Ikiru

 I absolutely loved this movie.  The plot is a high-ranking government official discovers he has cancer and decides that he needs to actually do something with his life.  It started a bit slow but honestly I think that was what Kurosawa was going for.  That part of the movie was about how boring and uneventful the main characters life was.  I think Kurosawa not only wanted to show us this but also make us feel it, and I think he does this throughout with all the different emotions.  The point this movie is trying to make is that we should not just live our life to work and make money.  This is a very common theme in movies and television.  What sets this movie apart from everything else is that while most movies say don’t work your whole life take time out to relax and spend time with your family.  Basically they are saying, yes work is important but make sure you take time off.  This movie says that the best and most enjoyable way to live your life is to work as hard as you can to help others.  Wantanabe tries the relaxation, the partying, even spending time with his family but his life still felt empty but as soon as he was helping others he was happy.  We can see this in one of the best metaphors I have ever seen in a movie, the Life is Brief song.  The way the tone of changes throughout the film is just beautiful.  This film is definitely worth watching if you didn’t get to see it.

Sansho the Bailiff

I was not the biggest fan of the movie Sansho the Bailiff, which surprises me because the story idea was a really good one.  This is a redemption story, with a hint of revenge.  These types of stories may be my favorite.  I even love watching sad movies, which this movie is.  So why don’t I like it?  I honestly felt that the whole story was kind of rushed, and considering that this movie is over two hours that’s saying something.  I feel like they had enough story to make probably three movies.  The first part of the story about Anju’s father resisting the government’s demands in order to help his people would make a terrific movie.  There had to be some sort of fighting that went on, whether it was a debate or a war I’d really like to see it.  Instead they just kind of told us that this happened and we didn't see much.  The second part about Anju in slavery, his redemption, and escape would also make a terrific movie, I mean it’s the exact plot of The Shawshank Redemption.  Then the last part about his revenge and him finding his mother would have been a great wrap up.  Instead I feel like they didn't spend enough time on any of these points the whole movie feels like an in depth synopsis of what should have been a good trilogy.

My Willy Wonka Fan Theory

I love Willy Wonka. It is one of the most magical and heartwarming movies of all time.  And like Indiana Jones and Star Wars, we ignore the latest installment.  There are a lot of interesting fan theories out there about this movie none of which I think are meant to be taken seriously.  However I’d like to drop one of my own theories.  Again I think the movie is pretty clear on it’s meaning and in no way do I believe that this is what the movie really means.  My theory is that the contest was rigged and Willy Wonka had no intention of giving his factory to anyone but Charlie.  Charlie was a local boy and Wonka saw him out working hard to provide for his family, using his paycheck responsibly, and being a good kid, while all the other kids were out binging on candy and just doing as they pleased.  He saw that Charlie had the work effort and responsibility to run a factory with the right training and as he said in the end he couldn't do it forever.  He then had to find a way to find out whether or not he was right about Charlie, so he sent out his golden tickets and chose each child he wanted.  He sent out his “Slugworth” to find these children and ensure that they got the golden tickets, how else do you explain the fact that “Slugworth” was in the exact right place at the exact right time and he knew exactly what to offer each child to make them slip up.  Wonka then designed his factory to tailor to each kid’s weakness.  I’m suggesting that the reason the sets look like sets is because they are, they were designed by Wonka to cause the other kids to fail to warn Charlie of different dangers and the real factory is what we saw in the opening credits.  He knew that these were sets, that’s why he doesn't seem concerned when all of the other children nearly die.  He also set up a test for Charlie and he failed this upset Wonka leading to his blow-up in the office however Wonka had planned on this contingency and had a chance for redemption already set up, the everlasting gobstopper.  These were fake candies he gave to the children in case Charlie failed his fizzy lifting test.  He knew he didn't  When Charlie passed this test Wonka realized he was right about Charlie and gave him his factory as he had always intended.  Of course this theory is debunked by the last scene, but whatever.

have to make real candy because he knew that the other children would give them to Slugworth proving that they cared more about money than they did about making children happy with candy.

Ballinger Music Video Night

I've always enjoyed Ballinger music video days.  I enjoyed it in Intro to DMA so I figured I was in for a treat in Signs and Wonders.  I think this time however was even better than the Intro to DMA presentation.  The Intro to DMA presentation had some cool music videos but the Signs and Wonders presentation had the WTF folder.  This folder made my night, because Japanese people are apparently insane.  I was very impressed by their actual serious music videos the amount of coordination and precision required in each one of them could in itself be considered insane.  But the aptly named WTF folder is what sold me on the idea that all music videos should be made by Japanese people.  The American made food videos, while enjoyable, did not compare to the Japanese ones.  The fish one stands out as one that I remember just because I didn't know what the crap to think about it.  My favorite by far has got to be the one with the naked guys with the fans.  Their coordination and synchronization was incredible and it was also hilarious.  I wish I could remember it’s name to tell anyone who wasn't there to go watch it, if you know put it in the comments because seriously, the whole night was worth it just to see those ping pong balls fall out of those guys’ butts.

Like Father Like Son

Ok so Like Father Like Son was one of the most maddening films I have ever seen.  Before I say more I should say that it is maddening because that’s the way it was intended not because it was poorly made, I think it’s a great movie.  Anyway, the protagonist is one of the best written antiheroes I've ever seen.  Not only does he play the role of the protagonist but he also is the antagonist.  Several movies and TV shows have tried to do this but none, I think, do it as well as this movie.  Even Breaking Bad, which people point to as the epitome of antiheroes, doesn't really do this too well, I found myself still liking Walter White even though I was supposed to hate him.  But this guy is just the worst, I could side with Walter White because for the most part he was doing everything for his family.  Ryoto on the other hand was doing everything for himself.  He didn't care about his wife, the other family, his son, or his biological son.  All he cared about was doing what he wanted to do and the reason he wanted to switch was because he thought his biological son would be a better son than his actual son.  However he does get his redemption in the end.  I definitely enjoyed this movie.

Like Water for Chocolate

I really enjoyed Like Water for Chocolate.  This surprises me, as this is not usually the type of movie I enjoy.  I tend to find that these movies are overly dramatic and just annoying to watch.  With this film however the characters and their reactions to different situations even the magical ones, are very believable.  This movie is very well written.  You hate the characters you’re supposed to hate and love the characters you are supposed to love.  The two extremes I think being the mother and the doctor respectively.  The mother is truly diabolical although she not just evil like Lady Tremaine you can see her motivations and she actually has good reason to do what she does at least in that culture.  In the case of the doctor he’s such a stand up guy that you can't help but love him however he is not just the goody two-shoes type character that we usually see in this role he’s very real and believable.  I also like that the doctor and Tita don't end up together and you are fine with it.  The rest of the film is well written but I think that these points really showcase what makes it a great film.