Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Kind of Autocorrected
Today I was typing an e-mail and google tried to correct "kind of" with "kinda." Never. in. my. life would I have predicted that one. Seriously, google, y'all better get your act together. It's downright shameful.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
The End to the Marathon
Okay, I've decided not to put you all through eight posts of Miyazaki movie reviews. Instead, i've combined them all into one! You can thank me later... Also, I organized them in the order that I like them. So there.
1. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
I LOVE this movie!!! By far my favorite Miyazaki. The story is lovely; it's like a fairy tale but it has enough action and adventure to keep Abby interested, too. I'd recommend for older kids, 8+.
Rated: PG
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
My Rating: 9/10
Abby's Rating: 7/10... (She loves this movie; that one totally surprised me)
Summary, courtesy of IMDb: When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home.
2. Spirited Away (2001)
The one that started it all... this movie, plot-wise, is probably the best of Miyazaki's movies in that it is the most satisfying and engaging. I crave this movie like I crave... well, not chocolate, but apple pie or something. Translation: seasonally, and completely randomly. Sydnee and Sophie liked this one, although I think the parents-to-pigs part traumatized them just a teeny bit. Recommended for 8+
Rated: PG
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
My Rating: 9.8/10
Abby's Rating:
IMDb Summary: In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.
Fun Fact: The girl who voices Chihiro, Daveigh Chase, is also the voice of Lilo from Lilo and Stitch AND she plays the creepy girl in The Ring. (ahhh!) Craziness!
3. Castle in the Sky (1986)
This is also a great sampling of Miyazaki's work. It's a bit more adventurous than the last two, and the characters are so loveable! It's a great family movie. Ages 6+
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
My Rating: 7.5/10
Abby's Rating: 5/10
IMDb Summary: A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
4: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
This was one of the movies I was most excited about, since it is probably the most iconic Miyazaki movie of them all. I was not at all disappointed with it, although compared with the others it seems really short. But that makes it better for kids! It lost Sophie's attention halfway through, but Sydnee loved it. I still hear them singing the theme music fro, time to time. Ages 4+
Rated: G
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
My Rating: 7.5/10
Abby's Rating: She doesn't get to rate it because she just sat and played her iPod the whole time- more rant on that little habit pending.
IMDb Summary: When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wonderous forest spirits who live nearby.
5. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
I have wanted to see this movie since I was probably 6 years old and it was on the preview for some Disney show I watched all the time. I was a bit disappointed, unfortunately, although it's still a great movie, especially for kids. Sydnee loved it. My only problem with it was that the plot just kind of dragged in the middle and I wasn't a huge fan of Kiki as a character. Maybe it's just that Kirsten Dunst's voice is uber-annoying to me. Anyway, I'd recommend for 6+
Rated: G
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
My Rating: 5/10
Abby's Rating: 6.5/10
IMDb Summary: A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
6. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Oh, Nausicaa... it was just so... outdated, especially the soundtrack. Christian, Abby, and I laughed at several points because the music was just so strange. I can see the idea behind it, and it's sort of the same message as Princess Mononoke- Respect Your Mother (Earth). The delivery was just not that great on this one, at least for me.
Ages 8+
Rated: PG
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 (CANNOT believe it got the same as Howl and Castle in the Sky. Not even close.)
My Rating: 3/10
Abby's Rating: 5.5/10
IMDb Summary: Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.
All right, and that's all she wrote, folks! I'm sorry to put you through that; in hindsight it's kind of a boring topic, but at least I followed through! Anyways, back to Abby's new iPod habit and how much it bothers me: IT BOTHERS ME A LOT (oh yeah, bustin' out the caps lock). But seriously, she can't just watch movies like a regular person now, she has to sit there with her headphones in (low enough that she can still hear the movie) and watch YouTube clips and movie previews on IMDb (her new favorite hobby) the whole time. WHO does that? If you're watching a movie, watch a freaking movie! It's not as if movies aren't entertaining! This is exactly the kind of thing that makes me fear for the future of my generation. Honestly, it we can't even bring ourselves to pay attention to something that is meant to give us entertainment, what hope do we have of paying attention to anything else, ever? None! We have NO HOPE! Down with the iPod, down with Apple! Anarchy! Revolt! Rebellion! Rage! We CAN be entertained by movies, we can! Dear Parents: Please don't ever let your kids do this! It's a matter of life and death!
OKAY, on that note, have a great day! I hope you get something out of this post.
Love, Lis
1. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
I LOVE this movie!!! By far my favorite Miyazaki. The story is lovely; it's like a fairy tale but it has enough action and adventure to keep Abby interested, too. I'd recommend for older kids, 8+.
Rated: PG
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
My Rating: 9/10
Abby's Rating: 7/10... (She loves this movie; that one totally surprised me)
Summary, courtesy of IMDb: When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home.
2. Spirited Away (2001)
Rated: PG
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
My Rating: 9.8/10
Abby's Rating:
IMDb Summary: In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.
Fun Fact: The girl who voices Chihiro, Daveigh Chase, is also the voice of Lilo from Lilo and Stitch AND she plays the creepy girl in The Ring. (ahhh!) Craziness!
3. Castle in the Sky (1986)
This is also a great sampling of Miyazaki's work. It's a bit more adventurous than the last two, and the characters are so loveable! It's a great family movie. Ages 6+
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
My Rating: 7.5/10
Abby's Rating: 5/10
IMDb Summary: A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
4: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Rated: G
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
My Rating: 7.5/10
Abby's Rating: She doesn't get to rate it because she just sat and played her iPod the whole time- more rant on that little habit pending.
IMDb Summary: When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wonderous forest spirits who live nearby.
5. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
I have wanted to see this movie since I was probably 6 years old and it was on the preview for some Disney show I watched all the time. I was a bit disappointed, unfortunately, although it's still a great movie, especially for kids. Sydnee loved it. My only problem with it was that the plot just kind of dragged in the middle and I wasn't a huge fan of Kiki as a character. Maybe it's just that Kirsten Dunst's voice is uber-annoying to me. Anyway, I'd recommend for 6+
Rated: G
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
My Rating: 5/10
Abby's Rating: 6.5/10
IMDb Summary: A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
6. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Oh, Nausicaa... it was just so... outdated, especially the soundtrack. Christian, Abby, and I laughed at several points because the music was just so strange. I can see the idea behind it, and it's sort of the same message as Princess Mononoke- Respect Your Mother (Earth). The delivery was just not that great on this one, at least for me.
Ages 8+
Rated: PG
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 (CANNOT believe it got the same as Howl and Castle in the Sky. Not even close.)
My Rating: 3/10
Abby's Rating: 5.5/10
IMDb Summary: Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.
All right, and that's all she wrote, folks! I'm sorry to put you through that; in hindsight it's kind of a boring topic, but at least I followed through! Anyways, back to Abby's new iPod habit and how much it bothers me: IT BOTHERS ME A LOT (oh yeah, bustin' out the caps lock). But seriously, she can't just watch movies like a regular person now, she has to sit there with her headphones in (low enough that she can still hear the movie) and watch YouTube clips and movie previews on IMDb (her new favorite hobby) the whole time. WHO does that? If you're watching a movie, watch a freaking movie! It's not as if movies aren't entertaining! This is exactly the kind of thing that makes me fear for the future of my generation. Honestly, it we can't even bring ourselves to pay attention to something that is meant to give us entertainment, what hope do we have of paying attention to anything else, ever? None! We have NO HOPE! Down with the iPod, down with Apple! Anarchy! Revolt! Rebellion! Rage! We CAN be entertained by movies, we can! Dear Parents: Please don't ever let your kids do this! It's a matter of life and death!
OKAY, on that note, have a great day! I hope you get something out of this post.
Love, Lis
Saturday, August 11, 2012
MMM Day 1: Princess Mononoke
So, the first Miyazaki movie I managed to get my hands on this summer was Princess Mononoke.
Released: 1997
Rating: PG-13 (the first animated movie I've ever seen with this rating)
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Summary (taken from IMDb): On a journey to find a cure for a demon's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Iron Town, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Princess Mononoke.
(Mononoke, in the Japanese language, is a general term for spirit or monster)
Memorable Quotes:
Lady Eboshi: What exactly are you here for?
Ashitaka: To see with eyes unclouded by hate.
Hii-sama: You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose.
Lady Eboshi: Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still you find reasons to keep living.
Toki: Even if you were a woman, you'd still be an idiot!
My Review:
I really liked this movie, although it was less light-hearted than many of Miyazaki's others. The overall message was great and the plot was sensible and easy to follow. Besides that, I love the bits of wisdom that can be found, such as the few examples given above, in all of Miyazaki's work. Princess Mononoke is definitely an intense and epic tale. I would say this movie is probably not the best for children- there was a surprising amount of blood and fighting (I guess that would explain the PG-13) and some cursing. I think its more of the subject matter that makes this necessary. I mean, a war between gods and humans can't be depicted without fighting. But anyways, next time you''re faced with a choice between Pirates of the Caribbean or the seventh Harry Potter movie for the umpteenth time, I would definitely choose this instead. It's a fantastic experience: the animation is beautiful, the characters are believable (and lovable), and the message, that nature is beautiful but not to be trifled with, is wonderful in and of itself.
My Rating: 7/10
Abby's Rating: 7/10
Abby Says: "It was good."
So there you have it.
Released: 1997
Rating: PG-13 (the first animated movie I've ever seen with this rating)
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Summary (taken from IMDb): On a journey to find a cure for a demon's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Iron Town, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Princess Mononoke.
(Mononoke, in the Japanese language, is a general term for spirit or monster)
Memorable Quotes:
Lady Eboshi: What exactly are you here for?
Ashitaka: To see with eyes unclouded by hate.
Hii-sama: You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose.
Lady Eboshi: Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still you find reasons to keep living.
Toki: Even if you were a woman, you'd still be an idiot!
My Review:
I really liked this movie, although it was less light-hearted than many of Miyazaki's others. The overall message was great and the plot was sensible and easy to follow. Besides that, I love the bits of wisdom that can be found, such as the few examples given above, in all of Miyazaki's work. Princess Mononoke is definitely an intense and epic tale. I would say this movie is probably not the best for children- there was a surprising amount of blood and fighting (I guess that would explain the PG-13) and some cursing. I think its more of the subject matter that makes this necessary. I mean, a war between gods and humans can't be depicted without fighting. But anyways, next time you''re faced with a choice between Pirates of the Caribbean or the seventh Harry Potter movie for the umpteenth time, I would definitely choose this instead. It's a fantastic experience: the animation is beautiful, the characters are believable (and lovable), and the message, that nature is beautiful but not to be trifled with, is wonderful in and of itself.
My Rating: 7/10
Abby's Rating: 7/10
Abby Says: "It was good."
So there you have it.
Friday, August 10, 2012
The Miyazaki Movie Marathon and My Un-Dying Love for Hayao Miyazaki
Hi, everyone! It's been almost a year since I last posted! (Okay, now that I've acknowledged that, we can move on).
So I don't really have much that's interesting to write about besides this: The Miyazaki Movie Marathon!! Get excited!
Speaking of excitement, I have to give a shout-out to my Uncle Brady, whose blog, thesongsstuckinmyhead.blogspot.com, has inspired me to write today and also because he was the first person to introduce me to Hayao Miyazaki!
For those of you who don't know, Miyazaki-san (that's right, I went there) is a brilliant writer and director of animated films, the most famous of which include Spirited Away and Ponyo. I've always loved Spirited Away (I use the term love very loosely- what I feel for this movie is more like absolute, unconditional, complete adoration to the point that I practically worship it if it weren't for the fact that it's a commandment to not worship false idols), but I wanted to explore more of the Miyazaki World.
Let me fill you in on a bit of back-story about summer and me: every summer (without fail) I get the urge to do three things:
1. Read the last two books of The Little House series (not The First Four Years. That one doesn't count.)
2. Read the entire Harry Potter series
3. Watch Spirited Away.
And the one thing I've done without fail every summer is watch Spirited Away.
BUT NOT THIS SUMMER.
No, this summer had to be extra-special because I saw this thing one day when I was mindlessly Pinteresting. (Heck yes, Pinteresting is both a verb and a proper noun).
And I took it not as a picture, but as a challenge.
And at that moment, I knew: I would watch all these movies.
And I would make Abby watch them with me.
And I would call it The Miyazaki Movie Marathon.
I don't know what it is about Miyazaki movies, but they are just SO great. Whenever I watch them, I feel moved, immediately attached to the characters, and somehow... nostalgic. For childhood, I guess. And innocence. But the best part about his movies, to me, is that they all have the same message: that anything is possible, that love is more powerful than anything, and that to dream is to live.
I invite you all to join me on my epic quest to complete the ultimate tribute to Miyazaki. Just pick a movie, any movie. Watch it with your friends, your kids, your cat, yourself, whatever. It'll make your day (and maybe your life) better, guaranteed.
So I don't really have much that's interesting to write about besides this: The Miyazaki Movie Marathon!! Get excited!
Speaking of excitement, I have to give a shout-out to my Uncle Brady, whose blog, thesongsstuckinmyhead.blogspot.com, has inspired me to write today and also because he was the first person to introduce me to Hayao Miyazaki!
For those of you who don't know, Miyazaki-san (that's right, I went there) is a brilliant writer and director of animated films, the most famous of which include Spirited Away and Ponyo. I've always loved Spirited Away (I use the term love very loosely- what I feel for this movie is more like absolute, unconditional, complete adoration to the point that I practically worship it if it weren't for the fact that it's a commandment to not worship false idols), but I wanted to explore more of the Miyazaki World.
Let me fill you in on a bit of back-story about summer and me: every summer (without fail) I get the urge to do three things:
1. Read the last two books of The Little House series (not The First Four Years. That one doesn't count.)
2. Read the entire Harry Potter series
3. Watch Spirited Away.
And the one thing I've done without fail every summer is watch Spirited Away.
BUT NOT THIS SUMMER.
No, this summer had to be extra-special because I saw this thing one day when I was mindlessly Pinteresting. (Heck yes, Pinteresting is both a verb and a proper noun).
And at that moment, I knew: I would watch all these movies.
And I would make Abby watch them with me.
And I would call it The Miyazaki Movie Marathon.
I don't know what it is about Miyazaki movies, but they are just SO great. Whenever I watch them, I feel moved, immediately attached to the characters, and somehow... nostalgic. For childhood, I guess. And innocence. But the best part about his movies, to me, is that they all have the same message: that anything is possible, that love is more powerful than anything, and that to dream is to live.
I invite you all to join me on my epic quest to complete the ultimate tribute to Miyazaki. Just pick a movie, any movie. Watch it with your friends, your kids, your cat, yourself, whatever. It'll make your day (and maybe your life) better, guaranteed.
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