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bennyjayruss
Reviews
Halloween (2007)
Not Bad... Could Have Been A Lot Worse!
We all know and agree that John Carpenter's original Halloween film is a masterpiece in its own right, one that is almost impossible to top. With that out of the way, let's look at this competent reboot.
Zombie decided to begin the story with an overlong display of Myers' rough upbringing, which I suppose gives it that different edge to any of the previous Halloween films. For the most part during these sequences, the acting could be better and the overall atmosphere should have been creepier. We were supposed to be looking at a child with the devil's eyes, but all we saw was a misunderstood little psychopath that wasn't all that intimidating. I commend Zombie for attempting to do the backstory justice, but it was all in vain.
Once we get past the small glimpses of originality in the script, we then move onto the slasher portion of the film which takes up roughly the last hour. Zombie surprised me with the crafty way he recaptured the spirit of the original Halloween. The acting from Laurie and the two children was thoroughly convincing, and for brief moments the atmosphere was thrilling. It was a worthy recreation in my view.
At two hours long, this movie should have felt like a slog to get through, but it was engrossing enough to keep me interested until the end. That's more than I can say for a couple of other Halloween films produced over the years. While some of the character depictions (particularly Laurie's) were horrendous, I was pleasantly surprised at how competent the movie was. My special shout-out goes to Malcolm McDowell for doing justice to Donald Pleasance's immortal portray of Samuel Loomis.
Finally, I would rate this film somewhere around a 6 or 6.5/10, but I feel the overall rating on IMDB is too low, so I've bumped it up to a 7*.
Takumi-kun Series: Nijiiro no garasu (2009)
Quite an emotional ride!
This is the 2nd chapter of the Takami-kun series, an LGBT romance made in Japan. I quite liked the first instalment, but I'm happy to say that Nijiiro no garasu is an even better chapter of this young romance. It's well-made, beautiful, entertaining, and surprisingly emotional. At times it made my heart sing with glee, then it made me quite angry, but best of all, it made me feel heartbroken by the end. This is a show with a heart and soul. It tenderly displays the romance of a young, gay couple, and all the complications of their relationship.
Takami-kun and Gii have been going steady for the past year. The new year brings more drama in the form of a lover's quarrel, and a romance that blossoms in the midst of a terminal illness.
Series 2 of Takami-kun was made around 2 years after the first series, which is a very long time considering they only go for one hour. I'm not sure why they delayed the sequel, but obviously the two leading actors from the previous chapter moved on from the show. They were replaced by two very similar, convincing actors. I'm not gonna lie, I was saddened to see the original Takami and Gii go. I guess that means I formed an attachment to them in some way.
I enjoyed it mainly because of the introduction of Morita, a handsome and intelligent first-year. His character caused quite the commotion in the mind of Takami, who believed that Gii had fallen in-love with Morita. This storyline was filled with emotion like jealousy, anger, fear, and heartache. It was done well enough that it made me feel quite upset myself. There are dark moments and light moments concerning the character Morita, making him the character I enjoyed watching the most.
There's some sort of sad farewell to a character we're supposed to be well acquainted with. To be perfectly honest, I do not remember a thing about that character! It appears as though I should have been heartbroken, but I just didn't know who he was! Gii then went on and on about this character's terrible illness, which would have been upsetting had it not been for the less than stellar performance by Kyosuke Hamao. He just looked like a deer in headlights, gawking at poor Gii with zero expression. You'd think he'd show some kind of emotion on his face, but there was nothing there. That performance, as well as the fact that I didn't know the character in question, made the whole sequence very slow and monotonous.
The final act of this episode is absolutely heartbreaking. Even though I wasn't fully connected to the minor characters involved
their romance and their ending just tore me to pieces. The flashbacks of their meeting and their friendship were just devastating to me. The way they executed this tear-jerking sequence was absolutely perfect. The scene of the refracted light shining through the hospital window is pretty damned moving.
Even though I wasn't completely chuffed with this chapter, there was a higher degree of emotion, and enough interesting content to keep me entertained. I was pleasantly surprised at the extent to which they showed the lovemaking scene. I'm sure it was a pretty big risk concerning mainstream Japanese morals. I'm ever so glad the creators stuck to their guns, because it provided a wonderful climax and showed off how much Gii and Takami love each other. So in the end, I truly enjoyed Nijiiro no garasu, which is so far the best instalment in the Takami-kun series!
Takumi-kun Series: Soshite harukaze ni sasayaite (2007)
A thoroughly entertaining show, but nothing that special.
Takami-kun Chapter 1 is romantic, but it doesn't capture my adoration. It's fun, but it doesn't make me laugh or smile very often. It's interesting, but it's nothing special. All this really does is show us the build-up towards Takami's confession of love towards Gii, who has always let his feelings be known for Takami. It was quite cute, but nothing special.
I would have liked to know more about why Gii fell in love with Takami before he even knew him properly. Takami is far from the most attractive boy, he isn't a very entertaining person, and he's an awkward recluse. You can't help who you fall in love with, but they should have clarified exactly why Gii felt that way towards him. It was more than just a school crush
he would have laid his life down for Takami. I found this very strange, but then again, it's based on a manga- series so one can't look for too much depth.
I found the cinematography absolutely beautiful, and the music was soft and soothing. It's not easy to create a show out of a manga series, because the over-the-top characters on paper do not translate well onto screen, for they look unbelievable or annoying. This chapter of the series did a good job at being a little bit airy-fairy, and a little bit realistic. Even if the production value is pretty poor, Yokoyama did a great job at making this a really enjoyable romantic-drama.
Tomo Yanagishita gave a really soft, sweet performance as Takami Hayama. Am I the only one who thinks he has the most unique, spectacular eyes in Japan? ... Well anyway, I really enjoyed the way he played the character. I also liked Keisuke Kato's fantastic performance as Gii, our knight in shining armour. He suited the role of the 'perfect' young-man, for he's both physically beautiful and wonderfully caring towards Takami. Their relationship was sweet. Not always entertaining, but sweet enough to keep me watching.
I honestly don't have much to say about this chapter of the series. If I were to make one more complaint, it would be about the frequent flashback scenes (which is common in J-Dramas). Takami-kun: Chapter 1 is a nice little show to watch, but nothing particularly memorable or powerful. The production value isn't great, and the performances are simply 'good.' I enjoyed it, but I'm kind of hoping it's the weakest instalment of the series.
Monster Pies (2013)
An unrefined, but very touching film that packs a punch.
Monster Pies isn't a very well made film, but it's terribly moving. Once it gets more exposure, there's no doubt in my mind that it will be seen as an LGBT cinematic treasure. It's an important film for Australia too, a country that has only had brief exposure to gay themes on television and in film (Priscilla being the most notable film). It took me a while to get into the movie, because it was hard to get past the shabby production value. As the leading actors took their stride and developed an infectious chemistry, the romance took off and led me on yet another incredibly moving experience. Isn't it weird though, that a film like this (which is far from great) is one that I'll never forget. It does pack a punch, and it will stay with you.
We follow the life of Mike (Tristan Barr), who is an awkward teenager that works in a video store, and also gets teased about his sexuality. In his English class, Mike gets paired with an attractive new student, Will (Lucas Linehan), who has a manly exterior, but hidden sensitivity. They have to create a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which forces them to spend lots of time together. As they work on their project, they start having loads of fun and establish a unique connection. It's a coming of age story (which is prevalent in LGBT films), but it's more realistic and moving than most.
From the get-go, it's obvious that this is an extremely low-budget film. The font of the opening credits, and the horrendously performed opening exchange by Mike and his teacher just left me nervous about how the rest of the film would unfold. In the first 5 minutes alone, we're exposed to some of the most frequent romance movie clichés in the movie business. The long first glance, helping each other pick up dropped papers, having to share a book in class, being unintentionally over-enthusiastic about seeing him
trust me, this list goes on.
There are some really off-putting things in this movie. One of them being that Mike works in a Video-tape renting store. No, not DVDs, but videos. I haven't seen a DVD store sell VHS tapes since I was in 5th Grade, so it's a curious sight to behold. Another thing that put me off was the unoriginal comedy clichés, such as the classic "see anything you like" gag. I don't know what director Lee Galea was going for, but this film is so aware of itself. Many of the actors don't know the meaning of the word 'subtle,' the script is filled with moments straight out of other movies, and the choppy and amateur style bugged me. I want to have mercy on this film, but then I just wouldn't be honest to myself and my readers. While this grained on me in the beginning, I really got into the film as it focused more on Will.
On this sea of bad acting and shabby film craftsmanship, floated the revelation that is Lucas Linehan. His performance is the sunshine that turned the film into a really enjoyable one. There are some pretty great moments in the film, and they ALL include him. One of my favourites being when he looks back at Mike in the side-view mirror of the car. It was quick and subtle, but it showed us that Mike is on his mind. All of the moments where they rehearsed their Romeo and Juliet assignment were
extremely heart-warming. I just felt overjoyed at the 'wolfman kiss' scene. They did that really well, and Tristan Barr's facial expression afterwards was his greatest moment in the film.
As time goes on and the story progresses, everything feels so much smoother and more entertaining. The romance develops nicely, due to the chemistry the leads share out of the blue. After the 'wolfman kiss' scene, I really started to get into the character's and their story. The swimming pool scene, which was also cliché to the max, was done exquisitely. I really liked the metaphor they used to describe the two, and the LGBT community. Mike is Frankenstein, who is feared and misunderstood. Will is the Wolfman, who is trying to cope with his change into a monster. The monsters are the LGBT community, who are hunted by the villagers (ignorant and stubborn people: the real monsters). They used this metaphor as a way to recreate Romeo and Juliet, and I just loved it. I'd give it an 'A' if I was an English teacher. The music really impressed me too, ranging from classical scores like Fur Elise to beautiful love ballads by the school dance band. The second half just took flight and became a really solid film. Well, up until the mother exploded at Mike. When it comes to melodrama, it either has to be done perfectly, or not at all.
I felt really moved by the end of the film because of a lot of things. I absolutely adore the message this film sends to LGBT teens, which is to not be afraid any more. It's so important that kids know to come out and be who they are, because this world will never change unless people are honest with themselves. There was a really touching song that played too, which almost moved me to tears. Most importantly, it was because of the moving performance by Lucas Linehan, who was the heart and soul of the film. This isn't a refined film, but its message and emotional impact managed to make me like it a lot.
I'd give it a 7/10, but I'd like to boost its rating up. It deserves far better than a 5.1/10.
No. 6 (2011)
The Most Beautiful Shounen-Ai Anime of all time.
No. 6 is the most mature, beautiful shounen-ai anime I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them. It's animation and storyline is unmatched by any other anime of its kind (or Yaoi anime for that matter). On top of that, it's characters are beautifully developed and easy to fall in love with. I was absolutely hooked after the first episode, and ended up watching every other episode in a row (that's about 4 and a half hours worth of episodes). I guess I just loved everything about No. 6. The theme songs that played in the opening and ending credits, the hilarity, the romance, the music... it just thrilled me. You'd be hard-pressed to find another yaoi/shounen-ai anime that's of a better quality than this. I think it's the best anime of its kind, the cream of the crop. Put it this way. As I was nearing the end of the series, I started to feel anxiety because I'd never see a new episode again. Now that's what I call a powerful show!
The story takes place in the "ideal" and perfect city known as "No.6." Shion, a boy raised in the elite and privileged environment of his home, gives shelter to another boy, who only gives his name as Nezumi ("Rat"). We soon learn that all is not what it seems in No.6, with mysterious deaths and horrendous pasts being revealed along the way. As years pass, Shion and Rat reunite to survive during perilous times. Their beautiful relationship sets the tone and raises the stakes for the rest of the show. It's a thrilling and captivating masterpiece of animation.
It's romantic, without being overly cheesy. I love how the characters built their romance on friendship. It was really nice to see characters like each other as people, as well as love each other deeply. It's thrilling, but not overly complicated. An evil 'ruler' controls a city, whilst rebels fight to tear down the system. It's original in the way it combines futuristic sci-fi with gay- romance and stunning animation. Put it this way, have you ever seen an action sci-fi film where the two male leads are in love with each other? Didn't think so. I guess what I'm trying to say is: it was perfect for me.
As for my favorites: My favorite character was definitely dog-girl. I loved how defiant, stubborn, and proud she was at the start. What's more, I loved the way her character's guard gradually fell down around Shion, showing a softer side. It's always good to love the main characters, but loving the minor characters makes the show that much better. My favorite episode was definitely episode one: when Shion met Rat as a child and helped him. That whole sequence was so beautiful, I had to fight back tears before I even knew what the show was about. My favorite moment: when Shion and Rat were talking on the bed when they were 12 years old. It was so heartwarming to see!
The theme songs touched my soul, and the relationship between Shion and Rat touched my heart. It was a really effective combination I must say! Not to mention, the beautiful sci-fi animation really makes No.6 shine above others. As a whole, I grew really emotionally attached to everything in the show. I'm just super depressed that it's over now to be perfectly honest. I can't wait until enough time has passed so that I can watch it again. That way, I can relive the magic that it brought to me on the first viewing. If you're a fan of LGBT/Yaoi/Shonen-Ai movies or shows in general, then look no further than No.6. It's a masterpiece of its own kind.
Ôran kôkô hosutobu (2006)
A show so overrated that I think you're all crazy.
Host Club' was entertaining at times, and uninteresting the rest of the time. I disliked this show very much. Maybe it was the 'fake-incestuous' twins, or the relationship between a 'toddler-like-boy' and a senior... something just didn't sit right with me. This show seems like it's marketed towards primary school kids. It's full of stupid stories and over-the-top characters. Popular opinion says that this is a great show, but I think it's at the bottom of the barrel in comparison to other Yaoi and Shoujo anime series.
It's about a girl named Haruhi (Maaya Sakamoto), who accidentally walks into a room full of handsome high school boys. They are the 'Host Club,' a group of boys who are in the business of escorting girls who want to be wooed and thrilled by their charm. The group is composed of: a very feminine leader, a boring manager, fake-incestuous twins, and another boring person (with his toddler-like companion named Honey). Basically, Haruhi becomes friends with them and you see all kinds of mischief they get up to.
First of all, there aren't any likable characters... not one. You never hear their thoughts (unless they're joking), which makes it impossible to connect to the characters. The thing is, none of the characters have a particularly interesting story. They're all either over-the-top and annoying, or too quiet.
The character that looked and acted like a toddler bothered me the most about this series. There is a romance story with this character that is just plain weird. This is a toddler for all intents and purposes! He's there to look cute and represent a 3 to 6 year old boy. Even though he is '17' in the show, does that make his romance any less disturbing? Honey-Senpai is literally the most annoying anime character I've ever come across. He's not cute, and the sound of his voice makes me cringe. I dreaded having to watch an episode that focused on him.
The incestuous brotherly love characters also made me feel a bit uncomfortable. It is as if someone made a fan-fiction of The Weasley Twins (Fred and George) from Harry Potter, with them being a couple. It's like there's no such thing as a 'Taboo' in Japan. Crossing the line... what line? Nothing is off limits for their animes. Minitokyo.Ouran.High.School.Host.Club.298202 After seeing top quality anime recently, Host Club was above all, unimpressive. There was nothing new or exciting. If there was a hint of originality or heart put into the story-lines and characters then perhaps the show would have won me over. For now, it's just another forgettable show.
P.s. I rated this show 1 Star, because its rating is way too high on this site. Personally, I would give it about 3 Stars out of 10.
Sekaiichi hatsukoi (2011)
A truly heartfelt and beautiful show about same-sex couples
I'm not a huge fan of animated shows or mangas, I just stumble upon a few that I end up liking. Boy oh boy was I surprised at how much I enjoyed 'Sekaiichi Hatsukoi.' First of all, the music is absolutely amazing. It sets the scenes, and pulls at my heartstrings every time I hear it. The quality of animation is spectacular as well, with beautifully drawn characters and places.
What makes it so good is the unbelievably heartfelt romance. There are three couples throughout the show, and we get heaps of time to get to know each one. I became attached to every single character.
I couldn't stop watching this show if I tried... it may be cheesy and unrealistic, however, it's the most uplifting and beautiful show I've ever seen.
This is coming from someone who doesn't particularly like the genre, so that's got to count for something.
Lincoln (2012)
Turned exciting politics into melodramatic mush...
The acting is absolutely terrific in this film, there's no denying that. However, this is where my praise ends for Spielberg's film.
The passing of the 13th amendment was one of the most conflicting and exciting moments in American political history. So what does Spielberg do with the story? He fills it with shots of Lincoln staring out the window, staring at the floor, walking around, arguing with his family.
The film however should not be called 'Lincoln' but more 'The 13th Amendment" because that is what the film is about! We learn nothing about Lincoln 'the man' except that he was an intelligent man (which I believe we all assumed anyway).
The most disappointing aspect of the film for me, was when Abe got shot. We suddenly hear "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!" There was no build up, nor a scene to show what happened. I feel like of all the scenes to leave out of a film, he left out one of the most important ones. I understand it may disturb people, but this is what happened! If you want mushy Hollywood approved melodrama with good acting, look no further than the travesty that is Lincoln. It's not a bad film, but it could have been so much better!