Made by Studio Ghibli in 1988, this gorgeous animated film is directed by the awesome Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of the studio, and director of its best works. Totoro has become the studio mascot and is one of the most recognized characters of Japanese animation. The plot surrounds two young girls who move to the country…
There is something about the work that comes out of Studio Ghibli that just makes me smile. There’s also a lot to be said for good old-fashioned feel good movies. In the animated films from Studio Ghibli, you can expect beautiful art, beautiful music, and classical fairy-tale type stories. “Laputa – Castle in the sky”…
Made in 1972 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this was a very controversial film at the time, earning itself an R rating. This was due to graphic violence and nudity, depicting a rape and strangulation scene. The story revolves around a series of murders, and a man who is unjustly accused of the crime. It’s…
“Yojimbo” is a classic film from the acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurasawa. It was made in 1961, and it is based on the novel ‘Red Harvest’ by Dashiel Hammett. It is the first of three films that have adapted this story. (“A Fistful of Dollars” and “Last Man Standing” can be regarded as remakes of…
I started this expecting a mindless action flick. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a sequel, and at the time of writing this review I have not seen the first movie. It stands alone comfortably – at no time did I find myself wondering what was happening. The preliminary rundown of the events leading up…
I have a soft spot for fractured fairy tales. This film on the face of it really fits that bill. While much of this film was very enjoyable, ultimately I think it fell short. A modern day protagonist is troubled by dreams of a sleeping princess, weird-looking creatures and a sinister building. He is surprised…
By the time I had finished wading through this mess, ‘dear god what did I just watch’ was my conclusion. Fans of the original “Jurassic Park” will be forgiven for a feeling of déjà vu when watching this, and I don’t mean this in a good way. The plot is virtually identical to the original,…
Two words – James McAvoy. Words cannot describe this amazing performance. This is a truly scary thriller, and a fantastic comeback for the director M Night Shyamalan, who has helmed some rather lack-lustre films in recent years. Young girls being held prisoner by a deranged mad man does not seem like a particularly original idea.…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119227/ This is not your regular Snow White. There is no Queen, no Prince, and no dwarves (well, technically there is one dwarf.) Also, thankfully, Snow White is not called Snow White (a silly name), and instead has the much more believable name of Lilliana Hoffman. But there is a very wicked (and extremely crazy)…
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1706593/) Three teenage boys come across an alien artefact and gain mysterious powers. Sounds like a million superhero movies we’ve seen, right? Not this time. “Chronicle” is a clever look at what might actually happen if something like that occurred. Do our heroes turn into heroes? Do they turn into villains? Well, initially at least,…
Eclectic Assemblage 