As an aspiring writer, you may not have found your voice yet, but you might want to find one. Most great authors have what you might call an attitude. What I mean is, they don't just tell who their characters are and what they're doing - they do a little more.

The following prose is stuff I've made up on the spot, and I don't claim it's good, but it should illustrate what I'm driving at.

Introduction of character without attitude:

Introduction of character with attitude:

The first example is more matter of fact, and without a true voice. In the second example, I show a little bit of attitude, and a hint of opinion about the character. Again, I just banged this out, and I'm not claiming either example is good. I'm just trying to point out writing style.

Tons of authors have attitude. Most probably do. Two come to mind: Stephen King and Neal Stevenson.

I know the above sounds harsh. It isn't. I do think you have potential. I'm trying to help you. As I said, in chapters 2 and 3, it almost reads like your typical thriller, which is saying, you're doing well.

It reads kind of like a Michael Crichton novel, but not as good. No doubt your writing style needs work. It's not bad, but it needs improvement. I think you have potential, with practice and work.

The prologue is amateurish. It just screams that you have a political agenda to share with your readers. Awful. Themes and messages should be layered and vague and require thought to discern.

The writing style in chapters 2 and 3 is better. I didn't read any further.

Keep up the good work.

Erotic themes were quite common in Japanese films of the '60s - i.e The Japanese New Wave. Consider Gate of Flesh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0xWk4_EMx4

Women in the Dunes had a healthy dose of eroticism in it (a film I've repeatedly recommended here). But please, do not confuse these wonderful films which explore identity and freedom with trashy material. I do not promote trashy material here.

Below is a starter list for those wishing to explore Asian cinema in greater depth. The list here is just shy of 200 films. I have easily another 100 films to add to this list. These are not random selections, but carefully selected for their fame, winning of awards, their directors, critic reviews and public opinion. I have not seen them all, but I'm working on it. There are many very famous and highly revered films in this list. One of them is considered to be the greatest film ever made according to a directors' poll. Watch them all. Two or three times each. They are listed in no particular order.

The Host
Manji: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5XRJYsOlc
The Warped Ones
Chungking Express: http://mubi.com/films/chungking-express
I Hate But Love
2046: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=G0XoGNy-4_c#t=1826s
Late Spring
Late Autumn
Farewell my Concubine
A Bittersweet Life
Ashes of Time Redux: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHxm_md60c
Equinox Flower
Early Spring
Battle Royale
Tokyo Twilight: http://mubi.com/films/tokyo-twilight
The Scent of Green Papaya
Days of Being Wild: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cExEkJjyD8
High and Low
Cyclo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdOPQj8ccPA
Yi Yi: http://mubi.com/films/yi-yi-a-one-and-a-two
The Makioka Sisters
Pale Flower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOr4nuWFqU
Woman in the Dunes
The Face of Another
Pitfall
Secret Sunshine
Tokyo Drifter
Branded to Kill
No Regrets of our Youth
Priest of Darkness
Spirited Away
My Summer at Grandpa's
The Sandwich Man
Taipei Story
That Day, on the Beach: http://mubi.com/films/that-day-on-the-beach
Temptress Moon
Three... Extremes
Black Sun
A Borrowed Life
The Third Dead Angle
Intimidation
Thirst For Love
Lightning
Sudden Rain
Sound of the Mountain
A Wife's Heart
Untamed
Doube Suicide
Japanese Summer: Double Suicide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1J9Migw-zQ
Anzukko
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
As a Wife, As a Woman
A Wanderer's Notebook
A Woman's Story
Yearning
Mother
I Lived,  But...
Affair in the Snow
Flame and Women: http://mubi.com/films/flame-and-women
Home From the Sea
All About Lily Chou-Chou: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDr1scwNC78
All Around Us
Tokyo Sonata
The Taste of Tea: http://mubi.com/films/the-taste-of-tea
Vibrator
Black Rain (Shohei Imamura)
Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
Pandemomium
Scattered Clouds
Silence Has no Wings
The Bad Sleep Well
Flowing
The Crucified Woman
Where Chimneys are Seen: http://mubi.com/films/where-chimneys-are-seen
Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums
What Time is it There?
After the Rain
Spring in a Small Town (1948)
Floating Clouds (1955): http://mubi.com/films/floating-clouds
Blind Beast
Giants and Toys
Seisaku's Wife
The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka
The Terrorizers
A City of Sadness: http://mubi.com/films/a-city-of-sadness
Women in the Mirror
Coup D'Etat
The Human Promise
The Affair: http://mubi.com/films/the-affair
A Time to Live and a Time to Die
Three Times
The Puppetmaster
Good Men, Good Women
Flowers of Shanghai
Millennium Mambo
A Brighter Summer Day
Silence
Childhood Days
Spy Sorge
The Housemaid (1960)
Three Seasons
Forever Enthralled
Devils on the Doorstep
The Housemaid (2010)
Ju Dou
A Confucian Confusion
Fires on the Plain
Cure
The Clone Returns Home
Sansho the Bailiff
Heroic Purgatory: http://mubi.com/films/heroic-purgatory
A Story Written With Water: http://mubi.com/films/a-story-written-with-water
Woman of the Lake
Crazed Fruit
I am Waiting: http://www.criterion.com/films/2955-i-am-waiting
Osaka Elegy
Eros
The Grandmasters
Summer Soldiers
Rikyu
Tears on the Lion's Mane
The Petrified Forest
The Ruined Map
Only on Mondays: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tqW0Ota95Y
With Beauty and Sadness
Manji: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5XRJYsOlc
Twenty-four Eyes
Tokyo Olympiad
The Eel
Jigoku
The Insect Woman
The Vertical Ray of the Sun: http://mubi.com/films/the-vertical-ray-of-the-sun--2
Pigs and Battleships
Norwegian Wood
Empire of Passion: http://mubi.com/films/empire-of-passion
Gate of Flesh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0xWk4_EMx4
Antonio Gaudi (Hiroshi Teshigahara)
Kuroneko
Intentions of Murder
A Story of Floating Weeds
Eros Plus Massacre
The Pornographers
Red Cliff
Youth of the Beast
The Only Son
The End of Summer
Death by Hanging
Patriotism (1966)
Street of Shame
Dodes'Ka-Den
Cafe Lumiere: http://mubi.com/films/cafe-lumiere
Lust, Caution: http://mubi.com/films/lust-caution
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Vengeance is Mine: http://mubi.com/films/vengeance-is-mine
An Autumn Afternoon
Floating Weeds
Good Morning
Poetry
In the Realm of the Senses
The Human Condition
Early Summer
Last Life in the Universe
Still Walking
Raise the Red Lantern
Dolls
Kwaidan
Onibaba
Mother (2009)
House
The Hidden Fortress
Hard Boiled
Sanjuro
Kagemusha
Audition
Fallen Angels: http://mubi.com/films/fallen-angels
Hero
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Harakiri
Ugetsu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgBHeJfnJ5s
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Ikiru
Tokyo Story
Hiroshima, Mon Amour
Yojimbo
Rashomon
Oldboy
In the Mood for Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypY9OaKCfRU
Seven Samurai

I also have included the following movies, despite them not being Asian. One was inspired by Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love and explores Japanese society, one features a young Japanese couple exploring Memphis, and one stars Maggie Cheung, a famous star in Asia.

- Lost in Translation
- Mystery Train: http://mubi.com/films/mystery-train
- Clean

So I watched Manji last night. The 1964 film's plot is rather intricate and deals with more than the two beautiful Japanese women becoming infatuated with each others' bodies and the sexual relationship between them which follows.

Manji: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5XRJYsOlc

What you're doing sounds different from the Paleo Diet.

Differences:

- Don't eat grains. Don't eat bread.
- Don't eat rice.
- Minimize fruits.
- Don't eat potatoes.

If you're not familiar with Mark's Daily Apple (linked to in my first post), read through his blog. It's loaded with recipes, cooking tips, etc. He also provides great info on paleo exercise, as I mentioned above as well.

I would describe the Paleo Diet a little differently. I would say that the agricultural revolution dramatically changed what humans eat, and our bodies have not yet evolved to properly utilize the products effectively. Prior to the agricultural revolution, basic foods included meat and vegetables, limited fruit, and nuts. The Paleo Diet isn't really about restricting meat intake at all. But it does try and avoid grain fed meats. It encourages you to understand the differences between various fats, and says that certain fats are good. It absolutely stresses total avoidance of grains and dairy products, except for eggs.

It also encourages caveman like exercise, which is exercise that a caveman might engage in while hunting or building. Isolated muscle exercises are discouraged.

Good paleo exercises are:
- Sandbag hefting and carrying (carrying your kill home)
- Boulder lifting (building)
- Sprints (hunting)
- Walking/hiking (hunting and nomadic lifestyle)

Best Paleo websites:
- http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz28vqMf59D
- http://ancestryfoundation.org/
- http://movnat.com/

To find good academic studies and papers on the subject, use the following terms:
- paleolithic nutrition filetype:pdf
- paleo diet filetype:pdf

I'm loving this one trailer and one clip. I want to see these two films now really badly now.

Wong Kar-Wai (director):
Ashes of Time Redux (trailer): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHxm_md60c

Akira Kurosawa (director):
Ikiru (clip): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nr2d6PsRpsc

This isn't some random list. I have handpicked these films based upon criteria. All are Asian films. Countries or regions include Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Learn the directors, the periods, and the actors. Learn the styles of each director. This list contains some very famous films. One of them is ranked the best film ever made (regardless of time or origin). Several others appear in the top 50 films of all time. Most all are highly rated by the various review sites. Many are considered to be 'Great Films' by a well known reviewer.

And you should pay for some films. Because if everyone leaches, then nobody is going to invest in making films.

The list is not in some particular order. Links are added at random as I feel like it.

The Host
Manji: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5XRJYsOlc
The Warped Ones
Chungking Express: http://mubi.com/films/chungking-express
I Hate But Love
2046: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=G0XoGNy-4_c#t=1826s
Late Spring
Late Autumn
Farewell my Concubine
A Bittersweet Life
Ashes of Time Redux: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHxm_md60c
Equinox Flower
Early Spring
Battle Royale
Tokyo Twilight: http://mubi.com/films/tokyo-twilight
The Scent of Green Papaya
Days of Being Wild: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cExEkJjyD8
High and Low
Cyclo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdOPQj8ccPA
Lost in Translation
Yi Yi: http://mubi.com/films/yi-yi-a-one-and-a-two
The Makioka Sisters
Pale Flower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOr4nuWFqU
Woman in the Dunes
The Face of Another
Pitfall
Mystery Train: http://mubi.com/films/mystery-train
Secret Sunshine
Tokyo Drifter
Branded to Kill
No Regrets of our Youth
Priest of Darkness
Spirited Away
My Summer at Grandpa's
The Sandwich Man
Taipei Story
That Day, on the Beach: http://mubi.com/films/that-day-on-the-beach
Temptress Moon
Three... Extremes
Black Sun
A Borrowed Life
The Third Dead Angle
Intimidation
Thirst For Love
Lightning
Sudden Rain
Sound of the Mountain
A Wife's Heart
Untamed
Doube Suicide
Japanese Summer: Double Suicide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1J9Migw-zQ
Anzukko
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
As a Wife, As a Woman
A Wanderer's Notebook
A Woman's Story
Yearning
Mother
I Lived,  But...
Affair in the Snow
Flame and Women: http://mubi.com/films/flame-and-women
Home From the Sea
All About Lily Chou-Chou
All Around Us
Tokyo Sonata
The Taste of Tea: http://mubi.com/films/the-taste-of-tea
Vibrator
Black Rain (Shohei Imamura)
Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
Pandemomium
Scattered Clouds
Silence Has no Wings
The Bad Sleep Well
Flowing
The Crucified Woman
Where Chimneys are Seen: http://mubi.com/films/where-chimneys-are-seen
Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums
What Time is it There?
After the Rain
Spring in a Small Town (1948)
Floating Clouds (1955): http://mubi.com/films/floating-clouds
Blind Beast
Giants and Toys
Seisaku's Wife
The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka
The Terrorizers
A City of Sadness: http://mubi.com/films/a-city-of-sadness
Women in the Mirror
Coup D'Etat
The Human Promise
The Affair: http://mubi.com/films/the-affair
A Time to Live and a Time to Die
Three Times
The Puppetmaster
Good Men, Good Women
Flowers of Shanghai
Millennium Mambo
A Brighter Summer Day
Silence
Childhood Days
Spy Sorge
The Housemaid (1960)
Three Seasons
Forever Enthralled
Devils on the Doorstep
The Housemaid (2010)
Ju Dou
A Confucian Confusion
Fires on the Plain
Cure
The Clone Returns Home
Sansho the Bailiff
Heroic Purgatory: http://mubi.com/films/heroic-purgatory
A Story Written With Water: http://mubi.com/films/a-story-written-with-water
Woman of the Lake
Crazed Fruit
I am Waiting
Osaka Elegy
Eros
The Grandmasters
Summer Soldiers
Rikyu
Tears on the Lion's Mane
The Petrified Forest
The Ruined Map
Only on Mondays
With Beauty and Sadness
Manji: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5XRJYsOlc
Twenty-four Eyes
Tokyo Olympiad
The Eel
Jigoku
The Insect Woman
The Vertical Ray of the Sun: http://mubi.com/films/the-vertical-ray-of-the-sun--2
Pigs and Battleships
Norwegian Wood
Empire of Passion: http://mubi.com/films/empire-of-passion
Gate of Flesh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0xWk4_EMx4
Antonio Gaudi (Hiroshi Teshigahara)
Kuroneko
Intentions of Murder
A Story of Floating Weeds
Eros Plus Massacre
The Pornographers
Red Cliff
Youth of the Beast
The Only Son
The End of Summer
Death by Hanging
Patriotism (1966)
Street of Shame
Dodes'Ka-Den
Cafe Lumiere: http://mubi.com/films/cafe-lumiere
Lust, Caution: http://mubi.com/films/lust-caution
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Vengeance is Mine: http://mubi.com/films/vengeance-is-mine
An Autumn Afternoon
Floating Weeds
Good Morning
Poetry
In the Realm of the Senses
The Human Condition
Early Summer
Last Life in the Universe
Still Walking
Raise the Red Lantern
Dolls
Kwaidan
Onibaba
Mother (2009)
House
The Hidden Fortress
Hard Boiled
Sanjuro
Kagemusha
Audition
Fallen Angels: http://mubi.com/films/fallen-angels
Hero
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Harakiri
Ugetsu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgBHeJfnJ5s
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Ikiru
Tokyo Story
Hiroshima, Mon Amour
Yojimbo
Rashomon
Oldboy
In the Mood for Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypY9OaKCfRU
Seven Samurai

There is a game called S.T.A.L.K.E.R. There is a very famous film called Stalker, directed by the very famous Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. He also directed The Mirror, Ivan's Childhood, and others. These three films are present on various lists I have created in this thread. I am not familiar with a film called S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Please clarify.

Regarding the other three films you have mentioned above, they all appear weird. That is not a bad thing at all. I am vaguely aware of the titles, but otherwise know little or nothing about them. Stalker could certainly be considered to be a weird film. I have mentioned some rather strange films in the thread, among them House and Woman in the Dunes, and perhaps even Jigoku. But aside from your mention of Spirited Away, weird films make up the majority of films you have mentioned. How critically acclaimed are they? I guess my point is, given all that you've said, and all that is obviously missing from your post, what range of film watching experience do you count as contributing to your opinion of films?


Spirited Away is on my list of films to watch, and most any other animated film from the same director. These animated films hit my radar the same way almost all the other films on my list have hit my radar. What I mean by this is by applying the proper filters and following various links, a net is cast which captures the films of note.


Life is too short to watch countless bad movies. Repeated watching of bad movies only leads one to become skeptical of the film watching experience. But there are so many fine movies, each with their own merits. As I just mentioned above, application of the proper film discovery methods leads to many fine gems.


One can enjoy many different film genres simultaneously. Appreciating fine films on their own merits is key. I would never apply the same metric when watching a Yasujiro Ozu film of the '50s vs. a Marvel Studios film of the last ten years. Iron Man delivers polished action and fun. Tokyo Twilight (Ozu) delivers powerful observations of strife within family relationships which will have you crying. I recommend both. I'm sure you've seen Iron Man. I can be fairly confident you haven't seen Tokyo Twilight.


Start with a set of keywords. They will lead you to good places. In general I won't mention obvious keywords, directors, films, etc. For example, everyone knows about Star Wars, The Avengers, etc. Most people have heard of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and yet it's surprising how many people haven't seen the film, let alone have seen it properly, so it must be referenced, one way or another.

Some keywords:
- Criterion (publisher of critically acclaimed films, and lesser known arthouse films)
- Japanese New Wave
- French New Wave
- Asian cinema
- MUBI (social networking - see what people are discussing)

53 films to watch right now:

Tokyo Twilight: This is an exceptional film from director Yasujiro Ozu. It will leave you in tears. More info: http://www.criterion.com/films/771-tokyo-twilight

In the Mood for Love: This film is pretty much considered to be Wong Kar-Wai's masterpiece. However, watch his other films as well. In the Mood for Love is actually the second in a very loose trilogy, comprised of Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046. More info and trailer for the film: http://www.criterion.com/films/198-in-the-mood-for-love

Let Me In: This film is very underrated. The problem is further compounded by those who watched the Swedish version first, and can't accept the fact that Let Me In is actually an astounding film. Why? It has an extraordinarily beautiful soundtrack, superb acting, beautiful lighting, metaphors within the cinematography and lyrics, and the story is simultaneously tragic and beautiful. A clip from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F62GjsKAfNs&feature=relmfu

2001: A Space Odyssey: Maybe you've seen this. But if you haven't seen it properly, then you need to watch it again. It is generally considered the greatest science fiction film ever made, is pretty much considered one of the greatest films ever made (consistently in the top ten - Sight & Sound's Directors Poll rates it at #2), and is generally one of the most discussed films ever, and will continue to be for the next 100 years. Watch every minute of this film with rapt attention. It is simultaneously very slow (sometimes boring), and yet also the most incredible trip anyone will ever go on: I defy you to watch the following clip and tell me it isn't art of the highest form. And remember this film was produced 46 years ago. Yes - 46 years ago, as production began in 1966. A clip from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpvOUnz4T7Q

The Innkeepers: Horror done right. It's not about blood. It's about what forces lie down the hallway when you're alone at night. More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-innkeepers

Pale Flower (subtitled): I truly love this film. It's a beautiful example of the Japanese New Wave of the sixties. It's a noir with the deepest blacks and whites that almost seem blue. It's a morality tale (or would that be an immorality tale?). Whatever the case, you should watch it. The original trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOr4nuWFqU

Hunger: This film will take you to the grave. Fassbender's performance is dedicated, to say the least, and McQueen's direction is fantastic. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9IiUbBV4zc&feature=relmfu

The Face of Another (subtitled): This is another film from the Japanese New Wave. However, it's also a film from Hiroshi Teshigahara. That means a lot. Please do not consider passing this one by. Tell me, how many films have you watched which belong to the category of avant-garde existentialism? I thought so. This film will stay in your mind. Trust me. The trailer just doesn't do the film justice. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK5Rz6txcDU

Yi Yi (subtitled): How can I convey what a beautiful film this is? So poignant, powerful, touching, sad, and wonderful. It's long, but worthy of several viewings. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F6tSorwYqw

Never Let Me Go: Carey Mulligan and Izzy Meikle-Small's performance are beyond measure. The cinematography is beautiful. The story just stabs you in the heart. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXiRZhDEo8A

2046 (subtitled): Are you prepared to watch what many consider to be one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever? Until you've watched a Wong Kar-Wai film, you're not yet complete. There are films, and then there are Wong Kar-Wai films. Words to describe his works? Dreamy. Sublime. Swooning. Meditative. Sumptuous. Beautiful. He is the master of love found and lost across the hallway corridor, and his films are a visual and auditory experience that just sings to the soul. The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OAxS9L7es

Here's an example of Wong Kar-Wai's film grammar (and Zhang Ziyi's incredible performance). In this clip from 2046 (only this scene is in black and white), Zhang's character realizes she's just fallen in love. The clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRfPF3tLIGQ

Mystery Train: I don't know how to describe this one. All I can say is, it provides fond memories after having watched it. The trailer: http://www.criterion.com/films/2057-mystery-train?q=autocomplete

Woman in the Dunes (subtitled): This is pretty much the most famous film from Hiroshi Teshigahara. And it's actually a very famous film, period. It's another film that belongs in the category of avant-garde existentialism. It's a deep probing film about identity, freedom, and life. It will not go away when it's over. More information and a trailer: http://mubi.com/films/woman-in-the-dunes

Inglourious Basterds: This movie has grown on me. On the second and subsequent viewings, I have come to really enjoy this film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/inglourious-basterds

Chungking Express: Wong Kar-Wai banged out this movie because he and his actors needed a break while filming Ashes of Time. Despite the quick production, it's a beautiful and fun movie to watch. Faye Wong, one of the stars in the film, also covers a song by the Cranberries, in Cantonese! More info: http://mubi.com/films/chungking-express

Barry Lyndon: This is a Stanley Kubrick film. He actually used special lenses from NASA to film many of the scenes lit only by candlelight. More info: http://mubi.com/films/barry-lyndon

An Education: Carey Mulligan shines in this modern film about a student in 1960's London coming of age. More info: http://mubi.com/films/an-education

Three Colors: Blue: Juliet Binoche stars in this in this beautiful french film about surviving tragedy. More info: http://mubi.com/films/three-colors-blue

No Country for Old Men: Who doesn't like this movie? One of the Coen Brothers' best. More info: http://mubi.com/films/no-country-for-old-men

Lost in Translation: Sofia Coppola says she was most inspired by Wong Kar-Wai's film In the Mood for Love (see further above) when she directed this film starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. More info: http://mubi.com/films/lost-in-translation

Secret Sunshine (subtitled): This film features a devastating performance by the lead. It asks some tough questions. Midway through might put the viewer in a position to judge, but nothing is cut and dried in this film: The trailer: http://www.criterion.com/films/27750-secret-sunshine?q=autocomplete

True Grit: I love this film by the Coen Brothers. Hailee Steinfeld steals the show. More info: http://mubi.com/films/true-grit--2

The Makioka Sisters: This film might not be for everyone. But if you give it a chance, you'll be drawn into the lives of these four Japanese sisters. More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-makioka-sisters

Jane Eyre: The cinematography in this film is excellent and the dialogue between Jane and Mr. Blackthorne is top notch. Some of the shots look like Rembrandt paintings. More info: http://mubi.com/films/jane-eyre--2

The Thin Red Line: A surreal existentialist piece by Terrence Malick. More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-thin-red-line

The asterisk next to the following movies indicate that I actually have not yet seen the following films, but they are so highly critically acclaimed or loved by many, and on my soon to watch list, that they bear mentioning.

*Raise the Red Lantern: More info: http://mubi.com/films/raise-the-red-lantern

*Cyclo: More info: http://mubi.com/films/cyclo

*The Human Condition: More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-human-condition

*Seven Samurai: Without a doubt Akira Kurosawa's most famous film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/seven-samurai

*The Cranes are Flying: Russian film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-cranes-are-flying

*The Spirit of the Beehive: Spanish film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-spirit-of-the-beehive

*Tokyo Story: Yasijuro's most famous film and voted the greatest film of all time. More info: http://mubi.com/films/tokyo-story

*Raging Bull: A Martin Scorsese film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/raging-bull

*Lust, Caution: More info: http://mubi.com/films/lust-caution

*Fallen Angels: A Wong Kar-Wai film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/fallen-angels

*Oldboy: More info: http://mubi.com/films/oldboy

*The Mirror: One of Andrei Tarkovsky's most famous films. More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-mirror

*Woman of the Lake: More info: http://mubi.com/films/woman-of-the-lake

*Twenty-four Eyes: A Japanese film very much loved film by the Japanese. More info: http://mubi.com/films/twenty-four-eyes

*Vengeance is Mine: More info (trailer contains nudity): http://mubi.com/films/vengeance-is-mine

*Ashes of Time Redux: A Wong Kar-Wai film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/ashes-of-time

*The Insect Woman: More info: http://mubi.com/films/the-insect-woman

*Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring: More info: http://mubi.com/films/spring-summer-fall-winter-and-spring

*Adaptation: More info: http://mubi.com/films/adaptation

*Poetry: More info: http://mubi.com/films/poetry

*Farewell my Concubine: More info: http://mubi.com/films/farewell-my-concubine

*Intentions of Murder: More info: http://mubi.com/films/intentions-of-murder

*Sansho the Bailiff: More info: http://mubi.com/films/sansho-the-bailiff

*Rashomon: More info: http://mubi.com/films/rashomon

*Ivan's Childhood: One of Andre Tarkovsky's most famous films. Actually, does Tarkovsky have any films that are not famous? More info: http://mubi.com/films/ivans-childhood

*When a Woman Ascends the Stairs: More info: http://mubi.com/films/when-a-woman-ascends-the-stairs

*Yojimbo: An Akira Kurosawa film. More info: http://mubi.com/films/yojimbo

*Harakiri: More info: http://mubi.com/films/harakiri

*Cafe Lumiere: More info: http://mubi.com/films/cafe-lumiere

*Ugetsu: Considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. More info: http://mubi.com/films/ugetsu

*Street of Shame: More info: http://mubi.com/films/street-of-shame

Some directors:
- Yasujiro Ozu
- Wong Kar-Wai
- Wes Anderson
- Akira Kurosawa
- Edward Yang
- Tran Anh Hung
- Kon Ichikawa
- Ti West
- Stanley Kubrick
- Masahiro Shinoda
- Hiroshi Teshigahara
- Lee Chang-dong
- Hou Hsaio-hsien
- Yoshishige Yoshida
- Kenji Mizoguchi
- Jean-Luc-Godard
- Ko Nakahira
- Louis Malle
- Koreyoshi Kurahara
- Keisuke Kinohita
- Shohei Imamura
- Nagasi Oshima
- Satyajit Ray
- Ang Lee
- Mikio Naruse
- Masaki Kobayashi
- Philip Kaufman
- Hirokazu Kore-ada
- Zhang Yimou
- Sejun Suzuki
- Werner Herzog
- Andrei Tarkovsky
- Lars von Trier
- Brad Bird
- Michael Mann
- Danny Boyle
- Joe Wright
- Coen Brothers
- David Fincher
- Jim Jamusch
- Krzysztof Kieślowski
- David Cronenberg
- Steve McQueen
- Terrence Malick
- Quentin Tarantino
- Sofia Coppola
- Jean-Pierre Melville
- Martin Scorsese
- Hayao Miyazaki

The 50 second tribute to Lulu...

Some people don't really like Wong Kar-Wai's 2046, but most do. But almost everybody agrees that its melding of music with imagery is amazing. The story meanders, but in a beautiful way. It's hard to describe. Consider the short clip linked to below. Lulu's story comes to a close, and then, and here's one of many examples of why the film is so magical, we get a little 50 second tribute to Lulu. The quality of the Youtube clip is crap and is too dark, but you'll get the idea. In the context of watching the film, these little segments are just sublime.

The clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WOAS0k30ksU#t=28s

The mind blowing nightclub shot...

Watch the choreography in the following shot. It's all in some pseudo stylized slow motion as we watch one woman enter, another exit, and then a third giving the bald guy a smack on his head as she exits.

The clip: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=G0XoGNy-4_c#t=510s

That's all well and good and I think you see my point, which is: pirating movies and pirating software and claiming ignorance only hurts everyone in the end. How can movies or software get produced if the chances of compensation is reduced or eliminated? I already hear the arguments coming because I've seen them before. They don't hold up. One of the arguments is that filmmakers make their money back by ticket sales at theaters. But with large televisions, home viewing is challenging ticket sales, and will continue to do so. If theaters go the way of the buggy whip, and piracy goes on the upswing, then investors for film ventures will dry up, and the number of new movies will languish.

I'm still having problems with this.

Regarding 1 and 2: did your friend let you take a picture or copy it from his drive?

Regarding 2: when copying a file byte for byte, the notion of original has no meaning. You have his original now as much as he does.

Regarding 3: How is the money just with the original, now that you have a digital copy?

You cannot analogize copies of original works (physical manuscritpts, paintings, antique cars, etc.) to byte for byte digital copies.

So many fallacies there. Wow.

1. Where is the painting? Is there a rule/law that prohibits the taking of a picture of the painting?

2. Taking a photo of it does not duplicate it, as the lighting will create specular highlights in the paint globs, etc., therefore, the analogy cannot be extended to the act of digitally copying a digital file.

3. Taking a photo for private enjoyment is not the same as then printing copies and selling them or giving them away.

The point is, if an analogy is used to make a case, be prepared to defend the analogy such that it is shown to stand up to a rigorous comparison of what it is trying to analogize to.

After watching Ozu's powerful Tokyo Twilight two nights ago, I watched Ozu's Equinox Flower last night. Equinox Flower was very enjoyable, but Tokyo Twilight definitely wins with regard to emotional power. Screening at my residence tonight is Ozu's Late Autumn.

Earlier this week I watched Ozu's Early Spring, which starred both Ryô Ikebe anid Keiko Kishi. Ryô Ikebe, of course, also starred in Shinoda's Pale Flower, a must watch for readers of this thread. Watch the mouthwatering trailer of Pale Flower here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOr4nuWFqU . Keiko Kishi starred in Ichikawa's The Makioka Sisters about 35 years after appearing in Ozu's Early Spring. I really liked The Makioka Sisters. Watch the trailer here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1zeU16TuI4  

Interestingly, both Equinox Flower and The Makioka Sisters feature a daughter named Yukiko who is stubborn to marry.

While the various projects there appear interesting, what I meant was the the big one which is Project Icarus: http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/projects/project-icarus/

- The 10,000 Year Clock: http://longnow.org/clock/
- 100 Year Starship: http://100yss.org/
- Icarus Interstellar: http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/

Ridiculous.

- A propeller rebuild for a F4U Corsair costs $80,000.
- An engine rebuild for P-51 Mustang costs $100,000.
- A bearing repack on one wheel of an airliner costs $18,000.
- A 747 costs about $250 million.
- A rebuild for two engines on a small Cessna costs about $50,000.

$180,000 would probably buy you a new landing gear for a Gulfstream.

Welcome! Please participate.


I've seen Glengarry Glen Ross. It is a very interesting film, and never dull.

I've been watching Yasujiro Ozu's films this week. Tokyo Twilight was my most recent. Very powerful. Here is a summary of recent recommendations I made in this very thread. Watch these if you haven't already: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=109868.msg1224410#msg1224410