This film by Tsai Ming-Liang is his very first full-length work and the beginning of his collaboration with his long-time muse Lee Kang-Sheng. It shares similar themes with his others works and while it isn’t as sophisticated as his later works, there’s a sort of effortless flow in it that makes it highly engaging. I was also amused that the “Neon God” of the English title refers to Nezha, a god in Chinese folklore.
Back in the early days of fiction being published online, one of my favorite sites was the Infinity Plus repository of quality fiction. The original collection still exists but has stopped being updated ages ago and now exists as another portal for selling ebooks. One of the most memorable stories I read there was Charles Stross’ A Colder War. That’s why I paid attention when Stross later turned some of the themes and ideas from that story into a series of books called The Laundry Files. I never did get around to reading it and since I resolved to read more published fiction this year and less online fanfiction, I thought I’d start here.
This one made the usual rounds on the awards circuit and was highly praised by Tyler Cowen on Marginal Revolution. It’s interesting to note that its rating on Rotten Tomatoes however is decidedly average. After watching it, it’s easy to understand why as its flaws are obvious. Still I found this to be incredibly engaging and authentic film and think that most critics are underrating it.
Hopefully this marks the start of a return to my usual posting schedule. Behind the Sun is another film by director Walter Salles, whose Central Station we watched only recently. They must have been part of a crop of South American works that my wife added to our list all at once. Interestingly, this one is based on a novel by an Albanian writer who set it in Albania. I guess Salles must have decided to adapt it for his native Brazil instead.
Like everyone else, my usual routines have been severely disrupted by the Chinese New Year holiday season. As far as I can tell, interesting science news is down this month as well as there are few really noteworthy announcements. The ones that I read this month probably belong more in the entertaining and sensational science news category.
As I’ve previously mentioned, there seems to be a string of good films coming out of New Zealand recently though their industry is still small enough that you quickly recognize the same familiar faces and names. Due to its title and it being directed by Taika Waititi, I honestly thought that this was another horror film. It turns out to be an adventure film with a heavy dose of humor.
Director Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation and About Elly are two of the best dramas I’ve watched in recent years. As such it was with some anticipation that I watched this, though it isn’t as notable as the previous two films. It’s also different in that it’s set in France and has a cast with a broad range of nationalities.