There’s such a simple grace to the animation in Long Way North that deserved a simpler, more graceful story. This vibrant little animation, coming out of France and Denmark, bears a seemingly st…
The Film Canon: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
I was a late bloomer in the school of Hayao Miyazaki. All things Studio Ghibli evaded me until my second year of college, which was when I finally settled in to watch everything that I’d been missing …
Women in Film Wednesday: Spirited Away (2001)
It’s kind of recognizably sad that one of the best creators of fully faceted, strong-willed female characters is a man. But, considering how dominated by male influence the film industry is, it’s not …
Ally’s Movie Review: Patema Inverted
Considering the magnitude of world building that animation can convey, it’s no mystery as to why Patema Inverted is such a thrilling concept. Mixing Hayao Miyazaki whimsy with tense action, the bluep…
The Film Canon: Princess Mononoke (1997)
In his landmark study The Hero with a Thousand Faces, American mythologist Joseph Campbell defined what he believed to be the “monomyth.” He summarized it as such: “A hero ventures forth from the worl…
David’s Movie Review: The Wind Rises
Rating: 9.5 out of 10 I had been eagerly awaiting the new film, The Wind Rises (Kaze Tachinu) from the Japanese animated filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, since its trailer hit the internet last fall. I have …
Top Ten: The Best of Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki is a genius filmmaker. He has continually created masterpieces, infusing the cinematic world of animation with a vigor and magical realism that it hadn’t seen before his touch. His anim…