Nihon e Ikimasu

Tomorrow Grace and I are off for a much needed vacation to the far East. I've always wanted to go to Japan, so I'm very excited and at the same
time a little worried. Although I've taken a year of Japanese, it's been about 5 since I've used it. Will I remember enough to get by, will we be able to navigate the streets of Tokyo, and will we offend everyone we meet?

I don't think so, what's important is the fact that we're going to be away and it will be my second trip to a foreign land in less than a year. One more stamp in the passport and much more exotic foods and goods to buy, why should I be worried? There's going to be a ton of new things for me to experience and plenty of money to be spent besides. Plenty of plans are already set in motion aside from where we'll be staying. Museums, the World's Fair, and Shrines mostly but we'll also meet up with one of Grace's friends who's in Japan, so there will be a tour guide for four days of the 7 we'll be there. Navigating the roads, the subways, all of that should be pretty educational. Maybe I'll come back with a story or two to satisfy curious souls. Well, stories and plenty of pictures, and maybe a few drawings.

Ikimassyo!

Summer Filmic Gorging 2005, Week 2

This is the make or break franchise and movie for Warner Brothers this summer, and the make or break movie that'll set the tone for the rest of the Summer as well. Critically, Batman Begins is already a success, but the litmus test of how the fans react is really where it will be remembered. Does Christopher Nolan have what it takes to pick up where Tim Burton left off to create a singular vision for a most iconic character? Does the franchise move beyond the aberration that are rubber nipples? My opinion: most definitely.

What did they get right? Tone-wise, this has to be the most dedicated to a character exploration of a superhero since the first Spider-man film. It's not just Batman who's fleshed out, but everyone from Bruce Wayne to Alfred has enough character to spin off their own franchise or television show. Anchored by Christian Bale, who does a pitch perfect acting job (we'll get back to that later), the rest of the cast is either extremely well-directed, or just supremely talented. I'll go for a little of both. From Cillian Murphy as a particularly schizophrenic Dr. Jonathon Crane to the always excellent Gary Oldman as an up-and-coming Sgt. James Gordon, this cast makes the movie sing. No one does a better job, however, than Christian Bale. Michael Caine gets close with a very earnest portrayal of Alfred, but the spotlight is the shaded and complex portrayal of an obsessed man Mr. Bale burns into celluloid. As a man obsessed, both body and mind, he brings the fierce intensity of Batman to the screen, but also manages to color his Bruce Wayne with enough Patrick Bateman to make the dichotomy terribly believable. Is it believable? Well that comes next.

This isn't the first truly modern superhero film. Spider-man will always be the test of films that follow it for quality and synergy, X2 was the movie that blew it all wide open, but Batman will be seen as that which really raises the bar for dramatic effect. Batman isn't the colorful figure who carries "bat-anti spray" in his utility belt or the man who dances the "Bat-tusi," but a fearful creature of the night who prays on the fear of desperate criminals. We don't' see all his actions, because that's how it should be. Stealthy and mysterious, Batman evokes a fear and wonder that can only be expressed through experienced motion and technology. His tools are based in reality, his skills are learned and not gained, and he definitely is only human. We see him fail, we see him succeed, and that's why we care as viewers. Who wants a perfect hero nowadays anyway? Although Batman is the central focus, without the villains, he'd be useless. So what about them?

What about them indeed. Without giving too much away, Ra's Al Gul is more than he seems in the movie. The actor portraying him does a very unique job demonstrating power and a twist on his general wisdom with the precious screen time he has. The stand out villain though, is Scarecrow. Cillian Murphy (of 28 Days Later fame) His light portrayal of the good doctor Jonathon Crane at first is stilted enough to make you wonder where his mind is. When he asks "Would you like to see my mask?" You know something is seriously wrong. The effect of the gas, the monstrosity of the voice and mask turn Scarecrow from a sideshow villain into something truly frightening. Is it a good thing? Yes, oh yes. It drives the film into completely new territory for its genre: horror.

It's really the feel of the movie that sets it apart. It isn't the colorful manic joy of Spider-man, nor is it the cold futuristic glint of X2. It isn't even the perpetually dark and gritty Daredevil. On its own, Batman Begins stands as a modern skyscraper laden with gargoyles and a silver spire. It's an utterly realistic launching pad for the onslaught that will be Superman Returns next Summer.

Great movie. Period.

Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I Ran Away

I'd be remiss to say I liked Coldplay from the very beginning, but it's not far from the truth. We'd all like to say we were there at the beginning when our favorite band was playing at the smallest clubs, with a dedicated crowd on the strength of an EP, but in my case, it was their first single, "Yellow" and their first album Parachutes that drew me in. Phenomenally popular, "Yellow" is the prototypical Coldplay song. Soaring guitars, falsetto chorus, roaring crescendos, it has the majesty and emotion you'll find in most of their biggest hits. There's a small beauty in Christ Martin's lyrics and vocals I can't directly describe, so hopefully I can convey what it is through experience.

I like to think of growing into the band, because that's what it was, as a time in my life when I went through a particularly difficult period of separation. Practically one-sided, I started with Parachutes, with an almost superficial enjoyment. It's pretty, it has tons of great songs about love, frustration, human nature, and honesty. Basically a lot of topics I tend to think about often, write about, draw about, things I thought were common to my own interests. It captured me amazingly with every song, "Shiver" being a favorite. Who couldn't love a song about complete devotion? The title track itself is a short, but simply beautiful song that really ties up the themes present, but to say such a thing downplays the complicated emotions that fill each song.

Their second album and the one that launched worldwide infamy for the band, A Rush of Blood to the Head, is where I truly lost it. What was quaint before became moving. Songs like "Clocks" and "Politik" moved them away from early Radiohead and Travis comparisons and into the lofty heights of an individual canon. Songs nowadays can be termed as "Coldplayish" based on this album alone. Personally, my experience with Rush began with "In My Place," a song about being lost in a hopeless love. Is there a trend here? Half of the album seems to be about falling out of love and finding new love as well.

The one song though, that's not on either album, but makes a brief appearance on their live album is "Moses." A song written for Mr. Martin's new wife, it's a wonderful little song summing up these feelings of giving in to something you cannot overcome. It's not a sacrifice, nor is it something you abhor, but natural progression and a willing submittal to something you cannot control. What could be more pleasant, but than to find something so powerful than that within a song.

Maybe that's why I've come to think they can do no wrong. X&Y is the make or break album for most people. Does Coldplay really take itself too seriously and try to make an "important" record, or is it going to be more of the same? Well, the answer is a little of both. There's a maturity here that grows out of the last album. There are questions asked that seem more important, but at the same time, I don't think the band takes itself so seriously as to stamp a label of "most important song ever" without the wink of an eye. The stand out tracks to me are "Low," "Fix You," and "Speed of Sound" of course. Emotions reach greater heights in each, and although their first single has shades of "Clocks" thrown all over it, there's a thematic cohesiveness unachieved by Rush that X&Y retains.

Coldplay isn't exactly my one and only favorite band, but they're pretty high up there. IF they can continue to deliver quality on a regular basis, I don't see them falling off my list of bands any time soon. But that's probably best saved for another time...

Monkeys, Stripes, and Nerds

It's been a week, I've had plenty of time to listen to and come to a conclusion about my recent music purchases. I'll start with the two that I bought as more of a whim and then get to the main course.

In particular order of appearance, we begin with the latest disc from The White Stripes. Based on the strength of the first single "Blue Orchid," and on the momentum of their last effort Elephant, I grabbed a copy to check out what Jack and Meg White had up their sleeves.

To say it's a rock album isn't really accurate, Jack White is a versatile musician who can take numerous genres and make them his own. The first track is no indication at all what to expect. It presents a rock element stemming from big hair heights, but is followed by twelve eclectic tracks which can't possibly pigeonhole the record. Honestly, I love the variety. I love the creativity Jack White cooks up here. The addition of piano and mallets adds a texture unrealized by myself on their first albums. Could anyone believe that just a couple of years ago hardly anyone had heard of The White Stripes?

Not now, this album's too great for them to drift off into obscurity. There's a bluegrass hint, a bossa nova gem, and a classic blues and honky tonk drawl that Jack White pastes all over every song. It oozes backyard southern summer rock and I love it.

The new Weezer album, Make Believe is their fifth, and probably their best out of the last three that have been released. Hard to believe that I was in high school when their first record make it's way to the radio, but it's true, and honestly, I get nostalgic when I hear their music. There's an emotional honesty Rivers Cuomo and the band thats been copied so many times in recent years, but it doesn't seem forced in Weezer's music. Tracks like "Hold Me," "Peace," and "Perfect Situation" are prototypical Weezer songs of that frustrated longing most of us have felt at one point in our lives, and identifying with such a theme has to be one of the reasons the band is so popular.

Either that or it's because their music is so darn cool.

Right now, one of the biggest things in Europe, apparently, is Damon Albarn's side project Gorillaz. A concept project with the entire band comprised of animated characters, Albarn's group is a rotating mixture of artists which on the last album included the legendary producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. This time through, DJ Danger Mouse spins the wheels and pushes the buttons to form a hip-hop, pop, rock, electronic mixture that blends rather well.

The premise itself, maybe based on a failed attempt at a Gorillaz movie, is the group wandering across a post-apocolyptic landscape in outer space. It's gloomy, haunting even, but it's infectious. There's a video-gamey feel to the beats, the clicks and whirrs, all the backup vocals and guest stars don't feel stapled on, but blended seamlessly. It's great, imaginative stuff that I think anyone should check out just to see that there's something else out there besides just straight pop music. Watch for the Dennis Hopper cameo towards the end of the record, mad brilliance for a passage about a volcano.

All great albums, but I have to say that Coldplay's is the best of the latest. Will post that review later once I've complied the rest of my thoughts.

Album Sidenote

Also today, I just picked up the new Coldplay album. I'll post a review after I've let all the goodness settle down.

That, and the new Gorillaz as well as the new White Stripes albums will make their way past my ears, so stay tuned.

Champloo Kazoo

It's no secret that I like anime. The art, the action, the unique-ness grabbed me initially, but it's the quality ones that make me stay. There's so many out there nowadays, it's hard to find the diamonds amongst fields of coal. Where do I find it? Word of mouth naturally.

Samurai Champloo happens to be one of these shows that I heard of, but had no way of watching until it found its way onto Adult Swim. Well, truthfully it wasn't the first time I'd seen it. Because the internet is a wonderful thing, I watched the first few episodes in their native Japanese and fell in love. The show is a historical wandering samurai story with a few twists. First off, it's a party of three rather than the lone wolf samurai. Secondly, there is a strong influence of hip hop running through the show, from it's theme song to even an episode all about tagging. The characters are great, the storylines on each episode appear well thought-out and the premise is unique. What makes it even more great is that it's directed by the same mind that brought the great Cowboy Bebop to the screen.

If you get a chance, check it out for the complex characterizations, the slanted humor, the art direction, the historical nature, and just the plain madness of a hip-hop samurai roadshow.

Batman Contest

With all the big summer movies coming out, it's hard to keep track of when new ones are coming out and what you really want to see if there are overlapping films. Personally, I have an idea of where my priorities lie, and one that I must see this Summer is Batman Begins. It's less than a couple of weeks away and I'm really looking forward to what they're going to do with the film. A great lead actor, a great director, and what looks to be an incredibly stellar supporting cast mean I have high expectations, and I can't see it soon enough.

Thankfully, My Cinema Access is having a contest to send some people to a free screening of the film. All you have to do is write 100 words or less about how you, as Batman, would save the world. I wrote two and submitted one. Can you guess which one it is?

Batman Story 1
The Mad Hatter has taken over Gotham City in a bid to overthrow the world's greatest powers. By employing thousands of psychotically rabid white rabbits throughout the city, he's infected the citizens with the deadly South African Rabbit Fever. Pink-eyed and foaming at the mouths, the zombified denizens of Gotham must be stopped before the disease spreads.

Only I, the Batman, by destroying the Gotham City bridge and cutting the city off from the world, have been able to divert catastrophe.

Batman Story 2
In the deepest bowels of Gotham City, I have conceived a plan using my vast wealth and criminal database to eliminate crime worldwide. Each cowardly felon, once convicted, has been outfitted with a pair of my infamous bat-salvation-belts, complete with GPS, instant communication capabilities with all law enforcement, and the power to induce a 2000 psi bat-enema if any punk steps out of line.

Fear the bat...