Monthly Archives: May 2019

My Thoughts on: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

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My Thoughts on: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

*Warning: some spoilers for Godzilla: King of the Monsters follow

Holy sh*t. I say again, holy sh*t! Do I ever have some thoughts on Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

First off, let me say that I was initially not a fan of the MonsterVerse, I can admit that. Godzilla (2014) was okay, and Kong: Skull Island (2017), while better, still didn’t sell me on the concept of a world where Godzilla and King Kong co-exist. And then I saw the first trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters and I found myself completely buying in. The idea of seeing legendary monsters like King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra realized in American cinema was so exciting that I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. This film rocketed to the top of the list of films I had to see this year. Listening to the soundtrack last week only increased my excitement. And having seen it, I have to say…I absolutely love it!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters provides all of the kaiju action you could ever want. The battles between King Ghidorah and Godzilla in particular were incredible to watch. I didn’t understand why Ghidorah needed motion capture until last night, when I realized each of Ghidorah’s heads has its own personality (which makes the monster even more fun to watch). I also like how the major kaiju are introduced in the film, with each having a scene set aside for their proper introduction. What makes it even better is that with each introduction, the film provides backstory that explains how we know the names of these creatures.

Another thing I like in this film are the Easter eggs that refer back to the original Japanese films. There’s a reference to the Oxygen Destroyer from the original 1954 film, and, unless I’m mistaken, there’s an oblique reference to the twins that are connected to Mothra in multiple films.

Now, with that being said, the film does have its flaws. One of the biggest issues for me are the plot points dealing with the Hollow Earth. I understand, for the most part, what they’re going for with this concept, but I also feel it hasn’t been explained enough. Furthermore, if you went in to Godzilla: KOTM without first seeing Kong: Skull Island, the Hollow Earth theory will be completely new to you, when actually it’s first mentioned in Kong. Now, if I understand the information revealed in the credits correctly, the Hollow Earth is going to be more explored in Godzilla vs. Kong, however I feel like some of those revelations are going to come too late for some and should have arrived in their own separate film, or in THIS film. Basically, what I’m trying to say is, while THAT underwater scene with the Hollow Earth was really cool to look at, I needed more exposition as to how all of that could exist where it does.

Another flaw that bugs me the more I think about it is Charles Dance. Given how incredible the actor is, I feel like we didn’t get as much of him in the story as we should have. Yes, he has a few good scenes, but I thought there would be a lot more. Also, I really don’t like that his plot arc is essentially left hanging. Did he get away? Did he die with his associates? We don’t know because the movie doesn’t tell us (and as far as I know, he’s not cast in Godzilla vs. Kong). Apart from that, I liked the human story in this film. I agree it’s not the fanciest story ever told, but then again, it’s a Godzilla film, it doesn’t have to be fancy to work.

Overall, despite its flaws, I really enjoyed Godzilla: King of the Monsters. As I suspected, the music elevated certain scenes to epic levels of greatness. I really hope that there will be more films in the future that feature Rodan, Mothra, and the other kaiju now that they’ve been properly introduced. I also think this is the film that finally cemented the MonsterVerse as a solid concept.

Let me know what you think about Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the comments below and have a great day!

Kong: Skull Island (2017), my thoughts

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My Thoughts on: Hellsing Ultimate

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*warning: Spoilers for Hellsing Ultimate discussed below

Some of my friends might be surprised to hear this, but one of my favorite anime series to watch is Hellsing Ultimate. Released from 2006 to 2014 in the United States, the series is a faithful adaptation of Kouta Hirano’s Hellsing manga that ran from 1997-2008. An earlier Hellsing series was produced while the manga was still being written, but it’s faithfulness to the series drops off after a few episodes (and many prefer to ignore it).

Hellsing is, simply put, Hirano’s take on the story of Dracula. Well, that’s not quite true. While the original Dracula story, as written by Bram Stoker, is hinted at throughout the story, Hellsing itself is more of a sequel. Basically, imagine that the events of Dracula really happened, only, instead of dying, the infamous vampire is turned into the loyal servant of an organization descended from Van Helsing (Helsing=Hellsing). Now flash forward to the present where vampires are very much real and you can start to imagine just how different the world would be.

A major theme of Hellsing Ultimate is how old threats never completely die. Just as Dracula, now known as Alucard, never actually died, so too did other threats remain hidden in the darkness only to emerge later. In the case of Hellsing, the ultimate threat comes from a legion of Nazis that survived after the Second World War by being turned into vampires, plotting vengeance for over 50 years. They are led by a character known only as the Major and he is without a doubt one of the most loathsome characters I’ve ever seen. He’s written in such a way to make your skin crawl every time he speaks.

Yes, you read that right. The ultimate enemy in Hellsing Ultimate are Nazi vampires. And yes, the fight scenes are as awesome as you think they are. But they are also bloody, very bloody. In fact, Hellsing Ultimate is one of the bloodiest shows I’ve ever watched. This series is definitely not for the faint of heart, because there is a lot of blood and guts throughout, but the intensity gets turned up by 100 in the second half of the series.

Aside from hidden threats, the other overarching plot thread follows Seras Victoria, a former police officer who ends up turned into a fledgling vampire by Alucard at the start of the series. I feel like Seras is meant to represent us, the viewer, and how we might react if we found ourselves suddenly among the ranks of the undead. A major part of Seras’ plot arc is, will she fully accept what she has become, and IF she does, what will that make her in the end? I like following the story of Seras, because it is full of ups and downs and by the end you are fully rooting for her to go on a rampage and destroy all in her path.

There are many amazing characters in this series, like Seras, and my favorites include Seras, Alucard (brought to chilling life by Crispin Freeman), Walter, and Sir Integra. And of those four, I really like Alucard and Walter the best. There’s a huge history between these two characters, and watching how the interplay between them changes over time is really fascinating to watch.

After watching Hellsing Ultimate, I don’t think you will ever be able to look at vampires the same way again. The way this series portrays vampires makes them feel so real. Watching this series, you could almost believe that vampires are real, that secret organizations like Hellsing or Iscariot might really exist, battling vampires so that regular people like us never find out about it.

If you like vampire stories, you need to watch Hellsing Ultimate at least once, because it is an incredible story. But one final warning: this series is EXTREMELY bloody and graphic, and features some disturbing material. If you’ve seen Hellsing Ultimate, let me know what you think about it in the comments below and have a great day!

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Soundtrack Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

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The official soundtrack for Godzilla: King of the Monsters is now available. The music for the third installment in the Monsterverse (following Godzilla (2014) and Kong: Skull Island (2017)) was composed by Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead). This film sees the world under assault from a series of titans, including Rodan, and the seemingly almighty King Ghidorah. It will ultimately be up to Godzilla to prove himself the alpha monster and take his place as King of the Monsters.

Regarding the score, Bear McCreary had this to say:

“For Godzilla, I chose to incorporate and adapt the legendary Akira Ifukube’s iconic theme, and for Mothra, Yuji Koseki’s immortal ‘Mothra’s Song,’ both being classic themes from the franchise’s origins,” McCreary explained. “I hoped to form a connection between Ifukube’s uniquely brilliant style and the aesthetics of modern blockbusters.”

Additionally, “director Michael Dougherty used the term “Monster Opera” when describing the magnitude and importance of the score to the storytelling.”

I definitely get the sense of “Monster Opera” when listening to McCreary’s score for this film. The music overall creates an epic sense of scope that matches what I’ve seen of the monsters in the previews thus far. The music proclaims what we’ve long known: Godzilla: King of the Monsters is going to be an epic clash on every level.

McCreary does a masterful job incorporating Ifukube’s iconic theme for Godzilla into the score. It’s played relatively straight in the main title, but then McCreary…heightens it, if that makes sense, by incorporating a variety of instruments, remixing the theme to help it reach even greater levels of grandeur. The original theme reappears throughout the score, and I love that McCreary took the time to musically tie this Godzilla film back to the original, as if to say “this is a true successor to the original Godzilla, the music say so.”

Aside from the tracks that include McCreary’s take on the original theme, “Rodan” is quickly becoming one of my favorite tracks in the score. I’m not sure if this is Rodan’s theme or simply music associated with his appearance in a scene (there IS a difference), but I love this music anyway. I think this track exemplifies just how dangerous Rodan and the other titans are. McCreary incorporates loud trumpet blasts that I suspect might be mimicking the sounds that Rodan makes (that is a complete guess on my part, I haven’t seen any of the original kaiju films that have Rodan in them so I’m not sure what he sounds like). And if nothing else, these trumpet blasts symbolize the danger that Rodan represents. This music is loud, it’s blaring, it practically screams “Oh my god, RUN!”

And then there’s the music associated with Ghidorah, the monster I’m most looking forward to seeing apart from Godzilla himself. I can’t name these particular tracks because it might lead to some spoilers, but the music that makes up Ghidorah’s theme and is otherwise associated with him left me completely enraptured. I swear McCreary has incorporated into the music a sense of motion that mimics Ghidorah’s three heads moving and twisting about. I am very excited to hear this music in context once the film comes out.

Overall, this is a fantastic film score. For the sake of avoiding potential spoilers I’m not covering the entire soundtrack but believe me when I say this soundtrack latches onto you and doesn’t let you go until the end. Some tracks are fraught with tension, and in others you can almost feel the monsters stomping about as the music plays. Even though the film doesn’t come out until next week, I’m convinced that McCreary has created a score that will seamlessly intertwine with the action to create a spellbinding story. You should definitely listen to this soundtrack when you get the chance, it is one of the best I’ve heard so far this year.

Once you listen to the score (and see the film), let me know what you think about the soundtrack for Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the comments below and have a great day!

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Film Soundtracks A-W

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Soundtrack Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019)

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The soundtrack for John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum, is now available for purchase from Varèse Sarabande. In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, skilled assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn. The score for this film was once again composed by Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, Atomic Blonde), who to date has worked on every film in the John Wick series.

Regarding John Wick: Chapter 3, Bates had this to say:

“While his fight, stunt, and weapon work is second to none, Chad [Stahelski] embraces original music with equal passion – setting the table for Joel Richard and I to experiment and create a distinct “sound” for the John Wick world. Five years ago, we cranked “Killing Strangers” at concert volume in my studio. And now John Wick is a trilogy. Working with Chad has been a truly amazing experience.”

Having now seen all three John Wick films, I have to agree that the music for these films are very distinct indeed. One thing I like about John Wick: Chapter 3 and the series overall is that the music sounds the same across all three installments. As soon as you hear the first beat of music, you know you’ve come back to the world of assassins and John Wick. I’ve never quite been able to define the nature of the music in firm words, but the words that come to mind the most often are “techno-futuristic.” The music Bates creates weaves into the background and fight scenes almost seamlessly, creating this edgy, near-futuristic world that’s inhabited by Wick and a seemingly endless legion of assassins.

There’s some nice twists in this score also. “The Adjudicator” has an almost militaristic sound (fitting given the role she plays in the film) while “Elder Tent Offering,” quite ironically given what happens in that scene, has some of the most lyrical music in the score. But I think one of my favorites is “Winter at the Continental,” which is essentially a techno-remix of Vivaldi’s “Winter.” I remember hearing “Winter” played straight before the fight began, but I either didn’t realize or didn’t remember that there was also this fast-paced remix, which is really fun to listen to, since Bates takes Vivaldi and “modernizes” it for Wick’s world.

I really like the music Bates has created for John Wick: Chapter 3. It’s edgy, it’s fast-paced, but it also slows down when necessary, and it fits the film’s world perfectly. I love how Bates can insert slow moments out of nowhere, it’s easy to forget about them since most of the film is devoted to fights, but the slow moments are just as beautiful.

Let me know what you think about the music for John Wick: Chapter 3 in the comments below and have a great day!

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Soundtrack Review: Brightburn (2019)

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My Thoughts on: High Life (2019)

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*note: minor spoilers for High Life follow

I knew I wanted to see High Life from the moment I saw the first trailer. I have a keen interest in science fiction cinema that’s only grown stronger since I finished my dissertation, and I’m always looking for that best kind of science fiction film, the ones that really make you think about what they’re trying to tell you.

And let me tell you, High Life is without a doubt that kind of film.

One thing that’s interesting about High Life is the story isn’t told in a regular, linear format. The story opens after most of the action has already happened, then jumps back and forth, filling in the pieces of the story bit by bit. This is a process that can go horribly wrong if not done properly, but here it works. With each piece of the story that’s told, you feel a growing need to continue with the story, to find out what happens next.

Robert Pattinson is great in this film. I admit, I haven’t really seen any of his work before this. I haven’t watched the Harry Potter films he appears in, I haven’t even watched any of the Twilight saga, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from him, but he does a really good job playing a man struggling to fulfill a multitude of roles all on his own. Many times he acts like he’s right on the edge of insanity, but there’s always something to bring him back in the end.

There’s one detail in High Life that surprised me very much, and that’s how…sexual the film is. I knew from the previews that the film centered in some part around the birth of a child, but the sexual undertones and the sexual imagery still took me somewhat aback. I’m not saying that part was bad, just that it was a shock to my system that at times left me feeling deeply uncomfortable. Looking back though, I think that was the idea; we were supposed to feel uncomfortable, especially during THAT scene between Monte (Pattinson’s character) and the doctor.

If you get the chance, you need to see High Life. It is a beautiful addition to the science fiction genre and one that will leave you thinking for quite a while after the credits roll. Let me know what you think about High Life in the comments below and have a great day!

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Game of Thrones S8 E6: The Iron Throne

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*warning, some spoilers are going to be mentioned here, it’s the series finale so it’s kind of unavoidable. I suggest not reading until you’ve seen the final episode.*

Oh wow.

Oh wow, wow, wow.

Of ALL the ways I imagined Game of Thrones coming to an end, I never imagined it ending quite like that. None of my theories even considered the possibility of the twists that we saw last night. Now on the one hand, that kind of makes me want to feel mad, since I could’ve sworn the show was indicating an entirely different ending. But on the other hand, the more I think about it, the more some of the twists make sense.

First of all, I don’t think anybody genuinely thought this character would be king at the end of the episode. I know when this character was chosen, my jaw smacked the floor. It made no sense, and really, despite some excellent arguing for why this character should be king, it’s the part of the episode that bugs me the most. I am convinced that this is NOT the character that will rule Westeros (most of it anyway, more on that in a minute) at the end of the books (assuming we ever see the end of the books). I do like how the system of monarchy is going to be changed…assuming it sticks anyway.

Now I have to talk about Sansa, whose arc has been very hard for me to watch at times in the past few years. Of all the character arc endings on this show, I think I like Sansa’s the most because it makes the most sense. She’s completed her evolution from the perfect pawn to a master player in the game of thrones herself (Littlefinger would be so proud). She finally has real power, with no foreign queens to worry about, and no male claimants to take it away from her. I’m really happy for Sansa. I like Arya’s ending too, not quite as much as Sansa’s, since I was half-hoping that Arya would be with Gendry, but I understand why she can’t stay in Westeros. She’s seen too much of the world to go back to her home in the North. And even though we know Arya and Sansa love each other, if those two spend any length of time together, they’ll be bickering again in no time.

Okay, now I need to talk about the ending for Jon Snow, aka Aegon Targaryen. When Jon did…what he did, in the throne room, I thought all of my theories had been confirmed. He’s the sole Targaryen claimant, the throne will come to him one way or another. And then the episode moved forward and everything I thought I knew got thrown out the window. It hurt me, I admit it, and I was upset for most of the rest of the episode. It didn’t seem right that Jon’s true heritage should ultimately mean nothing, and I nearly howled in rage when Jon went back to Castle Black. But then I saw how his story ended, and suddenly I began to understand. No matter how much I or anyone else wanted it, Jon wouldn’t have made a good king. He’s too much like Ned Stark, and we all know what happened to him when he was just Hand of the King, imagine Jon trying to be king himself, and I don’t think it would’ve ended well. What changed my mind about Jon came at the very end, when I realized that he was leaving to go beyond the Wall (at first I thought he was just escorting the wildlings). And this morning it dawned on me; throughout this series, the happiest I ever saw Jon is when he was living with the wildlings, when he was with Ygritte. Jon never wanted to be king, he especially never wanted to be a Targaryen. Having had a taste of that power and not liking it, I realized Jon is all too happy to disappear into the forest and walk out of history forever. Furthermore, I think the person who ordered him sent back to the Wall KNEW this would happen.

So in the end, am I completely happy with how Game of Thrones ended? No, to be honest no. It still feels wrong that this character became king, but really it’s not like there were many choices left. Now that I’ve had time to think about it though, I am mostly content with how it ends the story. The characters are in different places than I imagined, but at least we know where they all end up, more or less. They weren’t kidding when they said this would be a bittersweet ending. I think “bittersweet” hits the nail on the head.

And that’s the end of Game of Thrones. Next week I’m going back to the beginning and reviewing starting with season 1, episode 1. Let me know what you think about “The Iron Throne” in the comments below and have a great day.

See also:

My Thoughts on: The Bells (GoT S8 E5)

My Thoughts On: The Last of the Starks (GoT S8 E4)

My Thoughts on: The Battle of Winterfell (GoT S8 E3)

My Thoughts on: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (GoT S8 E2)

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My Thoughts on: Prospect (2018)

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My Thoughts on: John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019)

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*warning: I don’t think I let any spoilers slip but it’s possible I did without realizing it

Two years.

We’ve been waiting two years to find out how the story of John Wick continues after he was sent running for his life with a one hour head start. After two years of waiting, our patience was finally rewarded with John Wick: Chapter 3 and my god did it ever deliver.

The story picks up immediately after the ending of John Wick: Chapter 2 and follows John Wick fighting to stay alive with every assassin in New York City and the world after the bounty on his head. The fight sequences are deliciously brutal, and the tension rarely lets up once the story gets going. It might be my imagination, but it feels like the fights are getting more brutal with every installment. Also, that scene with the horse is absolutely perfect.

Halle Berry as Sofia is a great addition to the John Wick universe, my only gripe is that I wanted more of her in the story. She’s clearly a complex character with a complex past (much like Wick) and I would love to learn more about her in future installments. Also, her dogs are just as awesome as you think they are.

One of the things I like best about John Wick: Chapter 3 is that we learn more about the complex structure of rules that governs this group of assassins that Wick belongs to. More of the hierarchy is revealed, and it turns out that some characters that appeared to be all powerful also answer to a higher authority (which in itself was a bit of a shock for me). I actually wouldn’t mind seeing a prequel that explains how this group was established in the first place. There must be a story behind how an organization was formed with this much power all over the world and I would love to see it.

Keanu Reeves is on point once again as John Wick. You wouldn’t think there’d been two years since the second film and five years since the original film, just by watching him. There’s a great range of emotion in his performance, especially towards the end of the film. And speaking of the end…I honestly did not see that ending coming. It took everything I thought I knew about the situation and turned it upside down. That being said, I loved the ending because it practically confirms that John Wick: Chapter 4 will be happening. With all of the hype surrounding this film, it makes perfect sense that they would want the story to continue.

I really enjoyed John Wick: Chapter 3, and I’m excited for the fourth installment that is bound to follow, but I do hope the next installment ends it. I only say that because, while the story was good, some of the fight scenes felt a little long, and I’d rather not see the story become ruined with too many sequels. But for now, I’ll revel in the perfection that is John Wick: Chapter 3. Definitely check it out when you get the chance.

What did you think of John Wick: Chapter 3? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

Thoughts on: John Wick Chapter 2 (2017)

Thoughts on: John Wick (2014)

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