The Apartment (1960)

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/90 sec, ISO125
“The Apartment” Austin, 2025

Bay and I went to the theater today to see The Apartment. Neither of us had seen this 1960 classic before, but we knew it was considered essential viewing for movie buffs, so we were excited to experience it on the big screen.

I found it very entertaining and also fascinating as a glimpse into what life might have been like back then. Of course, it is a movie, so who knows how closely it reflects reality, but it felt believable enough. Some moments were genuinely shocking, like the doctor slapping Fran multiple times to keep her from falling asleep, and the wild office party with drinking, dancing, and making out right there at work. The casual attitude toward cheating on spouses was also surprising.

Aside from those eyebrow raising moments, I thought the movie was excellent. I especially enjoyed seeing actors I recognized from other films all together here, and in their much younger years.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/50 sec, ISO400
“The Leap” Austin, 2025

Tonight I went out to see The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and wow, what a fantastic movie! It had a little bit of everything – action, comedy, a touch of sci-fi, and just the right amount of romance. The story kept me hooked the whole time, and the animation was gorgeous. I found myself grinning, laughing, and maybe even tearing up a little. It’s one of those movies that makes you wish you could time travel too… or at least relive the joy of watching it for the first time again!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO640
“The Girl Who Leapt Through TIme” Austin, 2025
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/45 sec, ISO500
“The Girl Who Leapt Through TIme” Austin, 2025
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/45 sec, ISO250
“The Girl Who Leapt Through TIme” Austin, 2025
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/45 sec, ISO125
“Makoto” Austin, 2025

Moana 2

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/90 sec, ISO100
“Moana 2” Cedar Park, 2025

I finally got around to seeing Moana 2 this afternoon, and while it has some flaws, I did enjoy it overall. The pacing was a little off, which I suspect is a result of the project’s transition from a TV series to a movie. That said, it was a fun, funny, and visually stunning film.

Pompo: The Cinéphile

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Pompo-san” Austin, 2022

My friend and I went to see Pompo: The Cinéphile at the theater as part of our anime-watching habit. Whenever GKIDS has a special screening, he buys the tickets, and I buy the beer (the theater has beer on tap!). It’s something I really look forward to!

Anyways, I thought the movie was excellent. The plot is basically the making of a movie, but there are so many little inspirational nuggets thrown in that I was kind of blown away and even got a little emotional. What a movie! And maybe it was the beer too. But regardless, Pompo: The Cinéphile left me with a positive attitude and life seemed just a bit brighter.

A very nice little gem of a film. Go see it!

White Snake 白蛇:缘起 and Green Snake 青蛇

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO800
“White Snake” Cedar Park, 2022

This evening I watched the Chinese animated films White Snake 白蛇:缘起 and Green Snake 青蛇 back-to-back. I thought the animation in both was great, but enjoyed White Snake much more than the sequel.

The setting of White Snake’s ancient China was more appealing to me than that of Green Snake’s dystopian mish-mash city. White Snake was filled with stunningly beautiful scenes, whereas Green Snake was filled with non-stop action, which was hard to take for two hours.

I believe there will be a third movie in the series, but it looks like it’s going to jump a thousand years into the future… oh well.

As far as the plot of both movies, they were nothing special. I think the main draw for me is the beauty of the animation (where the first film really shined). But I am still hoping for a more interesting plot to tie up the series.