Blu-Ray Review - Repo!: The Genetic Opera

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. 

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.

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 - Repo!: The Genetic Opera.

DVD Review - Rock & Rule

Well, seems I missed February completely - oh well.  There was a lot going on.

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 I already reviewed it).

Starting with Nelvana's first feature film - "Rock & Rule" - an animated post-apocalyptic rock musical from waaaay back in 1983 (although it was in development for a few years).

DVD Review - Voices of a Distant Star

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!

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 "Voices of a Distant Star."

DVD Review - Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2

I wouldn't normally do a review like this - but as I watched both Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2 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 lazy 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.

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.

Blu-Ray Review - Pacific Rim

Time for the first review of the year.  And by request of Solios, it's Guillermo Del Toro's 2013 effects extravaganza "Pacific Rim".

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!

Blu-Ray Review - Nightbreed: Directors Cut

This is a review of the just-released Blu-Ray of Nightbreed: 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.

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 Brazil - 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 - "Cabal."

Blu-Ray Review - Sorcerer

Holy Crap!  Talk about your nailbiters.  William Friedkin's "Sorcerer" is one of the best cliffhangers (literally) that I've seen in a long time. 

An American remake of Henri Clouzot's excellent "Wages of Fear" - 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.

Blu-Ray Review - Space Pirate Captain Harlock

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 Space Pirate Captain Harlock.  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). 

Blu-Ray Review - Repo Man

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.

DVD Review - Welcome to Irabu's Office (Complete Series)

Well, this anime series is very different from almost every other series I've watched before.

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.

Blu-Ray Review - Moonrise Kingdom

My first *full*/complete viewing of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom 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.

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).

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.

Blu-Ray Review - Kamikaze Girls

First saw Kamikaze Girls when it came out on HK DVD almost ten years ago.  Really enjoyed it then and still do.

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.

Blu-Ray Review - Streets of Fire

Just re-watched Streets of Fire 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.

Local girl made good Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) from the group Ellen Aim and the Attackers 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).