My Neighbor Totoro is one of the happiest and most charming movies I have ever seen. I have seen it twice - each time on the big screen, and I have had the same reaction each time - pure joy. There's no real story or conflict to speak of, it's simply about two sisters (one 10 and one 4) and how they meet some wonderful forest creatures.
And then I followed that up with The Bourne Supremacy. The second film in the Bourne Trilogy ends with a spectacular car chase. After watching it, I thought to myself that every movie that has a car chase in it should do it practically - no CGI. The only exception to that rule is the Fast and Furious series. That fifth film was able to capitalize on the kinetic energy and destruction that CGI is able to portray. But that being said, real cars smashing, speeding, and blowing up is something that I have always appreciated, even in a crummy movie.
Someone asked me today what my favorite genre of film was, and I replied, "Good movies." In the span of a week I have watched Pina, a documentary on modern dance, Compliance, a stressful drama, Killer Joe, a stunning, brutal noir film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which needs no explanation, Remember the Titans, a sports film, Totoro and Bourne. The only thing missing from that group is a comedy. And I do like some good comedies.
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain trilogy is a wonderful vampire story. Jaw-unhinging, blood-sucking, worm-infecting vampires make for some incredibly tense reading experiences. The first book does a great job of being tense and suspenseful throughout its entire length, and the third novel does a wonderful job tying up all storylines in a satisfying way. This is a series that I can't wait to see adapted into a film.
Finally, soon all my free time will be taken up by all the new television shows that are starting up this week. Good times, good times.
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