... whoops...

So... talk about forgetting to make this blog at all Springfield-relevant...

In my earlier posts, you all have probably noticed that I told you where to find these movies around town. For some reason, I randomly forgot how to do that... apparently.

The last three I've posted (+ one anime corner selection) can all be found at the Blockbuster on Glenstone and Grand. These were: Casshern, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Natural City, and Princess Mononoke (anime corner). I'm sure they can be found at any Blockbuster, but I've never rented them from another place so be sure to call first and check.

Casshern and Princess Mononoke will definitely be available for purchase at Entertainmart or Vintage Stock. I'm still getting familiar with Y Tu Mama Tambien, so I'm not sure of its popularity here in the states (meaning, no idea how widespread you'd find it in Missouri). Natural City's pretty obscure state-side, so if you're lucky to find it, kudos! But I would recommend online purchase--faster and cheaper :)

Anime Corner

In this corner: Princess Mononoke

Blurb: "While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the warrior Ashitaka is cursed with a rapidly spreading scar that threatens to end his life. Seeking a cure and a reason for the animal-god's attack, he journeys into the sacred depths of the Great Forest Spirit's realm. On the edge of this once serene forest, however, the Tatara clan have begun to destroy the surrounding land to produce iron. In retaliation, San, the adopted daughter of the wolf-god Moro, has begun raiding the Tatara fortress to stop their encroachment. Soon Ashitaka is caught in the middle and must stop the war between the humans and the forest dwellers before they destroy each other." (rottentomatoes.com)

Notables: 11 award wins and 5 nominations (according to imdb.com, though not all are listed); including award from the Japanese Academy for best film

My thoughts: 5/5

This is possibly one of the best animated films I've ever seen. Hayao Miyazaki once again marries beautiful artwork with a storyline that will find its way into the classics. True to his normal style, the film does contain a bit (understatement) of social commentary. Still, it is a fantasy unlike any other (remember wanting to ride around on giant animals when you were a kid? well, they get to!). It hearkens up childhood memories while still providing adult-level entertainment--something I'm starting to believe only Miyazaki can do.

Really, I have no complaints with this film. There are a few loose ends that could have been raveled up, but nothing that cuts into the basic plot as a whole. I've even watched the English dub of this film (in fact, that's how I was introduced to it), and truthfully it's one of the better ones I've seen. So for this one, I of course always recommend the subtitled version (the language is Japanese for anyone who doesn't know)--but if you're not wanting to read along, I definitely give the "OK" for the dub.

Side note for parents: this one's okay for slightly older kids, I'd say. By our standards it would probably have a PG rating, mostly for violence.

Natural City

Blurb: "Earning comparisons to such classics as Blade Runner and The Matrix, this Korean sci-fi feature takes place in the year 2080. Following a battle that nearly destroyed everything, a city has been rebuilt. This city is technologically advanced, and has become dependent on the cyborgs that its people created. Similar in many ways to humans, the cyborgs gradually begin to rebel against their makers. Torn between his secret love for a cyborg and and his duty to his fellow humans, R must make a world-shattering choice." (rottentomatoes.com)

Notables: Won the Grand Bell Award in South Korea (Best Visual Effects), nominated for best film at Fantasporta (International Fantasy Film Award)

My thoughts: 4/5
I've only seen this once, but Natural City definitely made an impression on me. Unlike most sci-fi (especially a lot of Asian-country based sci-fi's) films, Natural City has a pretty good blend of amazing technological goodies and actual plot-line that's understandable. It surprised me, to be sure. I was watching an action packed thrill fest with lots of flashy lights and gadgets, when suddenly the age-old "human element" snuck up on me and whacked me over the head with a tear-jerking scene.

And yes, I know "snuck" is not a word.

Natural City's language is Korean, as mentioned above. The subtitles are on par, but I have not watched the dubbed version (I never do, to be fair). The main characters (R, Cyon, and Ria) each have their own likability that keep the story interesting. Though I will admit, if you're one for character development, it doesn't happen much in this film (barring a couple characters, and the changes are a bit minor in most instances).

I give it a 4/5 because the writers tried to use mystery as a plot device, and in my opinion kind of failed. It's entertaining, visually stimulating to boot, and the ending is heartfelt (albeit on the depressing end of the spectrum). But holding off valuable information pretty much throughout the film makes most viewers (especially those not savvy to the common blunders of subtitles) a little confused. Still, as long as it's worth a second watch--which I say it is--I guess the bits you miss out on the first round come into focus the next time.

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Blurb: "Abandoned by their girlfriends for the summer, teenagers Tenoch and Julio meet the older Luisa at a wedding.  Trying to be impressive, the friends tell Luisa they are headed on a road trip to a beautiful, secret beach called Boca del Cielo.  Intrigued with their story and desperate to escape, Luisa asks is she can join them on their trip.  Soon the three are headed out of Mexico City, making their way toward the fictional destination.  Along the way, seduction, argument and the contrast of the trio against the harsh realities of the surrounding poverty ensue." (imdb.com)

Notables: Between 2001 and 2003, "Mama" won 27 various awards (Venice Film Festival's best screenplay award) and was nominated for 16 including an Oscar.  Because imdb.com is only allowed to display so much for free, there are most likely more than this!

My Thoughts: 4/5

AWKWARD!!  While most synopsis will tell you there is sexual content, they REALLY glaze over how much.  I wouldn't call these scenes "gratuitous," but I also had a hard time watching it with two of my girlfriends.  The plot deals with social issues as well as elements of the human condition, regardless of $$$ lines.  It shows the power of sex and the effects it can have on the basic relationships we're all apart of.  The dialogue is funny, and the character of Luisa (played by Maribel Verdu, "Mercedes" from Pan's Labyrinth) is powerful and amazing.  But this is definitely a film I would recommend watching alone (get your mind out of the gutter)!  Solely because the content will most likely make you really uncomfortable in the presence of others.

I give it a 4/5.  The subtitles are well done and the story is compelling.  But again, it's not a friend-gathering movie :)

Casshern

Blurb: "In a world with an alternate history, a great war finally comes to an end leaving the earth diseased and polluted.  The geneticist Dr. Azuma vies for support from the government for his neo-cell treatment that he claims can rejuvenate the body and regenerate humankind.  The government leaders, guarding their own deeply entrenched powers, turn down the professor.  Driven to complete his work, Dr. Azuma accepts a secret offer from a sinister faction of the powerful military.  After an incident occurs in Dr. Azuma's lab, a race of mutant humans known as the Shinzo Ningen are unleashed upon the world.  Now only the warrior known as Casshern, reincarnated with an invincible body, stands between the Shinzo Ningen and a world on the brink of annihilation." (imdb.com)

Notables: No awards are mentioned on imdb.com.  Unfortunately, the "official" movie page won't load on my computer.  To be honest, if it didn't receive anything, I'm not surprised.

My thoughts: 3/5

Calling all scifi-action fans!  Really, this is a movie for you... and pretty much only you.  I love scifi, and even though I'm not much of an action fan, the movie at least kept me interested.  However, if you're not very good at reading and interpreting subtitles, or even know much about the 1973 anime (or really, Japanese myth in general), you will spend most of this movie confused.  Being an everything-Japanese fanatic, I was mostly okay... but even I had moments of "wtf mate?"  The costuming is good, and the art direction you can tell was a huge focus.  With scenes shot in both black & white and color (with some in that nifty black & white with bits of color, like a character's eyes or a thing of flowers), there's definitely a lot of visual variety to be had.  But truthfully, the story is complicated and often times depressing.  However, there is a wonderful twist in the climax that harkens to the greatest of traditional scifi literature, raising social questions that will leave your jaw open and your mind churning for at least an hour afterward.

I give it 3/5 because I know everyone's first reaction will be "...huh?"  But if you can stand to watch it through again, you'll find a lot of cultural relevant nuggets among the power-packed scifi ride.

Anime Corner (continued)

In this Corner: Howl's Moving Castle

Blurb: 18-year-old Sophie Hatter's life is turned upside down when she is confronted by a witch and turned into an old hag by an evil curse. Ashamed of her appearance and knowing she can't continue her normal life, working in her mother's hat shop, Sophie flees for the hills in hopes of finding a way to break her curse. She is then swept up into a grand adventure when she is rescued by a castle roaming the hills on four legs. The moving castle is said to belong to the handsome young wizard Howl, who has a frightening reputation of eating the hearts of beautiful young women. Aboard the castle, Sophie befriends the fire demon Calcifer, who agrees to help break her curse if she can free him from the contract he has with Howl. As the two try to discover ways to help each other, Sophie's presence makes the castle come alive again and she finds herself falling in love with Howl.

Notables: Between 2004 and 2006, this film was nominated at several different events for a total of 12 awards, and won 8 awards. Including winner of animation of the year in 2005 at the Hollywood Film Festival, and an Oscar nomination in 2006. For a complete list of these nominations and wins, refer to imdb.com (Howl's Moving Castle).

My thoughts: 4.5/5 This story is best described as heartwarming. If you're looking for the warm-fuzzy feelings, this has everything you could possibly want. The characters are endearing and some of them downright adorable. The story is really enchanting, and Sophie Hatter is a perfect heroine to follow in this fantasy tale. The love story is obvious enough that children (particularly girls, 10+) can pick up on it the way they would a treasured Disney movie, but definitely one of the more kid-friendly anime films I've seen. The animation itself is well done. I'm a particular fan of Hayao Miyazaki's work, and in "Anime Corner" you'll see a lot of his stuff mentioned. This is one of his better ones, I would argue.

I give it a 4.5 solely because both of the language selections have a little fault or two that make the inexperienced watcher either confused or turned-off from the film. In the Japanese + subtitles version, a critical piece of information (which if you decide to watch I'll be happy to tell you) isn't translated into English and you'll miss it entirely. In the English dubbed version, you have to deal with Christian Bale's atrocious voice-acting. If you'd prefer to watch the English, the remainder of the cast makes up for it. I think Billy Crystal as Calcifer is an amazing portrayal, for example--lots of laughs! But if you just can't get past Batman as Howl, then I'd be happy to give away the little bit of info you'd miss in the original Japanese.

I own this movie! I'm sure it can be purchased at Entertainmart or Vintage Stock for an OK price. However, if you'd rather watch before you buy, I'd be happy to loan my copy to you as long as you promise on pain of death to return it in the same happy way it left me ^_^

Anime Corner

Okay, so I'm giving into my more nerdy desires and have decided to start a little special section for my blog called "Anime Corner." Just to give you a little idea, "Anime Corner" will always be the title for each of these posts and they'll appear in my blog just like any other review I do. I'm making sure to distinct these posts from others just because anime is much different from your average foreign film, and because almost all of them are Asian-produced (usually Japanese). This way, if you're not an anime fan, or want to stick to the regular films, you'll know this post is a good one for you to skip. But I encourage everyone to try and watch at least one of these films! It's a good way to branch out.

If you don't know about anime, I'll give you a little background and then put my actual review in a following post. Anime is basically the title we use to distinguish Japanese animation films or television series from American cartoons. These films/series (I'll be focusing on films) have a completely unique style of drawing and their stories are often based somewhere in (typically) Japanese myth. Most of these creations aren't really "kid-friendly," hence why we avoid the term "cartoon." But the animation does give each one that nostalgic feel of watching beloved cartoons, and that's why I think anime is such a great art form. It's got the same warm-fuzzies of a cartoon, but characters and plots that adults and even older kids (depending on the film I'd say 11/12+) can appreciate.

Obviously, for more information on the history of anime, just type it into a search engine. I recommend ask.com because you avoid a lot of advertisements. But Google is always a good friend. Oh, and another catch... many of these films won't be available for renting. Some will--the more popular ones have found their way onto Blockbuster shelves. But others are still pretty obscure, and I will try my hardest to find a rental for them, or at least somewhere they can be purchased for cheap and then resold if you don't find it your cup of tea.