever ways of using time travel in hopes of convincing the old man that it is worthwhile to save these people on the ship. It’s these little gimmicks of time travel that made this particular special so much fun. Because the Doctor needed a combination to a lock to open up a cryonic chamber, encasing a woman, the Doctor tricks Sardick into giving the combination number by using time travel. You’ll need to see the show to enjoy the scene.

The cryogenic chambers which keeps the people in limbo belong to families who “owe” money to Sardick… and therefore he keeps the people as lending material before he could be paid up in full. But the Doctor releases the young woman in the chamber. Her name was Abigail Pettigrew and she begins to form a romance with a younger version of Sarcick.

They make a promise: that they’ll share every single Christmas with Abigail as much as possible. There are some fun moments. The fez returns for an appearance: the eleventh Doctor’s favorite type of hat. And you get to see him wearing the long, trailing scarf from the Tom Baker days in one scene as well. It’s a lot of fun to watch.

Despite everything, the old man is a stubborn mule. Burt the Doctor manages to figure a way to rectify the situation by bringing the old man to meet his younger self. Flashes of his father abusing him as a child on a cold Christmas day reduces him to a chattering, crying man. And he agrees to help the crashing ship to land properly.

The story isn’t particularly complex. But it’s a fun and enjoyable romp that is still fairly fresh. The acting performance by Matt Smith alone is worth the ticket right here. He is ever as enthusiastic about the role of Doctor Who as he was in the first moments… he is like the brightest light guiding us through all of time and space. He seems overjoyed, slightly pompous and always creative. His traits are easily seen here… he seems to be more of a human Doctor than ever before.

There is also the acting presence of Michael Gambon, also known for his role as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter fims, who lends a great performance as well. Smith seems to be at his best when acting opposite of an older actor. And here, neither disappoints when they carry on the Christmas cheer between them. And there is nothing wrong with this.

It is becoming quite a staple for Doctor Who to be part of the Christmas celebration. Let’s hope for many more years of it.

Superhero Frenzy

2010-12-10T13:44:00.002-06:00

The one problem about a cartoon like the Justice League is that there’s a lot of members. So many that you really don’t know who they are. It’s like the G.I. Joe series from the eighties. Apart from four or five major characters, you couldn’t tell from one person to another in the series.

It can be a problem.

But they found a way to resolve this matter in the DC Universe Showcase series which focuses on a minor character from the Batman/Superman stories.

Superheros are in great numbers. However, for the newest release of the animated shorts from the DC universe, we see one character at a time. That’s fine. Better for character development.

The new release has four short films on a single DVD with the first episode being clocked in at twenty-five minutes while the other three entries are somewhat shorter at twelve minutes a piece.

There is something about keeping the stories short, and to the point, which builds in greater pace while getting rid of padding. It's a good idea.

There are several literary writers such as Ernest Hemingway who liked the idea of keeping the message short and simple.

Short can be good.

You can see the same thing here with the cartoon shorts. They are almost like small movies made revolving a central character.

The first one “Rise of the Black Atom” is about Superman and Captain Marvel... a charming story about standing up for your friend. Even if it is against all odds. And this is what it is all about... showing a lot of courage.

The film really showcases on a young boy named Billy Bastian who is a small kid with a big heart. When he comes to passing the test of courage, he remains the head of the class. He learns that he has received special powers of magic which gives him all the elements of strength, power and speed. Much like Superman is. Plus Captain Marvel is a being of magic as well.

All Billy has to say is “Shazam!” And he’s Captain Marvel.

There is a nice little bit where Bastian says Shazam while he is still in mid-air. That's a little lesson he'll learn the hard way.

The animation is beautiful, stunning. In some ways, it ranks with the very best of the Japanese anime. All the details and movements are fluid in this small cartoon piece. It's a marvel to look at.

If you could guess it was James Garner playing the wizard who bestows the powers to Bastian, then give yourself a pat on the back. It's great hearing this actor's voice again.

The second episode is about the Spectre who gains his powers by being the spirit of vengeance by taking on the form of the detective Corrigan. What is most fascinating about this cartoon piece is the fact that justice and vengeance. So there is a constant moral battle between doing what is right and what is wrong.

Naturally, the Spectre throws all the rules out of the house and goes for the gusto. He isn't a very nice guy either. More than that, he plays with mortals like they are simply pieces for his amusement. This is one example of someone who has too much power in his hands.

The Spectre segment has all the right elements of horror. And the animation matches the mood of old detective stories while keeping the atmosphere of dread. It's very well done.

The voice for the Spectre/Corrigan is Gary Cole... best known for his work as the evil Sheriff from the American Gothic series. This is a very inspired choice.

Some might be put off by the character's callous attitude towards taking the lives of the guilty. But you must remember that he is a spirit of vengeance. So he takes a path of self-righteousness. He's not the same as Batman who follows a rigid code of honor. The Spectre is a different breed.

There is a great piece about the Green Arrow who is caught up with an incident at the airport. The theme here is about keeping track of time as he wants to give the engagement ring to the lucky woman. But Green Arrow falls into political swirl when there are several assassination attempts on the young princess who is yet to become queen because her father recently passed away.

Like a young Robin Hood coming into the foray to save the innocent, Green Arrow manages to go through the entire cartoon segment with his characteristic qualities: an arrogant hotshot with an excellent marksmanship.

There are a lot of nice voices for this cartoon segment including the villainous one by Malcolm McDowell. It's something to see that such well known actors could contribute their time to giving more credibility to the characters in this piece.

But it is the wonderful relationship between the Green Arrow and the little princess, both of which are going through their coming of age: the princess must take careful steps into growing up to the queen. And the Green Arrow who must prove his excellent accuracy to save the princess' life.

This one cartoon piece is NOT to be missed. It's a bullseye.

One of my favorite pieces is the last one. Jonah Hex... a lesser known characters from this comic book universe. But there are all the traits of the western setting with the blowing dust, the ragged shacks that make up a bitter, old town, and the lone stranger who rides into town like a storm. You begin to wonder if Clint Eastwood would show up anytime soon.

However, it is Thomas Jane who voices the character of Hex. And it is a brilliant casting choice. Jane is a wonderful actor and gives credibility to the role of the Hex character. Yet the actor still gives a chilling, if weary feeling to the character... as if the man is tired of violence, almost bored of it. And yet he keeps going for the sake of getting money for his bounty.

A nice piece written by Joe R. Lansdale who loves the character of Hex. The Texas writer already did a couple of comic book limited series on the renegade bounty hunter. (And also wrote a story about Jonah Hex for the Batman Animated Series back in the nineties). But now we get to see one of Lansdale's sharp witted stories once again in cartoon form. It's great stuff with a number of macabre elements regarding dead folks.

Not a kindly town. And an even less nice hero.

Any combination with Lansdale and Jane in a story is worth the trouble seeing.

All of the cartoon segments in the collection are worth seeing as every one of them has something to offer. Whether it's high flying superhero action or a low-key western setting, there is a definite variety here. And all of them made possible by one of the best producers of animation, Bruce Timm.

Check this one out next time you're renting. While you're at it, try checking out the old Batman cartoons from the nineties starring Kevin Conroy as the dark knight. You can't go wrong here.

A Graphic Anime

2010-12-06T16:24:00.002-06:00

If you like mystery, along with horror and weirdness, you might like the anime series "RIN: The Daughters of Mnemosyne" or just RIN for short. Go ahead and say the word Mnemosyne. I have trouble with saying it.

It IS an odd piece of animation.

The interesting thing with Japanese anime is the absolute variety of genres worked into many different series involved. It could be a romantic comedy or science fiction depending on the story. You could throw in many things and still get away with a pretty good narrative.

But RIN is a difficult one to classify.

Which makes it a very strange is the wondrous orchestra of animation and storytelling. It centers on a female private investigator who runs a number of odd jobs anywhere between finding lost pets to missing persons. So you could call it a mystery? Well, yes. But then you throw in the fact that she survives many horrible deaths because she turns out to be an immortal. So it’s a horror story? Yes, it is.

So it's a hodge-podge of different elements stirred into one whole piece which stretches for six different 45 min. segments. There is a definite story arc here included in the six part series.

Rin Asogi is an immortal who works as a detective in order to solve her own past. Because she's lived for such a long period, some memories are lost to her. But she becomes involved in a long battle of eternity... while learning of how her past was catching up with her. The story is rich with a complex plot that is layered throughout a narrative. Set in Tokyo which gives it the Asian climate needed.

However, it's not for those with weak stomachs. There are tons of graphic moments where the main character is tossed through a number of deaths. What are the deaths? She is killed in several explosions, gunshots, knifes and swords and even an inventive one by being pulled into an airplane propeller. Isn't that nice?

It's an extra for horror fans because the blood-letting is pretty spectacular stuff. So this one isn’t for the kiddies. The studios Xebec and Genco created the anime series for just one season... and it was licensed by Funimation for the United States. But you have to wonder if the people making this animation had a warped sense of humor.

Back to the gruesome deaths. Every time Rin is killed, she loses a piece of her memory and her past becomes more than garbled.

However, she does have friends who help her along the way. She has Mimi who is her partner in the investigative agency, Koki Maeno who joins their business later on. He is a mere mortal. And there is also Genta the dog. Female dogs. Only women can be immortal here. The men just go nuts and turn into super-strong angels if they are touched with the time-fruits that bring power.

The entire anime series takes place between the years 1990 up to around 2060 which is a fairly long stretch of time.

That was my only big issue with the series: there was the number of jumps the story takes from different years. There are one year jumps in the narrative to the twenty-five year gaps. It does break up the narrative story-telling which would have served better in one continued story.

On the other hand, I would guess one way of keeping the narrative flowing is the use of the character Koki Maeno who is a regular Joe here. But you can see the Maeno family as they age... first, Koki Maeno, then his wife, and finally his son... so the entire story goes through the point of the view of the Maeno family, thus keeping the narrative story very concise, condensed. You do feel that the story is a unified whole through the sixty years of the Maeno family. People come and go. But the Maeno names remains prevalent throughout the series.

If you can shell out $50 for the series, it's worth the time and effort. You'll find it's an interesting take on immortality and one that is very bold because of the adult themes running through it. I repeat: the animation isn't for children. The intended audience here is adults.

Again, the animation is very well done. The Japanese are well known for the artistic skills of creating animation in the highest order. And they don't miss the beat here. The flowing nature of the drawing continues to be very sharp and the use of colors are vibrant as ever. While the animation isn't quite as good as "Ergo Proxy" or "Ghost in the Shell," the RIN series has a place of its own in the halls of animation.

One thing they did well was keeping suggestion of the graphic violence in check. They could have gone way overboard and go into a hurricane of gore. There are times when the series can kick into “Clockwork Orange” mode. But there are many portions of the story where the violence is left to the imagination of the viewers. Which is probably why it seems more graphic than it really is. The series still is very potent.

Another high score for Japanese animation. Those who are looking for something different in animation don’t need to look any further than this one.

Do You Believe In Magic?

2010-11-22T15:52:00.001-06:00

It was “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” which hit the celluloid screens carving its way to the number one slot for the weekend. No surprise there. It's a world wide phenomena. Directed by David Yates and written by Steve Kloves, the film is based on the book of the same title from J. K. Rowling.

But it's not a movie about magic.

It's a movie about people and how they correspond with each other through feelings. There's greater interaction here especially between the three major characters who are older, a little wiser, and have a run of hormones going through them.

Naturally, it's to be expected. The three major characters, Harry, Hermione and Ron are all best friends who have spent much time growing up and the confusion of feelings would be... somehow magical? Quite the contrary. It's interesting to note that the feelings shared between the characters makes the drama of the film. It feels less of a children story now.

Mixed feelings are tossed around in a bag of confusion. Harry likes Hermione, Ron likes Hermione, Hermoine likes Harry, and so forth. And it helps to make this film more interesting even though the film is well laden with an extra package of special effects. The film moves at a steady pace.

Most of the supporting characters in the Hogwarts University and the Order of the Phoenix are wiped out during the first wave of the attacks including a wedding where many of the professors are seen celebrating with dance and drink. They get their pants pulled down in the middle of it all when the evil wizard Lord Voldemort makes his attack.

Harry and his two friends are forced to find refuge as they separate themselves from their families and loved ones. There is nothing left for them to do but run from the center of the storm. But by putting the three characters in the spotlight, it brings the children actors a greater chance to shine. There are many funny moments between them along with some dramatic impact.

There is one interesting scene where Harry tries to search for the pieces of the Deathly Hallows passed down to him through oral storytelling. The Elder Wand is one-third of power from a triangle of three brothers who once possessed the sword, a resurrection stone and an invisibility cloak.

However, Harry and his friends search for the Horcruxes that are created to help Vordemort regain his power… making him strong enough o destroy Harry. So they search for these lockets to destroy them.

When they needed to destroy a locket called a Horcrux with the sword of Gryffindor, Ron is treated to a vision that would haunt him: he would be shown how Harry and Hermione would become lovers while taunting him at the same time. His worst fears come to wound him. It was a test of wills that could have eroded their friendship. But instead Ron chose not to believe in the visions with the help of Harry.

And the film is really about the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship. They are childhood friends now growing up and trying to understand each other as adults. Some feelings of desire or anger would eventually swallow them.

At the same time, the film is setting up for the next and final chapter. So it's going to be a big payoff. And a very big send off which will resolve all the mystery surrounding the film series. The Deathly Hallows film did not choose to be big and bombastic like the previous entries. Instead, the film explored the minor impact of love and anger in a friendship that started so long ago. The films are coming to a conclusion and so is their longstanding friendship.

Will the next film be successful? There is a big build-up to the final scene of part one, so the next chapter will have to be a roller coaster of a ride for a finishing end. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. There are still plenty of feelings between the major characters. And there is still one major bad guy Voldemort who still needs to be fought. Will the film ending live up to the expectations? It's a tall order. But I'm feeling very optimistic because of the first part is a great character study. The next chapter should be an explosive one.

It was Dumbledore who has the Elder Wand still in his dead hands. The film ends with Voldemort seemingly victorious while standing over the long dead Dumbledore as the evil wizard grips the Elder Wand, one of the most powerful weapons… standing over a force of good if a blanket of shadow is casting over everything.

Grab a broom and a magic wand. And make a good wish that the films will find a satisfactory end.

A Northern Review

2010-11-17T14:28:00.000-06:00

There are some movies that you come across by accident and it turns out to be a modest gem that you have to get the word out.

The film “Far North” is very much like this.

You want to make a movie very cheap. You do it like this. You get a couple of known actors, an isolated area and a few sets, nothing more. It isn't very expensive to make. But you are still able to make a statement just as well as any explosive, much hyped blockbuster movie doped with the stupid.

“Far North” isn't like that. The film is independently made and didn't get a very wide release. It's probably better this way. It was directed by Asif Kapadia and based on a Sara Maitland short story.

But I also argue that it is a horror film. Which is why the film “Far North” finds its way into the pages of my blogs.

Some might ask me, “A horror movie?”

Yes.

The film centers on nomadic Asian women, a mother and daughter, who goes across the northern regions looking for safe points to rest at. They are alone in the midsts of snow and ice. The mother, played by Michelle Yeoh, performs very well as a woman who is still haunted by her past. And moreover, the curse that was given to her family by a shaman telling her that harm will come to those she loved most. Then a third person, a man, played by Sean Bean, enters the foray and complicates matters... a sea of feelings begin to swirl as they fall into a strangest love triangle you have ever seen. But the feelings of desire becomes that of jealousy and rage.

It sounds like a drama movie. And it is. But there are many elements of horror to be found in the film that could be easily missed.

The film is set in absolute isolation. There is nothing here except for the vastness of snow banks and water that were iced over by the winter season. There are miles and miles of nothingness seen in every direction except for the large white hills and the rocky slopes trampled by low temperatures. It is a frightening place to be living.

There is only one way of getting food which is through hunting. So the skills of the hunter must be important to surviving in the winter trap. The world has become a forsaken place filled with torturous loneliness and it remains indifferent to those who live in it.

There are many scenes of animals being cut up and prepared for food. This is merely a point of the movie that is preparing for the worst in the end.

Michelle Yeoh's character has several flashbacks when she is a younger woman. Many people say that these portions of the film are stark and fake. But I disagree. The pieces of the past show a woman formed by loneliness as she watches as a young woman the only man she loved killed by poachers. And she was forced to kill someone.

Yeoh is a very good actress as seen here. There is no room for her to use her martial arts in a story like this. Nor would there have to be. The story is centered on motherhood. And the boundaries of motherhood that could push one over the edge. She saves her daughter from the poachers before she sets her life in hiding. Yeoh is to be commended here for making a convincing performance of a mother who is a little bit crazy.

But the horror of the film comes in the end. And I'm not giving anything away here as it is one of the bleakest things to hit the screens. If you do not wish to be spoiled by the ending, don't read on. But for others who may have a macabre interest, please do keep going. Because this is where fiction and reality becomes so blurred that it is like hell exploding in the middle of the wintry landscape.

Feelings and desire snap between the three people in a close knot together. Bean becomes attracted to both the mother and daughter. I don't blame them. They are both very beautiful in their own ways. But the daughter is teasing like a young girl discovering her sexual desires for the first time. The mother is discovering herself as if she is a young woman again. The mixed feelings become very dangerous and uncertain. There are times when the mother warned the man to stay away or there will be consequences.

It is what the mother does to the daughter that is very horrifying... you don't see the gore in the film. Nor do you have to. But she cuts her daughter up Ed Gein style and tries to pass herself as a younger woman in one of the most warped endings. You'll find that the character Sean Bean plays simply runs off in the middle of the lovemaking after he finds out what has befallen him... and he runs naked out in the snow.

It's a very brutal and savage movie. And therefore it takes a very small place in the realm of horror fiction. But it is a beautiful film too for all the location work done here. You'll find no explosions here or any action. You'll find no eye candy special effects masking themselves as a story.

What you'll find is a very disturbing story which explores the humanity of people. And what loneliness could do to someone if he or she remains on their own for the longest time. Such loneliness can takes it toll on anyone. People always want to be loved and felt like they belong to someone. Some people will do anything, anything, to have their feelings reciprocated. The butchery of humanity can often be an expression of feeling, however morbid.

Who is on the Shelves?

2010-11-10T11:45:00.004-06:00

Sometimes Oshkosh surprises me.

Not often. But it’ll come up with a surprise like getting a small gift out of a Crackerjack box.

I made the bet that I wouldn’t be able to find the Doctor Who Fifth Season with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan out on the shelves in the Oshkosh Best Buy store. I have found that they were downsizing a lot of their stores to promote other electronic crap like big flat screen TVs or fancy cameras.

But I did find the Doctor Who set and bought it while on sale. So I was very pleased to see it on the shelf. So I’m still able to find something once in a while in the Best Buy store. Again, it doesn’t happen often.

The box set was released yesterday in commemoration to the Doctor Who anniversary which is Nov. 22. But the housewarming gift offers the first true glance at the episodes including the Eleventh Doctor and the erstwhile companion Amy Pond.

There are all thirteen shows of the series with plenty of special features. Not a bad packaging with a different design, being a little better put together nowadays. You’ll get a few extra items such as artist’s renderings of the TV show on cards. There’s a whole feeling of “new” here.

One of the interesting extras is the in-view commentary made by the staff of Doctor Who while watching the first episode “The Eleventh Hour.” It was an aptly titled show. More interesting, the show-runner and head writer Stephen Moffat mused on the idea of calling the episode in the original drafts “The Doctor Returns.” I’m glad he didn’t use that one. From a writer’s point of view, the title isn’t really as exciting. I like the title “The Eleventh Hour.” It’s better, classy, and very original.

And original is the key note of the fifth series. The long string of good writing can be seen throughout the stories. The scripts are tighter, it’s very fast paced and an interesting quality which keeps you glued to your seats. You’ll find new creatures and old… every bit of it taking part of the Doctor Who universe which is like a very large canvas on which you keep painting on. You’ll always find something new within these shows as they are very detailed and laden with great moments of television creativity.

So revisit the Weeping Angels and the Daleks once more here. And you’ll find the precious gems of my own favorite shows such as “The Eleven Hour,” the two part Weeping Angels episode, “Vampires of Venice,” “The Doctor and Vincent,” “The Lodger” and the final two part show with reveals the mystery of the series in a very masterful way. It is like watching the great designer Moffat piecing together all the puzzle and making sense out of everything. It’s great. And you’ll never go wrong with the Doctor playing football in the “The Lodger,” probably one of the funniest bits in the shows. Yes, the Doctor wears a shirt with the number "11."

But it is the one part at the beginning of “Vampires of Venice” where the Doctor pops out of a cake to wish his friend a happy marriage. But then he turns everything upside down by telling Rory that his companion Amy tried to make out with him. You get to wonder if the Doctor is really the biggest jerk in the universe. The scene stealing Matt Smith is like the cherry on top of the cake. He’s great in it.

And the thrust of his personality is very well established here. And you can explore further into the Doctor’s dark side in the following excellent episode “Amy’s Choice” where you learn of his worst qualities… a jealous man who wants Amy for himself. He is fascinated by her much like a scientist is interested in a lab test. This is the height of the series where you learn that the Doctor… is not really someone you can completely trust. It’s a brilliant episode. And a great performance made by the wonderful Toby Jones. You’ve never seen the Doctor quite like this before.

The overall series works very well and is still only a corner of the masterplan that Moffat still devises. There are still pieces that remain unsolved such as the “silence will fall” theme. And also the background of River Song who remains an integral part of the Doctor’s life.

But here is it. The box set that is spearheaded into the American market finally. You can enjoy it and relive the many fine moments throughout. Or you can bash the hell out of it in disgust. But I wouldn’t advise you to bash it. Give it a try. There’s some good science fiction here which takes the series back to its original roots.

The Doctor keeps on traveling. With all the extra baggage.

I Saw Enough in "Saw"

2010-11-04T12:56:00.003-05:00

I’m a big horror fan.

But I hate the Saw movies.

That sounds like a juxtaposition. But it isn’t. My feelings about the Saw films are based on reasonable thought and common sense. I have never seen any of the Saw films all the way through. I can say it with some pride. I’ll never will. Not even if you force-chain me to a chair with my eyes kept open Clockwork Orange style.

Never. Never ever.

It’s based on all this mountain of anger that I won’t be going to the Saw 3D movie anytime soon. A film by Twisted Studios and distributed by Lionsgate films. My small hopes is that the film is going to do so lousy that I’ll never have to hear word of it again. It is said that the seventh film in this franchise is going to be the last entry.

Good.

However, I’ve heard that one before. When was the last time you heard they were going to make the final “Friday the 13th” movie? And yet they keep coming out with it like it’s being cranked out celluloid hell.

If this is going to be the last one, I’m all for it. The sixth and previous film didn’t do very well in the box office and led the series into a wind-down with an ending. The seventh film, apparently, is doing well enough in the box office tickets (with a gross revnue of $42,507,466 so far) that there is still elbow room for the higher-ups to reverse their decision in not making another film. I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to go with another one sooner or later.

I’ve seen bits and pieces of the first and third entries of the series. One was enough. More than one was getting sickening. It is a rehash of murdering/torturing spree often involving sharp needles and knives. What fun. The basic idea of the series is very interesting: the idea of a dying man who somehow managed to survive his cancer treatment and decides to teach others the lesson of life. That’s all good and fine. There’s a good premise in it. The idea of the man wearing a pig mask could have some interesting symbolism too as pigs often are killed in butcher shops. They could have made something good out of it.

However, it is how the film is executed in a manner of gloating gore running amok. They like to take their gleeful time in showing torture methods in slow and bloody detail. I don’t take delight in watching someone slowly dying in the most violent ways possible. And it is true I am a horror fan to no end, and I have seen my share of bloody movies, it’s just the manner of which the Saw movies are made which repulses me.

I’ll give you an example of a very good horror movie that has a lasting impact on me.

Whenever I’m alone at my place during a trail-blazing thunderstorm, cluttered with shattering lightening, the entire block could be knocked out of electricity. I’ll be engulfed in darkness in the apartment by myself with the bombardment of thunder tearing through the skies. I’m alone in my apartment. There is nothing I can see except the black abyss that speaks in silence to me.

It isn’t Saw that I’m thinking of in my head.

It is the film Exorcist.

Why? The film has frightened me since I was a child because of the atmosphere created in the film. It is what the inner imagination can cause you to think. It is the notion of darkness and what hides in the far corner which bothers me most. Throughout my entire life, I have a small fear of long winding staircases of old houses… the very same kind of old staircases from the film Exorcist where the girl bellows with a demon like wail at the top. It is those thoughts which fill my head when the lights go out.

There is a long staircase in my apartment.

The Exorcist leaves those tantalizing fears still lingering in my thoughts.

But never the film Saw because it rides on making you grossed out. It relies on making you sick. It wants to make you have a gut-wrenching feeling after you watch it.

However, the film like The Exorcist plays on the threads of darkness that circles around you… and the idea of something living inside each and every one of us, including a little girl named Regan MacNeil, makes for frightening stuff. The Exorcist is able to create a somber mood that is relentless in its horror and grow very terrifying in its willful atmosphere. There is something foreboding about darkness in this film even after so many years.

There are other movies that makes for close second most frightening movies for me because of the way the films are made: filled with creepy girls with strings of black hair moving like insects in the Asian horror films such as “Ringu” which began the next generation of chilling effects. It’s very creepy how the ghosts would movie here, very different to our own ghosts… they move fast as if they are on webs while you stand in a captivity of fear. Other great Asian horror films inlcudes those made by the Pang brothers such as “Recycle” and “The Eye.” In fact, I’ve tried watching “Recycle” on Halloween night and found myself stopping about halfway… because it became simply too creepy. I managed to watch the rest of it the following night.

Other excellent horror films relying on the inner spirit of horror would be “Psycho” in 1960 which explored what could make a son go mad should he have a domineering mother who abused him.

These films work on mood and atmosphere.

There are two different approaches to the horror film. Number one, there’s the gory kind such as Saw which fails to impress me at any length. It only succeeds in sickening me.

And there is the other kind which opens the door to greatest weaknesses and makes you naked with fear.

It makes you think about how much the horror film approach has been perfected by the Asian culture which centers itself on mood without being explicitly gory. The filmmakers of the Saw series could learn a lot from the likes of such Asian endeavors in the horror field.

But I won’t be seeing Saw 3D anytime. Call me scared. Call me foolish. Whatever. You’ll have to kidnap and drag me screaming and kicking like a crazy loon before tying me to the chair. Even then, I’ll still find a way not to watch it.

I know what Saw 3D is going to be about anyway.

It’s doing rather well right now in the box office and may even garner another sequel. That is my greatest fear of them all.

Bloody Fun

2010-10-27T12:35:00.006-05:00

I was looking for a Halloween movie to see. And I finally found one.

But it did take some doing as I needed to order it online due to the local retail stores not carrying copies.

Why would anyone want to carry the Asian movie that has the title, “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl”? The title alone would make a person scratch his or her head. But it is a classic title. That alone should have the reason for mainstream shelves to get a hold of a copy.

But I did see it.

And liked it a lot.

More than that, I think it’s one of the best films of the year simply because it’s just whacky fun. I can’t imagine anyone with a weak stomach struggling through it. But those who like exaggerated gore high spun into a kinetic craziness that’ll make your head spin, this is for you.

And heads do spin in this film. Roll and explode in some cases.

The gore fest jacked up to the Nth degree comes from the warped minds who gave us the Asian classics “Machine Gun Girl” and “Toyko Gore Police” which parodies the alarming amounts of blood in horror movies. Times a hundred. There’s enough blood that you can jump into a swimming pool of it. Buckets of blood.

There is one scene where the vampire girl takes a bite out of a man trying to take advantage of her. The roles are reversed here where the man is usually the dominate. But here the girl is swift as a knife and has the bite of death. Literally. You’ll see the stump of his head is spraying oodles of red in a very colorful scenery. It is like watching the film scene of “Singing in the Rain”… except it’s raining blood here.

However, the story revolves one thing: love.

It is a love story. But the strangest one. Based on a Japanese manga by Shungiku Uchida.

It’s a love triangle which invokes a lot of bizarre twists and turns throughout the film which only lasts 85 minutes. It's the right length for such a film.

There is a high school transfer student/teenage vampire named Monami, forever youthful, who wants a colleague named Mizushima who she thinks is a hunk. You can’t really seen why. He’s a dork. But I like the fact that the story is told through his point of view.

But he’s already taken. He belongs to the abusive antics of the vice-principal/science professor's daughter Keiko. Mizushima isn’t sure which way he’s going. He’s confused as a lame duck and has no idea who he wants.

One of the interesting traditions in the film is the girl offering a chocolate to the boy as an expression of love. I didn’t go into the research of this. But it’s certainly a different approach to dating.

Push comes to shove. And soon the boy falls into the middle of a struggle between the two girls. This is where things go nuts.

It becomes a cat-fight between the girls over one man.

I love the visual effects of the film… there isn’t many. They're well done when there's a need. And the film is still done cheaply. But it’s clever stuff. There are some nice scenes where you see how a vampire "sees"… people become blueprints of blood vessels as they walk around.

Naturally, this film comes from a different culture. The Japanese always had an interesting take on violence. There are many themes of violence in the film. Much of it is over-the-top, which is the norm for the Japanese approach. They involve knifes, punctures and decapitations, not necessarily in that order.

I’m not surprised at seeing their twisted sense of humor going into the fast lane. I don’t mind it at all. But some people may not like seeing young women having a huge fetish for slitting their wrists here… another well-known Japanese trend. In fact, there was a contest in the film where the girl who cuts her arm the fastest and deepest wins.

But you have to understand their sense of humor or otherwise you’ll find yourself scurrying away from this film. But I didn’t. I'm proud of myself.

The music? It's great pop stuff. Suitable for a film like this. You'll see why.

Yukie Kawamura is one of the prettiest girls I’ve seen in Asian cinema. She started her career out as a Japanese gravure idol.

She plays the vampire girl with a flair of doll-like fragility while putting on a cute pose. She has a picture perfect smile and a soft demure about her that portrays a clumsy charm. I would be interested in seeing her career as it should do very well… she is able to handle comedy and horror very well in one setting such as this.

One of the interesting things about this vampire is her ability to create swords out of her blood if she cuts her wrists. It’s very bizarre. But it works very nice here.

Eri Otoguro is an equally attractive woman who plays the Frankenstien Girl who is completely crazy here. She plays an obsessed and strong girl trying to steal someone's boyfriend.

The nice thing about the film is that you learn about the vampire girl character. You feel sorry for her as she lives a long life of loneliness. You don’t know her age. But then again, you never ask a girl her age. That would be rude. Someone tries to wiggle out an answer from here, and she simply says she lost count.

But it is the end when you finally learn the ulterior motive of the vampire girl. She may have seemed like the good girl type. After the ending, you begin to wonder about her. I won’t tell you any more as it’ll ruin the story. But it is a very nice surprise. It adds an extra zing to the love story which is the center of the film.

The film isn’t as gory as its predecessors are. But it is still stomach churning in good portion of the film. I found “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is more interested in telling the story and putting the blood and guts down a notch. So it seems much more tame.

However, the film is still worthy of seeing for its breezy direction and the fun parodies of known horror themes… I don’t think there are many other films that’ll be like this. The Japanese remains the crowning king of gore festivals, make no mistake. They know how to make a good horror film and still make you laugh at the same time. It’s a very rare combo.

Is this a kind of movie you should take your date to because it’s about a romance? I’ll let you decide on that.

A Darker Shade of Animation...

2010-10-20T12:03:00.002-05:00

Sometimes the mainstream media isn’t what it used to be.

For example, I’ll look for out-of-the-way Asian films that wouldn’t have much of a niche here. Some of the stuff is just nuts to find. I’ve looked for one Japanese horror gore spread called “Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl” in hopes of doing a blog on it.

Couldn’t find it anywhere. I’m not surprised. Didn’t find it anywhere in the Fox Cities. None of the Best Buy locations had it. Neither did Barnes and Noble. Nobody had it. I felt left out.

So I had to order it online. Which seems to be the way to go these days. But there’s nothing like finding a movie beneath all the other tripe in the crowded shelves of a retail store.

Those days are gone. They had about twenty thousand copies of “Predators” sitting around regarding some dumb alien who didn’t know how to use his invisibility properly. Such a dumb alien. And a dumber movie. But no “Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl.” The title alone is a winner.

But I did find a copy of the most recent Batman/Superman animated feature called “Apocalypse.” And I’ll review it right here.

Isn’t that nice of me?

It’s got the go-head from Bruce Timm who produces the best Batman animation in recent years. Have I told you that I met him in person? Did I tell you already? I did? Well, I’ll tell you again. He’s one of the nicest guys in the world if you’re lucky enough to cross paths with him.

The recent animated film is a sort of Justice League reunion between the three major characters from the DC Universe: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. It’s an interesting film that plays between the constant conflict between them. Some of it is playful bickering. But beneath it all they have a respect for each other. Even though they don’t agree with one another.

And that’s the core of the film.

A newcomer comes to earth in a crash landing and it turns out to be woman who may or may not be a survivor of Krypton—the very same world in which Superman comes from. Batman doesn’t trust her. Superman welcomes her with open arms. Wonder Woman wants to take her to Paradise Island where the morals of women can be taught in a military way.

This is the fight over the fate of Kara… or better known as Supergirl. This is the story of her.

The dynamic of the film plays well between all the major characters. Kevin Conroy is a welcome guest as he supplies his familiar voice to the dark knight character. As does the part of Tim Daly who gives his voice to Superman. Both of them are originals from the animated series from the 1990s which Timm also produced. It is interesting to see how far they’ll go with their disagreements and how much they’ll set aside to work together to reach a goal.

The only one that is missing, and it is a big factor, is the voice of Darkseid… Michael Ironside does not voice the character this time around. And it’s unfortunate. The current voice is not menacing enough… nor it is scary at all. He sounds like another Republican wanting to seek office in the senate. That’s what he sounds like. I would have preferred Ironside in the part with his rich tremors of voice. Oh well. You can’t get everything.

The only other issue I have, and it is a minor one, is the habit of cartoon films trying to cram everyone into a 78 min. film. It’s not very noticeable here. But it doesn’t help to distract from the main three characters who are going out of their way to lend a hand to the sole female survivor of Kryton.

But there are far too many characters for one’s own good. There’s Supergirl! There’s Big Barda! Hey look, there’s Krypto! Here’s Harbinger! There are too many supporting characters that were really not needed in the story. Most important were Supergirl who played a major part in the film. And Big Barda would make sense because she was a former warrior belonging to Apocalypse. The other characters were just throwaways.

Though I have to admit it was very cool to see Krypto.

However, the story is very focused on the conflict between major characters. And the design and look of the film is one of the best… it is a very clear style that is soothing and well as chiseled as if you’re carving the characters out of stone like the Greek sculptures did. They look very good in cartoon form particularly Batman. There are some nice touches of Jack Kirby art if you are a comic book fan… as you know that the world of Apocalypse was created by Kirby’s own hands. Not Stan Lee, the credit hogger.

The animation is stunning. It's darker too... And some of the best parts of the film is the last half hour of the film where Superman and his cousin Supergirl go into battle with Darkseid who is able to hold his own against the super being with his brute strength and his omega beams. He comes from a philosophy of warriors and savages who lays destruction to other worlds through concentrated violence. Some of the final battle sequences are very well done.

There is an assured confidence in the way the film is made here. They are going at it with full speed ahead. And you can almost feel the heroes charging through the animation.

Whether you are a fan of comic books or not, it’s well worth a look. Animation fans will be allured by the stark beauty of the drawings done in the film. There is a good balance of hand drawn art and computer graphics making this one of the best looking films to come out. And bear in mind that Batman comes across very well here even though he was pushed into secondary character status… he still has the greatest weapon of them all. His smarts. And you see that he is able to fend for himself when he confronts Darkseid himself. Just a human being. Not an easy feat to do.

“Apocalypse” does have some small letdowns… but it’s not enough to distract you from what is easily one of the most enjoyable animated films. It does hold a promising future for other projects in line. There is still a history of comic books for them to choose from… and enough chapters from comic books sources to make your head spin. It’s funny how some people never grow out of comic books. It’s not a bad thing.

It is the voice of Kevin Conroy that helps carry the film greatly because it hits a note of nostalgia right there. Bring Conroy back for more animated projects. It’s always a joy to hear him again.

Asian Western

2010-10-14T12:14:00.004-05:00

Once in a while, you’ll see something a little weird.

Case in point: the Asian western film being brought to the video store shelves right now. It’s called “The Good, the Bad and the Weird,” owing its title and plot in debt to the original classic spaghetti western.

An Asian western? Who would have thought? It’s complete with horses, Korean, Japanese and Chinese cowboys, a treasure map and… motorcycles?

First, Asians did horror. And now they're doing for westerns what they did with the horror genre.

It’s a hard one to describe. It's set in 1930s Japanese occupied Manchuria. And yet I find this particular film pushing well into the science fantasy realm… and the reason why this film find its way into this column. I would call this film an alternative reality, a different world version than the one we are used to. Instead of the American west, we find a western set some action in Korea. Not a bad idea after all.

But if you can accept the idea of the alterative world theory that I’ve put forth, changing the rules a little, you might be in better place to accept “The Good, The Bad and the Weird.”

The story centers on a treasure map that would lead the pursuers to a pot of gold. Or at least that is what they are led to believe. The film borrows greatly from the old Clint Eastwood movie and then more. It borrows from themes from the familiar cowboy myths and tweaking them just a bit more to make it fit into the Asian world.

It’s a lot of fun.

The stunts in the film are old school. There’s hardly any special effects involved except for a couple of visuals peppered throughout the film. But it’s mostly people doing stunts and wowing audiences with their daring efforts on bikes, horses and gun fights. There is a great scene with the good guy tangling with a group of rogues while holding a rope to swing from one building to the next. The director Kim Ji-woon still believes in the old ways of making a good movie. The stunt work here is well conceived. And it’s a pleasure to watch filmmakers still taking the old methods when creating a movie. Nothing wrong with that.

The weird guy provides plenty of comedy relief. He’s not a buffoon or a clown as he is a clearly dangerous opponent when he is armed. His handling of the gun may not be as good as the other title characters… but he uses his wits to get out of a situation. Such as donning a diver’s helmet for protection… a variation of the old Clint Eastwood stunt used in a previous cowboy movie.

Song Kang-ho plays The Weird. He's been in many blockbuster movies… “The Host,” one of my favorite movies “Thirst” and a couple of Park Chan-wook' Vengeance movies. He’s a very likable actor who always takes on very unflattering roles… but he’s a lot of fun as he broadens his comedy talent here.

Much of the film is carried by the three title actors. The most familiar may be the one who plays The Bad: Lee Byung-hun. He has already hit Hollywood heights by playing Storm Shadow in the god-awful G.I. Joe movie from last summer… apparently the enormous stupidity of this war adventure movie did nothing to put a dent in this actor’s career.

I’ve never seen the actor who played the Good. This is the first time I’ve seen of Jung Woo-sung… and I thought it was interesting to see someone unknown in the role while the other title characters are played by well known actors. But he’s very intense as the silent man… very few lines, but providing good expressions with his polished features. His face is well chiseled with youth… yet his acting is very explosive.

All three actors are in the same range which makes them all very appropriate to be acting in this film.

One of the opening shots is phenomenal with the railroad train robbery. You would think nothing more can be done with the train routine. But they are able to do more with the train sequence as it gave them groundwork to introduce the characters in a very inventive way. Especially when the Good and the Bad sees each other for the first time while in different carriages of the train. It’s one of the funniest scenes in the film.

From the very beginning to the end of the train sequence, it remains one of the pivotal parts of the film. It’s worth seeing twice just for this particular part.

Not very many women actresses in the film. But then again, neither did the original film. There is a grandmother who actually lives through the movie… and she is one of the funniest actresses.

With the recent horse apple known as Jonah Hex being the deluded piece of garbage made into a Hollywood movie, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to find that Asia is able to create a better cowboy movie by using their own artistic sensibilities. They were able to bring a quality of strangeness to their film of “The Good, The Bad and the Weird” while still making it very accessible to the audiences.

I do not know if it was meant to be an alternative world story. There is nothing in the description that suggests this. But if you can believe that a western can be made in Korea, then you would have no problems getting through this. But there is something bizarre about seeing someone riding a motorcycle through the desert which rings the bells of the old Mad Max movies. But this cowboy movie holds its own against the most recent made westerns.

“The Good, The Bad and the Weird” gives a much needed knee-jerk to the creativity vibe of westerns, and there is a sense of rejuvenation here. You can feel this film almost giving a rebirth to what westerns should be able again… plenty of gunfights and action. It’s a good sign.

Doctor Who is Not a Children's Show

2010-10-12T12:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I managed to upload another video for the youtube website concerning my thoughts about recent comments made on my page.

Most of the attacks from passerby youtubers went along the lines of this: “Doctor Who is a children’s show and you should grow up.”

There were a couple of things that went through my mind. Number one, I never bothered these guys on their page so why did they have to come around my side of the woods and drop their inane comments?

Number two, what gave them the idea that Doctor Who is a children’s show?

But the complains are the same. It is the same for any science fiction TV show in general which often gets to be the butt of the joke for unimaginative folks. They believe that shows with monsters in it are for children. They think that any piece of fantastical TV viewing should only be for children. Because the show has cheap sets and boxy surroundings in the older Doctor Who series should be regarded as adolescent nonsense.

Don't make the same mistakes as these complainers did.

I do remember PBS stations around here televised Doctor Who series late at night for many years about twenty years ago. On Sunday nights around 11 p.m. Not exactly the best time for children as they are going to school the next morning.

However it was a pretty good night for adults who like to stay up late and watch some things to challenge the mind with ideas and concepts. In England, they broadcast Doctor Who around the 6 p.m. time which is considered family time… as adults will be able to view it. This isn’t a Saturday morning cartoon.

I hate it when people say Doctor Who is a children’s show. I want to give them a rhetorical punch to their faces with some of my writing.

I’ve already made my case in the near twelve minute video arguing that the horror themes of the series makes essential adult viewing as the episodes do borrow greatly from the most frightening stories such as Frankenstein and any vampire myths.

But I have only scratched the surface for it in my video clip called “Doctor Who is Not a Children’s Show.” There’s more to say.

The audience was greeted with bloodier than usual Doctor Who in the 1970s. There were scenes of one man being crushed to death in the Seeds of Doom episode during the always excellent Tom Baker period. In fact, the same episode portrayed a rather grotesque transformation of a human being into something hideous. Other stories to use this theme was in “The Ark in Space” and “Planet of Fear.” Many of the horror elements continue to frighten the children… and remains potent for adult viewers as well.

One of the things I didn’t cover in my video was the nature of the fourth Doctor's attitude to killing every now and then. When he finds that it may save the thousands of lives, he’ll give the villain and good thumping… and pull the rug from under him when he least expected it. The fourth Doctor, abandoning his trademark scarf for a Victorian period suit, locked horns with a maniac butcher from the future in "Talons of Wang Chiang."

In this show, he threw the arch-nemesis Magnus Greel into an extraction chamber as his life was sucked away… leaving him like a pile of dried old leaves. Such a callous behavior of the hero shows that he dismisses a “life” when it comes to killing the villain. What would the children think? That all heroes kill the bad guys? It must have been a dilemma for children to face when they realize their hero had a dark side to him.

However, killing the villains came to a forefront during the mid-eighties when the Doctor entered his sixth persona donning a multi-colored suit (played wonderfully by Colin Baker)… and his personality became even more fractured than before. Striking, arrogant, and egotistical, the sixth Doctor was perhaps the most violent of any of his incarnations.

It was here that we saw him poison a man in the episode “The Two Doctors,” lure others into a trap involving toxic jungle vines and shove some poor slob into an acid pool as he did in “Vengeance on Varos.” Such symptoms of violence were a cut above the average making it a departure from being a children’s show.

I’m not sure why the few still call the series a children’s show when it clearly isn’t. And they leave behind rather adolescent remarks suggesting that I should grow up. It is almost as if they are trying to bully me on the youtube website. It isn’t working out very well for them. They keep suggesting that I should leave Doctor Who behind in the past. Why is that? Why would I want to do that?

These are the same people who probably spend all their time on the weekends watching sports. Such games like football, soccer and baseball… isn’t that all children's games you played when younger? If this is true, then perhaps these people should leave behind their adolescent interests of sports. These are all games which are enjoyed by teenagers and youngsters. For them to say that I should leave behind Doctor Who and grow up is both wrong and insulting. These jokers will need to abandon their childish interests of sports if they’re going to say the same thing about a science fiction show.

There is always violence everywhere. But Doctor Who does remain very responsible in portraying the violence as an evil thing. The title hero of the series does abhor violence to a great degree unless it’s as a last resort. Even then, he doesn’t like it. The Doctor Who series does use violence to portray the ugliness of life and often the wrongdoing of people against others. Which makes it a very good moral play for the series both old and new. And the Doctor Who series teaches about the ethics of violence. Therefore, if anything, making the Doctor Who series not a children’s show.

And Doctor Who is a good education tool for portraying violence. You may recall Tom Baker saying in the episode the classic episode “Robots of Death” before leaving the safe comforts of his time traveling police box, “If they see you’re not carrying any weapons, they’ll never hurt you… nine times out of ten.”

Violence remains a huge part of the Doctor Who saga.

Songs of the Future

2010-09-26T14:25:00.002-05:00

Sometimes my initial reaction would be something like, “Maybe I won’t go to the show.”

I almost didn’t go see a music show with Janelle Monae because I haven’t heard her before. Number two, I really wasn’t in a mood for a concert. But I did go anyway Friday night to the Pabst Theater to catch the stage act of “ArchAndroid.”

I couldn’t be any more wrong about my first initial reaction. Boy, was I wrong. And this was just the opening act to the headliner Of Montreal. But it was Monae who was able to draw me into a story.

It was an excellent outing of music, direction and style wrapped into a science fiction pop art musical called “ArchAndroid: (Suites II and III)":, which was her first studio album. It is also the following chapter to the ongoing science fiction drama Metropolis (Suite I). Second part of three parts: a trilogy of music mayhem. And much more than that.

It’s a brilliant piece. May be considered the cutting edge of pop rock at this moment: an allegorical statement about a messiah android who must free the citizens from a pressures of society. She brings with her the themes of love, will, war and many other concepts often often found in music including war. And even boxing and tightropes.

The space opera is inspired by the 1927 silent movie Metropolis. Using the stark images of tall cities and repressed citizens, she was able to tell a linear story that is derived from modern concepts we are already familiar by using AfroFuturism. She does this with great style. Her musical vocal range is very broad and she is capable of maintaining a charismatic presence on stage.

Did I mention she’s a great singer?

Yeah, probably. A number of times now. But the electrifying chord of her voice is a rewarding experience. It’s not something you’re likely to forget. The singing on more familiar popular songs like “Tightrope” and “Cold War” is supported by the excellent music bands which seems to transform the music into something else entirely. If you missed this show, shame on you. I almost did.

It is almost like having a literary pop music show. By using familiar grounds from old science fiction classics such as Metropolis, Flash Gordon and other favorites, she was able to push the pop culture forward into new territorial grounds. She’s able to rework the genre into something of her own. That's no easy feat.

There’s no doubt that she is a talented woman who is achieving some status. Her songwriting shows a very complex interest in creating a story in music.

She isn’t a cynic when she is singing on stage. There’s always a positive attitude that keeps her from having an ego trip. Monae remains very energetic, creative and lively during her show. It’s obvious that she loves music. And so should you.

It’s such a novelty to see an artist doing something different with music and science fiction. I never expected “ArchAndroid” to be anything more than a fancy dressing up of theatrics. But it is so much more than that. It’s a fashion statement. It’s a statement about culture. She blends the reflections of society with her own interesting take on old themes of love and desire. When you see the people in a crowd swaying and dancing to the music, falling into a groove, you really have to wonder if she really is a messiah of music. It seems like it at the show.

The album’s release was on May 18 and it did very well during its first week reaching number 17 on the US Billboard 200, selling 21,000 copies during the initial exposure to the audiences. It has been doing very well ever since. I wouldn’t be surprise if the album may get many nominations for its number of concepts and ideas. Her alter ego in ArchAndroid would have no doubt enjoyed the immense popularity the album is receiving.

The whole idea of space travel, freeing citizens from slavery and giant android cities makes for a concept that is nearly bigger than the album itself. But Monae as a singer is able to contain her theatrics on stage very well while still delivering her ideas through her music. The entire stage act can be viewed as a stand-alone piece. But it is just a small piece out of a bigger whole. This is one of the more ambitious pieces created in music… something this extensive in music is almost unheard of. What studio would have thought that three music albums containing a single idea would be sellable to audiences? Most people would have thought Monae is nuts. But she’s able to carry it off well.

Who ways that women aren’t science fiction fans? And here is one who is a talented songwriter and singer who manages to make science fiction a very sexy outlet in the field of music. Her next and final chapter of the Metropolis trilogy would be a most welcome one indeed.

Welcome to the future.

Mexican Fiesta

2010-09-13T13:09:00.003-05:00

Machete is a fun movie to watch

If you’re looking for something serious to watch, don’t bother with this one. It’s not a thought provoking film with some gathering epiphany in the end. Machete goes for the throat. It rips into the heart of filmmaking and lets it bleed. It’s great.

But I have to admit that I’ve had more fun watching Machete than ten other movies put together. In a lot of ways, I’ve enjoyed this one more than the year’s best film Inception because the latter seems to be weighted down by some serious notions. Inception is like going to your school class during the day and needing to read up on your homework.

However, Machete is like going to your lunch break and having a good laugh.

Robert Rodriguez directs, produces and co-wrote this blood splitting piece which takes on the spirit of the old grindhouse pulp films from the 1970s and exploitation flicks. The film first appeared in a fiction trailer attached to the excellent double feature grindhouse piece Planet Terror/Death Proof. Rodriguez directed the first. Quentin Taritino directed the other.

Machete shares some similar qualities of the grindhouse features: splices being cut into the film or some parts of it having an aged look to it. Part of the fun of the film is how much gore and nudity is in it. Worth the ticket price right there.

The story centers on an ex-federal agent in Mexico whose code name was Machete played by Danny Trejo. His face is so hardened by lines that it is like seeing a mountain being carved by the harsh winds. You have to admire the stony ridges of his features that reminds you of the craggy rocks of the Arizona setting. Trejo reminds me of Nick Nolte in terms of physical appearance.

This is Trejo’s first starring role. His character becomes caught in a maelstrom of politics and backstabbing that causes him to lose his job and now does yard work for money. He is a man who has been on the top and sank to the bottom.

However, a business deal opens up to lure Machete into targeting a US Senator McLaughlin who is sending out illegal immigrants away from the country. Machete accepts the deal. But he is double crossed in the middle of the assassination attempt that frames him as a bad guy. Now he must hunt down the real bad guys who have openly raged war against Mexicans. The deeper he gets into the system, the closer he gets to the drug lord who was behind the entire scheme.

The casting in the film is great. You wouldn’t see this kind of cast in other movies: Steven Segal, Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan and Don Johnson. They all looked like they were having fun in the film. It can be contagious seeing several people getting together having a few good laughs. And hoping the audiences will feel the same way.

Yes, it’s stupid fun.

But it works.

It’s interesting to note that the film did precipitated the coming problems of illegal immigrants just short a year—that is now becoming a hot issue in places like Arizona and Texas. The film does throw the Mexican culture in a good light. And it’s interesting to learn about as well. I still don’t understand the reason why Michelle Rodriguez character broke the egg and placed it under the bed. I’m sure there’s a good reason for it. There are a lot of fun exchanges between Jeff Fahey and the drug runners when he finds himself getting neck-deep and deeper in the bad business.

I liked this movie a lot. I’ll probably see it again when it comes to a second run theater.

My only issues with the movie is that they didn’t utilize Cheech Marin very much. He’s a fun actor as the shotgun wielding priest and would have liked to see more of him. But Don Johnson is great as the weasel leading a vigilante group against immigrants. I didn’t mind Jessica Alba either. It’s a good role for her.

The film was made on a $20 million budget which is skim thin compares to the other juggernauts that often lumber their way through the summer landscape. But this one is already earning back its costs and more. And this is just the first weekend. It’ll probably not make much money. But it’s didn’t cost much to begin with. That’s how you make a movie. You don’t need eye breaking special effects to tell a movie. You just need a story about some machete carrying Mexican on a rampage. Fun enough.

Is it a date movie? Maybe. Is it one you can take your mother to see on Mother’s Day? Probably not. Is it a hormone inducing flick about muscle clad heroes throwing violent tantrums? Yes, indeed. In fact, it does take on the spirit of Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs who often set their stories around muscular heroes of exaggerated legends. Machete is one for the 21st century.

Go right ahead and see this one. There’s a bright and funny stunt scene involving a guy’s intestines that's something you don’t see everyday. There’s a lot going for this film. It really has plenty good points to it. Pun intended.

Fifth Time's the Charm...

2010-09-09T11:49:00.003-05:00

This week saw the timely release of two shows from the old school days of Doctor Who.

They showcase the Fifth Doctor who ran for three season in the early eighties. It is rather nice to see this version of Doctor Who being reappraised by critics for today’s audiences and seeing a new light being shed on this period. Most people young and old would agree that the series was very entertaining at this time.

Because of the new Doctor Who series being revamped for today’s world, and having featured the brief return of the fifth Doctor a few years ago in a special called “Time Crash,” some interest is flooding for the old shows with the cricket wearing, young blond who came across with an awkward charm and gentle innocence. Some may call him the Vet in Space because Peter Davison recently starred in the BBC series “All Creatures Great and Small.”

By the time 1981 was coming around, Davison was already one of the hardest working actors in the BBC business. He’s been in “All Creatures…” and “Sink or Swim,” both very popular with British audiences. Then he was going to take over the series as the new leading actor at the age of 29. The youngest actor up to date before Matt Smith took over the role last year.

Did Davison ever sleep when acting?

That’s not saying. He did bring a breath of fresh air and taking on the most difficult chore of replacing Tom Baker who played the part for record breaking seven years. With that, Baker got a built in audience who knew only the scarf wielding Bohemian with a massive overbite you could hang a coat rack on. And don't forget the floppy hat. And yet, despite his geeky looks, Baker became very popular with the audiences. Including myself. Baker still remains my favorite actor to play the part.

But Davison brought something else to the role. It’s a welcome change. There’s an invulnerability that is rarely seen and that makes him very accessible: he’s not so arrogant like the other actors who portrayed the part. He’s considered “The nice one.” Davison was probably the most handsome actor to play the role so it’s not difficult to see a larger boost of women fans in the series.

Both DVD releases for this week are “The King Deamons” and “Planet of Fire” which are the only shows to feature a rather budget-crunching robot for the series called “Kamelion.” Much like his dog-like predecessor K-9 which was a robot, this new prop was not without flaws and often gave production crew headaches. But it still looked very good on the screen.

Here we see Davison already settling in his role as the more down-to-earth Doctor. He shows winning a battle as a struggle for him. And every corner is met with a greater challenge for this particular Doctor. Playing Doctor Who is like adding something to an artist’s painting: throwing new colors and formation to the canvas.

Davison brought a reckless youth to his role by always underplaying the part. It was always nicely done by Davison. You can see the arch villain Master countering in a mental conflict with the Fifth Doctor nearly stumbling in defeat. The Master made the quip, “You’re getting old, Doctor. Your will is weak.” That’s not something often heard in the series.

But the Fifth Doctor manages to make highlights in the episode by cheating a victory right from under the Master’s nose when he steals the Kamelion before his nemesis could take advantage of his talents. You also see a great sword fight between the Doctor and another fencer who was called the best swordsman in France. The Fifth Doctor makes the retort, “Unfortunately, we are in England.” The Fifth Doctor wins out. Give him a sword any day. For the Doctor knows how to fight like a gentleman instead of resorting to guns.

The other story is “Planet of Fire” which makes very good location shots which looks like a desert world boiling in frantic heat and the return of the Kamelion for the last time. There is some resolution to the story here and you hear an interesting remark made by the Master, “You would do this to your own?” And he never finishes his line before he is burned to a crisp. But you wonder what he was going to say. His own kind? His own brother? It was something never resolved.

Davison did such a nice job and the episode “Planet of Fire” would be his second to last story. It’s too bad because he was very good in the role. He was in two minds whether he was going to run for another added fourth season or not. I wish Davison did. I thought he was one of the better actors to play the part. It would have been nice to get another good year under Davison’s belt.

My only problem is the constant searching for the DVD titles in my local area. It’s becoming an expense buying it from Best Buy stores and I’m not caring very much for the business. It’s getting to be a pain in the ass. I’ve asked someone to hold one video for an extra day because I was from out-of-town. When I got there, no video was on hold for me. It’s frustrating And the video was on a pricey side. Same with Barnes and Noble. Not much better in the expense racket.

I’ll probably be getting more of the Who shows through Amazon.com. I’ve never had any problems with Amazon and they do have great customer service. I’ll go this way. It might be a good suggestion to order through online services. It’s not a bad way to go. Less expensive. Faster service.

But these shows will give a nice glimpse of the Fifth Doctor era which has been seeing a steady incline of interest. That’s a good thing. Davison is a very good actor who is always precise and careful about his acting. And he does have acting chops. But he isn’t as extroverted about it as Tom Baker who always gave a magnetic performance. Davison is more interested in giving a human performance. And there was nothing wrong with that.

I can’t imagine someone not liking Davison in the part. But some of them don’t care for it. But I do. And I’m here to give my approval of the Fifth Doctor period. There’s nothing like a fared haired hero who has a little twitch for the dramatic. Maybe revisiting his era wouldn’t do any harm at all. Do it now. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you might be delighted.

Lovecraft Regained

2010-08-20T10:50:00.006-05:00

Set out the birthday cake. Light up the candles. And wish him a happy birthday.

Though it’s someone you may not heard of. Most likely, it’s a person you have no idea exists. But he does have his appreciative audiences who once started out in the hometown of Saul City, Wisconsin where fans tried to salvage his writings. It was Arkham House who made the case that his books were worth salvaging.

He’s not even from Wisconsin. In fact, he’s a Providence, Rhode Island scribe who spent many days writing the horror genre with portions of science fiction. He’s probably the first writer really to use both areas of fiction very well to achieve the cosmic edge that he sought to describe his entire life.

It’s his birthday today.

H.P. Lovecraft would have been a hundred and twenty years old today. But it was true that he grew more cranky with every passing year and his atheist views became more pronounced as he favored the scientific route. He hated seafood and liked chocolate. His eccentric qualities made him something of an outcast.

Not even in his own city was he well known during his lifetime.

Lovecraft managed to earn a meager living through the consistent writings published in the pocket of a literary venue called Weird Tales. It was also the very same magazine which promoted other great talents of the 1930s such as Robert E. Howard of Conan the Barbarian fame and Clark Ashton Smith. It was Lovecraft who helped to tie all the fantastic literature together by using the background of the Cthulhu mythos featuring alien creatures that were frightening aspects of the universe.

His creatures were indifferent and often shadowy giants who become hosts to man’s nightmares. So different, and challenging, were Lovecraft’s own writings that he was often not liked during his lifetime. People didn’t much care for the overly long expositions which stretch through his stories and painted writings of horror that spoke of things “best left not described.”

Lovecraft was best known for his works during his prime years starting from 1926 right up to the very end in 1937 when he passed away in a Providence hospital. His finest stories were “Call of Cthulhu” which began his stellar cycle of stories that suggested of mighty creatures indirectly changing men’s lives during their search for knowledge. However, Lovecraft’s own favorite story “The Colour Out of Space” remains one of the best literary stories to this day due to the string of imagination… as he tried to describe a color that doesn’t even exist in our universe. Also he wrote “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” which told of an outsider trapped in a town filled with humans turning into underwater creatures. There was also the very beautiful “At the Mountains of Madness” which detailed a doomed exhibition searching for a lost city beneath a massive sheet of white snow. If I’m not mistaken, it was his longest story he’s written.

So what do we do for August 20th? We celebrate.

I usually kick back and enjoy a couple of movies based on his works. It’s probably NOT the best way to get an idea of what his works are like. You’ll have to read his own stories to get a taste of the Lovecraftian horror that fills those awesome pages. Any of the above mentioned stories would do if you want to plow through a couple of his stories. I would usually watch the one hour long movie made by local fans called “The Call of Cthulhu” which takes great strains of remaining faithful to the original source. Good for them. They should be commended. To make it even better, it’s a silent movie. A perfect setting for a story that takes place in 1926 since silent movies are popular in the theaters.

I don’t know if this movie would have made Lovecraft proud. He hated movies. But this one made by fans did keep a strong tone with his story while using actual locations used in “Call of Cthulhu.”

I always kick back and enjoy the “Re-Animator” film made in the 1980s and regarded as one of the finest horror movies of the decade. If not ever. It still works very well as a darkly humorous horror fest which follows an eccentric man who claims to have found a way to bring the dead back to life. But he’s no Lazarus. Hell, he’s not even Jesus. But the results of bringing the dead back are combined with funny results. Some particularly great scenes from the film would be the bit with the dead cat running around. And also the final set piece with the grand grandual of splatter gore makes it a great highlight.

Add to it the delightful performance made by Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West, the overly egotistical brainchild of the life serum. The usual banter of his humor is twisted further by his blinding passion for science. One of the best lines is when he suggested to his decapitated opponent, “Why don’t you get a job at a sideshow?”

There are some other pretty good short films you can dig through at the local video store. The one called “Dreams of the Witch-House” is a pretty good segment from the Masters of Horror which runs on Showtime. It’s directed by the same guy who did the Re-Animator movie. Though not as funny, there are still some very good bits as he knows how to use lighting to throw long shadows and flickering figures.

I can’t for the life of me find the first “Unnameable” which is based off one of his lesser known works. No matter what, I always find the “Unnameable II” in several used video stores. Much to my disappointment. I haven’t seen this one. But perhaps someday I may come across it deep in some twisted, crumbling abyss spiraling in the cellar of some madman’s house where I can skirt away at the very edge of my life while stealing away a rare copy of “The Unnameable.” Perhaps I'll elude some stalking presence, like some creeping thing, that follows me along the edges of time and space. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to give a review about it should I be lucky enough to find it.

Whatever it may be seeing the movies or reading through the stories, August 20th may not be an important date for many people. But it is a milestone for me. And many other horror fans who cherish one of the greatest literary figures of horror fiction. H.P. Lovecraft. R.I.P.

Twenty Years Into the Past

2010-08-12T11:34:00.004-05:00

Finally, it reached the shelves of a local video store for purchase. But it certainnly took long enough.

With a show like this, you would think it’d take twenty minutes into the future.

But Max Headroom found a place in the digital archives where he belongs on August 10: in prosperity on a set of discs. It suits him.

However, the impact of the series couldn’t be easily forgotten. The computer generated character with the tall forehead and the snappy DJ voice falling into a stutter makes the audiences scratch their head and say, “Who is this guy?”

His appearance in the Max Headroom series is brief on the American channels. All too brief. With only thirteen shows to follow based on a British pilot, the series was relegated to the unfortunate casualty of the short lived.

But it was well ahead of its time. Even in today’s standards, it’s still ahead of its time. There’s the brilliant teaser luring the viewer into the show as being twenty minutes into the future. You see? The show will never be outdated. Because the setting is ambiguous.

Not only that, the show’s bold stories made some daring predictions serving as frightening revelations in today’s world. The series often told of rival networks doing anything to get their ratings. Sounds like what’s happening today. Especially with the egomaniac giant like Fox News willing to do anything, say anything to get their audience. Even at the risk of clouding the truth.

The first episode “Blipverts” is a brilliant piece on the idea that commercials may have deadly effect on those who watch. Though the episode does exaggerate, it does pinpoint on the whole idea of a network information through subliminal messages. The Coca-Cola company experimented with commercials in 2006 with their Sprite product with the "sub-lymon-al" advertising theme followed by the word “Obey.” As if making the viewer cater to his needs. Who knows? Maybe some people get up to go the grocery store to pick up the next stock of Sprite? It’s one way of trying to influence a viewer into buying something.

Commercialism is something you can’t get away from.

There is also an episode where there is a dangerous sport with people on skateboards. We’re already seeing Japanese TV shows where contestants must go through grueling, and often painful, tests to win the prize.

Is Max Headroom relevant to today’s issues?

Very.

So it’s better late than never for the series to finally be released as a full set. For some, who missed the reruns on Bravo and Tech TV, it hasn't been first seen since its initial broadcast.

Plenty of nice extras fill the entire fifth disc of the set where you can see interviews of several members of the cast. More interestingly, you can see a round of discussions from the original writers/creators Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton and George Stone.

One of the things that stands out is how the show ended according to one of the writers. It is almost as if life imitates fiction imitates life. And series of Max Headroom was stopped in the middle of filming as it was an order coming down from an high office. Apparently, the ABC network didn’t realize the series was making fun of high strung networks and throwing them in a bad light as gung ho commercial giants.

The word was: “Stop the series now. Everyone don’t go near the props. We’re done here. Go home.” Everyone lost their jobs that one day because this series was bold enough to make statements that no one else would make. No farewell party. No goodbye song. Nothing. Just a hasty shoo-away, that’s it.

In a way, almost a fitting end to the Max Headroom series.

The TV show revolves around an investigative journalist Edison Carter well played by Matt Frewer who also jumps into the part of his alter ego Max. There is also Amanda Pays who plays a computer controller helping Edison go through a maze of dangers while he is out on the field. Max Headroom treated Amanda Pays far better as an actress than did the Flash series which came a few years later. Jeffrey Tambor is well suited in the part of the sympathetic editor in chief who occasionally buckles under the authority.

However, like an overwhelming influence, there is the Network Channel 23 which looks over your shoulder like a big brother. It’s a brilliant analogy here. It is a shadow which casts a sheet of doubt over the society reduced to countless minions. They are no longer people. They are just numbers to the network for their ratings. Sounds familiar?

The series itself also suffered failing ratings. It was seen more as a mid-season replacement. And it never really gathered an audience except for a cult following. Had the series come out these days, with a more keen audience, the series might have done better. Stone plays with the idea of bringing Max back to TV with ideas already floating around in his head should they ever decide to revive the characters. Most likely, it won’t happen. But it’s fun to imagine.

In some ways, Max Headroom was more of a fad.

But if you want to treat yourself to an oddity from the eighties which was very different than most shows in the Untied States at the time, try this one. It wouldn’t hurt. And you might see a healthy amount of creativity put into a series that never really got off the ground. Instead, it went underground. More like a myth or a legend that sleeps between whispers. Max. Max. Max. Max Headroom. There won’t be anything quite like it again.

Warning: Vampire Sleeping

2010-08-01T14:57:00.002-05:00

Every now and then, someone gets it right.

The horror genre has noticed a number of set backs within the field of vampire movies. You’ve seen them. I’ve seen them. They seem to recycle the same old muck in the last few years. Nothing of interest comes out.

Then a movie like “Let The Right One In” (2008) comes and knocks you out of your seat. It’s a foreign movie sharply directed by Tomas Alfredson. But it is a different breed of a vampire movie. But I still like to call it a vampire movie.

But there is so much more to it than that. The film explores the cynicalism of loneliness. It deals with the way people treat each other in a world that has lost its sensitivity. Most people don’t even know their neighbors that well. It used to be in the 1950s that you knew every neighbor on the block. Not anymore. The world has gotten too big. And our hearts have grown too small.

This story revolves a rather unassuming boy who likes to keep to himself. He is shy, easily bullied by three other, older boys from his school. Sometimes he likes to talk to himself. Interestingly enough, the film is based in the 1980s in a suburb of Stockholm called Blackeberg. The fact that the film is set in this period doesn’t really add much to the film other than a few movie references. There aren't even any Michael Jackson songs to underline the 1980s. Not even the song "Billie Jean."

But the story kicks in when the boy Oskar meets the young girl Eli who seems different… like he is. You can see it right away when the girl first leaps to the ground, a supernatural presence about her. She isn’t bothered by the wintery landscape. In some way, she seems colder than the snow is.

He strikes up a very loving relationship with the vampire who is far more than she says. Her very approach gives her away. She seems more like an adult. But throughout the film, they become very dedicated to one another. They care for each other in many ways. But it is the sexuality of the film which may offend many who see the film as the children sleep with each other. Not in any sexual way. But because their friendship is so intimate. I’m surprised this film isn’t banned in many counties with its content.

The film isn’t gory, not violent. But it is very disturbing. Some images strike with a very literary quality. The vampire girl’s guardian who disfigures himself. The vampire who leaps on her prey like an animal grabbing hold. It is fierce and visual effect. The scene where Eli rips off the head of her victim is one of the highlights of the film because it is filled with such stone cold brutality. Yet it is filled with such poetry.

However, it is the friendship of the children that carries the film forward. There’s a sense of mystery around Eli: the ambiguous nature of Eli’s sexuality has many undertones in the film. The audience doesn’t even know who she is. But her voice is older, much older. She is a child that is two hundred years old, not twelve. As Eli often said: “I’ve been twelve a long time.” There are suggestions that Eli may have been castrated when much younger. Eli said in several conversations: “I’m not a girl.” Perhaps it is this ambiguous nature that makes the character so creepy… as if she steps right out of the shadows, so much older than the town itself.

There may be problems when film will be made into a United States version. That means, they’re going to mess it up. They’re already screwing it up. The film is slated to be directed by Cloverfield’s Matt Reeves, a film that I was not entirely a fan of. Because of his popularity, this director will get to throw his worthless two cents into the pot. They’re going to be avoiding the entire ambiguous gender subplot of the original. Already, they’re getting rid of the one thing that made the original version so interesting.

The writer and the screenplay author John Ajvide Lindqvist is unhappy with the news. I don’t blame him. The fact that the director of the remake will be adding nothing new to the film. Lindqvist said, “Remakes should be made of movies that aren't very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong.” There was nothing wrong with the original. It was made cheaply with a good sense of creativity. There’s no real need for it.

Is the remake going to be any good? I wouldn’t hold my breath for the remake that will be aimed more towards the mainstream audiences.

Stupid remakes.

“Let The Right One In” is very sentimental about the characters, in particular the children. While the rest of the world seem so much more brutal, the children remain very close knitted. They have a very good friendship that outshines the banality of the world that surrounds them. They realize that all they need is each other. The young boy looks after his vampire friend. And Eli takes care of him like he is one of her own.

This film isn’t for everyone. It’s a slow movie. There’s plenty of sluggish atmosphere of old buildings and dark forests. You get to see many scenes of falling snow that showers whiteness across the countryside like it is heaven. But it isn’t heaven. Far from it. You see many bad things going on in the whiteness, many deaths. What gives the film so much heart, however, are the children. You can really see they do love each other. And love is something good to hang on to.

There’s so much more to this vampire movie. It blinds you with love. And it gives you a sense that two children can love each other like friends. But there is also a kind of sadness that drags the film on. You can feel it. It makes you feel like you shouldn’t open the door to anyone. You never know who it is on the other side.

Horror in the Mound

2010-07-26T12:00:00.005-05:00

Some movies can take you by surprise. The film “New Daughter” is one of those surprises.

At a first glance, when you’re checking out the rental store, you might have come across this film. Maybe you also picked it up for a closer look. It’s got Kevin Costner on the cover wielding a shotgun in an almighty blaze. You’re thinking it’s probably a thriller, or some overly long drama.

I did.

Costner was known to make three hour films that seemed to take forever getting through. I stopped checking his movies out after “Water World.” Remember that priceless film?

But "New Daughter" is a victim of very poor marketing. Most, if any, have not heard of it. But the most surprising thing about this film is that it’s a straight up horror flick. The last person you would expect to see in a horror film would be Costner himself.

The film was given a limited release in December of 2009 without any huge audiences going for it. In fact, there is nothing on the poster or the description that gave any hinting that it is indeed a horror film. And a very good one. The story itself was based on original work by John Connelly who was known for writing mystery, horror and science fiction.

It’s almost as if the marketing folks didn’t want to touch the horror genre or hint at it in fear of being stigmatized by it. Instead, “The New Daughter” may have been mistaken for an entirely different product.

It stars a very precocious child actress being the up and coming Ivana Baquero who also starred in the film Pan’s Labyrinth which offered a stunning dark side to fantasy. She plays the “daughter” of Costner’s character in the film.

The story revolves a novelist played by Costner who settles into his new home with his daughter and son, where they begin to learn how to lead different lives after the father’s recent divorce. It is an old house located in the far south where the past seems to linger like shadows. There is a past hanging to these crumbling walls and even the surrounding forests, so isolated, remains instilled with darkness. Not even the sunlight can push away the blackness of this place. Baquero finds an odd looking burial mound very close by which is an elusive figure.

However, the building of tension and the crawling feeling of darkness makes perfect introduction to a growing horror that exists in this film. The Spanish director and screenwriter Luis Berdejo (his first film) knows how to handle mood, atmosphere. Just like the Japanese counterpart of horror films, he knows how to create an impending feeling that leaves you in a corner of shadows. If you don’t believe that the Spanish makes good horror films, check out “The Orphanage.”

There is one very effective scene with Baquero closing her window of her second floor bedroom, shutting away the silence of the night. However, in a long shot, you can see the young girl locking the window with a sharp click. Far to the right of the screen, barely noticeable, you can see movements of someone climbing the roof.

Much of the horror is hidden in shadows and stays in the interesting background of burial mounds and creatures living beneath the ground… it is almost as if the evolution of the human race has split off, inspiring something hellish, horrible. They make gifts to the gods in the form of straw dolls. They are savages that live in dirt. And their presence seems to affect the daughter who slowly regresses. There is also another back story about a previous owner who attempted to burn down the house.

The intention of these “mound walkers,” worshipping the gods, is to mate with the daughter to create another race of gods. So the vicious cycle can start all over again.

Baquero is one of my favorite actresses. Despite her youthful age, she exudes an intelligent façade in all her acting. She understands how to portray a girl who is undergoing changes in her sexuality. Every part of her drips with fierce sexuality that points to her ongoing changes in her personality. Hence, the title “New Daughter.” In fact, the film mentions the title once as part of the dialogue in a very poetic sense.

I liked this film.

Costner is very good in it too. His acting ranges involve his being a father at the appropriate age, and he clearly shows, in a downhill struggle, a man who is willing to do what he can to protect his family. Even against something he may not understand. The film works on a very indirect level with the changing daughter in connection to the demonic presence in the mound.

I would not rank this as highly as the excellent horror movie “Descent” which revolves around underground creatures that drags an unsuspecting group of cave dwellers into the bottomless darkness. But “New Daughter” still works well as it explores the family relationship between father and daughter. There are plenty good scenes between Costner and Baquero to choose from.

However, this film does deliver the goods. There is horror around every corner. The isolation of the house. The strange mound. Miles of forests. And the creatures in the ground are very well realized creations.

If anything, the underground creatures of “New Daughter” may bear a striking resemblance to those in “Descent.” Perhaps distant cousins?

There are several nice horror scenes of Baquero digging in the ground with her hands while she is at her school. Some of the scenes involving the police officer being dragged by the creatures by the side of the road at night creates a genuine atmosphere.

However, it is the final scene which invokes a great sense of horror as it ends with an anti-climax. You are left seeing the young son standing at the fence still holding the picture of his family. You can see the burning mound in the picture’s reflection after his father burned it down. You see an approaching figure in the reflection which looks like his father. But you’re not sure. But then you see, at a distance, the shrieking figure of the creature stalking the boy from behind. It’s a brilliant end which gives a Lovecraft-esque ending.

People usually like to see stories that have resolution, some sort of resolving. Not this one. This film gives an ambiguous ending that works with perfect horror. You’re left with a sense of uneasiness.

It's too bad that the film got poor circulation while the marketing genuises did nothing to promote the film. It could have gotten many horror fans to attend its theater showings.

For horror fans, this is a treat. But those who are not horror fanatics might still find the corresponding relationship between Costner and Baquero which carries the film very well. It’s definitely a sleeper film which will probably find its own following given time.

Dream Stealers

2010-07-17T11:49:00.002-05:00

The film reacts to the senses, bashes them with images piling on more images. It is like running through a visionary maze where you can get easily lost in.

If that is the intention of Christopher Nolan's latest film, simply titled Inception, then he's hit it right on the head. He's managed to create a block buster film with a brain. Something that challenges your ideas when you are still compelled by the landscape of images that surrounds.

It is a film about ideas. Inception begins with several men trying to enter someone's dreams in hopes of pulling off a heist. In the dream, the character of Cobb played by Leonardo DeCapio searches for secrets belong to Saito, a very powerful and wealthy man.

However, the tables are turned on Cobb and his own men as the corporate owner knew they were trying to mingle with his own dreams. Instead, he wants to hire Cobb and a team to steal into the dreams of Robert Fischer Jr. who is a corporate rival of Saito... and suggest to him in the dream to disband his empire that was passed to him by his father.

The film reaches an interesting complex layering just as dreams do. There are tons of ideas in the film that surrounds the notion that you can go into someone's dreams and manipulate their feelings, their emotions, everything. Because dreams can be very inspiring.

It's the best film of the year. It is a very simple idea and yet pulls everything off without crashing. While it is very complex in is wealth of ideas, the director Nolan is able to give it some linear narrative. There's a definite story spearheading through the film. You can still follow the story with ease if you pay enough attention to it.

If you walk out of the movie for fifteen minutes, don't expect to understand it if you come back into it. The film needs your undivided attention.

What gives the story the kick is the idea itself. And what a scary thing. Dreams can be very frightening. And to think you are trapped in a dream is on the same level as falling into a coma. You can live entire lives in a dream because time moves so much slowly. It seems that Nolan has done his homework on dreams which gives it life.

There isn't a need for big special effects. It is the interesting camera work that makes the dreams work very well. And you use the FX whenever needed to create a more lucid dream world much like static state of limbo. Where the prison of dreams could trap you forever and make you remain in a corner of darkness.

But Cobb's past life interferes with the group's mission: his dead wife comes back to haunt him in his dreams. And she is like a force of fury, angry, very intrusive. And this becomes an added danger to the rest of the team. His guilt becomes a weighty thing.

Nolan puts on a very delicate film with a sharp script that makes sense. But it is the gallery of images that works so well in this picture leaving you in a confusion of dreams: lifting bridges, exploding buildings, cliffs falling into a disarray, all of this creates burning thoughts that stay inside your head long after you leave the theaters.

There is one particular scene that is far reaching and excellent. It is set inside the hotel corridors where actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt fights his way through several dream assassins. It's a very tension filled part of the film that is in closed spaces, very airtight hallways, which gives it more discomfort. But it's very brilliantly done and Gordon-Levitt spent many weeks getting into tune to accomplish this scene. It is like you're watching fight inside a spinning cage. It's one of the highlights of the film.

The film has many Batman veterans if you look around long enough. You can see Michael Caine in a short appearance, Ken Wanatabe, Cillian Murphy. They have all been in the revamped Batman film series of recent years. Not to mention the director himself Nolan who have heralded the Batman films from within the directorial seat.

There's an interesting theme going on in his films: complexity. It seems that Nolan likes to take very complex ideas and try to give them a story He did the same thing with the film Memento about a man with memory loss who tries to build life once more from shattered remains. His film The Dark Knight is a moral play between chaos and society.

But here, the film gives leverage to dreams has never been explored in this way before. It's an interesting idea here.

More interestingly, however, is the actor Leoonardo DeCapio. I have never been overly fond of the actor myself with his range of acting. But he gives his best performance here as a man who hides his wounds inside his dreams. The more you learn of him, the more he is seen as a hero with flaws. And they are serious flaws. But he has noble intentions with the things he does. He wants to simply go back to his children that were left by his dead wife.

You don't need to look any further if you want a different type of summer movie. The film is a tour of dreams that takes you to the private matters of the human soul. And it is probably the one place where you shouldn't look. Because dreams do have a way of snapping back at you. The rules are off. And everything counts on how real the dreams seem. It's quite a novelty.

The Horror of Shutter Island

2010-07-14T11:12:00.004-05:00

Many audiences often mistakenly put a film into a different category that originally intended. A few people already called the film “Shutter Island” a psychological thriller. While it’s not far from the label, I would consider it more of a horror film than anything else.

Right away, it starts out with a foreboding atmosphere that is overwhelming as the films moves along like a freight train gaining speed, momentum. It starts out with a dramatic touch of the gothic with the surrounding waters splashing against the ferry taking the two federal marshals to Shutter Island.

What more, the lavish seas gives a feeling of loneliness as if you’re shut away from the rest of the known world.

You get the picture in the first scenes as someone describes the island in 1954… the only way you can reach it is by boat. And you can see there is no other way off it due to walls of rocks clipping around the edges. It is a deadly sight. Feels like a trap within a trap as you step on the island for the first time, leaving you with an uncomfortable feeling.

It is known that the best selling author of the novel Dennis Lehane said that his book is a homage to gothic settings such as the castle-like fortress of the prison, and he adds that it is inspired by the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Was “Shutter Island” intended as a horror film? Yes, it was.

But this is how horror films should be made. Long time director Martin Scorsese creates a very complex layering of plot that you can peel away the further you dig into the morose findings on Shutter Island. There is plenty of mood that greets the characters as if they stepped into a haunted house filled with shadows and threads of darkness that seems to choke you at every turn.

Not only that, there is also the hellish storm that slaps against the island as an angry mother would to a child. It is the same feeling of the terrible storm which often plagues the old Roger Corman adaptations of the Edgar Allan Poe stories in the 1960s starring Vincent Price… you remember the cold whispers of the storm outside, the cutting winds snapping against the windows and ghostly presence of a cemetery? You see all of these trappings in the Shutter Island movie.

There is image piling on images throughout the film. You can get the first glimpses of World War II which plagues the character U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels played by Leonardo DeCapio where there are many bodies laying stone dead in concentration camps, and everything has a grayish, grainy quality to it. You can see Daniels’ wife being blown away like ashes in his dreams as she is a victim of a fire accident which occurred several years ago. You see glimpses of “Saturn Devouring His Son” painting by Spanish artist Francisco Goya offering another view of hell as the paintings were often considered ghoulish by critics. It is considered part of the Black Paintings.

There’s the nice touch with the lighthouse standing in the mists of rocks. (Though it was never explained how the characters reach the place except crossing the water). But it’s a nice image that adds to the already dreadful picture.

But it is the spiraling mystery which ensnares Daniels as he goes deeper into the mind set of the island only to find there are many things still left in darkness. And he learns more about the island--he believes a government conspiracy is being held here against the will of patients as are treated the same way by Nazi groups in the 1940s. As experiements.

You can see an appearance of Max Von Sydow playing a very secretive doctor, an actor best known as the priest in the ultra horror film “The Exorcist.” Even Ben Kingsley, who plays the head shrink in the facility, glitters with glaring menace every time he sneers, like a man hiding his thoughts.

It’s nice to see how the film twists and turns into something unexpected and it is more of a journey for the lead character who learns about something in himself. There is no place for him to run at the end of the film. And he is faced with the greatest monster: himself. The film is directed with a pivoting sharpness that drags you along through a maze of darkness.

It can be argued that the film is strictly a psychological thriller which would probably result in more viewers coming to see the film in theaters. However, the gothic type of settings along with the lead character growing more aware of his losing sanity is very much worthy of H.P. Lovecraft, whose stories always ended with an anti-climax of characters doubting themselves. And often shuddering at the insignificance of the universe around them. Calling “Shutter Island” a horror film shouldn’t be an insult. Calling it a horror film, however, would most likely bring cat calls from other critics. That's too bad.

There’s a very interesting last line Daniels makes at the end of the film: he asks whether it is better to "live as a monster, or die as a good man.” And it’s a very powerful scene. I didn’t even mind DeCapio in this film as he is trying his best to make a good performance under the directorial skill of Scorsese. I rank him along with Brad Pitt as actors who do at least try to confront very challenging roles.

But why would anyone be ashamed of calling it a horror film? It’s a perfectly good one that knows how to build tension since there's a good director adding some respectability to the genre. It’s an underrated film at best. Horror fans shouldn’t pass up a good treat as they will be given an excellent story filled with fantastic images that would make you shiver.

Music of Stars Wars

2010-07-04T12:46:00.003-05:00

Star Wars in Concert.

You can understand why it’s so popular. It’s always there. The fanfare. It’s like falling in love again. Luke, Leia, Han, Obi-Wan, Chewy. How can you forget? I haven’t.

Which is probably why Star Wars in Concert is touring through the United States starting in Fort Myers, Fla. and now makes its way through the small corner of Green Bay on June 3. It was supposed to have taken place in one of the bigger cities such as Madison. Somehow it didn’t. It ended up in Green Bay of all places.

And it was shown for one night only in Green Bay at the Resch Center during the illuminative laser light show. Not fireworks. But close enough. And the indepedence of the Rebellion. Yeah, that's close enought too. It’s okay. We’re kids again. Don’t worry about it.

This is one way to say thanks to the fans: thank you for your years of devotion Thank you for being goofy, fun and crazy again. And thank you for all the time and love. This is their way of giving back to the fans. Star Wars in Concert is a salute to the best of us. It’s nice to see the Star Wars geeks dressing up again as their beloved characters.

The concert itself is a ninety person orchestra filled with violins, flutes and percussions using the best… the many scores written by John Williams. And it is used against the flowing landscaping of movie, music and memories. Many familiar pieces of music are used including themes for Princess Leia, Vader and Yoda along with the Imperial March. You’ve heard them before. But it continues to dazzle and amaze because of its variety… there is a greatness to Williams’ work as it has his own vision for the film, very sweeping, very original. Right from the very first drumbeat, you know damn well it’s Star Wars.

I have always thought the Theme of Yoda was one of the most beautiful pieces ever created by Williams, a very subtle, charming piece, whimsical yet sweeping in its charm. And I have always liked the powerful structure of the Duel of the Fates which can be very compelling.

Imagine how bad the films would have been if they went with the original idea of using disco music for the soundtrack. John Travolta in space? Ouch. It’s a good thing they went with the orchestra.

But here it is, the theater of music. It brings the wealth of musical ideas in which brings greatness to the films: it is the music that often breaths life to the films. Williams clearly knows what he is doing when he wrote the music for the six films. No one messes with him. It is his thumbprint of music. You can’t deny it.

And it is Anthony Daniels, best known for the performance of C-3PO, who narrates for the audience the most exceptional pieces of Star Wars history. Daniels is probably the most charismatic man in the universe. He kicks great enthusiasm into the audiences. He recounts the inner child in all of us and takes us through the imagination of Stars Wars by the hand. He gives you the best seat in the house. Thank you Anthony Daniels.

It wouldn’t be the same without him. The films have always been shot through the point of view of the droids who have been in all of films in one way or another. They are the hook of the films. They are so lovable. So the droids are in every way important as the Jedi, princesses, emperors, warriors or Wookies who change the course of the stories. Daniels elevates the films by bringing his own perception to the concert. He has a great voice which sits you right in the middle of the galaxy once again.

There are also the gallery of props which come with the concert. In a way, it is like getting a little piece of Star Wars history right here. These are many prop which populate the films. You can see several suits that were used for Kit Fisto, Plo Koon along with more familiar characters such as Yoda, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and one of the most recognizable film highlights with Han Solo in carbonation. Yep, I was right there with Chewbacca. Growl!

Yes, it’s milking the cash cow for George Lucas and his pals again. It’s just another way of forking over the whole cash crop. Doesn’t Lucas have enough money in his pocket? Isn’t he rich enough to get more money off the poor saps who continue to give in more money to the engineers of Star Wars?

That’s okay. I don’t mind. And it’s a nice way of getting together with old friends, family and bringing your kids along to see it.

At least, the music crew were very creative about it this time. They were very imaginative about bringing Stars Wars again by using a movie screen to relive the many high points of the film saga. How can you not feel the excitement again? How can you not feel going through asteroid field in the Milllenium Falcon, going to Cloud City to witness the confrontation between father and son, seeing the Death Star getting souped up in an explosion again? How can you not wonder at the powerful beauty of Leia or get caught up with the Ewoks or stormtroopers?

Sure, you a few years older, with more creaks in the bones. But you are once again zapped back to the magical world of Star Wars by becoming that kid who was hit by the hurricane of craziness once again. At least you’re with a few people you know when you’re running through the highlights of the orchestra steeped in the bombardment of powerful noise fixed together in a chorus of music. In a way, the orchestra can be much louder than the explosions that goes on in the Star Warms films.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the prequels which do figure into the six movie arc. But they’re in the legacy of film history. Whether you liked them or not. They’re part of the expansive lattice of the Star Wars myths. Thanks to Williams, Daniels, Lucas and the rest of the crew, they’re making it very much part of the culture again. Once again, they’re making it relevant to the scene in Green Bay.

It’s good fun way of going back to the memories of Star Wars history. By using the music to retell the story. There are so many ways of telling the story. Star Wars in Concert is one way.

And you can feel okay by having that that stupid grin on your face when you watch the story that took place a long time ago in a galaxy far away. In the theater of the mind you can call music.

The Big Who

2010-06-27T11:36:00.004-05:00

The episode starts out with a very tragic moment as Vincent Van Gogh goes through a nightmarish cry over his latest painting he's created from his own stark imagination. And they are using the very same actor to reprise his role.

He’s shouting and wailing in the middle of the night. It is a painting of the Doctor's time traveling machine exploding done in Van Gogh's typical style with wavy lines. However, it sets the tone for the rest of the two-parter Doctor Who finale. And then you see a sting of scenes with other important historical figures who appeared throughout the series this year. They are passing on a message to the Doctor.

Steven Moffat wrote the very first episode "The Eleventh Hour" of this year. So it is only fair game that he wraps everything else in the final show. And what a beautiful finale it is, like a space opera, only better. This is what you call pulling together all the loose strings of the series to round off Doctor Who. I wasn't disappointed.

The episode “Pandorica Opens” is like a festival of many characters thrown into a party. There are many players pushing the story forward and we finally learn about what the Pandorica is from the many mentions made in “Flesh and Blood” episode.

The Prisoner Zero mentions it in the first episode of this year. Then River Song talks about it. However the Doctor claims that it is nothing more than a fairy tale.

But it's real enough in this episode. The Pandorica rests beneath the crowded nest of Stongehenge which is one of the greatest wonders of the world.

Moffat is going out at all stops to bring everything together into a very wonderful story that surrounds the Pandorica. Many viewers, including myself, thought a greater threat would come out of this strange box. That's when it really throws us off.

Ultimately, it's something you put inside the box. The Pandorica box is a trap by a number of hated creatures who form a temporary truce to put away the most dangerous being in the universe.

Who is this threatening man?

The Doctor.

And who comes to the party to get their last laugh on the Doctor? It's a pretty big party. They are the Daleks (who wouldn't miss this chance), Cybermen, Sontarans, Nestene, Drahvins, Sycorax, Zygons, Atraxi, Draconians, and a bunch of others with a grudge. Some of not seen since the old days of Doctor Who.

It's a brilliant mix that you would not have expected. But the cliffhanger of this episode leads to the next part which builds up with a very momentous pace. It's a brilliant show from start to finish.

The second part of the story, “The Big Bang,” maintains a complex layering of ideas. But it's Moffat. What else did you expect? It starts off with one of the best lines in the finale when it is Amy who comes out of the box to meet her younger self. She says, “Kid, this is when things start getting really complicated.”

There's so much packed into this episode that it needs to be slightly longer. And it's one of the perks of the BBC that allows for shows to run a little longer than the usual 45 minutes. I was impressed that it became a “smaller” story on a grand scale. And I love how the time travel plot device is used to tell the story. The Doctor is all over the place in this story going back and forth in time... and he uses time itself to cheat his way out of death several times. Such time travel device was well used in the “Back to the Future” movies and also “Slaughterhouse Five” written by Kurt Vonnegut. Here, time travel becomes a useful way for Moffat to tell a story.

There’s a nice bit with Capt. Jack’s time traveling wrist band that the Doctor uses throughout to make his way around and making short jumps to keep the story going at a frantic pace.

Yes, it's a very complicated story.

You'll have to get used to it.

Many people will probably criticize it because it's not the explosive conclusion that will go out with a bang. (And it does sort of go out with a bang with the reset that recreates the universe). Many critics will complain that it is too complex. But I have no problems with the episode.

It really comes down to the Doctor saving the relationship between Amy and Rory so they can get married on the very important date of June 26. It becomes a love story that spans the cosmos. It's a very lovely romance story that is shrouded by the fate of the universe hanging in threads. And the Doctor ties up all the loose ends to make sure it runs smoothly. The universe becomes the engines. And the Doctor becomes the engineer.

There's a lot of great humor in the story. So much that it feels like old Doctor Who once again. There is a funny bit with the Doctor picking up all sorts of crazy stuff during his time traveling jumps. He gets an Egyptian hat that he wears on his head throughout a portion of the episode. Then River Song finally says in the middle of a conversation to the Doctor: “Where in the name of insanity did you get that hat?” Amy rips the fez off the Doctor's head to throw it in the air while River blasts it out of the sky. The death of a hat. Truly, a loss. I'm sure the Doctor feels bad.

This is a great ending to a very special season indeed. It has been one of the most consistently good seasons with a number of very strong stories. I believe this is the very best season to come out in Doctor Who since Tom Baker's departure season in 1981. Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Steven Moffat has really come through for us to deliver an excellent series.

Not everything is explained in these episodes. In fact, some of it will be revealed in the following series for us. But isn't it what Doctor Who is all about? It's always been something of a mystery. And that is the driving force being Doctor Who. Along with the changing creativity in the series.

Who is River Song? What is she doing here? What are her connections to the Doctor? How should I know? Perhaps you’ll need to stay tune for the next series of episodes.

Doctor Who has done it again. I'm thrilled to see that it'll return much stronger next year. It'll be a long wait. Damn.

Oh yes, the Doctor dances like a super geek at the wedding in the end. I'm glad he's such a geek. I think it'll be the rage for children now who'll dance at weddings in England.

A Movie In Hell

2010-06-21T11:31:00.004-05:00

There comes a time when westerns have been plentiful in the cinema. Nowadays, the western is more scarce than a discovery of a gold nugget.

But we got one in theaters which is a kind of mix, not a straight out western shooting across the screens because there are bits of horror thrown in, some science fiction. It's called Jonah Hex.

It's not a bad movie. But it's clearly not a good movie either. I could call it a wildly uneven film with some stylistically good material scattered between even longer chunks of awfulness. Sadly, the awful stuff happens more often than good. It's a missed opportunity.

Such a movie directed by Jimmy Hayward like this may very well turn anyone away from making a good western for a long time again. That's too bad.

Some of the good points? Josh Brolin does his very best with the material he's working with and can make a convincing Jonah Hex when he rises to the occasion. John Malcovich is excellent in his role as the opposing villain hell-bent on taking over the United States.

There are some nice scenes too where Jonah goes to the cemetery to dig up a coffin. When he first strikes the stone marker, making a crashing sound, all the crows in the cemetery flap up into a hurricane of darkness. It's a very nice scene. The film captures the style of the original comic books in some portions.

But it all stops there.

And the awfulness simply begins.

Megan Fox is such a terrible actress as she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. She looks more like eye candy. There's no doubt she's an attractive woman with her slender thighs and curvy features. But her acting leaves little to be desired. If she was in a movie called “Babes in Bondage,” she would be terrible in that one.

Some of the plot really can get messed up as threads weave into confusion, and it loses its focus. But it clearly needs better editors. There is no way for a horse, any horse, to carry a gattling gun that's bigger, heavier than the state of Texas. That horse would never have been able to carry it. And the horse would have sustained burn marks if the gattling gun spat out all those chunks of lead. I feel sorry for the horse. I feel even more sorry for this movie.

There are a lot of dumb stuff in this movie.

The secret weapon is very dumb. It's a giant cannon. It's a dumb design with a dumb approach. I'm figuring they are trying to harken back to the excellent “Wild,Wild West” shows of the 1960s... but the old shows made their creations more interesting. This particular secret weapon makes no sense. It shoots out several lead balls, then finally shoots out the final ball which detonates the entire area in which the scattered balls span. What's the point of this? It takes too long. And you can do the same thing with one, giant explosion.

I don't understand why they give Jonah a supernatural power... giving him the ability to talk to dead folks. All the information he got from the dead could have been easily obtained somewhere else. Jonah didn't have such powers when he is in the comic. Unless I'm missing something here. But this power is probably given because he's supposed to be a “comic book” hero. That's not the point. The original book is a western with elements of horror... Jonah's simply a bounty hunter with a strict code of honor.

The final fight between Jonah and his foe is dumb. This is a dumb fight that goes back and forth between them fighting and another sequence where they must be fighting in hell. I could never make head or tail of this. I'm probably confused like the rest of the audience. Which only made up about ten people where I went on Friday night.

Jonah isn't a nice guy. He never is in the comics he starred in. He shot a man in the ear once and another through his foot. He didn't let a bandit finish his sentence before shooting him through the mouth in a hostage situation. No, he's not nice at all. He isn't nice to his women either. He's a loner, a man standing on the edge of hell itself. He prefers it this way.

There's one scene where Jonah shoves a guy near a giant spinning fan on the boat, and the machine lopped off the back of the guy's head off. But Jonah in the comics would've probably let the fan chop off the guy's ear first, then maybe his other ear just because he didn't like him. Another missed opportunity.

The comics are awesome. I would recommend the comic books instead which started in 1971 which is nearly four decades of interesting storytelling especially. Jonah starred in his own book in the mid-1970s. The series revived recently with some stellar writing and drawing, bringing to life the western on the pages of a comic book. It breathes with greater creativity. I love the new comic books because they keep true to the character of Jonah Hex, a brutal man, a renegade, always looking for a way to satisfy his lust for violence. Yeah, he's a violent man. He's good with his guns.

You may want to read the comic books instead. They're better made. For the movie? If you want to take a ticket to hell itself, go right head. It's a pretty painful one to watch.

Scary Shadows

2010-06-11T11:16:00.004-05:00

Val Lewton.

Remember that name.

He’s considered to be in behind-the-scenes guy as an American screenwriter and producer who made a series of excellent horror films during the 1940s.

You might not know his name.

But you’ll know the movies he was involved with.

He produced several films including both Cat People films, “I walked with a Zombie” and “The Body Snatcher” which remains the more well known titles. There are others that didn’t get as much notoriety as these did. But all of the nine horror films in which he was involved with were known for one thing: a stark sense of atmosphere bleeding through the shroud of black and white footage.

He was able to create a scenes with plenty shadows and lighting, always in conflict with each other. And you can feel the unease which spreads through the background like a greater blackness. I have just re-watched the 1942 version of the film “The Cat People” which holds up so very well. Some of the brilliant use of atmosphere rarely shows the horror in its physical sense. It leaves you to use your imagination to think about the horror that lives in shadows.

There is a great scene with a pursued woman in a swimming pool in “The Cat People” as the whirling of darkness comes close to attacking her, growing more wild, disturbing. But it’s all in the mind.

This is what Lewton does best.

He doesn’t throw things at you in the movie. He has a sense of poetry which builds stronger, bringing the feeling of claustrophobia to you. And it strangles you with its closeness.

“I Walked with a Zombie” is a beautiful mood piece set in the African world of voodoo magic and ghostly images. And yet, some of the most stark scenes in the film is the portion where the lead female antagonist wielding her way through the sugar cane plantation where the weeds stand taller than she. Then she runs into the tall, gaunt voodoo figure in the outdoors field. It gives a notion of impeding doom to her.

Val Lewton worked with a ton of very intelligent directors during the time he brought to the screen these horror films: Robert Wise and Jacques Tourneur (Who also worked on another well known horror film “Night of the Demon” in which Lewton did not work on). However, Lewton did work with many good actors such as Boris Karloff.

Lewton was asked to work under certain time constraints and a very clipped budget when doing this series of movies. Every movie must run under seventy five minutes. Each film must be under the budget of $150,000. It’s a very good rule for modern day directors who run amok with their blatantly insane budgets and let string a series of awful movies that are far too expensive to make. Here the Lewton movies are made with excellent restraint. And with a considerably small amount of money, he was able to create movies that leaves an etching memory on your thoughts.

Here’s a very nice strategy in how to make money the right way. The film “I walked with the Zombie” was made at a very small $134,00 or somewhere around that area. It’s small potatoes, isn’t it? Then the movie went off to make something like $4 million which is a far wide margin. Now that’s big potatoes. You can see the difference in how much money is made here.

But it’s the exact opposite these days. Some movies are made at such a mind numbing budget like the fool director Michal Bay and his ultra-awful “Armageddon” has. Sure, it’s made plenty of dough. But they didn’t have to spend so much money on it. In fact, they could have avoided those issues. But today’s answer to making movie: throw some money into it so it’ll make some money back. Isn’t that what the politicians do when they go on their campaign runs?

So well done were Lewton’s horror movies that it was all he was known for. Lewton tried bravely to make a break from the cycle of horror movies to produce something that was considered a drama set in the World War II period. But the film did not receive the audience attention as did the horror films. Which was unfortunate.

Maybe he was able to make such a remarkable production out of nothing. This is where his horror films come in. I’m able to remember the blackness that seeps into his movies as a river of night rather than anything the new movies are able to create these days.

I’ll tell you what new movies make today… a lot of computer graphics and special effects. And very little else. Sometimes the eye candy of FX is all what carries today’s horror movies.

I miss Val Lewton.

So does Hollywood.

It was during the time of Lewton when horror movies were created with an intelligent approach, good stories and a remarkable use of back-story to create a monster that exists only in our minds. The imagination can become an effective tool when handled properly. Many modern day directors, too stupid to list here, should learn well from one of the masters of American cinema.

Lewton could charm the socks off you when you’re watching one of his films and still manage to scare you out of your wits. So I suggest renting any one of the Lewton movies tonight, and see how long you can keep the lights off while watching. It’ll be a contest of wills.

Good old Lewton. I wish there were more like him these days. But I find myself pining for the old memories of yesterday’s movies. Not a very good sign for today’s horror movies being cranked out these days. Or any movie for that matter.

Paintings in Full View

2010-06-06T13:59:00.002-05:00

Doctor Who continues to embellish and grow as a series this year. And the episode “Vincent and the Doctor” is no exception. It is a telling story of sentimentality in the life of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.

The story is done in a very minimal way as it deals with his private life, his depression and the inspirations of life which can make things worth living for. This episode is written by the dependable Richard Curtis who has a tendency to make things sappy. Which is fine with me. I don’t mind sappy. It didn’t derive from the center of the story.

Something bothers the Doctor when he takes his companion Amy to the art museum to gather in the sights from Vincent Van Gogh works. However, the Doctor sees something slightly different as there is a strange creature appearing in the window of the church from “The Church at Auvers.” So the Doctor decides to go back in time and ask the painter himself what is going on.

What they discover is an invisible creature that is driving the Dutch painter mad… and the Doctor tries to understand the reason for its attacks and hope to bring a resolution to the problem. It is right for show runner Stephen Moffat to say, “The creature is invisible, so you don’t have to worry so much about the special effects. It’s brilliant.” Because of Van Gogh’s sensible nature, he is able to see it though his own eyes.

However, the gist of the story really revolves around the character Vincent Van Gogh who is the historical figure here… but he is also an interesting, peerless man of complex background. Also the subject of the depression is handled very deftly here. None of it overwhelms the character as there are many different sides to him. Not the bleeding man painter. But a man of dreams, passions and desires.

I liked the actor who plays him: Tony Curran. He was able to bring a right amount of passion to the part. I suppose I am being a little subjective here when it comes to Vincent Van Gogh who I have always admired as an artist, and consider him to have a very great imagination. I’m also Dutch as my grandfather on my father’s side came from Netherlands in 1929 to settle here in Wisconsin. So I feel a common bond with the artist himself.

It is a very sad story, tragic. The sad ending spills with a very emotional spark when the Doctor realizes the Krafayis, the creature, is also blind… which is why it lashed out with anger. It was not an enemy, but a frightened animal. And Van Gogh protects the Doctor and Amy by fending the creature off with an easel. But the creature impales itself, perhaps on purpose, in an accidental struggle. The sadness is that the Doctor realized too late about the creature and couldn’t help it in time.

Curtis’ writing focuses on the emotional side with a beautiful voice. You might recognize Curtis’ writing from “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” His other writing credits include some sparring co-writing with Rowan Atkinson on the Black Adder along with Mr. Bean. Curtis knows how to write comedy very well. But he writes a pretty damn good drama as well.

The episode makes great use of seeing the world through the eyes of the Dutch painter himself as he lets the Doctor and Amy focus on the surroundings in the same way as he does. The brilliant use of special effects here is well done… and it allows for us to see the strange lines and wonder of Van Gogh’s sight seeing tour through the heavens. And it looks like the formation for “Starry Night,” one of his most famous paintings.

The production crew are having fun with Doctor Who this year as many of the crazy gadgets seen look like something that was designed for the movie “Brazil” because there’s a real retroactive note. And it’s great to see the Doctor using these machines which gives a fantasy element to the stories. The Doctor was able to use the machine with the mirror to see the creature for himself. It’s a nice touch.

The Doctor makes his final good deed for the day by bringing the despairing Van Gogh, who feels left out of world, always feeling as a refuge from humanity. But the Doctor takes him to a 2010 art exhibit which shows Van Gogh’s paintings in full view… and the painter realizes that his work has not gone in vain.

And he understands now that there is always some good in the world that can be captures in the essence of art. And nothing could ever take that away from him. It’s a very poignant moment augmented by the tender music from the song called “Chances” by Athlete, giving it a very surreal feeling.

“Vincent and the Doctor” is another fine addition to the gallery of excellent shows this year on Doctor Who. And it allows for Doctor Who to expand its horizons to include a historical episode with a human conflict in the story. You don’t have to be a fan of Doctor Who to enjoy this one. And you don’t have to be a fan of Van Gogh either to like this one. And yet, somehow, the show is able to give a reflection of humanity at its best.

Look for great actor Bill Nighy who played the art museum curator in a brilliant scene. It looks like he is having fun with the show. And so are we. It’s a good sign that the series is still going strong.

Humor in the Movies

2010-06-03T11:37:00.005-05:00

Sometimes people tend to miss the mark when it comes to seeing movies in theaters. My blog revolving around the Iron Man 2 film complains about the critics who complain about the movie. And it doesn’t stop there. I was a little tetchy when I described the critics have having no sense of humor. Iron Man 2 is a good popcorn movie for the summer. That’s the point of the movie.

I believe critics seem to have missed the point when they saw the Wolf Man movie as they panned that one too. I saw this and thought it was a rather good homage to the old Universal horror films. This one offers plenty of atmosphere along with a very good storyline regarding the father and son who have a falling out between them. And their family ties turned into a savage duel between wolves. The critics hated it. I didn’t. But then again, I found something worthwhile in the Wolf Man film.

Critics seem to have no sense of horror films. Or humor. Or whatever.

Now it seems to happen again with a very good cartoon film called “Aliens Vs. Monsters” which is a great homage to the old 1950s monster films. I have enormous respect for Robert Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times, though he said of the film: “I suppose the kids will like it. But I didn’t find the movie rich with humor.”

Ebert has missed the point of the film like so many critics have.

“Aliens Vs. Monsters” tells of a story of a simple girl named Susan who was hit my a meteorite on her wedding day. The turn of events lead her to being captured by the government and thrown together by other monsters to be set aside in a refuge, top secret. So secret the mere mention of it is a criminal offense!

However, Susan finds out that she likes her new powers and uses it for a force of good. She is a genuinely nice girl, very soft spoken, and pretty. Why would not any man want to be with her? Even if she is only 49 and a half feet tall. But she becomes the central character to the defeat of a robot probe during the rampage over the Golden Gate in sunny San Francisco. It’s a beautiful setting and perfect with its wielding buildings, long streets and thundering hills which picture perfect in the film. The crew who created the film did a nice job of capturing the essence of the Californian city.

What makes the film very good? They have a remarkable eye for detail. The buildings are always in scale with the gigantic woman leading the monster squad against the alien invasion. The film crew took pictures of every hook and cranny of San Francisco and brought it to the table to create a solid scene filled with details and rich design.

There are some other great bits in the film. But the heart of the story is the relationship between Susan and her boyfriend Derek who is the news anchor wanting to go nationwide with his popular persona. He ditches her because of her size. And she falls into a funk. But she realizes that she doesn’t need a boyfriend for an oaf when she can find her own calling fighting off aliens from outer space. That’s what she is here for. Being a heroine for the people.

I like the fact that the film remains soft hearted, sentimental. The monsters have personalities of their own. And Hugh Laurie, best known for his role in “House” and “Wooster and Jeeves,” gives a great performance as a mad scientist type. Stephen Cobert gives a very dry performance as the President of the United States. And who wouldn’t want Cobert for President? He would get my vote.

The film looks great. There are some good action scenes bursting with colors, confetti of details, and filmed entirely with the intention of being in 3D. But I look at the film as another opportunity to tell a story. Yes, the kids will like the movie. It’s goofy fun. But I hope many adults don’t forget to feel like a kid again when watching some movies. Especially a cartoon film.

Maybe the critics who don’t like the movie are overgrown, depressed adults working late hours and feeling the long stretch of doom over their lives. And they forget how to be a kid again. But this is what “Aliens Vs. Monsters” do for you. If you come away the film still being grumpy and grouchy, then the film didn’t do what it’s intended: making movies fun.

There isn’t a second movie coming out simply due to the poor performances in the international market. I don’t know why. But it’s unfortunate. However, one mustn’t forget there was a time when you grew up with old 1950s horror and science fiction movies with awful bug eyed creatures. It’s also one of the funniest as there are many talented comedians thrown together to create a story out of humor. And it’s a good kind of humor.

I hope others may enjoy “Aliens Vs. Monsters” for what it is. A fun movie for children and adults alike. Others with no sense of humor should beware.

Magic Act

2010-05-28T12:13:00.005-05:00

Poof. It’s magic.

Just like that. The number one issue of the new Zatanna series cropped up on the bookshelf of the local comic book store this week. If you blinked, you might have missed it.

Like most magic performances, this one is very entertaining with a nice glimpse into things to come for the sorceress.

But it seems to be a high tide for many different female characters getting their own series following the footsteps of DC’s Powergirl or even Marvel’s Black Widow. However, it is the resident sorceress who’ll be getting her own magazine after forty years of scattered appearances.

They tried an ongoing series to run a couple of times before. The Seven Soldiers of Victory saga a few years ago tried to launch many minor characters into longer running series. Including Zatanna. It didn’t work out. There was another attempt many more years ago including an entire costume change. That one worked even less.

Which is too bad.

I have always found her to be an interesting character. And she looks great in a top hat and fishnet stockings that may make her one of the sexiest female characters in DC comics. She’s charming, very lovely, and has a nice personality… she would be someone I would like to have a cup of coffee with. No kidding. She's super nice. You don't see many nice people around.

She’s also the daughter of Zatanna of the Golden Age’s great magician Giovanni Zatara who was killed in one of the Swamp Thing issues (#50) where he was killed in a grisley fiery death. And her mother was Sindella who a member of Homo Magi race, very mystical. It’s obvious where she gets here magic talents from. She also received as a young child the notebook from Leonoardo Da Vinci. The entire books are written in backwards.

Which is why Zatanna speaks all her magic words backwards. Pretty cool, huh?

It’s find of fun seeing that. As you can read the words backwards in the dialogue to see what she says.

The number one issue (No individual title for the story) of the new ongoing series takes place in San Francisco when a bloody hit on several mafia head honchos becomes a rather bloody mess. And it leaves the police and detective into seeking the help from a local expert on the circle of magic. Someone who would be work in the unofficial capacity of advisor.

It’s nice to see how Zatanna works outside of her usual magic show on stage. And we, as an audience, watch how she interacts with other people while not in her traditional magician role. However, it turns out that the mob hit was bad news. Zatanna finds out that it is Brother Night who is making the hits and offing some important people in higher ranks in the mafia.

The ending reveals Brother Night isn’t in the same league as Zatanna, who might be one of the most powerful magicians in her side of town. So Brother Night calls up a demon who may be more than a match for her. It’s a clever lead in for the next issue.

Paul Dini has a good grasp of the character who is a great amount of fun. She doesn’t a dark side to her. But she knows what she’s doing when it comes to magic. Dini makes sure that the dialogue with her is very crisp, concise, with plenty of humor. Her trade offs with the detective such as when she asks me, “Are you asking me out on a date?” is a very funny one. The other highlight is her exchange with Brother Night who is a particularly nasty creature of the magic world.

Zatanna takes care of him in a hurry. And makes sure he doesn’t stick around in town anymore.

But her actions would only lead to bigger trouble.

I love the art. It’s a very nice, very good kind of art that doesn’t go overboard. I think it’s suitable for a comic book like Zatanna. It’s not so simple art… but detailed enough to give the comic book a sensible style. It's non-anime style, for one thing. Thankfully. The artist Stephane Roux knows how to draw her very well. There are portions of the book which cleverly hides a full front nudity shot of her as she strides into the shower and still makes the comic book a very fun read on all entertainmening levels.

I hope they continue to make it a fun book.

I have collected John Constantine: Hellblazer for the entire course of the series for twenty years or more… and it started out as a regular DC book hitting retail stores before the maturity concept in the book made it a more direct to comic stores approach. I don’t think this would be the same route for Zatanna. She’s a good character for anyone of all ages. Even the fishnet stockings are in good taste.

I would be interested in seeing how the series would run out. She’s got a healthy amount of history to unfold, and Dini would be the right guy to do it. He’s already wrote for the Zatanna character in the Batman: Animated Series. So he’s no stranger to her character. There is a gallery of interesting foes she could run into while star-crossing the magic world. And then there is also the possibility of doing stories revolving the more regular magic of her stage shows. There could be a nice blend of reality and fantasy.

There is even the possibility of seeing the return of Zatara in ghost form should they ever decide on bringing back his character. And it’s not uncommon for someone to see ghosts in the magic world.

I’m all for seeing creatures and demons stalking the universe who may hound the favorite stage performer of magic tricks. And she could combat it with her most incredible tongue lashing wit. It’s nice to see her getting the spotlight this time around. I’m hoping it’ll last a long time. It’ll be interesting to see how the artist and writer will build on her world of illusions with countless stories.

She isn’t an icy cold women who got her nose in the air. She’s friendly, very cute and certainly knows her way around magic. And it’ll be nice to pull off some good stories with her character.

I did tell you that she is nice.

Yes, I did.

Doctor Jerk is In

2010-05-16T10:24:00.008-05:00

Is it going to be Doctor Who or Doctor Jerk from now on?

I'm not sure.

On the high end of the previous episode, where his companion Amy attempts to seduce him, the Doctor realizes that when a woman leaves him with on his travels… her relationships with other men tend to go awry due to the long periods of going away. It is more or less like a long distance relationship. Except she’s going through time. This can take a toll on anyone’s relationship.

We were already a witness to this with Rose and Mickey a few years ago... and how she steadily falls in love with the Doctor.

So here we are in the episode of “Vampires of Venice.” The Doctor finds a clever way of appearing to her fiancé Rory to explain the matter to him by popping out of a cake in the middle of a stag party. It’s hilarious. This might be Matt Smith’s best scene as the Doctor so far.

He tells his companion’s boyfriend, “Your fiancée tried to kiss me last night. Oh, you’re a lucky guy. She’s a great kisser.”

Then he drops the big one by stating that he was rehearsing this line in his head before and it sounded better to him in the private corner of his mind.

He's such a jerk.

And I like it.

It’s a brave attempt on the writers to give the character of the Doctor a sort of callous attitude towards humans. He is an alien being after all. And he’s more than 900 years old which gives him a sense of old age. Whatever it may be, he’s clearly got his head in the clouds. He wouldn’t know the mannerisms and customs of the human race. He’s well outside of this.

So he tries to bring his companion Amy Pond and her boyfriend Rory the greatest romantic trip they could have. Anywhere they want, anytime they want. With diasterous results. But the Doctor does try to patch things up for them. So the Doctor now is reduced to a chaperone? Who would have thought?

However, the idea of their entangled relationship becomes the center point in the show “Vampires of Venice.” Which is a beautifully shot episode filmed in Venice. (The show looks like a $50,000 pricetag here). There are girls disappearing in Venice and the Doctor plunges into solving the mystery. The Calvierri girls headed by the queenly woman Signora Rosanna Calvierri are actually vampires.

But it is the pseudo-science of Doctor Who which makes a very nice explanation for their being unseen in mirrors and why they have such a grotesque overbite. Their need for feeding on blood is easily explained here.

It is the sparkling dialogue brought by writer Toby Whithouse that takes center stage here. This is the same guy who is responsible for the wonderful show “School Reunion.” The fantastic clashing of racial differences between the Time Lords and vampires are well done with the Doctor and Rosanna. They are some nice, sharp dialogue here. Helped by the performances. And you often forget that the Doctor still has enormous fury in him.

Rory is a standout here because he is starting out as a dork who turns out to have some very good qualities in him. Amy must have a reason for marrying this guy. And we, as an audience, can see that he is really a likeable guy. So he does carry heroic personality in him. His inner conflict with the Doctor over Amy is often seen here… like high school boys fighting over the same girl.

In fact, Amy does refer to them as her “boys” in the end of the episode. Which is rather funny.

However, the same competition is carried over in the next episode “Amy’s Choice” by Simon Nye.

Which is, in every way, her choice between the Doctor and her boyfriend Rory. And the episode feeds on the idea of how far their relationship would go if the Doctor would keep on interfering with their peaceful lives.

High school 101 with Doctor Who? Or is it Doctor Jerk?

The show begins with a scene taking place five years after they traveled with the Doctor in a village of Leadworth. And the Doctor comes back and finds everything to be “boring” and “dull.” In a way, he is a jerk on purpose. He doesn’t care much for simple things like relationships. He is above this.

But there is a greater force at work here. And they are plagued with falling asleep as their dreams become reality, or vice versa.

This episode is becomes centered on the idea of lost love in reality. And the idea of Amy going with the Doctor leaves stressful pressure on her ongoing relationship. The choice is between the Doctor and Rory. And the test is created by someone called the Dream Lord. However, the way he talks and dresses up (with bowtie) is like a darker reflection of the Doctor himself. Is it in fact the darker side of the Doctor who is putting the companions through some nightmare… and forcing them to confront themselves regarding the status of their relationship?

The Dream Lord is very well played by Toby Jones who also performed as the leacherous Karl Rove in the movie "W". I can see some of the evil has been spilled in from his previous role to this one.

These two episode are very good shows as stand-alone. But it is the exploring of the companions which lifts these episodes above the average, another level. And we find another side of the Doctor which may not be very pretty. In fact, it’s downright scary. And Matt Smith performs his role as the Doctor with a very good approach. He might be an unlikeable guy at times. How would you like if some fairy tale type of hero comes and sweeps your girlfriend away?

Yeah, you wouldn’t like it either.

Yes, it is a science fiction show. But here it shows that it still has time for creating interesting quirks about the very relationship between people. And their relationship between themselves and the Doctor himself. After a while, you realize that the Doctor is a total alien being who may forget about others in his streak through adventure.

Do all the excitement and clamor really can have opposite effects on a simple relationship between people? What would happen if a husband and wife travels with the Doctor? What would happen?

You may remember the wonderful Tom Baker performance in the Doctor Who episode “Pyramids of Mars” where he seem callous to the death of a man. And there is Sarah Jane Smith’s reaction to him when she grows upset and says, “Sometimes you don’t seem…”

And the Doctor finishes off her sentence, “Human?”

Exactly.

And I believe the stories remind you in every way that the Doctor isn’t a human at all. That he is, after all, an outsider. And maybe even a jerk.

Yeah, I might even start petition on getting the show to be called “Doctor Jerk.” And it is the wonderful performance by Matt Smith making him a bit of a jerk that keeps the show funny and fresh. I’m all for this.

By the way, what a jerk.

More Heavy Metal

2010-05-08T10:36:00.005-05:00

“You want to know how I go to the bathroom while in my armor suit?” a drunken Tony Stark says as he makes a demonstration with a sigh. “That's how you do it.”

The film of Iron Man 2 opens yesterday with a grand slam that starts where the first film leaves off as it portrays the rising arrogance of Stark as he eats up all the popularity. Some people loves him. Some people don't. The people who don't are spoilsports.

Welcome back to the world of Stark Industries as the film begins with Stark trying to fend off a government takeover of his suit and technology because they are afraid others would copy his work. The senate congressional, led by Senator Stern, is concerned about the liability of the technology. Stark says that the world is still safe when he has possession of the suit.

Stark turns congress into a sideshow.

Stark clearly enjoys being Iron Man. And it is very easy to see how arrogant he is... growing with a sense of power. It is a reckless thing. He loves being in the center of attention.

And so does Robert Downey Jr. who gives a great performance as Stark who is trapped in a suit when he realizes that he is dying. His foolish behavior, including getting drunk while still armor, causes him to come across another foe Whiplash who duplicated his technology and becomes a threat.

This is the kind of movie that is explosive, frantic, like many second installments of the series. It is filled with fast paced action showing a more variety of technology. I give the film a round of applause for creating a greater history for the Stark character and his world.

But top brand critics are already bashing this film. They are relentless in their criticisms without giving any real reason why. It's just all badmouthing. They are being crybabies about the movie because they are complaining over minor flaws. Their unconvincing arguments try to tell me that the film is a disaster. No, it isn't. Far from it.

It's earned more than $100.2 million in its first five days of release. Those are respectable numbers.

And they are missing the entire point of the film.

Stark is engulfed by his ego that he becomes a threat to himself. Not to mention, he is dying which throws him into all sorts of crazy behavior. However, there is a very lovely moment when Stark watches his father Howard Stark give a tender speech to his son made in a home video years and years ago: his father says that his own son will figure out the future.

It's a very good moment.

The action sequences are incredible. The drag racing scenes where Whiplash appears for the first time and messes up Stark's racing car is a hoot. The fight sequence is well staged between the two and furthers the battleground between them.

There is a great bit with the wonderful superspy Black Widow, played by sexy Scarlett Johansson, takes down a gallery of men when infiltrating Whiplash's headquarters. The final battle between Iron Man and War Machine against Whiplash is a brilliant stock of special effects as it provides a host of new technology for the suits. Then there are the smaller moments between Stark and his new CEO Pepper Potts as they bicker like a married couple.

This movie is like a crazy ride you're going on and you can't let go or otherwise you'll fall and break your neck. It's that kind of a ride.

The first song “Shoot to Thrill” by AC/DC is a perfect fit for a film like Iron Man 2. It is upbeat and exciting like the film is.

So don't listen to the other critics. These turkeys don't know what they're talking about. This film is a good adventure flick for the start of the summer.

The only thing I don't agree with is the character Justin Hammer who is played by Sam Rockwell... is reduced to a blithering idiot.In the comic books, Hammer is a dangerous business tycoon who is more than a competitor.. and the slight detail is that he is in his sixties in age.

However, the film does bump up the Whiplash character who has always been a chump in the comic books. And here he is played hellishly by Mickey Rourke. In the film, he is far more dangerous as his own life mirrors Stark's own life. And with terrible results.

It is Stark who recovers himself in time to become more responsible for the problems he caused, and reminds you of why Iron Man is a hero to his people. However flawed he is, you have to love him.

Stone Story

2010-05-02T14:44:00.005-05:00

Lifeless, ageless, made of stone.

The Weeping Angels.

Though they’re not just weeping this time. They’re also angry. And they come back with a vengeance for the two part show of Doctor Who starting with “Time and the Angels.”

It is a return of a woman named River Song who is someone from the Doctor’s future. She escapes from the spacecraft Byzantine which is carrying some precious cargo, and the Doctor helps her safely onboard his own ship.

It leads to the ship crashing into a planet known as Alfava Metraxis which houses a city of angels which are every bit as dangerous as they appeared the last time around. What is the cargo? It is a Weeping Angel in captivity.

Stephen Moffat crafted the two part show which proves his skillful handling of tension, being in closed quarters. The number of dark corridors both in the dead city and on the ship itself reminds one of the old Doctor Who shows where closed off sets really can create a mood. Moffat does this well by giving a shroud of angels which seeps into the city like an approaching darkness. You can never see them. And if you do, you can’t blink. Because they can move faster than thought.

Some people have criticized this episode as the mystery of the angels are lost because they are being reused. But the angels are Moffat’s own creation. So he’s in the right about bringing the old foes back after two years. Yes, the mystery about them is gone. Much like the comic book character John Constantine who was introduced as a minor character in Swamp Thing. He was a mystery man. He has penchant for being an enigma. When Constantine received his own comic book series, many complained that he will lose that mystique.

However, the first writer Jamie Delano was able to build on the character, making him more interesting.

Moffat does the same thing here. He makes the Angels more interesting now. He creates new ways of making them scary… there are next to none special effects involving the angels. The Weeping Angels are played by actresses.

They are fanciful, beautiful things. Yet, when they turn feral, they are the most creepy looking things. They are like movements in shadows.

It is a good gimmick. Many camera uses are created solely for the atmosphere of the Angels. How can you make them scary again? That is a challenge. And one that the Doctor Who crew is willing to provide with great success. And the Angels do have a connection to the cracks of time that have been appearing throughout the series. The crack appears here and seems to swallow people and making them forget things.

The Angels laugh at the Doctor for not knowing what created the cracks. Much in the same way as Prisoner Zero snickers at him in “Eleventh Hour.”

Oh yes, the infamous scene with the Doctor using a gun in the end of part one. There haven’t been so much backlash about a scene as this one with the Doctor holding up the gun at a high angle. Many people were saying, “Oh, no, the Doctor is using the gun!”

As you clearly see here, the Doctor did not shoot another person as so many were assuming. He was shooting at the gravity globe that was lighting up the city they were in. People need to stop assuming things beforehand. Watch the episodes first. Then have a say. Not before.

The return of River Song is a welcome one. She is played by ER’s very own Alex Kingston who is a very good actress. She has a maturity about her that is on the same level as the Doctor. She is a good foil for the Doctor as she is far more action oriented. However, there are two sides to her.

I am guessing she may very well be a con artist. There is so much we don’t know about her.

In a magnificent death scene, Octavius who leads the military expedition from the Church organization announces one thing to the Doctor just moments before he is whisked away by the Angels: do not trust River Song. And he tells the Doctor he was holding her in custody for murdering a man. He won’t say who the man was.

There’s the added level of mystery again. What man could he be talking about? And River Song may not be who she says she is. Who is she? Only time will tell when the Doctor will meet with her again.

River Song is able to reduce the Doctor into a sulking husband type, feeling worn down by years of marriage. She is at the top of her game here. She also lands the TARDIS without breaking a sweat which gives her a very significant equality of the Doctor. There’s a beautiful comedic moment with the Doctor complains that his time machine doesn’t make that “wheezing” sound when it landed. And he sets out to imitate the sounds with his own voice. It’s very funny. She tells him that he leaves the breaks on.

Matt Smith is settling in very nice here in his character. He is becoming very energetic, forceful and commanding, his emotions ranging from one side to another. He does have the acting chops to be a very good Doctor Who actor. And these last few shows have seen him growing very well into the part. He channels much of Patrick Troughton, who played the second Doctor, in some of the tunnel scenes as he waddles into the shadows.

But the center of the story really revolves around Amy. She has to close her eyes to remain safe from the Angels as she stumbles through the forest. And the story takes a sharp turn as the Doctor returns her to her own house to recapture her memories once again. In her bedroom. Where she tries to seduce the Doctor in a brilliant romantic touch. Only to find that the cracks of time are circling around her day of the wedding. The very day she marries on.

And that somehow she is becoming an important anchor in the universe.

We don’t know yet.

The closed tunnels and the fast pace of the story makes this story a very good standout with some very nice moments in between. We do find that the Angels really only make one part of the ongoing story in the series: the cracks of time seem to be following the time travelers around in the cosmos. How important is Amy Pond?

Most likely, very.

This story adds to the big picture of what is going on. And we, as an audience, will have to follow time travelers as they reveal more of the story. And perhaps we’ll find out more about why the wedding is so important. And what is the significance River Song has to the Doctor.

Will we be seeing the Weeping Angels again?

I’m betting on it.

A Shade of Purple

2010-04-16T11:44:00.001-05:00

Don't you wish you were in a movie?

Cecelia did. And she almost found true love too.

Who would have thought a work of Woody Allen within these blogs regarding science fiction movies? And yet here it is. The film called Purple Rose of Cairo which was made in 1985.

It's a beautiful movie. But it's got a checkered history with me since it's taken me nearly a quarter of a century to finally get around to watching it. And it is a pure delight from start to finish.

I wish I would have seen it sooner.

However, there might be some films I would not have enjoyed as a teenager. I have been a long time fan of Allan and his works since I was thirteen years old. When I was a teenager, I would have gone for his funnier films such as the Sleeper.

But Purple Rose of Cairo might have a maturity about it not appealing to me when I was younger. Now I'm older, wiser, maybe a little more cranky, but I'm seeing movies in a different light. For me, Purple Rose really hits it on the head.

Allan wrote and directed the film. But it's one of the few movies at the time that he wasn't in front of the camera. I can see why. You'll need a younger, more handsome man that Allan wouldn’t be capable of doing. So the role of the dashing hero was given to Jeff Daniels who did a very nice job bringing the part to life.

The story revolves a Cecilia played by Mia Farrow who works as a waitress in New Jersey during the depression era in the nineteen thirties. She has a hard time with work as her boss hassles her, and lives in a very abusive marriage where she is the constant victim of her husband's rages. So she goes to a place where she could leave reality for a short while.

So where do people go during the depression era to get away for a short while? The movies. And this is what Cecilia did.

With rather funny results.

The so called minor character Tom Baxter is an archaeologist in Egypt in a film within a film called Purple Rose of Cairo. But after repeated viewings, Cecilia sees Tom Baxter split off from the actual movie and steps into her life as a true romantic, a lively hero type who falls in love with her. So he is a character in a story who becomes part of the real world. Our own world. Marred, ugly, confused. Not light and dark as Baxter’s world would be.

There are a lot of very funny scenes in the movie. Not an outrageous comedy. But the funny material really works well here. And so we are introduced to an unusual love triangle involving Cecilia, her husband and the fictional character who wants to steal her heart to his world of make-believe.

There are a lot of nice touches in the film.

I really love the one line when someone says regarding the fictional character coming to life: “Well, anything can happen in New Jersey!”

So now we have established the science fiction elements of the story with this throwaway line. It works very well.

You can clearly see the black and white movie was produced by RKO Radio Pictures which was known for making many, many movies during this period including the famous original King Kong classic. (Which would have come out a few years earlier). In a way, Purple Rose gives a historical flavor to the movie by bringing RKO Pictures into this.

Allen is the master as writing many characters conversing at once. It is like going to a family reunion and getting involved with a heated debate over nothing. Maybe you might get into a fight with an aunt you hate. Or a cousin. Same thing here. The first scene where Baxter leaves the film and steps into the real world is very funny. The characters in the movie starts to argue with themselves. And then they start to argue with the real people in the audience!

The fight scene between Baxter and Cecelia’s husband is priceless.

So is the tap dancing scene when the one guy tossed aside his role as the restaurant greeter in the black and white film and did his little shtick.

But the real heart of the story is the main characters who makes a lot of tough choices. Most particularly Cecilia. You want for her to leave the real world and live in the fantasy with her movie idol. The ending is very heartbreaking because of the choice she makes. And that she forced herself to live in misery of the real world instead of living a sham that would be fantasy.

It is just wishful thinking to be whisked away into a different world where you would have no problems or hardships.

But she chose reality over illusion.

Yet she still goes to the movies in the very ending hoping to find that piece of perfection in her life while she watches a Fred Astaire movie dancing the night away in a seemingly impossible perfect world. And she slips deeper into her own private misery that you could only feel sorry for her. And for many other lovers who find themselves trapped in a relationship they do not want to be in.

Why did it take me so long to see this movie?

I don't know why.

But I'm glad I saw it.

More Doctor Who

2010-04-11T14:52:00.006-05:00

There's always been the one constant in the Doctor Who series apart from the time traveling police box which moves like silent thunder through the universe.

The companion. It is the one hook that remains unchanged throughout the series' history. There is always the companion.

More importantly, the Doctor Who series is never really about the Doctor himself.

But it is always about the point of view of the companion who runs along with the Doctor on his travels. This helps for the audience to associate with the stories better.

And it isn't getting any better than the outstanding companion found in Amy Pond played wonderfully by Karen Gillan.

Ah yes, Karen Gillan.

She stands on her own feet in this episode. She is brusque, opinionated, warm and very kindhearted woman, and Scottish! She remains our anchor in the series. She is our life guard and the holds us by our very hand while pulling us into the very intricate matters of the story.

Seeing her in this episode reminds one of “Alice in Wonderland” as she strolls around with just her nightgown on, going down her own rabbit hole of fantasy and wild dreams coming true.

And it is the companion, Amy Pond, who happens to make the final decision, this moral conflict, which haunts the Doctor when they learn that the ship is being carried forth by a space whale that being forced to move the city through space.

She is beautiful and is camera friendly with her face. She has ravishing nest of red hair blooming like strawberry fields, also lovely, big, eyes which are fantastic to see on the screen... and you can see the many different moods which she captures in her more emotional moments. The series is very lucky to have her. And she figures it out in the end of the story, not the Doctor.

The Doctor Who series is riding high on the success of its initial story last week gaining very good ratings. Now it carries forth with a much slower, yet equally fascinating episode “The Beast Below” written by Steven Moffat.

The first ten or so minutes established the mood of the story along with the characters and setting showing the excellent penmanship of the current writer who has a firm grasp on science fiction ideas. We are already invited to a city that is the last of England floating through space on a very dangerous journey to find salvation for the human colony.

There are great signs of influences made by the Dark City which still remains one of my all time favorite films ever. But there is also many steady themes from Moffat which spills into forthcoming stories.

Much of this star whale idea strikes me as if the author himself is dabbling in the Native American culture with the giant tortoise carrying the world on its shoulders. And how the Indians believer that every thing from trees to animals carries souls within.

Much like the space whale, a very lonely, sad soul carrying the weight of the world on its own. Amy saves the creature before the Doctor decides on giving it a humane death by convincing him that the space whale loves humanity and is willing to carry it through the outer reaches of the universe. On its own accord.

It's a very nice, touching moment. And this is where the companion saves the day. It gives Karen Gillan some very good acting chops to serve up a lovely scene when she says the space whale is the last of its kind... and recognizes the same beauty in the Doctor who is also the last of his own people.

But the episode pulls at no stops. The wooden creatures fitted in booths, like the ones you see in carnivals, are strange beings themselves. You see these wooden people sitting in booths with three different expressions: Smiling, Not So Smiling and Downright Angry.

These Smileys, as they are referred to as, are pretty frightening looking creatures and I'm glad to see that Moffat is bringing more horror elements into the stories reminding me of the wonderful old horror stories from the Tom Baker days of Doctor Who. Not terribly scary. But the Hide-Behind-Your-Sofa kind of scare that gives children a fun side to the stories.

I also like the character of Liz 10 acted by the very good Sophie Okonedo. She has a very action oriented style which brings the show to a higher pace while holding her own with a very interesting character playing the Queen of England... the gun-toting girl who carries an authoritative voice. She plays a double sided role as she wears a mask, much like in V for Vendetta comics, while trying to solve the mystery of the floating city. And you find that her character is far more complex than originally accepted.

Yes, there is a reason why she is called Liz 10.

I found the episode to be very appropriate for being the second show of the season. There is a certain strangeness to it that is appealing while you discover more and more imaginative concepts created by Stephen Moffat. The current headlining writer Moffat is going to be penning six stories for this season... already bring a great mixed bag of ideas and concepts that is breaking new ground. I am in love with the Doctor Who series again.

The themes are all still weaving through the stories... the Doctor is trying to get Amy back to her wedding day, the mysterious cracks that are appearing in time and space and the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords. These are essential themes. And they are the building blocks of the forthcoming series.

I also must say that the Doctor seems to be able to accept that he is the last of his own people without growing so bitter about it. And yet, with the excellent acting of Matt Smith, the Doctor is still a wounded man inside. He is still carrying the weight of pain inside him as he carries the memory of his own people.

But now there is still some hope for him not to be feeling so alone. He has Amy Pond now. And the girl will take care of him just as the Doctor will take care of her. And this becomes the very center of the story for “The Beast Below”: their relationship they have together. The episode does end with Amy being whisked away again by the Doctor without going to her wedding as she will soon confront the greatest of the Doctor's foes.

The Daleks.

I'm already waiting for the next episode.

What? A New Doctor Who?

2010-04-04T08:25:00.002-05:00

What can I say?

It's a great joy seeing the Doctor Who series coming around again to the television screens after a while.

Never mind Easter. I want my Doctor Who.

And I got it. In more ways than one.

There's a new actor fitting himself into the lead role, and he brings with it a bristling charm and youthful appearance as Matt Smith slips into the part with ease. The wonderful thing about a series like Doctor Who is the ability to change the actor in the lead role while still being able to tell the story of a time traveling meddler.

Smith brings all his acting experience he has at the age of twenty-six, the youngest actor to be taking the mantle for the series. He plays it as if he is an older man in a very youthful body. There's a great enthusiasm being unleashed in his performance.

The opening shot of the episode “The Eleventh Hour” is going out in a blaze of glory. It's a wonderful scene filled with action. Having just regenerated into a new body, the Doctor must now contend with his time traveling machine crashing to earth... and in the middle of London.

It's great to see them messing around with stuff like this which brings the new actor right slap in the middle of things.

But the beauty of the story, the very center of a heartfelt tale, is in the newfound companion who befriends the Doctor when he crashes in her back yard. It is like a tale of the dashing, young hero, her knight in shining armor coming to take her away from the boredom of life. She is Amelia Pond, a very young girl of age ten. She is the first human the Doctor sees in his new form.

And it's a very touching moment.

Amelia Pond is a little redhead girl who has found her hero. And she says to him when he climbs back into his time machine, “Can I come with you?”

The Doctor promises to come back to her in five minutes.

It becomes twelve years instead.

And Amelia Pond is now all grown up played by the wonderful Karen Gillan, a little girl who has become resentful of her hero. She has become disappointed in her wonderful, dashing knight. It sets up a great conflict between them as the Doctor must convince her that he is the very same man of her childhood memories.

Not only that, the earth is in danger as a creature called Prisoner Zero is on the loose, and the very status of the world is threatened by an alien race who act as a prison warden keeping the prisoner in line. But the menacing creature is hiding itself along with the human race. And the Doctor has just twenty minutes to save the world.

It's a real tough break for the new Doctor Who.

Leave it to three time Hugo award winning writer Stephen Moffatt who pulls no punches with his introducing story of the new round of episodes. “The Eleventh Hour” is filled with so many heart warming moments... and it is the little things that makes up this story and sets it apart from the previous run of stories. “The Eleventh Hour” has so much style to it, clever gimmicks and a wild imagination. Thanks to Moffatt.

I love how one scene shows what is going on in the Doctor's mind. It's a simple technique involving stop action photography. And yet there is a great style to it all. You really get inside his head this time and it's very cool to see his point of view.

Karen Gillan is brilliant as Amelia Pond who is feisty, very sharp tongue girl, a very strong woman capable of making her own decisions. They may not be always the right decisions. But she sticks to her decisions especially when she shoves the Doctor's necktie into a locked car door so she could tear an answer out of him. It's a great scene.

What I also did like about this particular episode is the references of the previous shows in the old Doctor Who series. I remember seeing one reporter saying at the premiere showing of “The Eleventh Hour” regarding the lead actor: “He has pretty big shoes to fill... replacing David Tennant.”

But there are at least nine other actors who came before him.

The nice thing is the gentle nod to these other actors who make up the show's composite history, the montage of its long years on television. So Moffatt was writing this show with giving his nod to all those who came into its history. And now Matt Smith is the eleventh actor to be playing the part.

It's pure fun to see the show. There's a new lead writer, a new lead actor and new lead actress. There's a new feeling about it all. The show always experiences an anxiety from the audiences whenever there is a new actor stepping into the part. People get worried. Will it suck the bean bag? Will it be any good?

You don't have to worry about any of that.

The show is in very good hands.

Trust me on this.

And trust the new Doctor.

So this is really only a taste of things to come for the forthcoming Doctor Who series this time around with thirteen episodes produced. So I could only imagine the greatness approaching in another fine period of Doctor Who history.

Some people might not like it. They're missing out on the fun. For me, I'm very happy for the series to continue the tradition of Saturday night entertainment. And it's like I'm being dragged again by the Doctor himself into another round of adventures.

In a way, the Doctor is everyone's hero. I'm very excited. So should you.

A Froggy Story

2010-03-24T11:43:00.002-05:00

Some might say it’s too family oriented. Others may not like the cute elements meant for children. However, there’s a bit of fantasy in this film which rightfully places “Princess and the Frog” into this blog.

This is the first film to be hand drawn by artists who were involved with the project, and it might have put a shock into those audiences who are used to the CGI effects. They shouldn’t be. Disney films started out this way. They were drawn frame for frame, very studious, meticulous work. One can appreciate the effort put into the film.

It might seem prehistoric compared to the modern animation which stirs across the film screens these days. “Princess and the Frog” seems far more organic and lively than a film such as “9.” There’s a real feeling in the drawings which helps you identify with the characters who seem more grounded with reality. So to speak.

I can tell there’s a real charm to the film when it’s drawn right from the hand. 2-D is the term for it. But I think the drawings are very lovely.

The film is based on E. D. Baker's novel The Frog Princess. It takes place in the city of New Orleans, before the flood and tragedy in Hurricane Katrina. And the time was during the roaring twenties when people seem prosperous. A playful atmosphere, caught up in shadows and colorful schemes, work well in the long history of New Orleans and its Voodoo rituals often taking place in and around the city. The real prince named Naveen from the land of Maldonia is transformed into a frog by voodoo magician Dr. Facilier when he kisses the princess Tiana. You wouldn’t think they could spill more interesting twists into an aged old story of a princess kissing a frog. But they do here. And you got two frogs running about trying to get back to being human after a kiss that backfires.

For me, it is the music that really steals the show. The story is set like a Broadway musical with many characters breaking into a song and dance. And they should. New Orleans of old was always known for its music. It was the place which inspired the likes of John Lee Hooker and Louis Armstrong. But I thought the music really works well here: the original score was done by favorite Randy Newman. There is also the Dirty Dozen Brass Band who have done several albums with musician Elvis Costello—and they’re good stuff. They bring their great love for music in different songs "Down in New Orleans", "Almost There" and "Dig a Little Deeper," each song adding a little flavor to the mix.

Song, dance, music… it really shows a different side of New Orleans that many of us might have forgotten about since the flood has taken away so much from us. Much of the culture, the history, everything has gone in a disastrous turn of nature. It’s very unfortunate. I almost visited New Orleans several years ago, got my tickets and was ready to go. But two weeks before my departure the city was under water. And I have missed the only opportunity of seeing the music city.

So I wasn’t able to see the jazz and blues for myself. And what was left of the old New Orleans was now a footnote in the history pages.

Still, the Disney film “Princess and the Frog” captured the beauty of the city and the mystery that may revolve around the swamps thick with stew, waters filled with menace. But you find music everywhere… including the characters such has the trumpet playing alligator and the Cajun firefly. Everyone seems to have a singing voice here in this movie.

Plenty other familiar voices in Oprah Winfrey, Keith David, Jim Cummings, John Goodman, Jenifer Lewis, Michael-Leon Wooley, and Terrence Howard. Yes, the film is very black. So there are many good black actors representing the voices.

Naturally, there’s a happy ending. And the princess does return to normal after finding her true love… and she almost does after working around the clock and breaking a sweat as a waitress. But she gets what she wants in the end. Getting her own restaurant business. And a nice addition: her own prince.

I do like this movie. It’s a lot of fun. And the Disney film offers a very good spotlight on the first black princess. Which gives black women everywhere a very good role model voiced by Anika Noni Rose. The film takes on a very fresh poke at the centuries old princess and frog story in very delightful way. Not uproariously funny, but very down to earth, very tender story. Another high mark for Disney and production starting more productions in the hand drawn projects with the success of “Princess and the Frog.”

Soggy Sci-Fi

2010-03-08T12:04:00.004-06:00

What’s the saddest thing is the lack of anything of interest that has been hitting the theaters in the most recent months. It's as if all the ideas were sucked into a black hole without any interesting thought escaping. None. There is only an empty abyss of no interesting ideas which marks the movie industry.

The only things of interest to me are films like Shutter Island which is directed by Martin Scorsese, best known for his gritty films like Taxi Driver or Raging Bull. It is based on a true story regarding a couple of detectives trying to dig up some strange happenings on Shutter Island. Surprisingly, Leonardo DeCapio turns out a solid performance here. The other ones of interest would be foreign flicks such as The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) from Argentina or The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada) from Peru. However, “The Hurt Locker” sounds like an interesting film to star an older actress in the lead role. Otherwise, there’s nothing left except breadcrumbs of filmmaking.

The only science fiction film to be taking notice is “Avatar” at the Oscars yesterday.

There are no real science fiction or horror films which seem to have dried up for the moment. Nothing at all. I am stepping into a long blight of nothingness here. It’s very sad. It’s heart breaking when you realize that there is nothing going on in the filming industry of interest… or could it be that they are merely waiting for the summer blockbuster splash when we will be greeted with most likely more cheery garbage. With the possible exception of Iron Man 2, which looks very interesting, I don’t know much else that is coming out. I feel bad. I want to kick some people in the heads for not coming up with anything more promising.

However, it is through no fault of their own. Mostly, science fiction hasn’t been taken seriously since Star Wars create its rule since it was the most influential film of its time… for better or for worse. I would say, “For worse.” While the use of myths such as the samurai or cowboy have its inventive points in the film, it is often trampled by very poor dialogue/scripting. It is almost as if Lucas himself didn’t care about the story itself and threw himself into the technological fever of it.

With technology mastery, Lucas is successful. Story-wise, he is not. Some people bellowed and booed when Star Wars did not make a clean sweep through the academies in 1977, and some of them foolishly believed that the film should have won best story. This honor went to the “Annie Hall” by Woody Allen. Which is a far better story. Better written, better dialogue. Allen deserved the best story award in 1977.

In my own thoughts, I believe the best science fiction film on every level would be the epic “2001: A Space Odyssey” directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1968. Here, there is a feeling that he is taking the science fiction film very seriously. There are hints of care and beauty in his work which struggles to portray humanity from the very cradle of the early days to the futuristic explorations in their maturity. It is a wonderful film that takes on many mythic proportions too. The first part of the film, without any dialogue, is certainly an attention grabber as it remains very mesmerizing stuff. Not many directors can do this without the aid of dialogue. But Kubrick was able to hook the film's interest with a bunch of apes.

He took on a number of serious approaches to the film which makes it very literary. His film is one of the few, very few, which portrays the silence of space. When the astronauts are in space, all you hear is the bleeping of computers and the hoarse breathing inside the helmet. Nothing else. When Star Wars came along, all you hear is the thunder of explosions ripping a hole in space. I’m guessing Lucas is going for the dramatic. Instead, he is taking us into stupidity.

The film “2001” also has one of the most interesting villains in the form of a crazy computer. How many times have this been done in movies since 2001 came out? Many times. But here, you really get the sense of evil easing out of Hal the computer trying to corner the two surviving astronauts as it was a cat boxing in mice. There is no stupid stuff here. If you want stupid stuff, just go to Lucas for that.

Star Wars brought in some more awful, borthersome influences. And this may have been around the time when the atrocious abbreviation “sci-fi” was brought into the mainstreamed audiences. Now gone was the serious minded epic of space opera ushering in the dorks wearing crazy costumes and goofy dresses. Perhaps there is a certain charm to their merry ways at the conventions. But “sci-fi” became the component of everyday conversation. Lesson number one. It isn’t “sci-fi.” Nor is it S-F which I have been know to use. It should be science fiction.

Someone else have let me know about another possible term which could be befitting in the very words of “science speculation.” Yes, that one could work too. Very good. It could cover all the main departments of fantasy, science fiction and anything else that might take place outside the known reality. Science speculation can be a very good way of describing

So what has happened these days? There are a lot of the older writers who are dying off who may have been in the good habit of using the term of science fiction. Those guys are gone. Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg has gone off to the great void of darkness. Harlan Ellison is teetering on the very edge of his old age and still grumpy as ever, though he still uses the term very well. Now we may very well have many younger writers who are forgetting the importance of stressing that it is “science fiction,” not “sci-fi” or some other stupid abbreviation coined by people who couldn’t debate their way out of third grade.

Whatever may be the case, there may be possible rays of hope coming through the veil of crapola. Directors like James Cameron may have possibilities of bringing the literary component back into filmmaking with his new film “Avatar.” I haven’t seen it yet. But it does look like merely eye candy to be with plenty of special animation designs which were up for an award at the Oscars. But that’s just it. No more science fiction films getting any nods for best stories other than Avatar.

“Avatar” did win for best art direction and cinematography. Not a surprise. However, I’m hoping that Cameron would continue to hone his directing craft and bring some sense of respect back to the realm of science fiction. His films “Terminator 2” and “Aliens” are very excellent marks of filmmaking in the field of science fiction. He could make more like these.

One can only hope.

Space Age

2010-02-25T11:41:00.001-06:00

I hate video games.

Then why, oh why, do I play them once in a while?

I don’t know. That’s the furthest answer you’ll get from me. I know from the very bottom of my heart that games are like the dental equivalent in fear of cavity. Only this time the games rot your brains out instead of your teeth. I’m very serious here. They can certainly fill your head with an abyss of garbage.

Yet I find myself drawn to the one type of games which settle in their own niche of the video game library.

I like those with a big enough story to wrap around you several hundred times. And then more. I like a game with many complexities and layers to a story which you can dig through to find another maze of stories. It’s like turning to a different page in a novel and finding something different.

now I like the game Mass Effect 2.

Now, I’m playing this thing right on the heels of another game called Dragon Age: Origins which is provided by the excellent game designer called Bioware. The last game was thick with stories and plot making for seventy-five hours of constant playing… and it’s a marvelous adventure into video games.

So I admit it.

I do like video games.

However, only if they’re done by Bioware. You see I love their take on video games which is like they’re egging on the intellectual mind of gamers… it’s not just your sporty shoot ‘em up types that last about a half hour. It isn’t a sports game either. Nothing like that. There’s real dimension and beauty to the game playing that shoots like a breeze and brings you from one end of the universe to the other. You’ll find yourself in the middle of the intrigue when the second portion of the game continues with epic proportions. And I do mean EPIC.

I love this game. Very much like I adore all the other Bioware video games which hacks its way through simple game playing with a feast of graphics and designs that lifts with greater imagination.

This is the sequel to the already acclaimed original Mass Effect. This game starts off where you left off. However, your hero is killed off at the beginning of the game and resurrected very much like Jesus did in biblical times if you believe that sort of stuff. However, I do take into account the nice biblical touches the game possesses: the revival of a dead hero which brings on a symbol of a messiah. There’s real telling fiction right here. And you are seen as a force to be reckoned with even if the hero Shepherd is a mere human.

But you’re working on the other side now… the bad guys named Cerebus from the original game. So there are many questions being asked here. What is Cerebus’ interest in you? What are their interests in the gathering events of the galaxy? You’ll find that many of your team mates are shady folks… from the rogues to the scoundrels, they make up a hearty center of your game plan. Can you trust your own mates as well?

There are some nice additions to the game. You’ll have some old friends back on the team such as Garrus who is nicely nicknamed the Archangel to Tali who seems more in the gray area than before. Some of the non-playable characters in the game come back for supporting roles such as Liara who is merely an information broker on the planet Illuium.

The one thing I like about this game is the ability to import your character from the very first game. It’s worth the investment. I still find it rather strange to see my own character revived once again to do battle with the swarming Collectors who are ravaging space with their commanding presence… a sort of dictatorship god planting its influences around the galaxy. I’ve created my character making her a soldier from the first game… she isn’t the most beautiful woman, though still rather pretty… however, she has a military presence about her.

This is why I was happy to see my character imported into the second game. Depending on how you played your game the first time around, you’ll find that many people you crossed paths with return… either thanking you for what you’ve done or having a grudge.

The playability in the game is great. I have no problems playing through this thing… though it’s on a casual level. I want to have fun with my games, not have frustration. There are occasional glitches in the game which gets me killed now and then… but these glitches don’t happen often, thankfully. I’m just happy to see that the game is as fun as the first one. Some of the characters you might not think much of before… like Garrus… is much cooler this time around.

However, the romantic aspect of the game is more limiting this time around. Most of the romantic entanglements are straight… so there are no real branching into the bi-sexual or homosexual relationships much like the first game. However, this may be due to the fact that most gamers are probably male. Most likely. So it’s no surprise that the game is designed in this way.

This is a fun game. I’ve played about twenty hours into it and there’s still a lot to explore. It’s a worthy investment which throws you back into familiar grounds. And yet you’ll find much of it not so recognizable. But the threat is still there. And you’re the savior of the universe strung on the thread of good and evil. Dare I say that the background story and the conflict is on the same level of the Star Wars films? You can’t help but feel the sprawling epic of the entire game. It is like you’re getting lost in a space drama.

If you like video games, you’ll like this game.

If you like science fiction, it’s even better.

You’ll find yourself in the mists of battles and making greater choices that can lead you down the path of destruction or another road to the good side. Such choices can effect the rest of the story. I’m a goody two shoes so I play a good person. But even then, not all your choices turn out the way you want to.

And the action? It’s dynamite. You’ll feel like you’re right in a science fiction movie. Don’t miss this one if you’ve played the first one before. Others, beware. Make sure you got a lot of time on your hands. It’s a real doozy.

A Planet to Call His Own

2010-02-13T12:07:00.003-06:00

There was a long history of animation being based on comic books for many years. For some time, since the early 1990s, DC comics dominated the animated field thanks to the well thought out stories produced by Bruce Timm.

Marvel Comics was lagging behind.

However, much of it changed when the Hulk Vs. titles began appearing under a different direction which set Marvel into profitable doorways never before explored. With the recognized form of the green giant, and his merry ways of anger, the cartoons became very popular with audiences. Marvel Comics is finally catching up in the animation field.

Their latest release called “Planet Hulk” which hit the shelves in the first week of this month changes the direction of the comic books once again.

With surprise hits like “The Avengers” films and “Doctor Strange,” each film seem to be opening up to greater possibilities. Now they're taking off the ground with the Hulk stories which are brought to life in animation.

“Planet Hulk” is a different kind of story about the Hulk in which the audience could identify with the loneliness of the sour beasts who knows only how to speak with his mighty fists. His paths of destruction left behind too many wounded. So four other major players led by Iron Man decided to get rid of the Hulk in the most humane way possible. They sent him away on a ship where he would no longer harm others with his unimaginable brutality.

By destroying the spacecraft with his anger, the Hulk finds himself on collision course with a strange alien planet Sakaar. With the ship flying through a worm hole, the ship is now in an unexplored region of space where the limitless possibilities of stories was in reach. The Hulk was now in a world determined by gladiator fights in the coliseum. This world was built on the strengths and rage.

The Hulk was feeling right at home.

So he works his way through tearing up a storm in this new world... Hulk's world. The more he fights, the more finesse he gathers, growing stronger in strength, redefining his savagery to stretch his fighting skills. This was a world he could turn to without being called a monster.

This world is ruled by a Red King who uses people as his puppets, and forces slaves to pit against each other in bloody battles. Very soon, the conflict becomes a personal one between the Hulk and the Red King. The Hulk only wishing to have his freedom. While the Red King wants to command everything without anyone standing in his way. He ruled with an iron fist.

The Hulk grudgingly becomes friends with a few other gladiators who help to earn his freedom. And theirs. However, it is Caiera, the Emperor's Lieutenant, who is a soldier who eventually learns more about the Hulk and his origins. It is because of her that the Hulk stays on this world where he is accepted.

So this becomes something of a love story on a cosmic scale. No other film concentrates so heavily on the character of the Hulk. Not once do you see him transform into his human counterpart Bruce Banner... in fact, there is only a passing reference to his name. For the most part, the story revolves around the Hulk and his incredible strength which is something to be admired on a world filled with savages.

This blooming romance works its way very well into the story. No one jumps into the romance. It simply happens between two people who understands each other at a gut level. And Caiera does fight against the Hulk in a mortal battle. So this woman is able to hold her own against the Hulk showing remarkable strength and craftsmanship of the warrior ways. There are few people who are able to fight the Hulk and survive on their own. Caiera is one of those few.

And the Hulk is only happy to accept her grace and beauty, taking her hand in marriage when he resolves the world of its savage lord Red King. In many ways, the Hulk steps into the center role of the prophecy of Sakaarson, the one who would be savior of the world. It's nice to see different sides of the Hulk portrayed here differently.

I was never very enamored with the character of the Hulk. Not at all. This growling, savage beast only gets angrier and becomes a tidal force of hateful nature filled with violence. That was all he ever was. I never relished his appearances in the comics. I was on anyone's side who fought against the Hulk just to shut him up. I always preferred the rocky giant the Thing from the Fantastic four and his jolly line, “It's clobberin' time.”

But “Plant Hulk” is much more than just fistcuffs and fights. There's a story to it. And this one explores a side of Hulk never before, his romantic nature. Perhaps, deep down inside, there is a soul beneath the ugly interior. And maybe he isn't such a bad guy after all.

There is a nice appearance by Beta Ray Bill in the film... a brother like Thor, a god of the storm and weather, though he has the appearance of a horse face. However, he is powerful and held his own against the Hulk as well. And a very noble creature indeed.

There are a lot of risks taken when doing the stories of the Hulk. There have been so much done already in films and television. But this time, the story is a different one. And we find ourselves looking to the Hulk with a different perspective one. It's an interesting one.

Marvel Animated Features is finally hitting its mark with the Hulk features and it would be a good idea for them to continue the saga of the green monster. There is a huge amount of Hulk comic books yet to be covered.

This film only covers about thirty percent of the Planet Hulk comics. They have yet to chronicle the other half of the story where the Hulk finally returns to Earth to polish off his grudge against Iron Man and the others who put him in this personal hell in the first place.

Would the Hulk thank them for sending him to this world by accident? Or would he just get angry? And most people wouldn't like him if he got angry.

Nemo in a Dream Land...

2010-02-07T20:17:00.002-06:00

There's a little unknown film most people don't know about. If you strike gold while searching through the retail video store shelves, you might find a copy of it for $6.99. Otherwise, best of luck to you in finding it.

The film is called Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. It is certainly a beautiful looking animated piece which could be seen as a counterpart to a Disney film. The people are drawn in a realistic fashion and the endowed language of details is very articulate. There are tons of details in which makes the film very lively.

Many Japanese animators brought attention to great details, and lovely beauty, when bringing life into the drawings. Released in 1989 by Hemdale Film Corporation, it is a marvel of animation to be showcased on theaters. There are also many Americans and British creators who are involved in the making of the film including Robert Towne who was the story consultant and Ray Bradbury who brought the concept for the screen.

The idea is simple enough.

It is about a boy and his dreams.

More than that, the dreams are about his responsibility of growing older and recognizing his own self worth in a circle of friends. Even if it is in a strange place called Slumberland.

The story wraps around the boy named Nemo and his best friend Icarus who is a flying squirrel. They switch back and forth between the land of dreams to his own real world. Most problems beset him when Nemo befriends a murky figure drowned in poverty named Flip. He has a penchant for smoking cigars which is an unforgiving habit to many people who live in Slumberland.

Now Flip is a troublemaker who gives the Golden Key to Nemo which unlocks a darker side to this place... a Nightmare world led by a Nightmare king. However, Nemo does not agree at first to open the door for him. But the temptation is too strong when Flips says, “One little peek... eh?”

Nemo makes friends with many people including King Morphius of Slumberland, Professor Genuis... and the princess who is around Nemo's age, lonely, looking for a friend. They do manage to get along with each other despite their differences. It is such qualities that help to overcome the hypocritical rule of the Nightmare King, a bringer of darkness, his illusion filled with shambling clouds.

The Nightmare world isn't a friendly place.

Now many people may not like this movie. It is, by all definition, a kid's movie. It is made for kids. There is a genuine feel of light entertainment which may draw the younger children. However, the older adults may have to suspend their disbelief enough to enjoy this
It is based off the comic strip by Winsor McCay which is a beautiful set of stories which ran in the Sunday's papers for the longest time. The flashes of colors scattered across the paper which gives a heartbeat of comics. It is easy to see how well the life of the comic was instantly transferred to the film.

In many ways, the film or comics are much like the Wizard of Oz which caters to the younger people with a fresh imagination. There is a simple story with the forces of good and evil struggling together.

If you were to let yourself go for this film, and not worry about the story itself, you would enjoy the film. Little Nemo is told through the point of view of a young boy. So, naturally, there a child-like quality in the film that some might find off-putting. But I liked the film for its warmth and integrity. The small messages of being kind and considerate to others comes across very well here. Nemo does learn the full responsibilities of being a man by taking care of the Nightmares by himself. On his own. In fact, he shares a small kiss with the princess in the end. Just like any hero would in films like Sleeping Beauty.

It's hard to say whether dreams were real or not at the very end. Much of it is left to the imagination of the viewers as young Nemo is taken to the circus by his parents when the film draws to a close. Did the dreams really happen t him? Or was it just a part of his imagination that was working in his own head?

Little Nemo does make you feel like a kid again. After seeing this, you remember the things you have done as a child that may seem irresponsible. However, growing up, you feel like you could have a laugh over it. And this is what the film does for you... give you a few lost moments of childhood once again.

New, new, new...

2010-01-13T11:55:00.002-06:00

It’s amazing that so much flurry is storming regarding the latest trailer for the upcoming fifth season of Doctor Who. In a way, it is being reborn. Many possibilities here.

New Doctor. A new writer. New ideas.

That’s the recipe for the series’ long survival on television which is going to be hitting its fiftieth in a few short years. Now, with new lead being anchored into the show, there’s more interest.
So what’s to expect from the new trailer? We have just seen in less than a minute so many glimpses… frantic, like a flood of excitement is running off the well paced scenes.

Matt Smith, now the eleventh actor, will be joining the elite family of Who. His presence seems to be fitting in rather well and I think he’ll be pretty good far as I can tell from the small bits in the trailer. There are many people who seems to hate him saying, “He’s terrible!” Without actually seeing him in action. This is the expected round of comments people make when a new actor settled in. Remember how people reacted to David Tennant when he took over in the part thinking it’ll never work? And he stuck around for four years.

Out with the old, in with the new. It’s simply making a new format out of something familiar. Though I do admit the actor Matt Smith is frightfully young at age twenty-six, I do hope it works out well for him.

Give this guy a chance. That’s all I’m asking. I have my doubts too. But I’m not going to put him down until I see him for sure in a few episodes. Then he’ll grow on me. Just like the other actors did.

Many people complain that it looks like a Buffy rip-off because of the young actors. This isn’t true. Many people forget that the original front runner writer Russell T. Davies was inspired by the writings and plots of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series created by Joss Whedon.

So what else did we see in the trailer? The Doctor punching out a guy with his fist followed by an expression on his face reading, “I’m sorry!” None of the actors so far playing the Doctor in the new series decked someone. This is a first. There are also a lizard like race along with some scary looking mask made of wood twirling around like a crude circus act enough to give kids nightmares. There’s the Doctor hitting a Dalek with a hammer. There is the returning Weeping Angels. There are vampires dressed in Tudor styled clothing, which I’m looking forward to. And there’s an Errol Flynn type of swordsmen too.

Oh yes, there’s even a new design for the time/space machine that carried the Doctor into the far wonders of the universe. There’s going to be huge developments here.

Some people complained about the Doctor using a gun in the trailer, and you never hear the end of their cussing and whining. This isn’t new however. The Doctor has used a gun before. Christopher Eccleston used a gun on one occasion. Actors Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison in their respective role has lifted a gun as well without making an issue of it. And I do remember Colin Baker, in a violent fit, actually shooting a gun at someone or something at one time in the episode “Attack of the Cybermen.”

So people are going to need to calm down. Who knows? Matt Smith looks like he’s using a flare gun in the trailer and might be shooting it out into the sky for all I know. People are just going to need to see the episodes before jumping to conclusions.

Few folks are complaining about the use of Daleks in the new series. They’re being “overused” according to their complaints. They’re saying, “Why don’t they use something else?”

Well, they did try to get rid of the Daleks once before in the old series way back in 1966 after its long and crazy popularity overshadowed all the other villains. This is a known fact because the Daleks disappeared for five years without so much a trace before they returned to the series because their popularity demanded it. There’s no getting away from them. They are simply too much of a familiar institute to be ignored. I wish folks would understand that.

Besides they may only appear in one episode. I don’t consider the Daleks being overused if for one episode.

Now the writers will be flooding the series with more ideas. Richard Curtis of Black Adder fame will be penning a historical episode involving Van Gogh. There will be returning favorites such as Mark Gatiss, Gareth Roberts and Toby Whithouse. The show looks like it is steeped in horror elements. Such things like vampires and the weeping angels suggests a full blown return to the gothic days which made the Tom Baker days so popular in the mid-1970s. I like this idea because I’m a big horror fan of old and new, and it’s always good to create stories to scare the wits out of the audiences. It’s always in good fun. And Doctor Who made the best use of the horror format.

Most importantly, Stephen Moffat will be heading the front lines as the new series writer. This makes for perfection. The guy already won three Hugo awards for his various stories written for Doctor Who. Winning three Hugos in a row is nearly unheard of. He’s created the Capt. Jack character way back in 2005 who is one of the most memorable characters. The guy will bring so much to the new series. I’m looking forward to this. Moffat will be writing six shows for the new series which is a substantial chunk. So he’ll dedicate a huge part of his life to the creation of the new Doctor Who series.

There’s always going to be doubt when the new reins step in to take over. Some people can’t handle changes. But change has always been a good thing for the series. So there’ll be new surprises. More thrills. I can’t wait to see the delightful mix of science fiction and horror finding a new home on the Doctor Who series again starting in May.

I’ll be breaking out the bowl of jelly babies and the long scarf when the new show comes around.
It’s going to be a long wait.

The Dragon's Game

2010-01-06T11:26:00.005-06:00

I’m not much of a game player. Not really. At most, I would buy between three to five games a year depending on who puts them out. Sometimes not even that many.

But everything good and proper points me to getting the game “Dragon Age Origins” merely a short while after it hit the shelves. There is only one word labeled on it that sold me on the product: BioWare.

That was it. BioWare are the gods of gaming. And now I got the game in my hands and got swept into the high octave fantasy elements in the game that is a fine blend of the old classics such as Tolken to the many fictional novels which are breeding like rabbits on the shelf. Fantasy is a big draw for audiences seeking an outlet from the grim reality most of us are used to.

Bioware is the same company that brought out good games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the more recent hit Mass Effect. These guys are geniuses when it comes to the role playing type of games that involves long storytelling and epic battles. The story reminds you of the best of Robert Silverberg or Piers Anthony.

I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff. I always liked the KOTOR styled games that specializes in novel length plots weaving with anywhere between eight to ten original characters vying for a spotlight. It’s custom made which means you can spend nearly 45 minutes creating your character any way you want… as a female, male, elf or dwarf, the three classes of people. There are also warrior castes, rogues and the magic wielding mages.

There’s enough here to make the head spin.

But it’s well worth checking out as the game draws you easily into the world of sword and fantasy, the realm in which magic rules and the battles are decided by the grace of cunning. There are layers of stories as the game can stretch into many side quests all for the manner of getting more character experience points. The more experience you have, the more powerful your character becomes.

Now I like this. The game designers are not forgetting something: games are supposed to be fun. They shouldn’t be frustrating, cumbersome and kicking you around until you ready to stab someone in the face with a console unit. No, “Dragon Age Origins” simply sweeps you into a rewarding place where you feel you are part of a story. That your character can influence the end result of the story.

I’ve explored fifteen percent of the game so far. And I haven’t been killed once yet. This is on the easiest level however. But I am more interested in having fun and getting wind of the story’s beautiful setting. I have been killed a thousand times already in the “Gears of War” game last month because I can’t get passed one stupid part involving a crazed berserker. Game shouldn’t be like this. They shouldn’t be so challenging that you are backed into the corner ripping your own hair out. This game "Dragon Age" is a thousand times better than the Conan game. Sorry, Robert E. Howard. I like your Conan stories very much. But the game was a pain.

Not “Dragon Age Origins”. Not at all.

However, if you want to play on the most difficult setting, be my guest. That’s for more hardcore professional gamers who have all the time in the world to figure a game out. I don’t. I want to sit down and be whisked away for a couple of hours. Without getting upset over game play. Or cursing up and down over it. Or, forgive me, attempt to break the joysticks.

So what is “Dragon Age Origins” about?

You can play a central character, depending on your background, where you are thrown into the middle of a growing battle between the good people of the land and the Darkspawn. You become a noble part of the Gray Wardens who are commanders in the heart of the war. Throughout the game, you must find other forces to add to your military might before ascending to crush the blight out of the land.

I chose the mage caste as I have always an interest in the magical. But, for the first time, I feel like I’m playing Dr. Strange straight out of the comic books. It really feels like you’re dabbling with sorcery with an onset of powers, mixing of potions and waving around a magic staff like Gandoff the Wizard. My character is also a dark haired, ravenous female so she can use her beauty to persuade others in their decisions.

The game is extremely well received with a 94 percent appreciation figure. Many websites such as PC Gamer UK and Gamezone have picked this as one of the better games to play, with the latter website rating it a near perfect grade of 9.9 out of 10. The consensus would be very similar to this particular game player who finds the game to be a good experience.

Why?

Better gaming controls, more settings and surroundings to venture through, more repeated game play for different results. There is none of the frustrating difficulty getting in your way of having fun. Such role playing games are worth every penny of the price. It doesn’t get any better than this.

My only issue with the game is that you can’t skip the dialogue or make it go faster. Therefore it’s a drag getting through the talky bits. I’m okay with it. You can even pursue romantic entanglements with your characters depending on who it is. It is a rated M game so there are some steamy stuff going on… not for the little kids. Whenever you and your party gets into a battle, you end up getting splattered with your foes’ blood if you see close ups. It’s great and bloody.

If you are a big fan of the KOTOR games along with Mass Effect, getting caught up with big stories, this is something for you. Others who might be looking for a fast game of shoot him up, you may want to give it a pass. However, you’ll find this game is nearly on the par as a high budgeted film blockbuster… and it is very much like a movie experience with a grand soundtrack and boasting actor voices. This one should get deserving praise.

This is The End...

2010-01-02T09:20:00.004-06:00

This was much better.

The stakes were higher and the expectations were greater when the final broadcast of the Doctor Who series with David Tennant in the lead show came to a fiery ending. It's no exaggeration. The show did end with a crashing note.

The New Year's Day episode being part two of “End of Time” picked off where it left off from the Christmas special. The Doctor's long time archenemy took control over the planet earth as the Master regained a winning hand. It looked as if he was going to win out finally in his personal war against the Doctor.

To top it all off, the destroyed race of the Doctor's own people the Time-Lords were coming back with a bang.

With the often said prophecy of the tenth Doctor stating, “He will knock for times” loomed over the Doctor himself, he was racing against time itself to save humanity from the worst.

Russell T. Davies was pulling out all stops to offer us the conclusion of his Time War saga and why did the Doctor decide to turn on his own people at the very last moment. This was a story which Davies had in mind for the longest time, giving a fitting end to the Time War background story which had been the icing on the cake for the series.

Now we know why the Doctor did what he had to do. But it caused him great pain and misery, not to mention a shroud of loneliness.

The Time Lords were everything imaginable and probably the worst lot of enemies the Doctor ever faced. He was helpless against them. They were insistent, demanding force of power. They were headed by the President, known as Rassilon himself, played gleefully by James Bond veteran Timothy Dalton who did a magnificent job portraying a man lusting after power. Every stroke he made was an outlash of unlimited power. His own quest for survival was met with retaliation when he vanished someone from the Time Lord council simply because she disagreed with him. His words echoed many Time Lords who felt his need for survival, “I will not die!'

It's no wonder the Doctor himself was frightened of the Time Lords. They were like a hurricane of terror rushing over the very cosmos.

It would take the Doctor and the Master, played by John Simm from Life on Mars, who battle the rushing storm of the Time Lords. At the very least, the Master went out as a hero for taking out the Lord President himself by pushing him back through the gateway. The Doctor used Wilfred's army revolver to destroy the link that was bringing the Time Lords back into existence.

The saddest portion of the show is the knowledge that it was David Tennant's final show. His performance is rather good and you can't help thinking he left the seres far too soon. His energetic display, along with his tempered flow of catch phrases, was a welcome addition to the series. It would be a missed thing, though once again unfortunate that he did not stay for one more full time season.

It became a very emotional feelings knowing that the Doctor made a self sacrifice saving Wilfred from the radiation poisoning which brings a noble sentiment to him. He was willing to risk everything to save Donna's grandfather. Even the Doctor, dying from the radiation, made his final resolutions by going back to see some of his past companions, and there was a full circle to the story when the Doctor went back to visit Rose in early 2005... a few months before she actually met him for the first time. The story became complete.

It was a rather emotional moment for everyone, I'm sure, when the Tenth Doctor cried, “I don't want to go!” His regeneration process became a violent one destroying half of his ship as he was changing, his body being replaced and adapted.

Rest in piece, the Doctor. Long live the Doctor.

It's too early to tell about Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. He's far younger than all the previous actors, though he maintains a hellish energy that seems crazy, just borderline nuts. His last actions seen in the show was his crashing to earth with his traveling time machine engulfed in a ball of fire before a panoramic view of the earth spreading in the abyss of space.

The new Doctor seems to be enjoying his predicament as he shouts, “Geronimo!” The next few months will be looked on the approach of Stephen Moffat as the new head writer and Matt Smith as the new Doctor. Everything else would be up for grabs.

Knocking Four Times...

2009-12-27T11:42:00.005-06:00

“It is told that I will knock four times,” the Doctor tells Donna's grandfather, Wilifred, when he explains over the dinner table that his end is coming along. Soon.

The last hoorah for David Tennant in the latest incarnation of Doctor Who is spiraling towards the end with a favorable pace and style. Though the story does leave for some disappointment. There is, however, more good than bad.

Considering that these are supposed to be his last episodes, we are left with a story filled with the end of the world trademark. Here's to hoping that the payoff will be a good for for the next, and final, installment for the Tennant period.

Everyone in the world is having bad dreams. It is revealed through the dreams that the arch-enemy of the Doctor is coming back from the dead. His imminent return is sparked by a black arts ritual. Even in death, the Master remains a threat. The Christmas special “The End of Time” focuses on the brotherly rivalry between the Doctor and the Master which stretches across the timeless ages. They are lost souls in the middle of the battlefield.

The Doctor's previous assistant Donna grows more aware of the things going on around her as her memory is slowly returning at the risk of burning her thoughts out. And her grandfather becomes a new player in the ongoing saga of the end of time. He finds that he has a role to fill as he brings his old World War II revolver that he has never used before.

It becomes evident that the government is behind something of importance in which the Master grows entangled with as he is captured by the new prime minster of England. It is called the Immortality Gate. By taking over the device, the Master restructures the world in his own imagery much like the god in the old testament in the bible. The only ones who are not affected are the Doctor and Wilifred who are protected by radiation shields while Donna is still a Time-Lady who's unearthly body is different from humans. Naturally, as already seen before, Capt. Jack of the Torchwood series has left earth already. So he isn't affected either.

It is left at the very end of the show that the original Time-Lords are coming back to straighten out this whole mess. But they're coming back with a sheer force as they are gods of time.
It's not a bad episode. Russell T. Davies might be overreaching himself with too many ideas being thrown together to create something big, BIG. It works to a certain extent.

But we're left with the Master looking like Keuana Reeves from the Matrix flying around like Superman. There's John Simm going overboard with his performance as the Master which might have been better if he was more restrained. Some of the aliens appearing about halfway in the show seems uninspiring.

The whole thing with an actor as Obama appearing in the episode is bit silly. What are we going to expect next? Bin Laden versus the Doctor next? Saddam comes back from the dead? That's just silly. After the whole changeover, the bit with the Master looking like a lady in a dress is just silly.

That word “silly” just keeps popping up in my head.

I'm making a wild guess about the Doctor knocking four times... judging from the next show's trailer, he will be using the old revolver four times. Probably once on himself to save the world, if not the universe. Just making a guess. But we won't see the final show until New Year's Day.

So what worked in the episode of the “End of Time”? The little details work out the most. The conversation between the Doctor and Wilifred works out so well as they watched Donna live her life at a safe distance. Bernard Cribbin's performance as the grandfather is one of the highlights in the show. I wish I could have seen more of the Master's estranged wife Lucy (Alexandra Moen) who was pretty good in this too.

The whole bit with the grandfather's friends coiling around the Doctor like a league of fans is a pretty good spot too. It's a good crack up to see an old woman pinching the Doctor while they were getting their photo taken together.

I can see that Davies is trying to wipe the story clean for the forthcoming show runner to come around and make his own stamp on the series. I'm thinking he's saving the best for last which will be an extended show for New Year's Day. The bits with Timothy Dalton appearing as what looks like the head of the Time Lord council looks pretty awesome which makes hair curl. I hope Dalton scares the “living daylights” out of the Doctor.

The Time Lords do look pretty a formidable lot indeed. They look like they are returning to the original status of being gods in the cosmos. They don't look like anyone should be screwing around with. They mean business.

I do hope the next show will be a good one. It's a bit of a gamble working your way up to the single most anticipated show with Tennant going one last round as the Doctor before turning the page in the history books. I have always made my case concerning Tennant's all too soon departure from the series. I have always preferred that he did an entire season of thirteen shows in the series instead of doing a handful of specials. But he wanted to take leave now instead of letting his character and series develop a little more. He might have gone a bit big-headed since his status as an actor has grown immensely on both sides of the Atlantic. He didn't want to feel too chained to the Doctor Who series.

I still say it's a bit of a mistake leaving the one role that made him famous.

I'm sure he'll regret in in time. Much like Christopher Eccleston's fast departure in the role as well. Maybe the actors do regret it after a time. A role like this doesn't come often in a lifetime.

However, the last show will be met with final thoughts and deep sorrows. Everything will be moving on. And I will be looking forward to the next episode. At least we won't have to be waiting so long this time around. Just a matter of a few days. What will we be expecting? Something big, I'm sure. Maybe the final revealing of what really happened during the height of the Time War that has always been the backdrop of the series.

Who knows? Yes, exactly. Who knows. And it could be the one secret that he has been carrying for the longest time, his guilt which has followed him to his very grave.

Sherlock Lite

2009-12-26T11:48:00.002-06:00

There are a lot of interesting things in the latest updating of the Sherlock Holmes film. And it is merely that. An update.

And interesting.

However diverting the character is in the original stories by the Victorian author has been tossed away for chunks of action and fast paced sequences that may be suitable for more action films. But not for something like Sherlock Holmes.

Whatever the result, it isn't bad. I felt that the character of Sherlock Holmes always meant things about high deduction and skillful tapping of information while uncovering a crime. He is an ideal character for smarts. And also the perfect one for using in a big blockbuster winter movie that comes out on Christmas holiday.

But it feels wrong. Sherlock Holmes isn't James Bond. The movie developed by director Guy Ritchie is not a terrible flaw. The director is very skillful of what he does. But he isn't right for the character of Sherlock Holmes. Far from it. If the director wanted to do something involving classy martial arts moves and high volume action, he should have done a kung fu flick with well known fighters in the arts.

Sherlock Holmes is in a world all of his own. He isn't super cool. He is super smart. But I suppose nerds aren't very cool with people. But big tough guys are.

It's far too easy to compare the film to the stories created for the television run which starred Jeremy Brett as the Victorian amateur sleuth for hire. Those stories were highly crafted material meant for the slow uncovering of crimes and marveling at the witty techniques performed by the science of this man who uses logic to explain away many of the wrongdoings.

Not only that, but Brett was an Englishman playing the part of the master detective. Brett did a superb job at the role that the role belongs to him in the 41 stories he's done for Granada Television. Now I do like Robert Downey Jr. very much as an actor and think highly of him in films like Iron Man and Tropic Thunder since he always displayed a wide range of abilities. Again, it feels wrong. Considering Downey Jr. is an American actor.

The film based on Lionel Wigram's story makes for a great departure from the Sherlock Holmes tradition by throwing in huge portions of action. There's a lot of fighting everywhere that it makes you feel like you're turned to the wrong channel of boxing or sports.

It's as if the director is trying to make Sherlock Holmes into an awesome street fighter. But what is awesome about Sherlock is his wits... defining his abilities to solve problems.

Yes, he does that in the film too. I do appreciate the fact that the writers try to bring in the idea of the supernatural to boggle the super logical mind of Sherlock in the film. For a while, he was at the end of his ropes. However, he comes to struggle with the outside forces overseen by one named Lord Blackwood, probably a reference to the supernatural writer Algernon Blackwood.

There are rituals and black arts plenty with several sacrifices to create the so called coming of darkness. This is well done. I've always thought Sherlock Holmes would run into a mind block if he tried to figure out something supernatural. He comes close to it here.
Sherlock Holmes does explain away the supernatural eventually with his science. This is one of the most interesting parts of the film when the use of flashblacks shows how fear can be used to manipulate people.

I like the idea of elements of horror mingling with this Englishness of the atmosphere. Nicely done. The final set piece of the London bridge still being under construction is also a good fit of film making here cleverly using backgrounds for telling a story.

However, there is a greater shadow at work as audiences will learn of the existence of one called Professor Moriarty. His presence remains hidden and always thrives in shadows. I like this as I always see this particular arch-enemy staying in the dark corners, not easily visible. He hired Irene Adler to get close to Sherlock Holmes and uses the current situation for his own advantage. Stealing certain technology while the detectives were distracted.

Where there anything good about the film? There were a lot of score points. Downey Jr.'s performance is a strong one, though I still feel he isn't the right choice for the role.

Jude Law's performance as Watson is right on the button. He is an English actor with immense talent who rises above the occasion to bring some reflections to the role. Law was once seen in an episode alongside with Jeremy Brett in the 1980s series when they were first brought out.
The idea of the supernatural was a pretty good front while the real devious work was at hand. This touch of horror spreads through the stories with a sheer fascination for me as I'm always a long time fan of horror stories. Notions of the dead rising and the devil rituals gives the stories an added dimension that was missing in many of the original Conan Doyle stories.

Did the film work? It is a perfect high budget blockbuster sure to rein in many audiences with its splashy directing and sharp slaps of comedy for light hearted entertainment. Most people will like it because it looks like Sherlock Holmes in a fight club, nothing more. Sherlock Holmes shouldn't be seen as a guy who goes around beating up bullies much like Superman or Batman would do in their streets. This is a character who is entirely different and relies more on his brains.

With enough star power in the film and an ending assuring there will be another one on the way, the reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes is taking hold now. For the Baker Street Irregulars who are familiar with the original stories, it is possible they may be put off by the brutal fist cuffs now growing more popular in this particular adaptation.

It'll be interesting to see how the story unfolds for the next film. However, for my money, I'll stick with the old shows with Brett about the greatest detective in the world. If I want to see some beating up, I'll turn on the next channel to the Fight Club.

2009-12-14T23:21:00.002-06:00

Little Annie Orphan, she isn't.

The gist of the story “Orphan” is a step away from the lovable children to the more deranged types who may raid your family with terror. She isn't the kind of girl you want to adopt which his probably the message of the film.

But what is interesting about this film is that the controversy over it is more known than the actual film itself. Such a heartbreaking notion of adoption this film has that it was the first time the film company was asked to provide a thirty minute advertising which sings approval for adoption.

The commercial says something like, “Adoption is a good thing.” It's because several adoption centers and staff took offense to the film like “Orphan” as they thought it would be an assault of child adoption.

What these people don't realize is that it's a horror film. Plain and simple. Nothing could be further from the truth. The film marketed itself as a horror film with the little girl with the blackest eyes like coal chambers is on the splash page of the poster. She's the poster child of evil according to this film.

But the film isn't a charge against adoption. Far from it. People from adoption centers have been causing a racket over this thing and there shouldn't be any reason for it. They could have dismissed it as just another horror film. A very good horror film. Nonetheless, a horror flick.

I'm sure the controversy over this has brought more people to see the film in the theaters over the fall season out of curiosity. They were probably wondering what the hype is all about. Maybe they were just looking for a good scare.

It reminds me another time a film has caused a controversy when it shouldn't have. The film was Monty Python's Life of Brian which was a farce regarding a man's life who is parallel to Jesus. And crust of the humor makes fun of religion as it's no longer a sacred thing to the British comedy troupe.

Most people who complained about this one never saw the movie. They would simply standing lines and protest that it was a blasphemy about the heaven, hell and everything between. It wasn't funny to many. And television evangelist Graham was saying something like, “Whoever is this Monty Python fellow is should be shamed” while slamming his fist on his desk. While his co-workers repeatedly told him that it was actually a group of six people.

But was Orphan a decent enough movie to be liked? I thought so.

I felt the film was a slow going one like a moving railroad train starting its engines, and the crushing atmosphere was like a storm of moods. It was a well crafted film with plenty of shadows. The story revolves the tragedy of a little girl who has come to age. And the demon of lust that consumes her.

Horror films could be centered on mood along with an air of suspense. That is how many of H.P. Lovecraft's stories are developed as a reign of horror through a perfect grasp of words and images. But the stories were always slow going as to build mood.

The same with this film. It builds up an effective chill and the unsettling nature of the girl adds to the effect. You know there is something else about that girl you're not sure of. But the backgrounds provide more... early on you can see how her crafty illustrations suggest an otherworldly tension about her. It's well done. The film is really about the young orphan Esther and her mother Kate... and the competitiveness between women that can become a dangerous game. Their mother and daughter relationship becomes a see-saw balance of absolute terror.

The orphan plots and plans. While the mother is the problem solver as she seeks to investigate the mystery surrounding the little girl's background. It's nicely done.

The acting is first rate, the directing carries the film rather well. I'm surprised that there were two very good horror films to come out in the same year, the first being “Drag Me Back to Hell.”

But Orphan isn't an explosive film. It's about the coldness of a family and how any one member can throw the rest of the family into a chaos. The film surrenders itself to the beauty of mood throughout. The house they live in has a Victorian feeling about it, making it irksome with the awkward shadows clinging to the walls. Even the orphan herself is styled in old fashioned clothing. But her eyes are always filled with an awful fire.

Kudos to actresses Vera Farmiga as Kate, Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther and Aryana Engineer as Maxine. All of them deserve credit for bringing a very strong feminine side to the story.

I won't tell you the ending of the story to put you off. But it's a very nice twist ending and one I did not expect as the film draws closer to the end. It's nice to see some horror films like this one is a smart cookie. They know how to bleed you with the tireless blackness of guilt while suspending you with a discomfort. The call the mother makes to the insane asylum in Russia is certainly one of the highlights in the film. It is a captivity of horror at its finest.

I have to admit that I was very appreciative of seeing how the young daughter Maxine of the mother happens to be hard of hearing. So there is a nice side story about the hard of hearing to deaf. And their sign language is well done because I am familiar with it myself as I also have a significant hearing loss. So it's nice to see them break a regular formation of a family while bringing someone clearly special into the part. The young girl who plays the deaf daughter does it very well. She deserves a good round of applause.

Orphan is a nice departure from the usual reckless drive of horror films that comes through like a huge automobile accident. There have been far too many horror films that tend to be a violent type without mastering the mood. But Orphan does it so well with the sheer blessing of having hired an excellent actress to play the very mature, driven girl who simply wants to be loved. Someone who simply wants a home. But she finds herself in the bowels of darkness just as her dark, wretched heart is.

Orphan is an excellent addition to the gallery of horror films. Others who has children may want to beware.

G.I. Joe: Rise of a Really Bad Movie

2009-12-04T11:12:00.002-06:00

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra is not just a bad movie. It’s a really awful movie even by summer standards.

I waited on purpose for it to come out on the new releases in the video store instead of chancing it in the main theaters. With its collective stink of bad stories and dialogue, it’s no surprise that Paramount Pictures didn’t release it right away to mainstream critics. Instead, they let selected audiences watch the film before the summer bombardment.

What bothers me about most summer films is the fact that they shouldn’t have to be mindless dope-driven crap shot out to celluloid oblivion. Summer movies can be smart if they want to be. But this one isn’t. It steers around bad dialogue with a merciless string of flashbacks going back and forth like a drummer who lost his beat on the drums.

Remember the cartoon variety where they would shout at the top of their lungs, “Yo Joe”? Whenever the good guys are swinging into action in this movie, watching them roll right into battle, I am immediately singing a parody of their battle call, “Joe blows!”

Are there any good things about this movie?

Just a couple.

Scarlett and Snake Eyes. Enough said.

And who is responsible for this retarded mess? Where should we start pointing accusatory fingers at whoever put together this freak of nature and decided to call it a blockbuster movie?
There could be any one of the people on the upcoming list. There are many guilty as charged. But we’ll sort out the mess and find out who is the real culprit behind the silly mess they would call a franchise.

Christopher Eccleston plays the archenemy in his usual charismatic performance. His presence is electrifying even when he is not trying to ham it up in every scene, though he is in fine form as the secondary villain, an interesting twist as they don’t show the leader of Cobra until the very end of the story. Don’t worry. I’m not spoiling anything here.

Eccleston is always a pleasure to see. And I can’t help myself asking why didn’t this guy do another season of Doctor Who as he was very good in it? Watching this film, with him being the central villain, it’s a terrible shame that he didn’t stay on for another couple of years on the Doctor Who series. But it’s easy to see he wanted to work in movies where the big bucks are. Doctor Who doesn’t pay the big bucks. But this garbage does.

But who can fault him for going where the money is? He has his sights set on Hollywood. He always did. Now he’s getting his foot in the door. Maybe another few misfires like this and someone might notice his acting is too good to be in schlock like this.

But Eccleston isn’t at fault here. Far from it. I would rather see him go back to Doctor Who.

Why is G.I. Joe part of the NATO operations of a collective backgrounds stemming from Europe to Africa or wherever? It is supposed to be based in the United States. Not Europe. Why is G.I. Joe the worst kept secret where everyone throws around the name like it’s common knowledge? Why is the President of the United States played by an English actor?

Why am I even watching this movie?

Why is Dennis Quaid in this movie? He’s usually not a bad actor. But here he is a cut out piece of paper torn out from a very old book. He gobbles up the scenery like a hammy actor that would have made Vincent Price very proud. As the leader of the Joes, he tells some of the amateurs they’re the best there is. And yet he is knocked down in two seconds by Storm Shadow when the bad guys break into their headquarters.

But Quaid shouldn’t be blamed. Far from it. He’s got his nice, fat paycheck for walking through this film like he’s got a kitchen fork up his butt.

So it took five different writers to throw together this two hour movie filled with explosive action sequences, a nice romance story that might sucker adolescent kid and the Baroness with her mighty bra strap. The dialogue sounds very stilted, poorly handled. It sounds like people are doing read on parts and not putting any effort into the lines. The words doesn’t sound like they come from real life. They sound like they come from hacked stories. Not to mention the fact that someone in the film is not a big fan of the French. Which is fine with me. I don’t much care for the French either. So I wasn’t too terribly sorry to see the Eiffle Tower go in the movie.

But the French did contribute something to the films. They gave all the credit to the sole creative drive behind the film: the director. The auteur theory, it’s called. Because of the French, it was believed that the director is the sole responsibility behind the movie. Directing, story wise, acting. Everything. The director gets the credit.

Using this French philosophy, it is decided that Stephen Sommers is the guy who should get all the credit and glory for making this film. None of this, “It’s the writers’ fault!” No, that’s not going to work. It shouldn’t even be called a film. It’s just a mess filled with uncrackling dialogue and nonsense that might be mistaken for real comedy. Something like this can’t be held too closely to scrutiny. It’ll break apart soon as you take a gander.

Why bother with the accelerator suits that is supposed to be the driving force behind the Joe technology? If Storm Shadow is able to move really fast, as one character pointed out in a chase, then why do they need the suits? Storm Shadow is able to move pretty fast without one. It is just all nonsense.

Which brings me to the final cusp of the review here.

Dear Mr. Sommers,
Thank you for creating a mess of mammoth proportions last summer. You turned a childhood memory into a seeping, leering product of commercialism without bringing anything new to it. You are responsible for coughing up this awful hairball and leaving it behind like a fat cat would. You got your huge paycheck for making this, didn’t you? Can I get my $3.30 cents back for spending on a rental?
Sincerely,
Your least favorite fan.

I’m still waiting on a response.

Asian Vampire

2009-11-19T12:07:00.005-06:00

A film taking on a bloody thirsty journey into a world of vampire is only asking to be jagging through a number of clichés that would be found in many movies prior. And yet the Korean made film “Thirst” reinvents the myth while struggling to explore the savage side of human life.

It’s a beautiful film while maintains a sort of ugliness.

Yes, it’s a vampire film. But it is much more than that. The character development and slow progress of vampirism makes this one miles and miles better than anything the sappy Twilight films strive to be. The film “Thirst” is sexy and alarming, tapping into the canal feelings that may invite every one of us to visit the dark side of nature. At the same time, it tells us what limits human beings have while lusting in love.

Probably can be seen as a more mature version of Twilight.

This director already made one of my favorite all time movies called Oldboy and has an inventive way of telling the story. The director Park Chan-Wook has a way of tapping into the more crude existence of our souls. The film is savage, raw, and simply beautiful at the same time. And then it struggles to give us a peeping tom voyeurism into the creepy side of a vampire’s life.

Sang Hyun plays a Catholic priest who gives last rites to those who perish from the strange virus that attacks only Asians and Caucuasions, therefore putting himself into danger as well. But while he is determined and wants to help those in need, he is also a conflicted soul. He has self doubt and watches the troubled human souls from the edges of pain. Finally he is cast aside from mortality to shed the skins of his old life. But he becomes the only survivor of a vastness of disease. But he leaves with a survival with an founded curse. He develops a need for drinking blood to stave off the virus he has.

But this character is torn between two worlds. Of light and dark. Of righteousness and deviousness. In one world, he is a Catholic who is holding on to old traditions. In another world, he is a vampire who rushes through the night looking for ways to fuel his blood rage while not killing anyone.

There are nice touches of humor.

The Catholic priest attempts to commit suicide. This would be sin for him. And yet he can’t do it.

The spots of blood lust.

His thumb is covered with blood. You see him licking the blood a hurried and offhand way. He is like a reptile, an animal.

And he rediscovers those elements when he meets with an old childhood friend who takes care of a very pretty adopted daughter Tae-ju who is clearly one of the most beautiful Asian woman I’ve seen in films. She is wonderfully played by Kim Ok-bin. Her lovely faces traces a soothing innocence.

She is a beautiful scorn of female perfection. Yet she manipulates, a tireless selfishness burns inside her. She is married to an idiot. But she passes all her flaws to the other people around her, husband, mother, father. While she latches on to her own desires for her own satisfaction. She is like the beast of lust herself. Much like the Catholic priest she tempts. And she brings him over to a world of sex and love. And sometimes the two doesn’t even mix.

The sex scenes are pivotal to the film. They are the central role to the bestiality of humanity. They are creepy while erotic at the same time. They are lustrous while beaming with a side of savagery. It’s like lust on a burning drug. It isn’t good for either one of them. And yet they fell to the lusts of their darker desires. The woman part is a difficult one to play because she must play innocent while being a manipulate woman beneath the surface of mean spirited façade. It is a perverted Asian film that stretches the limits of beauty.

The film really does examine the guilt and ugly side of human nature once it flies into a full throttled speed. It latches onto you and lever lets you go as you are dragged deeper into the world of darkness. You find yourself nauseated with the sex scenes and yet you are intrigued by it. And the human body of the woman never looked this good. The naked appeal of her body is flawless texture. It is like seeing a porcelain stature coming to life. She drags the priest into becoming a killing machine.

The film is a strange one. But what else would you expect when it comes to vampires? And you find yourself feeling sorry for the people in this movie because they are so guilt ridden with self induced hatred. The girl who is so bored out of her mind for wanting to leave a dead end family.

And the priest who is falling deeper into the seven deadly sins. And his contempt at immortality finally brings to him a small measure of humanity in the very ending of the film.

“Thirst” has become the winner of the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and rightfully so. This also achieved critical and box-office acclaim in Asia. But I would doubt that it would see any popular reception like the Twilight series did. “Thirst” is such a strange beast.

In Twilight, you’re stuck with a bunch of perfect Hollywood looking appearances. They look like paper perfect beautiful people. And that’s no fun when they’re all so picture pretty. But “Thirst” has a way of showing an ugly side of beauty. This is where Twilight goes so wrong. You have so many hunky looking guys that teenager girls can go for. Twilight is just stupid pretty.

But in “Thirst” you have to praise the Catholic priest who isn’t a very good looking person himself. And his soul is somewhat dark as well. It’s a very different kind of exploring into the raw side of life. Something Twilight never does.

Vampires certainly rule in the Asian world. But it’s sort of sick.

"Thirst" doesn't score all the points in the beauty contest. But it is stark, raw.

Again, this one is creepy. Try to watch this one in the dark. It'll make you feel sleazy and satisfield all at once.

The Storm of Water in Doctor Who

2009-11-17T10:57:00.002-06:00

It seems the television landscape is a little empty without the long string of Doctor Who episodes that comes with the season. Now we're already feeling the effects of cravings for more episodes. The show comes less regularly this year.

After the long hiatus throughout the summer, and with the exception of one rather large role in the Sarah Jane Adventures, the Doctor returns finally with an adventure to his name. Back where he belongs on his own series.

It is certainly a good episode.

It packs a whallop worthy of Who.

Might have been worth the wait after all. The Doctor Who special “Waters of Mars” made its debut on the BBC just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays on Nov. 15. Maybe it was a little early. But I'm sure most audiences couldn't wait anymore.

The episode written by Russell T. Davies and Phil Ford works on inspiration. Simple, pure, effective, the menace of water. Some notion of water on Mars isn't a new idea. It's been a theory kicking around for many years in the field. And this is real science stating that Mars might have been very much like our own world millions of years ago. Their conclusion comes from the possible ingredients of water being held in the ice caps in the north and south poles of the angry red planet.

But this show offers the water being somehow infected with an alien presence. There's much more to it than that. It was like a hidden secret that broke out from the grounds. Perhaps anyone who takes a regular job out in the space station, or might consider being part of a colony on Mars, should watch this episode. “Waters of Mars” show that some presence could be downright nasty, and what's out there might not be so pretty. It's awful ugly.

The story explores the ideas of war… the casualties left behind on the battleground. And the Doctor being slap in the middle of it. Worse, the Doctor is portrayed as helpless.

The mood and content in the story creates a very effective atmosphere. They are trapped on a Bowie Base One with very little place left to go. And the only outside contact they have is through sprinkled transmissions of televised messages from earth. Such as one Captain Adelaide Brookes received from her daughter and granddaughter. (The captain character is nicely played by Lindsey Duncan).

She heads a team of scientists out on the surface of Mars with little more than perseverance and wit. Whenever the Doctor shows up, however, trouble looms behind him like the fires of hell.

The show does become one of choices. And the Doctor realizes he comes to a place and time where it is all fixed. Here the chain of events would start from this single place on the Mars base. Then he realizes that the people, the lives, are already taken place in history. And he should be simply be an observer. And leave history alone.

But that's never stopped the Doctor.

He realizes that he can alter or change the course of time to better fit his smug arrogance. This episode shows a side of David Tennant we haven't seen before as the Doctor. He is self-righteous, arrogant, simply ignorant of his own actions. He grows more reckless, confused, finally calling the very end of the story a “Time Lord Victorious” after doing away with the alien menace.

But his actions take on more consequences. He manages to save three people from the Mars team, but his acts are taking on grave implications. One of them commits suicide after she realizes what the Doctor has done to change history. He has seem to pull the string from the ball and everything is going out of proportion. Now chaos is reigning in his choices made. And he doesn't seem to care. His arrogance is showing no bounds now.

He is growing more like Christopher Eccleston's Doctor now, a soldier, a winner, someone who likes violence. And grows to enjoy wrecking havoc. This was what the Doctor was like before he regained his humanity. Now he seems to be losing his humanity. Not a good thing.

David Tennant's performance mirrors many interesting characteristics. And it's a magnetic performance on the same level as the great Tom Baker as he shows many different emotions, a trapped man filled with desperate measure. Tennant will be leaving the part very soon. It's regrettable that he did not stay on for another full season. Which I would have preferred. Now Tennant only has two more shows after this. Enjoy them while you can because he isn't sticking around very long anymore.

“Waters of Mars” is a magnificent episode that works like a movie... it's very big on a grand scale while still remaining intimate because we, as an audience, are seeing a side of the Doctor not seen before. Initimate are the conversations between the captain and the Doctor.

I really thought it's a nice addition of placing an Asian woman along with the team... an actress named Gemma Chan who is a very beautiful woman. She has soft features and a flowing blanket of dark hair that makes her stand out compared to the others. The Asian culture has been very sadly lacking in the series ever since from the start. It would have been nice of the Doctor to take her along, but his actions have put her off. And she took everything in far too quickly, making her very distrustful of him after saving her life.

However, I would like to see her return to the series again if possible.

I really doubt it. But it would be a nice switch to see an Asian woman as a companion. We've had just about everything else as a companion.

The performance of the two leads were very gripping as they seem to play a game of chess with their feelings, their emotions. And when the show grows nearer to the end, you find yourself siding with Captain Brookes rather than the Doctor in all manner of conversation. You really do have a feeling that the Doctor is starting to lose his humanity.

There's a reason why he always has a companion. Because people remind him of who or what people are. His companions remind the Doctor of who he is. His companions are his only anchor to reality. They keep him on the straight and narrow. But the Doctor hasn't been traveling with anyone. He's been by himself. For the longest time.

Now it's starting to wear down on him, this loneliness. And we'll be seeing more of this in the following final shows of this year as his past mistakes, his choices will be catching up with him. It will not be long before he will have to face his actions instead of running away from them.

Timeless Wedding Crasher

2009-11-13T17:59:00.004-06:00

Ah, yes, there was one time when the Doctor Who series was thought as a children's show. Something to be carted off to the youngest, the little tikes who would be ushered into the living room at tea time. The wee generation of tottlers.

Children would be following the time traveler who didn't exactly express himself as the best role model for kids. Well, he did steal the TARDIS from his own people! Sort of a mortal sin, isn't it? That's against one of the old ten commandments if you really want to get all puffy about it.

But here you are, forty years later, it's sparked off one children's show in the form of “Sarah Jane Adventures.”

If you're like me, old and doddering, maybe not that old, but you'll remember Sarah Jane as being the smart, very expressive girl, a journalist. So she's no dummy. Fact is, she's able to hold off on her own against the wily Doctor in her time. I'm talking about the Doctor in the form of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.

That's a pretty tough time. If you're a young, perky girl who was an erstwhile companion to the third and fourth Doctors, you're in good company. You had to be pretty smart if you're hanging around with the Doctor anyway.

Now this. She's having her own wedding in her own series last week in the episode “The Wedding of Sarah Jane.”

Mind you, it's a bit of a forward step for the young, brash journalist who spent most of her time being alone, minding her own life, always writing, spending her time between the paper factory, chasing her stories. Or, what the reporters would often call it, the Enterprise story. That's when you're harking after your own story, in hopes that the editor will like it enough to throw it into print. Maybe even carting it off on the front page.

But who would have thought that Sarah Jane might consider marriage? She's not the type, really. But that's what she is doing in the episode.

However, some creepy old creature, a kind of tempest, calls himself the Trickster, is trying to tie the final knot between Sarah Jane and a solid, old gentleman who happened to have died in a car accident.

However, in the last few sends before the big words “I do” came straight out of her mouth, she's once against affronted by a certain party pooper as the Doctor comes crashing in on the party. It's sort of something he would do.

Now, this is Sarah Jane Smith's third time she is meeting up with the tenth Doctor well acted by David Tennant with tons of energy and spunk. Who knows where all that manic energy and craziness is coming from?

It's sort of a nice wedding gift in the form of David Tennant if you're really thinking about it. With only three more one hour specials to go under his belt, he'll be soon relinquishing his role. That means the era of the tenth Doctor only has less than a couple months. I'm still pissed at Tennant for leaving after four years in the part.

But he puts in all his effort and attention into the part. And it's not just a small cameo he's doing. It's an full on role where he is a prime mover of the plot and story. And he's still very good in the part, rather dashing. So in a way, it's an added one hour and time and footage of the tenth Doctor. For fans of David Tennant and Doctor Who alike, don't miss this one. It's worth the effort in catching up with what the time traveler is doing, seeing how he is spending his time.

It's sort of sad how Sarah Jane asks the Doctor if this will be the last time she'll be seeing him. And it's a foreshadowing of things to come when the tenth Doctor gives a faint, “I don't know.”

So if you can't get enough of the Doctor in this episode, you might want to check out what the Brigadier has been doing in his retirement days, another nice nostalgic moment for Sarah Jane and her gallant crew of youngsters, even an adopted son Luke she's been sharing in her life. You can find it in the episode “Enemy of the Bane.”

They're fun shows. Go ahead. Take a trip down on memory lane with these couple of shows and ask yourself, “Are these really children shows?”

I do believe that the Sarah Jane Adventures have found their its, a little bit of maturity that has been developing in this series. Either way, it's not a bad idea to spend a few last moments with Doctor Who before things get crazy for him in the Thanksgiving episode, Christmas and finally New Year's Eve before there's going to be plenty changes when Tennant's leaves the Doctor Who series.

Fifth Time's the Charm

2009-11-06T11:27:00.003-06:00

It has been a pretty good past couple of months for the Fifth Doctor era from the British favorite Doctor Who series that has been around for nearly half a century now. And it hasn't shown its age. Not at all.

British icon Peter Davison was a popular choice to step up to the challenge of playing the title role for the long running series, with his gleam of blond hair and innocent grin. The naive charm of his persona was expressive when he was cast into the part starting in 1981. He relinquished the role in 1983 with twenty stories under his belt.

Let's not forget: Davison is the only original actor from the old BBC series to come back to reprise his role as the Doctor in the segment called "Time Crash" written by Stephen Moffatt.

In the recent Doctor Who magazine, which has been a mainstay in the publishing grind, they ran a contest of finest stories to worst ones from its myriad of two hundred stories of Doctor Who so far. For the number one slot, Davison's final story “The Caves of Androzani” was rated very highly by fans. It was an atmospheric story penned by Robert Holmes which was to pit the Fifth Doctor against a band of business deals running amok between struggling parties. And the Fifth Doctor and his companion would be caught in the middle of their pitiful war.

It was the crowning jewel in the cradle of entertaining stories.

It was a fitting end to the time travelling saga for Davison who reached his a culmination of stories here. It was too bad that he didn't stay on for a fourth year as originally intended.
Just this last week another chapter of the Fifth Doctor period was refurnished and given the digital treatment when it hit the shelves on Nov. 3. It was the entire trilogy of the Black Guardian storyline making its way to fan collections everywhere. And rightfully so.

During the 1980s, when the popular swing was hitting its stride for Davison, there grew a leaning interest for interconnected stories... three stories wrapped up to be a single whole. This Black Guardian trilogy would be the third time the series did so.

Some people complained about the stories being too complicated. Others fumed over the sudden dependence of the series history to bring back old villains. No matter what you do, no one is going to be completely happy with what you do. Maybe folks just have too much time on their hands.

I did like the stories very much. And remember them with a whimsical breeze of nostalgia as I have first seen them during my younger days. I thought they were well done... and against many people who complained that Davison was far too young to play the title role, I liked Davison very much. I thought he gave the right amount of portraying an old man trapped in a young body.

You can see he would often find every fight to be an uphill struggle for him. A very vulnerable man.

The first story “Mawdryn Undead” introduces a new companion in Turlough, the red headed weasel you couldn't trust as far as you can throw him. Which wouldn't be far. But he's a brilliant character as he works against the Doctor as an unwilling agent of evil. It creates a nice framework for the next three stories. His stirring eyes always hiding a deadly secret. His character was certainly someone you loved to hate.

This chapter was a ghoulish, creep account of several scientists, led by Mawdryn, who were trapped on a ship living eternal lives. They were not evil men. They were merely scientists mislead by their eager enthusiasm for knowledge. There's the nice addition of the Brigadier, the well loved character from the Third Doctor period, a form fitting soldier who was always by the book, now retired and teaching school. He is always wonderfully portrayed by Nicholas Courtney. It's easy to see why he's well liked. Just watch this episode.

The other chapters “Terminus” and “Enlightenment” follow through the same format of the countering forces of Turlough and the Doctor, like good and evil, light and dark, they were always the opposing sides of the same coin. Mark Strickson, who played Turlough, said in one of his interviews that he enjoyed his time in the series. And it certainly shows when he could imbue such ugly menace through his presence. He remains one of the most interesting characters for the series. Like a conflicted animal in a cage.

The episode “Terminus” is a nice exit for Nyssa, a long time companion, my own favorite companion from the Davison period. They play her theme music which enshrouds the beauty and charm of her character. There's a nice trend that surfaces through all the stories... the idea of immortality is explored in every chapter here.

Turloug’s role as the assassin of the Doctor would reach its end with the episode “Enlightenment” as he would join the Doctor and his other companion Tegan on a contest of racing boats in space... it was a very imaginative script by Barbara Clegg who postulates an idea of a race of immortals who borrow ships and people from earth's history to perform their races out of sheer boredom. It's a great story with a many good acting moments from Davison himself. He looks like he is enjoying his role and settling in nicely.

The show is also directed by a woman. So it’s really a woman’s show this time around.

The third story is really about choice. And what side you would go on? It's nice to see the Doctor pushed back into the background as Turlough becomes more of the central character in these three stories. So the fate of the Doctor remains in his hands. And the story resolves itself as not making the race the focus, but the choice itself. The enlightened choice, you could say.

There is a nice added feature to the special menu where you can trigger the CGI affects. I would recommend watching it this way as it makes you feel like you're watching the old episodes in a entirely different way. The restoration team does a nice job of adding some slick effects and updating the model shots that were otherwise faulty in the old shows.

Davison provides a fresh performance here that is breezy and youthful as it was when the shows were first aired. And you have the pleasure to once again enjoy the entertaining aspects of this particular era that may cater to the more youthful audiences, however they do offer some very nice stories. They feel as invigorating and resourceful as they once were. So why don't you get your cricket ball and bat and follow through the adventures with the ever youthful Fifth Doctor. You'll find the stories are in your favor.

More Blood, More Gore... Asian style

2009-10-22T14:15:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-10-16T11:22:00.009-05:00

...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.