    
John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert)
Username: John_l_probert
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 213.253.174.81
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - 03:11 pm: | |
There’s too much discussion of quality literature and music on this board at the moment so I thought I’d try and redress the balance by mentioning some absolutely breathtaking rubbish I saw at the cinema the other day.
I’m trying very hard to work out whether I liked this film or not. As an example of a well-made adaptation of a famous anime, with beautifully choreographed fight sequences, a plot that combines both a revenge motif and the melancholy of an endless quest, and stunningly balletic scenes of violence it is an unmitigated bloody disaster, and yet as I watched it I had the strangest feeling that possibly that wasn’t what the film-makers were aiming for at all.
With far more in common with Psychomania than super-hero movies, this is the best example I’ve seen in at least a decade of ‘What on earth were they thinking when they made this?’ cinema. Even the opening ‘explanatory’ caption crawl doesn’t really seem to know what the film is about. Set in 1970 for no reason, with an opening sequence that is as pointless as it is erratically shot, the central character, who is some sort of immortal vampire girl (the film’s not big on explanation & I know nothing of anime I’m afraid), gets sent to a US army base in Tokyo disguised as a schoolgirl. In an absolutely inspired piece of ‘why did they do that?’ casting the US generals, teachers and other staff are all played by British TV soap opera actors. Liam Cunningham is the girl’s boss and is also meant to be American before he gets shot, allowing him to look surprised but relieved that he’s off the picture way before the end. Some potentially thrilling scenes are all ruined by jumpy camerawork, and all the blood is CGI blobs, which means it looks as if characters are talking to some rather blushing amoebas in some children’s programme rather than having their throats cut. The climax is nothing of the sort and left me open-mouthed and confused. In fact this felt a lot like the kind of rubbish certain Italian directors were making in the early 80s, but being compared with Yor, Hunter from the Future! is hardly something to be admired. |
Hubert (Hubert)
Username: Hubert
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 78.22.227.106
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - 03:53 pm: | |
"There’s too much discussion of quality literature and music on this board at the moment so I thought I’d try and redress the balance by mentioning some absolutely breathtaking rubbish I saw at the cinema the other day."
Priceless! Keep it up, Milord  |