Movie/TV recommendations

[brkl]

Totoro...

[Wrestlevania]

See, now, those of you with email notifications switched on will note that that was my original spelling. But I changed it due to peer pressure.

[n0wak]

In the past few weeks I've seen Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away and tonight I'm watching My Neighbor Totoro. I haven't been in the mood to watch too many movies and these did the trick.

While you're at it, watch Grave of the Fireflies.

[Roderick]

Don't forget Princess Mononoke; one of Miyazaki's best. Not really like the 'little kid in magical world' movies like Totoro, Spirited Away or (arguably) Howl's Moving Castle, but hugely brilliant in itself; with fairytale creates and bizarre Japanese mythology in a lush forest world.

[vimes]

All Ghibli's - except the last one and Howl's Moving Castle - are awesome but among the Miyazaki' movies I've got a soft spot for Kiki's Delivery service which has a slow pace, a surreal European feel and really touching characters.

[Ginger]

Be careful with Grave of fireflies, it is Watership Down ^10.

(in sad making not bunnies)

[LOPcagney]

While you're at it, watch Grave of the Fireflies.

I never saw Grave of Fireflies or Kiki's. I loved the rest though, and I think Castle in the Sky deserves a mention: I thought it was spectacular. I wasn't crazy about Howl's moving castle: There were one or two incredible scenes:

The birds over the battlefield, the flying ships, the castle itself...

But overall I thought it felt lazier than Spirited Away and the ending was a disappointment in my opinion.

By the way, speaking of Howl's Moving Castle...

[Wrestlevania]

Mrs V and I are confirmed fans of Mononoke and Spirited Away fans, but they're a bit too spectral for the little 'uns just yet. So we'll wait to show them those.

Can't wait to see what the girls make of the Cat-Bus in Totoro though!

By the way, speaking of Howl's Moving Castle...

That's exquisite!

[twmac]

I'm a little out of date but I finally watched Fast Food Nation and was quite impressed with it. It was weird seeing Richard Linklater try his hand at this as it wasn't any where near as wordy as some of his other films. Greg Kinnear is good and the appearance of Avril Lavigne didn't spoil it.

I also finally watched Intacto properly and that was pretty damn good apart from the filming of it, I can't put my finger on it but it felt like it was made for TV, albeit a really good TV film.

[brkl]

I've only seen A Scanner Darkly. What are his other films like?

[twmac]

I've only seen A Scanner Darkly. What are his other films like?

Wow, Really?

Dazed and Confused - Feel good 70's based film that I highly recommend you see, nothing happens but it is great. People are getting together for this party and it follows different people as they get ready for it. Lots of drinking and smoking, accompanied by hypothesing about random stuff (Gilligan's island, people's future, shagging etc). It is probably Matthew Mchonaughey's best film(please note he is not the main character).

Before Sunrise and Before Sunset - Very talky, but nice in the sense you get a really good feeling about how the two people play off of each other and it feels more realistic than most romantic dramas.

The Newton boys - Don't watch this, no one else did. It isn't bad just wholy generic.

Suburbia - The one that Linklater did has Giovanni Ribsi and Steve Zahn in it, it is set around around a convenience store, tons of talking and it definitely has a 90's feel to it. I really liked it as it reminded me of my wasted youth.

Waking Life - A lot of the techniques from A Scanner darkly were used here first. Really good film (if a little pretentious in places) and it has a lot of theories on the ideas behind life and death (plus a cameo from the characters in the 'Before' series)

I think he also did School of Rock, I didn't bother watching that.

[brkl]

Thanks! I don't know how I managed to forgot Waking Life, I have that on DVD. It's great. I'll try to track down some of the other movies.

[DanJW]

I finally got round to seeing Enchanted.

It was.. OK. Not as good as the buzz surrounding it would warrant. Shrek did the same basic thing better, seven years ago. It lacked enough sting in the fairy tail.

[LOPcagney]

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this here already, but definitely check out Diva. It's got to be one of the best movies I've ever seen. It's this really well-directed, beautifully-shot thriller-romance about a man who's obsessed with an opera singer (who swears that she'll never sign to a record company) and who creates a "perfect" bootleg of one of her concerts. The atmosphere of the film is incredible: It makes you want to live in an apartment in France in the '80s.

Edit: This

is perfect because it gives you a good idea of what to expect without giving anything away.

[n0wak]

Before Sunrise and Before Sunset - Very talky, but nice in the sense you get a really good feeling about how the two people play off of each other and it feels more realistic than most romantic dramas.

YES Highly recommended. It might lower my GUY-CRED by totally recommending a "romance" film, but it's awesome.

Julie Delpy = swoon.

[Wrestlevania]

Meant to say that I watched Sweeney Todd with Mrs V a little while back. Seems Burton's starting a trend in grossly over-produced musical clangers; it's arse. The score never seems to change throughout, whilst Depp and co screech as best they can over the top.

It drags on and on, pointlessly examining plot details at a very superficial level without actually adding anything. It's like someone's listened to one Lloyd-Webber production on tape, have never actually seen the stage show in person, then tried to emulate it using just one arrangement over and over in every scene.

We found it excruciating to watch within the first half-hour, but persisted to the end anyway. Really don't recommend wasting your time though--very poor.

[Thrik]

Interesting — it got very good reviews.

I'll have to watch it myself to decide. I can never trust anyone when you have some saying it's ace and some saying it's shit.

[Wrestlevania]

And I wouldn't want you to.

Do post your thoughts though, please?

[Ginger]

I really enjoyed todd, I hadn't checked any hype/previews and was shocked to find out it was a musical. I agree with your point about the score being very samey, but I quite enjoyed it. Actually while writing this I'm struggling to remember why I enjoyed it as I agree with all of your criticism, maybe it was having no expectations (I had never even heard the story and i don't expect much from Burton these days) combined with being shallow.

Join me in a Yay for being shallow (no fat chicks pls)

[Scrobbs]

I liked Sweeney Todd.

Just watched Son of Rambow last night. That was top fun! Doubly so as I grew up in the 80's I guess, which might be who it's aimed at. Kids fuck about just as much now though as they did - or was it more innocent then?

[Scrobbs]

...and I've just seen the trailer for 'The Cottage'. Looks quite good - silly nonsense, but quite good all the same.

[miffy495]

I thought Sweeny Todd was pretty good. Nothing spectacular, but enjoyable and I left the theater feeling impressed. Burton peaked with Ed Wood, as I see it, but this managed to bring a bit of whatever made his older movies good back.

[Dr.Gash]

I saw a couple of really good British short films yesterday at the britspotting festival here in Berlin...

Soft, directed by Simon Ellis, is the story of a father and son being terrorised by a bunch of chavs. The ending is pure catharsis.

Grrrr, dir by Grigoris Leontiades, is a very cool little animation about a kid emulating his dad.

There were more as well, all were definitely worth checking out. I love short films.

As an aside, Simon Ellis also did a wicked little short called Telling Lies which you can watch at the BBC Film Network website.

[miffy495]

It's mid-April. I'm Canadian. Hockeyhockeyhockeyhockeyhockey. It's a little awkward because I hate my city's team and my team didn't make the playoffs this year (I'm a die hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan who moved across the country when I was a teen) but I'm still enjoying watching whatever games I can. I'm pretty much going to be parked in front of CBC watching game after game after game until the playoffs are over in May. Life goes on hold until the games are over. Or at least until between periods. For example, right now I'm writing this between the second and third periods of game 4 or the Flames/Sharks series. (Go Sharks! Put this stupid city in it's place! ...god I need to move somewhere I like.)

I very rarely get into total guy "beer and sports" mode, but dammit, it's that time of the year.

[n0wak]

It's a little awkward because I hate my city's team and my team didn't make the playoffs this year (I'm a die hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan who moved across the country when I was a teen) but I'm still enjoying watching whatever games I can.

So then you are very happy about the Pens' performance, yes?

I'm on the same boat as you. This is the best time of the year for TV. Meaningful, great hockey games EVERY EVENING. Oh yes.

And soon there'll be NBA playoffs too.