Trick 'r' Treat

Trick 'r' Treat is an anthology movie of different characters experiencing different events through the night of Halloween.  Each storyline connects to the others in some way, whether it be characters from one showing up in the background of another, or just Sam (a burlap-headed little kid in a ratty onesie.  It makes sense within the context of the film.  Trust me!) popping up in the background or fully participating in the story.

This little kid is the scariest ball of hatred in the world.

Don't mess with him.

One way to analyze this film would be as an indictment of the sterilization of Halloween in recent years.  They even go into the origins of Samhain, the pagan festival celebrating the time when the spirits of the dead and the living would mingle, hence the need to dress up in costumes and deceive the dead.  This simple rule is the guiding force for what happens throughout the film.

Someone tries to take down their decorations before Halloween is over?  Not a good idea.  Abusing the trust of others to satisfy your urges?  That can bite you in the ass.  Choosing a hyper-sexualized costume?  You may want to rethink that.  Or don't.  It's your body and your decision.  Anyone who tries to take advantage of that deserves whatever backlash they get.

Released in 2007 directly to DVD, this film was originally supposed to receive a theatrical release.  Why it didn't, I don't know.  It's just one of those tragedies of studio politics.

The entire cast, including Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, and Leslie Bibb, do a great job of fitting into their roles.  Not Oscar-worthy, but the horror genre doesn't usually attract talent of this caliber these days.

Michael Dougherty, the writer and director, doesn't rely on jump scares, but on atmosphere to build up suspense, and some impressive creature effects and makeup instead of overly relying on CGI.  There's even a smattering of torture in there.

Sorry for the brevity of this review.  I don't feel that I can go too deeply into the film without spoiling it.  Seek this one out and watch it.

And don't hand out toothbrushes for Halloween.  There's a special place in Hell for people who do that.

Seriously, don't make this little guy angry.

Another

Even though there are only a total of twelve episode those episodes are packed with some of the gut wrenching death scenes I have ever seen. It goes without saying that this anime is one definitely not for kids.

   

The anime starts out with students explaining how the curse began. In 1972 Misaki, popular girl died in class 3-3. One day a student says dead student is still in class. The other students and teachers go along with the student even giving a reserved seat for graduation. Alright so here is my first gripe. This whole thing could have been prevented if someone just told the student who "saw" the dead girl to sit down and shut up. What do they do instead? They go along with it.

      

Continuing on with how the curse works. There have to be a certain number of people in the classroom not one too many or too few. Every year a student is picked to be ignored. If the ignored student is acknowledged the curse is activated.

     

 A new student, Kouichi Sakakibara transfers from Tokyo. Due to a collapsed lung he is in the hospital. The student council president, head of countermeasures, and two officers from student council. Tomohiko Kazami is the stereotypical unemotional guy in glasses. Izumi Akazawa is snobbish and irritating. Yukari Sakurgari is the shy cutesy little sister type. I am already bored with the characters. 

       

 Izumi Akazawa the head of countermeasures keeps asking Kouichi if he has lived in town before. She asks him over and over and gets to the point where I just want to yell "GET TO THE POINT ALREADY".  This gets annoying quickly. Kouchi eventually gets her to back off by telling her she was born in town before moving to Tokyo. His mother died giving birth to him and they moved soon afterwards. 

    

 Remember the rule to ignore the designated student? The hospital would have been a great time to warn the main character. So when walking around the hospital he runs into Mei who he develops an interest in.The head of counter measures is really bad at her job. 

     

Mei turns out to be a student in class 3-3. The other students ignore her and so do the teachers. She frequently skips class to draw in the art room or just wander through the school. Kouichi asks other students why Mei isn't in class which they don't answer or just look frightened. By talking to Mei ,Kouchi activates the curse. Mei tries to warn him. The problem is that she did so in a vague way by telling him not to talk to her or something bad may happen. Alright so maybe she has a jealous boyfriend. Maybe she's some secret government agent. So Kouchi keeps talking to her, because uh reasons I guess.

     

 Mei turns out to be the cousin of Misaki who died in 1972. That's convenient I guess. The other students won't tell Kouchi about the curse they just tell him not to ask questions. One classmate tells him not to mess with things that don't exist. Mei tells him that she doesn't exist. If I was constantly interrogated about where I lived I'd ask questions.

      

(No everyone saw it coming a mile away)

The first death is Yukari Sakuragi the cutesy little sister from the hospital. While running in the hall she reacts to Mei and runs off with her umbrella. She trips down the stairs and gets impaled by her umbrella after she reacts to seeing Mei. Mei was the student designated to be ignored and yet the students can't seem to follow simple instructions

    

    There are other deaths throughout the anime. At this point I stopped feeling any sort of sympathy for the characters excluding Mei, Kouchi, and the nurse. The students could have solved their problem too many ways to count, but no that would make too much sense. It's never explained why they don't just learn to count before forming the class. In the end it turns out that the odd one wasn't Kouchi or Mei, but the teacher. Maybe the curse wasn't detailed in the wording.

(Class? Classroom? Oh well there's no way they'll get confused, right?)

     Kouchi and Mei try to challenge the curse by trying to get the other students to acknowledge her. They dance in class. He yells her name and they act like goofballs. These scenes seem out of place with the seriousness of the anime. I'm not complaining about them though. They're a bit of a giant F you to the curse and other students.

    I love a good ghost story. This was at the most an okay attempt. Throughout the anime there were several obvious solutions such as moving out of town, telling the student at the beginning to shut up, and knowing how to freaking count. There are way too many plot holes in this anime. It's hard to form any attachment to the characters before their deaths. I had quite a few  questions that weren't answered throughout

~Why don't they just move?
~Why don't they just keep the classroom closed?*
~What happened in those 15 years after Misaki's death?
~If a student has to be ignored why don't they just pick one and send them home?

*They changed the name, but that didn't work.

The Twilight Zone

Submitted for your approval...

Many shows attempt to hold a mirror up to humanity and demand that the viewers take a deep, long look at themselves more effectively than Rod Serling's seminal classic series The Twilight Zone.

Almost every episode is a standalone narrative, and most present an ordinary world, but then throw in a Shyamalan-type twist, only thought-provoking instead of bludgeoning.  Serling himself presents the opening narrative and the moral lesson at the end of each episode, addressing the viewer in a fourth wall breaking manner, but not in a condescending tone.

In half hour runs, the show effectively presents a cast of characters, makes the audience care for them, and then pulls the rug out from under them both.  It's rather rinse, wash, repeat, but it's done in such a way that it never gets old.

The special effects are... sometimes painful to watch.  This was never meant by the studios to be anything approaching its classic status, and the budget constraints are obvious, but that forced the staff to rely on great writing, and the actors (everyone from Burgess Meredith, to Lee J. Cobb, to Robert Redford) to do a great job.

The characters could be anything from a bank teller who loves to read, to a convict stranded on a distant planet, to a salesman cheating Death.  The theme could be mortality, fatalism, racism, government, or just a lesson in being honest.  The only limit was the imagination of the writers and their ability to hide their message in such a way that the censors couldn't see it because it was just Science Fiction mumbo-jumbo.

Yes, this series ran from 1959 to 1964, a turbulent time in American social and political history.  The writers had to dress up their morality plays in a way that couldn't be immediately understood at face value.

So, while the entirety of the series may seem outdated from a technical aspect today, its use of universal themes give it a timeless feel that is every bit as relevant today as it was over fifty years ago.

Do yourself  favor and watch this series.  Do it now.  Or you just might find yourself trapped in... 

The Twilight Zone.

  -Rambler

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton has a distinctive style that lends itself well to certain stories.  Luckily, it works very well when he's imitating the classic Hammer horror films of the 60's and 70's.

One of the ways that this is obvious is in the use of BLOOD.  Burton likes his color pallet to be somewhat subdued, it seems, from the pallor of his actors' faces, the blued background, the heavy black, browns, and light blues of the costumes.  But when that BLOOD shows up onscreen, it's bright, super-saturated with oxygen, and it makes its presence known.  And, luckily, there's a lot of BLOOD to go around.

Most Americans used to be familiar with the stories of Washington Irving, one of the first popular writers in American fiction.  Whether he's still read in school or not, or the story has been perverted in your mind by reimaginings and reinterpretations, I'm not sure;  so I'll just give a quick rundown of the original Sleepy Hollow story:  

Ichabod Crane was a schoolteacher in Sleepy Hollow, New York, an outsider in the heavily Dutch community.  Despite looking like the bird of his surname, he became popular with the local ladies, especially Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a local bigwig.  This put him on the wrong side of Brom Bones, typically pictured as the head jock of the area.  Ichabod, a superstitious man by nature, may or may not have met his end thanks to the Headless Horseman, a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a cannon shot in the late kerfuffle between Britain and its former colonies.  It's left to the reader to speculate whether it was the Hessian, Brom, or heartache that expedited Ichabod's speedy departure.  You'll note that there is a distinct lack of BLOOD in the story.

"You wanna know how I lost my head?"

Burton's version... deviates from the classic tale.

This is in line with the Hammer horror films, which treated the source material as a framework to spring off from.

The film opens with Danny Elfman's score forebodingly playing over events that culminate in a man (Martin Landau) and his coachman receiving an enthusiastic haircut from a man on a horse.

Ichabod is a police inspector with the New York City Police Department, and he's an unusual character (unsurprising, since he's played by Burton's friend Johnny Depp).  He subscribes to the silly notion that by investigating the evidence and bodies in murder cases, the murders might actually be solved.  But such thinking is not exactly appreciated by his bosses (which is disconcerting when one of them is Sir Christopher Lee in a cameo as an intimidating judge sporting an impressive baritone), so he's shuffled off to solve a series of murders up the Hudson Valley in the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow.

When this man tells you to do something,

you'd bloody well get it done toot-sweet, Sunshine.

Depp plays Ichabod as being nervous and out of his depth.  He gains confidence in his abilities as the plot progresses and as he puts the pieces of the puzzle together, but always ready to pass out.  I also suspect that Burton was sitting just off camera holding a syringe full of BLOOD just so he could shoot his friend in the face with it.

Katrina Van Tassel is played by Christina Ricci in a blonde wig.  While her performance is not bad, she seems to have trouble with some of the dialog she's given.  Her character's motivation stems from a need to protect those close to her, and she conveys this rather well.

The residents of Sleepy Hollow are rounded out with veteran actors for the town elders (Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Gough, and others), Casper Van Dien as Brom Bones, newcomer Marc Pickering as Young Masbeth, and Queen Bess herself, Miranda Richardson, as Lady Van Tassel.

The plot follows Ichabod investigating the deaths of the residents, who shuffle loose the mortal coil in a single way:  Decapitation!

Which brings us to the true gem of this film.  Christopher Walken as the Headless Horseman is not so much chewing the scenery as he is using his filed teeth to tear chunks out and swallow whole.  He never utters a word, unless you count "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" as dialog, yet he conveys the utter joy that the Hessian takes in the slaughter.  Walken is onscreen for precious few minutes, but his double, Ray Park, who did most (if not all) of the stuntwork and swordplay for the character pulls off some great screen fighting and bifurcating.

This is pretty much the only time when he isn't screaming for either joy or ice cream

throughout the entire film.  And it's not a drawback.

Which gets me to the special effects.  Mr Park wore a hood over his head, and the SFX team seamlessly removed it from the shots, as well as adding a stand up collar.  And then there are the subtle ways that the practical effects were blended with CGI.  When the CGI is leaned on a little too much, it becomes noticeable and slightly cringe inducing, but it's forgivable for the time that the film was released.  The color, fog, sets all come together to create an atmosphere of claustrophobia and oppression.  Bravo to the set designers and SFX teams, job well done.

Now, tone is a bit of a tricky topic here.  At times, the film feels like a straight suspense horror.  Then a head spins several times before falling off its perch and rolling down a hill to come to a rest in Johnny Depp's crotch.  It's unpredictable, as the plot tries to be, but it leaves me feeling like I should seek help for laughing

What else can I say?  If you're looking to watch a Tim Burton film (and all that entails) with plenty of GRASS-GROWING AGENT, decapitations, Johnny Depp being weird, Christopher Walken looking like he's having the time of his life, a whodunit with a touch of the supernatural, along with an impressive production in regards to set and costume design, then this just might be the film for your October viewing.

Have fun everyone.

  -Rambler

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Gravity Falls

     I love the strange and quirky. That's probably why when I saw Gravity Falls that I fell in love with the show. Even though it's only two seasons those two seasons I have and will probably watch over and over again.

    Created by Alex Hirsh Gravity Falls is the story of Dipper and Mabel Pines' summer vacation at their Gruncle (Great Uncle) Stan's house turned tourist trap The Mystery Shack. When Dipper finds a journal with a six fingered hands things begin to get weird.

      Dipper Pines is always looking for others approval whether from his Gruncle Stan or his crush Wendy he tries to be the mature one. Afraid to embarrass himself he often finds himself in embarrassing situations. The younger Pines twin Mabel is the polar opposite or her brother. She is carefree and highly spirited. A bit on the boy crazy side her crushes tend to get her in trouble.

                          (Skittles anyone?)
                                                     

       The first season is a bit of a polite introduction to the characters. It's cute but not in a in your face glitter vomit and puppies sort of way. In the first episode a boy shows an interest in boy crazy Mabel. Norman's movements are slow and erratic. When Dipper sees Norman's arm fall off he takes it upon himself to save Mabel from becoming one of the undead.

      This is where things get weird and down right hilarious. Gravity Falls is a town full of mystery and the journals that Dipper finds document the weird and strange, How strange are you asking? Norman. the boy who might be a zombie trying to turn Mabel into one of the undead, he was a group of garden gnomes trying to force Mabel to be their queen.

             (Leaf blowers bad for kissing practice, great for the persistent creep.)

   
        If you have young kids I would not recommend having them watch the second season. If you do let them watch I would suggest do so with caution. The first season was what draws you in thinking it's a cute and safe cartoon. Bill Cipher takes your safe normality and turns the weird all the way to eleven for Weirdmaggedon.

        The second season is all about the weird. It starts out as Bill's season when he takes over Gravity Falls with his friends. Bill Cipher is dangerous and enjoys the suffering of others for his amusement. His ultimate goal is to find and make a deal with the author of the journals.

               (This is your new normal)

      Guest stars lend their voices in the second season. Danielle Fishel more famously known as Topanga does the voice of Pyronica. Nathan Fillion or as us browncoats lovingly refer to him Captain Tight Pants does the voice of Pacifica Northwest's father Preston Northwest. The biggest surprise I had was the voice of the bread loving Tad Strange.

           (Enjoy that wheat or wheat byproduct while you can. The Sheriff's secret police will be there momentarily)

     Even with all the weird and mysterious stripped away you are left with the love and loyalty between friends and family. With humor, mystery, and a story that keeps you interested Gravity Falls has something for the whole family. Life is weird, but if you find people to be weird with it makes it worthwhile. Still weird, wonderfully and incredibly weird.

              

The Big Bang Theory

 ---I Like things brief and to the point-----

  I wouldn't exactly say I hate The Big Bang Theory, but if I had to choose between eating worms or watching The Big Bang Theory just hand me the hot sauce while I swallow a few squiggly ones down. If anyone is curious it's like swallowing sandpaper.

     

    I like to think of myself as an educated nerd. I grew up on Star Trek, Ms. Frizzle was my favorite teacher, and watching anime was my way of rebelling as a kid. With a science degree and years of immersing myself in books, TV, and movies I think I'm smart enough to get the jokes. 

        The problem is that there are no jokes. Big Bang has quite a following and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. Before anyone comments yes I know who Wil Wheaton is. I don't mind laugh tracks. The majority of the time I can simply ignore them, but with the audience's cued laughter at forced pop culture references it's hard too ignore.

 (Even Janeway is tired of your foolishness)

      

         The idea of having a show geared toward nerds and their interests excited me. I had such high hopes. Finally a show where instead of being the clowns that were poked and laughed at for our interests we were going to be viewed as smart and funny, but did Big Bang Theory deliver? No.

     

  Watching Big Bang Theory just made me feel uncomfortable. I understood the references, but a reference is not a joke. I felt like I was the popular girl or the jock looking in. Instead of providing humor for nerds Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady just made us the butt of the joke again and I wasn't laughing.

        The characters seem forced and more like over stated caricatures. The women in the show seem more like a passing thought. There is no point to Penny other than someone for viewers to poke fun at. The other characters are given names and treated as equals, but Penny is the dumb blonde whose full name isn't important enough to even put on Imdb. Bernadette is for lack of a better term a bully, but because she was bullied she's seen as the victim. The saving grace for the women is Amy Fowler played by Mayim Bialik, but even with her intelligence (Mayim Bialik is a neuroscientist) she falls into a mother role handling the others' immature behavior.

       I'm not even going to worry about spoilers. The show is too predictable and they keep regurgitating the same jokes. Pretty ditzy girl marries one of the nerdy guys, but not the leader of the group because that will be too obvious and....

 (Called it)

     I want to like the show. There are some great moments, but they're quickly ruined by an unneeded pop culture reference and the laughing at the wrong time. If I were to suggest anything is this; lose the laughing (it becomes annoying)and tone down the references(it gets boring).

     

    Now I know a lot of people love Big Bang Theory. It's a pretty popular show. I know different strokes for different folks. This show is simply just not my cup of tea.

                              -Mouse
    

Batman the animated series

       Over the ages there have been several re-imaginings of Batman in animation. There's Batman from the Brave and the Bold that subtly hints at the original Adam West Batman. There's the edgy teen centric Batman Beyond with Terry McGinnis as the protector of Gotham city instead of Billionaire Bruce Wayne. Yet with all these there is one Batman that comes to mind when people think of Batman cartoons. The one that heavily influenced the live action DC movies. The one and only Batman the animated series.

      Batman the animated series first aired in 1992. With Kevin Conroy doing the voice of Bruce Wayne and Batman. With the low gravely tone Conroy gives Batman to keep his identity a secret it's clear where Christian Bale grew inspiration from for his "Batman" voice in the Dark Knight rises. Where Bale went for the full he swallowed a full bag of gravel Conroy keeps it a bit more subtle.

      Batman in the animated series has something that The Dark Knight rises doesn't have, a sense of humor. Bruce Wayne has a dry sense of humor that sometimes makes it hard for others to determine if he's being serious or sarcastic. As Batman he even has a joke at his opponent's expense. As Bruce Wayne the bunt of his dry humor is often the loyal Wayne family Butler Alfred Pennywise. Batman the animated series does what I wish the Christopher Nolan movies went with, they made Batman human.

 (He has the same outfit in a very dark grey)

       
      Heroes  are great and all, but a hero is not a hero unless there is a villain. Batman the animated share has its fair share of villains. Mark Hamill is my favorite Joker. He doesn't commit crime for revenge or for some giant scheme to get back at the man, he simply does it because it entertains him. He keeps Batman on his feet and is Batman's arch nemesis through out the series.

    Arleen Sorkin is the original voice of Harley Quinn. Paul Dini the series writer was given the inspiration to create a sidekick for the Joker while sick at home watching Days of Our lives and seeing Arleen Sorkin on the show in a harlequin costume. Harley Quinn is childlike and impulsive the opposite of the psychiatrist of Arkham asylum Harleen Quinzel. Harley's one side infatuation with the Joker began when Harleen worked at the Arkham Asylum. The Joker took advantage of her caring personality and she empathized with and fell in love with the Joker. Still the relationship is very one sided and he has no trouble putting her in harms way.

Poison Ivy or Pamela Isley as we're first introduced to her as has little interest in money. Diane Pershing provides the voice of Poison Ivy as she give the botanist a sultry and stern voice. Pamela cares for two things. Her plants who she will kill for and her friend Harley who she often shelters and cares for after Joker's tirades.

Selena Kyle/Catwoman voiced by Adrienne Barbeau is Batman's on an off again love interest, well I wouldn't call it love, but there is interest. She is practically Bruce and Batman's equal. They're both rich and have a difficulty breaking from their personal code. Though the cat burglary and being the saviour of Gotham are where their similarities ends, but hey nothing is perfect.

There are some episodes with less well known characters such as the Pied Piper who kidnaps children and holds them in the sewers for a burglary rings and a foreman who overworks the elderly he kidnaps and forces to mine gold ore. Both left such a little impression that I practically forgot them within a few episodes.

 I liked the show and wished it was still on, but it did give a base to branch out further with the DC Universe as Kevin Conroy continues his role as Batman in Justice League.

Because it's October 3rd

    Once something is lost is it truly gone? What are you willing to lose to bring it back? And if it does come back are you willing to face the consequences if what returns isn't what it once was?

    Today is October third. The day Edward and Alphonse Elric left their childhood home behind and set forth trying to correct their mistakes.

       After trying to bring back their dead mother using a human transmutation circle. Young novice alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric lose more than they bargained for. Edward loses an arm and leg while his younger brother Alphonse loses much more, his body. Edward seals Alphonse's soul in a suit of armor. Their childhood friend Winry and her grandmother Pinako nurse Edward back to health. Winry crafts a metal prosthetic arm and leg also know as auto mail for Edward, At the age of twelve Edward becomes the youngest person in history to pass the state alchemist exam. With his metal arm and leg he is given the code name Full Metal Alchemist. 

                                            (Some arts and crafts should not be part of family bonding)

     Just like his stature the pint sized pip squeak has an attitude to match. He tries to play the cool, calm, and collected hero for his brother, but if anyone brings up his height he is quick to retaliate. Alphonse is often the one to calm others down while Edward has a tantrum. Over the episodes Edward matures, but the guilt of his brother's body being a sacrifice for a failed transmutation circle (something that was forbidden) still lingers on his conscience.

      Alright that's as spoiler free as I can get. The anime teaches a lesson. That some things are meant to stay gone and that you should appreciate what remains. That instead of waiting to be saved the best option is to pull up your boot straps and be your own hero.

~Favorite Character~
 -Honestly it's between Colonel Maes Hughes with his infectious excitement and love for his young daughter who Edward helped deliver or Riza Hawkeye who is just an all around bad ass mama bear who keeps the commanding office from falling apart.

~Least Favorite Character~

      -I would say Füher King Bradley, but this is the guy you are supposed to hate. He may seem like the gleeful boss that just happens to have a bit of a dictator streak to him, but once his true identity is a reveal you'll see he is a raging a-hole.

     -The character who grates my skin would be Shou Tucker aka The Sewing Life Alchemist. This man may look sweet, but he deserves no sympathy. He didn't blink an eye when he sacrificed his wife and daughter when his certification was on the line.

~Why I'm crying~

      Like my favorite character I'm torn between two scenes. Maes Hughes funeral or Nina Tucker fused with her dog and killed by Scar.

                                                            (We all know you're useless in the rain)

~My Aww moment~

     -Edward's proposal to Winry by comparing it to the equivalent exchange rule of alchemy. Yes I know it isn't the most romantic proposal, but it's the thought that counts. Still my favorite couple would have to be Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang for filling the role the boys' parents.

      Yes, I know this was brief. I myself wouldn't really count it as a review. I would count FMA on the list of recommendations. So if you find yourself in the mood for an anime with a great story that will make you care for the characters you can't go wrong with Full Metal Alchemist.

             

                                                       ~Until next time I hope your journey fares well.

    

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The Adventures of Robin Hood

There is a question that can serve as a rudimentary personality test: What is your favorite movie version of Robin Hood.

The correct answer, of course, is The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn and directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. But there are many people in this world, so I'm told, and there are just as many opinions on such things, so I'm told, so my opinion is no more valid than any other.

 The story takes place during the rule of Richard I of England, who has been away on the Third Crusade (presented as a noble but misguided endeavor) and then was captured by Leopold of Austria while on his way back from the Holy Land in the year 1191, his campaign having ended in an uneasy truce with Saladin. The king's younger brother Prince John (played by Claude Rains at his most oily charming), with the aid of the Norman aristocracy (which had supplanted the Saxon nobility after the Norman Conquest starting in 1066), specifically Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone), use this excuse to usurp the power of the realm from Richard's appointed regent and use the excuse of collecting the ransom for Richard's release to tax and abuse the Saxon peasantry.

Enter Robin Hood, played by Errol Flynn.  Flynn played the part with his trademark charm, which works perfectly with the tradition of Robin Hood being the lovable rogue, all the way back to when his story consisted of a highwayman holding up passersby and inviting them to dinner, only to ask them for payment for his hospitality.

Robin, a Saxon noble, champions the cause of the commoners against the overreaches of the Norman nobility.  However, his cause is not seen as such from all corners, including Lady Marian (Olivia de Havilland).  And since Robin's land and title were confiscated and he was named an outlaw (even referred to as a "wolf's head" by Prince John at one point, a reference to the practice of paying a bounty on wolves and outlaws at the time), he was given no other recourse than to retreat into Sherwood Forest and gather a band of followers.

The usual Merry Men appear, Little John recruited during a dispute over a log bridge, Friar Tuck recruited with the promise of food, among others.

The most interesting relationship dynamic is between Robin and Marian.  She's introduced at the banquet early in the film, and she is less than responsive to his charm, even suffering a sting from his wit.  However, upon meeting him a second time, she begins to thaw toward him upon learning that the rumors she'd heard of his leading a band of outlaws for personal gain, rather than his actual goal of safeguarding the oppressed and freeing King Richard.  Over time (it's unclear exactly how long it takes), Marian and Robin fall in love (of course, it's a film made in 1938, and that's just the way the story goes), and she begins forwarding intelligence from Nottingham Castle.

Modern audiences may take issue with Marian's passive role, but I'd argue that she's actually using her established skills as a lady of court to her advantage.  Since knights and nobles began training at roughly the age of seven, she'd be at a distinct disadvantage if she were to take up arms openly against Prince John and Sir Guy.

I'll grant that she becomes a damsel in distress toward the end, after she's found out overhearing a conversation between Prince John and Sir Guy.  But she doesn't beg for mercy.

Errol Flynn is, in my opinion, the definitive Robin Hood.  He plays him with such swashbuckling charm, easy athleticism, and eternal optimism.  It was the role he was born to play.

Robin Hood is given three grand entrances, each one exceeding the last. And the action scenes also up the ante with each occurrence.  Howard Hill, Flynn's stand in for the archery skill scenes, puts his abilities on display with the amazing archery scenes.  These include shooting directly into stuntmen's chests ("safely" covered in blocks of wood), massive sword fights, and one on one duels (the final duel is the oft parodied shadow fight).  While the fencing is classic stage and movie dueling, it's still dynamic and energetic, never allowing the viewer to relax.

But this leads to the reason why there are two directors.  Flynn had just finished making a couple of films with Michael Curtiz, resulting in a rocky relationship due to personality and safety differences.  So Flynn was excited to work with William Keighley, but Keighley suffered delays in production, mostly non-action pieces being filmed.  And so the studio stepped in, pulling Keighley and replacing him with Curtiz, who streamlined the production at the cost of some safety precautions.  There's a story that Flynn had to face a stuntman during the climactic battle who didn't have a safety sleeve on his sword because it'd look better without one.  Flynn climbed up to the balcony that Curtiz was directing from and threatened him with the sword.

Despite all this, they were able to pull it all together and create a truly classic film, with arguably more accurate costuming than most modern films (contrary to Hollywood belief, people had access to different colored dyes for their clothes and bathed more than twice a decade) while making full use of the Technicolor format they had available.

So, with the perfect Robin Hood, the perfect blend of charm and swashbuckling action, a Maid Marian who played to her strengths while also having a personality and reasons for her actions beyond trying to appease the hero, great use of the format, and a great score, this is THE greatest version of the story of England's lovable rogue who robs from the rich and gives to the poor.