Yesterday, we visited our friends to say hello to their baby girl. She was so cute. It's amazing to think that she is only 10 days old (By the way, it's been 10 days since I gave up smoking!). Our friend recommended the George Lucas debut film THX 1138, and we rent the DVD. It was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, originally released in 1971 as an expanded version of a short film that Lucas made at University. The great supporting actor Robert Duvall, who also played in The Godfather (my favourite), starred in the film. The story isn't so special but the visual is great! If you are a science fiction fan, you would love it. THX 1138 will be showing on 15th Oct at the Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival 2004. But I think starting at 11am is too early...

On Sunday, we finally watched The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Our friends who watched it already didn't seem happy about the film but I really enjoyed it. I think it could be shorter though. It was tough to sit on a seat for 3 hours and 50 mins (including film trailers and advertising), even Virgin Cinemas Roppongi Hills has large feet spaces and better seats. By the way, I want more caramel on popcorn...

I rent Waking Life from a shop. I remember everyone was talking about the visual but the story when this film came out. So I didn't expect that it has an interesting story. But! It was very philosophical and full of contents. I was too busy to follow the dialogues and I fell a sleep! oops! I was so tired!! While the main character sleeps in a story, I was sleeping and talked in my sleep! I watched it again, and I think the music and the animation fit to the story very well. Very intersting film.

The film we went to see on Sunday was The Last Samurai. Too many people said that it was a good film, and I was wondering I might not like it (!) but it was actually quite nice. And if pressed, I would say that the ending was a little bit disappointed. Also it seemed to try to be telling us how the Japanese should be, or the Japanese shouldn't forget traditional Japan somehow. Definitely all 'samurai' actors were very gorgeous even for me as a Japanese. But we can't have the same spirit from the Fujiyama, Tempura, Sushi, Samurai time now...

Tarantino' KILL BILL started to show in Japan from yesterday so we went to see it @ virgin chinema roppongi hills. I understand why this film is dedicated to Kinji Fukasaku (used to love his yakuza film Jingi naki tatakai "Battles Without Honour and Humanity" series from 70's). It was great! and funny that Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu speaks kind of polite yakuza language in japanese with bad accent, but it should be less, I think. Anyway, I can't wait for the next one. Do you wanna spend ¥15,000 for the yellow "Bruce Lee" Kill Bill suits? I mean do you wanna wear this to the cinema? You get free entry to the Kill Bill screen in Tokyo and Osaka as many as you want though!

It was great to see interstella 5555. This animation film (67 mins) with thrill, love, tears, friendship and everything is a music clip for DAFT PUNK. Excellent!

We are absorbed in a DVD recently, just like having a summer holiday (we are not!). Finally we watched Red Dragon. I'd been excited from the beginning (shocking!) to the last. The cast is strong and acting were excellent. It was very enjoyable "the hollywood movie" (in a good way!). Maybe not good for people who can't face to blood... I tried this online psychometrics test (in japanese only) and my result is "having great physical strength and yet polite person such as FBI agent Will Graham (played by Edward Norton)" Really?

I borrowed a DVD The Other Final yesterday. It was greaaaaat. I knew about Kessels Kramer (their funny site has lots of different versions!) before this film so I was quite sure that It would be a cool film. But I didn't know a game of football move me so much. This feeling is more than watching Project X!