Trees and people used to be good friends

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Rating 4.75/5.0

where 5.0 is another animation film that hits all the right spots


This film is a poem.

It's the definition of psychedelic without being psychedelic. It's the definition of a kiddie film without being just a film for kids. This is what kids and adults should be watching together -- to grow; to learn; and to unlearn. Going by how I have changed since I was a kid -- I need to grow all over again; and I need to learn and unlearn a lot before I can become the happy child that I once knew. My Neighbor Totoro is like a magic potion that aids your return to innocence.

Watch it even if you don't want to grow or learn. Watch it for the animation -- it takes you to the world where you would rather be -- a world which you don't know why you abandoned for the insane mass of concrete you now call home.

IMDB link here

Please dial 1 for Evolution, 2 for Frustration, 3 for Enlightenment

the poster could have been so much more

A Colt is my Passport (1967)
Rating 4.0/5.0


Where 5.0 is the film that defines the genre

I watched a fair bit of Japanese film noir in the last few months. Never got the time to write on it though. I always struggle with the thought of writing something that doesn't satisfy me and in the process I end up writing nothing at all. That's a bad habit and here I am trying to change it.

I'm a huge Film Noir fan - I have watched nearly all the well known American films in this genre and lately I have begun exploring the underbelly (or the lesser known but maybe more genuine examples) of American film noir. The Japs found noir films an excellent medium to express their own post war disillusionment. They had their own unique take on the genre - the characters are even more twisted than American noir (imagine a perversion fit for the 60s and there's a fair chance you'll find it here) and they retain their own sense of identity and culture even when they blatantly copy the themes. A Colt is my Passport is a classic example of such a movie and although the entire movie is one fast, entertaining ride, the film could just have been a minor classic if not for the climax - it is so compelling and so smart that it just doesn't let you erase the film from your memory.

Download this film and other titles from the Nikkatsu Studios from this link