Reviews

While looking for a comedy to watch on the Asian Crush App, I came across Sake-Bomb. Not knowing anything about it, I looked it up here on IMDB to find that it had a 5.4 rating. So, for some time I avoided watching it. Eventually the day came where I did not care about its rating and took a chance on this movie and it surely turned out much better than it was advertised.

Sake-Bomb is a movie about two characters: Naoto a simple native Japanese guy who lives in a small Japanese Village, works in a Sake Brewery Factory and who doesn't own a phone or computer in his daily life. At the beginning of the movie, his boss in Japan tells him that he wants him to take over the Sake Brewery Factory as he is the best employee he's ever had. He also tells Naoto that before he announces his promotion in a about a week's time, he wants Naoto to take a week off work to do something he always wanted to do in life, because in a week, the company will essentially be his life and he won't ever get a chance to ever do it once promoted. And then there's Sebastian, a crude Japanese American, who lives in Los Angeles, is an Internet "Star" Vlogger who for personal reasons won't upload his videos on Youtube but on his own website. Aside from that he's unemployed and has no intentions of getting a real job. In the beginning of the movie, his girlfriend breaks up with him and kicks him out of her apartment. As a result, he moves back in with his father just in time for his cousin Naoto's visit to America.

Upon his arrival to America, Naoto shows Sebastian and his uncle a picture of a woman who he used to be in a relationship with. This woman taught English in Japan, which is how he met her, but then one day without a word, she suddenly went back to America and he never hears back from her. As he only has her address and she lives in Northern California, he wants to go find her to find out why she left without a word. Having experienced a similar dilemma in his younger days, his uncle not only sympathizes with Naoto, but makes Sebastian drive Naoto to Northern California to find this woman.

-Mild Spoiler Alert-

While at first, Sebastian doesn't want to go or spend any time with his cousin, this road trip ends up being a journey of Self Realization and Discovery not just for him but also for Naota. Where Sebastian comes to realize how the world actually sees him and that he's been going about life all wrong. While Naota comes to learn that Adults, especially American Adults, are not always who they seem to be, are selfish, lie more than often than they should to cover their asses and to get through life as a survival trait.

-End of Mild Spoiler Alert -

This is a very genuine low budget Indie Comedy Movie. Definitely, this is not as raunchy as it might be advertised in the trailer. In fact very tame. Surely, you're not going to find top Hollywood talent on this film either, yet the film does more than fine without it. This movie is not just about Naoto and Sebastian's Journey, but this movie also brings up the topic of how Asian stereotypes are seen in American culture and how some Asians are not okay with these stereotypes even though they can't do much of a thing about them. In spite of it all, at the end, Naoto and Sebastian's bond is made for life not just because they just happen to be cousins but as they end up coming together as family.

Overall, give this movie a chance and try not to dismiss this movie based on Sebastian's somewhat "misinformed" views early on, which will surely put off some viewers. Though it's is not what this movie is really all about, as Sebastian comes out in a different light in the end. Also, at the very end, this movie also leaves it open at the end for a possible sequel, though not guaranteed by any means we will ever get to see one. To me this movie was almost "kind of" heartfelt and I look forward to watching this from time to time. Take a chance on this film you might potentially feel the same...... or not. Up to you.

7 out of 10 stars.

For awhile I've seen billboards, internet ads, commercials, etcetera about Bates Motel and I was sort of piqued by the idea of a TV series based to be a modern day Psycho Prequel. In all honesty, I do like Hitchcock movies very much, but I was never really big on Psycho. In fact North by Northwest is my personal favorite Hitchcock flick of all time. After watching the first episode of Bates Motel on A&E I wasn't completely sold on the show but after watching it I am still willing to give it a few more episodes before I decide whether I will continue watching it or "Lemon-Law" it as a viewer.

Bates Motel is basically the very beginning of when Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) first move into the Motel and the house on the hill to be told in a modern day setting. They end up buying the property after the "death" of Norman's father to leave their lives in Arizona behind and start a new beginning. When they first arrive into town, Norman immediately makes an impression on the pretty girls from his High School especially Bradley (Nicola Peltz), who even comes around with her clique to ask him to go "study" with them, but instead they end up taking him to a party. Meanwhile both Norman and Norma were paid an earlier visit by the previous owner of the property, who lost the property to the local bank and who has extreme resentful feelings about losing the property, which results in him lashing out a nasty cold reception at them that results in Norma threatening him to stay away. Regardless he still comes back later that night while Norman is away with intentions to rape Norma and terrorize their new found life, which after a struggle and turn of events he ends up being killed by Norma in a moment of passion. That same night after Norman and Norma moved the body from the house into one of the motel rooms, the Bates' end up being paid a visit by the police. As a result the Sheriff is suspicious of them while his deputy is taken by Norma. By the next night they end up dropping the body at the bottom of the lake with preconceptions that the worse is over.

In my opinion this show may or may not show promise, even though it does get somewhat creepier by the minute. All the characters in the series seem a bit "off" somehow and as the story slowly progresses we will eventually determine what their deal is within the storyline. The modern day setting does give the show half of a teen vibe to be on a par with your usual CW teen drama and half of your usual network horror/thriller drama, which seems the direction in which they decided on. I personally would have preferred for them to have kept it in a 1960s setting, but that's just me.

It's too early for me to give this an honest rating, but the episodes will eventually tell what its true rating is. As I continue giving this show a chance I hope that it goes on to adopt a stronger storyline by each episode, but only time will tell. Give it a shot. See if you like it. (For now) 6 out of 10 stars.

First and foremost, I am a Haruki Murakami Fan. So far I have read nine of his novels and still going. Although of me being a fan of his work, Norwegian Wood is NOT one of my all time Murakami favorites despite of having enjoyed reading it (To each his own). In fact after reading it I wondered whether if being named after a Beatles song had maybe something to do with this novel's popularity. Still once I heard it was being made into a movie I had to see it! Before seeing this I had previously seen Tony Takitani which is also a Haruki Murakami short story that was made into a movie, and also enjoyed. So needles to say I am a die hard Murakami fan.

The movie itself was wonderfully filmed. Ping Bin Lee, the cinematographer behind Hou Hsiao-Hsien's movies (Millenium Mambo, Three Times, Café Lumière........) did a stellar job on this film. He shot wonderful strong visual scenes making the scenery, and all other locations look beautiful throughout the movie. Needles to say this movie visually stands out.

The music also sets the tone for this film. Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead was hired to do the score, and although I am familiar with the music from Radiohead (not a big fan though) I could tell it was done by him.

Anh Hung Tran's direction keeps up with his previous film "I Come With The Rain" which in my opinion was quite successfully presented even though it was highly criticize among movie goers. Whether you enjoy his works or not, this guy piques my interest and I will keep an eye out for whatever he makes next. In my opinion he honestly did his best keeping the story true to the novel. Of course there are a few things that he did not get into telling; like Reiko's back story(though was briefly referenced), Watanabe's roommate antics(there were some minor moments though but whole scenes), Nagasawa and Watanabe's escapades were kept to a minimum.......etc. Also the first ten minutes of the film rushes easily through about a third of the novel. It's a movie so not everything from the book will make it on screen. And YES, the ending on the movie is just like on the novel, although the novel describes the underlying Murakami ending which you only get through reading some of his novels, so if you're interested in understanding the "abrupt" ending you might just read the novel just for that (in case you we're put off by it and did not understand what was actually going on on the final scene which there's much more to it). There are also much more that you don't get from watching the movie so you're interested in knowing what wasn't told on screen you might want to read it.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie more than the novel. I still love Haruki Murakami novels. All His works are very straight forward which I always enjoy. Whether your a fan of his works or not watch the film and compare it with the novel. Worth checking out!