film time

It's not a Miyazaki film if there isn't allusions to capitalism, destruction of the environment, identity, growth, and change. And we love him for it immensely.

It's easy to think of movies like Spirited Away as nothing more than a kid's movie, but time and again powerful messages are hidden within Miyazaki's work, really making you question why animated media gets so trivialized.

I'm a Ghibli dork, I love it. While Spirited Away isn't even in my top 3 (tbh not even my top 5. I only really like the sprites and No Face...) of their movies, it's still such an important film that touches on a lot of incredible emotions. The fear of change that Chiihiro feels at the beginning is spot on to what a young child who has been uprooted is likely to feel. She's in an unknown place with unknown surroundings, it's not a surprise she freaks out the way she does. The most major aspect of this film is how a child deals with their fears--their fear of being separated from her parents, of growing up, of change, of figuring out who they are. Because identity is massive in this film. I mean, hello, there's a whole ass character named No Face. Yubaba literally steals aspects of their names, and it's Chiihiro's growth that allows her to take back her (and Haku's) identities and reclaim them. She gains confidence and autonomy by doing this. This, I feel, everyone can see in this film. It's pretty heavy handed.

Capitalism is throughout pretty much every Miyazaki film (as far as I've noticed) and this movie has it in abundance. I mean, they work in bathhouse, slaving away to the point they no longer have an identity. She has to beg for work to survive. The physical laborer's are literally hidden well beneath the lavish building they slave over. Also, hello, literal child labor? Even the clothes separate the working class from the elite--Yubaba is always lush and extravagant (while also being very ugly, a staple for Ghibli antagonists). The uniformity Chiihiro has to change into and hide her real clothes. The boiler rooms????? Hello????????? It puts a spot light on western industrialization and how dehumanizing and terrible it is. The mix of both Japanese and distinctly western influences just shows how they feel about the ever-expanding western capitalism influences into Japanese society--spoiling it and rotting it from the inside.

There is so much emphasis on over-consumption in this from the parents literally obsessively eating food they happen upon to No Face spouting their gold everywhere, the literal polluted river. The coal the sprites lug to keep the bathhouse going. The forever-baby indulging in their mom's attention and wealth with no thought to growing up or making an effort to be independent. Yubaba herself. There's so much of it.

Miyazaki is one that no one questions the greatness of, and for good reason. Dude is gifted. We still should've watched Howl's Moving Castle instead (but I know you like anti-capitalism, prof. Howls' has that too!!!!)

How very dare you give me a movie with the love of my life, apple of my eye, stars in my sky, etc and so on Oguri Shun and then you MURDER HIM!!!!!!!!! RUDE AS HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Despite that UTTER BETRAYAL AGAINST MY PERSON this film was actually insanely enjoyable and I didn’t think it would be. I’m not a fan of westerns typically unless there’s enough eye candy to keep my attention, and so many of them lean too far into racism and shit that I just. Pass. This, however, was a giant mishmash of so many different genres and tropes that it made it entertaining the whole time. I feel like the use of color is done so well here with highlighting the white and red but I might’ve missed most of it because parts of the film were very over saturated for me because of the tv I watched it on. But I love how for the boy or the “half breeds” it shows the mix of the colors. I mean, even after the death of her husband she’s still wearing pink. It’s subtle but always present.

I am obsessed with the use of such traditional American western vernacular used in this context because it’s so goofy but also somehow fits entirely???? I know I have a migraine but this feels like a damn fever dream in the best way. No hatman or spiders here. Pure vibes.

The set and costume dressing remind me so much of the 2000-whatever Romeo + Juliet with how they took something older and modernized it. Like, the costuming is LUSH I am OBSESSED. The fight choreography is AMAZING. It was goofy at times but not enough to take away the enjoyment because it was so well choreographed. I love gratuitous violence and this had it in ABUNDANCE. I know it’s a trope too but we could’ve done without the sexual assault. That was not so cool. Pretty bad actually.

The random comic book/Kill Bill bit in the middle was DELICIOUS.

This basically does nothing new for either the Samurai or western genres (which is typically why I don’t like westerns in the first place). I don’t think this has any particular point it’s trying to make except that it’s just fun. It’s like a “why not” movie. Almost like someone told the director they’re dumb for trying to make a (nearly) all Japanese cast do a western in full English. I feel like the title of the film is a play on this mishmash, too, because isn’t sukiyaki like a dish of just a bunch of stuff in a bowl? Could be entirely wrong on that front. It did also make me think of that netflix show High & Low (purely from looking at it because I haven’t had time to watch it yet).

This was just ridiculous but in the best way. And everyone is hot. Like. I’m sold.

I can’t believe this is the same director as Audition. Like this does NOT compute for me.

BUT OGURI SHUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY BOY!!!!!!! MY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet Bean as a movie is one that is pretty much set up against me. I don’t really like emotional movies that are supposed to just be heart wrenching or whatever, and I don’t really like old people.

I did enjoy this movie though. And I didn’t cry, purely out of spite!!! Because this movie is predictable. It’s every sundance movie ever made. Generic in its messaging.

The disability representation I appreciated. So many films, especially Japanese ones, tend to shy away from that or go the easy way out and I feel like this movie handled it respectfully. No one was made a joke or belittled (except for by the one shitty lady).

The motifs of trapped and confined are sprinkled through. I spoke about this in class (and yes my post is late. Forgive me I’ve had a migraine for three days and screens hurt) but it’s really well done showing off how closed and uncomfortable and dreary our lead guys life is until he learns how to love and appreciate things again. Seeing the bird cage be moved out of the trapped apartment, his own confinement of both the dorayaki shop and his own home being less stifling to more open at the sanatorium until eventually being out in the open among the cherry blossoms. It was beautifully done.

This movie is so painfully 2000s in a way that the original was not, even with the dial up noises. The heavy blue filter over the whole film is like every other horror movie that came out at this time. 2000s horror walked so Twilight could run.

Off the bat you know this film is not at all eerie or creepy like it's predecessor. You're immediately thrown into the story within minutes and seeing the first ghost, with a terrible jump scare that follows not long after. You don't even get the iconic static image glitch of the computer monitor until ten minutes in. The first suicide you only see in snippets (because American directors are cowards) and the ~ghost infection~ is weird black goopy veins/mold. Everything they chose to change completely removes any ominous or creeping feeling of dread and makes everything as diluted and washed out as the terrible blue filter.

One thing I did enjoy is the use of the ghost goop virus spreading through the chatrooms and text messages, because it just shows how rapidly that technology advanced during that time (and makes me feel incredibly old), but then that gets kinda dropped early on. Keeping the red tape was... a choice, as it didn't really fit the rest of the film with all the changes they made. There are no wide shots with that looming fear of what's hiding in the shadows. You could even wipe down the body goop imprints? Which seems so... idk. It makes the lasting consequences of the deaths seem less lasting.

A big difference is that it seems the ghosty boys take joy out of pulling people into their realm--this is highlighted with the professor at the beginning talking about things eating other things, so clearly this is like an attack more than an unfavorable consequence. The news spreads fast too, like anyone can do to stop it, which directly contradicts the whole premise of isolation and loneliness caused by the internet? Again, too, with some of the scenes they recreate in this just entirely lose their meaning. The media catches on an warns people fast, but they still chose to have the tv glitch with the brain cut off? STUPID!!!!!!!!!

It, almost at all times, shows you where the ghostie people are with weird ripply waves. Where is the unease!!! Stop showing me everything!!! Media literacy started dying in the 00s.

Man, I miss the contradictions and frustrations from the original because this was just BAD. Not even good bad. Just bad. And I've watched Devour (2005) like 10 times by choice. I know good-bad movies.

This is just Marilyn Manson ghfsdlkgfd.

What an interesting premise that was terribly disappointing in execution. This is possibly going to be very critical, whoops.

The premise of Pulse is very fascinating. I love a good ghost story, or multi-dimensional story, especially when you tie in some aspects of tech-horror that this film has. And I do love a good apocalypse, especially a creeping one that you don't realize is happening until its too late. Those aspects of this film I appreciate. However, man what the hell.

So, clearly the conversation that this film is trying to tackle is about how the creation and ease of access of the internet is creating a worldwide epidemic of loneliness and isolation that is slowly killing the population. Not in any drastic way (though in some instances, yes, with the first death where he hangs himself) but in a looming, subtle sort of dissolving of sense of self. The people that get this... virus or whatever literally fade into surfaces and leave behind an imprint of the body. It acts like a computer virus--but it's really just highlighting what's already there. (In the case of Harue, who said she's always been alone. It's not a surprise she naturally turned to the internet/computer science to fill that void).

All of these aspects I genuinely enjoyed. The execution was dismal and confusing. I spent so much of the movie getting genuinely irritated by the logical leaps the people were making. Like, they would somehow immediately know things or suddenly forget important things, and it kept happening throughout the middle of the film that I was actually getting pissed off because it rapidly took me out of the story. Like the shit about the spirit realm being overwhelmed and having to come here, but then why are they making more spirits? Who aren't hanging around really all that much except for the few times someone hallucinates them? And then also it just wipes out everyone on the Earth? Stupid shit. Why did you bring up that random story if it has no relevance? Or is it related, and the message just got lost?

It had such a strong start, too, and even with the slow, creeping realization of what's going on, the end felt like the script writer got lost in his own sauce and forgot what story he was trying to tell. It became a weird jumbled mess that just repeatedly smashed you over the heat with a metal baseball bat about how terrible the internet is for society. Which like, totally valid, especially in 2001 but dude we get it. I got it the first 600 times you said it, I still get it now. I didn't get brain damage or alzheimer's in the last 20 minutes since you told me you were lonely.

Another positive I can give this film is the use of unease and discomfort of the use of shadows throughout this film. It was incredible. Possibly one of the best to do it, especially with all the people lurking (makes me think of Hereditary). I spent more time focusing on the background than the foreground, waiting to see what shadow was gonna move.

Another negative, this was so predictable. So, so, so predictable. Great idea. Mid execution.

Now, my theory is that the red used throughout is somehow the protector. Obviously, the red tape seals the door--but could it have been any tape? Probably, but they chose--and continued to choose--red. It is EVERYWHERE in this film. I think that's why our main girl survives. When shit starts really kicking off, she's always tied somehow to red, be it on her clothes or directly around her. Same with the loveable idiot Kawashima who wears his red hawaiian shirt until his dumbass changes to green and walks into that opened door.

Finally J-Horror!!!!!!!!1111!1!!!!111!!!!!!!!!

I've seen this movie like a million bajillion times in my life, including all the remakes and the sequels, etc. so I am coming from a biased perspective for sure. However, this is the first time I'll try to actually analyze what I'm watching instead of just enjoying it.

The director utilizes a slow progression to really stress you out. So much of this film is faking you out for whats going to happen--the jump scares aren't utilized as actual jump scares of terror, but more mundane things with a sudden cut or noise. It does well showing a lot of the tragedy of the deaths off-screen or with those filter freeze frames. It can be a little goofy, but also its 90s horror and I eat that shit up. Even the ending, or what you think is the ending, is a fake out making you think that love and compassion and acceptance is what's going to lift this supposed curse when in reality, nope! It's actually perpetuating the cycle and pushing off the curse onto someone else to save your own skin.

I think it lends a lot into what Sadako's character is--a traumatized, abused little girl that has a scary ability and was ultimately killed simply for her existence. So many people were complicit in both the death of her and her mother, as well as the stress they had to deal with in life. Her anger is what fuels this curse and gives her the ability to utilize the 90s technology to punish, well, everyone.

The use of technology for this particular brand of horror is interesting, too, because in the 90s (esp 98 and the years leading up to Y2K [did Japan have a freak out about that too??]) a lot of people were stressed and scared of the rapid expansion of technology. You could argue that this film takes that stance or at least highlights what people were afraid of during this time, that television, movies and even phones can bring horror literally into your house if you aren't careful which is represented by Sadako infamously crawling out of the tv.

I love, too, that the story can be read from a feminist perspective as well. Both Sadako and Shizuko were mistreated by so many men in both of their lives and ultimately met their fates at the hands of men. It is then, interesting, that within our leads only that the man dies. Has nothing really to do with their actual intention, because Reiko was going to die regardless unless she copied the movie, but I digress. I can see how this analysis can be argued.

The American remakes definitely utilize more jump scares and out-right horror elements, but nothing beats the original feeling of dread and the fact that the fate can't entirely be escaped. The remakes also remove the Japanese soul and mythology tied to it and I think that's shitty.

Swallowtail was probably my favorite film we've seen so far for this class, and I'm so sad I hadn't seen this movie before.

It was a wild, batshit ride that I genuinely didn't know what was going to happen next (well, for the most part). It would've been so easy for Glico to do what the first lady did and sell our Ageha into prostitution, or leave her on the street to fend for herself. I love the message of found family in such tragic circumstances that is shown constantly throughout.

The biggest issue obviously is that a lot of this film leans into stereotypes a little too much, which could be out of ignorance or to a greater extent purposefully showing those stereotypes. (Black boxer, the group of immigrants that are scrounging and fighting for money, etc). What I loved, however, was how at the end when it really came down to it, the people that were so shocked at the casual disregard to the cash were the "real Japanese", not the immigrants, despite the fact that the whole film is about how the Japanese society shames and demeans the immigrants and shoves them into these ghettos because of their obsession with money.

It is also interesting that my green haired bestie is the only one from our main family to die, and I think that's because he did end up falling for the money (initially. At least he didn't give up his family).

Also, the choice of "My Way" is so on the nose, when you look at the lyrics. And the fact that its inherently a tragedy in some respect.

My boy Ran did nothing wrong ever in his life. I can genuinely say I enjoyed every aspect of this film.

The poor attempt at silencing the gun at the beginning probably set the tone for how I would feel throughout this whole film, lmao.

I also like, couldn't take anyone seriously when they walked hunched over and like they were seconds from either puking or peeing themselves. Genuinely "mom i frowed up" the whole film. Why.

One thing that did strike me from the beginning that I liked is that our man Nishi is just straight up a shell of a person. He has no life behind his eyes, no movement to his body. He's quiet and still. Guarded both by the way he physically holds himself as well as the near ever-present sunglasses he wears. It doesn't give me the stereotypical "I'm a tough guy cop" vibe. More of a sad, sullen and void of a human type of energy. Dude is entirely disassociated from life. Considering the shit he's had to deal with, it makes sense. He's like if Nanami was old and not hot.

While I do like the choice of mostly orchestral music because it tends to add a lot more of the typical despair tone that I feel like this movie carries throughout, I also can't give it too much credit. Maybe I'm burned out, but I've heard better orchestral OSTs. I will also give it credit that it knew when to kick up and when to fade out and leave no background music. More modern movies tend to have music constantly telling us how we're supposed to feel. It is interesting to see this juxtaposition of these scenes with really heartfelt/heart-wrenching orchestral elevator music where Nishi is supposedly Feeling Emotions compared to the silence or loud bursts of noise during violence. Likely its a commentary of the emptiness violence has to offer--because it appears much of (if not Nishi's whole life) is filled with violence of a sort (cancer is a form of violence) and why he, himself, is empty.

So much of this film is just standing around with quick cuts to abrupt violence before going back to the silence. Intentional, yes, but used so repeatedly throughout that I had the same issue I had with Oharu--dried up my give-a-shit well about a quarter of the way through. By the middle of the film baby I was in a drought worse than California.

I liked the non-linear storytelling. I do think that was done well, I just don't care for the story. It's also interesting that such a lifeless character gave art supplies to the dude who got paralyzed as a way to like, help him come back to and express himself. That felt oddly humanist. Maybe there's a soul in that detached body somewhere. Or maybe that was his way of like trying to kickstart himself into becoming a real boy again. It also felt like each painting foreshadowed what was about to happen in said scene--at least the one's they put more emphasis on.

One scene I think is particularly rude as hell is when she's watering the picked flowers and Mr. Buzzkill over here is saying its no use watering dead flowers like she herself isn't the physical manifestation of plucked wildflowers that are dead or dying. She still deserves to be watered, you prick.

Vibrating at frequencies not even seen by shrimp!! We are finally in the 00s !!! My era for Japanese media!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sad to say I haven't come across this movie before but my girl from Battle Royale is in here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LFG!!!!!!

Seeing that this movie was about a Japan-born Korean (half-Japanese, half-Korean? I can't tell which) not gonna lie, scared me a bit. Japan's history when it comes to Korea is really gross and awful and when they portray Koreans in their media it's like. Almost never good. This is better than most but its portrayal is still a bit...

I think it does well showing a lot of what Koreans have to deal with being in Japan, at least. Which a lot of people probably think is over-dramatized and I can imagine a lot of the Japanese population didn't like that light being shown on them but also like.... some of y'all...... were not great!!!! But also it felt like they leaned a little too hard into some of the ~Korean men aggression~ stereotypes, just a smidge. Also, the bit with the kid speaking in Japanese and saying the Korean wasn't right. Just.... eh. Did my sweet boy Jeong-Il dirty asf, too.

I love the use of flashbacks only at certain points to introduce characters or explain things, but also not everything is immediately explained. It allows you to fully immerse yourself within the story Sugihara is trying to tell you.

Identity is a huge factor of this film. Throughout you deal with Sugihara's struggle himself for how he fits into both Japanese society as a whole as well as Japanese youth society--but he's also growing up at a time of a lot of quick innovation and change. He consumes a lot of revolutionary media--likely because he's got so much turmoil and anger inside from the constant abuse of his father. His father, too, struggles with his identity and even outright denies it. Even our leading lady hides her first name (because it's "too Japanese" ????)

His father is extremely angry and abusive, likely entirely because of the past trauma he has from North Korea, and he does physically abuse his son. That's not to be argued. But the motives behind why he does, in a sense, are pure. Just twisted and warped. He knows that Japanese society rejects them and he gives him the tools necessary to defend himself in a world that wont defend him--we see this proven on the train station when the only person who stands up to the Korean girl is Jeong-Il (and while he lays there dying, no one helps).

It's obviously another retelling of Romeo and Juliet because he's Korean and she's Japanese, blah blah blah. They also constantly reference the rose by any other name line so it really beats you over the head with that. This also immediately ties right back into sense of identity because it's literally about names--and both Sugihara and Sakurai hide theirs.

I really think this is less about the actual love story between Sugihara and Sakurai, because he fits as an unreliable narrator in a sense. I think its more about him coming to terms to who he is as a person, but its projected in a sense into this love of a girl. This is reinforced when he meets up with Sakurai again and makes sure to demand she say what he is. and has his tangent about who he is. ("I'm a question mark" personally resonates with me). I actually prefer that aspect of this movie, because the romance trope (to me) is overplayed.