Mashup from Earthsea

Tales from Earthsea (2006)

Directed by Goro Miyazaki this film inspired by the Earthsea series has English voice acting from Timothy Dalton, Matt Levin, Blaire Restaneo, Mariksa Hargitay and Willem Defoe. A prince kills his father the king, takes his sword and meets a wizard.

This is no a direct adaptation of any specific novel from the Earthsea series but rather a mash up of several stories and characters to create something new. While the story is an entertaining hero's journey there are a lot of times when it feels like things are never properly explained or left hanging. Mostly the film is well made but at some points it feels like the music drowns out the dialogue which is a little annoying as it mostly happens in high drama moments.

2/5

The countryside, periods and baseball

Only Yesterday (1991)

Directed by Isao Takahata this film based on the manga of the same name has voice acting from Miki Imai, Toshiro Yanagiba and Yoko Honna. An office worker heads to a farm in the country for her holiday and reminisces about when she was a 10 year old school girl.

This is a fairly slow moving but enjoyable film about two different points in a woman's life. The plot is a down to earth slice of life story that never gets melodramatic but keeps you entertained through out. Some of the scenes involving the younger protagonist devolve into excessive blushing but otherwise there are very few genre clichés here.

3/5

Cities in the sky and death from above

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki this film has English voice acting from Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill. An orphan boy in a mining town finds a girl that has fallen from the sky and is on the run, they go in search of a flying castle.

A lot of this film harks to similar themes you will find in many Japanese films with hints at doomsday weapons in the sky and post apocalyptic settings. The story is an enjoyable adventure that has plenty of action to entertain along the way. There are some slightly annoying changes made in the dubbed version I saw but the animation is good and of the standard you expect from Studio Ghibli.

4/5

No cat, just your friendly neighbourhood Satanist

The Black Cat (1934)

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer this film stars Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners and Julie Bishop. An American couple travelling in Europe share a bus ride with a local doctor and end up at the castle of a sinister man.

Despite boasting two genre heavy weights in the cast I found this to be a pretty dated film not really comparable to some of the other Universal horror pictures of the time. At times the plot meanders around and gets a little confusing/unbelievable even though the film is barely longer than an hour. For the reputation this film has I found it to be a let down but all things considered it is a fairly average genre piece.

3/5

That's so cute!

The Bling Ring (2013)

Directed by Sofia Coppola this film based on real events stars Israel Broussard, Katie Chang, Emma Watson and Leslie Mann. A group of teenagers in LA fund the hedonistic life they aspire to by robbing those they are obsessed with.

There is some fictionalisation of the events involved here but this film is a really interesting look in to celebrity culture. Our protagonists are portrayed as just wanting to be “close” to the big stars and thanks to the internet and burglary it often seems their behaviour is just an extension of the media's. I found this film to be surprisingly interesting, it is well made and in a vaguely similar vein to Spring Breakers (2012) even if not as good.

4/5

Gap year wankers

The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)

Directed by writers Damon Beesley & Iain Morris this film stars Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas. Three of our heroes travel out to Australia to visit the fourth member of the gang who is allegedly living the good life there.

After taking aim at the lads holiday in the first film this sequel points the finger of ridicule at certain types of gap year travellers on an up themselves voyage of faux self discovery. Neither the plot of the satire is very deep but there are a few really disgusting but hysterical moments. I actually thought this was a slight improvement on the previous film in the series and did a better job of putting the characters on the big screen.

3/5

Shockingly not shocking

Blonde Cobra (1963)

Directed by Ken Jacobs this experimental short film stars Jack Smith. A man gets high and rants to the camera.

It seems that this film is purely constructed to shock and while it might have had an impact in 1963 there is nothing especially shocking to the modern viewer. There is not really a plot or any depth here which left me scratching my head as to why this film is so highly regarded. Maybe this film is of historical value but as a viewer I found it hard to find much of worth here.

2/5

The Little Goldfish

Ponyo (2008)

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki this film has English voice acting from Frankie Jonas, Noah Cyrus, Tina fey and Liam Neeson. Boy meets magic fish, fish decides to become a girl and upsets the balance of nature.

This is a heart warming tale that falls somewhere between The Little Mermaid and a hint of Pinocchio. While the story is not overly complicated it has a real child like beauty to it and the story of a fish wanting to become a girl keeps your attention the whole way through. As with any Studio Ghibli film the animation is top notch , meeting the standard you expect from them.

4/5

Shorts that go long

My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999)

Directed by Isao Takahata this animated film based on a serialized manga of the same name has voice acting from Hayato Isobata, Masako Araki and Naomi Uno. We see various events in the day to day life of a family of two parents, two children and a grandmother.

There is not really a plot here but rather a collection of vignettes that are often humorous. While there are plenty of funny moments through out the lack of any sort of narrative drive does make this a bit of an unfulfilling watch. The animation style used is a departure from the usual Studio Ghibli style but works well with the subject matter, reflecting the comic strip nature of the content.

3/5

Flying pig

Porco Rosso (1992)

Directed Hayao Miyazaki this film based on the manga “Hikotei Jidai” has English voice acting from Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes and Susan Egan. A WW1 pilot's survivor's guilt has turned him into a pig and he spends his time hunting air pirates for money in the Adriatic.

There is plenty of action and humour along the way in this slightly bizarre film about a man turned into a pig by his own guilt. I am not sure the film ever really explores the idea of survivor's guilt fully but is an entertaining watch through out. The animation is good but I found Michael Keaton's voice acting for the title role a little uninteresting.

3/5

Why don't you come up and see this film?

She Done Him Wrong (1933)

Directed by Lowell Sherman & James Dugan this film based on a play by star Mae West also features Cary Grant and Owen Moore. A bar room singer has herself caught up in a criminal world as she seeks to twist all the men in her life to her own desires.

This is a much more playful rather than serious film and is filled with double entendres. Such as it is the plot is not really that impressive but it is the dialogue which is the most interesting part of the film. Some of the acting is a bit wooden which is a mix of early acting styles and people hamming it up a little.

3/5

Signals of intent

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

Directed by Goro Miyazaki this film based on the comic of the same name has voice acting from Masami Nagasawa, Junichi Okada and Keiko Takeshita. Japan 1963, a high school girl meets a boy and decides to help him clean up the school club house to save it from demolition.

This is a fairly simple teen romance film that follows a familiar romantic story pattern. As with most Studio Ghibli films the story is well told but in this instance is not especially remarkable. The animation is good and the film seems to feature the Studio Ghibli trademark of an extended cleaning sequence.

3/5

A million ways to make gross out jokes

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Written and directed by star Seth MacFarlane this film also features Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson. A somewhat cowardly sheep farmer living in the old west loses his girlfriend and tries to win her back.

Coming forty years after Blazing Saddles (1974) it does seem like this genre parody has missed the boat a little on being relevant. The plot here is formulaic and while there are funny moments the film never misses the opportunity for the obvious and simplistic when it comes to humour. At two hours long it does feel like this film is a little on the long side and some of the dialogue strike as being straight out of a stand up routine rather but I suppose this is not the worst comedy film you will ever see.

3/5

Thieves and a princess

The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki this film based on the manga series Lupin III has English voice acting from Bob Bergen, Joan-Carol O'Connell and Michael McConnohie. A master thief travels to a small country to find the source of counterfeit money and gets involved in saving a princess from a count.

The plot of this film is a fairly standard adventure film with rogues that have a sense of decency. Much of the plot is as you would expect and the central characters are on the wackier end of the spectrum. Miyazaki made his directorial debut with this film and while it may not be up to the standard of his later films it is still a pretty fun effort.

3/5

Ghosts of the masters

Les maitres fous (1955)

Directed by Jean Rouch this documentary was shot in Africa and was highly controversial on it's release. A group known as the Hauka have yearly ritual where members go into a trance and are possessed by spirits of the colonists that run their country.

This film has been accused of being offensive to all sides involved and while it covers an interesting subject I am not sure it ever really gets to the heart of the matter. Using a voice over narration from an outsider and no interviews with those involved we never get an insiders view. Some may think this provides ambiguity but to me it just allows the film makers to play up the elements they want, undercutting any "truth" in the film.

2/5

Transforming Raccoons

Pom Poko (1994)

Directed by Isao Takahata this animated film has English voice acting from Maurice LaMarche, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and J. K. Simmons. Raccoons in Japan resort to using magical transformation techniques to try and protect the wood they live in from urban growth.

While there is plenty of fun to be had here I found this film to be lacking a little subtlety at times and somewhat on the long side. There are some funny moments along the way but nothing particularly unique or sophisticated about the pro environment message. The animation and voice acting are decent but not stand out.

3/5

Kids all at sea

Ocean Waves (1993)

Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki this animated film has voice acting from Nobuo Tobita, Yolo Sakamoto and Toshihiko Seki. Boys crush on the new girl at school who has moved from Tokyo and is struggling to deal with her parents divorce.

This is a fairly simple tale of high school crushes very much in the Japanese style with no one ever saying how they feel. Not a huge amount ever happens and this is a fairly short film, it does little to really stand out but also is not necessarily bad. Most of the animators on this film were the younger staff at Studio Ghibli so it has a good if not impressive standard of animation.

3/5

Shanghai Lilly

Shanghai Express (1932)

Directed by Josef von Sternberg this film stars Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook and Anna May Wong. During the Chinese civil war western passengers take a sleeper train and a British captain runs into an old flame who has a reputation for getting by on her charms now.

Despite being a fairly short romance this film has a fair amount to say about imperialism/racism and the way women were/are treated for using their sexuality. You could see the plot of this film as a distant ancestor to Casablanca (1942) and while it's not as good as that film it certainly is in the same vein. As this is an early sound film some of the acting is a little wooden but there is some nice expressive lighting used.

4/5

Childhood lost

Grave of Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata this film based on the novel of the same name has voice acting from Tsutomu Tatsumi and Ayano Shiraishi. A teenage boy struggles to care for himself and his much younger sister during the closing days of WW2.

If you want your heart just brutally stomped on then this is the film for you, it is a really good look at the harshness of surviving in a country at war as well as a look at the isolation of childhood. Our heroes try to remain positive and keep clear of the war going on all around them but fail depressingly. The animation does a good job of recreating the landscapes and hardships of war but maybe because of that is never beautiful.

4/5

Selling more toys

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Directed by Michael Bay this 4^th film in the toy selling franchise stars Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci and Kelsey Grammer. After the Battle of Chicago all transformers have been outlawed by the government.

This film is far too long, lacks any heart and never really explores it's plot with any depth but at least the Shia LaBeouf character from previous films has been ditched. For all the problems with this film it is what it is and that's non-stop action sequences which is really all you can expect from Michael Bay. I have seen this film get slammed a lot but it's probably marginally better than the last entry in the series.

2/5

General Zhivago

The Last Command

Directed by Josef von Sternberg this film stars Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent and William Powell. In Hollywood an old man his hired as an extra to play a Russian general and we flash back ten years to see his life as a Prince and general in the real Russian army.

This film does a pretty good job of following the story of someone who was a patriot but fell foul of the Communist revolution in Russia. At times the plot is a little melodramatic but it works pretty well in the vein of “love denied by war” and manages to you on a real journey of empathy as well as dislike for the protagonist. Emil Jannings won an Oscar in part for his performance as the shell shocked protagonist and while it may seem a little rudimentary at times to modern eyes it's still a good performance.

4/5

Exams, boys and excessive blushing

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo this animated film based on the manga of the same name has English voice acting from Brittany Snow, David Gallagher and Ashley Tisdale. A 14 year old girl is unsure what she wants to do with her life.

This coming of age tale mainly focuses on school exams and crushes on boys giving a snap shot of the pressures of being a Japanese student. Most of the plot is fairly sedate and does not draw any earth shattering conclusions. There is more blushing in this film than you will see in any other but beyond that there is not much of note in the animation.

3/5

A Japanese Norse myth

The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968)

Directed by Isao Takahata this animated film has voice acting from Hisako Okata, Mikijiro Hira and Etsuko Ichihara. A young man pulls a sword from a rock giant and goes to fight a demon.

If you want an example of a standard hero's journey this film covers it pretty simply. The story is serviceable but not very deep, the world problem is clear but it lacks a character problem for the hero to over come as well. Some of the animation is a little on the rudimentary side but it holds together pretty well.

3/5

What's in a name anyhow?

The Cat Returns (2002)

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita this animated film has English voice acting from Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes and Peter Boyle. A teenage girl saves a cat's life and gets more than she wanted in terms of rewards from the king of the cats.

This film is a spin off from Whisper of the Heart (1995) but works fine as a stand alone. Having an uninspiring title reflects the plot of the film which is also fairly basic and has some minor nods to self belief and coming of age but not much more than that. Nothing much stands out in this film and it does not really have a lot to recommend it on it's own merits.

3/5  

I think I heard a shot

Report (1967)

Directed by Bruce Conner this is a found footage film that covers the assassination of President Kennedy.

You could say that this film is designed to give the viewer just a snap shot of what the wall to wall coverage of a presidential assassination must have been like but at times the avant-garde nature of the film got in the way for me. There are long periods of just flashing black and white coupled with audio from the day which while having a spooky element to them do not add much for me. A few interesting elements get teased out but this was not a film for me.

2/5

If you go down to the woods today

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki this animated film has English voice acting from Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly and Frank Welker. Two young girls and their father move to a house in the country to be nearer their sick mother and discover forest spirits.

This is a pleasant watch that might not have a huge amount of plot but trundles along at a sedate pace. While the story has some heart to it it is not especially deep but does a good job of dealing with the “sick mother” part of the story without getting melodramatic. As always the animation is nice but slightly less fantastical than some of the other Studio Ghibli efforts.

3/5

A witch's coming of age

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Directed Hayao Miyazaki this film based on the novel of the same name has English voice acting from Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman and Tress MacNeille. A 13 year old witch leaves home to find her place in the world.

This is a pretty standard coming of age tale that is fairly pedestrian in nature. To me it seems that this film really lacks an antagonist at times and the plot does sort of meander along but it's not bad for what it is. None of the voice acting really stands out and neither does the animation.

3/5

The pure made dirty

The Quiet Duel (1949)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa this film stars Toshiro Mifune, Miki Sanjo, Takashi Shimura and Noriko Sengoku. A tired army doctor makes a mistake and catches syphilis while treating a soldier during WW2 and breaks off his engagement without explanation when he returns to civilian life.

This film works as both an exploration of the stigma behind having an STD as well as using syphilis as a metaphor for how Japanese war crimes in WW2 tainted even those who behaved “honourably” during the war. What I like is that there are no easy resolutions to the plot here and the characters have to suffer through their problems as Japan has to face the realities of it's actions in WW2. Compared to some Kurosawa films this film may lack the directorial flair you may expect but it is still a very competently made film.

4/5

Wizard gonna cry

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki this film based on the novel of the same name has voice acting in the English version from Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons and Christian Bale. A plain girl who works in a hat shop meets an emo wizard then gets cursed by a witch.

It seems there are a number of changes between the novel and the film and to be honest I found the wizard character in particular to be fairly annoying as well as not very deep. Where the film is at it's best is the fantasy, semi Victorian setting but I wish as much care had been taken with the plot as some elements come out of nowhere and are resolved in 5 minutes at the end. As always with Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli there is some nice animation but nothing that stands out.

3/5

Healing the planet

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Directed Hayao Miyazaki this animated film based on the manga of the same name has voice acting in the English version from Alison Lohman, Patrick Stewart and Uma Thurman. In a post apocalyptic future a community living in a fertile valley is threatened by outsiders and toxic forests.

This story has all the classic post war Japanese themes from anti war to pro environment the film captures something definitively from it's country of origin. Some of the plot may be a little simple and heavy handed but it is told in a fascinating world with decent characters. While the animation standards may not be has high as more recent Miyazaki efforts it is still good and has plenty of action sequences to entertain.

4/5