Junji Ito Maniac โ€“ Episode Five: Intruder/Long Hair in the Attic

Posted on February 5, 2023 by ashleymanningwriter

It seems to be a trend with this series, at least so far, that the episodes of Junji Ito Maniac that are two short stories are much weaker than the episodes with only one story. They always feel rushed, and so far each one doesn’t have any reason to be paired with the other one. Overall they always seem to be missing something or just end abruptly and that’s exactly the same with episode five, that has two stories, Intruder and Long Hair in the Attic.

The first story is just straight up weird and while it has an interesting premise it doesn’t come close to living up to its potential. Oshikiriย lives in a big house by himself and has an interest in the supernatural. Other students at school think he’s weird, but he still manages to make some friends when he speaks about hearing footsteps when he’s home alone. They come round his house and they find another Oshikiriย from another dimension who has murdered and is burying another version of one of his friends. It’s a creepy idea, that another version of yourself is out there that’s capable of horrible acts, but that’s pretty much how far the story goes with the idea. The story doesn’t know what to do with itself and just becomes a muddled mess.

To follow that up, Long Hair in the Attic, is a more complete story that has some genuinely freaky ideas, but doesn’t live up to them either. Chiemi’s boyfriend breaks up with her in quite a mean way and she goes back home to deal with the anguish of the break-up. She decides to cut her hair, which she’d grown out for her boyfriend, asking her sister, Eri, to cut it for her. While Eri is downstairs getting scissors Chiemiย screams out and Eri rushes to find that her sister has been killed and beheaded. The story lingers on that gruesome image, and then skips forward in time and we don’t get to see the immediate aftermath. I would want to know what the police found out about it, who they thought did it, what they think happened to her head. Maybe more emotional moments with the family as they mourn the loss of Chiemi, but it’s so rushed to get to the final sequence, just to fit it into the episode’s strict length. The ending is pretty brutal, but it doesn’t pack the punch it could if the story had better pacing.

For me, this is the weakest episode of the series so far. Both stories feel too constrained by the short time given to them, and both would have been better suited to a full episode to themselves. The animation is fine, the voice acting is fine, but the stories are just wasted potential.

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Knock at the Cabin โ€“ Film Review

Posted on February 4, 2023 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Writers: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, and Michael Sherman

Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kirsten Cui, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint

Rating: โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…ยฝ

M. Night Shyamalan follows up his 2021 film Old with the awkwardly titled Knock at the Cabin, based on The Cabin at the End of the World  by Paul G. Tremblay. Itโ€™s a horror/thriller home invasion film, that has some religious overtones to it. The film is about what kind of sacrifice people are willing to make for the greater good of humanity, and whether humanity deserves that sacrifice in the first place.

Thereโ€™s no time wasted before things get going. The film opens with Wen (Kristen Cui) catching grasshoppers, to study them. As sheโ€™s doing that a stranger, Leonard (Dave Bautista) approaches and tries to befriend Wen. Thereโ€™s instant tension as he tries to get to know her and speaks to her. Thereโ€™s a lot of close-up shots of their faces as they’re speaking, and you know something bad is about to happen, but you just donโ€™t know what.

Once Leonardโ€™s colleagues appear, armed with their tools (that look a lot more like deadly weapons), you know all hell is about to break loose. Wen rushes back to the cabin that her fathers, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), have rented out for a vacation, and Leonard is close behind. He knocks on the door, asking to be let in because he needs help from the family. The following scenes is pure tension, as the four visitors try to break into the house, while the family inside desperately try to defend themselves. Itโ€™s intense and scary. The idea of being in a house in the middle of nowhere, with people trying to break in, no way out, and no phone lines, is scary. Thereโ€™s also a great moment that builds even more tension where Andrew fights off one of the intruders, played by a surprisingly intimidating Rupert Grint, and beats him up. Youโ€™re then just waiting for the retaliation as the next few scenes play out.

Despite their best efforts, the family are captured and have to listen to the group’s story of the impending apocalypse and what they can do to stop it. They must make a decision whether to believe the intruders are telling the truth or are just delusional. Thatโ€™s the central mystery of the film, whether their visions are true, or the intruders are simply unhinged religious extremists. The problem with this, is that itโ€™s not ambiguous enough, and you can pretty much guess how everything will play out. While thereโ€™s some attempts at deflection, itโ€™s not really convincing. The ending is nowhere near as vauge as it could have been, and thatโ€™s a real shame.

It’s still an enjoyable ride to get to the final act, even if it does tread a predictable path. Dave Bautista pretty much makes the entire film, with his convincing and likable performance. You want to believe him, and the longer heโ€™s on screen the less you want him to die. One of the film’s biggest strengths is that throughout their occupation of the cabin, you do get to know the intruders and theyโ€™re all likable characters. Theyโ€™re the bad guys, but you can understand their viewpoints to, even if youโ€™re not convinced by their beliefs. The central family is also very convincing and the three members of it feel very authentic. You get to see some flashbacks to understand Eric and Andrew further as the story plays out. There is a lot of homophobia in these scenes, adding another element to the central story, as Andrew believes that the intruders have targeted them specifically. He believes that even if the intruders are telling the truth that humanity isn’t worth the sacrifice they’re asking for. The film has moments of horror, but it does stay away from showing the more gruesome moments. It’s always just out of view, or the camera cuts away, stopping this from being as horrific as it could have been.

Knock at the Cabin is definitely worth watching and is a good thriller. The first half is better than the second, but it never gets boring or feels dragged out. Shyamalan is a master at creating tension and this is no exception.

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Magic in London: Whistling – Part Seven

Posted on February 3, 2023 by ashleymanningwriter

Catch up on Magic in London here: https://ashleymanning.com/magic-in-london/

The stairs led down into darkness and Chuck was sure his legs would give way at any point and he would end up tumbling down into the darkness to never be found again. He knew that he had to keep going though, not just for Fiona but for the little boy that was close behind him.

โ€œItโ€™s not far to go,โ€ Toby said.

Chuckโ€™s eyes were slowly starting to adjust to the darkness, and he was sure he could see a spark of light in the distance, although he also thought that it might be a trick of the mind. He didnโ€™t reply to Toby, instead focusing on taking each step as it came, lowering his wobbly feet onto the next step and hoping there would be one there.

The light at the bottom of the stairs grew and grew, until Chuck was eventually convinced it wasnโ€™t just in his imagination. The bottom was insight. At the bottom of the stairs was a long corridor made from bricks, that was lit by candles that looked like those in the entrance hall. At the end of the corridor was a large metal door that looked like it would take a lot of strength to push. Along the corridor on both sides were also wooden doors, that were padlocked shut.

โ€œSo the door at the end?โ€ Chuck asked Toby.

โ€œUh-huh, thatโ€™s where the shadow person will be if itโ€™s still down here.โ€

โ€œGreat, are you scared? I feel like we should be scared right now.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™re a grownup.โ€

โ€œGrownups get scared, you know.โ€

Toby walked up ahead, leaving Chuck behind. He had a tough look on his face, hoping that if he played the part he wouldnโ€™t feel as scared as Chuck looked. He had only run away in an attempt to save Fiona from harm. He walked up towards the door, knowing that he wouldnโ€™t be able to open it by himself. Earlier, when George opened the door, he used a spell. Something that was beyond Tobyโ€™s ability by at least a couple years of learning.

โ€œHelp me open the door,โ€ Toby said pushing on it and Chuck stood next to him and leant his weight on the door as well.

It didnโ€™t budge at all. Instead, it stayed firmly in place. Chuck was sure they werenโ€™t going to be able to open the door. There was a brief moment where he thought that maybe it just wouldnโ€™t open, and he could just turn around and go back home. He could then just forget about everything heโ€™d seen and try to carry on as normal.

Just as that idea was cementing itself into his mind the door opened. The resistance disappeared and both Chuck and Toby fell through the doorway into a brightly lit room. It was almost blinding the look at.

โ€œDid you think to knock?โ€ a boy said in the middle of the room.

He was wearing all black, and his eyes were completely black and empty looking towards them. His hair was also slightly moving, as if a gentle breeze was strolling through it.

โ€œGeorge?โ€ Toby asked.

โ€œGeorge is dead,โ€ the boy said.

Toby moved forward, but Chuck reached out and stopped him. He was looking around the room. Fiona, and woman, two children and a man were tied up and suspended in the air. The bindings around them werenโ€™t rope, or anything that Chuck had ever seen before. It was like whisps of shadow had been tied around their arms, hands and feet.

โ€œWhat have you done to them?โ€ Toby asked, his false confidence fading.

โ€œOh, hehehe. Heโ€™s wise not to let you near me, thatโ€™s for sure. Donโ€™t worry. Your friends are safe and sound for now. Iโ€™ll kill them later. For now, Iโ€™m just going to leave them there for a bit and let them suffer. You can join them if you like, or you can leave. Toby, little Toby. I know youโ€™ve not been here long, so you donโ€™t know how things work around here. Youโ€™ve never treated me poorly, so Iโ€™ll let you live if you leave now. And you. I donโ€™t know you at all, so I have no quarrel with you. Leave with him and take him far away. Donโ€™t ever come back and Iโ€™ll never hurt either of you. I promise. This is my pocket universe now.โ€

โ€œJust let them go,โ€ Chuck said, talking through gritted teeth.

โ€œNo. No I donโ€™t think I will. Iโ€™m sure you understand that donโ€™t you. Theyโ€™ve kept me here for years, locked up down here. Iโ€™m not a bad guy, but Iโ€™m very angry. These people think Iโ€™m a monster just because Iโ€™m not human, because Iโ€™m made from the shadows. They keep me locked up down here like a freak and for what? So they can practice their spells and their magics on me. How is that fair? Do you know how much pain theyโ€™ve caused me over the last few decades? More than I could in three lifetimes at least. Whatever I did to deserve this treatment, I donโ€™t know. But I have served my time. So please, just listen to me and leave. Iโ€™m not going to ask you again because believe me Iโ€™m going to kill everyone else in this room and itโ€™s going to be painful. You canโ€™t stop me so donโ€™t even try.โ€

Chuck looked around. It looked like everyone else in the room was out cold, and they wouldnโ€™t be able to help anyway. He looked at Fionaโ€™s lifeless face and hoped that she would wake up and tell him what to do. He knew that he couldnโ€™t take on the monster inhabiting George, not by himself and not even with Toby. He started to realise that leaving would be the best option. He could get Toby out alive and then turn him over to the police, let them reunite him with his family and that would be the end of it. He couldnโ€™t save Fiona, or any of the others.

Toby screamed. His wails ear-piercingly loud. The light in the room dimmed as the spider shadow Toby affectionately called The Creature seeped into the room through the cracks in the ceiling. It formed along the ceiling, hanging above George and roared at him before dropping to the floor. 

To Be Continued…

Continue reading in Part Eight: https://ashleymanning.com/2023/02/10/magic-in-london-whistling-part-eight/! Donโ€™t forget to subscribe to never miss a post:

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What I’ve Been Playing Recently

Posted on February 2, 2023 by ashleymanningwriter

When I haven’t been reading or writing, I’ve spent most of my free time playing Yakuza Kiwami 2. I’ve really enjoyed the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games I have played and am slowly making my way through them all. I played Kiwami 1 a few years ago, but never got round to the sequel. With a free day, that I didn’t plan on going outside during, I sat down and started playing this, knowing it would take up most of my free time for the foreseeable future. As with other entries to the series, there is a ton of stuff to do in this game.

The main story is pretty good, picking up one year after the events of the first Kiwami (there’s even a nice recap at the beginning if you haven’t played the first one, or like me played it a long time ago and want a refresher). I’m getting close to the end of the main story, currently on chapter 13, of I think 16. Most of my time has been spent with the almost endless amount of side-content. I like to complete games 100% so I end up spending hours and hours playing mini-games to finish the completion list. For the Yakuza series I’ve learnt how to play Mahjong, and have had to get good at rhythm based games. I should have the whole game finished in the next few days.

I’ve also been playing Sonic Frontiers, although only a few hours in so far. I bought the game when it first came out as motivation to write Once, leaving it on the shelf above my desk until I finished it. I haven’t quite finished it, but I’ve hit 51,000 words, which is longer than I was planning on the whole thing being. I have 2 scenes left to write, which I think will take me to about 56,000 words in total. Still I started Sonic Frontiers once I hit 50,000 words and have been enjoying it so far. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s a good game to play when I don’t really want to think about anything. Going around collecting things and slowly making my way through the story.

Looking ahead, Like a Dragon Ishin is out soon, and I’ll be getting that. I’ve heard that it’s a long game and will take a lot of time to get 100%, but I’m sure like every other game in the series it will become the only thing I want to do when I’m not working until it’s finished. Then after that I’m looking forward to the Resident Evil 4 remake. The remakes have all been good so far, and although I’m sceptical that this one needs a remake, I’m looking forward to playing it.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Ashley

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The Book Pile – Feb 2023

Posted on February 1, 2023 by ashleymanningwriter

January is over, which both seemed to go quickly and slowly at the same time and we’re on to February. Before we get to the main post, I just wanted to share my latest short story that I published yesterday. Please have a read and let me know what you think. Any feedback is appreciated: https://ashleymanning.com/2023/01/31/final-update-short-story/

At the start of the year I had the aim of reading 4 books each month, and I’ve done exactly that in January. My first book I read this year was Novelist as a Vocation by Haurki Murakami and it was brilliant. I’ve already written a whole post on the book, so I won’t go into much further detail. I do think it’s a must read for anyone who wants to be a writer, or just an interest in the writing process. It’s definitely given me new ideas of how to approach writing and inspired me.

Up next I read both Anything is Possible and Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout. Both books are connected, in that they continue the story of Lucy Barton which I’ve been really enjoying. Anything is Possible is a series of short stories about the people from Lucy’s hometown and the surrounding area, with Lucy appearing in one of the stories. I really enjoyed reading them, and loved how it built the world around her. The characters are so well written and I ended up caring about so many of them.

Lucy by the Sea is set during the first year or so of the pandemic, with Lucy travelling to coast with her ex-husband to avoid the worst of Covid. There are some characters mentioned from other Strout books such as Anything is Possible and it was interesting to see where their lives have taken them. There’s also a few characters from other books that I haven’t read yet. Lucy by the Sea was like reading a time capsule, remembering the early days of lockdown with a lot of familiar moments that all seem so hazy almost three years later. It’s a strange time to revisit, that’s for sure.

Elizabeth Strout has quickly become one of my favourite writers. I’ve only read four of her books, with the other two being My Name is Lucy Barton, and Oh, William!. The characters in the book are phenomenally written. They feel so real and I’m completely invested in Lucy’s life, as well as everyone else in the books. Every time I’ve started one of her books I haven’t wanted to put it down until I finished it. The short stories in Anything is Possible were like puzzle pieces, building the world. I read Lucy by the Sea almost completely in one sitting, and I hope this isn’t the last time Strout writes a book about her. Strout’s writing style is also incredibly easy to read and completely absorbing.

Last up is The Kaiju Perseveration Society by John Scalzi, which is a sci-fi comedy action book, again set in the early days of the pandemic, but not as fixated on it. Scalzi is a great writer, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of his previous books and was very excited to read this one. I don’t know why it took me so long to actually get around to it. Now that I have I did enjoy the book, it’s very easy to read and quite a lot of fun. The book is set in a world where nuclear weapons have caused the barrier between our world and another, where monsters like Godzilla live, to weaken. The book follows a group of people who work in that world to study the kaiju. I hope Scalzi writes more books set in this world, because I don’t feel that the premise has been explored enough. It seemed to fly by too quickly and I really hope to get to spend more time with the characters in the future.

So that’s what I’ve read, now onto my plans for Feb. I’m going to continue reading all of Elizabeth Strout’s work by going right back to her first book, Amy and Isabelle. I’m also going to read Normal People by Sally Rooney, The Memory Police by Yลko Ogawa, and Victory City by Salmon Rushdie.

Have you read any books in January or do you have any on your reading list for February? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading and until next time!

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