xoliana
Member Since: July 31, 2016Reviews
Castle in the Sky
Castle in the Sky is a film both written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. The film was released in its native Japan in 1986, and when Disney acquired the rights, it was dubbed for English-speaking... +
Castle in the Sky is a film both written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. The film was released in its native Japan in 1986, and when Disney acquired the rights, it was dubbed for English-speaking audiences and released again in 1998.
The story is about a boy named Pazu, who is working one evening when a girl named Sheeta floats down, unconscious, from the sky, aided by the glow of a mysterious necklace. Two opposing groups of people are after Sheeta and her necklace, which is a relic of a long-forgotten floating kingdom in the sky.
This is one of the earliest films in the Studio Ghibli catalogue, and though it shows its age in terms of the animation not being quite as crisp or bright, it's still a wonderful film. It's one of my favourites when it comes to the story and its thematic elements, as well as the characters and their development. Out of all of Studio Ghibli's films, this one definitely has the most clearly defined villain. He is truly despicable.
I have always enjoyed how Hayao Miyazaki puts strong female characters at the centre of his works, without sexualizing them or making them reliant on male love interests. Their roles are just as important as the men in his films, and they are always portrayed as unique and intelligent individuals. In a world where so many films, even animated films, have poor excuses for female characters, his always stand out, and they become great role models for girls and women of any age.
The film is rated PG and has a running time of 124 minutes. Although there is no actual blood, the use of guns is quite frequent, and a grown man even shoots at a little girl. This may frighten some, so please use your beat judgment on who to show this to.
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Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle is an animated film directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It was released in 2004 in both Japan and North America, where it was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards. Though... +
Howl's Moving Castle is an animated film directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It was released in 2004 in both Japan and North America, where it was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards. Though the screenplay was penned by Miyazaki-san, it is based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones.
The story is about a young woman named Sophie, who is cursed by the Witch of the Waste to become much older. She journeys out in search of help, and that's when she happens upon a fantastic moving castle, whose inhabitants are just as magical as the building in which they reside.
Although this is not my favourite Studio Ghibli film, it's impossible to negate its breathtaking visuals. This is perhaps the film most heavily reliant on computer graphics, as Howl's castle is incredibly complex to animate. It truly is something wonderful to behold.
The story itself touches upon themes such as love and compassion, as well as the effects of warfare. Hayao Miyazaki is strongly anti-war, and it shows in a number of his films.
This film is rated PG and has a running time of 118 minutes. Although filled with plenty of colour, humour, and magic, I personally wouldn't recommend it for very young children due to some of the more violent, war-related scenes.
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My Neighbour Totoro
My Neighbour Totoro is a film written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. The film was released in Japan in 1988, with an English dub released by Fox Video in 1993. After Disney obtained the rights to all... +
My Neighbour Totoro is a film written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. The film was released in Japan in 1988, with an English dub released by Fox Video in 1993. After Disney obtained the rights to all Studio Ghibli films, past and present, it was then re-dubbed and re-released in 2006. This is the only Studio Ghibli film to date to have more than one dub.
The film is about Satsuki and Mei, an older and younger sister, respectively. They move out to the countryside with their father after their mother becomes quite ill. Mei is a very adventurous young girl, and when she's wandering around the yard one day, she follows a strange creature into the woods where she happens upon Totoro, spirit of the forest.
This is one of the very first films I ever remember seeing. My brother and I used to rent the VHS so frequently that the Blockbuster employee eventually just gave it to us! (Boy, that sentence really ages me!) I have since bought it on DVD where it remains in my collection to this day.
Many people have come up with some pretty strange, twisted theories behind the supposed "true meaning" of the film. I see it as a simple fantasy film, with the two children looking for comfort and distraction in a time of need. It's a lovely family feature suitable for all ages, with beautiful, hand drawn animation which has stood the test of time.
The film is rated G and has a running time of 88 minutes.
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KVD Vegan Beauty Lock-It Tattoo Concealer
I was in an accident in 2010 and ended up with a fairly sizeable, vertical scar on my right cheek, and another tiny one just under the eye. I went into my local Sephora and asked an associate there to help me find something that would cover it up... +
I was in an accident in 2010 and ended up with a fairly sizeable, vertical scar on my right cheek, and another tiny one just under the eye. I went into my local Sephora and asked an associate there to help me find something that would cover it up sufficiently, and this is what she used.
Although this is meant to be a tattoo concealer, this is a product which you can use on any area that requires quite full coverage. I have extremely fair skin, and the lightest shade Porcelain was a beautiful match for my skin tone. It's always nice when a cosmetic line goes out of there way to cater to each end of the shade spectrum, and Kat Von D certainly always does just that.
The product comes in a squeeze tube, and because a little goes a long way, a single tube can last for a very long time. I had mine until just this past year. It still contained plenty of product, but the consistency of it quite suddenly decided to become very liquidy, and it no longer performed the way I needed it to, as it's usually quite thick.
This covered my scar well, even when it was still in the process of healing and was quite red. It wouldn't cover it 100% -- I would be lying if I said that it did -- but it helped me a lot to regain my confidence in the few years following my injury. It's also very good for covering any pimples you may have on your face because it covers redness so well.
That said, this is a terrible under eye concealer. It looks dry and it creases like a mofo. I would absolutely never recommend it for that purpose. However, if you're like me and you have something on the skin that needs camouflaging, this does a very good job.
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LUSH Alkmaar Soap
This is the very first soap I ever used from Lush. It's still my absolute favourite! It may not be much to look at, but it has the most light, beautifully creamy scent to match its creamy feel. When you look at the description of this soap, it... +
This is the very first soap I ever used from Lush. It's still my absolute favourite! It may not be much to look at, but it has the most light, beautifully creamy scent to match its creamy feel.
When you look at the description of this soap, it says it has a floral scent. I'm not entirely sure that it smells like flowers, but it's a bit difficult to describe. Above I said it has a creamy fragrance, which may sound odd, but if you ever put your nose to a bar, you'll understand what I mean! It has the type of soothing scent that I'm constantly smelling my hands just to get a whiff of. I am scent sensitive, but this is so light and natural that it doesn't bother me at all.
The soap feels quite milky and soft when it lathers under the water. It leaves my skin feeling very smooth and not at all dry. My only complaint is that it tends to shrink quite quickly, which makes me sad. I usually get them to cut an extra-large piece in the store so that I don't run out as fast.
If you have dry hands, this is a good bar soap for you. It's very gentle sensitive skin. I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking for a creamy bar soap.
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Frozen, the Disney Movie
I had heard such good things about this film, and being that I enjoy animated films and that this one won an Academy Award, I decided to watch it on-demand one night. While I can certainly see its appeal for younger kids, I was surprised to find... +
I had heard such good things about this film, and being that I enjoy animated films and that this one won an Academy Award, I decided to watch it on-demand one night.
While I can certainly see its appeal for younger kids, I was surprised to find that this lacked the type of accessibility for adults that most animated films have. Usually there's something there for everyone. This is very much exclusively a kids film. I didn't really get any enjoyment out of it.
This is more of a musical than anything else. I found that there were a lot more songs than your typical Disney film tends to have, even in comparison to some of the older ones. That in and of itself wouldn't have bothered me, but the songs were quite poorly-written and irritating. I much prefer the songs in the classic Disney films. However, I do think that Kristen Bell has a lovely voice.
I wasn't overly fond of the characters. I've heard some people say that this is a better take on the whole Disney Princess tale, a more feminist one. I still found it to be fairly cliché.
As I said, this is probably a great film for children, but it doesn't hold wide appeal like so many other animated films do.
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Kiki's Delivery Service
Kiki's Delivery Service is an animated film directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It was released in Japan in 1989, and Disney acquired the rights to dub it in English and release it to North American audiences... +
Kiki's Delivery Service is an animated film directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It was released in Japan in 1989, and Disney acquired the rights to dub it in English and release it to North American audiences in 1998. Although the film's script is written by Miyazaki-san, it is based on the novel by Eiko Kadono.
The film centres around a young witch named Kiki, and her familiar, a black cat named Jiji. It's tradition for young witches to leave for another town to further their training, so she sets down in a seaside town where she begins a delivery service.
I first saw this film when I was just a kid, and even though I'm well into my twenties now, it is still a treasured part of my film collection. It's suitable for all ages, but it's incredibly charming and a film which I still get value and enjoyment out of watching, even now. The Studio Ghibli art style is always beautiful, and it truly trandscends time and genres.
The film is rated G and has a running time of 102 minutes. If you're a fan of anime and/or Studio Ghibli, or if you have children, this is a perfect film to add to your collection.
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Ex Machina
Ex Machina is a 2015 sci-fi film both written and directed by Alex Garland. It stars Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Domhnall Gleeson. The film is about an IT guy named Caleb, who's chosen to fly out and meet a mysterious recluse named Nathan.He... +
Ex Machina is a 2015 sci-fi film both written and directed by Alex Garland. It stars Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Domhnall Gleeson.
The film is about an IT guy named Caleb, who's chosen to fly out and meet a mysterious recluse named Nathan.He finds out that Nathan has been developing an AI named Ava, and requires help testing her ability to pass as human. What ensues is a mind game that has all parties involved questioning who is really testing who.
This is not only one of my favourite films of 2015, but it's already made a space on my list of favourite films of all time. The pacing is pitch perfect, building an uneasy tension and suspense that is slow-burning and sophisticated. All three actors give wonderful performances, particularly Oscar Isaac as the oddball scientist Nathan.
The musical score is extremely effective, and I find myself listening to the soundtrack often, which is not something I usually do with OSTs. Considering the film's budget was quite low, the visuals are astoundingly impressive. It won the 2016 Academy Award for Visual Effects over such films as Star Wars, which is no small feat.
There are some very deep, philosophical themes about humanity and technology explored in this film. They are very relevant themes to be touching upon, and would make for an excellent post-film discussion.
The film is rated R and has a running time of 110 minutes. There is a fair amount of nudity in the film, though none of it is sexual as it's meant to be the naked body of an artificial being.
If you love a good sci-fi film, and even if you're just a fan of good films, this is a must see.
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Ghost World
Ghost World is a graphic novel both written and drawn by Daniel Clowes. It was published in 1997 and was subsequently turned into a film in 2001, starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Buscemi. This is a coming-of-age story about best... +
Ghost World is a graphic novel both written and drawn by Daniel Clowes. It was published in 1997 and was subsequently turned into a film in 2001, starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Buscemi.
This is a coming-of-age story about best friends Enid and Rebecca. They've recently graduated high school, and each chapter in the story deals with a different story in relation to them growing up and moving on in life, even if that may ultimately mean moving on from each other.
Though the story itself doesn't really have a strict plot, I think that it's a really relatable look at life as a teen, when you tend to overdramatize things and think the whole world is against you. The characters are really quirky, and you'll probably find yourself looking back at your teenage years and recalling your own experiences with a Rebecca or an Enid.
The art style is very minimalist, much like the story. It's neither black and white nor true colour. It has a mix of whites and aquamarimes, with very thickly-drawn black outlines. It's a unique style that you don't see too often.
The ending has become a topic of conversation for years as many people have taken different meanings from it. I think that's the sign of some good writing, and I would recommend reading for yourself so you can draw your own conclusion.
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Spirited Away
Spirited Away is a film written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It was nominated for, and subsequently won, Best Animated Film at the 2002 Academy Awards. This is a beautiful fantasy story of Chihiro... +
Spirited Away is a film written and directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It was nominated for, and subsequently won, Best Animated Film at the 2002 Academy Awards.
This is a beautiful fantasy story of Chihiro, who is unwillingly moving to a new city with her parents. As they're driving, they take a wrong turn and come across a small tunnel. On the other side is a world beyond imagination, with spirits, witches, dragons, and creatures of all kinds. The film follows Chihiro on her journey to find her parents and make her way back home.
People familiar with Studio Ghibli will recognize its trademark animation. Though primarily hand drawn, there are a couple of sequences aided by computer technology. This is a stunning feature, and certainly worthy of all of the praise it has received. Miyazaki-san has a truly unique mind which works in weird and wonderful ways.
The film is rated PG and has a running time of 125 minutes. It's available in an English dub, which was produced by Disney, or in its original Japanese with subtitles. I would not recommend this for very young children, as there are some frightening creatures and scenes with blood.
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