Headache City


I have been having this persistent headache for the last 3 days, and no matter how many drugs I take, it will NOT GO AWAY. So frustrating. If I was a hypochondriac, I might believe I have a brain tumour and am dying, but I'm not.


So I'll just do a quick movie review and get the hell off of this blog.

Believe it or not, even though I have seen 17 Akira Kurosawa films, I still had not seen Ran (Nippon Herald Films 1985). I think it's because I have mainly focused on his work pre-1970s (which mostly starred Toshiro Mifune, who I was a little obsessed with last Summer). But I'm glad I finally did watch it. It's a bit of a take on Shakespeare's King Lear, but also influenced by the Japanese parable about warlord, Mōri Motonari. I think Tatsuya Nakadai was great casting as Lord Hidetora Ichimonji, who goes insane after two of his sons betray him & try to have him killed. Watching, I was thinking, "Man, you have to watch out for your sons!" But the eldest son's wife was bad, too. Played by Mieko Harada, Lady Kaede was a total BITCH. She was awesome in the part! Previously I had thought Isuzu Yamada's Lady Asaji Washizu was the worst in Throne of Blood (Toho 1957) - excellent take on Shakespeare's Macbeth, btw - but Harada-san gives her a run for her money. What was beautiful about Ran was the way it was shot. The battle scenes were like works of art and the music score sublime. It was long but it didn't matter. I was, however, saddened by the ending. We all know what happens in King Lear, but I just wasn't ready for it! I like my happy endings!


And on a completely different topic...we also all know how I love my true crime & serial killers. Well, I was randomly looking at YouTube videos of The Dating Game (how I ended up there, I don't know). Evidently, the serial killer, Rodney James Alcala, was a contestant. Gee, bad screening process there, game show producers? He is so creepy on the show, I don't know how anyone could have chosen him.




See, this is when I'm thankful to be single.