Horror

Under the Skin

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Under the Skin
  • IMDb: link

Under the Skin

The line between a movie being artistic and pretentious is, like beauty, often in the eye of the beholder. Director Jonathan Glazer helms this tale of a beautiful woman (Scarlett Johansson) stalking lonely men in Scotland. Adapted from the novel by Michael Faber, Under the Skin has sharply divided audiences over the issue of style versus substance.

Stripped down to its core, Faber’s story, adapted here by Glazer and Walter Campbell, is incredibly simple leaving very little room for character or plot development. Putting all his eggs in one basket, Glazer uses an over-stylized look to enhance the story that never attempts to ask or answer basic questions about what Johansson’s character, or her equally unnamed biker partner (Jeremy McWilliams), need with the men trapped like mosquitoes in amber in their monochromatic domicile (which must come from Gallifrey as it’s infinitely larger on the inside than the unassuming exterior would have you believe).

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #4

/ / Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #4After double-crossing the Scoobies, Dracula (with his re-installed manservant Xander) begins writing in new laws of magic into the Vampyr tome. First, Dracula decides to make himself the lord and master of all vampires, which leads to some humorous consequences for Spike, but unsatisfied with the result Dracula decides to become the most powerful vampire of all leading to disastrous consequences not only for Xander’s master but all of Earth.

Worth picking up for the Dracula and Xander alone, the latest issue continues to develop the Willow and younger Giles relationship which might be my favorite of the new season so far. We also get several mentions of turning “Dark Willow,” as Willow’s evil turn has become a much-used verb about the dangers of power (much to the witch’s chagrin).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #4 is the first issue to deal with with Dawn and Xander’s relationship issues directly as Dawn explains her “reset” following almost being wiped out of existence in Season Nine. As to what this means for the couple long term, we’ll just have to wait and see. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Fatale #23

/ / Comics

Fatale #23For the entire run of Fatale writer Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have offered hints and glimpses to Josephine‘s past but have largely kept the reader in the dark as to the specifics of her long tortured existence. Setting up next month’s series finale, Fatale #23 changes that as Nicholas Lash relives some of the more brutal moments of the woman’s past during a night of sexual ecstasy that opens his eyes to secrets which Josephine has kept long buried.

The ritual which transformed her is still quite shrouded in mystery, but along with setting up Lash’s pivotal role in next month’s finale the glimpses we get here into Josephine’s past concerning the tragedy of her son are as heartbreaking for the reader as the man who has become consumed with her love.

I’m going to be sad to see Fatale end, but the rich history of Josephine leaves open any number of stories for Brubaker and Phillips to return to the character somewhere down the line. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

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Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
  • IMDB: link

Journey to the West: Conquering the DemonsCo-writers and directors Stephen Chow and Chi-kin Kwok‘s comedic take on one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature stars Zhang Wen as would-be Buddhist demon hunter Tang Sanzang on his road to enlightenment. On the road he meets a far more experienced demon hunter (Qi Shu) who begins to fall for the goofy Sanzang.

Offbeat, humorous, and more than a little uneven, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is a bizarre horror-comedy with subplots ranging from a love story to Buddhist enlightenment to the intelligence of using fairy tales to fight monsters. Featuring battles involving pig-monsters and giant fish, the movie features an odd collection of characters in the Monkey King (Bo Huang) and rival bounty hunters with the strength and speed of a tiger (Yu Xing), a giant foot (Chaoli Zhang), and telekinetically-powered swords (Show Luo). More of it works than not, but at times it’s thoroughly engaging and at times it’s just plain weird.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #3

/ / Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 #3The return of Dracula is always a good sign, starting with Xander and Dawn traveling to the vampire’s castle to enlist Dracula’s help to deal with the new kind of vampires who possess several of his skills as well as being able to fight in sunlight.

Thanks don’t get any easier for Xander once transporting his former master back to America, although Dracula does give thought to enlisting Andrew as his new manservant. The villain’s inevitable turn after deciphering how valuable the Vampyr tome is to the new laws of magic set up serious ramifications for all involved – especially Xander. The tension between Xander and Dawn continues to grow producing both humorous and awkward moments such as Xander’s reaction go Giles trying to play Grand Theft Auto like a gentleman.

Co-written by Nicholas Brendon the dialogue feels as sharp as ever, and not just with Xander as Buffy and Willow share the kind of bestie moment we haven’t seen between them in quite some time. Must-Read.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

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