Review

17 Nov 2012

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1/2Remembered Works and Social Statuses

Blogging My Interests

I consume a ton of media. I mean…like a hell of a lot. Movies, books, television shows, podcasts, anime and various other things. The problem is, I always want to write about them, but never have the time. Many times, I will even start an article but never finish it. So it just sits there, but when I’m ready to work on it, I find that I no longer remember a lot about it other than my general impression.

As an example, this site has many articles that have sat around, some for years, and they are all unfinished drafts. Although I promise to get back to them, I lose interest. For instance, the very post you are reading has sat around for days! And, as much as I enjoy blogging about blogging…it’s taken me a while to get back to this.

1/2Remembered Thoughts

Obviously, I do not have the time to go back and rewatch or reread everything just so I can write out a 500-word review. Nor do I have the time to go review it all just as a refresher. However, what I will do is create some articles about these things with just my half-remembered impressions. So, instead of a whole, thought out article, I’m just going to keep it brief and talk about whatever impressions of the piece worked for me. More like a recommendation.

Blogging Social Statuses

I would also like to do posts centered on my FB and Twitter statuses. I post many statuses that I think are worth talking more about. Unfortunately, due to the nature of both FB and Twitter, these posts usually don’t have a lifespan past a day or two. So I’ll be posting some old statuses, expounding on them and opening them up for discussion…not that too many people comment here, but maybe this is a step in the right direction to get some talking going on around here.

So, there you have it. This is just an update for the two or three of you that care about such things. And technically, it is the very first of my “1/2remembered” posts…since I was planning to say all this like a year or so ago…

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By: Silencio Barnes Blogging Tags: 1/2Remembered, article, FaceBook, fb, General, gitara-basowa-j, movie, movies, recommendation, Remembered, reread, Review, rewatch, Search engine optimization, SEO, Statuses, television, twitter, unfinished drafts

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30 Apr 2012

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Witchblade Anime Series

A review of Witchblade, the Anime series. A surprisingly moving emotional drama disguised as an over-the-top action series.

Note: This is a review of the Witchblade anime series. For my review of the Witchblade television series, go here

witchbladeanime 1 | Witchblade Anime Series | Review | witchblade anime The Witchblade anime is a 24-episode series based on the Witchblade comic book by Top Cow. Now before getting into it, there are a few things I want to address for fans of the comic and live action television series. First off, this anime is not really an adaptation of the comic or TV show; it is a new story that only borrows a few elements from the source material. However, the anime (as well as the manga), IS considered canon…somehow. It takes place in a future Japan.

A second point is that this is a true anime. The series is rife with anime tropes, anime pacing, anime-like storytelling and humor (including gratuitous amounts of fan service). So if you are not a fan of anime, then this might not be for you. If you’re a fan of the Witchblade comic, this series might throw you off a bit as it is nothing like the story of Sara Pezzini.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about this anime.

witchbladetheanime7880551 1 | Witchblade Anime Series | Review | witchblade anime

The Witchblade anime tells the story of Masane Amaha and her precocious daughter Rihoko. Six years before the start of the show, Masane survives a devastating earthquake. She is an amnesiac with no memories of her life before the earthquake. She was found with her infant child and a gemmed bracelet around her arm.

At the start of the first episode, she and her daughter arrive in Tokyo looking to start a new life and stay low from the child welfare service. Once they arrive, things start happening. A visit from the child welfare folks leads to them taking Rihoko from her mother. Both of them end up on the run. After the Witchblade activates, Masane is found and put to work by a shady corporation that claims ownership of the Witchblade that Masane is in possession of. They tell her they can help her reunite with her daughter if she is willing to work for them. Action ensues.

At first, I didn’t like it. The show came off as so much been-there, done-that anime fare. It had all the trappings that you would expect and are probably tired of. Huge breasted heroine, check. Plucky, bright and very adult kid, check. Lecherous old man, check. You know, typical stuff.

However, something odd happened. The moment when I realized that I liked the Witchblade anime was a little surprising. At some point, I realized that I cared for the characters. It took a while, but I think the creators did a good job of building up the human relationships in the story. At one point, it’s like whatever, and then suddenly, you care about the interactions between the characters and what’s going on with them.

The relationship between Masane and her daughter is beautiful and well played over the course of the series. The interaction between the main character and the rest of the cast also grows over time. The amount of real emotion I felt when things started getting more intense later on surprised me as well.

In this story, the Witchblade is still a mysterious object that grants the female user immense power. When using the Witchblade, Masane’s looks change and so does her outfit…yes, this is where much the fan service comes into play.

There are inferior clones of the Witchblade as well which the antagonists of the series use. The Cloneblades, much like the Witchblade, also transform the female users into their skimpy battle gear. So, we get many intense action sequences consisting or damn near naked women trying to slice one another in half.

Oddly though, the action sequences tend towards brevity. They are frequent, but they don’t make up for much of the overall series. If you are into story and character development, this is good. If you are into action, action and more action…this might leave you a little upset.

11274witch5super1 1 | Witchblade Anime Series | Review | witchblade anime

As a fan of action anime, I was a little disappointed, especially since I expected a mostly action driven series. But as a lover of a good, character driven story, this show worked for me. In fact, I would say the action part of this anime plays a secondary role to the story of the main character trying to be there for her daughter and build a future for her.

I think it’s that emotional story that will draw people to this series that would not otherwise watch this type of thing. Especially Rihoko’s part in the story, she’s just so adorable! She plays the perfect child-adult foil to Masane’s adult-child version of mothering.

moe203979520amahamasane20amaharihoko20cleavage20witchblade1 1 | Witchblade Anime Series | Review | witchblade anime

There’s a lot to like about this series. As usual, I am leaving out a LOT of plot and story information to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. I will say this though. You may see a scene of half-naked women fighting or an image of the hugely breasted Masane (there’s a reason that some affectionately term it Milfblade.

But don’t let the imagery fool you. The wrapping promises action and fan service, and there is a lot of that, but the real story here is very emotional and adult. It’s the story of a mother showing, proving and sacrificing in the name of the overwhelming love that she has for her daughter.

For more information on the anime series, try the usual places:

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchblade_%28anime%29

IMDB – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813971/

You can find everything mentioned in this article on Amazon and in other places:

The complete set of the Witchblade anime – http://amzn.to/WitchbladeAnime
The Witchblade manga (Complete with 2 volumes) – http://amzn.to/WitchbladeTakeru

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By: Silencio Barnes Animation Review, Anime Review, Reviews Tags: animation, anime, anime review, anime series, Gonzo, Makoto Uno, Mamiko Noto, Marc Silvestri, Masane Amaha, Michael Turner, milfblade, Review, reviews, Rihoko Amaha, series, Supernatural Drama, Top Cow, tv reviews, Witchblade, Witchblade Anime, Yoshimitsu Ohashi, Клинок ведьм, ウィッチブレイド, 魔女之刃

23 Jan 2012

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Witchblade, the Television Series

Witchblade, The Television Series – Two Seasons of Action and Adventure

Witchblade was a short-lived, but well-made, action drama television series based on the comic book series of the same name.

I was a little surprised to find out a television adaptation of the Witchblade comic book series existed. Although I read some of the comics back in the day, I couldn’t remember the full story. Which is good, because it helped me get into the show without any preconceived notions.

Witchblade is the story of Sara Pezzini, played by the ever-enigmatic Yancy Butler, an NYC homicide detective. Sara encounters an ancient artifact of incredible power called the Witchblade while in pursuit of a killer. Wielded only by women throughout the ages, the Witchblade is almost another character in and of itself. It gives Sara the power to see the past, present and future in glimpses. It can also heal, and more generally, it aids Sara in the form of a long blade. The Witchblade is sentient and sometimes displays a will of its own in direct opposition to Sara’s own wishes.

The show plays out like an action/adventure drama with supernatural elements. There is a bit of thriller and mystery in there as well. Overall, it is a very complex series. We look at the character of Sara Pezzini as she comes to grips with the murder of her father, the death of her partner, her lack of a love life, and the Witchblade itself with the power it holds. Conflicts abound. Sara versus criminals, Sara versus those that seek to take the Witchblade from her, Sara versus those that wish to use her, Sara versus herself. As you can see, there is enough in there to keep a good television series going for a long, long time.

Yet, somehow, this show ended after only two seasons. By all accounts, it was a well-received show, with good ratings. So, what happened? I found the show intriguing. It started with a made-for-TV movie, which you can consider the pilot episode. The pilot tells the story of how Sara’s partner died and how she came into possession of the Witchblade. The series continues that story for another 11 episodes. The second season expands on the first for another 12 episodes.

I did not have a problem with the show. The actors did well with their characters; the shows were admirably episodic with an overarching plot. There were enough twists and side stories to keep the drama going, and the exquisite torture of the main character throughout the show made it adequately dramatic. Sometimes it wasn’t great, but it was always at least good television.

A few gripes I had with the show: The first season has Sara’s partner, Danny Woo played by Will Yun Lee, already dead by the start of the first episode (he dies in the pilot). He still appears, but he is hardly a main character…yet he gets top billing in the opening credits. It is somewhat odd. He plays a bigger role in the second season. How a dead man manages to do that is up to you to find out.

Another problem was the second season itself. It’s not nearly as good as the first. Especially considering the season works as a reboot of the first season (once again, you will have to find out how that works by watching). The second season has much of what the first season lacked, yet it misses a bunch of the things that made the first season awesome.

But those are small gripes. The show is enjoyable, well written and well acted. You do not have to like the comic to enjoy it. You don’t even have like sci-fi or fantasy stuff to get into it. I suggest tuning in to the first season (including the movie/pilot) and from there you can decide if you want to jump into the second season.

When I found this series, I also found out there is an anime and manga series as well. I will be watching the anime soon, so look out for a review. Also of interest, I found there is a live-action Witchblade movie currently in the works. Of course, the news is years old now, but word is there is a script or two written up and there are still plans to make the movie. I am glad there is still interest in this franchise.

For more information on the television series, try the usual places:

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchblade_%28TV_series%29

IMDB – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274298/

Here is a link to the script of the pilot by Lee Thomson

http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Witchblade_1×01_-_Pilot_(1999).pdf

You can find everything mentioned in this article on Amazon and in other places:

Witchblade TV Series (2 seasons and movie/pilot) – http://amzn.to/WitchbladeTVSeries
First 50 issues of the Witchblade comic series – http://amzn.to/WitchbladeCompendium
The complete set of the Witchblade anime – http://amzn.to/WitchbladeAnime
The Witchblade manga (Complete with 2 volumes) – http://amzn.to/WitchbladeTakeru

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By: Silencio Barnes Reviews, Television Review Tags: action, adventure, Anthony Cistaro, comic book, David Chokachi, drama, Eric E, Eric Etebari, John Hensley, Marc Silvestri, mystery, Review, Sara Pezzini, series, television, Television program, Television Series, Thriller, Top Cow Productions, TV Review, two seasons, Will Yun Lee, Witchblade, Witchblade Television Script, Witchblade the Movie, witchblade tv scripts, Yancy Butler

16 Jan 2012

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The John Cleaver Series by Dan Wells

The John Cleaver series is a trilogy of books by author Dan Wells. They are supernatural horror/thriller novels labeled as Young Adult fiction. Even though they feature the exploits of a fifteen-year-old kid, don’t let the YA designation fool you. These books are full of terrible things happening to people of all ages…for your entertainment.

I heard of these books while listening to the Writing Excuses podcast, of which Dan Wells is one of the cast. He often speaks about the writing process by referring to his first novel, I Am Not a Serial Killer. In fact, it’s probably the title of the book that made me want to read it more than anything else did.

I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver Books)

I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver Books) [Wells, Dan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver Books)

These books are about John Cleaver, a fifteen-year-old kid in a small town with an obsession for serial killers. He lives over the mortuary where his mother and aunt works and even takes part in the embalming process with them. Diagnosed as a sociopath by both himself and his therapist, he tries to cope with being different.

Everything takes a turn when an actual serial killer shows up in town and starts murdering people. This excites John and sends him on the trail of the killer. At the same time, his own inner monster comes to life. He does not know if he wants to catch the killer, or participate.

Mr. Monster (John Cleaver, 2)

Mr. Monster (John Cleaver, 2) [Wells, Dan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mr. Monster (John Cleaver, 2)

I have already written some reviews of all three books in the series so I am not going to get into a lot of little details:

Review of Book 1: I Am Not a Serial Killer

Review of Book 2: Mr. Monster

Review of Book 3: I Don’t Want to Kill You

One thing you need to know is that this is a “supernatural” horror/thriller. I only stress this because, apparently, people seem to become upset when the story goes from being pure thriller material to supernatural horror.

I Don’t Want to Kill You (John Cleaver, 3)

Amazon.com: I Don’t Want to Kill You (John Cleaver, 3): 9780765328441: Wells, Dan: Books

I Don't Want to Kill You — I Don’t Want to Kill You

There is one thing about the series that I find a little unsettling. There seems to be an overall lack of emotion. This is understandable from them main character’s point of view. After all, he’s a sociopath. But over the course of three books, there are several serial killers killing and a multitude of suicides…all in less than a year. You would think that in a small town, these things would make people a little…edgy. The situation comes up a bit in the third book, but overall, it seems as if nobody really cares about all these atrocious murders happening. That’s only a small concern of mines. These books are fun, enjoyable, entertaining and very easy to read.

If possible, you should get all three books and read them back to back. Each novel takes place almost immediately after the last. And since they are all fast reads, you won’t have to wait to get right into the next installment.

Dan Wells (author) – Wikipedia

Daniel Andrew Wells (born March 4, 1977) is an American horror and science fiction author. Wells’s first published novel, I Am Not a Serial Killer , was adapted into a movie in 2016. Dan Wells spent his childhood in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began writing at a young age.

I Am Not a Serial Killer

Mr. Monster

I Don’t Want to Kill You

The Story Continues

Next of Kin: A John Cleaver Novella

Next of Kin: A John Cleaver Novella [Wells, Dan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Next of Kin: A John Cleaver Novella

The Devil’s Only Friend (John Cleaver, 4)

Amazon.com: The Devil’s Only Friend (John Cleaver, 4): 9780765380678: Wells, Dan: Books

Over Your Dead Body (John Cleaver, 5)

Amazon.com: Over Your Dead Body (John Cleaver, 5): 9780765380692: Wells, Dan: Books

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By: Silencio Barnes Book Review, Reviews Tags: book, book review, books, crime, Dan Wells, embalming process, Fiction, horror, horror thriller, I Am Not a Serial Killer, I Don't Want to Kill You, John Cleaver, Killer, mortuary, Mr. Monster, murder, novel, Review, Serial killer, serial killers, series, sociopath, story, supernatural, supernatural horror, three books, Thriller, thriller novels, Writing Excuses, YA, Young Adult, Young-adult fiction

22 Jun 2010

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Blood+

Do you like action, blood, gore, young teenage monster slayers in short schoolgirl skirts, complex emotional angst and the kind of melodrama that can make you cringe just by watching it?!?! Well so do I! Blood+ has all of that.

What is it All About?!?

http://www.crackle.com/c/Blood/First_Kiss/2480881/
Although I am a fan of the OAV (similar to “direct-to-video”), Blood: the Last Vampire, it took a long time before I actually sat down to watch the anime series that it spawned, Blood+. Blood+ tells the story of Saya, her mysterious past and her mission to kill all chiropterans (vampiric, bat/beast-like creatures). Rather than trying to sum the plot of a 50 episode series in my own words, I’ll just cheat and use wiki 🙂

“Under the care of her adoptive family, Saya Otonashi has been living the life of an anemic and amnesiac, but otherwise ordinary schoolgirl. Saya’s happy life is shattered when a chiropteran attacks her. She learns that she is the only one who can defeat them.

Armed with her katana, Saya embarks on a journey with her family, allies, and her chevalier, Hagi, to rid the world of chiropteran and rediscover her identity. The course of the journey reveals the background history of the chiropterans and Saya’s very deep past, which extends into the mid-19th century.

The series is initially set in present day (September 2005) Okinawa City (Koza), on Okinawa Island, near the US Kadena Air Base. In the course of the series, Saya visits locations across the world, fighting enemy chiropteran and searching for her origins.”

What’s There to Like or Not Like About It?

Now, before anything else, I must say that I did not like this series very much. That isn’t to say it was bad. Because it wasn’t. It’s production value is high and it’s animations are good. I just thought it moved a bit too slowly. I also did not appreciate a few of the character motivations…but that’s just one of the things you have to expect when watching Japanese Animation. Also, I watched the English dub version (yes, I know, shame on me) so I might have missed a bit that was lost in translation.

Blood+ comes off as more of a supernatural thriller, rather than the action vehicle you would expect. There is action, lots of it, but less than you want and more than there should be later on. However, it’s not until later that the action sequences are more stylized.

Saya, who should be one of the absolute best, regularly gets her ass handed to her. The action is somewhat uneven as well. One of the bad guys might seem awesomely powerful and it looks like he can give any one of the heroes a run for their money…but later, one of our heroes will be right on par with him. There are many examples of that throughout the series and it can be a bit of a turn-off when you see it happen.

I think the reason I didn’t like it all that much is because it pales in comparison to its source material. It has been a while since I watched Blood: the Last Vampire, but I remember it being much, much more engaging and intelligent than Blood+.

Yes, I am aware that I’m being particularly ambiguous with the details, but I really don’t want to give anything away. Blood+ is full of mystery (who is Saya? Why can’t she remember? What are the Chiropterans? How come only Saya’s blood can kill them? Etc) and it’s nice to see the story unfold. It’s just unfortunate that the storytelling was so up and down. The plot does not move along in a satisfying way. Sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s slow, and sometimes…it’s non-existent.

Here is the final word on Blood+: Watch the first few episodes or the full first season and see how you like it. Like I said, it wasn’t bad, it’s definitely something you can get into, it just leaves a lot to be desired.

Where Can You Get It?

The Part 1 and 2 box sets cover all 50 episodes (25 each set) and can be had over at Amazon – Part One – Part Two

Less expensive, but less episodes are the “Volume” editions which have about 5 episodes each starting with Blood+: Vol 1 – however, all of the episodes have not been released yet. It’s only up to Vol. 4, which ends with episode 20.
These are good if you just want to check out Blood+ in good quality, but don’t want to commit to getting a full box set.

Otherwise:

You can pretty much watch the whole entire series in a lower quality (with ads) for free on Crackle: http://www.crackle.com/c/Blood – if the ads bother you, you may want to try something like Adblock Plus 😉

More information on the Blood+ anime and manga can be found on wikipedia of course: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood%2B

Blood: The Last Vampire

Blood: The Last Vampire (Live Action Movie) – available on DVD and VOD

By: Silencio Barnes Animation Review, Anime Review, Reviews Tags: animation, anime, anime-blood-and-gore-wiki, animes-gore-wikipedia, Blood+, blood-animation-wiki, blood-anime-review, blood-anime-story, blood-anime-wiki, blood-bad-guys, blood-c-anime-wikipedia, blood-review, blood-wiki, blood-wiki-anime, Blood: the Last Vampire, japanese animation, japanese-animation-blood, Review, what-are-the-bad-guys-in-blood, wiki-blood-anime

18 Apr 2010

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James Cameron and Avatar

Now that all the hype has died down…relatively speaking, I guess it would be okay for me to say a few words about Avatar (no, not the Last Airbender:)).

James Cameron proved, once again, that he could make and hype a movie towards box office gold. If for some reason you do not know who James Cameron is, well, then you’ve been living in a hole for the last two decades. Alternatively, if you have been watching any movies at all over the last two decades, then you have probably seen a James Cameron film. The man has written and directed a plethora of hits. Some of them are favorites of mines. Some of them are favorites of yours as well. Terminator 1 and 2, True Lies, Aliens and of course, Titanic, just to name a few. Not bad for a foul tempered Canadian eh?

I found Avatar to be lite fare. Other than the technology used to create it, it didn’t break any new ground as far as storytelling is concerned. You have heard this tale before, maybe you read the book or seen the movie (dances with wolves?), but it’s an old story. That’s not to say that it isn’t told well. Most stories are rehashes of old ones…well, technically, ALL stories are rehashes of old ones.

This is the story of what happens when Corporate Greed and Manifest Destiny arrive on the shores of a foreign land. They find the natives are sitting on top of the mother load of something that they want. We have plenty of real world examples of what that means. This is also the story of a crippled white soldier “going native”…yea, you’ve seen the “going native” story before as well.

Other than that, I don’t need to get into too many story details. Either you’ve seen it already or plan to get the DVD/Blu-ray. One of the points I am making here is, if you never see it, rest assured that you are not missing anything as far as stories go. You already know this one.

However, outside of the story, Avatar shines as imaginative eye candy. Cameron waited until the technology was just right to create the CG characters and gorgeous, gorgeous backdrops. The world of the Na’vi is rich, verdant, and beautiful. I’m not sure how all this will translate to the small screen, but on the big screen it’s awe inspiring.

Now when the visuals and story are put together, ahhhhh, now you got something. I know I may have sounded a bit disparaging about the plots lack of originality, but despite this, the visuals are what bring it to life. The visuals are what make you want to sit through that story. To see it acted out in meticulously crafted detail.

Of course, true to form, Cameron managed to fit a love story into Avatar as well. It serves to move the plot forward despite it being between a disabled former marine and a nine-foot tall blue alien. All in all, I think of Avatar like a fine Disney cartoon movie (with swearing and no one breaking out into song), and that’s not a negative remark in any sense of the word. It operates on the same level as some of Disney’s finest animated films. Action, adventure, humor, a love story, a moral lesson or two and maybe even something to think about.

You can probably even still find it in theaters…they are certainly milking it for all it’s worth. And I think, it’s worth quite a bit. See it, if you haven’t already.

Read the Avatar Screenplay / Script

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Avatar.html

https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JamesCameronAVATAR-1.pdf

https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JamesCameronAVATAR.pdf

The subject of this post was suggested to me. See this post for more details.

Purchase Avatar on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon

Avatar on IMDB
@officialavatar
The Official Avatar Website: http://www.avatarmovie.com/
The Official Avatar YouTube Page
The Avatar Wikipedia Page

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By: Silencio Barnes Movie Review, Reviews Tags: audio-book-avatar-james-cameron-free-download-and-streaming, Avatar, Avatar screenplay, Avatar script, avatar-cameron-free-english-game-audio, avatar-movies-james-caneron-sound-track-free-download, avatar-streaming-james-cam, cinema, Dances with Wolves, download-james-cameron-avatar-book, film, James Cameron, james-cameron-audiobook, Last Airbender, movie review, movie trailers, movies, Na'vi, Review, sci-fi, science fiction, script included, trailer, vid included

24 Jan 2009

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My Bloody Valentine 3D

My Bloody Valentine 3D (Two-disc special edition)
Amazon.com: My Bloody Valentine 3D (Two-disc special edition) : Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Patrick Lussier: Movies & TV

It had dawned on me just the other day that I had never seen a 3D movie in the theatres before. I was still under the impression that 3D movies rendered everything a shade of red and blue and were pointless to see. I told a friend about this, and the next day she suggested that we go see My Bloody Valentine 3D.

I had no intention of ever seeing this movie as it looked like, from the previews, so much junk. My friend told me the people at her job were saying the movie wasn’t “all that” but the 3-D effects were good and worth the price of admission.

Off to the Theatre to See My Bloody Valentine 3D

My Bloody Valentine 3D is a remake of the original My Bloody Valentine, which was a 1981 Canadian slasher flick with a large cult following. Mostly the names and overall storyline are kept intact with only a few differences.

The movie opened on January 16, 2009, and I went to see it with a friend on January 23. I was surprised to see that the line for this movie was literally out the door. The theatre was packed with couples and teenagers. Even before we got in, there were several young teenagers attempting to get me to buy tickets for them, which I tried to do, before I learned the ticket prices were 2.5 dollars extra for 3D movies (the poor kids didn’t give me enough money). This upset me, but I paid anyway then it was off to stand in another long line to get into the movie. There was another couple of teens that asked me if they were checking ID, and if they were, could I say they were with me. I agreed to this and off we went.

Our showing was packed, just about every seat filled. The previews weren’t much to talk about except some new action flick that I forget the name of and my first look at the preview of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, which I did not know was even in production. But all right, let’s talk about this here movie.

The Setup and the Plot of My Bloody Valentine 3D

It’s a slasher film, are you really worried about the plot? I know that I am, I need a plot, something, anything…and this movie did have one. It wasn’t even a bad one…that is, until the movie’s “twist” ending, which throws the whole plot out of the window and into the garbage. A sleepy mining town is struck by tragedy when a mining accident results in a cave-in, killing several mine workers. Oddly enough, it’s found that the miners were not killed in the cave-in, but by what looked to be a pickaxe to their heads. Harry Warden is blamed for the murders, but he’s in a coma. The mine owner’s son, Tom Hanniger, is blamed for the cave-in.

A year later Harry wakes from his coma and heads directly back to the mine, where there is a teenage mine party going on…you should be able to guess what happens next.

The bulk of the movie takes place ten years after that event when everybody thinks it’s all over and just a messed up memory. Of course, we know that ain’t true. There is more going on, but unless you plan to actually see the film, you shouldn’t even wonder about it.

The Characters of My Bloody Valentine 3D

The characters in this movie are not as shallow as you would think, but they’re still a bit one-dimensional. They are given mediocre dialogue but play their roles well within the confines of the script they were given…I guess. Here is the main character list, taken from Wikipedia:

Jensen Ackles (of Supernatural fame) as Tom Hanniger
Jaime King as Sarah Palmer
Kerr Smith as Axel Palmer
Edi Gathegi as Deputy Martin
Tom Atkins as Burke
Betsy Rue as Irene
Kevin Tighe as Ben Foley
Marc Macaulay as Riggs
Megan Boone as Megan
Richard John Walters as Harry Warden

Jensen does a good job as Tom, somewhat dark and brooding. Jaime does a good job as Sarah, a little confused about her feelings but sure of her convictions. Kerr plays a good Axel. These are the three that stand out (and why not, they are the main characters), but their performances are still “blah”. And so is everybody else’s. For all the politically correct folk out there, there is one black character, played by the serious looking Edi Gathegi, and no, he doesn’t die. The performances are just making it in this film, but most people don’t attend a slasher film for star-studded quality acting anyway.

The 3-D aspects of the film were a lot better than I thought they would be going in. As an avid movie watcher, I am usually unmoved by shock moments and scary, atmospheric scores. I’m also unmoved by most of the blood and gore in most movies. The added 3D elements did make quite a few people in the crowded theatre jump. And a lot of the stylized, bloody, horrific violence did make some people cringe and gasp. For me, it was just more of the same stuff we’ve been seeing in these types of films for the last decade. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it made the film seem as if it lacked substance.

The 3D is achieved through a technology called Real D. I could immediately see practical uses for it the moment I put on my glasses. A note about the glasses, they hurt. They hurt my eyes, they hurt my ears and they hurt my pride (they were dorky looking). This movie could have done without them, but then, it probably wouldn’t have gotten as many seats filled.

Overall, the movie was terrible, the acting was bad, the story was somewhat entertaining until the end when it became stupid (yes, whatever writer was involved in that mess should be slapped). However, with that being said, the movie is still engaging, in the way that bad B-movies are. So go ahead, if you got nothing better to do and somebody to go with, then by all means, pay your ticket price, pick up your 3D glasses and have a look.

My Bloody Valentine 3D on IMDB and Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Bloody_Valentine_3D
Link to the Trailer

Bonus – B-Roll – Behind the Scene Footage
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/my-bloody-valentine-3-d/b-roll-i
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/my-bloody-valentine-3-d/b-roll-ii

Here’s a link to the script: https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/My_Bloody_Valentine.pdf

Here’s a link to the official production notes: https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/pro_notes_30.doc

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By: Silencio Barnes Movie Review, Reviews Tags: 3-D, 3-D film, Axel Palmer, Ben Foley, Coraline, film, films, Harry Warden, horror, Jaime King, Jensen Ackles, Kerr Smith, Megan Boone, movie, movies, My Bloody Valentine, My Bloody Valentine (film), My Bloody Valentine 3D, My Bloody Valentine 3D script, my bloody valentine production notes, My Bloody Valentine screenplay, My Bloody Valentine Script, Neil Gaiman, Review, Richard John Walters, Sarah Palmer, screenplay, script included, Slasher film, slasher flick, sleepy mining town, Tom Atkins, Tom Hanniger

28 Apr 2007

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A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly is a movie based on the novel of the same name, by Philip K. Dick. I have never read the novel (or anything by Philip for that matter), but being a fan of science fiction and fantasy, I know that this author’s name rings bells in the science fiction community (think Asimov, Bear, Clark, etc.).

I also know that many of his novels and/or short stories have gone on to make or inspire many popular movies such as Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report to name a few.

So I admit that I did enter into this movie with preconceived notions…I thought it was going to be good, like one of those overlooked movies that’s excellent but a lot of people haven’t seen, like Mirrormask (later I learned that this movie grossed about $5 million at the box office and won many film critics’ awards)

Well, I was wrong.

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Based on a popular novel (that by all accounts is simply excellent), written by a popular novelist (circa 1960s-70s, but now a legend), and starring the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder among others; you would think that this movie would be, if not excellent, at least palatable. But what do you get?

Boredom.

That’s right; this may have been one of the most boring movies I have ever watched. I’m not throwing stones at the original work, the novel, because I have never read it, and by all accounts, it is a must read for any fan of the genre; you know, a real piece of literature. I could even see myself really enjoying the novel after watching this movie, but the movie itself just doesn’t work for me.

Why? Well, I’ll tell you.

The visual style. Richard Linklater, who wrote the movie’s screenplay and directed it, is not a new name. He’s written and/or directed such movies as Before Sunset, Bad News Bears (2005), and the School of Rock just to name a few. Well, he decided to use animation and a technique called interpolated rotoscoping (which is animating over live action).

Now, you have probably seen rotoscoping before but didn’t know what you were looking at. It’s used in those old Superman Cartoons, Snow White, and even Monster House. There’s nothing wrong with this technique in and of itself. Even in the examples I named, it seems organic and natural. But, in A Scanner Darkly it looks hyper-artificial. Sort of like a video game from the PS2 age.

Sometimes you can even tell when it phases from pure animation to the rotoscoping animation and it’s a little hurtful to the eye. This movie would have worked better either fully animated or live action, this in-between thing they did just annoys the hell out of your eyes. This style of filmmaking would have worked if there was more action but it seems wasted on a bunch of junkies sitting around talking about nothing.

Which brings us to…

The plot. The plot revolves around a narcotics agent, Fred (Keanu Reeves) doing a sting on a group of supposed drug traffickers. He lives in the same house as them, trying to figure which one of these junkies is the real threat. What do they do? Well, they get high on Substance D (a psychedelic drug that does more to your brain over time than the usual constant exposure to chemical toxins), and they act like fiends (trust me, I know how fiends act). But the twist is that Fred and his counterpart that lives in the house, Bob, are actually one and the same and neither he nor anybody else seems to be aware of this fact.

So is our narcotics agent an addict himself? That’s the question you are expected to ask yourself while watching, or staring, at this movie. I would like to give more details but I expect some of you would like to see this film despite what I say, so I don’t want to give out any spoilers. Feel free to get it the best way you know how and form your own opinion, the critics loved it and many other people did too.

All in all, I realized several things while watching this film that makes me want to read the book. The themes (duality of our own realities and psychological profiles and drugs in America as an ongoing endemic even into the future) are here in the film but don’t really come off the right way. I expect it’s all there in the actual book. It’s definitely not all here in this movie.

The story itself, based on Philips own struggle with drugs, is considered by some to be his darkest tale. I wonder what he would have thought of the film if he was alive.

Philip K. Dick – RIP – 12/1928 to 03/1982

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick

https://bit.ly/PhilipKD

To Download the 1st Draft of the Movie Script written by Charlie Kaufman Click Here (pdf file) –

A Scanner Darkly (1st draft, 20 Dec, 1997)
This unproduced interpretation of the Philip K Dick novel was eventually vetoed, in favour of Richard Linklater’s own adaptation. Kaufman’s draft is very faithful to the source material.

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