The Wind Rises: Another beautiful movie from Miyazaki, he really is a master. I didn't realize going in but this movie is about the man who designed the Japanese bombers know as "zeros". I don't know how faithful the account is to life, honestly I've never given thought to someone designing those planes, I haven't given much thought at all to the actual planes. Anyway he's not a crazy war or death monger, he's just a gifted man who really loves airplanes and wants to make them the best they can be. It's a sad subject and story in a way but it's a really great movie.

The Avengers: I guess I forgot to write about this movie, I really liked it, much more than any of the other Avenger movies, it was nice to have the background though and to be able to put some things together. It was fun to see that the diva attitudes come together. Recommend it.

From Up on Poppy Hill: I've really been excited to see this latest Miyazaki movie, it's not as fantastical as the average Miyazaki movie but it was really good. It is helpful to have background knowledge of Japan in the time period, which one of the friends I watching with was able to provide (history majors are pretty useful to have around).

Schultze Gets the Blues: I had high hopes for this movie, a German polka man retires and discovers zydeco. As I watched it though I found myself thinking back to when I watched Waking Ned Divine, it was a nice, sweet story but the pacing and filming style are radically different from what I'm used to. I probably wouldn't watch it again but it was a nice show.  Oh, ps, this is a German movie if I didn't mention that before. Note: I was both shocked and unimpressed by the use of the "N" word in this movie at one point.

Kiki's Delivery Service: This is probably the second Miyazaki movie that I ever saw. It's a fun movie and of course beautifully animated. As a kid I didn't notice or think about it but watching it now I noticed discrepancies in in the time periods represented but that's part of the fun in Miyazaki movies.

Castle in the Sky: Another Miyazaki movie, another one of the first that I saw. There are parts of this movie that I love, like airborne pirates, there are also parts that I don't like, which are too much and perhaps make the point a little too strongly for me. Overall it's a good movie but it's not my favorite

The Lodger: This was apparently Hitch's first thriller, it's a silent movie and as it began I wasn't too impressed, the quality was not very good (film quality, not movie) and it is an adjustment to watch silent movies where you don't always get a write up of what's being said. It was good thought.

The Hunger Games: I hadn't read the books at all but I ended up seeing the movie and it was alright, I felt perhaps like maybe I was missing a fair amount, perhaps not. I'm not a huge fan of dystopian things. The jury's out I suppose.

Notting Hill: I came in for the second half of this years ago at some friends and then it was on tv a while ago and anyway I recently saw it not on tv. I liked parts of it, I didn't like, nor was I expecting the F-bombs there were. I don't really think I'll be coming back to this movie though I am a fan of Hugh Grant.

The Secret World of Arrietty: This is the latest Miyazaki movie and I thought it was great and beautiful. The story is based on The Borrowers. I love the way that Miyazaki movies capture the imagination and take you to fantastic places

My Neighbor Totoro: This is the first Miyazaki movie I ever saw, and I believe it's his first movie. I like it, it's a childhood memory and it was still pretty good when I watched it now, several years later.

Bugsy Malone: This movie is quite different from any other I've ever seen, it's a story about gangs and speakeasies in the 20s but the catch is that all the actors are kids and the story has a kids perspective. It's a really cute movie and I really enjoyed it.

Invictus: This movie was really really great, it was so inspirational. The movie tells the story of when Nelson Mandela became the president of South Africa and the role that he and rugby played in bringing the country together after years of apartheid; think Remember the Titans but on a much larger scale. Matt Dameon and Morgan Freedman were both wonderful in their roles and it was so inspiring to learn more about Nelson Mandela.

Princess Mononoke: As much as I enjoy Miyazaki's movies, this wasn't my favorite. A lot of this may go back to my lack of knowledge of Japan and it's culture... or my lack of enthusiam for gorey cartoons. You'll have to watch it and decide what you think for yourself.

Ponyo: This is a weird movie, not necesairily bad but weird. Ponyo is by Hayao Miyazaki and I always find his movies a bit weird (maybe because I'm not Japanese) but this one was especially so. This is Miyazaki's spin on Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid. It's a cute movie but I felt like we were just getting going and then it ended and that was disapointing.

Howl's Moving Castle: This is an anamaie movie by Hyao Miyazaki which is likely spelled incorrectly but at any rate his movies are pretty amazing and Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorite. I've seen the movie both in Japanese with subtitles and voiced over and I have to say that I prefer the voice over, but it might be because I saw the voice over version first...and because Christian Bale voiced over Howl. The world that this movie takes place in is like our own but completely different, and purely magical. This movie has messages both about war and about beauty, a lot of Miyazaki movies seem to.

While You Were Sleeping: A friend and I were quoting this movie as we got her Christmas tree ("I should have gotten a blue spruce, they're lighter!") and so we decided to watch it. This movie is a classic for me, I don't think I will ever get tired of it, no matter how many times I've seen it. This movie has comedy and drama and a really great cast of supporting characters. I love it.

Enchanted April: This movie takes place in the 20s and I love seeing the fashions from the 20s. The movie is very good, heart warming but it's also a tad strange.