Hawk the Slayer: Watch for Me in the Night (2023)

Hawk the Slayer: Watch for Me in the Night (2023)

Author: Garth Ennis | Illustrator: Henry Flint | Page Count: 128

"Since last you rode those awful paths, the black woods have almost doubled in size..."

Forty-three years! That's how long it took for a sequel to Hawk the Slayer (1980) to emerge. That's quite a span.

The only downside is the continuation is a comic book, not a movie. Wait, that's not a downside. It's quite the opposite, in fact, given how shit-awful modern fantasy movies are. The comic has no CGI, no extended universe crap, and no woke politics. That's a bona fide upside!

Was it worth the wait? No, but it did inspire me to rewatch the movie, so, again, I'm calling it a good thing.

Its story, written by Garth Ennis, of Hellblazer and Preacher fame, feels like an 80s B-Movie, which is how it should feel, in reverence to its predecessor.

It follows Hawk as he reunites with the remaining members of the Table of Five. Together with a couple of newbies, they go to thwart a great evil.

King Kong: The De Laurentiis Movies (1976–86)

King Kong (1976)

Dir. John Guillermin

The biggest difference between the original 1933 version and the 70s remake is that the latter movie is full colour. It wasn't the first Kong movie to use colour film stock, but it was the first English language one to do so.

The second major difference is that Kong is now a human actor in an ape suit, whereas previously he was a model that had been brought to life by the magic of stop motion animation. It seems as if Hollywood were taking cues from Japan, specifically Toho, who had used the King Kong character in their Godzilla franchise over a decade previously.

Likewise, the impressive scale model landscapes used in the Hollywood version seem to be inspired by Japan's movies. [1]

Motörhead: Overkill (1979)

Motörhead: Overkill (1979)

Note: post is dedicated to my cousin, for reasons that he'd understand.

Motörhead's eponymous début album came out in 1977 and established the band's sound well-enough, but two years later the classic line-up of Lemmy Kilmister on vocals and bass, Eddie Clarke on lead guitar, and Phil Taylor on drums delivered unto the world Overkill - the first truly great Motörhead album. I'm listening to it right now, for the umpteenth time.

Side One is a mini-masterpiece all by itself. It opens with a thunderous drum track that's so good it could make Apollo weep with jealousy. Lemmy's bass kicks in after a few seconds and thunders along like Odin on a pub-crawl. Then the guitars break, shredding the air like the pains of Osiris slain. When Motörhead play, even the Gods pay attention.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence: After the Long Goodbye (2007)

GitS 2: Innocence: After the Long Goodbye (2007)

Author: Masaki Yamada | Translators: Yuji Oniki + Carl Gustav Horn / Page Count: 197 

"I'm not all that popular. At the same time, I hardly ever meet someone I like. In that sense, my life is balanced out."

A prequel to the second Ghost in the Shell feature film, Innocence (2004). Unlike most TV and film tie-in novels, this one is actually good - damn good.

It creates a singular narrative that doesn't rely heavily on the film, but it remains referential and respectful to it. Knowledge of the characters is obviously necessary to fully appreciate the small intricacies, but the text also manages to stand on its own two feet, admirably.

It's told first person, from the cyborg Batou's perspective. Batou isn't the most intelligent or passionate of individuals, so it may come as a surprise to find that his sensitive side, a secretive part of himself that he reserves for mostly one person in the films, could be so well-developed without compromising the integrity of the character. It gets deep into the mind of the man, the only part of him that's still human, to explore the themes of self that René Descartes popularised. That self-analysis is the novel's greatest strength, and what Ghost in the Shell is perfectly suited to.

Death Wish: Films (1974-94)

Death Wish: Films (1974-94)

Dir. Michael Winner / J. Lee Thompson / Allan A. Goldstein

In 01. Death Wish (1974 / Dir. Michael Winner) an average New Yorker named Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) initiates a violent crusade of justice as he takes a stand against the street thugs and muggers that terrorise the good citizens of his city. It might sound lame and clichéd when written down, but in the mid-70s that kind of thing was still pushing boundaries, and Death Wish pushed more than most.

Dir. Michael Winner doesn't shy away from showing the harsh realities of the world in which a walk in the park at night-time is a very dicey activity.

It's a measured transition from law-abiding office worker to law-breaking vigilante, fuelled by a malady that eats away at the character's moral fibre, not an instant, explosive and unrealistic Arnie flick change.

The Matrix Comics: 20th Anniversary Edition (2019)

The Matrix Comics: 20th Anniversary Edition (2019)

Authors: Various | Illustrators: Various | Page Count: 400

"The answer. It's right there. I can touch it. It's beautiful. Simple. And it scares the hell out of me."

Beyond the infinite possibilities offered by a virtual world, part of what keeps The Matrix universe so appealing is that it hasn't been milked to death by a greedy studio. Exploitation and oversaturation would've killed it as easily as it does any other commodity.

I assume the Wachowski's had some hand in regulating that, so kudos to them and everyone else who stuck to their guns. Yes, one of the siblings made a fourth film, but not until eighteen years later. (Having said that, I'd really love another anime collection like The Animatrix.)

The 20th Anniversary Edition of The Matrix Comics combines both of the original TPB publications into one larger than normal US comic format HB book.

That in itself is a generous amount, but it also includes four stories that weren't in either of the two previous volumes, which came out in 2003 and 2005, respectively. After doing the maths, the 'anniversary' label must refer instead to the first Matrix film, which was released in cinemas in March 1999.

Torchwood: TV Series (2006-11)

Torchwood (2006-11)

Dirs: various | 4 Seasons | 41 episodes, approx 44-57 mins each.

A Doctor Who offshoot that was targeted at a more mature audience than its parent series. In theory that's an interesting prospect, but in reality the definition of 'mature' seems to have been derived from a yobbish, vulgar, and sex-obsessed teenager's personal diary.

Season 01 is particularly bad in that regard, as if the show's writers believed that profanity and multiple references to casual sex were compensation for a well-written script. [1]

Consequently, most of its episodes are a dismal and joyless slog through predominantly bland storytelling, populated with unlikable characters whose traits are more often than not reprehensible and shameful.

I suspect it's more due to blind luck than any kind of skilful plan that it managed not to turn the group's leader, Doctor Who's Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), into the same. [2]

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Dir. Ryūtarō Nakamura | 13 episodes, approx 24 minutes each.

Lain Iwakura is small for her age. She's reserved, quiet, and emotionally inexperienced. She has a small group of friends but their connection is tenuous, based more on shared location than on similar interests. That's the nature of the world in which Lain exists.

But there's more than one reality; the real world exists alongside the Wired. Among other things, the Wired is a network that allows communication between distant parties. It connects the individual to other individuals and enables information to be passed along. The synergy between the two existences has a profound maturing effect on the young Lain.

I've watched the series more than once and I'm positive there are things in it that I still haven't found. It's densely packed with subtleties and philosophical concepts. Where do we go when we die? How do we know we're alive? Did God create us? If so, then who created God?

Delta Force: Movie Trilogy (1986-91)

Delta Force: Movie Trilogy (1986-91)

Dirs. Various

01. Much of the first movie takes place onboard an aeroplane in flight, with an ensemble cast that's underused. Chief hijacker Abdul (Robert Forster) is moustachioed and menacing. but he didn't reckon on the Deltas doing their thing.

The opening shot sets movie's tone perfectly, for good or ill. The scene that follows, wherein special ops member Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris) does what other men won't, reinforces it tenfold: it's 80s action from Canon Films with rugged men and many guns (Dir. Menahem Golan).

The team wear covert black duds with a bright US flag patch on the arm lest the audience forget who they're cheering for, or the enemy forget who to shoot. Gotta keep those bullets flying.

If they get tired walking they have motorcycles that shoot mini-missiles. Abdul and his cronies are boned - even if Chuck is perpetually late to the party and Silvestri's music sucks.

.hack//4Koma (2010)

.hack//4Koma (2010)

Author: Koichi Sumimaru | Illustrator: Various |  Page Count: 192

"Your morals as a protagonist are being challenged, aren't they?"

A yonkoma, often shortened to 4koma, is a four-panel manga similar to the kind of thing you'd see in a Sunday newspaper, except that most yonkoma are read from top to bottom, not left to right horizontal.

The .hack yonkoma parodies Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. The comedy is derived mostly from non-canon meetings, rivalries, awkward social situations, and typically friendly people being dicks to other characters. As such, in-jokes are definitely the order of the day, so if you're not very familiar with each person's usual demeanour, or the .hack world, in general, you'll miss most of the situational humour.

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

12 episodes, approx 45 minutes each.

British actor Chris Vance replaces Jason Statham as ex-SAS man Frank Martin in a spin-off from the Transporter movies. Frank's house is well-ordered and he carries a spare suit in the boot of his car. That's the kind of guy he is. He's also a resourceful driver that transports packages from A to B with no questions asked; discretion is paramount. He lives by his own code and is a stickler for the rules:

01. NEVER CHANGE THE DEAL.

02. NO NAMES.

03. NEVER OPEN THE PACKAGE.

He'll often quote one of them (for the audience's benefit) just a few minutes before breaking it.

Vance's portrayal of the character is more sympathetic than Stath's. He's a sucker for righting an injustice. He needs to be, though, because it isn't just 90 minutes of explosive escapism, it's an ongoing development in which the (anti)hero operates in a grey area of morality and law.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Dir. Mamoru Oshii

Loosely based on a story from the same Masamune Shirow manga as the first Ghost in the Shell film, Innocence is nevertheless very different to its predecessor.

I'm limited in what I can say because it'll be mostly spoiler, so I'll stick to basics: Section 9 members Batou and Togusa are assigned to investigate a series of 'gruesome murders' perpetrated by gynoids who thereafter end their own existence. The investigation opens doors to a great deal of spiralling philosophy and musings on the nature of humanity.

The animation and character movement are superb, and backgrounds are even more detailed than before, with exquisite lighting - although the latter has a deep brown / coppery tint that won't be to everyone's liking. The plot is at times mind-bending and at other times simple and understatedly heartfelt. It's certainly not passive viewing, so you'll need to engage and question what you're given if you want to get the most from it.

Mötley Crüe: The Dirt: Declassified (2023)

Mötley Crüe: The Dirt: Declassified (2023)

Author: Leah Moore | Illustrators: David Cabeza (with John K Snyder III / Patricio Delpeche / Armitano / Vasilis Lolos) | Page Count: 160

 

"I don't have time for this shit!"

It's not the first time that members of Mötley Crüe have been seen in a comic book format, but, as far I know, they've not been depicted as undercover government operatives before now. That's the premise. I shit you not. And things don't get any better from there.

The story sees the band reforming, but it's a front so that they can tour specific locations and investigate why teenage music fans are turning into 'zombies'.

Something that ridiculous must be a clever allegory, right? Perhaps a satirical commentary on the music business and its treatment of fans? Maybe it is. I'm certain it was meant to be silly fun, not taken seriously, but my feeling was that it was an ineptly written mess that lacked any redeeming subtext whatsoever.

The Adventure Game (1980-86)

The Adventure Game (1980-86)

22 episodes (split over 4 series), approx 26-45 mins each.

I've probably said on more than one occasion during my time on Blogger that it's been 20-30 years since I last saw [whatever the respective post is about] and didn't know if my memories of it were accurate, but never more so has that been applicable than with The Adventure Game.

I hadn't seen it since it originally aired, which is 37+ years ago, at time of writing (i.e., 2023).

In fact, the only parts of it that I could recall prior to watching it recently were a grumbling aspidistra plant on a tall stand, some odd plastic currency, a salamander, and — the part that I remembered most, like it was burned into my brain — the triangle grid pattern that's used to illustrate this post, known as the Vortex.

Mayhem: De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994)

Mayhem: De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994)

Some folks hail Mayhem's first full-length album as the best thing since sliced bread, whereas others say it's a pile of overrated shit. I won't try to change any minds. I'll say only that you're in a better position to appreciate the array of quality riffs on offer once you get past tittering at the unintentionally comical vocals.

Hellhammer's impassioned drumming is a fervent heartbeat that slows and races but always keeps the momentum; how his arms didn't fly clean off his shoulders is a mystery.

Vikernes' bass is often too low in the mix for my liking, and Euronymous' guitar too high, but it can be cited as evidence that when the two men weren't plotting to kill each other they were capable of producing truly ground-breaking work.

Eastern Promises (2007)

Eastern Promises (2007)

Dir. David Cronenberg

Ordinarily, I prefer it when an actor is of the same nationality as the character they're playing onscreen; e.g., if a protagonist is supposed to be Scottish, then hire an actual Scot. It's especially beneficial in biopics, or when the character isn't a native English speaker in an English language setting.

Casting someone who understands on a fundamental level the culture that they're portraying allows an actor to tap into the unconscious influence that thinking in one's native language brings. If successful, it can permeate the performance and even accentuate or enrich any traits, nuances, etc, that can be consciously observed in specific nationalities. It's basic common sense.

But sometimes an actor can be so good in a role that such concerns are almost forgotten about when viewing. Viggo as a fictional Russian mobster in Cronenberg's Eastern Promises is on that list. It's his second collaboration with the director and it tops their first in every way.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Dir. Mamoru Oshii

Like many people outside of Asia my introduction to non-TV anime was Akira (1988); in my case, specifically, a UK VHS edition by Manga in 1991. There was an occasional good title in the slew of OVA crap thereafter, but Ghost in the Shell (1995) was a monumental leap forward in quality.

American-born author William Gibson had popularised cyberspace a decade before in his novel Neuromancer, but the mass appeal of movies over books meant that director Mamoru Oshii's adaptation of author Masamune Shirow's manga reached a wider audience in the same genre, making it kick mainstream ass in the process. The first GitS film was a landmark release that the world of sci-fi anime fandom collectively applauded.