http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:01:50 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/06/080150.php ShiroiOjiGainax has done it again. The studio that brought us series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and FLCL, (Fooly Cooly,) has brought us Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. Translated and released in the US by a company which is quickly becoming one of my favorites, ADVision did a great job of not only maintaining a faithful translation of the anime, but also portraying our main characters, 12 year olds Arumi and Sashi, as being from Osaka by giving them Southern Drawls in the English dub. A brief warning: the first episode is hard to get through, and much worse than the rest of the series. Do not let yourself be scared away from the series by this episode. This episode sets the series up as though it is about to become some sort of deep emotional story about two children about to be separated by one family moving away from the crumbling community in which they were both raised. However, this is the only part of the series that will have you thinking this. This is in fact a crazy comedy, one which will have the viewer laughing more and more depending on one's knowledge of anime and pop culture.Arumi and Sashi quickly discover that they are being thrust into dimension after dimension, and that the only way for them to get back home is to capture the particular goblin that got them into the situation in the first place. Each dimension is a crazy place, where they see the same faces as those in their own world, only in vastly different ways. Of course, the transsexual character would have to be one of my favorites, and she shows up constantly. Viewers should also be more than amused by the swearing Elvis that makes an appearance, played by another face we've become used to by the time he shows up.The show does take a turn for the more serious towards the end, but the comedy keeps coming throughout, and this is a definite recommendation for when one is in the mood for something light and fun. Do not expect to learn a lot from this, or to think too deeply about the subject matter, only to have a great crazy romp through the multiverse!Published:CMP Video40525@blogcritics.org Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:01:50 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/14/155709.php ShiroiOjiI first saw Spirited Away, also known as Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi, with my Japanese class. Since watching it the first time, I have watched it many times, noticing new things about it each and every time I see it. As far as I am concerned, this fascinating movie is Hayao Miyazaki at his best. We are introduced to Chihiro and her family as they drive towards their new home. Chihiro is justifiably upset, clutching her farewell bouquet as she sulks about the move. While placating her, her parents realize that they have taken a wrong turn and have ended up in the wrong area, though they can see the road that they should have taken from their vantage point. The car faces an eerie tunnel, one which makes Chihiro very uncomfortable. Her intrigued parents, however, want to explore. She follows them, as she is but a child, and scared to be alone in the woods by herself.As the trio explore the surroundings, they cross a dried-up stream and encounter what looks to them to be an abandoned theme park. Oddly enough, the food stalls are fully stocked, and the tantalizing scents seduce Chihiro's parents into trying some of it. As soon as they begin eating, however, they become hooked, and cannot seem to stop eating. Chihiro will not stand by to watch this, so she decided to go off on her own.As the sun begins to set, however, she is told to leave rather abruptly by a young man. In a panic, she runs back to where her parents remain, gorging themselves on various foods. Of course, it can never be as simple as running back and being able to get away easily, can it? Chihiro finds that her parents have quite literally made pigs of themselves. Scared of the ghostly forms that are appearing and the sudden transformation of her parents, she speeds away, heading back towards the car. However, the dried-up stream has become an ocean. Chihiro is stuck.Chihiro has to struggle through the spirit world and meets many interesting characters, some benevolent, some much less so, through her adventures here. Some of the creepiest end up being some of the best and most interesting, even when the character has no real lines, such as the Radish Spirit. Added to the excellent storyline and deep characters are the wonderful voice stylings, at least in the English versions, of people such as Daveigh Chase, (Donnie Darko, Stitch!), Michael Chiklis (The Shield, Fantastic Four), and Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show).Spirited Away will take you on a rollercoaster ride through the spirit world, a surprisingly regulated place. Miyazaki does a wonderful job of maturing the character of Chihiro from a disagreeable brat into a young woman whom the audience can like and respect. A tale of friendship and wonderment, this is a movie I would recommend to everyone. ED/PUB:LM Video37869@blogcritics.org Fri, 14 Oct 2005 15:57:09 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/08/113131.php ShiroiOjiThis movie was lent to me by a friend, and I have to tell you, I really wasn't looking forward to seeing it. The picture on the front, combined with the description on the back had me thinking that this was going to be slow and cheesy. I couldn't have been more wrong.It's Christmas, and the Harrington family is driving to spend the holiday with the in-laws, and bringing their daughter's boyfriend along. Frank, the father, is driving, and while everyone has nodded off, has decided to take a "shortcut." After twenty years of going on the highway, he's become bored with it, and wants to take a more stimulating way so that he can stay awake for the rest of the drive. This turns out to be somewhat pointless, however, as he nods off and nearly drives into another car. Awake and alert now, the weirdness begins. Frank pulls over to pick up a woman and her baby, and Marion, the daughter, gets out of the car to take a walk and clear her head while Frank drives towards a cabin he saw a short way back down the street to find the woman some help. The woman, however, seems to be in shock, and is unresponsive to attempts at conversation. She is left alone with Marion's boyfriend. From here on in, the movie is a spookfest, with a lot of humor intentionally thrown in to keep the viewer off-balance. The dialogue gets better and better as the movie progresses, and you begin to genuinely care about the characters, especially as they start to be brutally butchered. The timing is amazing, and silence is utilized well to maximize some of the creepier scenes. This is not a movie that is going to have you scared out of your mind, but rather one that will fill you with dread, make you crack up laughing, and then bring you right back to feeling creeped-out.All in all, a great flick, and one that is entirely underrated. There are some standard horror movie devices, such as people wandering off alone only to be slaughtered, but it's easy to look past the stereotypical things because of how highly the movie draws your attention in.An additional note: for those fans of Something About Mary Lin Shaye, otherwise known as Magda, plays the mother in this family. Like you needed any more reason to see it. Video37581@blogcritics.org Sat, 8 Oct 2005 11:31:31 EDT