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diff --git a/content/reviews/_index.md b/content/reviews/_index.md index 5017ffd..29e73c1 100644 --- a/content/reviews/_index.md +++ b/content/reviews/_index.md @@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ categories = ["reviews"] draft = false weight = 1001 abstract = "Reviews2" -reviewSection = ["Books", "Movies", "Games"] +reviewSection = ["Books", "Movies", "TV series", "Anime movies", "Anime TV series", "Anime OAV series", "Games"] +++ ## Reviews {#reviews} diff --git a/content/reviews/anime_manga/_index.md b/content/reviews/anime_manga/_index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e098604 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/anime_manga/_index.md @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ ++++ +title = "Anime and manga reviews" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2001 +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "Reviews of amime and manga" +reviewSection = ["Anime movies", "Anime TV series", "Anime OAV series"] ++++ + +## Anime and manga reviews {#anime-and-manga-reviews} + +I used to be a full-on weaboo, but kinda lost interest. +Manga and anime are too mainstream for my taste. diff --git a/content/reviews/anime_manga/attack_on_titan_anime.md b/content/reviews/anime_manga/attack_on_titan_anime.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0242441 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/anime_manga/attack_on_titan_anime.md @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ ++++ +title = "Attack on Titan (2013-2023)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-06-09T17:10:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2003 +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of the anime" +rating = 3.5 +image = "reviews/covers/attack-on-titan.jpg" +reviewSection = ["Anime TV series"] +aliases = ["/brain-rot/anime/attack_on_titan_anime/"] ++++ + +_Attack on Titan_ may very well be the defining anime of this decade. +It started as a huge hit, then it faded into obscurity, just to return with a huge bang and end with huge disappointment. + +The premise is quite interesting: +pre-industrial age; humanity is close to extension, locked behind gigantic walls. +Outside lives the biggest threat man has ever faced - Titans. +Race of gigantic, humanoid beasts whose only purpose in life is to attack and devour humans. +We meet our main heroes - Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, just before the Titans breach one of the walls. + +The following 4 seasons differ in quality. + +The first one is interesting, but suffers from terrible narration where we are constantly interrupted by internal monologues. +We either learn what we already know, or random ideas are thrown at us. +The second one has no idea what it wants to be, and this is where viewership dropped sharply. +Then came the third one. +It seems to continue to downward trend from s2, but halfway through everything changes. +Without spoiling anything, _AoT_ stops being dumb fun and seems to become an intelligent commentary on human condition. +Before that, I was watching the series because I had nothing better to do. +After _this_ scene I instantly became invested and shocked. +Then the fourth came out, developing on what made the third great. +I was close to calling this a great series, but unfortunately it's all thrown out the window with the 2.5 hours long finale, which is almost entirerly one, long fight. +So much potential, such great buildup. +All wasted in the name of a boring action scene. +I don't remember when was the last time I felt so betrayed. + +The great part of _AoT_ takes a lot from history and great fiction like Dune. +We're seeing great idea one after another. +The story is full of interesting twists. +By the end, it's all meaningless. + +Story-wise, the only two redeeming qualities of this series are personal journeys of Eren and Gabi (introduced in S4). +Only their stories interest me. +Not that there is anything bad about the rest of the characters, they are ok[^fn:1]. +Run-of-the-mill anime characters. + +Yes, the series looks and sound pretty. +It's full of nicely animated action scenes. +But I can't stop comparing it to _Evangelion_. + +Both series start cool, but are not memorable. +Then they develop into marvels, pure greatest. +But _NGE_ never stopped being great. +After it gained actual meat, it developed it culminating in the greatest movie I've ever experienced. +Full of story, drama, meaning, and emotions. + +_AoT_ ends in _Iron Man 3_ - a prolonged, boring fight scene. + +And while the scenes shown during end credits return the series on its track, it changes nothing. +They nicely connect and develop the great ideas behind the _golden era of AoT_, but they should not be the one good part! +The ending should be it, as the way it happened is I wasted 2.5 hours filled with boredom. + +_AoT_ could have been great, but it is not. +It's an ok action series with huge unresolved ambitions. +If it was just a dumb action show, then ok - I would have some fun, then forget it. +It would fail in comparison of other shows we see now, like Jujtsu Kaisen, but it would be very much ok. +Unfortunately with added ambition, it ends in a huge disappointment. + +It was very close, everything was going great. +And then it hits a wall. + +[^fn:1]: Except of Armin who single handely ruins the first few seasons. + He is the character who is able to calculate probability to 4 decimal places. + I see this kind of characters all around modern anime, and every time I have to roll my eyes. + Remember how _Big Bang Theory_ was often describes at how "dumb people think smart people are"? + Yeah, that's Armin. + The same kind of bullshit ruined shows like Kaji or Code Geass for me. diff --git a/content/reviews/anime_manga/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022.md b/content/reviews/anime_manga/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e3b5186 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/anime_manga/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022.md @@ -0,0 +1,78 @@ ++++ +title = "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-05-08T23:20:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2002 +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +rating = 1.25 +reviewSection = ["Anime movies"] +abstract = "My mirco reviview of the 2022 Dragon Ball movie" +image = "reviews/covers/db-superhero.jpg" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/anime/dragon-ball/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022/"] ++++ + +Even though I was raised on _Dragon Ball_ and I adore it up to this day, _Super_ was a huge letdown. +It played as a washed-out version of _Z_ - there was no tension, the new characters were bland, and it was simply boring. +The fact the only not-terrible part of the series was one huge tournament didn't help. +Just give me an adventure! + +I also can not say I enjoyed Dragon Ball movies. +There are a few enjoyable, but most of the time they are either bad or incredibly bad. +They try to condense interesting story lines into a few dozen minutes, failing miserably. +Say what you will about pacing, but Toriyama sure knew how to build tension over a hundred episode fight. + +And therefore we are here, the _Super Hero_ movie. +It's the last Toryiama's Dragon Ball. +I expected nothing and still left disappointed. + +The story exists, which is nice. +We're after the last _Broly_ movie. +Red Ribbon army still exists, and they want to take over the world again. +Goku and Vegeta are training, so they won't help. +It's all up to Picollo, Androids and the young Sayians to save the day. + +Who is the main enemy this time? +A new Cell. +Yes, Red Ribbon's latest acquaintance happens to be a genius capable of creating a better Cell, Cell Max. +And this is where the good things about this movie end. + +Remember Cell's saga? +It was long, it was interesting. +It gave us Android 18. +It was full of development, horror and surprises. +None of this is present here. +The new Cell looks worse than the original, doesn't have any forms nor any spoken lines. + +Moreover, the animation is terrible. +Yes, CGI looks great when still, but when we start to see any fight it becomes unwatchable. +It's the kind of CGI that is not bad per-se, but still obvious. +It's clear that what we're seeing here is made by a soulless computer. +They don't even try to hide it with constant camera shifts. +CGI can look great, but here it looks lazy. + +So, wasted Cell and bad animation. +Do we get anything instead? +We do - a lot of fan service. +We meet people from all other series and hear about even more. +We see return of figting Gohan and a few thinks we've been waiting for since the 90s. +It's fitting, as we're decades into Dragon Ball. +The problem is that they are just there and if they weren't, there would be difference. +Those cute scenes try to mask absence of anything new and interesting. + +Unfortunately, we also see Shenron. +In the old series, every time he was summoned, it was a spectacle and a memorable moment. +With each occurrence however the characters stop treating him as a force, but more of a goof ball. +Yes, the first wish we see him fulfilling was creation of pantyhose, but it was part of the plot. +Here? +Here Bulma uses him for butt-lift and wrinkle removal, as he became useless. + +And this sadly summarizes all modern Dragon Ball. +It's a low effort, forced return of an old legend. +It should stay were it was. +And this movie is one of the worst parts of _Super_. +It's not **as** bad as Gohan's[^fn:1] whistle-dance, but the fact that it's not the worst of DB doesn't save it from being a insulting goodbye to the Dragon Ball world. + +[^fn:1]: I've been told that _Dragon Ball Z Movie 4_ has its share of fans, but I've got no idea how. diff --git a/content/reviews/anime_manga/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days.md b/content/reviews/anime_manga/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6d4de3 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/anime_manga/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days.md @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ ++++ +title = "Mobile Police Patlabor: The Early Days (1989)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-05-06T22:38:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2004 +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of the OAV" +rating = 3.75 +image = "reviews/covers/patlabor-early-days.jpg" +reviewSection = ["Anime OAV series"] +related = ["Patlabor movie timeline"] +relatedName = "Early Days OAV" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days/"] ++++ + +_Mobile Police Patlabor_ is a 7 episodes long OAV series which serves as an introduction to the more widely known movies. +The subtitle (_The Early Days_) says it all, as it depicts the humble beginnings of Special Vehicles Unit 2 (SV2), which we will follow in the later installments. +Think: the first few episodes of _The Wire_. +We see how they are preparing their base of operation, how they receive their Labors, and so on. +And that's pretty much all that's here. +No grand ideas (like in _Movie Two_), not even an attempt at those. +All we see is how the Unit starts and their first few cases. + +It's only this, but it never sets up itself to be anything more. +Not everything needs to be full of difficult questions and even harder answers. +_Early Days_ on its own is cool if you're deeply into Mecha, but I am not. +For me, this OAV is _only_ an addition to the Movies. + +But it changed how I look at the first movie. +I was not sure what it actually was all about. +Was it pro-technology? +Was it a warning? +Well, the opening here is a love song sung by one of the pilots towards her Patlabor (named Alfons). +Yep, it seems Patlabor was techno-fetishist all along. +Nothing here prepares us for _Movie 2_, but it makes the first movie better. + +The seven episodes here are, in order: + +- the start of SV2, and we get to know Noa (who is one of the main characters in _Movie 1_), +- mission to protect the mayor, +- underwater monster story (sic!), +- hostage situation, +- ghost story (sic! again) while the unit is on vacation (with mandatory hot spring scenes), +- the plot of second movie, but without the smart parts, +- a long chase scene. + +It's all light-hearted and more often than not a bit goofy. + +Technically, this is a very pretty anime, +The movies follow the style we see here, with bigger budgets though. +But what we see here is a great, old-school animation. +OAVs tend to look better than TV series, and this one is no exception. + +My gripes with the OAV are more with my expectations than with the _Early Days_ themselves. +It fulfills its aspiration to be a nice, short series. +Nothing here even points towards bigger ambitions. +But I saw it after _Palabor 2: Movie_ which was intelligent up to a fault. +And even though I deeply enjoyed every minute, it's not what I came for. + +So, if you liked _Movie 1_ and want more - sure, this series gets my thumbs up (and therefore rating). +But if the _Movie 2_ floored you but left hungry, don't expect this series to come anywhere that level of ambition nor quality. + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-early-days-1.jpg" >}} +We've got regular mecha fights! +{{< /image >}} diff --git a/content/reviews/anime_manga/patlabor-2-the-movie.md b/content/reviews/anime_manga/patlabor-2-the-movie.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8d1931f --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/anime_manga/patlabor-2-the-movie.md @@ -0,0 +1,126 @@ ++++ +title = "Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-04-26T22:08:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2006 +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of a masterpiece" +rating = 5 +image = "reviews/covers/patlabor-2-movie.jpg" +related = ["Patlabor movie timeline"] +relatedName = "2: Movie" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-2-the-movie/"] +reviewSection = ["Anime movies"] ++++ + +Ok, this one is a difficult movie to write about. +For a _gajin_ it may come as a visually beautiful, but very convoluted movie. +But inside, it's deeply rooted in Japan's history and one needs to understand a few facts before truly appreciating it. +So, before talking about the movie, allow me to take a brief jump into history territory. + +After loosing World War II, Japan was under the USA's occupation. +Their post-war constitution ha a very important "Article 9" under which Japan was allowed to have defense military force, but it was to be never deployed on foreign soil. +After few changes, the defense force became Japanese Self-Defense Force, the _JSDF_. +Decades pass and the population kind of forgot about the WWII. +Mind you, Nagasaki and Hiroshima lives in their mindset, but war becomes something that was in the past. +In June 1992, the National Diet passed a UN Peacekeeping Cooperation Law which permitted the JSDF to participate in UN medicalonal Diet passed a UN Peacekeeping Cooperation Law which permitted the JSDF to participate in UN medical, refugee repatriation, logistical support, infrastructural reconstruction, election-monitoring, and policing operations under strictly limited conditions[^fn:1]. + +Amongst part of Japanese population it was seen as a dangerous precedence. +JSDF was, in fact, deployed on foreign soil. +Both creators of _Patlbor_, Mamoru Oshii and Kazunori Itō were vocal opponents of this decision. +_Patlabor 2: The Movie_ should be seen as their manifesto. + +So, knowing this I have to say: _Patlabor 2: The Movie_ is amongst the greatest movies I've ever seen. +I always say that for me, SciFi for SciFi sake is boring; it can be elevated by using the setting as a mean to tell a human story. +What's more, I like SciFi movies that are not action-fests. +And for both of those measures _Patlabor 2: The Movie_ **excels** all expectations. + +It is also a huge step-up from _Patlabor: The Movie_. +While that one had huge potential, but came out lacking in both, substance and form, the _2_ is a gigantic step. +There were only 4 years between release dates, but I am floored. + +Ok, back to the movie itself. +It's 2002, 3 years after the events of _Patlabor: The Movie_. +Yokohama Bay Bridge is destroyed by a missile shot from a variation of F-16 Fighter. +JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) is blamed for the attack, and a result JSDF is ready to deploy forces all over Tokyo. +Japan is close to martial law. + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-2-movie-0001.jpg" >}} +Don't get used to the old main characters. +They are barerly here. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-2-movie-0002.jpg" >}} +Even the trickiest of perspectives are spot on. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-2-movie-0003.jpg" >}} +Not much for mecha fans, but quite a lot for aviation fans. +{{< /image >}} + +One thing to get straight of the way: there's not much of Labors here to be seen. +I think there are more shots of fighters and tanks, than there are of the mechs. +This _not_ a mecha anime even though it is set in a mecha world. +It's also not an action movie, as most of the scenes are two/three people talking. +_P2TM_ requires significant attention, as it's all about those dialogues. +The message is more said than shown and it may be not to your liking. +Anime is mostly known for imaginative fight scenes and fan service. +This not that kind of movie. +It's slow and methodical. + +But there are action scenes, and they are glorious. +_PTM_ was looking great; _P2TM_ sets incredible standards that are often unmatched even today. +I found it interesting, that the first portion of the movie uses very small color palette - everything is overblown, like in full sun, or lighted by fluorescent lamp. +People look more like cyborgs than living things. +Then, when authors start conveying their message, it all changes - the palette broadens and characters even get some tam. +Subtle and effective. +The city look incredible, the machines look amazing and characters no longer have perspective problems (like they had in _PTM_). +Overall, the presentation is perfect. +Unfortunately the style here seems mostly abandoned. +It's _distinctly_ Oshii and _Production IG_. +Anime no longer looks like this movie. + +The only nitpick I can find when it comes to the visual aspect is that in a few scenes the snow looks bad. +That's all. + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-2-movie-0004.jpg" >}} +This made me feel things. +I'd give a lot for such audio setup. +It even has a great CD transport! +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-2-movie-0005.jpg" >}} +Basset, reporting in. +{{< /image >}} + +The music is great. +It's not _Ghost in the Shell_ but Kenji Kawaii is a master of his craft. + +The only negative I can find is the main villain. +He is absent from most of his movie and his motivations are hidden until the very last few scenes. +His work is ever-present, but he is not here... which is fitting. +Oshii said that the "evil" character here is himself. +Everything the villain say is what the director thinks. + +_Patlabor 2: The Movie_ is a masterpiece. +Oshii is one of the most brilliant directors in history, and this movie is one of his magnum opuses[^fn:2]. +It's not only something **every** fan of anime should watch but everyone who enjoys cinematography. +It's smart, beautiful and haunting. +It is also a very strong anti-war manifest. +It dares to put a mirror in front of our faces and _as of this_ type of movie, I fail to find any real flaw. + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-2-movie-0006.jpg" >}} +There's some eye candy here. +{{< /image >}} + +\#+begin_image +It's not there are no mechs here. +They are, in very small doses. +\#+end_img-c + +[^fn:1]: Source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces#Peacekeeping) +[^fn:2]: How many directors have achiever greatness on a few occasions? + Oshii certainly did! diff --git a/content/reviews/anime_manga/patlabor-the-movie.md b/content/reviews/anime_manga/patlabor-the-movie.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b7f88d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/anime_manga/patlabor-the-movie.md @@ -0,0 +1,94 @@ ++++ +title = "Patlabor: The Movie (1989)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-04-11T21:01:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2005 +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "The proto-GITS is still very nice!" +aliases = ["/blog/patlabor-the-movie", "//brain-rot/patlabor/patlabor-the-movie", "/brain-rot/anime/patlabor-the-movie/"] +rating = 3.75 +image = "reviews/covers/patlabor-1-movie.jpg" +related = ["Patlabor movie timeline"] +relatedName = "The Movie" +reviewSection = ["Anime movies"] ++++ + +There was a time when _Patlabor_ was an established name. + +It was huge, it had _Mamoru Oshii_.Now, sadly, it's mostly forgotten. +_Patlabor: The Movie_ is the first from the universe. +I'll cover the following two soon, as thiis is my rewatch after decades. + +The story takes place in the distant future of 1999. +Manual labor is aided by Labors, huge exoskeletons. +Tokyo is undergoing a huge project, where old suburbs are demolished and artificial island are created on the coast. +Some Labors are going berserk, destroying everything on their paths despite being unmanned. + +Let's start with the visual feast. +The movie looks stunning! +Yes, later movies from IG top what we see here, and sometimes the faces may look weird. +It's not perfect. +But if we would simply tell ourselves that this style of animations is the peak and let's just try to maintain the quality, I'd be more than happy. +The way this 35-year-old movie looks is a testament to the power of manual drawings. +The design, the camera work, the coloring - I loved every second. + +Another cute thing I've noticed: _The Movie_ is an Oshii-type of movie. +It came in this short period, where _anime_ was treating western culture as something alien and cool. +We're seeing this in Jin-Roh, Evangelion, GITS, and many others. +Here we've got the Bible. + +But this also shows the biggest problem of _Patlabor: The Movie_: it is shallow. +On surface level, we've got everything one could ever want: Unabomber-style genius on a quest to stop progress at all cost. +We're seeing how _old_ is discarded in the name of progress. +We've also got a huge computer system which is maintained without deep understanding of how it works. +Basically, 1999 is like 2024. +But none of this is really developed. +The main characters never stop and think, that maybe the world is not going the best route? +Eiichi Hoba, the aforementioned Unabomber, is just a plot device: the viewer is also never confronted with his viewpoint. + +As it stands, _The Movie's_ story is disjointed: +on one side we've got the real and interesting question. +On the other, no one looks for answers and just accepts the risks of unconstrained growth. +But maybe this was the point? +We're seeing the same today: the world is ending, and most people are racing to be the last one to shut down the lights. +It is scary how believable this is. +Even the main threat is solved by a software rollback... + +_Patlabor: The Movie_ is good on its own, but it suffers from being the proto Ghost in the Shell. +It's not near as good, nor is it as good as its sequel. +But taking it at face value is really solid. +I had huge fun rewatching it, but left unsatisfied for sophisticated sociopsychological treat Oshii is known for. + +My rating is 3.75/5 + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0001.jpg" >}} +Sucide is painless... +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0002.jpg" >}} +...It brings on many changes +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0003.jpg" >}} +For a mecha anime, we've got a lot of people talking in different rooms +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0004.jpg" >}} +Have I mentioned thast this movie looks stunning? +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0005.jpg" >}} +S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0006.jpg" >}} +It always amazes me how many anime shows older guys in their undergarments. +I get, that Japan gets extremely hot during summer, but is it real that frequent? +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="patlabor-movie-1-0008.jpg" >}} +One of many GITS-style scenes. +{{< /image >}} diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/dead-mans-letters-1986.md b/content/reviews/movies/dead-mans-letters-1986.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f621746 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/dead-mans-letters-1986.md @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ ++++ +title = "Dead Man's Lettes (aka Lettes from a Dead Man, 1986)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-06-25T22:56:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2010 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic" +image = "reviews/covers/dead-mans-letters.jpg" +aliases = ["brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/dead-mans-letters-1986/"] +rating = 5 ++++ + +Let's get this right of the bat: _Dead Man's Letters_ is a masterpiece; one of the greatest movies I've ever witnessed. + +A Russian town after nuclear war. +Professor Larsen, a Nobel Prize in Physics laureate, lives with his sick wife and few other survivors in the basement of a museum. +For the next 88 mins you will witness pure, soul eating _bleakness_. + +Talking about the story doesn't make sense, as it's not the point. +_Dead Man's Letters_ is very much akin to Tarkowsky's movies. +It's poetry and meditation on human condition. +There are long stretches of nothing but inner monologue of main character who _thinks_. +Not much of _comment_, but rather a _study_. +I don't think I've ever witnessed this type of movie outside Russian cinema. +It's not Bunuel, it's not Kubrick - but at the same it's very much _this_ type of movie. +More of an experience, than a 3 act story. + +It's also one of the saddest movies I've experienced. +No one is fighting for the future. +They simply exist, waiting for the end. +The only glimmer of hope is Larsen who thinks the was ended. +But no one believes him. +Maybe he even doesn't believe himself? + +The visual side very much reflects it. +There are no real colors, everything is monochromatic but colorized. +Just like in German Impressionism or _Stalker's_ scenes outside of The Zone. +The movie is full of special effects, but none of them aim at wowing the viewer. +You witness despair and the despair becomes part of you. +Luckily, this is only 88 mins long - anything longer and it would be unbearable. + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091759/mediaviewer/rm794067713" alt="An old, white man wearing glasses. In sepia" file="dead-mans-letters-1.jpg" >}} +The "hero" +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fbyjma8jabmc61.jpg%3Fwidth%3D964%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D02b9a40ac8c094bc25d79890adb64b07c86c26e5" alt="Two characters sitting by a metallic table. On the left, an old man hiding his face in his hands. On the right a balding white man. The scene is blue." file="dead-mans-letters-2.jpg" >}} +You won't glimpse much happiness here. +{{< /image >}} + +The movie is a directorial debut of Konstantin Lopushansky and was co-written by Boris Strutsky. +Strugatskys Brothers are one of the greatest writers of _intelligent_ (up to a fault) SciFi, and Borise's talent is clearly shown here. +Just like in their books, the story is there as means to an end; a medium to discuss humanity. +It's not an easy movie to watch. +It requires focus, dedication and a lot of thinking. +You will get lost in it, and the movie may stay with you for a while - even though it won't ever be pleasant. +It's an unforgettable experience. +Too bad it's not widely known in the west. +Maybe it's simply too convoluted? +Or maybe it's just too different. +Anyway, a masterpiece. +I encourage everyone to at least _try_ to experience it. diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-1992.md b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-1992.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7a5ce41 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-1992.md @@ -0,0 +1,97 @@ ++++ +title = "Lawnmower Man (1992)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-02-19T23:03:00+01:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2008 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of a vr killer thriller" +aliases = ["/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1992/", "brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/"] +rating = 3.0 +related = ["Lawnmower Man"] +relatedName = "Lawnmower Man" +image = "reviews/covers/lawnmower-man.jpg" ++++ + +Back in the glorious 90s, when kids still enjoyed linear TV, we had _Polsat_. +In the post-communist Poland, this was the first _western_ TV station. +Filled with western movies, and western series[^fn:1] +Among those, there were constant replays of _The Lawnmower Man_[^fn:2] +I watched it on every occasion and loved it. + +Now, 30 years later it is time for a rewatch. +No cyberpunk deep dive can be considered a good one without _The Lawnmower Man_. + +_The Lawnmower Man_ is a movie about a disabled lawnmower man, Jobe, who, with the usage of virtual reality, becomes a genius. +Soon after, an Evil Company, stars secretly giving him drugs contracted by the military. +And as result, he starts exhibiting mind reading abilities and telekinesis (because, obviously, why not?). +We've got the (popular at the time) subtext about the dangers of corporates who, without supervision, play God. +Somehow we stopped doing that, and now we've got Altman killing humanity with the clap of happy crowd. +_Lawmower Man_ is a movie about a great technology twisted by corporate overlords. +Fitting. + +Jobe becomes a psychic, genius killer (like every mad genius), who decides to take over the cyberspace. + +The movie was initially released as a _Stephen King_ movie. +King, however, sued the producers, as the movie has nothing to do the short story of the same name. +And he won, because it was based on original script called _CyberGod_. +Damn, I miss _cyber_ sounding cool. +They should have the original name, instead of forcing King on everyone. +And yes, I know King was the king back then. + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0001.jpg" >}} +Remember when huge companies were scary? +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0002.jpg" >}} +That's one way to save your neck from Apple Vision +{{< /image >}} + +The movie is we have here is a much dumbed down version of _Flowers for Algeron_, which I intend to finally read. +I don't think anyone ever called it a _good_ movie, and for a good reason. +It's cool, it's got great cyberspace CGI, it's got Pierce Brosnan. +It also has an opening scene with a monkey using a gun, so yeah. + +Story-wise is as straight forward as it gets. +The first half is full of sweet shots of grass and sexualization of a lawnmower. +And the most awkward sex scene I've seen in ages... or two. +Then, through a heavy-handed comment about religion and corporations we go the killing part. + +This movie fails as horror (there is not even blood or any scare here), and fails as morality play (it's not smart enough). +But it is a testament to the glorious time, when _cyberspace_ was magical and full of potential. +We sure deserve more of that. + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0006.jpg" >}} +The cyberspace we all need. +{{< /image >}} + +I give it a 3.0/5. + +I was **sure** the ending of this film was from the sequel. +But nope - I don't remember anything from the second one. +Therefore, see you on the other side, _Beyond Cyberspace_. + +If anything, it's a great movie to show everyone how amazing trackballs are. +And we all know it is a fact. +No one can tell me otherwise. + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0004.jpg" >}} +The hidden star of the movie, right behind that hairy guy. +Look at that keyboard! +Look at how beige it is! +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0005.jpg" >}} +Cyber God indeed. +{{< /image >}} + +[^fn:1]: And Polish version of those. + We had a great copy of _The Honeymooners_ named _Miodowe Lata_. + The translation of the title is surprisingly spot-on. +[^fn:2]: Under an amazingly translated title, which would translate back as _The Lawmower Man of Minds_. + Perfection. + We knew _Dirty Dancing_ as _Spinning Sex_ and _Die Hard_ as _Glass Trap_. + Those were simpler times. diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-2-1996.md b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-2-1996.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b251b44 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-2-1996.md @@ -0,0 +1,130 @@ ++++ +title = "Lawmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-02-23T20:29:00+01:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2009 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of the sequeo to a vr killer thriller" +aliases = ["/blog/2024/lawmower-man-2-1996//", "brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996/"] +rating = 3.75 +related = ["Lawnmower Man"] +relatedName = "Lawnmower Man 2" +image = "reviews/covers/lawnmower-man2.jpg" ++++ + +Fun fact: I remembered close to nothing about this movie back. +When I was watching the first, everything seems familiar. +Here? +Not so much. +Guess _Polsat_ consider the second one too expensive for regular broadcast. + +In _Lawnmawer Man[^fn:1]_ we meet Jobe, now a genius being living in the cyberspace. +But not so much, because in the first few minutes of _Lawmnower Man 2_ we learn that he has not left his meatsuit for the cyberspace. +The explosion at the lab left him an amputee. +But his talents are now in use of the Evil Corporation designing the future of cyberspace. + +Of course, Jobe wants the cyberspace for himself. + +The general plot seems similar to the first one, but they are very much different. +The plot is much more complex, there are many more explosions and I think it makes much less sense than the first one. +I would rate it at 2/5. + +But the biggest difference is that this movie is target towards certain audience. +_Lawmower Man_ was a kid-friendly horror. +_Lawmower Man 2_ is a kids' movie. +They completely removed the part which tried to be scary. + +We've got bunch od kids (and a dog) fighting and winning against a grown-up. +Yes, they get the help from an adult - the creator of cyberspace. +But the main heroes are the kids. +And the main target are the kids. + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0002.jpg" >}} +Kids flying in cyberspace +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0012.jpg" >}} +And flying even more. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0003.jpg" >}} +Dog preparing to save a day... +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0004.jpg" >}} +And saving the day by inserting a CD in the drive. +How can anyone consider this to be a movie for adoults? +{{< /image >}} + +I've read that the director was locked out of the editing room as he was trying to make a different movie. +The producers said a firm "no" and made _Lawmower Man 2_ close to the likes of _Goonies_, _Explorers_ or _Flight of the Navigator_. +It never reaches the coolness of those, but it tries. +A lot of people on the interweb bash the movie on logical problems or being goofy. +Yes - occasionally the plot makes so little sense that they needed to add voice over explaining why the hell the _gang_ is going where they are going. +Yes, it has a dog who saves the day. +38 years old me was not amused, but the 10-year-old inside me screamed "yeah! Radical!". +He was not doing well with being _modern_ back then as well. + +Her hair is the closest thing to a "scare" in the entire movie +\#+end_image + +This hippie is the inventor of VR. +Tech geniuses leaving all the tech behind to live in the wild is now more real than ever +\#+end_img-c + +Jobe is being played by Matt Frewer, who quite often acts like Jim Carey, which is fitting. +He is not the magical-killer he used to be. +He is goofy. + +Even the music sounds like something Spielberg would use. + +There is no Pierce Brosnan here, as only Austin O'Brien returns from the first one, once again reprising the role of Peter Parkette. + +My biggest gripe is the special effect here. +The movie takes place in the future, so we're no longer seeing green grass. +The real world vibe is close to _Blade Runner_ or _Dark City_. +I dig it! + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0001.jpg" >}} +Cyberpunk! +I'm pretty sure that almost all those scenes happened on the same crossroad. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0011.jpg" >}} +Almost Blade Runner. +{{< /image >}} + +But then there is the _cyberspace_. +In _Lawmower Man_ we had amazing, early CGI closer to an acid trip than anything else. +Here, the cyberspace looks like ours. +They just added CGI here and there. +It looks like an episode of _The Next Generation_, but without most of the campiness. +For the most part it is competent, but there is no spark. +It's not _cool_. + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0010.jpg" >}} +Our first meeting with new Jobe in the cyberspace. +Yes, this is VR-forest. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0007.jpg" >}} +Cyberspace here give more of FMV-game kind of vibe than I would have expected +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0008.jpg" >}} +The VR here more social than what Apple showed. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0009.jpg" >}} +Luckily, sometimes the VR almost delivers. +{{< /image >}} + +But the 10-year-old me would not care. +He would rate it as 3.75/5 or "that was cool!". +But he he wasn't picky at all. + +[^fn:1]: Vide: [my review of Lawmower Man](/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1229/). diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/mars-express-2023.md b/content/reviews/movies/mars-express-2023.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..09aff37 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/mars-express-2023.md @@ -0,0 +1,75 @@ ++++ +title = "Mars Express (2023)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-07-29T21:54:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2015 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review" +image = "reviews/covers/mars-express.jpg" +rating = 4.75 +alias = ["brain-rot/european-scifi/mars-express-2023/"] ++++ + +On the surface, _Mars Express_ is a detective story about a female detective and her robotic partner. +We've seen a lot of those, but they were mostly terrible. +_Mars Express_, on the other hand, is one of the greatest SciFi movies I've seen. + +It is often compared to _Blade Runner_ and _Ghost in the Shell_. +And while yes, those are the two big titles _ME_ takes from - there is so much more here to marvel. + +I don't want to spoil the story, but let me tell you it's great. +This _could have been_ another limited run TV series - but luckily, it is not. +We've got 88 minutes of great SciFi detective work which has already gone to history as a modern classic. +Enough said that it smart, makes sense and it's worth to experience without spoilers. + +<div class="rating"> + +Cover + +</div> + +However, the biggest problem with _Mars Express_ is its older peers. +This film takes from numerous other movies - not only the _big 2_, but also 2001, _Akira_, _Armitage III_, and even some Cronenberg. +All of this works great - never have I felt that anything is a pointless reference[^fn:1]. +The director and writer duo - Laurent Sarfati and Jérémie Périn - blend all those ideas perfectly, each borrowed _thing_ is their own in the context of this film. +But it also creates a lot of unexpected foreshadowing. +Now, I did not expect the ending - the film had a chance to end 3 times before the credits rolled. +There were moments where authors could call it a day and still have a great film. +But the story continues, becoming better and better each time. +As a whole, I left very much surprised. +Yet, a lot of twist and turns came as "hey, I've seen that already". +Sometimes in better form, most often in worse. +However, if you are the kind of person who tries to guess what's going to happen[^fn:2], you may leave unchallenged. + +But you will still marvel at the animation. +The French were always the champions of European animation, and this is another proof. +_Mars Express_ is breathtaking. +It looks 2D, and even when the CGI rears its ugly face, it's just for a brief moment. +We're seeing clear inspiration from _Production IG_, which is the best kind of inspiration. +Anime no longer looks as good as it looked when _Mamoru Oshii_ ruled the scene, and _Mars Express_ fill a huge void in my heart. + +Not only because the animation is spot on, but also because we rarely see such a vivid SciFi world. +It's often just a steel wall here and there, a bit massive computer, maybe. +But _Mars Express_ fills the world with believable nuances - the "Police" tape is holographic, the roads react in a cool way to accidents, and even the gadgets are cool. +I could not smile wide enough to show how much I loved it. +They could have just made the bare minimum (like it often is), but they went the extra mile. +As it stands, _Mars Express_ is one of the greatest SciFi worlds I can remember. + +{{< image class="centered" alt="On the left a woman is sitting on a table. Another woman is standing above her." file="mars-express-1.jpg" >}} +It's not anime, but it's breathtaking +{{< /image >}} + +This is the film to see. +I know there is another blockbuster in the cinema you may want to watch, but please - give _Mars Express_ a chance. +It's not a modern film, it's not an action film (even if the action is 10/10). +It's a smart story, like we used to experience 20 years ago. +They don't make movies like this very often, and we are lucky to have it. + +[^fn:1]: Hello Marvel +[^fn:2]: I never understood that. + When I watch a film, I try to go into a meditative state. + I try not to think of the story as a jigsaw, but as an experience. diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/part-one-2021.md b/content/reviews/movies/part-one-2021.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..24d02f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/part-one-2021.md @@ -0,0 +1,145 @@ ++++ +title = "Dune: Part One (2021)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-04-13T21:33:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2012 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the first part of an amazing book" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-one-2021", "brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021/"] +rating = 4.75 +image = "reviews/covers/dune.jpg" +related = ["Dune movies"] +relatedName = "Dune: Part One (2021)" ++++ + +I'd like to call myself a Dune fan, but I am not. +I have finished my Dune adventure on _Heretics_ and only now am I planning to finish the saga[^fn:1] +Though, I think this still puts me well above most people calling themselves fans now. +I loved eveything I've read, but I have never reached the end. + +_Dune: Part 1_ is the second movie based on the 1956 Frank Herbert's classic SciFi epic. +Well, it is not. +It is the third attempt to show the first half of the book. +There was the David Lynch verion (which I adore) and there was a TV Series. +There were also games, but only two of those have any resemblance to the plot of the book. +So yeah, Dune was considered impossible to transfer to any other medium. +Sadly, I still have to agree. + +I think everybody (and their dogs) know what _Dune_ is about but: +_Dune_ is a story of distant future, where all powerful houses rule the known universe. +The technological progress was halted thousands of years ago, after a thinking machines raged a war against humanity. +After their defeat it was forbidden to create such machines. +Arrakis (aka Dune) is a sand planet, the only known source of _Spice_ - a narcotic allowing humans to traverse time, and therefore spaceflight. +Spaceships are operated by mutated humans, who after exposure to Spice can see into the future and steer the ships. +Now, the Emperor orders the control of the planet to be shifted to th House of Atreides. +The previous stewards, House of Harkonen will not make it any easier. + +Ignoring the mutants, this sounds like a run-of-the-mill SF series. +But _Dune_ It is also story of social engineering spanning millennia, of false prophets, and a million other crazy things. +The first book keeps it _almost_ sane, but there is a significant dictionary attached, and the first time reader will need to use it extensively. +Later the saga goes completely off the rails. +We'll get back to this. + +Note, that _Frank Herbert_ wrote only the first few books. +After his death, his son - _Brian Herbet_ took over and wrote dozens of other ones. +The quality differs significantly, as I've been told. +I've read the _Houses_ trilogy, and it was quite nice. + +Now that we've got the introduction out of the way, let's go to the movie. +Let me start with saying that I adore it. +It's not what I'd want (as the young vloggers say "hear me out face value it's as close to perfect SF movie as they go. + +_Dune: Part 1_ is directed by Denis Vileneuve, who previously directed some of the greatest SF movies of this century - _Arrival_ and _Blade Runner 2049_. +His other movies are also amazing (I can't recommend _Enemy_ enough), so I was pretty stoked when it was announced that he will direct _Dune_. +I am no longer a movie buff[^fn:2], but he may very well be my favorite living director. + +Technically, I can not find any fault with the movie. +The story makes sense (I'll return to Lynch in a second), which by itself is an achievement. +The acting is superb, and works as a reminder that TV series are still not on the level of the greatest movies. +The special effects are astounding[^fn:3]. +The music is, for the most part, at least great. +I hated the main theme with screaming lady. +Music is supposed to work with the movie, not to hide it with loud noises! +But that's the only thing I disliked. + +{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-001.webp" >}} +Jessicas portrayal is amazing. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-002.webp" >}} +ALL costumes are amazing +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-003.webp" >}} +CGI is amazing. +The movie looks amazing. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-004.webp" >}} +Have mentioned how amazing this movie looks? +{{< /image >}} + +I loved the tempo of this movie, as I never enjoyed action-packed shoot fests of the _other franchise dominating cinema for decades_. +Everything is slow - the actors speak slowly, the scene have time to breath, the camera is moving on a low gear. +Even things fall down slowly! +This adds an amazing dream-like feeling to most scenes. +Sometimes I felt like I'm watching a _Tarkovsky_ movie and not a big budget Hollywood blockbuster. + +And this the greatest and worst thing here. +It's meditative. +You feel like yoy are in a trance. +You fully buy accept you see here. + +But the world of Dune is weird. +It is full of things that make you go "huh?". +It has mutants who traverse time, but it also got mutants who are computers. +There are reanimated corpses, living furniture, hollow planets, vision quests. +Denis omitted everything that was not essential to the plot, and what he left, he grounded in reality by omitting the _wtf_. +There are not even the crazy names! +Some strange things he left, but they are shown without explanation. +It's just there, without any context. +But, to be fair - context would only add confusion. + +But this is where _Lynchs_ version shines. +It makes little sense, it is rushed - sure. +But it conveys how twisted the world is. +It's not a trace, it's a full on narcotic trip straight out of some hippie story. + +And this is why I don't think that this movie is a _great_ adaptation of Dune. +It is a _great_ movie on its own. +It perfectly adapts the adaptable and pretends that there is nothing else. +It makes _Dune: Part 1_ the hit that it is, and it allowed us to get _Part 2_. +But since making this move appeal to mass audience is not my problem, I'd like to see the full picture. + +It'd also like to see the world less cold. +The architecture is devoid of heart, it's brutalistic. +It looks amazing (I think I mentioned that), but the crazy colors and abstract layouts we see in Lynch version is something else. +It's a Vileneuve style. +It looks exactly like his previous movies - it's controlled, clean, _cold_. +As much as I loved it in his other works, I'm not sure if it fits the degenerate houses we meet. + +But that's just me. +As it stands, this is a groundbreaking movie which makes me want more. +Not only more of _Dune_ but more of serious, intelligent SciFi movies. +We had those and may get more! + +It's better in any conceivable way compared to all previous attempts at adapting the source material, and I think all my nitpicks are kina moot. +It fits 2024 esthetic and it's crazy intelligent. + +Highest recommendation from me. +4.75/4 + +And, hey! +Sardukars no longer look like welders! + +[^fn:1]: Right after finishing the Witcher saga. +[^fn:2]: not to brag, but I was a semiprofessional film critic during college years. + I had a press pass and all! +[^fn:3]: Ornititopthers look just like in the _Dune_ game! + This strangely works with how believable everything is. + All flying ships have this strange physics, which I have hard time explaining. + They are not like you X-Wings, but they fit the world. diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/part-two-2024.md b/content/reviews/movies/part-two-2024.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b618e0f --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/part-two-2024.md @@ -0,0 +1,128 @@ ++++ +title = "Dune: Part Two (2024)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-04-16T16:44:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2013 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the second part of an amazing book" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-two-2024", "brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024/"] +rating = 4.75 +image = "reviews/covers/dune2.jpg" +related = ["Dune movies"] +relatedName = "Dune: Part Two (2024)" ++++ + +It's here, it's finally here. +_Dune_ joins the very small club of SciFi books with amazing adaptations. +When _Part One_ hit the screens, people were amazed that it was so good. +Now, with _Part Two_, we hear that it's even better than the first one! + +But I was very skeptical. +The trailers seemed to indicate a train wreck. +They were full of explosions, angry screaming guys and the taglines about war. +Dune was never _about_ war. +War was in there, but it was never the point. +But cinema, SciFi especially, loves special effects, and big-booms are amongst the most used. +I dislike a lot of SciFi movies from the USA, as the (so called) spectacle is all there is[^fn:1]. + +But what the hell, I chose an IMAX experience nevertheless. +The first _Dune_ was breathtaking, so why not? + +And then the movie started, and my worries were replaced with anger. +What the hell is this? +Soldier banter? +Puppy-eyes? +Joking? +It's a SciFi war movie. +There are preparing for the _specle_ +_Dirty Fremen Dozen_! +_Independence Day of Arrakis_! + +But, just as the action moved to Giedi Prime, the movie completely transformed. +What was mediocre, became absolutely marvelous! + +Now, after seeing and rethinking the movie, it makes sense. +It's a not _sequel_ to _Dune_, but _part two_. +It doesn't start in act 1, as that was in the last movie. +The first chunk of this movie is a cool-down after the ending in of _Part One_. +Both _Dune_ movies should be treated as one long movie. +Much more than Kill Bill, as we have no clear _ending_ between the two. +_Part One_ ends with finishing of the Harkonen attack plot, which only ignites events of this movie. +And looking at it as one one big movie, I have to say: wow! + +They made some changes to Herbert's text, but I like them. +Fremen are no longer a singular force that Paul uses. +The movie version of them is divided, having different cultures. +Maybe it's too black and white, but it's a nice change. + +Similarly, Chani become a multidimensional character. +And while yes, Jessicas portrayal makes Chanis character shine much less, it's still a great change. +But the way Rebecca Ferguson plays Jessica is nothing short of wonder. +She starts scared, but loyal to both, Paul and Bene Gesserit. +After becoming the reverent mother however she becomes menacing. +With this comes another change - Alia is not born here. +She is talking with her mother telepathically, but at the end of the movie she is still to be born[^fn:2]. +That's a dangerous change, but it works perfectly because the tone Jessica uses when talking with her - calm, silent, almost a whisper, yet still menacing. +I can not stress it enough - Rebecca is perfect here. + +But the biggest change is the introduction of scenes from _Dune Messiah_. +You see, _Dune_ was often seen as a savior story. +Paul was to be the good guy, who comes and saves the day. +This is as far from what Frank Herbert envisioned as possible, so he wrote a short sequel book. +This movie vision introduces plot points and scenes taken directly from that book, so the meaning behing the story is much more obvious. +I think it's a good change, as we already see folks arguing against _Dune_ due to this misconception. +This way it defends itself. + +{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part2-001.jpg" >}} +Arrakis 90210 +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part2-002.jpg" >}} +Jessica in all of her glory +{{< /image >}} + +Luckily, this movie is much weirder than _Part One_. +While last time Dennis omitted a lot, here he shows more _things_[^fn:3], but still there is no context. +We see the finger of the Baron, but we never learn what actually is there. +It comes as an Easter Egg for old time fans, which is nice as it takes nothing from the story. +But then there is Geidi Prime which is monochromatic, empty and cold - in the scariest way. +I'd love to see more of this side the world, but we got it spot on. +And Fayd? +Where Lynch gave us half-naked Sting, Austin Butler is a psychopath. +This is the Beast we all deserve! +This is the stuff nightmares are made of. + +I am happy to report that this is not a war movie. +It's _Dune_ full of plots within plots, mysticism and (lastly) war. + +Unfortunately, once again I am not happy with the music. +While most of the tracks are good (or great), the main theme is even worse than last time. +It's now layered over a lot more noise, making it this much more annoying. +It decreased my enjoyment of many of the greatest scenes. +Luckily, there is also new theme so this screaming woman may not follow us into the third movie. + +So, _Dune Part II_ is an excellent movie, but _Dune_ the complete story is a marvel. +It's the greatest thing I've seen in American SciFi in a very long time. +It's what it should be. +While not flawless, it's as close to what I'd imagine as a _perfect_ _Dune_ as it comes. +The movie gets a 4.75 from me (same as the first one), but looking at both _Dunes_ as a single movie? +Then it goes to a 5. +I don't think we will get anywhere close to this level of quality anytime soon. +What _Baldurs Gate III_ made for cRPG, _Dune_ makes to _SciFi cinema_. + +And, I love that Christofer Walken is once again in the Dune universe. +He warned us about the Worm years ago. + +Fayd in all of his glory +\#+end_image + +[^fn:1]: I still remember how bored I was when I watched _Iron Man 3_. + The last decade of the movie runtime was filled with a non-stop battle. + The movie stopped and all was left was CGI. +[^fn:2]: Kinda fitting. + _Arrival_ had a very similar take on what a human is. +[^fn:3]: No chairdogs though diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/run-lola-run-1998.md b/content/reviews/movies/run-lola-run-1998.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1fa78f3 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/run-lola-run-1998.md @@ -0,0 +1,58 @@ ++++ +title = "Run Lola Run (1998)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-06-29T22:26:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2014 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "A short review of the German thriller" +image = "reviews/covers/run-lola-run.jpg" +rating = 3.75 ++++ + +Sometimes you find SciFi in the worst places, like Disney. +Sometimes you find it in a strange German techno thriller. + +The story of _Run Lola Run_ is one of the simplest I've ever witnessed: +Lola's boyfriend, Manni, screwed delivery of 100000 Detche Marks (close to 83k Eur in 2024) and now his boss is going to kill him within 20 minutes. +It is up to Lola to get the money, and then run as fast as she can to him - before he does anything stupid. + +This does not sound _scifi_ but there is one element that convinces me: butterfly effect. +The one from the mediocre Ashton Kutcher movie and a great movie from Kieslowski. +We rarely speak of it today, but a few years ago it was quite popular. +In _Run Lola Run_ we see different outcomes depending on a very slight changes. +This, and Lola's _magical scream_ are the only fantastical elements here. +Enough for me! + +The story is serviceable - it's not bad, but it's also not memorable. + +What is memorable is how the movie is made. + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/104-lola-rennt/images/backdrops" alt="Red haied girl running on the left. A blurry building in the background" file="run-lola-run-1.jpg" >}} +There are quite a few running scenes here +{{< /image >}} + +There was this short period of time, when a few ultra-energetic movies were made. +Think Pi, or Human Traffic. +They seem more like something you would see on MTV than a full length movie. +Lola runs, some powerfully techno music plays _loudly_ and that's basically it. +We've got some breaks with dialogue, but most of the movie is pure, raw energy. +Think _Mad Max_ has aggressive montage? +Check again. + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/run-lola-run" alt="Two people poiting pistols: red haired girl and blond male" file="run-lola-run-2.jpg" >}} +Unmistakable 90s +{{< /image >}} + +_Run Lola Run_ is a midbudget (low?) thriller with SciFi elements which is very much a forgotten genre. +It's also very, deeply _european_, which I love[^fn:1]. +It's an enjoyable, non-insulting ride. +But it's a not lost classic. + +[^fn:1]: Berlin, where action takes place, is so clean here. + I say that as a Pole. + Our cities back then were far from being nice to look at. + It improved though! diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/sneakers-1992.md b/content/reviews/movies/sneakers-1992.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..91f7f91 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/sneakers-1992.md @@ -0,0 +1,55 @@ ++++ +title = "Sneakers (1992)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-07-29T21:12:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2011 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review" +image = "reviews/covers/sneakers.jpg" +rating = 4 +aliases = ["/brain-rot/hackers/sneakers-1992/"] ++++ + +_Sneakers_ is a 1992 movie starring a huge cast of brightest stars about penetrating testers hired by NSA to recover a Russian-founder black box codename "Setec Astronomy". +Things get complicated and (as it was in the 90s) full of conspiracies. + +I watched this film _only_ because it is about hackers. +And let me tell you, I did not leave disappointed. +We sure got some red team hacking. +Computers get hacked, doors get unlocked, cameras get taped. +If this is all you want - sure, _Sneakers_ is great. +All of those actions are believable, hackers are not the scum of the earth (as they tend to be in later movies) and it's just plain cool. + +What I was not expecting was a great plot! +It's clear that the task is not what it seems. +It's not X-Files level of conspiracy within conspiracy[^fn:1], but we've sure got some rollercoaster of those. +It <span class="underline">is</span> the 90s, so government are evil and private business is good, but even being raised on those ideas, I had a blast. +Even after the _evil mastermind_ laves the shadow, it doesn't break anything. +It may be a bit too-obvious, but what the hell. 80% of the story is great. + +And the movie is simply beautiful. +It has _that_ 90s look, which can not be reproduced with modern digital effects. +But the camera work is stop-on. +When I pressed "play" on this hacker movie, I was not expecting such A-game. + +But as the movie started to show its cast, it was obvious - this was to be a blockbuster. +An _Ocean's 11_ for the cyberage. +Just look at the poster - Robert Redford is here! +But, for me, Dan Aykroyd and David Strathairn stole each scene they were in. +Aykroyd played Mother, a young hacker and conspiracy theorist ("the moon landing was fake" kind of, not "Melissa Lavigne"), and Strathairn played Whistler, a deaf phreaker[^fn:2]. +Both played just the perfect amount of over-the-top characters - anything more, and they would be annoying. +Everyone knew when to stop. + +All in all: great cast, beautiful cinematography and interesting story. +And the hacking isn't brain rotting! + +{{< image class="centered" alt="Blue computer screen reflecting in black glasses" file="sneakers-1.png" >}} +Monitors reflected on glasses can not be not cool +{{< /image >}} + +[^fn:1]: But nothing is +[^fn:2]: This movie is so old, that viewer is expected to know what a phreaker is! diff --git a/content/reviews/tv/_index.md b/content/reviews/tv/_index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b064739 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/tv/_index.md @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ ++++ +title = "TV series reviews" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2001 +reviewSection = ["TV series"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "Reviews of movies" ++++ diff --git a/content/reviews/tv/severance-s1.md b/content/reviews/tv/severance-s1.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0e49180 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/tv/severance-s1.md @@ -0,0 +1,58 @@ ++++ +title = "Severance (Season 1)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-04-24T22:26:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2002 +reviewSection = ["TV series"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "Review of the SciFi thriller" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/tv/severance-season1/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/severance/season1/"] +image = "reviews/covers/severance-s1.jpg" +rating = 4.0 ++++ + +Oh how I love SciFi without action scenes! +Sevarance is a story based on a great premise: an all powerful company is able to sever a person into two. +One gets to live outside the company clock; the other only in the office. +Both share the same body, but are completely different and have their memories separated. + +Apple tried to position itself in a small niche of the wider streaming service pool. +When Netflix and others produce one mediocre show after another, Apple is much slower and (seems to) focus on quality. +It allows itself riskier productions. + +_Severance_ plays very much like an independent movie. +It's minimal in presentation, I would even call it _cold_ as everything serves a goal. +Most of the show happens either in a soulless office building, or in a few semi-empty locations. +Somehow, for the first few episodes I had strong reminiscence of Shane Carruth's works. +Those have close to nothing in common with _Severance_, but the feeling was there. +And I love Curroths's works! + +The plot develops slowly and in an interesting way, everything points towards a great SciFi. +I was heavily invested in the plot, wanting to know what was hidden underneath. + +Unfortunately, it's a typical modern TV series. +Its runtime is expanded thin, we've got romance and unnecessary threads. +Remember when they made three huge movies out of Hobbit? +Yeah, it's the same here. +What would have been an _amazing_ movie is a _good_ TV show. + +It's stretched _almost_ into a self-parody. +They tried to have a mass appeal and with it, they lessen the story significantly. +I think they had material for 2 hours movie, maybe a miniseries. +But for multiple seasons? +I sure hope to be wrong, but it seems that it will the same as it was with _Westworld_. +Great start, but it's all downhill from here. + +The biggest offender here is the last episode which serves only the second season. +Such high-addrenaline scene had no place in _this_ story. +But hey, let's make people remember about that season 2 that we will make someday. + +For me _Severance_ is a perfect example of current TV drama state. +You can clearly see that it was made with passion, it could have been great. +But screw that, let's have it for four years. +Fill her up, please. + +It's very good as a TV show nevertheless. |