MichaelDoran
05-27-2008, 12:17 PM
<i>by Steve Fritz</i>
<I>Memorial Day marked the start of vacation season. For those of you whose travel plans were thwarted by prices at the gas pump and maybe have a few extra bucks to spend on DVDs, let me make a few suggestions.</I>.
<img src=http://www.newsarama.com/dvdreview/May08/abfab.jpg border=0 align=right><b>ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING (BBC) (9 DVDs)</b>
Ask yourselves darlings, just what’s not to love about this incredible series?
Comedic genius Jennifer Saunders found a second perfect partner in the form of former Avenger Joanna Lumley (not forgetting incredibly able up-and-coming Julia Swahala) in this exhilaratingly savage satire of the fashion industry and all the parasites who suck the life out of it. Ably assisted by first perfect partner Dawn French, June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks, these women prove out what sad losers the girls of <I>Sex In The City</I> are truly about.
In this wonderfully trashy and vaudevillian packaging contains all five seasons of the multi-award winning series and all the specials. It also comes chock full of illuminating extra content like an interview with Lumley when she was a true supermodel as well as the original French & Saunders skit that inspired the series. It also includes a ton of outtakes and a number of other elements well worth a true believers attention.
Still, what really counts are the episodes. As the overdosed-by-everything Edwina and Patsy, Saunders and Lumley are so wonderfully arch yet somehow manage to keep their complete absurdity from going over the top. Even more interesting is how Saunders managed to have the characters develop over time, changing (dare I say mature?), yet still staying true to their core. Plus how can you not love a show that sees Marianne Faithful as God and provided wonderful spotlights for 60’s pop icons Twiggy and Lulu, not to forget Whoopi Goldberg as a New York marriage counselor?
In all, this is set is, pardon the cliché, absolutely fabulous. If Marianne truly is God, she should reserve Saunders and Lumley a deluxe condo in heaven, next to Dusty Springfield, of course, luvs.
<b>BLOOD BROTHERS III/RESURRECTION (FUNimation)</b>
Well…it looked like this series was supposed to end with this volume. After watching it, I sure hope it doesn’t.
Based on a light series of modern fantasy novels, one could consider this set the first volume of the anime analog. It now firmly establishes the motivations for the main hero, Jiro (aka Silver Blade), why his nemeses the Kowloon Children want the vampiric sanctuary The Special Zone so much, as well as the full relationship between Jiro and his “brother” Kotaro. Most important, it outlines Jiro’s tremendous future sacrifice if his wishes are met.
So yes, this is a Japanese vampire series, but it now lays down the foundation for a lot of intriguing post-goth possibilities. While these three DVDs can be seen as complete as their own, the strong characters, intriguing plot lines, the high quality animation and incredible potential for more has my attention. Watch it and no doubt you’ll want to see more also.
<b>CRASH & BURN (Genius)</b>
The IMDB reports that Michael Madsen will be in over a dozen different films this year. Maybe being in so many productions can explain why he might have missed a big beat with this one.
The basics are Madsen plays a criminal who hands co-star Erik Palladino (<I>ER</I>) a list of exceedingly rare cars to heist. Palladino has to deliver all the cars within a set time limit or there’ll be the usual hell to pay. Of course, there’s a rival gang that is out to thwart the plans of Palladino and his cronies.
Sound familiar? Can you say <I>Gone In 60 Seconds</I>? I knew you could. Oh, Palladino is an FBI undercover officer. Wow.
Truth is <I>Crash & Burn</I> is a decent enough time waster if it wasn’t so a shallow rip-off. Madsen, as one would expect, plays a solid heavy. Palladino is fun in his own right. Still, only pick this up if you never saw either version of <I>Gone</I>. This is definitely the most inferior of the three.
<b>DRAWN TOGETHER (Paramount) (2 DVDs)</b>
If you look back at the last interview (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=131765&highlight=Drawn) I did with the creators of <I>Drawn Together</I>, Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser, it would soon become pretty obvious they knew they were on their last season.
A show never exactly known for staying within the boundaries of common accepted taste, Silverstein and Jeser, took that as an excuse to push the boundaries of their own limits, with mixed results. While there were still some episodes that really were pretty funny, the final result was a grossness even organizations like National Lampoon wouldn’t reach. I mean, the two-part “Lost In Parking Space” was plainly two-parts too long, with it’s twin story lines of the Princess seeking the Rapture while the rest tried to survive being trapped in a shopping mall only came together at the very end. The rest was just a waste of time. On the other hand, “Breakfast Food Killer,” with its <I>Boogey Nights</I> allusions, is right on the money.
With the very last episode, the big anti-climax is all the characters receive pink slips and the series is brought to a screeching (some might call it singing) halt. While this last set does hit a couple of right notes, it unfortunately hits more flat ones…and by that we mean unfunny, not Foxxxy or the Princess’ racks, either
<b>5 FILMS BY DARIO ARGENTO (Anchor Bay) (5 DVDs)
• The Card Player (2004)
• Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005).
• Phenomena (1985)
• Tenebre (1982)
• Trauma (1993)</b>
It’s absolutely appropriate that the artwork on this boxed tin is primarily in yellow. Argento is the master of “giallo” (Italian for “yellow”) cinema, that wonderful subgenre of suspense and horror based on Italian pulp/comic book fiction of the same name.
This set covers a wide span of his career. They start with two of his most recent efforts, and move on to some of most recent efforts. True, there’s nothing like <I>Suspira</I> or <I>Opera</I> in the mix. But if you get your hands on some of his earlier 70s work, like his Animal Trilogy, and one it up with this set, you wind up with a comprehensive history of one of horror’s most distinctive auteurs.
Argento never does an overt slasher. What sets him apart is twofold. First, his love of mysteries and Hitchcock insured a deeper subtext to everything he did. His love of pulps insured the psychological elements are balanced with Jacobean shock and awe. Most important, he knew how to balance these two elements. After all, seeing someone decapitated by window glass is good for a scare, but if the psychological elements don’t match up, the film ends up a bloody mess.
Personally, I found his homage to Hitchcock the pick of this litter. Argento never denies his passions for the master of suspense, and manages to do a pretty solid reinterpretation in this vicious whodunit. I found things a lot messier with the film <I>Phenonema</I>. A girl with a psychic connection with insects thwarting a deformed serial murderer just didn’t work, even with Donald Pleasance in the cast. My sense of shock just didn’t grok tons of maggots and a cute monkey in the same picture.
On the plus side, Anchor Bay packed this set with a ton of extra content, ranging anywhere from a thorough biography on Argento to him providing a lot of insights with each film commentary. Every film is also nicely restored, uncut and uncensored. So while the films inside might be a tad uneven, I still see this box as one solid addition to my giallo library.
<b>HONEY & CLOVER (Viz)</b>
This live action movie is based on a manga of about a half-dozen art students that even the art world would find a tetch out of touch. Some are talented. Some are art students. Thing is, the movie works.
What sets this one apart from other anime-based productions is first time director Masahiro Takada gives his cast a lot of room to express themselves. This works particularly well when it comes to the oddest girl in the bunch, Hagu (Yu Aoi) and resident genius Morita (Yususke Iseya). While some of the situations they’re in are too weird for words, they manage to get us involved anyway. Another thing the film could have used is a minor trim. At nearly two hours, it moves from one situation to another, some exceptional, some out-and-out boring.
Still, if I were to grade this effort, I’d give it a B+. Not a bad job for Takada’s freshman effort. If he keeps this up, think he has the makings of a master.
<b>MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: SEASON 4 (Paramount) (7 DVDs)</b>
If there really is one thing that sets this landmark spy series apart from the competition, is it could take a major change of cast and still make fans come back for more. The first time this happened is when the incredible actor Steven Hill left as the leader of the IMF to be replaced by Peter Graves, who used the opportunity to become the iconic Mr. Phelps.
With this set, two more of its biggest stars, Barbara Bain (Cinnamon) and Martin Landau (Rollin Hand) would bolt for what they hoped were greener pastures, and be replaced by new member Paris, played by the just off the Enterprise Leonard Nimoy. For eye candy, Lee Merriweather would come slink out of her guise as Catwoman and help save the day, among many of the other hot actresses of the day. Don’t forget series stables Greg Morris or Willie Lupus, either.
What did stay the same was the incredibly tight plots. Each of the 28 episodes had Phelps gather the team, throw in some great guest stars, and then take us to some exotic or god forsaken locale, and then literally do what seemed impossible. It incorporated the latest tech, the hottest fashions and the good guys would win no matter how big the obstacle in front of them.
My only gripe is for some reason they still don’t include the slightest bit of extra content. It’s a crying shame as I’m sure would be something to consider with Season Five.
OBAN STAR-RACER (Shout! Factory) (2 DVDs)
With this decade starting to draw to a close, I’m starting to think just what animated projects will make my best-of list. Don’t be absolutely surprised if <I>Oban Star-Racer</I> flies into the top ten, if not higher.
After all, this unique French-Japanese hybrid starts with an exceedingly strong story line and characters, full of plot twists and dramatic situations. To top it, creator Savin Yeatman-Eiffel helped develop one of the most eye-pleasing yet innovative character and backdrop designs I’ve seen in ages. His sense of timing, particularly in the racing sequences, is superlative.
Like the first volume, this collection comes with some nice add-ons, particularly the “making of” feature where the team moves from pre-production into post. Probably the most interesting element is the virtual begging Yeatman-Eiffel went through to get the legendary Yoko Kanno to do the opening and closing themes.
In all, a truly sweet package. No one without this in their collection can call themselves a true fan of animation.
<b>RAMBO: THE FIGHT CONTINUES (Lion's Gate) (2 DVDs)</b>
Hate to admit it, but I ended up enjoying this set in a perverse kind of way.
Yes, it’s pretty damn obvious that Sly Stallone has taken just one too many shots of HGH for his own good. He’s become so muscle-bound his movements are all too slow and stiff for what’s good for him. So is his acting. The script is also pretty simplistic, with Stallone going into the wilds of north Myanmar to save a pack of hard-headed, but well-intentioned, missionaries. The church also provides him with a few Predator-reject mercs, but no where near enough to sensibly take on an entire army of bloodthirsty Burmese killers.
After all, we’re talking about Cyclone Rambo here. Halfway into the film it stops moralizing about the atrocities being committed in that part of Asia and concentrates on what Rambo fans really want; a grindhouse Guignol of severed limbs, daisy cutters, surface-to-air missiles and lots and lots and lots of blood and gore all over the place. When you get down to it, Stallone can choreograph one hell of a ballistic ballet right up there with the likes of Rodriguez, Tarantino and Zombie.
So if you like seeing at least a few hundred different ways to kill your fellow human being in the most inhumane manner possible, this one’s for you. If you don’t, I don’t think Stallone and his fans will miss you, either.
<b>SHIN CHAN: SEASON ONE (FUNimation) (2 DVDs)</b>
In the back of my mind I’m wondering. Just what would happen if there was a gross-out contest between this monkey-cheeked boy and Bart Simpson. It wouldn’t be a matter of who would win, but who would survive?
You got to say, Master Shin would certainly animation’s yellow kid a workout. Talk about an unbridled id-boy, this one would have Freud flipping in his flivver. After all, he doesn’t have anything like a sister named Lisa to keep him in check. He also has not one, but two Homers as parents. If that isn’t enough, how can you not like a universe that includes the likes of Principle Ensh or that Mutha-bleeping Happiness bunny.
If that’s not enough, when the creators decide its time to turn their jaundiced eyes on parody, they are wonderfully brutal. Their parody of Batman alone is worth the price of admission here fans (and if that ain’t enough, the inclusion of the Japanese version of the same episode is just so sweet). Heck, what’s especially fun is you can see the people in the ADR room had a field day working this over, and made sure we were in on the jokes. If you don’t believe, check out the extra content which includes outtakes and even auditions.
In the meantime, dream on about Bart v. Shin. I know I’d like a ringside seat if it ever happened.
<b>SHINOBI NO MONO 2: VENGEANCE (AnimEigo)</b>
According to the notes, this cinematic series was the one that put the modern ninja movie on the map. Starring the late Raizo Ichikawa, who did a whopping 150-plus movies in his 15 year career, it extends the mythology of the Iga clan, much like such animes as <I>Ninja Scrolls</I> and <I>Basilisk</I>.
In this film, Ichikawa plays the legendary Goeman (who I always thought was a samurai, but…). In here he’s an Iga who doesn’t want anything to do with war. After all, the warlord Nobunaga (Tomisaburo Wakayama) apparently destroyed Goeman’s clan in the previous film. But when one of the Damyo’s samurai throws Goeman’s son into a fire and kills him, the gloves are off. We’re knee deep in bloody intrigue and ninjitsu.
While I must commend AnimEigo for their extensive notes and restoration of this 1963 gem, sometimes their fannish-ness gets in the way, too. This particularly hit home in the commentary track, where author Ric Meyers spends as much time talking about himself and other non-related films as he does in the film in question. I mean, yeah, I’d love learning more about the <I>Zatoichi</I> franchise, but on DVD devoted to it, please. The optional pop-up notes also have a habit of not only blocking off major parts of the screen, but also being redundant. A little restraint guys, please, and you’ll be putting out perfection.
Otherwise, any fan of Japanese costume dramas should include this series in their library.
<b>STARGATE INFINITY: COMPLETE SERIES (4 DVDs)</b>
I remember when I was doing research on this series, the vitriol reserved for this show was usually reserved for the likes of <I>Yu-Gi-Oh!</I> at its worst or some of the most abysmal cheapos of the 70s. I never saw anything <I>that</I> bad.
For those who don’t know, this animated spin-off of the Stargate franchise is set somewhere in the indefinite future. One of Stargate Command’s greatest heroes, one Major Bonner, is framed for being a traitor. He ends up jumping through the ‘gate with some of his protégés, including a proper mix of aliens, to clear himself. From there we go from world to world, meeting all kinds of aliens, while he tries to clear his name and save the universe.
Nothing too fancy plot-wise. The animation is actually not bad. As none of the original creators were involved, this series isn’t considered cannon, but that’s quite common in a live-action to animated conversion. As it stands, the series is fine for its intended audience, nine-to-eleven year-olds. Who knows? If it wasn’t originally on the Fox Box block, it might have had a chance.
So does this series deserve the bile it gets? Hardly. Is it the greatest animated series ever? No, not by a long shot. Still, this is a series that could have been interesting if handled a tad better. While it’s not a set I would heartily endorse, it ain’t one I’m sorry I ever set eyes on.
<I>Memorial Day marked the start of vacation season. For those of you whose travel plans were thwarted by prices at the gas pump and maybe have a few extra bucks to spend on DVDs, let me make a few suggestions.</I>.
<img src=http://www.newsarama.com/dvdreview/May08/abfab.jpg border=0 align=right><b>ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING (BBC) (9 DVDs)</b>
Ask yourselves darlings, just what’s not to love about this incredible series?
Comedic genius Jennifer Saunders found a second perfect partner in the form of former Avenger Joanna Lumley (not forgetting incredibly able up-and-coming Julia Swahala) in this exhilaratingly savage satire of the fashion industry and all the parasites who suck the life out of it. Ably assisted by first perfect partner Dawn French, June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks, these women prove out what sad losers the girls of <I>Sex In The City</I> are truly about.
In this wonderfully trashy and vaudevillian packaging contains all five seasons of the multi-award winning series and all the specials. It also comes chock full of illuminating extra content like an interview with Lumley when she was a true supermodel as well as the original French & Saunders skit that inspired the series. It also includes a ton of outtakes and a number of other elements well worth a true believers attention.
Still, what really counts are the episodes. As the overdosed-by-everything Edwina and Patsy, Saunders and Lumley are so wonderfully arch yet somehow manage to keep their complete absurdity from going over the top. Even more interesting is how Saunders managed to have the characters develop over time, changing (dare I say mature?), yet still staying true to their core. Plus how can you not love a show that sees Marianne Faithful as God and provided wonderful spotlights for 60’s pop icons Twiggy and Lulu, not to forget Whoopi Goldberg as a New York marriage counselor?
In all, this is set is, pardon the cliché, absolutely fabulous. If Marianne truly is God, she should reserve Saunders and Lumley a deluxe condo in heaven, next to Dusty Springfield, of course, luvs.
<b>BLOOD BROTHERS III/RESURRECTION (FUNimation)</b>
Well…it looked like this series was supposed to end with this volume. After watching it, I sure hope it doesn’t.
Based on a light series of modern fantasy novels, one could consider this set the first volume of the anime analog. It now firmly establishes the motivations for the main hero, Jiro (aka Silver Blade), why his nemeses the Kowloon Children want the vampiric sanctuary The Special Zone so much, as well as the full relationship between Jiro and his “brother” Kotaro. Most important, it outlines Jiro’s tremendous future sacrifice if his wishes are met.
So yes, this is a Japanese vampire series, but it now lays down the foundation for a lot of intriguing post-goth possibilities. While these three DVDs can be seen as complete as their own, the strong characters, intriguing plot lines, the high quality animation and incredible potential for more has my attention. Watch it and no doubt you’ll want to see more also.
<b>CRASH & BURN (Genius)</b>
The IMDB reports that Michael Madsen will be in over a dozen different films this year. Maybe being in so many productions can explain why he might have missed a big beat with this one.
The basics are Madsen plays a criminal who hands co-star Erik Palladino (<I>ER</I>) a list of exceedingly rare cars to heist. Palladino has to deliver all the cars within a set time limit or there’ll be the usual hell to pay. Of course, there’s a rival gang that is out to thwart the plans of Palladino and his cronies.
Sound familiar? Can you say <I>Gone In 60 Seconds</I>? I knew you could. Oh, Palladino is an FBI undercover officer. Wow.
Truth is <I>Crash & Burn</I> is a decent enough time waster if it wasn’t so a shallow rip-off. Madsen, as one would expect, plays a solid heavy. Palladino is fun in his own right. Still, only pick this up if you never saw either version of <I>Gone</I>. This is definitely the most inferior of the three.
<b>DRAWN TOGETHER (Paramount) (2 DVDs)</b>
If you look back at the last interview (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=131765&highlight=Drawn) I did with the creators of <I>Drawn Together</I>, Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser, it would soon become pretty obvious they knew they were on their last season.
A show never exactly known for staying within the boundaries of common accepted taste, Silverstein and Jeser, took that as an excuse to push the boundaries of their own limits, with mixed results. While there were still some episodes that really were pretty funny, the final result was a grossness even organizations like National Lampoon wouldn’t reach. I mean, the two-part “Lost In Parking Space” was plainly two-parts too long, with it’s twin story lines of the Princess seeking the Rapture while the rest tried to survive being trapped in a shopping mall only came together at the very end. The rest was just a waste of time. On the other hand, “Breakfast Food Killer,” with its <I>Boogey Nights</I> allusions, is right on the money.
With the very last episode, the big anti-climax is all the characters receive pink slips and the series is brought to a screeching (some might call it singing) halt. While this last set does hit a couple of right notes, it unfortunately hits more flat ones…and by that we mean unfunny, not Foxxxy or the Princess’ racks, either
<b>5 FILMS BY DARIO ARGENTO (Anchor Bay) (5 DVDs)
• The Card Player (2004)
• Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005).
• Phenomena (1985)
• Tenebre (1982)
• Trauma (1993)</b>
It’s absolutely appropriate that the artwork on this boxed tin is primarily in yellow. Argento is the master of “giallo” (Italian for “yellow”) cinema, that wonderful subgenre of suspense and horror based on Italian pulp/comic book fiction of the same name.
This set covers a wide span of his career. They start with two of his most recent efforts, and move on to some of most recent efforts. True, there’s nothing like <I>Suspira</I> or <I>Opera</I> in the mix. But if you get your hands on some of his earlier 70s work, like his Animal Trilogy, and one it up with this set, you wind up with a comprehensive history of one of horror’s most distinctive auteurs.
Argento never does an overt slasher. What sets him apart is twofold. First, his love of mysteries and Hitchcock insured a deeper subtext to everything he did. His love of pulps insured the psychological elements are balanced with Jacobean shock and awe. Most important, he knew how to balance these two elements. After all, seeing someone decapitated by window glass is good for a scare, but if the psychological elements don’t match up, the film ends up a bloody mess.
Personally, I found his homage to Hitchcock the pick of this litter. Argento never denies his passions for the master of suspense, and manages to do a pretty solid reinterpretation in this vicious whodunit. I found things a lot messier with the film <I>Phenonema</I>. A girl with a psychic connection with insects thwarting a deformed serial murderer just didn’t work, even with Donald Pleasance in the cast. My sense of shock just didn’t grok tons of maggots and a cute monkey in the same picture.
On the plus side, Anchor Bay packed this set with a ton of extra content, ranging anywhere from a thorough biography on Argento to him providing a lot of insights with each film commentary. Every film is also nicely restored, uncut and uncensored. So while the films inside might be a tad uneven, I still see this box as one solid addition to my giallo library.
<b>HONEY & CLOVER (Viz)</b>
This live action movie is based on a manga of about a half-dozen art students that even the art world would find a tetch out of touch. Some are talented. Some are art students. Thing is, the movie works.
What sets this one apart from other anime-based productions is first time director Masahiro Takada gives his cast a lot of room to express themselves. This works particularly well when it comes to the oddest girl in the bunch, Hagu (Yu Aoi) and resident genius Morita (Yususke Iseya). While some of the situations they’re in are too weird for words, they manage to get us involved anyway. Another thing the film could have used is a minor trim. At nearly two hours, it moves from one situation to another, some exceptional, some out-and-out boring.
Still, if I were to grade this effort, I’d give it a B+. Not a bad job for Takada’s freshman effort. If he keeps this up, think he has the makings of a master.
<b>MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: SEASON 4 (Paramount) (7 DVDs)</b>
If there really is one thing that sets this landmark spy series apart from the competition, is it could take a major change of cast and still make fans come back for more. The first time this happened is when the incredible actor Steven Hill left as the leader of the IMF to be replaced by Peter Graves, who used the opportunity to become the iconic Mr. Phelps.
With this set, two more of its biggest stars, Barbara Bain (Cinnamon) and Martin Landau (Rollin Hand) would bolt for what they hoped were greener pastures, and be replaced by new member Paris, played by the just off the Enterprise Leonard Nimoy. For eye candy, Lee Merriweather would come slink out of her guise as Catwoman and help save the day, among many of the other hot actresses of the day. Don’t forget series stables Greg Morris or Willie Lupus, either.
What did stay the same was the incredibly tight plots. Each of the 28 episodes had Phelps gather the team, throw in some great guest stars, and then take us to some exotic or god forsaken locale, and then literally do what seemed impossible. It incorporated the latest tech, the hottest fashions and the good guys would win no matter how big the obstacle in front of them.
My only gripe is for some reason they still don’t include the slightest bit of extra content. It’s a crying shame as I’m sure would be something to consider with Season Five.
OBAN STAR-RACER (Shout! Factory) (2 DVDs)
With this decade starting to draw to a close, I’m starting to think just what animated projects will make my best-of list. Don’t be absolutely surprised if <I>Oban Star-Racer</I> flies into the top ten, if not higher.
After all, this unique French-Japanese hybrid starts with an exceedingly strong story line and characters, full of plot twists and dramatic situations. To top it, creator Savin Yeatman-Eiffel helped develop one of the most eye-pleasing yet innovative character and backdrop designs I’ve seen in ages. His sense of timing, particularly in the racing sequences, is superlative.
Like the first volume, this collection comes with some nice add-ons, particularly the “making of” feature where the team moves from pre-production into post. Probably the most interesting element is the virtual begging Yeatman-Eiffel went through to get the legendary Yoko Kanno to do the opening and closing themes.
In all, a truly sweet package. No one without this in their collection can call themselves a true fan of animation.
<b>RAMBO: THE FIGHT CONTINUES (Lion's Gate) (2 DVDs)</b>
Hate to admit it, but I ended up enjoying this set in a perverse kind of way.
Yes, it’s pretty damn obvious that Sly Stallone has taken just one too many shots of HGH for his own good. He’s become so muscle-bound his movements are all too slow and stiff for what’s good for him. So is his acting. The script is also pretty simplistic, with Stallone going into the wilds of north Myanmar to save a pack of hard-headed, but well-intentioned, missionaries. The church also provides him with a few Predator-reject mercs, but no where near enough to sensibly take on an entire army of bloodthirsty Burmese killers.
After all, we’re talking about Cyclone Rambo here. Halfway into the film it stops moralizing about the atrocities being committed in that part of Asia and concentrates on what Rambo fans really want; a grindhouse Guignol of severed limbs, daisy cutters, surface-to-air missiles and lots and lots and lots of blood and gore all over the place. When you get down to it, Stallone can choreograph one hell of a ballistic ballet right up there with the likes of Rodriguez, Tarantino and Zombie.
So if you like seeing at least a few hundred different ways to kill your fellow human being in the most inhumane manner possible, this one’s for you. If you don’t, I don’t think Stallone and his fans will miss you, either.
<b>SHIN CHAN: SEASON ONE (FUNimation) (2 DVDs)</b>
In the back of my mind I’m wondering. Just what would happen if there was a gross-out contest between this monkey-cheeked boy and Bart Simpson. It wouldn’t be a matter of who would win, but who would survive?
You got to say, Master Shin would certainly animation’s yellow kid a workout. Talk about an unbridled id-boy, this one would have Freud flipping in his flivver. After all, he doesn’t have anything like a sister named Lisa to keep him in check. He also has not one, but two Homers as parents. If that isn’t enough, how can you not like a universe that includes the likes of Principle Ensh or that Mutha-bleeping Happiness bunny.
If that’s not enough, when the creators decide its time to turn their jaundiced eyes on parody, they are wonderfully brutal. Their parody of Batman alone is worth the price of admission here fans (and if that ain’t enough, the inclusion of the Japanese version of the same episode is just so sweet). Heck, what’s especially fun is you can see the people in the ADR room had a field day working this over, and made sure we were in on the jokes. If you don’t believe, check out the extra content which includes outtakes and even auditions.
In the meantime, dream on about Bart v. Shin. I know I’d like a ringside seat if it ever happened.
<b>SHINOBI NO MONO 2: VENGEANCE (AnimEigo)</b>
According to the notes, this cinematic series was the one that put the modern ninja movie on the map. Starring the late Raizo Ichikawa, who did a whopping 150-plus movies in his 15 year career, it extends the mythology of the Iga clan, much like such animes as <I>Ninja Scrolls</I> and <I>Basilisk</I>.
In this film, Ichikawa plays the legendary Goeman (who I always thought was a samurai, but…). In here he’s an Iga who doesn’t want anything to do with war. After all, the warlord Nobunaga (Tomisaburo Wakayama) apparently destroyed Goeman’s clan in the previous film. But when one of the Damyo’s samurai throws Goeman’s son into a fire and kills him, the gloves are off. We’re knee deep in bloody intrigue and ninjitsu.
While I must commend AnimEigo for their extensive notes and restoration of this 1963 gem, sometimes their fannish-ness gets in the way, too. This particularly hit home in the commentary track, where author Ric Meyers spends as much time talking about himself and other non-related films as he does in the film in question. I mean, yeah, I’d love learning more about the <I>Zatoichi</I> franchise, but on DVD devoted to it, please. The optional pop-up notes also have a habit of not only blocking off major parts of the screen, but also being redundant. A little restraint guys, please, and you’ll be putting out perfection.
Otherwise, any fan of Japanese costume dramas should include this series in their library.
<b>STARGATE INFINITY: COMPLETE SERIES (4 DVDs)</b>
I remember when I was doing research on this series, the vitriol reserved for this show was usually reserved for the likes of <I>Yu-Gi-Oh!</I> at its worst or some of the most abysmal cheapos of the 70s. I never saw anything <I>that</I> bad.
For those who don’t know, this animated spin-off of the Stargate franchise is set somewhere in the indefinite future. One of Stargate Command’s greatest heroes, one Major Bonner, is framed for being a traitor. He ends up jumping through the ‘gate with some of his protégés, including a proper mix of aliens, to clear himself. From there we go from world to world, meeting all kinds of aliens, while he tries to clear his name and save the universe.
Nothing too fancy plot-wise. The animation is actually not bad. As none of the original creators were involved, this series isn’t considered cannon, but that’s quite common in a live-action to animated conversion. As it stands, the series is fine for its intended audience, nine-to-eleven year-olds. Who knows? If it wasn’t originally on the Fox Box block, it might have had a chance.
So does this series deserve the bile it gets? Hardly. Is it the greatest animated series ever? No, not by a long shot. Still, this is a series that could have been interesting if handled a tad better. While it’s not a set I would heartily endorse, it ain’t one I’m sorry I ever set eyes on.