I want to learn to play the zither.
Metropolis (2001): Pretty good for Rintaro, probably because he had Katsuhiro Otomo doing the writing, and he could just concentrate on making the movie look pretty (unlike the X movie, where he co-wrote it). And Metropolis does look quite pretty, although it'll probably take most people a bit to get used to the character designs. (The movie's based on an Osamu Tezuka manga, and of course he has the most old school of old school character designs.) Pretty solid anime flick overall; I enjoyed it.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001): Man, it's been a while since I watched this. I actually like it more than I remember, though that might be because I am rewatching the series at the same time and am caught up in the good vibes. Definitely one of the best TV anime --> movie adaptations done, although that's really not saying much, considering how much they tend to suck. But the Cowboy Bebop movie is a legitimately good anime movie. I think Ed is my favorite part of the movie; actually, Ed is quickly becoming my favorite character now. She's so funny.
The Third Man (1949): This is a perfect film noir, I think: It captures the weariness, cynicism, darkness and existential terror that defines the genre. You wouldn't think it, but is there no more perfect place for film noir than post-war Vienna? It was still in recovery after the physical and mental shock of World War II, with an active black market. The locales are despairing, the people wary (except, of course, for the comparatively optimistic American lead), and the villains scummy. It's such a complex story, too, suggesting a lot more than it lets on -- Anna's relationship with Harry Lime is especially fascinating. You wonder how she could ever support a horrible person like Harry, but there's so much unspoken history between the two, and the shadow of World War II constantly hangs over everything ... if you think hard enough about the bits and pieces of Anna's background, you can see what might have happened for her to overlook Harry's deep flaws.
Agh, I could write about The Third Man all day. Such a great story, and such great style. When people think of film noir, they think of movies like this: Deep shadows, tilted camera angles, harsh contrast and lighting, dank locations, etc. What a movie.
On the queue for this week: The King's Speech (2010)
Total Movies: 67 (Blazing Saddles, The Descent, Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer, Village of the Damned, Children of the Damned, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, The Night of the Hunter, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 1st, Dawn of the Dead, Black Swan, Clue, Scarface, Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned, True Grit, Perfect Blue, The Quick and the Dead, High Sierra, Shutter Island, A Serious Man, Kite, The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Broken Blade 3, Kite Liberator, Machete, The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Heathers, The Prince of Tennis: The Two Samurai, The First Game, Notes on a Scandal, The American, King of Thorn), The Expendables, Sword of the Stranger, The Hangover, Welcome to the Space Show, Broken Blade 4, The Social Network, End of Evangelion, Neo Tokyo, Red, Dreamcatcher, Jason X, Wag the Dog, The Naked Gun, Dirty Work, 8mm, The Wicker Man (2006), Blood: The Last Vampire, Winter's Bone, The Road, Heartcatch Precure! Hana no To de Fashion Show ... Desu ka?!, Broadcast News, Bulletproof, Dead Leaves, Dirty Dancing, Hot Tub Time Machine, Eureka Seven: Pocketful of Rainbows, Cloverfield, Best in Show, Play Misty for Me, Paprika, The Cat Returns, Welcome to the Dollhouse, 12 Monkeys, The Killer, Metropolis, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, The Third Man)
