Classics: A Review of Straight to Hell By Lauren Ennis

How far would you go to get what you want? For impoverished child of war turned media sensation Kazuko Hosiki the answer is "straight to Hell". Over the course of nine riveting episodes that span six decades Netflix's Straight to Hell follows Japan's infamous fortune-teller as she rises and falls only to claw her way up once again. At once a testament to the power of resiliency and a warning against the consuming lure of ambition, the series is every bit as complicated and fascinating as its leading lady. For a devilishly good time follow Kazuko Straight to Hell.

"My life story is interesting"

The story begins in 2005 Tokyo with fortune teller Kazuko Hosiki living a life of luxury as the reigning queen of daytime television. Famous for her blunt advice and dire predictions, Kazuko enthralls audiences seeking answers in an increasingly fraught society. She commissions a biography and relates her story to struggling author Minori. The story then flashes back to Kazuko's childhood in post-war Tokyo as her mother struggles to support Kazuko and her siblings in the wake of their father's death. The devastation and desperation of post-war society leaves its mark on young Kazuko and she becomes determined to pull herself out of poverty at any cost. Eventually, she works her way up from hostess club darling to successful entrepreneur with several clubs of her own before reinventing herself as the media sensation we meet at the start of the series. Along the way she faces loss and betrayal and nearly returns to the poverty of her youth only to rise again stronger and more formidable than ever. As she continues to delve into Kazuko's story, Minori soon realizes that there may be something darker lurking behind the fortune-teller's inspiring rags to riches tale. What follows is a reckoning that will bring both women to Hell and back.

In it's portrayal of Kazuko's tumultuous life Straight to Hell acts as both a compelling character study and an apt depiction of the cost of ambition. Kazuko's childhood in which she was reduced to surviving on stolen goods and insects sets the course for the rest of her life. Like a Japanese Scarlett O'Hara she vows never to be hungry again and spends the rest of her life living up to that promise. Her many rises and falls eerily parallel those of Japan itself, as the nation struggles to find its place on a rapidly changing world stage. What begins as a modern Cinderella story takes a darker turn, however, as she follows her promise of success at any cost to it's logical, devastating, conclusion. The series then evolves from aspirational to cautionary as Kazuko's star continues to rise, but only at the expense of others. By the series' conclusion she has achieved all that she hoped for and more, but in doing so has left herself isolated, embittered, and relegated to her own personal hell. For storytelling with an old-fashioned sweep and biting, modern, edge see Kazuko rise and fall Straight to Hell.

"I'd follow you anywhere, even if it's straight to Hell"

The story transports viewers to a rapidly changing Tokyo thanks to the stellar work of its cast. Sairi Ito imbues Minori with a blend of warmth and earnestness that makes her an ideal everywoman. Toko Miura turns in a heartbreaking performance, as she infuses exploited singer Chiyoko with innocence and girlish charm. Gaku Hosokawa lends humor as Kazuoko's younger brother and business partner, Hisao. Toma Ikuta could give Al Pacino tough competition in his expert turn as Michael Corleone-esque Yakuza boss Masaya Hotta. Even in the midst of superb supporting performances the series belongs to Erika Toda as Kazuko. Over the course of nine episodes she follows Kazuko's journey from exploited innocent to ruthless exploiter with an intelligence, complexity, and charisma worthy of the real Kazuko Hosiki.

At once an inspiring story of one woman's rise in the face of adversity and a cautionary tale of the dangerous power of ambition, Straight to Hell is is every bit as hypnotizing as the woman who inspired it. The script brilliantly relates Kazuko's biography in all of its complexity without either championing or condemning her. The cast transport viewers to the grit and glamour of 20th century Tokyo as they bring each of the colorful characters in Kazuko's past to life. Give in to temptation and join Kazuko for a thrilling trip Straight to Hell.

"We trick others before being tricked"

Interview with Literary Titan

 Hello Readers,

If you're interested here's my latest author interview with Literary Titan!

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

May 17

Posted by Literary Titan

Lauren Ennis Author Interview

A Boy’s Best Comrade follows a loyal dog in Stalin-era Moscow, as she protects the boy she loves through arrest, hunger, homelessness, and betrayal in a world where devotion itself becomes an act of courage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I’ve always adored animals and possess a fascination with history, particularly Russian history. When I read about the packs of stray dogs that have taught themselves to navigate Moscow’s subway system, I saw a way to combine my love of animals and passion for history. Once I started writing I looked to my favorite childhood books and movies, especially Don Bluth’s animated movies, for even more inspiration.

How did you balance Sasha’s animal instincts with the emotional depth needed to carry the novel?​

Sasha is based off and named for my dog. When writing Sasha’s character, I imbued her with my Sasha’s personality and mannerisms to lend her authenticity and make her feel like a ‘real’ dog. To ensure that she was humanized in the story I turned to Mrs. Brisby from The Secret of NIMH and other characters who possessed the nurturing, maternal, characteristics that I wanted Sasha to possess for inspiration. Throughout the novel I tried to maintain a balance between conveying human emotions through Sasha while ensuring that she still behaved like a dog.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The most crucial themes in the book are resilience in the face of adversity, the horrors of authoritarianism, and the importance of loyalty in a world of distrust. While these themes were particularly relevant in Stalinist Russia, I believe that they are universal and would resonate with readers across generations and cultures.

What kind of research shaped your portrayal of Moscow’s streets, metro stations, and stray-dog packs?​

The research was absolutely the most difficult aspect of writing A Boy’s Best Comrade. I was fortunate enough to be able to view documentaries about the real-life Moscow subway dogs and strays in general. The research about the streets and metro was more difficult due to all the changes to the city over the course of several decades and the language barrier. I used a combination of written sources from the 1930’s along with maps and photos of the city and metro to try and create an accurate depiction of 1930’s Moscow.

A Boy's Best Comrade Trailer!

 Lights, camera, and action!

Classics: A Review of Smokey and the Bandit By Lauren Ennis

 Two truckers, a runaway bride, a vengeful sheriff and four-hundred cases of Coors adds up to one of the wildest rides in cinema. Blending thrilling stunts with slapstick humor 1977's Smokey and the Bandit took a simple premise and turned it into cinematic gold. At once a loving homage to the American road-trip and a glimpse into the gritty 1970's the film is certain to leave viewers riding on the edge of their seats. For the trip of a lifetime hit the road with Smokey and the Bandit.

The story begins with father and son Texas businessmen "Big Enos" and "Little Enos" Burdette arriving at a local truck rodeo. They then place a bet on local trucking legends Bo "the Bandit" Darville and Cledus "the Snowman" to illegally deliver 400 cases of Coors from Texas to Atlanta in 28 hours. While Cledus is hesitant the Bandit happily accepts. The two then set off with Cledus transporting the beer in his truck while the Bandit acts as a decoy in his Pontiac Trans Am. Along the way the Bandit encounters exotic dancer turned runaway bride Carrie. He picks the stranded would-be newly-wed up, and soon finds himself targeted by her scorned fiancée and his father, Texas sheriff Buford T. Justus. The film then launches into a madcap trip across the South the likes of which many have imitated but none have replicated.

Smokey and the Bandit captures the anarchic spirit of both the 1970's and the all-American road trip like no other. While the plot seemingly rests upon the transport of Coors over state lines the real heart of the story is the liberation of the open road and the free spirits of those who call it home. Through its depiction of the Bandit's carefree pursuit of the latest thrill, the camaraderie of his fellow truckers, and his blatant, "complete lack of respect for the law" the film offers loving tribute to the outsiders who populate America's highways. Through its depiction of an array of very different characters the film also playfully explores the rapid social changes of the 1970's. For example, the film offers a decidedly complex and modern depiction of womanhood in its portrayal of witty dancer Carrie's refusal to resign herself to a traditional, married, life. Similarly, the film's portrayal of old fashioned lawman Sheriff Justus' flailing efforts to keep up in a modern world is nothing short of side-splitting. Through its loving depiction of the misadventures of America's misfits, bandits, and everyone in between Smokey and the Bandit remains a loving tribute to the open road and all-American fun.

The film brings its whimsical world of wacky characters to life thanks the stellar work of its cast. Pat McCormick and Paul Williams lend plenty of deadpan humor to their brief turns as Big Enos and Little Enos. Jerry Reed infuses Cledus with boy next door charm. Sally Field shows off her comedic chops in her hilarious turn as neurotic dancer, Carrie. Jackie Gleason steals each scene in which he appears as the hapless Sheriff Justus. Burt Reynolds turns in arguably the best performance of his career with a winning blend of comedy and roguish charm that ensures that the Bandit is nothing short of iconic.

In its ninety-six minute run time Smokey and the Bandit perfectly captures the anarchic spirit of the 1970's. The script balances stunts with slapstick to maximum effect for a viewing experience that is never less than thrilling. The performances bring what easily could have been one-note characters to hilarious, infectious life. For ninety-six minutes of good old American life, glory, and fun get behind the wheel with Smokey and the Bandit.

5-Star Review from Literary Titan

 Hello readers,

I couldn't resist sharing the latest editorial review of A Boy's Best Comrade. So grateful and thrilled for such a stellar review!

A Boy’s Best Comrade

May 5

Posted by Literary Titan

In A Boy’s Best Comrade, Lauren Ennis tells the story of Sasha, a loyal dog in Stalin-era Moscow whose life is repeatedly shattered by the machinery of fear, suspicion, and state violence. After losing Mikhail and Sofia to the NKVD, Sasha is taken in by Andrei, Tania, and their son Yuri, only to watch that family broken apart too. What follows is part historical survival story, part animal adventure, and part aching portrait of devotion, as Sasha and Yuri navigate hunger, homelessness, the Moscow metro, a stray-dog pack, and the dangerous kindness of people like Vanya while trying to stay one step ahead of betrayal and arrest.

I was most moved by how sincerely the book treats loyalty. Sasha’s love never feels cute in a shallow way. It feels bodily, instinctive, almost sacred. The early scene with the New Year’s tree begins with such domestic warmth, Sasha puzzling over the strange spruce in the apartment, Sofia trying to create a little “winter fairyland,” and then that warmth is cracked open by the knock at the door. I liked that the book keeps returning to that emotional pattern: a small, tender human moment, then the cold hand of history pressing against it. Andrei naming Sasha “protector and friend” stayed with me because the whole novel keeps testing whether love can survive when every institution is designed to make people suspicious, selfish, and afraid. Sasha, in her wonderfully stubborn dog way, keeps answering yes.

The writing has a big-hearted, old-fashioned sweep to it, and I mean that affectionately. It leans into feeling. But more often than not, that earnestness works because the story itself is so emotionally direct. I loved the texture of Moscow seen from low to the ground: alleys, stoops, station platforms, scraps of food, damp fur, boots, crowds, the underground geography known by dogs better than humans. Mishka and the pack bring a welcome snap of humor and grit, and the ending, with Sasha forcing Yuri onto the train and then being invited into a new pack, hurt in exactly the right way. It doesn’t give her everything. It gives her purpose, which feels truer.

I felt that A Boy’s Best Comrade is really about chosen family under impossible pressure, and about the quiet heroism of staying tender when the world keeps rewarding hardness. Its ideas are strongest when embodied in action: Sasha biting, guarding, smuggling, waiting, refusing to understand love as temporary. The book would be especially good for readers who like historical fiction with an animal narrator, emotionally sincere adventure stories, and tales of courage that don’t pretend survival comes without grief.

Pages: 269 | ASIN: B0FTWM9BB3

Classics: A Review of Lady Snowblood By Lauren Ennis

 "Yuki, you will live your life carrying out my vendetta. My poor child, you are an asura demon" Sayo tells her newborn daughter. With these final words from her mother infant Yuki is transformed from an innocent into a living embodiment of her mother's thirst for revenge. So begins one of the most brutal, thoughtful, and strangely beautifiul depictions of vengeance ever put to film. Adapted from the manga of the same name, 1973's Lady Snowblood remains one of the most enduring and influential depictions of the dark side of mother-daughter relationships and vengeance in modern cinema. For the mother of all revenge movies follow the blood-soaked trail of Yuki in Lady Snowblood.

The story begins in 1874 Japan with the birth of Yuki in a women's prison. The film then flashes back to when her mother, Sayo, was brutally attacked by a gang of criminals. Sayo's husband and son are murdered in the attack and she is raped. While she survives the attack she is imprisoned after killing one of her attackers in self-defense. While imprisoned she concocts a plan to conceive a child who can be raised outside the prison walls and exact revenge on her behalf. She then seduces a series of prison guards and conceives Yuki only to die in childbirth. As she lays dying she instructs her fellow inmates to ensure that Yuki is raised with one purpose; to exact her mother's revenge. From that moment on Yuki's entire existence is in pursuit of a singular goal; to avenge Sayo and rid the world of the men who wronged her. Can the thirst for vengeance ever truly be satisfied? Can justice ever be fully served? These are the questions that haunt  Lady Snowblood.

While Lady Snowblood  ranks amongst the top cinematic revenge sagas the most haunting aspect of the film is its depiction of a life lived in the shadow of parental expectations. From the moment that she is conceived Yuki's entire fate is set. Before she is even old enough to understand the loss and trauma that Sayo suffered she is already tasked with avenging her mother. The burden of another's trauma and vendetta are too heavy a burden for any person to bear, let alone a child, and yet the adults in her life raise Yuki to do just that. By the time that she reaches adulthood her mother's goal has become her entire identity, leaving her life beyond her mission completely lacking in meaning or purpose. While her singular quest for vengeance is the stuff of cinema, her desperate desire to live a life that would make her mother proud is entirely relatable. Although most of us are not in pursuit of a family vendetta all too many of us have pursued careers, romantic relationships, and other goals not to fulfill our own desires but instead to live up to our family's wishes for us. When viewed through this lens, Lady Snowblood is a cautionary tale of the price that we pay when we live for others' goals for us. While we may not leave a trail of blood behind us, when we live our lives in the shadow of someone else's expectations we can cause just as much destruction as Yuki, even if only to ourselves. Even as it explores the pathos behind its assassin's lonely life Lady Snowblood never forgets it is first and foremost an action-packed thriller. As a result, the film offers up a blend of thrills, stunts, and that drama that continues to influence filmmaking today. 

The film transports viewers to the tumultuous world of Meiji-era Japan thanks to the work of its cast. Yoshiko Nakada portrays Kobue, the daughter of one of Yuki's targets forced into prostitution, with warmth and innocence. Toshio Kurosawa imbues Yuki's admirer, reporter Ryurei, with intelligence, determination, and charm. Miyoko Akaza embodies steely resilience as Sayo. Meiko Kaji alternates between personification of vengeance and a living, all too human woman, with equal skill. She also lends her exquisite vocal talents to the film's soundtrack and performs the film's main theme "Flower of Carnage".

Over fifty years after its release Lady Snowblood still cuts as deep as it's heroine's blade. The trend-setting script blends action and pathos to expert effect and continues to inspire filmmakers both at home and abroad. The performances bring the film's vision of a world at war with itself to visceral life. For a bloody good time follow the path of Lady Snowblood.

Appearance on Storycomic

 Hello Readers,

I couldn't resist sharing my latest podcast appearance on New England Art's podcast Storycomic. I had a fantastic time and am so grateful for the chance to share Daughters of Attrition and A Boy's Best Comrade with Storycomic's audience. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuOQVM_7HIM&t=29s