Sukisho

What are your top 10 favorite movies?

So this was pretty difficult for me. Overall, I chose movies that I have watched over and over. Movies that at times I think, "I haven't seen Movie X in so long I should watch it again". That being said, there are many movies I have seen only once or twice but would recommend to watch, I might add these to a 3rd portion of my post later. With that out of the way, here we go!

10. The Princess Bride / Robin Hood Men in Tights

Explanation

Okay, so my number 10 is a tie. I love both these movies and really couldn't pick one over the other. If you have seen one and not the other, go and watch it now! Both movies are so quotable and they both support a great cast of characters. Neither takes itself to seriously and allow for all kinds of people to enjoy them.

9. Hitch

Explanation

Hitch is the kind of movie that really hit home with me. The story is about a guy who is kind of a matchmaker, and he helps men understand what women want. While Hitch is the main guy, a secondary main character is actually who resonates with me more. He is awkward and nerdy and totally has the hots for a woman out of his league. You will laugh, you might cry, and maybe you will also feel there is hope for you to get the girl (or guy) of your dreams.

8. Fern Gully

Explanation

This is a movie I saw as a child and it never left me. Sure it has a good message but as a kid I didn't care about the message, I cared about fairies, magic, scary bad guys, and funny side kicks. If you needed more of a reason to try this movie, Robin Williams voices one of the characters.

7. Ever After - A Cinderella Story

Explanation

If it wasn't obvious yet, I am female. I have always loved princess movies, but I like the ones that a a little bit different. This movie has Drew Barrymore as Cinderella, and includes Leonardo DaVinci as a character. It is more than your typical Cinderella story and so worth the watch. I remember when I finally found it on DVD, I think it lived in my DVD player for a couple months. :)

6. Memiors of a Geisha

Explanation

It might not be super noticeable in my list, but I love historical movies. This probably has to do with growing up watching old war movies and westerns with my dad. Either way, this movie is fantastic. I love the acting, and the drama. And I really just don't have much more to say other than I love it.

5. Blood and Chocolate

Explanation

This is a great movie involving werewolves or lycanthrope. the story is sort of a love story with a Romeo and Juliet sort of plot. I think it is very well done and is a great alternative to the vampire movies that are so popular.

4. A Knight's Tale

Explanation

I couldn't not put a Heath Ledger movie on my list. He was one of my favourite actors. Good looking and good at what he does. This movie is historical-fiction, with comedy, and drama, and jousting. It is about breaking the rules and letting nothing stop you from your dreams.

3. Big Fish

Explanation

Oh the millions of quotes you can fall in love with in this movie. I don't want to spoil anything for those that haven't seen it, but the plot is basically about a man's life leading him to where he is today. There are tons of characters to fall in love with and Ewan McGregor does an amazing job as the main character.

2. Grave of the Fireflies

Explanation

If you had asked me 10 years ago what my favourite movie was, this would be my answer. It is a beautiful story about children living in Japan during WWII. If you don't even get a tiny bit emotional at least once in this movie, you are probably heartless. and of course if my recommendation isn't enough this is a Studio Ghibli film. While not one of Miyazaki's it is still an amazing piece. Also, as with most Japanese movies, I feel this should be watched with subtitles.

1. 12 Angry Men

Explanation

So here it is, my number 1. This movie is about the 12 jurors on the jury for the trial of a teenage boy who is accused of committing the murder of an old man. I feel it kinda gives an inside look at how a jury could discuss and decide the fate of the one on trial. Additionally, there are some twists and turns along the way that make you think. I also think it is fun to wonder how I would act in the place of one of the men. The movie is old (from 1957) so it is in black and white, but it still can resonate with many today.

Honourable Mention

The Last Samurai - Another historical fiction movie, that I really enjoyed. I remember wanting to go see it when it came out and then learning it was rated-R. Many dislike the historical inaccuracies, and it does have Tom Cruise in it, but it is still one I will watch over and over again.
Shaolin Soccer - OMG this is a great movie. The movie is in Chinese, so you will probably have to watch with subtitles on, but it is the hilarious story of 5 Shaolin Monks, coming together to play soccer.
Dogma - Even as a Catholic, I love this movie. It is funny and well done. The religious jokes are great and allows us to make fun of ourselves.
UP - The first 15 minutes of the movie will make you cry, but after that Doug and Kevin and all the other characters will have you laughing. A great story about fulfilling dreams, and how sometimes our idols aren't always as they seem.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - This was probably the first Miyazaki film I ever watched. Nausicaa is set in a post apocalyptic world, that even the people living there don't fully understand. I am sure there are people who have a lot more to say about this movie, but ignoring all the political meanings, it is a great movie.

Gates of the Mire

The shock of landing on his ass stunned Carl-Johan momentarily. As he stood up, the two women that had been helping pull the now broken vine were slipping through the small opening they had created. He tried to stop them, but he was too late and they had disappeared behind the large rock. He groaned audibly, wondering why they didn't see that splitting up was not the best idea. He looked at the man next to him, who had also risen to his feet now, and realized that he was the only one that would not fit through the small opening created. Not wasting any more time, especially since the lithe women had already gone towards what ever dangers could lie ahead, Carl-Johan moved into a position near the entrance. With his back against the wall and using his legs as a lever, he started to shove the rock to create a larger hole. The man in navy, whose name he had still not learned, soon joined him and together they quickly opened the passageway enough so they could both enter easily.

There was some faint sunlight behind the stone coming from the medium crack that surrounded the joint between the hallway and the alcove where the stone had been jammed. Carl-Johan noticed that this crack was not one that had been caused by the age of the tower, but had probably been intentional in the original design. Additionally, it appeared that the stone had prevented any plant-life from taking over this area of the tower. Continuing across the threshold, he entered the torch-lit hall. The shorter of the two women, dressed in pale orange, was waiting for them on the other side of the stone in the hall. Carl-Johan took this moment to speak to her.

"It isn't wise to rush ahead into unknowns. I understand the need to escape, but I think we will do better as a group."

He only waited for her to acknowledge what he said, before walking past and heading down the hall. It was obvious that this hall was very different than the others. The stone in this corridor was stained with pigments implying that the walls had once been painted in vibrant blues inside the large zigzag frame the ran the length of the corridor. The ceiling and floor however were bare of the pigments, but not necessarily of detail. Walking carefully through the first half of the hall, Carl-Johan focused on the detailed mosaic of the floor, mesmerized by the attention to detail.

Had it not been for the blazing midday sun, he might not have initially seen the change in scenery of the hall. This second half of the hall was just as long as the first but the only thing they shared was the mosaic floor. The ceiling had given way to the open blue sky above and the walls were now adorned with what once was larger windows that now just contained remnants of stained glass windows in shades of blue and green. It was obvious to Carl-Johan that this part of the hall, no, this part of the bridge would have been stunning to walk through when the windows had been unbroken and the stain glass sparkled in the in afternoon sun. He paused for a moment and looked out on the world.

The wall intrigued him. It appeared more than just a wall to keep people out or even in, but a structure that at one point most certainly held people. Maybe it was a fortress, or a castle, or even a village. It was too hard to tell from this distance, but Carl-Johan did notice that the bridge they were crossing was leading towards the wall. Soon he reached the end of the passageway where the other woman was no where to be seen, but the rusty metal door was very much ajar, and sounds of shifting metal could be heard as he approached.

Gates of the Mire

Oops, Accidentally Double Posted...

Gates of the Mire

Carl-Johan glanced around the second floor as he made his way towards the stairs. As he passed by a few of the halls he noticed that the symbols above each hall was the same, and he still did not think of what the significance could be. He was pondering this thought, and wondering what the others were planning to do as he took the staircase to the third floor.

He could immediately tell that this was the first floor that was a bit different. Again he looked to the strange symbols above the halls looking for some sort of extra clue as to what this was all about, but alas, again the symbols were all alike. Figuring that every floor was the same, Carl-Johan put it out of his mind. On this floor, 2 of the women had gathered and the man in dark navy blue was with them. It seemed they had done something with one of the vines. Upon closer inspection it was obvious they were going to attempt to pull the large boulder away from the opening. He stepped towards the group to help, and that was when he noticed the markings on the walls.

He could see strange inscriptions mixed with weathered stones, as if something had ground and scraped against, but unfortunately the scratches were so bad, Carl-Johan couldn't quite discern which markings were from repeated wear from a great stone, and which were put there intentionally. The large stone itself was of a different material than the stones on the walls which was curious to him, and it was obvious from the markings that the stone had been moved many times before. This only made him more curious about what was on the other side. If it was not a way out, they could always turn around and come back to head up the tower.

"Do you mind if I help? I think with the four of us we could get it to move." Carl-Johan spoke with a smooth almost calming voice. He was polite and helpful, taking the lead almost unobtrusively. A gentle giant at heart, he looked tougher than he was, although his strength was still a force to be reckoned with.

Gates of the Mire

The crazy woman in grey had begun ranting about hatred of the motes from the world of darkness, before she seemed to storm off towards the rubble filled stairs. Carl-Johan gave her a strange look, before he turned to look at not only his other companions, if he could even call them that, but also the large tower they had entered from the hallway. The other two women had quickly taken to climbing the vines hanging from the railing of the floor above, however, he didn't think the vines there would hold him, so he set about looking at the sigils over each of the hallways.

Over the hallway the group had exited from was a zigzagging line, but without context Carl-Johan didn't know what the symbol could mean. So he set about the perimeter to examine what other symbols were over the other five halls. At first he thought the zigzag lines were representative of the elements, but as each hall revealed another zigzag pattern, he wasn't sure. By the time he returned to his original hall, he decided they must be some archaic numbering system. He also felt he had seen these symbols somewhere else recently, but that didn't help him discover their meaning.

While traversing the whole path, he had peeked down each hallway, finding them to be just like the one he had come from. The other man, the one in dark navy, also seemed to have a inclination to investigate the area around him, just as Carl-Johan did, however, he was becoming pretty distraught as he examined the halls, so maybe he wasn't exactly stable. Carl-Johan was pretty accepting of the world around him. He did not try to fight the way things were and instead found ways to adapt and move forward. Maybe that was why he had not had any trouble with the motes like the woman called Theon. Maybe that was why even now he did not speak and ask questions, but instead continued to gather information about the area. Maybe that was why he was calm, and others seemed to be clearly shaken.

Carl-Johan shook his head, letting his long brown hair flick around his face. Running a hand through it to keep it out of his eyes, he looked for ways to the next floor, as the only way out was clearly up. The rubble filled stairs would take a long time to clear without help, and without food he hoped to try to preserve his energy. The large pillars by the crumbling railing, seemed rather sturdy, especially considering the weight they were supporting above them. They too, though, were covered in vines, and he felt this would be the best means to ascend. Finding a steady footing, first on the railing, which seemed to grind and break apart under the added weight, and then in the vines, Carl-Johan climbed his way to the second floor.

Americhronism [Medieval Post Apocalypse]

Card said
Going to have a post up tonight sometime.

Three weeks later....

Is it tonight yet?

Gates of the Mire

The cold splash of the water seemed to awaken Carl-Johan as if from a dream. Finally, the darkness was gone and in its stead, the warm glow of torchlight lit the hallway that he was unceremoniously dumped in. After the light, the first thing that Carl-Johan noticed was the his bow and staff were no longer in his grasp. He felt around in the water, and upon not finding them, stood. He looked down, and noticed he was dressed in all green. He wore loose pants with a sleeveless tunic belted at the waist. Suddenly, he grabbed at his neck, feeling for something that was no longer there. A small swear escaped his lips, and he almost collapsed back in the murky water. It was gone too.

Bracing himself against the wall, Carl-Johan finally noticed the others in the hallway. A man in black had wandered over to the collapsed statue at one end, while a woman in purple had headed what appeared to be out of the hall and into the next room. The woman in grey intrigued him a bit. She didn't seem to be phased by the sudden jolt into the light, and had already prepared a weapon from her clothing and some stones. She was certainly resourceful, he would give her that. Soon, she too left the hall, following after the woman in purple. The remaining two people in the hall were a woman dressed in orange and a man in deep blue, with maybe a hint of purple. It seems they too were still getting their bearings after being dumped out from similar pods, so Carl-Johan walked a bit closer to the statue at the one end.

He stood a good distance back, looking over the statue, wondering if it held any great significance. Once satisfied, he turned away from the broken idol, and walked past the two figures still in the hall. Careful to not slip and fall on the algae covered floor, he made his way out of the corridor and into the room beyond.

Spam minecraft server

I still haven't been whitelisted, and it has been like 2 weeks....

Username: Sukisho

Please white-list me so I can play

Americhronism [Medieval Post Apocalypse]

Morgan took the Piper's warning to heart, even if he did give it with a sly smile. She tucked the envelope he had given her in her inner coat pocket where it would be safest from thieves. It seemed that while she was the guest of the King, this did not mean there wouldn't be those that would take the chance to steal her life. She would have to be extra careful in the days to come.

A slight bow towards the Piper and a quick, "well met" was all she gave in response before she turned and headed back down the staircase. Morgan was deep in thought. She didn't like to be mixed up in all the political mess, especially if the Piper was right about it being a domestic disturbance. Prior to reaching the last stair, Morgan had decided that she would not return the party. This envelope was too precious to be toting around, and she needed to read it anyway to find out why she had been summoned from the Freelands. Upon reaching the hallway, Morgan turned and headed back towards her room.

Spam minecraft server

can I get on the whitelist?

Sukisho