The Hunt for Gollum

With a tight budget of less than $5,000 and the help of numerous volunteers, a team of LotR fans under the banner of Independent Online Cinema brought to life the first of what looks like to be a series of prequels based on the Lord of the Rings franchise.
The Hunt for Gollum dramatises Aragorn and Gandalf's search for Gollum, which takes place before the events in Peter Jackson's trilogy. It is surprisingly well done! Kudos to the team of fans that brought it to life. You can watch the full film on youtube.

Mary and Max

Directed by proudly gay australian director Adam Elliot, this unconventional claymation movie is a treat and heading straight for an Oscar! It chronicles the friendship of Mary, an excitable and curious australian girl, and Max, a middle-aged american living with Asperger syndrome. Narrated in Barry Humphries mellow tones, and spiralling through 20 years in shades of grays and browns (with the odd touch of red) we see how this long-distance friendship evolves as week by week, month by month, Max and Mary wait for each other's letters.

There is a lot to enjoy in this movie and it's a safe bet that it will tickle your funny bone and stir your emotions in equal measure. The soundrtack features two wonderful tracks by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra although it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the whole film is beautifully themed. The use of Puccini's "Humming Chorus" from "Madama Butterfly" was well placed and achieved almost the same impact, though in a different context, as when Peter Jackson used it in the defining scene of Heavenly Creatures back in 1994.

Well worth a viewing if you can find it.

9/10

Eric Shanower's Age of Bronze

Eric Shanower's Age of Bronze is a retelling of the Homeric epic story of the Trojan war, including the events not covered in the Iliad. In fact, beyond the Iliad, it draws its sources from major and minor works from classical Greece and Rome (such as the plays of Sophocles and Euripides), many Medieval European sources, and continues through Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida and beyond. There is an extensive list of the sources at the back of each issue, including a glossary and multithreaded genealogical charts for the main houses.


Only three volumes have been published so far (the last one being part 1 of 2) and it already stands at a staggering 600 pages. The story is marvelously told and the writing and art are well within the spirit of the times and well deserving the 2 Eisner awards. The first installment, A Thousand Ships, opens with Paris as a cowherd on mount Ida, which grounds the series before launching into more fantastic adventures.

Equally impressive is Eric's artwork in the Age of Bronze. Not only is it finely drawn with exquisite attention to details and expressions, it is also historically accurate. It draws upon the archaeological excavations of the places where the story took place: Mycenae, Knossos, and Pylos, among others, and especially Troy itself. Eric Shanower has done amazing work researching and reconstructing the architecture and clothing of the time. Impressively, even the geological lay of the land is rendered quite closely, at least for the places that I have personally visited. Mycenae's ruins become gloriously alive in these pages with Agamemnon and Klytemnestra walking down the palace corridors.

The author-cum-artist has researched quite well the wide range of literature, art, and archaeology. . . . The clothing, hairstyles, pottery, frescoes, architecture, boat construction, and the settings in general are in such close agreement with current research that it makes one reflect how differently modern scholars envision the Late Bronze Age Achaeans than did past Homeric specialists. . . . Aegean prehistorians will appreciate how much archaeology has advanced our knowledge of the Mycenaean world to allow Shanower to reproduce it so faithfully.
—Thomas F. Strasser, American Journal of Archaeology

Beyond the awesome scope of the story — this is the closest thing in comics to a true generational saga, what with previously unknown princes, kidnappings, and the other schemes of the rich and powerful. The tragic element in Sacrifice is overwhelming and makes you feel like you're watching a Greek play. Shanower sticks to the sources and, as much as possible, downplays the theological elements.

I've chosen to downplay the supernatural element in order to emphasize the human element. The only fantastic details I've retained are dreams and visions. And when you think about it, these aren't necessarily as supernatural as they might first appear. Everyone draems. Many people have hallucinations. Others are convinced they've had visions. People the world over believe they communicate with gods - it's called prayer. So I've let dreams and visions remain - they're pretty human after all. But no gods in the flesh.

All things considered, a highly recommended read! I'm eagerly awaiting for the next volume.
Thank you Eric.
10/10

House of Flying daggers

House of flying daggers is admittedly on the same level as Crouching Tiger and Hero as far as the visuals are concerned - they are still stunning - and the acting & choreography of the fight scenes are superb. Where I found the film extremely lacking was the actual dialogue, which is the gist and soul of any movie, that even a clever twist of plot towards the end could not save.

Main themes are repeated and some things seem to be there just to have the character say something in their close up. But most ridiculous was the supposedly climactic fight scene in the end. The three main characters slash each other up over and over again losing tons of blood and piercing vital organs yet keep fighting with the same vigour and persistence, then they fall and you expect them to be dead but - lo! - they get up again and join the fray! Pierced liver, character down, two minutes later, hey,he's up again doing his thing. And then some. I couldn't help but laugh at the end. It brought to mind two scenes from Monty Python and the holy grail. That with the Black Knight: ............................. And the one with Launcelot and his horse that has just been pierced by an arrow: ............................. LAUNCELOT At last! A call! A cry of distress ... (he draws his sword, and turns to CONCORDE) Concorde! Brave, Concorde ... you shall not have died in vain! CONCORDE I'm not quite dead, sir ... LAUNCELOT (a little deflated) Oh, well ... er brave Concorde! You shall not have been fatally wounded in vain! CONCORDE I think I could pull through, sir... LAUNCELOT Good Concorde ... stay here and rest awhile. *He makes to leap off dramatically.* CONCORDE I think I'll be all right to come with you, sir. LAUNCELOT I will send help, brave friend, as soon as I have accomplished this most daring, desperate adventure in this genre. CONCORDE Really, I feel fine, sir... ...................................
I mean, come on!!
4/10

Porco Rosso

Take a bit of the essence of Casablanca, hints of the Marx Brothers, the dream travels of the Little Prince and a healthy dose of Japanese wackiness and you've got Porco Rosso. Known in Japan as Crimson Pig (紅の豚, Kurenai no Buta) this was the sixth anime film by Hayao Miyazaki, released in 1992, about an unusual Italian World War I pilot, now living as a freelance bounty hunter in the Adriatic.

Inspired by the writings of Exupéry and infused with Miyazaki's love of flying, it is the story of a "pig" that refuses to join the Italian fascist movement in the '30s. There's lots to enjoy in this film though a younger audience might miss the allegories.

Here's the trailer:


Sometimes when being human has lost it's meaning, it is better to be a pig...
8/10

Waltz with Bashir

Waltz with Bashir is an animated feature film written and directed by Ari Folman.

While in his late teens and doing his army service, Ari remembers that he took part in the Israeli operations in Lebanon during the '80s; But that is about all that his hazy memory can conjure up.

The film traces his journey as he seeks out old friends and acquaintances that took part in the war while he attempts to reconstruct his fragmented memories. The story is told in patches.

It's opening sequence involving 26 rabid dogs is a fitting preamble to the nightmares that follow.
Scenes, often surreal but always poignant maintain a safe distance from sentimentalism. The animation is impressive and the movement of the characters is very life-like.

All things considered, this is a very well done, powerful anti-war movie; but not for the faint hearted.



8/10

5 centimeters per second (Byousoku 5 Centimeter)

"5 cm per second. The speed at which cherry blossom petals fall."
It looks like Makoto Shinkai has directed another little minimalist masterpiece. Bearing a distant resemblance to underground coming-of-age classics such as My Life as a Dog, 5 cm interweaves three short stories seen from the viewpoints of different characters. Each story revolves around a specific time period in the protagonist's life: his last days at primary school, graduating from high school, his early life as an adult.



Through the prism of an early sakura-blossom romance, the film primarily explores the themes of distance and loneliness, though it does so in a gentle way that is akin to recollecting your most beautiful sunrise memory rather than resorting to being dark and gloomy.



The music blends in very well with the movie, enhancing the emotional experiences conveyed, while passing almost unnoticed - as should happen in the best soundtracks. The animation is top notch and the quality of the drawings is just mesmerizing. You may often get the urge to pause the movie just to explore the richness of the tapestry.

If you can find it, it's well worth a watch - but be warned! See it in the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles, not the cheesy English dub.

9/10

The Witcher (Game Review)

Based on the world described in the fantasy books of Andrzej Sapkowski, you play Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher who has lost his memory after he allegedly returned from the dead. You start off at the castle of Kaer Morhen and pretty soon Geralt gets mixed up in another adventure to recover something that was stolen. So far so good...

I've had this game for several months but could never find the time to actually start playing. Last friday I had a few hours free so I decided to install it. I immediately got immersed in the storyline and started savouring this little delicacy only to discover later that it was a real multilayered epic.

The graphics are excellent and the characters have strong backgrounds while the combat system is easy to get used to. Timing your clicks right will execute some pretty flashy combos which become ever more complex as Geralt gains more experience.

The dialogue is definitely one of it's high points and spans the full spectrum from dark and ominous to lighthearted and funny, though most of the time it is brusque and sarcastic, which befits the gloomy context. The music adds to the experience and blends well with the scenery and plot, as does the voice-acting.

Another interesting point is that, much like in Fable, the decisions you make at different points in the game affect it's progress. The storyline is multithreaded and Geralt's actions have consequences that will echo throughout the whole game.

Fans of the Arthurian legends and the works of H.P. Lovecraft will find plenty of in-game references.

Did I mention I thoroughly enjoyed it?

Review: Zeitgeist Addendum

There were too many mistakes and (il)logical jumps in the first movie that it deservedly was attacked by critical thinkers worldwide[1]. This one is not without it's flaws either, but it is comparatively less dogmatic, there are more interviews and the message you get out of it is a clearer one.

The movie is divided in four parts:

Part 1 deals with the current monetary system and it's flaws. In my opinion it presents things in an oversimplified manner and occasionally grossly misinterprets socio-economic principles. Still, it is interesting food for thought. 2/5

Part 2 continues from the first part with an interview with John Perkins, in which he reflects on his role as a self-described economic hit-man. Again, not so challenging. More scare-mongering than substance. 2/5

Part 3 introduces The Venus Project, a proposal created by Jacque Fresco for a sustainable future. This is a lot more interesting and thought-provoking although a lot of it's principles appear rather weak upon closer examination. Regardless of that, the issues that are raised are very real and the message is that they should be thought about and something should be done about them fast. 4/5

Part 4 examines the emergent and symbiotic aspects of natural law and what it means for humans. Again, quite an interesting treatment of an important subject. 5/5

For a more balanced review of the the different subjects treated in this movie and an expose of the films flaws check:
The Revolution that never was: An assessment of Keynsian Economics
Globalization and its discontents
Freedom from the known
The meaning of the 21st century


[1]

An article in the Irish Times said that

"These are surreal perversions of genuine issues and debates, and they tarnish all criticism of faith, the Bush administration and globalisation - there are more than enough factual injustices in this world to be going around without having to invent fictional ones. One really wishes Zeitgeist was a masterful pastiche of 21st-century paranoia, a hilarious mockumentary to rival Spinal Tap. But it's just deluded, disingenuous and manipulative nonsense. [...] If you pretend to know only truth, in truth you know only pretence."

Hotaru no Haka -Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

This is obligatory viewing for anyone who thinks that cartoons are only for children. Based on a real story, the movie could easily have been shot as a standard feature with real actors but the animations add an extra dimension and depth to the feelings that seep through the movie in a way that would be impossible to capture on camera. It would be like reading the lyrics to a song without listening to the music.

This is the story of the two Japanese children during the period of the Tokyo US-air raids when the allies were on the counter-offensive and it deals with the hardships they face. But there's so much more than that in the film. It is a testament to the horrors of war, to human insanity, fanaticism, cynicism, compassion, hope, spirituality. The last 20 minutes of the film deliver such an emotional punch that it is nearly impossible to hold back the tears. Once the film is finished, go back and watch the first 5 minutes of the introduction again since it is there that the story essentially concludes.

I highly recommend watching it with English subtitles and the original Japanese dialogue as the performances are simply amazing (especially Ayano Shiraishi as Setsuko). The English voiceovers are not bad but they cannot compare with the original - even if you don't speak Japanese.

The internet movie database rates this film 8.1/10 putting it in the top #200 films of all time. I gave it a 10/10.