Grave of the Fireflies: the Pragmus Review that is no More

Thanks, Melberries... NOT.

A Pragmus Review that sadly is no more...

There are sooo many people lately who have been harassed by a certain con for a company called “Melberries” (I know, even the name is awful…).  What these guys do is look for YouTube videos that have any reference at all to Studio Ghibli films or other sorts of anime, and many other types of visual media.  Then they slam small-scale YouTubers with copyright claims because, as the sleazy company they are, they know that the YouTubers with less hits are pretty much not likely to get support from YouTube against the copyright claims.  You know what is really silly about this though?  People who reference the media that Melberries claims is unlawfully used are actually not doing anything against the law (that is, unless they actually post an entire episode of a show or a full-length film).  There is something called “fair use,” which is a copyright law protecting critics of the media being presented.  In all reality, it makes no sense to stop critics from using bits and pieces of full media texts because banning such use would be a strict form of censorship, barring fair criticisms of various media texts.

So, why are we talking about Melberries?  Well, this company has actually fought against us at Pragmus, saying that “fair use does not exist in Europe,” and threatening to take our review for Grave of the Fireflies down.  This, my friends, is not even a valid claim.  You see Alpha (Logan) and I (Corey, or Pragmus Sigma) looked pretty deep into this legal situation and found specific legislation in the European Union Law, called the "Copyright Directive," a.k.a. the "Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society."

The section of this document talking about copyright laws and, in effect, fair use policies, is section 3D, which states the following:

• (d) quotations for purposes such as criticism or review, provided that they relate to a work or other subject-matter which has already been lawfully made available to the public, that, unless this turns out to be impossible, the source, including the author's name, is indicated, and that their use is in accordance with fair practice, and to the extent required by the specific purpose...

Roger Ebert--one of the greatest critics of our day.

<<Just imagine what the film industry would be if people like Roger Ebert were shut down for copyright claims that critics should be protected against by Fair Use laws.  We'd be missing out on some of the most important aspect of film--criticism and analyses.>>

HMMMM…  I don’t know about you guys, but I’d say that this law obviously indicates that fair use does indeed exist in the European Union.

Melberries, however, begs to differ.

What happened to us next is this: after we sent an email to Melberries in effort to explain the existence of this EU law, they stopped contacting us through email and cracked down even harder on their copyright claims for our film review.  Ultimately, because of their incessant claims against us, our video was deemed to be forcibly taken down from Youtube.  Sometimes people like us--smaller-scale YouTubers--not only have videos taken down, but their entire YouTube account is frequently suspended or terminated altogether.  This is a major problem because it effectively shuts down growing Youtube channels for the monetary gain of the copyright claim filing industry.  This is unjust and, quite frankly, downright uncool. 

What the even?

So, from here, we hope that media companies will get the hint. Fair Use and reviews are an excellent way to get publicity and attention. In this new age of the internet, we must push for a greater emphasis on the freedom of speech. We have a right to review and a right to critique!  If you feel strongly about this as well, we ask you to please leave a comment about this on the the fair use petition site some big-name YouTube critics have put together.  You can access the site here.  Thanks, Pragmus fans!  We hope this was somewhat informative for you.  Keep rocking our socks, friends!

Pragmus Sigma

(Corey Cherrington)

Blog and Social Media Administrator

Image of the "Take Down Abuse" petition site

UNDERTALE: the Hit Game that Reveals Your True Level of Awfulness!

Such a cool game!

Undertale.  It's a game that shows you just how much of an awful person you are!  In all seriousness, Undertale is an amazing game and I couldn't recommend it more.  The game features a morality mechanic unlike previous iterations of the idea, like Dishonored or inFamous. In Undertale, you play as the "Fallen Child," who has fallen into a cave of Monsters who are trying to take your soul.  The twist here is that the Monsters are all very emotional creatures, and so you can play on their differing psychologies to pacify or SPARE them.

THIS

THIS?

OR

<<There are all sorts of mysteries in Undertale!>>

Playing through Undertale, you have three options as far as playstyles go: Pacifist, where you don't kill ANY Monsters and get the canonical ending; Neutral, where you spare or kill who you wish; and Genocide, where you meticulously slaughter every single Monster in the Underground. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will avoid explaining the endings, but I will say each ending matches the tone of your actions, from the hope and enduring optimism  of the Pacifist route to the nihilism of the Genocide route.

Lastly, Undertale features a beautiful music score by Temmie Chang, with recurring motifs, memorable and distinct themes for every character and environment, and even music matching and including the sounds characters make when they talk.  Because of all these factors, Undertale is a seamless experience of a game, and I couldn't support Toby Fox for making it, or support people playing it, more!

Pragmus Epsilon

Pragmus Team Contributor

Here's some sample music; it's so pleasingly cheesy!

Why I Love Herinteractive

The company's logo

Not many people have heard of my favorite gaming company--Herinteractive.  They are really fantastic game-makers and always have their gamers in mind.  What I really like most about them though is that they constantly seek to help girls and women feel strong and empowered to go and do what they dream of doing!  

The one, the only, Nancy Drew!

The typical Herinteractive game goes as follows: the protagonist is Nancy Drew from the popular mystery book series by Carolyn Keene (which was actually a pseudonym for many hired women authors, but that's another story) and you as the gamer play Nancy Drew, never actually seeing what she looks like (oh the mystery of it all! ;).  You look for clues in every scene to solve the mystery you've fallen into, and get this: the games are actually pretty hard!  That is, if you want to complete the game without hints, it means you will be investing several hours (usually a day or so) and lots of energy from all that perplexity into achieving the big win.  To be completely honest, I and many other Nancy Drew computer game fans actually have to go to the forum on Herinteractive.com in order to find hints that will help us get past a particularly challenging point.  SO, in short, these games are intellectually stimulating!

Each game also includes several mini puzzles that you have to figure out in order to solve the mystery; the puzzles are usually a challenge as well, so put on your thinking cap and get to using that noodle! Haha, in sum, you'll love it if you like challenging your mind though, trust me.

Curse of Blackmoor Manor Cover

Another thing I really love about the games is that they promote fun learning by incorporating facts and information of all sorts into the journey on the way to the game's solution.  I remember playing Curse of Blackmoor Manor in middle school and learning about ancient Runes, Greek gods and goddesses, lore of the British Isles, the solstices...  *sighs*  I LOVE learning things from the Nancy Drew games...  And because of those games, I have a bunch of knowledge about the world that many others do not have.  It is very fun to know things too, because you have lots of interesting things to share with others.  :)  Gah!  It is great.  It's not just one Nancy Drew game that's a great learning opportunity either, but all of them! You'll learn about new peoples and places in every game and will grow a great appreciation for other cultures through these games.  For myself, I've found that my travel bug has been encouraged by the cultural appreciation obtained in Nancy Drew games because I am more knowledgeable about places such as Louisiana, the U.K., Italy, Japan, etc.  All this has made me more excited than ever to actually go and see these places!  Nancy Drew and Herinteractive really manage to light a fire under you and get you going on forming and carrying out awesome dreams!

Oh yes, all the Nancy Drew humor!  ;)

I would love to do some reviews on these games, so look out for those in the future!  I'll have to get it approved by my boss/business partner, Alphie (Pragmus Alpha ;), but once I have a feeling it wont be too hard; I'll probably just have to walk to Argentina again and get him some of that special tea leaf he likes, but I've done that once already, so no big deal at all!  ;) Keep rockin' our socks, Pragmus fans!  Talk to you again soon.

Pragmus Sigma
Blog and Social Media Administrator

Also Nancy Drew Lover! -_^

Censorship in Today's Media: Why Should Opinions be Silenced?

Let's talk for a moment about censorship... Good 'ol censorship is an idea that everyone under the sun might be inclined to say is terrible because, people typically don't like to be censored or restricted from their freedom of speech and expression. But do we really live by the principles of freedom that we claim to believe?

There are a great deal of political, progressive, and social movements, which is great! This has allowed various minority groups to be recognized and has permitted American society to provide a greater amount of tolerance for people regardless of their race, gender, identity, or sexual orientation. This is wonderful! And we have made so much progress over the past 50+ years because of it.  The not so wonderful thing is the fact that anybody not on board with these ideas is shut up.

I'm not saying I'm in favor of discrimination or ideas that are so obviously archaic, outdated, and stupid. What I am saying is that there needs to be freedom to say things even if people disagree with them. There's a quote from Evelyn Beatrice Hall that applies perfectly to this idea:

Evelyn Beatrice Hall

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

This is the hallmark of any free society: having access to the right to say what you want and to express what you truly believe. If what someone has to say is offensive, instead of attacking it with policy and legislation, what people should do is attack it with influence and ideas. Show the world why an idea is worth fighting for and how to implement it; in other words, we need conversations rather than monologues, dialogue rather than social limitations. Increased censorship will only cause a counter-culture to develop, ultimately forcing freedom-loving people to fight forced restrictions.

The internet is a forum where ideas can be shared freely, which is a good thing. It allows ideas to flow as they will in a raw and uncensored way. At the same time though, there are pushes to restrict our privileges on the internet in order to prevent "hate speech" in a culture dominated by a call for complete social justice. What's crazy about this is that a lot of what is being protested is not actually "hate speech," but honest opinions that are seen as offensive to very sensitive individuals.  Hate speech itself should be discouraged, but we must recognize the fact that there is a huge difference between hateful words and valid points of view.  

What I suggest to combat misunderstanding of opinions as "hateful" is that society obtain thicker skin in order to avoid being offended by nearly anything. Offense is a choice, my friends. The right to "Not be Offended" doesn't lie with society, but with the individual. Avoid censorship and let free dialogue roam. Let's be tolerant and loving to others, but also thick-skinned and mature.  This is how we facilitate good dialogue on important topics--we must be open to hearing things that we might not agree with.  If we are not willing to hear other viewpoints, how can we expect to express our own?

Pragmus Alpha
CEO

*Edited by Pragmus Sigma

After Earth: Another Movie M. Night Shat Upon

So, here we go again--Shyamalan has "Shat Upon" yet another film in his oh-so vibrant career.  I'm sure most of you would agree that Avatar the Last Airbender the movie (the movie that pisses Pragmus Alpha off the most) was "the last" because it clearly sucked...  But that is besides the point.  In our latest video, we'll take a look at one of Shat Upon's latest "creations." Now you may consider it too cruel to refer to M. Night Shyamalan with such a derogatory  name, but remember, The Last Airbender. 

There has been much criticism for trying to target Mr. Shyamalan's work, saying that it is "too easy." They would be right. Seriously.

Our brains were so tired after analyzing a brilliant film such as Grave of the Fireflies--check out the review--that we just had to pick on someone so easily targetable. (I know that's not a word, sue me.) The premise is interesting, but the entire first third is quite pointless! YAY FOR POINTLESSNESS!

Some people will argue that it's just a bunch of pretentious critics that rail and slander the poor struggling artist that is M. Night Shyamalan. (If you think that, watch Lady in the Water; it'll change your mind real fast.) However, even the audiences seemed quite fed up with it. If anything, we can rejoice that we can all come together knowing that in the collective consciousness of mankind, After Earth is truly a huge steaming pile of shit.

Watch the review and if you like it, subscribe to our channel and leave some comments:

Grave *sniff* of the Fireflies *sniff*

You know what I love? Ghibli movies. I just adore them! There's such endless imagination, symbolism, intelligence, and happiness to enjoy. However, if you are looking for that sort of entertainment, you will find a rude awakening with the Ghibli film, Grave of the Fireflies.  This, unlike other Ghibli films, will not necessarily leave the viewer feeling "good," but instead quite depressed...  And I mean really depressed, like Empire Magazine's top 10 saddest movies of all time depressed.

A.k.a. Eeyore style depressed.

Studio Ghibli has given us a lot of interesting content that largely involves supernatural elements and fantastical worlds. In Grave of the Fireflies, there are no such things, as this film is harshly realistic and profoundly heartbreaking. To give you a clue about Grave's degree of heartbreaking powers, I'll give you the review I often give to people I talk with about it: Grave is my favorite movie that I will never watch again. (That in and of itself is actually a lie... I'd say it's a good one to watch every five years or so.)

To give a bit of background, Grave of the Fireflies shows Japan toward the end of World War II when it was plagued with nonstop bombings, widespread supply shortages, and suffering. The main characters are children that in the first scene, we discover, die as a result of the choices they make. We can only go up from here right? Right?

Japan WWII

It may honestly be the most emotionally moving film Studio Ghibli has ever released and, as such, should be viewed by all types of people--young and old alike. Its message is timeless and powerful and deserves all the attention it can. The animation is quite realistic with great attention to detail when it comes to the anatomy and movement of the characters. As opposed to many other Ghibli films where there are various shots and angles that the simulated "camera" takes, this movie tends to frame its shots in a pretty still and basic manner. Also, the line work in the animation is brown as opposed to the traditional black to create a softer effect and allows the characters to look more tied together with the beautiful watercolor backgrounds.

<<This review was removed due to a wrongful copyright claim violating laws for fair use in criticism, parody, and like forms of commentary. >>

The best way to describe this film is "hauntingly beautiful." Grave of the Fireflies does not shy away from showing the harshness of World War II or the effects violence has on individuals and society (with special attention to its effects on children). Although, at the same time, its realism makes it problematic for extremely young viewers; so, parents should watch ahead of time to determine if their children can handle it. Either way, this film is remarkably educational and beautiful. It is a must see and deserves a place on everyone's shelf.

Pragmus Alpha
CEO

*Edited by Pragmus Sigma

We Love Fair Use! #WTFU

So, we at Pragmus hope that all of you out there have at least heard about the fair use issues that are trying to take over Youtube and bring down successful Youtubers who make basically any reference at all to a movie, song, or other media.  As it is now, the average modern-day Youtuber has to tread on eggshells to simply publish a video online without getting it taken down for good.  Some Youtube accounts have been demolished altogether, which is totally not right, considering that critics need access to the media texts they are analyzing in order to effectively convey their thoughts and opinions.  Imagine critics not being able to publish critiques with any quotes, visuals from the film, or really anything else from a given film, song, music video, etc.  If it came down to that, well, it could be said that freedom of expression and speech would be greatly impeded.  We certainly hope that doesn't happen!

Thanks for your support, Pragmus fans!  Keep rocking our socks and support fair use!  #WTFU

Pragmus Sigma

Blog Administrator

Yes, Star Trek Khaaaaaaaaan!

So... after the cinematic opus Star Trek: the Motion Picture's somewhat lukewarm reception, it seemed as though the Trek was likely to end. The question that was on everyone's mind was: "Could the Star Trek franchise actually turn out a good film?" The answer: "Yes they Khaaaaaaaan!" (That never gets old.)

The point is that regardless of the budget that they had, which wasn't much, they were able to use it so creatively and so expertly that it somehow worked! The Wrath of Khan has been known as arguably the best Star Trek movie that has ever been done. I was highly impressed with the design work and the presentation. With the resources that they had, it could've very easily been some sort of horrid Star Trek 'B movie.' I'm delighted that they didn't go with that idea.

There are multiple themes in this movie that just seem to work such as age, revenge, and coming to terms with one's past. It also introduces such interesting philosophies as "the needs of the may outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

The dialogue is also brilliantly written and the acting is staged well. There is a sort of motif of Shakespearean high drama that permeates the entire plot. Ricardo Montalban knocks the role of Khan out of the park with his facial expressions and riveting dialogue which resembles something straight out of Moby Dick. This is not just a good Star Trek movie, it's a good movie in general.

There is so much good that this movie does that, whether or not you are a Star Trek fan, you should still want to chase it 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round perdition's flames before you give it up! (That's a little intense, but hey, drama right?)

Pragmus Alpha
CEO

Star Trek: the "Slow Motion Picture"

There's a surprising trend in media nowadays. It tends to be that various film industries, for some unknown reason, love being relevant and in touch with the trends that extend into the future of film. Weird right? Yeah, I don't understand it either. Apparently neither did the Star Trek franchise.

Star Wars came out in 1977 and was amazing (can I get an amen?). The effects were brilliant and the pacing moved at a breakneck speed as opposed to the slower speeds moviegoers were used to back then. It was truly a movie that defined a generation of filmmakers.

2001: A Space Odyssey came out in 1968 and was also amazing. However, it wasn't amazing for the same reason. 2001 had great effects, but also moved at a slower pace with much focus put on its groundbreaking effects. Because of the great visual symbolism and the excellent style of the late director Stanley Kubrick, it was seen as a visual experience.

So, in 1979, Star Trek: the Motion Picture came out... It seemed that they wanted to do what 2001: A Space Odyssey did and make Star Trek an experience. Unfortunately, Star Wars had come out by then and people began to expect fast pacing to be more prominent in science fiction. So Star Trek: the Motion Picture kind of missed the boat by about ten years. Oops.

This movie is often called Star Trek: the "Slow" Motion Picture, and I can see why. Pragmus Omega and I were able to have entire conversations between scenes while watching this movie without missing any major plot points. Pretty much all anyone was doing was staring at a screen for far too long. When I watch a movie, I like to stare at a screen where characters do interesting things; I don't want to stare at a screen where characters stare at a screen. I will say, however, that it does make them oddly relatable...

So, to sum it all up, here's Pragmus' evaluation of the film:

• If you cut about 40 minutes off the running time of this film, it wouldn't be too bad. 
• When you do watch the movie, keep the fast forward button handy. 
• The ending is actually quite good and pretty thought-provoking. 
• A few of the longer shots are quite atmospheric and create a good sense of ambiance.  And finally...
• It is a movie worth checking out, but seriously, rent don't buy.

Thanks for tuning in!  Keep an eye out for our review next week, and don't forget to subscribe to our channel and follow the Pragmus blog for our latest news!

Pragmus Alpha

CEO

*Ed. Pragmus Sigma
Blog Admin.

The Bee Movie, or a "D Movie?"

On occasion, one partakes in a bag of mixed nuts, pretzels, chips, and cheese puffs. These conglomerated concoctions can be delightful in their randomness and the way the various flavors add to one another. But this movie is not like that. It resembles that jar of pub snacks in which only the brown chips are tasty, or a licorice box with only a couple of butterscotch treats to find. Eleven of the treats are amazing, and every other particle just serves to drown out the good flavors.

I watched The Bee Movie years ago and thought it failed dismally. It reminded me of that Monty Python sketch where the nosy man comes in and keeps adding strangers to a couple's quiet romantic evening until the woman ends up falling out a window.  Then they just shoot the man when he tells them to leave and start singing a drinking song. The sketch just keeps going on and on without getting funny. That was how I felt the first time I watched Dreamworks Animation's Bee Movie.

I haven't seen much of Seinfeld's show or stand-up, but I have heard he's supposed to be a funny guy. However, anxiously anticipating the funny, I was actually unable to find Seinfeld's character humorous in any regard in this movie...  He keept acting as though whatever he says is comedy gold, and not a single line of his made me laugh.

The only bits I found hilarious were a couple of perfectly timed absurd interruptions in the dream sequence and the courtroom scene, but that can't make up for the confused and backwards commentary and satire on activism and social justice. There is some cartoon slapstick to be had, but not enough to keep children entertained. The satire cannot keep focus and feels weak, so there is not much for adults to laugh at either. I wish the movie were funnier, or more focused, or went to absurdism more often.

But failing that, at least we have Patrick Warburton stealing the scene every 20 minutes! His bravado, self-indulgent ego, and childish problem solving skills offer hilarious hijinks to counterbalance the completely unbelievable romance between Renee Zellweger and an insect.

Bee Movie fails at being a mixed product, but if you wish to dig, there are one to eleven treats worth finding in the crumbs.

Check out our review! Comment and subscribe if you enjoy it!

-Pragmus Omega