Posted by Helen on: 11.15.2006 /
We went to see Flushed Away at the weekend. We all enjoyed it: we liked the humor and the animation was great.
We enjoy going to see movies or watching them at home – so we’re always interested in hearing about good ones. What are your favorites? What would you recommend?
Comment by: Marty G.
1My wife and I recently saw The Prestige. It’s very good. Lot’s of twists and turns w/ a surprise ending (if you don’t figure it out).
Comment by: Pastor David
2I just saw Clicked and really enjoyed it … it is a cautionary tale in the tradition of Dickens’ Christmas Carol and It’s a WOnderful Life.
Of course, some of my all-time favorites are Hi Fidelity and Grosse Point Blank
Comment by: Siamang
3For animated films, here’s one that probably nobody here has seen.
My Neighbor Totoro. It’s a film made by the man that people call the “Walt Disney of Japan,” Hayao Miyazaki.
It’s the one film I know of that I can recommend to anyone, young and old, and everyone loves it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/
Comment by: Karen
4My kids and I love Miyazaki! We have a DVD of all his films.
“Spirited Away” has to be the most beautiful animated film I’ve ever seen. Watching that was a spiritual experience, for me. I’ve probably seen it five times, and I never get tired of it.
Comment by: Siamang
5I should have guessed that about you, Karen.
Spirited Away is amazing, but it’s a little less accessable than Totoro. Okay, a lot!
We love Kiki and Porco Rosso, too.
A few years ago, my wife and I went to Japan and went to the Miyazaki museum in Mitaka. That was a treat!
Comment by: Siamang
6Those are great ones, Pastor David!
Comment by: Helen
7Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Are those Japanese movies easy to find in the rental stores?
We’ve been meaning to rent Click since we missed it when it was showing in theaters.
My sister-in-law is Japanese, so perhaps we will make it to Japan someday. I’d like to visit there.
Comment by: meg
8oooh, i am excited at the prospect of watching these movies you’re all described so beautifully. Bens, can you bit-torrent spirited away and toroto and some of the other movies here-mentioned? (bens is out of town, so it’s converse-via-catE-time!!!! Hi darling!) now, what would my favourite movie be, i wonder? hmmmmmm. of the ones i’ve seen recently, ‘crash’ and ‘notebook’ (perhaps ‘the _____’) were my favourites. All time? I truly can’t remember!!!! I know I’ve listed some on my myspace and blog, but I think those lists were pretty random. ‘I heart huckabees’ was a lot of philosophical fun!
Comment by: Siamang
9Disney just released the Miyazaki films with (semi-)big American stars in the voice parts.
Should be able to find them at a Blockbuster near you.
Comment by: Eliza
10John Cusack’s movies are always interesting. A little farther into odd (which some of us like, in movies at least) is Being John Malkovich.
I haven’t seen many movies in the past few years, though have enjoyed several documentaries, like An Inconvenient Truth (2006); Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005); and The Insider (1999). I think seeking out documentaries might be a sign of middle age ;)
My most-watched movie is The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension (1994) – you might find it in the cult section at your local video store ;)
Comment by: David H
11I loved Buckaroo Banzai. One of my all-time faves is Secondhand Lions. I love Duvall and am also a big fan of Berke Breathed, who did the featured cartoons. Great for all ages.
Comment by: David H
12My kids love Hayao Miyazaki films. Netflix keeps me up on him because are rental store in the sticks doesn’t stock much outside of major theatrical releases.
Netflix also recently turned me on to a Chinese film called: To Live. It gave me real perspective on the Cultural Revolution from the viewpoint of people who had been denied representation in their own govt. for more than a millenia.
Comment by: Pete Strobel
13The Miyazaki films I enjoy most are “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Howl’s Moving Castle”. Very unique stories and animation.
I haven’t seen much lately, in the cinema, that is. Anyone recommend a particular movie for the Christmas Season???
Comment by: Helen
14We just saw ‘Happy Feet’ – it was happy, funny, family-friendly, awesome animation.
So we enjoyed it. But I have to say it seems like I have seen about a million movies already whose theme is “It’s ok to be different!”