Lights Out (2016)

Tags

Drama, Horror, Thriller

When the lights go out,
I see it standing there.
When the lights turn on,
It’s gone yet still I stare.

When the lights go out,
It’s back again, I swear.
When the lights turn on,
It isn’t anywhere.

As the lights stay on,
I waver and beware.
When the lights go out,
It’s next to me to scare.
_______________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

For my final Halloween-themed review for the big day itself, I went with a recent horror offering that I could tell from the trailers alone would be of the dread-and-atmosphere type that I prefer, not unlike yesterday’s The Ring. At the same time, Lights Out does what I like about horror a bit too well, preying on one of the most primal fears, the fear of darkness, and giving me something far scarier than all the vampires and monsters I know aren’t real. It’s based on director David Sandberg‘s short film, which encapsulated the concept in less than three minutes, three minutes that will haunt me and keep me looking over my shoulder for years to come. Thanks for that, David.

Sandberg cleverly expands his simple idea of a creature that only appears in darkness and can be seen by silhouette alone, connecting the frightful bogeywoman to a story of a family strained by mental illness. Teresa Palmer plays Rebecca, the loner daughter of clinically depressed Sophie (Maria Bello), who isn’t happy when Rebecca steps in to care for her young brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman). Martin’s having trouble sleeping, which is no surprise when his mother talks to a menacing, long-fingered phantom as if they’re old friends. This phantom seems to thrive on Sophie’s disturbed mental state and begins targeting the kids where darkness allows.

I was one of those kids who always slept with a nightlight or hall light on, so darkness has always been a source of unease for me. I remember even being scared stiff just from a description I heard at camp of some movie called Darkness Falls, and I’m still too nervous to check if it’s as terrifying as I envisioned. Lights Out has a similar concept for its villain Diana, keeping her always out of sight, a creature of darkness banished by light yet always there when it goes out. Maybe those calloused by countless horror films won’t find it all that scary, but Lights Out and its vicious shade scared me more than anything since The Babadook.

I also appreciated the effort put into providing a relatable family story alongside the scares, balancing Rebecca’s resentment of her mother with the acknowledgment that no one in distress should be abandoned. Everyone remains sympathetic, particularly Rebecca’s devoted boyfriend (Alexander DiPersia). I especially liked how the finale employed some inventive light sources to ward the specter away, sort of reminding me of the end of Wait until Dark. While she has a separate spooky origin, Diana is like an embodiment of the mother’s mental disorder, lashing out in an effort to keep her from getting better, which is a great metaphor for her struggle but also disconcerting in how it’s ultimately resolved.

Lights Out is a great example of the minimalist, bloodless frights that I think are harder to pull off than cheap gore, but its plentiful jump scares spooked me a bit more than I typically like. Heck, the three-minute short film is even more terrifying. You can watch it here, but I warn you: it’s concentrated nightmare fuel. (It’s also cool that Lotta Losten, the woman in the short film, reprised her role as the first person to see Diana.) Vampires and werewolves and zombies may populate more movies, but Lights Out proves that darkness itself is far scarier because its disquiet hits much closer to home.

Happy Halloween to everyone out there!

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
517 Followers and Counting

 

The Ring (2002)

Tags

Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

You were warned, were you not?
You were warned, and yet you thought,
“What harm could come from silly things
Like some old tape?”  The phone then rings,
And on the other end, you hear
A voice that whispers low and clear,
“Seven days.”
You look about
And start perhaps to have some doubt,
Unsure if you were dumb or brave
To laugh at legends, shrug and cave,
And possibly dig your own grave.
__________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

Urban legends are perfect subjects for horror because there’s always that one rumor or curse or half-serious tale of a crazed murderer that happens to be true, if only the protagonist can figure it out before they bite the dust. The Ring fits that mold well while adhering to the style of haunting, suggestive horror that I enjoy most.

Based on the Japanese book and film Ringu, The Ring is about a cursed video tape that kills its viewers seven days later, as illustrated by the familiar but tense opening with two teenage girls at home alone. When one dies, journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) decides to investigate the mysterious circumstances and watches the cursed tape herself, unwittingly exposing herself and her son Aidan (David Dorfman) to the evil unleashed by the bizarre images onscreen.

As I said, The Ring is “my kind of horror,” in that there’s far more effort on creating dread and atmosphere than on blood and guts, which I suppose is ironic considering it was directed by Gore Verbinski of Pirates of the Caribbean fame. Although it’s taken me this long to actually see it, its mop-headed villain girl (named Samara here, Sadako in the Japanese original) has become rather iconic, and I already knew of the film’s most famous scenes, such as the phone call whisper of “seven days” or the memorable television scene toward the end. (I guess there are several television scenes, but you probably know which one I mean.) Going in with such knowledge perhaps dampened the effectiveness of the scares, but I still appreciated the occasionally misleading tension and the gradually uncovered mystery.

It does fit my preferred style of horror, as did The Others and The Babadook, but there was something lacking in The Ring. Naomi Watts’ performance is fairly strong alongside costars Dorfman and Martin Henderson as her skeptical ex-husband, but there wasn’t as much of an emotional core to the story as there was in the other two films I mentioned. Plus, as the layers of the mystery were peeled back, it became a bit too convoluted, with too many puzzling twists that could only be explained by the argument that “there’s something supernatural afoot.”

The Ring didn’t quite have the dramatic oomph or shocking twist (it does try for both) that would elevate it to join my favorites, but it’s a potent horror flick nonetheless, with several evocative potential meanings for its title. The video tape plot device will immediately date it in years to come, but that isn’t automatically a negative since it doesn’t diminish the scares. I haven’t heard many good things about its two sequels, the most recent being Rings from this past year, so I think I’ll stick with this original for now, or if I’m feeling bold, maybe I’ll try the Japanese original original. One thing’s for sure, though: I definitely won’t be sitting anywhere near the screen!

Best line: (Richard Morgan, Samara’s father, to Rachel) “What is it with reporters? You take one person’s tragedy and force the world to experience it… spread it like sickness.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
517 Followers and Counting

 

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Tags

Comedy, Horror, Thriller

It’s tough to be a werewolf.
It quickly does get old.
It’s sore and strange
To feel the change
And watch your bones all rearrange
And you’re more apt to catch the mange,
Although you’re rarely cold.

It’s tough to be a werewolf.
The lupine life is lone.
If you have friends,
It all depends,
But likely they’ll meet grisly ends
And then it’s tough to make amends,
For corpses tend to groan.

So when you hear “Stay off the moors,
Keep to the roads, don’t take detours,”
Pay heed to those who stay indoors,
Or you will see when on all fours,
It’s tough to be a werewolf.
_____________________

MPAA rating: R

After yesterday’s vampires, for my second Halloween-themed review, I watched the cult classic An American Werewolf in London, which is mainly known for winning the very first Academy Award for Best Makeup for Rick Baker’s werewolf effects. I’ll just say up front that this film had all the things I usually try to avoid in horror and movies in general—bloody violence, sex and nudity, profanity—but I will try to put that aside and appraise the film itself.

The set-up is a classic one: two unwise American visitors to the English countryside wander where they shouldn’t and are attacked by a vicious creature. Jack (Griffin Dunne) is killed by the beast, but David (David Naughton, who lost his Dr. Pepper deal after this movie) survives, only to be told by Jack’s ghost that David is now a werewolf. Obviously, no one would believe the decaying apparition of a dead friend, so David ignores him and goes home with a lovely nurse (Jenny Agutter). But wait! He’s changing…he is a werewolf! And now he will prowl London in search of helpless escalator-riding victims.

Okay, maybe that was too dramatic, but to be honest, I expected a little bit more from what is billed as a horror-comedy. True, there’s some humor to Jack and David’s early banter, the wry moon-related soundtrack, and particularly in Jack’s undead suicide advice, but this isn’t quite what I would consider a comedy. It’s like the opposite of Ghostbusters: I consider that a comedy with some horror while this is a horror with some comedic lines, but neither quite fits the horror-comedy label. The horror elements are fairly straightforward (creepy locals, foolish victims, full moon; check, check, check), but director John Landis fills the werewolf attacks with looming terror, especially with first-person views as David chases a man through the London subway.

It was a decent horror film overall, but ultimately it’s really memorable for two things, one good, one bad. The good is that Rick Baker absolutely deserved that Oscar, since David’s transformation, anomalously set to Sam Cooke’s version of “Blue Moon,” still holds up as an impressive feat of makeup effects, one that predated everything computers could do today. It’s interesting to note that wolf men seem to attract makeup awards, since 2010’s The Wolfman also won the Best Makeup Oscar. As for the bad, what was with that ending? Perhaps the abruptness of the final scene was also intended for comedy, but for me, it was a bit too jarring a conclusion, though I’m sure it gets a chuckle from cult fans on their hundredth rewatch. For a true horror comedy, though, I’ll side with the vampires and stick with The Lost Boys. At least the ending doesn’t suck.

Best line: (a boy at the zoo) “A naked American man stole my balloons.”

 

Rank: Honorable Mention

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
517 Followers and Counting

 

Salem’s Lot (1979)

Tags

Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

Sometimes old houses are just empty shells,
Still mourning their past occupier’s farewells,
But sometimes you feel something sinister dwells
In ramshackle relics and haunted hotels.
The dust and mistrust of these dark citadels
We try to ignore, but their menace compels.
Who knows what nightmares and nefarious spells
Can lurk in old homes with their own private hells?
__________________

MPAA rating: PG

Halloween is almost upon us yet again, and since I don’t really celebrate it (except with more candy than usual), I haven’t done much this month in honor of everyone’s favorite scary holiday. However, I think I’ll change that and do what I did last year, four horror reviews in a row leading up to the big day, when I will no doubt contribute to the great November candy shortage of 2017. As with last year (when I reviewed Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, The House That Dripped Blood, Poltergeist, and The Babadook), each of my picks will fit roughly into a different era of horror and will try to buck my wussy aversion to the genre.

First off is the 1979 television adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, something my VC urged me not to see because she recalls it with such terror (probably like me and that clown scene in Poltergeist). I still did, of course, and found it to be quite the credible frightfest, although in a dated way. There are scenes that I could see causing nightmares, but compared with modern horrors like The Babadook, I don’t expect Salem’s Lot to keep me up at night. Still, as far as vampire flicks go, this one hits all the right beats, and I could see how it has influenced the genre since, particularly the glowing eyes and the antler scene in The Lost Boys.

Salem’s Lot is set in Maine and the main character Ben Mears (David Soul) is a writer, which is so unlike Stephen King’s work that I don’t know where to begin! In all seriousness, though, Salem’s Lot is very King-y, from those trademarks of his I mentioned to the idea of a dark evil lurking in a sleepy small town. In fact, it’s very much like It, with Pennywise being replaced by incoming vampires as the protagonists wise up to what’s going on and set out to stop it.

Directed by Tobe Hooper of Poltergeist and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the three-hour miniseries does a fine job at establishing its large cast of suckable characters: the visiting writer who used to live in Salem’s Lot, the girl who falls for him after one date (Bonnie Bedelia), her doctor father (Ed Flanders), the sinister old man who just bought the local mansion of evil (James Mason), the realtor (Fred Willard), his mistress (Julie Cobb), her jealous husband (George Dzundza), the boy who loves scary stuff (Lance Kerwin), the cemetery keeper (Geoffrey Lewis), and quite a few more besides. It was rather fun playing “Spot the Familiar Face” as I watched, such as recognizing the constable as Kenneth McMillan, who played the gross Harkonnen villain in Dune. It was also good to see Ed Flanders from St. Elsewhere, and his co-star Bonnie Bartlett playing his wife, though she was William Daniels’ wife on the show. James Mason is particularly well-cast as Straker, the forboding newcomer to Salem’s Lot, who you just know has a vampire tucked away somewhere, like maybe in that moving box.

As I said, the horror is a bit dated but still effective, pervaded by a nicely creepy atmosphere and punctuated by periodic jump scares. As with horror in general, it also has its fair share of supernatural foolishness, like allowing inside a fanged loved one floating outside your window or waiting till late afternoon to storm a vampire’s fortress. I thought too that there would be more to Mears’ backstory and his distrust of the Marston house, but that’s never elucidated. There were also a few lapses in the storytelling, or at least questions. Some excellent early tension is wrung from the cheating realtor’s subplot, but when one character is killed, the other two just drop out of the story entirely. The fates of several other characters are left vague as well, as are the circumstances behind the love story’s “resolution.” I’m sure these details are probably better explained in the book, but the miniseries could have clarified them better. I also don’t think it should have started with a flash-forward because that immediately let me know which characters would survive.

Even so, Salem’s Lot is a compelling King story that may not have a lot of story surprises but still spooks with its vampire mythos and general creepiness. The appearance of the main vampire is particularly menacing, clearly inspired by Nosferatu, though I understand that’s a departure from King’s book. I’m by no means an expert on Stephen King adaptations, but Salem’s Lot seemed to do him justice.

Best line:  (Straker) “You’ll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he’ll enjoy you.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
517 Followers and Counting

 

Opinion Battles Round 20 Favourite TV Show to Movie

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite movie based on a TV show in Round 20 of Opinion Battles! Not all TV shows make the jump to the big screen gracefully, but when they do, the results can be utterly entertaining. While others chose comedy, I had to side with Serenity, the blockbuster finale for Joss Whedon’s canceled sci-fi series Firefly. What’s your favorite?

Movie Reviews 101

Opinion Battles Round 20

Favourite TV Show to Movie

Once again we dive into searching through Hollywood’s lack of ideas as they return to old television shows to make a movie, this does offer a show cancelled too soon to say goodbye to the hugely loved characters.

If you want to join the next round of Opinion Battles we will be take on What is your Favourite Ghost Film, to enter email your choice to moviereviews101@yahoo.co.ukby Saturday 14^th October 2017.

Darren – Movie Reviews 101

Serenity

Firefly was one of the most loved sci-fi shows that got cancelled too soon, we only got 13 episodes but Serenity gives us a chance to see our character one more time, they are bigger and better with a story that gives you everything you wanted for our characters.

Cinema Parrot Disco

Wayne’s World

 

I struggled with this one until I…

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Tags

Action, Drama, Sci-fi, Thriller, War

They said no bridge could cross the divide,
Too far and different were each side,
And yet two chose
To still propose
A bridge to span the gap so wide.

They slowly worked with cautious hope
To lay foundations, tighten rope,
And earn the trust
That is a must
For silencing the misanthrope.

Naysayers had their efforts spurned,
Yet look what trust can build when earned!
Then fast as fire,
The doubters’ ire
Had lit the bridge and down it burned.
_____________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

Wow! If Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a prime reboot, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an exemplary sequel. It continues the storyline of its predecessor while establishing a new yet complementary scenario with far more depth than the simple “rise of the apes” concept could have had in the hands of lesser writers.

Set ten years after Rise, Dawn sees Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of intelligent esc-ape-ees having built their own mini-civilization, hidden in a dense redwood forest, while humanity has been decimated by the same virus that gave the apes their heightened intelligence. When a band of immune human survivors stumbles upon the apes, tensions immediately flare, especially because the humans’ energy needs won’t allow them the logical course of keeping their distance. Yet the human leader Malcolm (Jason Clarke) actually tries to reach out to Caesar and his apes and work toward mutual trust, something of which apes and humans alike disapprove, especially Caesar’s second-in-command Koba (Toby Kebbell).

The roles of both Caesar and Malcolm are very much representative of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If—” as they try to “keep [their] head when all about [them] are losing theirs and blaming it on [them].” They both want what’s best for their respective groups, and they know that that includes peace between   them. We as level-headed viewers recognize the wisdom of their actions, and yet so many of their subordinates carry far too much baggage and resentment to trust that wisdom. Whether it be humans who automatically associate the word “ape” with the virus epidemic or surly Koba, who still hates humans for using him as a research guinea pig, they question their leader’s judgment and even his loyalties without questioning if he might be right. It’s frustrating and yet all too believable, considering humanity’s known weakness and intolerance.

Another major theme is that the apes and humans are not as different as either side would think. That weakness and intolerance are common to both, as is the tendency to view such opponents as a group rather than individuals who don’t necessarily all believe the same thing. The act of a rogue can quickly spiral into “us versus them” violence that makes such perceptions harder to undo. What’s astounding about Dawn is how it gets these complex messages across with minimal dialogue, utilizing the apes’ broken English and hand motions to their fullest. The motion-capture CGI is also even more impressive than in Rise, wowing with the action battle scenes, as well as benefiting the story in less flashy ways, like the clearly recognizable emotions that play out on Caesar’s face, courtesy of the talented Andy Serkis.

In addition to the Oscar-nominated visuals, all the performances are outstanding, especially Clarke, Serkis, Keri Russell as Malcolm’s wife, and Gary Oldman as Malcolm’s less trusting counterpart. James Franco is sadly departed from the story, but there are affecting reminders of him and Caesar’s past. Caesar’s ape friends who do carry over from Rise don’t stand out that much, making me glad I still remembered them from having just seen the first film, but Koba’s role is greatly expanded as an antagonist, with the ending directly mirroring one of his actions in Rise. Also, as a fan of tracking shots, I must point out a scene I loved in which the camera follows Malcolm as he stumbles through a maze of hallways trying to avoid invading apes. It made me think that a tracking shot could be a running element for the series, since Rise had the scene with young Caesar swinging throughout Will’s house.

Dawn is a sober movie that views the ape versus human struggle with far more nuance and regret than any earlier installment, precisely because the film shows it didn’t have to turn out the way it did. An action blockbuster is expected to have awesome visuals, but it’s a rare and pleasant surprise when there’s this much depth too. With so much tension between various groups nowadays, the film remains as timely as ever, a potent reminder to not let the worst parts of our nature carry us to destruction.

Best line: (Caesar) “I always think… ape better than human. I see now… how much like them we are.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy (joining Rise)

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
516 Followers and Counting

 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Tags

Action, Drama, Sci-fi

Dystopias and futures grim
Are but a writer’s dismal whim.

No wasteland stark
Or desert dark
Or dictatorial monarch,
No virus spread
Or walking dead
Or culture built upon bloodshed,
No overthrow
Of status quo
Could happen to the world we know.

‘Twill be too late when mankind learns
To heed dystopians’ concerns.
_____________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

I’ve been skipping the recent Planet of the Apes reboot series because I considered them just another example of Hollywood’s idea-starved habit of milking past franchises. Although I was surprised at how positive the critical reactions were, that’s why it took me so long to finally explore this reboot, and now that I’ve seen it, I’m surprised again by how good it really is. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a sterling example of a reboot done right, taking the basic ingredients of a prior film and building on them in new and unexpected ways.

Of all the earlier Planet of the Apes installments, this film most resembles the fourth one, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, which happens to be where the original film series took a nosedive on quality and believability, even more so than in the second film. Whereas the Caesar in Conquest (played by Roddy McDowall) was the product of a time leap from the ape future seen in the original Planet of the Apes, the Caesar in Rise (played by Andy Serkis via ever-improving motion capture) is born from a captured chimpanzee being used for experimental drug tests. When an incident causes his mother and the other test cases to be killed, baby Caesar is taken in by Will Rodman (James Franco), the head of the project, and his father (John Lithgow), whose Alzheimer’s disease spurs Will to keep working on his cure. Although raised by humans, the unusually intelligent Caesar eventually learns of his origin and the fate of others of his kind and sparks a simian revolt.

As the first in the series to use CGI for an authentic appearance for the apes, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a huge improvement over the originals on a visual level alone. The apes look astoundingly real, even if there’s still that slight CGI-ness that lets me tell they’re not, and the motion capture allows for entirely credible movements, as well as emotive facial expressions in the case of Caesar. Franco and Lithgow also deliver solid human support that adds heart to a tale of science run amok, while Daniel Oyelowo plays the typical corporate corner-cutter who’s the “real” villain. The film’s “rise” to its action climax is not only a great thrill but one that also shows early on Caesar’s moral reluctance to take any human lives.

Although Rise is clearly rewriting the history of the original Planet of the Apes series, there are plenty of callbacks to please those like my VC who are wary of any change to a cherished franchise. Iconic lines are recycled, like “It’s a madhouse” and “Take your stinking paw off me, you d*mn dirty ape.” Easter eggs are dropped, like Caesar’s mother being nicknamed Bright Eyes, as Charlton Heston’s character was in the first film, and Heston himself even has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. There’s an added reason to the references too, particularly in how Caesar is imprisoned in a cruel ape cagehouse, implicitly suggesting that, as bad as Heston was treated, the apes were treated that way first.

I also liked the subtlety of how Caesar’s arc is analogous to Moses in the Bible. Like Moses, Caesar was rescued when the rest of his “people” were killed; he was raised by the “enslavers” until an act of violent rebellion gets him in trouble; and after a time of exile, he leads his “people” to freedom. It’s a nice subtext that allows the story to be enjoyed as both a solid sci-fi movie and a semi-allegorical narrative.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes does so much right that it makes me wonder why it’s so hard for other reboots to succeed. Certainly, it has respect for the source material but also the nerve to tell its own story, including a parting hint as to how mankind’s decline will play out. It’s a very promising start for a series that, from what I understand, will only get better.

Best line: (Jacobs, Will’s boss) “I swear, you know everything about the human brain except the way it works.”

 

Rank:  List-Worthy

 

© 2017 S.G. Liput
516 Followers and Counting

 

No Game No Life: Zero (2017)

Tags

Action, Animation, Anime, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, War

Is life not a game
Where there’s no one to blame
If the rules seem unfair
And the ends are the same?

You’re tempted to quit,
Raise your hands in forfeit,
For the game doesn’t care
Where the losers will sit.

But wait! None will mind
The misfits of mankind,
For the arrogant player
Is conveniently blind.

Who heeds the has-been
When his triumphs begin?
Those who haven’t a prayer
In the game can still win.
_____________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

Although I’ve come to really enjoy anime movies over the last several years, I’d never seen an anime film in the theater. Thus, it was a special treat to see No Game No Life: Zero on the big screen, especially with it being such a visually spectacular film. After being impressed by the trailers for months before its July opening in Japan, I thought for sure I’d have to wait perhaps a year before I’d get to see an American release, so I’m grateful to Sentai Filmworks and Fathom Events for distributing the English dub so quickly.

I wouldn’t doubt that non-anime fans have no idea what No Game No Life is. It’s a series of Japanese light novels, but most in the West would know it from the anime adaptation that is surprisingly popular for having only a single twelve-episode season. It centers on the gaming prowess of eighteen-year-old Sora and his eleven-year-old stepsister Shiro, two genius-level shut-ins who are transported by the god of games Tet to a fantasy world where all conflicts are decided by wagering on games of any kind. Humanity (known as Imanity in this world) is the lowest and least powerful of all the fantasy races, so Sora and Shiro take it upon themselves to lift up the humans and conquer the world through the likes of chess, word chain, and first-person shooters. Just as WarGames fans say “Shall we play a game?”, No Game No Life fans say “Aschente,” the mutual pledge before starting a game.

The show itself is played mainly for laughs and to marvel at the Sherlock-level strategy and foresight the siblings command even when at a disadvantage, but it boasts a broader fantasy appeal too, especially with unseen backstory about a horrific war that only ended when Tet became god and made the world game-centric. The characters and situations are quite entertaining for the most part, though No Game No Life isn’t among my favorite series for one simple reason: fan service. There’s plenty of sexual harassment, near-nudity, and risqué humor, mainly from Sora, and while much of it is funny, a lot is just uncomfortable and annoying. Plus, I’m not usually a fan of the kind of anime with silly faces and exaggerated reactions (I know that’s the majority of anime), which is why I lean more toward dramatic series or movies, which are usually easier to take seriously.

That’s why I was so eager to see No Game No Life: Zero, a film centering on an extended flashback of the pre-Tet war, a subject which lends itself to much more drama and emotion, and indeed the film is a complete contrast from the humorous tone of the series. (By the way, the Zero in the title seems to be an example of the naming convention for works that are connected yet somehow separate from an established series [e.g. Fate/Zero, Steins;Gate 0, etc.].) No Game No Life is notable, and sometimes disliked, for its hypersaturated colors, boasting more bright hues than a Crayola factory, and while the movie retains the same style, it limits its palette more to complement the darker storyline. Instead of the shiny fantasy land into which Sora and Shiro are literally dropped, this war-torn world 6000 years earlier is dominated by reddened skies and skin-burning ash, leaving no doubt as to humanity’s desperation, caught in the crossfire between the more powerful magical races. Just look at the contrast between the worlds below, the first from the show, the second from the film.

Although there’s still a lot left unseen, the film wonderfully expands our knowledge of the war, showing us why the modern-day races still hate each other. Jibril, an immortal angel-like creature called a Flugel, was one of the best characters on the show, conceited and charming at the same time, but her appearance in the film fits the description of an “angel of death,” proving that those memories of slaughter she fondly reminisces about in the show were not exaggerated. The film also intentionally echoes the series with its “new” character designs. Riku, the leader of the remaining humans, looks a lot like Sora, just as Shuvi, an Ex Machina android intent on learning the value of the human heart, looks much like Shiro. (They’re even voiced by the same voice actors in the excellent English dub that I saw.) The main design difference may be that their hair colors are reversed, but these new characters have their own personalities and griefs that set them apart from their later incarnations, and instead of a brother and sister relationship, theirs is destined for love. I will say it takes a certain amount of disconnect from the series to accept a romance between two characters who look like the siblings we know, but the film spends a good amount of time developing their relationship, even if it starts on a very awkward note.

The trailers mainly focused on the romance angle and an epic fight between Shuvi and Jibril, but I was glad to see that the movie does explain the war’s formerly vague resolution. Instead of the explicit games of the series, the game concept, along with humanity’s struggle, becomes more of a running theme as the characters engage in a literal game of “Global Thermonuclear War.” Some have complained about the pacing of the movie’s final third, but that’s where I thought it truly found its stride and consistently impressed. I loved the way victory is snatched from apparent defeat, utilizing the fact that the Ex Machina are a lot like the Borg from Star Trek, and the sad circumstances became sublimely bittersweet by the end. It spoke to how the most important people in history often remain unsung heroes, their names sometimes only remembered by God.

No Game No Life: Zero was a pleasure to watch in the theater, especially because it elevated the series it was based on, focusing on the fantasy with just a taste of the original’s humor and chucking the unnecessary fan service. (There’s still some stylized nudity, but it’s more forgivable here.) The animation is particularly stunning, especially during that epic battle I mentioned, and the score beautifully enhanced the emotions of each scene, with the lovely ending theme “There Is a Reason” earning entrance into my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.  By the end, as the film tied itself directly into where the series left off, I even found myself feeling surprisingly nostalgic and fond for a show I thought I only moderately liked. Many think this film is a prelude for a potential second season, and the movie will certainly strengthen that hope. No Game No Life may be a series I wouldn’t quite recommend to everyone, but, with the right background information, this movie is. (By the way, I’ve included the first teaser trailer down below to give a taste of the awesome animation and music.)

Best line: (Riku) “Yes, humans are fools, but it takes a great fool to not let that foolishness get themselves killed.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2017 S.G. Liput
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Five Flaming Hotties Tag

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Tag

Behold! I have been tagged once again, this time by good ole Drew of Drew’s Movie Reviews, who has named me to take part in the Five Flaming Hotties tag. It was created by Catherine of Thoughts All Sorts and Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews, known as the 2 Reel Quirky Cats, to highlight their biggest on-screen crushes. The rules are as follows:

 

1. Mention the name of the blog you were tagged by, as well as Realweegiemidget Reviews and Thoughts All Sorts, linking back to all blogs involved and including the picture above. (Done that.)
2. List five of your greatest hotties from TV and/or film, i.e. crushes/objects of your affection, including musicians or sports stars too.
3. Tell us how you were “introduced” to them and why you like them/what appeals. (Keep it clean.)
4. Add some appealing (and clean) pictures.
5. Tag seven bloggers for their Five Flaming Hotties.
6. Post the rules. (Done that too.)

So then, my top two immediately came to mind, but I had to think long and hard about the others, and it wasn’t easy ranking them either. Everyone has different tastes and preferences that aren’t even explainable sometimes, but these are five lovely ladies that have captured my heart through the screen.

 

#5.  Meg Ryan

Specifically in: You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Meg Ryan was the quintessential rom com leading lady of the ‘90s, whether with Billly Crystal or Tom Hanks. Nowhere was her personality and charm so lovable as in You’ve Got Mail, and there’s something about her sweaters and short hair that makes my heart skip a beat. It helps too that she plays a book lover.

 

#4.  Rachel Weisz

Specifically in: The Mummy (1999)

Speaking of book lovers, I’m still enamored of Rachel Weisz as Evie in the first two Mummy movies. Sure, she reads undead monsters back to life, but just look at those eyes of hers. Her bookish spunk is enhanced even further by her British accent as well.

 

 

#3.  Stana Katic

Specifically in: Castle (2009-2016)

When it comes to the mystery-of-the-week series Castle, Nathan Fillion may have been the main draw for female viewers (and Firefly fans), but Stana Katic as Detective Beckett kept the men happy. She’s the perfect combination of competent toughness and flirtatious charm. And she’s gorgeous! I could tell from the start that it wasn’t just the murders that kept Castle around. (Don’t forget she also had a cameo at the end of Quantum of Solace.)

 

#2.  Winona Ryder

Specifically in: How to Make an American Quilt (1995)

I never thought of Winona Ryder as that beautiful because she had always been the goth girl in Beetlejuice to me, but when I saw her in How to Make an American Quilt, boy, was I smitten! Like Meg Ryan, maybe it’s the short hair I like, but there are few movie characters I remember finding so distinctly attractive as she. The movie itself was fairly good too, but I’d watch it again just for her.

 

#1.  Lindsey Stirling

Specifically in: Everything she’s done

Yes, my original celebrity crush wins the day! You can tell from my list of Top Twelve Lindsey Stirling Songs that I’m a big fan of this talented violinist. I’m not sure what I love most about her: the geeky exuberance she pours into her performances, her epic musical talent, her overall sincerity and genuineness. And lucky me, I get to watch her each week as a contestant on this season of Dancing with the Stars. Come on, Lindsey, you can win it!

 

I couldn’t not mention five runners-up as well, so a very special mention to Audrey Hepburn, Alice Evans, Emma Stone, Brittany Snow, and Diane Kruger too.

 

As for my tag-ees, I’ll be nominating the following bloggers (and eagerly awaiting their choices):

 

AniB Productions

MIB’s Instant Headache

Curry N Code

Cindy Bruchman

Violet’s Veg*n e-Comics

Smilingldsgirl

Conman at the Movies

 

Thanks again to Drew for tagging me and giving me an excuse for some eye candy!

 

Opinion Battles Round 19 Favourite Least Favourite Book Adaptation

Be sure to vote for your least favorite book adaptation in Round 19 of Opinion Battles! Films so often mess up the source material, and the one that most disappointed me was the would-be fantasy epic Eragon, which was too rushed for its own good. Check out the rest of the “letdowns” others picked and see where you agree.

Movie Reviews 101

Opinion Battles Round 19

Favourite Least Favourite Book Adaptation

For years now movies have used books to make money with a film, few are good, less are great, most are hated because you just don’t get the time to tell the whole story. this latest round we get to look at the ones we hated the most, so let the hate commence.

If you want to join the next round of Opinion Battles we will be take on What is your Favourite TV show to Movie, to enter email your choice to moviereviews101@yahoo.co.ukby Saturday 30th September 2017.

Darren – Movie Reviews 101

Angels and Demons

I will be honest, I don’t read many books, since leave school you can count the fictional books on one hand, so this made this category harder than it should have been. Angels and Demons is one book I truly did enjoy, I love…

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