Movies thread

[Temporal Knight]

I'll be attempting to see 9 this weekend as well with my two best friends.

It looks wonderful.

[FaustWolf]

If you're into anime in the slightest, you owe it to yourself to see Millennium Actress. Perfect Blue, also by Satoshi Kon, is a masterful look into sexism in some of its most brutal forms and the psychosocial repercussions on women. Viewer discretion advised on the latter one -- I actually had a plan to make a more family friendly cut and toss it up on Youtube or something but it's been put on hold indefinitely due to my inability to draw a brassiere.
 

Ohohoh, sweet bowdlerization. It should only be watched in the Spanish dub though, if you can find it. Neither the English nor the Japanese dubs got Mima right, but her Spanish voice actress was spot on. I think I'll upload a few minutes just to show the Spanish dub off sometime. What makes Satoshi Kon's movies so amazing is that they're utterly subjective; they could have an entirely different meaning to every individual watcher.

I'll second Lakon on "Everything is Illuminated." It starts out horribly slow, but when Elijah Wood's guide says "Welcome to the Ukraine!" at that dinner scene, it picks up and gets interesting. It's kind of quirky but works well; I'm not sure if there's anything it could be legitimately compared to.

[leena_zeal]

I saw The Pillow Book (1996) a few days ago. It's the story of "a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers" (yeah, too lazy to write a decent summary, so I borrowed this one from Wikipedia).

Beautiful, erotic movie, I had a wonderful time watching it. It is visually stunning, and the story flows in a lovely, very strange way, though I must admit it felt sluggish at times. It also made me want to learn Japanese calligraphy and fill my dull, white walls with different colored inks... Plus, it was nice seeing McGregor and not linking him automatically to Obi-Wan. I actually had a hard time recognizing him, but maybe that was due to the wine  

[IAmSerge]

I saw The Pillow Book (1996) a few days ago. It's the story of "a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers" (yeah, too lazy to write a decent summary, so I borrowed this one from Wikipedia).

Beautiful, erotic movie, I had a wonderful time watching it. It is visually stunning, and the story flows in a lovely, very strange way, though I must admit it felt sluggish at times. It also made me want to learn Japanese calligraphy and fill my dull, white walls with different colored inks... Plus, it was nice seeing McGregor and not linking him automatically to Obi-Wan. I actually had a hard time recognizing him, but maybe that was due to the wine  

leena!  its good to see you! havent seen you in so long!

[leena_zeal]

Yay! Someone missed me! 
I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but, ya know... I've been around.

Since this is a movie thread I feel compelled to recommend yet another weird movie I saw recently.

It's called Night Watch. It's this 2004 Russian film and it is as weird as hell. Supposedly it's the first part of a trilogy based on a book by the same name, but I haven't gotten the chance to see the second part, Day Watch. Dunno if the third part is already done.

Geez, I'm really bad at making movies seem like they're worth watching....

[GenesisOne]

I just finished seeing Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story on Encore last night.

Granted, the film took a lot of creative liberties and distortions of his biography for the sake of narrative, but it was an amazing film to watch regardless.  Who knew how much influence one man could bring to the world of martial arts?

[FaustWolf]

Yeah, the Bruce Lee story was fantastic. For a hilarious time, try playing the Chocobo battle theme from Final Fantasy VII while Lee is fighting that Shredder-like evil dude at the end.

[Shee]

Watched The Protector last night.  Tony Jaa(sp?) does the ill nasty all over again.  It was good to see my boy Hum Lee out there, even that's just his name from Ong Baak(sp?)

If you're into the ridiculous martial arts stuff, catch both of them.

[ONSLAUGHT]

Hay guize! Guez teh best moovey evar!

 

I had to...
You know it's gonna sell well, and it's gonna have plenty of success since... well... you know...
And yes, I made this really fats as you can see in the tabs my reply here is one of them.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

I have much respect for movies, because many people work so hard to get them out there... Plus, I like Diablo Cody as a writer.  But that movie looks God-awful.

[IAmSerge]

Not exactly a movie, but an anime series...

When They Cry, also known as Higurashi ni naku koro ni, is the single best anime series ive ever seen.

It has a follow-up series which is just as, if not even more, amazing as it was, called Higurashi ni naku koro ni Kai (Can be roughly translated as When They Cry, Solutions)

I also just finished the 5 episode add-on to it, called Higurashi ni naku koro ni Rei (not sure what the rei means).

I can say with 100% honesty its the single best anime series ive ever seen, possibly the single best series ive seen in general.

[GenesisOne]

Hmm...

I'd have to say that Rurouni Kenshin is the best anime series I've ever seen.

I liked to because what of the depths of the characters' past, the never-ending potpourri of jaw-dropping techniques and attacks, and the ever-so-frequent comical input to show that the author isn't just another gloomy, brooding, basket case with nothing but emo overtones in his work.

I don't like anime series that:

a) find an escape from a crisis via some supernatural/deux ex machina means.
b) keep their characters two-dimensional.
c) drag out their incidents over the course of a season with no resolution.
d) continue making episodes just for the sake of continuation/fan appeal.

As for choice d), there is such a thing as ending a series.  I mean, come on!  Even Akira Toriyama knew when to end the Dragon Ball series.

What says you?

[Truthordeal]

Hmm...

I'd have to say that Rurouni Kenshin is the best anime series I've ever seen.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEAH!

I completely agree with you, and I'm glad to have found someone else on the Internet that actually knows what Ruroken is.

[alfadorredux]

I found that Kenshin mostly fell apart somewhere in the third season, myself, but the Kyoto arc was kickass (and I don't often say things like that about long shounen series).

(Yeah, I watch a lot of anime.)

[Mr Bekkler]

Yay! Someone missed me!  
I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but, ya know... I've been around.

Since this is a movie thread I feel compelled to recommend yet another weird movie I saw recently.

It's called Night Watch. It's this 2004 Russian film and it is as weird as hell. Supposedly it's the first part of a trilogy based on a book by the same name, but I haven't gotten the chance to see the second part, Day Watch. Dunno if the third part is already done.

Geez, I'm really bad at making movies seem like they're worth watching....

No, Night Watch is AMAZING. My band is named after The Gloom in that movie! Little known fact.

You have to see the sequel, it wraps the story up completely and becomes a (dare i say more entertaining than the first?) second half of a whole piece of art. Last I heard, they're not doing the third one. And I don't care too much, cause if they did, they'd probably make it in America and it would get the "Hollywood treatment".

But yes. Night Watch and Day Watch. If you like supernatural shit at all, these movies are made so creatively that you won't even think of it as a Russian movie or a Vampire movie or an Action movie. It's a beautiful and engaging cinematic experience!