Being John Malkovich dir. Spike Jonze

I liked the concept of the movie, but the way the story was conveyed was... bizarre, to say the least. I think there was an attempt to jam pack too many side stories into the span of a few hours. It was interesting to see the purpose of the portal though, with the elderly man being able to become in a way immortal. It is the very oddity of this film that made it interesting to watch, but at one turning point it became a bit overwhelming.

There was a clear parody of John Malkovich career, when even some of the characters didn't know him by name. I had seen him other movies, but he was always in minor role and would only appear briefly. But in this movie he soon becomes a god-like figure in the eyes of the characters that discover the portal. For Lotte, it is her opportunity to discover herself, and what she really desires. For Craig he was able to fully use his skills as a puppeteer on a living being. To see the puppet master take over John Malkovich was surreal, and involved a lot of superb acting on Malkovich's part. Maxine, the antagonist, brings out the worst all of the characters.  Maxine gets the great idea to sell the "John Malkovich experience" and soon becomes a drug of sorts. Their thoughts influence his actions, and thus he appears as a figure struggling with multiple personalities. Although Craig is the puppeteer, the real one pulling the strings is Maxine. She is manipulative and overall cruel, until the end where her personality changes completely. 

     It had an appealing concept, but overall it was too twisted. This movie became too surreal for me, and about halfway through the movie, I tried to stop making sense of it. It remained creepy right up until the credits began to roll.

The Magicians-Lev Grossman

     For a fantasy tale, this novel was very grounded in concepts of reality. Magic is not as simple as the flick of the wrist, but rather something to be pain-painstakingly studied.  As I read on I couldn't help but compare Brakebills to Hogwarts, but I soon discovered that the latter was much different. The idealized world of Hogwarts sends you a pretty invitation and magic is something that all the students can do no matter what their level of knowledge is. At Brakebills, a test must be taken in order to prove your worth before you can even hope to dabble in magic. So instead of being a part of the elite, a preselected group that is allowed to do magic, Brakebills only lets in those who pass individualized standardized tests. This hits all too close to home, having taken tests, creating portfolios, and accomplishing all the work that came with college applications.

     The scene where the Beast suddenly appears, after Quentin made someone falter in his incantation, was pretty frightening. To go from a dull, class lecture to a kid being gobbled up by this creature was quite an engaging shift of pace in the book. It was scenes such as this, although quite horrid, that were even more out of the ordinary than a school of magic.

     There is a clear influence of The Chronicles of Narnia throughout the book. Instead of the god-figure being a lion, Fillory had two rams, which feel less intimidating. Kids travel to this otherwordly land that is assumed to be a paradise, only to discover they don't truly belong there. One of them, Martin Chatwin, refuses to believe this and remains as an intrusion in the land. Because really who wouldn't want to stay in a magical land such as that? Later in the story, Ember, one of the rams, brings up a great point, that the human kids don't belong in Fillory and only see the place as a source of entertainment. The repercussions of greed are clearly shown in Martin, who has distorted himself into a monstrous being. The Watcherwoman revealing herself as Jane, one of the Chatwin children who had arrived to Fillory long ago, was a good twist. Her rewinding time and going through multiple, and different scenarios to end her corrupt brother, Martin.

     I had competing emotions while I read this novel. On one hand, I appreciated the fact that it touched upon the grim aspects of reality, unlike previous fantasy stories I have read. I knew from the beginning that this book would delve into the dark side of fantasy, but even still there were just too many scandals for my liking. This book had a grave tone, from the grueling labor of studying magic to the explicit drug use. I think too many Disney movies have engraved into my mind the desire for a happy ending, so I was a bit disappointed by this novel's ending. But overall it was an engaging work of fantasy, and very memorable.

Labyrinth dir. Jim Henson (Dance Magic, Dance!)

    Wishing your baby brother would turn into a goblin seems pretty harsh. The movie established from the beginning that Sarah has quite an imagination. Her room is riddled with fantasy novels (with goblin bookends), toys, and even a miniature scale of a labyrinth. It encapsulates everything a fantasy movie should be, fairies included. It has all of the necessary obstacles. The age old riddle of two doors (or pathways) where one guard lies and the other tells only the truth.  There was the age old lesson that one should never cross decrepit-looking bridges, especially ones over a lake of stench. There were various characters that either helped or distracted her from main goal. David Bowie's character as the goblin king is obsessed with crystal balls, singling with goblins, and tight pants. He shares an odd relationship  with Sarah, even at one point dances with her in Sarah's drug induced dream.

     I quite enjoyed this movie with its art direction. All of the puppets were pretty impressive and all the sets were very diverse. Although it is a labyrinth, the environment shifts constantly so it isn't just a continuing stone wall. Although if I were a kid when I watched this, I'm pretty sure I'd be freaked out by some of those puppet faces, especially the ones that sang around the campfire in the forest scene.

     I found it funny how Sarah's attitude changed once baby Toby was abducted and was then after desperate to find him. Sarah's entire journey was to come to terms that she needs to mature, and accept responsibilities. One part that  the scene with the hoarder puppet, where Sarah desperately grasps at all her toys and most prized material possessions. She comes to an epiphany  and realizes what she actually holds dear. But even though Sarah accepts that she has to grow up, she still holds onto her imagination.

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

     This was my first time reading any of Tolkien's works and I've only watched bits and pieces of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of the series. I am a big fan of fantasy, mainly reading urban fantasy tales such as those by Neil Gaiman, but I was really fascinated by "The Hobbit."
The part where the journey really began for me was when Bilbo was separated from the group in the mountains. We get some time to be alone with Bilbo and see what he is truly capable of without anybody's assistance. Bilbo's encounter with Gollum displayed his swift thinking and was a clear indication that he would demonstrate his wit more throughout the story. At first, Bilbo came off as an annoying character, always complaining about not having any food, but he soon proves to be the most essential member of the traveling group.

     I enjoy the fact that Bilbo does not fit the stereotypical idea of a hero. He is not brave,  not clad in shining armor, and is not searching  for a damsel. Although there is a dragon involved, Bilbo is not the one destined to slay it. Instead Bilbo is small in stature, employs wit instead of brawn, and most of the time is in a dreadful mood about his situation. Bilbo, at the age of fifty, was already set in his ways in his comfortable little hobbit hole until he was forcefully urged to go on this quest. In one respect, this reflects the fact that even though adventure seems like a wondrous idea, we are sometimes unwilling to make that first step outside of our comfort zone. The character, Gandalf, felt like a guardian angel for the for the dwarfs and Bilbo. The wizard conveniently appeared in times of need and was their constant source of guidance on the quest.  I loved how practical their journey was, with the group consistently running low on food. Such a small detail is overlooked in other fantasy stories I've read. In other tales it is assumed that they can travel without the troubles of hunger, but this addition made Tolkien's story feel believable. I'd always get hungry while reading these passages.

     I can see why there is such a strong attraction to the atmosphere of Tolkein's Middle Earth. Even with all the perils that the protagonist encounters, he is always able to escape in the end. That aspect, combined with the presence of magic and creatures makes this world so appealing. I guess I was  adamant to read this series because of its popularity and huge following.  I am kicking myself now for not reading this series. I rarely read "traditional" fantasy, since I assumed that I knew exactly what plot format to expect; a hero goes off to save a princess in some castle. I have never been so grateful to be wrong.

Time Bandits dir. Terry Gilliam

What a baffling plot, I thought as I watched the end credits roll to a pleasant song after what had to be one of the most dramatic endings to a kid's movie. I found the t.v. show to be quite hilarious, about answering the questions or the penalty was death. It was a pretty accurate foreshadowing as to what was to be expected from the rest of the movie. This movie didn't take itself too seriously, especially since the intended audience is for a younger crowd. The boy's love for history was reflected in jumbled up time periods, meshing fantasy into reality until the scenery became completely random. And by the end of the film we see that it was all a part of God, or the creator of the universe, plan. It was just a test and the boy was just a pawn. This movie showed no mercy.


The low budget effects didn't bother me, I can look past that if there is a good story to be told. I am a devout fan to the genre of time-travel, and I love it in all different forms of media; books, games, t.v. shows and movies. The chance to look at the events of history, not altering them of course because you can't truly change the past... but just to be a fly on the wall would be enough. So while I enjoyed the ride of time travel in this movie, I did not see any true plot. There were no morals for the boy to learn, since he was a decent enough kid who liked history. He doesn't even get a reward after the whole quest, except maybe the memories of that crazy experience. I mean really, a kid gets swept on a great adventure and comes back home and a minute later becomes an orphan. Reality bites. And Sean Connery just left him there all alone.

A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami

Compared to what I've seen from J Horror movies, this novel was at the other end of the horror spectrum. The only disturbing moment, although predictable, was the revelation that the Sheep Man was dead (that and the simple, yet creepy illustration.) I was a tad adamant to read this at the beginning, but as the chapters flew I by, I completely forgot that it was a horror novel. But like the J Horror movies I have seen, the story is mainly built up slowly, adding suspense up until the climax at the very end.
      The protagonist intentionally ignored names, instead giving general titles to identify an individual. Choosing to have the characters remain nameless made everyone feel a bit lifeless. By labeling them with titles such as Boss, chauffeur, the Rat and girlfriend, I feel that they are only defined by their roles and nothing more. The narrator, lacks a title, adding to his unaffected state of being. He hardly expresses any emotion, for the most part being numb to all of the happenings around him.
     There was a running motif of marine animals, comparing humans to red herrings and relating this incredulous search for a sheep to that of the chase after Moby Dick, constantly referring to his experience at the aquarium. The narrator openly declares that he leads a dull life, and he actually complains once an adventure presents itself to him. The girlfriend and her ears, endowed with the gift of premonition, was the most interesting character in this entire novel. It wasn't until the chase began that he gained insight as to what he held dear. He didn't consider anything to be particularly valuable, hence the lack of labels, until that girlfriend with the ears came along. What is it with the ears? Are they like a beautiful frame to boring canvas of a face? Well it brought a spark of interest for the narrator, allowing him to find pleasure in his humdrum life until it was taken away.
     As satisfying as it was to read, the end left me partially confused. Not much was explained about the character "the Rat" and it was because of this that I found him to be the most intriguing of all the characters. His involvement, little though it may be, brought some excitement to the story. There was much mystery around his death, with getting possessed by that special sheep. The Rat said that by ending his life, that the sheep would go with him but I doubt such a supernatural being would be extinguished so easily. It makes me wonder about the man in the suit and his arrival at the end, and that maybe he would be the next "victim" of the sheep. I believe the sheep was the "ideal life," but once it's gained it can corrupt a person.
      The sheep chase itself didn't seem to be the main purpose, but instead was an opportunity for the narrator to examine his almost-30-year life. The whole story was a reflection of the narrator's accomplishments, or lack of. By the end of an eventful journey, the impact of all that he has lost finally strikes a nerve with him, but does nothing to try to regain any of it.The vague ending left me feeling empty, like the narrator's state of mind at the end of all these ordeals.