Posts by Jeremy Butler

Any time I get a double feature, the first thing that comes to mind is that these two movies don't know it, but they are now in competition with one another in my eyes. It was that way for Grindhouse as well as originals subsequent sequels. This time was no different in my eyes, and after screening both features there is a clear victor. Which one, you ask? Well, I'm not telling at this moment. (Don't worry, I will, but I can't just give it up that easy, because if I do, what assurance do I have that you will watch both films?) However, I'm sure my preference will become quite clear once you start reading.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, seems to be the principal lesson in The House Where Evil Dwells. A century earlier in Japan, a samurai comes home to find his wife in bed with her lover and in a fit of rage kills them both, taking his own life afterwards. Since then, the home remains vacant for decades due to speculation that the ghosts of that massacre remain in the house. The unsuspecting Fletcher family, new to Japan and refusing to let a ghost story keep them from an authentic home, move in.

Battle for Skyark is a hero’s journey tale without question, as the main character finds himself thrust into the said role of protecting a ragtag group of kids from perceived monsters. Sounds like a lot of responsibility for a kid, if you ask me. The type of thing that sends a person into a dark corner and makes them ball up in the fetal position. You don’t get that, exactly, but you get something similar. Rags witnesses the murders of his father and faces his exile from Skyark, the city created above the Earth following an invasion by an alien race. Upon his arrival on the abandoned planet, he finds himself thrown into the role of savior due to a prophecy which states that the boy who bears thirteen shadows (cuts on the arm sustained during the expulsion process) will lead a group of resistance fighters and take control of Skyark. If that is not enough, he has the more pressing issue of protecting the group from the infestation of parasitic aliens which have turned their human hosts into cannibals.

At first enjoying the attention that comes with being “The Thirteen,” the novelty of the position quickly wears off during the first of attack of the labeled “Monsters.” With no battle experience and never having to defend himself, Rags believes that it is all a mistake and he is not who the group believes him to be. As the obstacles continue and with lives being in his hands, Rags will have to find the strength to be become the person that he is destined to be.

A bit animated in certain areas, but all in all a pretty good martial arts experience in my opinion. The Guardsman tells the story of a man charged with the safe keeping of the emperor of China, a job that entails a great many challenges even from those he considers family. When word is received that a group of Japanese pirates will make an attempt on the life of the emperor and a group of countrymen are complicit in the plot, our hero is unsure where to turn and who he can trust. Fair warning, in true fashion of martial arts films, it is English subtitles, so if you do not enjoy getting your dose of literature, this may not be the film for you. Admittedly, it can be a bit distracting attempting to read the dialog as well as follow the action on screen. Despite that, those willing to undertake the task may come to enjoy what the story has to offer. I had trouble following the plot at times (and no, it wasn’t because of the subtitles) due to the shifting perspectives. The film is told from the point of view of several different characters. True, the Guardsman is the focal point, but there remain at least three separate subplots in regard to the assassination plot on the emperor. This at times makes it difficult to keep track of the story. One or two subplots is OK, actually two should be the maximum in my opinion simply to prevent overcrowding. I estimate around three to four subplots that intertwine with the main plot. Far too many, as at this point I found myself unable to keep track of everything that was happening. My opinion, the only perspectives that mattered were the assassination plot, the countrymen complicity, and maybe the perspective of the Japanese pirates as they made their advance; that way you had the antagonist angle covered. Other than that, all other perspectives could have been disregarded and achieved the same goal.

Now to the part that truly makes a martial arts movie: the fighting. Here is where I was most impressed. The fight scenes were some of the best choreographed battles I’ve seen in a while. As I mentioned before, they were a bit animated in some area specifically in regards to blood spatter and sound effects. Disregarding that, the fights were realistic even when it was one man versus ten. The way the battle unfolded with attacks and counterattacks was completely believable. Wire work was utilized at times but nothing over the top such as soaring forty to fifty feet off the ground in order to land on rooftop. I have no complaints when it comes to the fighting; it was the most enjoyable portion of the experience.

This may well be the first film that I’ve seen where the police were actively aiding someone seeking revenge for the death of a loved one. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a foreign concept; however, in my experience police participation is usually comes about towards the conclusion of the story. In the case of Zero Tolerance, an officer signs on to help from the very beginning knowing full well how things are going to end. The fresh perspective on the situation was enjoyable; however, it did not fully compensate for how the story unraveled. Peter, a twenty-year veteran police officer is called to the scene of a homicide, a woman found naked and bound in a body of water.  A sex crimes detective, Peter is hardened against such crimes; such is a prerequisite to survive. His exterior is cracked when he recognizes the victim as the daughter of an old friend.  Knowing the repercussions of what is likely to happen when the father finds out, Peter seeks out Johnny to deliver the news personally.

In an effort to get ahead of the situation, Peter offers to allow Johnny to be a part of the investigation in hopes of preventing unnecessary bloodshed. With the understanding that Johnny will exact revenge on those responsible for his daughter’s death, Johnny agrees to the terms. However, the situation quickly spirals out of Peter’s control as Johnny is not a restrained in delivering justice as Peter had hoped.

Dumb it Down turned out to be a bit of an indictment on the state of present hip-hop affairs. A group of experts was brought together, both past and present industry professionals who gave their opinion on how the art form has transformed from a way for a person to express their thoughts to apparently the new tactic in advertising.  As a fan of the genre, there is no denying that the music has changed from what it was originally. Admittedly, I find myself gravitating more towards songs with an actual message behind them rather than the club bangers (as they have come to be called). However, I have my doubts about the way this documentary is going to go over.

The overall question for this documentary is how it will be received by the audience. A scathing indictment of the industry by participants who knowingly admit that they took part in the dumbing down of the art form that they are now speaking out against. The hypocrisy of that admission, I imagine, is going to do a significant amount of damage with the audience. T-Pain came out and admitted that he dumbed down his own lyrics so that they would be better received with the listeners; however, he then turns around and talks about how doing such a thing is what wrong with hip-hop today. That contradiction weighed heavily with me as I watched the documentary, because how can you really speak out against something that you took part in? I understand that it is possible to have a change of heart, but that was not my first impression when I witnessed this admission. It seemed more like a “pass the puck of blame” scenario. There are plenty of others who speak out as well, but again I have to wonder how many of them participated in what they are now speaking out against.