The Big Sleep (1946 & 1945 versions) Review

Bogey and Bacall. At one point those two names were enough to pack movie theaters and this movie shows why. Filled with an ever twisting plot of blackmail and murder, it was the chemistry between these two that made this movie a true noir classic. But what about the earlier unreleased version shown to soldiers overseas? Read on to find out.

With The Maltese Falcon being a huge hit, Warner Brothers wanted to repeat the success of that private eye picture. The country was still embroiled in World War II and the civilians at home wanted distractions from the war.  Also, the popularity of private eye stories were at their zenith.

The legendary directory Howard Hawkes was put in charge of adapting Raymond Chandler’s novel, The Big Sleep. Having Humphrey Bogart play another P.I. was considered a sure thing and the hot starlet of the moment at Warner’s was Lauren Bacall. The fact they were having an illicit affair begun on the set of To Have and Have Not guaranteed there would be on screen chemistry. Hollywood is nothing if not mercenary in the quest for money.

Two versions of the film exist, the 1945 one shown to the troops and the 1946 re-edited one with different scenes. The latter was done at the behest of Bacall’s agent who was in something of a panic over her negative reviews for Confidential Agent. Desperate to salvage her career in a dog eat dog business (and insure his continued income), the agent talked Jack Warner into reshooting the picture to play up the actress’s “insolence.”

I’ll be reviewing both, starting with the 1946 final product.

The 1946 Version

The Big Sleep opens with the silhouettes of Bogey and Bacall lighting up cigarettes with the credits then being superimposed on them – starting with their names. They get shown before the movie title and illustrate just how star power mattered back then. I should also note that this movie has more smoking in it than any I can remember. No specific brand placement, but one would swear it was entirely financed by the tobacco industry.

A close up on the door of a ritzy residence starts things rolling as private detective Philip Marlowe has arrived at the Sternwood Mansion for a possible job. Keep an eye open for lots of close ups of letters and signs in this movie, Hawkes seemed to like them a lot.

Bogart inhabits the rumpled life of Marlowe effortlessly and brings a jaded weariness to the character. It takes that kind of cynicism when confronted with the killer legs and aggressive flirtations of young Carmen Sternwood (Martha Vickers). Aggressive as in very physical. She is trouble not even bothering to wait to happen.

Saved by the butler, Marlowe is led in to see his prospective employer, General Sternwood (Charles Waldron). Beset with age related frailties and an inability to drink, he has Marlowe drink for him. Bluntly eloquent about his lack of morals and that of his daughters, he has a problem with a black mailer that needs handling. It seems little Carmen has gotten herself in trouble and owes a considerable amount of money on lost bets. If that is the real story behind it…

Taking the job for $25 a day plus expenses, Marlowe has a couple of names to consider besides that of the blackmailer, Geiger. There had been another blackmail earlier by someone named Joe Brody that had been handled by an old acquaintance of  Marlowe’s, Sean Regan. Oddly enough, Regan is missing much to the dismay of the elderly man.

His oldest daughter, a divorcee named Vivian Rutledge (Lauren Bacall), inserts herself into things by having the butler intercept Marlowe before he leaves. Their meeting leads to classic banter as each fishes for information from the other. But the shamus does find out that Regan was like a son to Sternwood and it piques his curiosity.

Marlowe does what a good private dick should do and that is research. The Hollywood Public Library provides the trivia he needs to pose as a book buyer to investigate Geiger’s rare books shop. The affectation he puts on doesn’t get him far with the pretty and cold Agnes (Sonia Darrin), but it becomes clear that the shop is not what it appears to be.

Across the street is a competing book store, one with a most interesting and unnamed gal running it. Dorothy Malone smolders in her brief scene that always stood out to me. She shows that nice and nerdy is no impediment to being very attractive as they share a mutual flirtation while Marlowe watches the other shop. In a film full of gorgeous gals, she tops them all.

Trailing Geiger leads to his house on Laverne Terrace and soon Marlowe spots a woman arrive then run inside. A check on the car steering wheel registration reveals it is Carmen. Back then, vehicle registrations had to be attached to the steering wheel column and this comes into play more than once as the story unfolds.

Time passes and a tired Marlowe is roused from his boredom by a woman’s scream followed by two gunshots. Before he can do anything, two cars depart in a hurry. The first is a sedan and the second is a station wagon. Why do I mention it? It is a mystery and a lot of clues are being fired at us in shotgun fashion and the theatrical release omits too many explanations.

Breaking inside, the private eye finds an oblivious and mildly giggling Carmen plus one very dead Geiger on the floor. No weapon is present but there is a hidden camera, which was pointed at Carmen’s chair. Another discovery seems to offer the promise of more information, but first things first.

The youngest Sternwood sister is higher than a kite and while never directly explained, it is obvious she has a narcotics problem, probably heroin. Also implied is that she has been posing for dirty pictures. Why else a hidden camera?

Hired to clean up her mess, Marlowe drives her home and instructs the butler that Carmen never left the mansion that night. Vivian is likewise instructed and sparks fly as she argues with Marlowe. Yes, this is a scene inserted to enhance Bacall’s performance and it works well.

Marlowe is now hip deep in the messy situation and while he puts on a brash front, his constant tugging of his ear while puzzled indicates just how confusing the situation really is. It only gets worse after a phone call from his friend, Bernie, at the district attorney's office.

It seems the LAPD have fished a sedan belonging to the Sternwood’s from near a pier – and it has a body in it. Marlowe and Bernie (Regis Toomey) have that casual ease that good friends have and it adds some depth to characters as they discuss what is going on. So who killed Owen Taylor, the chauffeur?

Things keep getting messier as events unfold. Murkier as well, for Mrs. Rutledge is both prying into Marlowe’s case and adding to it when another blackmail attempt is started. It would have been sufficient to have had the normal banter between the now obviously attracted to each other characters, but the phone scene with the two is an absolute delight as they torment a police sergeant on the other end.

Marlowe does seem to have a way with the ladies, as a female cabbie helps him tail a suspect and then gives him her phone number. So far in the film, the gumshoe has had four women hit on him. Not bad for a short guy.

Further trouble enters the picture when Eddie Mars (John Ridgely), a local mobster, finds Marlowe in the company of Carmen at Geiger’s house. Carmen is at her thumb biting best as she is questioned about the murder and you can see the dim cunning of the girl glittering in her eyes. But it is the back and forth between Mars and Marlowe that make the scene terrific fun. It doesn’t hurt he has some interestingly odd henchmen.

One of the best things about The Big Sleep is the witty and intelligent dialogue. I cannot imagine a movie this smart being a hit in the modern day. Too much of the dialogue would go over too many heads.

A lot has happened and the new blackmailer has yet to be be dealt with. When we finally meet Joe Brody (Louis Jean Hedyt), we are in for a treat. His small apartment becomes the set of a small stage play as armed people troop in and out. It is a scene hard to convey as it contains plot exposition, wry character moments, dark comedy, and occasional violence. Just watch the movie to see why it is so entertaining.

The amazing thing is we are only half way through the movie by this point.

Marlowe gets his chance to prove how skillful and dirty an opponent he can be as the chain of events started in Brody’s apartment unfold. Some kind of resolution to the events has been come to, but something is nagging the detective. Where is Sean Regan and what does he have to do with all this?

Why is Mrs. Rutledge so eager for him to consider the case closed? What is her connection to Eddie Mars? The questions mount for Marlowe and he will not leave them alone. The Gordian Knot he has been handed and then told to leave alone will either be solved by him or his own undoing.

The 1945 Version

Filming of the movie was done from late 1944 through early 1945 while the war was still on. In early 1946, reshoots and additional scenes were made, so there was at least a year between shoots. That makes the 1946 film a continuity gaffe hunter’s dream.

The Big Sleep had quite a few changes made to it between the versions. As I wrote before, they were done to protect Bacall’s career and while the two films are basically the same, I think much was lost due to that decision.

Various scenes depicting detective work and plot exposition were cut to add in more Bogey and Bacall byplay. The audiences loved the chemistry and I suppose the scandal involved. During the original filming of the movie, the affair between the two destroyed Bogart’s marriage and by the time the second shoot started he had married his mistress, Bacall. Scandal sells, unfortunately.

In the original cut, Marlowe explores Geiger’s house and disposes evidence that would have shown Carmen was there. In the process of this, he silently discovers that the killer had broken in through the kitchen window. With Carmen in a stupor on the sofa, he goes through things and finds a set of keys that unlocks the desk, which gives him the cypher book. Those were important moments.

Also, there is no Mrs. Rutledge at the Sternwood mansion when Marlowe hauls Carmen there. Those scenes were reshot to add him carrying Carmen in and having sparks fly with Vivian. Watch for some clumsily looped audio during her office visit. Bacall’s lips do not match the dialogue at one point.

Entire performances ended up cut out of the film. District attorney White (Thomas E. Jackson) and Captain Cronjager (James Flavin) were characters in a very good scene that explained much of what had happened regarding the murders. Bernie also shined in this and you could understand Marlowe’s relationship with local law enforcement a lot better. It is top notch stuff and really helped with the flow of the movie.

But there was one scene that definitely needed to be replaced and it is the payoff scene with Mrs. Rutledge. For some baffling reason, it was decided that Bacall looked good in the veil pictured above. She didn’t and it was horribly unflattering. The dialogue also lacked zing and needed work, so the scene was replaced by the much superior restaurant one filled with innuendo.

Thoughts

Howard Hawks’ film is very fast paced, bordering on modern in its 1946 cut. The 1945 is slightly slower but still a roller coaster ride. With a focus on characters and performances over camera work and spectacle, the film feels a bit more grounded than a lot of Hollywood fare. There is a gritty and unflinching attitude on display.

I can’t say the cinematography impressed me. It was competent, I suppose. The scene editing is a tour de force, on the other hand.

The feeling of it being war time is subtle, with a reference to “red points” which were meat ration tokens being the most obvious. Rationing was in full effect at the time and the idea that you couldn’t get whatever you wanted is alien to our modern spoiled times. By the way, the whole red points euphemism for bodies is very clever in my opinion.

Of course the big selling point is the incredible chemistry between Bogart and Bacall. That is what most people will remember about this tautly crafted murder mystery. The chemistry is undeniable, infectious, and often a delight to watch.

But for me, it is the sheer smartness of the story and lines that make me like this movie so very much. Having a very mortal and fallible main character in Marlowe also appeals greatly to me. His wry exasperation at all the guns being pulled on him wonderfully conveys how unusual the circumstances he’s fallen into are. Bogey is one of my favorite actors of all time and I think that is because he always brought a feeling of humanity to his portrayals.

Being made back when there was a morality code for movies actually helped the story, in my opinion. With many things only hinted at rather than explicitly explained, it added to the mystery.

There is a lot to like about this film and along with The Maltese Falcon has to be considered the epitome of private eye films. Highly recommended to all adults.

Technical

While Warner Bros skimped horribly on the cheap mostly cardboard case, the DVD itself is well produced. It is a two sided disc, with each version occupying one side along with all the extras duplicated. Flipping it over reminds me of listening to 33 1/3 albums when I was young and seems appropriate to the era the movie came from.

The video is the standard 4:3 ratio of the original theatrical release and shows nice contrast. While remastered, it is not restored so expect to see scratches from the preserved film.

Audio is monaural, of course. It is nice and clear, which is important given the machine gun delivery of some of the lines. The score comes through well and never overwhelms the dialogue.

The special features include:

A very brief cast and crew rundown which is not even worth glancing at.

A comparison documentary between the two versions, which is well worth checking out.

Behind the scenes trivia which is an absolute hoot. Even the original author, Chandler, didn’t know who killed the chauffeur!

The very clever theatrical trailer may contain the best lead in ever. It is a little gem in its own right.

BEWARE, HERE BE SPOILERS!!!

 

 

 

 

After wrapping up the murders, Marlowe’s determination to find out what happened to Sean Regan gets him in trouble. Even the DA’s office wants him to drop it. But it is an itch he can’t scratch.

Somebody is tailing him, Mars and Mrs. Rutledge are scheming together, and even a beating by goons doesn’t stop the shamus. Unexpected aid from Harry Jones, the guy tailing him, leads things back to Agnes. Her story is made a little more clear in the 1945 version, but she is a very low level gold digger latching on to a new guy in astounding speed.

That poor sucker is Harry, played by Elisha Cook, Jr. You will recognized him from one of his many small parts in film and television over the decades. The little guy has a memorable couple of appearances late in the film and meets a sad end that upsets Marlowe greatly.

Marlowe may not be a bastion of morality, but his growing outrage against Eddie Mars’ doings begins to drive him into reckless behavior. That lands him handcuffed and tied up when he tracks down Eddie’s wife who was supposed to have run off with Regan. Here we see two different versions as the original scene wasn’t satisfactory and was reshot with a new actress.

The 1945 version had the cold looking Pat Clark playing Mona Mars and the scene played out quite differently. Peggy Knudsen replaced her and was a bit more believable as the kind of gal someone would murder over.

I liked the cowardly cunning of the hitman, Canino (Bob Steele), and also how Vivian fooled him when being used as a human shield. The rat died with a deserved look of surprise on his face.

When the final showdown commences, the shaking and rattled Marlowe is a nice touch of realism. He is human and his bravado has vanished with the death of Jones and having to kill Canino. With him putting on an act of being out of control, Mars is fooled into getting tommy gunned by his own men. Brains, not brawn, wins the day and the girl in the end.

A real mystery to me was why the actress playing Agnes, Sonia Darrin, did not get any billing and essentially vanished from Hollywood. Her part was terrific and she made quite an impression. I eventually found a blog post about her that answered some of my questions.

Best Laid Plans…

It was while working on The Big Sleep review to be posted later today that I realized what month it is. October is here and I really should be watching some “scary” movies and their kin. For the last few years, I have really fallen out of the holiday spirit regardless of which holiday is around the corner.

So it is time to revive at least a little of the Halloween spirit and that means delving into some classic horror films along with not so classic monster movies. Of course that means delaying the planned movie reviews because I must share my viewing pains and pleasures!

A look at Hammer films 1950’s reinterpretations of the Universal monsters of the 1930’s will have to be part of it. Grown men in rubber monster suits will also be a necessary ingredient for these Halloween treats. So expect chills and thrills, kiddies!

Health 10-3-2011

Well this H2O2 regimen is not a lot of fun at the moment. Detoxifying involves a lot of unpleasantness from nausea to painful skin break outs. It is also taking my stomach awhile to adjust to the whole affair. Odd moment of the day was when I looked at some ginger ale on sale and felt total revulsion with the stomach shouting NOOOOOOOOO!!!! (insert George Lucas edit here) at the sight of one of my favorite soft drinks.

Went into La Crosse and set up an appointment with my optometrist for later in the week. The current contact lens prescription has made reading difficult and working on models impossible when they are in. With my glasses being ancient (fifteen years or so) and tinted, I need something with better color fidelity for that job. So it will be a pricey thing to do both.

October Recharge

It is time for the leaves to turn colors and wonderful words of inspiration from General Conference again. The Saturday morning session just ended and the big news has to be the Provo Tabernacle being restored as a second temple in the city of Provo. That was very unexpected and a collective gasp could be heard from the audience.

Video feeds of the conference can be found here and here and on Facebook, another big change.

I found myself doing something I had not done in several years and that is working on model kits while listening. For some reason, I have always been a better listener while doing something with my hands and the combination of the two was most harmonious.

I had missed that. Model building is one of the things that fell by the wayside since the big downturn in health in 2010. Actually, it had been slowly sacrificed in order to keep doing things like my calling and I probably should have seen it as a sign that things were amiss.

The H2O2 therapy is starting to hit me hard in regards to detoxifying. It will be nice when that ends and the body adjusts – after all that is why I undertook this. Hopefully, things will get better.

It is hard to believe it is already October.

That Was Yesterday

With another frost warning for tonight, it seems like summer is but a distant memory already. For me it is the second lost summer in a row with hardly anything done outdoors. Yet tomorrow is October and I must move on, even if the sun refuses to shine this week.

I am having too much fun watching The Big Sleep to review it. Today I will be watching the original unreleased cut to compare versions and I am looking forward to it greatly. It is too bad we live in an era where somebody like Bogart could never be a top tier star.

Hot Fish Shop that used to be in Winona is going to reopen. That is the good news. The bad news is that it will be in Rochester. Ah well. Hopefully the recipes will be the same as what I remember. But it would be nice if it were closer.

Facebook is out to prove they are utterly evil, it appears. Narcissism is a bad thing and it looks like a lot of people are going to find out just how bad. What is going to alarm people the most is finding out that Facebook never really gets rid of deleted messages.

Because of all the privacy flaps, I know people moving to Google + and Twitter instead. But I would say they are not going to be much better about data harvesting. What do you expect for a free service?

Hope that this report pans out. Just because we finally got Bin Laden does not mean the mission is over. There are still a lot of bad guys out there and the way Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey are going there will be many more new ones.

And I stalled finishing this long enough for blue sky to appear and actual sunlight to emanate from above. At last the new matchstick blinds will get a test.

Squid Girl Ep. 2, Season 1

UPDATE September 4, 2018

More DMCA take downs have hit the blog despite screen captures long being considered fair use. Due to my not being able to afford a lawyer, I have no choice but to remove them or have the blog suspended. Only the words will be left.

TVTokyo is proving to be foolishly draconian in targeting posts meant to get people interested in seeing the Squid Girl anime and perhaps even purchasing it on DVD or Blu-ray. Being anti-piracy myself this is infuriating that they are targeting posts I wrote hoping to encourage people to try out a delightful show.

More characters join Squid Girl’s expanding cast as the aquatic invader attempts to make sense of the surface world. A lifeguard gets her attention, she gains an admirer, and fireworks ensue -- but not necessarily in that order.

Aren’t We Squids of a Feather?

Starting off with a spoof of Baywatch makes sense for a comedy set on a beach and it is made all the better after it is revealed to all be in the head of the local life guard. So enters a new character, Goro.

When the pretty girl he is chatting up notices someone in distress, he springs into action. Wait… Is that Squid Girl out there flailing madly? Apparently she forgot to stretch her tentacles before entering the water and suffered a cramped one.

Yes, I know what you are thinking and it is addressed in a most amusing way. But back to Life Savers… err, Squid Girl.

One quick rescue later, Goro is horrified to find out that he has rescued a monster from the sea. Fortunately, Eiko and Takeru are present to explain things. Well, as much as you can explain someone like Ika Musame. We also find out that Goro has quite a crush on Chizuru.

Oddly enough, the life guard and invader hit it off when they both reveal themselves to be protectors of the sea. But their ideas of how they protect the sea are just a bit different and a falling out is unavoidable. Squid Girl decides there isn’t room enough for two protectors….

Hijinks ensue and a serious moral lesson is learned in the end; something not unusual with this show.

Consquidilations?

The second segment is about something everyone can relate to: birthdays. Puzzled by the spectacle of a family having a birthday party at the Lemon Beach House, Squid Girl wants to know just what the squid is going on. Once she finds out what a birthday is and that it involves cake, gifts, and attention, she pitches a fit.

Yes, it is time to declare it is her “hatchday” and demand a celebration. Chizuru thinks it is a great idea, much to her younger sister’s dismay. So preparations begin with locking Squid Girl in a back room to keep things a surprise. Ever snoopy, her imagination gets the best of her as she overhears the conversations.

Hey, calamari is tasty, so I can understand her paranoia.

What follows is a nice illustration of one of the show’s best strengths, that of portraying those first time experiences from childhood. Amidst all the goofy comedy and slapstick antics are sweet reminders of how things we now take for granted were once magical. Do you remember what it was like the first time you tried to blow out candles on a birthday cake? How about the first time you played with fireworks?

It is all there, the good and the bad, but exaggerated which makes for great fun.

A feeling of family is also beginning to develop nicely. That is good, for dangers await the squidling.

Want to Swim Out and Play?

Sometimes danger comes disguised in the most innocent of packages. That is a hard lesson to learn growing up and a lot of adults never do. Take the two screen caps above, for example. One is of a cute little puppy and the other is of a sweet looking teenage girl. Which is the dangerous one?

Eiko’s friend, Sanae, brings her new pup to the restaurant to show him off. He is a big hit and an envious Squid Girl cannot believe that the dog is considered cuter than she. Ika is such a child in so many ways, good and bad.

Her demand for equal treatment leads to hilarious proof that you should be careful of what you wish for. It is an utterly silly scene that would not be out of place in an old Looney Tunes cartoon.

Hmm. I wonder what a meeting between Daffy Duck and Squid Girl would be like?

An invitation to visit Sanae’s place is made and this is where we find out why the series is rated for 13 and older.

Yep, we have just encountered a tired anime trope, that of the lesbian teen with a raging crush on a main character. Sanae’s attentions toward Ika are uncomfortable for the young squid and disturbing to Eiko, who doesn’t verbally pull her punches. Oh if that were only the problem with Sanae. When Eiko takes the puppy for a walk, Squid Girl ponders turning the air conditioned house into her invasion headquarters.

But who is the hunter and who is the prey?

Sheer lunacy, trauma, and shameless inkjet printing follow with a nice visual moment to wrap up the episode.

Thoughts

As I wrote earlier in the review, the reminders of magical moments of childhood is one of the things that makes Squid Girl such an appealing show to me. Genuine warmth can also be found between the comic bits, which make it more than just a gag show. That is why the middle segment was the one I liked the best out of this episode.

Ika Musame is an interesting character, with it becoming a little clearer that she is a good girl at heart, if obsessed with global domination. The relationship with Eiko is settling into something more like siblings. Specifically, siblings close in age who always fight with each other.

Sanae is very annoying. But beyond that, she is very creepy and while it is treated light heartedly stalkers are not that amusing to me. That is not to say this segment was unamusing, merely of questionable taste. That could be said about the character of Sanae, period.

The quality of the video continues to impress me greatly. For a lowly DVD to scale up as well as this one does on my 1680 x 1050 monitor is very unusual. It matches the quality of 720p videos I have purchased from iTunes, which is mind blowing. Keeping each disc to three episodes and keeping the quality high is probably the reason for this.

What’s On Tap

Finding myself brain dead, but ambulatory today means a serious post is not likely. Instead I will toss up another Squid Girl episode review to make sure I keep typing words.

I plan to alternate reviews of movies between serious and not so serious films to keep me from being bored with it all. Most come from my personal DVD collection and right now the tentative plan looks something like this: The Big Sleep, TRON, Zulu, Gamerz: Dorkness Rising, and The Maltese Falcon. Two of those will have spinoff soundtrack reviews.

Meanwhile, I am watching HBO’s John Adams miniseries and so far it is excellent. But I am disappointed they had unnecessary nudity in the first episode. This whole “we have to have something R rated because we are a pay cable network” thing is extremely annoying. Doubly so for me, since I was thinking there would be no way they would insert any – about two minutes before they did.

Since I do not bother much with television these days, the only thing out of the new season I am looking forward to is actually streaming on the Net. Squid Girl season 2 has begun in Japan and is being streamed in the USA by Crunchyroll. Since they do not have enough of interest to pay for a membership, I will settle on the one week delay and resume the squidvasion on Monday.

Blind Justice

Besides accidently damaging my air conditioner, I have had a fit of cleaning befall me this month. It is a pernicious and dangerous disease, especially in a messy old farmhouse such as the one I reside in. It all started with noticing dust on the plastic adjustable window blinds.

The mistake was not in noticing they were dustier than a mummy’s tomb. The mistake was in deciding to try to clean them. That brought forth a curse worthy of Tutankhamen's burial site.

The resulting dust cloud drove me from the room and forced me to run the air purifier at full speed for a couple of hours before I could return. Ah, dust mite allergies.

Having condemned the blinds as uncleanable as well as ugly, I started looking for matchstick or bamboo blinds to replace them. Prices on the Net were not wonderful, but not out of the question. But it would be over $20 for each not counting shipping. It would be November before I could swing any. Old cheap plastic ones left over from yesteryear were going to have to suffice for the time being.

So it was with great surprise that I wandered into the local Alco discount store and found matchstick blinds marked radically down with a promise of a further 20% off.  Only one problem – they were all 48” wide when 36” is the largest my windows could handle.

Humphing to myself, I noticed one oddball two-tone set in the plastic ones on clearance. Eureka! They were 36” and would be perfect for the most important window that gets the most sunlight.  $7.00?! Okay, they are mine, I thought.

Digging one last time amongst the plastic blinds turned up another natural colored matchstick blind with a 31” width. Just enough to cover the other window, but no price on it. Eh, with a discount it would be worth it anyway.

So off to the register I marched, blinds slung over one shoulder. Combined and with sales tax, I scored them both for just under $11.00.  Now to get them put up once the cordless drill recharges.

Bleach Ep. 9: Unbeatable Enemy

The conclusion to the Memories in the Rain mini-arc finds Ichigo face to face with a nightmare from his past and reveals just a little more of Rukia’s. Can Ichigo save his sisters from the fate that befell their late mother or will his anger lead to yet another tragedy?

I’ve always enjoyed the creativity of the individual episode title shots. Blink and you may miss them. Part of the fun of Bleach is the ever changing opening and closing sequences along with the different music themes.

With the cliffhanger of the previous episode yet to be resolved, things start with Ichigo rescuing Yuzu but unable to do the same for Karin. Back up arrives in the form of Rukia and the Soul Reaper sent to retrieve her.

One of the things about anime that alternately cracks me up and annoys me is the exposition that is shoe horned into fights. Both sides suddenly stop until the dialogue is concluded, then go back to fighting. It is like having Lex Luthor explain everything every other moment in a battle with Superman – but without kryptonite to keep him weakened. Call it the pro-wrestling effect, which is what it reminds me of.

So we get an entire conversation from Rukia, the Soul Reaper, and Ichigo while the Hollow just stands there and watches. Maybe he is enjoying the fact that he is a legend who is notorious amongst the Soul Reapers and has a name, the Grand Fisher. In the end it doesn’t matter as the stunning revelation that this Hollow is the one who killed Ichigo’s mother drives Kurosaki into a berserk rage.

The following fight does not go well.

Rukia backs up Ichigo with spell casting, which is delivered in a pretty display only to have little effect. It goes worse for the Soul Reaper who sacrifices himself to save Karin. There is no sense of fun in this particular fight, only well rendered grim desperation.

Oh and it is revealed that Soul Reapers are mortal and can be killed. That is an interesting little tidbit to go along with the fact that the Grand Fisher has killed multiple Soul Reaper’s over the past decades. Ichigo is completely out matched.

So of course the teen decides to take on the Hollow solo. The rain begins to fall, one of the themes associated with Ichigo throughout the series. Meanwhile, Kon finds it difficult to maintain acting like the boy as he and Isshin wait out the rain at a temple.

It isn’t just his own personal grief driving the substitute Soul Reaper. As he is fighting, images and thoughts of how hard it was for his sisters to loose their mother fuel his anger even higher. There is a relentless sense of loss underlying every moment of the episode.

For the first time, Ichigo takes serious wounds in Bleach. Watching in horror, Rukia wants to intervene in this private battle of vengeance, but flashes back to her life in Soul Society when a mysterious superior lectured her on how some fights are about honor.

Because of what happened then, she decides to hold herself back though it is killing her not to help. All she can do is hope he does not die.

Then things in the fight get worse as Ichigo finds his resolve shaken by an unexpected turn of events.

Thoughts

Memories in the Rain is a sad exploration of what motivates young Ichigo Kurosaki and the visuals of the episode are dark, dreary, and despairing. In some ways, he comes off as almost an anti-hero because of his anger and dour disposition. But here we are shown a  good reason for it and it adds some depth to the character.

The tantalizing snippets of Rukia’s past add to her character too. More mysteries lie with this woman, it is clear.

It strikes me that even the humor is muted in this episode, something unusual for the series so far.

BEWARE HERE BE SPOILERS!

 

 

 

 

The use of a copy of Ichigo’s mother by the Grand Fisher had to be one of the creepier moments. That creature is so disgusting in concept that it amplified the wrongness of her being used to counter the boy.

The idea that her last thoughts were absorbed and copied by the Hollow is interesting, because it implies that souls are actually devoured by these creatures. When her last thoughts prove to be more powerful than the Grand Fisher can control, it is a wonderful bit of dramatic irony. He is undone by a previous victim of his.

Masaki Kurosaki’s last thoughts were of her family and especially of her son, Ichigo. It is a touching moment when he hears how she felt about him and a pivotal one for Ichigo. With her love and approval empowering him, the boy manages to wound his opponent badly.

The lack of resolution to the battle and the Grand Fisher’s escape might bother those who tune in for the fights, but it was high drama. Not being able to avenge your own mother’s death is yet another thing to add to Ichigo’s adolescent frustrations.

Orihime’s thoughts about reaching Ichigo’s heart are repeated near the end of the episode. Her kind sweetness and growing devotion to the boy are gently handled in poetic fashion.

Notice the attention paid to the full moon in Bleach. This is another theme associated with Ichigo, one that becomes clearer much later on. People may slam Tite Kubo as a hack writer, but he is not as bad as they think. It may not be deep material, but it isn’t shallow. I enjoy the symbolism he slips in from time to time.

Well written is how I would describe the father and son scene between Isshin and Ichigo at the end. Unexpected seriousness and good advice from the usually manic parent is well executed, with the impression that this is the real man without his clown mask on. It is also clear that he isn’t over the loss of Masaki.

Rukia’s expression looks like something close to adoration there, doesn’t it? The Soul Reaper left while saying he wouldn’t want to “break up such a serious couple” earlier and the lines were not delivered in a sarcastic tone. Ichigo may be oblivious, but it appears he now has two girls interested in him.

The imagery of the final shot jumped out at me. Here is the full moon out with the rain having stopped. Ichigo and Rukia are looking at each other, with her in a higher position, nearly unattainable.  To what heights will Kurosaki have to ascend to reach her?

Good Thing It Is Cold Outside

One of the “joys” of chronic illness is dealing with the fallout of trying to do something when ill. In this case, a fall out of the window by my air conditioner. It was one of those things I should not have been doing while really sick, but with a cold wind blowing in I could not take it anymore and started preparations to remove it.

I forgot it was not properly installed this year.

As soon as the window sash went up, out the window it went to hit a rock outside and bounce with a mighty crash. I knew it was a goner the moment I saw it hit. My father is an eternal optimist unto self destruction and insisted on running an extension cord to the battered unit. It wouldn’t even turn on.

So the money I was hoping to save up for a new pistol, rifle, or HDTV is now needed for an air conditioner. Good thing I have all of autumn and winter for that. Sigh.

The Internet Becomes a Small Town

Having grown up for part of my childhood in a small town, I became aware at a young age of the fact that there are few, if any, secrets that manage to stay secret. Privacy is an illusion as gossip and snooping are a way of life. Of course the facts are secondary to a good story and are among the first casualties.

The Internet is getting to be the same way, but with a goal of selling information rather than running other people down. Or is it?

One of the first things to catch my eye this morning was a report about how the Fed is planning to scour the Net for people opining on their policies. Are they soliciting viewpoints to incorporate into their decision making? No, they are looking to find who is shaping opinion and run a counter espionage style operation to control the public’s perception of them.

The fact that they have put out a request looking for a technology vendor to implement this is disturbing. Unlike a lot of people on the political right, I have no beef with the Federal Reserve. Well, until now. For this act alone, I think they should be disbanded. It smacks of being a government unto themselves and an Orwellian one at that.

Meanwhile, Facebook has been tracking every webpage that their members browse for at least a year. Not even logging out will stop this. As an immediate counter to this I have moved to using Internet Explorer solely for Facebook and will not be using my main browser, Firefox, for it anymore.

Combine that with the new “Timeline” interface and you have the world’s biggest snoop into people’s private lives. This is worse than knowing the old lady across the street is watching your windows, folks. Some websites will automatically update your status with your browsing their page under the new system. Since I was already winding down my Facebook usage to just gaming, I plan to take it all the way to that step pronto.

With those “features” in place, privacy settings are a moot point. It is clear there is no privacy where Facebook is involved and it creeps me out greatly. It is amazing how many people want your information. As much as tailoring advertising is supposed to increase sales, this has become ridiculous!

Time to roll down the shades, close the curtains, and maybe invest in virtual black out tape.

Health 9-26-2011

Well that was a bad weekend. Whatever bug got to me persisted through Sunday into the early hours of today. While the nose went from a spigot to merely swollen, the rest of the system decided to punt. Two days in a row going to bed and getting up eleven to twelve hours later is not how I like things.

At least I am functional today. The crossword puzzle took a whopping seven minutes and four seconds to complete, with a full five seconds wasted staring at the rain outside the window. I do believe that is a new record for me. Audiosurf was good, with the only error caused by me composing a blog post in my head when I was supposed to be playing.

The H2O2 regimen continues at fourteen drops for today’s doses. I had bowel distress in the early AM that may be related to it, but nothing came of it. Keeping a close eye on things with side effects in mind.

Did not like missing church yesterday, but I was in no condition to drive and did not have any ability to really listen until late in the day. At least I can look forward to General Conference next weekend.

Health 9-24-2011

Not at all well today and it started well as far a the crossword puzzle and Audiosurf were concerned. A runny nose that got worse as the day progressed has that tickle in the chest going again. It amazes me how little it takes.

Thankfully, the faucet in the nose has nearly shut off here in the evening hours. I notice that I am being irritable, impatient, and grouchy – so yep, I’ve come down with something again. Does not appear to be allergies since I am unable to get warm.

At least it is a little more convenient being sick tonight. Convenient? Yep, turns out the Saturday evening gaming session was canceled and I did not know it. So it is a good night to be sick.

Yes, I know I am struggling for a silver lining, but please do not rain on my parade! Watched some Squid Girl and anything that can make you laugh when miserable is a good show.

Squid Girl Episode 1 and Season 1 Part 1 DVD Set Review

UPDATE September 4, 2018

More DMCA take downs have hit the blog despite screen captures long being considered fair use. Due to my not being able to afford a lawyer, I have no choice but to remove them or have the blog suspended. Only the words will be left.

TVTokyo is proving to be foolishly draconian in targeting posts meant to get people interested in seeing the Squid Girl anime and perhaps even purchasing it on DVD or Blu-ray. Being anti-piracy myself this is infuriating that they are targeting posts I wrote hoping to encourage people to try out a delightful show.

A ferocious being from the depth of the sea sets forth to invade the surface world and wreak havoc on humanity in retaliation for pollution. Another Japanese giant monster movie? No, it is Squid Girl and she is here to dominate all you minnows! Well, if she could get over her shrimp addiction and pay off the putting a hole in a wall. It is squidtastic fun as we follow Squid Girl’s dealing with life in on the surface.

In late 2010, an anime debuted in the wee hours of the morning  (2 AM) in Japan and the world was never the same. A little heralded manga character suddenly became an Internet meme and amassed a cult following world wide. Her name? Ika Musame, or Squid Girl!

Each episode adapts three of the original short manga chapters, with each segment having an equally punny title. Be warned, Squid Girl is all about the puns, but interleaved with often witty observations about modern life. On to the review and Squid Girl’s weird and silly world, degeso!

How About an Inkvasion?

The show opens with a female voice ranting about the pollution in the sea and threatens an “inkvasion” of the human world. Ominous tentacles and a Jaws like camera point of view set a dark horror movie mood.

Which is promptly demolished by the aural assault on the ears that is the main theme. It is quite horrible the first time you hear it, but then it grows on you and I’ve become quite fond of it -- especially after reading the lyrics. The opening montage has quit a few spoilers for the series and makes it clear there will be no scares.

The creature approaches the beach, which is rather picturesque and home to a seaside restaurant, Lemon Beach House. Like Amity Island, the tourist spot has no clue what is about to hit it.

The creature leaps upon a table and makes a declaration of war.

The customers are stunned.

You would be too, if a blue haired girl in her early teens espousing world domination laced with fish puns interrupted your lunch. Alas, the waitress is not impressed and hauls the invader out back for a few choice words.

In back of the restaurant, Squid Girl explains who she is and why she is there. Thinking that she is just a cosplayer, Eiko listens to her demands and nicely tells her to go home. Showing the temperament of a Humboldt, Ika dashes in to tell her off only to be told by the gal running the place to take a couple of orders to a table.

Which she does without question.

The azure haired would be conqueror finds herself bussing the tables and quickly overwhelmed by the requests from the customers. A crisis follows causing her to remembers why she is there and it is time for another talking to out back.

It seems our little aquatic invader had miscalculated the number of humans in the world and can’t even handle 30 customers. The shock of finding out there are billions of humans is almost too much for her, but a mosquito turns into another challenge to her competence at warfare. Consequently, Squid Girl loses her temper and shows that she isn’t human after all in a hilarious battle to the death with the insect.

But there is collateral damage from the fight and her fate is not what she had expected. Now she is a waitress slaving to pay off the damage to the building.

What the squid?! This isn’t how inkvasions are supposed to go!

Aren’t We Brothers in Arms?

Settling in to her new job, Squid Girl finds herself being followed and one panicked encounter later has a willing soldier under her command. Sadly, he turns out to be Eiko’s little brother, Takeru. So much for relying on humans!

Spurned by the speciesist Squid Girl, Takeru comes up with a cunning plan. It involves paper and scissors, mistaken identity, and the gillibility of certain squid.

With a willing comrade in arms, what could go wrong? Well, err… lots?

Who’s the Mightiest Squid of All?

In the final segment, Squid Girl’s many faces are shown to great comic effect when things move to a horror movie like setting of an isolated Lemon Beach House. How can it be isolated on a busy beach, you ask. Rain. That foe of fun in the sun has driven all the customers away.

But it does give Squid Girl a chance to ask who the gal with the gill long hair is. She knows that the woman runs the place but is clueless otherwise. It turns out it is Eiko’s older sister, Chizuru.

The cold temps trigger a sneeze from Ika and that sprays ink all over Chizuru. She takes it calmly and goes off to shower, leaving the place in the care of Eiko, Takeru, and Squid Girl. Ah yes, the old divide and conquer opportunity arises. But first, the young invader (or is it inkvader?) is horrified to find out that squid ink is used as a sauce for spaghetti. Even worse, squid meat is consumed with it!

It is eat or be eaten time!

Easily besting the two kids, Squid Girl gloats when Chizuru of the ever closed eyes returns. One final boss to beat and it will be INVASION TIME!

So begins the tales of Squid Girl and her attempted invasion of humanity. Loopy, silly, filled with puns and more than a little sweetness, Squid Girl has to be one of the most improbable hits in anime history. Episode 1 does a good job of setting up the main characters for this slice of life comedy, degeso.

Thoughts

Squid Girl is great fun and always leaves me with a smile, which is something I have come to value more as I have grown older and the world darker. A lot of comedies could learn from this adaptation as it shows impeccable comic timing in direction and line delivery. That made it something of a worry when I read it was going to come out with an English dub on the DVD alongside the original Japanese.

While I still give much higher marks to the voice actors of the original, the American cast does a good job, especially the voice of Squid Girl. Though she doesn’t have quite the bombast when Ika is in scheming mode, the voice actress has caught her character well. The puns are slightly different than in the subtitles, but all are witty and convey the charm of the original.

The decision to dub should broaden the audience and that is a good thing. Everyone could use a little Squid Girl in their entertainment diet. Or at least squid ink spaghetti.

The show is aimed at teenagers and older, not little kids. In fact the case says “13 AND OLDER” on the back. But there will be things that will amuse younger ones, so I leave it to the discretion of parents to judge for themselves whether their kids should see it.

Technical

The 1:78 anamorphic widescreen transfer is gorgeous and I hope the screen captures show that well. Since there are no plans for a Bluray release in the States, this is as good as it gets.

Sound is good, with Dolby Digital surround actually using the rear speakers at times. That kind of surprised me, since this was a relatively low budget anime.

Language options include English, English with subtitles, Japanese, and Japanese with subtitles.

On Disc Two, extras are found which include:

Textless Opening

Textless Closings for all six episodes (subtle visual changes in each), but you can’t choose to watch them individually.

Interview with Hisako Kanemoto, the Japanese voice actress who plays Squid Girl.

Hat Folding video which is a continuation from the interview. Fans on the Internet figured out how to make Ika’s hat like Takeru did.

Trailers for other titles put out by Media Blasters. WARNING: the first preview is of a smutty series and is out of place on this set.

The DVD Case:

Oddly enough, this is the second time this month I feel that the presentation of the DVD case merits mentioning.

First off, the layout is rotated ninety degrees, which is very unorthodox. But given how off kilter Ika Musame’s world is, it seem appropriate. It also allows the whole cast to be shown and the art conveys the lively energy of the series.

The second thing to note is something I noticed when I found Disc 2 rattling loose from shipping. Take a look at the center plastic holder for the DVD. The prongs are Squid Girl’s tentacles! Very clever.

The case itself has a chemical smell to it, but I imagine that will pass in time.

Media Blasters and Anime Works deserve a lot of credit for putting this out in the first place and even more for the quality of the DVD’s. Nobody expected this to be a hit, not even the producers of the show. I for one, would like to thank them for helping us submit to our new squid overlord.

And so in tribute I will leave you with 8 bit Squid Girl from the opening to admire:

Health 9-23-2011

Punchy today and slept longer than usual. The H2O2 therapy has started to affect my sleep patterns. It is harder to get to sleep and earlier in the week I was up to 5 AM – not good.

On the flip side, my crossword puzzles and Audiosurf results have shown a sustained improvement as I appear to be more alert. Side effects of getting more oxygen to the brain?

As of today I am at 10 drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide in 8 oz of water three times a day. The taste is starting to become harder to take, so it looks like fruit juice will be the dilutant in the near future.

My appetite and capacity for food is decreasing too. It will be interesting to see if that continues.

Just realized I forgot to take my generic Zyrtec, better do it while I’m thinking about it.

Can Be Used for Good or Evil

The ever changing thing called modern technology can be a wonderful thing. It also can be a terrible thing for doing harm when placed in the wrong hands.

So it was interesting to see this account of an ATM skimming crew using 3D printers to make skimmers. When I found the link to this at Blue’s News, I knew I had to click on it as it hit two things I’m interested in: 3D printing technology and high tech theft. No, I don’t want to steal things, but rather like to be forewarned.

Having first read about this last year, I admit wondering where they got the plastic made for the devices. Now I know. The 3D printing tech has gotten so much more advanced over the years and I really would love to have one for fabricating model building parts.

Sadly, I am poor and unlike the users in the first article, not a crook. All I would use it for would be parts to make exotic versions of jet fighters.

Bleach Ep. 8: Memories in the Rain

The action anime shows it is capable of being something much deeper in this classic episode from the first season. As the tragedy that shaped Ichigo Kurosaki is fully revealed, an old danger threatens his family and a new one threatens Rukia.

Bleach can be an exasperating show simply because it occasionally reaches emotional heights it has no right to. Because of that, it can be frustrating wading through the lesser material while waiting to see it do something amazing again. Somehow I think P.T. Barnum would approve of how the original author and animators string along the audience that way. Memories in the Rain is one of those stories that keeps fans coming back.

The ending of the previous episode is an integral part of the story continued here and this serves as the middle act with the next episode completing it. So it is difficult to review it as a single episode.

Things begin with a glimpse of the ghastly netherworld of shadows shown sparingly earlier in the series. The voice of the mysterious mastermind Hollow is heard as he decides to go to the mortal world himself rather than dispatch minions. I have to say the theatrical voice employed for the character fits perfectly.

While that is going on, we see Karin and Yuzu hiking up a steep street with their brother and father trailing behind. Isshin plays the family idiot as usual but this time it is Karin who takes him down with a single kick. But the comedy is short lived as the walk to the cemetery is interrupted by a sudden appearance of Rukia.

The diminutive Soul Reaper wants to know if a Hollow killed Ichigo’s mother. It is a tension filled scene as Ichigo’s emotions boil over and he claims that he was the one who killed her. A shocked Rukia lets the teen leave as she tries to process what she has been told.

Following up on the moody scene in Episode 7, Orihime wants to know more about her crush and Tatsuki fills in some of the blanks of Ichigo’s past. When they were little, she used to beat up Orihime’s “super hero” at the dojo they studied at. Back then, the orange haired boy was a happy smiling kid who wasn’t the least bit tough. But everything changed when his mother died.

It is a lovely character building scene between the two girls talking and the flashback.

Rukia is upset with herself for prying to deeply into Ichigo’s pain and I particularly liked the visuals used to convey this. Her body language says more than her voiced over thoughts. Yet it is her past that is catching up to her, not Ichigo’s when the Soul Reaper seen at the very end of the last episode shows up to confront her.

But it is Ichigo’s tormented memories that make this one of the greatest episodes of Bleach. Here we find out why rain is associated so much with his soul, as he relives the fateful day his mother was murdered. And yes, he is responsible for her death. Back when he was nine, he couldn’t tell the difference between the living and spirits, so when a little girl jumped in the river…

With the death of his mother, the heart of the Kurosaki family was ripped out and everything changed for them all. Damage was done to each and the repercussions still show in the family.

Rukia’s past is starting to be revealed as well by the strange Soul Reaper who fancies himself something of a comedian. It turns out the he attended the same academy as she did in Soul Society. Sadly for him, she doesn’t have a clue who he is. So much for being the funny one in school!

So Rukia turns out to be from a noble family, but adopted in. This appears to make her an outsider at the Soul Reaper Academy. It looks like more is to come on her.

Here things begin to go bad as it is made clear Rukia has broken a very serious law of Soul Society by giving Ichigo her powers. This is compounded when the boy shows up to rescue her and the battle begins with an opponent out of his league.  However this is the least of their worries.

Ichigo’s past has caught up to him.

Thoughts

One thing going for Bleach is the interesting and well written characters. There can be no substitution for character development in my opinion and this show has it in spades.

Memories in the Rain also manages to convey serious drama amidst the action and comedy in a very effective way. I remember watching this and being floored by how emotional it was. As a result, I committed to watching this series.

Interestingly, this story was used as the “pilot” for the series and was shown as a stand alone video in Japan at a convention. It is also a pretty episode, with the art conveying the past really standing out.