Change Your Image
trashcanforthespam
Reviews
Castlevania: The Harvest (2020)
Worst episode of the three seasons
Why did they have more than one story line where someone was betrayed during sex? Did the writers run out of betrayal storyline ideas? And why even make taka and sumi betray alucard? In one of the prior episodes the three of them were playfully giggling and rolling through the grass. Taka and sumi were candidly walking side by side empathizing with how lonely he seemed....and then they hatched an elaborate plan to immobilize him with some kind of magical bondage...hmmmm why does that sound familiar...and their reason? Well, it's vague but they start whining about his not teaching them magic? being betrayed by others so they decide to betray him? They went from pleasant wide eyed characters to demonic, whiny, childish murderous demons at the drop of a hat. Hector's betrayal by a female vampire is much more satisfying if not redundant. (Carmilla did it last season. Did you forget, Hector?!) because IT MAKES SENSE! Lenore was very obviously playing him for several episodes with a purpose. We knew she had a reason for doing so. It was dubious at times, praise to the writers for that, but her plan was made obvious by the end.
Castlevania: Abandon All Hope (2020)
It had potential
My main problem with this episode is that it doesn't respect the audience enough to let us figure out the implied behind the scenes story of "the judge." Trevor and cypha didn't have to walk into his house (...you know, just because) only to find his dead people/children trophies just to exclaim...."wait, those little bones in the pit didn't belong to animals! He killed children too!" Thank you writers, we figured it out. "He did say he had his...'little pleasures.'" Yes, we know, you just showed us that exact flashback a few seconds ago. Cypha didn't even have to deliver the initial "are those animal bones" line. We all remember the cute kid he decided to kill because he was running around. The episode's only redeeming moment was the very end foreshadowing alucards new found misanthropy and possible new understanding of why his father was the way he was, and maybe even regret over his killing of him.
Baby Daddy (2012)
Bland and formulaic
Jokes that fall flat underneath a cacophony of canned laughter. Another cookie cutter sitcom with a cast of random pretty faces, none of which are identifiable.
Koto no ha no niwa (2013)
Pretty veneer with no substance.
The cinematography in this film is gorgeous, but much like Fireworks that's where the movie stops delivering. from swirls of breathtaking colors in a sunset to a camera angle that looks from the ground to the sky as rain falls toward the viewer, you can tell that the director had many great visual ideas and then hastily threw together a story around them, always being sure to include every pretty establishing shot. It's almost as if a canopy of impressive animation, interesting camera angles, and dynamic lighting are being held up by a couple of flimsy 2x4's in the form of underdeveloped and/or superfluous characters, (Takao's mother didn't have to be in the film for one and only one 15 second scene) a flimsy storyline, and an ending with bizarre dialog which makes you feel as though a rug was pulled out from under you or maybe your dvd skipped because it was dirty. This scene in question comes in the form of verbose verbal vitriol spewed from one character to another undeserving one that not only does it make you uncomfortable in your seat, but it makes you lose empathy for this character that you spent the whole movie relating to! I feel that this film could have benefitted from more time at the typewriter on the part of the director, or to slim this down to a short film possibly with no dialog a la The Red Turtle.
Kurenai no buta (1992)
magic
Wonderful soundtrack and visually bright and exuberant. great voice acting on the American dubbed version. This film has dialog and pacing that keep you engaged. It never drags and is very lean in that IMO there are no scenes, characters or even a single word of dialog that could have been trimmed to facilitate pacing.