Ponyo Wins!!

Ponyo - Hayao Miyazaki - 2008

Recommended by: SD Parker

Life can get kind of heavy and there are days I wish I didn't have to feign being an adult. It's times like these when movies like Ponyo are especially refreshing. Ponyo is the perfect example of how hand-drawn animation still to this day trumps computerized animated features. I'm convinced this movie was made for drugs because the colors were so bold and stunning, and all those sea creatures live the trippiest lives. Our little protagonist, Sosuke, can only save Ponyo, a fish turned girl, if his "love is true". I was very impressed with how this children's movie drove home the idea of true love through youthful innocence. This film is an adaptation of the story of The Little Mermaid, with the obvious varations including Tina Fey as the voice of Sosuke's mom and Matt Damon as the dad. Not kidding. Ponyo has become one of my favorite movies of all time and I need to get my paws on the DVD for keepsies.

Look out for: Seriously--those sea creatures--never seen anything like them.

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La Haine - Mathieu Kassovitz - 1995

Recommended by: E Ranz

From The Criterion Collection, we follow three besties [one Jewish, one Arab, one black] as they venture through the trials and tribulations living as hoodlums in the French Ghetto. Vinz stumbles upon a gun thanks to the butterfingers of a police officer and swears to kill a cop if their comatose friend ends up dying [I think he was beat up by the cops]. Vinz is kind of a wuss who's more bark than bite, but he thinks he's the jam because he's got a gun. This is my first film taken place in the streetz of France, and what was interesting to me was how big of a deal it was that his cop's gun was lost. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Chicago deals with that stuff all the time. No big. Great acting, nice variety of where scenes were shot, and plenty violent. I believe Vinz was in Oceans 11/12/13 as well.

Look out for: Pretty sick break dance scene. Also, watch out for a loose cow.

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A Collection of 2007 Academy Award Nominated Short Films - VA - 2007

I actively seek out short films, and I regretfully admit that this DVD sucked. I've seen the 2005, 2006, 2008 editions of this collection and they were all exceptional. Only one of the 2007 short films was in English, and it was a Western and I was hardly impressed. The one short film about the 3 female cancer patients was the only redeeming film, it actually made me teary eyed and honestly made me think about life for a day or two. My one qualm with it was that it felt like it lasted 30 minutes--too long for a short film. The Peter and the Wolf film adaptation sucked. Aaand that's all I care to remember about this DVD.

Look out for: As I referenced above, "At Night" (Denmark) live action short is definitely worth watching.

Rating: NO SALE. []Like It []Love It []Gotta Have It