31 Days of Halloween #7

Today, I would like to share one of my all-time favorite movies.  While not a horror film, per se, this creepy, atmospheric, and surprisingly funny film is one that should be watched at least once, and then again and again.  About a day or so after borrowing it from my local library, I went to the store and bought myself a copy.  I have absolutely no regrets.

Delicatessen is a fascinating tale of a post-apocalyptic world.  We are introduced to the residents of an apartment building, owned and run by a butcher known as Clapet.  When a drifter, and former circus performer, Louison turns up on Clapet's doorstep, he's given a room and a job as a handyman around the building.  What he doesn't realize, though, is that Clapet and the rest of the tenants have a craving for meat in a world where food is scarce.  And when circumstance presents drifters, loners, and the like to the apartment, Clapet prepares all of his guests a sumptuous feast of the poor, cannibalized individual.  There is a hitch in Clapet's plans, however, when his nearsighted daughter falls in love with Louison, and tries to warn him of the danger that is waiting for him if he stays any longer. 

This hilarious, suspenseful, and artistic film includes two of my favorite French actors, and my favorite French director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet.  As for the actors, they played the roles of Clapet and Louison, respectively: Jean-Claude Dreyfus, and Dominique Pinon, sometimes known as the man with the rubber face, due to his eccentric and expressive features.

If you watch this film, let me know in the comments what you thought.  Either way, I'd love to hear your opinions!

Anime Year in Review (Part 3)

Almost done, guys!  I promise!  In fact, I think I'm going to attempt to mash several series into one post this time around for the sake of wrapping this up...

July brought with it one of my all-time favorite anime: Nichijou, which roughly translates to "My Ordinary Life".  This series is anything but ordinary.  I'd try to explain, but I know I'll mess it up, so here are a few video clips to explain what I mean:

And before you say it, no.  This would not make more sense in context.  This is one of those series that even with all the context, it makes just as much sense.  This is of course why I love it to pieces.  I know I was planning on writing about several series at once here, but I think I'll just leave you with this.  Just let this all sink in and I'll talk to you about more anime later ;)

Anime Year in Review (Part 2)

Moving on with my anime viewing...Summer brought up a whole host of great series, including School Rumble, Cowboy Bebop, Nichijou, Pokemon Origins, Spice and Wolf, and Steins;Gate.

School Rumble is one of my all-time favorite anime.  It's one of those series that I could watch again and again, and you get so emotionally involved and attached to the characters.  I was super disappointed to learn that there will not be a third season, not even in Japan, but all the same, I'm glad I watched as much as I did, and I'm looking forward to checking out the manga, so I can complete the story.

Tenma

This series is a strange love triangle.  Tenma loves Karasuma. Harima loves Tenma.  Karasuma loves curry.  Or, to put it another way: ditsy girl falls for the dullest guy in her class.  The school delinquent falls for her.  And neither dull guy or girl has any idea that someone likes them.  Add in tons of love triangles in the background, a girl who can read the minds of guys who like her, and ridiculously improbable situations, and you have School Rumble.  This is one of those series that is hard to explain in any great detail, because I'll either spoil it for you or introduce you to waaay more information than you were looking for.  But, either way, it is incredibly fun.

Cowboy Bebop is at the other end of the spectrum.  While School Rumble is beyond silly, this series is much more serious.  The tone can get very dark at times, but all in all, this was another engaging series that I really enjoyed watching.  I've just requested a couple copies of the manga from the library, so hopefully, I can go back and revisit this classic series again.

Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein

Cowboy Bebop follows intergalactic bounty-hunter Spike Spiegel and his crew (tough-guy Jet, double-crossing Faye, computer-wiz Ed, and their super-smart dog Ein).  The group has a ton of misadventures and at various points, are forced to confront elements from their pasts.  As I said, it's not all fun and games, but while gritty, this is considered a classic anime, and if you are looking for the classics, then this is one to start with.  Plus, Steve Blum voices Spike in the English dub, and he's one of the best voice actors out there.

Spike and Cowboy Andy

Watching Bebop can be pretty emotional, and even bleak at times, but then you get to an episode like the one starring Cowboy Andy (I will say nothing more on the topic) and then you are so glad that you took the time.

So, sit back, relax, pick up a new anime, and tell me what you think!  And stay tuned, because Part 3 will be coming your way very soon :)

Anime Year in Review (Part 1)

I had considered doing a year in review for all the books I read, too, but if you look at my Goodreads page, I've read 153 books this year.  Then, I considered just writing about the books that got a 5 of 5 stars.  That's still 56 books, which will take up more time than any of us really have to devote to this blog.  So, instead, I'd like to look back on my year of anime series.  At the start of this year, I talked about finishing Death Note and Space Dandy, so I'll be avoiding those two this time around.  But, I'd like to talk about the other titles that I've checked out, both with the Brother and without.  There are some real gems here :)

January brought us on an emotional thrill ride through Death Note and Space Dandy, but then the Brother went back to school.  Left to my own devices, I picked up two anime that seemed like fun at the time: Love Lab and Eccentric Family--and thus, Spring anime season began.

Love Lab is a goofy shoujo about a group of students (from an all-girls high

Riko and Maki (Love Lab)

school) learning how to get the attention of boys.  The story begins when popular, tomboyish Riko catches the student council president, Maki, in the act of making out with a body pillow.  Maki begs her not to tell anyone, since this might ruin her perfect reputation.  Riko makes an off-hand comment that suggests she is popular with boys, so Maki recruits her to teach her how to find a boyfriend.  There are two problems, though.  First, school rules forbid the girls having romantic relationships, and second, Riko doesn't know the first thing about romance!  

Soon, the student council becomes a front for the girls' "love lab" as they test out ways to get attention from boys, such as different hairstyles, conversation topics, and kissing.  The pair are joined by brash Eno, timid Suzu, and conniving Sayo as they attempt to provide answers to their romantically challenged peers, while still performing their student council duties.

Riko, Suzu, and a giant paper fan

From the description, this anime sounds like it might veer into yuri (lesbian) territory, but surprisingly, it stays pretty innocent of anything sexual.  There are a lot of jokes and awkward situations, but for the most part, it is pretty wholesome.  It's a cute series, though.  Not something I would personally watch again (since I just don't go for drippy girly shows), but still an enjoyable way to spend a couple of nights.

Yasaburo (Eccentric Family)

Eccentric family, on the other hand, was a real gem.  This one tells the story of a family of tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dogs.  Just as in the mythology, these tanuki have the power to shape-shift, so they take the form of humans and live among other members of society.  The titular family consists of four brothers: tightly-wound Yaichiro; Yajiro, who turned himself into a frog and can't turn back; irresponsible Yasaburo; and sweet, but timid Yashiro.  Add in a cross-dressing mother; their despicable cousins, the Ebisagawa twins; and a cantankerous old tengu (crow demon) and you have the recipe for a perfect cast!

The story mostly focuses on Yasaburo, and without giving too much away, the

Benten and the Friday Fellows

central theme revolves around the death of the family patriarch.  As he used to be the leader of tanuki society, the rest of the clan is caught up in trying to elect a new leader in his stead.  Meanwhile, Yasaburo finds himself caught up with a mysterious group called the Friday Fellows, who are known for cooking and eating a tanuki every year as part of the New Year's celebration.  When the group's most dangerous member, the lovely Benten sets her sights on Yasaburo, he's in love...and also in great danger.

This is a great series if you're looking for something short, but very engaging.  I found it difficult to stop watching, and was disappointed when it was over.  But, all in all, this is an excellent series, and one which I would contend is one of my all-time favorites!

Stay tuned for Part 2: School Rumble and Cowboy Bebop.  It should be coming your way very soon!

I Kill Giants (Joe Kelly)

Confession time: when I was a kid, I sort of lived in my head.  I was imaginative, quiet, and always working up a new story or some adventure to daydream about.  I was that kid who would get called out by the teacher not for talking too much or acting out, but because I was staring out the window, thinking about what Pokemon I would want to take with me on my quest to become the Pokemon master, or what it would be like if I, like so many of the books I read as a kid, could go to some fantasy world and find all manner of strange and wonderful creatures and new friends.

Even now, at 24, I can still appreciate that part of child me.  Sure, I don't think that I'll be able to walk through a closet and end up in Narnia, but sometimes, I still think about what it would be like to go on an adventure, meet all manner of strange and wonderful creatures, and together fight off some great evil and save the world.  Or, more realistically, I would love to go backpacking across New Zealand, and meet some wonderful people who would remain close friends for the rest of our lives.

When I first picked up this book, I was looking for a simple fantasy story, but instead I found a deep and touching tale of growing up, coming of age, and dealing with the pain and suffering of life.  Let's be honest here: life is not always easy, but some of us have it easier than others.  For me, childhood had a lot of ups and down.  As a kid, I was very happy.  I was active, got along well with boys, and had a lot of fun.  When I got to be about 10 or so, I started having friend troubles, as girls do, because my classmates were getting into cliches.  And by the time I was in seventh or eighth grade, it had graduated from cliches to bullying.  There were years that I struggled because I was bullied to the point where I had no self-esteem.  For those of you who have never experienced it, there is no way to explain it.  It is the worst thing I have ever experienced, and I would never wish it on anyone.

Anyways, on to the book.  I think what attracted me to this book once I stared reading was the fact that I could see so much of myself in Barbara.  Here, we have a young girl who certainly stands out in her class.  She's quirky, she's odd, and she doesn't care.  When questioned, she claims that she kills giants, but this is all just a cover for coping with issues at home.  She's a smart kid, but you can see that she is struggling through something.  But, instead of making this an obviously mopey piece, in the hands of Joe Kelly, this becomes an amazing story full of heart and imagination.  It was incredibly engaging and difficult to put down.  We want to cheer on Barbara through her struggles, even though she makes herself somewhat unlikable.  But, she's a kid with a lot of emotions all bottled up inside, and like all of us, just wants to be loved and accepted.

The start is a bit slow, so make sure you give it some time to get involved.  And then, toward the end, there is some shocking stuff.  I'm not going to say anything more, but you don't want to miss out on this!  A great collaboration of drama, magical realism, and fantasy, this book is sure to blow you away!  Not gonna lie: there were a few parts where I got pretty choked up.  Which is saying something, since I generally try to be as emotionless as Mr. Spock, haha!  But, seriously--go and read this!  You'll be so glad you did!  And once you read it, come back and tell me what you thought about it!

Anna Karenina (2013)

So, I finally got around to watching the most recent film incarnation of Anna Karenina, the 2013 version starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadeyn, and Jude Law.  And I must say, with a cast like that, and a screenplay written by Tom Stoppard, I'm more confused why I didn't see it sooner (like, in theaters).

I was supposed to have read the book back in high school, for my AP World Literature class.  And I sort of read it.  It was a summer reading assignment, and as I'm sure most of you are aware, when it comes to summer reading, I read a lot of different things, but rarely what I'm supposed to read.  So, I got through about a fourth of it, went to class, and bull-shitted my way through weeks of discussion and a silly video where I had to play Anna's immature, lying, cheating, but terribly amusing brother Stiva.

I had also watched older versions of the film, but found them, like the book, to be trivial and trite.  I guess my issue was not so much with the presentation of the story, but with the story itself.  I found Anna to be drippy, self-absorbed, and irritating.

Perhaps, at this point, I should give you a bit of the plot?  Anna Karenina is, at it's heart, essentially the story of a virtuous married woman who falls in love with an officer, and finds herself in a landslide to social suicide, ruining the lives and relationships of those around her.  I know it's over-simplifying things, but think soap opera in book form.

[MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]

So, I guess onward to the review, eh?

I think what I liked most about this movie was the setup.  For the most part, with a few exceptions, the entire movie takes place in a theater, on the stage, in the audience, the wings, even the catwalks above the stage.  It was very cool.  And it gave the whole performance the feeling of a tightly knit drama.  It felt close, and intimate.  And perhaps that's what director Joe Wright, and writer Tom Stoppard were going for.  After all, this is certainly a drama.  And a tragedy at that.  And putting it on a stage, in a theater, makes a spectacle of things.  Anna's affair is there for everyone to see.  And society is watching and judging.

Reconnecting with the story five years after I first experienced it (and last experienced it, as well), I have to say that not much of my personal feelings toward the characters have changed.  I still think Stiva is hilarious.  I feel perhaps, a bit more kindly towards Levin and Dolly, and I don't see Kitty as quite such a silly, ridiculous little girl.  In these three characters, I see the smashed dreams of a damaged romance.  Love has not been kind.  And I see, too, a bit more to Levin than I did five years ago.  Perhaps it was this interpretation of him, but I don't think he's quite so foolish as he came across before.  Now, I see him as someone who is shy, and nervous, and introverted like myself, and who is looking for love and a simple life.  I think I finally "get" him.

And on that note, I think I'm starting to come around to Karenin a bit more.  Before, I saw him as boring, and snobbish.  He seemed demanding and cold, but now, I see that he is perhaps, a bit serious, but at the same time, he's kind and concerned, even though he's a bit less emotional.

And it really amazes me just how different a story can be depending when in your life you first experienced it.  And I never understand people who say that they'll only read a book once.  Every time you read it, you're coming to it from a different perspective.  And if it is truly an enduring work of art, every time you read it, you'll see something new of it.  And I'm more encouraged than ever to reread Anna Karenina, if only to help me see it from a different perspective than I did when I was younger.  I mean, I was 17, had gone to Catholic school all my life, and didn't date.  I didn't really even have any male friends.  And I could not understand the motivations of most of the characters.

The one thing I disliked the most about the film was the tendency to get a bit too up-close and personal for certain scenes.  I'm not at all against a bit of romance, but all the same, I don't want to see a close-up of tongues lolling around between mouths and that sort of thing.  Of course, I know that's how people kiss, but that doesn't mean I want to see it.  After reading Gulp by Mary Roach, I know how digestion works, and I understand that it is perfectly commonplace.  But, that doesn't mean I want to watch you chew.

I had a whole list of notes jotted down on the back of a library receipt, but looking at them now, I feel like they were either just silly jottings, or they went a bit too much into detail.  Comments like those would be better suited for a discussion, not a blog post, so I'm going to hold back on those.  But, if you would like to have a discussion on the film, you know how to reach me.

Great Gatsby NES

Now, as an English major, there is nothing I love more than a good book. And apart from books, one of my other great passions is video games. Now, books about video games are fairly common, almost (dare I say it?) a dime a dozen in the teen sections of libraries and bookstores. However, video games about books are a bit rarer, and in my opinion, far more interesting. So, when I stumbled upon The Great Gatsby NES, I was very excited. Now, its a fairly simple game...play as Nick Carraway, jumping around, avoiding waiters, drunks, flappers, and other guests on your way to find Gatsby at his party. (More levels after that, including a boss which I can just not get past!) Still, it's very fun, and an interesting approach to F. Scott Fitzgerald's original idea. I'd recommend checking this out if you've read The Great Gatsby before. If you haven't, you'll either be a bit confused, or there will be some spoilers involved. As it is, I haven't read the book in several years, and remember next to nothing about it....Guess what's going on my summer reading list? :P

Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical

I'm sure most of you remember my thrilled reviews of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from back in June when I finished reading the book for the first time. Right after I had finished it, I went to the library and requested the musical Jekyll and Hyde both on CD and on DVD. The CD came in very quickly, and I listened to it several times before returning it. The movie, however, just came in about a week ago! I wasn't sure if I was really interested in watching it, especially since my little "Hyde high" had worn off, but I thought it might be interesting, so I put the DVD into my computer and started watching it yesterday, and finished it today. (It's a very long movie...over two hours!)

I loved it! I was totally mesmerized by the music, the storyline, the songs, the characters, the costumes... It was a wonderful production, and so different from the classic story Robert Louis Stevenson had written. There is so much I could talk about, but I don't want to bog down this post with a long and detailed description of what happens...the experience is much more rewarding if you were to check it out yourselves ;)

But, I will say this: the cast was amazing! Just a quick bit of clarification, though...I am not a Hassehoff fan. When I discovered he would be playing the doctor and Mr. Hyde, I will admit that I was hesitant to watch. I've seen all the crap he's been up to on the news, and I really wasn't interested in seeing the drunkard/druggie Hasselhoff on stage. I was sooo wrong! Hasselhoff's performance was AMAZING! Jekyll was pitiable and depressing, the emotion so raw at times that you just wanted to cry. And his Hyde could only be described as demonic. He truly captured the duality that the characters were supposed to maintain. Kudos!

Coleen Sexton, Andrea Rivette, George Merritt, and Barrie Ingham were all amazing as their respective roles of Lucy Harris, Emma Carew, Mr. Utterson, and Sir Danvers Carew. The four of them provided a wonderful supporting cast, and each one captured their characters and brought new light and life to them.

As for complaints, I have very few. I was disheartened that some of the songs I enjoyed had been removed from this production (although, probably in the interest of time), and I was a little confused by some of the remaining songs' rewordings. Also, I was a bit surprised that the leading lady Emma Carew had her name changed. In most productions, her name is actually "Lisa," not "Emma". Finally, I thought that Hasselhoff, while putting on an amazing performance, tended to get a tiny bit over dramatic. Especially at transformation scenes.

Airplane

Here's another movie review with a big "thank you" to OldFool for suggesting it! Airplane is a hilarious movie that spoofs all other airport movies. When ex-military pilot Ted Striker is dumped by his long-time girlfriend, stewardess Elaine Dickenson, he follows her onto the plane so that he can work out their relationship issues. By a freak chance of fate, the pilots fall sick from food poisoning, and Ted is the only one onboard who can fly the plane to safety. Unfortunately, he hasn't flow since a certain incident that occured during the war, and doesn't have the confidence to fly again.

Full of drama, suspense, romance, and of course, lots of laughs, this is a hilarious movie that I highly recommend. Starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, and Leslie Neilson. Thanks again to OldFool!

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Last night, the Brother and I finished watching a wonderful movie recommended by OldFool in response to my Guilty Pleasure post. It was an amazing film about tomatoes that are literally attacking, killing, and eating the people of America. This horror is faced head-on by government operative Mason Dixon and his team of special agents. Despite this terrifying premise (I know you are all hiding under the bed right now), this is actually a very funny movie and a cult classic. Absolutely a must-see! Thanks again to OldFool for recommending this awesome movie to us!

Run Fatboy Run

Last night, the Brother and I finished watching Run Fatboy Run with Simon Pegg, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, and Thandie Newton. It was a hilarious movie about Dennis Doyle (Pegg) who abandons his pregnant fiance Libby (Newton) at the alter, and five years later, when she starts dating handsome and competitive Whit (Azaria) decides that he wants to win her back by racing in the same marathon as her boyfriend. He's trained by Libby's cousin Gordon (Moran) and his landlord Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel). Hilarious, feel-good movie!

The Toxic Avenger: The Musical

As I was randomly flipping through library CDs, I found The Toxic Avenger, and spent about ten minutes trying to decide if I wanted to check it out or not, and finally realizing that it would be okay to try it. Umm...yeah...I think I might have made the wrong choice.

First of all, please let me say that I had no idea this was based off a movie. Looking it up later, it sounds like a really weird movie at that. Actually, I had originally thought that The Toxic Avenger: The Musical would be something similar to Little Shop of Horrors: a slightly nerdy/awkward/down on his luck young man falls in love with a pretty girl, finds himself unable to win her, but with the sudden appearance of something that is both a blessing and a curse, is able to win her heart, but destroys himself in the process. You know, a dark, depressing romance story of sorts.

The Toxic Avenger is a little different. Melvin Ferd III is an earth scientist investigating global warming. When he finds out that the Mayor is supporting toxic waste dumps that leave vats of the crap all over the city, he confronts her about it, only to have her henchmen throw him into the toxic waste and leave him for dead. He comes out as a giant mutant monster and rips people apart.

The lead female is blind, which is good for the hideous Melvin, but I also found her to be a very shallow and vain sort of person. She loves the attention she gets from dating "Toxie," who is now a local hero, but when she learns he's leaving the town, she asks to feel his face and breaks up with him because of his new deformities. She also attempts to sell her story as a memoir so that she can get on Oprah.

The cast is very small, and it makes for some weird characters, as many of the female characters are played by men. I'm used to cross-dressing in theatre, but this just gets weird.

All in all, not really a fan, although I will admit that the premise was interesting (just not for a musical--maybe a late night horror film) and some of the songs were pretty good. Still, I would not check it out again.

The Old Dark House

As promised, here is my review of The Old Dark House, starring Boris Karloff and Melvyn Douglas...

A quick review of the plot for those of you not familiar with this film: a group of travellers find themselves stranded in a storm in Wales and seek shelter in a dark and mysterious mansion. There, they are greeted by a frightening, scarred, mute butler Morgan (Karloff) and his masters Ms. Rebbecca Femm and her brother Horace. The group is soon joined by two more travellers, also caught in the storm. It's the classic stereotypical horror story.

I thought all-in-all, it was an interesting movie, although, of course, it was not as good as the other Karloff movies I have seen. I'd say that if you were interested in the genre (classic horror films) then I'd check this one out. If not, then I would say pass. As a fan of the genre, I found it to be a fun way to enjoy a stormy night, but the rest of the family didn't agree.

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story

Today, I also finished watching Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. In case you haven't noticed, I'm totally a huge fan of Dylan Moran, and I decided to watch the movie because I heard he was in it. I was disappointed by his small role, but even so, that was not my real issue with the movie. For those of you who don't know, this is a movie about making a movie, namely, Tristram Shandy. So, there are scenes from the movie, and the rest is about the cast and crew. Personally, I found the scenes from Tristram to be very interesting and funny, but the rest of the film was kinda boring to me :( Sadly, I would prolly rate this movie about a 4 out of 10.

But, I am going to check out the book that inspired it all: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy.

Frankenstein the Musical

Finally! I've found a wonderful musical that has everything! The music is amazing, the lyrics are perfect, the plot is suspenseful, and the perfect cast has been selected! Hunter Foster plays the doomed Dr. Frankenstein, Christine Noll plays his beloved Elizabeth, and Steve Blanchard is the Creature. The musical is a powerful production and a faithful retelling of the classic story. It transports you through tender love scenes, hard-wrenching deaths, and the painful circumstances that unite a man and a monster that is destined to ruin his life. I cannot recommend this highly enough! I'd have to say that of the three musicals I have recently reviewed on my blog, this is by far the best!

Coraline: The Musical

As a had mentioned in my post about Spring Awakening, I've checked out several CDs at the library...and the second on my list is Coraline: The Musical. I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's work. I can't get enough of his short stories, and I personally loved his novel Coraline. So far, though, I haven't seen the movie, but I've read the graphic novel (creepy, but also wonderful). So, when I saw the musical at the library, I thought it might be fun to listen to.

I'm disappointed :( The music is creepy, but the lyrics are all rather mundane. They don't have any depth, and the overall impression I got from them is that they had nothing better to write songs about, so they wrote about electric green gloves or being a cat. But, even then, they couldn't make it exciting.

The casting was strange as well, with Mrs. Forcible sounding rather like a man, while the Other Mother actually was a man. And, the eleven-year-old protagonist Coraline was played by a woman in her fifties, which didn't make any sense to me at all. :S

Spring Awakening

I just finished listening to the musical Spring Awakening today. For those of you who don't know, I'm a HUGE Broadway fanatic. I just love listening to the music. But, anyway, this is one I didn't think I would actually check out. I mean, it just never really appealed to me. A couple of people had been pushing for me to check it out, but I finally decided to when I happened to stumble upon it at the library. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I found several CDs, to try out, and of course, this is going to be the first of several Musical Reviews :P

First of all, the music is amazing! I mean, I can't believe how amazing the music sounds. Its wonderful! The storyline, however, is a bit tense and controversial. And the lyrics are very intense. If you're offended by a lot of swearing, I would advise you to pick up a different CD.

All in all, I think its a wonderful musical, and I would highly recommend it. :)