10 good animated films

Published on February 27, 2012 in Reviews. 0 Comments

This was written in 2009, but I salvaged it amongst some other old posts before I deleted my old Facebook account. I figured that it was a good time to re-post this since it had something in common with my last entry and because I am too lazy/tired/aloof to blog today.

I was really disappointed with other lists of this kind out there because I suppose I’m a jerk for not thinking that every Disney or Pixar movie warranted mass attention. Don’t get me wrong, they both have produced some memorable pieces, but I’d like to break off of the mainstream and focus on some lesser known films as well as those that never got the attention they deserved.

The first 2 on this list happen to be created by Ralph Bakshi. You may know his work from the Adult cartoon Fritz The Cat, Fire & Ice and Cool World, if not, there’s some other films to check out now. Bakshi also makes use of rotoscoping, and I feel it adds to his work in a favourable manner, which you can see in some scenes.

American Pop (1981)

This film follows 4 generations of Sons as they strive in their musical and entertainment surroundings throughout the changes and influences of the 20th century music scene. Besides the dark ‘truth’ behind show business and trying to make it big, the animation and character design is nothing short of beautiful in a grungy and hard lined type of way.

Wizards (1977)

This movie is a childhood favourite. What business I had watching this at such a young age I’ll never know, but I was smitten. If you’re a fantasy buff, this film is for you. The video I have added is the beginning of the movie that delves somewhat into what it’s about, so I guess I got off easy writing a synopsis on this one.

Rock and Rule (1983)

Mankind perished in a nuclear type war war long ago, and common city animals were left to mutate and carry on civilization. An Evil Rock Star steals Angel, a singer to use her voice as part of his crazy scheme to summon demons from a portal. Her band mates race against time to get her back and save the day.

This is another childhood favourite that boasts such voice work by Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Debby Harry and bands like Cheap Trick and Earth Wind & Fire. It’s also a Canadian made film, which is something notable.

Alright, it’s safe to say that there’s a theme going on so far with all the music/rock n’ roll cartoons, but hey, THEY’RE THAT GOOD.

Heavy Metal (1981)

Here’s another Canadian film. I thought this movie was a lot more popular than it apparently is with people, especially since it’s a cartoon of Metal and boobies, things people – especially young boys who like their Metal and boobies would want to see. There may be some groaning about this film even making it onto the list but you have to take it for what it is, and it is awesome. It has metal and boobs for shit sakes. Heavy Metal 2000 however, was debauchery at its finest and let us never speak of it again.

The Last Unicorn (1982)

Now I shall commence general girlishness in the name of magic and Unicorns as do all girls when they watch this most sacred of films. PRETTY!!!

When the Wind Blows (1986)

This is such a good film on so many levels. The story follows an older couple under the imminent threat of nuclear war as they try to make the necessary precautions and government procedures to ensure they’re safe, both not truly understanding the severity of the matter. I only just recently viewed this film, but it had a large impact on me.

The Plague Dogs (1982)

Like the film above, this movie is both shocking and touching. Two dogs escape a medical laboratory and run for their lives as they are tracked down by the cruel humans using them as test subjects and are very intent on getting them back.

Persepolis (2007)

This is hands down my most favourite animated movie, ever. I viewed it this past winter as a rental from Blockbuster and was floored by how wonderful it turned out to be. The coming of age story follows a young girl from Iran throughout all the curve balls life throws at her, it’s really, really moving, and funny in parts too. Ahh so good.

Spirited Away (2001)

I tried really hard to not include any anime in my picks, but Spirited Away is such a wonder that I can’t not throw it in here. I’m a HUGE fan of Miyazaki’s films and Spirited Away pretty much blew my optical nerves out of the back of my skull. Such likable characters.

Fantastic Planet (1973)

I first saw this movie when I was 6, and let me tell you that it scared the ever living crap out of me. It took quite a few years to appreciate it, and you know what? It still scares the crap out of me.

And so my list is completed. Looking back I never noticed how much I liked the animated stuff from the late 70′s and 80′s. Feel free to add your own favourite animated movies in the comments if you’d like. There’s a lot I haven’t seen and would love some pointers on the good ones.

Rhino Virus

Published on February 26, 2012 in Daily and Reviews. 0 Comments

Well this is the nastiest cold/flu/whatever I’ve had in a while. Just when I think I’m getting better… BAM! My nose explodes or I almost lose complete bladder function over a coughing fit (note to self get that checked out – YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO RELY ON DEPENDS.)

The last few days have been hazy at best. My boyfriend is also sick, so on top of laying in my own snot rags, I have to make sure he doesn’t drown in coagulating phlegm and rotate him like a pasty slab of donair meat every half an hour. The lengths you go when you love someone – lemme tell ya.

I’ve developed a habit of watching Studio Ghibli movies when I don’t feel too shit-hot and because no matter how deep I repress my feelings, I will always have a closet fetish for anime and dirty Japanese comic books. I am glad that my internet access and friend circle was limited as an impressionable teenager, because if I knew about the wild wacky world of cosplay and actually met people who embraced my fleeting fanaticism over this subject, my life could have gone an entirely different path. A dark and tangled path that probably would have brought me obscene happiness in the long run but we will ignore that.

Anywho, my all time HANDS DOWN favourite film from this company is Howl’s Moving Castle, followed closely with Spirited Away. I also managed to finally watch a few others that I hadn’t seen during my extreme downtime this week as well. Since I am waiting for my abundance of cold meds to kick in and lull me into a land of sleep and rampant dreams of The Fonz chasing me around 7/11 with a butterfly knife, I will talk about the Ghibli movies I’ve recently viewed as well as the provoking emotions they stuffed my brain with.

Grave of the Fireflies

K talked about this movie from time to time, often citing how soul crushingly sad the story line was. Having just recently watched “Barefoot Gen” (also horrifyingly depressing), I figured that I could handle it and sat down to an hour and some of basically repeating “AWW MANN UHGGG AWWW NO” while K would chirp “IT GETS WORSE” every so often from his computer desk.

Basically, Grave of the Fireflies is about 2 children, ultimately orphaned, fighting to survive the harsh last days of World War II in Japan. Obviously things don’t work out for them, but the story is such a touching example of sibling love and a stark reminder of how unbelievably shitty and ruthless living amongst a war can be. It also points out how children often became forgotten, or invisible due to the “fend for yourself” nature of life back then (still now for that matter) and very little was done was to keep them healthy, safe, or alive.

“The story is based on the semi-autobiographic novel of the same name, whose author, Nosaka, lost his sister due to malnutrition in 1945 wartime Japan. He blamed himself for her death and wrote the story so as to make amends to her and help him accept the tragedy.”

So if you enjoy the feeling of wanting to rip out your heart and throw it against a hard surface, I highly recommend this film! If you are looking for more movies that have the same basic theme in mind, may I also suggest The Plague Dogs, Where the Wind Blows, and the slightly less upsetting/very touching Mary and Max.

INTENSE SADNESS ASIDE, it really is a very well done movie and I’m glad to have finally watched it.

Pom Poko

While this film had some dark undertones of its own, it was a much lighter movie than what was previously viewed and pretty damn entertaining. I mean, how could you not be delighted by a zany pack of Japanese raccoons with magical testicles and the whimsical ability to shape-shift into a variety of things while scaring the ever-living piss out of unsuspecting humans?

Basically, Pom Poko is about the loss/destruction of habitat and the Raccoons who are trying to fight for their land. It’s pretty bittersweet/thought provoking, but very funny and charming in places. The Raccoons use a lot of scare tactics amongst other means to try and rid their environment of the humans while enduring their shrinking resources and trying to adapt to a new way of life.

“MAGICAL. RACCOON. TESTICLES.”
— Cracked

I actually liked this film a lot more than I had anticipated to since the only preliminaries I had to go on was that it had to do with those animals that Mario can turn into sometimes and that their furry little balls could quite possibly act like parachutes or a fine picnic blanket on a warm spring day. Believe me guys, when I say that in the end, their nitzies are shadowed by comparison to the story line and the other wildly entertaining antics they display. Good times!

Well, it’s almost four in the morning and -despite the iced coffee I drank nearly an hour ago- I’m tired and ready to hit the sack. I have forfeited my bedroom for the night so that K can snore and have wickedly potent night sweats in peace, thus leaving me to hang awkwardly from the couch. I don’t really mind, but hopefully we can all feel better soon dammit!

Ram Bam Thank You Ma’am

Published on February 22, 2012 in Daily. 1 Comment

So that sneaky post Valentine’s Day getaway K was planning? Turned out to be one of the best (if not THE best) weekend retreats I have ever been on. We ended up at a resort in Radium where everything was amazing and wonderful things happened and nature smiled upon us as we frolicked across mountains full of whimsy and lore. I’d say that everything was beautiful and nothing hurt, but I had my first professional massage and the masseuse literally kicked my ass. Turns out I am a hard ball of angry tenseness underneath my protective layer(s) of fat and feathers.

The pub we stopped at for dinner the first night mixed up/misheard our order and instead of the standard hamburger, K got steak and lobster. They apologized profusely, K said he would DEFINITELY eat it instead, and we were only charged for the price of the hamburger on the bill, which was AWESOME and possibly the best mistake ever. The food was really amazeballs (something I honestly wasn’t suspecting) so if you’re ever in the area, I recommend the Horsethief Pub. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a mistaken lobster thrown your way too!

The bulk of Sunday was spent sleeping in, having a delicious brunch at the resort’s restaurant, telling jokes about giant K and tiny desserts to the amusement/laughter of the table behind me, being flogged by a very nice massage lady while learning that my hips are totally out of whack and are most likely the cause of my lower back pain (AND I GO TO DOCTORS WHY?), swimming in a pool, swimming in a hot tub, getting water up my nose, smelling the walls of the sauna, seeing boobs, eating again, making squirrels fight each other for our amusement, then finally going out to the hot springs.

Since it was Family Day weekend, the springs were open until 10 and pretty busy. It wasn’t too cold outside, but there was thick steam everywhere and going at night only added to the surreal experience of it all. After wandering around for a while, I managed to find one of the vents that pumped the hot mineral water into the pool, so K and I set up camp there and guarded the scalding hot water with our lives. We fought off a French family, and possibly some German tourists as well. Nobody was getting close to our source of pristine bliss, and I had the heat exhaustion to prove how serious I was. We let an elderly man sit next to us though, because he was cute and old.

On Monday morning, we packed our bags and headed out. Much to my delight, we managed to see some bighorn sheep grazing close enough where I could actually get decent pictures! I’ve never seen these things in the wild before (only standard mountain goats) so this was a great day for my Canadian Wildlife Bingo card. They were shaggy and beautiful. I openly swooned when two of then actually butted heads. Too bad they ignored my camera and over exaggerated ram noises…

We also stopped at this crazy wood carver’s house so that I could take pictures of how cool it was. Now that I reviewed his website, I really wish I went inside and professed my love to him, his fashion attire, and his herd of goats. It’s probably for the best that I didn’t though, since I am going through a quarter life crisis and might have embraced the winds of change, beg him to take me as his chainsaw wielding apprentice and then never take off my wizard robe again.

“So how was Radium?”
“Well, my girlfriend went crazy and left me for a wood carver dressed like Disco Gandalf and a life of inhaling saw dust and goat hair.”
“Damn man, That’s totally how I lost my first wife.”

There was this Chalet sitting high up on the mountain, so we drove up to it in order to get some sneaky pictures. As we were snapping a few, a guy came out of the hotel and asked us what we were doing. thinking that we were busted and not allowed to be up there as a non paying customer, I sheepishly told him that we were just taking pictures.

He beckoned us over and told us to feel free and climb the hotel to the top for the “best pictures in town” and then let us into their “Eagle Nest” room to take pictures off of the balcony. The first picture on this post is one that we took up there and the guy was crazily nice and awesome to actually do that for us. I’m actually strongly considering booking with them for next year’s Valentine’s Day after I get some funds since if they were that hospitable to us just stopping by to take photos, then I can only imagine how great the service must be as guests.

Also, here is a BONUS PICTURE of my fantasy cabin. I love micro houses in all shapes and sizes, and I hope to one day own a fully functional tiny house to live in and ultimately fill with stray cats.

I meant to update the world on my exploitative jaunts as soon as I came home, but I had fallen ill with some sort of cold/flu thing and have been a lethargic/fevered/coughing mess. I keep joking that it’s HOT TUB LUNG, but seeing how I’m feeling less deathly today, I will chalk it up to the same cough a few of the resort workers were sporting around us and being naked in the snow.

Bake a bread, love a girl

Published on February 15, 2012 in Daily. 0 Comments

Valentine’s day has come and gone. I celebrated by burning steaks and drinking three bottles of assorted 7 dollar wine as my boyfriend put some elastic bands on an empty Kleenex box and improvised country medleys while clapping at my drunken tabletop rendition of “Slap Leather” and “Fishin’ in the Dark”. It was a hootenanny for sure.

Ok, so some of that didn’t happen, but other parts did. I don’t think anybody really wants to hear the debauchery soaked tidbits of my evening just like I’d rather not succumb to reading my peer’s poorly written Facebook updates about where they hid the salami and how. The real fun is this weekend anyway, as we’re heading out into what I assume is the vast wilderness for 3 days of wacky hijinks and probably some off-kilter romance/bear mauling. I have a pretty good idea what K has up his sleeve, but for the sake of letting him finally plan this out, I am going to remain very mute and ecstatic when we get there.

In other news, I finally finished The Hunger Games trilogy a few days ago and was pretty pleased with it. A lot of people had a problem with the ending it seems, and while I am not about to give away too many spoilers and ruin the lives of slow readers, I think the ending made sense, especially if you consider the progression of the storyline. The books were wrought with super dark undertones and very bleak outlooks when it came to Girl (Rebels) VS Government (Dystopian Society) so to think that the ending was going to be a “happy” one for the protagonist and whoever remained by her side is kind of rose-tinted and unrealistic. At least the outcome for this fictional world was better than in Nineteen Eighty-Four – which greatly disturbed my sheltered little prepubescent mind after reading.

Look at me! Comprehending books at a 10th grade level finally! My English teacher would be proud.

I sure hope the upcoming movie doesn’t disappoint my preconceived notions and that I don’t start crying over the ~DREAMINESS~ that is Peeta Mellark on a pile of equally emotional 15 year old girls…

Electric Boots, A MOHAIR SUIT!

Published on February 12, 2012 in Daily. 0 Comments

Today (well, yesterday now) I woke up earlier than I usually do on a Saturday morning for the chance to flail my limbs wildly and have a panic attack over obtaining some very coveted Elton John tickets. This was the first time I’ve ever tried getting tickets to an event (usually they magically fall into my lap) and it was an interesting experience. The site that was selling the whimsical papers of admittance didn’t care who got there first and placed the bulk of us inside this WEIRD ONLINE WAITING ROOM where people were randomly chosen to enter their credit card information and be blessed by the grace of a Knighted Sir. That kind of sucked to be honest! What happened to the fevered first clicks of seniority?

Long story short, I wriggled my ass anxiously all over the computer chair while the site refreshed every 30 seconds for most of the hour… BUT SADLY, luck wasn’t on my side and I walked away Eltonless. While I do love that crazy flamboyant pianist just as much as the next middle aged white dude, the world did not collapse on the weight of my heart-break and I mostly just wanted to get them for my Mother since she made it a point to tell me that he was on her BUCKET LIST and all.

I FAILED :’(

Now she’ll most likely brutalize me into a sequined suit, stick feathers all over my glasses, and force me to bellow ballads at her as I attempt to roll around on top of a piano choreographing my body parts to “Bennie and the Jets”. An awful idea in all reality though since I literally did a rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you” for her and my Dad last week and she apparently kicked the bucket earlier today. I also belted out some Tina Turner during commercial breaks of American Idol, so somebody should probably go throw a protective layers of salt around her house for good measure…

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Published on February 10, 2012 in Reviews. 2 Comments Tags: .

I wrote this about a month ago and posted it on another site, but I’d like to showcase it here since this perfumery is ABSOLUTE GOLD.

The other day, I got an AMAZING Christmas parcel in the mail from Jo containing small vials of erotic and exotic scents/essential oils from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) thus finally popping my proverbial cherry on this matter! Oh man, everything smells even better than I thought it would and I am SO CRAZY EXCITED ABOUT IT/DYING OF HAPPINESS.

I first heard about BPAL from Jo of course, WHO IS THEIR AMBASSADOR TO THE EAST, but I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on or why it was so magical. Visiting the website for the first time left me even more confused about what all the hubbub was about as well. I’ve had other hand mixed essential oils before (from local head-shops and whatnot) but the quality and overall mystique of the BPAL-made-fragrances reigns far superior than what I’ve had before and I can see why they have the almost cultist fan base that they do.

The rest of this entry is going to be a review of the 10 IMP’S I’ve received! Long story short, Jo is the romantic and enigmatic boyfriend I’ve never had!



“Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab specializes in formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends with a dark, romantic, and sexual tone. Our scents run the aesthetic gamut of romance era, Renaissance, Medieval and Victorian formulas, pagan and mythological blends, and horror / Gothic-themed scents. By utilizing our knowledge of homeopathy and aromatherapy, the conceptual theories of hermetic alchemy, and the aesthetic artistry of perfumery, we have mastered the art of encapsulating allegorical ideas into singular olfactory experiences.

Inspired by a vast range of influences, from the passion and decadence of the Fin de Siècle movement to the ghastliest of Lovecraftian monstrosities, we specialize in eliciting emotional responses through perfume and creating unique, masterfully molded scent environments that capture legends and folklore, poetry, and the stuff of dreams and nightmares.

Though we are at times campy, and sometimes very tongue-in-cheek, we never lose sight of our one true goal: moving the soul and spirit through the unbridled artistry of scent, and remaining unbound by conventional fashion.

Continue reading ‘Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’

The Cat Came Back

Published on February 9, 2012 in Ramblings. 1 Comment

I keep forgetting I have this site and therefore a horrifyingly public outlet to shame myself by telling the Internet my dank, dark secrets.

I remember when blogging became all the rage in high school and I felt absolutely no shame in telling the world how much of a shit I was because in all seriousness, who was going to remember what I said IN THE HEAT OF BLOGGING PASSION over 10 years ago? I highly doubted that I’d one day be in some sort of polyester blend pant-suit – getting ready to shake the hand of my new boss for some fortune 500 company when the phone would ring and his face would grow grim with concern. He would hang up, rub his fingers over his moustache and then ask me if I really did eat that entire wad of marijuana when I was 15 as a diligent notion of FRIENDSHIP when we were about 10 seconds away of getting our heads busted in by the vice principal? I would then shoot him a cool gaze and offer to swallow any contraband he currently sported as a warm token of loyal camaraderie.

“I read your 11th grade “Deadjournal”. I read it all. You are fired.”

If there’s one thing I like to do (and possibly exceed in) it’s telling awful personal stories and anecdotes. Keeping a daily log of my life fails me every single time, and I get writers block easily. I’d like to consider myself as a charming woman with a rich background of life experiences to bring to the table though, but then I remember that every dinner story I have ever told in public ends with a harrowing recount of how I literally shit my pants. Needless to say, I don’t get invited to many dinners anymore, or have many friends for that matter. I am perpetually alone with my sea of thoughts and my unabashed wits in an ever churning cyclone of debauchery.

Long story short, do I dare start up a blog again? I have a track record of crashing and burning when it comes to steadily updating anything in my life. Writing down stupid crap about your day/life/cats should be the easiest thing in the world, honestly. Maybe it’s my rebellious streak? Maybe that’s how I stick it to the man? NOT BLOGGING. Show’s them who’s boss!

There’s so many things I want to review too, and I kind of need a space to do that effectively. You know me guys, I am a consumer whore and like to talk about my crippling desire to hoard random assortments of material goods.

We’ll see how long this lasts.