Wyvern Posted June 1, 2003 Author Report Posted June 1, 2003 The anime film watching spree continues... The other day, I finally rented and watched Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away..." On the animation and set piece side of things, I'd say that "Spirited Away" is better then "Princess Mononoke..." The originality of the character designs and environments were at times stunning. However, I also feel that the plot and character development were quite weak and corny, particularly when compared to "Mononoke." It just seems like the writers of the screenplay took a bunch of old fairy tales (i.e The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and especially Christina Rossetti's poem Goblin Market) and threw them together in a completely jumbled and haphazard manner. The plot seemed way too rushed at times, and basically focussed on getting in as much excellent animation as possible. Overall, I didn't like it nearly as much as "Princess Mononoke..." but perhaps it's just not my type of anime. Bottom line is that it has stunning animation, but a weak and completely forgettable plot. On a side note, I can see Studio Ghibli hitting it big with childrens dolls in Japan after seeing this... ;p
Zadown Posted June 1, 2003 Report Posted June 1, 2003 Princess Mononoke had an excellent plot that rises in tension towards the end continously, making you to grip yer seat's armrests, while Spirited Away is sadly chaotic in a bad way. It might be better for children suffering from ADD, and the animation might be better, but I loved Princess Mononoke - Spirited Away was pretty but that's it.
Wyvern Posted July 2, 2003 Author Report Posted July 2, 2003 I just saw Spike Lee's "25th Hour" on DVD this evening, as a few of my relatives wanted me to see it... Though I think that Spike Lee is generally a good director, the last few films I saw by him were disappointing, so I wasn't expecting too much from this... Having seen the film, however, I must say that it was excellent... possibly one of Spike Lee's best films to date, if not his best. The entire thing was almost like a subliminal portrayal of Lee's thoughts on the events of 9/11, though they aren't mentioned once in the film. Plenty of shots of Ground Zero and firefighter helmet symbols alluded to it, though... Edward Norton, who plays the lead role, is great in it as well. It's not the most cheerful movie, so don't rent it if your looking for something to put you in a good mood... On a side note: "28 Days Later" is now playing in the U.S! Based on recommendations, I'll have to check this one out in the theatres some time...
Wyvern Posted July 11, 2003 Author Report Posted July 11, 2003 I went and saw "28 Days Later" in theatres today based on numerous recommendations... In my humble opinion, it was a pretty good movie that had it's moments, but didn't live up to the hype... There were a few zombie movie cliches that kind of spoiled parts of the film for me... For example: why do zombies always have to be afraid of light? Why do zombies always have to be completely unintelligent? Why do the main characters always have to decide to explore dark places for food and make stupid decisions when they know how dangerous it is? Etc., etc... Another disappointment for me was that the movie simply wasn't very scary. The beginning had me completely freaked out, but after that there weren't many frightening scenes... Also, I thought the happy ending was a pretty corny, Hollywood-ish affair... Cliches and fear factor aside, though, the film certainly had it's redeemable qualities. The set pieces were brilliant throughout, and I liked how the soldiers were portrayed as more inhuman than the zombies. There were definitely some philosophical and political moments, as well as some interesting subtle imagery... The crow scene was brilliant and caught me completely off guard... 7/10, no more no less... ;p
Wyvern Posted August 31, 2003 Author Report Posted August 31, 2003 I got to see "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" the other day on DVD. I personally wasn't a big fan of the first installment, as I thought that the plotline felt somewhat rushed and jumbled... I obviously wasn't expecting anything as good as the book, but the emphasis placed on over-the-top special effect action sequences greatly detracted from the film for me. Tolkein's brilliant uses of characterization didn't really seem to be present... Having said this, I feel that "The Two Towers" is a step up from the first film, though still not amazing. The beginning of the film suffers from the same problem as the majority of "The Fellowship of the Ring," as it feels extremely rushed and only concerned with action scenes. As the film progresses, however, they slow things down a bit and spend some time on characterization, at which point it gets much better IMO. Overall, it's a thoroughly entertaining (though not spectacular) film. On a side note, one film I would highly recommend is "The Hours," which is based on Michael Cunningham's biography of Virginia Woolf. Even if you're not a fan of Woolf's writing and philosophies, it's a brilliantly executed and well-acted movie...
Aardvark Posted August 31, 2003 Report Posted August 31, 2003 I still haven't seen two towers. After seeing the first one, I was dissappointed with Mr Jackson. I never thought he could make a movie worse than Bad Taste. I was wrong Only movie I've seen recently were two I acquired through entirely legal means, if anyone of an authoritive stature asks, Equilibrium and Donnie Darko. I wholeheartedly recommend them both, but I insist you hunt down and read a copy of 1984 before you watch Equilibrium, if you haven't already done so. I would go into detail about both, but I couldn't be buggered. Evangelion... Live... action... sweet unholy mother of.... Personally, I don't care for it one way or another. It's probably already got my 10 bucks the same way as Starwars 1 and 2 automatically got my 10 bucks. even though I knew both would suck balls. But I have too many friends who are fans of the series. I will have to listen to them bitch for months on end if that movie actually does get released
Tasslehoff Posted August 31, 2003 Report Posted August 31, 2003 As I am one of those people who didnt read the whole JRR Tolkien sequence, for I didnt quite find it an interesting read, I did enjoy the movie(s). I just recently saw Two Towers on VHS and I thought it was a good movie, but as Wyvern said: the begining was a bit rushed, but upon thinking about it, the damned movie is already 3 hours long (sorry, just shy by 1 minute to be precise). I think anymore slowing down and I would have been stuck on that couch all day for oen movie, and same as the first. I do have to say, I loved the part where ..Whoops. HeH. DOnt want to give anything away. NvM.. LoL
Rhapsody Posted August 31, 2003 Report Posted August 31, 2003 Hmmm, I may be the only one, but I really enjoyed both the LotR movies. Then again, I'm a Tolkein fanatic. Admittedly, Tolkein's style is a bit on the dry side and his books are not the most entertaining read. But his plotline is good and Peter Jackson really took the storytelling to another level. The characters are well-cast and the handling of three major plotlines was done expertly. I think one of the highlights of the films is the scenery; the gorgeous New Zealand setting really brings Middle-Earth to life, esp. in the regions of the Shire, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlorien, Orthanc, and Helm's Deep. And the music is phenomenal, somewhat reliant on recurring themes, but that's the beauty of it. Viewers eventually relate a certain musical theme with a certain culture. The elves are given this ethereal vibe consisting of Oreintal instrumentals and the otherworldly voice of Enya. The hobbits, on the other hand, have a folksy upbeat string theme while Barad-dur has this off-kilter 5/4 meter replete with deep-voiced horns and percussion. I'm not much of a techie, but I thought the special effects were breathtaking and utterly convincing. True, much of the emphasis is on action sequences, but one must keep in mind that this is an adventure, first and foremost. The actual character confrontation between Frodo and the Ring don't actually come to the foreground until Return of the King. A note about the length: one must keep in mind that LotR is an epic whose actually history spans thousands of years. Tolkein wrote over 1000 pages in three seperate books. There is a lot of plotline and culture packed in those pages. The trouble with many moviegoers who haven't read the books are that they are oblivious to the fact that Tolkein spent his ENTIRE LIFE creating Middle Earth: the various cultures, different languages, geography, and history. To do even partial justice to Tolkein's vision requires a set length of time. All that having been said, let's just say I spent a good six weeks researching the LotR movies for an AP English film project last year. I know more about FotR than even I ever wanted to know. ***** As for other good movies, one word: Seabiscuit.
Appy Posted August 31, 2003 Report Posted August 31, 2003 Just for my two cents We bought "28 days later" on DVD before ever seeing it, and i think it was a good buy.. the beginning freaks one out yes, then it slows down again a bit but in the end you get maybe more action then one would like (I say the eye scene). Still, if talking about zombie movies, I can only say "Resident Evil".. why is it always the best chick that... oh wait, no spoilers As for Evangelion, I think I only saw "end of Evangelion" and it was.. well, weird. Especially if you don't know anything about the series, but then again, we watched it on one of our "anime and smoking pot" evenings... turned out fun anyways Further on the subject anime, I saw only a few episodes of Cowbow Bebop and find it entertaining, but i can't really form an opinion yet.. close call with Vash de Stampede.. what's the series called again? *smacks her head a bit* And the one serie I want to recommend is "Serial Experiments Lain". Beautiful artwork and intrigueing story, if somewhat slow and confusing at times...but definitly worth sitting through 13 episodes! I won't go into talking about LotR.. I just won't. One question I have in general, does Anyone here know the movie "Nowhere"?
reverie Posted September 1, 2003 Report Posted September 1, 2003 (edited) ...just saw cowboy-bebob on DVD. I liked ed. Random ed quotes: "mew?" "Ed find it!" "Fuuuunnnny Shaaaape" "Circles and Eyeballs, Circles and Eyeballs" "it's a Lympo lympo Lympocyte" Having had my own potenially near fatal brush with Lympocytes, I find Ed's light treatment of the subject refreshing. Kamacazi Lympocytes are no laughing matter, but for Ed's sake, I'll make an exception. Thanks Ed. revery the dreamlost "up in blue sky big silly blimp go by...(shampo/ranma1/2)" the dream continues... Edited September 1, 2003 by reverie
Arawn Posted September 3, 2003 Report Posted September 3, 2003 Trigun is the series with Vash the Stampede(sp?) Yes, Lain is very slow and confusing, but all together interesting. As for EOE (End of Evangelion) there are several websites where people sit and debate the ending. Afew books actually explain the whole thing, pretty wild stuff.
Tasslehoff Posted September 3, 2003 Report Posted September 3, 2003 Im watching Trigun here and there on Cartoon Network, during there Adult Swim, pretty cool show..
Wyvern Posted September 13, 2003 Author Report Posted September 13, 2003 Yesterday evening, I saw Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" on DVD. I had heard a lot of hype about this movie before seeing it, and must say that in this case I think that the hype was well-justified. It's certainly one of the most entertaining, thought-provoking, and shocking movies I've seen all year... and I usually don't like documentaries. ;p I thought that the concept of the oppresive fear portrayed in the American media breeding violence in America's culture was fascinating, and that some of the facts and interviews were excellent. "25th Hour," "Bowling for Columbine" and "The Hours" are currently my top three films of 2003.
reverie Posted September 14, 2003 Report Posted September 14, 2003 (edited) micheal moore is my hero... I formally resended my membership in blockbuster when the local chain in my area refused to carry it without explanation. So I wrote the President of Blockbuster a nice long letter and sent him my membership card... revery the dreamlost "because it must be so...(japanese phrase)" the dream continues... Edited September 14, 2003 by reverie
Wyvern Posted December 22, 2003 Author Report Posted December 22, 2003 Yesterday, I saw the horror movie "The Eye" in Cantonese with English subtitles, as I had heard several good reviews about it from numerous people. Unfortunately, I personally thought that the film was horrible. It played out like a poor man's version of "The Sixth Sense" to me, complete with extremely bad acting and plot. My complaints include some of the most pointless and poorly acted out romantic developments between characters I've seen in a while, and the genuinely comic plot development of ghosts being "caught in continual timewarps" (and yes, they really did use that). The film's only redeeming quality was an interesting twist near the very end, but that definitely was not enough to save it. Ironically, I think that the U.S is going to make an adaptation of this like they did with "The Ring," which I'll be sure to skip. Speaking of "The Ring," what are peoples thoughts on this film? I was thinking of renting it instead of "The Eye," but my sister told me it was a terrible movie...
Falcon2001 Posted December 22, 2003 Report Posted December 22, 2003 Even if the Ring doesn't scare you - and it scared the crud out of me - the acting and film quality are superb. It is, if nothing else, an EXTREMELY well made movie. I highly reccomend watching it.
lumpenproletariat Posted December 22, 2003 Report Posted December 22, 2003 (edited) The last movie I saw was Kill Bill, and I'd like to say its great, considering seeing it again. I didn't particularly like Jackie Brown. but Tarantino is back to the greatness of Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs in this film. Part 2 should make it a legend film, I feel. If you're not sensitive to blood, or underage, go and see it ps. Wyv, that concert I'm going to in January now has some Def Jux artists coming, like Aesop Rock....I'm hoping Rjd2 might be among the attendees too Edited December 22, 2003 by James
Wyvern Posted January 14, 2004 Author Report Posted January 14, 2004 Over the course of my Winter break, I had the chance to watch all 39 episodes of the classic 1950s comedy television series "The Honeymooners," which I gave to my parents as a Christmas present since it's always been one of their favorite shows. This show is proof that great comedy never ages, as I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and found the majority of them genuinely hilarious. Granted, one or two episodes have a few outdated moments of corniness, but overall it's startingly fresh and funny. The script is excellently written, the plots are original and well developed, and the acting is absolutely fantastic. Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and Audrey Meadows all have their unique qualities as actors, and compliment each other perfectly throughout the series. It's amazing how well this series stands up to modern sitcoms, as unlike recent series it really gets you grinning and laughing out loud. I'd definitely recommend seeing one or two episodes, particularly "A Matter of Record," "Dial 'J' for Janitor," or "Chef of the Future" if you can find them. Wyv- -who probably has a bit of Ralph Kramden somewhere in his bloodstream...
Alaeha Posted January 14, 2004 Report Posted January 14, 2004 Finally watched the Ring on new year's eve... and then I wondered where this thread was. I got nervous sometimes... but it scared me no more than the standard "action" flick to be honest. I thought it was well done... but killing the guy was unnecessary. I think it would've been a better movie if they'd ended it after they "freed" the girl and didn't die immediately. But the characters were colossally stupid. I mean really. If something was crawling through the screen of my TV into my living room, I'd throw furniture at the TV to break it. Or run as if Cerberus were nipping my heels. The kid got on my nerves. They should've killed him, rather than whats-his-name who played the kid's Dad. I mean at least he was cute.
DeanTheAdequate Posted January 14, 2004 Report Posted January 14, 2004 The Bebop Movie was way kewl... But you really had to be a Bebop fan to a) care or enjoy it fully. Luckily it is cool enough to get you friends asking questions. The only anime I saw in the theatre is "Metropolis". Good stuff! It was a comic book by the "God of Manga" himself- Osamu Tezuka, and a great film adaptation. As for Evangellion... It's pretty simple... Kinda... It's basically the rights of man vs. the decrees of God (Read Revelations and you'll find most of the Evangellion script there). It ssems that man decides to resist god, and almost provides his own undoing out of vanity and all the other selfish reasons we all have. Etc. Etc. I suggest you pick up Anime Insider's Decamber issue for a good discussion for what it all means. But when it comes to anime, Big O gave me a bit of a letdown at the end when it shed it's noir image and tried to be another "What is reality?" thing. Or, maybe it's just me.
Savannah Posted January 14, 2004 Report Posted January 14, 2004 Hmmm-I have watched The Ring about 45 times (it is my daughters favorite movie in the world -never would have guessed, huh?) and I still jump when she crawls out of that TV. Admittedly the actors do dumb stuff, but that is why we watch isn't it? So we can hide behind the couch and say NO Stupid-runnnnnnnnnnnn. She now wants the original version which is Japanese I think? Anyone know where I can get it? I need to be scared in a different language
Wyvern Posted May 1, 2004 Author Report Posted May 1, 2004 I finally managed to see Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" on DVD this evening... I was a bit skeptical of the film as I had heard mixed reviews of it from my friends... but after watching it, I must say that it's left me very impressed. This is one of the most stylistic films I've seen in a while, and it probably ranks alongside "25th Hour" as one of my favorite movies of 2003. The entire film plays out like an homage to old martial arts movies and anime while simultaneously parodying them and rendering the entire thing hilarious. You've got to give love to Tarantino for quoting "old klingon proverbs" and for giving so much camera time to peoples feet... Those who place an emphasis on plot in films might not enjoy it too much, and it's not for the faint of heart, but I would highly recommend "Kill Bill" to everyone else. I'll definitely have to go and see "Kill Bill Volume 2" in the theatres as soon as I get a chance.
Wyvern Posted June 2, 2004 Author Report Posted June 2, 2004 I managed to see "Kill Bill Vol. 2" in the theatres with a good friend of mine the other day. This movie marks the first time that I've been genuinely excited to see a film in the theatres in a long time, since I was a huge fan of the first volume and have loved all of Tarantino's other works. "Kill Bill Volume 2" was excellent, as I expected, though it was radically different from the first volume of "Kill Bill." I felt that whereas the first volume of the series placed an emphasis on making a comically surreal action flick, the second volume seemed to take things that would normally be considered comic and make them serious. I never thought that something like "the five finger exploding heart technique" could be dealt with in such an elegant and powerful manner... In terms of other films, I also recently saw "The Last Samurai" and "Something's Gotta Give" on DVD, which I'd tag "average Hollywood film with oriental flavoring" and "slightly above average Hollywood comedy (thanks to Jack Nicholson)" respectively. Having said this, Wyvern quickly hammers up a sign that reads "Be Back Saturday," whines about one of the few disadvantages of meeting with friends over the Summer, and rushes off to socialize...
Lady Celes Crusader Posted June 2, 2004 Report Posted June 2, 2004 I've did see Kill Bill vol. 1 as well, along with Celles and we both find it hilarious and stylistic as well. I reminded me a lot of Ninja Scroll in the way Tarentino deals with the violence: it was brutal, gory and bloody. What I really like of Quentin Tarantino is that he does what he wants, no matter if it'll be a box office hit or not. When he pulled off Pulp Fiction 10 years ago (*gasp* already!) it was politically incorrect to everyone's joy and it was very well directed.
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