Entry 096: "Genocyber"

 Dear Internet,

                "Genocyber" is the story of a biomechanical living weapon a dystopian future which requires a human host to function.  In the story, there are numerous major countries that all strive to gain its power and use it for their own reasons.  However, the weapon is in the hands of a mentally unstable girl who has got more psychological problems than a nuthouse.  It would be more accurate to say that the manic girl is the weapon and she is far from stable enough for someone to control her.  On top of that, "Genocyber" throws in a mildly fervent religious group, cyborg assassins, mad scientists, psychic abilities, and a few other futuristic elements to try and make it entertaining.

Would you believe me if I said this was a little girl?

                What is the total effect of the five part OVA?  It comes across as a shock value gore fest that can barely keep together a plot or even my attention.  It is even sadder considering that even if you throw all your attention at the show so that you can understand what is going on, you will find a lackluster plot.  The story jumps around a lot.  Sometimes it throws its exposition right at the viewer so fast that it forgets to make it digestible.  Other times the exposition is threadbare and thinly spread in a strange order which adds confusion to the show rather than making a suspense filled mood.  It gets worse when the show goes from one episode to the next.  There are three stories that take place.  The first episode contains a complete story, and the remaining four can be split down the middle into another two stories.  Each story arc seems disjointed at first and remains such for most of the length of each arc.  They do indeed take place after another, but they all feel like they were disjointed rather than being parts of one whole story.  Maybe this is due to the way that the show speeds things along very quickly instead of crafting an understandable plot.

                I had to listen to the English dub since I could not get the subtitle track to work properly.  I would not recommend that course of action for anyone else.  It is one of the worse dubs I have ever heard.  Poorly synced and non-lip matching dubs of Hong Kong Kung-Fu flicks are dome much better than "Genocyber" handles the English language.  People talk too quickly if they are not speaking so slow that it makes them sound like they were just given a mild concussion.  I think the dialogue got even slower as the show continued.  In the beginning, the henchmen are given loads of profane dialogue that is supposed to make them seem tough and intimidating, but it has the complete opposite effect.  What happens is that with every guttural interjection of the hired goons, they become less like agents of death and more like everyday hoodlums that had been given a cybernetic transplant.  It is almost comical after the first five minutes because nothing they say has any sort of impact once they relinquish a personality for the sake of being thought of as tough guys.  

                On that note, I should talk about the show's gratuitous level of violence.  The show does not want to pull any punches.  People die in this show.  They die a lot.  Entire cities are destroyed in the time frame of minutes or even seconds.  People on the subway are split in two by chainsaws.  Children are shot at from a helicopter with a mounted Gatling gun.  People are merged together as some sort of biomechanical ship where they remain alive, fused and forced to live as an abomination against humanity.  Blood flows like water from a fire hydrant.  Brain particles splat out of the skull, and organs are bounced around like tennis balls.  The show makes sure to go as far outside its way to crank up the visual gruesomeness as much as it can.  In the end, it makes a good shock effect but only after the first dozen or so times it does this.  Afterwards, the effect loses any emphasis behind itself.  Even when the children are killed on screen in the second episode I found myself not even caring.  This had more to do with the fact that the show kills them off before making the audience sympathetic towards then and relying on the fact that they were children to make the sympathy stem from this fact alone.  The fact that death and destruction go hand in hand with the story to the point that nearly everyone dies makes the viewer to never place any sort of emotional bond with any of the characters because the characters are most likely going to die.  Not that it matters much since the majority of the characters are unlikable and rather forgettable.

This is the the most graphic thing I feel comfortable posting.

                 I will say one thing in the favor of "Genocyber."  It has great imagery.  I do not mean the disgusting bits where organs hit the floor like ravers on a dance floor.  No, I mean the monsters it creates and cybernetic creations are well made to the point of being able to capture the imagination.  The Genocyber is a monstrosity, yes, but there is something about it that makes it seem more like a well crafted sculpture than a destroyer of mankind.  Even the characters in the story feel this way, considering that it becomes misidentified as an agent of God.  When someone is shown with their chest/chassis exposed with wires, circuits, and chips to the world, there is a real sense of art direction.  This is more likely due to the fact that the show is based on an uncompleted manga.  I suspect the earlier episodes are direct rips from the source material, with the still designs being mirror copies.  

The bio-beast in its most terrible form.

                "Genocyber" is average at best.  The shock value it puts so much emphasis on wears itself away by its own hands.  The story is confusing unintentionally and is perfectly enough as a single episode.  In fact, the first episode is the only episode worth watching before it completely tumbles down.  The show presents a cast of individuals that are all messed in the head to the point that it is a wonder that they were able to gain the positions that they hold before being marked as liabilities.  The setting is made to display a world filled with shades of grey and black with no hope in sight.  It becomes depressing garbage rather quickly without at least being entertaining.  Stuff like this is the reason that cyberpunk never gets off the ground floor, one filled with dismembered limbs and entrails.

Yours in digital,

BeepBoop

P.S. Next is "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court."

Entry 061: "Ichi the Killer: Episode 0"

Who in the world designed this logo?  It is like a cross between "Samurai Pizza Cats" and "Dexter."

Dear Internet,

                It has been some time since I watched "Ichi the Killer."  It is either one or two years since I saw that shocking film.  My memory of the plot may be a little hazy, so I hope you do not hold me responsible for any mistakes I make.  The reason I bring this up is because "Ichi the Killer: Episode 0" is a direct prequel of the aforementioned movie.  The plot of the original is not all that important in this context, but remembering that the two are linked directly is.  There are a few other bit of links that I will try to cover, but I should probably say a few words of what I can about the first movie.

                "Ichi the Killer" followed the story of the exploitation of a psychologically deranged murderer, Ichi, who kills because of his mental unbalance and because he is lied to about the people he kills.  The film also tracked the investigation carried out by a yakuza trying to determine who is killing of his fellow gangsters.  Then there is the man manipulating Ichi for his own personal goals.  That is about all I can off-handedly recall about the film's plot, but that is probably not what most people recall about that film.  The thing that usually sticks in people's minds is the absolutely over-the-top amount of violence and visual effects that the movie showcased.  People were sliced in two, had boiling oil thrown at them, and cut out their own tongue.  The amount of violence could make one vomit, and apparently did in early showings of the film.  When watching it, there are two ways to view it.  Either you can become absolutely horrified at what is occurring or you can realize that the violence appearing on the screen is so unrealistic in its quantity and quality that it becomes comical.  The story was originally made in comic book form, which the film's extraordinary scenes reflect.  Nobody in real life, when their carotid artery is cut, has blood shoot out like a pressurized hose.

                "Episode 0" does carry over this gratuitous level of violence.  People are beat up, cut and mauled in various ways.  There is no lack of want for action in this short film.  But adding to an already large repertoire of visually chocking scenes is not what this prequel is trying to accomplish, even though it does do this at least.  Episode 0" tries to elaborate on the back story of Ichi.  The film shows the various things that caused Ichi to become the mentally broken character that we have already seen.  Ichi was bullied, mocked, hazed and blackmailed by his peers.  His parents misunderstood him with little to no attempt in correcting their perceptions.  His teacher forced him into live animal vivisections.  The list goes on and on.  It almost gets to the point that the film wants to throw as much grease onto the fire.  Even after Ichi had murdered and entered a rehabilitation center, he was mistreated by nearly everyone he meets.  The film here gets to the point that there is not a single individual who is not a psychotic who does not care for anyone but themselves.  It paints a grim picture with no hope.

I hear this new piercing thing is all the rage with young adults.

                The animation should definitely be addressed.  The original film was live action with minimal computer effects only used when stage effects could not get across the image needing to be shown.  "Episode 0" is completely animated.  In a reasonable way, this would make sense since the original story had been done in comic book form.  Taking static drawings and reinterpreting them into animated ones is a common decision.  The problem arises with the quality of the animation here.  The original comic was extremely detailed.  It had to be with the kind of content it was depicting.  Creating a stylized comic that reflects the aesthetics commonly found in ones aimed at a younger audience would not work well in a comic that was specifically aimed at adults.  "Episode 0" loses a lot of detail and line work that made the original comic so graphic and engaging.  The animation is constantly taking shortcuts.  The characters have very little amount of values and hues.  Expect to see at maximum only three shades for each character: the highlight, the shadow, and the midtone which is not even a midtone but the local color.  The characters are drawn with next to no detail and can vary in style sometimes in the same scene.  A majority of the time, only one character is on screen at a given time with their head taking up most of the image.  There are repeat cells throughout that you can start to spot the same shot after a while.  The whole thing is such a deviation from the standard set by the comic that the end result is laughable.

Like a cross between Mr. Potato Head and Clayface.

                About the only thing that that is of a high quality is the music.  The background songs are wonderfully done.  They create a technopop exhilaration during the action sequences, which is a relief considering the story.  I want to say that the music is taken from the first film, but I cannot make that assumption.  I would not be surprised if "Episode 0" took the score directly in an effort to cut costs even further.  The original songs from the first film are sporadic and eccentric, reflecting the unstable minds of the various characters being showcased.  Here, they do much the same which is a good thing.  

                "Episode 0" wants to explain further about how Ichi became who he was.  The problem is that the first film did a good enough job at explaining him.  Ichi was a man who had been abused for most of his life and taken advantage of.  "Episode 0" merely paints a black canvas with black paint.  It beats an already dead cat, hoping to kill it further.  The fine details of Ichi's past never mattered to the extent "Episode 0" hoped to illustrate.  All it ends up being is an add-on to a movie that did not need an extra film riding its coat-tails.  As a standalone work, "Episode 0" is a miserable failure that cannot hold its own.  It relies on themes that the first movie went into great depth but does not do anything better or equivalent.  To a certain extent it does explain why Ichi is a sadist, but did anyone ask the question?  All in all it was a great let down whose only redeeming values are the few action scenes.  I just keep wondering why this was made.  Is it just for the sake of making and watching violence for the sake of violence?  If it is, then it falls into the trap that the first film set.  People get a kick from gore.

Yours in digital,

BeepBoop,

P.S. Tomorrow looks like a mixed day with a record album being first.

Entry 056: "They Live" (1988)

Dear Internet,

                I seem to be a sucker for a good alien movie, especially one where the aliens are trying to take over the Earth.  I have perhaps seen "Independence Day" about twenty or more times.  There is just something rather charming about fighting off grotesque cosmic horrors that wish to use us like cattle or want to squash us like bugs.  The concept is very similar to the tales of giants above the clouds, biding their time to come down and claim the ground.  Within such stories, the various protagonists are tested to determine if they are willing to set aside their differences for the survivability of the group.  When faced by a force so much grander and powerful than the single individual, group dynamics are created, even temporarily, so that life may continue.  "They Live" takes these various "aliens vs. humans" themes and transplants them from being two forces fighting above and below to being an intermingling fight where each force must contend on nearly the same field.

                "They Live" follows John Nada, a drifter who comes to Los Angeles.  There he takes on a job at a construction yard and befriends Frank Armitage, who shows him to a shanty town where the two are able to live and sleep.  Across the road from this Hooverville, is a church that houses some strange individuals.  Meanwhile, every now and again, someone seems to hack into the local television airwaves and tells the viewer to wake up to the subliminal messages being put out.  Nada, like the rest, does not think much of the "tin-foil hat" rantings until he notices that every time they occur, a certain individual in the camp runs over to the church across the road.  Nada investigates and finds a chemistry lab filled with sunglasses.  The next day or two, the police show up, storm the church, bulldoze the shacks, and mercilessly beat down a number of people.  Nada goes back to the church and finds a few sunglasses that the police were unable to find.  When he dons the specs, he sees that behind every single piece of advertising and marketable object is a subliminal message.  Bold black words messages like "Obey" or "Stay Asleep" jump out at Nada as he roams the streets.  He comes across a businessman, who when viewed through the glasses, is as kinless, bulging eyed alien.  From there, the conspiracy is no longer a theory.

                "They Live" is a very enjoyable movie filled with fun twists and turns.  The aliens are a real treat to see.  They are disgusting only a little while, but they never become old hat.  It might be because every time that they appear, for the most part, is when the camera looks through the special lenses.  Each time it happens, the film cuts the color right out and becomes good old black and white.  Even Nada had to shake his head a few times when looking through the lenses the first time.  The black and white is a wonderful nod to the classic horror films that had to do much with such a little pallet.  There is also the fact that black and white has a great impact in the mind of viewers.  It is not a natural way to look at things, and when it occurs, it jars the viewer because of it.  At the end of the film, there are a few shots that show the aliens in full color.  When it does, the effect is comical because of their multi-colored designs, which is exactly the kind of feel that the movie is aiming for at that moment.

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                The film is filled with over the top action.  From shotguns to automatic rifles, the second half of the movie goes from suspense to full on action movie.  It is a weird shift, especially since it happens so quickly.  Nada goes from disbelieving the power of the shades to ridiculing the aliens to their face to blowing them apart in about ten minutes.  At least the film had the decency to explain that since the glasses block out the hypnotic waves that the aliens put out, he is acting violently in a manner that mirrors a drug addict's withdrawal symptoms.  On top of the already over the top gun violence is a fight sequence that occurs between Nada and Frank.  The all mighty Wikipedia clocks the fight at five a half minutes, but it definitely feels much longer than that.  The fight is supposed to separate the storyline from Nada being alone to when he has an ally on his side.  It could even be interpreted as a sequence illustrating how difficult it is to make the common man believe the truth despite the otherwise ease of proof.  All Frank had to do was put on the glasses to see what Nada was saying was true.  Instead, Nada had to fervently bust Frank apart to force him to wear the glasses.  While the fight could be seen as an effort in almost futility to make the unbeliever believe, it is somewhat long to the point of interrupting the flow of the plot.

                There is one thing that the film does not address within the fact that aliens are living among the human population.  The film goes to great lengths to press the concept that the aliens are the secret ruling class.  This is not a new concept.  Tales of secret organizations pulling the strings behind curtains goes back centuries if not millennia.  The difference in "They Live" is that they intermingle to such a degree that they are almost common.  They eat with the humans.  They work with them.  They even have sex with them, which bring up a whole lot more questions.  The biggest thing that struck me was that the aliens are using the same objects that the humans are using.  There is one alien that buys a newspaper, something that is clearly shown to be one of the brainwashing items.  Why does he do this?  The item is of no real use to him, since he would see through the object in the same manner that Nada does with the use of the glasses.  It is more likely an attempt to keep up appearances with the other humans around.  If it is an attempt to do so, then the aliens have to jump through a number of loops themselves.  What else do they have to do for appearance's sake?  Eating, socializing, and working right alongside humans most likely.  At that point, the aliens are being forced to conform to the norms that they are placing upon the populace.  The pivotal difference is that they are selected to benefit more than their human peers.  It is almost as if the aliens act just as much as sheep as the humans they hypnotize.

                There is one quick thing that I want to get out of the way.  There is a character late in the story that appears before Nada and Frank.  He had sold out to the aliens and was rewarded by being given money beyond his wildest dreams.  The character is apparently the drifter shown early on in the film, something that the film hopes you realize.  However, the film does such a good job of transforming the character from a homeless bum to a tuxedo wearing weasel that I could not recognize him.  I even went back to the earlier scenes hoping to figure out who he is, but failed to identify him.  While I admit that the complete change of dress did completely change the character's image, I wish the film had at least given a line to his identity so I would not feel so lost, but maybe I am the minority in this small trouble.

                "They Live" is a fun movie that knows how to prey on our paranoia.  The only problem is also its biggest draw.  It does not take itself seriously enough, and perhaps it should not.  While the various action sequences are lively, pulling the audience in and making them wonder how the characters are going to overcome each obstacle, there is a certain level of camp flowing through the movie.  The whole thing is a bit corny, but not to the point where it detracts from the plot.  It is not like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" which has a creeping menace constantly in the forefront.  Nor is it like "Mars Attacks" which cranks up the comedy to the point of being a satire of the alien doomsday genre.  "They Live" takes its own road that delivers one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had watching aliens get splattered.  Also the ending and ultimate fate of Nada is perhaps one of the best and gutsiest finishers out there.

Yours in digital,

BeepBoop

P.S. Tomorrow is "Ano Natsu de Matteru" or "Waiting in the Sumer."