It’s the last day of the month and you know what that means: LAMB MOTM time. The Conversation, suggested by Anil at The Long Take (check out his Oscars vs. Cannes post regarding the MOTM), was this month’s random pick. Here’s some link love for the participating LAMBs.
Cinemascope
Matte Havoc
Big Mike’s Movie Blog
The Flick Chick
The Dark of the Matinee
Movies et al
Valley Dreamin’
filmicability with Dean Treadway
Rachel’s Reel Reviews
Because I Saw the Film
Invasion of the B Movies
Blog Cabins
None
Thank you to all LAMBs who played along. Another popular choice this month.
Still drawing from the large pile of title suggestions sent to me back in June, your August MOTM is going animated with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, suggested by J.D. at Valley Dreamin’. Now get it, watch it, review it and send me the link to your review at [email protected]. Please let me know what your site is and what your feelings (love, hate, don’t care) toward the movie are in the email. Please mention the LAMB MOTM feature in your post and link back to the LAMB. I need your reviews by noon (CST) on August 30th.
If you’re not really sure what all this MOTM talk is about, check related posts here, or email me with questions.
Cheers!
lol… what is it with Nausicaa? She was in both Sirens and Action Hero… and now the movie is next up for the MOTM. Though I think I’ll check this one out. I’m an anime fan.
I’m not an anime fan, but I have to see it so that I know what JD is salivating over. It better be a life-changing experience or something. I want to come out a whole new person. Named Drolnicaad or Trilldithium or something cool.
My obsession is epic, gentleman. Perhaps too epic. It’s my favorite Ghibli movie, favorite anime movie, favorite animated movie, favorite movie starring Uma Thurman, and my favorite movie PERIOD.
You’ll probably be pissed off at me after it’s done. But I hope you won’t.
*giggles*
JD: I dunno… Spirited Away is still an amazing Ghibli film/anime movie. I’ll just have to see. If I’m disappointed, there will be pitchforks and torches (and a brain scan).
Fletch: Interesting names… I think you’re reading/watching too much LOTR 😛 .
Excellent choice. I’ve only seen Howl’s Moving Castle and have been meaning to watch more of Miyazaki’s work.
Oh jeez an anime. So much for my life -long goal of not ever watching an anime.
If after this I start dressing up like Pikachu and go to furry conventions, I’m coming after you Mr. JD.
-Jason
PS: I mean any anime that isn’t a porn. I’ve seen plenty of those.
PSS: Dammit! If only ONE more person participated in this, Rachel could’ve used the subject heading I suggested. Damn…
-Jason
I know, Jason! Missed it by one.
So, I just finished watching Nausicaa… I’m afraid to say, you won’t be getting an overly positive review from me.
Oh, and she did NOT portray any lesbian-y tendencies. You lied! And I also wouldn’t categorize her as an ‘Action Hero’, either…
Wow – you’re fast, Nick. I need to take a cue from you. I watched The Convo last night and had about 40 minutes to crap out a review. Of course, it kind of shows, but that’s besides the point.
Can’t wait to watch this.
Nick: SHE DID! She’s fierce and independent! She doesn’t wear underpants! The scene with the Pejite princess?!
And she’s a lot of things, and an “action hero” is one of them. She’s a pacifist and it’s not entirely exact, sure, but it’s not inaccurate.
God, I love this movie. This will not end well.
Fletch: Yup. I’ve already written my review for it, too. It’s a somewhat long one (which means there’s a lot of negative). It’ll be going up on R2D2 on Sunday (I’ve already got something scheduled for Saturday, and I’m gonna be writing a review for The Mummy after I see it later today).
JD: Apparently she does wear underpants… I read up on that (because I thought the same thing). It seems Miyazaki just drew skin-tight pants… that happened to be flesh-toned. But she wasn’t naked from the waist down, apparently. And I didn’t see that scene with the princess as remotely erotic, so… (and the other things are stereotypical).
And I still can’t see how somebody who spends the entire movie trying to STOP action from happening (without performing much of it herself) as an ‘action hero’.
Nick: Oh, I know. You think I don’t know? It’s still distracting. And I never said “erotic”.
But the moments of the film in which she breaks her own ideals — in fear, desperation, or blind anger — prove that whatever humanity can do with itself, violence will never cease to be an issue, just as evil can never really stop. I don’t know how that proves my point, I just wanted to say it. Basically, maybe, taking a person by their ideals doesn’t necessarily define them. She fought the urge to use violence, but when it came down it, her kingdom and all she loved was in mortal danger and she had no choice. She fought with peace, kindness, understanding, and when no one would listen, a machine gun. Even if the film is generally far more concerned with the political depressions and environmental overtures, it’s still an action movie, and she’s still the hero.
Okay?
I see what you’re saying… but there’s a LARGE difference between her and John McClane.
Do she use witty one-liners?
Then an action star she doesn’t make.
SHE’S NOT FRICKING JOHN McCLANE!!!!!!
JD: lol… that’s kinda what we’ve been saying this entire time 😛 . Glad you finally agree 🙂 .
Well, a lot of action heroes aren’t John McClane and they’re still action heroes, so there’s a HUGE hole in your ridiculous dogmatic logic.
😉
It isn’t ridiculous, nor is it dogmatic. There’s a difference between ‘action hero’ and ‘survivalist’. It’s the differences between being the hunter and the hunted.
For instance, Shaun in Shaun of the Dead beats zombies with a cricket bat for the first half of the movie, and shoots at them in the latter half. But I wouldn’t call him an action hero, even though it’s considered action. He’s just trying to stay alive.
Similarly, the only times Nausicaa gets violent is in moments of survival. She doesn’t go looking for a fight (she looks to stop them). Look at the other action heroes in this event: Batman, Ironman, Lara Croft, John McClane, Leon, Nicholas Angel, and Underdog. What each one of those characters have in common is that they go out looking to kick some ass. Nausicaa is the exact opposite. And I don’t just mean John McClane… he was just a good example. But if you look at any acclaimed action hero, I bet you none of them fall in line under the same brand of hero that Nausicaa is.
Wow, I was trying to end this because it’s a stupid discussion on both our parts, but okay…?
Trying to end something by saying ‘you’re incredibly wrong’ and being somewhat insulting isn’t trying to end it 😛 . I also don’t think it was a really stupid discussion, either… time wasting, sure. But not stupid.
Anywho… I guess we can end it anyway, considering Nausicaa isn’t even in the event anymore anyway 😛 .
Hey, at least I wrote the damn thing instead of dropping out again! And if she beat McClane I WOULD’VE HAD TO WRITE ANOTHER ONE, and who would want that? 😛
Time wasting = stupid, yeah. But ya gotta admit, it wasn’t exactly a genius-y discussion. So McClane wins, blah blah blah. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my room.
*slams door, plays MCR loudly, cries quietly*
lol… it was just a discussion. Not all discussions have to be intelligent, you know. Though in order to stop from getting into THAT discussion (which would be like… meta-discussion…)… I’ll quickly change the subject.
I happen to like MCR… so I hope you aren’t mocking them 😛 .
Yeah, well I hate MCR…so there. 🙂
I’m a whiny, weak, long-haired 15 year old boy. Mocking MCR is, like, grounds for a lynching, dude.
Hey! MCR isn’t just for whiny, weak, long-haired 15 year old boys…
I’m not whiny (all the time), weak, or long-haired (or 15)…
I didn’t mock MCR – I just said I hate them…but I could mock them.
Nick, well, it actually IS for whiny, weak, long-haired 15 year old boys. You’re just “offbeat”.
Oh, no Fletch, I meant if I mocked MCR.