Category: Moving Media

  • Ooh la~ Actress Spotting: Mia Wasikowska

    Mia Wasikowska

    Mia Wasikowska is also Australian (like Tim Pocock, the first Actor Spotting), and is 19 going on 20. You might have seen her on HBO’s In Treatment with Gabriel Byrne, and you can also see her on I Love Sarah Jane (after the post break) directed by Spencer Susser who is set to direct Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Natalie Portman (who is also producing) on the film Hesher.

    You will next see her as Elinor Smith on the Hilary Swank Amelia Earhart bio-film Amelia, and next year as Alice on the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland.

    She was also named one of Top10 Actors to Watch in 2008 by Variety.

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  • Ike-chan to Boku Trailer

    Ike-chan and Me TrailerNippon Cinema has just posted the trailer released by Kadokawa Pictures~~~ with a brief intro by Yu and…

    Ike-chan to Boku, mitte kudasai~~~

    Trailer has a whole bunch of new footage to me… unless they’ve been releasing clips through their website, which I’m not aware of. However, Ike-chan still looks out of place, no? Pops out from the picture… doesn’t look as cute as the one on paper… you think?

    Head over here for the trailer via Nippon Cinema.

  • Meryl Streep + Amy Adams on Julie & Julia Trailer!

    “What is it that you REALLY like to do?”
    Eat!
    *laughs*

    [iframe width=”560″ height=”349″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ozRK7VXQl-k?rel=0″]

    I’ll watch anything with these two~~~ xD

  • Yu Aoi Film Discussion – Mushishi – Bugmaster

    Now, let’s see… I wrote this review a long while ago. So long ago that I ended up watching the anime series xP

    I’ve re-checked this review to try and have a balance between someone who didn’t know anything about Mushishi, and someone who saw the anime, and I think this review serves its purpose. Many of the things I felt weren’t properly built up, are in fact because the anime is very episode-based, and not much of a series… which I liked by the way. The anime is really REALLY great, so if you’re thinking of watching it after (or before) the film, go watch it.

    Anyway… here we go~~

    Something about the film:
    (from Wikipedia)
    This is a 2006 Live Action adaptation of the Manga series by Yuki Urushibara, featuring ubiquitous creatures called Mushi, which most humans are incapable of perceiving. However, there are few who possess the ability to see and interact with them, one of them is Ginko who refers to himself as a Mushishi (or Bugmaster), traveling from place to place to research Mushi and help people suffering from problems caused by them.

    The film corresponds to chapters 2, 7, 9 and 15 of the Manga.

    Genre: Fantasy
    Starring: Joe Odagiri, Nao Omori, Makiko Esumi, Yu Aoi
    Duration: +2hrs

    You know the drill. Spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned.

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  • Coupling (UK) – Shows You Should’ve Watched

    Coupling (uk)Though it wasn’t overly lasting, Coupling (the UK version, not its abominable US remake… ugh much?) should be included into anyone’s list of  “I should have watched this”. This is the case for me, I don’t get BBC comedies on my cable system (only the news, and they recently began showing BBC Entertainment), so the first time I saw this was on Eurochannel a few years back. In fact, they were already showing the final season… even then, I fell in love with the show.

    I think of myself as a bit of a mix between Susan, Sally and Steve. LOL’ But all characters were equally hilarious in their own way… and unlike FRIENDS, I never ended finding a character annoying. Perhaps, it’s because it only lasted 4 seasons, so I never got around to growing to hate them… okay, maybe I hated Oliver – but that’s because he is too much of Joey, and I ended up hating Joey.

    Steve (Jack Davenport) is hilarious… and man! His voice!! His voice and the monologues… like the one for “Lesbian Spank Inferno” LOL’ Jeff is also hilarious with his explanations, theories, women-related situations and many words on “breasts”.

    And more than Richard, I love Richard and Sally’s interactions, because well… Sally is gold. LOL’ “I finally understand why you called him ‘donkey’.” And totally missing the point. I think that my favorite episodes of the show, revolves around these two~~ with episodes like the one and the Spiderman theme, and the one where Sally ends up singing “Susan the Happy Trotting Elf” – *snorts*

    Then there’s Jane who is hilariously just out there… where? You know… there~~~ with the talking snakes, or improvising the traffic report… showing up naked to a dinner, or saying she’s a vegetarian that eats meat… you know, almost like a bisexual. x’D

    And Susan! I love uptight Susan, and I love it when she says “apparently”, and her French accent. LOL’ “Giselle, the French bitch” xD and her history with Australian men~~~

  • 10 Years of 10 Things I Hate about You

    10 Things I Hate About You PosterToday I was re-watching BBC’s Shakespeare: The Animated Tales… particularly Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew. Despite it’s misogynistic theme, it reminded me of the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate about You~~

    How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.

    Some time in 2003, on one of the many Writing classes I had, we got to ‘study’ the script for this film, which I had seen back when I was 13 or 14. I’m almost sure that I saw this film at the theaters… oh the times! And oh how innocent were teen comedies back then~~~

    Anyway, back to the topic~ my teacher pointed out that the film was a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Shrew~ Back then I thought, WOW! That’s so cool. LOL, she also mentioned at how much the script sold, and I was most impressed. Hahahaha~~

    For those not so familiar with the film, or the Shakespeare story… here are some of the references:

    • Kat (as in Katarina) and Bianca are sisters. Bianca can’t date (or marry, in the case of the Shakespearean tale), before Katarina does.
    • Patrick Verona is the contemporary version of Petruchio of Verona.
    • Padua, the city, becomes Padua High School.

    You can check more references here.

    It’s so hard to imagine that the film is already 10 years old!! – Turned 10 about 20 days ago on March 31st – and that this film was the American debut of Heath Ledger (RIP) who’s got a remarkable career with great films… awards *sighs(, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a broad array of films as well more on the indie flare – and whatever happened to Andrew Keegan? I’m pretty sure he used to date LeAnn Rimes, whom we all know what’s going on with her~~

    Julia Stiles had a breakthrough with this role, and had a bunch of films out during those years, but eventually just settled for lesser roles. I did enjoy seeing her on The Bourne Trilogy~~ and Larisa Oleynik~~ I read she was seen on Without a Trace, but I don’t watch the show so can’t tell. I should go on the hunt for a few Oleynik flicks. Gabrielle Union is doing a big better on the more “commercial” work, as I’ve seen a few projects with her. Not really MY type of films, but she’s been active.

    I wonder if someone would be interested in a “collector’s edition” of this film. Would like to see them together…

    How do you feel this film is aging? I think it’s okay… I had a laugh watching it this afternoon. I was surprised how innocent it is compared to teen films now. I don’t know if I can call this the best teen romcom of the 90’s (or the last 20 years?), but perhaps… I could do a bit more research.

  • Interesting One Million Yen Girl Brief Review

    I found this curious review of One Million Yen Girl in Italian… now my Italian, actually I don’t have an Italian to speak of, but I will try to translate as best as I can. Or you know… you can Google Translate.

    Road films with a female protagonist are quite common, but Tanada Yuki’s film takes an unusual direction. Instead of embarking in a self-liberation and self-discovery journey like the protagonists on the big screen have done since the women’s liberation movement on films like “Thelma & Louise” and “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, Suzuko (Yu Aoi) decides to leave simply because she no longer stands the human race, including her family and friends.

    Tanada, who also wrote the screenplay, tells the story of Suzuko with mocking humor but also with perception on the difficulties and dangers usually found in human relationships. Her protagonist who is not bitterly disillusioned nor naive by her own self-delusion, has the confidence and is aware of herself, which is comforting, despite continuing to run into funny and embarrassing situations.

    Her journey begins with the wrong choice of roomate, which leads to an absurd process in court and the unfairly smear of her criminal record. The incredibly heartless family, and the insufferable moralist brother don’t support her at all, so Suzuko decides to leave home without goals, except for saving one million yen (roughly $10 000 USD).

    Why this sum of money? According to her calculations, it’s enough for renting an apartment and living alone – which is rather expensive in Japan, where tenants often have to pay a large deposit before they can move in.

    After being on the road with the money, she ends up in a seaside resort, where she finds employment in a “sea house” (“umi no ie”, or a temporary shelter for bathers at the beach) and begins to restore her bank account immediately.  The next stop is in the mountains, where she finds a job as a peaches collector and lives with her employers. Finally, she arrives to a city of the province, where she begins working at a market for home supplies.

    I haven’t seen Hyakuman-en with subtitles yet, but I didn’t think her family was heartless. I thought her parents were a bit spinless… they lacked the attitude to tell her off and/or protect her. And her brother being a moralist? He’s what? 10 years old maybe? He’s a pompous brat at home because he is being bullied in school… I think. I would find his fault if he were the big moralist brother… but he is not. I thought he did care for Suzuko.

    Also… I was under the impression she was saving money to pay her debt… no? I thought part of her fine was paying that sum of money to make up for what she had done to the roomate, and when she told her parents they didn’t have the attitude to do anything so she took matters in her own hands, and decided to pay the debt herself. Was I so wrong? Anyone who understands Japanese has seen the film, or subbed?

  • Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature Nominees – Part II

    For Part I of this post, click away~~

    Okay, today is not really early either… but this will have to do because I only have 3 years to go. In case you haven’t read the first part, or are lazy to read it now that I’ve given you the link… I got a little mad remembering films that should have won in years past~~ which include Tekkonkinkreet, and/or Paprika getting nominations in 2006 (or 2007, pick your release date issue).

    So just after the break, I will be talking about 2005, 2007 and 2008…

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  • Yu Aoi Film Discussion – Hachimitsu to Clover – Honey & Clover

    Let’s start with what the film is about:
    Live Action version of the famous manga series Hachimitsu to KURO~BA, it follows the lives of five art school students, who are trying to find their way through life and love. Takemoto is not a very good art student… preferring to talk about Japanese castles and models. Morita (Yusuke Iseya – Kiraware Matsuko no Issho, Blindness) is an amazing artist, but fears the real world and prefers to stay behind in the safety of college life. Mayama (Ryo Kase – Tokyo!, PAKO to Mahou no Ehon, GUGU Datte Neko de Aru) is in love with (and stalking) his boss, while Yamada is head over heels for him. And Hagumi (Yu Aoi) is a child prodigy…

    Genre: Drama, Light Comedy
    Starring: Sho Sakurai,Yu Aoi, Yusuke Iseya, Ryo Kase, Megumi Seki
    Appearances by: Masato Sakai, Shido Nakamura
    Duration: nearly 2hrs

    Spoilers ahead!

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  • Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature Nominees – Part I

    Most often than not, there’s a lack of foreign films in the Animated Feature (and in any other) field~ So how many times must we pass over great animation (not only for kids) to open our eyes? I started out with a qucik search for 2006 released animation (because I was discussing that year with a friend), but that didn’t do anything except make me skim through an article stating that “2006 was a great year for animation” – NOT! That there were 2 or 3 animated (3d CG) films each months totaling more than a dozen films of pretty much crappy quality… and if they were lucky they were worth a straight-to-dvd release is NOT a great year for animation. That just makes it a great year for movie business…

    2006 was the year I began hating 3d animation, because everyone seemed to be releasing their 3d films JUST to cash in.

    I ended up at the Academy Awards site to search all animated films nominated since the category began in 2001 with Shrek (the original not sequels) won. I also ended up on IMDb and their ‘Power Search’ tool to search for animated films with feature releases from the year.

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