Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 182
March 5, 2023
Everyone is Tulip – Graphic Novel Review
Becca has a typical aspiring actor life – she leaves her small town for LA, works as a waitress to pay the bills and responds to every casting call ad she can find on the internet, even the really shady ones. After years of struggle, she finally meets an avant-garde creator who turns her into an overnight viral sensation called Tulip. What next?
Created by Dave Baker, Nicole Goux (Illustrations) and Ellie Hall (Illustrations), ‘Everyone is Tulip’ is a slightly nihilistic tale of internet fame, art, faux artists and the naivety of the human mind. Becca the protagonist doesn’t have much going for her except her pretty face. She meets the pretentious Stanley, who likes to call himself ‘Paradox’ and speaks in dramatic quotes. All Becca must do for Stanley’s production is read one line repeatedly in different elaborate costumes. The bizarre videos catch the internet’s attention and lead to a lot of buzz, memes, fan pages and even conspiracy theories. How Becca deals with this newfound fame and tries to turn it into something more lasting forms the crux of the story.
The artwork is fantastic in this graphic novel, the panels are colorfully expressive and glossy. The story is quite intriguing, it’s a satire on how stardom works in the age of social media trolls. Once upon a time, only a select few critics could tear apart a performer’s sense of self with their scathing commentary in newspapers articles, but with the internet, everybody can punch someone’s self-esteem with a quick nasty comment. Despite being warned not to look at the comment section, Becca cannot help but get influenced by what people write about her.
To give viewers a sense of where Becca comes from, there are some brief flashbacks into her past, these throwbacks just pop up without warning and could’ve been confusing if the artists hadn’t chosen to draw them in different colors. So, all the flashback pages are drenched in light purple tones. That said, two characters were very similar in their designs, Becca’s flatmate Eve and her stylist who isn’t even given a name, despite appearing in a quite a few pages. So it gets a little confusing as to why they give the stylist a sub-plot and pretty much forget about her in the end. Overall, ‘Everyone is Tulip’ was a gripping read, even though none of the characters are likable.
It’s a 3 on 5 from me.
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Listen/Watch – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
March 4, 2023
Daisy Jones & The Six – Episodes 1, 2, 3 Review
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
For the last 2-3 years, ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid has been all over the internet, in the ‘book corners’ obviously. And I’ve mentally debated a bunch of times if I should buy the novel, and then Prime Video dropped a trailer for the adaptation of the story and I went “wohooo, I don’t have to read the book, I’ll just watch the show”. And hence, here we are…
The limited series, created by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, features Riley Keough as singer Daisy Jones, the protagonist who transforms the fortunes of the band “The Six” after their lead singer, Billy Dunne (played by Sam Claflin), derails their chance at global stardom due to his drug addiction, right after the release of their first album.
Plot-wise, one can just guess from the trailer what’s going to happen and it’s the same old rock-n-roll story we’ve seen time and again. A boy band from a small city hustles and hustles and hustles, until they manage to get their one big shot. Once they cut a record, they are doing drugs, having sex with groupies, ultimately ruining their career before it has a chance to take off.
The cinematography, 70s rock-n-roll era setups, and solid soundtrack are what really draw you into “Daisy Jones & The Six,” making the first three episodes worth watching. While the dialogue doesn’t particularly stand out and there’s very little humor or punchlines, most of the featured songs so far sound like they could be hits. The first song Daisy records with Billy, called “Honeycomb” (also featured in the trailer), has a hook that goes, “we can make a good thing bad,” which is the kind of number many viewers would likely search for online after the show is over.
Sam Claflin looks like a rockstar from the 70s as Billy Dunne, but there’s nothing to like about the character. Billy Dunne is the dude who is so scared of being a douchebag that he doubles his douchebag act and ends up being a bigger jerk than ever. If life was fair, people like Dunne wouldn’t get second chances. Riley Keough on the other hand is charming and sassy as Daisy Jones. Camilla Moronne plays Camilla Dunne, Billy’s girlfriend turned wife and reminded me of a young Liv Tyler from the 1996 movie ‘That Thing You Do’ which also followed the adventures of a band. Tom Wright is intimidatingly good as music industry bigwig Teddy Wright, who helps both Daisy Jones and ‘The Six’ get their bearings right. Episode three ends just when things get interesting.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me. Stream the show on Prime Video.
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Archival Quality – Graphic Novel Review
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
An anguished ghost seems to be comforting a young woman who is holding a skull in her hands. How am I supposed to NOT want to read a graphic novel with such an intriguing cover? Plus, the title is “Archival Quality” – a phrase meant to signify something that withstands the test of times, which doesn’t deteriorate easily. Intrigued even further. And the icing on the cake was the fact that this book by Ivy Noelle Weir and Christina Stewart (Illustrator) was available to me for free as part of my Kindle Unlimited library subscription. Yep, clicked ‘download’ without batting an eyelid.
The story follows Celeste Walden, a 20-something librarian who gets fired from her job after experiencing a mental health crisis. Instead of taking a break or seeking help, the protagonist takes up a new job as an archivist in the Logan Museum. In an interesting twist, the new job comes with an apartment in the Museum building itself, where Celeste moves in. However, she soon discovers that she is being haunted by a spirit that seeks her help.
Let’s discuss the artwork first. Since the illustrations are very simple, I assumed both the writer and illustrator were the same person (as is the case with quite a few graphic novels), but the story is by Noelle Weir, while the illustrations are done by Christina Stewart. The art was slightly reminiscent of a few shows that would air on Cartoon Network in the early 2000s. While Noelle Weir manages to build significant suspense over the haunted strange museum, her characters aren’t very interesting and eventually the plot turns out to be mediocre too. Maybe going with a different illustrator would’ve helped in making “Archival Quality” more memorable, but neither the story, not the artwork is particularly worth remembering.
Celeste as the principal protagonist behaved like an angry little teen, instead of the independent young woman she is supposed to be. She has bizarre outdated ideas about ‘mental health’, which would have only made sense if this story was taking place in the 1970s, but Celeste lives in the world of cellphones and wifi but yet thinks seeking help for mental health issues means being put away in an asylum. What even…?? The only likable character in the book is her boyfriend, who she is unnecessarily mean with. The only other two characters that appear in the book are half-baked, I mean I literally finished reading this book an hour ago and cannot even recall their names.
To the creators’ credit, they managed to keep me interesting in the novel until the end, so just for that I am going to be generous with the rating.
It’s a 3 on 5 from me.
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Listen to – 10 Graphic Novel Recommendations Under 10 Minutes
‘Last Summer’ – Six Minutes of Warmth
The end of high school is not just a farewell to childhood but, more often than not, it’s also the last goodbye to long-time friends, some of whom we may never see again. The 2022 short animated film, ‘Last Summer,’ by Nicola Bernardi, Alessandra De Stefano, and Gabriela Lewandowska, marks the momentous transition from children to adults for a teen band.
Ren is the lead singer and composer of his band, and the group is rehearsing their latest track, even though Ren is struggling with its lyrics. With the summer ending, most of the band is leaving town for college in different cities and Ren cannot wrap his head around all the change.
With a runtime that’s less than 7 minutes long, ‘Last Summer’ is like a breezy song, an ode to childhood friends. The animation is simple, the artwork is akin to a colored drawing book of a teenager. The movie has a very retro touch to it, as if made in the 70s or 80s, and it helps in making the story more archival and nostalgic. Anybody who’s ever been in a school band and was best-friends with their mates would absolutely love this little film.
You can stream the film on YouTube.
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Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
March 3, 2023
‘Goodbye to Berlin’ Review – Blurred Recollections
“Goodbye to Berlin” is a collection of six stories by author Christopher Isherwood from during his stay in the city during the rise of Nazi Party – the 1930s.
The second story/chapter was so engrossing that I cannot for the life of me recall what the first one was about! What you need to know about this book is the fact that they are decorated accounts of real people the author had encountered. The second story focuses on a young aspiring actor and nightclub singer Sally Bowles who loves downing Prairie oysters and getting into trouble. Chris fondly recalls their brief bitter-sweet friendship, they are both bitchy to each other, yet keep hanging out until they finally grow apart.
It was easily my favorite story, offering an entertaining look into the life of a young girl who comes from a wealthy family, yet runs away from home to pursue her dreams of becoming an actor. She is quick to warm up with any rich man who could get her closer to her goals and even after being cheated, deserted, and abandoned by all kinds of older men, she remains shockingly optimistic. Sally Bowles is beautiful, flamboyant and representative of several young men and women who’d do anything to chase their dreams. The other most memorable character in this collection is Isherwood’s landlady Fraulein Schroeder, who is conservative and disapproving of the lifestyles most of her depraved tenants lead, but needs them to keep paying the bills.
Chapter Three, titled “On Rügen Island,” is set in the summer of 1931. It’s a quick read that describes the tragicomedy-like relationship between a wealthy man named Peter and a much younger man, Otto. Interestingly, the next story has Christopher living as a tenant in Otto’s cramped home in Berlin because he cannot afford decent lodgings anymore. The other two stories were forgettable, but I enjoyed reading these stories over a week. Despite the events occurring during the rise of the Nazis and their anti-Jewish propaganda, the author lives in an interesting bubble. He is near-broke, has some rich friends, and his life consists of drinking, partying, watching movies, and discussing politics while managing to avoid any real danger.
The author worked as an English tutor in Berlin to earn money, but it seems he did not enjoy living there much. He frequently uses German phrases in his stories, which appears as a flashy attempt to showcase his language skills. However, for those who don’t know German, it can be simply annoying as the meanings of the phrases are not explained, at least not in the edition I read.
Considering that this novel was published in 1939, Christopher Isherwood doesn’t open up intimately about his experiences or thoughts, or at least that’s what I gathered from the text. In the beginning, he claims to be a camera capturing what he sees for his readers, but his impressions are often blurry.
It’s a 3/5 from me.
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Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
‘Moonlight Chicken’ Series Review
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A lot of times, trailers are misleading, for example ‘Moonlight Chicken’ looked like a spicy romance series with leads who had proved their chemistry in the hit show ‘A Tale of 1000 Stars’. But in a pleasant surprise, the eight episode long series turned out to be a ‘slice of life’ kind of story which relies on an ensemble cast to entertain and not just the primary couple.
Directed by Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol, the story follows Jim (Earth Pirapat) who runs a diner chicken rice diner and takes care of his teen nephew Li Ming (Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul). Busy with his business, Jim doesn’t have the time for love, but after a one-night stand with the charming Wen (Mix Sahaphap Wongratch), the possibility of something serious follows. There’s a parallel sub-plot about Jim’s nephew Li Ming falling in love with Heart, a deaf teenager who is practically kept under house arrest by his affluent parents.
I was hoping to see more of Earth and Mix in the show, however, sometimes they seemed more like supporting characters. And one wonders why the creators didn’t cast someone older for the role of Jim. There’s a scene where Wen mistakes Li Ming to be Jim’s son, and it was confusing; I thought to myself “hey, Earth doesn’t look that old!” But in the next few episodes we learn that Jim is 40+, but Earth just doesn’t exude the ‘wise old uncle’ energy, especially for a hard-working character who is struggling to keep his business afloat. If nothing else, the make-up department should’ve stepped a little and made him look a bit frazzled.
What ‘Moonlight Chicken’ does well is depict how complicated adult relationships can be. Wen has a difficult time ending things with his ex-boyfriend Alan (First Kanaphan Puitrakul) who struggles to accept their relationship is over. First Kanaphan Puitrakul was great in his slightly grey role as a banker, and I will have to mention how he was very believable as a high-school boy in ‘The Eclipse’, which literally ended just a few months ago, but he is also convincing as a working professional in his 20s in this series. Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan plays the sensitive Kaipa, who helps his mother run a chicken stall in the market and is deeply infatuated with uncle Jim. Kaipa’s relationship with his mother is sweetly poignant, she is wholesomely supportive of her son’s sexuality and life choices.
Set in Pattaya, the cinematography is picturesque and captures different flavors of the tropical paradise with its many markets, malls, street-side stalls and beautiful blue beaches. True to its title, food plays a pretty significant role through the episodes, there’s plenty of chopping, cooking going on through the episodes and show makes you want to try out Jim’s famous chicken rice. The background music sometimes was too dramatic and flourishing against the scenes unfolding onscreen.
Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak and Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul were adorable as Heart and Li Ming, two teenagers who meet under tense circumstances but quickly become friends who enjoy each other’s company. I love how Li Ming learns sign language to communicate with Heart and views him like an equal, unlike Heart’s own parents. We see two sides of Li Ming, there’s the responsible charming young man when he is with heart, and then there’s the angst-y teen who doesn’t get along well with his uncle. His fraught relationship with both his uncle Jim and mother Jam (Lookwa Pijika Jittaputta) offers an interesting glimpse into how generation gap can shape family ties.
Overall, ‘Moonlight Chicken’ was a sweet series, but it felt too compressed and could’ve used sharper dialogues and perhaps a few more episodes to explore each sub-plot with more depth.
It’s a 7.5/10 from me.
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Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
March 2, 2023
‘Cocaine Bear’ Review – High on Goofy Comedy & Gore!
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A bear gets high on cocaine and wreaks havoc through a national park. As soon as the trailer for ‘Cocaine Bear’ was out, I knew I HAD to watch it. It looked like a fun summer horror comedy with a talented ensemble cast to boot. And guess what, I even convinced my mom to come along to watch it, and while she wasn’t thrilled with some of the violence, the movie was a total hit with us!
Directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden, the film is inspired by true events, although the real bear had overdosed and died before it could go on a murderous rampage. During the few seconds the bear was high on drugs, it was one of the most dangerous predators on the planet.
The film starts with a hilarious sequence of a deranged dude dropping bags of cocaine from his chopper over a forest, only to meet his demise when his parachute fails to open. When a bear accidentally sniffs the cocaine, it goes on a killing spree, leaving a trail of victims in its wake, including a group of tourists, cops, teen delinquents, and criminals who were searching for their lost shipment of drugs.
I’m afraid this will become a rather long essay if I begin to critique the cast’s performance because the movie isn’t driven by a single character, and everybody delivers their bit with aplomb. Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson, Isiah Whitlock, Margo Martindale, Christian Convery, Aaron Holliday… they were all entertaining. Of course, the cocaine bear is the highlight of this film. The VFX team has done a fantastic job with its depiction, from the coked-up eyes to its angst-filled breathing, the predator is magnificently intimidating and will thrill viewers.
The screenplay is engaging as hell, from stunning views of lush green forests, to violent shots of unfortunate victims, the creators nicely balance the blood-fest with bright scenic shots of nature. Leave all practical questions aside and enjoy watching a giant black bear going nuts in the forest.
It’s an 8 on 10 from me.
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Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
March 1, 2023
‘We Have A Ghost’ Review – Haunting in TikTok Times
Most people run when they see a ghost in their attic, but some folks figure out how to make money off the monster in their house. Or at least that’s the strategy the Presleys’ adopt in the 2023 Netflix horror comedy ‘We Have A Ghost’.
Directed by Christopher Landon, ‘We Have A Ghost’ stars David Harbour as the friendly spirit, Ernest, who has been haunting a house for fifty years. When the Presley family moves into the property, teen Kevin (Jahi Winston) is the first to spot the specter. Instead of panicking, the boy decides to help the ghost cross over. However, Kevin’s dad Frank (Anthony Mackie) smells dollars and wants to turn Ernest into a viral social media sensation. ‘Monetize Monster’ is the keyword.
While critiquing the techno-horror series ‘Red Rose’, I lamented how horror fans are tired of seeing the same old retro films set before 2000s. However, ‘We Have A Ghost’ does a great job of updating the ‘haunted house’ genre and placing it in the era of social media ‘influencers’ and ridiculous TikTok trends. Christopher Langdon, who has co-written the script with Geoff Manaugh, comes up with an engagingly satirical sequence to showcase how Americans would react to an actual ghost in 2023. Their writing is backed up by a strong ensemble cast that keep the tempo up through the runtime.
Jennifer Coolidge and Tig Notaro have fun cameos in the film, while Coolidge plays a celebrity ‘medium’, Notaro is Dr. Leslie Monroe, who is extremely interested in supernatural beings. The special effects for Ernest were a little shoddy, but it seemed like a deliberate ploy to make it look sketchy – for comedic effect. Those who’ve seen and liked David Harbour as Hopper in ‘Stranger Things’ would immediately warm up to his ghost act as Ernest too. Since Ernest the ghost cannot speak, Kevin tries to uncover his origins with the help of sassy-smart neighbor Joy (Isabella Russo). An imposing man hanging out with teens to help solve a mystery? The role was practically made for Harbour.
While the runtime of 2 hours and 6 minutes is a little ambitious for a horror comedy, the film manages to be largely entertaining. The climax gets just a tad bit cliched, but is also surprisingly emotional, in a good way. Overall, ‘We Have A Ghost’ is fun and family friendly, so you can stream it on Netflix for a ‘famjam’ night.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me.
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Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
‘Tomie’ Manga Review – Grotesquely Good
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Tomie. Tomie. Tomie. This manga has been on my wish-list for years, and I finally got it in 2023 after a great discount deal on the big book by Junji Ito. Even though I love Ito, most of his work is expensive. With two paid online library subscriptions, I try to be as prudent as possible when it comes to spending money on physical books. Back to Tomie… What a hypnotizing collection of stories for horror fans!
“Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself.” That’s part of the blurb for the book. One can guess how each story is going to end. This isn’t a horror thriller; it’s just a bizarre supernatural tale about one girl rising from the dead again and again, only to die in the most gruesome ways. The protagonist is like the mythical Hydra, who grows more heads if you cut it.
Junji Ito’s black-and-white artwork pulls you into the strange world of Tomie, who’s already dead when the manga begins. Her classmates are grieving her brutal demise – she’s cut into multiple pieces by unknown assailants and thrown around town. Everyone is however shell-shocked when she turns up at school a day after her own funeral, as if nothing had happened. Soon, a twisted story of how she met her end unravels.
Tomie as a character is frustrating, she is an exceedingly beautiful self-centred teen who has high expectations from the men she dates. Sooner than later, those in a relationship with her are overcome with the need to rip her apart. But with each resurrection, Tomie only gets more brattish than ever. It’s interesting how Ito makes the reader sympathise with the murderer, rather than the victim. Most men in this collection start off as smart intelligent beings that are reduced to obsessively possessed killers with madness sparkling in their eyes. The artwork is unsettling and fantastic!
Overall, ‘Tomie’ is a grippingly grotesque horror manga that never bothers to explain the origins of its devastatingly beautiful monster. It deserves a whole animated series of its own, instead of a stray episode featured in ‘Maniac’.
It’s a 5 on 5 from me.
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Listen to ‘The Closet’ Horror Comic Series Review
February 28, 2023
Blue Lock Episode 20 Review
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Let’s go play some fun soccer,” utters Bachira in the opening scene, setting the pace for Episode 20 of “Blue Lock.” It’s the biggest battle in the series yet! Isagi, Nagi, Barou, and Chigiri challenge the top three strikers in the facility who had snatched Bachira as their fourth player in the third selection stage.
(Read ‘Blue Lock’ Episode 1 Review if you have no idea what the show is about)
Titled “Hyperlink,” episode 20 is an exciting edition that’s all about soccer, strategy, sweat, rivalry, and several surprises. As always, Isagi Yoichi provides a verbose explanation of everything that is happening or about to happen on the field. It becomes increasingly apparent that he is quite like Rin Itoshi, the top-ranked player in “Blue Lock.” The only difference between the two is their ego levels. Rin is exceedingly arrogant and God-like in his attitude, while Isagi is a humble sponge who is still assimilating every cool skill he sees from other top-tier players.
Another similar duo is the speedster Chigiri and Aryu Jyubei. Both are swift on the field and take extra care of their appearance. “It’s an honor to be taking on a fellow member of the glam fam,” Aryu earnestly wishes Chigiri after complimenting him on his beautiful hair. Their introductory banter was low-key hilarious.
The lower ranked team gets off to a great start, but Bachira has some tricks up his sleeves to disrupt the game. Besides, it was never going to be an easy match. All players have leveled up their game since they last faced each other, while some of them are clashing for the first time. Fans will have to wait until Episode 21 to find out who is going to emerge victorious in this nail-biting face-off.
Stream the series on Netflix.
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Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
