H is for animated, suicidal, journalists

I am madly in love with anything Hayao Miyazaki does. And Howl's is probably my favorite. It is the wonderful story of a young woman who's mundane life is turned upside-down after a fateful encounter with the Witch of the Waste. This is a rare production by Miyazaki because it is adapted from a novel by Diana Wynne Jones. Typically he writes his own screenplays, but the book follows a similar theme used often in his films: a heroine who must overcome adversity to save something. This time Sophie must find a way to break the spell cast upon her by seeking the aid of Howl, a wizard who, legend says, steals young girl's souls. This film is visually stunning. It's so wonderful to watch traditional animation. Miyazaki is a master of creating beautiful landscapes with wind blowing through tall grassy fields and clouds floating in the sky. This is yet another movie my mother and I enjoyed together. What I love most is, whenever I feel sad, I just watch any of his films and they magically lift my spirits and take my cares away. That is exactly what movies should do.

 

This is another movie I grew up watching. I love telling the premise to those who've never seen it:

Harold, a teenager who attends funerals and commits suicide as a hobby meets and falls in love with Maude, an eighty year-old woman who is full of life. This is the most mismatched couple in film history, but their love affair is heartwarming, humorous and wonderful. I have to warn you, this is a very black comedy. The opening scene is at the same time somber and absolutely hilarious. After watching the introduction of Harold and his family, one has to wonder, 'who is the crazy one here, Harold and is death obsession or his mother, who is obsessed with appearance and status?' This movie is a must for anyone who has forgotten what life is truly about. Ruth Gordon's spot on performance envelopes the viewer in Maude's love of life. Pure joy.

 

You may have noticed that I have quite a few older films on this list. There's one reason for that: Hollywood used to make really great films. There was a time when it wasn't all about the money. In fact, there are many movies considered 'classic' that did horribly at the box office. I don't know how this film did. What I do know is this is truly a great film. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell are flawless as ex-spouses, one of which pines for 'the good ole days' with his ex/newspaper buddy and the other is trying her best to break away from her ex's charms. This film is also a perfect example of another nearly extinct creature in Hollywood, the great script. This film is one of the first, if not the first, to use overlapping dialogue. And when it's Grant and Russell delivering those lines, it's pure genius. Loads of laughs and who doesn't need to laugh a lot these days.

Unlike the last letter where I struggled to find enough films, 'H' has a plethora of really good ones. There's Hope and Glory, the semi-autobiographical story of a boy's life in London during the blitz. And The Hitcher, a truly creepy tale with an equally creepy performance by Rutger Hauer (by the way, there's a remake of this that I haven't seen because you shouldn't remake perfection). Hero and House Of Flying Daggers are two more films I have to mention. They are visually stunning and full of lots of great martial arts. Let's not forget The Host, the best damn Korean horror film with the quirkiest family and the coolest monster...ever! Last but in no way least is the Oscar winning The Hurt Locker. This Best Oscar winner was one of the hardest movies I've ever watched and I may never watch it again, but I highly recommend that everyone watch it once to gain a little understanding of the horrors our soldiers go through for 'freedom'.