Shin Gojira

I watched a Japanese science fiction movie Shin Gojira today. I really enjoy it. I used to watch some Gojira movies when I was a child, but I didn't watch recent Godzilla movies. 

There were lots of interesting episodes in the film, especially political procedure sceans. The monster would represent something that human can't control. 

The story was nice, the picture was also nice. I can understand that some fans have been watching the film many times. 

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Murder on the Orient Express

I'm a big fan of Agatha Christie since I was in elementary school. I've read all of her mystery novels. A lot of her novels were made into films and TV dramas. Murder on the Orient Express was one of them. 

Orient Express was a gorgeous novel for me. The luxury train traveled between Istanbul and Calais. I really wanted to travel by the express when I first read the story. 

It will return filmed by Kenneth Branagh of the U.K.  Johnny Depp will play an important role in the film. I reall look forward to watch the movie, even I completely remember the plot. 

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Oichan

I've been watching a series of movies "Otoko wa Tsuraiyo" on the net. I really enjoy it. Tors-san has a family in his hometown, Shibamata. Uncle, aunt, sister and her family live there. 

The series has 48 stories. Three actors played the uncle, Ryuzo or oichan. I like the first actor, Morikawa Shin the most. He appeared in eight films. He was really funny and warm in the movies. His play was remarkable and I bet he was a real comedian. 

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Tora-san Movies

I subscribed an online appreciation, Docomo TV. You can watch many videos at a fixed price, 500 yen par month. It's like Hulu or Netflix. I can watch "Otoko wa Tsuraiyo" on the site. That was why I subscribed the app. 

I really like the series of movies. These are like a fantasy for me. There are no cruel people in the films. No one can be like Tora-san. I watched the series twice before. I once wanted to buy the DVD set, but that was so expensive. But I can watch the whole stories at a reasonable price. I'm really happy about that. 

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Never Let Me Go on DVD

I watched a movie, "Never Let Me Go", on DVD. It was a really good movie. The author Kazuo Ishiguro likely helped making the movie. I have read the original book and listened to the audiobook. Original text and the movie were kind of different stories, but the essential was the same. We have only a limited time. What is the most important thing to you?

Carey Mulligan played Kathy H. and she was really nice in the movie. Her eye expressions were touching. 

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Tora-San or Atsumi Kiyoshi

Eighteen years ago today, Atsumi Kiyoshi, one of the most famous Japanese actor, died at age of 68. He was well known for Tora-san. The "Otoko wa Tsuraiyo" series made him popular actor and the series was one of the world's longest-running film stories.

I really liked his movies, but while he was alive, I didn't watch his movies. I became his fan after he died. As I grew up older, people's relationship in the series of movies make me feel comfortable. The real world is not like that, though. The movie would be a fantasy for Japanese people. 

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A Kitano Film

I went to watch a Kitano Movie. It was a comedy movie, but there were no comedians in the film. The story was about old yakuza group and young gangsters. 

It was a nice movie. Old yakuzas were very funny. I laughed a lot and car actions in the film were really great. I recommend it. 

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Studio Ghibli

I've heard that Studio Ghibli will withdraw making animation films. They say Studio Ghibli has not raised any good animation directors after master director Mitazaki retirement. Moreover, Ghibli spent too much money to make an animation film than they earn from audiences. That would be another reason of their withdrawing to make a new film. 

To tell you the truth, I've never seen a Ghibli's animation, but I think it's a huge loss of Japanese culture. I hope Ghibli gets back to make a new animation film someday. 

Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave won the Best Picture of Academy Awards this year. And Lupita Nyong'o in the same picture won the Best Supporting Actress.

The movie was based on the non fiction book and the story was about a black violinist in 1840s in the U.S. who forced to be a slave. I'm really interested in the story so I bought the original book at kindle shop. 

I have lots of books TO read. These are really piled up but I should read the book first.

The Showshank Redemption

I watched The Showshank Redemption on Hulu. It was a remarkable American movie. Many people have recommended it as the best movie ever.

I really liked that film especially Morgan Freeman's performance. I also liked his role in Driving Miss Daisy.

I think it would be good if I could imitate the lines in the movie for my English skills.

Tuesdays with Morrie

I read a weekly English newspaper, Syukan ST published by Japan Times, and I found an interesting column this week. What I was hooked on was about the father of the columnist; he was Professor Morrie Schwartz.
I was very surprised at this fact because I have known the name of Morrie for a long time. Morrie became famous after his death because his old student, Mitch Albom, wrote a book about him called Tuesdays with Morrie. The book jumped to the top of the best-seller list, then the story was made into a TV movie and won an Emmy. I have watched the movie on DVD two times and read the original book in English. I was struck by the story. The book was about Morrie who developed ALS, and his favorite student Mitch. Morrie did not hide his weakness and Mitch did not shut his eyes to the truth. They were not only a teacher and a student but also friends to each other until they had to be apart due to Morrie's death.
I realize from the story that people should be honest and involved with each other, despite facing tragedy. I hope I would do the same as them.
Morrie's son, a columnist of the newspaper, said that is wonderful but also strange because the people who know his father's story do not really know his father. But he also said the more people his words have helped the more he rejoices in it.

The Magic Hour

My wife and I watched a Japanese comedy movie called The Magic Hour on July 1st. We needed only 1,000yen for each ticket because the theater had Movie Day on that day; we usually have to pay 1,800yen for each one.
When we arrived at the theater, the ticket counter had long lines of women. I thought we would miss out on seats but I was wrong. The long lines were for another Japanese film, Hana Yori Dango, which was based on a TV show that was popular with various ages of Japanese women.
My wife likes the director of the movie, Koki Mitani, so she was looking forward to watching the film for a long time.While the movie was playing, the theater was filled with laughing voices and we highly enjoyed watching it. I couldn't stop laughing with tears in my eyes many times.
The movie reminded me of an American movie, The Sting, which is my most favorite movie I have ever watched. The Sting was set in old Chicago and The Magic Hour was in Sucago, which looked like a 50's American town. I think it is obvious that the locale of the Japanese movie would refer to old Chicago.
Anyway, I would grade the movie as four stars out of five and I really recommend watching the comedy.

Hairspray

I watched an American musical movie called Hairspray last year.It was the first time I had ever watched a musical movie.Before I watched the movie,I did not expect any musical would be fun but I really enjoyed it.The story was about a chubby teenager,Tracy and her friends in 1962 in Baltimore.The city was beautiful on the screen.I was involved with the musical from the opening scene in which Tracy was singing and hopping around in Baltimore with joy.She had the great power of making people feel positive and I also felt the same power from her.In the film we could see many people using hairspray in their hair as the signature of the movie.That reminds me of my mother.I was familiar with the smell of her hairsprays when I was little.It was probably in the late 60s when my mother would spray it in her hair before going out for something special.I did not like the smell then but now I sometimes remember it with nostalgia.

Where are The DVDs?

A series of Japanese comedy movies, Otoko wa turaiyo,It's tough being a man,is one of the most popular movies in Japan.I love the movies very much too.In fact I have watched all of the stories,amazingly the forty-eight films is a Guinness book record, on DVDs.It took a year to watch the whole of the DVDs and it cost about 15,000yen for rent.I would dream of having the DVD set.A few months ago I found the complete DVD set at a used DVD shop.I needed to pay120,000yen for a new one.At that time I could see 68,000yen on the price card and I realized it used to say 80,000yen initially.I was eager to buy them but they were too expensive for me.I thought no one would buy them because of such a high price so they would cut down the price soon.I decided to wait to buy them.I waited for two weeks.They were still there.Another two weeks,oh,they were gone!I shoud have bought them immediately!