State Of The Nation

I am not that much of a political guy. I don't try to say things because I feel I cannot really back up my talk about what I say most of the time when I talk about politics or whats going on. But I can no longer just hold back and turn a blind eye. This nation is on the down and I am just not sure if the damage George W. Bush has done can be overcome. I just feel this nation is going be on the down for a long time.  I really hope this is not the case but I just feel inside that will be. I try to tell myself that if Barak Obama is voted in he will be able to make a big change, but I think it would take him two terms to at least make some differences. 

I mean look at us. Seems that most everything is being owned by 10 or so compaines. The stock market thing is scary as hell, I bank at WAMU and I heard things like if they go down all my money would be cut in half. I have been saving up money for a car and school for years, seeing all that go away would change almost everything in my life. I really do not understand why the stock market is so down but I know it's really bad and scary.  I see my friends struggling to get stable jobs or careers, prices just keep going up for things, gas is still a joke, inflation continues to raise the prices of just about everything, health care seems to be a joke and I think it should be free to everyone, getting into college and then paying for it causes most students to go into many years of debt and never fully means you  can get a job/career afterwords, I think people have less time in their lives nowadays because they work too much and that means they have no time to enjoy the small things in life, children almost must feel things. I know a few people who just had kids and they had to go back to work a few months or so afterwords they cant be around because they have to work to make ends meet. Those are just a few things. I am still upset we are in a war we should not be in of course. Many people are dying and I am not sure we even know why. I think if John McCain was elected it would be less likely that he would try to end the war then Obama. 

Not to say it has all been bad but just mostly. We do have those awesome $5 footlongs from subway!! But if we dont get change in this country soon I am just scared to see how worse it can get. I want to be more political but I feel alone on that sometimes. I guess I just see all this going around me and it makes me want to say something. Remember to vote, maybe read up on the canidates and actually know who you like and have some reasons. Obama, to me, looks like a smart educated man who will try to use his brains and knowledge to make this country better. I could just be buying into the hype but I think we all want a change and McCain represents more of the same in my eyes. But then again what do I know?

The VAN EATON GALLERY - animation art for sale

I enjoy watching animation from many different eras, from the perfectionism of the early Disney artists to the fast-paced and anarchic Warner Bros Looney Tunes. I still watch early TV animation, which first appealed to me for the characters and comedy voices rather than the quality of animation. Scooby Doo - Where Are You? and Wacky Races are my favorites of the 1960's.

I've followed computer-generated animation from the early experiments, through Tron (1982) to Toy Story. I also love the more ambitious recent animated TV like Invader Zim and Samurai Jack. Of course, Japanese anime providea high alternate benchmark to Pixar's productions, with visually beautiful and more complex, adult stories.

The ultimate memento from any animation is the original artwork, painted onto clear plastic cels - the actual item that was photographed as part of the finished film. These often look like the Roger Rabbit cel above, as they were usually laid over painted backgrounds, or over live-action in the case of Roger.

When we were in Los Angeles earlier in the year, we visited the Van Eaton Gallery, situated North of the Hollywood Hills in the Sherman Oaks neighbourhood. This fantastic double-fronted store displays and sells hundreds of animation cels and drawings.

It's like a museum of animation history, with examples of American and English animation as far back as the silents - they recently had some of the drawings used in Winsor Mackay's Gertie the Dinosaur (1911), like the one above.

Nowadays, painted colour cels are no longer used in animation, due to the crossover to computers. The pictures above are examples of what you can collect from modern productions. The first is a pencil drawing from The Batman series. It's the only hand-crafted art that's needed. The drawing is scanned in and the rest of the animation process (inking, inbetweening, colouring) is done in the computer. The Simpsons is now done this way, having swapped from cel animation after Season Thirteen. The second Batman item is therefore a painted cel recreated as if it was made using the old method, but this item wasn't actually photographed for the TV show. It's purely made for the collectors' market, looking more desirable than the line drawing.

I was mainly interested in the older, original cels and there's a very wide choice. Cult animators like Richard Williams (The Thief and the Cobbler, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) and Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat) were well-represented, and we were surprised to see reasonably-priced cels from the animated Lord of the Rings movie (1978), like the above shot of Frodo. There were also more unusual items - from the animated sections of live-action films like Tron (which used just as much cel animation as early computer animation), Xanadu and even Mr DNA from Jurassic Park.

There were colourful, large-format, Don Bluth cels from the Space Ace and Dragon's Lair arcade games (which I heard may still be resurrected on Blu-Ray). They also had cels from his many feature films, like An American Tail.

The gallery's priciest items are naturally Disney films, all the way back to the first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). I was surprised that anything was still available from the old classics. Less expensive, but still pricey, are the current hit series like The Simpsons. But there were also many bargains on offer too - like original 1970's Godzilla cels for $35 each.

If you're ever in Los Angeles you'll need a car to get to the store in Sherman Oaks, but they'll also ship items everywhere via their website.

DVD NEWS - US updates

HOLOCAUST 2000 (1977)

This Italian/UK horror film follows in the wake of the original The Omen (1976) but succeeds better than its sequels. I previously reviewed Holocaust 2000 here, which I could only locate on DVD in Italy. It was also known as The Chosen but has finally been released on DVD in the US as Rain of Fire by Lionsgate on October 28th.

THE SHUTTERED ROOM (1967)
IT! (1966) double-bill

DVD Drive In once again has the scoop on upcoming Best Buy exclusives, including the latest DVD cover art on their website. The new releases include this atmospheric chiller, based on H.P. Lovecraft's The Shuttered Room - which I reviewed here, but can shortly removed from Not On DVD status on October 7th.

It's twinned with It! - a cheap-looking sequel to the German and Czech Golem movies. But It! stars Roddy McDowall and Jill Haworth, which certainly makes it watchable.

The previous Warner Bros. double-bill releases are now more widely available - Diabolik DVD are now selling Moon Zero Two, for instance, so hopefully The Shuttered Room will also eventually be easier to get.

THE BEYOND (1981)

One of my favourite Lucio Fulci Italian horror films gets re-released by Grindhouse from October 28th. After directing Zombie Flesh Eaters, Fulci injected some undead action into several subsequent stories, like this one and City of the Living Dead, which both got released in UK cinemas. This is infamous for introducing a large jar of acid to an annoying little girl, and for the flaying of an unfortunate prisoner with chains - both scenes regularly being heavily censored on home video through the years. It stars David Warbeck, Catriona MacColl and Al Cliver.

THE BOYS IN THE BAND (1970)

This is appearing for the first time on DVD and the first time in widescreen for this ground-breaking movie where gay men took centre-stage as characters rather than incidental stereotypes. Leonard Frey, as the acid-tongued Harold gets many of the best lines, in the drunken bitchy style of Roger the alien from American Dad. Based on Mart Crowley's play, it's now dated today, but provides a reminder of life in the gay ghetto and in the closet of sixties America. It's due on DVD from November 11th.

William Friedkin may not be the obvious choice as director, but he'd previously shot comedies and even a vehicle for Sonny and Cher. This was before his breakthrough hit The French Connection and of course The Exorcist. Though Friedkin returned to the gay subculture in Cruising, which has just been restored and remastered. If these early works can get released, where is Friedkin's masterpiece Sorceror?

DUCKMAN (1994)

With all the adult animated sit-coms out there at present, let us not forget this earlier dysfunctional family, just as surreal and political as American Dad. Duckman is a truly terrible detective whose success stems from his pig sidekick, Cornfed. He lives with his dead wife's sister, two sons, (one is two-headed, the other stupid beyond belief) and a comatose flatulent mother-in-law. His appetites for porn, booze and cigarettes are constantly challenged by his feminist sister-in-law and ultra-PC stuffed bear secretaries. Cornfed Pig is the standout character, with his droll, private dick monologues that contrast with Duckman's foul-mouthed tirades.

This is a late DVD release for a very funny animated series. The first boxset contains seasons 1 and 2, but further sets are already on the way.

EXECUTIVE KOALA (2005)
RUG COP (2006)
THE EARTH SINKS EXCEPT JAPAN (2006)

Coming on November 18th from Synapse films, are three new DVDs from the director of Japanese comedy The Calamari Wrestler (reviewed here). Hopefully these will be released seperately as well as a boxset, because I wholeheartedly don't recommend The World Sinks Except Japan (reviewed here) although all three look fun on paper. The Calamari Wrestler may prove to have been Minoru Kawasaki's best film, but I'm willing to risk his murder comedy Executive Koala, and martial arts cop comedy Rug Cop (his wig is a deadly weapon!) just in case.

FREEDOM (2007)

I heard that this anime was coming on Blu-Ray in Japan, and I reviewed the first episode on HD-DVD, but the great news is that the entire series should debut on DVD and Blu-Ray in the US and UK on November 11th. The contents will probably look like the Japanese release pictured above.

Dvd's worth checking out

I know the blog has been football heavy, but hey who doesn't love some football, plus the niners are winning and we all know that might not last....er ok so I wanted to touch on some upcoming dvds because I think everyone should check these out, all 2 or 3 of  who you might read this blog. with the holidays coming up soon and coming off that huge summer which featured many blockbusters, the dvds will start coming out fast and furious before december 25th. so dig and if you have yet to see these yet, i suggest you go out to your local blockbuster or hollywood video and rent these bad boys. or if your using netflix add them to your queue. 

Sepetmeber 30 -

Iron Man  - this movie blew me away, good flick. Downey Jr was the perfect fit and Favreau did a great job and making this a fun and interesting comic book movie. Looks like it could be worth owning the 2 disc set for a good price, it will have a lot of features.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - A sort of personal favorite of 2008 for me. I was going through a break-up after almost 4 years of being with the same girl, so I could just totally relate to the movie. But I think it stands well on its own and is hilarious. It also features a great cast and is Apatow-influenced. There is a 1,2, or 3 disc edition! wow! i already pre-ordered the 3 disc one since it was pretty cheap. I am looking forward to all the usual great extras that comedy films usually throw in. I would recommened you get at least the 2 disc.

October 7th-

How I Met Your Mother: Season 3 - This is one of the best shows on tv as far as comedies. It rivals the Friends run. If you haven't seen it I think its time to start, laughing will ensue. I missed a lot of this season so catching up will be the name of the game for me, plus no commericals....awe...wait for it....some!

You Don't Mess With The Zohan - It was an okay movie, pretty funny. I dont think I would watch it again but its worth a rental for sure.

October 14th-

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of the Crystal Skull - Indys back and in dvd form! I think I will just ask for this movie and try to aviod actually paying for it. The movie was fun but it just didn't fully feel like the other movies, I guess that could be asking a lot? Anyway I am hoping the 2 disc edition will show spielberg and lucas pickering so we know who really is to blame, I blame Lucas anyway.

Chaplin-  I thought this was already out on dvd, I have been wanting to see it again for a long time. I guess with Downeys return to the hollywood elite made this movie get a new dvd release. He also was nominated for best actor but lost for his role as Charile Chaplin. 

October 21st

The Incredible Hulk- Ever since it was released Edward Norton and director Louis Leterrier have been upset with the scaled down version of the movie they filmed. I am waiting to see the extended cut that they thought was better. The movie is pretty good, nothing ground breaking and coming out between Iron Man and Dark Knight made it some what forgettable, but I am sort of waiting to see the movie  version that could be better. The 2 disc is a must.

The Strangers - I really dug this movie about two people who are being stalked and terroized by some random serial killers. The movie is creepy as hell and a sort of return to the older ways of horror movies. I think the movie will gain an even more cult following on dvd. The dvd doesn't have that many extras but its ok. The movie stands on its own.

October 28th - Nothing of Note at this time.

November 4th-

Reaper Season 1 - A show that reminds me of the good days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It has that wit to it (Kevin Smith helps out on the show) and is interesting. It is about a kid whos parents sold his sould to the devil, and the devil now uses him as his pawn to pick up souls who need to get sent back to hell. And the guy is just some college kid who works a home depot like store. Worth checking out, I liked it but lost it amid the writers strike and its time shifting. 

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy - Wow it took Lucas a long time to make this one. You could before only buy the movies seperate but now you can get all three prequels packed together. So when you buy it make sure to throw away the first one. It never amazes me how Lucas will get all the money he can out his audience, which my count is diminshing of late.

Novemeber 9th-

Kung-Fu Panda - I guess its so special it gets its own release date? I never saw Kung-Fu Panda but have heard great things and I am dying to see it. Why? Well because Jack Black plays a panda who kicks some ass! Thats gotta make it worth a rental right there. 

November 18th-

Wall E - I am pretty stoked to see Wall E again, I think disney and pixar hit gold with this movie. Wall E is cute as hell and the movie is just plain awesome. Good story and amazing visuals. I hope I have a BluRay player when this comes out because I am not sure if regular dvd can do it justice. This is a must see movie from kids to 8 to 80 yrs old. Another personal favorite of the year, and the dvd will be jammed pack with great extras. 

November 25th -

Hancock - I mostly put this up here because I want to see it bad and missed its run in the theatres. I have heard varying thoughts on the movie, some say its good and some say its bad, I guess I will finally be able to judge for myself on nov 25th.

Fred Clause - Ok, didnt this movie come out like a year and a half ago? It seems like they just took forever to release it, i guess I can see why they wanted to wait until the holidays but come on, will people even remember this movie by November 25th?

December 2nd-

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - I dug the first one as a kids LOTR, I never saw this one but I think dvd will be worth peeping. Not much to say about it just something that I think will be fun.

Step Brothers - Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly must have a commentary on this? If so it will be worth the price of the dvd right there! But this was a funny movie, I bet the outtakes will be worth renting it alone. 

December 9th -

From here on out things get sort of fuzzy on release dates. It does say that Lost Season 4 is due out this day, that will be worth checking out, the show had an awesome late season run last year and it will be nice to watch all the shows in a row and not waiting like they have been making the viewer due. I cant confirm it yet but I have heard that The Dark Knight will be coming out on the 9th as well. If so that will be a must own dvd for myself. 

Well thats all for now, keep checking back for more!

49ers Recap Week 3

This time niners took on the lowly Detroit Lions and beat then 31-13,the Lions are a team that has a worse front office then the 49ers. And to change this up I actually attended this game so I was part of the crowd, it gave me a better insight to a few things. One thing is that the fans are falling for JTO. The crowd was always screaming his name and giving him praise, which he truly deserved for his effort in the game. I think once you see how bad a QB is (Alex Smith) you just totally go for anyone who shows any signs of being an NFL qb. The crowd was really into the game, not sure if it was because it was a win over a mediocre team or what, but hey a win is a win, we have been the bad teams plenty of times and got stomped over. Anyway the nfl is open, in a league where Miami can beat New England anything can happen. Bad teams always have a chance and even though the Lions look bad they have many good players and they all want to win. Good win, good overall play and okay coaching lead to the nice win.

Offense - The unit looked good. They could run and pass very easily against the bad Lions defense. O'Sullivan was passing with much ease and was mostly able to do so with good protection or his ability to make things happen by using his feet or arm. O'Sullivan finsihed  16-23, 189 yards, 2tds, and 32 rushing yards. So far he reminds me of Jeff Garcia and the number he used to put up when he was here. He wasn't flashy but he got the job done (he had better WRs) and won games. Frank Gore had a big game finshing with 130 yards and a TD as well as 4 receptions for 32 yards. We really spread the ball around well and 8 players finished with a catch. The O-line was mostly good, better at running, O'Sullivan did get some pressure but was able to step up in the pocket and make good three step throws and hit his recievers in stride. Overall the team has scored more then 30 points two games in a row and that shows something. 

Defense- We had good pressure on Kitna for most of the time and we held the awesome duo of Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson in check. The Lions did do us some favors, they Lions WRs did drop a lot of balls but I like to think they were bad passes from the pressure the 9ers were putting on Kitna. We finsihed with 4 sacks and 2 interceptions, not too shabby. The Lions were not able to move the ball through the air but for another week in a row an average Rb ran for more yards then they should have. Rudi Johnson had some nice runs and finished with 83 yards,he could have been even more effictive if they Lions had a lead or were in the game. Niners need to address the problem with not being able to stop the run. But we held them to some long field goals and the one TD they did have has a great effort from Johnson. 

Special Teams-  The unit was mostly solid. Nothing huge as far as bad or good. Nedney did miss what was a easy field goal, which makes 2 weeks in a row, I hope its not a trend here. Andy Lee had 4 punts 3 of which landed within the 20 yard line. We were able to get the onside kick and Arnaz Battle looked like he was going to take it for a TD but was stopped short by the last guy in his way. I guess its is good when you don't have to talk about the special teams too much, it means they did enough. 

Coaching- Martz was on his A game, I think he had a grudge and wanted to tear apart the Lions, which he did. Good game by the coaching staff. Getting an early lead means you don't have to do much besides not blow it and they did not blow it. Nolan still called time outs when he shouldn't have and I liked that he went for it on the fourth and one, and so did the crowd. They really wanted his to do it and he had the balls to try. An end around on fourth and goal took some balls, so I give him credit for that. When you win 31-13 you get a good coaching grade. 

Overall Grade: A

DVD NEWS - UK and region 2 updates

MS. 45 / ANGEL OF VENGEANCE (1981)

Infamous under both titles, Abel Ferrara's almost mainstream rape/revenge reaction to Death Wish has been notably missing from DVD. It's surfaced in France in a reportedly uncut version with English audio. While it serves as a Maniac-style borderline slasher, Ms. 45 also has the most feminist subtext for the era.

TOKYO ZOMBIE (2005)

This offbeat horror comedy has been a long time coming, and will finally appear in the UK on October 13th. Nippon Cinema has a review. Starring Tadanobu Asano - Ichi The Killer himself.

GUARD POST / GP506 (2008)

For any fans of the creepy cross-genre wartime ghost story R-Point, comes this follow-up by the same director in similar territory. Also out on October 13th in the UK.

CHOCOLATE (2008)

The female follow-up to Thai action sensation Ong-Bak is out in the UK in November. While Tony Jaa is still mucking about with Ong-Bak 2, Chocolate should keep non-CGI, non-wirework martial arts fans very happy. There's a trailer and more news on 24framespersecond.

VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS (1970) - remastered DVD

VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS
(1970, former Czechoslovakia)

I first encountered the name Valerie and her Week of Wonders when it was the name of an electro band featured on John Peel's radio show in the eighties. When I discovered it was also a the name of a film, I sought out the eventual Redemption VHS and was delighted with the film, even though it wasn't in great shape. Now Valerie has been released again, and will hopefully find a new audience.

It's an enchanting, deliberately dreamlike tale of a young woman coming of age. Newly aware of the world of sexuality, the behaviour of everyone around her hints at life's possibilities. While she is inexperienced, Valerie isn't ready to blindly follow the examples of others. When a school friend gets married, Valerie is very aware that matrimony and religion aren't for her.

Indeed, most of her friends and family are either acting strangely. One character in particular seems intent on confusing her. A scary-faced shape-shifting monster, who begins the film as a weasel (!) also poses as a young man, a priest and Valerie's father.

Valerie wafts through the sexual situations, but the film is more about her awareness than sex itself. It's hypnotic, beautiful and visually poetic, but there's more subtext going on than actual story. It could all be a sexual dream, waiting to be decoded and analysed.

As cinema, it's unique and memorable, with an influential soundtrack that was recently remastered on CD.


Until this Second Run DVD release, there was only a very battered film print used for the Redemption releases, where some shots repeatedly skipped frames like a silent movie and the image was often obscured by showers of scratches.

Now an excellent print has been used which appears to be complete, gaining over a minute of missing damaged footage - gone are the jumps and scratches. But...


For me, the transfer of the film to a new digital master has compromised the look of several sections of the story. Some shots are so bright that the image electronically bleaches out detail, other scenes are so dark that the action disappears into murk. Comparing it to the Redemption release showed me how severely different the colours and contrasts of some scenes now look.

For instance, there's an early scene of Valerie swimming face up in a pond (the shot is used for the DVD menu) - the first time it appears it's so bright that her face almost disappears, but repeated later in the film it's exposed properly. This occasional lack of continuity also extends to the colour of Valerie's hair. Sometimes it's chestnut brown (the same as the Redemption release, and many publicity photos) but now often appears to be dark brown or black. Similarly a scene in The Weasel's dungeon that was previously perfectly well lit, is now so dark that at one point the screen goes completely dark during the action.

While this is the best release of the film I've seen, and the extras include a wonderful recent interview with 'Valerie' herself, I'm afraid that we've yet to see this magical film looking its best.


DVD Beaver now has a review, and large comparitive screengrabs of the three DVD versions for you to check out.

49ers Recap Week 2

Well a win is a win, it was a fun game to watch for the most part. I tuned after the score was 14-3 Seahawks and thought we had little chance. Mostly because I wasn't sure the offense could come back from that much down. It sure was a wild game, 49ers end up winning 33-30 in OT. Nedney missed a potential game winner in regulation with :03 seconds. Here is my grades for Offense, Defense, Special Teams, and coaching.

Offense - The team did score 33 points, one TD was on Defense and a Interception set up a small field for a TD run by Gore. I sure was impressed with O'Sullivan. He can throw the ball with nice touch and also has an above average long throw. He finished 20-32 for 321 yards and a TD. He looked like he knew what to do when passing. I thought he could have taken the ball and run a few times, but overall he was pretty much perfect. He is also the 49ers first guy to throw for 300 yards since Tim Rattay in 2004, now that is sad. Gore had some troubles with a fumble (two weeks in a row!) that lead to points for the Seahawks. Bruce and Johnson looked really good at WR. Bruce kind of came out of nowhere and had some very long catches, one of which should have been a TD if he was 5 years younger. But I cannot complain, Vernon Davis did not even show up with a catch. Johnson looked liked a solid #2 WR. He was making good catches and scored a TD on a short pass. Gore also had 5 catches to go along with his 61 yards rushing and a TD. It was nice to see the niners be able to pass and pass well. If O'Sullivan can keep this up only good things will happen. 

Defense -  It was bad news/good news with this group. They made up for the points lost on offense (gore fumble) and special teams (blocked punt, led to a td) by getting key turnovers. Patrick Willis, shall I say anything else? The guy is amazing. He took a tipped pass and returned it 86 yards for a TD. Probably will be the most amazing play of the year for the 49ers (yes I DO realize they still have 14 games to go). They also picked off Hasselbeck once more and showed they could stop the pass. Of course the Seahawks had virtually no good WR's on the team. But their loss is our gain. The D-line was pretty sad. They couldn't get a push and stop the run. The Seahawks ran all over us! They had around 170 yards rushing and they Seahawks were getting 5 yards a carry in after the half. While they did only get one sack, they had enough pressure to make Hasslebeck throw those errant passes which were intercepted. I am shocked we gave up so many points, but Seahawks scored some by defense and special teams. 

Special Teams - Nedney did win the game, but he needed two tries. We had a punt blocked which lead to a short field TD, and the Seahawks had a lot of good kick off returns which gave them good field position. Add to the fact that Nedney kicked a kick off out of bounds and it was not a great day. But Nedney did make 4/5 field goals, and was able to hit on the game winner when it mattered, that alone almost makes up for the all the bad stuff that happened. Rossum had good kick off return average of 27.2 yards a return with a long of 44 yards. It was another good news/bad news situation here. 

Coaching - Nolan was terrible this week. I guess I am just a fan and don't know football but watching his decisions make me upset sometimes. He is the worst clock management coach I have ever scene.  Niners called uncessary time outs when they shouldn't have needed too. And choosing to let the clock run out with 20 seconds left and 2 time outs makes no sense, lets say they get some yards and turn that potential  game winning field goal into a 30-35 yarder instead of the 41 yarder, which was missed. I can see why he wouldn't go for it but it could have made all the difference if we didn't march down the field and get that OT game winner. Overall the coaching seemed pretty bad and I think they got lucky that Martz was able to get some points.

Overall Grade: B-

SPEED RACER (2008) - fast, furious and futuristic

SPEED RACER
(2008, USA)

What do you mean, you missed it?

Speed Racer is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray in the US, and due out in November in the UK.

I was seriously impressed with this new film from the Wachowski Brothers, but couldn’t understand why so many Matrix fans weren’t interested in it. I saw Speed Racer on the largest Imax screen in the UK and was bowled over by it. The film proved to be a hard sell in the UK, where the anime show was never shown on TV and has only just surfaced on DVD. Besides few people knowing the concept or the characters, it was widely perceived as a children’s film. But I think that many people who would have enjoyed it have missed out.



It's a great example of digital cinema - using actors amongst CGI settings and action - an opportunity to unleash filmmakers' visual imaginations. There's already been the stylised, monochrome Frank Frazetta 'graphic novel' realities of Sin City and 300, and of course the recent Star Wars trilogy. But so far I've only really enjoyed Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow in this style of film-making, until now.


Speed Racer attempts to portray a reality in the narrative style of the 1960's anime that inspired it, with infinite focus, garish colour and impossible action. The hyper-design of the race tracks, duelling cars and fictional but familiar-looking quixotic locations all dazzle the eye and boggle the mind.

The Wachowski Brothers have been pretty quiet since the Matrix Trilogy, apart from their work on V for Vendetta, but have now achieved a breakthrough film that could be just as influential - with breakneck action on the racetracks that the eye can just about follow, revolving horizons, warping perspectives, and impossible camera moves. There’s also a complex narrative style condensing an even longer running time by layering additional scenes in the background behind the main action.

While there is a retro, almost Brady Bunch family at the heart of the story and buckets of chimpanzee humour for younger children (though still funny for adults), the action, spectacle and technical virtuosity is ample reward for any fan of super-rich eye-candy and anyone wanting a sneak-peak at the potential future of cinema.

Once again, children's entertainment is a safe haven for psychedelia – here using fast moving, intensely detailed patterns and every colour on the pallette all at once. The story was more complex than I'd expected, with our heroes battling corrupt sponsors as well as other drivers.

An international cast is headed by Emile Hirsch and John Goodman, with strong support from Christina Ricci. There’s also a great role for Matthew Fox (of Lost) as the mysterious Racer X, convincingly threatening and mean, but keeping his performance rooted in reality. He also gets a kickass martial arts fight scene. Susan Sarandon is underused amongst all the boy racers, her most important contribution being the making of sandwiches! It also took me a while to recognise her – she looked like she’d been digitally tweaked to look ten years younger – another potential use of digital cinema.

From South Korea, Rain (recently the star of I’m A Cyborg, But That’s OK) gets a good role as a rival racer, and Hiroyuki Sanada (Ring, Twilight Samurai) is in there too. Both actors are majorly hyped in the Far Eastern publicity, as you can see from the posters. I'm still puzzled that most of the baddies are uniformly grotesque, overweight and British. Somone care to tell me why we’re so often portrayed as cockney bad guys?

So far, this is my Film Of The Year (and yes, I've seen Dark Knight). Don't miss it again.

I found the Next 49ers Head Coach

Jim Mora rules! 

or

Its time to make some decisions!

Three years of BLACK HOLE DVD REVIEWS

This site has now been around for three years. At present I want to write for many more, about the same kinds of movies. But what kinds are they? Here's a bit more about choosing what's in the Black Hole.

While I'm attempting to collect every single movie that I've ever enjoyed (preferably the original version that I first watched, maybe with the censor cuts replaced, and always in the original aspect ratio - this makes the process even slower), I'm very aware that many of them are only enjoyable because of a personal nostalgic memory. So while sifting through my favourites, I only like to recommend the ones I think could easily appeal to an audience today.

So, I'll carry on talking about the 1970's and 1960's, indeed any older movies that still hold up. I wanted to start a 1980's section, but when I watch the ones that I thought were good, I can't honestly recommend many - they seem to date much more badly than the other decades!

Of course I'm still looking for new films from all over. There's many news sites getting worked up about exciting sounding upcoming films, but I'm only interested in telling you about the ones that actually fulfilled their promises and manage to get subtitled in English, somewhere.

Although the J-horror bubble has burst in the eyes of many critics, there's still many Japanese films that I want to explore. I don't believe that Japan has stopped making good horror. They've been guilty of repeating themselves - but who hasn't? With so much creativity in an industry that still enables low-budgets and artistic vision, they're still able to be unusual and interesting. And I think there are many older gems yet to see.

My South Korean coverage has been comparatively lacking, because I watched many excellent films just before the Black Hole began. Because I like to write reviews while they're still fresh in my mind, it's only now that the time has come around to watch them again.

While I feel a little cruel reviewing films that are hard to find (in the Not On DVD list), it's good to see that every month or two, some of them are finally getting a release somewhere in the world. I'm still amazed at some of the classics that are still missing. But it's also to mention the smaller films that I think could still make their money back.

I might start including embedded movie trailers and clips again. I'm not a fan of the look of big blurry, randomly-picked freeze frames, of most movie-viewers. So, please let me know if they at all effect your enjoyment of this site. I only want to improve things, not include stuff you find annoying, unsightly or a drag on your load times.


When I started on this, I only wanted to wish the Black Hole a happy birthday...

"Every large galaxy has at its center a massive black hole"

WESTWORLD (1973) - when theme parks attack

WESTWORLD
(1973, USA)

Westworld is getting a DVD release in the UK this month. It’s also currently being prepped for a Hollywood remake. You ever been to Westworld, Futureworld or beyond?

Science fiction has long toyed with the concepts of sophisticated humanoid robots being able to replace humans. TV and film producers love the idea of robots that look like people because building robots is very expensive - Robby the Robot in Forbidden Planet (1956) was the most expensive prop in the film. Robots that look like humans (androids, to be exact) are a very cheap special effect.

In the 1970's, writers were still being inspired by the technology of the Disneyland theme park attractions, like the animatronic Hall of Presidents, and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This was specifically referenced in the 1975 thriller made of Ira Levin’s The Stepford Wives, and in Westworld - an expensive playground where adults dress up as cowboys, shoot gunslinger robots and shag robot dancing girls.

Westworld struck a vein, depicting the funland of Delos, deep in the desert, made up of Westworld (the wild West), Medieval World (sword fights, jousting, wenching) and Roman World (orgies).

While it didn’t predict that the electronic games of Pong would evolve into virtual reality gaming, the writer envisaged a reality re-created on a Hollywood-style set with robots fulfilling sexual and violent fantasies. In retrospect, I don’t think everyone would want to live out their fantasies in public, and not many businesses could really make money out of building expensive robots but having to repair their gunshots every night. But it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Written and directed by Michael Crichton, on a roll between medical sci-fi thrillers The Andromeda Strain (1971, based on his novel) and Coma (1978, which he directed), he injects a problem into the computerised resort. The machines start breaking down in a pattern that spreads like a disease, thus predicting the computer virus, but calling it a "central mechanism psychosis". Of course, this plot device was later recycled for Jurassic Park (1993).

Westworld caught the public imagination at the time, though it was a hard project to find financial backing. Crichton describes his script getting turned down all around town – perhaps executives liked big stars and directors with good track records more than they liked original stories. As a result, the movie is low budget, but still considerably smarter looking than other pre-Star Wars sci-fi at the time. After a lengthy set-up to explain what the Delos resort is all about, and some lightweight comedy padding (like the low-rent balsawood bar-room brawl), the pace tightens considerably as things start to go wornnnng… With the robot gunslinger programmed to get into fights, but his fail safe mechanisms deactivated, a deadly chase begins. As the other guests get massacred, one survivor has to fend off the unstoppable top-of-the-range killing machine…

This was an early starring role for James Brolin, before he rounded off the decade with genre classics The Car, Capricorn One (1978) and The Amityville Horror (1979). Richard Benjamin is better known for comedy, like the Dracula spoof Love at First Bite, but this and Catch 22 proved he had more range. Of course, Yul Brynner efortlessly recreates the look of his character from The Magnificent Seven (1960). His silvered eyes and removable face giving away his robotic status.


The functional sets are under-dressed and flatly lit, though the endless white corridors of the Delos resort work well as a maze. You can tell it from a TV movie by the 2.35 widescreen aspect, the bloody slow-motion squibs, and the hints of cyber-sex. In the UK, it got an AA certificate, restricting under 14’s from seeing it. I first saw it on a double-bill with Soylent Green.

The long final act with the unstoppable robot with infra-red vision anticipates elements of The Terminator, Predator (right down to a crucial plot point), even the robo-vision of Robocop. In fact, the American Cinematographer articles about Westworld (November 73 issue) point out that the gunslinger’s electronic viewpoint was the first sequence to use actual computer imaging – the footage was scanned in, digitally simplified and played out again. Westworld also features an early instance of the baddie who won't stay dead (before Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers and again The Terminator).


The paperback tie-in book that was sold at the time was simply a draft of the script, as it stood just before filming began – hence the different ending to the film. This has an interesting and thorough introduction by Crichton, talking about the making of the film.



Westworld spawned a sequel in 1976, but Futureworld wasn’t written by Crichton. It picks up years after the Delos disaster, replacing the resort of Westworld with an outer space simulation. But somehow the relaunch of the resort to the public also incorporates a sinister bid at world domination (a story continued in the short-lived 1980 TV series Beyond Westworld).


The story isn't as intersting as the actual NASA hardware used as a backdrop, all far more impressive than the many dull predictions of 'future' technology - holographic chess, dream machines, remote-controlled robot boxing… I remember it even being unexciting at the time. They even throw away the return of the Gunslinger character, using him for seduction rather than gunplay. But it’s not every day you can say that you’ve seen Gwyneth Paltrow’s mum (Blythe Danner) making love to a robot (Yul Brynner). Peter Fonda and Arthur Hill starred, though Danner's character makes more of an impression, playing a fiesty journalist.

Futureworld has now had a PAL region 2 DVD release in the UK.

49ers Game Recap

I think I will try to do a short game recap of the 49ers games. Lets hope they dont make the game almost unwatchable like some of the games last year. Well we lost! It was close for a while and most of the first half, after half time the Cardinals just were able to convert all of their 3rd downs, and had a few lucky calls go their way. 

The 49ers hurt themselves. Frank Gore fumbled the ball near his own end zone, he usually fumbles while near the opponents endzone! Then the next play Zack Keasey the new fullback fumbles after he catched the ball. Not good! O'Sullivan had flashes of good play. He was able to take the pressure and actually complete some passes under pressure, much different then the usual Alex Smith fall down, or run to the side line and throw a ball that is uncatchable.  And word is that Smith will be out for the year. Ok here is my thought, let it be done with. We made a mistake. We wasted a #1 pick on him. Sure it could be the 49ers fault for having no one to surrond him with but what done is done. I wish him well eslewhere but I see a David Carr career for Smith.

Anyway back to the game. The D was good for the most part, but they couldnt get a turnover. The Cardinals had the ball for almost all of the 3rd quarter! Overall they had the ball for 15 minutes longer then us, that is a full quarter.  It was so annoying watching them just keep driving. We had a three sacks which was nice to see finally!  We also had more total yards then the Cardinals had, so why did we lose? Easy..turnovers. We had 5 damn fumbles! We lost 4 of them and O'Sullivan threw one interception that was terrible. The D cannot be out there so long and still expect them to stay fresh.  The Cardinals trick kick offs were pretty lame. One time they kicked to Spikes the LB and he fumbles, so they do it again on the next kick off. Wow I thought that that was pretty weak, sure it worked but trying it twice? Reeked of desperation.  And last I heard Anquan Boldin said he wouldn't play for the Cardinals? When did this all get smoothed over? I wish he would have stuck to his word like a man and not decide everything is now ok, so he could come and tear us up like usual. 

Highlight of the game was Gore and his td run. It was an awesome sight to see him break that 41 yard run. Old man Edge was grinding it out and was effective, more so then he was last year. I think if we had cut down the turnovers and maybe stopped that grueling drive we could have taken this game. But its over ,we lost. Next week only gets harder and not getting a win at home against a beatable team hurts. I guess the only good news is that its early and we were not the worst team in the league. We scored as many points as the Colts and scored more points then 5 other NFL teams. 

Week 1 Grade:  D+

Why Dwight?

Just a few words on Kindergarten Ninja (1993).  I like watching cheesy movies and getting some laughs but this one was just terrible. Yes I did laugh and so did my friend but mostly at how utterly terrible the acting, directing, and the constant montage fighting scenes.  Best of all the movie stars Dwight Clark, yes that Dwight Clark, the legendary San Franscisco 49ers Wide Reciever. I think he did the movie because it was for D.A.R.E. and he wanted to get the word out about getting kids off drugs, in fact the start of the movie you get an actual San Leandro Polic Officer inform you about D.A.R.E. Anyway back to the movie Clark is Blade Steel and he likes to date more then one woman at a time and drive around town drinking. When a cop pulls him over he is so cool he offer the cop a beer! That takes balls! Somehow he winds up teaching kindergarten ? Anyway he gets help from an angel named Bruce (who is suppose to look like Bruce Lee) but you cannot tell since they never show his face, its fucking weird! But there is a badass Bruce Lee vs Elvis and George Washington in heaven scene. So the bad guy is called Hector Machette, awesome name! But he is making kids deal Buzz, the newest way to get high. Anyway i do not wish to ruin the greatness that is Kindergarten Ninja. 

If you are ever in the mood for some ultimate cheesy movie and want to waste 82 min of your life then see this movie. It holds more meaning to bay area fans. You even get a part in the movie were Blade Steel aka Clark, mentions his resturant and they actually have some text scroll saying where his own resturant Clarks by the Bay is located and give out an actual fucking phone number to call to make reservations! I guess this was one more reason he did the movie besides helping with the DARE program. I was able to find one clip on YouTube of the bad guy Machette kick ass and and taking names, he sure can beat up little kids good. The scene like most of the movie makes no damn sense. Enjoy, btw you can rent the movie on netflix if you ever want to, Why is this on dvd and not good movies like Night of the Creeps? Enjoy! 

Trailer Park

First off is the new movie from Kevin Smith. Zach and Miri make a porno. I like the cast for sure. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks both star and the movie has a sort of Apatow meets Smith look and feel to it from the preview. BTW, the poster here to the left is actually banned. Not really sure why, I guess because the two heads at the bottom? But anyway you will not be seeing this poster in the U.S. So here is the trailer. I am so ready for some Star Whores!

The next movie I have been waiting around for for many years. It is the new Bruce Campbell movie, well not so new anymore. It is My Name Is Bruce and it is all about a small town that needs a hero and they think Bruce Campbell is an actual hero not just a movie star. The trailer looks pretty campy but I think the movie will be fun, and if anything else it has Bruce Campbell in it.  Here it is:

My NFL Predictions

I do this every year, here is my predictions for how the outcome of the NFL season will go.  The best thing about football is that any team can win the superbowl (ok not the Falcons). 

NFL 2008 

AFC 

East

---------

New England Patriots  14-2

New York Jets  10-6*

Buffalo Bills  6-10

Miami Dolphins  5-11

North

------------

Pittsburgh Steelers  10-6

Cleveland Browns   9-7

Cincinnati Bengals  8-8

Baltimore Ravens  6-10

South

-----------

Jacksonville Jaguars   11-5

Indianapolis Colts  10-6*

Tennessee Titans  9-7

Houston Texans  6-10

West

------------

San Diego Chargers  12-4

Denver Broncos  8-8

Oakland Raiders  6-10

Kansas City Chiefs  5-11

NFC

East 

---------

Dallas Cowboys   12-4

Philadelphia Eagles  10-6*

New York Giants  9-7*

Washington Redskins  8-8

North

-----------

Minnesota Vikings  10-6

Green Bay Packers   8-8

Chicago Bears  6-10

Detroit Lions  6-10

South 

---------

New Orleans Saints  9-7

Tampa Bay Buccanners  8-8

Carolina Panthers  7-9

Atlanta Falcons  5-11

West

-----------

Seattle Seahawks  9-7

Arizona Cardinals  7-9

San Francisco 49ers  7-9

St. Louis Rams  5-11

*- Wild Card Team