A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (2010)

A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (2010)
Dirs. John Das (2 eps) | Rachel Jardine (1 ep)  |  3 episodes, approx 60 mins each.

A three-part TV documentary in which author/actor Mark Gatiss explores the evolution of horror in cinema from a biased perspective.

I don't mean that in a poisonous way; he's upfront about the focus, admitting that it's "unashamedly selective." I can relate to that.

I found myself agreeing with his choices the majority of the time, but was personally disappointed that the German Expressionist movement was completely overlooked.

There's only one film featured that I'd not seen, so I had to skip past it because there's MASSIVE spoilers every time, mostly by showing the ending of each film. If you're comfortable with that, however, then there's much to enjoy.
Click below for info on each individual episode:

Big Trouble in Little China: Volume 5 (2017)

Big Trouble in Little Heaven (2017)

Author: Fred Van Lente |  Illustrator: Dan McDaid |  Page Count: 112

"Not in the face!! That's the money-maker!!!"

I felt that Volume 4 had reignited the BTiLC series, but I feel also that Volume 5 pisses on it again, even though both collections are written by the same author.

It places Jack in a peculiar environment that's chock-full of supernatural beings, namely the Kunlun Casino as it hosts Source Con, a sorcerers convention, most of whom are egotistical a-holes. But Jack's not braving it alone, he has Wang's daughter Winona to aid him. Oh, and Wang's there, too, but he's currently an emotional mess and seemingly about as useless as tits on a bull.

Much of the book is taken up by a lengthy poker game, and if you don't know how to play poker (specifically Texas Hold 'Em) it teaches you. As a fan of the game I enjoyed the setting, but a lot of the dialogue therein seems like little more than word-count boosting filler.

American Gothic (1995–96)

American Gothic (1995–96)

22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Welcome to Trinity, South Carolina, home to ten-year-old Caleb Temple (Lucas Black) and his sixteen-year-old sister Merlyn (Sarah Paulson).

The home life of the Temple children is far from happy, meaning young Caleb's had to grow up fast. He may be only ten but he's a lot more savvy than most kids his age, which is a good thing because his future is murky. Events will force Caleb to take a path that can lead to either of two destinations, and that's only if he can fight the conflict that rages within him. His older sister will try to protect him, but she's got problems of her own; you could say she's got the worst problem anyone can have.

One other person has a hand in Caleb's fate: Sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole). Lucas is friend to everyone and no one. He'll give you what you want but there'll be a price to pay further down the line.

The Sandman: Volume X (1996)

The Wake (1996)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Michael Zulli / Charles Vess / Bryan Talbot / John Ridgway | Page Count: 185

"Even in this half-assed medieval Milton Keynes there's got to be somewhere a man can get a pint of beer."

Volume X of X in the Sandman saga is a quiet, reflective piece wherein Gaiman says goodbye to the enduring characters that he created and the stories that he felt fit to tell; it's a bitter-sweet reading experience.

Like I said previously, I feel that Volume IX: The Kindly Ones (1996) is the true end to the series, and The Wake is merely an epilogue. However, it's notable for giving us the second thing that a man in a tavern promised the Dream King twenty years previous; the first was way back in Volume III: Dream Country (1991). Yes, that guy; and the gift given is perfect in every way.

The book is split into two distinct parts: a three issue farewell that wraps up the Endless story, and three stand-alone works that serve to tie up loose ends of some of the more long-lived secondary characters. The sense of loss and of inevitable new beginnings permeates every aspect of the work.

Species: Films (1995-2007)

Species (1995)

Dir. Roger Donaldson

The premise of Species is the kind that's simple but exciting and full of potential.

A transmission from an unknown source originating somewhere in the deep, dark corners of space contains DNA information for creating an alien/human hybrid. Scientists, unsurprisingly, carry out the process. Hands up who thinks that's going to end well...

The film itself could've been really amazing. It's a sci-fi with horror elements and a creature design by artist extraordinaire HR Giger, whose mind gave birth to the terrifying creation that provided Alien (1979) with much of its dark allure. The creature in Species is reminiscent of the xenomorph, but with the added sexy/deadly aesthetic provided by actress Natasha Henstridge.

Chacun son Cinéma (2007)

Chacun son Cinéma (2007)

English Translation: To Each His Own Cinema

An anthology that contains over thirty short films by as many different directors, commissioned to celebrate six decades of the Cannes Film Festival. Each work is approximately three minutes in length and was supposed to represent the director's "state of mind [...] as inspired by the motion picture theatre." I'll put the full list of contributors below the cut for anyone that wants to view them all.

My 'Admit One' was for Takeshi Kitano and David Cronenberg, neither of which turned out to be essential. The ones that moved me most were Alejandro Iñárritu's 'Anna' and Abbas Kiarostami's 'Where is my Romeo?', both of which had more emotion than the others combined. Also, I really liked Chen Kaige's 'Zhanxiou Village'.

A lot of them take place inside a theatre with crucial scenes from actual films being projected onscreen, so be prepared for some spoilers.

Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation (2009)

Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation (2009)

Author: Ray Bradbury | Illustrator: Tim Hamilton | Page Count: 149

"Books, so the damned snobbish critics said, were dishwater. No wonder books stopped selling. The public, knowing what it wanted, let the comic books survive."

A comic book adaptation of Ray Bradbury's classic F451 story. I've reviewed the original novel already (see HERE), so I won't go over the plot again.

This particular transition from novel to comic is fully authorised by Bradbury, so you'd expect a faithful retelling. He didn't let just anyone have his works. (He once told his publisher to "go to hell" when they wanted to release F451 as an e-book. Sadly, he was forced to give in, once more proving that the book publishing world has caught up with the film world in not giving a damn about the author's intentions).

It uses Bradbury's dialogue but much of his descriptive language is lost, and it's that part of writing that he excels in, whereas his character dialogue can be simplistic and minimal.

Big Trouble in Little China: Volume 4 (2016)

I Hate the '80s! (2016)

Author: Fred Van Lente |  Illustrator: Joe Eisma |  Page Count: 112

"Stop me if you've heard this one before, but I wouldn't mind just getting my truck and getting out of here..."

I don't know how much input creator John Carpenter actually had to the comic book continuation of his film, but his name is absent from the credits of I Hate the '80s!, so perhaps his involvement ended with Volume 3? Time will tell. What's certain is that regulars Eric Powell (author) and Brian Churilla (illustrator) are both gone.

That means it's a new creative team at the helm for Volume 4. I was hopeful that they could rescue it from its Volume 3 slump, return it to the standard set by the first book, and, by Jove, they almost did! BTiLC is good again. Thank you, Mssrs Van Lente and Eisma.

The new setting is kind of crazy, but, in my view, it's a good kind of crazy and, more importantly, it once more recaptures the feeling of fun that the movie had.

The Raven (1845)

The Raven (1845)

Author: Edgar Allan Poe  |  Page Count: N/A (108 line poem)

'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—
"Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more."'

Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven is public domain, so you can pick it up directly (see below*) without ever reading my subjective ramblings. But I'm going to write them, anyhow, to satisfy my own impulses.

The poem is a remarkable work that deserves a similar kind of praise as that enjoyed by the likes of Wordsworth and Coleridge. I really do believe that; I feel that Poe was as important to his field as either of those two giants were to theirs.

Shakespeare Stories + More Shakespeare Stories (2014)

Shakespeare Stories (2014)

Author: Andrew Matthews | Illustrator: Tony Ross | Page Count: 256

"Come to me, Powers of Darkness! Fill me with cruelty, so I may teach my husband how to be ruthless!"

A convenient collection of four of Andrew Matthews' retold Shakespeare works gathered together into one B-format sized volume. As far as I know there were sixteen plays similarity retold, available singly or in an attractive slipcase format; if so, then this first volume of '4 Books in One' is a generous quarter of the total number. The plays included in the collection are:

●  Macbeth
●  Romeo and Juliet
●  Twelfth Night
●  Anthony and Cleopatra

In each case, they're in a form that a younger audience will more easily understand and be able to engage with.

The Prisoner (1967–68)

The Prisoner (1967–68)

17 episodes, approx 50 mins each.

In the opening credits of The Prisoner we witness a man driving to what we will soon presume to be his place of work. It's a building somewhere in London. The man enters through the OUT door, storms purposefully into an office and slams on a desk an envelope upon which hand-written text can be seen. He then leaves the building via the same route, drives home and hurriedly packs a suitcase.

Sometime thereafter the unnamed man reawakens in a furnished house in a populated village and the series begins proper.

The credits are the viewer's back-story, and everything that follows is the man's here and now. We come to know him as Number 6.

If asked to compile a list of perfect castings in TV history, alongside the likes of Mr. T as B.A. Baracus (The A-Team), Brent Spiner as Data (Star Trek TNG), Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar (Babylon 5), and Ian McShane as Al Swearengen (Deadwood) my list would definitely have Patrick McGoohan as The Prisoner's Number 6.

The Sandman: Volume IX (1996)

The Kindly Ones (1996)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Kevin Nowlan / Marc Hempel / Glyn Dillon / Charles Vess / Dean Ornston / Teddy Kristiansen / Richard Case | Page Count: 352

"It was then that Delirium noticed that she had absent-mindedly turned into a hundred and eleven perfect, tiny multicoloured fish. Each fish sang a different song."

Volume IX of X in the Sandman saga is the largest volume of the series, containing one thirteen-part story and a short fourteenth piece that acts as a prologue.

All good things must come to an end, and the The Kindly Ones is it. There's a Volume X, but Vol IX is arguably the real end of the series, and it doesn't disappoint.

It gathers together threads from all previous volumes and weaves them into a blanket of deep synchronicity; my advice would be to not even think about reading it unless you've read Volumes I, II, IV, V and VII. Up until now Morpheus was the thing that most of the characters had in common, but that begins to change.

Spider (2002)

Spider (2002)

Dir. David Cronenberg

An often overlooked film from the Canadian director that absolutely deserves more attention than it currently receives, for a number of reasons but mostly because of Ralph Fiennes' powerful performance as the titular Spider character.

Spider's (often incomprehensible) dialogue characterises him, as you'd expect, but perhaps an even more important avenue into his state of mind are his mannerisms, clothes, and even his stained fingers, all of which are an exquisite commentary on what's beneath the surface.

The Becket-esque halfway house in which the secretive Spider is placed has a nearby factory that looms in an almost Ballardian way. The two different literary styles work visually as one thanks to Cronenberg's ability to make them feel as if they truly deserve each other.

Scream! and Misty - Halloween Special (2018)

Scream! and Misty - Halloween Special (2018)

Authors: Guy Adams / Rich McAuliffe / Alec Worley / Kek-W / Lizzie Boyle / Smuzz / Jordi Badia Romero | Artists: Frazer Itving / John Stokes / Steve Mannion / DaNi / Simon Coleby / Yishan Li / Smuzz / Jordi Badia Romero | Page Count: 52

"And thus sow the air with angels, subtle spirits bound to whisper spite in the ears of drowsing lords, waking men from apathy."

The Scream! and Misty pairing returns for a second Hallowe'en outing, once more resurrecting some old comic strips from their grave. There's seven stories included, but not all are from yesteryear.

It opens with The Thirteenth Floor, one of Scream!'s most popular strips. It continues the story of Max and Sam Bowers' partnership. The pairing theme continues with the strip's artists: John Stokes provides the B+W sections, while Frazer Irving takes over with full colour for the scenes set upon the titular floor itself.

There's not a lot of input from Max (not counting his creations), and the short page count doesn't help with characterisation of the other characters.

It feels like half a story, which is a criticism that can be applied to the majority of the book.

Big Trouble in Little China: Volume 3 (2016)

Jack Burton in the Hell of No Return (2016)

Authors: John Carpenter / Eric Powell  |  Illustrator: Brian Churilla  |  Page Count: 112

"It's all trouble from here."

Volume 3 is functional and purposeful, but not what I'd class as memorable and a lot of the time it even felt like the BTiLC spark of fun was missing from it.

With regards what I mean by the functional side of things, it's constructed precisely so that it takes four issues, (i.e. the TPB page count) for Jack to advance to the next part of his adventure, like a successful step in an ongoing narrative ought to do. In that respect it's kind of like a self-contained short story, but it also feels like a stop gap for the series, slowing it down too much.

With regards the purposeful side, the most successful aspect is in how it subverts expectations for comedic effect. much like it does with the hero genre, having Jack be a hapless fool but remain unaware of it. The Chinese Hells are at times the direct opposite of what most readers will be accustomed to from other media.

The Way of the Dragon (1972)

The Way of the Dragon (1972)

Dir. Bruce Lee

Sometimes titled with the definite article and sometimes without, The Way of the Dragon is the film in which Bruce Lee fights Karate champion Chuck Norris in a Roman coliseum while a kitty cat spectator sits on high.

Beyond that it's basically the same old story: Bruce's character arrives from overseas and helps some family members that are being exploited (this time they're in the restaurant business); there's an attractive woman (the adorable Nora Miao) for him to engage with; a traitorous countryman weasels about; and it culminates in a death match that enables Lee to show how bad-ass he really was - his fists are lightning fast during the fight with Chuck.

Even though poor Chuck only gets three words of dialogue he makes an impression.

It was the only film that Bruce got to direct before he died; he did well, especially on the finale. He also wrote, co-produced and is credited as martial arts director. The commentary on styles and how a student can be proficient in more than one is something he taught in real life.

eXistenZ (1999)

eXistenZ (1999)

Dir. David Cronenberg

I hope it isn't but it's possible that the film is Cronenberg's final full-on venture into the 'body-horror' genre that he excelled in. It contains within it many elements that fans of his earlier works will be familiar with, including the weird character names and sharp angled Canadian architecture, as if to say this is where the past ends, I'm moving onto genres new afterwards.

It has a lot in common with Videodrome (1983), not just thematically, but in other ways, and as such I'd definitely recommend a thorough viewing of Videodrome before sitting down to eXistenZ.

It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as a VR video game designer named Allegra Geller. A player of Allegra's games experiences a different reality, literally. They become a character in the game.
Players of eXistenZ aren't sat in front of a screen or fed imagery through a lens in a headset, through biotechnology they're inserted into a functioning three-dimensional world that's as real to them as the one we collectively call reality.

Pretty Deadly: Vol 1: The Shrike (2014)

Pretty Deadly: Vol 1: The Shrike (2014)

Author: Kelly Sue DeConnick  |  Illustrator: Emma Ríos  |  Page Count: 120

"This world ain't been kind to me. I say let it burn."

Taking place in a traditional American Western setting with an accompanying fable-esque slant, Volume 1 of Pretty Deadly is centred on a small handful of enigmatic but arguably well-written characters, each of whom has a murky past that they're either aware of, are attempting to hide from others, or are simply oblivious to.

It's difficult to tell at this early stage which of the cast is going to be most important to the ongoing narrative, or even who will be most profitable to sympathise with, but two of them seem to stand out from the rest.

The first is named Sissy, a young girl with two different coloured eyes and an unusual and frightening destiny.

The second candidate is Ginny, a woman on a mission. Ginny is a yellow-eyed violent force within an already violent world. She has a skull mark on her face but it's not just for show - it has a deeper meaning. That meaning is revealed when author Kelly Sue DeConnick's darkly poetic prose hits its triumphant stride.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Dir. Jim Jarmusch

Ghost Dog is a loner but he's well-respected. He lives in a modern American city but follows dutifully an ancient Samurai code as outlined in Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure. The code guides him and shapes his morality in his role as a perfect assassin for the Mafia.

The lives of the gangsters are empty and wasteful. In contrast, Ghost Dog's life is filled with meaning and purpose. It's an unusual, romanticised one that he's created himself, but that doesn't make it any less noble.

Forest Whitaker is a superb actor. He can make an average film good. It follows, then, that he can make a great film like Jarmusch's Ghost Dog even more exceptional, which is exactly what he does. He brings a beautifully understated sense of sincerity to the role.

It's not essential, but familiarity with chanbara cinema will greatly increase your understanding of the film's themes and enrich your enjoyment of many other aspects of the story.

Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

Author: Ray Bradbury | Page Count: 227

"And when he died, I suddenly realised I wasn't crying for him at all, but for the things he did. I cried because he would never do them again..."

Ray Bradbury's masterpiece tells of an unspecified future time when the written word is considered anathema, books are burned for their heretic meanings and too much knowledge is strictly forbidden.

If one man is smarter than another, it makes the other man feel shame and inadequacy. The state doesn't want that. They want everyone to be happy, and to achieve that they must make everyone the same. They want no one to question the equilibrium or to protest against the unfairness of the world that they've help create.

Television is the dominant information medium, a permanent fixture in almost every home, delivering sound and fury but saying nothing and somehow meaning even less. Life for the populace slithers along under a coloured blanket; the colour is grey and occasionally the colour of flame, but only if you try to think for yourself, if you risk going against the established order.

Crash (1973)

Crash (1973)

Author:  J.G. Ballard | Page Count: 185

"The intimate time and space of a single human being had been fossilized for ever in this web of chromium knives and frosted glass."

Crash is a subversive novel about a film-maker named James Ballard (the same as the author) who meets a deviant named Robert Vaughan. The longer Ballard spends in Vaughan's company the more influenced by him he becomes. He's soon happily entwined in a secret world of car crashes and illicit sex, and as a result his own sexual ideals begin to change dramatically.

Robert Vaughan is a character seen previously in The Atrocity Exhibition (1970). He was a perverted weirdo there and he's much the same here. He surrounds himself with like-minded individuals, the reasons for which will become clear the more of the book you read.

Big Trouble in Little China: Volume 2 (2016)

The Return of Lo Pan and How Jack Burton Became King of the Lords of Death (2016)

Authors: John Carpenter / Eric Powell  |  Illustrator: Brian Churilla  |  Page Count: 112

"It's like I always say, you can never really go home! Especially when there's a restraining order involved!"

NOTE: the following text contains spoilers for the Big Trouble in Little China (1986) movie AND for Volume 1 of its comic book sequel. Proceed at your discretion.

If you've read Volume 1 of the series, then you'll know that Jack Burton's antics while travelling the Midnight Road weren't without consequence - he pissed off some powerful individuals, some of whom want payback.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the recently resurrected supernatural entity Lo Pan, butt-hurt and angry due to his marriage plans going tits-up and subsequently being sent by Jack to The Hell of Those Killed by Idiots, is itching for some mystical-style vengeance. Jack's best option is to go on the run with his friend Wang.

Arcane Quest (2013)

Arcane Quest (2013)

Genre: RPG | Players: 1 | Developer: Nex Game Studios

Arcane Quest is a FREE mobile phone game (subsequently also on PC, with HD graphics, but I'll be referring specifically to the Windows Phone version). The game isn't actually HeroQuest on your phone, because that would be plagiarism, or trademark infringement, or something equally as nefarious and icky, but, put simply, Arcane Quest is HeroQuest on your phone. Rejoice!

Voices of a Distant Star (2018)

Voices of a Distant Star (2018)

Author: Makoto Shinkai | Adaptation + Illustration: Mizu Sahara | English Translation: Melissa Tanaka | Page Count: 230

'Bit by bit I'm losing sight of the edges of the world... Sometimes, I forget where I am.'

A belated English language version of the manga adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's breakthrough anime, first published in Japan in 2005. This version of the story is slightly different to the original short film.

The story is simple but deeply affecting. Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao are classmates who are in love but half-afraid to admit it to themselves or each other. When interstellar war separates them, their only means of communication is via long-distance text message on a mobile phone network.

But the further away the war takes Mikako, the longer it takes for her messages to reach Noboru.

If the anime was recreated as is, the manga would probably be quite a thin volume, so, in order to ensure that isn't the case, new content has been added, including a small number of subplots.

Fist of Fury (1972)

Fist of Fury (1972)

Dir. Wei Lo

Unable to silence his feelings, and in direct opposition to the wishes of his recently dead shifu, martial arts student Chen Zhen seeks direct vengeance for the death of his teacher, bringing trouble to his own front door in the process, in a socially repressed Shanghai that's being overrun by Japanese officials.

When he's not kicking (or punching) seven shades of shit out of members of a rival martial arts school, for the majority of the film Chen exists in two basic emotional states: very pissed off, or on the verge of being very pissed off. That's okay because seeing Bruce in action is the reason most of us are watching in the first place.

I don't know how many people will have a deeper knowledge of the sociopolitical nature of the relationship between the Chinese and Japanese people in the era in which the film is set, but the distrust and enmity between the two sides is given a more literal plateau within the story itself, so it should be self-explanatory.

Crash (1996)

Crash (1996)

Dir. David Cronenberg

Open marriage couple James and Catherine Ballard (James Spader and Deborah Kara Unger) have an active but unrewarding sex life together. A series of unplanned events introduce and lure the duo into a bizarre subculture of people who fetishise car crashes. The activities undertaken are consensual within the group, but their hidden world is hazardous to our world.

Reading the J.G. Ballard novel (1973) upon which Crash is based wasn't much fun for me, but it was essential to understanding the otherwise impenetrable aspects of the film. Somehow Cronenberg translated the insipid moments into filmic intensity.

He distorts the traditional role of the viewer by putting us too close for comfort, turning viewer into voyeur - a position of distanced participation. It's uncomfortable and I believe the main reason that most people shy away from even discussing the film in public. It's a shame, because it's a powerful work with some outstanding acting, but it'll take a very open-minded person to see past the taboo wall.

The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories (2017)

The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories (2017)

Authors: Toh Enjoe / Gakuto Mikumo / Kafka Asagiri / Yoshinobu Akita / Tow Ubukata | Translation: Unknown | Page Count: 187

'Her cyborg form was an established item and not all that uncommon, but there was something special about the figure she cut. Something divine, divorced from this ugly world.'

The blurb on the back cover claiming that Five New Short Stories is a 'standalone collection' that 'requires no familiarity with the franchise to be enjoyed' is what's known outside of the publishing world as a falsehood, a fib, a damned lie, bullshit, because prior knowledge of GitS is needed.

Even ignoring the fact that someone new to the franchise will have no clue who the characters are, or any knowledge of their particular levels of cyberization, right from the very first story, a first-person narrative named Shadow.net by Toh Enjoe, prior knowledge is needed (specifically, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society).

Warrior Queen (1978)

Warrior Queen (1978)

Dirs. Michael Custance / Neville Green | 6 episodes, approx 25 minutes each

A British TV series about Queen Boudicca of the Celtic Iceni tribe, played here by the striking actress Siân Phillips. It tells of the determined queen's campaign to unite the native tribes in order to drive from their homeland the occupying forces of the Roman Empire in the year 61 AD.

Aiding Boudicca in her struggle is druid priest Volthan (Michael Gothard), a man who hates the Romans more than most because of the slaughter they wrought upon his fellow druid practitioners, even going so far as to outlaw their sacred beliefs.

Volthan's personal agenda sometimes overrides rational judgements, making him something of a dangerous ally. Gothard sometimes overacts the part, but there's no denying his good intentions for breathing dramatic life into the driven character.

From Dusk Till Dawn: Film Trilogy (1996-99)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Dir. Robert Rodriguez

Two criminals on the run take a few hostages and head for Mexico. Seth Gecko (George Clooney) is smooth and calm under pressure. His brother Richie (Quentin Tarantino) is a trigger-happy prick who needs protecting from his own impulses.

It's a movie of two uneven halves. For a while it's an edgy crime flick with some Tarantino-penned dialogue. It doesn't go anywhere particularly interesting, but there's at least the feeling that it might.

The latter part of the film, however, has no such aspirations. Instead, it goes all out to please fans of a very different genre.

I'll say no more, to avoid further spoilers, but the direction it takes will either float your goat or it won't. My goat was thoroughly sunk, but credit to the creators for trying something so outrageously divergent.

She and Her Cat (2017)

She and Her Cat (2017)

Author: Makoto Shinkai | Illustrator: Tsubasa Yamaguchi | English Translation: Kumar Sivasubramanian | Page Count: 180

'She always waits for the phone to stop ringing, then checks to see who called.'

It's possible that I've used the word 'wistful' in the past in a less than complimentary way, but in this instance it's very much in the form of praise. Shinkai's ability to express in an understated but powerful way the regretful longing that the word implies is heartbreakingly sincere and rarely ever saccharine.

The blurb on the back cover does a good job of explaining what the book is about without spoiling anything, which is a rare achievement. The story isn't particularly deep, but it will have a poignant resonance for some folks. It's adapted from Shinkai's own short OVA of the same name, which came out in 1999. I posted a very brief review of it HERE.

The Big Boss (1971)

The Big Boss (1971)

Dir. Wei Lo

TBB was Bruce's first major film. In it he plays Zheng Chao-an (alternatively spelled Cheng in some previous editions), a Chinese man fresh off the boat and working in a Thailand ice factory. All goes well enough for the new worker until he discovers that the ice factory is more than it initially seems.

It successfully established the template for much of what followed, while also highlighting his quiet, respectful persona that resorts to violence only when all other practical options have been exhausted. As such, it's not until well into the running time that we get to see the martial arts star in blazing action. But before too long there’s some WOOO-oooo-OOOO-WAHHH! and Bruce ends up angry, shirtless and bloody.

Red Dead Redemption (2010)

Red Dead Redemption (2010)

Genre: Third Person Shooter / Action / Sandbox | Players: 1 / Online Multi

Developer: Rockstar San Diego

I love a good Western! When I say those words out loud it usually means I'm thinking of a classic genre film, or even a TV show, but not this time - this time it's a PS3 game.

If you were to take all that's good about the film and TV medium and mix it with biting satire and social commentary (Rockstar style), then you'd have the formula for Red Dead Redemption, which is what the acclaimed developers appear to have done.

You've maybe heard it described as Grand Theft Auto: Wild West, and while that's essentially true, they're both sandbox games sharing many features, it's also a disservice to the scope and underlying heart of RDR, which is something that GTA typically lacks.

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

Dir. Kazuya Nomura

It's not stated on the box art, but Dir. Kazuya Nomura's film is a continuation of the Arise version of GitS and a sequel to the Pyrophoric Cult (2015) episode(s), so before viewing it would be beneficial to watch all of Arise.

Set in the year 2029, it begins with a hostage situation that doesn't quite go to plan and the assassination of a very public figure.

Working independently of Public Security Section 9, Motoko and her team investigate further, discovering new and elaborate twists and turns alongside the unfinished story of the Fire-Starter virus that P Cult toyed with.

As any modern computer user will know, progress is happening at an alarming rate, often leaving hardware and software developers playing catch-up. The alternative to keeping up is to abandon the current model and work on a newer, more compatible one; but the new tech will eventually succumb to the same fate and the cycle begins anew.

Dead Ringers (1988)

Dead Ringers (1988)

Dir. David Cronenberg

When Cronenberg helms a story about identical twin gynaecologists who specialise in treating female fertility problems and who share their patients and their lovers, you would expect to find an uncomfortable mixture of sexual practices with clinical ones.

And you will, but Dead Ringers goes to even deeper levels of unease. The pair live an ordered lifestyle, are outwardly confident, professional and well-respected by their peers, but it's the twofold shadow cast by the privacy of their complex relationship that the viewer needs to pay close attention to. 

Like in a single body or organism, when an interdependent part falls out of sync with its connecting organs, malady occurs.

British actor Jeremy Irons is amazing in a dual role, skilfully feeding himself emotional triggers and responding to the same situation, sometimes in two very different ways.

Quatermass II (1955)

Quatermass II (1955)

Dir. Rudolph Cartier | 6 episodes, approx 30 mins each

I skipped the first Quatermass and went direct to the second because, unfortunately, two-thirds of Series One, named The Quatermass Experiment (1953), is lost. Episodes Three, Four, Five and Six are gone, believed to no longer be in existence.

It's possible to watch the first two episodes as filmed and finish up by reading the available photocopied scripts of the remaining four if you really want to, although it's not necessary because, while it does reference what came before, Q II is a new story with a new threat.

If you did watch the previous two episodes, however, you'll notice that Professor Bernard Quatermass is no longer played by Reginald Tate.

Tragically, Tate died less than a month before shooting was due to begin. Instead of respectfully postponing the project the producers moved forward and quickly recast the role, which is how John Robinson came to be the titular scientist.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise: Pyrophoric Cult (2015)

Ghost in the Shell: Arise: Pyrophoric Cult (2015)

Dirs. Kazuchika Kise / Masaki Tachibana | Length: 46 mins (approx)

Pyrophoric Cult serves a dual purpose: it's a continuation of the Arise version of GitS that picks up a few of the loose ends that were left after Border 4, and it leads into GitS: The New Movie. That means it's a bridge narrative, a situation that's very apparent, given that it has no proper ending. It's an enjoyable adventure for the most part, but it feels like half a story.

The 'Fire-Starter' virus that was mentioned a few times in the previous one-hour features but never fully explored is the central threat. It gets pushed to the fore when a group of cyber-brain engineers are murdered. The question of why the killings happened, and more specifically why it was those individuals that were targeted, starts a chain of events that the team must solve. But the operation is to be a joint venture with a foreign power.

Voices of a Distant Star (2003)

Voices of a Distant Star (2003)

Dir. Makoto Shinkai

A short OVA (25 mins) that was for many people an introduction to the magic of Makoto Shinkai. What it lacks in length it more than makes up for in content, specifically emotional content. It squeezes more lyrical beauty into its short running time than many full-length features can manage. And while it's sad to see it end so suddenly, I believe its brevity is part of the reason it works so well - like a flower it exists for a short time and is all the more beautiful because of it.

It's the story of two Japanese high-school students, Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao, distanced from each other but never far from one another's thoughts.

The gulf between them isn't just geographical, it's also temporal. The pair communicate via the only means they have, but it's a process that has limitations, the least of which is that it's text-based only.

The Complete Future Shocks: Volume 01 (2018)

The Complete Future Shocks: Vol 01 (2018)

Authors + Illustrators: Various - see end of post for full list | Page Count: 320

'The 'Shocks' are the sudden twist endings that up-end the narrative, that can unnerve even as they excite and astonish.'

The first volume, in what I suspect will be a fairly long-running series, collects all of Tharg's Future Shocks from the weekly 2000 AD magazine.

Some of the stories included have been reprinted previously, in various collections over the years, but for many of the others it's the first time they've received such an honour. Crucially, the works are presented in the same order in which they appeared in the weekly magazine. Volume 01, therefore, opens with the very first self-contained Shock from August 1977, and goes all the way up to July 1981.

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Dir. Fred M. Wilcox

If you've any interest in the history and/or evolution of science fiction on film, then Forbidden Planet is a must-see, considering how influential it was on the genre. It was a direct influence on Star Trek: TOS, so fans of Kirk and Co. should be making a beeline to the front of the queue if they haven't already.

Of course, not everyone likes it. Some folks balk at the old school FX and criticise the music. I'm not just referring to kids weaned on CGI. Adults that ought to know better, that ought to be able to place something in its time and judge it accordingly, are just as dismissive. I feel genuinely sorry for them; they're missing out on so much. The FX are amazing; the miniatures and matte paintings are a thing of real beauty, filmed and presented in stunning Eastman Colour.

The Sandman: Volume VIII (1994)

Worlds' End (1994)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Alec Stevens / Bryan Talbot / John Watkiss / Michael Zulli / Michael Allred / Shea Anton Pensa / Gary Amaro | Page Count: 168

"Is there any person in the world who does not dream? Who does not contain within them worlds unimagined?"

Volume VIII of X in the Sandman saga. Gaiman had referenced and paid homage to Shakespeare, Spenser and Milton previously, so it was only a matter of time before he turned his attentions to Geoffrey Chaucer.

He uses the frame narrative style that the 'father of English literature' used in Canterbury Tales (late 14th Century) to tie together a number of standalone episodes in a Mise en abyme that's both hit and miss.

He doesn't stop at just one layer, he crafts a story within a story within a story within a story within a story, but it remains easy to follow. The titles of the individual tales give their own extra nods to classic literature: A Tale of Two Cities, Cluracan's Tale, Hob's Leviathan, The Golden Boy, etc. The Chaucerian pilgrimage pervades them all.

Wrathchild America: Climbin' the Walls (1989)

Wrathchild America: Climbin' the Walls (1989)

It saddens me to admit it but there's nothing spectacular about Wrathchild America's début album. That might seem a strange thing to write, but it's because the release is one of a small number of records that connects me to a place and era that really defined me as a person, even though I wasn't aware of it happening at the time.

So, while the album is an important one in my life, I know that in reality it's merely a decent late-80s Metal album with solid drumming, some respectable Iron Maiden moments, and Thrash elements that serve their purpose but never manage to drag the songs out of the mediocre pit.

Despite its failings, and my own sentimental reasons for remembering and every few years rediscovering its limited charms, I still genuinely enjoy Climbin' the Walls as a musical piece. There's a faithful (if uninspired) cover of Pink Floyd's 'Time' on side two, which is what first brought it to my attention a long, long time ago. When last I checked it was available on YouTube, if you're interested in hearing any of it.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 7 (1998–99)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 7 (1998–99)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The religious aspects that are a defining feature of DS9's scripted world play a major role in the series closing season. As before, the pairing is arguably as damaging to the whole as it is beneficial. There's a weighty revelation centred around such that I'm sure will divide viewers. Unfortunately for me, I'm one of the folks that feels it was too convenient - but I acknowledge it may have been planned from day one, it's not something that's completely left field.

A new primary character is introduced; it might seem a little late in the day to be doing such a thing, but that shakeup makes sense when put into context. I won't go into further detail because it's spoilery.

The holographic Vic Fontaine (James Darren) character that made his début in S6 gets a lot more screen time, functioning as a kind of advice-giver to the crew. It's a silly idea that sometimes works.

Sheridan: Sheridan (2017)

Sheridan (2017)

Actors releasing pop albums isn't a new thing; it's often a forgettable thing, but every now and again there's an actual diamond among the dross.

British actress Sheridan Smith's début album is a varied collection of covers that went into bargain bins within a year of release. But don't equate price or the actions of clueless store managers with quality. Being at a reduced price just means that you'll get an even better deal, because the collection is really very good.

Her voice is soaring when needed, but equally good at being soft, playful, fragile and, at best, heartfelt.

The Hood Trilogy (2006-16)

KiDULTHOOD (2006)

Dir. Menhaj Huda

A hard-hitting drama set in the suburbs of west London exploring what daily life is like for a small number of teenagers in mid-2000s era Britain, most of whom are approximately fifteen-years-old. Many folks, especially parents, will be offended or even outraged by the use of language, violence, drugs and sex in the film, but that doesn't mean it isn't an accurate reflection of what's actually happening on the streets outside their front door.

The activities and friends are spread out over a small area and a few short days, culminating in the kind of unsupervised teenage house-party that rarely goes off without a hitch.

For at least two of the youths it's a build-up and event that's nothing short of life-changing, in the most unforgettable ways.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 6 (1997–98)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 6 (1997–98)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Note: I do my best to avoid spoilers in my posts, but the following text will refer to events that happened in Season 5, so if you're as sensitive to spoilers as I am and haven’t watched all of Season 5 it would be advisable to not read beyond this sentence.

Anyone still reading will maybe know that the long-building Dominion War is finally underway and that the entry-point into the Alpha quadrant is guarded by Starfleet and its allies. But not everyone in the Alpha quadrant sees the aggressors as a threat; some see the invasion as an opportunity to (re)gain power, forcing Sisko and his team to fight a war on two sides. That situation is the basis of Season 6.

Furthermore, even though they're Federation allies, some races are enjoying the war (the Klingons, naturally) and are happy to see it take shape. But their presence on DS9 causes problems of its own.

Yakuza Kiwami (2016 / 2017)

Yakuza Kiwami (JP: 2016 / WW: 2017)

Genre: Action/Adventure | Players: 1 | Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (SEGA)

Kiwami (meaning 'ultimate' or 'extreme') is an updated, overhauled and expanded PS4 remake of the very first Yakuza game, which was a PS2 exclusive title that received its western release in 2006, a year after its original Japanese release.

With it being the first game done over it'd be natural to assume that it's a perfect jumping on point for new players, but that's not quite the case. It does an okay job at being such, but there's a small number of sub-stories that follow on from occurrences in the previous year's Yakuza 0 (2015), a prequel game set in 1988, seventeen years before Kiwami. So if you want to be clued-in with regards every minor plot thread, you'll need to have played Yakuza 0 first.

The downside to that approach is that Yakuza 0, though set earlier in time, is a more accomplished and varied game. The devs did a tremendous job updating most parts of Kiwami, but lessons learned from and since the original game and its sequels, particularly regarding mission structure but also in storytelling and event timing, mean that for some players Kiwami's ageing game engine may feel dated and clunky by comparison.

The Sandman: Volume VII (1994)

Brief Lives (1994)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrator: Jill Thompson | Page Count: 256

"You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less."

Volume VII of X in the Sandman saga is a big one, nine chapters long. It uses the extra space to tell a different kind of story, to give the narrative room to breathe, and within that same space it gives characters room to grow.

The girl with the coloured hair wants to find her missing brother, who up until now has been mentioned many times but rarely seen. It's a road trip, both in essence and in actuality. What do all good road trip stories have on common? Character growth and change.

The concept of 'change' is Volume VII distilled to a single word. There's change for Dream; for the worlds he inhabits; and for the Endless, forever. If consequences are ripples, then they're potentially perpetual when the pond that the stone is cast into lacks boundaries.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1979)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1979)

Dir. Bill Meléndez

As a child I was never very fond of the first half of the animated version of C. S. Lewis' most famous work. Even now, as an adult, I feel the same.

And while the traditional static backgrounds are fine, the actual character animations atop them are very poorly done, especially the eyes.

The second half of the film, however, despite the same dodgy line work and the overpowering Christian allegory, I loved and even today I feel it's the best part. It's then that the story really picks up the pace and the Pevensie siblings, with their four different hair colours, are no longer required to be the main focus of the story, a task for which they aren't particularity well-suited.

The script is adapted from the revised US edition of the novel. If you're stuck with the Region 1 disc, then you have a different voice cast than the rest of the English speaking world - except for Aslan, the best of the bunch, who's voiced by British actor Stephen Thorne in both versions.

Tremors: Films (1990— )

Tremors: Films (1990 - 2018)

Waterworld (1995)

Waterworld (1995)

Dir. Kevin Reynolds

The quick and easy way to describe Waterworld is to liken it to the Mad Max films but on water instead of land. However, what many people neglect to say is that, while there are moments that are indeed reminiscent of the good Mad Max film, i.e. The Road Warrior (1981), sometimes Waterworld is more like the travesty that was Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and the world doesn't need any more of that.

It's set during an undefined future date in which the polar ice caps have melted. The resultant elevated sea levels have left most of the world covered in undrinkable sea water.

The Mariner (Kevin Costner) is an inhabitant of that world. A drifter with a trimaran, he travels from place to place trading commodities (salvage, dirt, etc) with the small pockets of human civilisation that are scattered around. He's a guarded loner, avoiding human interaction as much as possible.