Change Your Image
lhk-2
Reviews
Euphoria (2011)
Both a masterpiece and something to avoid at all costs
Euphoria (yes, without capital E) is an immersive, deep, philosophical, multilayered virtual novel (VN). It's also a rape of the soul, etching its horrors into the poor reader by a too-good convincing personalities and voice acting, transferring the full power of the horrific story like a sledgehammer.
This goes lightyears beyond the different fetish included. As if having executions, rape, torture, coprophilia, incest - all these is minor in face of the heavy atmosphere and burning pain felt by any sane reader. Do not look for sexual excitement here, this is not what the creators had in mind.
Without any spoilers:
The novel has different routes, accesible by choosing the girl 5 times in a row, one route for each unique girl. All routes enrich considerably the True Route (Kanae's).
No matter what route you take, the main character (Keiuske) is torn in front of the horrible acts he must follow. He has a dark, sadistic side - but he does not accept this, seeing how wrong this is. However, the plot enforces him to enact his dark desires, bringing him ever closer to a breaking point where he will lose his identity and will become a monster.
The other main characters are each unique in personality and behavior.
The game has some major twists, most of which caught me off-guard.
So - take your pick. Be forewarned, It is VERY disturbing and hard to bear. I may even say I survived it. On the other hand - it is an excellent VN. Make your own choice. Personally - if I would have known, I would have avoided, not because it's bad, but because it's too good.
I racconti di Canterbury (1972)
Hilarious, shrewd, very funny
This is a remarkable film. One usually remembers Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as difficult, religious old English burden of school, but Pasolini was smart enough to concentrate on the humor, which travels from rude slapstick (hot iron poker shoved up the villain's behind) to merciless show of greed and it's consequences. Only after the film did I take a fresh look at Canterbury Tales and lo! it was there all along... but it required Pasolini to lay it \bare, for everyone to see.