Kung Fuly 2023
Decided to curate another film season for myself this month, Kung Fuly inspired by a recent first time watch of Fist of Fury. Bruce was unhinged and monstrous, stealthy and unkillable as a slasher villain. His character gave the film an oneiric, nightmare-like quality which really enhanced the folkloric structure of the narrative. The three Shaw Brothers films I watched were Heroes of the East, Clan of the White Lotus and 5 Fingers of Death. The former while slow, had one of the most interesting, engaging and varied final acts, showcasing several Japanese martial arts forcing the hero to counter with apt Chinese alternatives. Game of Death II came as a welcome surprise with some really fluid and tense choreography, particularly in the second half. Some other highlights were The Grandmaster, Duel to the Death and A Touch of Zen. You can see the full Kung Fuly list on my letterboxd here.
The season also inspired my four page comic titled Abbess of White Crane Style. A sorta biography on the formation of Wing Chun style. The script is available to view in my portfolio here if anybody wishes to read or if they would like to collaborate as an artist.
Peter Harrison Plantarium
We visited the Peter Harrison Planetarium at the beginning of July and caught the midday Sky Tonight show. Since our visit I've found myself looking up more often, stopping and recognising the tactility of the things around me. I was also inspired to write a two page comic called Lepus Minor which is available in my portfolio.
ILL KICK YOUR ASS
Courtney Love's been working with the Archive of Contemporary Music on a project called From Her to Eternity focusing on women in music. She talks more about the initiative in this article from Dazed, and about the influence of Anita Lane on the project. She also shares a playlist made for a DJ set at the National Portrait Gallery after their revamp. I have embedded the playlist below. This is where I personally discovered The Pleasure Seekers who I've had playing many times since. Anita Lane is one of our favourite musicians and lyricists so I found this article, which my partner sent me, inspiring, tender and beautiful. I also came across this one on The Quietus, which is another exploration of the artist's career and life. Her creative outpoint has been consistently stellar and her character has had a profound effect on my partner, so I'm glad more of her work is being shared and appreciated.
Blood Will Tell
Completed Shredders Revenge and was surprised by this excellent Raekwon and Ghostface Killah song that kicks as the Shredder boss fight. Gravity Rush was endearing despite its awkward and frustrating combat. The conceit was unique and interesting enough to keep me playing through.
Blood Will Tell based on Tezuka Osamu's Dororo manga has been one of the more enjoyable games I played this year. Hyakki had his body parts stolen before birth by 48 demons and you're tasked with hunting down each one to claim them back. Progression is intrinsically tied to this premise weaving story into gameplay seamlessly. How this manifests is unique and engaging too, for example: the game is b&w until you find your eyes, retrieving your sense of pain makes the controller rumble when damaged, regaining a leg lets you sprint, a stomach helps you digest medicine etc. I read the first volume of Dororo and count it as one of my favourite mangas, and I do hope to check out the rest very soon.
Wizard of the Crow
Finished reading Wizard of the Crow, a magical realist political satire novel by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Started this book last year but the length had me stumble and I put it on hold. I enjoyed it immensely at the time and so was glad to finally pick it back up. I loved every sentence, found it funny, engaging and even magical. It's become one of my favourites. While researching the author and his other works, I came across this interview on The Guardian where he reflects on his life as a writer and a rebel fighter.
City at War
First time reading a TMNT comic from the Eastman and Laird era and blown away by how tactile, stunning and gripping it was. The manga influence is apparent throughout, visible in pages of silent panels focusing on detailed environments and portraying tone and atmosphere with striking compositions, choice framing and body language. Action is incredibly well choreographed. I've been enjoying the more mundane dramas of April and Casey as much as the surreal decent of Splinter into savagery.
Also read the Spider-Man: The Gauntlet series which has turned into one of my fabourite Spider stories. The consistently interesting takes on established classic characters like Rhino and Mysterio make the whole thing feel as refreshing as it is recognisably traditional. Reminded me heavily of the Roger Stern stories, Origin of the Hobgoblin and Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut, the latter of which is referenced in the book.
Playlist
Introducing a screening of Repo Man on 35mm next month, re-watched in preparation and had the film's soundtrack on to help summon the words. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ZdjITa-Nc&ab_channel=FilmsFullOST
Also on the playlist this is Anita Lane's two studio albums: Dirty Pearl https://open.spotify.com/album/6hCJ5HfWeiVN4RkqVHZw2d
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