Four Calling Birds

broderic on December 28, 2011

Okay, now here we go. I”m gonna have to do the next installment cold. I don’t have time to watch this one. I’ve slipped up. I do know that I should’ve already written a post or two on Tokyo Godfathers. If not, then tonight I’ll make up for it.

The story takes place during Christmas and centers around three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo. One is a runaway school girl who fled her home after an argument with her father over a cat. Another is a drag queen. The final hobo is an ex-keirin racer and bicycle shop owner acting as a bum because of a gambling problem. They find an abandoned baby who they vow to reunite with its mother. Adventures ensue. Hmm. I guess you have to watch it to understand.

Anyhow, you wouldn’t expect a Japanese anime to have anything to do with Christmas, but they make an anime about everything and anything. You’ll see later on as I hit up some anime in later posts.

Today’s Christmas theme is how universal the tidings of joy and goodwill to all men are. Christmas shows up in a film in a most non-Christian of nations, and the film celebrates redemption through the birth of a child. Each of the three Tokyo godfathers experiences redemption in some form. Christmas brings some of that to us with the birth of our savior. It doesn’t matter if you’re some Japanese homeless person. Joy and peace are universal truths and it takes a Japanese anime to remind us.

I do miss Satoshi Kon. I wonder what more he would’ve brought to us. I hope you search out his films and realize he was a master storyteller. And I hope you add Tokyo Godfathers to your holiday movie list.

“Sir, Chuck Connors wasn’t in Chinatown.”

broderic on September 19, 2008

Link of the Day [9.19.08]

I don’t think I have to remind you guys that today is “Talk like a pirate day.”

Speaking of which, a game programmer, asked the intrawebs about why some people pirate his games. He’s got a rundown on many of the saner reasons, and he’s got solutions to some of the critiques of his games and their cost. He’s trying to fix it, so that they aren’t pirated. As much. Good luck. Hope to hear from you in a year about how those changes worked.

Avast, keel haul ’em!

http://www.positech.co.uk/talkingtopirates.html

Link of the Day [4.21.08]

broderic on April 21, 2008

Here's an interesting read about making your neighborhood Borders or B&N
into your own personal library. Specifically, the author calls out the
people lolly-gagging about the manga aisle.I usually spend a lot of time in a bookstore. I confess to doing this
on occasion, but only for the satisfaction of finding an interesting
book. I am guilty at buying books that I don't read. Just not for
manga.http://animealmanac.com/2008/02/27/manga-hobos-japanese-culture-meets-american-laziness/

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

broderic on December 28, 2007

I have a theory about these films. Like the first one, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, will not lose much in translation if you replace the thing that Nic Cage and his pa are looking for with “Hobo Gold.” Try it with the original: the map on the back of the declaration of independence shows us where to find… HOBO GOLD!

These movies are really about the search getting from one clue to the next. The Hobo Gold is like Hitchcock’s MacGuffin. It’s what’s needed to be found only because it ends the search and the movie.

The original was a really bad movie, but if you suspended belief in reality and went along for its ride, then you would’ve been stupefied into believing in… HOBO GOLD! The Declaration of Independence leads to the Liberty Bell which leads to Ben Franklin’s glasses and finally… HOBO GOLD! Genius of corniness. Dumb but somewhat satisfying. Like smarties: sweet but no nutritional value whatsover.

This version falls short of the joy ride that was the original. It has less chases and it takes the idea of the HOBO GOLD! too seriously. It should’ve been dumb and dumber chases and searches more so than the original. Yet, it was not. The clues were not that cool and the spy games not that interesting. Still this version was somewhat satisfying as the HOBO GOLD! was found, and the reality of Dianne Krueger, hottie, was realized.

3 of 5 stars.

Hitchhikers Guide

broderic on June 17, 2007

I’m not a big fan of Clark Gable or Claudette Colbert, but in It Happened One Night, they do the funniest scene. It’s a classic and if you’ve seen this movie or know anything about the screwball comedy genre, you’ll know it — the hitchhiking scene.

Here it is in several screen shots.

Move number one. This shows independence. You don’t care if they stop or not. You’ve got money in your pocket.

Move number two. This means you have a brand new story about the farmer’s daughter.

Move number three. The pitiable one. Works better with a long face.

Try number one. Keep your eye on the thumb. How’s that work?

Not that good!

Give number three a go!

It don’t work either.

Here’s a new move!

This’ll stop ’em every time.

And of course this is a classic scene. It had me rolling on the floor. Besides Clark Gable in this scene is pretty much the inspiration for bugs bunny. He’s chewing on a carrot the whole time.