301. big fish

I have been watching a little too much of films lately, mostly re-visited them I would say. But the one film in particular that stood out to me was 2003's Big Fish by Tim Burton.

I have had the DVD for years, and it's been sitting on my shelf untouched for so long now that it has become so dusty. I used to not like it at all because I found it boring and too much of a drag back then but I decided to give it another chance last night and I am glad I did. I see it in a very different light now and have a new appreciation for it. The cinematography in this film is really unique and quirky. What I love most about it, is that it's so surreal, it's hard to tell whether it's fantasy or reality.

But, I guess that is the point of the film. The film is about Edward Bloom, an old man who likes to exaggerate tales of his past until one day his son, Will Bloom, starts questioning his own father and they did not talk for three whole years. Until his mother informs him that his father is dying of cancer and wishes to speak to his son for one last time.

I like how you feel like you're on an adventure in this entire time, with Edward discovering a giant, a secret town, the love of his life, siamese twins and the best day of his life was the day he caught the big fish.

gifs by gotham.tumblr.com

Have you ever heard a joke so many times you've forgotten why it's funny? 

And then you hear it again and suddenly it's new. 

You remember why you love it in the first place. 

- Big Fish (2003)

The hospital scene made me really sad. Honestly, almost any hospital scene in movies nowadays is a tear jerker for me. Though some of them are not that emotional or depressing, it just reminds me of certain things and I get upset.

It is really different from all the other Tim Burton films and I guess that's why I love it.

Though I have been pretty busy lately, I still make time to watch and discover "new" films. It helps me relax and let my mind wonder off... I really need that now because I feel stressed most of the time. I have so many films I want to write about but I'm just gonna take my time. 

2016 seems to have a lot of promising new movie releases and I can't wait to watch them.

277. the life aquatic

February has been a really busy month for me. I feel really exhausted and drained even when I'm not doing much. Little sis will be here next week and I'll be even busier by then. This week has been interesting so far and Friday has just arrived. I can't wait to see some friends later.

I've been on a movie binge lately. I finally watched Pan's Labyrinth and it's one of my new favorite movies. I'll save it for another post. I just watched The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou and I really like it as well, even though I find it a little bit draggy.

The film is by Wes Anderson (I'm trying to watch all of his films) and I like how everything looks toy-like in this film. I enjoy stop-motion a lot and I'm really sad it's such an under used method of animation these days.

In his films, I feel like there's a "purposely fake" feature for the props and I like how the main character of the story also acts as the narrator. He uses a take/double take technique which shows the character/action, quickly pan to another character/action and pans back.

I especially love it where Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is talking about his ship, the Belafonte. I like how he describes all the various rooms and how the camera pulls to a wide angle instead of having the usual cut-off black screen method. That's the thing I enjoy most about his films.

Steve Zissou's quest to revenge his friend that was eaten by the Jaguar Shark is a particularly interesting one. Apart from that, he is also dealing with a man who might or might not be his son, a journalist and an estranged wife. This film has a lot of in-depth characters, which I think sometimes make you forget the main purpose of his quest (Jaguar Shark).

I was surprised by the hilarious Bowie covers as well. The film is a bit on the dry side and I don't recommend to people who prefer blockbusters (I still don't like them that much). Another thing I was impressed with was the made up sea creatures. It's ironic, because I'm scared of fish but so very oftenly, fall in love with films about the sea.

I'll probably watch this film again over the weekend with my love before he leaves for Europe. 

Life in 2016 has been an interesting one so far and I hope it continues to be good to me. 

244. fantastic mr . fox

I've been wanting to write about Fantastic Mr. Fox for almost half a year now. I first watched it back in March on my flight to Tokyo. Since then, I've watched it several times and little sis even got the Blu-ray for me, so it was my first time watching it on a big screen on this trip back to visit my family.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stop-motion film by Wes Anderson based on Roald Dahl's book of the same name. I have read several books by Roald Dahl when I was a kid and if I remember correctly, The Witches was my favorite book. I've never read Fantastic Mr. Fox though, but this stop-motion film has got to be one of the best films I've watched, ever. 

The story is about Mr. Fox (as the title suggests) and his fantastic life I guess? The only thing that isn't so fantastic is his neighbours, 3 farmers who are out to kill him *spoiler* because he stole from their farms. I won't give too much of the story but what I really loved about this film is there was a good balance of humour, not only for kids but for adults as well. The visuals for this film is a feast for eyes and I love the colour theme. The colour theme is more towards the warm colours, like orange, yellow and brown, so it has a really autumn feel to it. 

I love how marvellous  the stop motion is in this film, especially for the running streams, falling foliage and the beautiful visuals for the vast countryside. To top that, the cast for this film is also stellar. I thought George Clooney playing Mr. Fox couldn't be a better fit. Also, Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox? Yes please. 

Watching this film on a bigger screen is definitely very different. I get to discover all the little details I have missed out. Also, on the Blu-Ray there were "The Making of" bonus, I've always loved watching those, especially for stop-motion films because you get to see how the dolls for the films are made, and how they tediously film every bit. 

Stop-motion films are rare, I hope there will be more in the future by Wes Anderson. I hope to find some more new films before classes start again. I'm already heading back to Tokyo tonight and I'm more than glad to be going back.

240. song of the sea

gifs by vanhoytls.tumblr.com

Come away, o human child, 

to the waters and the wild with a fairy, 

hand in hand, 

for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

It has still been raining a lot and I'm not complaining because that's the best time to stay in, snuggle and watch some films. I have been wanting to watch Song of the Sea since it's release last year and was sooooo bummed I missed the screening of it in July here, in Tokyo, at a small film festival because I was back in Singapore.

Finally had some time to myself, and found it online. I don't support this so I always end up buying DVDs or blu-rays later on if I really love the film. Song of the Sea is by the same studio and director that brought us The Secret of Kells. I love both films because they are so  visually jaw-droppingly beautiful but personally, I love Song of the Sea more because of certain elements of mystery and the storyline is just much better.

Song of the Sea is about a story of a boy named Ben living in an island off the coast of Ireland with his father and his mother expecting their second child. His mother disappears unexpectedly one night, leaving behind his newborn sister. Ben is resentful towards his sister because he blames her for his mother's disappearance. I love how Ben and Saoirse's (his younger sister) relationship grows throughout this film.

The flow of the story was done really well. It derives from Celtic folklore (like The Secret of Kells, I love), and the only thing I could compare this film to is Hayao Miyazaki's work because of the the spiritual fantasy feeling you get from his films. There's fairies, witches, sea creatures and many other magical characters in this film, it takes you to a different world.

I can't believe I cried at the end of the film because it was so sad. The one thing I really really love about Song of the Sea is that it shows how parents don't want to see their children in pain, so they try their very best to shelter them from harm. It really hit home for me.

The score for this film is simple, yet heartfelt. I really enjoyed it.

I watched Big Eyes by Tim Burton this week too but (sorry) that is nothing compared to this. Big Eyes is a good film too but it's not as heartfelt as this.

I think Tom Moore is going to be my new favorite director if he continues producing films like this. I want to stay home and watch more films but I have exams coming up. It looks like September is going to be a busy month. Another friend is leaving Japan, I'm going to Osaka and then back to visit my family and when I get back, I have a show to go to. I'm not complaining though, I'm actually really looking forward to it. I just hope that after all that, I can find some time to paint again.

233. ladybird's requiem, kondo akino

I think I have blogged about Kondo Akino a couple of years ago. I was in Shimokitazawa on Thursday and was pleasantly surprised to come across her book of works from 1998 ~ 2013. Another great source of inspiration, I especially love her short films.

This week has been pretty lovely as well. I got to spend some time with new friends, old friends, see a band that I have been listening to for a decade with one of my current favorite band opening for them, go to nice cafes and had a quiet, peaceful weekend. 

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. Slowly getting there.

228. over the garden wall

Being nocturnal means I stay up painting, listening to music and watching films. Recently, one of my friends posted something about Over The Garden Wall on Facebook and I was immediately attracted to the whimsy character design, did a little research on tumblr and I had to watch it.

Over The Garden Wall is a mini series that aired on Cartoon Network last November. I don't think it will have a second season and I'll be happier if they didn't. It's one of those kind of things that is better left short and for us to ponder about rather than to get to know too much and get uninterested.

It is a beautiful piece of animation and for me, it is really unique and a breath of fresh air to watch compared to other series or animation films. Think Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow x Adventure Time x Nightmare Before Christmas's Halloweentown mashed up into one, for me at least it feels that way. The story follows two brothers who became lost in a strange forest called The Unknown, and a series of strange events occur and they meet several weird and creepy creatures along the way.

The series definitely has an air of mystery to them which I love, it makes you feel more intrigued by every little thing they do. The soundtrack also has this "old vibe" to it, and reminded me of cartoons in the 50's. It's also showed on the dance/music sequence in Episode 8, Babes In The Woods in Greg's dream. That scene was one of my favorites from the entire series.

(all gif by sixcastles.tumblr.com)

I also really love the scenery in this series. Again, it has an "old vibe" to it and from what I see, I'm guessing they used watercolor to paint it. I hope it is since it's the medium I use in all my paintings. As I'm writing this, I'm re-watching the entire series again because that is how much I love it.

Also, since class has started already, I doubt I would have time to find new things to watch. It's back to studying kanji everyday and waking up in the late morning which is too early for me... still.

218. the curious case of benjamin button

Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Last week I skipped a day of class just to stay in (see previous post), and I watched a couple of films. I've owned The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on DVD for several years now but I haven't seen it in a long time, thats why I decided to bring it back with me to Japan. Sometimes this film makes me emotional because of the characters and how I can relate to some of them. Weirdly enough even though I hate a ton of romantic things, I really loved this scene :

Whenever I watch this part, the same thought always comes into my head "how nice it must be to love someone that much and always have him/her there". Though I don't really believe in love, fate and all that jazz, sometimes I do think about how I used to believe in it so much and how lovely it must be to believe in it again. Feelings are so complicated nowadays. I wish it was easier.

There's also so many parts and quotes of this film I love so much, I could go on forever and this post will never end. After watching this again that day, I felt so much better and I've watched a couple more films over the weekend. I also watched The Help, Little Miss Sunshine, Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides. I hope to find more good films when I have the time again soon.

I really miss the night time, because I have all the time to myself to do my own things while everyone is asleep. I always love how quiet it is, how no one would bother me and how my mind would wander off. Lately, life has been so hectic because I'm out everyday and around people. I really use the weekends to stay in and have them to myself. Sometimes it's hard to say no to friends who ask to hang out because those two days are the only time when we're completely free. I'm working on my time management. 

I really miss painting and want to paint again soon but there's hardly any inspiration nowadays. Not painting makes me sad. My mind hasn't had the time and energy to drift off... I really miss that.

P.S. listening to Erik Satie has been one of calming things I have done lately. 

206. anastasia

gifs from ronesweasley.tumblr.com

Yesterday was a good day, I bumped into Mad in town and I finally have the Blu-ray for the 1997 animation film, Anastasia. Aside from growing up to Disney films, Anastasia has got to be my absolute favorite non Disney one as a kid. For two simple reasons : 

1. Awesome (sing-a-long) soundtrack 

2. My birth name was actually Anastasia.

This animation actually holds a ton of wonderful memories for me, I remember going on roadtrips with my then bestfriend (we lost contact long ago, since I was 14) and she would put this soundtrack in the car and we would sing along to all the songs. Her mom and my mom became good friends through us and we would always have outings where her mom would drive and she, my sister and I will be at the back of the car singing to so many soundtracks but Anastasia was always my favorite. 

All the outings stopped when we turned 10 because her mom was critically ill with stomach cancer and sadly, she passed away the year after. My bestfriend was only 11 when she lost her mother. Since then, my mom always had her over at our place until I was 14. My mom still keeps a photo of all of us, my family, her and her mom in our living room. I forgot how we lost contact but I hope wherever she is, she is doing well and I hope we get to meet again one day.

Last night was the first time in years since I've watched Anastasia and being an adult now, I appreciate it much more. The background art work in this is beautifully painted, I wouldn't say it's my favorite but still, well done. (My favorite background art work is Disney's Sleeping Beauty.) My favorite part is when Anya sings to Once Upon a December, and all the "spirits" dancing in the abandoned palace. It definitely does give a haunting feeling.

This isn't one of those films that I particularly like for the art, but more of an emotional attachment to it. I think I'll re-watch it a couple more time before going back to Japan.

Oh, before I forget, why my name was Anastasia? My mom named me Anastasia (yes after the Russian Princess) at birth but dropped it before I turned a year old because she felt it was too much, my name was Anastasia Lyana Lee and I also had two chinese names. I think she got too excited at naming her first child, haha. Yes, she also dropped the extra chinese name. I kind of wished she left it as Lyana Anastasia Lee just because I like the sound of it better than my current name.

Only 8 days till I leave again and I can feel the anxiety creeping in.