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-** DONE Brain Rots -CLOSED: [2024-05-24 Fri 16:22] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: brain-rot/_index -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: recent-updates menu all-content -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-fooo" -:END: - - -Hello. My name is Michał, and this website is dedicated to my reviews of books, movies, and games. -I try not to spoil things, as why would you read a thing about a thing from me /instead/ of experiencing the thing? -Instead the articles here show what I thought about a given piece, how I felt and if I think it's good. -Enjoy! - -#+attr_shortcode: "brainrot" -#+begin_recent-updates -Latest: -#+end_recent-updates - - -*** Table of Contents - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot" -#+begin_menu - Dune -#+end_menu - - -#+attr_shortcode: "brainrot" -#+begin_all-content -All Titles -#+end_all-content - - -** Dune -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: american-scifi/dune -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot-dune" -:END: - -*** DONE Dune: Part One (2021) -CLOSED: [2024-04-13 Sat 21:33] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: part-one-2021 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of an adaptation of the first part of an amazing book -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-dune" :parent "denis-movies" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/dune/part-one-2021) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75 -:END: - -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:witcher] -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:critic], 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:ornitopter]. -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part1-001.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" -#+begin_img-c -Jessicas portrayal is amazing. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part1-002.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" -#+begin_img-c -ALL costumes are amazing -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part1-003.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" -#+begin_img-c -CGI is amazing. -The movie looks amazing. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part1-004.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" -#+begin_img-c -Have mentioned how amazing this movie looks? -#+end_img-c - -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:witcher] Right after finishing the Witcher saga. -[fn:critic] not to brag, but I was a semiprofessional film critic during college years. -I had a press pass and all! -[fn:ornitopter] 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. - -*** DONE Dune: Part Two (2024) -CLOSED: [2024-04-16 Tue 16:44] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: part-two-2024 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of an adaptation of the second part of an amazing book -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-dune" :parent "denis-movies" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/dune/part-two-2024) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75 -:END: - -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:iron]. - -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/! - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part2-001.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Arrakis 90210 -#+end_img-c - -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:prochoice]. -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part2-002.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Jessica in all of her glory -#+end_img-c - -Luckily, this movie is much weirder than /Part One/. -While last time Dennis omitted a lot, here he shows more /things/[fn:chairdog], 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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "dune-part2-003.webp" -#+begin_img-c -Fayd in all of his glory -#+end_img-c - -[fn:iron] 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:chairdog] No chairdogs though -[fn:prochoice] Kinda fitting. -/Arrival/ had a very similar take on what a human is. - - - - -** - - -** Patlabor -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: anime/patlabor -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot-patlabor" -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-patlabor" -:END: -*** DONE Mobile Police Patlabor: The Early Days (1989) -CLOSED: [2024-05-06 Mon 22:38] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the OAV -:EXPORT_HUGO_WEIGHT: 10 -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU_OVERRIDE: :post " OAV series" :parent "mtimeline" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 -:END: - -/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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.75 "patlabor-early-days.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-early-days-1.jpg" "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160423/mediaviewer/rm3156868353/" -#+begin_img-c -We've got regular mecha fights! -#+end_img-c -*** DONE Patlabor: The Movie (1989) -CLOSED: [2024-04-11 Thu 21:01] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: patlabor-the-movie -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The proto-GITS is still very nice! -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/patlabor-the-movie //brain-rot/patlabor/patlabor-the-movie //brain-rot/anime/patlabor-the-movie/) -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU_OVERRIDE: :parent "mtimeline" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 -:END: - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.75 "patlabor-1-movie.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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 - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0001.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Sucide is painless... -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0002.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -...It brings on many changes -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0003.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -For a mecha anime, we've got a lot of people talking in different rooms -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0004.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Hav I mentioned thast this movie looks stunning? -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0005.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0006.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -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? -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-movie-1-0008.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -One of many GITS-style scenes. -#+end_img-c - - -*** DONE Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) -CLOSED: [2024-04-26 Fri 22:08] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: patlabor-2-the-movie -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of a masterpiece -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU_OVERRIDE: :parent "mtimeline" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 5 -:END: -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 5 "patlabor-2-movie.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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:wiki]. - -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. -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0001.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Don't get used to the old main characters. -They are barerly here. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0002.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Even the trickiest of perspectives are spot on. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0003.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Not much for mecha fans, but quite a lot for aviation fans. -#+end_img-c - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0004.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -This made me feel things. -I'd give a lot for such audio setup. -It even has a great CD transport! -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0005.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Basset, reporting in. -#+end_img-c - -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:osh]. -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0006.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -There's some eye candy here. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "patlabor-2-movie-0007.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -It's not there are no mechs here. -They are, in very small doses. -#+end_img-c - -[fn:wiki] Source: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces#Peacekeeping][Wikipedia]] -[fn:osh] How many directors have achiever greatness on a few occasions? -Oshii certainly did! - - -** Lawnmower Man -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: american-scifi/lawnmower-man -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-ascifi" :parent "lawnmower-man" -:END: - -*** DONE Lawmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996) -CLOSED: [2024-02-23 Fri 20:29] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: lawmower-man-2-1996 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My mirco reviview of the sequeo to a vr killer thriller -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/lawmower-man-2-1996// brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996/) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 -:END: -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:reviewlm]/ 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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0002.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Kids flying in cyberspace -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0012.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -And flying even more. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0003.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Dog preparing to save a day... -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0004.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -And saving the day by inserting a CD in the drive. -How can anyone consider this to be a movie for adoults? -#+end_img-c - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0005.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Her hair is the closest thing to a "scare" in the entire movie -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0006.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -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! - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0001.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Cyberpunk! -I'm pretty sure that almost all those scenes happened on the same crossroad. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0011.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Almost Blade Runner. -#+end_img-c - -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/. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0010.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Our first meeting with new Jobe in the cyberspace. -Yes, this is VR-forest. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0007.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Cyberspace here give more of FMV-game kind of vibe than I would have expected -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0008.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -The VR here more social than what Apple showed. -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0009.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Luckily, sometimes the VR almost delivers. -#+end_img-c - -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:reviewlm] Vide: [[/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1229/][my review of Lawmower Man]]. - - -*** DONE Lawnmower Man (1992) -CLOSED: [2024-02-19 Mon 23:03] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: lawmower-man-1992 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My mirco reviview of a vr killer thriller -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1992/ brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.0 -:END: - -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:series] -Among those, there were constant replays of /The Lawnmower Man/[fn:trans] -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-1992-0001.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Remember when huge companies were scary? -#+end_img-c - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-1992-0002.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -That's one way to save your neck from Apple Vision -#+end_img-c - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-1992-0006.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -The cyberspace we all need. -#+end_img-c - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-1992-0004.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -The hidden star of the movie, right behind that hairy guy. -Look at that keyboard! -Look at how beige it is! -#+end_img-c - -#+attr_shortcode: "lawnmower-man-1992-0005.jpg" -#+begin_img-c -Cyber God indeed. -#+end_img-c - -[fn:series] 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:trans] 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. - - - -** Dragon Ball -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: anime/dragon-ball -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-anime" -:END: - -*** DONE Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) -CLOSED: [2024-05-08 Wed 23:20] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 1.25 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My mirco reviview of the 2022 Dragon Ball movie -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-c rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot-anime" -:END: - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 1.25 "db-superhero.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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:whistle] 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:whistle] I've been told that /Dragon Ball Z Movie 4/ has its share of fans, but I've got no idea how. - - - -** SciFi from the Eastern Block -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: eastern-block-scifi -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-ebscifi" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name -:END: - -*** DONE SciFi from the Eastern Block -CLOSED: [2024-06-25 Tue 21:44] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My reviews of SciFi from the post and current soviet countries -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: menu -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :weight 1020 :parent scifi -:END: - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-ebscifi" -#+begin_menu -Dune -#+end_menu - - -*** DONE Dead Man's Lettes (aka Lettes from a Dead Man, 1986) -CLOSED: [2024-06-25 Tue 22:56] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: dead-mans-letters-1986 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of SciFi classic -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/dead-mans-letters.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 5 -:END: - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 5 "dead-mans-letters.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: :file dead-mans-letters-1.jpg -#+attr_shortcode: :alt An old, white man wearing glasses. In sepia -#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091759/mediaviewer/rm794067713 -#+attr_shortcode: :class centered -#+begin_image -The "hero" -#+end_image - -#+attr_shortcode: :file dead-mans-letters-2.jpg -#+attr_shortcode: :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. -#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fbyjma8jabmc61.jpg%3Fwidth%3D964%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D02b9a40ac8c094bc25d79890adb64b07c86c26e5 -#+attr_shortcode: :class centered -#+begin_image -You won't glimpse much happiness here. -#+end_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. - - - - -** European SciFi -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: european-scifi -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-eurocifi" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name -:END: - -*** DONE European Scici -CLOSED: [2024-06-25 Tue 21:44] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My reviews of SciFi from the post and European countries -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: menu -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :weight 1010 :parent scifi -:END: - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-eurocifi" -#+begin_menu -Dune -#+end_menu - - - -*** DONE Run Lola Run (1998) -CLOSED: [2024-06-29 Sat 22:26] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: run-lola-run-1998 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of the German thriller -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/run-lola-run.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 -:END: - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.75 "run-lola-run.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: :file run-lola-run-1.jpg -#+attr_shortcode: :alt Red haied girl running on the left. A blurry building in the background -#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/104-lola-rennt/images/backdrops -#+attr_shortcode: :class centered -#+begin_image -There are quite a few running scenes here -#+end_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. - -#+attr_shortcode: :file run-lola-run-2.jpg -#+attr_shortcode: :alt Two people poiting pistols: red haired girl and blond male -#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/run-lola-run -#+attr_shortcode: :class centered -#+begin_image -Unmistakable 90s -#+end_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:pl]. -It's an enjoyable, non-insulting ride. -But it's a not lost classic. - -[fn:pl] -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! - - -*** DONE Mars Express (2023) -CLOSED: [2024-07-29 Mon 21:54] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: mars-express-2023 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/mars-express.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75 -:END: - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4.75 "mars-express.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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:marvel]. -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:flow], 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. - -#+attr_shortcode: :file mars-express-1.jpg -#+attr_shortcode: :alt On the left a woman is sitting on a table. Another woman is standing above her. -#+attr_shortcode: :class centered -#+begin_image -It's not anime, but it's breathtaking -#+end_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:marvel] Hello Marvel -[fn:flow] 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. - -** Severance -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: american-scifi/severance -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-ascifi" :weight 99999999 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:END: -*** DONE Severance (Season 1) -CLOSED: [2024-04-24 Wed 22:26] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: season1 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of SciFi classic -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/tv/severance-season1//) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.0 -:END: - - -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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4.0 "severance-s1.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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. - - - - -** Anime -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-anime" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot-anime" -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: anime -:END: - -*** DONE Anime -CLOSED: [2024-05-08 Wed 16:50] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: anime -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Amime -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name -:END: - - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-anime" -#+begin_menu -Dune -#+end_menu - -*** DONE Attack on Titan (2013-2023) -CLOSED: [2024-06-09 Sun 17:10] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: attack_on_titan_anime -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the anime -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.5 -:END: - - -/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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.5 "attack-on-titan.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -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:armin]. -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:armin] 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. - - -*** DONE Patlabor -CLOSED: [2024-04-26 Fri 19:11] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The Patlabor series -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: anime/patlabor -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU_OVERRIDE: :post "series" -:END: - -Patlabor is one of forgotten great anime series of the past. -Created by Headgear (Masami Yūki, Mamoru Oshii, Kazunori Itō, Yutaka Izubuchi, and Akemi Takada). - -In the not-to distant future humanity develops Labors, humanoid mechs, used in heavy construction. -With their introduction a new type of crime starts showing up. -To combat that, a dedicated police force called Patlabor is created. - -We've two separate timelimes: following the movies and following the TV series. - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-patlabor" -#+begin_menu -Patlabor -#+end_menu - - ** Hacker movies :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-hackers" :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: hackers/ :EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name :END: - -*** DONE Hacker movies -CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :weight 2000 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Stories about hackers -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info -:END: - - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-hackers" -#+begin_menu -Witcher -#+end_menu - - -*** DONE Sneakers (1992) -CLOSED: [2024-07-29 Mon 21:12] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: sneakers-1992 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/sneakers.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4 -:END: - -/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:xf], but we've sure got some rollercoaster of those. -It _is_ 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. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4 "sneakers.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating - -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:phreak]. -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! - -#+attr_shortcode: :file sneakers-1.png -#+attr_shortcode: :alt Blue computer screen reflecting in black glasses -#+attr_shortcode: :class centered -#+begin_image -Monitors reflected on glasses can not be not cool -#+end_image - -[fn:xf] But nothing is -[fn:phreak] This movie is so old, that viewer is expected to know what a phreaker is! *** TODO Hackers (1995) There are movies which I absolutely despised when I first saw them. @@ -1539,14 +60,7 @@ You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our #+end_quote -** Fantasy -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-fantasy" -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: fantasy/ -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name -:END: -** Modern Games @@ -1556,4 +70,4 @@ You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our - monkey 2 - poniedzialek zaczyna sie w... - internet's own boy -- +- armitage iii diff --git a/content-org/reviews.org b/content-org/reviews.org index d94cd0e..cdbbe1f 100644 --- a/content-org/reviews.org +++ b/content-org/reviews.org @@ -13,14 +13,15 @@ :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews :EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index :EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Reviews2 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '(Books Movies Games) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '(Books Movies "TV series" "Anime movies" "Anime TV series" "Anime OAV series" Games) :END: ** Reviews My reviews of fun things! -* Books [0/0] :@reviews: + +* Books [0/0] :@reviews: :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews/books :EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '(Books) @@ -1417,6 +1418,1350 @@ But following this definition, I am not sure if we can call any movie other than Often we put all dark-sf into "cyberpunk" genre, which limits our ability to be pricks about it. [fn:alien] Aka "the clearly superior of the /Alien/ series" + +** DONE Lawnmower Man (1992) +CLOSED: [2024-02-19 Mon 23:03] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: lawmower-man-1992 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My mirco reviview of a vr killer thriller +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1992/ brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/ brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.0 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Lawnmower Man") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "Lawnmower Man" +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/lawnmower-man.jpg +:END: + +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:series] +Among those, there were constant replays of /The Lawnmower Man/[fn:trans] +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-1992-0001.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Remember when huge companies were scary? +#+end_image +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-1992-0002.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +That's one way to save your neck from Apple Vision +#+end_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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-1992-0006.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +The cyberspace we all need. +#+end_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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-1992-0004.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +The hidden star of the movie, right behind that hairy guy. +Look at that keyboard! +Look at how beige it is! +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-1992-0005.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Cyber God indeed. +#+end_image + +[fn:series] 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:trans] 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. + + +** DONE Lawmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996) +CLOSED: [2024-02-23 Fri 20:29] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: lawmower-man-2-1996 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My mirco reviview of the sequeo to a vr killer thriller +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :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/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Lawnmower Man") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "Lawnmower Man 2" +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/lawnmower-man2.jpg +:END: + +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:reviewlm]/ 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. + + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0002.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Kids flying in cyberspace +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0012.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +And flying even more. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0003.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Dog preparing to save a day... +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0004.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +And saving the day by inserting a CD in the drive. +How can anyone consider this to be a movie for adoults? +#+end_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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0005.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +Her hair is the closest thing to a "scare" in the entire movie +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0006.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +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! + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0001.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Cyberpunk! +I'm pretty sure that almost all those scenes happened on the same crossroad. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0011.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Almost Blade Runner. +#+end_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/. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0010.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Our first meeting with new Jobe in the cyberspace. +Yes, this is VR-forest. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0007.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Cyberspace here give more of FMV-game kind of vibe than I would have expected +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0008.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +The VR here more social than what Apple showed. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file lawnmower-man-2-1996-0009.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Luckily, sometimes the VR almost delivers. +#+end_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:reviewlm] Vide: [[/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1229/][my review of Lawmower Man]]. + + + +** DONE Dead Man's Lettes (aka Lettes from a Dead Man, 1986) +CLOSED: [2024-06-25 Tue 22:56] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: dead-mans-letters-1986 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of SciFi classic +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/dead-mans-letters.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/dead-mans-letters-1986/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 5 +:END: + +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dead-mans-letters-1.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :alt An old, white man wearing glasses. In sepia +#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091759/mediaviewer/rm794067713 +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +The "hero" +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dead-mans-letters-2.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :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. +#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fbyjma8jabmc61.jpg%3Fwidth%3D964%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D02b9a40ac8c094bc25d79890adb64b07c86c26e5 +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +You won't glimpse much happiness here. +#+end_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. + +** DONE Sneakers (1992) +CLOSED: [2024-07-29 Mon 21:12] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: sneakers-1992 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/sneakers.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '( /brain-rot/hackers/sneakers-1992/ ) +:END: + +/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:xf], but we've sure got some rollercoaster of those. +It _is_ 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:phreak]. +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! + +#+attr_shortcode: :file sneakers-1.png +#+attr_shortcode: :alt Blue computer screen reflecting in black glasses +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Monitors reflected on glasses can not be not cool +#+end_image + +[fn:xf] But nothing is +[fn:phreak] This movie is so old, that viewer is expected to know what a phreaker is! + + +** DONE Dune: Part One (2021) +CLOSED: [2024-04-13 Sat 21:33] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: part-one-2021 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of an adaptation of the first part of an amazing book +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/dune/part-one-2021 brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/dune.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Dune movies") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "Dune: Part One (2021)" +:END: + +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:witcher] +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:critic], 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:ornitopter]. +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. + + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part1-001.webp +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Jessicas portrayal is amazing. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part1-002.webp +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +ALL costumes are amazing +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part1-003.webp +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +CGI is amazing. +The movie looks amazing. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part1-004.webp +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Have mentioned how amazing this movie looks? +#+end_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:witcher] Right after finishing the Witcher saga. +[fn:critic] not to brag, but I was a semiprofessional film critic during college years. +I had a press pass and all! +[fn:ornitopter] 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. + + +** DONE Dune: Part Two (2024) +CLOSED: [2024-04-16 Tue 16:44] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: part-two-2024 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of an adaptation of the second part of an amazing book +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/dune/part-two-2024 brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/dune2.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Dune movies") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "Dune: Part Two (2024)" +:END: + +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:iron]. + +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:prochoice]. +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part2-001.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Arrakis 90210 +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part2-002.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Jessica in all of her glory +#+end_image + +Luckily, this movie is much weirder than /Part One/. +While last time Dennis omitted a lot, here he shows more /things/[fn:chairdog], 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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file dune-part2-003.webp" +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +Fayd in all of his glory +#+end_image + +[fn:iron] 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:chairdog] No chairdogs though +[fn:prochoice] Kinda fitting. +/Arrival/ had a very similar take on what a human is. + + +** DONE Run Lola Run (1998) +CLOSED: [2024-06-29 Sat 22:26] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: run-lola-run-1998 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of the German thriller +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/run-lola-run.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 +:END: + +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file run-lola-run-1.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :alt Red haied girl running on the left. A blurry building in the background +#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/104-lola-rennt/images/backdrops +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +There are quite a few running scenes here +#+end_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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file run-lola-run-2.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :alt Two people poiting pistols: red haired girl and blond male +#+attr_shortcode: :source https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/run-lola-run +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Unmistakable 90s +#+end_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:pl]. +It's an enjoyable, non-insulting ride. +But it's a not lost classic. + +[fn:pl] +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! + + +** DONE Mars Express (2023) +CLOSED: [2024-07-29 Mon 21:54] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: mars-express-2023 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/mars-express.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.75 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :alias '(brain-rot/european-scifi/mars-express-2023/) +:END: + +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: 4.75 "mars-express.jpg" +#+begin_rating +Cover +#+end_rating +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:marvel]. +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:flow], 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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file mars-express-1.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :alt On the left a woman is sitting on a table. Another woman is standing above her. +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +It's not anime, but it's breathtaking +#+end_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:marvel] Hello Marvel +[fn:flow] 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. + +* TV Series [0/0] :@reviews: +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews/tv +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("TV series") +:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: image +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image_dir "reviews/screenshots" :image_max_width 765 +:End: + +** TV series reviews +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Reviews of movies +:END: + + +** DONE Severance (Season 1) +CLOSED: [2024-04-24 Wed 22:26] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: severance-s1 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Review of the SciFi thriller +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/tv/severance-season1/ brain-rot/american-scifi/severance/season1/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/severance-s1.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.0 +:END: + +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. + + +* Anime and manga [0/0] :@reviews: +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews/anime_manga +:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: image +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image_dir "reviews/screenshots" :image_max_width 765 +:End: + +** Anime and manga reviews +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract Reviews of amime and manga +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("Anime movies" "Anime TV series" "Anime OAV series") +:END: + +*** 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. + +** DONE Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) +CLOSED: [2024-05-08 Wed 23:20] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 1.25 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("Anime movies") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My mirco reviview of the 2022 Dragon Ball movie +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/db-superhero.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/anime/dragon-ball/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022/) +:END: + + +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:whistle] 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:whistle] I've been told that /Dragon Ball Z Movie 4/ has its share of fans, but I've got no idea how. + + +** DONE Attack on Titan (2013-2023) +CLOSED: [2024-06-09 Sun 17:10] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: attack_on_titan_anime +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the anime +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.5 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/attack-on-titan.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("Anime TV series") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/anime/attack_on_titan_anime/) +:END: + + +/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:armin]. +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:armin] 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. + +** DONE Mobile Police Patlabor: The Early Days (1989) +CLOSED: [2024-05-06 Mon 22:38] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the OAV +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/patlabor-early-days.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("Anime OAV series") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Patlabor movie timeline") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "Early Days OAV" +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days/) +:END: + +/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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-early-days-1.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +We've got regular mecha fights! +#+end_image + +** DONE Patlabor: The Movie (1989) +CLOSED: [2024-04-11 Thu 21:01] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: patlabor-the-movie +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The proto-GITS is still very nice! +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/patlabor-the-movie //brain-rot/patlabor/patlabor-the-movie /brain-rot/anime/patlabor-the-movie/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/patlabor-1-movie.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Patlabor movie timeline") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "The Movie" +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("Anime movies") +:END: + +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 + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0001.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Sucide is painless... +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0002.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +...It brings on many changes +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0003.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +For a mecha anime, we've got a lot of people talking in different rooms +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0004.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Have I mentioned thast this movie looks stunning? +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0005.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0006.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +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? +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-movie-1-0008.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +One of many GITS-style scenes. +#+end_image + +** DONE Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) +CLOSED: [2024-04-26 Fri 22:08] +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: patlabor-2-the-movie +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of a masterpiece +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 5 +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image reviews/covers/patlabor-2-movie.jpg +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :related '("Patlabor movie timeline") +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :relatedName "2: Movie" +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-2-the-movie/) +:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :reviewSection '("Anime movies") +:END: + +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:wiki]. + +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0001.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Don't get used to the old main characters. +They are barerly here. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0002.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Even the trickiest of perspectives are spot on. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0003.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Not much for mecha fans, but quite a lot for aviation fans. +#+end_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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0004.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +This made me feel things. +I'd give a lot for such audio setup. +It even has a great CD transport! +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0005.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +Basset, reporting in. +#+end_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:osh]. +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. + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0006.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +There's some eye candy here. +#+end_image + +#+attr_shortcode: :file patlabor-2-movie-0007.jpg +#+attr_shortcode: :class centered +#+begin_image +It's not there are no mechs here. +They are, in very small doses. +#+end_img-c + +[fn:wiki] Source: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces#Peacekeeping][Wikipedia]] +[fn:osh] How many directors have achiever greatness on a few occasions? +Oshii certainly did! + + * Games [0/0] :@reviews: :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: reviews/games diff --git a/content/brain-rot/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index d92b570..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,33 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Brain Rots" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-05-24T16:22:00+02:00 -draft = false -weight = 2001 -image_dir = "brain-rot/screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-fooo] - weight = 2001 - identifier = "brain-rots" -+++ - -Hello. My name is Michał, and this website is dedicated to my reviews of books, movies, and games. -I try not to spoil things, as why would you read a thing about a thing from me _instead_ of experiencing the thing? -Instead the articles here show what I thought about a given piece, how I felt and if I think it's good. -Enjoy! - -{{< recent-updates "brainrot" >}} -Latest: -{{< /recent-updates >}} - - -## Table of Contents {#table-of-contents} - -{{< menu "brain-rot" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} - -{{< all-content "brainrot" >}} -All Titles -{{< /all-content >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index a976f04..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,24 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "American SciFi" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-14T20:59:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "Random SciFi from USA" -menu_order = "name" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot] - identifier = "american-scifi" - parent = "scifi" - weight = 1000 -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-ascifi" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} - -{{< menu-info >}} -sss -{{< /menu-info >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index 1c839d5..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dune" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-14T18:10:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3006 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "The Dune series" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3006 - identifier = "dune" - post = "series" -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-dune" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021.md deleted file mode 100644 index 73c9ed4..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,145 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dune: Part One (2021)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-13T21:33:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-dune" -abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the first part of an amazing book" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-one-2021"] -rating = 4.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-dune] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "dune-part-one-2021" - parent = "denis-movies" -+++ - -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. - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-001.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -Jessicas portrayal is amazing. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-002.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -ALL costumes are amazing -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-003.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -CGI is amazing. -The movie looks amazing. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "dune-part1-004.webp" "https://movie-screencaps.com/dune-2021/" >}} -Have mentioned how amazing this movie looks? -{{< /img-c >}} - -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/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md deleted file mode 100644 index e3fcd21..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dune: Part Two (2024)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-16T16:44:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-dune" -abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the second part of an amazing book" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-two-2024"] -rating = 4.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-dune] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "dune-part-two-2024" - parent = "denis-movies" -+++ - -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_! - -{{< img-c "dune-part2-001.jpg" >}} -Arrakis 90210 -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "dune-part2-002.jpg" >}} -Jessica in all of her glory -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "dune-part2-003.webp" >}} -Fayd in all of his glory -{{< /img-c >}} - -[^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/brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992.md deleted file mode 100644 index 4cd557d..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,98 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Lawnmower Man (1992)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-02-19T23:03:00+01:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -image_dir = "brain-rot/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/"] -rating = 3.0 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "lawnmower-man-1992" - parent = "lawnmower-man" -+++ - -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. - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0001.jpg" >}} -Remember when huge companies were scary? -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0002.jpg" >}} -That's one way to save your neck from Apple Vision -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0006.jpg" >}} -The cyberspace we all need. -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "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! -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0005.jpg" >}} -Cyber God indeed. -{{< /img-c >}} - -[^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/brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996.md deleted file mode 100644 index a312ae0..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,133 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Lawmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-02-23T20:29:00+01:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -image_dir = "brain-rot/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/"] -rating = 3.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "lawmower-man-2-beyond-cyberspace-1996" - parent = "lawnmower-man" -+++ - -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. - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0002.jpg" >}} -Kids flying in cyberspace -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0012.jpg" >}} -And flying even more. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0003.jpg" >}} -Dog preparing to save a day... -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "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? -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0005.jpg" >}} -Her hair is the closest thing to a "scare" in the entire movie -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0006.jpg" >}} -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 -{{< /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! - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0001.jpg" >}} -Cyberpunk! -I'm pretty sure that almost all those scenes happened on the same crossroad. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0011.jpg" >}} -Almost Blade Runner. -{{< /img-c >}} - -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_. - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0010.jpg" >}} -Our first meeting with new Jobe in the cyberspace. -Yes, this is VR-forest. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0007.jpg" >}} -Cyberspace here give more of FMV-game kind of vibe than I would have expected -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0008.jpg" >}} -The VR here more social than what Apple showed. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0009.jpg" >}} -Luckily, sometimes the VR almost delivers. -{{< /img-c >}} - -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/brain-rot/american-scifi/severance/season1.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/severance/season1.md deleted file mode 100644 index eff3817..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/severance/season1.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,63 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Severance (Season 1)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-24T22:26:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/tv/severance-season1//"] -rating = 4.0 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - identifier = "severance-season-1" - weight = 99999999 -+++ - -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. - -{{< rating 4.0 "severance-s1.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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. diff --git a/content/brain-rot/anime/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index ef00e65..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Anime" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-05-08T16:50:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "Amime" -menu_order = "name" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "anime" -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-anime" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/anime/attack_on_titan_anime.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/attack_on_titan_anime.md deleted file mode 100644 index 74954f9..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/attack_on_titan_anime.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,86 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Attack on Titan (2013-2023)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-09T17:10:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-anime" -abstract = "My review of the anime" -rating = 3.5 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-anime] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "attack-on-titan-2013-2023" -+++ - -_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. - -{{< rating 3.5 "attack-on-titan.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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/brain-rot/anime/dragon-ball/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/dragon-ball/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022.md deleted file mode 100644 index 4b28a41..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/dragon-ball/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-2022.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,82 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-05-08T23:20:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-anime" -rating = 1.25 -abstract = "My mirco reviview of the 2022 Dragon Ball movie" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-anime] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "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. - -{{< rating 1.25 "db-superhero.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index c6cd984..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,28 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Patlabor" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-26T19:11:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3003 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-anime" -abstract = "The Patlabor series" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-anime] - weight = 3003 - identifier = "patlabor" - post = "series" -+++ - -Patlabor is one of forgotten great anime series of the past. -Created by Headgear (Masami Yūki, Mamoru Oshii, Kazunori Itō, Yutaka Izubuchi, and Akemi Takada). - -In the not-to distant future humanity develops Labors, humanoid mechs, used in heavy construction. -With their introduction a new type of crime starts showing up. -To combat that, a dedicated police force called Patlabor is created. - -We've two separate timelimes: following the movies and following the TV series. - -{{< menu "brain-rot-patlabor" >}} -Patlabor -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days.md deleted file mode 100644 index 5c509d5..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,72 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Mobile Police Patlabor: The Early Days (1989)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-05-06T22:38:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 10 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-patlabor" -abstract = "My review of the OAV" -rating = 3.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-patlabor] - weight = 3001 - identifier = "mobile-police-patlabor-the-early-days-1989" - parent = "mtimeline" - post = " OAV series" -+++ - -_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. - -{{< rating 3.75 "patlabor-early-days.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "patlabor-early-days-1.jpg" "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160423/mediaviewer/rm3156868353/" >}} -We've got regular mecha fights! -{{< /img-c >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-2-the-movie.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-2-the-movie.md deleted file mode 100644 index 29888e5..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-2-the-movie.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-26T22:08:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3003 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-patlabor" -abstract = "My review of a masterpiece" -rating = 5 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-patlabor] - weight = 3003 - identifier = "patlabor-2-the-movie-1993" - parent = "mtimeline" -+++ - -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. - -{{< rating 5 "patlabor-2-movie.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "patlabor-2-movie-0001.jpg" >}} -Don't get used to the old main characters. -They are barerly here. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-2-movie-0002.jpg" >}} -Even the trickiest of perspectives are spot on. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-2-movie-0003.jpg" >}} -Not much for mecha fans, but quite a lot for aviation fans. -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "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! -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-2-movie-0005.jpg" >}} -Basset, reporting in. -{{< /img-c >}} - -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. - -{{< img-c "patlabor-2-movie-0006.jpg" >}} -There's some eye candy here. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-2-movie-0007.jpg" >}} -It's not there are no mechs here. -They are, in very small doses. -{{< /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/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-the-movie.md b/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-the-movie.md deleted file mode 100644 index 45a39e1..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/anime/patlabor/patlabor-the-movie.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,98 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Patlabor: The Movie (1989)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-11T21:01:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-patlabor" -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 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-patlabor] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "patlabor-the-movie-1989" - parent = "mtimeline" -+++ - -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. - -{{< rating 3.75 "patlabor-1-movie.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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 - -{{< img-c "patlabor-movie-1-0001.jpg" >}} -Sucide is painless... -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-movie-1-0002.jpg" >}} -...It brings on many changes -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-movie-1-0003.jpg" >}} -For a mecha anime, we've got a lot of people talking in different rooms -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-movie-1-0004.jpg" >}} -Hav I mentioned thast this movie looks stunning? -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-movie-1-0005.jpg" >}} -S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "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? -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "patlabor-movie-1-0008.jpg" >}} -One of many GITS-style scenes. -{{< /img-c >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index f6eda16..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "SciFi from the Eastern Block" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-25T21:44:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "My reviews of SciFi from the post and current soviet countries" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot] - identifier = "scifi-from-the-eastern-block" - parent = "scifi" - weight = 1020 -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-ebscifi" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/dead-mans-letters-1986.md b/content/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/dead-mans-letters-1986.md deleted file mode 100644 index 3d434f5..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/dead-mans-letters-1986.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,73 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Dead Man's Lettes (aka Lettes from a Dead Man, 1986)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-25T22:56:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -menu_order = "name" -abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic" -image = "covers/dead-mans-letters.jpg" -rating = 5 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ebscifi] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "dead-man-s-lettes-aka-lettes-from-a-dead-man-1986" -+++ - -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. - -{{< rating 5 "dead-mans-letters.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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/brain-rot/european-scifi/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index 9acb0cd..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "European SciFi" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-25T21:44:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -abstract = "My reviews of SciFi from the post and European countries" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot] - identifier = "european-scifi" - parent = "scifi" - weight = 1010 -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-eurocifi" >}} -Dune -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/mars-express-2023.md b/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/mars-express-2023.md deleted file mode 100644 index 479843d..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/mars-express-2023.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,77 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Mars Express (2023)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-07-29T21:54:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3003 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -menu_order = "name" -abstract = "My review" -image = "covers/mars-express.jpg" -rating = 4.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-eurocifi] - weight = 3003 - identifier = "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. - -{{< rating 4.75 "mars-express.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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/brain-rot/european-scifi/run-lola-run-1998.md b/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/run-lola-run-1998.md deleted file mode 100644 index 330d0bf..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/european-scifi/run-lola-run-1998.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,67 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Run Lola Run (1998)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-29T22:26:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot" -menu_order = "name" -abstract = "A short review of the German thriller" -image = "covers/run-lola-run.jpg" -rating = 3.75 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-eurocifi] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "run-lola-run-1998" -+++ - -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. - -{{< rating 3.75 "run-lola-run.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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/brain-rot/hackers/_index.md b/content/brain-rot/hackers/_index.md deleted file mode 100644 index 35bdd76..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/hackers/_index.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,20 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Hacker movies" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-04-14T18:10:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3001 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -menu_order = "name" -abstract = "Stories about hackers" -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot] - identifier = "hacker-movies" - weight = 2000 -+++ - -{{< menu "brain-rot-hackers" >}} -Witcher -{{< /menu >}} diff --git a/content/brain-rot/hackers/sneakers-1992.md b/content/brain-rot/hackers/sneakers-1992.md deleted file mode 100644 index 60cf811..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/hackers/sneakers-1992.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,62 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Sneakers (1992)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-07-29T21:12:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -menu_order = "name" -abstract = "My review" -image = "covers/sneakers.jpg" -rating = 4 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-hackers] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "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 is 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. - -{{< rating 4 "sneakers.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -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/_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. + +
+ +Cover + +
+ +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 is 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. diff --git a/layouts/brain-rot/baseof.html b/layouts/brain-rot/baseof.html deleted file mode 100644 index 3195652..0000000 --- a/layouts/brain-rot/baseof.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13 +0,0 @@ -{{ block "main" . }} -{{ end }} - - - - - {{ .Title }} - - - - - - diff --git a/layouts/brain-rot/list.html b/layouts/brain-rot/list.html deleted file mode 100644 index e4e4a83..0000000 --- a/layouts/brain-rot/list.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2 +0,0 @@ -{{ define "main" }} -{{ end }} diff --git a/layouts/brain-rot/redirect.html b/layouts/brain-rot/redirect.html deleted file mode 100644 index 599d57b..0000000 --- a/layouts/brain-rot/redirect.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9 +0,0 @@ - - - - {{ .Title }} - - - - - diff --git a/layouts/brain-rot/single.html b/layouts/brain-rot/single.html deleted file mode 100644 index e4e4a83..0000000 --- a/layouts/brain-rot/single.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2 +0,0 @@ -{{ define "main" }} -{{ end }} diff --git a/themes/24-unification/layouts/_default/rss.xml b/themes/24-unification/layouts/_default/rss.xml index e509c52..8d69382 100644 --- a/themes/24-unification/layouts/_default/rss.xml +++ b/themes/24-unification/layouts/_default/rss.xml @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ {{- with .OutputFormats.Get "RSS" }} {{ printf "" .Permalink .MediaType | safeHTML }} {{- end }} - {{- range $pages.ByPublishDate.Reverse}} + {{- range $pages.ByPublishDate.Reverse.Limit 30}} {{ .Title }} {{ .Permalink }} @@ -32,13 +32,8 @@ mms {{ crypto.MD5 .Date }} - {{ if in .Page.Params.Categories "blog" }} {{ safeHTML "

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