Zatoichi the Fugitive (1963)

Zatoichi the Fugitive

Medium: Film
Director: Tokuzo Tanaka
Country: Japan
Released: 1963
First Consumed: April 11, 2012
Format: Hulu streaming (via PS3)
Rating: 7.0

The Series gets its first repeat director, Tane returns married to an asshole, and we get the best, most insane sword fight yet. It's also the only one you could call boring at times. Though even with Tane showing up, the plot is completely new. No Boss Kanbei or hometown pals still trying to kill him.

That fight at the end makes it all worth it. It is too good.

Justified, Season 3

Justified, Season 3

Medium: TV
Creator: Graham Yost
Network: FX
Dates Aired: Jan. 17 - April 10 2012
Consumption completed: April 10, 2012
Genre: Drama
Rating:9.5/10

Graham Yost and his writers deliver yet another wonderful season of Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens killing bad dudes. They must have felt some strong pressure to recapture the what they had in Mags Bennett as the big bad. They didn't quite succeed, but damn if they didn't give us two of the most compelling villains this season in Robert Quarles and Elston Limehouse. On top of that, Boyd Crowder was back in top criminal form.

Justified isn't only about the villains, though. Everyone was in top form. Timothy Olyphant is much deserving of some Emmy love, and Joelle Carter made Ava's transition into the criminal a beautiful thing.

Here's to the long look forward to another season of one of TV's best shows. (Rumors that Yost is courting Jeff Goldblum for the 4th season appeared today. Holy Shit, right?)

Retribution (2006)

Retribution

Medium: Film
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Released: 2006
First Consumed: April 9, 2012
Format: Netflix streaming
Rating: 7.5/10

I feel I should open with this. Kairo (Pulse) is probably my favorite horror film of the past 20 or so years. It's probably one of my favorite horror films ever. It's definitely the only movie, as an adult, I've had to pause at night so I could turn the lights on because I was so fucking scared. There. Now you know.

The rest of the 2nd best Kurosawa's filmography (that I've seen) proves to me that he's a master of creepy atmosphere and slow-moving scares. And yes, I'm including his 2009 drama Tokyo Sonata. That shit's scary as hell.

Retribution is ultimately a bit predictable, but that's not really a problem. The scary parts scare, and the whole thing is tinged with Kurosawa's brilliant brand of creepy weird. It's not one of his best, but it's worth your time.

'Desertshore' by Nico

Desertshore

Medium: Album

Artist: Nico
Label: Reprise
Country: Germany
Released: 1970
First Consumed: April 9, 2012
Genre: Avant-Folk
Rating:5/10

RYM All-Time List: #566
I'm not ashamed to admit that love for Nico baffles me. Desertshore has plenty mood and atmosphere, and.... Yeah, that's about it.

I do not care for Nico. Does this make me a bad person?

RYM All Time list refers to the list of greatest albums ever recorded, as voted by users, on RateYourMusic.com

Happy Endings, Season 2

Happy Endings, Season 2

Medium: TV
Creator: David Caspe
Network: ABC
Dates Aired: Sept. 28, 2011 - April 4, 2012
Consumption completed: April 8, 2012
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 9/10

I'm still not sure how to document television within the format of the blog. I know I don't want to do single episode reviews, and waiting until a series is over could take years. For now, I'll write up whole seasons of currently-airing shows.

I started to really enjoy Happy Endings at the end of its first season,but fell in love hard when it came back in the fall. There wasn't a bad episode all season. When this is on in my house, it's rare to hear five consecutive seconds without us laughing. This is comedy that is both physical and wordy and clever. It goes for obscure film references and simple fart and fall-down jokes. The writers have been magnificently pulling jumbled and busy plots together into something great, while also fleshing out these silly characters into deeper, more emotionally engaging silly characters.

I highly recommend this series, and I hope desperately that it returns next fall.

New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)

New Tale of Zatoichi

Medium: Film
Director: Tokuzo Tanaka
Country: Japan
Released: 1963
First Consumed: April 9, 2012
Format: Hulu streaming (via PS3)
Rating: 7.5

Well, I got those 20 minutes of runtime I asked for back. I'm now three filma into the Zatoichi series and have yet to see any sort of growth or change in quality. New Tale feels more complex in its plotting than the previous two entries, but that doesn't make it any better. It also introduces several new characters, while still dealing with actions of the past two films.

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues ended with the blind masseur killing the cruel Boss Kanbei, his employer in the first film. New Tale finds him back in his home town where Kanbei's brother and some cronies have tracked him down. Also, Zatoichi reunites with his old sword teacher (who's totally a dick), and gets involved in a love triangle that you know immediately isn't going to pan out well for anybody (The series seems to still be unclear on how to handle the romantic aspects of Zatoichi. The plot here isn't dissimilar to that of the Zatoichi/Tane relationship of the first two films, but Zatoichi acts much differently here). There's also a weird hostage sub plot that mostly plays out in the tertiary until the climax. And none of this matters because Zatoichi is depressed and sick of killing. Shintaro Katsu is called upon to cry several times.

Yeah, that's too much stuff. It could have been executed worse, though. We still have time for Zatoichi's typical brooding, which is a plus.


My modern American brain can only accept film franchises in the form of trilogies, so I'm unfairly expecting some major shake-ups in the next entry.

This was the first Zatoichi film shot in color. I liked the black and white, and the color added absolutely nothing but a more modern look, but it shore is purty.

Hobson's Choice (1954)

Hobson's Choice

Medium: Film
Director: David Lean
Country: United Kingdom
Released: 1954
First Consumed: April 9,2012
Format: Hulu Streaming (via PS3)
Rating: 8/10

I believe Hobson's Choice was one of David Lean's only comedies. That's a shame, as based on the film, he had quite a knack for it. Or maybe it's not such a shame. His dramas and epics are all fantastic. Maybe Hobson's Choice (and Blithe Spirit, which I've not seen) is just a nice change of pace of the master.

The great Charles Laughton inhabits the titular role of a domineering and drunken patriarch who tries to marry off his younger daughters and force the eldest (Brenda De Banzie) into running his boot store while he gets plastered down at the pub. Banzie's inherited some of her father's more bossy and controlling traits but has them balanced with a real intelligence and cunning. Watching her dismantle her father's plans, and then his business is the real joy of watching Hobson's Choice.

Well, that and Charles Laughton. He's not just the buffoon the above poster makes him out to be.

'Fire of Love' (1981) by The Gun Club

Fire of Love

Medium: Album

Artist: The Gun Club
Label: Ruby
Country: United States
Released: August 31, 1981
First Consumed: April 8, 2012
Genre: Punk Blues/Post-Punk
Rating: 6.5/10

RYM All-Time List: #545

Apparently this is considered the first album to combine punk and blues. Obviously some sort of credit and appreciation is due. Otherwise I found little to hold onto while listening to Fire of Love. But who knows? This is probably a grower. It often takes a while for post-punk releases to grow on me. (I'm looking at you, Unknown Pleasures.)

RYM All Time list refers to the list of greatest albums ever recorded, as voted by users, on RateYourMusic.com

'Parallel Lines' by Blondie

Parallel Lines

Medium: Album

Artist: Blondie
Label: Chrysalis
Country: United States
Released: September 1978
First Consumed: April 6, 2012
Genre: New-Wave
Rating: 9.5/10

RYM All-Time List: #534

A stone-cold pop classic. Every song is great. Blondie shows a remarkable amount of range for what one could call an early pop-punk group. "Hanging on the Telephone" just instantly became one of my favorite album openers.


RYM All Time list refers to the list of greatest albums ever recorded, as voted by users, on RateYourMusic.com

'The Holiday Inn Tapes' (1987) by Roky Erickson

The Holiday Inn Tapes

Medium: Album

Artist: Roky Erickson
Label: Fan Club
Country: United States
Released: August 1987
First Consumed: April 6, 2012
Genre: Folk, Rock
Rating: 6.5/10

A collection of low-rent recordings from the weirdo master. His slightly improvised versions of folk standards are clumsy and crummy. His acoustic rendition of his classic "Don't Slander Me" is a highlight, though.

'Solid Air' (1973) by John Martyn

Solid Air

Medium: Album

Artist: John Martyn
Label: Island
Country: United Kingdom
Released: February 1973
First Consumed: April 6, 2012
Genre: British Folk-Rock
Rating: 7/10

RYM All-Time List: # 537

Obviously instant reactions aren't the best basis for an assessment and review, and they'll continue to get me into trouble when it comes to albums like this. There's much to unpack in Martyn's weird folk-rock/jazz/blues album that I haven't been able to give the proper amount of attention. It's hard to get into at first, but I had completely given myself over to its moody atmosphere well before the end.



RYM All Time list refers to the list of greatest albums ever recorded, as voted by users, on RateYourMusic.com

'Split Cranium' (2012) by Split Cranium

Split Cranium

Medium: Album

Artist: Split Cranium
Label: Hydra Head
Country: United States
Released: March 20, 2012
First Consumed: April 6, 2012
Genre: Crust/Hardcore
Rating:7/10

A solid 80s-style, crusty hardcore release featuring the former Isis frontman on vocals. It's mostly fast and dirty, with the occasional noise interlude thrown in for good measure. It's an enjoyable punch in the face.

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

Medium: Film
Director: Kazuo Mori
Country: Japan
Released: 1962
First Consumed: April 6, 2012
Format: Hulu Streaming (via PS3)
Rating: 7.5

Zatoichi Continues picks up a year after the first film. Zatoichi is on his way back to the town where he reluctantly killed his ronin friend.. He stops in another town to give a lord a massage and inadvertently discovers the secret that he is gay (or "mentally unstable"). His minions are sent to kill him. Back in the other town, the yakuza boss is after him and Tane is still on love with him. Then a one-armed man revealed to be Zatoichi's brother shows up looking to kill him too.

At a brisk 72 minutes, this film is much tighter in pace than the first. It also features more action in the form of a couple breathtaking sword fights. But we still have plenty of time for Zatoichi to wallow in his regret of killing the ronin.

This second film is very good, but not quite up to par with the first. I could have used the extra 20 minutes to hang out with Zatoichi. If there is one thing this lacked, I'd say its the wonderful, intangible charm that The Tale of Zatoichi just oozed so effortlessly.

'Hangman's Hymn' (2007) by Sigh

Hangman's Hymn

Medium: Music

Artist: Sigh
Label: Osmose
Country: Japan
Released: 2007
First Consumed: April 5, 2012
Genre: Black/Symphonic/Progressive Metal
Rating: 9/10

This is how you mix the heaviness and darkness of black metal with the more experimental and orchestral elements of progressive metal. Sigh puts on an hour-long festival of darkness that is so addictive I had this on repeat a few times. It's crushing black metal with some power metal solos springled throughout, held together by absolutely manic vocals.

Metal fans should all be familiar wit Sigh, an unpredictable Japanese outfit that defies most genre tags. Hymn is probably their most traditionally accessible, and thus a great place in their discography to begin your acquaintance with these freaks. From here, I'd tackle their more avant-garde releases, Infidel Art and Imaginary Sonicscape. Then it's on to their crazy, drunken opus, 2012's In Somniphobia.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home (2012)

Jeff, Who Lives At Home

Medium: Film
Director: Jay & Mark Duplass
Country: United States
Released: March 16, 2012
First Consumed: April 5, 2012
Format: Theater
Rating: 7.5


I feel that for most people Jeff, Who Lives At Home will be much to silly. It's funny, sure, but its little plot holes and obsession with signs (and Signs) might seem too weird. Especially if you believe the Duplass brothers are treating the ideas of universal connectivity and "signs" entirely seriously. I don't think they were, nor do i believe they were making fun of anything. It seemed more like they were having fun with Jeff (Jason Segel) and his need for everything to be connected.

The film is ostensibly about Jeff, but he does very little after the beginning until the very end. His older brother Pat (Ed Helms) drives the majority of the story. I found this until I realized that Jeff's arc was all about realizing the universe and its signs weren't just for him, but for everybody. He has to come to terms with the fact that it might not be his story.

If it now all sounds even sillier, well, then that's fair. It is silly. But it's a hell of a great time.

'Urd' (2012) by Borknagar

Urd

Artist: Borknagar
Label: Century Media
Country: Norway
Released: March 27, 2012
Date Consumed: April 5, 2012
Genre: Black/Progressive/Folk Metal
Rating: 6.5/10

A fine album from a fine band. They're particular brand of progressive black metal does little for me. It's not blackened enough. The several passages where they drop all the prog flourishes and orchestration you can hear some quality black metal.

Am I saying Borknagar should be less ambitious with their sound, and fundamentally change the direction they've been moving in since, I don't know, let's say The Olden Domain? Of course not. I can see why people are making such a fuss about this album. It's apparently just not my thing.

The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

The Tale of Zatoichi

Medium: Film
Director: Kenji Misumi
Released: April 18, 1962
First Consumed: April 5, 2012
Format: Hulu Plus stream (via PS3)
Rating: 8/10

My first entry into this new blog is quite a good one. Zatoichi is a classic Japanese hero with whom I've long been meaning to become acquainted. Though light on action until the end, the film cruises on Shintaro Katsu's brilliant performance in the title role. He effortlessly comes off as a charming, regular guy with a disability who just happens to wield incredible sword skills. Misumi provides a simple, focused direction, choosing not to get in the way of the performances. The film also features some wonderful sound design, successfully letting the audience experience Zatoichi's heightened senses.

Through the Criterion's VOD service on Hulu I hope to go through the first 16 entries into the Zatoichi canon.

So after abandoning a blog almost exactly a year ago, I make my return with a similar but hopefully more focused blog. I'll be providing capsule reviews in this format for all i watch, read and listen to.

And before anyone can notice, I'll go ahead and mention that this format is largely borrowed from the film journal of Simon Abrams. He is one of the absolute best film writers on the internet, and his blog is always a great read.