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…
Recently I wrote about some Youtube channels I find to be excellent, and today I thought I’d talk about some website that are worth a look at. As usual, my tastes vary widely, so I hope there will be something for everyone. http://www.openculture.com/ I’ve been a fan of this website for many years. It covers…
I believe this is the kind of novel they call ‘young adult’. I am not a young adult, but I enjoyed it a lot, possibly because I am in the other category that might enjoy this – someone who was a teenager in the eighties. The story is this – in a run down future,…
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”…
I thought I’d talk about some Youtube channels I think are rather good. In keeping with my site’s theme, they’re a bit of a mixed bunch, so I hope readers find something of interest in the following. I've added links to the channels and an example of each. They’re not listed in any order of…
“Breakfast of Champions” is overt metafiction and satire, and it may be one of the weirdest examples of Vonnegut’s work. Loosely, the story is about a writer who has been published a lot but who is not well known, and a man who is mentally ill but no one has noticed. They meet, and this…
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…
First published in 1956, “The Shrinking Man” is a story that reflects its time. It’s a story about fear and powerlessness, undercurrents of Cold War era America. The title is the plot – a man begins to shrink. The cause is a mixture of chemicals and radiation, another nod to the fears of the time,…
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…
Eclectic Assemblage 