Initially, when I got promoted, it didn't really affect the amount of work I had. I was pretty well buried by a server upgrade project (still not completed!!!!) and nearly everyone else was involved with a major problem at a major customer site, involved with getting the next release of our latest product out the door, or both. So, I figured that I had time to ease into my new responsibilities. Well, we've pretty much wrapped up the product release (it officially went out on Monday) and the customer problem, while ongoing, has calmed down significantly. So, now we're working on rejiggering our entire support organization to match our new "alignment".

So, that's meant that I've had more work to do. A LOT more work than I've really ever had to deal with at any one time. That's not so bad. It makes my office time fly by. The bad part is that it makes my office time fly by! There isn't enough time in my work day to get it all done. I'm working on three or four different projects at the same time and they're all so different that I probably spend more time getting my brain reoriented to whatever requires my attention right then. My brain is fried and I don't want to think about work any more today.

In other news...

It's been a long time since I mentioned what I'd been watching recently. A quick list follows with some comments...

• Finished "Witch Hunter Robin".

Like I said before, "emo/angsty" but I still enjoyed it. See, it's not all about giant robots and big boobies.

• I had my own mini "Katsuhiro Ishii Film Festival" when I watchd "Funky Forest: The First Contact", "Taste of Tea", and "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl".

All three were great movies in their own ways. "Funky Forest: The First Contact" was crazy! Seriously. At first I was worried that I wasn't going to like it. I couldn't figure out what the heck I was watching. It took me about the first two or three pieces before I really got into it. Awesome music in it, too. The song that plays during the night dancing scene on the beach, that was a great song.

• I saw "Tears of the Black Tiger".

It was like this crazy mish-mashed Thai western and romance movie in one. The story was pretty clichéd in many places, but the acting and the way the film was shot made up for it in spades. I especially liked the actor who played the local gang boss Fei. He had some awesome eyebrow action going on in a couple of scenes.

• I saw "Metalocalypse, Season 1".

A newer cartoon show that airs during [Adult Swim] about this mega-death metal band, Dethklok, that's a worldwide juggernaut. They're ranked as the "twelfth biggest economy in the world". They are deemed so dangerous that a cabal made up of secretive military, political, and religious leaders plots when to destroy them and how. Which comes as quite a shock when you learn that they're "morans". The show was created by Brendon Small ("Home Movies"). He also writes and performs all of the music with another musician. A live version of the band, featuring Small on guitar, has played shows too. But, you don't have to be a fan of metal to like the show. It's pretty violent. But it's also very hilarious. I ended up getting the soundtrack because I liked the music so much. MURDERFACE! MURDERFACE! MURDERFACE!

• I saw "Brotherhood of the Wolf".

This was that french movie from 2001 (!) that was like a french take on what a horror action flick would be like. I didn't get to see the complete end as my copy was corrupted for the last five minutes or so.

So, there.

Just watched the trailer for the upcoming "The X-Files: I want to Believe".

Can't wait!

Lots I've been thinking about mentioning but, like real life, I have a hard time getting myself motivated to do any of it. Well, since I have a bit of quiet time (Shelly is out for dinner with the girls), I'll post something here.

What I've been watching as of late:

• Witch Hunter Robin (anime series)


I had watched about half of this when it aired on Cartoon Network about three or four years ago. But, I didn't see it in any order. So, I am watching it again via Netflix.

The series's plot summary via the page on Anime News Network (ANN) for this show (linked above):

Witches are individuals with special powers like ESP, telekinesis, mind control, etc. (not the typical hogwart and newt potions). Robin, a craft user, arrives from Italy to Japan to work for an organization named STN Japan Division (STN-J) as a replacement for one of STN-J's witch hunters who was recently killed. Unlike other divisions of STN, STN-J tries to capture the witches alive in order to learn why and how they became witches in the first place.

It's a smidge on the angsty/emo side of teen life but I felt a void of sorts not having seen the series in its entirety. So, here I am finally getting back to it. Looks like I should be getting the third volume tomorrow.


• Blood+ (anime series)



The series's plot summary from ANN:

Throughout the passage of time and the shifts in backgrounds, a particular war continues to leave its mark on history, extending its influence into the modern world. There are two major groups involved in the ensuing war. The first group consists of monsters known as Chiropterans who can change their appearances into that of human beings. They are actually immortals who feed on the blood of the living. The second group is an organisation known as the "Red Shield", formed to track down these monsters and exterminate them. Otonashi Saya is a high-school girl who lives a peaceful life with her family. The only problem is, she has no recollections of her life beyond that of the past year. However, her happy life will be destroyed by an event that will lead her to her destined fate.

This series is sort of related to the anime movie "Blood: The Last Vampire".

I am enjoying this one so far. I bought the "Blood+: Part One" box set from Amazon.com. Though, I received it for $80 and not the $100 it's currently selling for over there. (I wonder why the price went up?) It came with 6 discs (25 episodes), a nice box, and a t-shirt (which I haven't unpacked yet). It was either this or just the first volume on DVD. When it came down to a price per episode calculation, it was an easy decision.

The only downside is that I'll now have to wait that much longer to see the rest of the series (I've watched five of the six already). I'm not sure what the release schedule will be for this series so I may have to wait awhile for volume 7 to come out.


• Appleseed: Ex Machina (anime movie)


The sequel to the "Appleseed" movie from 2005. Again, the movie is entirely CG with a cell-shaded look to it. I thought the character models seemed better and worse compared to the previous movie. Better in that they didn't look as squared off as last time. Worse in that the characters seemed to move somewhat oddly. Most noticeable when they walked.

It was entertaining. Maybe because it was produced by John Woo, I saw a lot of homages and references to his movies. The action sequences were stunning to watch. The story was ... serviceable. I'll leave it at that.


• Hellsing Ultimate, vol. 3 (anime series)


Hmm... Another anime series having to do with vampires (or vampire-like creatures). Must be a running theme in this post. Completely unintended.

I was enjoying this alternate version of the "Hellsing" series. This one is apparently much closer to the manga it was adpated from than the prior series. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll ever get to see the rest of this since the US distributor/publisher (Geneon Entertainment) went belly-up recently.

Entertaining story about a secret UK-based organization that's been charged (first by the royal family and now by the government) with fighting an ongoing war against vampires secretly. One of their main weapons is a vampire himself! They're also fighting against a rival organization backed by the Vatican. And, in the 3rd volume, the Nazis were brought into the story! Lord only knows where this will end. I fear I may never know...

Wedged in at the top of my Netflix queue is "Lust, Caution". I patiently wait for my chance to see Tony Leung's scrotum.

In order of whatever the hell I manage to remember...

Renaissance

An animated "future noir" French film. Entirely motion captured, CG'd and presented strictly in black and white, it's a movie about the search for a kidnapped woman. It's set in Paris, France in 2054. Definitely influenced by "Blade Runner" (the creators readily admit to it). The story was decent. It doesn't really bring anything new to the genre. But, I did definitely enjoy the animation. A trailer follows...



Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Volume 5


I hadn't seen any of these episodes since I no longer have access to a pay TV service. So, I went into this one with great anticipation. It is still pretty much the same m.o. But, if you're a fan already, you probably won't be disappointed. I wasn't. Entirely worth it for the "uncensored" (not sure how much was bleeped out when it was originally broadcast) episode called "Dickesode". I'll leave it up to you to figure what that might be about.

The Clash: Westway to the World


I finally got around to seeing this Don Letts directed documentary about The Clash in its entirety. I happened to catch the last 10 minutes or so of it when it originally aired on PBS a couple/few years ago. Entertaining to see early film footage of the band and to learn about how the guys found each other. In the end, I wished it had been a bit longer. But, maybe it was better left as it was.

One of the nice things was listening to them talk about the various albums that I've yet to hear completely. It finally convinced me that I should go out and get "Sandinista", "Black Market Clash", etc.

Hell Girl (Funimation)
Back on the anime train with this one. There is supposedly a website out there, HellCorrespondence.com, that will take revenge upon the person whose name you enter into the site. However, as payment, your own soul is promised to Hell upon your death. Mayumi can't take the torment of being bullied by a classmate and, out of desperation, visits this website and enters in the classmate's name. You'll have to watch the series to know what happens next.

I've only watched the first episode so far so I don't really know much else either. This one is still being released on DVD. I've only got the first two volumes' worth of episodes. So, I may be stuck for awhile.

Stuff I've recently watched (all via Netflix):



Brazil
I had seen this but it was over 10 years ago, on a rental VHS tape, and I didn't remember squat about it except for Katherine Helmond's elastic face. In other words, I didn't even remember that Robert DeNiro and Bob Hoskins were in it. I did remember that Michael Palin was in it but didn't remember in what capacity.

Entertaining. An interesting take on dystopia. May not be everyone's cup of tea. The "special effects" are pretty raw but this wasn't meant to be a sci fi "tour de force".

There's apparently another version of this movie with an alternate ending. It's titled the "Love Conquers All" version. Again, some studio big wig who thinks they know better than the director puts together a butchered version that they think will be more enjoyable. "Oh look, a happy ending! Two thumbs up. Way up!" (your ass maybe). Avoid at all costs.



Stalker
An Andrei Tarkovsky (Solaris) film. I have to admit that I didn't really enjoy this one as much as I did Solaris. I definitely didn't "get it". And I found the film dragged. I wonder if I would have had a similar reaction if I'd seen this around the same time I'd first seen the original Solaris (over 10 years ago). I wonder what I'd think of Solaris now? I should rent that again and see.



Infernal Affairs
Finally got around to seeing one of the more popular (and must see) Hong Kong films of recent times. It's also the basis/inspiration for Martin Scorsese's "The Departed". Very entertaining thriller/drama. I haven't seen "The Departed" so I won't go into comparisons. I'm sure there's plenty of that out there on the Internet anyway.

So, worth seeing the prequel and sequels?

So, a belated Happy Holidays to all. Happy New Year to everyone too.

My New Year's Eve was spent watching the "final cut" of "Blade Runner" with Shelly (who I think hadn't seen it in its entirety until last night). I am going to watch all five cuts and all of the other bonuses eventually! It was nice to see a clean print of this movie, though. The last time I'd seen any version of it (most likely the "director's cut" from 1992) was off a rented VHS tape. I wish I had the HD version of this collector's edition but I'd like a better HD monitor before I start going down that road. Nonetheless, I still love this movie.

Then, I played some "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08" on the ole Xbox 360. Shocking, I know!

Pretty exciting, huh? Yup. That's how exciting my life gets these days.

It's also the last day of my time off from work. It's back to the old grindstone tomorrow.

I have a lot more other stuff to write about but daytime at home is not very conducive to productive computer time. Plus, the post I had started is on my laptop and I'm on my home machine.

Today, we'll be going out to my parents' house for "duk (dduk, tuk) guk" for lunch. YUM!

What I've been watching as of late...


Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD

A feature-length Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode is what you get for your viewing pleasure. I wasn't sure if they'd be able to pull of an entire feature-length story but they did a commendable job. You get some history to the characters, you get to hear Phil Collins's "In the Air", and you get at least a few good laughs. I thought it dragged a bit at the end, though. But, overall, definitely worth seeing if you're a fan of the show. Otherwise... You may be better off seeing the DVDs of the actual TV series instead if you're curious about "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". Or just watching it off Adult Swim.


Casino Royale

Shelly got "Casino Royale" from Netflix and I was curious enough to sit down and actually watch it. (Rare these days.) I was curious to see for myself if all the talk of this being one of the best Bond movies ever was true.

It started off well enough. The opening credits and animation were really fun to watch. I really liked how they incorporated playing card suits into it. And it just went from there. Onward and upward. I kept thinking the movie was about to end and it kept going and going. I have to agree that this was a very well-done Bond film. Very entertaining and action packed. Eva Green is sexy!


Futurama: Bender's Big Score

Futurama returns! This is the first of four upcoming straight-to-DVD feature-length episodes. Definitely one for the fans. Favorite bonus on the DVD is a 20-minute length episode of the most popular show in the future, Everybody Loves Hypno-Toad.

This one is for all of you who enjoy asian cinema and may be of special interest to those of you who like collecting Criterion editions of movies.

I was browsing through Yes Asia and ran across a sale that they're having. They are offering 15% off all of their Region 1 Asian Cinema dvds.

The best part, it includes their collection of Criterion Collection DVDs!

Get at it!