[Weekly Update] Movies that I can't make a video on

Currently in a writer's block. Been playing a lot of Yakuza 0 to distract myself. Got into the game because commenters say they (fail to) learn Mahjong from playing this game. Stayed because of a chicken called nugget that is also a real estate manager.

CHANNEL UPDATE

I just spent a whole week getting through the live action version of Whisper of the Heart, trying my best to analyze its message. I watched the film, rewatched the animation, read the manga, dug up all the behind the scenes info I can find (which are all in Japanese).

And then finally, after 5 days of work, I realized I can't make a video on it. There really just isn't a lot I can say about the film. It claims to be a sequel about adult Shizuku, but really, it's the exact same plot as the animation (yes, the animation, not the manga, even though it is legally NOT related to the Ghibli version). It just stretches the plot from half a year into 10 years. It even ends exactly the same as the animation.

Except it fails at conveying the feeling of being an artist. I already made a video about that topic, so I don't want to kick a dead horse. With no other option, I decided to just abandon this project.

Instead, I'll be talking about a proper good Ghibli movie: Porco Rosso, and fascism. Oh, it's gonna be fun.

Because of this detour, expect some delay for our next video!

MEDIA TALK / Behind-the-scenes

There are actually quite a few other movies that I tried to make videos on, but abandoned ship half way through writing. Nothing as involved as Whisper of the Heart, mind you, as I really wanted to talk about it.

Some of these movies become a small part of a larger video topic. Others are abandoned outright.

Infra-Man, for example, is one of those movies that seems to have a lot of potential, but ultimately gave me very little to talk about. You'd expect a Chinese/Hong Kong made Tokusatsu to be unhinged, which it is, but not anymore than your average Tokutatsu from the era.

Originally I was going to talk about the Wuxia influence found in the film, how it shape the movie's plot, character, and the theme of justice. But they all ended up pretty shallow, because the movie itself is a well done but shallow movie.

A lot of Wong Kar-wai movies are hard to make videos on. I always wanted to talk about Happy Together, as I believe it is one of the best LGBT+ film ever made. But beyond its gay relationship, the film really is just a tragic romance. The acting is great but both lead actors have done better before or since. The topic of cinematography is only interesting for one or two videos, and I already spent my quota on Parasite and In the Mood for Love.

I don't know what I want to talk about. And it ended up being just a small part of a larger Leslie Cheung retrospective.

Bruceploitation! I wanted to make a video on the genre since the first day I made this channel. It's interesting to see how the genre differs between Hong Kong and America. But at the end, I wasn't able to deduce much meaning from my observation.

I don't want to make a video just pointing out the facts. I want know why the facts are the way they are. Unless inspiration strikes, this project will be in limbo for a while.

The Wailing. Now this movie I really do not know what to think about. I don't even know if I consider it a good horror movie. It's a movie to be remembered, that's for sure.

It's very clear that The Wailing has a deep metaphor hidden underneath its somewhat obtuse story. Each character feel like they represent something. But I can't tell what.

Because of the inclusion of a Japanese man, a lot of people interpret the film through a WWII lens. Others view this as a story about Christianity vs. Shamanism. Each critic gives a different interpretation. And nearly all of the interpretation implies a xenophobic theme in the movie.

I don't know. But with such tangential analysis, I don't want to make bold accusations like that. The movie certainly doesn't feel like a propaganda.

Anyway, that's 4 movies/topics that, for one reason or another, got postponed due to me not knowing what to say about them. Is there any topics here that interest you? Let me know!

I'll see you soon-ish with a new video!