Rest in Peace, Tom; Rest in Peace, Daisy

Recently, my mom lost two of her cats in a matter of months, first Tom, and then Daisy. I wrote this short story in memory of those cats, and to all the other cats that we’ve lost over the years as well.

Heaven's Collecting Cats

Tom was always sort of a lazy cat. He had this aloof swagger to him as he walked, like he was in no real hurry, and nothing could get to him. But Daisy noticed when the manner in Tom's step changed. He still walked with no hurry, and he still couldn't be bothered. And yet, there was a frailty in his pace, which Daisy had recognized in other cats before.

Daisy recalled how recently the reclusive Honey had disappeared, and how not long before that, the always odd Chloe had disappeared as well. And both times, before they left for good, they had also grown frail, like Tom was doing now.

Daisy worried that she was about to lose another member of her cat family. And then one day, after Tom had wandered off to be by himself, it wasn't long before he, too, left their home for the last time.

After Tom disappeared, Daisy found herself sleeping in all of Tom's usual resting spots. She could still smell his scent left behind, and it brought tears to her eyes. She still had her sister Josie, and she still had her mother, Mia. But even so, Daisy missed the family she had lost.

It broke her heart to lose so many in her family in such quick succession. Daisy wondered where her family went. She wondered if she'd ever see them again. The more she wondered, the more she missed them. And the more she missed them, the more her heart ached.

But then one day, from the other room, Daisy heard Mom crying tears. So she quickly sprang up from Tom's old resting spot and rushed over to comfort Mom. She could see that Mom was in pain, too, and that only broke Daisy's heart even further.

Eventually, Daisy secluded herself in sadness, and she, too, began to grow frail. She had lost her appetite, and as she cried over her lost family, she closed her eyes for the last time...

…

… When Daisy reopened her eyes, she was met with a bright, cloudy sight. She had to shield herself from the shining light. But once her eyes adjusted, she made out figures up ahead, standing just within a glorious gate. She then realized those figures were other cats. She then further realized that they weren't just any cats, but they were her cats. And her tears of sadness turned to tears of joy at the sight of her long lost family.

Tom waved her over first, no longer looking frail, and she waltzed up to him with glee. But as she looked past him, she saw both Honey and Chloe were there, too. And not just them, but her other family members who had disappeared long before, including Pepper, and Zoe, and Stan. Even her brother Mickey was there, who she hadn't seen since they were both still kittens. Daisy was overwhelmed with happiness at the sight of them all.

But that moment of happiness was fleeting, and Daisy worried that she had made Mom sad again. Tom reassured her though that of course Mom was sad, but that she had given her so many wonderful memories to look back on, and that those memories would make Mom happy again. And besides, she still had Josie and Mia to cheer her up.

Daisy then looked behind her, only just then realizing that neither Josie nor Mia had come with her. But Tom turned her head forward, and he once again assured her that it would be okay. In due time, they would reunite with everyone else here, too. But hopefully that time wouldn't come for a long time from now, and he winked.

Tom then ushered Daisy through the gates, telling her to come on, they've all been waiting, and it's been too long since she's been acquainted with her old family. And as they stepped into the shining light, he told her that they had all decided that they were going to collect here in heaven.

My Top 10 Movies of the '20s So Far

We've officially passed the halfway point of the decade, so with that, let's take a look at what I feel are the best films that this decade has had to offer thus far:

Honorable Mentions
The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh - 2022)
The Green Knight (David Lowery - 2021)
The Hunt (Craig Zobel - 2020)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Joel Crawford - 2022)

#10

Babymetal Legend - 43 The Movie
(Hiroya Brian Nakano - 2024)

#9

Zack Snyder's Justice League
(Zack Snyder - 2021)

#6
Three-Way Tie

The Sonic the Hedgehog Trilogy
(Jeff Fowler - 2020, 2022, 2024)

#5

Flow
(Gints Zilbalodis - 2024)

#4

Godzilla Minus One
(Takashi Yamazaki - 2023)

#3

Raya and the Last Dragon
(Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada - 2021)

#2

RRR
(S.S. Rajamouli - 2022)

#1

Belle
(Mamoru Hosoda - 2021)

And now, onward to the rest of the decade!

My Top 5 Movies of 2024

If I'm being honest, most of the year 2024 in film was fairly weak. That said, it really couldn't have closed out on a stronger note. So with that in mind, let's take a look at my favorite films to come out in the past year.

Honorable Mentions
Alien: Romulus (Fede Álvarez)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Adam Wingard)
The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders)

#5

Turtles All the Way Down
(Hannah Marks)

This movie about a girl suffering from an extremely debilitating case of OCD definitely struck home with me. It was an unnervingly realistic depiction of the condition, and the various ways it can obstruct your life. This one made me pretty emotional watching it.

#4

Heavier Trip
(Juuso Laatio, Jukka Vidgren)

I only even heard about this movie because it features recurring appearances from the band Babymetal throughout the film. I'm glad I gave it a chance because of that, though, because it wound up being an incredibly charming film, and one of the most genuinely hilarious movies I've seen in years. And speaking of Babymetal...

#3

Babymetal Legend - 43 The Movie
(Hiroya Brian Nakano)

The first Babymetal movie gave me a WTF reaction upon first viewing, which is a more than fitting reaction for this band. I love film analysis, and I love that a concert movie of all things was able to spur on an analysis of the film from me. It may not have been what I was expecting going into it, but I wound up loving it for what it is.

#2

Sonic the Hedgehog 3
(Jeff Fowler)

Who would've ever thought that Sonic the Hedgehog would make for a perfect film trilogy? Each new entry has been even better than the last, and that holds true for this latest entry in the series, too. I've said it before, but these movies are an absolute love letter to the franchise and the fans, and this movie goes even bigger in that regard and has some of the most satisfying crowd pleasing moments of the series thus far.

#1

Flow
(Gints Zilbalodis)

One of the most unique films that I've seen in years is also by far the year's best. An epic fantasy following a common house cat and the various other animals it encounters on its voyage, this film is an absolute treasure, and is an especially rewarding one to revisit over and over again. Operating without a single line of dialogue uttered throughout, this film is a true master class in visual storytelling, and a movie that'll take you on a thrilling and emotional journey as we travel along with this lively cast of creatures.

(And, spoiler alert, it'll absolutely be making an appearance on my upcoming list of the Top Movies of the Decade so far, as we approach the halfway point of the '20s. So stay tuned for that!)

Babymetal Legend - 43 The Movie - Movie Review

This past week, I managed to make it out to both of the screenings of the first Babymetal movie that were playing in my town. And in this review, I would like to discuss this movie in two parts, looking first at my thoughts from my initial viewing, and then from my second screening after some reflection.

On first viewing, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, I was pretty disappointed. I thought the editing throughout the film was chaotic, to the point that it was disorienting and made it hard to really appreciate the choreography on stage. It was less like their usual live releases, and more like some of their live music videos that they post on their youtube channel, which have a tendency to go a bit overboard with the editing and on-screen effects sometimes. And I was also confused as to why they chose a show in a smaller venue to showcase for their first movie. You would think that for the big screen, they would choose one of their bigger arena spectacles, but they went with something smaller and more akin to one of their standard headline shows to feature instead.

After leaving the theater, I was left asking, why would they release the first Babymetal movie in such a manner? Why not go all out and go big, and why not clean up the editing a bit, to make everything on the stage all the clearer to see? And I sincerely gave these questions some thought, because I was trying to figure out what they were going for with this release, since it was seemingly the exact opposite of what one might expect from such a movie.

And then it hit me. A typical movie theater, even at their biggest, is still no bigger than a smaller or midsize venue, not unlike the type that Babymetal usually performs in. So maybe the thinking here was that, rather than look at the screen size to display one of their bigger shows, they were instead looking at the size of the theater, and trying to recreate the feeling of being in a venue of that size and seeing a performance live right in front of you.

This theory also works in regards to the film's editing, too. With as chaotic as the editing was, I wonder if this wasn't their attempt to try and recreate the chaotic nature of being in the pit at one of their shows. Getting pushed around, fighting for a better view, and sometimes even watching parts of the show through either the lens of your cell phone camera, or the phone of someone else in front of you, signified by the occasional cuts to cell phone footage throughout the feature.

So I went into the movie a second time with this idea in mind. Rather than go in expecting something that it's not, I went in accepting it for what it is, and trying to embrace what I feel they were trying to go for here. And doing so definitely made for a much more enjoyable experience. I found on second viewing I was able to immerse myself in the show far better, and I could appreciate what they were going for this time around. Babymetal is a band that's always finding ways to subvert expectations, and this was just their latest take at doing just that.

The show itself was almost a greatest hits showcase, and really a perfect set from start to finish, featuring classics from all of their albums to date. And while the use of on-screen effects could at times be hit or miss, I particularly loved how they played Monochrome in black and white (and if I'm being honest, it did make me almost wish for a full black and white version of the concert, not unlike how some movies these days get rereleased in black and white). I was left dancing in my seat on multiple occasions, and really just vibing to the music like I was right there watching it live and in person.

This night also saw a special performance of the song Metali, where a bunch of ceremonial drummers came out and performed the song along with the band, adding in some new chants along with it, and it definitely made for a cool moment.

All in all, my thoughts on this movie really did run the gamut. I started off disappointed by what I felt going in was surely a disappointment-proof movie for me, but after some thought, consideration, and a second chance, I completely turned around on the film and wound up loving it for what it was, as opposed to what I expected it to be. As a film, I'm not sure if this is a movie that would win people over who aren't already fans of the band, but I do feel like there's something here to enjoy for people who are fans, which is who this movie was definitely put together for.

Babymetal - Live Review from Orlando, FL 2024

It's November of 2024, and Babymetal have made their way to the States again. This year I attended their show at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on their first stop in the US, and in the same venue where I first saw the band live five years ago.

I arrived a little after six to take advantage of the free parking at that time, and by the time I made it to the venue, the line was already massive.

Waiting in line to let my voice be heard.

I made a couple of friends in line, both of whom were looking to get spots somewhere in the pit. As for me, I once again had seated tickets this go around, so I didn't have to stress over fighting for a good spot. I also saw a couple of fans who were wearing homemade Babymetal outfits, so that was pretty cool to see, too. I made my way through the merch line and picked up their Metal March tee, then found my seat and eagerly awaited the show to come.

Their opening act this year was Scene Queen. I did not care for them even a little, so moving right along. Between sets, the venue played some metal hits over the loudspeaker, including songs from Disturbed, Linkin Park, Pantera, and System of a Down, amongst others, and it was kinda neat hearing all the fans in attendance singing along to each of the songs. Then the lights went out, and the crowd erupted in cheers as Babymetal made their way to the stage.

They kickstarted with Babymetal Death, then moved on to Distortion to truly kick off the evening in a hard-hitting way. Many fans (and even the girls themselves) then busted out their towels for Pa Pa Ya, and it was an awesome sight seeing all the fans both in the pit and even in the seated area twirling their towels in the air during this song. This performance was just a blast to be a part of, and was definitely a highlight of the evening.

Maya was next, and I gotta just say, seeing this song live hits different. In fact, this might seriously be their heaviest song that I've seen them perform live yet. I didn't get to see this one on their tour last year, but I'm glad it made it into rotation for my show this time around, because this one really is a thrilling experience.

We got some solos from the Kami Band leading into Metali, and we were waving our hands through the air at Su's command (we would've also obeyed her command to get low, but alas, my section was already seated). Monochrome followed, and it's always an amazing sight seeing everyone's phones light up the venue.

Next was the big surprise of the night, as they played Time Wave, a relatively uncommon song to see them perform up to this point. This was truly a special treat to see live, and the one that's received the most excited reaction from fans online at that. It's left me itching to go back and rewatch Babymetal Begins - Black Night (where this song first debuted) ever since.

Their classic hit Megitsune was next, and this was honestly my favorite performance of the night. I was literally dancing in my seat along with the music, and the guy sitting in front of me was having the time of his life, too.

The girls took a brief break as we chanted "Fu Fu" over and over again in anticipation for Ratatata. Then they came out pointing their thumbs to the side and pushing their performance to the limit. I liked how during the "bun bun bun" part they performed the choreography from the music video, whereas in past performances they would tend to just jump around at this part and chant for the fans to jump along with them. So it was nice seeing the full choreography this time around.

And speaking of choreography, they've apparently changed things up just a bit with the dance routine of Gimme Chocolate, where now during the last set of "atatata"s, Moa and Momo step in front of Su and point out at the crowd, as opposed to stepping around her and pointing at the back of her head. It's cool to see them continuing to update their acts, which we also saw a little of during Pa Pa Ya earlier in the evening, too.

After Gimme Chocolate ended, they did a fakeout show closing routine. I don't think that anyone was buying it, though, as unlike back at The Forum, nobody left their seats after the band left the stage. Instead, we spent about the next five minutes chanting "Babymetal", and then they came back out to give us an encore performance, starting with the fan favorite Headbanger, and culminating with a patriotic performance of Road of Resistance.

Moa once again pranked Su when she was to hand Su her mic at the beginning of Road of Resistance, this time running to the far side of the stage with the mic, then rushing back to hand it to her just in time for the song to kick in. And at the end, they showed an image of the band's logo emblazoned in the colors of the American flag, as Moa and Momo held up a flag bearing this same image.

Su then thanked us and told us, "See you!", and we all screamed it back as they exited the stage, and it was time to call it a wrap on yet another excellent show.

In terms of setlist, it was really cool to see Maya and especially Time Wave. I would personally say that their previous setlists that I've seen live have been overall better, but I still left more than satisfied with what we got on this evening.

Originally I was planning to also attend their show in Hollywood, FL the following evening, but I had to sadly cancel those plans. I don't feel too bad about it though, because I'm just thankful I got to see them at all this year, and I can't wait for them to come back around my neck of the woods again. Babymetal never disappoints. See you!

Previous live reviews:
Orlando, FL and Atlanta, GA 2019
The Forum 2019
Atlanta, GA 2023

The Poetic Storytelling in Frozen II

I can't help but feel like the poetic way in which the sisters' stories are told in the second half of Frozen II is seriously master class stuff, especially since it's all done without the movie ever drawing attention to itself and what it's doing. The movie makes the claim that both Anna and Elsa are two sides of the same bridge, and that's certainly shown in the ways in which their journeys play out and parallel one another, working in opposite manners towards the same endgoal:

• Anna consoles Elsa, who's crying tears of sadness, and hugs her. Then they part.

• Anna is sent against her will into a body of water, a river, where she's met by one of the elemental spirits (the earth giants). But she avoids confrontation, leading her into a cavern, where she then removes her outer layer of clothing after having gotten wet, and she starts from the bottom and has to climb her way back out out.

• Elsa removes her outer layer of clothing to prevent it from getting wet, then purposefully makes her way into a body of water, an ocean, where she's met by one of the elemental spirits (the water nokk). She directly confronts it, riding it to Ahtohallan, and enters into a cavern where she starts at the top and gradually makes her way further and further down.

• Elsa sings a song of pure joy in a scene that's filled with magic and spectacle, and undergoes a critical transformation. Elsa hops down to the deepest depths of Ahtohallan and finds the answer she's looking for, sacrificing her life in the process, and giving up everything to deliver her message to Anna.

• Anna receives the message, and in turn loses everything with the death of her sister, as well as Olaf dying in her arms.

• Anna sings a song of pure grief in a scene that's grim and grounded, and undergoes a critical transformation, as she climbs out of the cavern into the sunlight, standing tall enough to see the entire enchanted forest beneath her.

• Anna engages with the spirits she encountered earlier, using them to destroy the dam and break the curse. This causes a tidal wave barreling straight for Arendelle.

• Newly revived, Elsa is aided by the spirit she encountered earlier, who helps her back to Arendelle, where she creates a dam of ice to stop the tidal wave from destroying Arendelle.

• Elsa and Anna reunite, and Elsa consoles Anna, who's crying tears of happiness, as they embrace once more with a hug.

And the movie does all of this in a way that doesn’t draw attention away from the story they’re telling, or the journey that our characters are going on. It keeps the spotlight on the characters, but the poetry is still there all the same for those who may want to dive in deeper and appreciate the storytelling on another level.

I have seen some people claim, as a result of watching the documentary Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II, that this movie was somehow rushed or poorly plotted out. But I didn’t see that to be the case at all. The documentary shows that the filmmakers knew the story they were trying to tell, they were just having trouble figuring out how to quite pull the whole thing together. And it just so happened that it was late in the game that they came across their “Aha!” moment, that being the inclusion of the reprisal of All Is Found in the middle of the Show Yourself sequence.

This, however, is no different from the first movie. They were similarly having a lot of issues with the first movie, and just how to pull it all together and make it all work. Again, they knew the story they were trying to tell, but were just missing that last ingredient that really tied everything up. It was relatively late in the game that they wrote the song Let It Go, which was the thing that did precisely that, and wound up re-shaping the movie and pulling the whole thing together.

I think some people took a lot of the wrong ideas from that documentary. And all it tells me is that most of the people criticizing the movie based on that documentary have likely never actually been involved in a creative process of their own. This is fairly common in creative works, where you know the story you’re trying to tell, but you’re just racking your brain trying to figure out how to tie it all together, until you’re hit with that sudden moment of inspiration that just makes the whole thing work in a way that it didn’t before. And I assure you, the creative process shown in the Frozen II documentary is not exclusive to that film. I’d be willing to bet that almost every Walt Disney Animation Studios production in recent times goes through more or less the exact same process as that movie.

You can’t help when these moments of inspiration hit you, just so long as they do, and that you’re willing to run with them when they do, even if it means going back and making adjustments all throughout the rest of the story. And in this case, that moment of inspiration absolutely did, and it pulled the whole thing together and re-shaped it in a way that made it work wonderfully. I think the movie was brilliantly planned out in that regard, just as I’d say the same about the first movie. And I thought it was all tied together in a beautifully poetic manner, to where I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My Neighbor Totoro - Movie Review

I thought My Neighbor Totoro was a very pleasant film. I went in knowing it was supposed to be mostly a “slice of life” movie, and that it was very lacking in actual plot, and that was certainly the case. I know these sorts of movies can go either way, where it can either drag and meander and basically bore me, or I can find myself completely wrapped up in the characters’ lives and enjoy the ride, and thankfully the latter was the case in this instance.

I think a lot of its success is in just how fun these characters are to follow. I loved spending time with this cast of characters, their sense of joy and wonder was just infectious, and even the side characters we’d occasionally run into I found myself invested in, such as the boy who gradually came to become friends with our leads.

I also found it to be a rather nostalgic feeling experience, as watching these characters wander around either through the house or out and about reminded me of being a kid and just running around playing with my brothers or neighborhood friends, back before everyone had computers in their homes or cell phones constantly distracting us from the world around us.

I also like how the fantasy element feels somewhat up to interpretation as to whether it’s real or if it’s just their imagination. Either way works I feel, but in any event, I also really enjoyed how it was incorporated. It kinda made me think of Shigeru Miyamoto’s explanation for his inspiration for Zelda coming from spending time working in his garden, and while this isn’t exactly an action adventure like Zelda, I can see a similar inspiration perhaps at play here as well.

So yeah, I quite enjoyed this. And that 90 minute runtime just flew by. I could’ve easily spent more time with these characters.