American Horror Story (Season 1 #Retrospect)

The story is wild and rich with great music and haunting imagery.  I heard about this series through a friend, giving it high praise, but being said that it was a “Haunted House” story was un-compelling to me and i though this was just going to be a shock scare story with cheap jumps and sub-par acting.  I didn’t know who was in it, who wrote it.

From its very beginning, the eerie intro sequence of images, the metallic grinding of steel and ear splitting screeches, i immediately knew that this was something else, something… terrific.

Analysis:

If this seasons theme can be summed up, the American Horror story is the death to dreams.  The house represented the last chance of saving their dreams; the Married couple to save their family, the Gay couple in salvaging their relationship, the Surgeon hoping to have a baby and the list goes on and on.  With each attempt, the house kills the occupants dreams before their sorrow takes their life.  This can be a jab at the bit American Capitalist culture, promising a good future and second chances only for reality smash ones dreams.  The moral of the story is to make due with what you have in life, there are no second chances, only forward and letting go.

In its final few episodes, the blow of failure and hopelessness is cushioned with the family reconnecting after death complete with a brightly lit Christmas tree and a new focus protecting people from making a bad mistake.  This was a bit of a frustration to me because it betrayed its overall story point by giving the main characters a happy ending that did not seem natural but rather forced, like a child forced to apologize in order to appease his adults.

Spiritual Note:

A key element in this season is a woman’s need to conceive a baby.  In the middle of the season, we are given a quote from the book of Revelation 12:1-6.  At first, it seemed out of place and a random ‘Bible reference’ to add more mystique but the story turns inside out when it is revealed that one of the ghosts impregnated the human wife.  We are then given the origin of the Anti-Christ.  This is a wild resemblance to what occurred in Genesis where it is revealed of such a thing once existing called a Nephilim, which then causes God to destroy the world with the great flood.

Personally…

I found this season very difficult to watch.  I started watching this season when my wife was just 7 months pregnant with my son and I had to take long break, it was only until my son was 1o months old when I was able to continue and finish the season.  There is something so raw and terrifying whenever a child is the subject matter of a horror story, this is further excelled with my own current experience.  This was very difficult to watch and yet compelling to finish.

All-In-All:

I would defiantly recommend this season to anyone, especially to those who have a deep appreciation for long form narrative with an openness to believe that there are realms outside of our physical world.

“Death Parade” Ep.1

Whats It Like:

Watching this episode, it reminded me of the old ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ and ‘Twilight Zone’ serial anthologies. From the first episode alone, I can imagine the entire series as stand alone stories with the rules being the same and we see situation play out differently with unique plot twist placed in a style similar to Satoshi Kon’s work in Paranoia Agent and Perfect Blue.

My Analysis:

Just like in our world, there are rules that must be established in any story in order for things to make sense. So far, from what the first episode gives us, we are given a structure in which two parties must die at the same time in order to play the “Hell” or “Reincarnation” game. Another of the rules is that whoever “Wins” the game gets to have the desirable outcome, they do not remember how they died or that they are dead until self realization, and the last bit of the rules, in the method of storytelling, is that flashbacks are factual events in the lives of the players. The strength of a series is its ability to use contexts and not betraying established rules, otherwise we end up with a nonsensical story with Deus Machina like events and everything falls apart.

Briefly Picking Apart….

Now to briefly pick apart one of its staple rules, the rule of good outcome “reincarnation” and bad outcome, what the characters call “The Void” I found it interesting to do some personal research to get a better understanding in Buddhism. In the one hand, reincarnation in the Buddhist religion stems from the idea that the world (Cosmos, specifically Earth) has no beginning and has no end. Ignoring the scientific facts of big bang cosmology and the laws of thermodynamics, in the Buddhist religion, there is the belief that the earth will remain forever. With this belief, reincarnation is one of the suitable outcomes, you are given a second chance in life, or so we believe but in reality, Buddhism teaches that our souls are not transferred, only our karma so in a sense, our debts live on but not really us. The other outcome from playing these cruel games is the outcome of “The Void”. The Void elevator has a red scary mask on the top of it giving the viewer the idea that the void is Hell. Now, most western Buddhists will claim that Buddhism says that they do not believe in God but in all reality, Buddhism is an off sect of Hinduism that believes in many gods (polytheism) and in their own texts (**Poli Canon), Buddha even meets god, Brahma the creator god of Hinduism. This is important to link because since there is reincarnation, there is also a “Hell” in Buddhism, often called Naraka or Neraka (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naraka_(Buddhism). Yup, there is no escaping moral punishment.

Now with all that information, what really happened in the ending? SPOILER ALLERT!

We understand that a large number of Japanese people believe in Buddhism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan) and so we can assume that they have a good level of knowledge in this area. With that said, it is a common statement to Buddhists that being reincarnated is something that they don’t want to do, what they desire is Nirvana leading them to oblivion/annihilation. After all, since the world is infinite and there is no end, at any point they can be reincarnated into a lesser being and so ultimately, they desire “the void”. As a person living in the west, whenever I hear something going into the void, nothing good ever happens, like a void leading to an ocean of nutella instead we imagine things like Dante’s Inferno, but that is not the case in a eastern Buddhisms context.

The woman won the game, the man lost. He is then to go back to the world with an unknown reincarnated body while to wife is given The Void, the very thing that most Buddhists desire because they have broken the chain of the never ending loop. I hate to say it but in most of the Hulu comments I’ve been reading it seems like the woman made a sacrifice to give her husband a second chance but in reality, she was completely selfish and took what is most desirable. Lets see where this show takes us.

Now What?

I want to take this time to share something else in contrast that goes in line with science and that has a rational train of thought and that is Christianity. Through science, we understand that there was a singularity, a starting point in creation. It is observable in nature that humanity is special because we are able to think, and not just for basic communication and social interactions but to think in the abstract, the ability to create much like our creator. We also understand that life is suffering and that we are intrinsically incapable of doing what we all know is good behavior in a regular consistent manner. We understand abstract ideas like justice, truth, love, fairness, etc. and we all cry out when there is an evil committed and we seek for justice. With these ‘rules’ in place, there is no way we can ever attain absolute moral, ethical, and spiritual perfection and so our Creator fashioned a way for us to reach this goal, not through our work but through His. He sent Jesus to pay for our wrong doings, and undesirable behaviors. All we need to do is accept His offer and He will pay the debt just as he already did on the cross thousands of years ago. Through Jesus, we have a guarantee of a life with no debt and no worries of punishment (or in Buddhisms case, an infinite cycle of never ending torment) but a life with confidence that the Creator knows best and that after we die, we will spend an eternity with joy and everlasting peace. Please consider what I wrote down, and leave a comment or send me a message and we can continue this discussion, I appreciate your time in reading this and hope this opened your eyes to something greater and deeper.

*http://www.truthnet.org/Christianity/Cults/Buddhism12/

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li_Canon

“I Shot An Arrow Into The Sky” Twilight Zone S1:E15

Netflix summary:

Three astronauts crash-land on what appears to be a barren asteroid. Gradually they turn on one another, until one man makes a shocking discovery.

“I’m sorry colonel, I really am. But you brought the wrong book at the wrong place. You brought the protocol, the chain of command, and the numbers, and none of them fit here. You know, colonel, this is a jungle where only the tough animals survive and they don’t do it according to the rules. You know your trouble, colonel? You were looking for morality at the wrong place.”

This quote summarizes the tragedy of the episode. We are introduced to three astronauts, who in all human standards are considered paragons of virtue and peek physical marvels, break down like an off brand smartphone case. These survivors attempt to hold on to their humanity through the grim reality of their oblivion, we can find ourselves relate to these characters; The virtuous leader, facing impending doom with their eyes facing forward, confident in his skills and faith. The friendly follower who clings on to order and hopes for the best, and the Pragmatic Person, the one that, when facing impending dangers, throw morality, friendship, and humanity out the window for his survival. We find shades in ourselves through these characters and this is what the strength of the episode lies. As far as the plot twist and overall story goes, it was predictable and certain scenes seemed to drag on with little to no attempt in altering their terrains in further masking the twist.

All in all, this was an enjoyable yet average episode that highlighted another aspect of humanity that we can all relate to.

Deception IV: Blood Ties (PS Vita)

What its like:

Its like “Home Alone” taking place in the Renaissance era with a focus on humiliation and death.

The Moral Conundrum

As a Christian, I must always look at entertainment through the lens of scripture (2 Timothy 4:5) and be mindful of its content.  In the realm of video games, there is a level of violence that is accepted so long as it is in a morally virtuous context, i.e. killing ‘bad guys’ in order to protect the ‘innocent’ or acting upon your convictions in order to fight for what is right.  I believe that violence is acceptable so long as it is in this context, but every once in a while, there will be games that are grotesquely violent, games like Mortal Kombat, Hatred, and GTA just to name a few.  Games that not only kill but take pleasure in humiliation and torture are unbecoming for those who call themselves Christians, its not a case of, “Do videogames make people violent?” but the question for all believers must pose is, do you wish to encourage your sinful nature through interactive media? We are all sinners and it is through the cleansing work of Christ we are adopted into God’s family (1 Corinthians 15:1-5), we are to turn away from all kinds of things that takes us back to our old sinful nature (Galatians 5:17). Media that attempts to encourage, promote and reward cruel and despicable behavior must not be entertained. With videogames like Deception IV, this game is entertaining.

The Upfront Story

You play the role of the Devil’s daughter, Laegrinna, with the goal of resurrecting Satan himself. Thousands of years ago holy warriors called “Saints” defeated the Devil and sealed with scripture, these scriptures were divided up to 12 items given to the Saints and protected generation after generation. The descendants somehow know where you live and are out to kill you before you are to accomplish your goal, you are assisted by 3 demons; Caelea, Veruza and Lilia each of them is the embodiment of Cruelty, Sadism, and humiliation.

The Gameplay

Though the story and the graphics may look like it would belong in the genre similar to “God Of War,” this game is actually closer to a puzzle and strategy genre. You are given certain traps and you place them in a grid. Each trap moves the prey to certain areas in which you can combine it to other traps like a domino effect. The challenge comes from mastering the games physics, timing when to set it, execute it and follow up. Like what I said earlier, this game is entertaining with challenges, giving you edge of your seat anticipation, praying that your pre-planning works.

All-In-All

thought the game lets you explore your cruel and sadistic side, in the end, it is a great puzzler. I do wish that the story and context was different, sure you are fighting mostly warriors that are selfish undesirables, detestable in the most part, there are ‘innocents’ that are thrown in there for your cruel fun. The blood is lightly sprinkled, decapitation is non-existent, but the way the traps highlights humiliation and barbarism can cause one to feel uncomfortable. Please be warned.

In my rating of

Buy It – must have for your gaming library

Borrow It – if you have a buddy with this game, check it out

Pass It – not worth your time

I will give it a “BORROW IT.” This game is not for everyone, and I would recommend trying it out first and see if you can play it without your conscience feeling icky.

“Third From the Sun” Twilight Zone (Season 1 ep14)

Written by Richard Matheson and Rod Serling

This is a product of its time, written in the cold war era where the U.S. government is uncertain of its power and the Red Menace is winning the space race (Pre-Moon Landing). This kind of fear is something that we in mid. 2015 can only comprehend, where as our fears are on eventual global collapse with timeliness varying from 2020 to 2100, this era in America feared a more immediate doom at the end of ever corner. This element of an immediate end is found throughout this episode and places the viewer successfully into the characters desperation. From the start, we are given the state of the world from a knowledgeable man draped in an angelic like white suit, much like an angel warning Sodom and Gomorrah if its in coming judgment, with this information, the reason of leaving the planet isn’t too far fetch.

A cinematic highlight I found interesting was the use of the camera. There were nice slightly off angels that added to the scenes paranoia, giving the viewer of uncertainty. This episode was well crafted in its use of giving the audience the right amount of information, I was gripped to find out where this will take me all the way to the final plot twist in which I will not ruin for you, this is an episode that is worth viewing. Once again, Twilight Zone shows us how a short but packed story can be more meaningful that a stretched out multi-episode story.

Deadman Wonderland

Whats It Like:

“Hunger Games” mixed with “The Running Man” with a hint of social commentary on privatized systems of government and humanities thirst for entertainment.

The Game

With no time waisted, we are shown Tokyo post devastation. The city still in its reconstruction effort while the epicenter of the city now an ironically themed Disneyland like amusement park called “Wonderland”. Even more unique with Wonderland is that it is a prison ran by a private company, using its inmates as the parks concession stand employees, ride operators, janitors and other positions as their labor, for the more rougher inmates, they are chosen to be the entertainment guised as a game-show (here is where “The Running Man” parallel comes from). Those who pay for Wonderlands admission believes that these are simple games like Double Dare or Wipe Out, not knowing that the inmates are actually meeting their makers right before their eyes. Most of these themes are lightly touched and greatly ignored after a few episodes, what ends up happening is the cliché of a modified anime “High School” style environment, complete with the Jocks, Outcasts, Nerds, and everyone else archetypes. Its like a constant Cafeteria Food fight but with “Blood Powers” instead of tater tots, chicken nuggets, and hot-dogs as projectiles.

Wond-irection

The characters in this series is generic at best, tools and plot devices at worse. The narrative is through the eyes of this series main character, Ganta Igarashi, who is like every other awkward anime teenager with social, emotional, and physical inabilities but has potential to reach new heights, see the term “unlikely hero” but a stronger emphasis “unlike” due to the character constantly reminding you of his inabilities. Then there is the ‘crazy/childlike’ person, the ‘tough exterior with a heart of gold’ character, the likely hero with a twisted darkness hidden in, and the calm calculating bad-guy with a childhood complex. Watching this anime is like watching a child opening his toy box with popular characters coexisting in his fictional worlds, where Disney’s Aladin can coexist with Marvels Dethlok and Robotek’s Rick Hunter. This is where the ‘Meta’ portion of this anime begins. The CEO of the prison has these ‘generic’ archetypes duke it out with winners awarded and the looser damaged, much like a my child illustration. I appreciate this shows vague attempt but I might be over analyzing things and giving credit to something that is undeserved.

Spiritual Content

Outside of attempt with the social commentary of having a privatized prison system, the other Spiritual content can be found through a character calling himself the Uber Monk (or Super Monk if you are watching it with subtitles). His view of the world and humanity can be summarized with his view of suffering. Uber Monk views suffering as a virtue that he helps people realize, death comes to those who are gifted with those who desires release from suffering. In C.S. Lewis’s book, “The Problem With Pain” we are to understand that pain and suffering is the realization that there is something wrong with God’s creation, we are a fallen people, a people with corrupt programing. It is through God’s mercy and grace that we can be made right, and that is through His son, Jesus Christ. It is only through Jesus that we can operate with our designed intention, and that is to worship God, eventually, we are to look forward to the day that God returns and perfects His creation. Till then, we are to be light in a world filled with darkness and pain, though we suffer like Christ did, we have hope for an eternity of peace and happiness with God. With a materialistic philosophy, Uber Monk is not far off with his idea of pain and suffering, that if we are purely physical machines, then one must accept nihilism and that there is no purpose. Again, this philosophy/idea was executed with a talking head exposition that was, in most part, a throw away reason for why he is a ‘bad guy’.

Things to Consider

This anime spares no expense on vulgarity, gore and violence. Though the general reasons of the violence was for survival of the combatants, there are parts of the anime that has a sadistic attitude on human life. There is no actual nudity, i.e. breasts, penis, etc, but there are lots of sexual innuendos, suggestive sexual themes and underwear scenes. This anime is definitely not for children and please keep this in consideration when allowing teens in viewing this series.

Final Thoughts:

I understand that this is based on a manga series but the decision of the 13^th episode as a stand alone story of a side character seems fractured. The anime series was released at 2011 and shows no future seasons which adds more to the senselessness of its final episodes.

All in All

In my rating scale of

Buy It – Must add in your collection

Rent It – Worth looking into

Stream It – Check it out if its available

Pass It – Don’t waist your time

I will give it a STREAM IT, currently its at Netflix instant stream so its convenient.