“You Talkin’ To Me?”: New York and Mental Illness in Taxi Driver [OWLS Blog Tour September 2018 – “Self-Care”]

In favor of positivity and good mental health, we will be exploring the importance of self-care. Sometimes, we are lost in our thoughts and emotions that it can cause a negative impact on our lifestyle and our relationships. For this month’s topic, the OWLS bloggers will be exploring the mental health of pop culture characters and how their mental health affects their environments. We will explore the dangers of mental health illnesses and how it might lead to self-destruction and/or how one has the power to overcome their demons. In addition, we will share our personal stories and struggles about mental health and discuss positive ways in handling mental health issues.

The concept of self-care is twofold: while the word literally means taking care of one’s self, it also involves taking some sort of action when doing so. Whether these actions are positive or negative, there will always be consequences. However, there is also the grey area of whether an action can truly be seen as good or bad. Suicide, for example, can be seen as an example of an action that may fall into the grey area. While, for the most part, suicide is considered a bad decision due to the fact that the person committing it will leave behind their loved ones and their dreams and aspirations, in the mind of the victim, suicide may be the only choice they have left to receive “self-care” [NOTE: I am not advocating for suicide here. As a person who has had suicidal thoughts in the past, I am talking about what thoughts could potentially go on inside a suicidal person’s head]. This idea of what constitutes as “good” or “bad” is one of the driving points of Martin Scorsese’s seminal film, Taxi Driver, which also featured a young Robert De Niro in the titular role.

Dragonball Super: Farewell Goku and Friends…For Now

The Tournament of Power has finally come to its exciting conclusion, which also means the end of another Saga. But what does the future hold for Goku and his friends following these events?

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, there is currently a new Dragonball Z movie in the works that details the origins of the Saiyan race. What this means, however, is that Dragonball Super will be on hiatus until then (people originally thought that the series was coming to a complete end, but the latest episode puts those worries to rest). You can find the teaser trailer to the new film below:

My overall impressions with Super were very positive (despite having a shaky start with its shoddy animation). Although the first half of the series were essentially rehashes of the Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’ movies, the series got much better when it went in its own direction. I also appreciated the various callbacks to the older Dragonball series, such as Master Roshi performing Mafuba from the original Dragonball series and Goku and Vegeta using Potara fusion to turn into Vegito. These all help to remind viewers that Super is canon to the rest of the series (essentially cutting out GT from the mix).

So, for now, goodbye Goku and friends and thank you for continuing to play an important part in my life.

[Guest Post] Death Note – A Deplorable Attempt at Adaptation

Hello everyone and welcome to That Baka Blog’s first ever guest post. Today I would like to introduce you to Stephen Nagel, a filmmaker and blogger from Cape Town, South Africa. When he’s not talking about film, he’s probably off writing or shooting one. If you enjoy reading this post, please make sure to catch more of his ramblings on his blog, BTG Lifestyle, or on Twitter at @thesnagel. Without further a do, here’s Stephen’s review on the Death Note anime and Netflix film.

I Am Writing a Thesis

So this is something that I have thought about doing for over a year now and I am finally able to do it. The great thing about this particular thesis is that it is based around something close to my heart: anime. Anime, in general, is an underdeveloped section in film theory so you could call my thesis “innovative research”.

Ghost in the Shell: A Stylish, Surprisingly Good Live-Action Adaptation

Like most of us, when we heard this film was being made, I was quite skeptical as to how this would turn out since Hollywood has a tendency to turn every adaptation they touch into shit. On top of that the film also received harsh criticism for its casting, accusing it of “whitewashing”. After hearing mixed responses I decided to go watch it myself and create my own opinions about it. I initially went into this film with low expectations and came out very impressed with what I saw. I did not go into this film with any sort of agenda, I went to watch this film with an open mind and as an anime fan.

Logan: A Bloody Farewell to the Wolverine

Is Old School Cool Again?

Update on My Life

Osu, everyone! Been a while since I last posted something. I’ve been bogged down with lots of work at university lately so that’s why I’ve been a bit quiet. Anyway, I currently have some breathing space right now so I want to use this time to let you know on some exciting things I could potentially be working on (for education, of course 😉 ) in the next few weeks.

Oldboy: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Oldboy is a story centered on vengeance. It is a story about a man’s desperate struggle to find the truth as to why he lost 15 years of his life being held captive. What makes this film so immersive and captivating at the same time is not only through its storyline, but also through the actors’ performances and production design.