It’s been a while since we’ve done a list, but something about our love of Studio Ghibli has us thinking about their films as we usher in the New Year. Maybe it’s our positive feelings about 2022, maybe it’s the unfailing hope in each of these films or just nostalgia for the heartwarming and fanciful tales. Coincidentally, there are a total of 22 in the studio’s catalog. Perhaps the stars are aligning for this list. Regardless, Ghibli’s works showcase wondrous landscapes and are propelled by unassuming heroes, inspiring themes and quirky humor. Whatever is loved about these is really seemingly loved by the whole planet. So as we take another…
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Interview…Remy van Kesteren on the Alternative Album to ‘The Red Turtle’
On October 30th, Snowstar Records will release a very special album by Remy van Kesteren. The renowned harpist composed and produced an alternative soundtrack to The Red Turtle – the 2016 movie from Studio Ghibli – made by Dutch animator, director and illustrator Michael Dudok de Wit. This album is the first solo harp album by Remy van Kesteren as well, and De Wit even made the artwork for the album and wrote liner notes specific to this release. Earlier this month, we spoke to Remy to get info and insight on his passion project. The album is a serene and hypnotic showcase of his talents which transport the listener…
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Off the Shelf…’Porco Rosso’
Of all the fanciful adventures Hayao Miyazaki has taken the world on, fan-favorite Porco Rosso might just be the odd member of the family. A male-centric story about a fighter pilot, cursed to live life as a pig, doesn’t seem that odd or whimsical when you stack up the film’s brief synopsis against any other Studio Ghibli title. But while this story comes across as a breezy mix of ideas (and a quasi love-story), there’s a real sweetness to the themes, a fun sense of adventure, and lots of laughs. There are also plenty of lovable characters in Miyazaki’s love letter to the films right out of Hollywood’s golden age. At GoSeeTalk, we are…
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Off the Shelf…’Pom Poko’
Without fail, and regardless of the plot, there are a number of similar and familiar themes running through every Studio Ghibli feature. Yet among the most prominent – feminism, and characters far removed from their element or comfort zones – environmentalism is a common through line. Co-founder Isao Takahata isn’t normally known for a lot of levity or fluff in his films. Think about Grave of the Fireflies and The Tale of Princess Kaguya and it’s easy to imagine Takahata as the Felix Unger to his partner, and fellow Studio Ghibli co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki. Pom Poko is rife with weighty and mature themes. At the heart of the film is the message…
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Off the Shelf…’Tales From Earthsea’
Even now, more than a year after the announcement, the world continues to reel from the news of Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement. His swan song was the well-received and beautifully haunting The Wind Rises. Yet it wasn’t the first time he hinted at bowing out. Of all the animators out there, it was thought that another Miyazaki would keep the studio banner waving. In fact, this particular Studio Ghibli film is directed by his son Goro. We first took a look at Tales From Earthsea years ago, and we were really hoping that now, after a third outing, it would have grown on us. Considering the talent involved, even on the dubbed…
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Ohhh, Look…The Simpsons' Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli
They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and by that token Hayao Miyazaki (and his little animation house Studio Ghibli) must be chuckling at the cleverly placed Ghibli-themed elements in this weekend’s episode of The Simpsons (where Comic Book Guy gets married to a Japanese girl). In this segment of ‘Married to the Blob’ Homer’s drunken night on the town with CBG’s future father-in-law starts to wear on them when the snake wine they drank begins to transform Springfield into a cornucopia of references to numerous classic movies in the famous Ghibli library. If you’re a fan of all things Miyazaki, you have to see this…
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English-Language Voice Cast Revealed for Studio Ghibli's 'The Wind Rises'
While we at G-S-T are among the most fervent supporters of Studio Ghibli, and purists in respect to the Japanese language track, we have never been fond of dubbed versions of their films. That said when the studio, largely supported by the Walt Disney company, goes all out on major league talent they really shoot for and grab big stars. Whether or not they are particularly right for their character is another matter but one thing is for sure, big names can be huge drawing power. Especially for a film that signals the end of the Miyazaki era. Today we learn who will voice the dub for what is Miyazaki’s final…
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Sweet Trailer…Hayao Miyazaki's 'The Wind Rises'
Legendary animator and founder of the world-renowned Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki announced earlier this year that he is finally, yes finally going to retire. He tried before, twice but now it’s official. His final animated film is called The Wind Rises and is about Jirō Horikoshi, the designer of Japan’s famous Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane. The film made the festival rounds and if you missed it you’ll have to wait until next year to catch it. But Ghibli films are worth the wait…even if they are dubbed. So for those of you who have been looking forward to anything and everything from the house that Hayao built enjoy this…
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Ohhh, Look…New Images From Studio Ghibli's 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya'
Last time we looked in on the legendary Studio Ghibli we were thrilled to hear of not one but two films on the horizon. The first was the Miyazaki directed WWII themed film The Wind Rises which was released in July in Japan. Next up is the Isao Takahata directed feature The Tale of Princess Kaguya which will recount the 10th century Japanese folktale Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). Kaguya has an unannounced Japanese release date for later this Fall. Here’s the synopsis: An old man makes a living by selling bamboo. One day, he finds a princess in a bamboo. The princess is only the size of a finger. Her name is Kaguya.…
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“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 03/15/13
When so many movies are released each week and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball(TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us the shelling out for $7 popcorn and ridiculous concession stand prices. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases… ——————————————————————————————————————————————- THE CALL When veteran 911 operator, Jordan, takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer from her past in order to…
