They Might Be Giants (1971)

Here's my last review for a Periscope Studio art book Kickstarter backer -- it's They Might Be Giants for Christian L, a long-time supporter of my work and cool dude!  I had never heard of this movie before, and I actually needed Christian's help to get hold of a copy of it, but it was really good.  There was some really nice acting and a plot that kept me guessing how things would develop. :) Read on for some spoiler-filled reaction comics!

I liked these two so much!  The random side characters were fun, and I liked when they all came back at the end for the marching-through-the-streets scene.

 Oh Grace.

Take me back to 1971!!

Summer Wars

I'm continuing this week with my movie reviews for people who donated to the Periscope Studio art books Kickstarter.  A big thanks to Jacob, who requested Summer Wars!  Read on for some spoiler-filled reaction comics!

So here's the thing: I've already seen this movie a few times.  I love it.  It's fantastic.  It's one of those movies I wish I could make everyone I know watch.  It has a little bit of everything--comedy, romance, action, drama...a surprising and amazing film.  The storytelling is fresh and clever.  And the animation is GORGEOUS!  I think the word I used the most in this review was "love".

Basically, just go see this movie if you haven't yet.

I looooooove the big cast, and how well everyone is characterized.  They can have over-the-top slapstick moments, and maybe you could sum each character up in a couple words, but each plays an integral role in the plot, too (I see a lot of similarities with Dickens).  Nana being new to the family means she doesn't know who Wabisuke is, and it's a GREAT excuse to invite the other characters to explain.
The characters interact with one another in many interesting ways, forming different groups at different times the way that real people do (by family, by gender, by opinion, by task).  Nobody is a "good guy" or "bad guy"; they take on protagonist and antagonist roles depending on the situation.  It could have been so easy to fill out the big family with generic characters, but everyone really feels real.  The chaos of the big household is totally believable.  Somehow, the creators manage to keep over 20 characters in character AND keep the plot moving forward.

I loooooove the avatar designs.  They're so personalized and different, I wouldn't be surprised if the film invited a bunch of real people to design their own avatars for the movie to use.  The world of OZ is a delightful tool for the storytelling.  We get to have our real-world story, but also watch fantastic action sequences in a world with anime physics.  And I LOVE when we come back into the real world and see those fights on character's cell phone screens -- how it just looks like normal cell phone game graphics!! xD The visual metaphors for Love Machine messing up the world's systems are GENIUS.  I love the sliding tiles effect when it mixes up the highway system.  GAH.

Kazuma is such a teenage wish fulfillment character.  He games ALL THE TIME uninterrupted by his mother, is the best fighter in the world, has global star status for his character's success...and his gaming ends up saving the world.  Plus, awesome emo hair.

Pretty much xD

Sniff!  Universal cooperation and self-sacrifice....you hit me in the soft spot, Summer Wars.


I haven't even mentioned Sakae Jinnouchi, who is maybe the most interesting character.  I love seeing a matriarch like this.  She can wield a yari, sure, but her greatest strength as demonstrated in the movie is her prowess in conversation, her network of friends/family, and her ability to get people to work together and support one another.  There's a lot of good stuff happening in Summer Wars in terms of what makes characters heroic.  Kenji is smart and willing to stay in harm's way to protect others.  Wabisuke asks for forgiveness and tries to make amends for the damage he's caused.  Everyone seems at their best when they do their duty to serve others and cooperate.

Brazil

I watched the 1985 Terry Gilliam film Brazil this weekend for another Kickstarter backer -- my fantastic publisher Oni Press!! :D Editor Charlie Chu has given me many movie recommendations over the years, and he hasn't steered me wrong yet.  This movie was great!!  If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it before I spoil it for you here.

Read on for some spoiler-filled reaction comics!

Uuuuuuugh....some of the satire was too close for comfort.  The cosmetic surgery stuff was....unsettling.  Same goes for the ugly highway lined with ads depicting gorgeous landscapes, and the "Consumers for Christ" group in the shopping mall scene.  It was all in that suuuuper uncomfortable space of funny and dark/disturbing at the same time.  Well done, movie.

Easy joke, sorry.

 I loved the bureaucratic satire, especially uniforms like this character's!  All of the official pins and patches and badges and pads and caps.

 WHEN HE'S LEANING IN AND OUT AND UGHHHHH COME ON SAM

 Nooooooo....!

 Lot of WHAT in my first viewing of this film.

The sets and the framing of the shots in Brazil were SO uncomfortable and cramped!  It was really effective but it made me squirm in my seat.  I was dying for a shot of the sky or any open space or green.

UGH.  That was a great ending but UGHHHHHHH.  I wanted Sam to be happy with magically-alive badass Jill in a pretty country home. :( Humph.

I love the song Brazil, and it was a treat hearing so many variations on it throughout the film.  My favorite version will always be Pink Martini's cover, though!  ;)

What Women Want

So here's what happened last night:

Have you seen What Women Want?  I recommend it!  Try finding a copy to watch before reading these comics; they'll be funnier if you are familiar with the movie:

 

What Women Want was released when I was 12, and I only saw about 10 minutes of it on TV once, so it was practically brand new to me.  I thought previously that it was a standard romcom, and the convenient magic element turned me off in the previews, but I turned out to really like it!  I'm glad I went back and watched it.  It had some really great things to say and I loved a LOT of little things the movie did.  Probably too many to list.  But here are a few: hearing the deaf women's conversation, Nick's rant to his male coworker about what he's discovered about men and women, positive portrayal of Nike (Portland priiiide), so very many lady characters / speaking roles, the Ivy-league-graduated secretary's rant, the way that Alex knew all of the reassuring cliches but hearing them reinforced by her dad helped her believe them, the reveal about Erin appealing to Nick to be a copywriter, Darcy sinking into her bubble bath after her bad day rather than answering her phone, and just the general lack of things that piss me off in movies (directed by a woman and co-written by a man and two women...coincidence?).

My other movie reaction comics:  Looper, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Magic Mike, Brave, Prometheus