Legally Blonde 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Legally Blonde 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th March 2022

Well I saw the first one so I may as well see the second one too. Also Kiera insisted that we both watch this.
Once again this is pretty much Reese Witherspoon's show, living it up in this role and being a charismatic force. Granted it could be argued that she is effectively carrying this movie but I had fun with this one and it was both funny and surprisingly triumphant. And is even more surprising is how much I gathered from the American legal process XD

Grizzly Man

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Grizzly Man!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th March 2022

I've been wanting to see this for a long time: A documentary about a man named Timothy Treadwell, who would make regular visits to the Alaskan wilderness to take footage of bears - often with himself sharing the frame. And who would became something of celebrity due to his passion for them.

Much of this movie is made out of the footage that Timothy shot. And as a result we learn a lot about him: he is indeed enthusiastic about the bears but at the same time, he is someone who is clearly in love with his own passion. As such, Timothy is constantly putting himself in dangerous situations, is unperturbed that he is dealing with ruthless killing machines, claims to be keen on conservation but isn't doing anything to back it up, is clearly more at home in the wild than in civilization, is unafraid to vent some anger at the National Parks Service, has no proper idea of what he is doing and is a clear interference in the flow of nature.
But on the other hand, Timothy does show some talent as a filmmaker and certainly has an eye for an image. And however misguided he may be, you can't fault him for his passion.

Still, this does have some resonance for me as this is someone who is clearly out of his depth chasing a dream that is ultimately misguided. Those who know me will know that I have never had a lot of faith in the notion of 'Be yourself and disregard what anyone else thinks' because, at least to me, that does inspire a mindset of tunnel-vision. And this movie is that theory in practice.

In the end, this is indeed a fascinating character study. The subject is certainly not a usual choice for one which, in turn, makes it even more compelling

Console Wars

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Console Wars!

Original image located here. Accessed 25th February 2022

Anyone heard of this? It's a documentary chronicling the rise of Sega and how it challenged Nintendo and the changes it brought about into the console/video gaming market.
The titles indicates that this is about both Sega and Nintendo but this is really the former's story all the way. Sure Nintendo get a decent hearing but this is all about how one small company decided to take on a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut.
And this is how the various men and women made it happen, telling what they did and the repercussions the effects had.

If you know the story, then all the familiar beats are here: the crucial hiring of Tom Kalinske, the godsend that was Sonic the Hedgehog, the ingenious marketing strategies, appeals to a teenage market, the serious threat posed to Nintendo, the gulf between Sega of Japan and Sega of America, the flop that was the Saturn and the subsequent rise of Sony and it's PlayStation.
This certainly does present a fascinating snapshot of the era but it ends with Sony - who, of course, don't get a say. And I would've liked that they did - particularly Steve Race (whose story i would most be interested to hear) who remains frustratingly elusive.
Still this documentary made for a compelling story and one I am grateful is told

Belle

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Belle!

Original image located here. Accessed 18th February 2022

Yep, it's another trip down the anime well. And this time we are taking a look at the latest offering from auteur Mamoru Hosoda.
I have been saying glowing things about this guy and his work (Summer Wars, the Girl who leapt Through Time, Wolf Children) and with this latest effort he does not disappoint.

At this point I have seen enough of Hosoda's repertoire to recognise some familiar themes: The search for connection, the use of online personas, the importance of family, and the act of being true to one's self. And all of which are put to work in Belle in an effective manner.
I like the artwork, i like the music and I like the ideas presented about having an online persona and how one utilizes it to interact with the world.

Much has been made how this movie owes a sizable debt to Disney's Beauty and the Beast. i certainly won't deny it but for me it remains an odd aesthetic choice. Because for me, Disney's Beauty and the Beast is all about how one wants to change themselves for the people around them. In belle however, it is all about the pursuit of understanding and empathy. Not a bad idea but it does make the sequences in the Beast's castle somewhat jarring. Indeed it is telling to me that the sequences in the real world leave a greater impression - especially the part focusing on the webcam conversation and the subsequent climax.
Still, i will not fault Hosoda: He has some great ideas, an eye for the visual and he certainly knows how to pull the heartstrings. Has he delivered another winner? I think he has.

License to Kill

And this week's Friday night movie has been... License to Kill!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th February 2022

Last year I was watching one James Bond movie per month. But this one slipped through the net - so consider this the one that was originally intended for October (before I remembered that that particular month is reserved for horror movies).
Anywho, this was Dalton's second and final stab at the role. I know this movie isn't recognized as one of the best in the franchise - indeed it is often regarded as one of the most dour efforts - but I have to admit: I found a lot to admire here.

As mentioned previously, as the James Bond franchise has a reputation for being formulaic, I will welcome any effort that makes the effort to break it. So we have Bond going on a personal mission, a Bond girl who's packing, Q as a field agent and a second Bond girl who doesn't get killed off. Also special mention just go to the tanker chase - apparently it was the most dangerous stunt the series has ever filmed and i don't doubt it.
So is this as dour as it's reputation suggests? Well again, I welcome the break from formula. But if anything, this is closest we will ever get to what Dalton had in mind for the character - compared to Living Daylights which is more a remnant from the Moore era. So it's a shame he didn't do more

The Muppet Movie

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Muppet Movie!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd February 2022

It's a been a childhood favourite for many people but I have never, in my thirty nine years of existence, gotten around to seeing it. Well, time to rectify this I would think!
Time has certainly been kind to this movie. Over forty years later and this is still very entertaining with the jokes on point, the technical and practical effects being impressive and the heart. It's pretty much the Muppets doing their shtick and proving that what they do on TV can translate to the big screen with ease (and thus justifying the numerous movies that followed in it's wake).
I mean hey, it's the Muppets: You can't go wrong, right?
And it says a lot that I can still enjoy this movie even when I'm on the wrong end of my thirties XD

Oh and new friendship goal: Learn the words to Moving Right Along so i can sing it in the car with some other like-minded people.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time!

Original image located here. Accessed 28th January 2022

IV - Rebuild
I can't recall the last time I sat down and watched Evangelion - clearly End of Evangelion left a bad taste in the mouth. But what i do know is that I spent a fair chunk of my twenties and thirties sorting myself out and overcoming the demon that is self-loathing - and much like Shinji it was down through a lot of self-analysis. Of course, the only difference is when i overcame my self-loathing I didn't get a round of applause accompanied by "Congratulations!" (would've liked to though).

 So when i found out a new Evangelion reboot, Rebuild, came about it was a case of "You Again"
Which now brings us here: Facing down the fourth and final movie in this rebuild, therefore the endpoint of this journey taken over this pat month - and also the endpoint of a longer journey that started back in late 1998.

Firstly this movie is long, at two and half hours. Granted this nothing new for movies in general but to see an animated film at such a length is indeed an anomaly. With such a length it wouldn't be that much a of a stretch to draw comparisons to Avengers Endgame. So can this movie pull off the same trick?

Well...kinda.....

A number of things of note: I like the quiet moments - that may sound odd but thy work. And considering that Evangelion has a reputation for bombast when it decides to be quiet it does so superbly.
I like the revelation of Gendo's history. It has indeed been along time coming - and who would've guessed that one of fictions most reviled characters could command empathy?
And I I like that this is effectively the big farewell that Anno wanted: There are indeed surprises throughout and we finally FINALLY get to see Shinji grow up and take control of his life. And yes, I do feel happy for him.
Of course, there are a lot of things that don't work: The action is fast and aggressive to the point of being difficult to keep up, certain characters are sidelined and, once again, the mysteries of Evangelion are never resolved to the point of aggressive.
Still, this movie does what it set out to do: Conclude Evangelion as a franchise for good so I give it that much. Furthermore, I will forever maintain that End of Evangelion was Anno urging us the audience to move on. And here i do believe he is saying the same thing - just in a far less passive-aggressive manner.

Well this month-long odyssey has now come to an end and what a heavy one it has been. So next week, i think I'll watch something a bit more fun.
And that s a guarantee.

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st January 2022

III - Distance
The year was 2001. I finally did get to see the End of Evangelion, by which stage had entered a 'Holy Grail' type status. And at the time i was astonished by it. It wasn't so much a movie being freed from the restrictions of TV but what was being portrayed on screen. The Shock and Awe tactics did indeed work but, once I processed what I had witnessed, the shine wore off quickly.
The disappointment from the End of Evangelion took it's toll: It was ugly, nihilistic and made me appreciate the original ending more. Come on, Shinji Ikari had been through so much crap that he deserved a happy ending. Indeed it is a bold move to end a series with your lead character achieving self-respect. But is such a thing that a hard sell to angst-ridden teenagers?
No matter: Such was the disappointment from the End of Evangelion that I distanced myself from this franchise. Indeed it is telling that in the years since, Shinji became a punchline for being 'whiny' and 'sexually-repressed'. Clearly having a protagonist who is emotionally vulnerable struck a nerve.
Also it is well-documented that End of Evangelion came about because creator Hideaki Anno received death threats over it;s ending - some of them actually appear onscreen during the movie. With such bitterness involved, is it any wonder that I would move on?
Furthermore my tastes in anime were evolving. One telling incident: When i was enthusiastic about Evangelion, I did, at the same time, dismiss the movie Royal Space Force (Wings of Honenamise). The people who made fun of me for liking Evangelion in turn thought very highly of Royal Space Force. Of course they were obviously trying to wind me up but in the years since, I have come to see Royal Space Force in a more favorable light.
Finally, the distance from Evangelion made me see it in a new light: Because this is not a series about giant robots, invading aliens and layers of conspiracy. This is about the Anno laying out his fears and doubts. The real enemy is not the Angels; It's self hatred. Therefore, to be a fan of Evangelion one must accept this along with the fact that the mysteries in it many never be properly answered and this series must be approached on Anno's terms.

And that mindset is indeed present with the third movie in this rebuild. The movie starts with an interesting scenario but at the same time, questions are raised which, being Evangelion, are never answered. It may be exasperating but this start is nothing more than a red herring.
The real meat is seeing Shinji encounter Kaworu and the bond they build. Consider: If you're depressed and have trouble building connections and then you meet someone who provides inspiration and is genuinely interested in you, would you turn them away? I know a lot of people challenge 'soul-mate' narratives with the reasoning of "No one's coming to save you" but here we have such reasoning being put into practice. As such, to be tempted in such a a way leads to distrust to outside forces, learning the wrong lessons and making bad decisions.
But ultimately that is my interpretation: I am okay with Evangelion not being about giant robots - indeed the opening half hour come across as coming from a completely different movie - but not so with many other (and angrier) Evangelion fans.

So to wrap up this very long post, it has been theorized that 1.0 is Eva, 2.0 is the Eva fan see as Eva and 3.0 is what Anno sees as Eva.
I believe it.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance!

Original image located here. Accessed 14th January 2022

II - End
And it came to pass that in 1999 i became a fan of Evangelion. But when one becomes a fan of something one begins to notice people who do not share a similar opinion and are therefore able to provide an outsider's opinion. And boy did I hear the complaints about Evangelion., Chief along them that Shinji is too whiny a protagonist and the rather baffling ending.
I find the complaints about Shinji interesting because he does have an everyman quality to him: Who doesn't feel despair, have parental issues and have trouble making friends (among other things)? Did having such recognizable qualities strike such a nerve with people? And by the end of the series, Shinji does indeed realise that not only does he wants to be liked but he wants to move beyond such a thought pattern. And to that end I felt happy for him.
When i reached the end of the original TV series, the ending took me completely by surprise. It was indeed a bold move to end such an action/-packed-thought-provoiking series on something of a personal note. I did appreciate it at the time but there were too many questions left unanswered. What on earth was going on? What were the secrets that the series had hinted at previously?
Of course I would later find out that a lot of other viewers were angered by the ending and so Hideaki Anno produced a new movie with a new ending: The End of Evangelion.

As for the second movie in the rebuild, if the first movie was to rely on familiarity to pull us in, here the rug is pulled from underneath. Sure some familiar story beats are here but by the movie's end, a different direction has been firmly established.
What is of particular note is the various character moments speckled throughout: Asuka enters, is still hostile but benefits from some interesting development. Rei is making an effort to bond with the people around her. And Shinji is whining less and showing a more proactive characterization.
If anything, the only major character that does not receive some development is the newcomer Maki, who certainly does an interesting first impression but is, let's be honest here, far too well-adjusted to be an Eva pilot.
And special mention must go to Gendo's line "Grow up Shinji'. It amuses me as it gives voice to many a thought many a viewer of Evangelion has had.
In the end, there are some great moments of animation and action but, much like it's predecessor, Evangelion's real strength is in it's heart. So with the movie ending on an astonishing note, it would be interesting to see what happens next.....

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th January 2022

It's a new year and i want to kick it off with a bang. So I'm going to aim for something ambitious: On each Friday of this month, i will be watching one of the new Evangelion movies (and confuse all the non-anime fans in my audience).
I have been holding out on these as i wanted to wait until all of them were readily available. Well the time has come to finally watch a saga that has been fourteen years in the making.
But that's not all: As I will be going through each of these movies, I will be sharing my own experiences with these franchise. I will be sharing my own perceptions on this and how they have evolved over the years. After all, creator Hideaki Anno went through his own odyssey in creating Evangelion, the franchise itself has been through a separate odyssey, but I have an odyssey of my own to bring to the table: That of the viewer. I want to talk about my thoughts on this franchise and how they have evolved over the years, contrasting Evangelion with my own journey through this thing called life.

So here we go:

I - Genesis
It was late 1998 - a time when SBS began flogging an anime TV series called Neon Genesis Evangelion. As this was an age well before online streaming, and one had to actively hunt down anything resembling anime, my interest was well and truly piqued (that and the trailer SBS used was monumental). I watched every episode, every weekend, expecting to see giant robots knocking the stuffing out of giant aliens. Well that was exactly what I got but at the same time there was something else: As I watched I noticed that a lot of the characters were going through a lot on a psychological level. I was puzzled by this at first - and at times annoyed as I wanted to get to the action - but what did it matter? I had found something new and was eager for it. I do recall someone people at the time made fun of me for liking it but did it matter? After all, i was getting a lot out of it - even if it's lead character, Shinji Ikari was a whinger to the point of exasperating.

As for this new movie, it wears it's intention as a reboot on it's sleeve: It's a reconstruction of the first six episodes of the TV series. The familiar beats and themes are there - with many shots looking exactly the same - and there are some new footage thrown in. Some mysteries are revealed early on, Shinji is less whiny (mercifully) and, although things are moving at quicker pace, it is all there, just as i recalled it.
Obviously a sense of familiarity is being applied here - a perfect scenario to have the rug from pulled out from under them.
And that really is the only goal of this movie: to welcome back it's viewers. But in the end, it is still a big ask: I mean, I can't expect this movie to deliver the same thrill as it did back in early 1999. I mean i am the same person i was back then? I hope not

The Man From Hong Kong

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Man From Hong Kong!

Original image located here. Accessed 31st December 2021

Watching a 1970s Australian attempt at making a Kung-Fu movie? Well I have spent worse New Years Eves.

Obviously this is a product of it's time: The music, the clothes, haircuts, and film-making techniques all scream mid-1970s. Why, even that opening scene has no chance of being replicated now.
And it may be easy to mock the movie for it's corniness.
But in the end I still find a lot to admire: It is a decent stab at tackling a particular genre, the nods to the James Bond franchise are admirable (most notably having George Lazenby as the villain) and the fight scenes are really good - special mention to the car chase, the fight in the restaurant and the martial arts school.
All in all, an entertaining way to see out 2021.

Anywho, this concludes the Friday Night Movie for 2021. Thank you for reading these and to anyone that provided any likes and comments made throughout the year. Next year brings some more movies to watch and I'm looking forward to it already....

It's a Wonderful Life

And this week's Friday night movie has been... It's a Wonderful Life!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th December 2021

Okay so I'm cheating as I have already seen this movie.
And it may be easy to bag this movie as being flogged to death at Christmas time, being replicated many times since (what if...?) and being required viewing for people struggling with self-worth.

But you know what? Both such observations and the passage of time has done little to diminish the power of this movie. Indeed, if this film has been revisited many times over the years, over many a Christmas, it is for a very good reason.
And yes, i will admit it did indeed leave a personal resonance
I mean how can you not with that final scene?!

Legally Blonde

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Legally Blonde!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th December 2021

Kiera chose this one XD
I do remember this movie from it's initial release in the early 2000s. But what is fascinating about this movie, to the outsider like myself, is the shelf life it has garnered since: A lot of people still think highly of it - indeed moreso than other rom-coms of it's era - and it has a successful musical to it's name. So there must a good a reason behind this endurance, right?

Well, I will admit there were some laugh-out-loud moments (thereby passing the first and foremost requirement of any comedy). And it certainly has a greater sense of identity that makes it stand out from the other rom-coms - which is another plus.
But in all honesty, what makes this movie for me is Reese Witherspoon herself, who has charismatic presence and is clearly having the time of her life. Is it enough to sell the movie however?
Well, if Legally Blonde's enduring appeal is set to continue then the answer would indeed be yes