#everythingiconsume

[nofringesamekid]

The 9th Gate - 11th March 2017 A very interesting premise (a rare book dealer is asked by a disgustingly wealthy client to authenticate a book called 'The Nines Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows', said to summon Satan himself) but falters because of its slow pace and easily unraveled 'whodunnit' (as those few who possess other copies of the rare book are murdered) Johnny Depp was forgettable as bland main character Dean Curso who despite lending character traits from all great sleuths (i.e. smoking, drinking and fucking) lacked any noteable appeal (even for a die hard sleuth fan like myself). A fairly decent looking film with a genuinely thrilling premise but unfortunately doesn't deliver. 5/10

[nofringesamekid]

11th June - Haibane Renmei

I haven't watched  much anime since I was a teen so it's nice to meet someone who's into it more than me and can trudge through the fan service to find something watchable, hell, even good. But even then Haibane Renmei suprised me.

It follows the tale of several women known as haibane who are periodically birthed out of mystical cocoons with angelic wings and even halos living together in a run down building called Old Home near a secluded town where they work different jobs in order to earn clothes and food. The haibane are treated with reverence by the ordinary townspeople but little is known either by them or the haibane themselves about their true purpose. It this mystery that made me guzzle up this thirteen episode series quick quick.

It starts off fairly slow with four episodes dedicated to detailing the  characters and  the intriguing mythos of the show which although fascinating can feel a little dull considering the quiet and tranquil tone at the beginning of the series. But it sucks you in hard and fast changing the tone from peaceful if somewhat unsettlingly strange to dark and upsetting.

 It helps that the animation is just beautiful with extraordinary detail and seamless movement. The music too is both soothing and eery.

The story is honestly phenomenal with the fantastic unraveling mystery not being the only focal point as the character drama is equally thrilling and incredibly moving.  Haibane Renmei is truly artistic in its nature and as such explores difficult universal questions about existentialism,  suffering and forgiveness amongst others. Despite that Haibane Renmei never feels pretentious or even convoluted maybe because it uses universal symbols and religious mythology to explore these complex themes. At its heart though Haibane Renmei is about young women leaning upon one another whilst struggling to understand their purpose in life. The questions they ask themselves are one we've all asked ourselves. 

The show is relatable,  fantastical, eery and soothing all at once. It's definitely one of the most rewarding shows I've watched this year and it'd be a sin not to recommend it to everyone.

Comics (2) Books (3) TV (14) Film (19) Video-Games (5) 

[nofringesamekid]

11th April - Sons of Anarchy (season one)

I initially stormed through season one of Sons of Anarchy until its penultimate and final episode which I avoided for about two months at least. Mostly because I didn't want to have to write a review on something that I really only began watching to postpone writing other reviews of other television programmes I had nearly finished. Of course this didn't happen. What happened was I got trapped within a time warp and somehow managed to watch hours and hours of Sons of Anarchy at at time. Nearly finishing the first series within a couple of days. But before I did, I had to finish off a couple of reviews. A few months later and FINALLY I resolved myself to watching the last two episodes and accepting the fact that I'd have to review it too. I've been working a lot this week. I'm tired and I'm cranky. So I'll keep this brief.

Sons of Anarchy is awesome. It's a classic American television programme in that its simply unmissable. That might because its plot is simply gripping. It follows The first charter of Sons of Anarchy's turbulent year gun-trafficking whilst warring other rival clubs and withstanding ATF and police investigations. The first season is fraught with paranoia and betrayal with every character having his or her own conflicting agenda. The give and take or win and lose of these plotlines (such as Opi and Donna's failing relationship or Gemma's manipulative interference with her son's love life) are so gripping that each episode seems to snowball into one another culminating in a explosive and satisfying finale.

The cast perform valiantly delivering ambiguous characters that can be simultaneously loveable and despicable  Despite having a large supporting cast each character from Sons of Anarchy's first season stands out on his or her own undoubtedly illustrating its incredibly detailed well-written script. Even years after its television premiere Sons of Anarchy still felt as fresh and sharp as it did five years ago. Maybe that's just because nobody has attempted to grapple gang-related crime before or since Sons of Anarchy made its lawless, violent and deadly brothers seem relatable  sympathetic and enviable-not for their 'wealth' but for their close almost familial comradery-. Great American television. 

Comics (2) Books (1) TV (6) Film (12) Video-Games (1)  

[nofringesamekid]

5th March 2013 - Troll 2

This last month I've consistently 'had to' review Troll 2 and been unable or rather unwilling to do so. But now as another television series, videogame and film loom over my shoulder awaiting to be reviewed I feel it is necessary to put aside whatever reservations I might have about reviewing what one documentary (I have yet to see) named, "The Best Worst Movie" and just try to rationally explain why Troll 2 is simply outstanding.Troll 2 was wrongly panned as one of the worst films of all time on IMDB both by elitist film journalists and misunderstood or simply dumb-witted Westernized viewers alike but hopefully I can try to prove otherwise.

Imagine every horror cliche you've ever seen from character archetypes to plot. Would one of the worst films of all time be cliched? Obviously. Is Troll 2? Obviously not. What other film would have thought to feature a family vacationing being attacked by vegetarian goblins who turn their human victims into plants with mysterious green goo (that is lavishly added to any food and drink available by 'strange' townsfolk) in order to eat their human plant hybrid deliciousness? Who would have thought of writing about a sex scene where upon orgasm popcorn explodes everywhere filling an entire  campervan? Who would have thought to write about a boyfriend who desperately wants to have sex with his long suffering girlfriend but refuses to leave his 'boys' at home? A genius that's who. Obviously.

As the film deliberately pushes Western preconceived notions of horror for example, Troll 2's cast are not performers so much as readers practically reading from a badly translated Italian to English script their acting is awkward and uncomfortable creating a tense atmosphere unlike any other where scares are almost unpredictable or even undetectable!  Troll 2 consistently questions what it is to be a horror film whilst trampling over franchise cliches even going as so far as to successfully reclaim classic archetypes such as witches and goblins. Any self-proclaimed film critic or horror enthusiast will find themselves in awe at what Troll 2 achieves within its revolutionary ninety four minute runtime. I implore you to find a copy of Troll 2 through whatever means necessary and watch this thrilling unprecedented cinematic feat!

Comics (2) Books (1) TV (4) Film (10) Video-Games (1)