WyattSheepMask Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 (edited) Watched Porco Rosso when it was first added. I mentioned this in the Netflix thread (before this one was created). I enjoyed it and it was much better than I’d been lead to believe. I’d always heard it was a bit inferior to some of the others, but as I say I enjoyed it a lot, even if Michael Keaton did phone it in with his performance. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is next on the list Edited March 6, 2020 by WyattSheepMask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said: even if Michael Keaton did phone it in with his performance. We switched over to the original Japanese after about 3 minutes.  I will do this for the rest of the film now, with respect to the usually good dubs, the films just flow better and feel more authentic in VO. Nausicaä is next for us too. Edited March 6, 2020 by Loki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members waters44 Posted April 8, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 8, 2020 Can somebody try and explain to me what Spirited Away was about?! I was utterly enthralled with the animation but I had absolutely no idea what was going on! Whilst watching it was desperately trying to work out what things meant but it absolutely whooshed me. My Neighbour Totoro still my favourite so far, Porco Rosso up next I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted April 8, 2020 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 8, 2020 2 minutes ago, waters44 said: Can somebody try and explain to me what Spirited Away was about?! I was utterly enthralled with the animation but I had absolutely no idea what was going on! Whilst watching it was desperately trying to work out what things meant but it absolutely whooshed me. Sounds like the perfect excuse to watch it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Danger Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Princess Mononoke made me really want to play Breath of the Wild again. It's dead good but was a bit long, the kids tuned out and left me to it even if the lopped off limbs did get the interest up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 18 minutes ago, waters44 said: Can somebody try and explain to me what Spirited Away was about?! I was utterly enthralled with the animation but I had absolutely no idea what was going on! Whilst watching it was desperately trying to work out what things meant but it absolutely whooshed me. My Neighbour Totoro still my favourite so far, Porco Rosso up next I think Do you mean what was going on terms of theme? Or literally what was going on? (Spoilered for length and for those who haven’t seen the film) I’ve always taken it to be a film about lost childhood. Chihiro and her family move away at the start of the film, away from her friends and school, which is pretty much everything she knows at that point,m. All she has left of that life is a drawing by her classmates saying “we’ll miss you”. On top of all of that through fantasy, spirits and all round Ghibli whimsy, she’s thrust into a situation where she’s without her parents and forced to fend for herself, living with other adults in the bath-house doing work beyond her years and in most cases, physical capability. She has to grown up fast, but once she realises that Haku is the spirit of a river that she remembers from her past, she’s fine with starting a new life away from her old one because she has those memories. ThTs just my take on it, but I’ve only watched it once in maybe 10 years. @johnnyboy is probably more clued up on his Ghibli movies to answer any questions and tell me if I’m talking shit or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 (edited) Nausicaä was... a bit disappointing if I’m honest. As a cultural work it’s obviously hugely important - the Japanese games industry has plundered this over and over for inspiration.  But as a film it felt less complete and less enthralling than some of the others.  The super fantasy setting put Mrs Loki off, I think this was more what she feared Ghibli films would be like than the more relatable ones we’ve seen so far. Porco Rosso still my favourite so far. Edited April 8, 2020 by Loki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted April 8, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 8, 2020 Yeah I struggled with Nausicca too. Didn't care for Porco Rosso at all strangely. Rewatched Princess Mononoke and Totoro. Both still excellent. I loved Laputa as well. Really beautiful and exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gmoney Posted April 8, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 8, 2020 Pom Poko is probably my favourite. I fucking love those raccoons and their magic knackers. I bawled like a child the first time I saw it as well.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members waters44 Posted April 8, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Devon Malcolm said: Sounds like the perfect excuse to watch it again. I liked your review on Letterboxd, especially the note about what Chihiro says as she gets on the train. You also mentioned Miyazaki's ecological messages during the film, if you ever do a rewatch I would love to hear you dive deeper into that  1 hour ago, WyattSheepMask said: Do you mean what was going on terms of theme? Or literally what was going on? (Spoilered for length and for those who haven’t seen the film)   Reveal hidden contents I’ve always taken it to be a film about lost childhood. Chihiro and her family move away at the start of the film, away from her friends and school, which is pretty much everything she knows at that point,m. All she has left of that life is a drawing by her classmates saying “we’ll miss you”. On top of all of that through fantasy, spirits and all round Ghibli whimsy, she’s thrust into a situation where she’s without her parents and forced to fend for herself, living with other adults in the bath-house doing work beyond her years and in most cases, physical capability. She has to grown up fast, but once she realises that Haku is the spirit of a river that she remembers from her past, she’s fine with starting a new life away from her old one because she has those memories. ThTs just my take on it, but I’ve only watched it once in maybe 10 years. @johnnyboy is probably more clued up on his Ghibli movies to answer any questions and tell me if I’m talking shit or not  Thank you for that! Your second sentence in the second paragraph helped tie up a few things. To be honest its the basic stuff I couldn't understand For example what does no face represent, what was the bath house (afterlife?!) why did the old witch have a big baby etc! The animation was incredible, some of the best stuff I've ever seen, but overall it didn't click with me as much as I was hoping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted April 8, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted April 8, 2020 @waters44 - A lot of it's based on classic Japanese mythology too, with its myriad bizarre monsters, spirits, and demons. Some things just get no explanation at all, so it's best to just go along with it sometimes. A bit like how there's no real explanation why, in Russian mythology, Baba Yaga lives in a house with gigantic chicken feet, and she travels using a pestle and mortar - she's a witch, and that's all the explanation we get. Or why Finn McCool of Irish myth is able to see events from afar by placing his finger on his wisdom tooth - he's a legendary hero, and, again, all the explanation we get. Maybe these things did originally have some sort of rationale back when the myths were first composed, but they've probably been lost. Spirited Away, and a lot of Miyazaki's work regarding magic and the supernatural, draws on that mystical, mysterious element a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild_Skelliger Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 I remember when i watched Spirited Away as a child - it freaked me out so bad. Now i lost the wholesomeness of these films, so far watched SA, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service and Totoro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 My 11yo and I have been making our way through the Ghibli library and she is OBSESSED. She refuses to give them marks as "that would be unfair on the others", and for her birthday at the weekend she got a Totoro satchel bag, a Totoro plush (which is massive) and a Totoro cloak/hoodie thing which is just mental. She's even started a Ghibli society at school, to spread the word. Bless her. Genuinely made up she loves them so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Just signed up for this free talk, thought it might be of interest to some of you. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ep7-hayao-miyazaki-children-entrusted-with-hope-registration-149207643077?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&keep_tld=1 Also I see that Earwig And The Witch has a UK release date. Despite the horrendous reviews, it'll be nice to watch a Ghibli film in the cinema with the kids.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Cheers for that @SuperBacon, sounds interesting. I’m assuming it’ll be available for a little while afterwards if you can’t watch live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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