2016 The Year of Films [July]

 July... More films!
 Link to the film INDEX

01. 6:45 a.m. SUN 31 August 2014 [Short] (06.07.16)
Very well realised. What ever it is. Very strange but compelling short film with some haunting music and very detailed art. Something deeper behind it but I don't see what.

02. Rain Town [Short] (06.07.16)
Powerful in a small package. Loved it to bits, the style and tone makes for a film with a tone of heart. Lovely little story of a robot and underlying themes of loneliness and even depression. No vocals needed here, the story shone through just pay attention.

03. Way back to the Sea [Short] (07.07.16)
Sad little story, child helping out a creature and in the end letting it go. Very cool art work, a very deliberate sketched style. Nice music and a very nicely done p.o.v sequence.

04. Silent Hill (08.07.16)
Just a few little grumbles here and there but overall a solid film. Some of the dialogues is bad, as are the cg critters. Odd plot and even odder ending but the film did make sense. Loved the flashback exposition part and the little girl was good.

05. Mission Impossible 2 (09.07.16)
That hair!!! Very stylish but in strange ways, but that is what happens when the director is Ang Lee. Not the  most compelling plot or anything but it works a a frame to gets some sneaking followed by far too much action. Nice film just forgettable.

06. Garuda [Short] (10.07.16)
Fighting and dancing, in film they are almost the same. Some films have too much choreography in the fights and it is a waltz. Here we have to friends set at each other in what we see to be a fight to the death and it could be one sided. Loved this short film the animation and music is superb and the story telling is very effective.

07. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (11.07.16)
Still great, only the third time I've seen it and the first in Japanese. Love how it takes time and makes it feel strange and compelling. As you would expect behind the simple plot is deeper thoughts on the nature of life and the sole post singularity. More CG than I remembered and it is used to great effect.

08.There Will Come Soft Rains [Short] (12.07.16)
Based on a short story by Ray Bradbury this is a Soviet animated production. Dark and depressing as suits the setting of post nuclear apocalypse.  Very stark and at times creepy, it tells a simple take of a world that ended but the robot wasn't aware.

09. Batman - Mask of the Phantasm (15.07.16)
I have very vague memories of seeing this once before on TV and I may have mixed it with 'Batman of the future'. A good look at Bruce Wayne rather than just Batman, the plot though simple was nicely laid out. I love the 90s style Batman aesthetic and the music was great. Top film.

10. Leon (16.07.16)
A little bit creepy but a bloody good film. Funny at times and touching at others. Very well acted by the three mains, they bring everyone to life. Solid action and direction. New York looks old.

11. Rambo 2 (17.07.16)
Suffers from trying to top the first, the is a very good basic plot hidden under the dumb action and over the top patriotism. The end lays the US rhetoric on a bit to thick and it looses the message it should have. A good watch though.

12. Lights Out [Short] (18.07.16)
A very short live action horror film, and damn is it scary. Nice and simple in its set up and execution but very effective in building up a sense of terror.

13. Metropolis (25.07.16)
The animated one from 2001. Very strange in many ways but so good. The music stands out by far and not just in the climax it is great all the way through. The design is odd, the people are a western design but the rest of the art seems very anime.  As you would expect the are many stand out shots and small set pieces and the plot is strange.

14. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (27.07.16)
Better narrative through line than I remembered. It ties together well and the ending was very well set up. Very funny and the are some very good shots and direction. Still one of the greats.

15. Blade (29.07.16)
Some good, some bad and some dumb. Very of its time with a mix of good and bad story telling as well as dodgy cg. I felt like they could have gone furtherer at times with the plot, some things just happened because they needed to.

16. THX 1138 (30.07.16)
A very compelling film. Very well shot and the feeling that runs throughout it well maintained by both the acting and the sound design. I'm not sure I can recount the plot or story to anyone but its was a  very cool look at the future of society.

Five shorts and each as compelling as a feature film. Its been a good month with some interesting films. Six of the films were re-watches and only 4 new ones. Best of the Month? Leon.

The Great Studio Ghibli

I have since sometime last November watched all 20 (21 because I include Nausicaä) of Studio Ghibli's feature films, in order. I would highly recommend that everybody else do so as well.

The is so much I can go on about each and every film, from the story to the animation or the feel and sheer presence of them. They are films made with love and care, and I have a special place for all of them.

Since I didn't blog about films until the start of the year I will go through each film in turn and give individual thoughts on it. Granted it have been over 8 months since I have seen some but they all have a place in me I can draw some thoughts out.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Some of the best world building and showing of it on film, the first half hour or so is such a nice introduction into the world and Nausicaa. Here we get established many of the things that become a core to Ghibli films, a sense of whimsy and style that shows much and a love for flying.

Castle in the Sky

The robot and a flower stands out in both memory and its core. It is a film I have forgotten most about bar that part. The are more flying motifs and a nice relation between the two mains. The first over the top over designed bad guy who is short and ugly.

Grave of the Fireflies

Stark and a hard watch. Such a good look at a time and place that is so far away. Made many years later but still resonates. One of the most grounded Ghibli works and the first 'slice of life' film, but it still captures wonder and mystery of the others but balances it with being very stark.

My Neighbour Totoro

The classic Ghibli film. Its this guy that comes to mind and became the logo for the studio. Such a warm hearted film with a fantastic message. It is the first film with a meandering plot and crazy visuals that add to the feel of the film. Totoro appears little and its the human struggles that is the main focus with some nice escapism.

Kiki's Delivery Service

Flying!!! A cute story with a fun ending action packed ending but it is the look into Kiki's life and relationships that make the story what it is. A true coming of age story in a fantastic world of wonders and simple lives.

Only Yesterday

The melding of styles between the two time periods is wonderfully done. The meandering plot is great and allows for natural exploration of a fair few topics and themes. The love story grows naturally and ends fantastical. It feels like watching a life time and the feel of the film is so melancholic.

Porco Rosso

A funny film in that it could have been a farce but ended up being fairly poignant and well thought out. The characters are more like characterchures but the tone fits and the animation is top notch. Nice English cast as well.

Pom Poko

A film that seems to be more child focused at first but it had some deeper themes to it and the are some disturbing images but it is a light hearted tale that again meanders around some sort of a plot. The are one or two truly magical scenes but I feel it may just go on a tad too long.

Whisper of the Heart

A school love story with a heart to it. The is an odd sense of time within the film but you do get to watch the couple grow together and see the bonds form. It have a few nice touches that take it a level up other of the type with the characterization and the story within the story being excellent.

Princess Mononoke

One of the more popular Ghibli films and one with heaps of praise. It was not what I expected but it a good way. Very violent and not scared to show action and consequences it is a stark look at time in a fantasy feudal Japan. The two mains are great and I love how strong Mononoke is.

My Neighbours the Yamadas

A very funny slice of life comedy, its more of a collection of short (that seem to get longer) and very well realised in its odd style. Again probably a bit too long but it doesn’t out stay its welcome. Its a nice if odd look at contemporary life in suburban Japan.

Spirited Away

Another big film Ghibli's biggest. Loved by many including the Academy. Its such a wonderful film, the tone and animation is close to perfect as you can get. I like the whimsy of it but it had a deeper core the comes out towards the end. Masterpiece.

The Cat Returns

A very different style, felt more like Alice in wonderland than a Ghibli film. It has a slightly different style (most noticeable in the faces) and it feels fresh and clean. It is a simple tale and though it is like an old Disney film it dose twist things in a nice way. It is mostly just good old fun and over the top action.

Howl's Moving Castle

A very strange film, very fun and insightful at times but downright odd. It like Spirited Away has a lot of vocal fans but I knew next to nothing about it. It seems a bit by the numbers in line with Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service but it is a great film in its own right. I like Howl and how he struggles with life.

Tales of Earthsea

Another adaptation of a book, this time it is slightly let down by a lack of coherent world building. It is a cool film with some nice action and some odd imagery. It has a tighter focus than most Ghibli films but it lack in some other aspects. Still a fun watch but the issues don't hide.

Ponyo

Cute, creepy and very odd. Very cartoonish in both art style and plot. A tale of friendship and making friends while being able to let others go. Very over stylised but in a cute way and the smooth animation sells the odd nature of both Ponyo and the world. Distinct and fun.

Arrietty

Very solid in plot, feel and characterization. I like how Arrietty is portrayed and the strength she has, though small she feels very real and well rounded. It is a plot I am very much familiar with and I think it is the best version of the Borrowers I have seen.

From Up on Poppy Hill

A funny romance with a painful sting of drama to round off a very well made story. I love Ghibli's small slice of life stories and this is great, from realistic dialogue to a interesting background setting as well as some subtle moments that make for a awesome little film.

The Wind Rises

At first glance it is a simple film about a person who designs planes and his struggles in life with work and love. The is the ever present feel we get with Ghibli films; but the is also serious undertones, as the film is set just before and during World War Two. Then we have the very cool but strange choice of sound effects, it's all onomatopoeia with voices. It makes for some very creepy parts, especially the earthquake.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Style and heart in abundance, such a finely made film. The animation style and quality is stunning and it fits in well with the tone of the story and the time in which it is set. The only issue is the ending coming out of no-ware but it works as like most Ghibli films the plot meanders all over. Stunning and lovely in every way.

When Marnie Was There

A tale of two half’s, a very nice little slice of life that turns things on its head and becomes very emotional. I love the visuals and the tone, it keeps things calm as the plot takes it's time to ramp up. The avalanche of plot details at the end that crush you under layers of sadness. The ending is a ray hope for a child to overcome her issues.

Ghibli is the only film studio I have seen all the films of not even marvel or Pixar (though its on my list to do so) the was just a pull towards the studios films. Everything I have be exposed to over the years from anime sites to film sites and just the TV I have heard and seen nothing but great stuff. It almost called to me and when I took the dive last year I didn't look back.

I only took me about eight months to watch them all the allure of them was so strong. The are quality present that I have found elsewhere, from the tone and feel to the worlds and plots. The is so much to love and so much of it is both unique and awesome.

I will miss the feeling of watching a Ghibli film for the first time the sense of wonder and exploration in every opening. Now I get a different experience; that of a re-watch, I get to see deeper or just let the film roll over be in a wave of bliss. I want to experience them again and again, to feel all that they can give me. I want to enjoy both the art and the mechanics of the films.

I think I may be able to narrow down a top five films. These are the ones that affected me the most and have stayed in my mind the longest. The list is in no particular order as that would be a futile task, but here we go my top five:

      Arrietty

      Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

      Whisper of the Heart

      Spirited Away

      From Up on Poppy Hill

This was hard to do, so many could be in there. Think of this as a list that is based on how I feel at any given time.

This studio has become a part of my life. Escapism is important to me and every film has that aspect; from green hills, to inner city, to strange waste lands and dream worlds of all kinds. They all have a thing in common.

They all felt real to me! I loved being a part of them.

Under The Weather

Not feeling to good the past few days. From the weather setting of Asthma, to a trapped nerve in my neck, to hay fever and a damn runny nose. I have felt like crap!

Which is a pain as I had wanted to get something done. But I've mostly done nothing but listen to music and play Minecraft. Its a very poor of me to fall into the trap of putting stuff off but I never felt up to it.

I've been listening to Epica the last few days and I do like them but I can't stand the male vocals. I love Symphonic Metal but I hate gravely shouting with a passion. The feel of the music is great then some one shouts wile gargling razor blades. I may have to go back to Nightwish or T.S.O.

I have two big posts in the works, one is a retrospective on Studio Ghibli and what the films meant to me. I also have finished watching Person of Interest, its such a great show that I have wanted to put my thoughts about it down on here.

It looks like I will be drinking Jack over ice foe the next month or two (I have over half a litre left). As part of a change of diet I have dropped Ales and energy drinks for the most part. I hope the absence of one or the other will have a effect on some of my other health issues. I may even take the diet further and cut down on coke and sugar from my drinks. Don't know if I can go that far though.

I have also spent the last week and today in particular reading my way through Charles Stross' Laundry books to catch back up. I read one in less than a week and read more than half a one today. I may well even carry on tonight.

Last random bit, I have stumbled upon a awesome youtube channel - The Great War - It looks at WWI week by week 100 years after the fact, as well as some very interesting side stuff. I love the presenter and the  style, its great stuff.

Well that's enough for today, very scatterbrained but I needed the outlet. Time to spend the next 15 min trying to get this ramble to make some kind of sense and fix spelling ans stuff.

2016 The Year of Films [June]

June. Will I watch less in summer?
Here is the link to the index.

01. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya [Ghibli] (06.06.16)
Wonderful. Such a joy to watch, amazing animation and art style. The music and tone were spot on and the ending works well and is full of emotion. A nice simple story that flows well more plot progression and less simple wonder than other Ghibli films but it works well. It just feels good.

02. When the Wind Blows (08.06.16)
What a film. A fantastic small production that hits to the heart of life among a hidden war. Love the music and sound design. The set was great and allowed for some cool shots. The feeling of the film is what makes it, so dark and bleak after a sense of melancholy. Glad I watched it.

03. Ghostbusters (12.06.16)
Classic. I think this is the first time I've seen it properly, I've seen it on TV now and then but that must have been ten plus years ago. Very funny and well produced a bit dated in some aspects but a solid film.

04. X-Men (13.06.16)
Wow 16 years old. Still a great film, its been a while since I had last seen it. It holds up well with only a few parts looking out of date. The is still some odd direction but its solid. Love how the X-Men aren't great at fighting then must be new to it all.

05. When Marnie Was There [Ghibli] (15.06.16)
The is a steady build up until about two thirds of the way trough. The emotions come flying out and plot is trust at us, it works and wow dose it hit hard. Such a fantastic film, top notch animation and the style and feel of the film is wonderful. The last ten minutes is hard to watch with dry eyes and the end song hits hard. Ghibli's last, and one of the best.

06. Jack Reacher (17.06.16)
Almost like a old Thriller along the lines of a Jack Higgins book. Relied a bit much on action on the end but it was smart and well plotted. Good and complex characterization of Jack and some nice direction, if a bit over the top at times.

07. X-Men 2 (18.06.16)
Better acted and with a more interesting plot than the first. The is a fair amount going on and even though it could have done with a few more interactions between certain people it handles everything well. Easy to see how its been held up a a great comic book film for so long.

08. The Silence of the Lambs (19.06.16)
A truly great film. From the atmosphere to the acting and direction its all pitch perfect. I love how the plot is handled and how it weaves two stories. Then the is how they don't treat the audience like idiots its good grown up story telling. One of the best films I have ever seen.

09. Iron Man - Rise of Technovore (24.06.16)
A Japanese animated Iron Man Film by Studio Mad House should be good right? Nope its almost complete garbage. Bad characterization, bad plot, bad animation, and structure, bad voice acting. Such a dumb plot. I could rant in detail about most aspects but I don't want to think any more about it.

10. Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life [Short] (25.06.16)
A Oscar winner from the 90s by Peter Capaldi. Nice and freaky short about Kafka struggling to write a story, with some very surreal images. Good acting and direction with the story make for a very good little film.

11. X-Men 3 The last Stand (29.06.16)
Went into this with very low expectations, from years of seeing people hate on it online. I ended up being very impressed and I like it more than the first two. Handles characters better with the exception of prof X (felt a bit off, made bad choices) but loved the pacing and the plot. I think I will do a short write up on it.

Half way gone. My studio Ghibli journey has finished and want a ride it was. Also got through and nice variety of films. best of the month? When Marnie was there, by a hair.

Upload

770MB worth of video uploading to YouTube. At last guess it seems to be on track to take about ten hours, give or take.

The video is only 17 minuets long but took about 3 hours to render out. I may have been a bit lax on the settings. I started work on it last night at about 11pm and set it to render at about have five this morning. I then started the upload a about 9am. If it dose take the ten hours It will have almost been 24 hours to get a video made and uploaded.

Not that the video is finished. Its just a work in progress I promised to show people today, hence the crazy night of work. It would ease me more if the upload speed was faster I don't dare do anything else online because I don't want the upload to fail. hence this blog.

This is the ramblings of someone who has had about 6 hours sleep since Monday morning.

Anyway time to fill some of the time listing to the last few hours of the fourth 'Dark Tower' book and the next two episodes of 'Person of Interest'. I will probably to a blog on 'PoI' when the season is done, its a great show.

That's all for now, time to spell and sanity check this post.

(This system is strange. The red underline only comes up sporadically and sometimes disappears for a time. It make checking for typos a pain.)

Goodbye Georgie

Schutzenwald Georgia -  Standard Wirehaired Dachshund

We have had Georgie for more than ten years but have known her since she was born. She was from a litter of pups my Granddad bred. She was a pedigree Dachshund who went to a fair few shows and won a good deal. She came to my family a short wile after she herself had a litter.

She was such a lovely and soft animal, never viscous and always wanting a fuss. Her personality was great and was loved my many, even fleeting meetings left a mark on others.

I have so many memory's with her and hundreds of photos. Over the years she became a solid part of the family. 

I now shed many tears. She has affected me and my life so very much. She has always been there never judging always loving. Her death though on the cards for a week or two has been painful.

I don't feel the need to say more here...

So farewell Georgie I will miss you. 

 

2016 The Year of Films [May]

Onto May. Here is the list of films I've watched this month. Click here to go to the year index.

01. Captain America: Civil War [Cinema] (01.05.16)
Very well handled, from motivations to screen time and direction. Loved the new guys and the interactions between them all. Awesome film.

02. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (02.05.16)
A film of three very distinct parts. They are all fantastic parts that form a very odd jigsaw. From hard action to Peter Pan; it's tone swings but then from Mad Max what can we expect (or trust).

03. No Country for Old Men (06.05.16)
A anti action film of sorts. Very well put together but missing the parts that would make it a action film. There are no big shoot-outs shown, but the film is full of tension and drama. The plot is creative and well told but in a way where they leave a fair bit out and you have to infer a lot.

04. From Up On Poppy Hill [Ghibli] (07.05.16)
First Ghibli film I've seen in a while in English. Its in the same vain as 'Only Yesterday' and 'Whisper of the Heart', funny at times and very emotional, with a well paced story, beautiful visuals and music. Loved it.

05. Moon (08.05.16)
A few small (and somewhat rare) SIFI ideas smashed together to make a nice little film. Not mind blowing but well executed in plot and direction. Bad dated CGI but the music and sets were great. Not a fan of the background science but at least it was mainly window dressing to hang the plot upon.

06. The Wind Rises [Ghibli] (13.05.16)
Hayao Miyazaki's last film. A sad tale of a aeronautical engineer as he goes through life pre war making planes for the war to come. Some nice touches like the voice acted sound effects and the dream parts. Looks and sounds beautiful.

07. Predator (20.05.16)
Some very cool effects for its time and the Predator is well realised. The are some hard to follow action scenes; it was shot of firing - reverse shot of explosion, not very engaging. Over all I like the tone of the film and it dose a good job of letting small details tell the story.

08. Pitch Black (21.05.16)
Holds up well, some dodgy effects on the creatures but Riddick's vision effect was still cool. The edit felt off like with BatVSup it was a bit rushed. Nice little sifi romp with some good character moments between the great action. The best thing by far was the visual style and some of the shots were beautiful.

09. Know Your Ally: Britain (28.05.16)
A American documentary from 1944, very much a propaganda piece that show them who they are fighting with and it also is a response to Nazi propaganda designed to feed discord. Very interesting look into history and at how we are perceived by the Americans, very staged and a bit too nice but it was a fun watch. [LINK]

10. Rogue Farm [Short] (29.05.16)
Based on a work by Charles Stross its a short animation of life after loosing a apocalyptic alien invasion. The is a fair bit to it; from the nature of aliens, to Human singularity's and the evolution of the conciousness past the need of a  body. Some nice shots but the character models and animations is very dated. Nice look and feel to it overall.


A slow month I would have liked to have watched more but the was some quality. Best? From up on Poppy Hill