…and a little more catch up. Reviews for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and, in preparing for the upcoming San Francisco screening of Postal, Uwe Boll’s BloodRayne. Enjoy.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society . How’s that for the longest title of the year? GitS:SAC:SSS is the third Ghost in the Shell film, and the first involving the world of the Stand Alone Complex series. For those of you not in the know Stand Alone Complex exists in a world completely other than than that of the two Ghost in the Shell films. First off, The Major Motoko Kusanagi is a regular human with cybernetic implants, and the crackerjack team of Section 9 Operatives is a good three times larger than that of the films. The focus of SAC is more police procedural than exploration of philosophical ideals (I believe one of the creators called it a “Cybernetic CSI”). In fact, for the most part, all philosophical discussion has been tossed aside in favor of tight little 20 minute “Stand Alone” adventures. There is a background mythology for the show, known as the “Complex” episodes, but frankly, I haven’t watched enough to know how frequently they are interleaved with the regular show episodes, or what it entails (I think I’m a little too old school for the show).

The story of Solid State Society takes place following the two seasons of SAC, but in essence is a retelling of the first Ghost in the Shell film. In SSS Kusanagi et al are tasked with a case involving widespread child abductions, mysterious suicides, cerebral cortex hackings, and a phantom “Wizard class” hacker known as The Puppeteer. Although a borderline remake, the approach taken by writer/director Kenji Kamiyama feels fresh and new, while still maintaining a sizable amount of familiarity for those of us who are only familiar with the two theatrical films. In fact, a lot of the basic tenants and plot points of those films come into play, including the tank battle, the therm-optic camouflage chase, and the political assassinations, but twisted and reworked just enough to create a wholly thrilling experience. And thrilling it is. At nearly two hours in length, a good half-hour longer than the original film, SSS maintains a complete sense of urgency and mystery. The story is intelligent, and the action sequences exceedingly well done. The animation is top-notch, and the Yoko Kanno soundtrack (save for the final song) is hauntingly beautiful. SSS may not be as intellectually stimulating as the first two Ghost in the Shell films, but it makes a worthwhile companion. In fact, I might just go back attempt to complete the Stand Alone Complex now. A worthwhile addition to any discerning Anime collection, Solid State Society is highly recommended.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon . This one has been getting a lot of acclaim from horror and cult sites around the web for its “original send-up” of the Slasher genre. Obviously those people haven’t seen Man Bites Dog. For those who have, Behind the Mask, a mockumentary following the exploits of an aspiring slasher, is a rather cutesy affair. Impossible as it may seem, the film manages to be even more cloying than Scream, filled to the brim with knowing “oh so smart” film school insights into the traditional structure of the slasher film. Phallic and yonic symbolism, final girl analysis, pent up male aggressions, and the like are all are given play here in expository dialogs on the part of the killer, and subject, Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel, aping Jim Carrey). It’s intended for laughs, but it just comes across as lame… Flanders lame. Maybe it’s just that Freud is the only thing sad-sac film majors can get their heads around, what with the in-familiarity with logic, science, literature, history, and philosophy the singular study of film instills. Seriously, I wonder what these people think of the Sylvester Stallone film, Daylight? Sometimes a tunnel is just a tunnel, and an axe is simply scary. The film does take an interesting Haneke-style turn toward the end, with the documentary becoming a full-blown slasher, but even these legitimate scares are poorly staged and executed. There’s no real thrill, no real danger, and no real reason to watch. Maybe I didn’t see the film everyone else saw. Regardless, if you have the chance, check out Man Bites Dog instead.

Bloodrayne . Uwe Boll makes bad films of even worse video games. For the most part, save for House of the Dead, and possibly Alone in the Dark, these are games you don’t go around bragging to people that you’ve played, much less spent money on. I mean, Dungeon Siege? Postal? If you’re one of the gaming dorks bemoaning the treatment these films have had at the hands of Herr Boll, there’s one gleaming reason you’re still single. Bloodrayne the movie is a prequel to the games, set in the middle ages, long before the Nazis. The plot concerns Bloodrayne, played by T3’s Kristanna Loken, taking on an evil Baron (Ben Kingsley), while evading a band of vampire hunters. Everything here is about what you would expect from an 80’s sword and sorcery picture, complete with long swaths of tedious exposition between battle sequences. What is surprising, however, is how much Boll gets out of his pocket-lint budgets. There are a heck of a lot of extras, and the sets look pretty passable. In fact, I would venture that Bloodrayne’s production is on par with your Xenas and Buffys, and has some fairly decent direct-to-video grade CGI effects. The acting is appropriately terrible, given supporting roles by Michael Madsen and Michelle Rodriguez, but Loken looks nice in leather, thus fulfilling the film’s raison d’etre. Bloodrayne’s not good, but it’s not the disaster that geeks would like you to believe it is. But then again, why would anyone believe those who hail Tarantino and George Lucas as their movie gods?

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.

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