Whether you like this series or not will depend on how much you favor story over animation. The Mermaid-series harbor a fascinating universe with intense stories and a fairytale like quality. Problem is the animation is very lackluster. It's all done by computer and features none of the gorgeous hand drawn anime we're so used to seeing. Instead everything on screen is kept very simple and the environments have no dept whatsoever. Back in 1991 another version of the 'Mermaid's Forest' tale (also included in the new series, as a new, but lesser two-part take) was made, where both the story and the animation were so much better. Unfortunately this is only available on VHS. The previous version was also much more violent and featured nudity, which gave the story a sharper, more sinister edge. This new take on the saga is more like kiddie matinée stuff in comparison. So, check out this series if you like the work of Rumiko Takahashi, but don't expect too much magic. I'm sure everyone who happen to see the 1991 version will agree.
Reviews
5 Reviews
See No Evil
(1971)
Effective 70's chiller
1 August 2005
Very good little chiller which takes the 'blind girl in peril' set-up and makes the most of it. What really sets this movie apart from other similar movies like 'Wait until Dark' and 'Blink', and even compared to the chase sequences in the recent 'The Village', is that the camera-work in a superb way manages to make us feel somewhat blind ourselves. Through sharp and unusual angles a lot of vital details are hidden from us, like the whereabouts of the victims, until the shocking truth is displayed. The identity of the killer is also obscured by just showing his hands or boots as he wrecks havoc, similar to the style used in the old Italian 'giallo' movies. You just never know who can be trusted or who knows what. Mia Farrow gives a powerful performance as the tormented main character, as she demonstrates her awesome ability to play scared, fragile women, not unlike her role in 'Rosemary's Baby'.
Some things nevertheless keep this movie from being a complete classic. The middle section of the movie is the strongest, with the blind girl continuing her daily business in the mansion, not knowing all the other inhabitants have been offed and that the killer is lurking nearby. After this the story whimpers out a bit. After a quick confrontation with the killer she keeps running and running until the end of the film, without ever being pursued, which takes away a lot of the tension. Maybe they should've kept the action in or around the house to build up to the climax. I also think the character of the gardener, who gives away a vital plot element he really had no possibility of knowing, is an irritating add on - even if he serves as a red herring.
Nevertheless a good reminder of the days when horror movies were grim and effective, instead of watered out with lame humor and irony.
Some things nevertheless keep this movie from being a complete classic. The middle section of the movie is the strongest, with the blind girl continuing her daily business in the mansion, not knowing all the other inhabitants have been offed and that the killer is lurking nearby. After this the story whimpers out a bit. After a quick confrontation with the killer she keeps running and running until the end of the film, without ever being pursued, which takes away a lot of the tension. Maybe they should've kept the action in or around the house to build up to the climax. I also think the character of the gardener, who gives away a vital plot element he really had no possibility of knowing, is an irritating add on - even if he serves as a red herring.
Nevertheless a good reminder of the days when horror movies were grim and effective, instead of watered out with lame humor and irony.
Heidi's Song
(1982)
An underrated animated classic!
29 June 2005
One of the movies I remember most fondly from my childhood. Although both fairly simplistic and in a way more real life-like compared to Disney standards, the animation serves the story wonderfully and adds much to the overall charm. Director Robert Taylor had previously made the twisted 'Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat', which reflects itself in 'Heidi's Song' in some really trippy dream sequences. In some cases it even seems like a throwback to the psychedelic animation of the 60's. And the songs are all instant hummable classics that could work just as well in a stage production. One stand out is for example the beautiful and melancholy 'Prince Charming' number with the wheelchair bound Clara.
This movie didn't fare well with the cinema audience at the time of it's release and was soon forgotten, even though produced by the famous Hanna-Barbera studio in an attempt to follow up their previous success with 'Charlotte's Web'. Unfortunately it hasn't gained much of a reputation on the home video market either. One reason of course being there are so many other adaptations of the Heidi story available. Still, this animated version for me remains one of the most entertaining. For many of us who saw the movie on it's original release, it's considerable charm and appeal still linger, so hopefully a future DVD release can manage to bring 'Heidi's Song' out to an even wider audience.
This movie didn't fare well with the cinema audience at the time of it's release and was soon forgotten, even though produced by the famous Hanna-Barbera studio in an attempt to follow up their previous success with 'Charlotte's Web'. Unfortunately it hasn't gained much of a reputation on the home video market either. One reason of course being there are so many other adaptations of the Heidi story available. Still, this animated version for me remains one of the most entertaining. For many of us who saw the movie on it's original release, it's considerable charm and appeal still linger, so hopefully a future DVD release can manage to bring 'Heidi's Song' out to an even wider audience.
The Phantom of the Opera
(2004)
Phantom of the freezer ***
29 June 2005
First of all, I really wanted to like this movie. Not having seen the stage version, but only heard the score numerous times and watched the old horror classic from 1943, I've always pictured the musical to be a lavish dream come through for set designers and choreographers. And the movie doesn't fail at that level. It's certainly beautiful to look at and moves from one scene to the other with much elegance. Still, it left me ice cold. Most of it's due to the choice of actors.
Neither Emmy Rossum as Christine or Patrick Wilson as Raoul produce believable main characters, and so the whole love triangle aspect falls flat. Especially Rossum, although strikingly beautiful, goes through the whole movie with not much more than one - somewhat bewildered - expression on her face. Her role is in many ways a thankless one, as she plays an innocent young girl who is the object of affection of two strong minded men, and doesn't do much to advance the plot herself. Even the songs she sing are mostly sweet, non-dramatic ballads. To really pull this off, a much stronger actor than Emmy Rossum is needed, to portray the confusion and pain Christine is experiencing. Altogether the movie seems too polished for it's own good as the emotional aspect of the story, that could've been very interesting, plays second fiddle to the set pieces most of the time.
Things pick up in the second act, with more interaction between characters and focus on the Phantom himself, but by then it's hard to get involved. One of the main problems with putting this musical on celluloid is that much of the action actually takes part on a stage, thus making it seem like a filmed play at times. The movie solves this issue fairly well, but doesn't stray far from the classic approach either, except for maybe in the 'flash-forward'-sequences in black & white that are used to divide the different chapters of the story. Also the editing of some of the numbers, especially the strongest and most well known one, 'The Phantom of the Opera', leaves much to be desired. This scene could've been handled much less choppy and undramatically than how it turned out. And again Rossum doesn't make the audience feel a thing. Seems to me the problem with turning Webber musicals into movies is that they often follow a very character driven and close to operatic form, and doesn't rely that much on big, catchy production numbers.
All in all an OK movie, but not much more. I really missed the good chilling sensation of having seen a spectacular musical adaption.
Neither Emmy Rossum as Christine or Patrick Wilson as Raoul produce believable main characters, and so the whole love triangle aspect falls flat. Especially Rossum, although strikingly beautiful, goes through the whole movie with not much more than one - somewhat bewildered - expression on her face. Her role is in many ways a thankless one, as she plays an innocent young girl who is the object of affection of two strong minded men, and doesn't do much to advance the plot herself. Even the songs she sing are mostly sweet, non-dramatic ballads. To really pull this off, a much stronger actor than Emmy Rossum is needed, to portray the confusion and pain Christine is experiencing. Altogether the movie seems too polished for it's own good as the emotional aspect of the story, that could've been very interesting, plays second fiddle to the set pieces most of the time.
Things pick up in the second act, with more interaction between characters and focus on the Phantom himself, but by then it's hard to get involved. One of the main problems with putting this musical on celluloid is that much of the action actually takes part on a stage, thus making it seem like a filmed play at times. The movie solves this issue fairly well, but doesn't stray far from the classic approach either, except for maybe in the 'flash-forward'-sequences in black & white that are used to divide the different chapters of the story. Also the editing of some of the numbers, especially the strongest and most well known one, 'The Phantom of the Opera', leaves much to be desired. This scene could've been handled much less choppy and undramatically than how it turned out. And again Rossum doesn't make the audience feel a thing. Seems to me the problem with turning Webber musicals into movies is that they often follow a very character driven and close to operatic form, and doesn't rely that much on big, catchy production numbers.
All in all an OK movie, but not much more. I really missed the good chilling sensation of having seen a spectacular musical adaption.
Lost Horizon
(1973)
Something's shining in the (lost) horizon
6 December 2004
I watched this movie some years ago, and it's still hard to get some of the songs out of my head. "The World is a Circle" and "The Things I Will Not Miss" are two of the strongest of the musical numbers supplied by Bacharach/David, and both have choruses that will stick with you like flypaper. Unfortunately both these and the other songs are victims of very poor choreography, as pointed out by many of the other people here who have commented on the movie. Especially the Sally Kellerman song by the pond, towards the end of the movie, will make you cringe and wish she would just slip on a rock and fall in instead of moving her hips about like that. One of the all time masters of choreography, Hermes Pan (Pal Joey, My Fair Lady, Top Hat), seems to be at a total loss as what to do with the music he has been provided. It must have been way too hip and pop music-like for him at the time to fully understand and appreciate it, as this was quite late in his career and he was an old chap at the time. Most of his best movie musical efforts were made during the 30s up to the 50s. Bear in mind that most of the actors also have no or little previous musical experience (Liv Ullmann was even dubbed in the movie), and one can understand why the numbers just fall flat. Just to see the Bergman queen of angst do a Julie Andrews impression, as a happy Von Trapp dancing (or at least swing her arms) around the mountainside, is reason enough alone to check out this movie (in fact, Ullmann refuses to talk about this movie when doing interviews nowadays).
That said, this movie ain't half bad. It starts of as a promising drama about people on the run from a war ridden China, who crash land in a picturesque, mountainside utopia where time stands still. In fact, before you hear a single song almost a third of the movie has already been played out. After that the producers tried to stuff in as much music as possible, to justify the label 'musical'. A real cult classic that helped sink the musical genre. Still, there's something about it that holds your interest to the very end. For a serious interpretation of the story, watch the older Capra version instead, but if like a bit of creamy fluff on your pudding, this may very well be your dish. 'Everything depends on where your are in this circle without a beginning... lalalala'
That said, this movie ain't half bad. It starts of as a promising drama about people on the run from a war ridden China, who crash land in a picturesque, mountainside utopia where time stands still. In fact, before you hear a single song almost a third of the movie has already been played out. After that the producers tried to stuff in as much music as possible, to justify the label 'musical'. A real cult classic that helped sink the musical genre. Still, there's something about it that holds your interest to the very end. For a serious interpretation of the story, watch the older Capra version instead, but if like a bit of creamy fluff on your pudding, this may very well be your dish. 'Everything depends on where your are in this circle without a beginning... lalalala'
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