Strings (2004)

Strings (2004)

Dir. Anders Rønnow Klarlund

There's a theory among wordsmiths that all stories that can be told have already been told and all we can do now is find new ways of telling.

The story in Strings isn't unique, but the telling is interesting. It's a fantasy movie about a world divided, acted out by puppets with visible strings. They're visible for a reason: they're a part of the world. If your Head-String is cut you die.

The puppeteers manage to elicit a lot of believable emotion out of the sculpted characters; they're less wooden than many Hollywood actors.

The imagination and sense of wonder on display is magical. Unfortunately, I only had the English language version available, otherwise I might've enjoyed it even more than I already did.

36 (2004)

36 (2004)

aka: The 36 / 36 Quai des Orfèvres

Dir. Olivier Marchal

Two of France's finest male actors go head to head in a gritty, violent police thriller based partly on Dir. Marchal's time in the police force.

Detective Léo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil), a man with many friends and solid bonds, is head of the BRI, a team who look out for each other and cover each other's backs when needed.

In contrast, detective Denis Klein (Gérard Depardieu), head of the BRB, is a man with no true friends, having alienated everyone who ever got close to him, and doing a good job of preventing anyone new from trying the same.

While both men hold the same rank within the same organisation, they're in different departments. And while one follows the law when it suits him, the other makes his own law.

A series of violent armoured car heists put the duo in an awkward position, requiring some tough decision making. The two men each want to be first to solve the case, but for different reasons.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC: Complete 1st and 2nd GIG (2018)

GitS: SAC: Complete 1st + 2nd GIG (2018)

Dirs. Various | Seasons: 2 | 52 episodes, approx 25 mins each [Make sure and stick around for the short Tachikomatic Days entries after the credits roll on each one!]

An 8-disc collection that contains all 52 episodes of the Stand Alone Complex TV series - that's 26 episodes apiece for each of the two seasons.

The year is 2030. Public Security Section 9 is a counter-terrorist branch funded by the Japanese government, a team of ass-kicking professionals that get the job done no matter what.

The world is overly dependent on cybernetic bodies; the web has become the medium of choice for terrorists and as a result there exists a large potential for cyber-crime and hacks.

Section 9 specialise in that area. Led by Major Motoko Kusanagi the team deal with corporate terrorism, kidnapping, human trafficking, Ghost hacks (a technique in which a subject's memories are replaced with false ones) and a host of other internal and external threats. They're the people that keep the rest of us safe, often without us even knowing they exist.

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.

When Games Attack (2004–05)

When Games Attack

20 episodes, approx 25 mins each.

I was excited to see Dominick Diamond in another video games review show, because GamesMaster (1992-98) had been so good, but the excitement was short-lived. WGA was mostly bad. If it was a gaming peripheral, it'd be a Virtual Boy or a Nintendo Power Glove!

Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital (2004)

Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital (2004)

aka Kingdom Hospital
Dir. Craig R. Baxley | 13 episodes, approx 40 mins each (01 and 13 are double length).

American horror author Stephen King took Danish film-maker Lars von Trier's eight episode miniseries, known originally as Riget (1994), and turned it into a thirteen episode English language series, relocated from Copenhagen to Lewiston, Maine (naturally).

There are probably many more changes, but I've not seen the original, so I can't say what they might be.

Von Trier shares an executive producer credit, suggesting he was agreeable to the adaptation, or at the very least happy to whore the concept out.

Peter Rickman (Jack Coleman), the person that we'd traditionally most readily identify as the main protagonist, is admitted to the titular hospital after a serious accident. An accident, incidentally, that mimics King's own hospitalisation almost verbatim; although I suspect the talking anteater is a fiction.

The Legend of Zelda Manga: Legendary Ed. Vol. 05 (2017)

Four Swords: Parts 1 and 2 (2004)

Author and Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 370

"There's a new Link in this chain!"

I've not played the Four Swords Adventures (2004) game because the stores near where I lived didn't stock it and I didn't have access to online retailers back then, but after reading the two-part adaptation, I'm wishing that I could play it right now!

After some brief but satisfying establishing of Link's uppity nature and his friendship with Princess Zelda, the Big Bad is unleashed and the adventure begins.

The environments will be familiar to anyone that's played any of the previous games (Town / Mountain / Ice / Desert regions, etc) but that familiarity didn't result in reader apathy because the situations that the Links find themselves in held my attention completely.

The comedy is situational and more often than not caused by some kind of confrontation; it's rarely the goofy kind that I complained about in Oracle of Seasons (2001), so it's much more enjoyable.

Godzilla: Millennium Era Films (2000-04)

23. Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)

Dir. Takao Okawara

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Heisei Era. I've used English titles, but it's Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

Unlike the previous eras, i.e. Shōwa and Heisei, which had their own continuity within their respective timelines, the Millennium era films are mostly standalone stories, functioning as alternative sequels to the original 1954 film. As such, the only Godzilla film one needs to have seen prior to Godzilla 2000: Millennium is the aforementioned 1954 original.

In G 2000 the military want to kill the kaijū with their modern day bad-ass weaponry. Meanwhile, a father and daughter team (Takehiro Murata and Mayu Suzuki) want to study Godzilla. But not just from afar, like storm chasers they dare to get up close and personal as it heavy-foots through the city.

Stargate SG-1: Season 08 (2004-05)

SG-1: Season 08 (2004-05)

Dirs. Various | 20 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Most of the science-fiction television series that I'm a fan of ended either before or at their seventh season. In fact, I think now might be the first time that I've featured an eighth season of something sci-fi on the blog. In that respect, if nothing else, SG-1 Series 08 is an exception to me. It was reduced to just 20 episodes, but eight years is still a heck of an achievement.

As if to mark the occasion, it has another new opening credits sequence. I don't know if what I write next will be considered spoiler by many folks, but I'll give a warning now, just in case.

Amid the action scenes in the opening sequence, the most notable thing is that Carter isn't the only one with a new hairstyle - Teal'c has one, or rather Teal'c now has some actual hair!

It's a little odd at first, but he's the same dependable ex-Jaffa as he always was, and it even plays a role, of sorts, in one of the episodes.

Stargate SG-1: Season 07 (2003-04)

SG-1: Season 07 (2003-04)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Like the previous year, a significant personnel change had a dramatic impact on the core team.

It limits what I can say without diving into spoiler territory. To do the job properly, therefore, I'll need to drop some broad SPOILERS hereafter.

Unfortunately, even for those who stopped reading before now, the opening credits give the game away before the first episode has even begun, revealing the 'new' member of SG-1.

For a time it works well as a five-man team, but the writers chose instead to push out Jonas Quin (Corin Nemec), who spent much of the previous year finding and establishing his unique role.

Thereafter things progress steadily, with the search for new alliances and advanced technology that can be used and/or adapted to combat the diabolical Goa'uld System Lords, who remain the primary threat for the Tau'ri.

Lucifer: Volume 06 (2004)

Mansions of the Silence (2004)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / David Hahn | Page Count: 144

"You are the King of contrivance and manipulation, my Samael. But in that, as in all things, you learned from your Father."

Volume 06 of 11 in the Lucifer series. Seeing as how it's clearly visible on the cover, I can say without crossing into spoiler territory that the Morningstar has got himself a medium sized ship, but why or where he intends to sail it will be revealed if you read the book.

Sadly, the story is formulaic. After an intro that can leave a reader wondering what happened between the previous book's ending and the beginning of this one, something that Carey has been careful to address up until now, the premise gets underway.

In the tradition of Jason and the Argonauts, all manner of mythical creatures that exist merely to interfere and harm are encountered during the long and arduous voyage. Such a setting is a workable literary device to show how characters react when in permanent proximity to others; e,g. the crew bicker and fight amongst themselves and against the nasties, but that's basically all there is to it.

Lucifer: Volume 05 (2004)

Inferno (2004)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / Craig Hamilton | Page Count: 166

"It was an irony very much to his taste, that he could no longer live without her."

Volume 05 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The four-part storyline that opens proceedings closes a deal that was made in Volume 02: Children and Monsters (2001); Lucifer and Amanadiel meet at the arranged place and time in an attempt to resolve their differences.

Some secondary characters find the event fortuitous, believing it the perfect opportunity to gain favour with one side or the other. It gives writer Mike Carey a chance to further develop threads from previous books and once more stress that Lucifer can rely just as well on his wits as on his powers; for power is useless without the knowledge of when to best use it.

Deadwood: Season One (2004)

Deadwood: Season One (2004)

12 episodes, approx 55 minutes each.

A violent Western set in 1870s South Dakota, home to prospectors and traders. Being situated in Indian territory means the law has yet to take a foothold, so the location also attracts the criminal, the corrupt and the trigger-happy outlaw.

Most of the cast are exceptional, not just some of the principal actors. Ian McShane plays foul-mouthed saloon owner Al Swearengen, the show’s main villain; although nothing is really that black and white in Deadwood. It's undoubtedly the role that McShane was born to play. All thoughts of antique dealer Lovejoy will cleanly wash away.

Although it's Brad Dourif as Doc Cochran that over time became my favourite part of the show. If you’re familiar with Dourif from his film work, then you'll know the power he can bring to a scene.

I want to also mention Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane; she steals most scenes she stumbles into with a lashing tongue and a wicked humour.

The Mighty Boosh: TV Series (2004-07)

The Mighty Boosh: TV Series (2004-07)

Three Series | 20 episodes, approx 28 minutes each.

TMB is an alternative British comedy series that's just plain weird. I can't even think of an easy comparison to make this review go any quicker.

The show revolves primarily around two main characters, namely Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Vince Noir (Noel Fielding), both of whom in Series One are zookeepers at England's shittiest Zoo, The Zooniverse, a dilapidated and mostly empty crappy little hovel with bored animals.

Howard resembles the guy from your local supermarket who hovers in the bread aisle. He agonises over every decision, loves jazz funk, and wants desperately to sleep with Mrs Gideon (Victoria Wicks), the Reptile House lady.

Vince resembles a Dr Doolittle and Rod Stewart love child. He has perfect hair, a love of electro-pop, and a laid back attitude to life. The less he tries the more he succeeds. Mrs Gideon, the Reptile House lady, wants to sleep with him.

Let the Right One In (2004)

Let the Right One In (2004)

Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist | Translator: Ebba Segerberg | Page Count: 519

'They could give a number of reasons for why they had to torment him; he was too fat, too ugly, too disgusting. But the real problem was simply that he existed, and every reminder of his existence was a crime.'

Swedish author Lindqvist has been described as 'the new Stephen King' in the press. It quickly lets you know that you're getting a well-written horror novel, but it isn't just a lazy journo way of getting an idea across: he really does write like King. His character development, his plotting and his reliance on the reader to fully invest in the magic realism of the world are uncannily similar.

He also has almost identical failings as King: the awkward wording at the end that ruins an otherwise perfect paragraph (but to be fair, some of that may be in part due to the translation?), the over-indulgence, the pop culture references that date the work, etc.

The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)

The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)

Dir. Makoto Shinkai / Yoshio Suzuki (asst)

Within their colourful world of fairy-tale blue and pink skies Shinkai's trio of yearning hopefuls exist to transmit thoughts and stir emotional responses in the viewer. On the ground, in a country divided, the threat of war looms, making the moments spent in each other's company even more precious.

Far in the distance stands a mystifying tower that seems as high as the heavens. More than just an unknown structure, it's a symbol upon which the characters pin their dreams. The shared desire to reach it, to lessen a physical distance in their own lives, is ultimately what brings them together.

The kind of wisdom that comes from knowing you were on the precipice of something beautiful but acutely aware that it could never be known fully until it passed is Shinkai's stock-in-trade.

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.

Tremors: Films (1990— )

Tremors: Films (1990 - 2018)

Child's Play / Chucky Movie Collection (1988—)

Child's Play (1988)

Dir. Tom Holland

Charles Lee Ray, aka the Lakeshore Strangler, is hunted by police. As a last resort, and thanks to some convenient knowledge of voodoo magic, the killer manages to transfer his consciousness to a popular kid's toy, the Good Guys doll.

Six-year-old Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) loves the Good Guys franchise; he watches the cartoon on TV, eats the breakfast cereal, and wears the branded clothing. Andy's mom, Karen, a single parent, does her best to give the boy what he wants, and what Andy really, really wants is a Good Guys doll, naturally.

That's the basic set-up. Young Alex Vincent isn't annoying at all, which is not something that can be said for a lot of kids in films, and actress Catherine Hicks is believable as a mother with a 'compensating for absent father' attitude. But the most memorable character is the doll, Chucky, voiced by Brad Dourif. He's a sadistic, vindictive, foul-mouthed and merciless little shit. If you're a fan of black humour, he's also pretty damn funny at times.

Jonathan Creek: Series IV (2003-04)

Jonathan Creek: Series IV (2003-04)

6 episodes, approx 60 minutes each.

The first three series of JC can be seen as one collective era because they share the same two principal actors, Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin.

But Caroline chose not to return after Series III, which left a gap needing to be filled, because Jonathan's character needs an ancillary to bounce ideas off and to get (unintentional) inspiration from.

That gap was filled by Carla Borrego (Julia Sawalha) and, happily, Carla made the show even better. She's a wonderfully rounded character who brought a similar kind of resourcefulness and determination as Maddie had shown but with a whole new self-important attitude supporting it. She's sometimes vulnerable beneath the hard outer shell, but goes to great lengths to hide that fact from the world.

She got her introduction in the 2001 Christmas Special. It's not necessary to have seen it, but it's advisable because it shows the genesis of their relationship and helps explain the boundaries that exist from the offset in Series IV.