Posts by Susan Hernandez

True, but you can present that more or less convincingly.

I don't follow. Are you saying the movie isn't convincing because it's set in the Victorian era? The sets and costumes from that period probably ate up half the budget, and it shows. Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins are great... the rest are decent enough..

To me, the movie felt like it was shot in the 60s.

Old-fashioned? 🙂

And those aren't terms I'd want to associate with Dracula.

Whether you want to or not, Stoker's (or Coppola's) Dracula is the original; everything else is just stylization.

It felt a bit too campy for something that's supposed to be terrifying.

I think we have different definitions of what makes a film "camp." 🙂
The truly campy Dracula movies came out of Hammer studios back in the day (which doesn't make them bad), whereas anything made after 2000 is just teen horror (which actually does make them bad).

Thomas Stewart69 said:Am I the only one who thinks the '92 version is a mess? The acting is way too over-the-top, and everything is so aggressively "Gothic" and "Victorian" that it becomes ridiculous and campy through and through. The vampire ball in 🙂
is far more intense than anything in that movie.

Everything is acted with restraint, staying true to Stoker's book.

Everything is so heavily "Gothic" and "Victorian."

Well, the story takes place in the Victorian era. 🙂

The vampire ball is more intense than that movie.

I especially love the vampire ball; it’s as intense as it is comical. Coppola's Dracula is as intense as it is a love story. The film is a pretty faithful adaptation of a book written at a time when the concept of "intense" was far less intense than today's horror movies.

And why does it bother you when people show up to a gig just to listen to the band? Concerts aren't just for the crowd that sleeps until noon and yawns all night; some of us actually have jobs. Since when did it become your business to monitor whether someone else is jumping around or singing along? If you feel the need to go wild and build an atmosphere, then go ahead and do it. Personally, I’m more annoyed by the people constantly pacing between the bar, the floor, and the restroom, or those who spend the entire set filming everything on their phones.🤷

It was a solid show. 👍 Live, they still lean heavily into that new wave and post-punk vibe, which feels worlds apart from their more recent industrial stuff. I felt like Eighty was played just a bit too fast. On the older tracks, the instrumentation felt balanced, but on the newer material, the synths and drum machines basically swallowed the guitars whole—the bass was the only thing occasionally cutting through the noise. Also, I struggled to connect with the vocals on the newer songs, though the rhythm in those tracks was undeniably tight. Honestly, I wouldn't call any of it a letdown; Killing Joke made up for everything with pure energy and grit.

Tyler Howard46 said:🙄

Look, they don't really have any reason to play those songs while promoting a new record. It's just another industrial album. 😉 🙄

Doesn't mean they won't play them here since it's their first time in the US. By the Eighties, they sound pretty thin on this link. 😢

Tyler Howard46 said:it would be better if they didn't play Eighties, Love Like Blood, or release a new album at all

Look, this tour is literally the promotion for the new album. It's been ages since Killing Joke played in those synthpop or darkwave waters, so there's really no reason for them to dig up Eighties or Love Like Blood. Still, it's a shame—hearing an industrial version of Eighties would have been pretty cool. 😁

Pandemonium! 😍

Richard Wilson4 said:Ninja Scroll is the GOAT👍

Not even close. It's Evangelion. 😍

rustyscout34 said:And if you haven't noticed yet, Benjamin Ruiz60 just keeps dragging up thread after thread of ancient, dusty garbage.

Nomen est omen. 😁

I'm watching Nadia: Secret of Blue Water, this steampunk anime from the early nineties. It always surprises me how much Gainax packs into a single series with Hideaki Anno at the helm. You've got everything from the Nautilus and Captain Nemo to some dark cult obsessed with Atlantis. The characters are actually pretty well-developed, too. We'll see if all 39 episodes end up being worth the time..

Gregory Wood41 said:Good news 🙂

Just drop him into the 1930s and everything would be fine.

Michael Reed45 said:Mine aren't, 😍 they aren't stupid. 🙂 I watch them to unwind. 😁 With anime, you have to focus on every single detail, and honestly, it gets exhausting. 😁

It just occurred to me—remember that segment in Tea Flavors? When the animators are watching their own film and listening to the sound effects... I was dying laughing. 🤣

Who said they were stupid? 😁

Watching anime requires paying attention to every little detail, and honestly, it's exhausting. 😁

Obviously. It's good mental exercise. 🙂

I just remembered, in Tea Flavor, when the animators watch their own films and hear the sound effects they produced... I was dying laughing. 🤣

There's also a scene with animators at Whole Foods Market—brilliant Hayao Miyazaki and his wife playing themselves. She’s wearing this huge mask on her head. 🤣

Michael Reed45 said:I was thinking the exact same thing. If I overdo it, I'll end up in a spot where everything feels average, and that’s the last thing we want, right? 😁 Just this one more, then back to my regular series. 😍

Maybe this Tadanob asana will. 🤣

Not "your" shows. 😛Anime series! 😁

Michael Reed45 said:

Susan Hernandez Asks:
Yes. Tadanob asana. 🙂 He seems to have a knack for showing up in every major Asian film. Take that one modern classic, for example. 🙂 Ichi The Killer..

I have a feeling you're really going to enjoy that film. Intense. It’s worth liking. 😉

Australia, now I'm curious as to why. 😁

Yeah, just before I finally drifted off last night. 😁 All those Asian films I've watched are starting to blur together in my head. How could I be so dense? I just realized that same actor was the lead in the movie I used for my avatar. 😉

Is there a single movie out there where Tadanob asana isn't acting? 😁 He’s got a certain charm, doesn't he? 🙂

Just watch that one, then take a break. At least for a week. Otherwise, you're just going to start thinking mediocre movies are actually good.

Yeah, right before I finally passed out last night... 😁

And you won't have movies running through your head before you go to sleep. 🙂

Is there a single movie out there where Tadanob asana isn't acting? 😁 He’s kind of hot. 🙂

Tadanob asana.

Michael Reed45 said:So, I’ve been watching Charles’s movie for about 40 minutes now, and honestly, nothing much has happened yet. 😁

I have to ask—is that guy with the long hair, the one who plays the guitar brother in Forest Gump, actually in this? And what about the guy with the bowl cut? Is he one of those comedians who isn't even funny?

Yeah. Tadanob asana. 🙂 He seems to pop up in basically every major Asian film these days. Like in that modern classic 🙂 Ichi The Killer.

I have a feeling you're going to really dig this movie. 😉

Michael Reed45 said:Downloading now. Is this that 3-Iron?

I feel it too. The music actually triggers certain scenes in my mind—not even from a movie, just random imagery. Is it Nottingham #2? 😲 I'm here too, along with Kokorogokoro Doutei. They really are the best.

I won't. I'll only try to talk two people into it... one man, one woman. I'm worried neither will be interested. Maybe it would only work with some illegal substances involved. 😁

Yep. 😍
But we should probably start a whole separate thread for that one. Or just dump all those Asian films into the Asian film thread?

maybe only if you're on some illegal substances😁

Don't even bring drugs into this; that's just cheating. 🙂

Michael Reed45 said:I haven't. It isn't on my watchlist 😁 😁 I need to download this one too. What’s the verdict?

By the way, I downloaded the soundtrack and have been playing it all afternoon. This was the third time I listened to it before my brother walked in from the other room and shouted, "What are you watching?" 😍

The music gave it away—he knew it was something good. 🙂 😁 I'll have to try and talk him into watching it. 🙂 Now I feel like pushing everyone I know to watch a film meant for maybe 5-10% of people. 😁

N/A, N/A, N/A, N/A 😉

It's great. 😉

my brother walks in and yells from the other room, "what are you watching?" 😍

Yeah. I really need some visuals while I listen to the full OST. 🙂 Mostly just listening to Nottingham #2 and a few others.

Now I'm gonna force everyone around me to watch a movie that's only for like 5-10% of people 😁

Don't go too far 🙂 unless you want that margarita ante porcos effect. 😁

goldenhound32 said:The other one actually manages to tackle its themes effectively... Whole Foods Market doesn't even really engage with them.🙂

When you claim Whole Foods Market is "uncompromising," are you implying the other one is compromised? And if so, where exactly is this supposed compromise located?

And as for whether it's a "festival film" or not—that’s a non-issue. That's like suggesting a movie is inherently worse just because it's categorized as a blockbuster, an indie darling, or some high-brow art house piece.

After my first viewing of Whole Foods Market, I felt an immediate urge to watch it all over again.

But you didn't.🙂

They do, but maybe the weirdness just distracted you—there are actually several different layers and takes on male-female relationships here.

When you say Whole Foods Market is uncompromising, does that mean the director is compromising? And if so, where is that compromise?

In this case, the idea of compromise only applies between the two films. 🙂 The first one is more compromised because it became a cult classic after hitting the festival circuit, whereas the second one was established before it ever hit a festival. The first is also more compromised because it’s less surreal—though we’re talking nuances here. It makes certain concessions to the audience, while the second one just explodes without caring if anyone likes it. A purer piece of art.

And whether it's a festival film or not doesn't really say anything...

That depends on who you're talking to. It also depends on who is listening, or rather, what kind of ear the listener has developed. 🙂

That's like saying a movie is inherently worse just because it's a blockbuster, a festival film, or an indie flick.

Whether a movie is "better" or "worse" is subjective. All that matters is how much the artistic artifact is stripped of "compromising" traits. Besides, the criteria for comparing a blockbuster to a festival film—or films within those same categories—are completely different.

But you aren't 🙂

Of course I am. Sometimes it's enough to just feel like I can watch it again after a very short time. I've watched it three times so far—it's heavy, though. You need to be in a specific headspace for that kind of bipolar concentration, and there are plenty of other movies waiting to be discovered. 🙂

Have you seen Parasite? Michael Reed45?

goldenhound32 said:Hmm... interesting... The film is certainly bizarre, I'll give you that. But if we're talking about the title of "strangest film," it can't possibly compete with those movies made up entirely of sketches. True strangeness requires a narrative structure—something that builds tension until it finally hits you over the head like a sledgehammer. This feels more like mere acupuncture.🙂

Every hammer hits differently, and once you're hit, who cares if it was delivered through sketches or as one solid piece? 🙂

Why is that other movie more impactful? Because it’s less bizarre? Whole Foods Market is an uncompromising work of art; that other one just feels like a typical indie festival flick sometimes.

After my first watch of Whole Foods Market, I wanted to jump straight back in. That rarely happens with movies for me. But hey, that's just my take. 🙂

Michael Reed45 said:Alright, so the weirdest movie without a plot.🙂

Susan Hernandez, is there a soundtrack? Do you have it?

I do. It's pretty easy to find online these days. I actually intended to buy it, but it slipped my mind while I was traveling through Japan. 😢

Film review published in Yoshi issue 23, September 2008.

Katsuhito Ishii has finally nailed that "promising young director" label people kept trying to stick on him. His previous work, The Wolf and the Lamb and Party 7, were really just stepping stones to prove his real talent with The Taste of Tea—the film that swept up all those awards at various international festivals. Then you have Forest Gump, First Contact, or the one with the more localized title, Naisu no mora, which are actually signed by three different directors. Besides Ishii, he worked alongside two school buddies, Hajimine Ishimine and Shunichiro Miki, who are also recognized short film directors now.

Trying to explain the plot is useless because it’s basically twenty or more short vignettes and anecdotes delivered through comedy sketches by the Moliti Brothers. Throw in a bizarre, dreamlike atmosphere and you get the gist. What is it exactly? You probably haven't seen anything this wildly surreal in ages, and honestly, you might never see anything like it again. At times, you won't know if Forest Gump is a tribute to Monty Python, David Lynch, or David Cronenberg, but you will definitely feel every single emotion coming at you. It's rare to see surrealism this intense stay so fun and funky, but Ishii and his crew pull it off, leading the whole thing toward an ecstatic finale—a totally wild concert in the woods. It's packed with details, too; you'll need to watch it a few times to catch everything. And the soundtrack? Absolutely killer. It’s so fresh and unique you’ll want to go out and buy the CD immediately.

The cast absolutely crushed their eccentric roles. Tadanob asana and Susum Teraj were brilliant as usual, but everyone else was just magically perfect. The duo consisting of Notti and Takefumi is especially memorable—a girl and a guy dreaming about their interconnected musical lives through dance. Yeah. And let's not forget the girls' pillow fight in the Babbling Onsen Vixens segment after they finish gossiping about the most nonsensical things ever. Hmmmmm. What about those three brothers? Two are American and the third is just this chubby white kid constantly eating Snickers and throwing around random words the whole movie? Okay, enough spoilers. Just go watch it.