Lost in Translation

Anyone who wants to see some of the more obscure Bemani games in action should check out this movie with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

There's a long scene set in an arcade, and the camera focuses in on several games for probably about two minutes. It shows Taiko no Tatsujin, the game where you play a large Japanese drum, for a second. Then it shows a guy playing Guitar Freaks for quite a while, and finally a guy doing *freestyle* to Pop'n Music (shots of both him and the screen).

As far as the movie goes, it's hugely overrated. Not bad, not great either. It did make me want to go to Japan, though.

Yanno, this isn't the first time i've heard reports about Bemani games making appearences on TV/Movies (King of the Hill, anyone?). I dunno whether DDR or other Bemani should become more mainstream or stay the way it is. DDR for example could use more popularity, but that just means the DDR pads would get messed up faster >_<.

I hope it doesn't become more popular than it already is. If it does, it'll wear out soon and become a forgotten fad.

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Granted, I would like for there to be more DDR machines in my area.

The first time I saw Lost in Translation, it did feel sort of overrated and not all everyone had hyped it up to be. But the more and more I thought about it and how much I love Bill Murray's performance (one of the best male actors of the year next to Sean Penn and Johnny Depp) and Scarlett Johansson, I thought it deserved a second viewing. After that, the puzzle really came together and while figuring out I liked all of the pieces such as the acting, screenplay, direction, Tokyo scenes, etc., I would saw it's one of the best of the year. It sets out what it tries to do and isn't your run-of-the-mill love story, comedy, or It's about the characters and I really cared about them in the end.

That aside, Finding Nemo, Kill Bill: Volume One, Big Fish, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and 21 Grams are the best movies I've seen so far from last year.

Oh, the dance-related games and arcade was really cool too. :)

-Danny, "lip my sockings"

Ugh, Big Fish sucked so much.

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Wha? Oh:DDR.

The difference between these scenes and most of the other times I've seen Bemani on TV, movies, etc., is that this time, it showed real players, not actors screwing around and not really trying to play.

My two favorite movies of the year were the documentaries Spellbound and Winged Migration. Technically they're 2002 movies (both nominated for 2002 Oscars), but they didn't open here until last summer.

I also liked Love Actually and A Mighty Wind. In general though, I haven't been too impressed with the movies this year. Though I haven't seen House of Sand and Fog yet, which looks awesome.

Danny, Lost in Translation was great up until (spoilers!) that long karaoke/party scene. I just didn't get that at all. After that, it was a little tiresome, I think, except for Bill Murray's discussions with his wife. I think the movie should have ended after the elevator doors closed on Scarlett Johannson.

I think that ending could have worked Den, but some people claim the "unheard whisper" scene as one of the year's bests... I don't know though.

Love Actually was a brilliant romantic comedy, I loved the mix of stories and characters, and another one of my favorites. While I liked Best in Show more, A Mighty Wind still held its own.

Winged Migration is in my top 10 and a 4 star documentary. The cinematography was out of this world and I felt like I was right there with the birds. I haven't seen Spellbound yet (it comes out today on DVD). If you like documentaries, check out Capturing the Friedmans and Stevie. I'm still glad Bowling for Columbine won the Oscar last year even though I'm sure the other two would have won in any other year.

tpdom, you're the first person I've found that even disliked Big Fish. Besides Ewan's accent, I can't really think of anything wrong with it unless you had different expectations going in. I had hyped it up in my mind to where I didn't expect to like it as much as it hoped and I found that it offered even more and I loved it.

Now for a real love it or hate it movie, try Northfork. Very weird, but very good IMO. It's like a Coen brothers peanut butter shake with David Lynch sprinkled in... It's by the Polish bros. though.

-Danny *** Edited 1/20/2004 7:16:08 AM UTC by Koaster King***

I saw the trailer for Northfork over the summer and I was really pumped to see it, but I never got around to it. Big Fish looks like crap to me, but I won't put my final judgement on it until I see it. ;)

I haven't seen Columbine, and I'm not sure I *want* to see Friedmans (I make it a policy to avoid movies about child molestation ;)). Danny, let me know if you like Spellbound. Also if you liked Migration, you should rent Microcosmos... same concept, same filmmakers, only it's bugs, not birds.

Yea, I'll definitely let you know Den. I really got into wanting to see Big Fish because it seemed to have a magical and artistic element visually to it. The new Peter Pan does as well, but I didn't get a chance to see it. If it heightens your hopes for BF to be a decent movie, it has an 8.0/10 at IMDb and a 76% Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes. It's going to be up to you though and going in with low expectations has helped me at least *like* some movies that were otherwise blasted a bit (Hulk, Daredevil, Bruce Almighty).

I might blind-buy Spellbound (a friend described it as "more intense than Lord of the Rings", so I'm interested) and I'll add Microcosmos to my Netflix queue.

-Danny

You wanna see Peter Pan? Ugh, that trailer gave me the creeps... ;)

You will not be disappointed with Spellbound. Although IMO, to be more intense than LOtR is not really that big of an accomplishment. Those movies are hugely overrated.

BTW, Lost In Translation comes out on DVD early February... so you can judge for yourself if you haven't seen it. I thought it was a wonderful, low-key film, and definitely one of the best of the year. I'd like to see Oscars for Murray and Coppola (acting and screenplay respectively), but I think Sofia's got the only real shot. Bill, for as much as I love him in this movie, will probably lose to Sean Penn.

Big Fish, OTOH, I had trouble with. It's a decent Tim Burton flick, and easily his most personal film, but I don't think it all works. The parts of the movie involving the town of Spectre bored me. It wasn't until he got to the circus (minus that shot of Danny DeVito's hind end *shudder*) and later to the Army sequences involving the Siamese twins (which was my favorite part) that it became more interesting. I liked the film, I just didn't love it. It's just a more sentimental Edward Scissorhands.

-Chris

I just watched Spellbound this weekend. The DVD includes "where are they now?" updates on the kids. From their 3-5 sentence updates, they all seem to be fairly well adjusted.

I also saw 21 Grams, Big Fish, and Lost in Translation last week and thought they were all wonderful (in very different ways, obviously). :) Grown men all around me cried during Big Fish...you've got to let yourself get emotionally involved in that one and just enjoy it without critiquing.

Good call on the awards Chris, you could have picked the Golden Globes. ;)

Coming in late here, but the reason I hated Big Fish so much is because it was directed by Tim Burton.

Now I don't hate Tim(Edward Scisserhands and Nightmare Before Christmas are both great films) but his darker style killed this movie for me. Every Scene in the movie had a dark feel to it. The movie seemed like it wanted to be a happy happy family movie, but there was just too many creepier things in it(like Devito's butt!). Edward Scissorhands and NMBC are centered around dark characters, so the whole movie is kind of funny. This movie is supposed to be happy, which it didn't nearly accomplish.

I never got into it, because I never
felt like I was in a happy family movie.
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Movies I can't wait to see: The Passion,Matrix Revolutions, and Lost in Translation.

Reasons to like Tim Burton: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Ed Wood, Batman.

Reasons to hate Tim Burton: Every other movie he's made.**

**haven't seen Big Fish, but the trailer looks retarded.

I'm a Pearl Jam fan and Big Fish (****) was the kind of movie that seemed to get better and better as it went along. I don't know, but it touched me in that special place. ;)

Tim Burton is an interesting character himself and Kevin Smith told a hilarious story about him and Batman on his An Evening with Kevin Smith (***1/2) show. I like the ones Den mentioned including Sleepy Hollow (***1/2). You could throw Batman Returns (**) and Planet of the Apes(*1/2) in a meat grinder for all I care. Mars Attacks! is eh. Depends on my mood. Just to note, Tim Burton (producer) didn't direct Nightmare Before Christmas (**1/2) and James and the Giant Peach (**1/2). I wasn't a fan of either.

While I won't mind if Murray wins and I think in almost any other year he would have won it, I think Sean Penn pulled off the best male acting performance (for Mystic River) and I'm secretly rooting for Depp (should have won or at least been nominated for Blow, Fear and Loathing, Ed Wood, Gilbert Grape, Chocolat, etc.). Best performance of the year easily goes to Charlize Theron for Monster. It's not the make-up. She *became* Aileen Wuornos. Go see all the Best Picture, Screenplay, Actor, and Actress nominees.

Spellbound is my favorite documentary of the year followed by Capturing the Friedmans, Winged Migration, The Fog of War, Stevie, and Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary. They're all worth a rental for documentary fans.

-Danny

I liked Big Fish only because I got to see it for free and hadn't seen any previews for it or anything, so I had no idea what to expect.

Oh, and am I wrong for loving Pee Wee's Big Adventure? It's hilarious! I also really like Sleepy Hollow and I've seen Ed Wood before and I liked it, but I didn't know Tim Burton directed it. Now that I think about it, I should have known because that movie is so damn weird.

Tim Burton did Pee-Wee? Okay, now I have another reason to like the guy.

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If I could remember a line from the movie then I would quote it right here.

Of course Tim Burton did Pee-Wee!!! Tim Burton, despite directing his recent slew of Hollywood cannon fodder, is a visionary. Anyways, I was just reading this post and I will say that "Spellbound" is definitely worth a watch. It wasn't Oscar-quality or anything, but I really got into it and ended up trying to spell the words and routing for the kids that I liked. Just a fun movie to watch, is all.

Oh, and my 2 cents: Lost In Translation was amazing. It doesn't blow you out of your seat, but rather seeps into your conscienceness until you crave seeing it again (and not to mention want to be as cool as that guy playing Guitar Freaks). I guess I'm a sucker for Japanese culture, but i really thought it was well done.

peace
~me *** Edited 3/5/2004 6:53:00 AM UTC by nelson324***