Sunday, May 1, 2011
Time to blow the dust off....
I think its time to combine the facebook groups into a newly re-vamped edition of my poor neglected blog. Here goes nothin....
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Happy Halloween - Star Wars Edition
After months away from blogging of any sort, I felt that it was about time to get myself caught up on things. Lets see... I've stepped down from my salaried position at work, got a new car, went back to school, and had a complete meltdown of my finances. So my recent distraction from this little project can at least be partially justified. Anyway, seeing that Halloween is upon us, I broke down and bought myself a copy of the unabridged audio book of Deathtroopers by Joe Schreiber.
I'm not going to dwell on the nuances of the audio presentation, but I will say that for the most part the few music and sound effect cues were appropriate in helping set the mood; although most of the foley work involved adding the nigh constant addition of engine rumble beneath the naration ( I would add that the effect given to the Skin Hill chapter was suitably gruesome ).
I have to admit that the concept of a Star wars horror novel intrigued me from the first moment I heard of it. The mix didn't seem too (pardon the pun) alien, as there were plenty of "scary moments" in the original trilogy: Luke's skeletonized aunt and uncle, the trash compactor monster, the wampa on hoth, the rancor etc. The idea of zombie stormtroopers seemed a bit far fetched, but I was willing to roll with it. My biggest question was how they were going to pull it off.
As it turned out, what we are given is a fairly standard resident-evil style romp in space. The walking dead are provided via an imperial bio-weapon project gone horribly awry. For newcomers to the expanded universe this is a good thing, as the concept of force ghosts, sith talismans and bizzare alien species might have required far more exposition.
The drawback to this approach is that at times it feels not quite star-warsey enough. Thankfully, we are treated to the inclusion of a pair of original trilogy characters to help the story feel grounded in universe, and I must say that the characterizations are for the most part spot-on.
The book's nigh astronomical body-count is provided from the mostly nameless guards and prisoners of the imperial prison barge Purge, as well as an unnamed and equally undead imperial star destroyer. From the moment that the virus takes hold, our meager handfull of protagonists and anti-heroes feel hopelessly outnumbered and out matched, as these are "fast zombies" who can learn....
In all I found the book to be entertaining, if at points nauseating, as Schriber has a true talent for describing the most gruesome medical anomalies with fearsome detail. The emergency surgery scene with Dr. Zahara Cody and Kale Longo is truly squirm inducing. The action scenes are taught and concise, allowing for easy comprehension of the orientation and movements of all players.
I would be amiss if I didn't mention that while there are indeed zombie stormtroopers in the book, the title is a bit of a misnomer, as these are not a true army of the damned, more of a seething, churning mob of undead with a few troops sprinkled in for flavor.
As for the grand experiment of mixing horror with Star Wars, I would say it was a success. A few out of universe references ( a certain Lynrd Skynrd refrence comes to mind) aside, the package we've received is compelling and cast with characters that while not completely fleshed-out, are easy to root for. I'm aware that Mr. Schriber is working on another Star Wars horror novel (not a sequel) and I can honestly say I'm looking forward to seeing his next effort.
I'm not going to dwell on the nuances of the audio presentation, but I will say that for the most part the few music and sound effect cues were appropriate in helping set the mood; although most of the foley work involved adding the nigh constant addition of engine rumble beneath the naration ( I would add that the effect given to the Skin Hill chapter was suitably gruesome ).
I have to admit that the concept of a Star wars horror novel intrigued me from the first moment I heard of it. The mix didn't seem too (pardon the pun) alien, as there were plenty of "scary moments" in the original trilogy: Luke's skeletonized aunt and uncle, the trash compactor monster, the wampa on hoth, the rancor etc. The idea of zombie stormtroopers seemed a bit far fetched, but I was willing to roll with it. My biggest question was how they were going to pull it off.
As it turned out, what we are given is a fairly standard resident-evil style romp in space. The walking dead are provided via an imperial bio-weapon project gone horribly awry. For newcomers to the expanded universe this is a good thing, as the concept of force ghosts, sith talismans and bizzare alien species might have required far more exposition.
The drawback to this approach is that at times it feels not quite star-warsey enough. Thankfully, we are treated to the inclusion of a pair of original trilogy characters to help the story feel grounded in universe, and I must say that the characterizations are for the most part spot-on.
The book's nigh astronomical body-count is provided from the mostly nameless guards and prisoners of the imperial prison barge Purge, as well as an unnamed and equally undead imperial star destroyer. From the moment that the virus takes hold, our meager handfull of protagonists and anti-heroes feel hopelessly outnumbered and out matched, as these are "fast zombies" who can learn....
In all I found the book to be entertaining, if at points nauseating, as Schriber has a true talent for describing the most gruesome medical anomalies with fearsome detail. The emergency surgery scene with Dr. Zahara Cody and Kale Longo is truly squirm inducing. The action scenes are taught and concise, allowing for easy comprehension of the orientation and movements of all players.
I would be amiss if I didn't mention that while there are indeed zombie stormtroopers in the book, the title is a bit of a misnomer, as these are not a true army of the damned, more of a seething, churning mob of undead with a few troops sprinkled in for flavor.
As for the grand experiment of mixing horror with Star Wars, I would say it was a success. A few out of universe references ( a certain Lynrd Skynrd refrence comes to mind) aside, the package we've received is compelling and cast with characters that while not completely fleshed-out, are easy to root for. I'm aware that Mr. Schriber is working on another Star Wars horror novel (not a sequel) and I can honestly say I'm looking forward to seeing his next effort.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Clone Wars wrap-up
Since the first season of Clone Wars is "in the can" I just wanted to reflect a bit on its successes and failures, and what I'd like to see in upcoming years.
Before I get started, I did want to point out that there is officially more CG animated Star Wars footage than all six live action movies put together. A new generation of fans are embracing this franchise, and for them this series is what comes to mind when someone mentions SW.
So what kind of legacy are we getting from this show? Are the messages the same? Are the plots and characters constant with the movies that came before?
The basic premise of good vs evil does consistently play out in each episode, much like the classic movies, you have your "white hats and black hats". For the most part the good guys win, although there are appropriate numbers of losses on both sides to make most battles seem "realistic". In a way I wish that the bodycount was a little less sterile, as most of the casualties are faceless clonetroopers and disposeable battle droids. Not that I'm wishing for anime-style carnage, but rather more moments as they were portrayed in the second and third episodes of the Ryloth trillogy- where you get a true sense of loss, as in the orphan girl Numa or the firebombing of the village filled with women and children. The events took place off camera, but get the point accross that good people do suffer in wars.
The Force does come into play, and thankfully in a less "weapon at my disposal" method than the prequels presented it. There have been a few nice mystical moments this season, as well as some good mentoring by the vetran characters. In a world full of "E.T.-style " messages that your elders are to be dismissed, tricked or feared, its nice to see Ashoka or the clones come to their mentors earnestly for advice.
The action sequences are truly a sight to behold, I cant wait for the blu-ray box set so I can make out all the details I've been missing. If I had one complaint, it would be I wish they would have waited another year to release the show,due to the fact that they would have had more character models built. some of the early episodes seemed a little sparse of the typical Lucasian diversity.
Looking forward, I hope that the show will continue to mature with its audience. I appreciate the classic throwbacks and lines from the movies, but I would also like to see more of the expanded universe come into play. The villans desprately need more fleshing out and need to win at least a couple of battles, lest the show seem too GIJoe-like.
All-in-all I give this first season thumbs up. With the introduction of the bounty hunter faction in the finalie, a whole gambit of new possibilities for stories on the fringe have opened. The Star Wars galaxy is ripe with story possibilities, and I can't wait to see where they take us next.
Before I get started, I did want to point out that there is officially more CG animated Star Wars footage than all six live action movies put together. A new generation of fans are embracing this franchise, and for them this series is what comes to mind when someone mentions SW.
So what kind of legacy are we getting from this show? Are the messages the same? Are the plots and characters constant with the movies that came before?
The basic premise of good vs evil does consistently play out in each episode, much like the classic movies, you have your "white hats and black hats". For the most part the good guys win, although there are appropriate numbers of losses on both sides to make most battles seem "realistic". In a way I wish that the bodycount was a little less sterile, as most of the casualties are faceless clonetroopers and disposeable battle droids. Not that I'm wishing for anime-style carnage, but rather more moments as they were portrayed in the second and third episodes of the Ryloth trillogy- where you get a true sense of loss, as in the orphan girl Numa or the firebombing of the village filled with women and children. The events took place off camera, but get the point accross that good people do suffer in wars.
The Force does come into play, and thankfully in a less "weapon at my disposal" method than the prequels presented it. There have been a few nice mystical moments this season, as well as some good mentoring by the vetran characters. In a world full of "E.T.-style " messages that your elders are to be dismissed, tricked or feared, its nice to see Ashoka or the clones come to their mentors earnestly for advice.
The action sequences are truly a sight to behold, I cant wait for the blu-ray box set so I can make out all the details I've been missing. If I had one complaint, it would be I wish they would have waited another year to release the show,due to the fact that they would have had more character models built. some of the early episodes seemed a little sparse of the typical Lucasian diversity.
Looking forward, I hope that the show will continue to mature with its audience. I appreciate the classic throwbacks and lines from the movies, but I would also like to see more of the expanded universe come into play. The villans desprately need more fleshing out and need to win at least a couple of battles, lest the show seem too GIJoe-like.
All-in-all I give this first season thumbs up. With the introduction of the bounty hunter faction in the finalie, a whole gambit of new possibilities for stories on the fringe have opened. The Star Wars galaxy is ripe with story possibilities, and I can't wait to see where they take us next.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Impressions of the Clone Wars....
So, we've reached the halfway point of season one, and I figured it was about time to post my feelings on Clone Wars thus far.
First of all, there's the movie. While not without it's visual merits, by in large, it was rather disappointing. I got the chance to see it at GenCon last year, so the theater was packed with fairly rabid SW fans, lots of costumes and lightsabers in the crowd, and in general a slightly more forgiving audience than the general public. Dispite the "slanted jury" I still heard at least a couple of folks mumbling about the waste of a couple of hours. And while not a complete waste of time, especially since it establishes the characters for the show, the emotional "grabs" that draw you in were sadly lacking. My favorite moments, outside the action sequences, were the few uncomfortable moments Ashoka and Anakin share as they trek across the desert on Tatooine. One other bit about the movie would be my personal recommendation to buy the blu-ray, the picture quality is astounding, and it has a few bits from the live action movies in the extras section.
As for the series itself, I've been enjoying it fully. The production values didn't drop, like I was accustomed to in the past when an American cartoon had a feature film and then a series. In fact, I feel that the quality has improved. The voice casting is solid, I've been pleasantly surprised by more than a couple of choices (I personally love the British accent they gave to Master Luminara), and the occasional guest voice actor, be they from the live action movies (Anthony Daniels, Amed Best) or other sources (James Marsters, Ron Perlman) adds depth to the mix of the show.
The music, while a bit "technoey" at times, is creative, as a hundred episodes made up of sampling from the John Williams scores would seem cheap. Were the score really shines is in the "ethnic" music used to highlight new environments. It truly adds to the exoticness of these new locales, especially since we only get to see most of them for less than twenty minutes.
Perhaps my biggest concern is the fact that so far, there is no overwhelming story arc. We've had a few two and three-parters, but no grand story to hold it all together. Perhaps that isn't in the cards, maybe much like the Clone Wars Adventures comic, this show is ment to be a bunch of little skirmishes with no grand plot, but it may be to early to tell. Heck, Evangelion was a "monster of the week" show untill episode 13, and it went on to set the benchmark for character development for the last decade, so heres hoping....
First of all, there's the movie. While not without it's visual merits, by in large, it was rather disappointing. I got the chance to see it at GenCon last year, so the theater was packed with fairly rabid SW fans, lots of costumes and lightsabers in the crowd, and in general a slightly more forgiving audience than the general public. Dispite the "slanted jury" I still heard at least a couple of folks mumbling about the waste of a couple of hours. And while not a complete waste of time, especially since it establishes the characters for the show, the emotional "grabs" that draw you in were sadly lacking. My favorite moments, outside the action sequences, were the few uncomfortable moments Ashoka and Anakin share as they trek across the desert on Tatooine. One other bit about the movie would be my personal recommendation to buy the blu-ray, the picture quality is astounding, and it has a few bits from the live action movies in the extras section.
As for the series itself, I've been enjoying it fully. The production values didn't drop, like I was accustomed to in the past when an American cartoon had a feature film and then a series. In fact, I feel that the quality has improved. The voice casting is solid, I've been pleasantly surprised by more than a couple of choices (I personally love the British accent they gave to Master Luminara), and the occasional guest voice actor, be they from the live action movies (Anthony Daniels, Amed Best) or other sources (James Marsters, Ron Perlman) adds depth to the mix of the show.
The music, while a bit "technoey" at times, is creative, as a hundred episodes made up of sampling from the John Williams scores would seem cheap. Were the score really shines is in the "ethnic" music used to highlight new environments. It truly adds to the exoticness of these new locales, especially since we only get to see most of them for less than twenty minutes.
Perhaps my biggest concern is the fact that so far, there is no overwhelming story arc. We've had a few two and three-parters, but no grand story to hold it all together. Perhaps that isn't in the cards, maybe much like the Clone Wars Adventures comic, this show is ment to be a bunch of little skirmishes with no grand plot, but it may be to early to tell. Heck, Evangelion was a "monster of the week" show untill episode 13, and it went on to set the benchmark for character development for the last decade, so heres hoping....
Monday, May 12, 2008
if only life were as simple as Evangelion...
....That was the script of a bumper sticker I almost purchased the other day. It seems fitting as an intro to my absolute favorite anime series of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
This show always brings to mind a quote I heard a long time ago, that true genius is not especially found in creating something new, but in combining already existing things in a way no one expected. This holds especially true for Eva, the plot elements it contains; giant robots, a reluctant hero, ruthless government agencies, cabalistic religious societies, beautiful heroines, dramatic fight scenes, junior-high romance, star-crossed lovers, abusive parents, and the ever-popular end of days scenario; have all been seen in one form or another either on the big or small screen. What makes Eva so special is that it has all of them and more, all wrapped up with enough psychologically damaged characters to make Freud run for the hills.
In a radio interview a few years ago, Mel Gibson was asked about the characters he liked to bring to the big screen, as they all seemed to have recurring tragedies tied to them. He replied that he found inspiration in characters that had truly gone through hell, that had suffered and somehow held to their convictions and goals. Well Eva has suffering in spades, no character survives unscathed by the end of the series, and their trials truly do endear them to the viewer.
Perhaps the greatest testament to the show is how it changed the industry, spawning dozens of clone series, and changing the storytelling methods of most shows since its debut back in '94.
For example it had been a convention that most shows of 26 episodes in length would use their 13th episode to recap the show thus far,and then continue business as usual toward a grand finale showdown episode. Eva used the 13th episode as a recap, but from that episode forward it slowly removes the support mechanisms of its characters; until the finale leaves us not with an epic showdown of good versus evil, but a trip into the very psyche of the shows protagonist, Shinji Ikari. This reflective and anti-climactic plot device is now commonplace, even in America, The Soprano's used a similar plot device for their final episode, garnering a similar fan reaction.
Hideki Anno, the show's creator, used the incredible backlash from his former fans to create a set of "true" conclusion movies, and in so doing created the film equivalent of a deal with the devil. Every fanboy wish is granted in the ensuing 2 hours of cinema, but in the worst possible way. Anno even manages in a few live action montages to display some of the death threats fans sent him over the TV series ending.
In the ensuing years, Gianax, the company that produced Eva, has churned out tons of merchandise based on the show. Rei Ayanami and Auska Langley Soryu, Eva's main female leads have been immortalized in plastic in almost every conceivable outfit imaginable, and fan-made doujins(comics) have continued the story for years. Evangelion merchandise was even prominently displayed in the Robin Williams movie One Hour Photo. (Robin is a big fan of the series and actually requested the toys be in the film) There was even talk for a while of a live-action American -produced movie, with studio Weta, the company behind the Lord of the Rings movies doing the effects work. Unfortunately the project never made it past the pre-production stage, although you can see their concept art on the company website.
Which brings us to today, where the franchise is being rebuilt as a set of four feature-length animated movies making use of today's best mix of hand-drawn and CGI techniques. The first film, Rebuild of Evangelion You are (not) Alone, premiered in theaters last September, out-grossing the previous movie's box office takes. The DVD release a few weeks ago sold out at nearly every brick-and-mortar as well as online retailer in Japan, and thus far has become the top selling DVD of 2008.
No foray into the world of anime would be complete without taking the time to view this true crown jewel of the industry. I cannot recommend Evangelion highly enough.
This show always brings to mind a quote I heard a long time ago, that true genius is not especially found in creating something new, but in combining already existing things in a way no one expected. This holds especially true for Eva, the plot elements it contains; giant robots, a reluctant hero, ruthless government agencies, cabalistic religious societies, beautiful heroines, dramatic fight scenes, junior-high romance, star-crossed lovers, abusive parents, and the ever-popular end of days scenario; have all been seen in one form or another either on the big or small screen. What makes Eva so special is that it has all of them and more, all wrapped up with enough psychologically damaged characters to make Freud run for the hills.
In a radio interview a few years ago, Mel Gibson was asked about the characters he liked to bring to the big screen, as they all seemed to have recurring tragedies tied to them. He replied that he found inspiration in characters that had truly gone through hell, that had suffered and somehow held to their convictions and goals. Well Eva has suffering in spades, no character survives unscathed by the end of the series, and their trials truly do endear them to the viewer.
Perhaps the greatest testament to the show is how it changed the industry, spawning dozens of clone series, and changing the storytelling methods of most shows since its debut back in '94.
For example it had been a convention that most shows of 26 episodes in length would use their 13th episode to recap the show thus far,and then continue business as usual toward a grand finale showdown episode. Eva used the 13th episode as a recap, but from that episode forward it slowly removes the support mechanisms of its characters; until the finale leaves us not with an epic showdown of good versus evil, but a trip into the very psyche of the shows protagonist, Shinji Ikari. This reflective and anti-climactic plot device is now commonplace, even in America, The Soprano's used a similar plot device for their final episode, garnering a similar fan reaction.
Hideki Anno, the show's creator, used the incredible backlash from his former fans to create a set of "true" conclusion movies, and in so doing created the film equivalent of a deal with the devil. Every fanboy wish is granted in the ensuing 2 hours of cinema, but in the worst possible way. Anno even manages in a few live action montages to display some of the death threats fans sent him over the TV series ending.
In the ensuing years, Gianax, the company that produced Eva, has churned out tons of merchandise based on the show. Rei Ayanami and Auska Langley Soryu, Eva's main female leads have been immortalized in plastic in almost every conceivable outfit imaginable, and fan-made doujins(comics) have continued the story for years. Evangelion merchandise was even prominently displayed in the Robin Williams movie One Hour Photo. (Robin is a big fan of the series and actually requested the toys be in the film) There was even talk for a while of a live-action American -produced movie, with studio Weta, the company behind the Lord of the Rings movies doing the effects work. Unfortunately the project never made it past the pre-production stage, although you can see their concept art on the company website.
Which brings us to today, where the franchise is being rebuilt as a set of four feature-length animated movies making use of today's best mix of hand-drawn and CGI techniques. The first film, Rebuild of Evangelion You are (not) Alone, premiered in theaters last September, out-grossing the previous movie's box office takes. The DVD release a few weeks ago sold out at nearly every brick-and-mortar as well as online retailer in Japan, and thus far has become the top selling DVD of 2008.
No foray into the world of anime would be complete without taking the time to view this true crown jewel of the industry. I cannot recommend Evangelion highly enough.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The best of anime: Part 1
A few months ago, Anime Insider magazine made a list of the 50 best animes of all time and having seen most of the titles they nominated, I would be inclined to agree with most of their choices. I also came to the conclusion that this blog would be an excellent place to post my own reviews of my ever-expanding collection of anime movies and series. So in no particular order....
Robert's favorite anime selections...
I guess I could have started with my first exposure to anime (Battle of the Planets) or the show I own the most merchandise from (Neon Genesis Evangelion), but I feel it appropriate to start with my hands-down favorite anime movie of all time, Hayao Miazaki's Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind.
The film sets itself in a far-flung post-apocalyptic earth, but unlike typical Mad-Max style techno barbarism, we find a quasi-medieval world of feudal kingdoms, WWI tank-and-trench warfare, airships, giant insects, and a posonous fungal forest that has pushed the last remaining vestiges of humanity to the fringes of habitable land. The manga on which the movie is based delves far deeper into the religions and socio-political aspects of the world the story takes place in, but all of these details are mere plot dressings for the movie's true star.
In all of the titles I have seen, both American and foreign I have never seen a more engaging character than the movie's heroine, Nausicca. Miazakii has created several eco-themed tales since this film came out in 1985, but the nearly Christ-like love and determination that Nausicca displays is the reason that she stayed at the top of the "favorite anime character" listings for over a decade. She steadfastly holds to her convictions, trying to both save her friends and enemies from their misguided attempts to conquer nature, a path she alone realizes will lead to their ultimate destruction.
I'm not going to reveal the whole plot here, nor critique its slightly-dated (but still better than most) animation techniques, but I will say that it has my favorite ending of all the anime movies I own.
Disney released Nausicca a few years ago with a typical big-name cast, so it should be still available at most video stores. I currently own 5 distinct versions; 2 bootlegs, the official disney release, the god-awfull-buchered "warriors of the wind" version, and the crown jewel of my collection, the twentieth anniversary japaneese edition-the one that came with a framed lithograph, cloth dvd case, and a porcelin figurine of Nausicca herself- well worth the $220 I paid for it...
Robert's favorite anime selections...
I guess I could have started with my first exposure to anime (Battle of the Planets) or the show I own the most merchandise from (Neon Genesis Evangelion), but I feel it appropriate to start with my hands-down favorite anime movie of all time, Hayao Miazaki's Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind.
The film sets itself in a far-flung post-apocalyptic earth, but unlike typical Mad-Max style techno barbarism, we find a quasi-medieval world of feudal kingdoms, WWI tank-and-trench warfare, airships, giant insects, and a posonous fungal forest that has pushed the last remaining vestiges of humanity to the fringes of habitable land. The manga on which the movie is based delves far deeper into the religions and socio-political aspects of the world the story takes place in, but all of these details are mere plot dressings for the movie's true star.
In all of the titles I have seen, both American and foreign I have never seen a more engaging character than the movie's heroine, Nausicca. Miazakii has created several eco-themed tales since this film came out in 1985, but the nearly Christ-like love and determination that Nausicca displays is the reason that she stayed at the top of the "favorite anime character" listings for over a decade. She steadfastly holds to her convictions, trying to both save her friends and enemies from their misguided attempts to conquer nature, a path she alone realizes will lead to their ultimate destruction.
I'm not going to reveal the whole plot here, nor critique its slightly-dated (but still better than most) animation techniques, but I will say that it has my favorite ending of all the anime movies I own.
Disney released Nausicca a few years ago with a typical big-name cast, so it should be still available at most video stores. I currently own 5 distinct versions; 2 bootlegs, the official disney release, the god-awfull-buchered "warriors of the wind" version, and the crown jewel of my collection, the twentieth anniversary japaneese edition-the one that came with a framed lithograph, cloth dvd case, and a porcelin figurine of Nausicca herself- well worth the $220 I paid for it...
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