Fades (BBC3 9..-10.PM Wednesday’s) vs. Bleach (on-going anime)

 

A new supernatural series, Fades, started on BBC3 yesterday and yes, it was good but I was only about 10 minutes into the episode when I started to notice a few similarity’s to an anime called Bleach.

First off let’s start off with an over view of the shows.

 Fades follows Paul a young man who starts to see ‘Fades’, these are the ghosts who have not gone above (to the afterlife) but have remained on earth.  When Paul starts to see the Fades he is in a rundown shopping centre where he meets Neil and the badly injured Sarah who are fighting ‘something’ (when asked if it is a fade the reply is ‘no he is something else’).

As well as the ability to see Fades Paul is also having dreams about the end of the world, a talent he shared with Sarah.

Paul meets up with Neil again who starts to help him use his abilities. 

Bleach is a Japanese anime that follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 17 year old High school student who has the ability to see ghosts.  Ichigo finds that there is something attacking the ghost’s and ends up helping woman named Rukia when the creature (called a Hollow) attacks her.  Rukia turns out to be from soul society (the afterlife) and, due to being injured she passes on her power to Ichigo who she then trains in fighting the Hollows.

So, both shows follow a main character that have the ability to see ghosts when most people are not even aware of their existence.

Both shows have one afterlife as a pose the normal (western) 2 (Heaven & Hell)

Both main characters have a trainer who is slightly outside the law, Rukia from Bleach passed her powers onto the mortal Itchigo which is a major crime in soul society.  Neil, in Fades uses guns (illegal in the UK) and is always on the move, as we have only had one episode of Fades we don’t know much about Neil’s past but it is likely that he is living outside of the law.

Both shows have spirits that have stayed on earth instead of going to the afterlife.  In Bleach this either because they have a reason to stay or they are scared to cross over.

In Fades we are first told that it is because many of the paths to the afterlife have been blocked by concert but, at the end of the first episode a spirit does not cross over seemingly by choice (I’m trying not give too much away)

Both shows have a secondary type of undead which is the main enemy of the show (I know Bleach has more than one type of undead antagonist but it also has over 400 episodes, as Fades only has one episode at the time of righting so I’m using the first series of Bleach)

The Hollows in Bleach are formed from an angry ghost who cannot Passover to the afterlife because they are attached to the world for an reason, normally, greed or another selfish reason, this eats away at them leaving them empty or hollow, once they pass the point of no return they become a Hollow.

Although we don’t yet know what ‘He’ is in Fades we know that he is a form of undead and that He has only recently been able to touch/harm the living and if He makes it across then others will follow.  We are also told that the ghosts who remain on earth cannot touch any living matter because it will burn them; this leaves a lot of them feeling angry and empty.

Ichigo has supernatural help in the form of Rukia and it is hinted that there will be a ghost helping Paul at the end of episode 1.

There are also supporting cast members who have different but useful powers to the main charter. Ichigo has a number of friends with powers the main 3 are:

Orihime who can heal

Yasutora (Chad) who has extra strength

Ishida who has wepons of faith

Again I know there are a lot more characters in Bleach but you tend to pick up a big supporting cast in 400 episodes.

In the first episode of fades we have been introduced to Helen who has the ability to heal, like Orihime it takes a lot to use this power, unlike Orihime Helen can heal with the power of touch  and not with the help of fairy’s but we  did see a moth come out of her mouth after the healing.

As well as the characters and plot the two shows have a similar feel, true Fades is played a bit more for jumps but both shows follow a hero who is different but who needs the help of his friends.  The settings and camera angles in both shows are very similar as well as the look and feel of the ghosts.

I am aware that, as a species we share many myths and significant archetypes but Fades breaks with at least one current western myth by only having one realm in the afterlife instead of the generally know two (Heaven & Hell).  To get so many similarities into a show which has had only one episode and a show like Bleach strikes me as a bit odd especially as Bleach is from Japan, a country which, in many ways is culturally different from our own to the extent that their cultural archetypes can be seen to be different.

In saying all that there has only been one episode of Fades so it could easily take a different turn. If not expect possessed stuffed toys, creepy shop owners who know what’s going on, women turning into cats and a visit from whoever lives in the afterlife.  Even if Fades does take a different turn I wouldn’t be surprised to see at least one of those to turn up and if it’s the cat women let’s hope she has the same sense of humour as Yoruichi 

Nude Nuns with Big Guns (2010)

Title - Nude Nuns with Big Guns
Director - Joseph Guzman
Language - English
Genra - Grindhouse, action, nunspolitation (is that even a word)









"Who the F@*k are you" almost every cast member to Sister Sarah.



Right, today's challenge is to review this without having to to change my settings to the ones for a mature audience or offending too many people.
 
Sister Sarah is a nun who has been sent from her convent to a church in Mexico because she sinned, her sin was being caught with another nun.  Unfortunately the church she was sent to is involved with the manufacture and supply of drugs, and prostitution.  When Sister Sarah is caught trying to hide a pack of drugs she is given to the local bike gang who also run the local brothel were she is kept on drugs and raped until she is almost dead which is when she is given to the closest thing the bike gang have to a doctor to either revive or kill.  Mr Foo, the doctor revives Sister Sarah who tells him that she died and saw God who told her:
1) She was not read to died
2)She has to kill all those who are sinning in his name
So Sister Sarah sets out on a mission of revenge against the church & the "Los Muertos" biker gang.

I think I only remember about 5 scenes where everyone has all their clothes on (I'm not complaining, just saying), There's plenty of violence and more than one lesbian (I suppose that should be more than two, one lesbian would have limited appeal).

It is Questioned in the film whether Sister Sarah is really on a mission for God or the Devil or was she just hallucinating from all the drugs. Who she is working for doesn't really matter Sister Sarah is the closest thing 'Nude nuns with Big Guns' to a  morally good character, if you ignore all the killings and lesbianism (I'm not saying being a lesbian is a bad thing but in the context of the film , and as Sister Sarah is a nun it's a bad thing to the other characters).  The only other characters with any redeeming features are Sister Angelina who joins Sister Sarah and becomes her lover, Mr Foo (he may be part of Los Muertos" but he does try to help Sister Sarah and gives her her first set of guns so with out him it would be a  short movie), and a family who just happen to stop for gas at the petrol station run by Los Muerto, I think their there to show just how bad the gang are.  We are given more evidence that Sister Sarah is fighting on Gods side in to ways:
1) she is only ever hit by one bullet (& not at the end of the film as you may expect) but she manges to kill almost everyone whit one shot.
2) the closer to the end of the film we get the whiter & cleaner her habit becomes symbolising the righteousness and purity of Sister Sarah and her cause.

There seems to be a bit of an anti male theme running through Nude Nuns with Big Guns, the only two good characters are lesbians, with one exception all the bad guys are male.  Although both sides use sex to get information Sister Sarah is seen seducing Butch (the female owner of a motel)  and only goes far enough to get the information she wants where as "Las Muertos" have 'Kickstand who specialises in raping people to the information they want and the victim usually end up dead.  The (almost) final scene is also a pretty anti male (or at least anti sex) message that seems to imply that the source of all evil is the penis.

I do have to admit that I did enjoy 'Nude Nuns with Big Guns'  but it is defiantly not suitable for the young or easily offended & here's hoping that the 'To be continued' ending is followed through

Dead Hooker in a trunk (2009)

Title - Dead Hooker in a Trunk
Director - Jen & Sylvia Soska
Language - English
Genre - Action, horror, Grindhouse













One of the first things I noticed about 'Dead Hooker' is that none of the characters are named, the main cast are only known by their stereo type and the other characters are just know as what they are.


The film starts at a party which Junkie and Badass are at, but the story starts the following morning when Geek (Bad ass' sister) is asked to pick up her friend (Goody two Shoes).  After picking up Goody two shoes the group set off to pick up some drugs but on the way they realise there is a strange smell coming from the trunk of the car, when they look they find the body of a dead hooker and a lot of drugs, as Junkie & Bad Ass can't remember much of what happened at the party the night before they decide that they can't risk involving the police so head out to bury the body in the woods.


The four main cast each fill a role of a different stereo type, the Geek, The Junkie, The Bad Ass & the Goody Two Shoes providing a group dynamic that is always in conflict with the Junk & Bad Ass set against the Goody Two Shoes and the Geek but with the added complications of the Geek & the Bad Ass being sister's & of the Geek and Goody Two Shoes relationship


The Group are first pitted against each other when deciding what to do with the body, the Junkie and Bad Ass

want to get rid of it and the Geek and Goody two shoes want to report it to the police.  On the way to bury the body the group cross the police, the mafia & a pimp and are forced to work together (helped along the way by a guest appearance by God)


As 'Dead Hooker' plays out it covers the topic of  what is right, religion and the greater good all mixed with drugs, violence, blood, serial killers, sex & dead hookers.  'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' is over the top, from the main cast playing the typical movie stereo types & everyone they meet (except God) either trying to kill them or sleep with them to the amount of blood and injureys, but it works, no one really believes that hitting someone on the back of the head with a baseball bat would cause their eye to fall out and splat on the ground (we all know it would come out and hang by the optic nerve) but it work for the film, after all films are not real and 'Dead Hooker' is on the right side of over the top action.

The Host (2006)

Title - The Host
Director - Bong Joon-Ho
Language - Korean
Genre - Horror, Monster, comedy?













There are a few things you need to realise about 'The Host'.  You need to realise that almost every character is an idiot and they are meant to be.  You need to realise that the comedy is meant to be there, it sometimes seems out of place but once you realise it should be there and it's not over acting then you can appreciate it as a necessary part of the film.  You also need to know that there is a lot happening in 'The Host', there are 3 main plot lines which interweave the film, these are:
1) The monster
2) Hyun-seo's survival
3) The Virus
4) Gang-du & his family's search for Hyun-seo

All the plot lines link easily and, with the satirical look at Korea, make 'The Host' different to most of the other monster movies out there.  I will cover the plot lines to give a good look at the film.

1) The Monster -The Monster is mainly a plot device as a pose to an antagonist.  With the exception of the first appearance it is the presence of the monster that is used to move the plot along and not it's actions.
'The Host' starts off on a boat where a lab technician is ordered to pour bottles of formaldehyde down the drains which lead into the Han River.  This scene is never mentioned again and, as know one ever finds out where the monster came from it doesn't really add anything to it.  'The Host' really starts by Introducing Gang-du, his daughter Hyun-seo and his dad.  Gang-du and his dad own a food cart on the bank of the Han River and, whilst delivering food to one of his customers a shape is seen hanging off the near by bridge, as the picnickers watch the shape drops from the bridge and swims towards the bank and the on lookers throw food and beer at it.  The monster then come onto the land and starts chasing down and eating people.  One of the people it grabs is Hyun-seo, and that's almost it for the monster's rampage, we see it a few times and it is refers to but until the last couple of scene's the monster only really does one other important thing and that is...

2) Hyun-seo's survival - the monster does not kill Hyun-seo, instead it leaves her with some other body's in it's lair, it's not clear whether the monster knows that she is alive as it deposits a number of dead body's by her through out the film.  Hyun-seo spend most of the rest of the film trying to find a way out, other survivors and a way to get a message to the out side.

3) The Virus - After the first attack the Government & Army come to take charge, they are interested in anyone who has come into physical contact with the monster as, it is later reveiled, the monster is carrying an unknown virus.  This is one of the first scene's we are shown that it is not just Gang-du and his family that are stupid as the soldier who is trying to calm down the crowd decides that the best way of explaining what is happening to every one is to show them the news, we then watch as the soldier  goes through the channels on the tv only to realise that it is not time for the news.  The virus storyline is one of the main parts of the film and is used to show lack of communication between different groups of people and gives other characters a reason to dismiss facts that don't fit what they think is happening.

4) The Search for Hyun-Seo. Whilst being held awaiting tests for the virus Gang-du receives a phone call from Hyun-seo, this is the first sing that she is still alive.  Gang-du and his dad have been joined by his drunk, jobless brother and his bronze medal archer sister and they break out of the hospital to try and find Hyun-seo.  Hindered by the fact that a reward is put out on them and that they don't know where to look it seems unlikely that they will find Hyun-seo.

                                             *** Spoiler Alert ***
I don't like giving Spoilers but to continue this review I will have to mention some important plot facts so don't read on if you haven't seen the film.

As I've said all the characters except Hyun-seo are stupid, they all have their own ideas of what is happening & what needs to be done, the only charater that knows he is stupid is Gang-du and he is the only one who is right, but know one believes him.

Apart from Gung-du and his family there is the medical team who are looking into the virus, the American army who thing the Koreans are handling the monster and virus wrong and there are three sets of the public, the ones hunting Gang-du for the reward, the ones protesting against the American army's decision to use 'Agent Yellow' to stop the monster.  and the people who panic when some one sneezes after it is broadcast that there is an unknow virus on the loose.

The Korean and American army are so sure that know one has survived the monster attack that they are prepared to ignore the physical evidence of Hyun-seo's phone call.  In the same way the medical team are so convinced that even when they can not find the virus in the victims body's they can not accept that there is not actually a virus.  With all the different sides contradicting each other and the fact that only people who can actually see that there are survivors are idiots the search for Hyun-seo is continually delayed so that by the end of the film the  monster has ran off with Hyun-seo and the only other survivor, the American army release a toxin on an area full of protesters and Gang-du and his family are left to fight the monster alone.

It took me a bit of time to understand the the comedy aspect of the film was meant to be there but the film swing from high emotion to comedy slapstick which actually increases the emotional impact.

When I first saw the monster I thought it was a bit to much 'CG' almost cartoony but as it is only seen in full at the beginning it does not take anything away from the film.

The only other point on this film is what is the Host of the title, is it the monster who is keeping Hyun-seo in its lair or is it Gang-du who is the host of the none existent virus?

Goth, Love of Death (2009)

Title - Goth Love of Death (original title - Gosu)
Director - Gen Takahashi
Language - Japanese
Genre - Horror, Drama







"The Difference between you and me is the same as the difference between those who kill and those who are killed"
Kamiyama to Morino




Based on the Manga of the same title 'Goth, Love of Death' is tale about about identity & friendship.
The film opens with the discovery of a body, posed and dressed as if it is still alive, the only sign of harm to the body is that the left hand has been removed.  Amongst the gathering crowd is Morino who notices Kamiyama a boy from the same classes as her.  After the discovery of a second body Kamiyama and Morino meet up, both of them are fascinated by the murders and they decide to look into them, not to find out who is doing them but to see the next body's and to see why the kill is doing them, a task that is made easier when Morino finds a note book belonging to the killer.

Goth, Love of Death follows Morino & Kamiyama as they meet and find a common interest in the 'left hand murders' and, as the film unfolds it focuses on the difference's and similarities between the two characters and the murder.

When the film starts Morino is a quiet outsider, always reading and never saying more than a few words to each other, when she is a the murder scene's she is just an observer.  When she is alone a darker filter is used.  By contrast Kamiyama is one of the popular ones, everyone knows who he is and he is never alone but he seems to prefer to be alone, he is filmed through a bright filter.  The two characters are brought together by their shared interest in in murders, this interest, in both cases are caused by events in both of their pasts, in Morino's case her sister had hung her self whilst trying to play a prank & in Kamiyama's case his little sister had found a dead body on a couple of occasions.

As the film progresses it focuses on the growing friendship between Morino & Kamiyama and on their investigations into the murders.  Morino is portrait as a victim, from finding the body of her sister to the fact she looks simaler to the murder victims and, in one sceen lies in the spot of one of them so Kamiyama can photograph her, this is one of the few scene's that Morino is shot in bright filter.  It is hinted during the film that there is something she is hiding about the death of her sister and this is explained at the end of the film (I won't say what due to spoilers), this is a small sub plot that is more important to the manga version, I will go into this a bit later.
Kamiyama is portrait in a similar way to the murderer and, at the beginning of the film it is possible that he is the murderer.  He also seems to know more about Morino's past than he is letting on.

The film version of Got Love of Death does do the manga justice although it is shortened and in doing so it loses a bit of something.  In the manga the 'left hand murders' are only one of a set of murders that Morino & Kamiyama get involved with, most of which end with Morino almost being the next victim (or the intended victim) and most end with the murders escaping.  As the manga unfolds we find out more about Morino's past and, although it does pay a part in the film it is a vital part of the end of the manga.  The film does a good job of putting the mystery of Morino's past across but some parts don't really need to be in the film for example there is a scene where Morino receives a mysterious phone call from someone who knows about her past, in the manga this turns out to be from the final murderer but it is never really explained in the film.

The Pace of the film is slow, there is no urgency even when Kamiyama is looking for Morino when she has been taken by the killer, but there does not need to be, Kamiyama & Morino are not looking for the killer to stop him, they want him to continue his work so it does not matter that more people will die and, when Morino is captured Kamiyama is looking for her body so he has no need to rush.

Over all Goth, love of death is a good mystery film and is a change from the usual detective or 'CSI' type film & a good Manga

Bathory, Countess of Blood (2011)

Title - Bathory, Countess of Blood
Director - Juraj Jakubisko
Language - English
Genre - Gothic, Biography



"Marriage is a beauty and love is a sin" Elizabeth's Mother









Elizabeth Bathory has become as much a part of the Vampire myth as Vlad the Impaler.  Elizabeth was a Hungarian countess who live in the late 16th/early 17 century and she ruled her court in the absence and then after her husbands death, during her life there were a number of strange death's that were rumored to be Elizabeth's doing, these led to rumors that Elizabeth was bathing in the blood of her maid's.  It was also rumored that Elizabeth never aged, the legends end with Elizabeth being bricked up in her own palace, when the bricks were removed it is said that there was no body.  It is also said that Elizabeth is in the Guinness book of Records as the most prolific murderess.

Bathory, the film is a fictional biography of Elizabeth  Bathory with a twist, I can't say to much with out giving away spoilers but I'll give the review with out giving to much away.

As I've said Bathory is a fictional biography about the life of Elizabeth Bathory, it is split into three parts, each representing one of the three people who influenced or directed her life, these are:
Part 1 - Ferenc, Elizabeth's huband
Part 2 - Darvulia, A healer/witch who helps and advises Bathory
Part 3 - Thurzo, a Lord who is after Bathory and her land after the death of her husband.


The film is narrated by a monk who spends the majority of the film watching the events in Bathory's court and reporting her actions to the Catholic church.  Although he he does play a more important role in the final part of the film I found his narration at the beginning a bit annoying

Part one follows on the early life of Elizabeth from the arranged marriage to Ferenc to her accidental poisoning (more on this later).  It sets the mood of the film by showing Elizabeth & Fenric happy and then the loneliness as Elizabeth holds the court together and tries to protect the women of the court from the lords of the court whilst her husband is at war, to help run the court Elizabeth has to project a strong ruthless visage which means that most people are scared of her which only aids the loneliness she feels.  Elizabeth strikes up a friendship with an artist who was captures by Ferenc and given to Elizabeth to paint her portraits.  During the time Elizabeth spends with the artist she reviles that she has been acting as a nurse, healing people from the court with herbs and medicines in way's that some would class as witchcraft, she also reveals that she has an unknown disease that can, at times debilitate her.  In return the artist reveals that he is great Italian painter Caravaggio who was captured whilst fleeing Italy after killing a man.  Part 1 comes to an end when Ferenc returns from battle and is told that Elizabeth & Caravaggio are having an affair, Ferenc attempts to poison Caravaggio but Elizbeth is poisoned instead.

Part 2 started when Ferenc summons Darvulia to cure Elizabeth form the poison meant for Caravaggio.  Darvulia is a witch with the power of premonition and she tell's Elizabeth that she can help her with the other illness she suffers from, she gives Elizabeth a medical drink that does stop the symptoms of the illness and Elizabeth keeps Darvulia as an adviser.  through out the second part body's of women from the court start to appear and Elizabeth is seen bathing in a red liquid.  Caravaggio is also imprisoned at the beginning of the second part but is helped to escape.  At the end of the second part Ferenc dies.

Part 3 Focus' on the plans of Thurzo who is a lord that we have met earlier in the film, after Ferenc's death he is attempting to blackmail Elizabeth into marring him promising her protection, Elizabeth instead turns to her other relative in Transilvaina.  Throughout the third part there are more bodies found and a number of maids disappear.  The strain of running the court and defending her self from the accusations of witch craft and the plots of Thurzo take a strain on Elizabeth causing the to hallucinate this is made worse at the end of part two and the beginning of part three when she believes the has been betrayed by Darvulia.
There is a small reprieve for Elizabeth when she goes to Italy with other members of her family and is reunited for a short time with Caravaggio. the reprieve is short lived as Thurzo increases his threats against her and, not long after she returns from Italy Elizabeth is informed of Caravaggio's death.

There is not much more I can say about the plot with out giving away some of the plot twists, some of which are more surprising if you already have knowledge of the Bathory legends.

Bathory is an interesting take on the life of Elizabeth Bathory and is a good film, I would advise that you stick with the annoyance of the monk as he does play a small but important part at the end of the film.
The story is good and it is interesting on how it focus' on the people who influence Elizabeth's life and lead to the legend that is Elizabeth Bathory, the Countess of Blood

Zombie Strippers (2008)

Title - Zombie Strippers
Director - Jay Lee
Language - English
Genre - Horror, Zombie













How do you improve a Zombie film?  Set it in a pole dancing club and cast Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund and that's Zombie Strippers.

As in a number of films, pesky government agents spill a chemical virus which starts to infect the local strip club turning pole dancers in to flesh eating zombies  that the clients have to fend off.  That's the film I expected and, on one level that is Zombie Strippers but there is another level to this film.  As I watched I started to think that something was a bit odd, some of the speeches were a bit strange and didn't fit the expected level of a film about a Zombie infected strip club.  There was also something a bit familiar about this film, but I knew I had not seen it before.

As I've said Zombie Strippers starts off like most normal zombie films, there is an infection and people turn in to zombies, in this case mainly the strippers but then the film takes a turn, an infected stripper takes to the stage and puts on a show that the punters love, she makes more money than any of the strippers have made before.  This leads to the strippers taking sides, those who want to make money and chose to get themselves infected, not caring that they will probely end up eating a punter who was only expecting a lap dance.  The set of strippers chose to remain humans, they see the strippers as the monsters they are.

I have to admit I did not work out why Zombie Strippers was familiar until I watched the extras, I think I was distracted by pole dancing routines, or maybe the final battle where Jenna Jameson fires billiard balls from her nether regions, but when saw the extras it clicked, Zombie Strippers is a retelling of Eugene Ionesco's play 'The Rhinoceros'.

In 'The Rhinoceros' people start turning in to rhinoceros and running rampage through the town.  There is no reason for people to change into rhinoceros, they just do and, at the beginning of the play some of the towns folk even refuse to believe the it is happening but, as the play continues and more people turn the discussion turns to whether is the new way of life and if being human old hat.  The question of choice is raised when character who hated the Rhinoceros' start turning, are they choosing to follow the newest fashion or have they been brainwashed by the masses.  Those who do not change are scared of being left behind and being seen as different.

In Zombie Stripper the rhinoceros have been replaced by the zombies and the need to fit in has been added to with the promise of the extra money the zombies can make but Zombie Strippers still follows the same themes and the struggle to remain an individual, not a zombie.

After saying all that if all you want is a film with zombies and scantily clad women than Zombie Strippers provides, but if you want something a bit more then leave you brain on and appreciate Zombie Strippers  on another level.  Either way enjoy