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Taylor and Neil gather their forensic kits and sit down to discuss the recent resurgence of true crime documentaries, including works like Netflix’s Making a Murderer, HBO’s The Jinx and Serial!
(WARNING: Making A Murderer Spoilers from 00:27:30 – 1:10:30)
G@L is now releasing movie audio commentaries!
Check them out over on BandCamp!
Check out the trailer for Jerry-atric HERE!
Check out our friends at Sweetweenie over on Youtube!
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Our noble (and not-so-noble) adventurers have already been to hell and back and still have to deal with more Strahd minions before they FINALLY get to rest and recharge. But their respite is quickly replaced with more danger and possibly coming from within. Chris, Beau, Windy, Joe and Randy continue their doomed-ish quest to defeat the evil vampire lord and this chapter is one you’re not going to want to miss!
Do you want to play Ravenloft for yourself? Here’s what you’re gonna need. If you live in the Austin area, you can pick it up at Rogue’s Gallery Comics and Games in Round Rock Texas (and you might even get to meet Randy while you’re there). If you don’t live near there, please buy it through our handy-dandy link below…
Anytime I hear that a movie produced by Studio Ghibli is getting a United States theatrical release, I find myself racing to the theatre on the nearest Catbus. Only Yesterday is no exception.
It was Only Yesterday. Well, 1991…
Only Yesterday was originally released in Japan in 1991. To put that into perspective, in 1991, 90210 premiered, Nirvana hit it big, and the Internet was released to the public. One of the great things about Only Yesterday is that due to its superb production and the timeless nature of it’s message it has aged very well.
Isao Takahata – Studio Ghibli’s Other Half
Only Yesterday was written and directed by Isao Takahata. Takahata also wrote and produced Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbors the Yamadas, and, the relatively recent 2013 release, The Tale of Princess Kaguya (HIGHLY underrated IMHO).
His films are markedly different from the Studio Ghibli movies written and directed by the better known, Hayao Miyazaki. Unlike Miyazaki’s films, such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle, Takahata’s movies have less in the way of overt fantasy elements, and are often much more quiet and deliberate in the message and moral they’re trying to impart on their viewers.
What’s the Movie About?
Only Yesterday follows the story of Takeo Okajima (Daisy Ridley ), a 27-year-old woman living in Tokyo in 1982. When we pick up her story, she is unmarried and has lived her entire life in Tokyo. She decides to take a trip to the countryside, and while traveling, begins recalling important eventsfrom her childhood when she was in 5th grade in 1966. At first these events do not seem to be very important, but as the movie goes back and forth from 1982 to 1996, you start to understand that these seemingly small moments were important to her childhood, her development, and who she is as a person in 1982. Indeed, you will find yourself realizing how much small every day events in your own childhood have stuck with you throughout your life.
FIfth grade Takeo is much different and is still full of uncertainty, hope, and is struggling to develop her identity. In short, she is a pre-teen. These flashbacks do a great job of showcasing what sometimes naturally happens growing up. As you become more prepared for adulthood, it is very easy to lose sight of what truly makes you happy, and what gives you a sense of fulfillment as you try to fit into the mold that society and your culture culure have laid out for you. Luckily for the adult Takeo, she still has a connection to her source of fulfillment through these trips to the countryside. She chooses to go to the countryside and pick Safflowers, instead of going on a lavish vacation.
When she gets to the country, she meets Toshio (Dev Patel). As the story goes on and she gets more and more in touch with her true self and sense of fulfillment, the flashbacks come less and less. We start spending less time in 1966 and more time in 1982. Throughout the movie, it feels like her fifth grade self is nudging her towards what will truly make her happy.
Also, while there are the sparks of a romance between Takeo and Toshio, that is not the crux of the story. It is less about her falling in love and more about her getting back to who she is and what she really wants.The story goes on from there and I don’t want to give away the ending of the movie, but make sure to stay until the very end for one of the most touching scenes I have ever seen.
The Good
Art/Animation
Only Yesterday is a gorgeous, and will make you really appreciate 2-D animation. There were several times where I found myself just marveling at the backgrounds or the facial expressions. You can tell that a great deal of effort and care went into the production.
Takeo’s Thoughts
Throughout the movie, adult Takeo has an internal monologue that serves to expand on the flashbacks and give the viewer a better insight into her as a character. Generally, the rule in film is to show and not tell, but Only Yesterday gets away with it here. It is rare to see a movie that does such a good job presenting a character’s thoughts in the same way a book would be able to.
The Story and Message
This is a great movie for people of almost any age to watch. It expresses the idea that your life is truly yours to live and you shouldn’t let society define that for you. It also shows just how much our childhood affects who we are as we become as adults. Often, animated media, especially from Japan, is seen as being just for kids, but Only Yesterday is not, and seeks to raise the level of your thinking about life and fulfillment.
The Bad
Some of the Voice Acting
While most of the voice acting is done very well, there are some spots where the choices are weird. For instance, Toshio is voiced by Patel with an accent which doesn’t seem to match the rest of the cast. Also, in the attempt to appeal to an International audience, certain phrases are used which just seem out of place. One such example, is when Takeo agrees with something by saying to her friend, “shonuff”. It just sort of takes you out of the movie.
The Pacing
While I do like the fact that the film takes its time and is deliberate, it really does slow to a crawl about an hour in. That’s fine for me, as I like much of the underlying aspects, but this movie can meander and might lose viewers who aren’t immediately invested in the story from the beginning.
And The Ghibli
Attention To Detail
The usual Studio Ghibli eye for detail is present in Only Yesterday. For example, the art styles for 1982 and 1966 are different, yet similar. Properly describing it is somewhat difficult , but it’s almost like you know you are looking not so much at the events from 1966, but her memories of the events from 1966.
Interesting Information
One of the things that Studio Ghibli movies are great at is giving you a window into Japanese culture and history. Only Yesterday does this as well. Whether it’s by showing the family dynamics of a Japanese family in 1996 or describing, in a surprisingly touching scene, how the rouge in products like lipstick was made from Safflowers and what those who worked on these farms went through.
Final Thoughts
Only Yesterday is a movie that is certainly worth your time. Just be aware that it does not have the same tone or execution as other Studio Ghibli movies, like Spiritied Away, and can get very slow at times. That being said, the animation, the story, and the overall message of finding your version of happiness make it a worthwhile and satisfying movie to watch.
I give it 8 out of 10 Safflowers.
Over the last two decades, Deadpool has become one of the most popular characters in all of comics, and with the recent critical and commercial success of his first solo movie, he’s quickly becoming a pop culture icon. For those wanting to know more about the Merc with a Mouth’s colorful and chimichanga-filled past, I’ve composed a list of five of the best Deadpool comics that you should most definitely read. Enjoy!
Deadpool by Joe Kelly (1997-1999)
Even though many often credit Rob Liefeld for being the creator of Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth really didn’t become the insane, fourth-wall breaking assassin that he’s known for being today until Joe Kelly started writing him over two decades ago. Saving the character from being a long forgotten relic of the 1990s, Kelly took the former X-Force/X-Men villain and transformed him into an anti-hero. Along with incorporating plenty of humor into his stories and establishing a likable supporting cast, Kelly also gave Deadpool a character-defining arc, introducing the merc’s ongoing struggle with being a killer and a hero.
There’s so much to enjoy about Kelly’s Deadpool, but one of the best and most hilarious stories of his run remains Deadpool #11, in which the crazed mercenary and his roommate, Blind Al, go back in time and find themselves in an issue of Stan Lee and John Romita’s The Amazing Spider-Man. A good portion of Romita’s art is used throughout the issue and features a disguised Deadool as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Al as Aunt May. Along with humorously-skewering comic books of the 1960s and mocking the appearances of Spidey’s colorful rogues gallery (Norman Osborne’s hair included), the issue also establishes the origins of Deadpool’s twisted friendship with the arms-dealer and tech-expert, Weasel.
Cable & Deadpool by Fabian Nicieza (2004-2008)
One of the longest running comic books to feature Wade Wilson, Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza’s 50-issue series, Cable & Deadpool (or Deadpool & Cable), is an extremely important book in Deadpool’s history. Not only was it the series that introduced the weird and surprisingly well-developed relationship between Deadpool and the time-traveling mutant, Cable, but it was also the first series to make Cable an interesting character worth following.
The series delves into Deadpool and Cable’s decade long feud, which started all the way back when the two first encountered one another in New Mutants #98. Though resentful and outright hateful of each other in the beginning of the series, the two anti-heroes eventually form a strong, though unconventional, friendship. Aside from a minor dip in quality when the series briefly became tied-in with Mark Millar’s abysmal Civil War event series, and when Cable’s character-arc was upended due to what was happening in other X-Men stories, Cable & Deadpool remains one of Marvel’s most successful team-up books.
Deadpool: Suicide Kings by Mike Benson and Adam Glass (2009)
Those looking to jump into an easy to read Deadpool story with no continuity baggage would do well to check out Mike Benson and Adam Glass’ Suicide Kings. A five issue mini-series, Suicide Kings is simple in its set-up and premise, with the Merc with a Mouth being framed for a terrorist act and battling longtime Spider-Man/Daredevil villain, Tombstone. Spidey and Ole’ Horn Head also guest star in the series and help Deadpool try to clear his name as well as attempt to uncover the true culprit behind the bombings across New York City.
Some of the book’s best moments involve Deadpool’s scuffles with the Punisher, with the latter believing that the crazed mercenary has been responsible for the terrorist acts. Though the two eventually learn to get along, their initial battle, which features the Punisher using various supervillain weapons such as Doc Ock’s arms and the Green Goblin’s goblin glider, is one of the action highlights of Suicide Kings.
Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender (2010-2012)
Rick Remender’s award-winning run on Uncanny X-Force is highly regarded among comic readers and critics alike, and it also happens to feature one of best appearances of Deadpool to date. Along with Psylocke, Archangel, Phantom X and Wolverine, Deadpool participates in morally questionable black-ops missions on the behalf of the X-Men. While Deadpool isn’t front-and-center in the series, Remender provides a far more nuanced take on the trash-talking mercenary. Though still cracking jokes (much to annoyance of his fellow X-Force teammates), Deadpool actually becomes the moral conscience of the team, and as the series goes on, a father figure and mentor.
It’s through Remender’s incarnation of Deadpool that we get a far more complex and emotional exploration of the character. One of the standout moments in the series features Wade angrily confronting Wolverine over the outcome of a mission. During this brief exchange of words with his longtime rival, we get a much better grasp of Deadpool’s sense of morality, loneliness and maturity as a person since he first debuted in the early 1990s.
Deadpool by Gerry Duggan & Brian Posehn (2012-2015)
One of the most recent Deadpool runs featured the writing talents of Gery Duggan and Brian Posehn, and while their first storyline, “Dead Presidents,” which sees Deadpool fighting against zombified versions of U.S. presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, was rather disappointing, the rest of their run features some of the most memorable standalone Deadpool stories in quite some time. Looking past the forgettable first six issues, Duggan and Posehn’s Deadpool acts as a sort of sequel series to Remender’s Uncanny X-Force, in as so much that the Wade Wilson that we see running around in this book has definitely been influenced by his experiences as a member of X-Force. Yes, he still jokes, breaks the fourth wall and professes his undying love for chimichangas, but he’s definitely not the amoral assassin that we see in Joe Kelly’s early run. He works hard to establish friendly relationships with his supporting cast, most notably the X-Men and their mutant students.
The standout story of the series remains “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” and features Deadpool teaming up with Wolverine and Captain America to investigate a Weapon X/Plus like-program in North Korea. It’s arguably one of the most disturbing and tragic stories in the mercenary’s history, and in many ways, acts as a proper bookend to Deadpool’s struggle with being a hero.
What about you reader? Are there any specific Deadpool comics that you’re a big fan of? Let us know in the comments below!
Interested in picking up some of the titles mentioned in the article? Please use our Amazon links to do so!
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0:00 – Greetings; then Jeff tricks Eric into talking about sports
2:45 – Eddie the Eagle review
15:30 – Jeff didn’t see the other movies, but he’s not crying about it
16:30 – Triple 9 review (Snider only)
20:15 – Gods of Egypt review (Snider only)
27:20 – QOTW (movie quotes you use in everyday life)
37:30 – What’d You Watch? (Oslo, August 31; Spaghettiman)
40:35 – Recap and goodbye
QOTW: What seemingly small or dumb thing has completely ruined a movie for you? (Ex: the lead actress running from dinosaurs in high heels.)
REVIEWS:
Eddie the Eagle: B+ 7/10
Triple 9: C- n/a
Gods of Egypt: D n/a
Hey, you’ve found your way over to Big Finishing Move here on One Of Us. Welcome! This clever little website has loads of cool articles and podcasts of geeky and just all around cool stuff. They also let me post my ramblings…er, I mean writings such as this series right here where I take a look at the audio drama work of Big Finish and let you know if you should pick something up or save your money for an extra plate the next time you are at the discount sushi joint.
Today’s entry is all about the second entry of The Fourth Doctor Adventures for 2016, a little number by the name of The Labyrinth of Buda Castle. So let’s traverse this maze and see if the prize at the end was worth our time.
TARDIS Team: The Fourth Doctor and Romana II
The Doctor and Romana are having a fine time taking in the sights and sounds of 1980s Budapest sans K-9. Given this duo, trouble can never be too far away, and sure enough, one blood curdling scream later leads the pair to a dark back alley with a dead body with barely any blood of its own left to curdle. Seems something drained it of blood via a neck wound. Can the two figure out what is going on, and how it all ties back to the Labyrinth of Buda Castle, a place that was for a time the prison of one Vlad the Impaler?
First, let me just point out what a great place to set a Doctor Who story. The Fourth Doctor is the incarnation most people think of when it comes to haunted houses and castles, so this real life labyrinth where the inspiration for Dracula was once incarcerated is the perfect location to place a story starring ol’ Scarfy. you couldn’t imagine a better setting if you tried. I knew nothing of Buda Castle or its origins, but this story made me excited to learn more about the history of the real place. I’m always happy when Who injects a little real life history into its stories. It gives the narrative a much wider scope, and makes certain storylines feel all the more real, even with all the crazy time travel and monster shenanigans that go on in this franchise.
Another plus to this story is how it plays with your expectations. You may think you know what’s going on simply by the title and the few pieces of information I’ve brought up in this review, but I’m happy to say that things are more complicated than that. Writer Eddie Robson is able to deliver a story that hits all the beats you think it would, but in new and different ways, making what could have easily been a by-the-numbers tale, into something with a fair amount of originality.
On the performance end, I have to give it up to Mark Bonnar who puts in one hell of a performance as Zoltán Frid. He creates a breathy voice that makes you feel the age and underlying threat to the character, even when he is being pleasant and calm. It’s quite a thing to create a voice that sounds mighty, yet also tired in the same beat.
I do like this story a lot, but I have to say that the ending is too squeaky clean. I’m not going to spoil the ending, but if this was a Fourth Doctor story set in either Sarah Jane or Leela’s tenure, the final outcome would have been more grisly and in my opinion, more fitting. It also relies a bit too heavily on coincidence, with the right people or things coming into the Doctor and Romana’s path right when they need them. This stems not from laziness, but a lack of time given to flesh things out and drive the plot in a more organic matter. That aside, this is a nice little self contained monster story with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting the whole way through. So go ahead and grab this one if you’re looking for a bite size bit of fun.
Purchase Doctor Who: The Labyrinth of Buda Castle Here:
Oh, and while you’re here let me take a second to encourage you all to check out the rest of One Of Us. I’m sure you can find something to your interests so why not reward yourself with a little exploration.
Next time we once again ask what war is good for with:
See you soon!
Check out my previous reviews:
Phantasmagoria, The Fearmonger, The Light At The End, The Spectre of Lanyon Moor, Storm Warning, Blood of the Daleks, The Chimes of Midnight, Seasons of Fear, The King of Sontar, White Ghosts, Dark Eyes II, The Crooked Man, Project: Twilight, The Evil One, The Harvest, The Last Of The Colophon, The Council Of Nicaea, Destroy The Infinite, Afterlife, The Abandoned, Zygon Hunt, Revenge Of The Swarm, Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set, Dark Eyes 3, Mask of Tragedy, The Fourth Doctor By Gareth Roberts, The Exxilions, The Darkness of Glass, Dark Eyes IV, Requiem for the Rocket Men, Signs And Wonders, Death Match, Suburban Hell, The Burning Prince, The Cloisters of Terror, The Acheron Pulse, The Fate of Krelos, The Shadow Heart, Return to Telos, The Sixth Doctor – The Last Adventure, Doom Collation I, The Yes Men, The War Doctor: Only The Monstrous, Wave of Destruction
As promised by Netflix, the second trailer for Marvel’s Daredevil has been released online, and while the original teaser that debuted last week mostly focused on Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), this trailer is all about the deadly Greek assassin and Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) former lover, Elektra Natchios (Elodie Young). Picking up immediately where the first trailer for the second season left off, Elektra has come to warn Matt that his efforts in expelling the Yakuza from the streets of New York City may not have been as successful as he once thought, and that the criminal organization has now returned to fill the power vacuum left behind by Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).
Anyone with a passing knowledge of Daredevil will know that Ole’ Horn Head’s relationship with Elektra is one of the most complicated and down-right twisted love stories in all of comics, and based on this trailer alone, it seems pretty clear that the two will have a fairly adversarial relationship throughout the season. Though it’s too early to render a definitive opinion on Young’s performance as Elektra, the actress looks to have done a great job of capturing the sai-wielding assassin’s seductive and manipulative personality.
Along with the more thorough reveal of Young’s Elektra, we also get a look at the new Daredevil suit (now featuring even creepier red eyes), Matt’s deteriorating relationship with fellow “avocado-at-law,” Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), and the official introduction of the crime syndicate known as The Hand, an order of evil mystical ninjas hell-bent on taking over the world by any means necessary. Judging by the rather large number of ninjas featured throughout the trailer, a gun-crazed vigilante might be the least of Daredevil’s problems for this season.
Season 2 of Marvel’s Daredevil will premiere on Netflix on March 18, 2016.
What about you reader? What did you think of the second official trailer for Daredevil Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
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Listener submitted! This week Wes and Steve discuss XCOM 2, open endings, and our Top 5 Movies Not to Watch with Parents!
What are your Top 5 Movies Not to Watch With Parents? Let us know! Leave a comment or e-mail us at fiveplaynet@gmail.com!
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When a group of cops and ex-special forces guys find themselves being forced to do an impossible heist for the Russian mob, extreme measures are called for…the triple 9. That’s when you kill a cop and pretty much every cop in the state ignores everything else in order to get to the scene. But, best laid plans and all.
This is brought to you by director John Hilcoat who helmed such great pics as The Proposition, The Road and Lawless so already some major cred there. Add in this crackerjack cast: Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Clifton Collins, Jr., Michael K. Williams, Teresa Palmer, and Gal Gadot…I mean, wow. But does this twisty crime thriller match the pedigree of its stars? Listen to Chris, Elliott, JC and Herman give you the low-down.
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Take one Taron Egerton with questionable sanity and facial rictus, add wildly miscast Hugh Jackman as drunk former champion with heart of gold, mix well into olympics fever, and you get this grandma-pleaser of a film, Eddie the Eagle. Which isn’t to say it’s bad, per say, (at least, some of us weren’t saying that). It’s not gonna fill you with many surprises though. However, our REVIEW might as Chris, Herman, JC and Sarah kinda dogpile on Richard a bit (not for a difference of opinion, but just for being so damn British).