To me, what Takahashi did with the stories was creativity I hadn’t seen done before when I discovered the series. I would read some stories and wonder why this series wasn’t being beloved as much as Ranma.
I guess I was just the right level of “weird” for it to affect me.
Watching animated films over the years, it often bugs me when I see some stories that seemed to miss giving us some pretty deep or complex characters.
As I watched Goat a few months ago, I felt the film focused more on the action and less on the characters (basically, Will is just perfect, so doesn’t really need to grow?). In that sense, I felt they missed out on really giving some deeper focus on Jett.
Sure, she feels she has to keep proving herself time and time again, but I felt there could have been more on who she was before she became a big name. We get the idea that she grew up in the same place as Will, but there’s very little I felt to build on. Where are her parents? What was her experience like growing up? Was there someone who helped push her before she gained or built up confidence?
There were some points where I was hoping given Will’s openness and all to helping her get away that one time, she might have allowed him a little peek inside of herself given she got to see where he came from, let alone maybe understand more about why he idolizes her so much.
I didn’t see this as a topic so wondered what some people thought about this.
I am pretty sure a cat couldn’t get into a pill bottle like that, so it must have been left out and Bear just didn’t find it or notice it.
That thinking recently made me wonder, was Bear’s crying over the fact that his cat was dead, or, that he was upset that his carelessness had possibly led to the cat’s death?
This can be my kryptonite, and it happened recently when I was watching “Toy Story 5’s” trailer.
I’ve seen this method in the past used for “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Speed Racer.”
Anyone else have this weird quirk? I think it comes from being in band in school, marking-time and staying on the beat.
Was just wandering through the woods, and suddenly this thing appeared atop a rock!
My Blog Post offering up observations on Spielberg’s “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” over 10 years ago.
I was getting annoyed with the film still being brow-beaten all over the place at the time, so I put my thoughts and observations down in this post.
(Thought I’d post a link here, as I’ve seen it getting extra hits as “Disclosure Day” approaches. Reminds me of my thoughts to do a dissection of “Ready Player One,” and how it isn’t just an “IP free-for-all” like some say, but also tells young people to stand up and fight for the future before you lose it to corporate interests!)
I’ve been looking recently, but it feels like every other review is the same: “WWATCF rules, CATCF is a poor carbon-copy.”
Looking for something that goes over the film without the haughtiness.
Some years ago, I did a blog post on A.I., wanting to explain more and soften the blow that said Spielberg had ruined Kubrick’s last film.
In a number of instances, elements in the opening would resurface later.
One that fascinated me was the two scenes here.
The first is the first dinner with David as part of the Swintons. Henry and Monica are quietly eating as David just observes. What is noticeable is the framing of David within the overhead lamp. It almost telegraphs how “alien” he seems, with the flying saucer shape of the light isolating him from the scene, almost like saying, “he doesn’t belong” in this scene.
The second is David finding another like he once was, all happy and smiling…only David grows suspicious and wary of this smiling, friendly doppleganger…and then lashes out in a very human way of jealousy and anger (“I’m David, you can’t have her! I’m special! I’m unique!”). He not only decapitates himself, but he smashes the table the other David sat down at, wrecking the very proper room.
What I found notable was the wide overhead shot Spielberg uses. The open doorway behind him almost creates a pattern similar to the table in the first image, but we see the aesthetics and such are darker, and less homely. The white-figure of the innocent “angelic” David (like in the first) is “dead,” the David we’ve followed has given in to more animalistic human traits to assure dominance in its quest for Monica’s love…and, the overhead lamp is a split circle, as if to say that David has been “unleashed.” He is no longer the restrained automaton of before, he has become something else, something…more.
There are some other elements I have been thinking of, but I wanted to bring this up here, as those two images stand out the most.
On a final note, I do love how unexpectedly prescient Gigolo Joe could be (“we are paying for the mistakes they made because when the end comes, all that will be left, is us!”).
I was thinking about this the other day, and it almost feels like, what is the point?
Almost every list just has Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark trading spaces in the top 2 slots.
Every other person is talking about her role in this film, but I do hope she doesn’t just end up being typecast as “the loud crazy girlfriend.”
Hopefully some filmmakers will see her focus and utilize her in new ways.
Really making him squint there.
I never suspected when picking this up on December 21st, 1997 in Cedar Rapids (yes, THE Cedar Rapids!), that it would end up being an amazing example of not just giving us Cameron’s stories and recollections in making the film, but it would also dissect the entire film down to almost every set of visual effects…and which of the 14 visual effects companies handled what.
There’s talk of rotoscoping out a broom that came out of the chute where the iceberg ice came onto the deck, the difficulty of face-replacement on the stunt people rushing down the hallway, and even the question of passing some difficult work to Digital Domain’s biggest rival, Industrial Light & Magic.
This along with the Illustrated Screenplay at the time, were some of the main ways I could BTS this film at the time in the late 90’s.
Of all the types of stories, “be careful what you wish for” has been one that has always stuck in my head…maybe because I wanted a relationship so badly in my teens/twenties, and in the end one broke my youthful hopes and optimism…but that’s a story for another time.
Main purpose of this inquiry: are there any of those types of stories you enjoy or recommend?
Here are a few that I like:
- The Twilight Zone: The Chaser - this one was on my mind when I heard of this story, though it’s a bit more innocent but also has the implied element that a death must occur to break the love wish. Not one of the series’ best, but I like parts of it.
- Coraline (2008) - not love story charged, but definitely a “be careful what you wish for” scenario from a girl who has that selfish child attitude, and then realizes soon after that she’s made a mistake.
Surely you had to have had them: a movie whose trailer just made you so excited you were going to be there that first weekend.
You go in, eager and excited…only to find the theater is incredibly empty!
Had that happen twice.
- 1992, with “Newsies” (me, Dad, and 6 other people)
- 2008, with “Speed Racer” (me, and one couple)
Spill the beans, people. Tell me about it.
Sometimes, I think back to one person I was dating.
We watched “Hercules,” and when this scene came up, she turned to me and asked: “…is that true?”
Personally, I think I was of the same agreement as Hercules and Pegasus (aka, “I don’t know.”).
Curious if anyone else has had moments where a film sparks some remembrance of a time/situation/etc.
I swear at two points, there’s talk of something like Greedo’s, and Lando’s when they’re talking about places to go.
Anyone else pick up on that? There might have been some other stuff I missed.