March 2019 | Otaku No Culture

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon is at an end and the ride was wonderful. Ever since I saw the first film, I felt this adaptation of Cressida Cowell‘s works was special onto itself. I followed Riders of Berk and Race to the Edge. The former was formulaic (gotta train ’em all mentality) and it simply needed a boost in the world building realm to make it a must-see. Vikings have always been dragon hunters and the citizens of Berk dared to defy convention by caring for these winged creatures. Throughout these trials, Hiccup and Toothless were inseparable.

With the third film now out in theatres, we discover a female dragon of Toothless and she will no doubt drive a wedge between the two; love blossoms and Toothless is hilarious trying to court the lady. Writer-Director Dean DeBlois looked to mating rituals of birds and reptiles to create some Buster Keaton-style comedy gold. The story does not get any much bolder as it follows down a similar path as the second movie. Dragon hunters want to destroy the species and use them as instruments of war than faithful companions.

Continue reading “How to Train Your Dragon, The Grande Escape to The Hidden World”

Please check local listings for a theatre screening near you.

Ruben Brandt, Collector is a tour de force which spotlights not only some of the greatest works of modern art but also honours the filmmakers of auteur cinema. The raison d’être is because this character suffers from nightmares, and it brings them to life in animated form. This Hungarian film is amazingly rich in detail and escapist style art. These paintings attack Ruben and he believes by owning them, he can tame his dreams. This motivation may seem odd for the psychiatrist turned criminal mastermind. He’s convinced his patients to steal for him.

Wily Mimi (Gabriella Hámori), Brawny Bye-Bye Joe (Matt Devere), Hacker Fernando (Christian Niels Buckholdt) and Big Boned Membrano Bruno (Henry Grant) make up this ensemble and Detective Kowalski (Csaba Marton) is hunting for them. He knows these thieves can not resell these works in the black market, and in order to get them back, he will have to get into the minds of these wily robbers.

Continue reading “Discovering Art History with Ruben Brandt, Collector”