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Waffleman_ posted:Oh, Ponyo has good backgrounds Dunno if you're watching on streaming or not, but the Blu-Ray has (among a whole poo poo-ton of stuff, more than most of these movies) a featurette where they talk fairly extensively about the backgrounds of Ponyo, how they were nervous that they were such a departure from the standard Ghibli style, and how there's no straight lines to be found among the background elements. At least, that's what I recall. I'm not about to watch all of these again, I did that the last time I watched the movie which was only a few months ago. Anyway, I love this one, probably not quite as much as Totoro, which is the obvious most direct comparison being the ones most overtly for younger kids, but it's certainly got more of a plot than Totoro. I can see little kids liking this more than Totoro; it's brighter, there's more going on, you've got your funny looking not-really-threatening antagonist, who's not really a villain by any stretch of the word (I identify with him; he has a healthy disgust with humankind). He just wants his kid back, and is willing to let her go when it's clear she knows what she wants and he's satisfied she'll be in good hands. I also think Sosuke's mom is the most fleshed-out mom character yet in these movies. She's more of a person than a plot device, for once.
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Nov 27, 2023 01:49
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Yeah, I liked that it had a bit more story than Totoro but also it's just hard to beat such an iconic movie, even if a small part of me thinks it can be a bit dull. Also yes, I love Lisa https://twitter.com/thebeesneeze/status/1419108956211793926
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Nov 27, 2023 01:59
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The Wind Rises: Interesting that Miyazaki of all people wanted to retire on his most down to earth movie yet. While I think every other Miyazaki Ghibli movie can be categorized as "fantastical character in a normal setting" or "normal(ish) character/s in a fantastical setting", there's extremely little fantasy here. I would have thought he'd have done more with the idea of shared dreams but looking at the wiki page for more background, it's a (fictionalized, though it doesn't say to what extent) biopic of a real person, so that tracks, it's not what the movie's really about. Also totally wild tidbit from the wiki page: Apparently Miyazaki wanted to do Ponyo 2 but was talked out of it. That just seems so off-brand to me; he seems like the kind of guy who would spit at the very idea of a sequel. Anyway. It's also odd that it's very much not a movie for kids. Not so much that there's anything not suitable for kids- depending on your views on the portrayal of smoking in a period piece- but that I can't see anybody under the age of say 16 being at all able to hold interest through the whole movie. It still manages to hold onto the Miyazaki tenet of being anti-war (I'd have had the main character take an actual stand against having to design war planes, but again: biopic.) through the protagonist's words if not his actions. It's actually kinda fitting that the most grounded Miyazaki film has the most blunt lessons to teach: You will have to make compromises, and things don't always turn out in the end. Even though they tried to spin it less negative with the last brief fantasy/dream sequence, I mean, the guy falls in love with a dying woman and she does not pull through. He made his masterpiece but it was a weapon and none of them made it back home fighting a senseless war for a government that had lost its drat mind. On a positive note I loved the boss character (lol that the boss was such a good guy despite being a grumpy prick; what are you trying to say, Mr. Miyazaki, hm?). In the end: I dunno. I can appreciate elements of it but it does not spark joy in me to watch a movie about the world kicking a guy in the rear end, and finding success through making a pretty big moral compromise. And I come to Studio Ghibli to be swept away into a world of wonder, but this does not do that at all. My Rankings: (within category these aren't ranked, just sorted chronologically) S: My Neighbor Totoro // Kiki’s Delivery Service // Spirited Away // Howl’s Moving Castle I could have told you beforehand that these 4 would stand on top, and my opinion did not change. A: Castle in the Sky // Porco Rosso I would probably have not guessed that I'd place Porco Rosso this high. These two are thoroughly excellent just imo not on the same level as the movies I called S-tier. B: The Castle of Cagliostro // Ponyo Still enjoyed the heck out of these two. I'd be interested to see what Cagliostro would be like had he made it 10 years later. I am extremely not the target demographic for Ponyo but it's still charming as gently caress. C: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind// Princess Mononoke // The Wind Rises I think I "appreciate" these movies more than I "enjoy" them. Probably won't watch them again until the next time I do a Ghibli marathon.
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Dec 2, 2023 09:46
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I'd really be interested to see Miyazaki do a proper sequel, I'm interested to know if he could stick the landing. Sequels can be good! It's just inherently hard.
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Dec 2, 2023 10:33
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Watched some movies the last few weeks but forgot to post, sorry. Howl's Moving Castle was excellent, but I didn't feel like it reached the same highs as some of Miyazaki's best. The dub is fantastic though, and Jean Simmons is phenomenal as Sophie. Like Endorph suggested in the chat thread, I watched One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island. I'm pretty much manga-only when it comes to One Piece, but this was a blast. Really well-done. Ponyo was really cute and charming, but I think it pales in comparison to Totoro or Kiki's. I'm not sure how I feel about The Wind Rises, specifically the stuff Diet Poison mentioned. I did like it, but I feel it needs a rewatch. Also, got my ticket for the Boy and the Heron this weekend! 
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Dec 7, 2023 00:39
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12 minutes into Wind Rises and I'm already just about in tears, I love this movie so much
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Dec 7, 2023 01:54
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I loving FORGOT WERNER HERZOG WAS IN THIS MOVIE
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Dec 7, 2023 02:56
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So back when The Wind Rises first came out, back when it actually was Miyazaki's Last Movie, I had immediately pegged it as partly Miyazaki having a conversation with himself on his life as a creator, the things he has created, and the legacy he leaves behind, particularly in the dream scenes with Caproni, and that really resonated with me. I was partly worried that now that it was no longer Miyazaki's Last Movie, that aspect of the movie would be weakened, but nope. Is it a bit of a slow, deliberate movie? Yeah. Is it super eventful? Not compared to his other sort of action and adventure type movies. But I dunno It just kinda hits for me, man.
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Dec 7, 2023 03:47
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Greekonomics posted:Also, got my ticket for the Boy and the Heron this weekend! Same! Also since I'm not fortunate enough to live in Tokyo or London, I got the Blu-Ray to the stage play adaptation of Spirited Away. It comes with two versions (different woman playing Chihiro, not sure about the rest of the cast) and I've only watched one because I can't imagine watching anything back to back and enjoying it, but it is really good. It's got this big fuckoff rotating setpiece that functions as different parts of the bathhouse depending on which way it's pointing. There's a little bit of "use your imagination" required that I wondered if anyone who hadn't seen the movie would be confused as to what was happening but I think anyone who's seen the movie would understand and appreciate how they managed to pull some things off, like Kumaji being an actor and a couple stagehands in one costume, the stagehands operating the extra arms. Yubaba is just a normal woman in makeup most of the time but when she gets pissed off they pull out this giant like ten piece face piece that various stagehands manipulate to move the mouth and eyes. Really liked how they did No-Face in his various forms as well. Strong recommend to anyone who loves the movie.
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Dec 7, 2023 20:55
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Boy and the Heron I feel has a lot more to...chew on than Miyazaki's other works. Abstract, kinda cryptic. Lotta layers.
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Dec 8, 2023 19:01
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Boy and the Heron was a really good movie, very dark. The first half hour or so (up until they get sucked down through the floor) had me entirely in rapture. Still a strong movie, but the scope of that early part of the film is told so lucidly and with such intensity. I wasn't expecting it to be so much like Night on the Galactic Railroad meets Pan's Labyrinth. It's a strange movie, because I feel like the diagetic mysteries of the story and setting compel a rewatch, but the thematic takeaways are basically out in the open (it is a movie titled "how do you live?" after all). The thing that I really loved the most about the movie is that it's so willing to just lean into being an art film. The wound at the beginning, or the swarms of animals--there's such a force to the visual metaphor, they are so arresting. I think this will be compared frequently to Princess Mononoke for being a dark and violent fantasy, but imo it is very much a direct evolution from The Wind Rises. Except that The Wind Rises may be aimed at an older generation while The Boy and the Heron is aimed at a younger generation. They are both about the connection between art and civilization. About the folly of trying to create uncontaminated art in a contaminated world, and how that very impulse somehow is a shadow of the impulse to control and order society through violence. Cephas fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Dec 9, 2023 |
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Dec 9, 2023 05:53
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i am just now sitting down for my showing and whatever happens, i'm excited to be a contrarian about it
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Dec 9, 2023 05:58
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Cephas posted:Boy and the Heron was a really good movie, very dark. The first half hour or so (up until they get sucked down through the floor) had me entirely in rapture. Still a strong movie, but the scope of that early part of the film is told so lucidly and with such intensity. Yeah, it's very much a similarly introspective movie to The Wind Rises and I dig it
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Dec 9, 2023 06:00
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man what the gently caress was that. gonna need to rewatch
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Dec 9, 2023 08:23
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Just got out of Boy and the Heron It doesn’t quite have the hooks of his previous films. You never feel like you have a strong grasp of what’s happening or why, so you might feel lost halfway through because there isn’t quite as clear of a narrative chain going through it. But now that I’ve left the theater it feels like Miyazaki’s Tempest. The magician “breaks his staff and drowns his spell books” at the end so to speak It’s a retrospective of Ghibli’s filmography where it references past Ghibli characters and settings, very intentional references to shots from past films. And the ending is pre-emptively depicting the end of Miyazaki’s career.
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Dec 9, 2023 10:15
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V excited to see Boy and the Heron tonight. Haven't forgotten about my ghibli/shin chan catalog journey, just been depressed.
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Dec 9, 2023 18:13
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I think I'm going to try the dubbed version tomorrow for a matinee. The godzilla Minus One showing had a preview for the English release and the dub sounded pretty impressive.
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Dec 9, 2023 18:16
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I just love how metal it is that The Boy and the Heron is about an erudite nobleman finding a hollow meteorite in the countryside and going mad with power, building a tower around the meteorite's hull, digging out the ground beneath it into a series of labyrinths, becoming a wizard-god, creating a nonlinear mind palace on the foundations of the world of death, and filling that world with flora and fauna and forcing them to live and evolve against their will. it's completely batshit and rivals the Nausicaa manga in terms of how freaking rad it is.
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Dec 9, 2023 19:15
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under the circumstances i think we would all do the same
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Dec 9, 2023 21:15
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Arc Hammer posted:I think I'm going to try the dubbed version tomorrow for a matinee. The godzilla Minus One showing had a preview for the English release and the dub sounded pretty impressive. Is the dub already out? Only one theater in my city was showing it and it was the subbed version. Loved it. It was exactly as surreal as I'd want it to be. Leaves a lot of stuff open to interpretation. The animation was so beautiful I caught myself thinking about the CG kids' movies in the previews and thinking "holy poo poo why would anyone do that when they could do this?" As far as his fantasy movies go this is no exception in giving me such a strong desire to step through the screen and explore the hell out of these amazing places, though this world definitely feels more dangerous than most of Miyazaki's other ones. I mean, you knew the kid wasn't gonna die, but anyone else could have. Also, I loved going into this with absolute gently caress all knowledge of what it was about beyond "there's a boy, he goes into another world, and an rear end in a top hat heron is there". I'm not gonna rank it after one late night viewing, but I'd probably pay to see it in theater again. Maybe one of the newer theaters with the nicer seats will get the dub in eventually.
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Dec 9, 2023 23:56
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Ohtori Akio posted:under the circumstances i think we would all do the same username checks out
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Dec 10, 2023 04:31
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Just got out of The Boy and the Heron. I think my opinion is overly negative because of the high esteem that I have for Miyazaki, So to find myself mostly bored and feeling like I wasn't able to emotionally resonate with anything is disappointing. It's obviously well crafted and thought out, I couldn't call it a bad movie but it's not a movie I'd recommend to anyone. The two peaks of the movie for me were The main character fletching an arrow, and the parakeet king just because that design and animation was awesome
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Dec 10, 2023 04:40
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I was surprised at how almost lovecraftian the story was, what with somebody accessing forbidden knowledge of another dimension from a space rock and becoming a wizard god. It's a fantastic setting, which is creatively evocative but never really pushed the emotional stakes? For a movie about a family in possession of a pocket dimension that weaves through both the past and the future, I didn't feel like it was utilized to actually tell us anything about this family. The development of the great-grand-uncle wanting the main character to take over his fragile pocket dimension only really comes up at the end of the movie, and his reasoning for even creating this world seems to be a dissatisfaction with the one he came from- though we don't learn why he feels that way, or get any insight into why Mahito rejects his offer. It's a snippet of a philosophical interaction That as best as I can tell isn't driven by characterization. I also feel that our MC meeting the childhood version of his dead mother out of time is not explored all that satisfactorily. Maybe this is an issue with the dub but he doesn't even acknowledge her as his mom until the very end at the door is where he's asking her not to go because she'll die. I would have liked to see a scene where he realizes who she is and is affected by that. I should say something positive to give the movie it's proper due though, because just complaining about it isn't fair to the obvious technical talent on display. All of the animal animation is gorgeously detailed and expressive, communicating emotion well when characters don't have human bodies or faces. You realize watching one of these movies that part of what makes them so immersive is that they don't take any detail for granted. Little things like the way people change how they walk through tall grass, how dirt and cobwebs clump up against mahito when he's crawling through a scuzzy tunnel, or as I mentioned above depicting the minutia of crafting a single arrow using a stick as the shaft , pounding down a nail to be the head, before cutting the end with a knife and securing two feathers using a paste made from chewed up rice. If you wanted to save yourself some effort time or money you can cut around these things, explain that they happened through dialogue, or just expect the audience to not require so much out of you. But if Miyazaki does anything right it's these engrossing little embellishments that put up a microscope up to the smallest of actions so you can appreciate them fully
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Dec 10, 2023 05:08
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Steve Yun posted:Just got out of Boy and the Heron This is an interesting and reflective angle that didn't occur to me when watching it. Now that I think about it, I can see how the great-grand Uncle wizard can represent Miyazaki himself as being an imperfect crafter of worlds that he makes to escape the one he's from, and is unable to find an heir to take over this work of creation. Now I'm certainly not an artist of miyazaki's caliber (please please contain your surprise!) but I have thought to myself when writing horror stories "drat, I create these people for these stories just to put them through abysmal horrible poo poo. If I were to criticize some sort of God for creating me and giving me a lovely little life, I'd almost be hypocritical." So what you're saying makes me wonder if Miyazaki is reflecting on the worlds that he created and how they can never be complete or self-sustaining, rife with conflict that can never be neatly resolved.
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Dec 10, 2023 05:13
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The strongest read I got from the overarching pocket-dimension, kingdom, wizard plot is a wartime and imperial one.
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Dec 10, 2023 05:53
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Okay here’s my big blindfolded swing at the piñata, feel free to laugh at me if I miss Great grand uncle is Hayao Miyazaki Meteor is the spark of inspiration Great grand uncle builds a tower and tunnel system around the meteor, Ghibli Studio Stacking blocks every few days to maintain the magic phenomena represents a respect for the day to day tedium and work required to be creative. Great grand uncle is looking for a successor in his bloodline Mahito is Goro Mahito doesn’t consider himself an appropriate choice for taking over. I feel like the film is absolving Goro of any blame of there not being a successor at Ghibli. Maybe there’s nobody to blame, if there’s no good choice for successor, that’s just life. The parakeets do not respect the block stacking (the work required to maintain the magic) and the entire system falls apart. I don’t know what the parakeets represent other than a very broad criticism of people who want to reap benefits and do none of the work. The pocket dimension into the past and future is the world of films, which depict events both past and future. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 06:13 on Dec 10, 2023 |
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Dec 10, 2023 06:11
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References to other films, which lead me to think this is a self-referential movie about Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli: Siren arrow from Mononoke Tunnel through hedges from Totoro Little poofy critters from Totoro and Mononoke Fighter plane windshields from The Wind Rises Old lady from Howls Moving Castle Cooking scene from Howl There’s a ton more I forgot
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Dec 10, 2023 06:21
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Steve Yun posted:Okay here’s my big blindfolded swing at the piñata, feel free to laugh at me if I miss  This makes sense to me
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Dec 10, 2023 06:25
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I think whichever way you read it first, it's intentionally inclusive of a few different meanings. This one's got layers.
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Dec 10, 2023 06:27
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Something about your read makes me wonder though, what is meant to be evoked by the maternal characters in the movie? That feels so central to the plot and Mahito's internal conflict but I can't tie it to this thesis about creativity
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Dec 10, 2023 06:29
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Where The Wind Rises felt like a film being made by a man at the end of his career, The Boy and the Heron feels like a film made by a man who is nearing the end of his life.
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Dec 10, 2023 06:30
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They really had to name mah boy Mahito
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Dec 10, 2023 06:39
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*RPatx voice* MAHITOOOOOOOO
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Dec 10, 2023 06:42
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Tea Party Crasher posted:Something about your read makes me wonder though, what is meant to be evoked by the maternal characters in the movie? That feels so central to the plot and Mahito's internal conflict but I can't tie it to this thesis about creativity No idea and I dont think I know enough Miyazaki lore to take a guess
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Dec 10, 2023 06:42
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Waffleman_ posted:*RPatx voice* MAHITOOOOOOOO YOUR MOTHER
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Dec 10, 2023 06:42
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Producer says Mahito is a self insert for Hayao Miyazaki: https://ew.com/the-boy-and-the-heron-tributes-studio-ghibli-founders-8409403 Who knows!
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Dec 10, 2023 06:48
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"I absolutely HATE YOU" "YOU DON"T HAVE TO SCREAAAAM I CAN HEAAAR YOOOOOOOU"
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Dec 10, 2023 07:07
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The fatherly-motherly contrasts in the movie suggest, to me, a contrast between dreams of ever-expanding empires of achievement and control, where the motherly figures suggest, to me, making your way through life with a spirit of acceptance, joy, and nurturing for those who cross your path. These are applicable to both the autobiographical and historical readings.
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Dec 10, 2023 07:15
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I think multiple reads on it are valid. Miyazaki might see himself as both Mahito and the Parakeet King, and the Granduncle as the mentor he felt like he couldn't live up to, but I definitely think the more popular interpretation is gonna be that Miyazaki is the guy holding the pocket universe together and Mahito is Goro, who refuses an overture to be his successor and this is Miyazaki saying that even if that means the death of Ghibli (or the death of Ghibli as something respectable), well, the real world just keeps on going, doesn't it? And the fact that the Granduncle and Mahito had no relationship at all before this, well, I don't know all the details but I get the impression Miyazaki the elder wasn't much of a father. I say I think that's going to be the popular reading because who doesn't like the idea of the distant father who only ever expressed himself through his movies making his final (maybe) film be a message to his son essentially "it's fine, you don't have to be me, live your own life". And if his own read on the movie is it's himself as the child hero just doing his best muddling through a confusing world and also the autocrat villain who wants to run his own universe, I can respect that self-awareness too.
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Dec 10, 2023 07:37
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I just can't get away from the fact that the meteor dropped right around the time of the Restoration and the movie concludes just as the Imperial military is getting decisively pwned.
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Dec 10, 2023 07:39
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