My Favorite Movies

This is my most favorite Kurosawa film and one of my most favorite Japanese films of all time. Ran is considered to be the greatest rendition of Shakespeare's "King Lear" of all time (and maybe even the best Shakespeare adaption of all time). The performances are top-notch. The cinematography is exquisite. The costumes and sets are wonderfully rich. The story is awe inspiring and emotional. Kurosawa at his best!

One of the most moving and saddest films I have ever seen. A look at war as seen through the eyes of innocence, two young children, who become indefinitely affected by forces beyond their control. A heart-wrenching and emotional masterpiece that is brutally honest and shows us the true cost of war. One of the few movies that I have cried in.

"Spirited Away" remains to this day, my most favorite Miyazaki film. A wonderful and magical story of a girl and how much her character changes throughout the movie. The animation is superb and the story is delightful and imaginative. A wonderful coming of age story that continues to be one of my all time favorites.

Simply wonderful animation suitable for ALL ages. One of my most favorite Miyazaki films that made a huge impact on me the first time I saw it. Simple yet thought provoking. The characters are enduring and simply adorable. Totoro is awesome, enough said! Delve into a child's world and remember what it was like to be young again with "My Neighbor Totoro".

Simply beautiful animation and what an amazing story! This was one of the most underrated movies of 07 but one of the best. Amazing coming of age full of emotional depth that has been lacking in anime recently. Just fucking great, a true animated masterpiece and highly recommended.

Hands down, probably the best movie of 2004. Nobody Knows is a compelling portrait of abandoned children who must fend for themselves. Filled with immense humanity, Nobody knows is a moving and intense coming of age story. Based on an actual event in Tokyo, this film moved me to tears the first time I watched it. Absolutely beautiful and touching film.

Wow, this movie took the whole Samurai Bushido (code of honor) and just flipped it on its head. Incredible performances and moving story makes this one of my most favorite Samurai films up even with the best of Kurosawa! Very intense and full of tragedy gives this movie the ingredients for a timeless masterpiece. The film gives raise to many issues that are reflected not only in feudal Japan but the Japan of today. Proves the utter hypocrisy of what it meant to be a Samurai. The ending is utterly amazing as are the remarkable performances from some of the most remarkable actors in Japanese film history. They don't make em like this anymore. Truly amazing anti-samurai film.

Not really one of the greatest films out there, but deserves a nod for a shocking and riveting opening scene and some fairly shocking scenes later on. The theme of the movie, suicide, actually does a good job correlating to an ongoing suicide problem in Japan, which is among the highest in the world. "Suicide Club" is not only a social commentary, exploring fads and Japan's disaffected youth, but also a prodding statement on existence itself. The opening scene is truly one of the most shocking scenes I have seen in cinema.

I love this movie. It's probably no more than an hour long and entirely shot in a small Tokyo flat yet it's full of dark and sadistic satire. The ultimate cat fight movie with some crazy fighting in it. It's amazing how far the two girls went from beginning to end, and the ending is just wrong.

A disturbing and shockingly realistic look at Hitlers final days through the eyes of Traudl Junge (Hitlers secretary). Bruno Ganz gives an unforgettable performance as Hitler that shakes me every time I go back and watch it. A major achievement in cinematic history and a must see film. Highly recommended.

Gripping, compelling, intense, suspenseful, and realistic are just a few words that characterize this movie. Das Boot is a tremendous epic that provides an ultra-realistic view to the miserable and claustrophobic life of a submarine crew during WWII. Though it is told from the perspective of the Germans, it could just as easily be an American submarine crew fighting in the Pacific. Eventually you feel their plight and can relate to the characters as if actually there. Highly recommended.

Quite possibly the best German movie I have ever seen and the best of 2007. Ulrich Mühe gives an astounding performance as the Stasi (East German secret police) officer given the job of spying on a possible western collaborator. This is a powerful and gripping look at the GDR and its easy to see why it won the Academy Award. Brilliant performances that deeply touched me.

"M" is my most favorite Fritz Lang film and also my most favorite film from the 1930's. The film is brilliant and the viewer can still find traces of early German Expressionism and the beginnings of Film-Noir. The film has great suspense and an impeccable message in the end that is still relevant today. A movie way ahead of its time, "M" is an unforgettable masterpiece.

Best romantic comedy ever! I could not stop laughing during the entire first half, and I could not stop crying during the second. A heart warming blend of comedy and melodrama. My Sassy Girl is a perfect love story that hits all the right notes at the right time. Incredible ending.

With 13,019,740 in admissions, it has become the highest grossing Korean film in history and its easy to see why. This is not your typical monster film and is in part a reaction to an incident in 2000 when the US military dumped formaldehyde into the Han river harming the environment. The plot is believable as are the characters. A very emotional and human film. If only more monster movies could be like this.

This film is really a tragic-comedy but never lets the viewer forgot where we are and what's actually going on. It depicts the absolute brutality of war and its effects on the common person. The choice of using black and white in the film was brilliant and well justified. Symbolically, the black and white could represent the Japanese occupation in all its brutality and the final color scene could represent the end of the occupation and the hope of a better future devoid of conflict. The humanity of this film is well represented and I believe anyone can relate to this film. The Chinese humor in the film is great and adds some comic relief to what would otherwise be a very depressing film. The ending scene is brutal but necessary. It shows that nobody is sparred from the brutality and senselessness of war, not even children. The film has a compelling anti-war statement with great acting and a truly human story line. I highly recommend this film to any film lover.

Pretty much the best movie ever...