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wclifton
Reviews
Samâ taimu mashin burûsu (2005)
Forget the love of science--these kids just want their air conditioner back!
I saw this movie on a flight from Taiwan to Indonesia about two and a half weeks ago (with subtitles), which is certainly not the best way to see a movie, but I found it interesting and that's why I'm writing this review.
It tells the story of a carefree group of seven Japanese college students whose air conditioner has broken, leaving their summer clubhouse to roast in the heat. Much to their surprise, a time machine (and its equally surprised pilot) appear one day in the clubhouse, and they decide to use it in order to prevent their air conditioner from ever breaking. Enter the reclusive physics professor, who explains to the kids just what changing the past could do: create a paradox, and destroy the universe. And so they embark on a desperate scramble to undo the changes they've made to the timeline.
Though undoubtedly made on a very low budget, the special effects are close to Hollywood- caliber and are used only as needed to advance the storyline. The time machine itself looks like a home-made imitation of the one in the 1967 version of The Time Machine, but so what? The storyline itself is one of the most intelligent (and surprisingly realistic) I've ever seen in a sci-fi film, going through a number of twists and turns without ever conflicting itself. My only complaint would be that it's occasionally a bit predictable, but overall, I found that it greatly improved my flight and is definitely worth checking out if you happen to run across it.
The Standard (2006)
An honest, beautiful, and heartbreaking movie
I was an extra in this movie almost a year ago (I showed up every day and appear in several scenes), and just yesterday went to see it at the Seattle International Film Festival. I absolutely LOVED it! It's extremely honest and really captures what high school is like.
I really identified with the main character, and the ending, even though I knew what it was based on my presence at the set, really managed to catch me by surprise and left me with a heavy feeling in my heart.
There were a couple of flaws: some of the swearing was a little unrealistic (though teenagers do swear constantly), and the characterization of the teachers wasn't always completely consistent. It's title is also a little unimaginative. But overall it's still one of the best movies I've ever seen, and for that reason I'm giving it a full 10.