The Streaming Revolution is Failing

Over the last decade, we have seen a huge rise in digital media. There are many pros and cons to this and I wrote an article several years ago, sharing my thoughts on the matter. In light of recent developments, I felt it pertinent to revisit the matter and discuss it again as the landscape has altered somewhat.

There were many positives to a digital only future, primarily the fact that it saves space and resources. For many, housing space is a premium so having a library of digital media means nothing physical is taken up. Also a lot of the time digital media is accessible from different location via online services like Netflix or the cloud, this makes it really convenient to access resources from many different locations and there is no risk that the digital media can be damaged, lost or stolen. Digital media can be cheaper to acquire the physical copies, especially when it comes rare or retro games. For example Mother on the SNES used to trade on eBay for over £100 but now is available from the Nintendo Online store for only £6.49.

Through digital, I’ve been able to buy rare or out of print copies of books (Ico, Parasite Eve), albums (Best of Popol Vuh Werner Herzog soundtrack and films (Ringing Bell and a lot of old Toho animation stuff).

As we can see, there are many pros for buying digital but I do have my concerns. Physical media has a resale value. With some games costing £70 on release now I like the fact that if I like it I can keep it in my collection but if don't or I don't think it is worth having permanently I can sell it on. I can afford now to keep all my physical games but as a child I depended on trading games in order to purchase the next game, otherwise there was no way I could have afforded it on my £2 a week pocket money.

However my concern with digital media is mostly to do with the legacy. PT, the now legendary free Silent Hills demo from Sony, is no longer downloadable on the PS Store. PS3s with the game installed are now much sought after collectors items which is nuts! Many games have been taken down from the iOS store, only downloadable to those who bought them initially and can download again but not for any new customers. Many modern games use online servers to play multiplayer, but after some time the servers are turned off meaning the multiplayer is no longer accessible.

With the removal of films and shows on streaming platforms, it is more likely than ever that content will be lost forever to the ether. With the gutting of TCM and the removal of shows and films from streaming services in a process of consolidation and profit maximisation I get why people are more interested in getting a hard copy of something they love; they don't want their favoured content to be lost forever to the ether. The fact that television shows are also being pulled from streaming services, movies are not even being distributed even when they are complete (Batgirl) or even being removed (HBO Max removing Westworld) is a worrying trend. How else are we going to be able to make documentaries and behind the scenes films years later if everything is digitally erased with no physical backup?

I bought the Switch release of Scott Pilgrim as a physical copy as licenced games are notorious for getting pulled from digital storefronts. Even worse, with Games As A Service games that don't keep raking in the moolah have their servers shut down. Now, I don't think anyone will pour one out for Babylon's Fall, but that's not the point. Yes, there are our friends on video sharing, torrenting and the bay of privateers, but we lose the surety that all is saved. Sure, not everything needs to be saved or can be saved but surely we can't just lose whole swathes of entertainment. Even stuff we have bought digitally can be removed from our libraries, just take the case of Discovery films and shows removed from PlayStation without much notice. It’s not theft apparently, as we are renting these products under the terms and conditions we sign up to, but we are digital serfs under the yoke of our digital landlords under this technofeudalism. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating but the technocreep that is eroding our rights leads us down a Blade Runner and dystopian future. But its not all doom and gloom.

The internet creates tribes and ardent fans, there will always be someone or a small group who preserve something of interest and disseminate its. As a Mysterious Cities of Gold fan it was thanks to joining the Goldlist mailing list that I was kept up to date on developments on the new series. YouTube uploaders also preserve classics like Quatermass and emulators upload roms of classic and obscure games onto websites.

So the whole issue is pretty complex but for me physical media is the way for most ways to consume most media but there are occasions for digital media. I’ve been finding my collection of things I've accumulated over the years becoming unintentionally more valuable over time. I mean, it's nice to have stuff that's worth a fair bit but it means other stuff I would like is now probably going to remain unbought or collected. This is a first world problems for sure but one that has implications for the preservation of the arts.

LINK- Ico and SOTC: Reflections of a Gaming Life

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- Nintendo: My One True Gaming Constant

LINK: Let’s All Create a ‘New Normal’.

LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

Chungking Express- Cult Film Review

I have been a film aficionado for a long time. My father brought me up on classics like David Lean's adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations as well as the various black and white classic comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. However, I became interested in cult TV series and films whilst attending university. Our campus was media-centered and as a result it had a huge catalogue of videos to rent, free of charge. I ploughed through many often taking the maximum 8 out at a time and consumed them voraciously. As a result I believe that I am quite literate in films and TV. It was also around this time that I really got into foreign language films, devouring the works of Akira Kurosawa, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Shunji Iwai and Wong Kar-Wai.

In the case of Kar-Wai, the first film I remember seeing of his was Chunking Express. I have the film on DVD in its Artificial Eye version and remember liking it. However, it has been 30 years since its release and about 27 or so years since I last saw it so I thought I'd revisit it.

Since watching the film, I have had the fortune and misfortune of staying at the Chungking Mansions twice. The first time, I had intended to stay there for just a couple of days whilst travelling through Hong Kong in 2011 on my 6 months sabbatical from teaching. Unfortunately, the Japanese earthquake put paid to my plans so I remained stuck in Hong Kong for an extra week whilst altering my travel plans to include Shanghai. Now, accommodation is incredibly pricey in Hong Kong and the Mansions were the only really affordable place so I stayed there, biding my time before I could travel on to Sydney, Australia.

The buildings have a bad reputation as a den of inequality and crime and, whilst they are indeed incredibly cramped and a huge fire risk (there was only a couple of lifts for the whole building from my recollections) I found the people there to be friendly, welcoming and reasonable with their prices for tourists like me. In fact, I had some of the most authentic Indian and Asian food from there and all at under £5 (in 2010 prices mind you).

The second time, my wife and I stayed there for a couple of days whilst on holiday for a week in Hong Kong from Cambodia. Indeed, my wife appreciated the food and great location but less so the cramped but clean room and the interminable waiting in the queue for the lift.

Anyways- away from my own personal reverie- watching the film now fills me with nostalgia as I can spot some places that seem familiar to me and feel the vibe that Director Kar-Wai and Cinematographer Christopher Doyle have captured so vividly in this work.

There have been several film movements which revolutionise the language and aesthetics of the medium including Soviet Formalism, German Expressionism, the French New Wave, Italian Neo-realism and Dogme 95. Film movements are the result of a shared common philosophy on the film-making process or a political agenda. The first Hong Kong New Wave included the works of Tsui Hark and John Woo, who were outward looking as Hong Kong and it's financial clout rose in influence in the late 70s and 80s.

The second Hong Kong New Wave, of which Chungking Express is a part of, took the references of Western globalisation but filtered it through a local cultural lens. There were anxieties about Americanisation, growing Western influence, mental health, isolation and, more worryingly, the handover of the territories back to China in 1997. These uncertainties bled into the post-modern films that looked at these concerns in an artistically creative way. The second Hong Kong New Wave style in Chungking Mansions reminds of the French Nouvelle Vague as both movements sought to break free from traditional conventions and experiment with new forms of storytelling- the two stories wend and wind into each other in playful ways.

The first story- such as it is- involves a policeman names Wu, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro, who operates in and around the Mansions. He is broken-hearted after being dumped by his girlfriend of five years, so he tucks into cans of nearly expired pineapples and calls up old girlfriends and acquaintances. It's very sad really. Meanwhile, a mysterious blonde-wigged woman operates a drug running business but when her mules run away she is on borrowed time to get them back. The pair meet by chance late night in a bar and connect after a tetchy initial exchange- both seem like lost souls and connect on this night in a platonic way, revealing a bit of their true self only to part and never see each other again.

In the second story, we meet Faye who works at a takeaway in the mansions. She likes her music loud and plays California Dreaming a lot. She meets a cop (played by a dashing Tony Leung) who is heart-broken after his air stewardess girlfriend leaves him. Faye falls for the cop but he is surrounded by things that remind him of his ex at home so he can't move on. She decides drastic action is needed and manages to obtain his house keys and slowly start to replace the items that illicit hurtful relationship memories as well as watering his plants, buying him new goldfish, getting him new bedsheets and cleaning his house.

Writing that I can see how problematic this sounds now but back in the mid-90s this was considered cute and not stalker-like behaviour. Different times man. Obviously, this is a romantic part of the film so flights of fancy are allowed but in real life this is most definitely a red flag and a long costodial sentence!
However, under Doyle's cinematography and Kar-Wai's direction, this is a whimsical tale of love in the most unconventional sense. The themes of love, loss and remembrance are central to the story but so is the idea that life is an adventure and we must be open to it.

The soundtrack for this film is amazing, taking in the South and East Asian melting pot cultures that exist in the Mansions and adding a dash of Western pop music from The Cranberries and The Mamas and Papas. The latter especially features heavily in this film.

I really love this film as the characters are not stereotypes but seem genuine and bizarre- y'know, real with agency, idiosyncracies and nuance. The storytelling seems freewheeling but is actually poetic, showing the real human interactions that can happen in oppressive big cities where it can be easy to be seen as another faceless person in a sea of people. The film is all about connection and this truth; people are more complex, less shallow and self-absorbed than they may appear at first glance. We are all idiosyncratic and individual in our own ways.

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK: Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends

LINK: Fire Tripper: Cult Manga Review

LINK: Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK: The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK: The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK: Hammer Glamour- Book Review

500 Days (Okay, more like 41 days) of Summer 

I love the summer holidays. Many of my most abiding memories from my youth are of sunny days spent in Greatfields Park in Barking, playing football or cricket with my older brother and other locals from the area. It will be the rose-tinted nostalgia speaking but the summers seemed to go on forever and were full of marathon sessions of cartoon watching and video gaming.

As I got older and became a primary school teacher, the summer holidays remained special as it meant time to catch up with friends, unwind, travel to London for visits to museums, galleries and shows and giving some time to my hobbies, namely reading comics, gaming and going to gigs.

Having kids changed all that: the summer holidays meant having quality family time together and ensuring that they are kept busy and entertained but balancing that with relaxation. Also, it's good for kids to be bored on occasion, right? As my wife and I were both teachers it meant we had a great time as a family but as my wife moved away from education into a full time role on the council without the holiday perks we teachers enjoy I'm now Daddy Daycare. Now this analogy doesn't really hold as I am their parent and it is not a job in the regular sense but a part of parenthood, but you get the idea.

This has meant a squeeze in hobbies or downtime - except it hasn't really. Sure, I can't sit down for a 3 to 4 hour gaming session but I've been able to find piecemeal chunks of time to finish the following over the six weeks summer holidays:

Films
King Richard
Robocop (the OG)
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Conquest for the Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Annie (remake)
My Spy: The Eternal City
Blade Runner: Final Cut
Dangerous Days: The Making of Blade Runner
Touching the Void
Dark City
Chungking Express
To the Devil a Daughter
Young Sherlock Holmes
Coraline
Legend

Series
Diagnosis Murder (Season 1- don't judge me, my wife loves it)
Master of the Universe: Revelations (6 episodes)
The IT Crowd (Season 1- I know the creator is problematic but it is one of my favourite shows)

Manga Series and Films
Shadow Star Narutaru (13 part series)
Kotaro Lives Here (10 part series)
Haibane Renmei (13 part series)
Dragon's Heaven (OAV)
Gundam I
Gundam II: Soldier of Sorrow

Books
The History of Japanese Video Games Vol. 3 by John Szczepaniak
The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
The Imagination Chamber: Cosmic Rays from Lyra's Universe by Philip Pullman
Constellations: RoboCop by Omar Ahmed
The Skeleton's Holiday by Leonara Carrington
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Parasite Eve by Hideaki Sena
The Movie Doctors by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode
Studying Chungking Express by Sean Redmond
Summer, Fireworks and My Body by Otsuichi
Ico: Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe

Magazines
Infinity (x2 editions)
Edge (x3 editions)
The Darkside (x1 edition)
Retro Gamer (x3 editions)

Audiobooks
Locke and Key- Joe Hill
A Movie-Making Nerd- James Rolfe
The Disney Revolt- Jake Freedman

Podcasts
Retronauts (2 episodes)
The Back Page (6 episodes)
VGApocalypse (8 episodes)
Miss Me? (8 episodes)
Desert Island Discs (5 episodes)
Good Bad Billionaire (3 episodes)
High Score (2 episodes)

I've put away the gaming for the entirety of the summer (except a couple of hours of Illusion Island and Mario Kart 8 with the girls) to plough through some of my massive 'pile of shame' using a combination of physical and digital media. My Kindle app has allowed me to read whilst waiting on the kids and shopping line queues and my Audible app has allowed me to listen to books whilst moving and organising the house, travelling along in my car or when walking the dog.

Sure, the gaming backlog remains but I've moved house, had quality time with the kids, socialised and eased some of my cognitive load I've had for articles and ideas for this very website. I haven't published anything since the beginning of the holidays but will now resume the work as the new academic year is upon us and routine is back.

I still have a huge media backlog left but I've made a heck of a dent in it and it is a relief as the guilt of accruing more books and films was getting to me (and to my wife in all fairness). I feel artistically, intellectually and creatively nourished now. Nom, nom, nom! On with the new academic year of teaching.

Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy- Cult Manga Film Review

I knew of Lupin III through its run in Manga Mania and the stunning Ghibli film Castle of Cagliostro but I did not have that much experience of the character. Whilst looking down the retro anime and manga rabbit-hole, I came across this and remembered an old review of it I’d once read that praised it. With some time available, I thought I’d give it a go.

Whilst not the greatest film ever, The Fuma Conspiracy is a fun and jaunty film.

This film starts at breakneck speed as Goemon is about to get married to Murasaki of the Suminawa Clan in a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. However, when his bride-to-be is kidnapped within the first five minutes of the film, it's up to Lupin and the gang to get Goemon's betrothed back whilst also protecting her clan’s treasure. The crew quickly rescue Murasaki and then it's a race against time as the Fuma Clan close in the treasure. What follows is a Goonies/ Indiana Jones-type adventure with puzzles, traps and labyrinths.
The tenacious Inspector Zenigata joins proceeding, coming out of retirement as a monk to once again try to apprehend the gentleman thief. Things reach a spectacular head in a cavern under the mountain where the hidden treasure trove is kept.

The first thing to say is that, even though the film is nearly 40 years old it has aged extremely well. The opening animation is stunning with the Japanese temple and scenery beautifully realised in a detailed painterly style. The period costumes and style are wonderfully evocative of a side of Japan we don't often get to see in many modern manga and anime.

There is also one of the best car chase sequences ever animated as Lupin and Zenigata battle it out through a local town. The chaos that ensues is hilarious, like some right out of the old Herbie films or The Italian Job (the good old one, not the travesty of the Mark Wahlberg one).

The strength of Monkey Punch's manga work was his characterisation of this lovably roguish group and this portrayal of the group in this anime film is all pretty spot on from what I know. Lupin is his usual charming self but it is Goemon, usually the stoic swordsman, who gets a chance to share his gentler side as we see how he met and grew the love of his life through flashbacks to his youth. Murasaki is a likeable addition in this story, she is rescued early on and shows her mettle during the rest of the film. She is plucky, fiesty and a strong woman who knows how to tease her straight-laced beloved.

The music is jazzy and jaunty, effortlessly stylish and cool without trying to be. The end credit sax jazz is sooo smooth and groovy!

Overall, I really enjoyed this film; it's an enjoyable romp and at just over 73 minutes, doesn't overstay it's welcome.

Lost Manga and Anime

I've recently immersed myself in a nostalgic journey through the late 80s and early 90s manga and anime that shaped my youth. It has been a truly enlightening experience traveling back to an amazingly formative period in my life as I navigate through what some may call a mild mid-life crisis. It was a golden time for 'Japanimation' - that term still makes me shudder a little- and this period holds a truly special place in my media-consuming heart.

Now, I had a lot of VHS tapes, both original and recorded but with my many house moves and the transition from VHS to DVD I shed a lot of my manga and anime VHS collection along the way. I give them away to friends, exchanged them at CEX for credit or donated some to charity shops. I had many bootleg copies of series that I have saved on a hard drive but my physical collection has whittled down somewhat.

Manga Entertainment built a bit of a cult following in its heydey of the late 80s and early 90s. When the transition of VHS to DVD came, it re-released its main titles but all the others disappeared as VHS was phased out. Classic series like 3x3 Eyes, Crying Freeman, Guyver, Angel Cop, Devil Man and Doomed Megalopolis remained stuck on VHS, never getting an official DVD release in the UK. I praise the sun for my multi-region DVD and Blu-Ray player as I know some of these have been released abroad but there is so much more that has been lost. Even the early anime rippers and translator forums, which were the lifeblood for fans seeking unreleased or undistributed media, are empty. As a result, we have lost many good anime titles that may have otherwise found their way to eager modern audiences who want to look into the past.

Determining the exact number of titles that lack official releases on DVD or Blu-Ray poses quite the challenge and, while not classified as lost media (as they can often be accessed through alternative means such as various video streaming platforms and torrent sites) it would be great to see specialised distributors, similar to those catering to horror films, to consider producing limited print runs for these sought-after titles in contemporary formats at a reasonable price.

I'm beyond excited for the Macross Plus Blu-Ray but the limited edition £150 release is too rich for my blood. The 4-part series is an all-timer for me as it introduced me to the music of Yoko Kanno and the wonders of rogue AI Sharon Apple. Hopefully, a £30 or so regular Blu-Ray release will be forthcoming and pave the way for other classic anime and manga OAVs, films and series to finally see the light of day again. I think there is a niche market for physical releases of old skool manga and hope we get more.

The Carry On Girls- Book Review

Back in the 80s and early 90s, there was traditionally a Carry On season at least once a year on ITV. This would be all the films shown in chronological order over the course of several weeks. This would often be the case with the annual Bond season too. These were a special time for us to gather together as a family and immerse ourselves in movies that ran the gamut from the ridiculous (in the best possible way of course) to the sublime.

I loved the innuendo and silly slapstick humour of the Carry On films back then but might it be deemed problematic now with its objectification of women? Some argue that it is the women who have the last laugh as they are the ones who poke fun at male weakness. I'm not in any position to comment either way but it is an interesting point made by author Gemma Ross, ably accompanied in this undertaking with her husband Robert Ross.

There were a large number of actresses across the 31 films and each gets a detailed biography including candid interviews from the surviving actresses or archival quotes from past interviews for those who are no longer with us. These biographies are far more than mere flattering pieces, as they are notably critical of the prevailing attitudes and treatment many of these women faced from the often misogynistic and sexist British film industry of that era. Interestingly, the Carry On films stood out for their progressive approach in this aspect.

The authors confront issues, but find bright spots including from the actresses themselves who share positive experiences, emphasising a familial atmosphere without concerns. Kenneth Williams recalled that when there was a love scene or some guy was getting into a lather about a woman in some state of undress, the women were usually sent home and it would be director Gerald Thomas in the eye line of the actor but out of scene telling the actor to get all hot and bothered. This forward thinking protection of women in the workplace was commendable and ahead of its time. Additionally, the women were often paid relatively well and, in some cases like that of Shirley Eaton, even more than their male counterparts.

The book is a handsome tome with good quality paper stock and crystal clear photographs taken from the films are archives. The layout of the pages is consistent with large photographs of the actresses in their film roles as well as promotional shoots. This book is a respectful look at the first ladies of comedy and is highly recommended by me.

Monsters: What Do We Do with Great Art by Bad People? - Book Review (and Some Thoughts)

The premise of Monsters: What Do We Do with Great Art by Bad People? is simple: can you and should you consume the works of someone who is, in the words of the author, 'a monster'. This question is one that many have considered, especially in light of the #MeToo movement, but it is complex. Should you ignore stunning works of art, music or other areas of the creative industry even though what has been produced may be amazing, genius even? Is biography a fallacy?

I listen to Evil Genius, an excellent BBC podcast series which looks into the same issue but in a more playful way. This book promised a more thorough and scholarly examination of the matter and, with that in mind I dove right in.

In the introduction, author Claire Dederer discusses the issue straight away with her love of Roman Polanski, the legendary film director and alleged child abuser. Dederer described herself as a humanist so how can she square such horrid abuses with the art she loves. Should we separate the art from the artist? The book examines this conundrum about how can you be a virtuous consumer yet also a citizen of the cultural world.

The book is not about judging the art against the crime but rather is an examination of us and how we, as a audience, can decide this most thorny of moral conundrums. She looks at the feelings and thoughts that people have towards these figures the two would often collide as the accretions of a life lived often informed both. People who had a step-parent in their life felt disgusted by Woody Allen as it was a betrayal of a special trust and bond whilst many felt revulsion at Pre-President Trumps "Grab 'em by the ¶u$$y'" and the casual misogyny and assault this implied. She covers different themes within this dilemma over numerous chapters:

Chapter 2: The Roll Call. She names creatives- alive and dead- who might fit into this paradigm.... What do we do? Boycott everything they produce? Illegally download or watch a mates copy of their stuff so they do not financially gain?

Chapter 3: The Stain. This looks at the concept that no matter what we decide to do with knowledge of the problematic behaviour the 'stain' (as she calls it) colours the work and affects our appreciation of their art- both current and past. For example, the allegations against Michael Jackson mean that many do not feel like they can listen to any of his work, even his early work as part of the Jackson 5 before such alleged abuses ever occured.

Chapter 4: The Fan. Dederer looks at how the onset of the Internet has led to a para-social relationship between fans and the objects of their affection, thus making the biography of the content maker more pertinent.

Chapter 5: The Critic. This looks at the consumption of art with subjective and objective responses. She discusses her search for theory and praxis and how auteur theory became a big thing in the mid-90s. She discusses how, as a reviewer, she had to almost become auhtorotative and make critical pronouncements but struggled as she knew it was opinion based upon her subjectivity. It was difficult to be the arbiter of good taste as the biography of the artist and the biography of the consumer are interlinked- thus the decoupling is personal and there is no simple answer or one stop algorithm.

Chapter 6: The Genius. Dederer looks at the concept that some people have a hall pass due to their greatness.  For some, the talent of the genius is mercurial and so, to ask them to alter their process would be to mess with their muse. Many people who believe this quote musicians, singer songwriters etc who 'lost their talent' when they got on the band wagon and stopped their vice, whatever it may have been. However, is their talent mercurial? Could it be that the sense of entitlement makes people believe that the creative is a genius or, by buying into the hype, do we help create monsters? Side thought: Are monsters born or are they created? Does society help to create them? Anyways, Dederer looks at Picasso, Gaugin, Hemmingway and the villainy of their own base impulses.

Chapter 7: The Anti-semite. Racism and the Problem of Time considers the idea that people are products of their time and that, generally, people were (in the author's words) "Jerkier" in the past. The third conditional tense is the idea that 'If I were there I would have done better' but would you? Looking at the current state of the world if doesn't seem like we are actually learning from the past- we are at the apex of history but repeat it's mistakes continuously. Just look at some of the terrible hot takes about what is happening in Palestine and the way society still seems to, by a large, ignoring it.

Chapter 7: The Anti-Monster looks at Lolita and Nobakov. Did the author have a penchant for younger girls? There is no evidence to say he did but Derderer seems to pursue the idea that writing a character as heinous as Humbert hints at art as biography. I don't think this is a valid point as the whole point of narrative is that you can be experimental and crazy, pushing boundaries, but that doesn't mean you agree or condone the actions of the characters. Thoughts are not action and Nobakov created the portrait of a monster whilst not being one (seemingly).

Chapter 8: The Silencers and the Silenced, looks at institutional presence and how often some people are overlooked. As such they are often forgotton and their works not appreciated. Dederer considers the work of artists and how males are often remembered but their female muses or companions left out, even if they were great artists in their own right.

Chapter 9: Am I A Monster? looks at how monstrousness seems to be considered a spectrum. There are extremes where people almost condone the fact that dreadful things have been done but with the proviso, 'at least it wasn't that bad.' According to the author, the world is set up as a patriarchy and so men have it easier than women. Women, until very recently, were the ones who nurtured and looked after children and family. However, the women who achieved success were those who abandoned their family and children.

Chapter 10: Abandoning Mothers, looks at the phenomenon of mothers leaving their children to get their great works done. She mentions Doris Lessing, Joni Mitchell and a few others who achieved great success and were driven enough to abandon their children to achieve greatness. 

Chapter 11: Lady Lazarus, looks at how the act of woman affects their work via 'the stain'. In this case, Dederer looks at the Scum Manifesto of extreme feminism by Valerie Solanas and the works of Sylvia Plath. Both are stained by their acts, Solanas by her shooting of Andy Warhol and Plath by her suicide.

Chapter 11: Drunks, considers how alcoholism and abuse of drink can affect the behaviour of people. Raymond Carver was a notorious and abusive drunk but, after going sober, became a calm and contemplatively gregarious man. Should his earlier behaviours stain his work? That is the question we are asked to contemplate- do we cancel someone for their earlier misdemeanours or is there redemption? Dederer looks at the #MeToo movement where many just said to cancel the individuals involved and divert funds but when dealing with emotions, atomised consumer behaviour does not work as systemic issues and complicity need to be dealt with- even unintentional complicity must be considered and changed otherwise nothing changes in the long run.

Chapter 12: The Beloveds, looks at the utilitarian vs aesthetics debate. We are trying to apply consumer thinking to subjective emotions and it does not work- you love what you love and no stain can stop that. Sure, it tarnishes the work but something about the art, whatever it may be, speaks to you and that's just human. So what do we do when there is a monstrous stain on your artlove? Something that may be linked to a part of your identity.

Throughout the book, Dederer explores the question of monsters from a very personal perspective and doesn't pretend to offer the answers. What she does do is present a personal perspective in bitesized chunks, which reads a but like a series of essays.

I like that Dederer is trying to address the issue but her non-sequiturs, colloquialisms and tangents felt more like a late night pub cod-philosophy rather than a cohesive piece with a throughline. In my opinion, the masters of presenting the facts whilst seeing the interconnected of society and self are the two Jo(h)ns: Jon Ronson and John Higgs. They are fine purveyors of the human condition and how audio-visual Proustian flashbacks (is that even a thing?) affect our present ideas- the idea of memory and ego are entwined and affect the present, like it or not.

Art is unique as it had the ability to transcend time; the life of the artist ends but, for those pieces considered worthy, their art goes on, either in its original or copied, edited and remixed form ad infinitum.

Reading the book got me thinking about the words of Ramesses II, 'Look upon my works and weep...' He thought he would live forever through his legacy but his works are scattered to the wind and his grand vision lies in ruins. His work is apprecited but he, as a person, is largely forgotton, except in the role played by Yul Brenner. Sometimes artlove transcends time and as we grow older our viewpoints about the artists can alter or change.

Overall, I thought that there was the bones of something good here but a stronger writer than Dererer would lift this up significantly in my opinion. She raises some good points and it is worth sitting with them- if only to consider your own views and ethics and think about where they might be coming from.

World of Horror- Videogames As Art

Inspired by the eldritch horrors from the world of H. P. Lovecraft and the strange surreal works of Junji Ito, this roguelite point and click videogame is a wholly unique proposition. It's MS Paint 1-bit aesthetic is wonderfully evocative and creates an aesthetic rarely seen on games. The composition of its shots demonstrate an awareness and deep knowledge of the visual vocabulary of folk horror and thrillers.

This sense of mood and atmosphere is very evocative when playing and the effective soundscape and soundtrack helps further this sense of unease. The game has a intimidating looking CRPG interface and, after getting my head around it, the game was pretty easy to play. Here are some screenshots from my play.

DoDonPachi Resurrection- Videogames As Art

My initial encounter with the arcade world happened when I was just 6 years old. It took place in the cozy confines of my local video shop which housed iconic games like Pacman and Space Invaders . These captivated my young mind but I found myself drawn to the allure of shoot 'em up games, with their pulse-pounding action and excitement. I vividly remember my fascination with the compact, sit-down cocktail cabinet Space Invaders game.

They've always held a special place in my heart as once the enemy patterns are learnt and memorised you can look like a boss completing a game. I have a vivid memory of playing R-Type at Heathrow Airport and getting to level 3, that huge base ship. I bought the game on the Amstrad CPC 464 and felt like a bad-ass as my little ship  took down a warship that was bigger than a screen, in fact it was a whole level in and of itself. Over the years I bought R-Type again on the Master System and then progressed to the Megadrive where I continued my love of shoot 'em ups with the Thunder Force series.

However, with time, bullet hell games took over. I liked them as I felt zen when I played them but they were not the same as the shoot 'em ups I grew up with. Bullet hell games made their way West in larger numbers during the reign of the Xbox 360 Live Arcade and included games like Deathsmile and Akai Katana (both of which I owned and still have). They have a place in my heart but, according to aficionados of the genre, they were stagnant compared to Dodonpachi and Ikaruga, the true exciting innovators of bullet hell. Luckily, I was able to buy Ikaruga on the Switch and recently purchased DoDonPachi Resurrection. It is a brilliant game and rock hard are Cave shooters usually are. Anyways, here are screenshots of my playthough.

Les Mysterieuses Cites D’or: Les Secrets D’une Saga Mythique- Book Review

I first caught the series on BBC 1 in the early 80s and was beguiled by the mythical adventure story of a young Spanish boy named Esteban who joins a voyage to the New World in search of the lost Cities of Gold and his father. The impressive looking background art, sharply drawn characters, and the beautiful soundtrack kept me entranced throughout the whole series, becoming my favourite programme of all time. It was incredibly formative for me and introduced me to the wonders of the ancient world including the Incas, Aztecs, Atlantis and El Dorado. Even at the age of 37 I still regularly revisit the programme every year and I can attest to the fact that it still holds up as an impressive piece of work.

Over a decade ago, I bought Les Mysterieuses Cites D’or: Les Secrets D’une Saga Mythique (The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secrets of the Mythic Saga) knowing that it was in French but knowing that sooner or later, there would be technology available to allow me to conveniently translate it. And lo and behold, Google Lens has made my life much easier by allowing me to do just that. It's not an elegant solution mind you, holding up a phone over the page and waiting a few seconds for it to translate and then reading it before moving onto the next paragraph is a lengthy procedure so this book better be worth the hastle! So, has it been worth the wait? Let's see...

The book is split into 3 parts: the first looks at the origins, pre-production and production of the series, the second looks at the parallel between its fiction and reality with a look at the characters and setting, and finally, the third looks at the legacy of the series. Since this book was written in 2013 it only looks at the first season but that is is fine by me as it's the one I most resonated with and the one that holds most nostalgic value.

The first section looks at the legend of El Dorado and the city of gold before moving onto Scott O'Dell's book, The King's Fifth. Attaining the rights to create a television series loosely based on the book, DIC and NHK (alongside MK and RTL) worked together to create a story bible of sorts. Whilst there were disagreements about character designs and music along the way, the process was mostly smooth.
Of particular interest to me in this section was the chapter on the creation of the documentaries. As a youth, I loved seeing these and they opened up my eyes to another world of which I knew very little. Additionally, the sublime music, which was so formative for me gets a full four pages talking about the precise keyboards and processes used to create that signature sound. This was mana for heaven for me.

The second section looks at the character, setting and mech designs. The sketches of the original designs was great to see as you could see the iterations that occured along the way before we end up with the designs we all know and love. There is also a section on the themes and ideas of the show, which is very humanist in it's tone.

The final section was very interesting for me as it looked at the myths and legends that formed part of the 'fantastic realism' of the series. The legend of Atlantis, a lost ancient population  of giants, old world advanced technology and many other alternate history theories have all been part of the bibiliographic milieu for centuries, all the way from Plato to Dan Brown. The MCOG used these ideas as a springboard to create a fantastical world in the genre known as 'esotericism'.

The deep dive into the symbolism of the show was amazing as it offered new insights into a show I thought I knew pretty well. The idea that the location of the 4 cities represents the natural philosophical elements of air, earth, fire and water was honestly a bit of a revelation.

Overall, as a huge fan of the series, this book was everything I could wish for and more. It goes into deep dives about all the areas you would want covered and does so with an insiders insight and  flourish. I love this book and it is a forever one for my collection.

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Season 4 Review

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 (English Dub) -Complete Series Review

LINK- MCOG Series 2 Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Return Series Review

LINK- Secret History of Twin Peaks: Book Review

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier Book Review

Being an Anime and Manga Hipster (Before It Was Cool)

Yup, I've realised I'm a hipster. I ‘discovered’ manga before it became big and achieved mainstream success in England! *tongue very much in cheek here fyi*

Japan has held me in awe for so long due to a variety of factors. I was (and still am) a huge Mysterious Cities of Gold (MCOG) fan, which I found out was a specific style of animation called anime. For me the series had it all; relatable characters, amazing adventures and a thrilling story line. I found out much later that the series was only 39 episodes long but back then it seemed to stretch on forever, like Dogtanian, Ulysses 31 and Willie Fogg; all large sequential series that showed on BBC 1 and ITV weekly and then in large chunks in the morning during those looong summers.

Whilst wondering through our local WHSmiths (a newsagents here in England) I saw Manga Mania on the top shelf, next to the more salacious magazines. The art seemed reminiscent of MCOG so after seeing it a few times over the next few days I finally picked it up and fell down the rabbit hole. I vividly remember going over the next few months with my friend to WHSmiths and reading Fire Tripper, a lesser Rumiko Takahashi work but for me at the time I didn't know any better and it was perfect! My uncle who was only slightly older than me, saw that I had an interest in manga and gave me Devilman and Akira to borrow on VHS- not bad for a 13 year old kid enthralled by this new genre. At the time Akira blew my mind, I didn't understand it then and don't even pretend to now but I knew that I was watching something special.

This was the later sign of the shop.

There was a local comic shop in our town called 'Rodneys Books and Games' which sold games, VHS films and books too. Every Saturday, my best friend and I would go to browse and occasionally purchase something.  Even though I knew they sold anime and manga it wasn't until I'd been given the films by my uncle that it clicked, these were the same genre and style that I'd liked- for all those years I hadn't noticed them but now I was all about them. The first series I worked through and completed was The Guyver, getting only a couple of pounds a week it took me a couple of years to complete the entire 12 part collection.

Rodney's only had a few tapes here and there and most were the mainstream fare like Urotsokidoji, Winds of Amnesia and Wicked City. These were hardly the highlight of the medium but they attracted a certain curious and/or thirsty crowd. I was more interested in the story and art than gratuitous tentacle stuff so I got into Ghost in the Shell, Akira etc.

My interest in manga peaked at the same time of the Marvel and comic boom in the early to mid 90's and I soon forged a group of friends who became Japanophiles and comic buddies, recording and swapping recordings off the Sci-fi Channel and Channel 4 late on Saturday nights. However, getting some cool or fresh manga was difficult as it was still pretty cult. I found loads of stuff in Forbidden Planet but it was at premium price...

I became a huge Yoko Kanno fan and bought all the soundtracks I could find that she had worked on. These are some from my collection. That Memories one cost me £30 (that’s 1997 or so prices!)

These are my bootleg soundtracks from back in the day. I don’t think they work...

Later on, with the advent of the internet, getting stuff became easier as I could always get things on eBay, usually bootleg copies of stuff that hadn't made it's way West yet.

I'd buy a series, usually for about £15 to £20 and consume it over the coming weeks. I found that the guy I was buying from lived just in the next town do I'd get on the bus, pop over to his house and buy a few series at a time. This was how I watched Haibane Renmei, Cowboy Bebop, Serial Experiment Lain, theVampire Princess Miyu TV series, The Big O and many, many others.

With the onset of Pirate Bay and other file sharing platforms I just bought a hard drive and got loads of stuff that way but the DVDs were the best for me as they felt real and looked impressive rather than ephemeral and disposable. I still have a lot of these bootleg series in the loft, alongside my real copies of stuff I bought, but these were halcyon days of anime and manga and I miss the camaraderie of a tight group sharing and discussing cult stuff. Yup, I've realised I'm a hipster but what can I say? I discovered manga before it became big and achieved mainstream success! *tongue very much in cheek here fyi*

LINK: Fire Tripper- Cult Manga Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Monster City- Cult Manga Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

Countess Dracula- Cult Film Review

I have been an avid film fan for a long time, developing and growing my love for cinema by exploring the world of classic films that my father introduced me to. This included classic comedies like Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin to the epic works of David Lean and the sword and sandals films of Ray Harryhausen.

During my time at university, I immersed myself in cult TV shows and movies, taking full advantage of the tonnes of films available on campus. Despite being limited to borrowing only 8 films at a time, I managed to consume a large number of them. While I appreciated the wide variety of movies and shows, I have always had a penchant for the cult or unconventional. My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, Twins of Evil and many, many more.

One film that piqued my interest was Countess Dracula- the tale that intertwines the narrative of Dracula with the dark and disturbing real-life account of Elisabeth Bathory. She was a Hungarian noblewoman who gained notoriety for the heinous deeds of murdering virgins in order to bathe in their blood to gain eternal youth. It is a dreadful tale of one of the earliest known serial killers and thus would make a traumatising film as is, so the Hammerfication has made it slightly more palatable.

Central to the film is Ingrid Pitt's portrayal of the countess. She is captivating in the role, injecting a compelling element of drama into the role of an older lady who is enthralled by a younger soldier, played earnestly by Sandor Elés. She is a force of nature and demands attention on the screen- oozing charisma and confidence. The film's opulent sets and costumes contribute to its visually striking appearance, perfectly complementing its eerie storyline and gothic leanings.

The 3 Worlds of Gulliver- Cult Film Review

I was doom scrolling through Amazon Prime seeking a new film or series to watch when I came across The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. The cover looked familiar and triggered some long forgotten memory I must have had, either that or some Mandala effect had occured by I was sure I must have seen this film at some point, probably in my childhood on a cold Winters day or Bank Holiday as was often the case when these types of films were often shown. I read that it was a Ray Harryhausen and Charles Schneer production and so I ordered it and waited with excitement. I am a huge fan of their work and had quite recently revisited the three Sinbad films they had collaborated on.

I am aware of Gulliver's Travels but only loosely. The premise of a man who travels and gets shipwrecked on an island where he is a giant to the Lilliputians is well known. However, I did not know that there were further adventures where he travelled to a land where he was small. Either way, the story of a compassionate and caring man dealing with man's vanity and hubris was a powerful political polemic by author Jonathan Swift on release. The ridiculousness and petty-mindedness of the situations Gulliver has to deal with shows the corrosive elements of power.

The first thing to note is that the opening music by Bernard Herrman is amazing, not Seventh Voyage of Sinbad amazing but definitely noteworthy as it sets the mood well. Actor Kerwin Mathews has a strong screen personality and is a likable personality. His fiancée Elizabeth, ably played by the tragic June Thorburn, complements him well and there is real chemistry on the screen but the musical-like interludes are intrusive and don't fit the film that well in my opinion.

The costume, set and sound design are all uniformly great and there are a lot of clever perspective shots using great matte paintings to give the illusion of space. However, there are only two of Harryhausen’s signature Dynamation techniques; one of is a squirrel and one a crocodile. The squirrel is especially impressive as it captures the jittery frenetic energy of the animal well but this is a short animated piece.

Director, Jack Sher, does a good enough job but it lacks the cinematography or director’s eye that stronger directors would have. What comes across is a solid piece of film making but neither dynamic or remarkable.

Make no mistake, this is a relatively low budget affair but economy of design has helped maximise what has been achieved, much like what The Singing Ringing Tree would achieve years later. It's a joyful and pretty innocent film and worth an hour and a half of your time.

Pokemon Concierge- Series Review

Whilst on the train journey to London, I watched the 4 episode Pokemon Concierge series. Now, I'm not that into Pokemon as the series became prominent just as I was hitting secondary school but I know it was mad popular with my younger siblings and cousins. The games didn't really interest me either and even though I played the original few, I never really got into the in any real way. So, Pokemon for me is something that has been present but always in the periphery. What interested me about Pokemon Concierge was the stop motion style and the pastel coloured look of the show. With 4 hours of a train journey to kill I dove in.
The show follows Haru, an anxious young woman who finds employment in the Pokemon Resort after being dumped by text by her boyfriend of 6 1/2 years. She goes on a journey of self-discovery and through connections created with Tyler, Alisa, Ms. Watanabe and the various Pokemon, she realises that the worries she has are not really that big when looked at from certain angles and nothing is insurmountable.

So that's the premise but how is the show? Well, I have to say that the show is gorgeous to look at. The stop motion is smooth and the character designs are gorgeous. The Pokemon are often made of felt and look adorable and incredibly tactile.

The inner monologuing of Haru is interesting, all Millennial angst and second guessing, but as she learns to open up and appreciate the small things in life, it is wonderful to see her personal growth. The voice actor for Haru, Karen Fukuhara, is great as she really captures the insecurities of the character well.
The show is not going to blow anyones mind but as a gentle animation about the growth, evolution and maturity we all go through, it's great.

Afrofuturism: The World of Blacks Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture- Book Review

Afrofuturism is a genre that gained mainstream prominence through Marvel's Black Panther film in 2018 but for those not in the know, it's a genre looking at Africa's potential had it not been exploited and carved up in the Age of Exploration (and exploitation). It's a great ‘what if’ alternate timeline where elements of sci-fi, history and geopolitics are reconsidered and combined in interesting ways. These ideas were put forth by social change agents who looked at the potential of what could be, what not was or had been- it was not a critique of society with its history of slavery and subjugation but rather it looked to the future perspective.

The book was written by Ytasha Womack in 2013, so this predates the ascent of Chadwick Boseman, Little Nas X, Jordan Peele, Zendaya and other entertainers who have raised the profile of a people's who have traditionally been marginalised or underappreciated (ahem 2015 Oscars where not one black person was nominated for any lead awards in any categories #OscarsSoWhite).

When talking about the role of black people in sci-fi, Womack briefly discusses Independence Day, Men in Black, I Am Legend, Book of Eli and, the black sci-fi representation cultural lodestone: The Matrix. Morpheus, played by a kickass Lawrence Fishburn, made black leather trench coats and tiny sunglasses cool, changing attitudes towards black representation in sci-fi, which was usually the reserve of homogenous white archetypes like Flash Gordon, Dan Dare etc. I'm obviously aware of black actors playing Hollywood stereotypes, usually portraying characters in a negative light, but I'd never considered them as usually the first victims in sci-fi films.

Womack discusses how the Internet and social media have allowed Afrofuturists to share their vision without being beholden to the usual gatekeepers. In the past, many black people and people of colour were often not in sci-fi films, video games, comics, books or other media almost like in the future they would simply cease to exist. Representation has got better but there are still issues as black geeks face descrimination, like the black bird watcher who was accused of some unknown crime by some Karen or being excluded out of videogames genres as black people couldn't possibly exists... in the fake world with dragons (Final Fantasy 16).

Now, I have been pretty ignorant of this scene so this book has been a great primer for me and directed me to learn more about Afrofuturism, Afrosurrealism and black fantasy as well as the works of creatives like Sun Ra, Octavia Butler, Janelle Monae and so many more people who have contributed to the majestic tapestry of this aesthetic and movement. For those who are willing to learn about the birth, growth and evolution of the movement, this book does a lot of the ground work that can be built upon.

Killmongers speech is not wrong in Black Panther as the potential of the African continent has been undermined and suppressed through the legacies of colonialism. What could it have achieved if left to its own devices? Well, this book looks at that and wonders...

The Kiss of the Vampire- Cult Film Review

I have been a film aficionado for a long time. My father brought me up on classics like David Lean's adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations as well as the various black and white classic comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. However I became interested in cult TV series and films whilst attending university. Our campus was media-centered and as a result it had a huge catalogue of videos to rent, free of charge. I ploughed through many often taking the maximum 8 out at a time and consumed them voraciously. As a result I believe that I am quite literate in films and TV but the series that really attracts me are the more offbeat curios. I've explained my love for old creepy films here before and it is in this vein that I wanted to explore some classic horror films from yesteryear. The Kiss of the Vampire, the 1962 production, is one very such film I sought out as it is a lesser known Hammer horror film.

The story follows a young well-to-do honeymooning couple end up stuck in some backwater in Bavaria. Whilst finding accommodation in a nearby hotel they are invited for dinner by Doctor Ravna, an aristocrat who lives in the nearby castle. It all seems too good to be true as the host and his family are revealed to be the disciples of  vampires. When the wife is kidnapped, bitten and turned into a vampire, her husband looks to rescue her from the clutches of the doctor.

This film is a gorgeous production with a vibrant colour palette, beautifully decorated sets and detailed costumes. The cinematography is excellent and sound design dramatic in just the right way. The actress who plays the wife Marianne, Jennifer Daniel, is beguiling in this and plays the role of the ingenue well. This film is unconventional in its ending too as there is no stake through the heart, great fire or anything of the sort. Rather an incantation brings about the demise of the coven of vampires. The special effects for this section are laughably bad but the idea is a good one- even though it is a deus ex machina

I would recommend this film as it is old skool Hammer and existed before the studio went through its difficult years of excess where there was too much gratuitous sex and violence. I'm not saying that there is no place for these but in short sharp bursts it's more effective than where Hammer ended up.

I Have America Surrounded : The Life of Timothy Leary by John Higgs- Book Review

I am a bit of a fan of John Higgs, having read three of his previous books The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned One Million Pounds, The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next and William Blake vs. The World.

I loved reading these books as his works often takes many turns that often bamboozle me but always had me interested in the topics he was covering. I find that Higgs seems to be a Humanist at heart and he gets to the heart of the matter and the core questions we all ask; what is our purpose and how does this affect the narrative we tell ourselves?

So, it was with much curiosity that I picked up his book on Timothy Leary, the famed face of the counter-culture movement who advocated for the use of LSD and advised people to ‘Turn On, Tune In and Drop Out.’ Apart from this, I didn't know much else apart from the fact that he was called 'The most dangerous man in America' by then President Richard Nixon.

This book was a great primer then as the first few chapters are a biography highlighting Leary's rebellious and self destructive nature before he settled as professor of psychology at Harvard. He found that the psychology profession was not having the success it claimed it making; 1/3 made good progress, 1/3 made some progress and 1/3 made no progress with psychological help... this sounded pretty good until he revealed that his test group showed similar results with no help. He realised that the psychological profession was built on sand upon the white middle class expectations of 'norms'. He declared  professional development was needed and the only way to achieve that was for psychologists to open themselves up to the lives of their patients rather than be removed- in other words,to touch grass. He was a maverick before but when he discovered magic mushrooms his world view opened up.

There was an idea that the emergence of religion was due to psychedelics but, as you can imagine, this was a hugely controversial and would receive backlash so his friend and advisor Aldous Huxley, of Brave New World fame, suggested Leary try the drugs on the powerful and influential to see what they thought and move the conversation forward as culturally powerful people.

There was a school of thought that said that psychedelics would be too powerful for the general populace and needed to be protected and controlled by the elite. Leary disagreed and got on side with the Beat Generation and Allen Ginsberg stating that everyone in the world should experience the ecstatic and that drugs should be kept away from the elite.

These two conflicting views led to Leary testing the drugs on prisoners who were nearing release to prevent recidivism. Then LSD happened the changed Leary’s view to include the reality tunnel and the idea that society was a construct. This idea is not new and many religious teachings and meditation teach this too but not in such a scientifically supported way from a Harvard academic.

He helped start the counter culture movement but some took it as an excuse to drop out of society. The 1967 Summer of Love slowly moved into the remorseful morning after in 1969: The Beatles broke up, the Manson family committed horrific crimes and there was a mood of dourness at the close of the decade as the optimism dissipated. The possible positive uses of psycheledics was glossed over with the more shrill arguments about the hippie culture. Leary's life from there is full of crazy escapades as he pivoted from philosopher, lifestyle guru to friend to the rich and famous.

Higgs is an excellent writer and his skill in conveying a complex life with verve and energy is compelling. The fact that he presents Leary as a vain, complex and flawed human being yet still a hopeful maverick makes this an intriguing read and, with the recent reappraisal of the medicinal use of psychedelics, possibly a renaissance man way ahead of his time.

I would recommend this book as this is a singular life lived and we may never know the like again.

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Return Series Review

LINK- Secret History of Twin Peaks: Book Review

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier Book Review

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK- Shadow of the Colossus- Book Review

LINK- Japan: My Journey to the East

Vampire Circus- Cult Film Review

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, The Witchfinder General and many, many more.

Whilst flicking through the ITVX app, I saw the image for Vampire Circus. I vaguely remembered the film so decided to revisit it for the first time in 30 or so years.

Vampire Circus was produced in 1971 which was the start of the period of decline for Hammer. Hammer had risen to prominence in the two decades before with its gothic top tier b-movie films which were rich in detail and storytelling. However, by the 70s the audience’s tastes were changing and the drop in production quality led to a glut of poorer Hammer movies that seemed to be poorer imitations of what had come before. Luckily, Vampire Circus is not one of these films as it still stands as a great film- maybe one of the last great Hammer films before its decline. Taking inspiration from post-modern European films, it is an erotic dreamlike venture with lashings of gore thrown in for good measure.

The film is about a small town in a forest which is beholden to the evil Count Mitterhaus (played in bohemian Byronesque fashion by Robert Tayman). He feasts on the blood of children and preys on the beautiful women within this community. When the people rise up and kill him he curses them, saying that they and their children, and their children’s children etc will die. Cue the title card and the beginnings of an intriguing story.

We fast forward 15 years and see that the village is in decline as the neighbouring villages know about the curse and do not want the isolated village to spread the curse further. However, a travelling circus troupe, The Circus of Night, visits the village and performs for the people whilst secretly exacting revenge by killing the children of the families and dripping their blood onto the corpse of their cousin Count Mittterhaus. Will the village discover what is happening or will all the children of the village die and the Count resurrect?

I throughly enjoyed the film. Even though any film with child death is challenging to watch the overall plot of the story and the sheer sense of place in this Germanic town is well realised. Sure, there are bare bodies aplenty and lots of gore but the story at its heart of a class battle between the aristocratic class against the poorer and middle classes is still a relevant one even today. This film is not for the faint of heart but is well worth your time.

LINK: Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Twin Peaks Retrospective

LINK- On, and On and Colston (Or, ‘How We Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism in GB’)

LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’

Maris the Wondergirl- Cult Manga Review

I do love the works of Rumiko Takahashi and her Rumik World anthology series. Her Fire Tripper run in Manga Mania was the first complete manga series I read and I purchased quite a few of the OAV adaptations including Fire Tripper and Laughing Target. One of the OAVs I had not seen was Maris the Wondergirl so, with 50 minutes to spare, I sat down and watched this short film.

Maris is a super strong lieutenant in the Intergalactic Space Patrol but when she damages her third ship through her super Thanatosian strength, she has to take on part time jobs to pay the organisation back. When the playboy son of a  billionaire is kidnapped Maris dreams of romance as well as a big payday. The only thing standing her way is fellow super strong warrior Sue, who defeated Maris in a wrestling match once by cheating. As Maris makes her way to the fortress where the hier is kept all is not what it seems in the final showdown.

The 1986 animation is very impressive.

This is a cute and disposable OAV. It doesn't really stay long in the memory but is fun with good animation and great 80s hair rock music complementing the fight scenes. The opening two minutes are impressive as the Maris is involved in a dramatic dogfight. Maris is a goofy and flawed character and the moral of 'money doesn't buy happiness but it does make life easier' is a message I can get behind in this humorous 50 minute diversion. This is a great slice of mid 80s animation and is well worth a watch.

LINK: Fire Tripper- Cult Manga Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Monster City- Cult Manga Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

Roujin Z- Cult Manga Review

I never saw Roujin Z when it came out in the early 90s. I saw the VHS on sale often enough but the cover did not look inviting; an old guy in some weird looking robot bed thing... No thank you. As an edge lord teen I was looking for the cool stuff like Guyver, Devilman and Cyber City Oedo 808. If I'd known that it was by the genius that is Katsuhiro Otomo, the visionary creator of Akira and Memories, and had the art direction of Satoshi Kon, who would go on to direct some seminal manga films including Perfect Blue, Paprika and the stunning series Paranoia Agent, I might have picked it up sooner. However, I hadn't but I decided to write this wrong and sat through the movie earlier today and had a great old time.

In the film, set in the present day but prescient of the ticking-time bomb of an aging population, Japan has a crisis with its elderly. There is a need for change in the health and social care sector to deal with this overwhelm. A nascent technology company may have a solution with the Z-001, an automated networked bed that takes care of the needs of the patient. All it needs is a test subject and Kijuro Takazawa seems to fit the bill however his volunteer nurse Haruko isn't so sure. When the machine goes haywire and becomes self aware things get out of hand as the military get involved seeking to save their 6th generation top of the range technology and atomic powered engine.

I have to say, this film was not at all what I was expecting. Expectations for this film were high upon release as this was coming after the release of the juggernaut that was Akira. I wish I could have seen the reaction from the time as this is a more concise and satirical sci-fi film, clocking in at just under 80 minutes.

You know this is an unusual film when the creative genius that is Otomo uses his calligraphy skills to write the title with a brush at the beginning of the film. His hand symbolically breaks the animation 4th wall showing that there is a human touch behind the veneer of technology and animation.

The rest of the film is beautifully rendered in loving detail and depicts the minutaie of life- homes, medical technology, transport, fashion and people- whilst the social commentary is pointed and stinging. Japan is a country built on respect for its traditions and history so how could it care for the elderly and balance this with the need to keep innovating and moving forward? The film looks at this dilemma as it looks at how the care for the elderly is inadequate with its lack of staffing, high costs and oversubscription.

This is a socially conscious film and I think it shows that all life is valuable- there is so much we don't know and will never know in the short time we are here. We have to accept that there are some mysteries we will never solve in our lifetime, but, with a little help, me might to figure out a few of them before we shuffle off this mortal coil.

We are in a existentially terrifying era of late state capitalism and this is having an impact on the entire world- the only way to survive is to work together and unite rather than break off into disperate groups and go it alone. We need to be there for one another as we either 'fix our hearts or die' to quote David Lynch.

This is an excellent example of 90s manga and deserves to be seen as it is moralistic but also bloody funny too.

LINK: Fire Tripper- Cult Manga Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Monster City- Cult Manga Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)