Staying Alive Review

Okay I'm going to get this one out fast! Travolta must hide when this movie plays. The script was horrible and the drama boring. The dancing was silly. The one thing going for this movie is Travolta is very cute!
So .5/5 acorns for the movie and 5/5 acorns for the young Travolta!

Coupeville

I started my trip with my best friend from high school days in Seattle. I spent one night in Seattle, two nights in Coupveille, on Whidbey, two nights in Port Townsend and end in Tacoma after a nice drive down the Hood Canal. What can be better then wine, good food and friends at sunset on the water?
The picture is Penn Cove, on Whidbey Island, Washington.

I have moisture on the inside of my scanner....waaah!

All roads lead to chocolate!

The Japanese exchange gifts on many occasions. There is temiyage and omiyage.
In order to thank somebody, e.g. for an invitation, one often presents a gift (Temiyage) such as a cake, Japanese sweets or sake. Similarly, when a Japanese person returns from a trip, he or she is supposed to bring home souvenirs (Omiyage) for many friends, co-workers and relatives.
Since I am traveling to the Mainland, I like to bring things that aren't available where I am going.
For my friend and one sister, I bring dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts from Ed and Dons. They only have it at the factory outlet. When I got there, the lady offered me "samples". Well, in a flash I had consumed a toffee, the best chocolate dipped mini oreo, the coconut chew, a macadamia nut cookie, and a mocha caramel. All I can say is that it was well worth going off Weight Watchers for it! I have used up all my points for the next 100 years
If chocolate isn't good for me, why does it taste so good?

Boston Legal

This show follows Yoshistune and has Captain Kirk and that shape shifter from Deep Space Nine on it.
The cast includes:
James Spader / Alan Shore
William Shatner / Denny Crane
Mark Valley / Brad Chase
Rene Auberjonois / Paul Lewiston
Candice Bergen / Shirley Schmidt
Rhona Mitra / Tara Wilson
Monica Potter / Lori Colson
Lake Bell / Sally Heep

The characters are not very realistic, but it reminds me a bit of Ally McBeal. I am hooked.

Yoshitsune Kicks Butt!

In 1183 a great battle during the Gempei War took place at Ichinotani between the Taira and the Minamoto. The Taira greatly outnumbered the Minamoto. The were camped on a narrow plain shielded on one side by a mountain range and the ocean on the other side. The strategy of the day was for the attacking army to split and attack from two sides. The Taira expected this and felt the narrow plain would act as a bottelneck and make it easier for them to pick off their enemy. The young emperor and the 3 treasures which where symbols of legitimate power were to be evacuated by boat. Yoshitsune fakes out the small vanguard army defending the side he supposed to attack from and they run away. After that he decides to go straight down the mountain and beats the Taira with his surprise attack.

It is still 2 years from the culmination the war at Dannoura. That battle is made more famous by the tale of Hoichi the Earless, but I better not say anymore, cuz that would be telling.

Yeonriji Review

The English title of this movie is listed as Temptation of Wolves. I know I saw this movie before so I hope this isn't a repeat review, then I'll know I've really lost it! (Assumeing I ever had it ;)
The lead actors and actresses are all very young. It's a soap opera, really, with a sprinkling of martial arts. It reminded me of My Sassy Girl. The two "bad boys" bump in to a new girl in town, and instantly are both attracted to her. The tragic hero knows her but she doesn't recognize him right away. It turns out he has another secret, too.
I sat throught it twice, and enjoyed it both times. I will give it 4/5 acorns even though it's so contrived.

Katrina Relief

As the pictures and stories come rolling in I am paralyzed with the suffering. So many things seem trivial in the face of such tragedy. I ask myself what can I do. Part of me always struggles with not volunteering for the front line. I decided for now, I'm not ready to go to the front line. But, I can make a donation to the American Red Cross

I don't need a new digital camera, DVD player or laptop. There are babies and people out there in need of the basics. So be it.

Vacation Yay!

Free from the schedule
Why did I have to grow up?
I used to sleep in.

Suriyothai Review

This is an interesting movie just because it is about Thai history, specifically about Queen Suriyothai who gave her life to save the life of her king and husband. It starts with her as a rebellious young women who is marries to unite two kingdoms, even though she loves another man.

The costumes are beautiful and the elephants make the battle scenes stand out. The acting is a bit flat in places, and the end is a little abrupt, but all in all I recommend this movie.

I give it 3/5 acorns.

A Bittersweet Life Review

Byung-hun Lee is a cool, slick enforcer, who just seems to have it all together. He has worked for the boss for 7 years with steadfast devotion. The boss sends him a simple job to watch his very young girlfriend who he suspects is having an affair. Her youth touches him and when he makes one decision on his own, his whole world comes down on him.
There are several great fight scenes. The story is put together well and the music and scene changes are also well done.
I will give this movie 3.5/5 acorns.

Alive Review

Ryuhei Kitamura, the director of this film is known for Versus and Azumi and reviews I have read of this movie are soso. It is quite dark and slow. The fight scenes were a little overdone, and there wasn't much original about them. I liked the background music. I usually watch movies in the original language and read subs, but I can't knit and read subs at the same time, so I watched the movie with the English dub.

The premise of the story was decent, but never quite develops well.

I will give it 2/5 acorns.

Crafts have moved to a new blog

I created a new blog to house most of the craft related stuff, leaving this one for movies, rants and whines (can be sung to the tune of Gypsy's Tramps and Thieves)

My Neighbors the Yamadas Review

Here's a silly movie about a very odd family. They stumble through life and yet always manage to come together as a family when there is a crisis. It's by Hayao Miyazaki's studio. He is listed as "studio boss" in the credits. The dubbing is not bad, and there is Japanese audio with English subs for the purists.

I give it 4/5 acorns.

Seabiscuit and Sin City Reviews

It was a hot one today. I actually did a few errands today and since once of them took me by Blockbuster, I rented some movies. I managed to watch two today and started the knitted mesh shopping bag, too.

1. Seabiscuit
In the 3-5th grade I was very interested in horses, and had read all of Walter Farleys books and most of Marqarite Henry's books, too. Seabiscuit and all those famous horse held such a high place in my memory, that I didn't want it ruined by a bad movie. So I put it off. It was a tear jerker. The story woven in to the facts of the horses's career no doubt is embelished, so I will leave it at that. The horses were so very beautiful in this movie, and the message was heartwarming. I'll give it a 3.5/5 acorns.

2. Sin City
This movie is made to look like a comic book and tells several tales that all come together in Sin City. I liked the way it was done. The stories were dark. I will give it a 4/5 acorns

Exit Glacier

Hive Island

This is a picture from cruise ship of an island that has a lot of nesting birds. There were a lot of puffin floating in the water. The sky was overcast and it was very chilly that day.

Weeding, big DUH

For years as a child, my parents made me weed, like it was some great honor and relaxing rewarding event. The patio is made of bricks and has sand in between. The weeks come up regularly and I was led to believe the solution was to get those roots out. In fact, I was threatened and called stupid if I didn't do it just right.

Well I now own this house and so the weed problem is all mine. Not so surprisingly, I hate weeding, and do not find it relaxing or enlightening, but that's just me. I have tried allowing them to grow, justifying them by saying, that I like the "natural" look. Roundup is a great herbicide if one is trying to defoliate the planet, but unfortunately it is not discriminating between unwanted growth and treasured bird of paradise or sweet smelling pakalana, so I have taken to encouraging my sons to get those roots out. My reasoning has not been that they will find it rewarding and relaxing, but that it will enable me to keep the house if they help with those jobs I don't like. (and I don't call them stupid!)

So, number one son is out there attempting to get out those roots, when the yard service man comes by with his weedwhacker and says, "Hey, I can get those for you." I came home to a very neat looking patio. I know the roots are still there, but I'm thinking after 50 years, there is nothing short of digging up all the stones, and pouring some potent poison on there that will anniliate all those roots, so I can't be any worse off.

So I ask myself, why the heck didn't I think of that! I honestly had contemplated a blow torch, but worried about the use of fossil fuel. After all, I do pay for yard service and I bet it didn't take him very long to do it!

Four Brothers Review

I was expecting something like Mystic River, but the action makes this movie feel more upbeat. I'm not sure what the messages are...Trust your brother? Revenge is good thing? Happy workers are loyal workers? Detroit is not a great place to visit in the winter? Lots of guns, lots of snappy comebacks, and car chases keep this movie exciting. Also there is a Fargo-esque scene on a frozen lake.

I give this movie 3/5 acorns.

The Crooked Earth Review

This movie is about Maori brothers settling who will be the next leader and how their father's legacy will be carried on. The New Zealand scenary is a beautiful backdrop for the story. One brother has just returned from military duty and the other has gotten into the drug busines.

The relationship of the brothers and their relationships are not well developed, but the would have made the movie unecessarily long.

I found this movie beautifully filmed, moving, and interesting as well. I give it 3.5/5 acorns.

Almost Goodbye Keoki

Every once in a while I meet someone who I just click with and I have been very fortunate to have Keoki work with me for the last 2 years or so. She is my assistant but feels like a very good friend, too.

While I am happy she has this opportunity to move on with her life and have a chance at a better life with her family, I will miss her very much.

My last day working with her is 9/6 and that is coming up very quickly. I'll feel sorry for myself later, sniff sniff and work on saying thank you, Keoki. I love you very much.

Save the Green Planet Review

STGP is a Korean movie that tries to do it all. Some of the plots involve serial killers, down on his luck detective, bees, underestimated rookie, religion, horror, romance, surprise ending and sci-fi, plus a little Takeshi Miike thrown in for good luck. A "rift" was a direct copy of a scene from 2001, Space Odessey.
I don't think it succeeded very well at any of those genres, but the composition was quite entertaining.
I give it a 2.5/5 acorns. Not for the squeamish.

G@me Review 2003

Here's a movie that tries hard to have an interesting plot with twists while portraying the high rise dwelling single businessman and throwing in a passionate love story. Fujiki who plays the main character is very handsome and is very good in his role. In fact, all the acting is good. There is chemistry between him and the main female character, but it doesn't always work, at least from my western view of it. The kidnapping plot is a bit unbelievable. The music is sometimes distracting. The pace was a little slow in the beginning. All in all I rate this 2.5/5 acorns.

WORK Rant, Waaaah!

I've been working at the same job for the same company for 25 years now, and I feel like I want to bolt! The benefits are good, the pay is good, the work was once very fulfilling and interesting and I have been blessed working with some very good people. But, the work load has changed and the technical advances have changed how I get through my day, and I just don't feel like making thoses changes. It has changed my day to drudgery. I adjust and then get told, oh, don't do it like that any more, here's the new way. Meanwhile the basic job itself is very demanding and still requires a lot of time, so the "adjustments" are just added on. Added on after work, before work, through lunch, yadayadayada. If one more "list" gets dropped on my desk...
Burnout. I know I've been there before and have worked through it, but I'm sick and tired of it and want to retire. The good news is that I can retire at the end of this year. That is the light at the end of the tunnel. The bad news is, is that I'm not sure I can fully retire. But, I'm going to find out!
The real question is, do I wanna quit cuz I just can't hack it? Or do I wanna quit cuz I have something better in mind? Or, do I need to have something better in mind? Cuz, work ain't doing it for me right now!

Utu Review

Utu means (compensate, cost, fee, pay, price, ransom, rate, revenge, reward, salary, or wages) in Maori. The story develops several story lines about people involved in a conflict between native peoples and their colonialists. There is Te Wheki the impassioned native leader and Wiremu, a native man who "scouts" for the British. There is Williamson, a settler who has risked everything to make New Zealand his home and Scott, a military white man, born and raised in New Zealand. There is also Kura who loves Scott and her people.

I found the subject matter fascinating. I know nothing of New Zealand's history so I can't say how authentic the stories are. The movie does a good job at showing the main characters as heroic and flawed. It points out the complexity of such situations. The acting was all great. Kelly Johnson who was in Goodbye Pork Pie did a really good job as Scott,and Tania Bristowe is so very graceful.

I give it 3/5 acorns.

The Stickmen Review

Here is another New Zealand movie I watched. Stickmen refers to pool sharks. 3 friends get trapped into matches with the Men in Black and Pincushion, and also get conned into playing a match for more money then they have by a loan shark. The narrator, who is the guy who will break your legs if you don't pay your debts, tries to make analogies between the game of pool and life.

I quite liked this one, although there were no cyborgs or zombies.

I give it 3/5 acorns.

Hurray! I got my pictures back!

Well, I found out what happened to my pictures. They were blocked by my browser. I don't know how that happened, but perhaps it happened when I upgraded Firefox and loaded the new Win2K updates. Who knows, but at least I got them back!

Goodbye Pork Pie

This is a 1981 movie that is basically a travelogue through New Zealand back in a time when life a simpler.

The plot is that a guy tries to return a wallet to a lady in a car, but she snubs him and speeds off. He used her credit card to steal a yellow mini, and goes on a spree. Along the way he picks up a man who is on quest to find out why his girlfriend has moved to the other side of NZ without explaining it to him. They pick up a trail of police on their way.

The movie itself has some funny moments. There are no deep revelations, but the scenary is nice and now I want the yellow mini.

I give it 2/5 acorns.

The Ugly Review

The Ugly is a New Zealand movie about a serial killer and his interviewer. There are a lot of dream sequences and flash backs. It was entertaining in a dark way. The killer is atypical in that he is a serial killer without a pattern. He does actually have a pattern in that he uses the same murder weapon over and over.

He is a hospital ward and gets beat up regularly by his two guards and the "doctor" is rather weird, too. The doctor's role is the weakest one. I keep thinking he is up to something, but what never materializes.

I'll give it 2.5/5 acorns.

Spoiler: the blood is not red in this movie, but black, and there is a fair amount of it.

Summer

Darn, August is well underway, and I hate to see summer go by. There is an energy that summer has and I like it a lot. It is suited to cruising. I have cruised by some new things, snuggled up to some old comfortable things, and peered into the future and ruminated on the past.

Okay, I still have weeds in my yard and I still am not neat, but I have reconnected with some of my relatives and friends and I watched a lot of movies and knit a womb and did a bnch of things I really enjoyed. Besides I can hire a gardener and a housekeeper!

I have been separated for more than a year and the divorce (boy it's hard to say that D word) will be final this month if the papers are all in order. It's not a topic I like to blog about, but it does make me think.

I think I'll cruise a while longer until I am ready to work on my values. My last bracelet still needs work. The links keep coming apart and sometimes catch on my clothing and knitting. I'll be ready to move on when I can keep it together.

Whine: My Firefox browser won't show the picture on my blog:(. I can see everyone elses pictures and I can see them on the IE browser. What is up with that!

I Love Totoro

Totoro is a cute woodland spirit that only children can see. He is big and cuddly and very comfortable. He is greatly appreciative of small kindnesses. He shows great joy over simple things. He presents thoughtful little gifts. He can make trees grow and he can fly. He makes music, knows some magic and rides on a catbus. He is always there when he is needed.

Totoro is simply the best!

PS: I assume Totoro is male because he has a deep booming voice, but I'm not really sure.

War of the Worlds, 2005, Review

I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie. Some friends liked it and some said, just okay, not as good as the original. I'm not a great Tom Cruise fan, but I like Tim Robbins, Dakota Fanning and Morgan Freeman. There was a bit of an Independence Day feeling to the movie, but no wisecracks or comic relief. It was even scary in parts. I must say I rather liked it and give it 4/5 acorns.

The Secret Life of Tom Thumb, Review

This is an animation from UK that uses claymation , stop action techniques to tell the tale of Tom Thumb and Jack the Giant Killer. Tom is born to normal sized parents who love him dearly. Because he is so unique, he is kidnapped for scientific study. He is rescued by a mutant dragon and has other adventures, too.

There are a lot of very weird looking bugs in this movie and the fish move strangely o the the plate. I better not say more and spoil it. There are moments of tenderness and very sad moments, too.

This is just the strange and touching kind of movie that I like. I give it 4.5/5 acorns.

Weddings in Hawaii

One of my second cousins on my mother's side got married yesterday. He is about 20 years younger then me and I was at school for 11 years on the Mainland while he was growing up. Because of that plus the fact that during my childhood I spent more time with my father's relations means that I did not know him or his brothers and sisters very well. I spent a fair amount of time with his father and 3 aunties growing up and his grandmother was my Godmother and was married to one of mother's brothers. She was one of 8 sisters and one brother. So, there are a lot of cousins on that side of the family, many of whom live on the Mainland now, and many who I have never met before. The cousin in-laws I sat next to happened to graduate from the same high school I went to and now live in Vancouver, Washington, the "banana belt" of Washington. I enjoyed visiting with them very much and also catching up with my other cousins, their children and grandchildren.

Many weddings in Hawaii follow a formula. First there is the service. Many people skip this part. Then there is a gap where the couple is off getting photographed and everyone else shows up the reception room, signs the book and admires the gold origami crane picture. First the eats. The Prince in Honolulu has one of the very best buffets,and I was not disappointed. Then the bridal part has to entertain us with stories from the groomsmen and bridesmaids, and then the out of town guests have to be introduced, the cake is cut, and the bouqet and garter are tossed. The "banzais" are done. Then the video of him growing up, her growing up and them dating is shown along with them getting married. Finally they dance.

On of the customs here is the "money dance". According to this link
[http://www.hawaiibride.com/customs.html] it is a Filipino custom. The guests line up and pass money to the couple while they dance. I can't get past the idea of passing money with my teeth, cuz I don't know where that bill was before my wallet, so I just put the money in my gift envelope.

I wish my cousin and his new wife a very happy life together:)

Kunoichi Review

This movie was always checked out at Blockbuster, so naturally I assumed it was going to be good, and it was as I like a bit of cheese. The actress in this movie was Iria in the live action movie. Some of the important lessons I learned from this movie:
1. The most evil thing to do to a captured enemy is to throw them in a dungeon with a bunch of half naked babes.
2. Even the fierce Yagyu Jubei has issues with his parents.
3. If you wanna look really tough, wear a basket on your head.
4. When trapped in a deep pit with lots of rotting bodies, the lady Ninja might want to lose her virginity. Guess ambiance isn't everything.

Any way, 2.5/5 acorns, with the warning that this is not the kind of movie for everyone.

Time

Time is such an illusive thing. Sometimes it appears to pass quickly and other times very slowly. Yesterday I worked until noon, then went to the bank. I was going to close my safetly deposit box and move it closer to where I live. I got there, and discovered I had brought the wrong key. On the way I took the wrong turn, so took it as I sign that I was supposed to hit Jelly's, used books and records. Unfortunately they did not have any knitting books, but I did pick up a poetry book, novel, George Foreman cookbook, and Little Feat CD. But then I digress. After the fiasco at the bank I talked myself into going straight home. My new monitor was delivered by the Guys in the Yellow truck. I also "organized" a bit, and messed around on my computer, looked at knitting patterns, pulled my 5 minutes of weeds, and actually cooked dinner. I found only one key for the safety deposit box, so have to pay $30 for "lost key". The thing that amazed me is that I felt like I had a lot of time on my hands and didn't even remember working!

Some days, before I know it it's time to go to sleep and I don't feel like I did a thing. Also if I look at the calendar, July is coming to an end. Yikes!

From Dictionary.com, Time=
A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.

From Urban Dictionary, Time=
1. Nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once.
2. A measurement of life created by human beings to keep a standard in their lives. Time is only a measurement and does not exist for life is the force which you feel pass you by. Some days feel longer or shorter than others because you are feeling life which fluctuates around the constant which is time...
"The day feels shorter than usual because life fluctuated and time stayed constant."
3. An abstract concept used by carbon-based lifeforms to measure their own rate of decay.

Hotel Rwanda Review

One of the most disturbing things for me about his movie was that the events are so recent. On an intellectual level I know that certain groups of people have a great deal of hate for each other, but on the same level, it's so hard to understand that individuals would abandon their ethics and murder 800,000 people.

Don Cheadle's protrayal of the heroic Paul Rusesabagina is indeed worthy of all the hooplah and praise it received.

I give it 5/5 acorns.

2005 Nominated Shorts

Ryan, from Canada

Birthday Boy, from Korea

Eight different short films presented at the Doris Duke Theater at the Honolulu Art Academy. They were from all over the world. Some were animated. Each was interesting in it own way. I liked the one from Canada about a film maker who interviews another filmaker about his life and how he ended up an alcoholic and a street person. The characters are all bizarre looking, like this chap who appears to have become almost two dimensional and lying on a table. The last one from UK was quite sad, about a mother of 4 who lives in poverty, but spends her last few bits of money on a date with an old boyfriend, and leaves her children out behind the bar the whole time. Their meal consists of a bag of chips and a coke. They also eat some ribs a group of people drop on the street. All in all it was entertaining.

I will give it 4/5 acorns.

I also stopped at Blockbuster, since I had a free coupon and rented Hotel Rawanda, Zatoichi and Kunoichi. I didn't have time to watch any of them yet. Hope to tomorrow.

Whale Rider Again

Keisha Castle-Hughes was in town for a special showing of Whale Rider. It is going to air on PBS this Sunday and if anyone hasn't see it, try to watch it. It is a very beautiful movie and it will make you cry. The story is told with strength and realism and lacks the superficial performances that ruin many Hollywood movies about native peoples. It takes place in the present and portrays a people struggling to preserve their heritage and uniqueness and the modern world. It also tells the story of the dreams parents have their children that are so strong that they are blind to the child's individuality and need to be heard and loved for who they are.

It was 5/5 acorns then, and 5/5 acorns now.

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Review

I must be the only person on earth who never saw the original Willie Wonka. I know I saw trailers and such, but never the movie. I will have to rent it.

I had to see this movie as I am a big fan of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Danny Elfman.
It was quite enjoyable! Mr. Depp is a real chameleon. His teeth are so perfect. Christopher Lee was incredible as his dad. Mr. Burton obviously has a thing about scissors, weird factory machines, and headgear.

I doubt if little kids would enjoy this movie.

I give it 4/5 acorns.

Milestones

Right before leaving for Alaska, I went for a haircut. After years of being subjected to the uncertainty of "Walk-In" places such as Supercuts and such, I found Misa. She takes good care of my head and hair and I always love my hair for quite a while after she is done with it.

Well the last year or two have been quite a roller coaster ride for me and the white hairs have been popping up (literally) at alarmingly faster and faster rates!

Back when the hair was sleek, black and shiny, I too laughed at Grandma's "blue" hair and swore to just go naturally grey and stay that way. But it started benignly with the subtle, washout color and before you know it I had dyed my hair twice!

So anyway, I'm sitting in the chair after the wash, hot towel treatment, massage and cut, and I say without thinking, "Hmmm, maybe next time I'll get some highlights. Wouldn't you know it, she just happened to have an opening after me, and Voila! In a flash, I have highlights.

What can I say? I like it:)

Before you know it she'll have me getting my eyebrows waxed! Ouch!

Kozure Ôkami: Sono chîsaki te ni (1993)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0174826/

This movie stars two really great Japanese actors, Tamura Masakazu and Nakadai Tatsuya. I first saw Tamura in a TV rendition of the character made famous by Ichikawa Raizo, Nemuri Kiyoshiro (Sleepy Eyes of Death). He does a lot of TV series, too. Nakadai is about 10 years older and made his mark in great movies like Seven Samurai and Sword of Doom, and later in Ran and Kagemusha.

Tomisaburo Wakayama is THE Lone Wolf of the Baby Cart series and very hard to beat.
This current version was made for TV in 1993 and is a cleaned up version. The ladies dont' throw themselves naked at Lone Wolf, and the blood and heads splitting in half are kept to a minimum.

The child who plays Daigoro his son, is very cute. I loved seeing Nakadai; he has the most memorable eyes. Tamura plays a very classy Executioner.

Koike Kazuo wrote this story and it later was a manga. A live action movie is being made this year. His other manga, turned anime, was Crying Freeman. The live action version of that manga also had some good fight scenes.

I give this movie 3.5/5 acorns.

Acrostic

GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) was launched on March 17 by NASA (USA) and DLR (Germany) due to measure gravitational field.
Get
Real
And
Care
Everyday.

Edie and Pen Review

I watched a little bit of this on TV and then had to go to work one morning, so I ordered the DVD. I like Jennifer Tilly and Stockard Channing, and also Scott Glenn,or is it Glenn Scott? It was a cute little movie that had an upbeat ending. Randy Travis has a cameo as a country western singer...hah.

I enjoyed it more the Yellow Hair, a Korean soft porn movie about aimless kids on the nightclub scene. Wonder how there is a Yellow Hair 2 and no Edie and Pen2?

Anyway, 3/5 acorns for Edie and Pen, and 1/5 acorns for Yellow Hair

Shutter Review

There wasn't really much original about this picture, but it was entertaining, nonetheless. It had a pretty good ending and was a bit creepy. The acting was very good.

There was a video in the video of preying mantis mating. Apparently the female eats the males head off at the same time. I didn't have to know that! Heh, guess that's why I'm sharing it!

I'll give it 2.5/5 acorns.

Violent Cop Review

I'm on a Kitano Takeshi flood right now. Sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki, or Violent Cop is a movie from 1989. Mr. Kitano had a serious accident in 1995. He reportedly was in the hospital for 1 month and had plastic surgery after.

Other reviewers have compared this movie to Dirty Harry. I can see the comparison in that both hate the bad guys and break the law to bring them down. However, Mr. Kitano, goes "postal" and doesn't usually have a really big gun to wave around. There really isn't any good explanation as to why he is so violent, but he shows a softer side around his sister, who hangs around with very seedy, mean people and has a drug problem. He is also very loyal to his friends, but he doesn't set a very good example for rookies.

Violent is well named, and brains and other innards get sprayed around. Lovers of this kind of violence rate the movie highly. I will give it 3/5 acorns.

Shikoku Review

The actress playing Sayori in this movie, Chiaki Kuriyama, was also in Kill Bill, Azumi2 and Juon. She is has a great poker face and can also be very sweet and cute looking. This movie has some good moments but just doesn't quite pull together, and the creepy moments peter out. The premise of the story, I might as well add the spoiler, is that the town of Shikoku has a cave through which the just dead can return to life. This usually is not a good thing. AFter her death, her mother tries to get her back from the dead, and even pushes her husband off a cliff because he is trying to prevent this from happening. It moves slowly on top of that.

I rate it 2/5 acorns.

Kikujiro

I watched this movie starring Kitano Takeshi as Kikujiro again. A latch key kid living with his grandma keeps busy with school and soccer, but when summer comes, all his friends and even the soccer coach go off with their families. He comes a across a picture of his mother and decides to go on a quest to find her. A rough, deadbeat husband to his grandmother's friend gets volunteered to accompany him. They meet an odd assortment of adventures, trouble, and disappointments along the way and make some new friends. Great movie with feeling and fun. I give it 5/5 acorns.

3 Iron Review

The main characters in this movie do not speak at all to each other. He lives by finding homes whose owners have gone on holiday, breaking in, and staying a few days. He takes nothing and instead washes clothing and fixes broken items. She is at home when he breaks in, having been abused by her husband. She watches him clean up the place and fix a broken scale, and then shows herself. He runs a short distance and comes back to see her husband abuse her. They run off together and have more adventures.

The ending is a bit puzzling, sad. It works somehow.

I give this movie 4/5 acorns.

Howl's Moving Castle Review

I loved this movie. The animation was wonderful and the story very cute. I wish I was able to see the subbed version instead, but the accents weren't as odd as they seemed in Princess Mononoke. In fact, Billy Crystal was a riot, as the fire demon. The Moving Castle is very cool. Sigh, Totoro wasn't in it, but at least he is still the logo for Hayao Miyazaki. Thank you, Disney, for bringing Mr. Miyazaki's magic to America.

I give this movie 5/5 acorns.

Honolulu Jazz Quartet 

Going Out at Night

I went to hear the Honolulu Jazz Quartet last night. I just mention this because for whatever reason, actually coming home from work and going out at night is a rare thing for me. I'm not sure why. I usually stay up that late when I'm at home.

Jazz is not usually my choice of music. I like rock, metal, country, bluegrass, classical and soundtracks, but jazz I don't know much about. My friend likes the Honolulu Jazz Quartet so I have actually heard them several times and have their CD. The venue is called Studio 6 and it is set up with folding chairs. When I sat in them, my feet did not touch the floor and I hate that because it makes me feel like a child, and not too dignified! So that was distracting. The fellow in front of me was huge, and kept cuddling up to his girlfriend, so I couldn't see much. He also was eating something that smelled like a tuna sandwich. So I spent quite a bit of time looking at the water stains on the all a ceiling just like a Rorschach test.

But then I digress. The group talker is the bass player. He talks about the songs and his family, and plays some very cool and animated riffs on his upright bass. The drummer is very young, and lithe, and the enjoyment he gets out of his drums, and the applause, as well as his connection to what the other guys are doing is obvious. The sax player looks like a local boy to me, more so the the bass player, and those who attended public school in Hawaii during the 60s and 70s know what I mean. I have heard him play before, and the acoustics in the venue did not bring out his nice tones as well as some others. They pianist is very talented and has lightning fingers.

They played many new tunes. I hope their new CD comes out soon. I hope to see them again soon, and will even go out at night on a week night!

Batman Begins Review

Just like I had a difficult time visualizing Michael Keaton as Batman, I had trouble seeing Christian Bale as Batman. I mean, he was American Psycho! The director tried to steer clear of the TV feeling of camp and silliness even more so then the much maligned Batnan 1,2 and 3. There was a lot of action, great toys, and special effects. Gary Oldman was very chameleon like in his portrayal of Gordon. Having just watched Bramstoker's Dracula again recently, the mousey man really made me think. Dr. Crane, played by Cillian Murphy was excellent in his portrayal of the crazy doctor, who reminded me a lot of Dr. Decker in Nightbreed. Murphy has unreal looking liquid blue eyes. Morgan Freeman was wonderful as the keeper of the toys and the conversations between him and the Bat made me chuckle with the clever one liners.

Not hard to tell, but I found this movie very entertaining. I give it 4.5/5 acorns.

All About Lily Chou-chou Review

This movie is 140 minutes long. It follows some classmates in junior high. The main character manages a forum for singer Lily chou-chou fans and much of the movie is the messaging that goes on on that forum. The parents and teachers seem very distant from the kids and and the kids go from innocence to being bullied, to being the bullies and finally to fatal or ambilvalent climaxes. It moves very slowly but it ultimately intriguing, sad and horrifying. The background music of Lily chou-chou reminds me of Dido...too much of it makes me depressed because it has such a sad tone. Debussey music is beautiful and fits in well.
I read that Quentin Tarantino has this movie on is favorite movie list. I give this movie 4/5 acorns. 

Bleeding Heart from Mr. Lowell's Garden