A Few More Quick Takes

 Note: An asterisk in front of the title indicates that this is a revisit (as you can see, most of them are this time around).

Record of the Lodoss War*

I have a huge soft spot for the original Record of the Lodoss War OVA. Sure, neither the world and the story is exactly brimming with innovation; it's your typical medieval fantasy-setting with elves, dwarfs, dragons, etc. However, the story is told well and most of the characters, while not exactly the deepest that the medium has offered, are engaging to watch. Also, the opening and ending theme are both excellent. Its not one of my absolute favorite anime, but if you're in the mood for some Tolkienesque high-fantasy, than Record of the Lodoss War is well worth checking out.

Chernobyl

I came into Chernobyl with high expectations, having heard almost nothing but positive things about it, since it first came out. I was not disappointed: This is a splendid mini-series, which had me captivated throughout its six episodes. Visually it looks great and Jared Harris, Emily Watson and the always reliable Stellan Skarsgard, delivers top-notch performances. Listening to the official podcast, its also clear that the writers have done their research and have made sure to depict this catastrophe with all the weight it deserves (though obviously some artistic license have been taken for the sake of the story). All this combines to make Chernobyl one of the best things to come out of HBO, if not the best.

Hook*

Back when my age was in the single-digits, this was one of my two favorite movies (the other being The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen, my first Terry Gilliam film). As an adult, no, its not one of my  favorites, but I do maintain that its an enjoyable film, with an interesting premise (what if the boy who never grew up, actually grew up?) and  featuring some entertaining performances from Robin Williams, Bob Hopkins and Dustin Hoffman (incidentally, this movie's depictions of Smee and Captain Hook are much closer to Barrie's original versions of these characters than Disney's, especially Smee). A very underrated movie.

Wicked City*

 Yoshihaki Kawajiri's solo debut as an anime director is as stylish and atmospheric as his later works. Unfortunately, Wicked City is marred significantly by its treatment of its female lead, Makie. Initially presented as a skilled warrior, the equal to the male protagonist, Taki, most of her screen-time consists of being perved on by the lecherous old diplomat she and Taki have been assigned to protect, or sexually assaulted by the villains. These aspects of the film comes across as incredibly gratuitous and makes it hard for me to recommend Wicked City to anyone but the most hardcore of Kawajiri fans

The Lives of Others*

I remember liking this German movie back when I first saw it, some years ago. However, a re-watch really elevated it in my estimation and I now rank The Lives of Others among my favorite movies. 

At its core, its a powerful redemption story, about a man who discovers his humanity after years of being a willing cog in the machine. Ulrich Mühe delivers a fantastic performance as the Stasi-agent Wiesler. Oh, and the ending is one of the best I've seen in a movie. It actually made me tear up a bit, I admit.

Woke Up This Morning, Sat Down And Wrote This Blog

 There's a scene in Bojack Horseman in which major character Mr. Peanut-butter admits to his date that he has never seen The Wire, and doesn't think he's going to.

With that in mind, I too have a TV-related confession to make and appropriately enough, its related to another much celebrated HBO-title. What I'm about to tell you is something that I've kept to myself for a long time, but now, I've decided that the time has come for me to come clean and admit the truth:

I've never finished The Sopranos and at this point in life, I have no interest in doing so.

Because of its immense reputation, not to mention the fact that it was one of the first major hits for HBO (a network which are responsible for many shows I like, certain missteps aside), I've attempted more than once to watch The Sopranos all the way through, only to end up losing interest down the line. At this point, I've decided to stop trying. Over the years, I've come to realize that this show really isn't my kind of tortellini. 

Why is that? You may wonder. Well, it all comes down to the characters and the fact that I didn't give half a canelloni for most of them (OK, that's the last reference to Italian cuisine, I promise). Some of them are played by talented actors, but I didn't find the majority of them interesting as characters. Come the fourth season, the entire cast could have been moved down by machine-gun fire and my only reaction would have been to shrug. At that point, even Tony himself had grown stale to me, despite James Gandolfini's performance. 

One character I found genuinely intriguing was  Livia Soprano; Tony's  horrible, scheming mother (is it just a coincidence, I wonder that she shares name with Sîan Philips' character in I, Claudius aka the best female villain I've ever seen?). Livia is essentially a ruthless gangster, stuck in the body of a decrepit old woman. Nancy Marchand delivered the best performance in the entire show, by far (even more so than Gandolfini).The Scene in which Tony confronts Livia at the hospital was one of the rare moments in my eyes, when The Sopranos actually lived up to its reputation.

Sadly, Marchand passed away early in the show's run, leading to her character being written out (for obvious reasons), bar a cameo-appearance in a dream-sequence. Her absence from the rest of the show is felt.

I will also give praise to the opening theme-song. Easily, one of the best, most memorable theme-songs ever. 

The Sopranos is not the worst TV-show I've seen (its not even the worst one from HBO), but it is certainly among the most overrated. While I may have initially got caught up in the hype surrounding it, ultimately the show did not manage to keep my interest in the longer run, whether in its capacity as a family-drama or a show about organized crime. Admittedly, stories about the mafia doesn't excite me as much as they used to. Even so, I'll take movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas, or even Carlito's Way over The Sopranos any day.

Chapter 68

 From the Editor's Desk:

Today was a day of celebration, for it was on this day that the Vinolian ships returned home. The Vinolian Gazette was there, standing among the crowds as the flagship sailed into harbor and the soldiers, one by one, filed down the gangplank in that orderly and disciplined fashion that is one of the signums of Her Majesty's troops. Last, but certainly not least, not setting foot on the stones of his homeland, before any of his men, came General Jerradin. Tall and imposing, he stood there, the very embodiment of the Vinolian warrior spirit; terrifying in battle, but magnanimous in victory. Shield to Vinoli and those whom she calls friend. Sword to her enemies.

As soon as the General had stepped ashore, members of the city-watch called out for the crowds to make way, as members of the council were approaching. Marcus, current leader of the council and Regent during the absence of our beloved Monarch, held a speech, the entirety of which has been reprinted within the pages of this publication, for the perusal of our readers. 

Once the esteemed Councilor had finished his speech, to thunderous applause, another member of the Council gave the band a signal and soon, the first tunes of our national anthem wafted through the air, followed by the sound of a thousand voices singing, some better than others, but each with the same conviction and the same intention: To honor the heroes who, at the risk of life and limb, have helped restore a rightful Prince to his throne and have helped spread our culture and our values beyond their own homeland.

Touching as this display of patriotism was, it paled compared to what followed: As soon as the last verse had been sung and the homecoming soldiers rushed into the waiting arms of their family. It was sight to bring a tear to the most cynical eye.

This Publication is printed with the approval of The Royal Bureau of Public Relations and our beloved Queen and Sovereign: Her Imperial Majesty, Argath I.

Vinoli Above All

****

Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, Jeraddin stifled a yawn and continued listening to Marcus' banal speech with only half an ear. He did not join in when the singing started. Had it been the old national anthem, he would have, but that one had died with the old King, replaced by a new one, that was not to the lynx's taste. Instead, to avoid being suspected of unpatriotic behavior, he simply mimed the words instead. Fortunately, no-body noticed. 

Finally, the ceremony came to an end and the soldiers and their families dispersed, either heading home, or out on the town to celebrate their homecoming. Jeraddin was about to head home as well, when he found his path blocked by several representatives of various government-approved papers. They swarmed around the lynx, waving their notebooks and quills, each of them trying to get his attention.

Jeraddin sighed, he was really not in the mood for this. Still, best to give the press what it wants, but on his own terms:

"Quiet" he said, in an authoritative tone. 

Immediately, they noise stopped. 

"Now then, I will answer one question" Jeraddin held up his index-finger for emphasis. "From one of you." His finger swept over the scribes and landed on the youngest among them; a chipmunk.

The Chosen Scribe stepped forward, trying to keep the butterflies in his stomach from fluttering. 

"Um...." He began, eloquently.

"Go ahead" Jeraddin said, encouragingly. "Ask your question."

 The Chipmunk took a deep breath, the butterflies stopped.

"General" he said, after having cleared his throat. "You have just returned after a long campaign overseas. What are you going to do now?"

"As soon as I get back home, I'm going to take a bath. Afterwards, we'll see. Though I can say that I will enjoy sleeping in my own bed again. Now, if you'll excuse me."

At a gesture from Jeraddin, the scribes parted like the red sea, allowing the lynx to pass. Soon, he was back on the street where he lived, looking up at his home. Never before had the town-house looked as welcoming to Jeraddin as it did this very moment.

"Well" he said to himself. "I suppose absence really does make the heart grow fonder."

He pushed open the door and went inside.

****

Another figure returned to Vinoli that day, albeit on a different ship than the one Risha's and Leorin's father and Nasari's husband had been travelling on. No friends or family members had gathered at the harbor to welcome this traveler home, nor was he mobbed by scribes. He was all alone and this suited him fine. 

Making his way through the crowds, the solitary figure eventually found himself outside the palace-gates. Boldly, he stepped forward.

"Halt!" Said one of the guards currently on duty. "No-one enters without permission!"

"Oh, but I have permission" Salsky announced, with a smirk."See here."

Reaching into the folds of his cloak, the water-rat produced a passcard, stamped with the Royal seal. 

"Very well" the first guard said, after having inspected the card carefully. "You may enter."

"Thank you" Salsky said. He was just about to set foot on the palace-grounds, when he stopped and turned to the guard.

"By the way" he said. "I have a message to deliver to someone named Lorenzo. You wouldn't know where I can find him, by any chance?"

Before she had embarked on her journey to Guanaca, Argath had gathered the members of her Council and had given them instructions on how her Kingdom should be governed, while she was away. She also gave Lorenzo instructions to keep an eye on the Councilors and make sure that none of them took any unauthorized initiatives.

Many who found themselves in Lorenzo's position would have been tempted to promote it, from temporary to permanent, but not Argath's right paw. Whatever flaws in his character the fox possessed, disloyalty was not one of them. He was loyal to his friends and he was loyal to his Queen and mentor. Not the least because, in exchange for that loyalty, she provided him with all the money and power he could want. 

He was busy going over reports from his various spies in the capital, when one of the palace-guards entered, with a shabby-looking water-rat in tow.

"Sir" the guard said, saluting. "This soldier says that he has an important message for you."

"That's right" Salsky interjected. "From the Queen herself."

"Give the letter to him" said Lorenzo, pointing at the guard. 

Salsky did as he was told and the guard handed the letter over to Lorenzo.The Fox opened the letter and read its contents. Once he was done, he looked up.

"Return to your post" he said to the guard. "I wish to speak to him (he pointed at Salsky), alone."

The Guard saluted and left the room.  Once they were alone, Lorenzo motioned for Salsky to come closer.

"Have a seat, soldier" Lorenzo said, motioning to the chair intended for visitors.

Grateful, for his feet was beginning to ache, Salsky sat down.

"Her Majesty speaks well of you, um..."

"Salsky, Sir."

"A Frigonian name. Interesting."

"I'm Frigonian  only by birth, In my heart I am Vinolian".

"Of course. Our Queen wants me to take you into my service, as a member of the Bureau of Information Gathering. She believes you can be of more use to Vinoli there than in the army."

Salsky said nothing, but his stomach did and quite loudly at that.

"Hungry?" Lorenzo asked, raising the eyebrow located above his good eye. "Listen, there are some formalities that need to be taken care of. Go down to the kitchen and have them feed you, then return here."

"Yes, Sir" Salsky said eagerly, getting off the chair. "Thank you, Sir."

As soon as Salsky had left, Lorenzo picked up the letter and read it through one more time. Here's what it said:

I have learned that my sister and Jeraddin's brood did not drown as we had been told, but are still alive. Should the subversive elements within the Kingdom find out about this, it may well embolden them to start a revolution. Keep your eyes open. I know not of the whereabouts of Merees, but if by chance she would find a way back into Vinoli, make sure to deal with her before she has the opportunity to cause any mischief. 

I grow weary playing in the sandbox that is Guanaca. I have appointed Felix as the new Governor and shall return to Vinoli shortly, bringing my consort with me. 

-Argath.

The Rest of the letter detailed what Lorenzo had already told Salsky. Once he had finished reading it, the fox crumpled the letter into ball and tossed it in a nearby waste-basket.