tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42966580573674421462024-02-07T17:35:02.445-05:00TransRepo Odds 'N EndsReviews, Opinions 'n Stuff - Associated with The Transformation RepositoryThrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-54011618017542072712015-03-16T21:28:00.003-04:002015-03-16T21:29:22.005-04:00Music Video Monday - Kitty in a Casket<br />
Been thinking about doing this as a feature for some time, but I always need to find the correct motivation.<br />
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I'm a huge fan of good music videos - there are so many inventive and original ways to showcase a band's music, songs, style and so forth. Obviously there are just as many bad ways to do that, but this won't be that forum. Honestly...over the last few years, I've probably gotten into more different bands/groups/artists just from checking out random (and not so random) music videos on youtube - not to mention AMVs (anime music videos), but we'll save those for another day.<br />
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From <a href="http://transrepoodds.blogspot.com/2015/03/blu-ray-review-repo-genetic-opera.html">Repo: The Genetic Opera</a> for instance - after picking up that soundtrack, I was lead to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt0x601Hi6DFdh3VAWMD50Q">"The Devil's Carnival"</a> - the follow-up project by the director and writer - and picked up that soundtrack. Exploration of the singers featured in those songs and videos in turn lead me to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wbtmpPwifYvxWmlNwHk8g">Emilie Autumn</a> and her albums and videos.<br />
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But that's just one example. For tonight, we're going to focus on another group: <a href="http://www.kittyinacasket.com/">Kitty in a Casket</a>!<br />
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I first started checking out the Psycho-billy genre a few years ago after hearing a few albums with some friends (we'll look at those groups in the future) - and it's amazing what you can dig up in a few minutes on youtube:<br />
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Kitty in a Casket is definitely my favorite Austrian Psycho-billy band. I'll grant you they're the only one I know or follow at the moment - but that's beside the point - because they rock!<br />
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At the moment, they've got three full length albums plus an EP out and available on itunes - I can highly recommend all of them. They all feature a great mixture of classic rockabilly riffs with the dark horror movie themes of the psycho-sub-genre. Naturally you get some various horror-themed song titles such as "Nekrophilian Love", "My Cannibal Paradise", "Zombie Wannabe" and "In Blood We Trust."<br />
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Kitty is a very talented and sexy singer - equally attractive singing in English or German! The rest of the band are no slouches either when it comes to talent - and together they put together a great sound that I really hope to hear in person at some point in the future. <br />
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So, I wasn't going to start with this band, but after they put out a brand, spanking-new vid on Friday the 13th, I just had to give them the lede!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m4Dbgs1ZR0k" width="560"></iframe>Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-69524809716960465972015-03-15T15:07:00.000-04:002015-03-15T15:07:42.531-04:00Blu-Ray Review - Repo!: The Genetic Opera<br />
This next review is for a movie adaptation of a stage production. An off [off-off-off] Broadway production! I definitely hope to have the opportunity to catch a stage version of this project at some point in the future, but for the moment, I've got to settle for the Blu-Ray. <br />
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It's really a different sort of movie musical - not only is it really an opera in essence - virtually every single line of dialog is sung - either on it's own or as part of a larger song, but the plot itself is extremely operatic in terms of family betrayals, plots, trickery, lies and bloody, tragic endings. Both gory and beautiful at the same time in different ways, I understand why a lot of folks may not enjoy a movie like this, but I enjoy it immensely.<br />
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And besides...if you've been wondering how you could find a movie musical just a little different from the rest of the ones out there.....one where Anthony Stewart Head laughs maniacally while gutting a man like a fish and then playing with the corpse like a ventriloquist or a musical where Paris Hilton's face literally falls off mid-way through her singing debut....well, this is it - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963194/?ref_=fn_al_tt_8">Repo!: The Genetic Opera</a>.<br />
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Starting with a new take on the ever-popular dystopian future - presented by a nifty comic book montage (featured elsewhere throughout the movie to save on budget and effects - but used effectively regardless) - organ failures have become epidemic, but the corporation GeneCo has emerged to provide replacement organs to those in need.<br />
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Ever the opportunistic businessman - chairman Rotti Largo (former Law & Order star turned opera singer Paul Sorvino) has managed to get legislation passed that makes it legal for GeneCo to repossess their organs if a patient can't keep up with the payments - by sending in the "legal assassins" or Repo Men. (if this sounds familiar, the movie predates the Jude Law flick by a couple of years - or closer to 10 years if you count the stage production).<br />
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Nathan (Anthony Stewart Head) is a former doctor turned Repo Man - working for Rotti to pay off an old and tragic debt while hiding his real job from his sick daughter Shilo. At the same time, Rotti is dying of cancer and trying to figure out who will inherit his company - since it sure won't be his rotten kids - played by Ogre (from Skinny Puppy), Paris Hilton, and Bill Mosely. Truly, we're looking at some tragic and messed up people here - and the singer Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman) might just be Nathan's next target if she tries to break her promotional contract with Geneco. All of this is presented by the narrator character Grave Robber (writer/producer of original play and movie - Terrance Zdunich).<br />
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For me, this is truly a fun movie. Granted it's pretty dark in terms of color, and content - but it has all kinds of fun in it. Some of the songs really stand out the first time, some take a little longer to grow on you, but most of them are really well handled. The soundtrack is well worth the purchase (38 tracks for $9.99 on itunes - how can you say no?). While Sarah Brightman's character and songs are probably the overall highest quality, I'd say Anthony Stewart Head's performance as the Repo Man is probably the best across the board. I've definitely got to dig up the Buffy musical episode now. Keep your eyes open for the Joan Jett cameo as well.<br />
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While it is directed and produced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1135423/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr1">Darren Lynn Bousman</a> (of Saw fame) - it is pretty tame in the overall gore content - most of it is more played for laughs than any realistic gore (other than some throat slittings and stabbings) - with a little CGI enhancement here and there. Still not one for the kiddies though!<br />
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Gotta say, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Repo-Genetic-Opera-Blu-ray-Sorvino/dp/B001MT7ZLA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426443352&sr=8-1&keywords=repo+genetic">Blu-Ray</a> is a real treat. It looks and sounds amazing (even compared to the DVD I already had - which also had some minor formatting issues on some parts of the picture). There are a ton of special features including some excellent commentaries.<br />
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This one comes Highly Recommended from me. Should be easy to find on netflix at the bare minimum. Which brings me to my next comment. If you like this movie as much as I do, you also owe it to yourself to track down Bousman and Zdunich's next project - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2204379/?ref_=tt_rec_tti">The Devil's Carnival</a> - an eventual trilogy, of which only part 1 is only complete at this time - but also viewable on netflix.<br />
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Really, I find more new artists this way - in musicals, music videos, etc (stay tuned for more updates on that end in the next few days). For the moment though, I'll just leave you with one of my favorites from this flick: Sarah Brightman as Blind Mag in "Chase the Morning".<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-85508415397881826052015-03-08T21:36:00.000-04:002015-03-08T21:37:53.320-04:00DVD Review - Rock & Rule<br />
Well, seems I missed February completely - oh well. There was a lot going on.<br />
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So we'll just roll the intended theme right over to March. Which, in this case is - cool movie musicals (leaving out "Streets of Fire" since <a href="http://transrepoodds.blogspot.com/2014/02/blu-ray-review-streets-of-fire.html">I already reviewed it</a>).<br />
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Starting with Nelvana's first feature film - "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086203/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Rock & Rule</a>" - an animated post-apocalyptic rock musical from waaaay back in 1983 (although it was in development for a few years).<br />
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This one is a real piece of work - original songs by the artists listed on the poster above - Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and Earth, Wind and Fire - that's quite the lineup for any musical, much less an animated one by a no-name studio.<br />
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The story follows a small-time band (Omar, Angel, Dizzy and Stretch) hoping for their chance to make it big. A chance to meet the rock god Mok could prove to be their big break. If only they knew....seems Mok's come across an Armageddon Key - and with just the right voice - he could open a portal to another dimension - and it seems Angel's got the pipes for that voice.<br />
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While this movie is quite a lot of fun on the whole, it's really a bit of a mishmash. You can tell the makers were experimenting with a lot of different techniques - particularly given the long production times - and some of it works, some of it doesn't. The animation techniques themselves are really pretty tight (the commentary goes into some great details) - including a few very early CGI elements - but some of the characters look a little wooden (even if the designs themselves are pretty unique).<br />
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It also falls into some weird territory as far as content - the material is pretty dark (including song lyrics) for a kids movie - this ain't Disney - not to mention drug use and a few other elements. On the other hand, it's still fairly tame compared to something like Heavy Metal or some of the other cult animated flicks coming out around the same period. Aside from the music - which really does set it apart from most other animated flicks - it's harder to see how it would be marketed at a clear audience.<br />
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The characters themselves are a pretty interesting mix of ideas - the movie tells us right at the beginning that this is a post-apocalyptic pic - all the dogs, cats, rats, etc mutated after the war - and these characters are their descendents - accounting for the somewhat anthro appearances. Mok himself makes a pretty interesting mix between David Bowie, Iggy Pop and a doberman.<br />
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The songs are very well done overall though - and it's a real shame that there's never been an official soundtrack released (see below) - although a few of the tracks are available individually on different band releases - at least on itunes. Debbie Harry sings all of Angel's songs, while Cheap Trick rocks the songs for Omar and Angel's band. Lou Reed handles Mok's songs and Earth, Wind and Fire puts in a classy club song.<br />
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Basically, the Collectors Edition DVD I bought back in 2005 appears to be out of print (big surprise). This one was pretty cleaned up for something that came out 20 years earlier - with a LOT of extra features - including a short film "The Devil and Daniel Mouse" by the same team which had some inspiration for the feature itself. The DVD may still be the one available at netflix.<br />
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By all accounts the current blu-ray release has pretty much the same extra features with the bonus of some additional video restoration work. Probably the best version to check out if you're interested in this one.<br />
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Personally, I'd highly recommend checking this movie out if you're into rock musicals, animation, or any combination. Worth at least a rental.<br />
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And speaking of that soundtrack - check below - after the trailer.<br />
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Complete Soundtrack (static video won't post).<br />
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhEdAPRI5Z4<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-41119079778915397242015-01-18T22:37:00.000-05:002015-01-18T22:37:43.508-05:00DVD Review - Voices of a Distant Star<br />
Definitely a very different type of mecha piece - and sadly just a one-off 25 min OVA project.....But ohhhhhh, what a project it was!<br />
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With technology being what it is today, a solo anime project may not be quite the extreme oddity - but in 2003....That's right, I'm talking about Makoto Shinkai's "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370754/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Voices of a Distant Star</a>."<br />
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I've gotta tell you - for all the young millennial whippersnappers out there - when we heard that a guy, working alone at home had put together a full, original anime on his mac (a mecha anime no less) - our minds were pretty much blown. And even more so when we finally saw it. I was just out of college when I first heard about it (it had just come out), but still working at the campus computer store where - you guessed it - it was a non-stop PC/Mac rivalry among the employees. And when I finally saw it - it didn't disappoint at all.<br />
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Now, coming at it almost 12 years later - I honestly haven't heard of, or come across anything that yet matches this technical achievement (although I am meaning to get around to checking out the first real crowdfunded anime - that I'm aware of - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Witch_Academia">Little Witch Academia</a>).<br />
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But to get back to VoaDS - Makoto has followed it up with a number of larger projects, several of which I've enjoyed watching as well - specifically "5cm per second" and "<span itemprop="review" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Review">Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below"</span>. Mentally, I always kinda link him with Kerry Conran, whose homemade tech demo lead to him directing "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." Of course, unlike Conran, Makoto's had a bit more of a career following his solo project (not to mention his pre-VoaDS jobs).<br />
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But to get back to the review. While the mechs are integral to the film here, it's not really a movie about mechs. They serve the plot and advance the plot - the action is thrilling (if brief) and well shot - but there's not too much to go into. The real meat and potatoes is focused around the characters of Noboru and Mikako (originally voiced by Makoto and his wife respectively) - and how they attempt to deal with what is far and away the craziest long-distance relationship imaginable.<br />
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I mean sure, we expect a few seconds lag between text messages - even on a good day - and obviously radio transmissions lag by minutes when calling to the moon or Mars - but a year...8 years between messages. The pain at lost opportunities is almost palpable - brought to a head by a near total absence of any other physical characters portrayed in the story on either end of the communication. Imagine being completely alone with your only contact 8 years away - and hoping there's still someone alive to receive your message when it arrives (admittedly a theme handled well in last year's "Interstellar").<br />
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So - on the whole - this is most definitely worth checking out - if you can still find it. I have my DVD from 10 years ago - but it appears to be out of print these days (it might be available in an anthology or import collection though). Watching it now, you can see some of the simpler animations - and knowing more about some CGI, I can recognize some techniques and other editing features that most AMV folks probably take for granted these days - but when this came out - take my word for it - our jaws were on the floor.<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-50563707236500900492015-01-11T20:56:00.002-05:002015-01-11T20:56:31.788-05:00DVD Review - Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2<br />
I wouldn't normally do a review like this - but as I watched both <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100339/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_23">Patlabor: The Movie</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124770/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_18">Patlabor 2</a> back to back again this weekend, it seemed to make sense. This time around, I'm really interested in reviewing these more as police procedural movies that include mechs. To be perfectly honest, as far as this month goes - I'm just too <strike>lazy</strike> busy to watch a whole season of a mecha show - so my selection of mecha feature films to choose from is a little more limited.<br />
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I'd heard references to these movies for quite a while before I finally got around to picking them up on DVD a number of years ago. Of course, I don't believe the full series was available at that time on DVD, but might have been an out-of-print issue or something similar (see also the original Vampire Hunter D). Sometimes I also hold out on picking something up if the reviews bring up issues like the lack of a Japanese audio track or very poor audio/video quality.<br />
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But enough about that - let's get to the movies themselves. Starting with Patlabor: The Movie - even coming at it with no prior experience, it's easy to figure out what's going on for the most part. It can be a little more complicated with such a large, ensemble cast - particularly since some of them are introduced out of the picture or return only for the finale, but in general, I could keep up. I don't know if the plot is similar to any themes presented in the series, but the concept of a computer virus left behind by a suicidal programmer is well integrated - and all the more so when learning that this is a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0651900/?ref_=tt_ov_dr">Mamoru Oshii</a> movie.<br />
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Indeed, both Patlabor movies were directed by Oshii and both predate the pictures he's far better known for - ie. Ghost in the Shell. That said, being familiar with a number of his other animated and live-action films, it is quite easy to recognize his touches here. <br />
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There are contemplative moments or periods throughout each picture - just a series of images and city scenes over Kenji Kawai's haunting, almost dreamlike themes - even slow boat rides down canals where the past and the modern clash and then meld together. Each movie also pulls in elements of Biblical themes to give motivations to the antagonists - similar to a number of references in each following picture....and Patlabor 2 even has a basset hound!<br />
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But going back to the movies themselves - as I said before, I would describe them as police procedural films that happen to include mechs. By the time of the first movie, the Labors (as they're called in this alternate universe) have been recognizably integrated into the life of the people around them. Of the main characters, only a few of them actually operate the mechs on a regular basis - most of the other folks handle supervisory administrative matters, maintenance, support and other police duties - including several detectives (who I can only presume play more of a regular role in the normal series). To be perfectly honest...more for the first movie - and to a lesser degree in the second - I was really reminded of another Japanese cop TV series that I've only ever seen in movie form - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210199/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Bayside Shakedown</a> (and all its sequels).<br />
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While nevertheless remaining entertaining, both series regularly hammer down their characters with so much [probably realistic] Japanese bureaucratic nonsense that it's quite inspiring to see them pick themselves back up and make an end run around their bosses.<br />
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In any case, while Patlabor: The Movie is essentially a feature-length TV episode, appropriately Oshii'ized, Patlabor 2 is another animal - and does do a good job as a political-military thriller, while still involving the ground level characters (if to a lesser extent than the first film). The stakes are significantly increased, the action is broader and far more spread out - but at the same time, we also get less mech action - and only one real action involving our main characters. On the whole, the plot isn't particularly original regarding a bitter ex-military man bringing an axe to grind against the political animals that let his men die in a foreign war - but for a movie made in 1993, the cyber-war implications are positively (frighteningly) prophetic. (and on a side note, I would say that the lingo used by the pilots and controllers throughout the movie is all wonderfully authentic from my experience).<br />
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Now as far as the mechs or Labors themselves - honestly...for a unit specifically designed to be used by law enforcement, I have no idea who had the bright idea of utilizing open cockpits (see first screenshot). Not only are the pilots not even wearing goggles, but they're totally exposed to the weather not to mention tear gas, dust and any other atmospheric issues (actually demonstrated at the beginning of the first movie too). It really doesn't make a lot of sense - maybe it was explained during the show? <br />
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The actual operation appears to be mostly a fairly efficient fly-by-wire design, magnifying the operators movements - nothing too wild or crazy. By the standards of the average mecha anime, they're also ridiculously underarmed - an electric baton or a revolver that has to be reloaded by the pilot disembarking and manually swapping shells? Even a larger riot shotgun has it's limitations. No railguns or laser rifles here - strictly urban law enforcement use only. It's really somewhat humorous to see them going up against a few remote controlled robots in the second movie - wearing mecha sized flak jackets.<br />
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As far as the DVD goes....well....quite frankly right about now it looks like total and complete crap on a stick. My copy is the image above - a R4 Australian release that included both movies. Honestly, at the moment, I don't remember why I picked up this copy....maybe because it included both movies and other versions were already out of print....either way...I've got to upgrade - the picture is dark, muddy and not anamorphically enhanced at all - you get a wide screen picture with black borders on all four sides on a normal TV set - completely unsatisfactory - even for something released in 2003. Pretty lousy Dolby 2.0 mix as well if you want the Japanese audio (I didn't try the English dub).<br />
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Looks like both movies are available on blu-ray at this time - I'll look at checking them out later this year hopefully.<br />
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Either way - both movies are highly recommended - just don't pick up the DVD I did (which appears to also be out of print).<br />
Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-91429327287418691012015-01-02T16:08:00.001-05:002015-01-02T16:08:24.876-05:00New Year - New Reviews<br />
As I mentioned in the <a href="http://transrepoodds.blogspot.com/2015/01/blu-ray-review-pacific-rim.html">Pacific Rim review</a> - this review was requested by another reader. I always open to suggestions for reviews from titles in my <a href="http://www.invelos.com/dvdcollection.aspx/Tuan%20Jim">collection</a>.<br />
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My goal right now is a review a week - so four reviews a month or thereabouts. With this in mind, I'm going to simplify things by going with themed months. Since we started with Pacific Rim...this is going to be Mecha January!<br />
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I've got a few ideas for future thematic/genre months (mercenaries, non-western westerns, neo-noirs) - but if you've got ideas, feel free to drop me a line here as well.<br />
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Thanks!Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-56632455836053775272015-01-02T16:05:00.000-05:002015-01-02T16:05:03.594-05:00Blu-Ray Review - Pacific Rim<br />
Time for the first review of the year. And by request of <a href="http://amongthechosen.com/">Solios</a>, it's Guillermo Del Toro's 2013 effects extravaganza "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Pacific Rim</a>". <br />
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Now, as Solios suggested, I'm going to try and approach this review with a slightly different perspective. In my opinion, it's a very fun movie in general - giant robots fighting giant monsters - bright, colorful, generally smooth combat well presented. The plotting isn't deep, the characterizations aren't wonderful - but it's not that type of movie necessarily. This isn't exactly "The Devil's Backbone" or "Pan's Labyrinth" - and it's not an adaptation like "Blade 2" or "Hellboy" - it's just a straight up popcorn flick - done very well!<br />
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Now...personally, I would attribute some of the apparent weaknesses in the script to the fact that this was more of a collaboration project between Del Toro and another writer rather than being his completely - but I also think he knew what he wanted to make and in general it succeeds on that level. <br />
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Now to save time, I'm just going to copy/paste the plot summary from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ql_stry_2">IMDB</a> -<br />
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"When monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a
war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's
resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of
weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are
controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a
neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in
the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces
defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes - a
washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko
Kikuchi) - who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete
Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope
against the mounting apocalypse."<br />
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What I wanted to try and discuss here - is that I find this movie more enjoyable and fascinating partly because it seems (like many projects by Del Toro) - the product of a real fanboy who also knows how to make a good movie. There are a lot of Japanese influences present from mecha manga anime and super sentai - among other things - but I think what's cool is the way those influences were melded with a western perspective.<br />
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One key difference here - beginning with a single movie - (with the exception of a couple side comic projects and interactive websites) - Del Toro had to cram in an entire manga run or 13/26 episode series into 2 hours. So...while there are clips and hints of 7 years of collective mecha/kaiju action (and a few flashbacks), we are left to imagine how it has been playing out through only the briefest pop culture references and images - accurate though they may be when considering our culture.<br />
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Instead, we enter the war as a mature conflict. Even on it's last legs as it turns out chronologically - we have the bitter veteran (Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Beckett) drawn back after leaving - matched up with the junior rookie (Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori). However, we're seeing the action more from the perspective of the veteran than the rookie (more like Space Battleship Yamato - at least the live action flick) than Neon Genesis Evangelion in this case.<br />
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The supporting cast is also very strong - and more varied, compared to a lot of anime series or movies. Obviously the budget is much larger, but it's refreshing to see more than a handful of technicians servicing a gargantuan metal monster - and putting it back in service after just a few hours (looking at you again Eva!). We don't see as many key faces among the technicians as might be the case in some series, but it makes more sense to get up close and personal with Marshall Pentecost (Idris Elba) and Ops Officer Tendo Choi (Clifton Collins Jr) than down in the weeds with whoever happens to be polishing rivets on Gypsy Danger. <br />
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Speaking of Gypsy Danger...it might be a bit like a stripper name (as some other folks have joked) but the mixed code names are a lot more fun than Eva 01/02/03 or Big O or whatever else you want to work with...I mean....Striker Eureka, Crimson Typhoon, and Cherno Alpha...a lot more variety here - with subtle hints to the countries providing them. And as fighting machines, the human touches displayed like the matching pin-up art on the Jaegers (I think there was a reference to an anime using this term, but I can't recall it) is a nice throwback to WWII aircraft art too.<br />
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And honestly...I can't think of an anime I've seen that would use such a strangely a-symmetrical design as Crimson Typhoon. On a similar note, while we normally get one otaku/scientist/genius character in an anime series - it's very rare that we would see two - and generally not any as clearly polarized as Charlie Day (Dr. Newton Geiszler) and Burn Gorman's (Gottlieb) characters. While their rivalry provides most of the comic relief in the movie, they also manage to handle most of the exposition regarding the nature of the kaiju in a fairly concise manner over the course of the movie.<br />
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Which brings us back to the kaiju in general. Clearly owing a lot to Gojira and his progeny at Toho studios (and Daiei, etc) - Del Toro and his crew went a slightly different route from the generally dinosaur-ish looks of the past. Without exception, pretty much every Kaiju in Pacific Rim can be traced to a design based on a contemporary animal - and with movements also modeled along similar lines - making for a very different sort of combat in general - and much more physical. Kinda like putting a man-sized iguana, a gorilla and a WWF wrestler all in a cage match at the same time. Although upscaling the martial arts and kendo from the training room to a situation where Gypsy Danger uses a freighter as a samurai sword in downtown Hong Kong is just epic in all the right ways as well. Even though most of the fights take place at night or underwater, Del Toro goes out of his way to ensure we have a good variety of realistic light sources to clearly display the action at all times.<br />
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That said, I think Del Toro is (as always) very aware of his references and inspirations - listening to him on the audio commentary makes it abundantly clear.<br />
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Which brings us to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Rim-Blu-ray-Idris-Elba/dp/B008JFUR10/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1420225924&sr=1-1&keywords=pacific+rim">Blu-Ray</a> - although the version I picked up does not appear to be available any longer at amazon. It's a pretty package from the front, but really pretty inconvenient for getting to the discs (have to open up the top, slide out the figure and open up the back....!) - not unlike the old Transformers special edition DVD I picked up from Australia. Amazing reference quality audio and video though. (haven't yet watched it in blu-ray 3D yet - only saw it on the IMAX 3D screen in Sydney).<br />
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I'll admit right now - I still haven't watched most of the special features - other than the audio commentary...Del Toro is one those directors whose commentaries I will always turn on and watch right after watching the movie the first time through. Always informative, interesting and very knowledgeable - and very enthusiastic with his projects.<br />
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So in general - this is a very fun movie worth a watch....and then another one ;p A lot of great references, an amazing amount of detail in every shot - and some very fun and epic combat. Highly recommended!<br />
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Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-83728408854333776332014-12-21T20:03:00.003-05:002014-12-21T20:03:49.145-05:00Discussion - Crowdfunding 2015 - part 1<br />
A new year, a new set of interesting projects to support. Thankfully all the ones I backed last year wound up making it (except the Godsfall RPG- although looking again, it looks like it made it the second time around and I missed it).<br />
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This year, I'm starting off with a few solid-looking ones.<br />
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1. <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/448120746/the-book-of-giants">The Book of Giants</a> by Flesk Publications - all the projects I've funded by them so far have turned out amazingly well (not to mention all the collections I've bought from their store) - and the one book I already have by Petar Meseldžija is excellent.<br />
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2. <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/portal-to-hell/x/6734996">Portal to Hell</a> - a short film based on Rowdy Roddy Piper fighting Cthulhu (sounds like fun). I imagine it might be similar to Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, which was pretty fun on it's own too<br />
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3. <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-sky-the-coming-race--2/x/6734996">Iron Sky 2</a> - the first one was a lot of fun - really did a good job establishing the crowdfunding basis even outside kickstarter. Not to mention that the Finnish team behind it is getting pretty good at getting bang out of their buck - ever since "Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning" - a classy parody riffing Star Trek vs Babylon 5.<br />
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On a separate note - I think my goal this year for this site is one review a week...and to make it easier, I'm going to see about themed months so I don't bounce around too much. Not that the themes will necessarily meet normal genre expectations necessarily, but I figure it'll be good practice and hopefully you'll enjoy it too.<br />
<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-33272906495913731842014-11-02T17:43:00.000-05:002014-11-02T17:43:08.367-05:00Blu-Ray Review - Nightbreed: Directors Cut<br />
This is a review of the just-released Blu-Ray of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100260/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_3">Nightbreed</a>: The Directors Cut. While this is not exactly the same as the fan-edited Cabal cut that has circulated in the last few years, it is the Director's original vision - as stated in the introduction to the disc by director Clive Barker and the restorer Mark Miller.<br />
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Frankly...a bit of backstory doesn't hurt - although you'll certainly hear more about this if you check out the film. Much like Gilliam's original cut of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Brazil</a> - the studio decided they didn't like the overall tone of the film and hacked it to pieces for release. If you've watched the theatrical cut - the only one previously available on DVD or VHS - you may have noticed some weird tonal shifts and plot holes - not to mention how different the story felt compared to the original novella it was based on - "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cabal-Clive-Barker/dp/0743417321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414966783&sr=8-1&keywords=cabal">Cabal</a>."<br />
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Quite simply, this story is an examination of monsters...the ones we fear, the ones that fear us..and in some cases, the ones we wish we could join. As one character expounds to another. (paraphrasing)<br />
"What we envy, we fear. What we fear, we hate. What we hate, we kill."<br />
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So at it's most basic, a man - Boone - is drawn through his nightmares - and the fears that he may be an unconscious murderer to the necropolis of Midian in the barren northwest of Canada - a haunting location if ever there was one. If he is a monster...better to live as an outcast among the monsters, than with men. He finds himself hunted by his psychiatrist...played to a chilling T by [another Canadian horror director] David Cronenberg ("The Fly").<br />
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At the same time, his girlfriend Lori really acts as the catalyst, doing all she can to save him - at the potential cost of Midian itself. It turns out that for a hidden world of monsters (not unlike aspects of worlds seen more recently in Hellboy) most of them are pretty normal folks - they just want to live alone, away from the world and the threats therein. But they aren't afraid to defend themselves or their children if it becomes necessary.<br />
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I don't really want to try and get any more into the plot here - suffice to say that if you enjoy weird monster flicks, seeing bizarre (and gory) creature designs (all practical) and sympathetic characters, this is definitely worth checking out...particularly if you ever feel a little different from the rest of the folks around you.<br />
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Now...as a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nightbreed-Directors-Limited-Edition-Blu-ray/dp/B00LMBUQPK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414965290&sr=8-2&keywords=nightbreed">blu-ray</a> this is a stunning package (also available in a not-quite-so-special <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nightbreed-Directors-Bluray-Combo-Blu-ray/dp/B00LMBUR6S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414965290&sr=8-1&keywords=nightbreed">edition</a>. The sound and video quality is far above the previous DVD - and best of all - despite the fact that large elements of the restored film were thought lost for over 20 years, all the footage has been beautifully restored and is essentially unrecognizable from print elements of the theatrical cut. As Barker notes in the intro - with digital restoration, the entire picture looks at least as good if not better than it did at the time the master print was cut in 1990.<br />
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With the Director's Cut - we have the addition of about 40 minutes total, but the full film is only about 20 minutes longer due to moving/editing scenes from the theatrical cut to match the Director's vision. We get a better intro for all the characters, clearer delineation of motivations for several, more different creatures and characters and plot developments that make the entire plot run much more effectively. (And a better ending).<br />
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I was very happy to see a commentary by Barker in the special features as well - but to be perfectly honest...it's not quite what I had in mind. I was hoping for some more explorations on the creature design and plot points/descriptions, but most of the commentary focuses on aspects of the restoration.<br />
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As a big monster movie fan - I've got to recommend this very strongly. If you've only ever seen the theatrical cut - and found it wanting - you owe it to yourself to check out this remastered, rebuilt film. (Unfortunately not available on netflix yet). If you've never seen it - please check it out!<br />
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Highly Recommended!<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-60648124711311023942014-06-02T02:43:00.000-04:002014-06-02T02:43:34.002-04:00Blu-Ray Review - Sorcerer<br />
Holy Crap! Talk about your nailbiters. William Friedkin's "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076740/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Sorcerer</a>" is one of the best cliffhangers (literally) that I've seen in a long time. <br />
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An American remake of Henri Clouzot's excellent "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046268/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4">Wages of Fear</a>" - Friedkin pulled out all the stops putting together something that most definitely is not a horror flick or a cop flick - even if it has elements of both included.<br />
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Four characters from around the world wind up in a small non-descript, South American town, miles from real civilization with no way to get back out. An assassin, an embezzler, a small-time hood and a terrorist. We know all four are villains from their individual introductions at the beginning of the film - there's not a good reason to root for any of them at the start....but that changes.<br />
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An American oil company is drilling in the jungle - over 200 miles away from their local headquarters, when it all goes South and the the rig catches fire. Good thing there are supplies and contingency plans in place - too bad nobody checked on them in a few years. The explosives meant for these situations are in pretty bad shape...too unstable for airlifting...but maybe a few desperate men could be persuaded to drive them there...for the right price.<br />
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Of course, first they've got to [re]build the vehicles they need and hope and pray they can hold together long enough to deliver the cargo.<br />
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Keeping with the general plot of "Wages of Fear" (probably the same as the original book that inspired it) - with a few twists. Gone is the "washboard" - although it does feature on the map - instead, we have a mind-blowing sequence (twice!) on a rope bridge over a river in the middle of a storm (see poster above). This thing barely looks like it could support a horse, much less a truck....and when it starts swinging in the wind - good gravy! One of the tensest scenes I've watched in a loooong time. No CGI here at all folks.<br />
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All the actors do a good job with their respective roles, but Roy Scheider - as the American...and probably the second least offensive criminal among the lot - is the general protagonist. <br />
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The blu-ray looks and sounds excellent (still got to work on getting better levels out of my receiver) - but sadly is completely devoid of special features - with the exception of the "digibook" packaging that includes some excellent photos and written material by Friedkin on the making of the film. While putting this review, I just had to look up Tangerine Dream's soundtrack for it you itunes and review a few of the tracks again - their first full movie OST - haunting techno that somehow fits a movie taking place entirely in a jungle wasteland.<br />
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An amazing film that I cannot recommend highly enough. I've waited a long time to watch it and it was worth it. Seriously...the only reason you haven't heard of this baby is because it had the bad luck to open the same summer as "Star Wars". A Must-Watch!<br />
Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-40167851033921337032014-04-30T03:27:00.000-04:002014-04-30T03:27:42.959-04:00Die Farbe - For Free<br />
Well....not a proper review. I'll get to that soon....if I have time to get any of my recently viewed flicks reviewed....<br />
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But the makers of Die Farbe are offering it up on youtube for free viewing from now through Sunday!<br />
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Highly recommended - this is a really classy piece of Lovecraft caught on film.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RhwyPrUWx8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RhwyPrUWx8</a><br />
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Check this film out - then support <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Figg.me%2Fat%2Fthe-dreamlands&redir_token=q03eb3T1k92ejxV_7iD-8Aiy5xN8MTM5ODkxNTQ1N0AxMzk4ODI5MDU3">The Dreamlands on Indiegogo</a>!Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-55255687611792941352014-04-14T01:23:00.000-04:002014-04-30T03:27:15.571-04:00Discussion - Crowdfunding Lovecraft<br />
Just wanted to push a little project I'm more than happy to support:<br />
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<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-dreamlands/x/6734996">https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-dreamlands/x/6734996</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.the-dreamlands.com/">"The Dreamlands"</a> is the next project by a European indie team that already produced a very tight adaptation of Lovecraft's "The Color Out of Space" in the form of "<a href="http://www.die-farbe.com/">Die Farbe</a>".<br />
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I'll put together a review of that Blu-Ray in the future, but for the moment, let me say that these guys are top notch and really have the cojones to put together a solid flick!Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-73857304485402714182014-04-13T23:21:00.001-04:002014-04-13T23:21:17.037-04:00Blu-Ray Review - Space Pirate Captain Harlock<br />
Despite seeing owning a series and a couple of movies about the character, I still find myself feeling a little bit like a novice when it comes to a seemingly archetypal anime character like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2668134/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2">Space Pirate Captain Harlock</a>. I think I had seen the character in bits and pieces over the years (certainly recognized him visually), but my first real viewing was maybe an episode of the Nibelung series during anime clue in college, before picking up "The Endless Odyssey" series on DVD about 7 years later. Since then I've also seen him in "Arcadia of my Youth" and the Galaxy Express movies - although sadly, not the original tv series yet (hope to change that soon). <br />
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To be fair though...anyone can come at the 2013 movie with no background of the character. It's essentially a reboot as much as director Shinji Aramaki's "Appleseed" movie (and it's 2007 sequel). Really, that's kind of a good thing. Classic characters such as Kei and First Mate Yattaran appear recognizable - in somewhat less traditionally-Leijiverse shapes and sizes, while others such as Mimay have very different appearances. The Arcadia itself has even a deadlier aspect than it does in the anime - to my eyes at least - and ably carries out it's mission.<br />
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Of course, the meat of the movie is in Harlock's mission - his overarching century-long quest to find personal peace. The timeframe involved seems a little screwy given a number of the characters (although it could be related to relativity) - and the backstory and origin seems very different than what I recall from previous iterations. That said, the parallel stories of Harlock and Yama/Logan - each seeking redemption for tragic past mistakes - gives a little more drive to the somewhat generic (if visually thrilling space combat).<br />
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While the graphics are incredible for the space battles - especially on blu-ray, the deus-ex machina for some of the encounters (explained well after the fact) as well as the somewhat belated way the Gaia Coalition keeps trotting out new "ultimate weapons" from mothballs in a repeatedly futile way to stop the Arcadia - is really a little overdone.<br />
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Still though - it's a fine return to a classic character - although this iteration doesn't seem to really have a lot more drive to it - perhaps a reboot in a more traditional animated series telling an earlier period of the history - or even delving off into a farther corner of the galaxy - as we are repeatedly reminded that there were never any intelligent aliens discovered over the centuries aside from a few of Mimay's race. (and yet somehow the human colonies keep dying off.....)<br />
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The <a href="http://www.yesasia.com/us/space-pirate-captain-harlock-2013-blu-ray-2d-3d-english-subtitled/1035214801-0-0-0-en/info.html">HK 2D/3D blu-ray</a> is a beautiful release. I'll admit though - still only able to review the 2D version on my current system but you get an excellent picture and sound for a fracture of the price of the Japanese version - and being Region A - is fully compatible with US machines (Unlike the Australian release). <br />
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Personally this was a must-watch for me, but YMMV. For folks who aren't hardcore Leijiverse fans - probably better to rent first. Recommended!<br />
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Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-23329808440458260952014-04-06T04:00:00.001-04:002014-04-07T00:29:31.918-04:00Blu-Ray Review - Repo Man<br />
Almost the eponymous punk movie of the early 80s, Alex Cox's look at non-conformity and life in Southern California is a real piece of work. Rented it from netflix a couple years ago (regretted not blind-buying Anchor Bay's OOP collectors edition tin when it first came out a few years back), and the new Blu-Ray special edition from the Criterion Collection is a gorgeous release.<br />
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While this works as the first major starring vehicle for Emilio Estevez as we follow his character Otto arounds the back alleys and empty lots of LA, he's really the audience's surrogate for an increasing number of bizarre interactions with strange characters and cool cars, weaving a web of random occurrences into a coherent climax. The life of a repo man is intense! Who thought it would be that much trouble to repossess a '64 Chevy Malibu driven by an insane scientist from Roswell? And who the heck is offering $20 grand for it?<br />
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Working on a tight budget, director Alex Cox makes some interesting stylistic choices, including a complete lack of product placement with every single food or commercial product in the movie (excepting the cars) a generic blue on white package. From "Beer" to "Food: Meat Flavor". The punk aspect is brought out not only by the various characters (including Otto's former buddies turned anarchist criminals - "Yeah. Yeah. Let's go get sushi... and NOT PAY!!!!!" and his former co-worker Kevin - Circle Jerks bassist Zander Schloss) but also by the excellent soundtrack - title track by Iggy Pop.<br />
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It's funny, it's weird, it's cool. <br />
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EDIT - and somehow I forgot to include the trailer last night:<br />
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Criterion's Blu Ray presentation is amazing. I mean aside from the awesome packaging, it's loaded with special features - including a director commentary I still need to check out. A number of written features are also included as hard copy "zine" included with the disc - very 80s.<br />
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You're limited to a mono mix on the audio, but the video is really something else for an early 80's indie flick.<br />
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Highly recommended!<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-70012355661829945942014-03-17T02:31:00.001-04:002014-04-07T00:30:23.091-04:00Blu-Ray Review - Retreat, Hell!<br />
Continuing it's cultural presence as "The Forgotten War", the Korean conflict remains under-covered in most western media. Honestly, even with my military service there and my minor in Asian Studies (including Korean Politics) - I've got a stack of references still on my must-read list on the subject. One reason I was really interested when I saw the excellent reviews posted for this Blu-Ray of a movie made during the war.<br />
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Frankly, although it largely plays out as a Marine recruiting film, this is a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045082/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">tight little number</a> that does a really good job covering some of the first major marine actions involved in the war. Starting from the very beginning, we find the USMC is barely able to muster a full division of men at the start of hostilities even after calling up all the reserves, embassy security forces and embarked detachments - a bare 6 years following the end of WWII.<br />
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The story follows one understrength Marine battalion being augmented by reservists and green recruits, a short training period stateside at Camp Pendleton (where most of the film was shot) before showing them shipping out to Korea, participating in the Incheon amphibious assault and attack northwards, before eventually meeting up with the Chinese forces around the Chosin reservoir and being forced to fight their way out of enemy territory in the dead of winter.<br />
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The (somewhat awkward) title actually comes from a line uttered by the Battalion's commander when asked if they were retreating at Chosin: "Retreat, Hell! We're not retreating, we're advancing in a different direction." - a famous phrase actually spoken by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_P._Smith">Marine Commanding General</a> of the 1st Division during this battle. After a period of quiet....once the Chinese start attacking, it's a long, drawn-out, running battle. <br />
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Despite the focus on the Corps, the film actually does a pretty good job fitting all the characters together - between the grizzled vets, new recruits, bitter reservists and long-term professionals...everyone's pretty much pulling their weight. They have their kinks to work out but they pull together the way folks do....even if not everyone makes it home. <br />
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The Blu-Ray is a pretty tight little package...other than the absence of a single special feature. Seriously...not even subtitles here. Mono audio is fine, picture looks really tight most of the time. The dirtier aspects are generally in the file footage taken from actual wartime correspondents (some may be from WWII) - although there are some stunning shots of the inside (and operation) of a 16" turret when the battleships get ready to shell the beach-head - never seen any shots like that before.<br />
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Really though, this is a good movie - a little pricy for a barebones disc - but a great flick of a period not enough people understand.<br />
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Highly Recommended.<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-12881250480241589622014-03-08T04:03:00.000-05:002014-03-08T04:05:46.677-05:00E-Book Review - The Collected Works of William Hope HodgsonA brief review of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collected-William-Hodgson-Unexpurgated-Classics-ebook/dp/B003B657CG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394265336&sr=8-2&keywords=complete+works+of+william+hope+hodgson">Kindle E-book</a>.<br />
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Surprisingly even when I was digging down into Lovecraft in college and Robert E. Howard starting in 2004 or so....I never heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hope_Hodgson">William Hope Hodgson</a>.<br />
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Then again...that's not entirely true...I did read one short story he wrote in <a href="http://garygianni.com/">Gary Gianni</a>'s amazing "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/CORPUS-MONSTRUM-Volume-1-Signed/dp/B00135QZY6">Corpus Monstrum</a>" when it came out in 2002 - "The Gateway of the Monster" featuring Carnacki the Ghostfinder (a clear inspiration for Mignola's Hellboy when you consider his mixture of scientific apparatuses, firearms and spellcraft to combat the occult - I believe also previously acknowledged by Mignola). Of course, although it's a gripping story far improved by the addition of Gianni's beautiful linework - sadly I can't find a scan of a pic from that story, but this is the cover of the original book - can't recommend it enough - although there is also a more recent HC release by Dark Horse too.<br />
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Newer version (which I believe also contains the illustrated story - don't have either hard copy with me at the moment):<br />
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But...I'm getting off topic. Basically...if you like weird fiction in general...Lovecraftian, Howardian or others along that line...you really owe it to yourself to pick up this collection. It's $1.99 for nearly 1200 pages for crying out loud. (It's a massive collection, but looking again at his complete credits at wikipedia, I think there are a number of missing stories).<br />
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I think a key factor behind WHH's work is that unlike folks like Lovecraft or Howard who (despite their excellent writing)...actually had little experience to put behind it) - WHH really did live an adventuring life (similar to Joseph Conrad). Sailing, photography, running his own gym (ahead of his time), advertising his own workout routines, all before serving and dying in World War 1 at Ypres.<br />
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So in this collection you can basically break down the stories into two categories...general strange fiction (including the set featuring Carnacki) and the nautical stories (nearly all of which also feature a weird element). You could also probably add a third category and pull two more stories out of the general strange fiction category: "The House on the Borderland" and "The Night Land". Both of those stories are notable - in my opinion - for the absolutely immense scope of time they cover...outstripping by far even H.G. Wells' "Time Machine" - albeit in a different sort of format. The science is by no means accurate, but the fantastic nature and the staggering scales invoked on a cosmic stage are entertainingly gripping - at least to a dreamer like me.<br />
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I'll throw in this link just for the interested folks - but I'd caution that it's worth reading the originals in full first (pretty sure you can read them for full at the Gutenberg project as well): <a href="http://www.thenightland.co.uk/nightmap.html">http://www.thenightland.co.uk/nightmap.html</a><br />
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Now, considering the nautical stories - while realistically written in describing the sea, the ships and the men who ply them both - these are distinctly different from those of Conrad with the key inclusion in nearly every story of a "weird" element. There are all manner of ghost ships, sea creatures, visitations and other bizarre occurrences covered - including "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_in_the_Night">The Voice in the Night</a>" - adapted by Toho on film as "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057295/">Matango</a>" aka "The Mushroom People".<br />
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I guess this isn't the most coherent review - first time I've tried reviewing a collection of stories - and the sheer size and diversity of this volume make it even more difficult. Suffice to say - as I mentioned at the beginning - if you're at all interested in classic weird literature - this is more than worth the price. These cheap Kindle versions have been a real treat IMO - considering how hard it's been to get hard copy volumes of a lot of these older works - and I expect to have a few more for reviewing in upcoming days.<br />
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Highly Recommended.Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-38699589174405043602014-03-01T19:53:00.000-05:002014-03-01T19:53:52.865-05:00DVD Review - Welcome to Irabu's Office (Complete Series)Well, this anime series is very different from almost every other series I've watched before.<br />
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The eleven episode series is a very unique sort of proposition. The psychiatrist Irabu Ichiro analyzes a variety of patients over the course of the series as they are drawn to his office. These range from a man with a permanent erection to a yakuza underboss afraid of sharp objects and an investigative reporter with OCD. One of the catches to the show though is that the entire show takes place over a 9 or 10 day period in December - and each episode covers roughly the same period of time...so starting from the first episode you also see some of the different characters crossing paths with one another - unaware of some of the issues being addressed or their interconnectedness. There's no overarching plot or conflict, just a series of characters addressing their issues - although the final episode does close things out a little more clearly.<br />
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Dr. Irabu himself is one of the most interesting characters of all however. Almost as an elemental figure, he assumes a variety of forms depending on the advice he dispenses (the pic above shows the three forms he regularly appears as) - even swapping looks from shot to shot as his mood shifts. Similarly, while the show is fairly accurate in depicting most of the conditions and methods to treating them, there is also a character - an actual doctor from Fuji TV apparently - Dr. Fukuichi who regularly inserts himself into the show to make an aside (literally - pausing the show, cutting a door into the picture and opening it to show his head/face - old-school South Park appearance) - and give a more traditional medical opinion/definition/explanation. Additionally Irabu is assisted by his nurse Mayumi-chan (who almost always appears as live-action actress Yumi Sugimoto) - who more than almost any other character appears to be the voice of common sense.<br />
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Really, from the shows I've seen...I think the closest comparison I can make (if it's necessary) is Satoshi Kon's "Paranoia Agent" - as far as seemingly disparate but interconnected plots and characters and a single central factor.<br />
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When you get down to it though - this is also a very unique-looking show. Visually the closest comparison would probably be something like the movie "Mind Game" - as far as jumping from artistic style from shot to shot. The entire series is a regular kaleidoscope of colors even with random polka dots covering the landscape. Some characters will appear with photo-realistic features one second immediately followed by flat cartoons. (Not to mention that all the patients also appear intermittently as animals representative of their maladies - ie. a racoon with OCD - constantly rubbing his hands, or a small frightened dog...or a pecking bird for a person with cellphone addiction). Many shots featuring bystanders will literally render them as blank cardboard cutouts barely moving around.<br />
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Now at the moment, the only subtitled version I'm aware of is <a href="http://www.sirenvisual.com.au/Product/390.php?genre=anime">Siren Visual's</a> R4 Australian <a href="http://www.ezydvd.com.au/DVD/welcome-to-irabus-office-complete-series-episodes-1-11-2-disc-set/dp/817296">release</a>. It's a pretty good package - 2 discs - Japanese Dolby 5.1 with optional subtitles. No English dub on this one - but the demand on it can't be all that wide. No extras other than some other trailers.<br />
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It's not action packed or non-stop hilarity....but it's a clever concept - more original than most shows I've come across before. Much more paced, it's a slow burn from one episode to another, peeling away layers of what makes folks tick - slowly exposing us to reality - even if we don't want to accept ourselves. Recommend it as a watch if you can find it - at least a rental...<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-82510160178616535362014-03-01T03:25:00.001-05:002014-03-01T03:25:11.259-05:00Blu-Ray Review - Moonrise KingdomMy first *full*/complete viewing of Wes Anderson's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Moonrise Kingdom</a> since I first had the opportunity to catch it in the theater in Portland when my ship was there for the Rose Festival in 2012.<br />
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Anderson is rightfully recognized as an auteur and his style in this film is instantly recognizable if you've had the chance to watch any of his previous films. He also revisits very familiar themes - particularly familial issues and relationships - failed ones, new ones, renewing old ones. While clearly hitting some potentially very painful edges - for the characters - or the viewers - he's able to bring his characters to address them appropriately (for the most part) - and without the use of too much deus ex machina (also for the most part).<br />
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Sam the orphan Khaki Scout goes AWOL from his troop to run away with Suzy, the lonely, misunderstood daughter of two bickering lawyers (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray). Enlisted in the search to find the two of them are the mismatched remainder of Sam's troop, his scout leader (Edward Norton), the local police officer (Bruce Willis) and Social Services (Tilda Swinton) - right as a massive storm is about to break out - as narrated by Bob Balaban. <br />
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It's an entertaining period piece (set in a very identifiable 1965) with a stack of interestingly drawn and acted characters - but it's worth noting that even with the stack of big names....the entire piece rests on the shoulders of two brand new young actors - Jared Gilman as Sam and Kara Hayward as Suzy. Their performances really drive the young love theme much better than seeing any familiar faces in the roles - particularly with the stilted...if age-appropriate dialog.<br />
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Basically though - this movie is about the innocence of young life and young love - without any real per-determined conceptions from the outside world or life in general....really hitting on the unrestrained, unconventional (though it may seem to the outside world) joy of youth. And I can't get enough of it.<br />
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No issues with the standard Blu-Ray release at all (although I imagine it will get the inevitable upgrade to Criterion Collection in a year or so....hopefully including a director commentary).<br />
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Definitely worth a viewing in any format you can get it.<br />
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Highly recommended.<br />
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<br />Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-91241798584285910162014-02-24T01:20:00.000-05:002014-02-26T02:05:10.798-05:00Blu-Ray Review - Kamikaze GirlsFirst saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416220/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Kamikaze Girls</a> when it came out on HK DVD almost ten years ago. Really enjoyed it then and still do.<br />
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A beautifully filmed comedy about complete opposites meeting and clashing....repeatedly. A lolita fan-girl (Kyoko Fukada) and a "yanki" biker girl (Anna Tsuchiya) stuck in the middle of nowhere (Shimotsuma, Ibaraki)...but somehow it works.<br />
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Honestly....I gotta say I came for the look (all lolita fashions by actual designer <a href="http://www.babyssb.co.jp/"><i>Baby the Stars Shine Bright</i></a>)...and stayed because it's freaking hilarious. Aside from the obvious incongruities - and cute fashions - you have repeated 4th wall breaking in the best way possible and even animated sequences (imagine a Yakuza anime done in the style of Powerpuff Girls). Director <span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Tetsuya Nakashima also helmed "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0768120/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_5">Memories of Matsuko</a>" - another movie I'm fond of (albeit far, far more melancholy) and "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1056435/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_4">Paco and the Magical Book</a>" (which also features Anna Tsuchiya - a big fan of her music). Kyoko Fukada played the smoking-hot Doronjo in the Takashi Miike live-action adaptation of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010055/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_27">Yatterman</a>".</span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">If you watch a lot of contemporary Japanese cinema, you're bound to recognize a number of the other stars - quite a few other popular comedians show up - there's a great tone set throughout the pic with humor interspersed with more serious character development. The music also fluctuates between classical pieces and toned back j-pop. (OST is also worth picking up IMO - may be OOP now).</span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">This time around, I watched my new <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kamikaze-Girls-Blu-ray-Kyoko-Fukada/dp/B002VLGFSC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393222197&sr=8-2&keywords=kamikaze+girls">UK Blu-Ray</a> of the film (still have the HK DVD and UK DVD....can probably unload them when I get back stateside). This is another disc I'm happy to report is non-region coded, despite the "B" label. I had no issues with it at all - although I'm pretty sure the bonus DVD is still R2 (and probably the same one included with the R2 UK 2 disc DVD). </span><br />
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Audio and Visuals are both excellent on this disc - subtitles are very clear - although in a couple spots there are hard-coded Japanese subtitles behind the optional English ones to translate background English words/signs.<br />
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Highly recommended.<br />
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Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-63651808754515625962014-02-23T18:03:00.002-05:002014-02-26T02:05:04.309-05:00Blu-Ray Review - Streets of FireJust re-watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088194/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Streets of Fire</a> last night. I saw it a couple times back in college when I worked in a computer store (one of the other guys would leave it playing on the display monitor), but I didn't really catch onto it myself till a few years later. It's the sort of thing you really need to be watching and listening to a the same time.<br />
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Local girl made good Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) from the group<i> Ellen Aim and the Attackers</i> is kidnapped by a biker gang led by Raven (Willem Dafoe) while giving a performance at a club in The Richmond district of the city. One of the girls at the show sends a telegram to her brother Tom Cody (Michael Pare) who used to be Ellen's old boyfriend - asking him for help. He turns up and accepts an offer from Ellen's manager/boyfriend Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) to rescue her - with a little help from ex-soldier McCoy (Amy Madigan).<br />
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As the subtitle says, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088194/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Streets of Fire</a> is a real "Rock and Roll Fable." Directed by Walter Hill ("The Warriors"), it's really a movie from another time and place (or perhaps outside) - as opposed to the distinctly identifiable New York of "The Warriors". The vast majority of it seems pulled from an early 50s "rebel without a cause" template - between the bikers, post-war urban decay (maybe more 70s there), cars, clothing, etc - but then you have some of the other clothing - Diane Lane's outfits, the androgynous dancer/stripper and Willem Dafoe's rubber overalls - and the incredible soundtrack and things are looking very early 80s as well.<br />
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After a few more viewings, this flick has really grown on me. It's got some great action (epic duel by sledgehammer) and fun performances - including Rick Moranis pre-Ghostbusters and Willem Dafoe pre-Platoon. Honestly...some of the tough-guy dialog is just a little too cheesy (although I guess some of it also makes a little more sense having just read that Amy Madigan's "McCoy" character was supposed to be a guy originally), but it generally works. The music and soundtrack is what really makes this pic a blowout though.<br />
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I've had the DVD for a while, but this time I watched the <a href="http://www.amazon.de/Stra%C3%9Fen-Flammen-Blu-ray-Michael-Pare/dp/B00EPAB726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393194472&sr=8-1&keywords=streets+of+fire">German import blu-ray</a>. Highly recommended - it's all-region!<br />
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Now, to be honest, I'm not sure my set-up is reference quality at this point - my TV is pretty old and when I watch the same blu-rays on the TV on my ship, they look a lot better - but this is a nice piece of work. Excellent audio and video and some great special features (including the two music videos posted above). You can also buy the soundtrack separately on itunes or CD (actually a little cheaper on CD).<br />
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Highly recommended.<br />
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Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4296658057367442146.post-23620684336263865862014-02-23T02:06:00.000-05:002014-02-23T02:06:14.274-05:00Starting OutWell...been meaning to do this for a while. Set up another site for media reviews - books, movies, music, etc - whatever catches my eye.<br />
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Nothing fancy, nothing super detailed. I watch a lot of stuff, read a lot (less lately, but meaning to catch up), listen to a lot...and I need the writing practice. So, for what it's worth, these'll probably just be smaller, capsule type reviews. Maybe set up some recommendation links and other things along the way....we'll see how often I put something up here.<br />
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For starters - this <a href="http://www.invelos.com/dvdcollection.aspx/Tuan%20Jim">link</a> hosts *most* of my movie collection. See something you're interested in hearing about - maybe not much about it up on imdb.com - post a note and I'll see what I can put together for you.<br />
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Alternatively - this <a href="http://www.librarything.com/catalog/TuanJim">link</a> hosts quite a few of my books - although most of them are currently in storage in the mainland - should have access to them later this year - but certainly up for a discussion about any of them (haven't necessarily read all of them all the way through at the moment) - and it's also missing a few titles.<br />
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Thanks.Thrandrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10466559106458416999noreply@blogger.com0