last movie you watched

[JohnnyBlaze]

Segue, would you rather NOT have access to most current Hollywood films like me due to my location? Example: Jurassic World STILL hasn't been released here. That movie may or may not be good but I'd at least like the chance to watch it. And then there are some movies that are never released here. Sure, I'm eventually able to watch any Hollywood flick but I have to wait several months later until the DVD.

 

You know what's much worse is the Japanese film industry. Most of those movies are shallow nonsense or extremely formulaic IMHO...(Miyazaki films are almost always good though). An example of formulaic: a Yank friend and I joke that ads for film dramas here always show these things: (1) someone crying, (2) someone, usually a man, screaming angrily, (3) someone standing in the rain, (4) a gunshot sound or some kind of violent sound. We joke but it's actually true. Moreover, many of the popular actors here aren't even actors but rather Japanese idols/pop stars. And they're bad, really bad like Kazunari Ninomiya. You might've seen him in Letters From Iwo Jima. He was the young soldier under Ken Watanabe...Ken...who, funnily, I think is good yet I still haven't found anyone here in Japan that likes him. Go figure. Then from Hollywood there's Tom Cruise who is worshipped here like a god. A year or two ago he was promoting something and they had him on a f***ing boat traveling down one of the canals while thousands watched. I swear it was like the Macy's Day parade but it was just Tom floating on a barge waving. Surreal. I digress.

Edited August 3, 2015 by JohnnyBlaze

[EagleMoon]

Edge of Tomorrow. A little bit predictable, like a gritty, dirty version of Groundhog Day but with guns. I liked it though.

[goose]

Segue, would you rather NOT have access to most current Hollywood films like me due to my location? Example: Jurassic World STILL hasn't been released here. That movie may or may not be good but I'd at least like the chance to watch it. And then there are some movies that are never released here. Sure, I'm eventually able to watch any Hollywood flick but I have to wait several months later until the DVD.

 

You know what's much worse is the Japanese film industry. Most of those movies are shallow nonsense or extremely formulaic IMHO...(Miyazaki films are almost always good though). An example of formulaic: a Yank friend and I joke that ads for film dramas here always show these things: (1) someone crying, (2) someone, usually a man, screaming angrily, (3) someone standing in the rain, (4) a gunshot sound or some kind of violent sound. We joke but it's actually true. Moreover, many of the popular actors here aren't even actors but rather Japanese idols/pop stars. And they're bad, really bad like Kazunari Ninomiya. You might've seen him in Letters From Iwo Jima. He was the young soldier under Ken Watanabe...Ken...who, funnily, I think is good yet I still haven't found anyone here in Japan that likes him. Go figure. Then from Hollywood there's Tom Cruise who is worshipped here like a god. A year or two ago he was promoting something and they had him on a f***ing boat traveling down one of the canals while thousands watched. I swear it was like the Macy's Day parade but it was just Tom floating on a barge waving. Surreal. I digress.

You use the word "formulaic", but I might use the term "ritualized", which strikes me as reflecting Japanese culture. Thoughts?

[JohnnyBlaze]

Segue, would you rather NOT have access to most current Hollywood films like me due to my location? Example: Jurassic World STILL hasn't been released here. That movie may or may not be good but I'd at least like the chance to watch it. And then there are some movies that are never released here. Sure, I'm eventually able to watch any Hollywood flick but I have to wait several months later until the DVD.

 

You know what's much worse is the Japanese film industry. Most of those movies are shallow nonsense or extremely formulaic IMHO...(Miyazaki films are almost always good though). An example of formulaic: a Yank friend and I joke that ads for film dramas here always show these things: (1) someone crying, (2) someone, usually a man, screaming angrily, (3) someone standing in the rain, (4) a gunshot sound or some kind of violent sound. We joke but it's actually true. Moreover, many of the popular actors here aren't even actors but rather Japanese idols/pop stars. And they're bad, really bad like Kazunari Ninomiya. You might've seen him in Letters From Iwo Jima. He was the young soldier under Ken Watanabe...Ken...who, funnily, I think is good yet I still haven't found anyone here in Japan that likes him. Go figure. Then from Hollywood there's Tom Cruise who is worshipped here like a god. A year or two ago he was promoting something and they had him on a f***ing boat traveling down one of the canals while thousands watched. I swear it was like the Macy's Day parade but it was just Tom floating on a barge waving. Surreal. I digress.

You use the word "formulaic", but I might use the term "ritualized", which strikes me as reflecting Japanese culture. Thoughts?

That's a good point and I can see how it might be thought of as that. However, just having worked and lived here so long I believe that something recognizable down to the step by step procedure (formula) is generally more easily accepted than something outside of that. You should see fellow teachers' (that are Japanese) faces when I pitch an English lesson idea that's NOT formulaic/procedural. There are two general verbal responses: "That's really interesting and different, let's try it" OR "Hmm, that's difficult. The students won't understand the procedure because that's not what they usually do". "Procedure" being the exact word used.

But back on track, here's my example of formulaic...there are several tv shows on every day that follow this step by step procedure:

(1) 3 TV "tarento" (Japanese English for "talent"...essentially famous people simply famous for being on tv) will visit some small restaurant in wherever Japan

(2) the TV tarento includes...(a) a straight guy in his 30s or 40s dressed in more conservative casual clothes [jeans, polo shirt, or such]; he'll serve as the leader/brains/general speaker when visiting the restaurant, (b) an extremely cute or very pretty girl in her 20s that isn't dumb but she's surely playing up her innocence [this would be the typical J-girl stereotype] and always dressed in skirts; she's the eye candy and will be the most inquisitive and squeamish when introduced to unrecognizable dishes, (3) a fat slob of a guy dressed in something very colorful and often wearing overalls or at least suspenders; he'll be the comic relief fool.

(3) the restaurant is introduced with an exaggerated animated VoiceOver while showing close ups of the food that's going to be served

(4) the trio enter the restaurant bla bla bla; the leader acts straight, the cute girl acts cute, and the fool stays the fool

(5) it ends with all 3 taking ONE bite

and saying without fail "Oiishi" ((delicious)). When the fat slob takes a bite he's literally making a face like he's creaming his shorts. And it's a close up. And he's always sweating his ass off.

 

If I turn on the tv tonight I'm sure I can find such a program (usually between 4-8pm). Whether the food program focuses on some udon, sushi, tempura, ramen, or okonomiyaki restaurant in Sapporo, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Miyazaki, or wherever is irrelevant. The formula is still there. I can't see such entertainment as "ritualized."

[JohnnyBlaze]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

[goose]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

[JohnnyBlaze]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

Yeah, great film. Perfect mood. And Bill's cluelessness about what's going on around him is flawless. Even the atmosphere in an elevator is perfectly portrayed. Definite "A" grade IMHO.

 

All I can tell you is that when I first arrived here many years ago I thought "Wow, this culture is rich in customs and rituals"...and I was right. However, over time i saw more and more the monotony and robotic procedure of things, depending on what that "thing" was. The ridiculous procedures drive me nuts at times (closing a bank account takes hours...hence I have an old bank account with ZERO money in it to avoid the hassle of hours of procedures. Ghost bank accounts are common here. Can't imagine that bit being steeped in ritual). I think THAT specifically is about keeping things highly organized (to an OCD level...I joke somewhat) and nothing to do with ritual. Some things are connected to ritual, some aren't.

 

Try watching a Japanese tv program (an eating program or any number of crappy variety shows) and I guarantee you won't see ritual but the formulaic procedure of things as I've mentioned. But I totally see what you mean.

[JohnnyBlaze]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

You might like this...

 

Every year Japanese schools have a school festival. It's like homecoming and prom combined = it's a big event. School plays, chorus contests, battle of the bands, student run food stalls, attractions, etc. A big deal. Pretty cool really. The high school I was working at 5-7 years ago wanted to use the phrase "Hee-Haw" as its slogan. That phrase was popular at the time because some popular entertainer kept using it as a gag. Somehow people loved it. I'm not sure what locals actually meant when they used it but I heard that it was similar to "Yay". Being the only native English speaker at that school, they (half a dozen J-English teachers) came to me and asked about its true meaning, history, etc. They wanted to make sure that it wasn't anything profane before using it as the school festival slogan. I KNEW they'd come to me so I had already done my research. I read about its etymology and even the history of that dorky show Hee-Haw from my childhood. For a good half hour I explained all of that and answered their questions. The next day they had a meeting (I didn't attend) with all of the other teachers at school + the student organizing committee (whose idea it was in the first place) to discuss use of the word "Hee-Haw". Nearly two hours in there. Two hours to deliberate use of the word "Hee-Haw" based on the information I gave them. In the end (several weeks later), I went to the opening ceremony of the school festival and listened to the student captain of the organizing committee give his pep talk honoring the event. He ended by raising his fist in the air and screaming "Hee-Haw". The entire student body went nuts with applause. I gave a golf clap, chuckled a bit, and thought "What the f**k?!"

 

Sincerely,

Often Lost in Translation

[Crimsonmistymemory]

Rain Man

[Crimsonmistymemory]

Twelve Monkeys

Brad Pitt has to be the most halarious lunatical looney in any movie ever! Got to give kudos to Terry Gilliam for making such a movie that more than the medulla omblongota can enjoy over and over. Great job buy all the cast as well.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Crimsonmistymemory

[grep]

Prelude to Axnar.

 

Not so much a movie, but a prelude to a crowd-funded Trek film which is being fan made. :)

[invisible airwave]

Twelve Monkeys

Brad Pitt has to be the most halarious lunatical looney in any movie ever! Got to give kudos to Terry Gilliam for making such a movie the more than the medulla omblongota can enjoy over and over. Great job buy all the cast as well.

 

I keep hearing it's a movie you have to watch more than once. Saw it on Encore years ago and I just saw that it's streaming on Showtime so I'll give it another shot. Plus, Gilliam is one of my favorite directors.

 

Fists Of Fury (Rifftrax commentary)

[goose]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

Yeah, great film. Perfect mood. And Bill's cluelessness about what's going on around him is flawless. Even the atmosphere in an elevator is perfectly portrayed. Definite "A" grade IMHO.

 

All I can tell you is that when I first arrived here many years ago I thought "Wow, this culture is rich in customs and rituals"...and I was right. However, over time i saw more and more the monotony and robotic procedure of things, depending on what that "thing" was. The ridiculous procedures drive me nuts at times (closing a bank account takes hours...hence I have an old bank account with ZERO money in it to avoid the hassle of hours of procedures. Ghost bank accounts are common here. Can't imagine that bit being steeped in ritual). I think THAT specifically is about keeping things highly organized (to an OCD level...I joke somewhat) and nothing to do with ritual. Some things are connected to ritual, some aren't.

 

Try watching a Japanese tv program (an eating program or any number of crappy variety shows) and I guarantee you won't see ritual but the formulaic procedure of things as I've mentioned. But I totally see what you mean.

I think you hit the nail with the OCD-infused norms. It reminds me of the Swiss. Beautifully precise, and annoying once the charm wears off. The opposite might be Mexican culture. Zero f***s given about nearly everything.

[goose]

Twelve Monkeys

Brad Pitt has to be the most halarious lunatical looney in any movie ever! Got to give kudos to Terry Gilliam for making such a movie the more than the medulla omblongota can enjoy over and over. Great job buy all the cast as well.

A definite repeated view masterpiece!

[goose]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

You might like this...

 

Every year Japanese schools have a school festival. It's like homecoming and prom combined = it's a big event. School plays, chorus contests, battle of the bands, student run food stalls, attractions, etc. A big deal. Pretty cool really. The high school I was working at 5-7 years ago wanted to use the phrase "Hee-Haw" as its slogan. That phrase was popular at the time because some popular entertainer kept using it as a gag. Somehow people loved it. I'm not sure what locals actually meant when they used it but I heard that it was similar to "Yay". Being the only native English speaker at that school, they (half a dozen J-English teachers) came to me and asked about its true meaning, history, etc. They wanted to make sure that it wasn't anything profane before using it as the school festival slogan. I KNEW they'd come to me so I had already done my research. I read about its etymology and even the history of that dorky show Hee-Haw from my childhood. For a good half hour I explained all of that and answered their questions. The next day they had a meeting (I didn't attend) with all of the other teachers at school + the student organizing committee (whose idea it was in the first place) to discuss use of the word "Hee-Haw". Nearly two hours in there. Two hours to deliberate use of the word "Hee-Haw" based on the information I gave them. In the end (several weeks later), I went to the opening ceremony of the school festival and listened to the student captain of the organizing committee give his pep talk honoring the event. He ended by raising his fist in the air and screaming "Hee-Haw". The entire student body went nuts with applause. I gave a golf clap, chuckled a bit, and thought "What the f**k?!"

 

Sincerely,

Often Lost in Translation

Beautiful! You must have been proud to have had a hand in it.

[goose]

Rain Man

Been a long time since I've seen it. Has it held up?

[JohnnyBlaze]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

Yeah, great film. Perfect mood. And Bill's cluelessness about what's going on around him is flawless. Even the atmosphere in an elevator is perfectly portrayed. Definite "A" grade IMHO.

 

All I can tell you is that when I first arrived here many years ago I thought "Wow, this culture is rich in customs and rituals"...and I was right. However, over time i saw more and more the monotony and robotic procedure of things, depending on what that "thing" was. The ridiculous procedures drive me nuts at times (closing a bank account takes hours...hence I have an old bank account with ZERO money in it to avoid the hassle of hours of procedures. Ghost bank accounts are common here. Can't imagine that bit being steeped in ritual). I think THAT specifically is about keeping things highly organized (to an OCD level...I joke somewhat) and nothing to do with ritual. Some things are connected to ritual, some aren't.

 

Try watching a Japanese tv program (an eating program or any number of crappy variety shows) and I guarantee you won't see ritual but the formulaic procedure of things as I've mentioned. But I totally see what you mean.

I think you hit the nail with the OCD-infused norms. It reminds me of the Swiss. Beautifully precise, and annoying once the charm wears off. The opposite might be Mexican culture. Zero f***s given about nearly everything.

Haha!!!!

[JohnnyBlaze]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

You might like this...

 

Every year Japanese schools have a school festival. It's like homecoming and prom combined = it's a big event. School plays, chorus contests, battle of the bands, student run food stalls, attractions, etc. A big deal. Pretty cool really. The high school I was working at 5-7 years ago wanted to use the phrase "Hee-Haw" as its slogan. That phrase was popular at the time because some popular entertainer kept using it as a gag. Somehow people loved it. I'm not sure what locals actually meant when they used it but I heard that it was similar to "Yay". Being the only native English speaker at that school, they (half a dozen J-English teachers) came to me and asked about its true meaning, history, etc. They wanted to make sure that it wasn't anything profane before using it as the school festival slogan. I KNEW they'd come to me so I had already done my research. I read about its etymology and even the history of that dorky show Hee-Haw from my childhood. For a good half hour I explained all of that and answered their questions. The next day they had a meeting (I didn't attend) with all of the other teachers at school + the student organizing committee (whose idea it was in the first place) to discuss use of the word "Hee-Haw". Nearly two hours in there. Two hours to deliberate use of the word "Hee-Haw" based on the information I gave them. In the end (several weeks later), I went to the opening ceremony of the school festival and listened to the student captain of the organizing committee give his pep talk honoring the event. He ended by raising his fist in the air and screaming "Hee-Haw". The entire student body went nuts with applause. I gave a golf clap, chuckled a bit, and thought "What the f**k?!"

 

Sincerely,

Often Lost in Translation

Beautiful! You must have been proud to have had a hand in it.

Hehe. I've felt like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation countless times here but that time must be in my top 10. The thing is they only used that phrase Hee-Haw one damn time! All of that deliberating and anal-retentiveness for some high school junior to shout at the end of his pep talk?!! I know there was a big banner made and that the phrase was on there but who knows where the hell it was hanging. Haha! Soooo typically Japan

Edited August 5, 2015 by JohnnyBlaze

[EagleMoon]

The Matrix. Still a classic.

[invisible airwave]

http://i61.tinypic.com/10d645w.jpg

[goose]

goose, I think I might've gone overboard with my reply. Hehe. With your point about things being ritualized, I'd say YES with many other things like eating, entering rooms, the place you sit in a room when co-workers/boss are present, etc. but I don't think it applies in modern movies or tv shows. It's that line of ritual/formula that can be blurry. Bottom line: I stopped watching most of that crap a while ago. ;)

 

I see what you're saying. But I think if take a culture as steeped in ritual as the Japanese and infuse it with a generally base Western pop culture art form, and you end up with what you describe. It's a big part of why I love the film Lost in Translation.

You might like this...

 

Every year Japanese schools have a school festival. It's like homecoming and prom combined = it's a big event. School plays, chorus contests, battle of the bands, student run food stalls, attractions, etc. A big deal. Pretty cool really. The high school I was working at 5-7 years ago wanted to use the phrase "Hee-Haw" as its slogan. That phrase was popular at the time because some popular entertainer kept using it as a gag. Somehow people loved it. I'm not sure what locals actually meant when they used it but I heard that it was similar to "Yay". Being the only native English speaker at that school, they (half a dozen J-English teachers) came to me and asked about its true meaning, history, etc. They wanted to make sure that it wasn't anything profane before using it as the school festival slogan. I KNEW they'd come to me so I had already done my research. I read about its etymology and even the history of that dorky show Hee-Haw from my childhood. For a good half hour I explained all of that and answered their questions. The next day they had a meeting (I didn't attend) with all of the other teachers at school + the student organizing committee (whose idea it was in the first place) to discuss use of the word "Hee-Haw". Nearly two hours in there. Two hours to deliberate use of the word "Hee-Haw" based on the information I gave them. In the end (several weeks later), I went to the opening ceremony of the school festival and listened to the student captain of the organizing committee give his pep talk honoring the event. He ended by raising his fist in the air and screaming "Hee-Haw". The entire student body went nuts with applause. I gave a golf clap, chuckled a bit, and thought "What the f**k?!"

 

Sincerely,

Often Lost in Translation

Beautiful! You must have been proud to have had a hand in it.

Hehe. I've felt like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation countless times here but that time must be in my top 10. The thing is they only used that phrase Hee-Haw one damn time! All of that deliberating and anal-retentiveness for some high school junior to shout at the end of his pep talk?!! I know there was a big banner made and that the phrase was on there but who knows where the hell it was hanging. Haha! Soooo typically Japan

Too funny!

[treeduck]

http://i.imgur.com/KOOqlix.jpg

 

[goose]

http://i.imgur.com/KOOqlix.jpg

 

I loved the whole run of 70's disaster films! Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, Airport...even The Big Bus!

[treeduck]

http://i.imgur.com/KOOqlix.jpg

 

I loved the whole run of 70's disaster films! Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, Airport...even The Big Bus!

Yeah and Heston was the king of the 70's disaster flicks. I suppose you could include the Planet of the Apes films, plus Soylent Green and The Omega Man.

[Segue Myles]

Gone With The Wind

 

My favourite movie ever (aside from Schindlers List, which is a very different sort of movie experience).