omg occupy post box!

"Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 22, 2012, include:

• Letters (1 oz.) – 1-cent increase to 45 cents
• Letters additional ounces – unchanged at 20 cents
• Postcards – 3-cent increase to 32 cents
• Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.) – 5-cent increase to 85 cents.
• Letters to other international destinations – 7-cent increase to $1.05"

http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2011/pr11_116.htm

Bro jus' can't do no wrong

となりのトトロ
(Miyazaki Hayao, 1988)

Giant cuddly bro and anatomically correct cat-pal help siblings strengthen their bond.

Perhaps the 4th or so Miyazaki film I've consumed and y'know what? None of them are bad. Bro's gotta pretty good good-streak. Anyhow, like so many excellent things made a hundred years ago glad this one was! While the charm, or whimsy if you will, of the animation and story can be struck anytime, it's the BA synth heavy tunes that are a product of the time of publication. Suppose not much to say that isn't already common-knowledge about Studio Ghibli stuff. More than excellent art and animation. Succinct and charming plot, dialog. However, while trying to find pictures of cat balls this lil gem turned up. Ah, the creativity of the knitting crowd!

Recommended!

You love that which you can lose, yourself, a woman, a country.

Solyaris
(Andrey Tarkovskiy, 1972)

First contact is with the physically manifested mind.

Holy cow, was like watching 5 movies! That were all incredibly slow and confusing, but still higher than the bar known as "good." Rather enjoyed the space station sets. Would like to know more about how such an authentic decayed and unmaintained look was achieved. Quite glad this was made way back when. Can only imagine the cluster-F CG would have made this. And to that end there is the post 2000 G.Clooney reissue so... But maybe this is a compare and contrast I'll not bother w/. The beauty herein is far too perfect to disrupt w/ lame sauce remakes.

Anyhow, this is an indescribably deep introspective psychological journey. One I was enthused to take, but really didn't fully comprehend what I was getting myself into. At times the introspection is so intense it hurts and you think that's the "aha!" and the credits will roll, but no. It goes on and on. The balance between painfully slow and gripping is awkward indeed. Yet despite all that--esp being confused by the drive thru Tokyo sequence--I heartily recommend to anyone looking for a more cerebral and off the beaten path viewing. Note, however, this may not score points w/ your new found movie buff friends. This shit is for the true hardcore film nerd. Not your name droppin', angst ridden couch potato(e).

Recommended, but brace yourself!

Cinema ended in 1991, nothing was left to be said

Slacker
(Richard Linklater, 1991)

A menagerie of dorks, weirdos, losers, cheats, psychos, and assorted rabble.

Hands down of the greatest films on celluloid to-date. Wonderfully insightful and well woven peek into the life of all manner of strange birds; open type observed and seamlessly the next presented and allowed to describe itself. Many of these characters I met during the days at the junkyard and as such the shifty hot rodders hold a certain tender spot in my heart (ah yes, I know you well sneak parts-thru-the-fence guy and I have foiled you more than once). For those tangled up in this side of life it's an animated mug book. For those who wished they were cool, this will allow them to finally credibly make up stories about all those crazies they never really met.

Recommended, highly!

You Shoulda Been There

Silent Movie
(Mel Brooks, 1976)

Madcap trio sets out to save the day using well-worn(out) charm of yesteryear.

Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Dom DeLuise set out in a silent film about making a silent film. A novel romp parodying and borrowing charm from the early days of cinema with mixed results. There is a sense that this was better viewed when new, way back when, since there is an apparent leaning-on of contemporary personalities (one more educated on pop would know them and gain more enjoyment) and old-school folks by then standards (wager to say wholly unknown now). Gags run the gamut of didn't quite get it?, ho-hum, and downright hilarious. Would have been nice if there were fewer dead-audio spots and if the text screens were treated better; printer's decorations or some such. A film with Bernadette Peters will always earn extra brownie points from yours truly.

Maybe not the best for solo or non-sexually-charged paired viewing, but certainly a good one for group movie nights where banter is the focus and on-screen funnies bring extra levity.

Recommended, contextually!