15. when harry met sally (1989) dir. rob reiner

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

From its premise, Kiki’s Delivery Service sounds like the perfect film to keep young children quiet while you finish that big project due tomorrow. It isn’t; not really. Although children are sure to love it, only older viewers will understand its introspective themes and fully appreciate its story and visuals.

As she turns thirteen, Kiki (voiced by Minami Takayama, Lisa Michelson or Kirsten Dunst depending on the version you see) leaves home with her broom and animal companion - a black cat named Jiji (Rei Sakuma, Kerrigan Mahan or Phil Hartman) - to learn the ways of the world. Arriving via broomstick to the port city of Koriko, Kiki initially struggles to find her place until she opens a delivery service with the help of baker Osono (Keiko Toda, Alexandra Kenworthy, or Tress MacNeille).

There’s a fair amount of humor as Kiki misplaces a toy she's delivering for a birthday, is courted by a young airplane enthusiast (Kappei Yamaguchi, Eddie Frierson, or Matthew Lawrence) and struggles with the unique challenges that accompany a young witch in a big city. But this is not a comedy. Is it an adventure? No. There is no villain after Kiki’s powers, the snooty older witch Kiki meets on the way to Koriko doesn’t come back to fight her. There’s nothing like that. This is a coming-of-age drama and much of what we see are metaphors as Kiki - like many young women - realizes that leaving your parent’s house is a big step in figuring out what kind of person you will become. She thought she was going to spend all day zipping between buildings on her broom, but mostly, she's cleaning, waiting for orders to come in, figuring out what to charge for her work and realizing that she can put in a superhuman effort to make sure the job gets done right but hardly receive even a thank you. Kiki’s Delivery Service is about Kiki finding herself, figuring out what role she will fulfill in society and where she belongs.

It’s better to know this isn’t a fast-paced barrel of laughs or a syringe of adrenaline pumped into your veins before hitting 'play' on your remote. The earlier you realize what you’re in for, the more you’ll appreciate the story’s relaxing pace. Kiki does a lot of thinking on this journey and the time she spends gazing at the clouds or contemplating what’s next allows you to do the same. You get to fully enjoy the scenery and gorgeous visuals. You find the time to think about the choices Kiki makes as she prepares for her day, what it means to her when she misses an appointment and how the people she meets will influence her future.

Kiki’s Delivery Service is lovely because it never tries to be anything but itself. Life-defining issues are dealt with in a way that makes them fresh without diminishing or trivializing their importance to teens and young adults. You could also completely miss the more thoughtful aspects of this tale and enjoy it as a lighthearted tale about a young witch growing up. The marvelous traditional animation - a trademark of Studio Ghibli - makes it a joy to simply watch. Though you wouldn’t think it considering its relatively low-key story, Kiki’s Delivery Service makes a big impact. (English Dub, October 16, 2020)

One Dress a Day Challenge

Not-a-Dress November

When Harry Met Sally / Meg Ryan as Sally Albright

I had to start the month of "not a dress" with this outfit, because it was very important to me in the development of my own sense of style. I first saw the movie around the time that I finally had the money to think about buying my own clothes. I'd always associated fashion with the lovely but fussy and uncomfortable stuff in older movies. But this looked cute, fun, and comfortable! It was kind of mindblowing.

I actually always get miffed on Sally's behalf when Harry looks at her in this outfit and tells her she should wear skirts more. Like, "Don't you see how great this looks?"

1989 this was on fire🔥🔥🔥🎭

love it.

Little Mermaid (1989).

Do the Right Thing (1989) ----------------------------- dir. Spike Lee cin. Ernest Dickerson cs. USA

My Favorite 1989 Movies:

1. The Little Mermaid (1989)

2. Back To The Future 2 (1989)

3. Batman (1989)

4. Turner & Hooch (1989)

Back to the Future Part 2, 1989

The second part is just WOW😍 There's really so much put into it. I couldn't pause it even for a second because of how intriguing it is all the time

Kiki's Delivery Service 魔女の宅急便 (1989) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

SAM ELLIOTT in Road House (1989)

UHF (1989)

this is truly a 2014 halloween. the fnaf movie? dan and phil games spooky theme? taylor swift 1989? fuck it i’m shaking it off.

The Wizard of Speed and Time (1989)

There will never be another film like The Wizard of Speed and Time. Even if Mike Jittlov hopped in a time machine, reassembled the original cast, used the same equipment, the same locations and shot the film using the same techniques on the same budget, it could never be duplicated. Difficult to track down unless you know where to find it - at which point it becomes ridiculously easy to view - it’s got that “lightning in a bottle” quality.

Based on his original short film, writer, cinematographer, animator, composer Mike Jittlov plays himself as he attempts to create a short film highlighting his DIY special effects techniques for a TV network special. He’s a complete unknown and more than a little odd, prompting the executives to place a bet on whether Jittlov will meet the deadline.

A childlike sense of enthusiasm, giddiness and pleasant naivete radiates from every frame of The Wizard of Speed and Time. As you might’ve guessed, Mike Jittlov is essentially playing himself. He creates and then sells the film he made in 1979 to a system which has stomped all potential for off-the-wall thinkers and radicals with its unions, business models and rules. He’s ambitious and gullible. Of course making a movie isn’t as easy as he expects it to be. Although the obstacles standing in his way are recognizable to us onlookers as completely necessary - although perhaps a little restrictive - he nonetheless brings you to his side. You want nothing more than for him to overcome the odds and show the world what wild abandon can do.

You know the movie is going to get made because you’re watching the movie the real-life Mike Jittlov made. This makes his triumphs feel like your own. The meta aspect turns The Wizard of Speed and Time into an experience rather than a story you simply watch. If he can make his dream come true, so can you. You can “see the strings” in all of the special effects sequences - that’s to say you know how they were done - but it doesn’t matter. Your jaw drops seeing them because you know this man did it all on his own. More than that; he invented the techniques. Particularly striking is the stop-motion animation - the best of which features Jittlov himself as the titular Wizard.

This picture is inspirational and hilarious. It’s big and wild and colourful and cheerful and clever. Watch it a half-dozen times and I bet you’ll still discover previously unseen jokes tucked away in the corners of the screen. Rather than self-congratulating and self-important, it’s a humble little picture that never takes itself too seriously and takes every opportunity to make fun of how crazy it is.

The number of successful gags makes the film’s lack of a proper DVD release even more disappointing. You want to be able to pause and take a look at what’s written on those sheets of paper on the wall in the background, or turn on subtitles to make sure you don’t miss a thing while the room is filled with laughter. Be honest; you’d never heard of this movie before and it’s largely faded away… except to the die-hard fans who, frustrated with the studio’s utter lack of enthusiasm when it came to a new home release, created a version you can find online - all with Jitlov's approval.

The Wizard of Speed and Time isn’t just a movie. It’s has romance, humour, likeable characters, crowd scenes, chase scenes, special effects, etc. but they're used in wholly original ways. To watch it is to open up an old cardboard box in your attic and rediscover your favourite toy all over again. (On VHS, May 10, 2019)

One Dress a Week Challenge

June: Grey

Henry V / Geraldine MacEwan as Alice

This gown sits right on the border between blue and grey, but I'm calling it grey. It's reasonably period-authentic in style, not too flashy but seemingly of good-quality material, as befits a lady-in-waiting. I like the flowers on her belt. And they've managed to make that headdress look not only like something someone might actually wear, but like it might not even be uncomfortable!

Taylor Swift's 2023 Wrapped

'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' Movie and 4K/Blu-ray Review

‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ Movie and 4K/Blu-ray Review

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is considered a Christmas classic to many film buffs.  I vaguely remember watching it back in the day and even a few years ago.  Of course, everyone knows about Cousin Eddie and his antics, as people usually love to dress up like the character along with Clark Griswold. …

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