the Signpost

i don’t know what exactly convinced me to watch Warm Bodies, but i’m glad i did. for one thing, i’m not a big fan of zombie movies (i basically run away from them). about the only zombie film i could watch calmly was Shaun of the Dead, which — despite its share of scary moments — is known more for its comedic flair and wacky premise.

i got curious about Warm Bodies (Lionsgate Films) after reading several reviews, which were largely positive. frankly, the prospect of watching a love story between a human and a zombie didn’t sound all that promising, but after latching on to such descriptive phrases as “zom-rom-com” and zombified Romeo & Juliet, and an amusing notion that Warm Bodies is zombiedom’s answer to Twilight (for vampires), my antenna felt a spark of life.

okay, pairing a human (Julie, played by Teresa Palmer) with a slacker zombie, “R” (which is all he can apparently remember [Nicholas Hoult] about his name) is a tough sell, but after watching all they have go through (zombies, boneys, Julie’s father, communication problems, etc.), it becomes easy to convince yourself that they do belong together, never mind that “he” is a corpse and “she” is a potential meal.

the thing that works well in R’s favor is that, despite all that has happened, he has retained a vague sort of identity, a sense of “self” that you don’t normally see in other zombie films. he collects things and stash them in his quarters — a huge plane parked in an airport tarmac. his wry internal commentaries (since zombies basically vocalize in grunts and groans) are a large part of his charms, and it helps that he’s basically a good-looking, well-preserved specimen — for a zombie, that is.

Jonathan Levine (director) has done a good job of mashing two genres and coming up with a fairly good film that the viewers can enjoy, particularly young adults. Warm Bodies is hardly award-winning material, but it’s definitely a good way to pass 97 minutes of your spare time.

Warm Bodies, based on a novel with the same title by Isaac Marion, also stars John Malkovich as Julie’s father, Gen. Grigio, Analeigh Tipton (Nora) and Rob Corddry (“M”).

in case you’re wondering why Teresa Palmer looks familiar — well, you’re not wrong. she also played Six in I Am No. 4 (2012).

Tags: john malkovich, jonathan levine, nicholas hoult, rom-coms, teresa palmer, Warm Bodies, zombie films

Merry Christmas to all… may the true spirit of this season infuse us with hope and a better sense of purpose and the courage to face what lies ahead.

Tags: 2012, christmas, hope

Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin) (2012)

Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X), based on the popular manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki, has always been a perennial favorite among anime geeks, but when i first heard that a live action movie was being made, i had mixed reactions: excitement, doubts, and worries.

as weird as it sounds, i was actually a bit apprehensive that the filmmakers would mess up one of my favorite anime series, along with some of my favorite anime characters — considering that they would be condensing some 90+ episodes into a film. a month ago, my frazzled nerves got some respite when i learned that Samurai X (more popularly known as Rurouni Kenshin) drew highly favorable raves from critics and fans alike.

i was poised to like this movie even before the first scene played out, but after 20 minutes i was surprised by how giddy i felt as each familiar character slipped into view. midway through the movie (or several thrilling sword fights later), i knew i was going to watch the whole thing again. bottom line – i just loved it. no, i’m not a huge fan of samurai movies in particular, but Samurai X is something else.

Kenshin Himura (known as the “Hitokiri Battousai” [Battousai, the manslayer] during the Bakumatsu) is played by Takeru Sato, who does an amazing job of exuding Kenshin’s lethal skills and occasional goofy tendencies (orooo…), giving viewers fleeting glimpses of a conflicted man coming to grips with his blood-soaked past. the support cast consists of Saitou (Yosuke Eguchi), Sanosuke (Munetaka Aoki), Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei), Yahiko (Taketo Tanaka), Megumi (Yu Aoi), each of whom does an excellent job of fleshing out his/her respective character.

Saitou (who is based on a real-life figure) is an unflinching, tough-as-nails Meija-era cop who alternately aids and makes life tough for Kenshin. Sanosuke is a brash and tough street fighter who lives by his own code of honor. Kaoru is a young, idealistic dojo owner/instructor who befriends Kenshin and serves as his romantic interest. Yahiko is Kaoru’s student who idolizes Kenshin. Jin-e (one of the main antagonists) is an ex-samurai who wants a showdown with the Battosai. his blood lust and barely repressed psychopathic conduct represent one of the uglier sides of the aftermath of the Bakumatsu.

those who are familiar with this series will easily recognize that the movie covers only several episodes of the first TV season of Samurai X (or the first story arc). there are several differences between the anime and the movie — e.g., some characters appeared earlier or later than they did in the anime, and a few were not even included. these changes make sense, and at times necessary, since the movie is only more than 2 hours long. there are hints that further movies will be made of this series, which would be a welcome development considering how far Kenshin’s story goes.

all i can say is, if they’re going to make more Samurai X movies in the tradition of the first one, they can consider my ticket punched. i’ll be there.

Tags: Kenshin Himura, Nobuhiro Watsuki, Rurouni Kenshin, saitou hajime, samurai films, Samurai X

i don’t know why it took me forever to finally watch Argo (despite my initial enthusiasm for it, i eventually bowed down to my erratic schedule). the final push came from my sister (an indie film buff), who uncharacteristically gushed over this movie.

so after staying up late to download Argo, i finally settled down to watch it. and boy, was my sister (and countless other critics and moviegoers) right.

based on the tumultuous events of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, Argo centers on the complex, desperate efforts mounted by the US (involving the Canadians, the CIA, and other parties) to rescue six diplomats who managed to slip out of the US Embassy as the situation continued to worsen in Tehran.

Ben Affleck stars as Tony Mendez, the CIA operative tasked to create a cover story that would convince the Iranians to allow these people to leave.

the ruse — convince the airport authorities that these diplomats were actually part of a film crew scouting for locations in Iran for a sci-fi movie called “Argo”. To make their cover more convincing, the CIA worked with several Hollywood figures (played with delicious relish by Alan Arkin and John Goodman) to set up a phony film outfit in case the Iranian authorities would actually do a background check (which they did).

Affleck, who wisely underplays his role, is getting well-deserved acclaim for his directorial efforts. Argo is a tightly drawn, suspense-filled feature that will keep your pulse racing and your eyes glued to the screen. yes, it’s that good. i haven’t seen many films this year, but i won’t be surprised if Argo will get a couple of noms next year (Best Picture, Best Director).

as for the Best Actor category, i am placing my bet on my perennial favorite, Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln. which reminds me… kathryn biglelow‘s Zero Dark Thirty (ZDT), which is about the hunt for and eventual killing of osama bin laden, is about to hit the screens. early reviews are highly favorable. and then, there’s The Hobbit. oh man, i can’t wait.

Tags: alan arkin, Argo, ben affleck, daniel day-lewis, john candy, kathyryn biglelow, Lincoln, oscars, The Hobbit, Zero Dark Thirty