2/19/23-2/25/23

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: The Phantom Blood (anime)

I remember enjoying the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga series (at least what I read of it), but I can’t help but find the anime adaptation more annoying than anything else. To be fair, we start off with one of the weaker of the JoJo parts, but I don’t think it bodes well that I’m so irritated right off the bat. I’m probably not helping myself by watching the English dub of the series, but I don’t want to have to actively pay attention to it and I can’t speak Japanese, so here we are with these ridiculous British accents. God, I forgot that this series follows the exploits of the only decent British man to ever live.

None of this is helped by my growing distaste for the Shonen Action-Adventure genre that dominates so much anime. After spending around nine months in Japan I came almost entirely disillusioned with this type of story. So much of Shonen manga and anime follows the exact same formula, and this isn’t any different.

It is somewhat endearing in it’s ridiculousness, but I can’t get invested in it the way I’d like to be. Part of me feels like I should skip around to the part I really like, but I think without the suffering beforehand, “Vento Aureo” doesn’t seem nearly as good, so I need to replicate that experience. I really didn’t like “Diamond is Unbreakable” the first time around, so I can’t imagine it being much better this time around.

The Silence of the Lambs

It’s strange watching a film for the first time knowing everything that’s going to happen in it. For better or worse, The Silence of the Lambs is an iconic film, with it being difficult to not have seen so many parodies and allusions to the film in popular culture that reveal basically everything there is to know about the film. Luckily, it’s a damn good film.

You know what this film is about, but the things that stood out to me was more the unconventional directing style that was on display. Often, cuts between conversations aren’t the simple shot/reverse, instead swapping from front-on one-shot to front-on one-shot. Yes, Jonathan Demme is the American Ozu, as it turns out. There’s rarely a flat-out terrifying scene, but the sense of dread in different parts of the film are palpable. There isn’t even a jump scare. Even when Agent Starling finds a head, it doesn’t register the same way it would in something like Jaws.

Everyone knows Anthony Hopkins is great in the film, but I think Jodie Foster does an equally good job. She portrays a rookie who’s in over her head quite well and she feels like a real person as opposed to the almost supernatural force of evil that Hannibal Lecter can be. Also, there are a great amount of fucking creepy dudes in the film who ooze slime.

As for the Buffalo Bill stuff, it does come off as a bit dated, even though Lecter goes out of his way to clarify that Buffalo Bill isn’t actually trans, but he just seems to think he does. It still isn’t great, but it could’ve been a lot worse.

So, should you see this movie? What are you an idiot? You already have. And If you haven’t, you will.

Hoodmusic 2 by Robert Hood

Hoodmusic 3 by Robert Hood

Apartment Zero by Robert Hood

Obey/Resurrection by Robert Hood

Monobox EP by Robert Hood

Superman/Range by Robert Hood

The Pace by Robert Hood

Stereotype EP by Robert Hood

Alpha/Omega (End Times) by Robert Hood

The Greatest Dancer by Robert Hood

Torque One/Movement by Robert Hood

Drive (The Age of Automation) (Ø [Phase] Remixes) by Robert Hood

Black Technician (UR Mad Mike Remixes) by Robert Hood

Eleven/Arm by Robert Hood

Untitled/One Touch by Robert Hood

Protein Valve by Robert Hood

Movable Parts Chapter 1 EP by Robert Hood

FJAAK 002 by Robert Hood, Claude Young, and FJAAK

Clocks/Low Life/Go by Robert Hood

Classics Vol. 1 EP by Ben Neville and Robert Hood

Reflector/Rotate by Robert Hood

Master Builder by Robert Hood

The Struggle/Save the Children by Robert Hood and Floorplan

The Robert Hood track is better than the Floorplan ones. I think the vocal samples on both versions of “Save the Children” are kind of weak.

Nothing Stops Detroit by Robert Hood

Everything here is on Mirror Man, and that album is great. This album is great. Go figure.

Underestimated EP by Robert Hood

The Blueprint EP by Robert Hood

Forwardbase Kodai by Monobox

Fantastic!

Amazon Immortal by Robert Hood

Toxin 12 EP by Robert Hood

Technatural EP by Robert Hood

Hectic/Amazon Dust by Robert Hood

Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This? by The Soft Pink Truth

Weird soft techno funk. I dig it.

Offworld by Special Request

The Digging Remedy by Plaid

Bxtch Släp by Jasmine Infiniti

Deep, dark, driving bass. Just the way I like it.

Rain Temple by 2 8 1 4

Great atmospheric work.

Last Boy Picked by KUNTARI

What a treat! Strange avant-garde music that builds into something wonderful.