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Movies You've Seen Recently III: The Third Chapter

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I found Ghost in the Shell to be very boring. I could not finish it. I use to like anime series, not movies. Even Evangellion is pretty boring.

Ghibli movies are not anime.
 
Ghibli movies are not anime.
Why? Anime is the popular colloquialism for Japanese animation in the vein of Tezuka (and, therefore, Disney). Both Miyazaki and Takahata combine Western and Japanese cultural influences in their works; by the semantic definition, they make anime.
 
Why? Anime is the popular colloquialism for Japanese animation in the vein of Tezuka (and, therefore, Disney). Both Miyazaki and Takahata combine Western and Japanese cultural influences in their works; by the semantic definition, they make anime.

Technically you are right. Now, I've never seen anything of similar quality in the anime world from another studio. But then again, I've been out of it for over 4 years.
 
Anime movie recommendations?

I've seen Akira, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke.

I'm pretty sure you'll love - Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday.

Plus I recommend everything else that was mentioned before.
 
Yeah, I don't want to feel I'm having to make room in my schedule to justify my subscription. I'd like to use Movie Pass in a meaningful way if at all possible, but that's not going to happen where I live for a long time. If the Drafthouse in Richardson supports it, I'll consider—I might get a job there, though.

Shit: we three just posted at the same time, I never expected to get sandwiched. GitS is quite good.

It'll support it. All 4 of the Drafthouse locations here do. Can't see why it would be any different there.


Speaking of the Drafthouses...anyone going to the closing night stuff at the South Lamar tonight (closing for renovations...opening supposedly for Fantastic Fest)?

I'm thinking that I'll try and do 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her and Pieta.


edit: Only Yesterday is so good. My favorite of the Ghibli releases that I've seen.
 
As in you don't think they will be finished or that it's gonna be all the way until December before you can go back to the Lamar?

edit: TCM/TCM 3D with Hooper in attendance sold out otherwise I'd see that instead of Pieta.
 
Technically you are right. Now, I've never seen anything of similar quality in the anime world from another studio. But then again, I've been out of it for over 4 years.
Uh, okay. It's still anime. Miyazaki and Takahata haven't been at Ghibli for their entire lives either.
 
Uh, okay. It's still anime. Miyazaki and Takahata haven't been at Ghibli for their entire lives either.

You have to admit, movies like Spirited Away are at a different level from stuff like Evangellion.
 
Technically you are right. Now, I've never seen anything of similar quality in the anime world from another studio. But then again, I've been out of it for over 4 years.
No biggie, might I add. I'm just conditioned to respond whenever someone mentions that.

It'll support it. All 4 of the Drafthouse locations here do. Can't see why it would be any different there.
Cool. I might have to eat my words but, then again, it's the first interesting theater close to my area (Richardson's a hare's hop away from north Dallas).
 
Technically you are right. Now, I've never seen anything of similar quality in the anime world from another studio. But then again, I've been out of it for over 4 years.
You kind of sound like the same person that insists some of Kurt Vonnegut novels aren't science fiction.:p
You have to admit, movies like Spirited Away are at a different level from stuff like Evangellion.
I generally like Evangelion better than Spirited Away but that's just my personal bias speaking. From a objective standpoint both are classic works in their own respective genre anyhow.
 
You have to admit, movies like Spirited Away are at a different level from stuff like Evangellion.
So what? The quality doesn't have anything to do with it being Japanese animation. What are you trying to say "anime" is then if not just that?
 
Like Pizzaroll said: Takahata's the master. He and Osumi are two of the most subtle anime directors, closer to Japanese auteurs like Mizoguchi and Ozu than most others. I definitely recommend taking a look at anything they've done, though Osumi's difficult to track down outside of his Lupin episodes.
 
Totally missed that there was a new thread; I was wondering why it wasn't popping up in my subscriptions. I might even contribute this year, imagine that.
 
Killing Them Softly - That was short and I didn't get much out of it. Didn't care about the characters even with some actors I love like Scoot McNairy and Richard Jenkins. Too many names thrown around like Dillon, Johnny, not knowing who they are or what was happening. For much of the dialogue, I was left in the cold. I didn't really mind the economic crisis /Obama stuff as the background, but Brad Pitt's punchline at the end about America not being a community and is just a business felt "so what?".

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Still, has a great look to it, some cool cinematography like the door cam or the romantic gunshots, and I at least liked the actors do their thing with interesting accents. What accent is that?

Interesting to have Ray Liotta go from badass in Goodfellas contrasted here as the fall guy who gets beat the shit out of.
 
It's been months since I've seen Holy Motors and it still hasn't settled in. The mocap scene seriously, seriously grosses me out.
 
So I never really keep up with movies. I'm hip with music and games year round, but I never watch the "big" films from each yr until everyone is talking about them in December. What are some informative sites to keep bookmarked?

Might as well talk about what I've seen recently. Saw Django on the first. Enjoyed it. Much funnier than I expected, and more violent too. However I'm getting a little tired of the QT formula of over the top vengeance movies. I just feel like he could do something a little bit more... Memorable. And unpredictable. But yeah all of these movies are still fun and tense and packed with great performances, so I can't really complain that much.

Just watched Run Lola Run for kicks cause I've never seen it before. Nothing super offensive, but it just didn't really grab my attention. Although the soundtrack kicks ass.
 
Django Unchained - I expect better from Tarantino. It's enjoyable enough but the violence is over-the-top and borderline annoying, the last act is sloppy as hell, and only Christophe Waltz plays a character who isn't a complete cartoon. And I don't see what's supposed to be so provocative about its take on racism.
 
Thanks. Will watch Ghost in the Shell today!
Good choice. :)
Django Unchained - I expect better from Tarantino. It's enjoyable enough but the violence is over-the-top and borderline annoying, the last act is sloppy as hell, and only Christophe Waltz plays a character who isn't a complete cartoon. And I don't see what's supposed to be so provocative about its take on racism.
I agree the last act is lacking. It's provocative relative to the genre.
 
In order to be called anime, it needs one thing: tentacles. Something that Princess Mononoke doesn't ha- well shit.
 
Yellow Brick Road: yay or nay?

Also, what was that film about a female Sai Baba and a couple infiltrating in her sect to make a documentary? The plot was something of the sort, i think it was called something like "The Voice" but i can't find anything, it was fairly recent (2011/2012).
 
Has anyone seen hope springs? I won't give it away but I have to say
I was surprised by Tommy Lees Jones character at the end of the movie. It really surprised me that he let his guard down like that. I honestly expected a divorce. His wife even talked about being seperated.
 
I agree the last act is lacking. It's provocative relative to the genre.

I guess I can agree with that. But there was a lot of hype about how Tarantino was blowing up the whole issue of race, and I saw a bunch of scenes that seemed to be toying with some of the conventions of the genre when it comes to that issue but never really added up to much.
 
Finally watched Die Hard for the first time.

Pretty cool, not as AMAZING as everyone kept telling, but I guess that's the legacy.


Also went on a Western-binge and bought all Wayne movies.

Watched 3:10 to Yuma (2007), which was bloody awesome with an even better soundtrack.


Started with The Assassination of Jesse James. I like it, especially the narration. Not a standard western, more of an arthouse-ish drama western.
I'm not too sure what I think of Brad Pitt, I'm not sure I like his acting in the movie yet. But, time will tell.
 
Finally watched Die Hard for the first time.

Pretty cool, not as AMAZING as everyone kept telling, but I guess that's the legacy.


Also went on a Western-binge and bought all Wayne movies.

Watched 3:10 to Yuma (2007), which was bloody awesome with an even better soundtrack.


Started with The Assassination of Jesse James. I like it, especially the narration. Not a standard western, more of an arthouse-ish drama western.
I'm not too sure what I think of Brad Pitt, I'm not sure I like his acting in the movie yet. But, time will tell.

Get the Leone dollars trilogy, and Once Upon a Time in the West.
 
Children of Men - Absolutely loved it. Really hopeful and touching despite the bleak and depressing atmosphere the film has. My favourite aspect was by far the incredible cinematography. I was floored by the amount and quality of all the single takes this film has. Alongside the sheer effectiveness of the shaky cam used, these two techniques really made me feel like an active participant with Theo on his journey. Also one of my favourite depictions of a semi-futuristic dystopia. 4.5/5

Le Havre - Charming and sweet film that can only be described as a modern fairy tale. Nothing spectacular in it but the colour palette used was very visually striking. I'm excited to check out more of Kaurismaki's films. 4/5
 
Is Ghost in the Shell good?

Ghost in the Shell is a beautiful film that I consistently fall asleep to about a half hour in. Plenty of people love the flick so it's certainly worth watching to judge for yourself, but for me it's kinda like animated Ambien, side-effects included. For Oshii, I'd recommend watching Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer and the Patlabor films, since I can stay awake during those flicks and love 'em to death.

I second the recommendations of Redline, Mind Game, Perfect Blue, and especially Millennium Actress, which is one of my all time favorite films, anime or otherwise. Redline is a cross between Akira and Wacky Racers and it is all the way badass. Mind Game is batshit insane in all of the best ways and has the most exuberant running sequence of all time. Perfect Blue is a superior psychological thriller. And, Millennium Actress is a love letter to Japanese cinema of the 30s through the early 60s. Hell, while we're talking Satoshi Kon just go ahead and pencil in Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika.

My all-time favorite Ghibli flick is Porco Rosso, which is about air pirates of the Adriatic during the early 30s. If that doesn't sell you on a cartoon, I don't know what will. While we're talking Miyazaki, Nausicaa and Laputa: Castle in the Sky are wonderful adventure films, and the pre-Ghibli Lupin III flick Castle of Cagliostro is incredibly entertaining. Basically everyone likes Cagliostro. However, the real Ghibli action is with Takahata: Only Yesterday, Tanuki Pon Poko, and My Neighbors The Yamadas are all loaded to the gills with quiet charm.

See if you can track down a copy of Flying Ghost Ship, which is magnificently deranged in a 1960s boy's adventure film sort of way.

I like the way Yoshiaki Kawajiri's flicks are awesomely gratuitous. Check out Wicked City (which is kinda like Michael Mann meets Legend of the Overfiend; it's basically obscene, but in a badass, super 80s sort of way) and Ninja Scroll (which adds demons to the chanbara formula and is incredibly violent).

Memories is an anthology film with three segments: the haunting hard SF of "Magnetic Rose", the funky black comedy of "Stink Bomb" (complete with awesome ska soundtrack), and "Cannon Fodder", wherein Otomo basically animates a European comic in the vein of Mobius and Heavy Metal. I'd add that to your to-watch list.

Dragoon, I've been meaning to watch Run, Melos for ages, so I'll consider your pimping the flick to be the necessary kick in the ass to make it happen. I love the early episodes of the first Lupin TV series before Takahata and Miyazaki reworked the show, so consider me definitely up for more Osumi.

FnordChan
 
Dragoon, I've been meaning to watch Run, Melos for ages, so I'll consider your pimping the flick to be the necessary kick in the ass to make it happen. I love the early episodes of the first Lupin TV series before Takahata and Miyazaki reworked the show, so consider me definitely up for more Osumi.

FnordChan
Whatever you do, don't watch Run Melos thinking it's too similar to what he did with Lupin. There are similarities, but they're mostly in his directorial form and not in the content itself. Run Melos is something of a Hellenistic feel-good story by the end of it, though it deals with more serious themes than most other anime films.
 
I dig the first GitS, but GitS: Innocence was hella masturbatory, at least when i watched it (whenever it came out in the theaters, years ago).
Maybe i'll give it another shot, since Icarus usually has good tastes on the matter.
Anyway, i approve of the Redline mention, the script could use some trimming, but when the movie delivers, it delivers in spades; crazier than Speedracer, even.

EDIT: Also, Oshii should stop ruining his movies with crap CGI.
 
I dig the first GitS, but GitS: Innocence was hella masturbatory, at least when i watched it (whenever it came out in the theaters, years ago).
Maybe i'll give it another shot, since Icarus usually has good tastes on the matter.
Anyway, i approve of the Redline mention, the script could use some trimming, but when the movie delivers, it delivers in spades; crazier than Speedracer, even.

EDIT: Also, Oshii should stop ruining his movies with crap CGI.
Innocence was scripted by Oshii, unlike the first film. So it's pure Oshii, for better or worse. The CG was actually implemented fairly well, I thought. Minus some particularly dubious shots.
 
Oshii's non-Avalon live action stuff can only be appreciated if you're a far far far off the deep end animation nerd who can get a kick out of things like Yasuo Otsuka being an actor in one of his movies or all the characters being named things like Kitakubo, Itano, Izubuchi, etc.

So that narrows down the audience to nobody I guess.
 
Man that battle at the end of Macross Frontier The False Songstress was the fucking shit. I wish a live action film could pull that shit off.
 
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