Calaverasgrande Reviews

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Better than can be expected!

[7/10 · 3 June 2024]

I recently re-watched the original Planet of the Apes movies. I always held this one in low regard, due in a large part to how bad it looked the first time I saw it on a rental VHS tape. All the NTSC red bleed from the jumpsuits made the poor makeup look even worse.

On second viewing by streaming I'm seeing it more clearly now so I can better evaluate it. I'd say this is stronger story than the other sequels in a a lot of ways. However it does have a lot of shortcomings.

If you can stomach the decline in makeup quality from earlier films the story of ape liberation is pretty good. Ricardo Montalban, Roddy McDowall and Hari Rhodes deliver believable performances which are above what is required by the script.

There are a few places where the production lacks. While the blocking and framing is generally pretty good, the lighting is noticeably poor. There are many scenes where just one more light or reflector would have made the result 100% better. Especially noticeable are how bad the night scenes look. They are about as bad as the worst 70's Kung Fu movie's night shots. But this was made in Hollywood!

There are also a few scenes of the developing ape revolt that are best thought of as symbolic or allegorical. Otherwise they strain credulity, even for an 'Ape' movie.

The music in particular elevates this movie from a tiresome sequel to a sequel. It's really more of a psychotronic/gonzo film. The wild scenes in the conditioning center are accompanied by some great tunes. And the music in the rest of the film, when it is present, is interesting and evocative. It's one of the places where money was well spent.

This along with the fact that the main bad guys wear blazers with turtle necks and the sheer chaos of the riot scenes really make this a great film to watch with a few friends over beers or a smoke.

The end speech by Roddy's Caesar is epic. Though I wish it had ended differently.

Doctor Who: 73 Yards (2024) Season 1, Episode 4

Ignore the naysayers

[10/10 · 26 May 2024]

And the nattering nabobs of negativity. Some people will find a flaw in every single Doctor Who episode until their favorite Doctor and writer return and make the same exact episodes in the same style as when they were children.

This is not that.

Sure it RTD running the show like in the old days, but it's a new production company and a new Doctor.

Except he is barely in this episode. Instead they focus entirely on Ruby for the bulk of the story.

I do not want to give anything away but this is one of the Who episodes that is more horror than scifi. They even pointedly mention this in a few places.

This is a very good episode. It has humor, horror, political commentary, poignancy and few emotions in between. The story is quite a ride and well worth it.

TLDR: it passes the test, would you watch it again? Yes I am going to watch it again to see what I missed. Which I cannot say for a couple of earlier episodes of this season.

I especially enjoyed the Welsh Pub scene.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

half baked

[5/10 · 26 May 2024]

The start of the movie gets things moving quickly. Recapping previous events, showing a boxer rebellion of the apes and including a narration by John Huston as the Lawgiver. If you are a certain age, Huston's voice immediately invokes Gandalf from the Rankin Bass production of the Hobbit. So the bookending pieces with Huston lends one a bit of hope that this might, despite being such a late installment in the series of sequels, actually be good.

It keeps the hope alive through the next few scenes. Characters are introduced, the present state of things is established through exposition and a few slice of life vignettes.

The sfx makeup is not up to the quality of previous Apes movies. It works really well for a few characters but for the gorillas it's just terrible.

You are able to keep the hope alive (and the suspension of disbelief engaged) until we are introduced to the bad guys.

How do I put this. It's as if the bad guy segments are shot by Republic pictures back in the Buster Crabbe era of Flash Gordon. The bad guy is Ming the merciless. But minus the pointy shoulder pads and boots. Keep the skullcap and high collar though! Most of the bad guy scenes are even shot Dutch angle. I was surprised he didnt fly a rocket ship with a sparkler for the exhaust.

After this point the movie unravels quickly. Massive plot holes. Pathetic action scenes. Really, really bad makeup effects on the 'mutants'. Compared to this movie, Beneath the Planet of the Apes is Oscar material in that department alone.

Though strangely the long shot of the melted city looks better in this movie? It's like they lost the footage for "Beneath..." and had to sub a4th gen 16mm reel, but "Battle..." has the exact same shot, full color crystal clear. Very strange.

This movie seems like it started as a competent production. About a third of the movie seems to have been made with intention of purpose. The production quality is high. There is a very good score throughout that is interesting and compelling. Though even that drops out during some of the worst scenes when the movie could have used some help. By the time you are past the halfway point of the film you are in it. This movie sucks, but for completeness sake I'll finish it. And they do not make it easy. The SFX get worse. The plot gets stupider. The bad guys lines go to lower echelons of Republic Films era bad. And the whole sequence of events makes no sense in linear time. How are people alive from before WWIII but then people standing next to them are talking about knowledge handed down generations? It's almost like they were going to try to make a ring cycle where the beginning and end wrap around to each other and overlap. But this movie isn't that deep. Its just messy.

I'm still positively shocked that John Huston was involved. He did voice overs for a lot of cartoons and silly stuff. But he actually appears in this movie, in ape makeup!

It's really a shame how this one is so far downhill from the first 3. Beneath the Planet of the Apes has it's flaws. But those mutants were legitimately terrifying to see in the 70s. That story had something to say about the cold war terror we all lived in back then and a few other things besides made it memorable and compelling. Escape has some warts as well, but is overall a charming movie.

This movie just kind of fizzles out.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Better than you remember, not as good as the first.

[7/10 · 16 May 2024]

This movie doesn't get off to a good start. It repeats a good chunk of footage from the last film, then segues into a scene which at first blush seems to be re-writing past events.

But eventually it hits it's stride, and we have a similar story to the first movie, but with some wilder elements mixed in. There is also a major stylistic departure. The first film had some wild concepts, but the acting was understated. In 'Beneath' the actors are off leash, just shredding the scenery along with their lines.

This is not a bad thing.

The first movie is a thoughtful scifi film with wild art direction and costumes. This is a gonzo psychotrtonic B film and I would make a case, the first film of an entire genre.

This is the first post apocalyptic film. The prior movie, despite taking place in the same setting is not. The key difference being the mutants and the bomb of course. These post apocalyptic elements are present in many films of this obscure genre. But it also has a positively wild music score in some places. Pure hard electronics circa 1970. It also has incredibly low budget shots of the ruined NYC and underground scenes in a destroyed subway. Including melted concrete and steel. Leaving no doubt in the cold war addled audience's mind that a nuclear war had happened.

I won't blow the ending other than to say it's over the top and ends on shockingly abrupt note.

The special makeup effects are terrible. The only good ones are the left overs from the prior film. All the ape extras look like halloween costumes. Well that and the mutants are surprisingly good. When I first saw this as a kid on some UHF creature feature I was terrified!

There are a few spots where the effects are state of the art for a community college production. I seriously wonder if the shot of the destroyed NYC skyline was just a placeholder that never got replaced with a final version? It's that bad.

Some of the writing is pretty bad as well. Certain sequences of events just don't make sense. Other events seem like a set up that never pays off. As if they just ran out of budget for the connecting scenes that were intended.

But it doesn't matter. This movie is just bad enough that it graduates from a bad major release to a very entertaining B movie. Throw away your inner critic, suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride. Laugh at the silly stuff, laugh harder at the bad stuff, recoil in horror at the mutants. Throw popcorn at each other. Roll around on the floor. It's silly time.

Then revisit the existential horror of the cold war for the last 15 minutes. Hug your loved ones.

This movie is anachronistic because it sets the stage for the further dilution of the franchise into low budget garbage. However it precedes the polished, funny and well executed Escape from the Planet of the Apes. It must have been very strange for Kim Hunter being in 3 different productions of Planet of the Apes at such different production values. I wonder what the craft service was like?

Planet of the Apes (1968)

holds up a lot better than most 60's sci fi

[9/10 · 13 May 2024]

Haven't watched this movie in decades. It was like watching a movie with fresh eyes.

It's not a big budget film or high concept like some other movies that came out around this time. But it manages to balance a very original concept with solid acting and polishes it off with some wild art direction. There are virtually no special effects aside from the makeup the 'apes' wear.

Heston does a great job as the red meat eating, all American alpha male. He isn't overbearing or macho. But he puts across that kind of aura with aplomb.

The set decoration for the space ship they start the movie in is pretty bland. The ship design likewise is not memorable. So when you first encounter the 'Apes', their clothing and everything their civilization has built it is quite beguiling.

The clothes are outlandish but kind of play into a few contemporary fashion trends. Though in some cases, I would need to check the publish date on photos to be sure it wasn't the other way around. They are some hip threads. But we see this in other places. At first the cage they are stuffed in looks like any other jail cell. But on closer examination the bars of the cage are irregular. As if every one has been crudely made by hand. They even did a number on the rifles that the apes and Heston use. Apparently these are modified M1 Garand rifles. But no grunt would recognize the Monte Carlo stock and fully enclosed front hand guard.

The various sets all have a similar crude, foreign look as the first one.

The story is a little slow. But it's not a flaw of the storytelling. This wasn't an action packed blockbuster like the modern Apes films. This one leans heavily in the sci fi direction. Besides most other films of this era had a similar pace.

Underneath the sci fi there is another story. A conflict between inflexible ideological orthodoxy and the pursuit of empirical knowledge.

This was further elaborated in the book, but here it is presented across several scenes where scientists must appeal to higher ups who are the sole authority on matters of science AND faith.

I would say that while there is no nudity or graphic gore in this movie. The opening scenes on the planet are very violent. There are a few scenes that children or people with a weak stomach may not want to watch.

I certainly hope Beneath the Planet of the Apes holds up as well. I remember liking that one more.

Doctor Who: Space Babies (2024) Season 1, Episode 1

Not sure I'm a fan of Disney era.

[2/10 · 12 May 2024]

I am really worried about how bad this series of DW will be that they thought to start it with this story. It's just not very good.

The production is very tight. They did a lot of work on the lighting and special effects. So it has a very seamless finished look. There is music throughout almost every scene. And the whole thing is edited in consistent rhythmic fashion that lends urgency.

But it really felt empty.

I do like that they have stuck to the same general horror-scifi formula that's worked for New Who so well. Despite whatever else I say about this episode, I am grateful that it's still a bit Lovecraftian. After all the plotlines of this story resolve we are left with a few hints at something lurking in the background. Like another "Bad Wolf" perhaps?

We are still. In the awkward phase with this new Doctor and companion. So it's not fair to pass judgement. I do see a lot of potential with Ncuti though.

One of the things that ruined this episode was the story. It's not a bad premise. They've done far stupider things on Who and pulled it off. But the way they executed this story was, to me, very un-Whovian.

Right up until the last 10 minutes I still had hope that this was going to go the right way.

They went with a Hollywood ending instead of the BBC ending. In Hollywood, after the big explosion everyone survives at the last minute, even the dog. Because we cant let children know about death yet.

The BBC has no such reservations. Good guys and bad guys die on BBC TV series all the time.

If this had been a BBC production, at the end the Doctor would have been giving a stern lecture to the Nanny about sentient life forms and ethics. Back in the Tardis the Doctor reflects. "One of a kind, alone in the universe. Like me".

A proper POIGNANT Doctor Who ending!

They watered down the god damn poignancy. That is inherent to the character of Doctor Who.

And doing it to make it more family friendly? For Americans? This is shameful and embarrassing.

Another minor thing that I think is a major problem is the music. It's extremely well done, but there is far too much of it. We do not get to enjoy calm dramatic scenes or simple exposition. No, the whole bloody episode has a constant percolating musical accompaniment. Similar to a lot of animated films. This is really evident in the funny parts, where you get a musical cue to laugh at something that was only low key funny. Doctor Who has always had low key funny stuff. It's not a comdey show, they just put some amusing stuff in here and there because those Brits are just so damn whimsical. Scoring these jokes is really stupid. It makes them less funny.

They also had the Doctor say Space Babies approximately 12 times. Which is 11 too many.

Stylistically I prefer the BBC production for a very nerdy reason. The lighting just looked more natural. BBC lighting guys are pretty good at putting up diffuse lighting that gets the mood across and makes faces look good.

The Disney lighting has that kind of excessively lit look that TV anchors do. The face is perfectly lit at all times. There is always a highlight on the edge of the face from a fixture behind the actor. And every single thing in the background is specifically lit in some fashion. It's difficult to describe the difference even if you know lighting, and I only kind of know lighting. TLDR the new lighting makes them look like polished pieces of wood instead of people. But then the CGI looks more consistent next to them.

Oh boy the CGI. It looks miles better than anything you have seen BBC do. But what do they do with it?

Talking babies.

The Fantastic Four (1994)

Not as bad as I expected.

[6/10 · 9 May 2024]

I'd heard about this for years. The movie that was supposedly made just to retain movie rights. I had never got around to seeing it because I'm not a huge Fatnastic 4 fanboy.

It's low budget, but not egregiously so. The visual effects are actually pretty competent, if this was an 80s production. In the mid 90s the rotoscoping and special makeup effects look a little dated.

However underneath that molded latex and optical printing this is a solid movie.

The key thing here is that this is a Roger Corman production and this was more of a kids movie than recent MCU films.

In fact I'd say this movie does a better job of bringing the flavor of the comic to the screen than most superhero movies, which lean heavily on mindblowing effects and don't really have relatable characters.

I know I said earlier that the effects were outdated. However that doesn't mean they aren't good. I actually like this version of the Thing better than the CGI versions in later movies. It's a lot more comical looking in a way. But it also works really well just as a character. None of that weird sense that the character is hollow or weightless as you often get with digital renderings of the Thing.

The Human Torch sequence is also quite good. I swear they blew half the FX budget on that.

Reed Richards and Sue Storm are not so great. About the effects level you would expect from an 808s kung fu flick.

Speaking of genre, this would of course be a superhero flick. But it's a Roger Corman superhero flick. And I swear Corman is trying to make Kaiju films. I know it sounds weird but look at Ben. He's a Kaiju! Go look at Cormans credits for hte last 20 years. Am I making sense?

Anyway, if I was a kid when this came out I would have loved it. It has the right combination of action, goofiness and effects to hold a kids attention. And not a lot of that yucky romance or drama.

Kind of reaching for that same thing that Verhoeven Raimi and Carpenter do so well when they get it right.

Not a great movie, but I wouldn't mind a sequel.

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Slightly above average Kaiju movie

[7/10 · 8 May 2024]

From the beginning scenes you can tell this is a little different. It's almost like a proto-Verhoeven film. It has a satirical edge to it that you dont see in other Godzilla movies. And just overall it's a little zanier and kind of wild compared to previous Godzilla films.

It's still Honda directing and still a TOHO film with the same technical crew as most other Kaiju. It was just this one script and a few actors that made this one a tad more enjoyable than many others.

I will be blunt though. It's not as amazing as a lot have made it seem. I guess if you saw this once when you were a kid then had to wrok to find it again in the pre-internet era of video rental stores. That would inflate the spectacle of the film a lot.

It is better than most Kaiju films. It does have some memorable characters and some moments of the Kaiju fights that are remarkable. But really it's only about 10% better than the average Kaiju film. There are others like Mothra that are much better in a number of ways.

It is kind of a turning point for the franchise in a few ways. This starting the change of Godzilla from an evil monster to a kind of antihero. Antimonster maybe?

The pitched up his roar a bit. Made the suit less scary looking and had him dance whenever he scores a good move against King Kong.

King Kong is a little weird. He looks nothing like the classic Kong. Very crude and rough. Not to my liking at all. But the suit actor did a great job of mimicing ape like movements.

The fight choreo is recognizably influenced by pro wrestling. I thought that was a great idea, but there are a couple spots I really didn't like how they went about it, but it worked.

Overall it's enjoyable not to be taken seriously fare.

Darkman (1990)

Underrated Raimi zanyness

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

This is not a great film, it is a really good movie.

Overall it's a fun ride from start to finish, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a bit remarkable in that Raimi seemed to have aimed for an R from the outset with extra helpings of violence, gore and f-bombs. But no nudity or drugs! This is a soft R.

It would have been a much better film with more consistency. The editing and effects are all over the place. In some parts early in the film the editing is incoherent. Such as the scene where he gets blown up. But then later in the film there is a lot of crazy dense editing and impressionistic storytelling.

It's kind of what makes it a charming film. It has those over the top Raimi moments along with some goofy bits that seem amateur. Say what you want but you wont be bored watching Darkman.

Liquid Sky (1982)

one of a kind

[10/10 · 29 April 2024]

This is a very oddball movie.

The pacing and dialogue have the air of an 80s porno. Plotwise it could be a horror movie, science fiction or just post modern gonzo sillyness. And its super duper gay.

But really the music is the star of the show. Such other of left field music. Timbre, tonality and pattern are unlike anything else except maybe Wndy Carlos.

This movie is very seedy as well. With lots of sex and drugs involved. All of this wrapped in a black bow of dark humor.

I can see how a person could watch this movie and think it was terrible. Because it doesn't cater to standard tropes of storytelling in movies. It goes it's own way. So you either surrender to the insanity and go along for the ride. Or you are assaulted by gay psychedelic weirdness with an unfathomable plot.

Either way this movie has become a touchstone or benchmark to a lot of creative people. It set a kind of a high mark for this kind of expression that few else have achieved.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

Interesting unusual Kaiju.

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

In a lot of ways this is the regular formulaic kaiju movie. There is a monster, there is Godzilla. They spend most of the movie slowly moving towards each other like an inevitable accident that can't be prevented. Monsters fight a few times, then there is a big fight at the end of course.

This movie departs from a lot of other kaiju films in a few ways.

First there is the title monster Destroyah. It just looks unusual and different from every other kaiju you have seen. I'm not sure if there is even an actor inside a suit. Or if these are all just puppets and models. Its a great design and kind of visceral. Though it steals a bit from the xenomorph in Alien.

The effects are pretty good for a kaiju film from the 90s. It easily stands above the SFX from the 70s and 80s in a lot of places. In every place except the water scenes. There are a few really good scenes in the water. But most of them have the same jelly look where the water looks too thick, and the boats look like toys. Not sure how they could improve that without resorting to CGI. Which was probably too expensive in 1995. Though we do see some CGI effects in Destroyah's attacks.

The art direction and set design is very over the top in this production. I was surprised at how much the G force headquarters looked like something out of Doctor Who. And overall a lot of objects they interact with and even costumes get a rare attention to detail. But again there is that low budget unevenness. But it's a Kaiju, not Star Wars. You expect this to be kind of pulpy cheap pleasure.

Not to give anything away, but I disliked the ending. It really goes out on a down note. Not the usual Hulk like ending. With the mournful music and the antihero monster going away from the destruction they wrought. But also leaving behind the people that care about them. Yes really, has nobody ever noticed how the Hulk TV series and Godzilla movies are the same exact story?

The movie comes close to passing the Bechdel test. So long as you don't count Godzilla as a man. At least until the end of the one scene where the younger of the two women complains she cant wait til this is all resolved and she can just be a housewife and raise kids. (rolling eyes audibly) Overall I really enjoyed the movie. Despite a few flaws and the typical visible gaps in production.

This is inherent to the genre. The worst Godzilla films have no rubber suits, state of the art special effects and a B plot where the boy gets the girl.

The good ones put that classic soundtrack right up front. Godzilla smashing miniatures. And a plotline that would be at home in professional wrestling. This scores 10/10 on those points.

On a side note. I'm pretty sure Aqua Teen Hunger Force stole the Destroyah monster for a few episodes. Or maybe I'm imagining things.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

Incoherent fun.

[6/10 · 22 April 2024]

The story as much as there is one seems stitched together out of 3 different movies. It's completely incoherent with a lot of exposition that leads nowhere. Why was baby Godzilla even in the movie?

The music by "Sum 41' is distracting. At times its pretty good, other times totally at odds with what is on screen.

Either way it adds to a the chaotic feel of the movie.

The editing is also particularly brutal. There are a few scenes where they are doing alternating A and B shots and they manage to flip it 180 degrees. Causing the viewer to expect action from the wrong direction.

That all said it is a fun Kaiju movie. The monsters are pretty cool and the cities getting destroyed look realistic. Some of the effects are just plain comical. Such as the "ThunderBirds are Go" style of the Earth ships. Both in the way they look and how they move like wooden puppets. And the way they stay 3 feet above the ground.

But that just adds to the charm.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

The bad parts drag it down

[5/10 · 21 April 2024]

3rd installment in the series, but in a lot of ways it's really the 2nd installment. With 10 years passing by between Planet of the Apes and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The movie that introduced us to Cesar and the virus.

Overall the story is very predictable. The CGI is still as bad as the previous movies, in some cases worse!

Andy Serkis does a great job of motion capture acting. Either that or the motion graphic artists are killing it. Which I find hard to believe. The computer generated Apes have that same unnerving quality to them that they have in the last movie. The appear to be made of air in some scenes and lead in others. Sometimes they bend like rubber, sometimes they defy gravity. It's hard to put your finger on but they just don't seem to follow physics like the human actors do. It looks even worse next to the practical effects/costumes.

I really hate to make such a big deal out of effects not looking good, but this is a film made within the last 10 years. I've watched films that came out years before this that do not have that off putting quality to the CGI. Or such a gulf between the practical effects and computer ones. If it was that distracting watching it at home it must have been disgusting in the theatre?

I kind of liked the story at first. Like I said it was predictable. But that isn't always a bad thing. Godzilla movies are predictable. Star Trek is predictable.

However this story had a lot of potential to work with. Caesar has a family now, there is a rival for leadership of the apes. And there are humans that have survived the virus.

If done right there could have been some decent drama. For instance, Caesar's family is introduced to us. Wife, who births a son to him as well as another son who is already a teenager(?). The older son is injured in what seems to be foreshadowing. As a lot is made of the incident and he wears the scars of it for the rest of the film. But nothing really comes of it. Likewise Caesar's family disappears from the story line whenever he isn't on screen. I'd expected them to be placed in peril, or for someone close to Caesar to be killed in a way he cannot intervene, spurring him to finally lash out at the humans. But nothing really develops of his family. They are just mute witnesses to the events of the film.

I do not want to go into more detail and spoil the movie. Lets just say it seems like the script had a darker more dramatic version. Then notes came in and they toned it down for a PG rating or something. There is a lot of dramatic potential with the family, the humans and Koba, the contender for leadership of the apes.

All of that potential drama is ignored. Instead we get a few big fights that start off good and drag on too long. Relying on ridiculously improbable CGI stunts to keep the excitement up.

Yeah it's just a Planet of the Apes movie. Not a Shakespeare adaptation. But it had a lot of potential with some seriously decent actors onboard.

I will grudgingly say I really enjoyed a few scenes with Koba. Especially the ones where he plays into the prejudices of the humans.

I also wish there had been more scenes like those in "Rise..." where Caesar uses his superior intelligence to outwit the humans. Such as his 4 dimensional chess on the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead he seems to be the passive force in this movie. Reacting to events but not originating any solutions or outwitting anyone.

Koba is the only ape that seems to be inhabited by intelligence. Being both cunning and devious.

I hope for the next movie they managed to work out the kinks in their CGI physics.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Everything you want in a Godzilla flick.

[9/10 · 13 April 2024]

Everything you want in a Godzilla flick. Nothing you dont.

No, it's not a very sophisticated movie. It's Godzilla not Goddard.

Yes it has guys in rubber suits knocking over buildings.

It also has tanks shooting death rays and missiles.

It's fun.

I found myself pumping a fist in the air at a few points.

Mostly they were callbacks to the original Mothtra film.

But there were a few things that are just particular to the genre. See the above mentioned tanks and missiles.

The only thing I didn't like was how uneven the effects were.

There are some parts that look just great, even for this genre.

But some of the miniatures and key shots remind me of low budget BBC like Blake's 7.

Automata (I) (2014)

Lots of potential

[6/10 · 31 March 2024]

In the first act it had me buying in.

The set design, mechanicals and art direction are pretty good.

It has kind of a 1980s Heavy Metal magazine vibe.

I really liked the premise of the story as it's laid out in the first 20 minutes or so.

As we get into the 2nd act it started losing it's hold on me.

The dialogue was just really bad and as good as Antonio Banderas is, the overall story isn't compelling.

There are good guys and bad guys. And plenty of bystanders, but I just couldnt detect motivations. Stuff just happens on screen and then other stuff happens.

I saw a lot of potential to explore the ideas of AI and consciousness. The style of the film also started out much more adventurous then got very bread and butter.

It gives me the impression that it was a more coherent story at one point. Then when they were already underway some of the producers had a different vision of how to tell the story. Maybe the original story was more unconventional. It certainly seems to start off as a gritty cyberpunk noir then by the end it's all nicely resolved in the most boring sanitized Hollywood way.

In a way it reminds me of a Trek episode.

Even if the writing is a little bad here and there, its enjoyable for what imagination it does bring. But at the same time you know its not going to take you anywhere earth shattering.

If it was maybe 15% better written, and if Melanie Griffith wasn't pasted into the plot because her husband is the lead and a producer.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Pu239 (2004) Season 2, Episode 7

Underated Episode.

[9/10 · 19 March 2024]

In this story we get more 'face time' with the apparent villain of this story arc Kazundo Gouda.

As usual things are not always as they seem. But I won't give anything away.

I will say that this episode is an interesting deviation from most GitS episodes in that it doesnt use any of the standard musical cues. It's pretty much all original composition or at least something licensed that wasn't used anywhere else in GitS.

Overall the episode has more of a movie vibe. Like a spaghetti western or a 70s heist film.

It packs a lot into it's 22 minutes!

I do have to say that Gouda's character is a bit on the nose. Maybe not so much for anime in general, but he seems a little over the top for GitS.

Nevertheless this episode gives us an idea of Kazundo Gouda's character. Through his subtle and not so subtle manipulation of people. And through his constant testing of boundaries.

The artwork and animation is also a bit above average on this episode. A few scenes are very filmic in their blocking and storytelling.

The story does stand on it's own somewhat. It serves the story arc of the season, well ONE of the story arcs, but it's also it's own little self contained story.

What it doesn't do is have it's characters stand around in some room doing exposition at each other. Which is a lot of the 2nd season.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Shouendan-u/Barrage (2003) Season 1, Episode 25

Finale

[9/10 · 17 March 2024]

This is the finale of the first series.

The episode after is the denouement or you could say the meta finale.

This episode continues the story from the previous in the series. With Section 9 on the defensive. And this is one of those GitS episodes that gets at me. It actually manages to pluck at the heart strings while barraging you with a violent cyberpunk future.

This is more remarkable in that it involves an artificial life form(s).

The animation is top notch of course. Positively bonkers mechanical designs all over the place.

This is another one of those stories that makes me think. Specifically about the recurring motif of sacrifice you see in Asian storytelling. I dont know how to explain it but it just has an almost bittersweet aspect?

This is one of those stories that will have you wondering who is cutting onions, like Testation.

If I am honest there are a few scenes I wish had gone longer!

The Mighty Boosh: The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox (2007) Season 3, Episode 4

Classic Fielding and Barratt

[9/10 · 6 March 2024]

I think this episode can best be represented by the first little scene where Naboo is buying shaman juice from a streeet tough. It's absolutely absurd, but Noel Fielding plays it dead on serious. The bit about his mom cooking him spaghetios, I've heard actual street drug dealers say almost the exact same thing!

What follows is their signature mishmash of surreal animation and cheap costumes.

Richard Ayoade shows up to overact and theres a goofy song. And a chase scene of course.

It's really one of the great things about Boosh that it's got all this music that sounds like outtakes from a really good album of an obscure band.

This particular episode, while good, kind of fizzles out towards the end. Otherwise I'd give it a 10.

Lebanon (2009)

Good not Great

[6/10 · 6 March 2024]

It has a few decent parts. There are some scenes that are effective and memorable. But overall, the storytelling is kind of hard to follow and not really compelling.

There is also the hard to ignore racism. The Arabs are portrayed as nothing more than cardboard cutout bad guys. And every single stereotype is employed.

It's a shame because it almost manages to have a redemptive arc.

This movie would have been 90% better if there had been some bootcamp or before the army scenes. Something where you get introduced to the characters outside of the tank. And maybe get some backstory, motivations etc.

Because when it comes down to it, it's just a story of a couple guys you see at odd angles in a tank. And a few things you see through a periscope.

Well that and the corny racism ruined it for me.

Man in the Chair (2007)

edgy camerawork and no real story

[5/10 · 4 March 2024]

I found it tedious. It just wasn't very compelling or engaging.

If I am watching a movie and I feel an urge to whip out my phone and see what the weather is like, that is not a good film!

This despite packing a pretty great roster of character actors and of course Christopher Plummer.

A large part of this is the story. Which is basically an after school special about misunderstood kids and older people or something. Great ad for libraries I guess. It's also just so flat. There are a few points of conflict, like the bullies early on. But that thread is kind of lost. Then there are other story elements that jump in and out haphazardly. It's just kind of hard to see what story they are trying to tell and why some unrelated parts are in there?

It's not terrible, to be honest. I could live with it except for the random shaky camerawork.

It's like you are watching an Episode of the Rockford Files and they just gotta go across town to talk to Fuzzy Bear but oh no shaky camera attack, trip out.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Tachikoma no Iede, Eiga-Kantoku no Yume/Escape From (2003) Season 1, Episode 12

Sleeper episode

[8/10 · 27 February 2024]

It's your basic storytelling device of an A plot and a B plot that is used in a lot of TV. Except they kind of deconstruct that plot structure. Putting the A and B plot back to back.

First you follow a Tachikoma on it's excursion with a little girl it meets.

Then we see the crew of Section 9 do a deep dive on an object the AI robot finds.

At first blush this seems to be a filler story. It doesn't advance the season long story arc. Though it does flesh out a few characters.

However it does do the two things that all good GITS stories do. It has an emotional resonance at a level most people can identify with. Its also thought provoking and intellectually stimulating. Exploring ideas like what constitutes art in the cyber world?

What is consent when your perceptions can be manipulated like phosphors on a computer screen?

The artwork is great as always. The story starts out light then gets darker as more is revealed. Not one of my favorite episodes if I am honest. But I never skip it. Always worth watching. This is why I rate it only 8. I have to leave room for other episodes like "Testation" to be rated higher!

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002–2005)

Just as good as the movies. if not better

[10/10 · 26 February 2024]

This is a wonderful anime. It has much better animation and writing than most other anime. In fact, I'd put it above most TV shows in general. It develops characters over time, gradually peeling them back and showing us more. Even the AI Logicoma/Tatchicoma tank robots are explored more than they are in the manga.

Overall I'd actually say the series follows Shirow Masamune's managa better than the movie.

The episodes are a bit uneven. Some of them are so heavy they hit like a ton of bricks. Then are followed by a lightweight episode that seems like it's just a placeholder. But overall most episodes in this series 9/10 or 10/10. Even the lacking ones are a solid 7-8.

The series follows section 9. A kind of swat team with military personnel and robots. Almost all members of the team are cyborgs with superhuman abilities due to their cybernetic enhancements. In addition they engage in hacking both tactically and strategically. And over all cybercrime, cyber-espionage and technological effects on society make up a large part of plot in most stories.

The character and vehicle design is top notch. Though it seem the characters get a bit off model depending on who is in charge of animation on each episode?

The music is certainly of it's time. It has a very late 90's early 2000's IDM vibe. Not in an overbearing way really. But I heavily dislike techno-rave type music thanks to some annoying neighbors I had years ago, and at first I did heavily dislike some of it.

But this is very much a cyberpunk genre series. So it would be kind of bizarre if the music wasn't some kind of IDM, Industrial or EBM.

There are a few places in the series where it gets a little risque. It's implied that the Major is into kinky sex a few times. And also implied that she is lesbian, bi, or may even be a guy in female cyber body.

There is some brief silhouette of a breast a couple times. And your usual Japanese gratuitous angle of the major's rear end.

However sexual titillation isn't the focus of the series. It's just standard in anime storytelling so I wouldnt be hung up on it. I only mention in case anyone is wondering about age appropriateness.

To which I'd say you would be better off worrying if it's too violent.

It's a very violent series. Almost every episode someone gets shot, blown up or killed in other spectacular fashion. Sometimes very similar to the obsessively detailed grotesque artwork of Junji Ito.

For example in one episode a robot has it's head blown to bits revealing the detailed teeth and tongue along with wires and tubes.

But underlying all the violence and cyberpunk it's a consistent commentary on our digital world. Remarkable that the manga originated before the internet was public and the movie and series both originated over 20 years ago before ubiquitous computers and cell phones. It is quiet prescient on a number of the effects of technology on our society.

White God (2014)

Not for everyone, but fantastic!

[10/10 · 23 February 2024]

I saw this movie years ago in the theatre. It made such an impression on me I went back to see it a 2nd time at the same place a week later. (I'd also seen everything else worthwhile showing there) I won't rundown the plot except to say it has nothing to do with whiteness in the racial sense, unless you wanted to make a very broad metaphor of the story. VERY broad.

It's interesting in that it's kind of an electroclash genre film.

It starts off being kind of an urban narrative about teen alienation. Following the tribulations of a young teen girl living with her emotionally distant father.

Just as I thought I was in for another overwrought coming of age story it shifts focus to the dog. And from there the genre of the movie changes. I won't ruin it because the movie had such an emotional impact on first viewing.

This is not a subtle movie with delicate performances. It is however very thought provoking. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in movies and storytelling. I would not suggest it as a date movie. Some people will take exception to the violent themes. Especially with the dogs. The filmmakers used over 200 dogs from shelters in the film and they made sure all were adopted after the end of filming. Nonetheless it does depict dog fighting and a few other things.

That all said, there is a moment in this film that is so good, so emotional, if you dont pump a fist in the air or at least get a lump in your throat you literally do not have a soul.

Qi qiao feng huang bi yu dao (1979)

Slightly goofy Wuxia

[7/10 · 17 February 2024]

I got to see this on a poorly transferred print. Overexposed and with some kind of aspect ratio problem that leaves the middle out of focus and the sides sharp.

I could see hints of good cinematography in the first 10 minutes, so I had high hopes.

I wont go into details but the plot meanders all over and is very confusing. Characters are introduced and gotten rid of with no fanfare. The end even is very anti-climactic.

That all said it's kind of interesting.

It's kind of a revival of Wuxia style film during a period when everyone was making kung fu flicks.

Those older 60s wuxia flicks are often very soap opera-ish. Less macho bravado and more intrigue.

The martial arts in wuxia is metaphorical. It's about the guy with integrity or purity or just plain more spiritual power triumphing over the bad guys.

This movie is definitely emulating those older genre flicks with its tea houses and villas and swordplay centered fighting.

They got my hope up in the beginning. With the "7 promises" of the title. These are more like 7 good ideas for the naive traveler. But this gave me hope that it was going to involve some Confucian parables and character development.

Instead it kind of wanders from miniboss to miniboss until it gets to the main boss.

Not a bad movie, but kind of typical for films out of Taiwan in the 70s. It's a notch below a good movie in several areas at once, but still an ok film to watch if you are just being lazy on a weekend.

The Anderson Tapes (1971)

good not great

[6/10 · 11 February 2024]

The acting and overall story is pretty good. The cast has a lot of great actors playing minor roles. The overall premise is very strange though.

It's right there in the title. The whole movie there is always someone under surveillance. At first you think it's just one set of guys listening in on our protagonist. But soon there are overlapping investigations from IRS, FBI, private detectives and who knows who else. The premise is strange enough, that the B plot is going to be various surveillance guys. But the practice is weirder. They frequently just break the 4th wall and show you where the microphone is.

And then about halfway through it just becomes a heist film. And we forget about microphones entirely.

A bunch of stuff happens, the cops show up and then the credits roll.

This is almost a good movie, but my no means great?

I think anyone who gives this movie that kind of credit must have some core memory of watching this with their pa or something. It's really not.

The plot has a few major points that dont make sense.

The part where the girlfriend's sugar daddy shows up and says he owns her and everyone basically agrees and moves on.

I don't know if the director was trying to say something too subtle here or if it is just sloppy storytelling.

Why is at least one person not angry about this situation? Most men I know would want to beat the daylights out of such a patronizing jerk taking away their girl. Most women would be angry if their man just stood there and took it.

Then the way the cops go from being notified by HAM radio of a robbery to mobilizing every available unit, and cordoning off the building. I fail to see any explanation for why they did it that way. Or what motivated such a massive police response based on a "robbery" I guess they had already filmed the car crashes and needed to justify how that all looked afterwards? With the deserted streets

Also the head cop is kind of creepy. Did they have MDMA in 1971? I always felt like he was going to lick the cop he was talking to. Maybe the actor was extra drunk. Or good friends with Walken.

The real torpedo is the score. I was really surprised that it was by Quincy Jones? It doesn't sound like anything else I'm familiar with of his. It's jarring and often seems to arrive randomly when there is no call for it.

That all said, this is an enjoyable movie. I love heist films, weird soundtracks and Connery. But in terms of telling a story it came off like it was improvised then written in the cutting room.