#like yeah its not a hayao miyazaki film

[unsoundedcomic]

Did you enjoy The Boy and the Heron? I don't think it's my new favorite Ghibli film but it's got me thinking a lot. I had the same sort of feeling about Wind Rises where the film itself wasn't my favorite work but I really appreciated the film's message/theme more than some of the other Ghibli films that I DO love. would love to hear your thoughts!!

No spoilers below--

I enjoyed the first ninety minutes very much. Some of the sequences in it are among the best Miyazaki's done. I like the heron a lot and I loved the character Kiriko. Mahito was a good kid too, he was a little less opaque than a lot of Miyazaki's protagonists and I loved his intense madness in the first half.

But then, man, does that movie fall down hard towards the end. All the modern Miyazaki movies do, he hasn't ended a movie coherently since Mononoke Hime, but it's at its most detrimental here. So much is dropped. There are so many elements that never have a pay-off.

Now you mentioned The Wind Rises and I think that's a fine movie to compare this one with. The Wind Rises also had a surface narrative - the highly fictionalized life of Jiro Horikoshi - and a personal thematic narrative - Hayao Miyazaki's rumination on what it is to be an artist. Both are very well managed in that movie and they each come to a satisfying, if characteristically rushed and choppy end.

How Do You Live does NOT, in my opinion, stick the landing with its primary tale about a grieving kid named Mahito. Instead it's constantly battling with its second function as a symbolic depiction of Miyazaki's creative process and advice to The Youth. The characters are given precedence as symbols rather than as people. I found this unsatisfying and frustratingly self-indulgent on his part. By the end I pretty much understood that Mahito was the the Youth, that the tower was the director working through the process of a film, that the mother was both a curse and a protective inspiration, that the pregnant stepmother was a new project, that the heron was Toshio Suzuki, yadda yadda. The film is much more interested in this self-indulgence than in resolving its primary story about Mahito. It all but abandons that kid's struggle in favour of its wanking.

There is so, so much left unresolved. And the resolutions it does come to feel unjustified, frantic, and like afterthoughts.

So yeah, not one of my favourites either. Just a mess of a movie. But the fact it was all pulled together by an eighty-something year old dude is impressive for sure. I don't think we'll ever see another animated movie like this again. For better or for worse :3

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Fictional Trains

In the words of a random bit of silliness courtesy from the Internet, “I like trains.”

(SLAM-HONK-SPLAT.)

…If you got that reference…yay. XD

But seriously: ever since I was a boy, I’ve always had a fascination with the railway. From real-life trains and railways of great repute, to various fictional railroads and their engines found in books, video games, movies, and more. I’m not the only one: the railroad has always held an enduring sense of intrigue for all sorts of people all over the world. Something about these great Iron Horses, racing along the tracks, seeming to fly across the landscape with such grace and speed, remains iconic. From steam locomotives to more modern diesel engines and electric trains, the sense of power, speed, and the symbolization of ever-moving progress they embody will forever be indelible. Whether you’re fascinated by the real history and technical aspects of railways and their engines, or just see them as a fun visual motif, they aren’t going away.

I thought it would be fun to talk about some of my favorite fictional trains and engines, because…well…I just want to. Yeah, I’m not tying this one into anything, there’s no special occasion, I just…want to talk about them. Is that so wrong? I hope not. Now, this will be specifically dedicated to FICTIONAL trains, so you won’t be seeing real railway constructs on this list. And, of course, I have to know about the trains in question in order for them to count. (SPOILER ALERT: “Infinity Train” is nowhere on this list. I’ve never seen it, probably never will, and basically don’t know anything about it.) With that said, let’s get on with it! Full Steam Ahead! These are My Top 15 Favorite Fictional Trains.

15. The Rainbow Sun, from Shining Time Station/Thomas & the Magic Railroad.

It is pure nostalgia, above all else, that gets this train onto the list. The Rainbow Sun was the main engine piloted by Billy Twofeathers: chief engineer of the Indian Valley Railroad. This was the railway line serviced by the titular depot in “Shining Time Station.” The show, of course, was a showcase for the animated series “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends,” during the 1990s; Shining Time and all of its characters acted as a framing device, with episodes of Thomas (usually connected in some way to the central plot) interspersed into the story. In the original TV series, the Rainbow Sun was portrayed by the Union Pacific 844. When the film “Thomas and the Magic Railroad” - which combined elements of Shining Time Station with Thomas & Friends - was made, all of the scenes at Shining Time were shot on the Strasburg Railroad. Strasburg’s 475 stood in for the Rainbow Sun. (That’s the version pictured here, since my guess is more people will recognize the movie than the TV show version.) There’s really not much to say about the Rainbow Sun, I just…like this train. Both versions. Both the movie and the show were a part of my childhood; this train, in each incarnation, is much the same.

14. The Sea Railway, from Spirited Away.

“Spirited Away” is widely considered one of the finest animated fantasy films ever made. Released by the world-renowned Studio Ghibli, this picture - like many of Ghibli’s greatest works - was the brainchild of the mighty Hayao Miyazaki, and is known for its sense of surreal, bizarre, at times nightmarish visuals and scenarios, as well as its fun and fascinating cast of crazy characters. One of the less bonkers elements of the film, yet also one of the most memorable, is the Sea Railway: while the scene where this train appears is brief, it is nevertheless very fondly recalled. In the scene, the main character - Sen - travels with her newfound friend, the mysterious No Face, to find the enchantress named Zeniba. The pair hop aboard the Sea Railway: a double diesel rail car that runs on tracks across the ocean. This is a scene all about visuals, that is both spectacular and yet shockingly peaceful. No dialogue, just the emotions of the music and the animation, as the strange railcar glides across the sea. Like several other trains on this list, its time in the film is short, but the moment is immortal.

13. The Ghost Train, from Casper: A Spirited Beginning.

This is a pretty “bleh” movie, in my opinion. A prequel to the 1995 film “Casper” (based on the comic and cartoon character of Casper the Friendly Ghost), this film tells the origins of the titular character. (They are nowhere near as interesting and exciting as they probably should be.) However, I’ve always had a soft spot for one particular part of the movie: the opening sequence. Why? Well, the movie starts off actually quite promising, with the ghostly Casper - freshly dead (how pleasant) - waking up on the Ghost Train. There have been many kinds of ghost trains in fiction over the years; in this case, it’s a railroad which transports souls to the afterlife. The Train is pure nightmare fuel of the best kind: a battered old steam train, carrying a heavy rake of carriages, with a crimson skull for a smokebox, its glowing eyes acting as the headlamps. Damned souls spew from its funnel in lieu of steam, skeletal limbs act as its coupling rods, and inside its chattering mandibles are a horde of black cats. The furniture inside the coaches is made from bones, only adding to its macabre sense of style. While it’s only onscreen for a few minutes (the opening, plus a couple of scenes later), this Ghost Train nevertheless made a big impression on me as a kid, and it was by far the best part of the film…which gives you a good idea of how bad the movie is, sadly. Still, points where points are due: this train is still pretty epic to this day.

12. The Time Train, from Back to the Future: Part III.

What’s cooler than a DeLorean? The answer is…well…probably the TARDIS, if anything, BUT BESIDES THAT I’d say a flying, time-traveling steam locomotive definitely deserves some credit! In the climax of the third and final pillar of the “Back to the Future” Trilogy, our heroes engage in a daring chase scene involving a runaway steam train. At the end of the film, Doc Brown reappears before Marty McFly, and reveals he’s “recycled” the busted engine to create a time traveling train, colloquially and appropriately called the Time Train by most fans. (It’s also sometimes referred to as the Jules Verne Train, but I’ve always liked Time Train more: it’s catchier and simpler.) While I love the look of the Time Train, once again, it’s not onscreen for very long, and doesn’t honestly do THAT much in the grand scheme of things. It’s not even clear, despite what I’ve said, if this is the same engine as the one from earlier in the film, or just a very similar one, since the aforementioned steam train did sort of…well…friggin’ EXPLODE. Regardless, it’s a memorable engine, and has long been a fan favorite. Definitely worthy of placement in the Top 12.

11. The Soviet Missile Train, from Goldeneye.

One of the few non-steam engines to be mentioned on this countdown, this diesel engine is also one of the most sinister creations on the list. This armored passenger train is interesting in that it actually doubles a mobile secret headquarters: in the James Bond film “Goldeneye,” the main villain, Alec Trevelyan (a.k.a. Janus), rides around in this battering-ram-on-wheels with his henchman. The train is based on real-life armored trains owned by the Soviet Union, but has been exaggerated to give it a more outright evil, almost futuristic sort of look, with a sharpened nose and colored all in black, with blood red Soviet Stars on the sides. The train is destroyed when Bond first derails it with a tank (because of course he does, he’s James-flipping-Bond), and Trevelyan - forced to abandon his mobile HQ - blows up what remains in attempt to destroy his nemesis. The Missile Train made a memorable appearance in the Nintendo 64 video game adaptation of the film, where the players - as Bond - would have to make their way inside and around the train to take out Trevelyan’s goons and save our resident Bond Girl for the evening, Natalya Simova. Whether you love it best for the movie or the game, this big black beast is definitely one of the fiercest things to ever ride the rails.

10. The Wanderer, from Wild Wild West.

Much like the previous entry on the list, this steam engine proves that if there’s one thing cooler than a spy car, it’s a spy train. “Wild Wild West” was a TV series that was a sort of off-kilter combination of the spy film and Western genres. The plot focused on a pair of clever cowboys - Jim West and Artemus Gordon - who worked for a special branch of the U.S. Secret Service. They rode around the country, stopping crimes and committing acts of espionage against evil masterminds. To accomplish this, the pair traveled via a luxurious private passenger train called the Wanderer. In the series, the Wanderer was largely portrayed via stock footage of Inyo, an engine that, at the time, served the Baltimore Locomotive Works. The Train was basically just a mobile headquarters for the duo; it didn’t exactly do much, but it allowed for an interesting“Home Base” location to see in every episode, and it helped make the series a bit more unique. In the later 1999 movie version, starring Will Smith as Jim West (that’s the one pictured here, for the same reasons as the previously discussed Rainbow Sun), the famous engine the William Mason was used to portray the Wanderer. While the film is basically a giant mess, I’ve actually always had a sort of soft spot for it; it’s a guilty pleasure, to say the least. Part of what I liked was the way the movie “suped up” the Wanderer: not only was the train an HQ-on-wheels for the spy-fighting duo, but now it was basically the equivalent of having a Bond Car riding the rails, with all kinds of gadgets and secrets hidden in the engine and its coaches. Even if you don’t like the movie (trust me, you aren’t alone there), or never saw the series, I defy you to say the Wanderer isn’t pretty cool.

9. The Infernal Train, from Alice: Madness Returns.

Not all trains are colorful, whimsical, and fun to ride. Perhaps no fictional train in history has been quite as forbidding as the Infernal Train from “Alice: Madness Returns,” the sequel to the cult classic video game “American McGee’s Alice.” For those who don’t know, the games focus on a grown-up Alice having to traverse through a twisted, warped, morbid reimagining of Wonderland; shaped by her own trauma and insanity into a chaotic nightmare world. At the end of the first game, however, Alice is able to conquer her fears and problems, and seemingly goes off onto a happy ending…but in the second game, we soon learn it wasn’t that easy. When Alice returns to Wonderland, it at first seems to be back to how it should be, but it quickly becomes clear that new threats and new problems are once again causing it to steadily fall into a state of hellish doom. The centerpiece of all this horror is the Infernal Train: a massive locomotive, seemingly built from a Gothic cathedral, which soars through the skies of Wonderland, spreading a tar-like substance called Ruin wherever it goes, destroying everything in its path. Alice’s mission is to find out who is responsible for the Infernal Train, and stop it in its tracks before it completely obliterates Wonderland forever. The Train is almost a character in and of itself in the game; a force of nature, the presence of which is a constant source of dread. It’s one of the most sinister locomotives ever created, and memorably so. It has well-earned its place in my personal Top 10.

8. Casey Junior, from Dumbo.

Whenever I think of the phrase “Circus Train,” the first thing I think of is this whimsical train from the classic Disney movie, “Dumbo.” The whole movie focuses on the adventures of the titular character - a baby elephant with abnormally large ears - during his stay at a fictional circus. The circus travels from city to city, town to town, via the Casey Junior Circus Train, so called after its lead locomotive, Casey Junior. (The name is a reference to the famous engineer, Casey Jones, who would appear in his own animated Disney cartoon…but that’s another story.) Casey is the first train on this list who isn’t just a vehicle, but actually a real CHARACTER, with his own sentience and intelligence. He speaks in a voice that is made to mimic the puffing of steam, and seems to be a hardworking, determined, slightly child-like little engine. And, given the broad smile painted on his smokebox, we can presume he very much enjoys his work. Casey Junior has reappeared several times in the Disney canon since the release of Dumbo. Most notably, a non-sentient rendition of him appears in Tim Burton’s live-action remake of the original film, and there’s also a kids’ ride at Disneyland called the Casey Junior Circus Train. There’s also a water attraction at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World called the Casey Junior Splash and Soak Station. No matter where he shows up, this chipper Circus Train is as confident as he is colorful.

7. Tootle.

So far, all of the trains we’ve talked about have come from screen treatments: movies, TV, and video games. This is our first engine on the list who originates from a book. “Tootle” is one of many titles in the classic Little Golden Books collection of stories, and focuses on its titular character: a rather silly steam train by the name of Tootle. Young Tootle is a brand new locomotive, still a child, who goes to the town of Lower Trainswitch, “where all the baby locomotives go to learn to become big locomotives.” Tootle wants to grow up to become a Flyer engine, a fast express train, so he studies very hard…but there’s one important lesson he has trouble with: “Stay on the Rails, No Matter What.” Tootle is a curious little engine, and he starts leaving the tracks to play in the meadow and explore off the rails. With help from his teacher, an old engineer named Bill, Tootle learns that, while there’s nothing necessarily wrong with dreaming, shirking one’s responsibilities and ignoring safety is never wise. It’s interesting to see stories like “Tootle,” which effectively teach children, “know your place.” At first, that probably sounds overly authoritarian and ill-advised, but in truth, sometimes it’s genuinely important to know one’s boundaries and limits: we all have dreams and desires we wish we could fulfill, but it’s important to know which dreams and desires are worth chasing, and which ones could just lead to trouble. The book is one of the most popular in the Little Golden Books series; in fact, in 2001, it was named the third best-selling English children’s book of all time! The story has been adapted to a PC game, a children’s audiobook, and more. The character of Tootle himself also appeared in the animated series “Little Golden Book Land,” inspired by the entire collection. I read a lot of these books as a kid, and “Tootle” was always my favorite. He and his tale are definitely worth placement in the Top 10.

6. Chugs, from The Easter Bunny is Comin’ to Town.

This somewhat obscure Rankin/Bass special is a follow-up/sequel to their more popular Christmas TV tale, “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” Just as that holiday special told the origins of Santa Clause, this one tells the origins of the Easter Bunny. Part of these origins is explaining how the Easter Bunny gets around the world. Cue this little fellow: Chugs, a talking train whom the Easter Bunny - named Sunny - saves from possible scrap. Chugs is a little old engine whom no one ever uses, so Sunny buys him, cleans him up till he’s shiny and new again, and paints him in springtime colors. Chugs is thus given the job of piloting the little white rabbit and his train of Easter eggs, jellybeans, and other gifts for children all around the land. He also brings mail to the Easter Bunny’s home. (Because…well…we had to justify Fred Astaire returning as a singing mailman SOMEHOW, didn’t we?) I am convinced the reason anybody remembers this special at all is ENTIRELY because of this stop-motion animated locomotive. He’s certainly a big part of why I remember the movie; as a kid, I used to wish I could have a toy train of Chugs, so obviously, he’s got a soft spot deep in my heart. Oh, one other thing: Chugs is referred to as “the Famous Little Engine Who Could” in the story, which…I guess means this film technically also counts as an adaptation of that. Go figure. Speaking of which…

5. The Little Engine That Could.

This classic children’s book is actually based on an old folk story, which has been passed down through the generations. The railway folktale has changed over the years, but it’s the storybook publication written by Arnold Munk (published under the pen name “Watty Piper”) that has become the most well-known. In this version of the story, a train full of sentient toys and treats (I guess they must be riding through Toyland) breaks down on its way to bring its cargo to a town full of good little children on the other side of a tall mountain. The toys try to get various other trains to stop and help, but all of them refuse, either being too tired or too stuck-up. Just when all hope seems lost, a Little Blue Engine arrives, and she promises to get the train of toys and goodies to the town. All the way on the journey, the Little Blue Engine repeats a simple mantra: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” Finally, her determination proves true, and the Little Blue Engine succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain. It’s a simple little story, which teaches a simple little message, but that’s really all it needs to be. The tale has been referenced, paid homage, and adapted numerous times: Chugs, of course, is inspired by the folktale, and even Casey Junior references it in a scene from Dumbo. My personal favorite adaptation is an animated short film made in the 1990s, which expanded on the story as written by Watty Piper, and featured voicework by many veteran performers; Kath Soucie plays the Little Blue Engine, and Megatron and Optimus Prime themselves - Frank Welker and Peter Cullen - also play characters in the story, just to name a few. Another adaptation of the Piper version was made in 2011, inspired by the 1990s short subject; that one featured talents like Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Warburton, and Jamie Lee Curtis, again, just to name a few. No matter which take on the children’s story you look at, its simplicity is as immortal as the tale itself. I think one can say this Little Engine has many more mountains to cross before its story is truly finished.

4. The Rainbow Line, from Ressha Sentai ToQger.

“Hold on a second!” I hear you all cry. “That’s not a train! That’s a freaking robot!” Well, you’re right, and you’re wrong. It is, in fact, a giant mech made out of magical trains. Yes, you read that correctly. No, I am not drunk. Perhaps I should start from the beginning: “Ressha Sentai ToQger” is my personal favorite entry in the Super Sentai franchise. This series is basically the original version of Power Rangers: that show is essentially made, for those who don’t know, by Americanizing the Super Sentai shows in Japan. While both use some of the same footage and costumes, and follow the same basic plot points of colorful heroes fighting rubber suited monsters and using giant mechs for each final battle, the stories and characters are often very different. “ToQger” is one of the few Sentai series that hasn’t really been adapted into Power Rangers (at least not yet), and I rather hope it stays that way. In this one, the visual motif is - you guessed it - trains, with the Rangers using magical trains as their transportation system, as well as the means through which they battle the monsters when “giant mech time” happens. I don’t know what possessed Japan to make “Thomas the Tank Engine: Power Rangers Edition,” but I’m very glad it happened, because this show is amazing. The trains of the Rainbow Line - the good faction of the series (the villains are called The Shadow Line, and they have their own transforming locomotives to do battle with) - are all unique and colorful, and it’s honestly pretty cool to see how they all come together to from the massive machines the Rangers use in combat. There’s a toylike quality to all of the engines (which I think is intentional, given the themes of this series), and I would sincerely LOVE to have real toys of each and every one of them. If a fleet of locomotives that can turn into a sword-wielding, laser-blasting battle mech DOESN’T sound equal parts crazy and cool to you…I would like to know what does.

3. The Polar Express.

The top three choices on this list all have the same things in common: all of them started as trains in books, primarily aimed at children, but have since become massively popular largely due to the adaptations of said works. The first of these is the titular train from the classic Christmas story, “The Polar Express.” Originally appearing in a book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, the story arguably achieved critical mass when it was adapted into the still-very-popular 2004 animated film. The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and starred Tom Hanks in multiple roles. Both are still considered staples of the Yuletide season. Both the film and the book have the same premise: the main character is a Boy who is whisked away by the titular magic train, which transports a group of children to the North Pole. It’s revealed that one of these children will have the honor of being given the First Gift of Christmas by Santa Claus himself that year. It’s a tale of belief and faith, both in oneself and in things beyond our ken. The book is well-known for its remarkable illustrative artistry, and the movie mostly lives up to it. Ever since the film came out, at least, it’s become quite popular around Christmas time for heritage railways around the world to have Polar Express outings, dressing up their engines and coaches to resemble the titular locomotive and its train. I’ve never gone on one of these trips, but even at my age, I’d still very much like to if I ever get a chance. The idea of this enchanted engine, racing through snow and mist to a place only children can understand, remains as powerful as it is entrancing. I dare say Christmas would not be Christmas without some version of the Polar Express.

2. The Hogwarts Express, from Harry Potter.

On the note of the idea of a magical, secret train that carries one off to a land of mystical wonderment…if one such express line can beat the Polar Express on that front, it would have to be the Hogwarts Express. Hidden away at the exclusive, disguised-by-magic Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, and painted in vivid crimson livery, this passenger line is every aspiring wizard or witch’s dream come true. While the train, itself, seems fairly ordinary, many of the most memorable scenes in the Harry Potter stories take place aboard or around the engine and its carriages: from Harry’s first encounters with Ron and Hermione, to a flying car chase scene, to the first appearance of the Dementors, and more, many fans of the films and the novels alike well-remember the mystery and awe of the Hogwarts Express, both inside and out. In the films, the locomotive was portrayed by Olton Hall, a stately engine originally made in service to the famous Great Western Railway. It is currently preserved and on static display in London. Famously, the train was recreated into a full-scale, functioning electric line for Universal Orlando, where it acts as both a mode of transport and its own attraction. The Hogwarts Express there carries guests between the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, with a special show inside the engine that makes it seem like you really are riding the rails between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Having gone on the ride myself, I can safely say it is an experience even casual fans of the Harry Potter fans should enjoy at least once in a lifetime.

1. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.

How many of us first became fascinated with railways, and especially steam trains, thanks to Thomas and his friends? I know I certainly did. Before things like Batman or Alice in Wonderland, “Thomas & Friends” was my first childhood obsession. I collected toys like crazy, gobbled up the VHS tapes (yeah, remember those?), and even read a number of books, including the original “Railway Series” books the TV show was based on (written by the late, great Reverend W. Awdry.) The TV show got started in the UK during the 1980s, and is still being produced and aired to this day. Naturally, over time, it has undergone some changes: originally, the series was produced using animated model trains. Then it transitioned to CGI for a spell…currently, the show has been completely retooled into the series “All Engines Go!” with 2D animation. Everyone who knows about the Island of Sodor has a favorite incarnation, and has grown up with a different era of Thomas…not to mention its characters. From cheeky Thomas himself, to his best friend Percy the Small Engine, to the vain and flashy James the Red Engine, to the villainous Devious Diesel, and so many more. All of them have fun personalities and different quirks that have stood the test of time, one way or another. For me, it’s the original Awdry books and the first six or seven seasons of the TV show that I will always hold fondest in my heart, but I can see the value in other renditions. What’s great about the show is that, aside from its whimsical and fantastical elements that can appeal to children, there’s also a lot of great lore and even connections to real life railways that adults can find interesting; it appeals, in its best versions, to all ages. For me, it’s a nostalgic piece of my soul: anytime I think of Thomas, or revisit the old stories or episodes, I’m brought back to a simpler, more comfortable time, in a way nothing else can manage. For that, and for being the main reason I love trains in the first place, Thomas and all of his friends on Sodor have most definitely earned their place as my number one spot on this countdown.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Choo Choo Charles. (This monster counts. :P )

The Bioquimek Train, from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow II. (A personal, more obscure favorite train from a video game.)

The Wonderland Railway, from Alice in Wonderland (1985 Miniseries). (Pictured at top.)

Starlight Express. (Wasn’t sure if this stage show should count on the main list, but it’s worth at least an Honorable Mention.)

[vampire-pierrot]

rules: tag 9 some people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below! — tagged by @kimpimpadumtss

Last song: I CAN FEEL by HYDE, really been loving his "FAITH" album lately.

Three ships: i dont think I've been particularly interested in any ships in the past few months sorry 😭

Currently reading: I bought two mob psycho 100 volumes recently if it counts. but also last book I've read was about early works and influences of hayao miyazaki (got this book at the library i work at, my coworkers were like "omg its for you")

Last movie: Everything Everywhere All At Once. its very good! Also currently I wanna watch The Portrait of a Lady On Fire, I've heard its a pretty good lesbian film.

Craving: hmm... maybe chocolate milk.

idk who to tag ahhhh @ouja @slippinkimmy @shimamine ?? yeah okey. love you bye bye

[shuuji-thoughts]

on Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki (2001)

Initial Impressions

We've finally made it! The last film I'll be reviewing for this blog. And quite the classic at that. I'm gonna be honest though, I've never really liked this film very much, and I'm not entirely sure why. The first two or three times I watched it I fell asleep halfway through, I think because the film is honestly kind of boring? Surely I can't be the only one that thinks that? Regardless, despite nearly falling asleep this time too, I found a lot more to appreciate this time around and can actually say I see the appeal now. Still prefer Ponyo tho lol

Further Critique

At first, I couldn't really find anything to read into in this film. It's a relatively straight-forward Alice in Wonderland type tale loaded with Japanese folklore references and silly creatures doing silly things to make the kiddies laugh. But it kinda hit me when Yubaba took Chihiro's name, widdling it down to one character, an action which effectively makes her a slave to the bathhouse with the only means of escape being to remember her name... I think... I think this film is about capitalism?? (well specifically western consumerist culture and its influence on Japan but yeah). Forgive me for putting the marx cap on again, but hear me out... ever wonder why the parents in the beginning turn into pigs specifically?? WELL did you notice how the parents come in with their imported Audi, European clothes, and credit cards, commenting on the abandoned theme park being a relic of the bubble economy, a time of rampant consumerism that ended in ruin? Here I believe Miyazaki is trying to say that these modern examples of gaudy western consumerism (the parents) are no different from those of the bubble period (the pigs). Also, it's interesting how in an otherwise minimalist, traditional Japanese-styled bathhouse, Yubaba specifically wears European dress and lives in a European styled room full of random things on the top floor, as if to symbolize western consumerism's cultural dominance over Japan post-Meiji. Also yeah, that thing about one's name being linked with one's autonomy is (I believe) a clear metaphor for how employers strip away the individuality and autonomy of their employees, leaving only what serves their interests (the worker's value as a source of capital generation, symbolized by the remaining character, 千). It's only through remembering one's identity as an autonomous individual that one recognizes that they've been fashioned into another cog in the machine. I could be reaching for straws here, but I don't really think I am considering that Miyazaki has openly stated his gripes with western consumerist influences, and is also known to be very intentional with each element in his films.

Needless to say, I definitely got a lot more out of this viewing than I did the previous three lol. I still feel like its reputation as like THE ghibli film is a bit of an exaggeration, as it's hardly even in the top five for me, but it's certainly not as shit as I thought. 7/10

Thanks for the great semester ya'll!! Many great films (and many ASS films) were had. Hope ya'll have a great summer filled with many opportunities to watch MORE FILMS!!!

[snowberrykaworu]

guys im stuck on mobile and was editing it at 3 am when tumblr decided to do a silly and post a draft instead of saving it pls ignore it for now 😭😭😭 Tumblr is not letting me copy paste it all into a new draft kill me

stac media highlights of 2023

uhh dont ask why im posting this in march but i just like keeping track of this kinda stuff lol

Here is a list tm of the best media for me in 2023

no this listing is not in any order i just like talking abt things when i think abt them

One Piece Eiichiro Oda, 1997 - Present

What? I got into one piece this year??? who would have known???

i read all of op in 3 months and i loved every second of it

One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island, Mamoru Hosoda, 2005

why did no one tell me mamoru hosodas first feature film was a fucking one piece movie

Chainsaw Man, Fujimoto, 2018- Present

i fucking love love csm its literally the only manga that i talk abt with ppl on twit bc i think the majority of anitwit/mangatwit are annoying (pls shut up abt power scaling and ships for one minute PLEASE)

csms pt 2 run currently is much smoother and better than pt 1, i feel a lot closer to asa as a character over denji, and it makes the world feel more real as a result

Dungeon Meshi

Pls do not spoil this for me i am slow at reading and forgor to finish it but this series is an interesting look at

How Do You Live (The Boy and the Heron) Hayao Miyazaki, 2023

I'm not like super big into miyazaki films, I was more of an anno and mamoru hosoda person when i was growing up in the anime sphere, but i really wanted to see this film bc of the dark fantasy elements i heard abt when it first released in japan

Beau is Afraid, Ari Aster, 2023

yeah no its impossible to talk abt this film normally u have to see it its the most fucked up thing i watched in theaters this year and its the movie i wanted to walk out of like 3 times pls watch it

Twilight movies 2008-2012

These were really fun to watch with friends lol its weird to think abt how ya movies and books have changed so much

The Hunger Games books + movies

I've been listening to the Shrieking Shack (the only podcast i listen to lol) read through these books and Im like super enjoying it, theres a lot of interesting stuff they dig up that points out at the hypocrisy of the early 2010s and weird race stuff that happens in thg

i had fun with the movies, watched them with a friend who didnt remember much abt them and we had a great time not a big fan of how it kinda pioneered the gray cement aesthetic of big budget movies tho

[0opalita]

海がきこえる -  ファースト　インプレッション 

[elinaline]

Top 3 movies

Princess Mononoke, Spirited away, my neighbour Totoro, Kiki's budservice, Porco Rosso, Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, The castle in the sky, Howl's moving castle

The Princess bride

Spiderman into the spiderverse

[vital-information]

How to Fiction Like a Grown-up

“in SKAM, everyone has a purposefully acknowledged percentage of sheer ignorance, things they understand and things they reeeeally don’t...this is how real life works. nobody is the ideologically flawless character, teaching the ideologically backwards character that they are Wrong About Everything. everyone is pulling everyone up, everyone is making an idiot of themselves, everyone is learning....with SKAM over and over again, communication is highlighted as the best way to solve any issue. it gives a range of issues, yeah, but in the end it teaches HOW to deal with new issues, not simply a list of behaviors not to emulate. it’s never ‘don’t be That Guy,’ it’s ‘everyone can be That Guy sometimes, it’s gonna happen, you’re gonna be ignorant about something, but here is how you overcome and deal with it...’” — uninterestiing

“We can only attribute the ease and pleasure with which we ramble from house to smithy, from cottage parlour to rectory garden, to the fact that George Eliot makes us share their lives, not in a spirit of condescension or of curiosity, but in a spirit of sympathy. She is no satirist. The movement of her mind was too slow and cumbersome to lend itself to comedy. But she gathers in her large grasp a great bunch of the main elements of human nature and groups them loosely together with a tolerant and wholesome understanding which, as one finds upon rereading, has not only kept her figures fresh and free, but has given them an unexpected hold upon our laughter and tears.” — Virginia Woolf, “George Eliot”

“TV’s long taught its audience to expect an outsized amount of drama where there might not be as much in reality, even if only to milk every storyline for what it’s worth. But on Ted Lasso, potential landmines like seething jealousy, secret lust and Rebecca’s scheming only fester for so long before the characters deal with it all like….well, adults.” — Caroline Framke, “For Your Reconsideration: Ted Lasso” 

I told Miyazaki I love the "gratuitous motion" in his films; instead of every movement being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment, or they will sigh, or look in a running stream, or do something extra, not to advance the story but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are."We have a word for that in Japanese," he said. "It's called ma. Emptiness. It's there intentionally."Is that like the "pillow words" that separate phrases in Japanese poetry?"I don't think it's like the pillow word." He clapped his hands three or four times. "The time in between my clapping is ma. If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it's just busyness, But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb."Which helps explain why Miyazaki's films are more absorbing and involving than the frantic cheerful action in a lot of American animation. I asked him to explain that a little more."The people who make the movies are scared of silence, so they want to paper and plaster it over," he said. "They're worried that the audience will get bored. They might go up and get some popcorn.But just because it's 80 percent intense all the time doesn't mean the kids are going to bless you with their concentration. What really matters is the underlying emotions--that you never let go of those.What my friends and I have been trying to do since the 1970's is to try and quiet things down a little bit; don't just bombard them with noise and distraction. And to follow the path of children's emotions and feelings as we make a film. If you stay true to joy and astonishment and empathy you don't have to have violence and you don't have to have action. They'll follow you. This is our principle."He has been amused, he said, to see a lot of animation in live-action movies like "Spider-Man." “In a way now, live action is becoming part of that whole soup called animation. Animation has become a word that encompasses so much, and my animation is just a little tiny dot over in the corner. It's plenty for me. — Roger Ebert, “Hayao Miyzaki Interview”

“The pilot’s opening scene foreshadowed the kind of quiet impressionism that Friday Night Lights would embrace, again and again, throughout its five excellent seasons. It also foreshadowed the approach that you might call the “friendly panopticon”: Everyone, here, is seen. And everyone, here, is capable of seeing....There are minor characters and major ones in all this, certainly—it would be narrative anarchy without that—but FNL, much more than most shows that preceded it, took for granted the dignity of each character in its universe. It rejected sitcomic snobbery in favor of a broader embrace of its wide array of characters. It turned empathy into an aesthetic.” — Megan Garber, “Friday Night Lights Democratized TV Drama”

“But the problem with readers, the idea we're given of reading is that the model of a reader is the person watching a film, or watching television. So the greatest principle is, "I should sit here and I should be entertained." And the more classical model, which has been completely taken away, is the idea of a reader as an amateur musician. An amateur musician who sits at the piano, has a piece of music, which is the work, made by somebody they don't know, who they probably couldn't comprehend entirely, and they have to use their skills to play this piece of music. The greater the skill, the greater the gift that you give the artist and that the artist gives you. That's the incredibly unfashionable idea of reading. And yet when you practice reading, and you work at a text, it can only give you what you put into it. It's an old moral, but it's completely true.” Zadie Smith, “Bookworm: On Beauty”

“It pains me to have to introduce this lot with a couple of adjectives apiece, since, again, they all deserve about 12. These beautifully drawn characters just can't be reduced or pigeonholed so glibly. Where you're expecting an exaggerated comedy of town-and-country manners, pitting pious, suspicious in-laws against the worldly, patronising [career woman], Junebug courageously demurs, time and again: we get a real home, and real people in it, and what's laugh-out-loud funny about scene after scene is what's resolutely specific and true.” — Tim Robey, “A Small, Quiet Miracle”

Doesn't she worry at the lack of explosions? [Robinson] laughs. "There's something in my temperament . . . I have a problem with explosions in the sense that many very fine books are written about things that do, in fact, explode. But if the explosion is something that's supposed to make the novel interesting as opposed to being something that it's essentially about, I think it's very much to be avoided...It seems to me that the small drama of conversation and thought and reflection, that is so much more individual, so much less clichéd than - I mean when people set out on an adventure, I think 90 times out of 100, they've read about it in a brochure  — Emma Brackes, “A Life in Writing: Marilynne Robinson”

[365days365movies]

March 1, 2021: The Hobbit (1977) (Part 1)

In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.

When I was 9, my school let us read a very special book, originally meant for kids, but beloved by everyone. My folks and I went to Borders Books (FUCK ME, I miss Borders), and we got an illustrated copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I can’t find that book, but if I ever find it again, Imma buy it IMMEDIATELY, I tell you what. And...oh shit, it’s on Amazon for $12? 

Well. I just made that purchase, I guess. But yeah, I loved that book when I was a kid, and this was during the same year that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy began, with Fellowship, of course. And I wouldn’t end up watching those until a few years later, but I loved those too when I saw them. And I’ve NEVER seen the abridged version, by the way, I’ve only ever seen the extended editions.

Although, I can’t call myself a hardcore fan. I’ve never read the Silmarillion, for example. Although, weirdly, I wanted it as a kid at some point, so I was almost there. But no, I ended up getting into comic books hardcore instead, so I can’t tell you the history of Tom Bombadil, but I can tell you about at least one of the fuckin’ 87 tieles that the Legion of Super-Heroes has been involved in. I’m not gonna like it though.

...Yes, I will, who am I kidding, I love the Legion. Anyway, I’ve still always been a fan of the franchise, and I was extremely excited when Jackson announced that he’d be doing an adaptation of The Hobbit! Seriously, I WAS FUCKING PUMPED, you have no idea. I re-read the book, I was super-excited...and then Harry Potter changed EVERYTHING. Kind of.

See, Harry Potter’s development as a two films made from one book seemed to kick off a trend. Breaking Dawn and Mockingjay are the two that immediately come to mind, as does this film. However, to be fair...that’s probably a coincidence. Yeah, this film was originally developed as two parts, WAY before Deathly Hallows got that treatment. And even then, Jackson and Del Toro had difficulty breaking it up into two parts, and three ended up being easier. Still...the change from two-to-three does feel a little connected to that trend.

Anyway, in celebration of that decision, I’m gonna break this review into three parts! Yes. Really. I want to see if it works. And so, let’s talk about the other most famous adaptation of this book by talking about its creators.

Yup. Rankin-Bass did 2D-animated cartoons, too! And this was one of their most famous ones, dating back to 1977. But wait! There’s more! This was followed by Ralph Bakshi’s version of Lord of the Rings by a different studio. You know, this one?

Yeah, that one. It was only based on the first two books, Fellowship and Towers. But it was technically unconnected to the Rankin-Bass version. Which is why it was REALLY weird when Rankin-Bass came out with an adaptation of the third book, Return of the King, right afterwards!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. Because both of Rankin-Bass’ specials were animated by a Japanese studio called Topcraft, who’d actually worked with Rankin-Bass for years. But then, they went bankrupt a few years later, and was bought by Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and...Hayao Miyazaki. And it was renamed as...

So, this is a Hobbit adaptation produced by the Rudolph people and animated by the people who would eventually become Studio Ghibli. Well, uh...holy fucking shit. Let’s DO THIS BABY. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/3)

As we’re wont to do in this story, we head to Hobbiton in the Shire, where we meet Bilbo Baggins (Orson Bean). A simple Hobbit in a simple home, with a happy and simple life. But one day, he’s approached by Gandalf (John Huston), who seeks a burglar to help with the mission of a group of dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Hans Conried).

We also immediately start off with two songs from the original book, and I have to say that I like them a but better in the Jackson movies, but they’re still well performed here. Anyway, after dinner, the true goal of their quest is given. Beneath Lonely Mountain, the ancestral home of the Dwarves, there was a kingdom ruled by the King Under the Mountain, Thorin’s grandfather.

Through reading the lyrics of the song “Far over the Misty Mountains,” Thorin tells the tale of the takeover of the Dwarves’ great golden hoard by the dragon Smaug. Bilbo is tasked to help the Dwarves steal back the treasure stolen from them. And, while he’s extremely reluctant to be a part of all this, Gandalf basically forces him to, the pushy bastard. And Bilbo’s Greatest Adventure now lies ahead!

Speaking of, here’s the song “The Greatest Adventure”, sung by Glenn Yarborough, who is the living personification of vibrato. Fuckin’ seriously, this guy’s voice is ridiculous, but I love it so much. As the night passes underneath Glenn Yarborough’s hypnotically shaky voice, and uncertain, Bilbo stares out at the moon. Once it’s over, we’re on our way to the Misty Mountains.

Bilbo’s having a tough time with the long journey and rough weather, and it doesn’t get much better when they encounter a trio of trolls. They send out Bilbo to try and steal some mutton from them, but he’s IMMEDIATELY a failure, and also manages to tell the trolls that the dwarves are present. Nice one, Bilbo. The trolls catch all of the dwarves, although Bilbo manages to escape. 

The trolls argue about how to cook the dwarves, but before they get to do anything, Gandalf shows up and summons the dawn, turning the trolls into stone and saving the dwarves. While they’re initially quite frustrated by Bilbo’s failure, he makes it up by discovering a horde of goods and weapons stolen by the trolls. This is also where Bilbo gets his classic weapon, Sting.

Gandalf, cheeky bastard that he is, suddenly reveals a map that he’s kept secret from Thorin, its rightful owner. Bilbo, a classic cartomaniac, is able to interpret the map. But there are also runes that they can’t quite read. And so, Gandalf brings them to his friend, Elrond (), who’s wearing a sick-ass glittery tiara that’s hovering off his head. How come Hugo Weaving didn’t have that?

Anyway, Elrond identifies the swords that Thorin and Gandalf grabbed as Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver and Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, because FUCK YEAH, BABY, those are some fuckin’ NAMES! WHOOOOOO!

Anyway, he also points them in the direction of the mountain, and shows them hidden features to the map. They head through the mountains after this, and rest in a cave. Unfortunately, this cave is on Goblin territory, and the group (sans Gandalf, who’s disappeared to make out with Cate Blanchett or whatever) is quickly ambushed by a group of now-horned Goblins, who chant their song as they go “Down, Down, to Goblin-Town”. Which is a song that I love, unironically. It compels me to sing along.

The Goblins nearly kill them when they discover Orcrist in Thorin’s possession, but they’re saved by the sudden appearance of Gandalf with the glowing sword Glamdring. He kills the Great Goblin, and the group run out with the Goblins in hot pursuit. Well, except for Bilbo.

Yeah, Bilbo falls into a cavern below the mountain, and the dwarves think him gone for good. However, he’s miraculously safe on the ground, having landed in an underground aquifer, in which lives THE GREATEST CHARACTER IN THE MIDDLE-EARTH FRANCHISE FUCKIN’ AT ME I DARE YOU

And just so we’re clear, I’m not talking about the film version only, I’m talking about Gollum/Smeagol in general. Granted, I don’t want a film starring him or anything (coughCruellacoughcoughMaleficentcoughcoughClaricecoughcough), but I love this dissociative little dude so much. He’s one of my favorite fantasy characters in general, and is also maybe the best example of a sympathetic villain, in film at least.

OK, to be fair, I love Andy Serkis’ version of the character a LOT, like a LOT a lot, and it’s a great version of the character. OK, so what do I think of this version? He’s...interesting, actually. If I’m honest, I kinda like him. This is similar to how I always pictured Gollum when I was a kid.

I mean, listen to this description from the book, yeah?

Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum - as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face...He was looking out of his pale lamp-like eyes for blind fish, which he grabbed with his long fingers as quick as thinking.

I dunno, that does sound more like this version of Gollum to me, just saying. Anyway, while Gollum is off fishing in the water, Bilbo gets up on the shore, where he finds a little golden ring Not important, just a ring, definitely means nothing at all, NOTHING AT ALL, NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

The hungry Gollum (Brother Theodore) happens upon Bilbo, precious, wonders if Bilbo would taste good, and is basically about to kill him for his sweet hobbit meat, before Bilbo takes out Sting. Now afraid, Gollum offers a game of riddles. The two make a deal: if Bilbo wins at a game of riddles, Gollum will show him the  way out. But if Gollum wins, precious will eat him raaaaaaaw and wrrrrrrrrrriggling!

The riddles commence, in a super-fuckin’-classic moment, and also ends with maybe the most bullshit moment in all of fantasy lore. After clever riddles with answers involving eggs, wind, and time, Bilbo’s last riddle is “What’s in my pocket?” The fuck, Bilbo, that’s absolute BULLSHIT!

Not that it matters. Bilbo wins, but Gollum goes to find his ring to show it to Bilbo before he takes him away. Thing is, though, that’s what was in Bilbo’s pocket, which Gollum quickly figures out, my precious. He’s about to kill Bilbo to get back his birthday present, precious, but Bilbo discovers the secret trick of the ring: it turns the wearer invisible, AND THAT WILL NEVER BE A BAD THING EVER.

Gollum thinks that Bilbo’s escaped and runs after him toward the exit. This, of course, leads Bilbo towards the exit inadvertently, and he follows Gollum, then jumps over him to get back. To which Gollum screams the following:

Thief! Thief! Baggins! We hates it! Hates it! Forever!

I hear you, buddy. I hear you. Well, once Bilbo escapes, he reconvenes with the rest, and shares his adventure in the cave, but leaves out the ring. And Gandalf seems to know, based on his dialogue. And I checked, and he figured it out in the book and Jackson movie, too. And I gotta say...WHAT THE FUCK GANDALF

I mean...DUDE. CHECK UP on that shit. Do you wizard job, man! If you’d been like, “Dude...you didn’t find a magic ring that turns you invisible, ight, because we’re FUCKED if you did”, NONE OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS WOULD’VE HAPPENED, AND BOROMIR WOULD STILL BE ALIVE

Everybody talks about the fuckin’ eagles, but WHY DO I NEVER HEAR ANYONE MENTION THIS SHIT? Gandalf the Grey: Middle-Earth’s most irresponsible asshole, I swear...

This seems like a good place to pause, actually. See you in the next part!

[howdoyousayghibli]

When Marnie Was There: A Triumphant Swan Song for Studio Ghibli

In 2013, following the release of The Wind Rises, Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement from feature films. It didn’t last long, but it did give us one of only a few Studio Ghibli films with neither directing nor screenwriting credit from Miyazaki or Isao Takahata: When Marnie Was There. The other two films with that distinction are Tales from Earthsea and The Cat Returns — an overambitious disaster and a delightful if superficial romp, respectively. 

Thankfully, Marnie is neither a disaster nor superficial: it’s a beautiful, true-to-life, emotionally powerful coming-of-age story. Released in 2014 and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the story centers on young Anna, a withdrawn and melancholic girl who is sent to spend time with her aunt and uncle in the countryside in hopes of ameliorating her asthma. 

There, she meets the enigmatic and titular Marnie, who seems to already know Anna and who lives in a mansion that seems to keep flipping from regal and fully-staffed to dilapidated and abandoned. Marnie’s identity and the source of Anna’s woes are equally engaging mysteries that Marnie wisely takes its time unspooling. 

While the visuals may not have the wow-factor of Arrietty, Yonebayashi’s stunning directorial debut, Marnie is still a feast for the eyes. What sticks out the most is the depiction of the Kushiro wetlands where Anna spends most of the movie. It inspired such a longing for that kind of natural landscape, in fact, that I literally got up and took my dog for a walk through some nearby woods about ⅔ of the way through this movie. You will want to move to rural Japan; accept this, and keep watching.

The other immediately striking element of Marnie is Anna herself. The movie opens with an internal monologue in which Anna describes how she’s never felt like she belongs; that sentiment has been shared by countless young-adult protagonists, but usually it feels like an afterthought tacked on in service of a bland “Be Yourself!” message. 

Marnie actually makes the effort to depict the causes and consequences of that feeling. Fellow introverts will cringe in solidarity as adults make social commitments on Anna’s behalf — right in front of her! — and nod vigorously as Anna flees incoming extroverted strangers to avoid the mortifying ordeal of being known. 

But flee all she likes, Anna can’t escape being adopted by a series of friendly, patient extroverts. There’s certainly some conflict in the story, and the movie isn’t shy about letting us see Anna mess up, but by and large Marnie pulls off the magic trick of having emotional resonance without ever really getting unpleasant. Most of the people Anna meets are wonderful, and it’s a pleasure watching her slowly come out of her shell. Studio Ghibli always knocks the side characters out of the park, and Yonebayashi continues the tradition here. 

Now, some people might take issue with the statement that Marnie never gets “unpleasant.” What I mean is that there are no Umbridges or Joffreys running around to make you want to throw things, and the characters aren’t punching bags like in Grave of the Fireflies. Marnie does get sad, but it’s a sweet, kind sadness that just makes you want to go upstairs and pick up your sleeping baby and hold her for a bit. I’m going to stop there because I’m writing this at work and really don’t want people to think I’m tearing up over the mushed peas and zoodles recipe I’m supposed to be editing. 

There’ll be more on this in the Spoiler Zone, but you should know that Marnie really benefits from being watched twice. It’s that rare mystery trick where the first watch is enriched by the desire to understand, and the second watch is enriched by already knowing. Even if you aren’t in the habit of re-watching films, you won’t be disappointed by a second viewing here.

I adore this movie. The only real flaw — made in all innocence, I believe — is also spoiler-y to talk about, but suffice to say that it is also less of a problem on the second watch. When Marnie Was There is funny, affecting, and beautiful. The future of How Do You Live seems uncertain; if Marnie does turn out to be the last Ghibli film, it would make a fine end for the storied studio. 

Up Next: Funny thing — there’s nothing next! At least, as of February 5, 2020, When Marnie Was There is the last movie published by Studio Ghibli. A few years ago, Miyazaki announced that he was un-retiring to direct a new film, How Do You Live; however, the projected release has been continually pushed back, and in a recent interview, Miyazaki stated that the movie was only about 15% finished after years of work. 

Barring new Ghibli movies, I’ll likely review some other highly acclaimed anime features — I’ve heard good things about Millennium Actress and Wolf Children. I considered reviewing Ocean Waves, a technically-Studio-Ghibli movie made for TV in the 90s, but I watched it and … it wasn’t great. I didn’t want to end my Ghibli reviews on a down note, so I decided against it. (The short version is that it’s an enemies-to-lovers story that spends 99% of the movie on the “enemies” part.) 

For now, I’ll just say thank you for reading. This has been a fun, educational, and fulfilling project for me, and the fact that any of these posts have been liked or shared has been a pleasant surprise. Watch out for one last Spoiler Zone after the image!

SPOILER ZONE

Ok, so, my biggest issue with When Marnie Was There is that, before you know that Marnie is Anna’s grandma’s ghost, the way their interactions are written and animated gives off biiiiiiiiiiiiiig lesbian vibes. The way they talk, when Marnie shows Anna how to row the boat, the dancing, the repeated pleas to keep their relationship a secret, the femme/butch pairing, the blushing .... let’s just say I have several notes from my first watch along the lines of “wow Anna has big Oblivious Lesbian energy” and “surprised to see something this progressive from Studio Ghibli way back in 2014.” 

Naturally, I retroactively felt super gross about all that once it clicked that it was a different relationship entirely. Like I said above, this is ameliorated when watching the second time. It’s easier to see how one could interpret it all differently — Anna’s not interested in Marnie romantically, she just literally has never had a friend before and is very overwhelmed by the whole thing. Likewise, Marnie is simply sad to see how withdrawn her granddaughter is and determined to bring her out of her shell.

But yeah, someone really needed to look at the storyboards for this movie and tell Studio Ghibli to tone down the blushing, because in 2020 (and I can’t imagine it came across too differently back in 2014) it reads as a very clearly telegraphed gay romance, and the ick factor when Marnie’s identity is revealed detracts from what is otherwise an extremely sweet, sad, and beautiful story.

Stray Notes:

well it’s been 5 minutes and I’m tearing up at this mom worrying about Anna so much

That title text is … bad

that exploding pumpkin bag shot 👍👍

“He’s a bear” lol

“A witch? Takes one to know one” SOLID BURN DAWG

“Extreme Introvert Gets Adopted by a Series a Extreme Extroverts”

WOW SAD

Aw it’s the first good Ghibli credits song, just in time for their last movie

wait, Hiromasa Yonebayashi was only 36 when he directed Arrietty?? 

[benmcm18]

Pre-Trimester 2

Representing the Real - Short Documentary task

Portrait of Ga - Margaret Tait

A portrait film of the filmmaker’s mother. It follows her day on the Island of Orkney. Showing what makes her unique as her mother. From the way she unwraps the sweets to how she bounds up the roadside. The camera is close and personal reflecting how close she is to her mother. 

From my perspective, this piece interested me because I saw similar things Ga did with my own Granny (Probably due to them being similar ages) I wouldn’t do anything differently as I believe it would detract from what it’s meant to be about. A relationship between a mother and daughter. (3 out of 5)

Pigeon Seduction - Lisa Peterson, Nicky Spears

Focusing on Doo flying which has always held a particular interest with me as my uncle participates in the hobby, The film had fantastic audio and editing. The story was engaging and explored in just the right detail. The filmmakers came in with little understanding of the hobby and this helped me (the audience) learn and understand the art of Doo flying more. Whilst, I wasn’t a fan of the cinematography at parts this didn’t matter because it was carried by the previous points. I’m amazed this was created by second years as I’ve seen professionally made documentaries that are nowhere near as engaging. (3.5 out of 5)

Same but different - Louise Leitch

A film that explores the relationship between two best friends as one transitions from being a man into a woman. This is all being explored in only 3 minutes, you would think that this may not be enough time to explore such an interesting and major subject however it perfectly tells the whole story from both perspectives. It feels honest and doesn’t overdramatize anything which to me I really liked. (4 out of 5)

Lester - Luke Fowler

I didn’t really understand this documentary. Maybe that was the point. I’m not sure. Either way, I did like how I got a really good impression of what kind of person lived in the flat and the musical score was very mellifluous. However, with no direction in the documentary, there is very little I can say about this piece of work. Maybe the filmmaker’s relationship with the subject is that he lives there. I’m not sure. I’m not really sure what I would have done differently as I’m not sure what it is about. (1.5 out of 5)

Porco Rosso Review

I haven’t watched many Hayao Miyazaki films. Whilst I enjoyed Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro I watched it because I “had” to watch them. They are classics and my friends were recommending them constantly and even though they were really good, I wasn’t entranced like many people are in them. However, saying that, I loved Porco Rosso. 

Story - Set in 1930’s Italy, a veteran World War 1 Pilot known as “The Crimson Pig” works as a bounty hunter stopping sky pirates from committing crimes on the Adriatic Sea. He is also a pig. His real name is Marco and the story to me is the perfect length, it was not short enough to not finish all its important plot points and then also not long enough to have me looking at when it is going to finish. In the end, it made me sad there wasn’t more which I think is perfect. In regards to the plot, it mainly focuses on Marco’s battle against Curtis (An American pilot and actor who has aspiring dreams to become President. I don’t want to spoil anything, I’m just here to say that I really loved the story but if I had one gripe it would be that the final encounter at the climax of the film is somewhat underwhelming. 

Characters - Marco is obviously my favourite character as he is caring yet somewhat cold to letting people get close to him. This is reinforced by his backstory as a World War 1 pilot and the relationships with others from that era in the story. I like how Miyazaki hints at his past instead of filling the audience with detail. It makes me think the character is more mysterious and I like that. Other stand-out characters are Curtis, Fio and Gina all wonderfully interesting characters in their own right. Fio is a strong independent person who proves she is as capable as anyone else regardless of her age and sex. Gina is an old friend of Marco from the First World War and their history is shown throughout the film just the right amount so that it’s not overbearing. Curtis could be considered the Antagonist of the film but he didn’t seem that bad a guy. Miyazaki gives him his own dreams and aspirations, you expect him to be a cocky, arrogant Pilot set on winning the girl (And he is) but due to his kind nature and heart you can’t help but like him. There is also Mamma, leader of the pirates and he was pretty funny.

Music - The musical score was composed by Joe Hisaishi. It is an elegant and light piano solo with its purpose to allow the audience to fly through the sky like Porco. It achieves this and was truly a joy to listen to. I have to say when the climax arrived or when tensions were rising the music didn’t match the level of intensity as what was being shown on screen but I don’t think it was meant to. The story overall is a light-hearted adventure and overpowering the music would draw too much attention to it and feel out of place. 

I also have to mention the song in the Hotel Adriano, performed by Gina (actually by Tokiko Kato in the sub) called “Le Temps Des Cerises” is truly a joy to listen to. I don’t know much about French music or music for that matter so I won’t pretend I do. All I know is that I enjoyed listening to it and understand what it meant for Marco’s character. 

Cinematography - It’s a beautiful film. There isn’t much to it. It’s visually stunning. The animation work to create such imagery is clearly very professional but I mean it is a Ghibli film. I’ll leave below some frames of the film that I loved but yeah in summary very, very good!

Recommend? - OF COURSE! My favourite Ghibli film to date. It is one of my favourite films of the year. One of my favourite films ever. Everything in this film screams loved. The characters were interesting and I would drop everything to get to see them again. The story whilst lacking at one point for me is still enchanting and charming and not a negative in my eyes at all! The music carries this film to even greater heights and well, the cinematography is equally spectacular. This underrated in my eyes and I never hear many people talk about it as much as Spirited Away or other popular Studio Ghibli films but I believe it is one of their bests.

(4.5 out of 5)

[hello-robin-goodfellow]

My Sugestions of Seven Feel Good Movies

1º The Castle of Cagliostro.

The first animated long feature film of Hayao Miyazaki. Combining exciting action, energetical phisical comedy and bittersweet fairy tale romance with a likable and charismatic cast of characters, it shows how promising Miyazaki and his team were to the world of animation, and tells a story that combines several genres of fiction i really, really envyyyyy not have writen!

2º O Auto da Compadecida (2001).

O Auto da Compadecida (also known, among English viewers, as A Dog's Will) is a 1999 brazilian movie, based on a play of the same name by Ariano Suassuna. The story takes place the in impoverished, dry deserted region of Northeast Brazil and follows two friends trying to get by using their wits and silver tongue: the lively Jack (played by Matheus Nachtergaele) and the cowardly Chicó (played by Selton Mello). The two men work as assistants to the local baker and get wrapped up in several misadventures, including: tricking a priest to deliver the last rites to a dog as part of its will, trying to marry a landowner's daughter or risk loosing a lump of flesh as the price and an fatal encounter with a bloodthirsty bandit. That last misadventure lands Jack on a trial ministered by the Devil, Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The movie is ostensibly a comedy, and it was also released as a 4-part minisseries for TV.

I was born in Pernambuco, the state in wich the play that served as a base for the filme was first performed, and were it was the concentration of the artistic and literary Armorial Movement, of wich this story is one of the representants. It is one of the movies i watch and rewatch the most, i laugh of the same jokes over and over, and quote a lot of the lines. It was one of the first examples of archetypical character writing and social denounce comedy, tackling dark subject matters like death, that i came contact with, influencing the kind of writing i want to make. And i personally saw the original author of the play, Ariano Suassuna, do public speaking, when i was fifteen years old :)!

3º The Incredible Army of Brancaleone (1966).

L'Armata Brancaleone, known to the english-speakers as The Incredible Army of Brancaleone and For Love and Gold is an Italian comedy movie released in 1966, written by the  duo Age & Scarpelli and directed by Mario Monicelli, featuring Vittorio Gassman in the main role. It was entered into the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. The film is set in the tragically realistic Italy during the Middle Ages. After mugging a valiant but wounded German Knight, some raiders find out that he was going to inherit the fief of Aurocastro. The bandits manage to persuade the fallen knight Brancaleone of Norcia to go to the fief in lieu of the German Knight and take possession of it, sharing the goods with the others, of course. So the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits (or Armata Brancaleone) start its long journey towards the fief, meeting up with various characters on their way, including a princess, a fanatical priest who want to force them to join the crusade, a fallen byzantine prince and many others.

This and Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautyfull were my first contact with Italian Cinema. At first, The Incredible Army of Brancaleone scared me away as a child, because, as part of presenting a image of the Middle Ages more distant of fairy tales, it opened with a very gory scene of pillage, where a man have his arm cutted. But then, a few years later (when i was eight to nine years old), i gave it a second chance, watching it from beggining to end. And, oh my stars, is just so colorful (so much so that Brancaleone’s horse, Aquilante, is somehow yellow), and funny. Brancaleone (who aparently was inspired on Don Quixote) and his man are some of the most likable morans ever putted on screen. For me, this movie is proof that you still can present a grimm dark world balanced with an idealist, tough not very competent, group of likable characters, thus avoiding coming out as cynical and/or gratuitous darkness induced apathy, making a more profound point about society and human contradictions.

4º Amélie (2005).

This movie follows the story of Amélie Poulain, a lonely young parisian waitress with simple pleasures, as she decides to become a sort of guardian angel to those around her: reuniting a stranger with a box of his childhood treasures, gently prompting her retired father to follow his dreams of world travel, matchmaking café regulars, playing practical jokes on a greengrocer who's being cruel to his assistant, writing love letters to a woman whose husband left her, etc. During her adventures, she meets an odd young man called Nino, who we quickly realize is her soulmate — but she is too shy to make direct contact. She must find the courage to fix her own life as she's been fixing those of others.

How to start guching about this movie? The work with the green and red colors are a wonder to the eyes, we want to hear over and over again the memorable soundtrack, the inteligent script managed to make everyday life into a great adventure, the theme of sex receives a funny, yet natural, treatment, and i came to consider Audrey Tautou one of my favorite actressess for her performance as Amélie Poulain, a character whose curiosity, imagination, shiness, loneliness and buried sadness is very relatable.

5º Chicken Run (2000).

A ginger chicken named "Ginger" is the ringleader in the attempts of the chickens to escape from Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy's Chicken Farm, a prison where any chicken who fails to lay eggs risks being beheaded and cooked for dinner. Ginger is at her wits' end trying to talk the others into any new escape attempts, (all of which fail and earn her a trip to solitary confinement in a coal bunker). Then a rooster named Rocky, who can apparently fly, falls from the sky and agrees to teach the chickens how to fly like him, in return for Ginger keeping mum on his presence. However Mrs. Tweedy, tiring of the low profits selling eggs brings her, decides to convert her business into chicken pot pies. Needless to say, things get drastic in a hurry and Ginger must get the whole coop into the air before they all become mincemeat. 

This movie was my first contact with british animation, and one of my first memories of stop motion animation. And, ho boy, that animation still aged so well. My favorite scene is of the first flying trainging. Mrs. Tweedy is a very intimidating villain, Ginger is a brave and intelligent leader i would follow, the military style rooster Fowler is hilarious, Babs is adorkable with her needles and I AM MAC, THE NERDY CHICKEN! And plus: the soundtrack, oh, the soundtrack. Just, amazing.

6º The Ray Harryhausen Sinbad Movie Trilogy (1958, 1974, 1977).

Speaking of stop-motion animation, i decided to honour with a spot here the three movies staring the legendary Arabian Nights sailor Sinbad, The SEventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and The Eye of The Tiger (1977), with storyboards and monster animation made by the team of master of stop-motion himself, Ray Harrihausen. Taking the viewer into aventures to save a princess and a prince from malefic and spels and searching for the pieces of a map to the fountain of youth, this movies present us with a rich fantasy world influenced by the Arabian Nights and the Greek Mithology, two of my personal favorites pantheons of fantastic mithologies. The second one of the trilogie, 1974′s The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, is probably the best crafted, specially with his variety of animated creatures and the writing of his main villain, the wizard Koura, played by Tom Baker. But i highly recomend all three for a great ride into the evolution of Harryhausen’s stop motion animation and storytelling.

7º The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004).

One world: nostalgia.

This movie is the best episode, and the finally of the series. Period.

I wannabe best friends with Princess Mindy. And i want a Goofy Goober Icecream.

‘I’m a Goofy Goober. Yeah! You are a Goofy Goober. Yeah! We are Goofy Goober. Yeah! Goofy, Goofy, Goofy Goober, yeah’!

I TAG: @giuliettaluce​, @princesssarisa, @anne-white-star​, @thedyingtimelady​, @witches-ofcolor​, @jasminesa73, @tipsywench​

[ramblingguy54]

26, 29, 30, 36?

*cracks knuckles*Alright, let’s do this.

26: The late Robin Williams & Hayao Miyazaki are two particular people in my life I’ve idolized for what happiness/imagination they’ve brought into others lives. Robin Williams untimely passing still hurts for me to look back on because this man made it his mission to bring so much joy into other peoples lives through his acting on the big screen, whether it was dramatic or comedic. That’s what I found the most impressive about Robin’s range in acting. He could be an over the top funny individual, but Robin’s acting chops were in a league of their own. Whether he was behind the microphone having the time of his life as Genie on Aladdin or giving a powerful dramatic performance on Good Will Hunting as Will’s therapist, I could feel the unconditional kindness. There was something about Robin’s acting power that would usually manage to reel me in. Even if I never knew him in real life, obviously, this man just radiated with so much kindness that I felt from his entire presence on screen. It’s seriously unfortunate what became of Robin Williams in the end with his unexpected death, but his legacy has inspired me to be kinder to others in real life. As for Hayao Miyazaki, this guy is a huge factor in why I got into loving anime related stuff all the more, as his creations in storytelling and the art itself for the movies were beyond unlike anything I still have yet to seen be topped quite frankly. It’s so easy for me to get emotionally lost in his films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Castle In The Sky, and Spirited Away. This man never ceases to amaze me with how usually impactful and in depth his films are. They’re so full life that it’s easy to lose sight of whats happening in the actual story at times. Mayazaki understood how to breathe a ton of humanity into creating such resonating works of fiction. Have a much greater appreciation for them in my adult years. There’s a reason why they inspired companies, like Pixar, to create immersive stories of their own.

29: Favorite films range from Zootopia, Wreck It Ralph, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, Aladdin (1992), The Secret Of NIMH, The Lion King (1994), The Incredibles, UP, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Inside Out, Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2, How To Train Your Dragon Trilogy, Toy Story 1-4, The Great Mouse Detective, Lilo & Stitch, The Emperors New Groove, A Goofy Movie, Good Will Hunting, The Fox And The Hound, The Land Before Time, The Brave Little Toaster, Frozen, Shrek 1 & 2, Coraline, Paranorman, Kubo And The Two Strings, The Muppets (2011), Princess Mononoke, Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, Summer Wars, Beauty and the Beast (1991), Winnie The Pooh (1977 & 2011 iterations.), The Peanuts Movie, The Princess And The Frog, The Jungle Book (2016), Scooby Doo On Zombie Island, Harry Potters’ 1-7, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, Wonder Woman, Sam Raimi’s Spiderman 1 & 2, The Black Panther, Thor & Thor Ragnorok, The Avengers, Avengers Infinity War & Endgame, Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, Captain America Trilogy, Iron Man Trilogy, Star Wars Episodes 4-8, and The Breakfast Club to stop this list from getting any longer. =P

30: Favorite TV shows range from Cowboy Bebop, Avatar The Last Airbender, Yu Yu Hakusho, Digimon Adventure 01 & Tamers, Teen Titans (2003), Batman The Animated Series, Ed, Edd,& Eddy, Samurai Jack, Courage The Cowardly Dog, The Powerpuff Girls (Screw that garbage reboot.), Chowder, Bojack Horseman, DuckTales (1987), DuckTales (2017), Gravity Falls, Code Geass (This series has shaky writing in a number of areas, but that ending was beautiful.), Amphibia, Steven Universe, Oban Star Racers, Made In Abyss, Stranger Things, Gargoyles, My Hero Academia, Naruto (I’ve got a soft spot for this series despite my MANY problems with its story later on.), Pokemon (Serious nostalgia overload!), Dragonball Z (My very first anime series I got into through the Toonami block. A real shocker I know. LOL!), Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, The Promised Neverland, Death Note, Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, Sonic SatAM, Talespin, Darkwing Duck, The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy, Robot Chicken, A Pup Named Scooby Doo, Kim Possible, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Fullmetal Alchemist (2003).

36: My three dream scenarios I’d like to fulfill? 

1: Become A Voice Actor

Been interested in voice acting since I was a young teen, but have been in a conflicted state over these recent passing years in my life on whether or not I’d like to approach that route. There’s a lot of commitment I’d have to put into auditioning my butt off for roles I may or not get. Then comes the consistent practicing to keep my vocal chords in shape, so I don’t get rusty whatsoever. The industry for this kind of job can be hard to get recognized in too by how many other notable well known VA’s there are already. Not to mention, from what I’ve researched up on being a voice actor doesn’t bring in the money naturally, as it’s more of a passion job which that’s terrific and all, but if I want to partake in this profession I’ll have to juggle a job along with that which putting all those factors in my head honestly makes me intimidated. Ahhh well, it’s just something I’ll have to wait and see on if I can make that idea into a reality or not. No need to rush myself, of course.

2: Taking Up The Mantle Of Reviewing Shows & Films For A Living

Fiction, just like for many people, has been a great deal of helping me in my life moments of stress, solitude, depression, and anger. I’d love nothing more than to further express that to anyone out there in reviewing in great detail certain films or shows that I’ve come to love over these years in my life so far. Mostly for animation though, as its been a gateway for finding many gems of quality films or series. It never ceases to surprise me on how creative and powerful animation can be with its inventive ways of getting me to become an emotional mess. While I do enjoy live action series and films they pale in comparison to the beauty animation has brought into my life, since my early childhood of watching shows on Cartoon Network, Toon Disney, and Nickelodeon to a smaller degree. I’d like to think I’m good enough with how I present my reasons on why I feel so strongly connected to these stories showcasing characters trying to find hope in their own hard times. I try my hardest to take moments of my own life and find ways to connect it with whatever story I’m getting into next, so it can be all the more a special experience for myself. It’s important to put whatever character resonates with you most in their shoes for why you feel their emotional journey connecting with your own life on every conceivable level possible. That will make it when you write these kinds of reviews a very empowering read for others to feel either heard in their own feelings or simply giving others a new perspective to consider on this piece of fiction you’re discussing. Seeing some of my own particular analytical posts in the past here on Tumblr garner some attention from people gives me a boost of feeling better about potentially making this choice.

3: Starting A Family Of My Own…?

I can’t begin to tell ya how many times I’ve gone back and forth for getting married in the distant future to become a father has sped through my mind. On one hand, it scares the crap out of me to be taking up that big of a responsibility. However, on the other hand its deeply fascinated me emotionally of creating life through love for your significant other in starting your own family tree. I’d love to be able to raise kids of my own to pass on the lessons I’ve learned in life to make them become better people in the distant future, while showering them with unconditional love and affection. That would fill me up with such an indescribable joyous feeling to hear their own dreams and desires on what they want to accomplish in life. While I’d be a strict parent, I wouldn’t be a hard headed one quick to dismiss their own complaints if they had problems with how I handled things, once they start to get older. The kind of parent I’d want to be is an understanding open minded one who doesn’t judge their son or daughter for when they have an issue with me. Just because I’m a parent in that scenario doesn’t put me on a pedestal of immunity from criticism. Granted, I certainly don’t want to be a doormat for them to try taking advantage of either, but it’s also important to not let your parental role go to your head, too.

Although, I don’t plan on even trying to make this last dream of mine happen anytime soon. This is something that is MUCH later down the road that I wish to have happen. However, I won’t lie and say that I haven’t considered just staying content as a single guy for the rest of my life relying on close friends to bring me joy equivalent to this dream. While I adore the concept of creating life through love and being a father, there’s a shit ton of responsibility that comes with it. The life of a parent is not just putting your all into it. You gotta give more than just 100% when wanting to be a parent. It’s a serious test of your spiritual endurance, which I’m not sure is something I’ll ever have the courage to do, but then again things can change in life on the flip of a dime, so I’ll see how this all plays out for myself. Maybe I’ll stay happily single or I’ll happily be raising kids.

Gee, I wonder why this dream of being a parent resurfaced in my head recently this year? Oh yeah, it was thanks to this character here.

Seriously, Della Duck holds a real special place in my heart for making me feel these kind of feelings yet again. Darn you space mom! LOL.

Thanks for the ask, man.

[theeverlastingshade]

Favorite EP of 2019: Feet of Clay- Earl Sweatshirt

                  Earl Sweatshirt’s masterful 2018 LP Some Rap Songs may have cemented his status as one of the greatest rappers alive, but with his recently released second EP Feet of Clay he proved that he’s much further beyond his contemporaries than anyone could have realized. On a purely technical level he’s been among the most talented rappers alive since he was 15, and while his writing has only gotten better with each release, FoC, like SRS before it, actively pushes the form to new heights. FoC is dense, deconstructionist rap that fundamentally challenges what can fit within that context. Earl’s rapping often sidesteps the beats entirely, and his vocals aren’t mixed neatly over them so much as they simply collide through them. FoC is hip hop first and foremost, but like SRS it incorporates elements of avant-garde jazz, noise, and ambient, and to strictly refer to the music as the former betrays the intricacies of his approach. Understandably, it’s been the most polarizing release of his date. Even while clocking in at 15 minutes there’s an absurd amount to unpack, but spend some time with FoC and it will reward your patience several times over.

                 FoC is the ideal follow-up to SRS in that it’s a work within the same vein as the latter but it pushes that same aesthetic towards embracing more abstract compositions, flows, and imagery. The production is handled primarily by Earl (with The Alchemist having produced “Mtomb” and Ovrkast having produced “El Toro Combo Meal”) and like its predecessor the beats consist of loop-based compositions defined by jarring, dissonant textures and murky ambience. FoC was described by Earl as “a collection of observations and feelings recorded during the death throes of a crumbling empire” and that sense of gloom and decay is realized to great effect on songs like “74” and “Tisk Tisk / Cookies”. It’s still a marvel to hear not only how Earl manages to rap over such seemingly counterintuitive beats, but also in the way that he’s developed as a producer. The conversation around Earl doesn’t acknowledge the impressive producer that he blossomed into nearly enough. Whether it’s the blaring accordion wail that perpetually threatens to unravel “East” at every turn or the loops from what sounds like a decomposing piano that frame “Tisk Tisk / Cookies” Earl’s never made bolder strides as a producer and the sonic lane that he’s carving out for himself is increasingly sounding like the work of no one else.

                 More so than anything else, the biggest draw here is once more the thrill of simply listening to Earl rap. There’s no other rapper alive that writes and raps as thoughtfully or as sharply as Earl. FoC is the latest in a progression of releases that finds him continuing to chisel down his ideas until only the barest essentials remain. The songs are succinct and economical, and feature some of Earl’s most unconventional flows with writing as clever and bleak as he’s proven capable on each of his past releases. While “Peanut” and “Riot” off of SRS were conceived after his father’s passing, FoC is the first release that Earl wrote and recorded in the wake of his passing. Unsurprisingly, FoC is the most insular release within a career that’s been defined by that descriptor. Earl tackles substance abuse, depression, healing, mourning, and memories of the person he once was with his sharp eye for detail and an increasingly wise beyond-his-years perspective. Nothing is heavy handed or mopey, but there’s a rawness to it that pervades even the most seemingly carefree moments. Given the greater context under which it was conceived, FoC feels like the most honest release that I’ve heard all year.

                  “Come get to know me at my innermost/My family business anguish, now I need atonement” Earl raps on “OD” referencing the family strife from his father leaving him when he was a child up through his death on January 3 2018. The song ends with a look back on his youth which was abruptly cut short when his EARL mixtape blew up “Feeling rushed, grew up quick/Trip around the sun, this my 25th, give it up/Gin and rum/We wasn’t supposed to be alive, no funny shit”. On “East” Earl reflects on losses and severed relationships in addition to the desire for his actions in life to live on after him despite believing in the inherent meaningless in the actions of humans “I wait to be the light shimmering from a star/Cognitive dissonance shattered and the necessary venom restored/As if it matters if you think it matters anymore”. On closer “4N” Earl strives for perseverance while holding down his ideals “Bend, we don’t break, swing we don’t miss/We just might be okay, the same voltage/Hold the charge like the phone lit/No regards for the bullshit” and ends FoC with a remark on the emotional purging that birthed it while suggesting that there’s still more than he can do for himself and others “It’s all I could spill/There’s more I could do”.

                     Although FoC doesn’t match the consistency of SRS the highs are just as strong as anything that Earl has ever released. Album opener “74” perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come with Earl unloading a barrage of bars the second the song starts over morose, lo-fi organ loops. It’s immediately jarring to hear how thoroughly he disregards the instrumental, approaching his delivery almost like free-jazz. “El Toro Combo Meal” finds Mavi delivering one of the EPs three features (the others being Mach-Hommy on “4N” and Liv.E on “Mtomb”), and it’s a rare show-stopping moment where an underdog actually holds his own before Earl finishes with a strong verse that touches on the isolation that he’s felt throughout his life. He shouts out recently passed beat music pioneer Ras G, references the Hayao Miyazaki film Spirited Away, the 04-05 Detroit Pistons, and Harry Potter, and reflects on the unfortunate human tendency to reignite old feuds. And on the phenomenal “Tisk Tisk / Cookies” Earl delivers one of the best verses that I’ve heard all year as he reflects on the loss of a loved one “Reelin’ from loss, yeah/Inner remorse, divorce your spirit and corpse, corpse/I tell you I’m hearing it all/The wisdom that’s in your remarks/The silliness in you I Mourn/The moments that’s tender and soft/I’m in ‘em, the memories got strong”.

                     FoC is unlikely to be embraced by anyone that was left cold by SRS, but those that are completely on board with Earl’s artistic growth have likely found plenty to love here. Every song on FoC demonstrates an unrelenting willingness on Earl’s part to forgo complacency and push his claustrophobic music to bracing new heights. FoC, like SRS before it, is heavily influenced by contemporary New York City underground hip-hop, and on both releases Earl pushed that scene’s lo-fi jazz-flecked grit in compelling new directions. FoC successfully distills the tension of noise music, the fleeting romanticism of ambient, and the chaotic unpredictability of free-jazz, resulting in music that’s far more exciting and unpredictable than what the vast majority of his contemporaries are doing. There’s no question that FoC is an inaccessible, and even alienating listen, but I’ve heard very few releases from 2019 that have packed as much compassion, intelligence, and humanity into them despite necessitating such patience. Earl has transitioned from being one of the most compelling rappers alive to transcending the form entirely.

Essentials: “Tisk Tisk / Cookies”, “El Toro Combo Meal” ft. Mavi, “74”

[le-mossy-elf]

Animated movies (school project thing don't look I am begging you)

hello mortals, for English class we have to do a blog about specific movie genera. the thing is... I have no clue how to do that... so teacher, if you're looking at this, don't judge.

okay so what you'll find what the hell you'll find here is:

1) rating criteria.

2) History of the genera.

3) Gods of Animation

4) Iconic films.

5) my top 10 must-see movies and shows 

                                                  Rating Criteria 

if I'm being honest like half of these things are useless but I want a good grade so I shall put the ones according to the Motion picture association of America.

G: General audience. Nothing that will upset people.

PG: Parental guidance suggested. There might be stuff not suitable for children.

PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned.there is stuff inappropriate for pre-teens.

R: restricted. 17+ only

N-C: adults only.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

                                       history of animated movies:

Now even tho animation has kinda always existed before cinematography we are only talking about movies so...cinema yeah. (if you want more info I suggest you look at https://history-of-animation.webflow.io/ or https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/quick-history-animation/ )

it all started in the early 20th century with the first one being  HUMOROUS PHASES OF FUNNY FACES made with stop-motion (1906).

we continue in 1908 with  FANTASMAGORIE that unlike humorous phases of funny faces it isn’t atop motion but hand-drawn animation.

1917 we get the first feature-length animation  El Apóstol, it was made using traditional methods. 

this next name might seem familiar and that's because it’s FELIX THE CAT who is considered the first animated movie star. (1919)

and now we enter the  THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN ANIMATION (1930-1950s), with the rise of Walt Disney, the Warner Brothers, MGM, and Fleischer; with the rise of these companies, animation became part of pop culture.

skipping some years we enter the modern era of animation. You have probably heard of CGI, now this “ new form of stop motion” made a huge impact on animation. an example of this is PIXAR.

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                                           Gods of Animation:

so many films and shows, so much time and effort put into them, here are some of my favorite animators of all time.

James Baxter, have you seen almost any animated movie or show in your life? chances are that James Baxter animated one thing in that movie.

okay I couldn't choose between these 2 gifs so have both.

Hayao Miyazaki: airships are weird right? well for Hayao Miyazaki they are not, look at his work on studio ghibli and you will be mesmerized, but not only with his airships but with whatever he animates. just.. just have a marathon of studio ghibli movies I promise you it will be worth it.

Walt Disney, do I really have to explain my self? I mean he made one of the most iconic animated characters ever, Mikey Mouse.

John Lasseter, Pixar yeah you know that animation company? well he is one of the original animators that helped Pixar’s success.

rebecca sugar. creator of Steven Universe, she became one of my many role models, she also worked on adventure time and has made me cry more times than what I can count.

Alex Hirsch, (this just became a list of my role models) creator of gravity falls, the reason I got into cartoons, again made me cry like 30 times. 

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                                                   Iconic Films 

there are so many animated movies its hard to choose so here are the top 10 movies with no particular order.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 

WALL·E

Spirited Away

The Incredibles

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Toy Story

Coraline

My Neighbor Totoro

The Lion King (1994 becuse the 2019 sucks)

Finding Nemo

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                                          my must-see movies and shows

now just because the movies I just mentioned are iconic it doesn't mean those are my favorite movies, so here I shall give you my favorite movies.

1) Spirited Away, the story? Amazing. the animation? Show-stopping. 100/10.

2) Coco. # movies that make me cry no matter how many times I watch them. 

3)  Coraline. ah yes, sweet childhood terror,  Coraline has been one of my favorite movies just becuse anything stop-motion makes me go “ooooohhhhh” and just the fact that it still freaks me out is shocking. also uh it was a book by Neil Gaiman??? that's enough.

4) Gravity Falls. the first show that made me connect so deeply with the characters that they made me cry. one of the few shows that show a wholesome sibling relationship. I absolutely love this show.

5) Over the garden wall. Everything about this show is amazing. form the music to the animation to the story. I love it and nothing will ever change that.

6) My Neighbor Totoro, again with the studio ghibli movies, this was the first studio ghibli movie I ever saw and I could rewatch it a million times and never grow tired of it.

7) steven universe. yeah I talked about the movie but I didn't tell you about the show. emotional, makes me cry, has some good lesbian representation, makes homophobes mad. I like that. (also yes this next gif was animated by James Baxter)

8)  Your Name.animation music, and story all of that combined it gives us a master pice. this movie is on NetFlix so if you want to watch it any day you can

9) Toy Story (1,2,3 and 4), the movie that made me think toys are alive and made it extra hard to give them away. thanks Pixar.

10)  Bojack horseman. Depression the animated show! you like crying and existential crisis? then you’ll love this show. again just like everything on this list this show has made me cry.

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 and now we have reached the end of this blog. i hope you watch at least one of the things i recomended, they deserve it.

[reila-art]

One thing I've noticed about my old drawings (or my old artist self) was that I actually drew with emotion and imagination. As I got older I noticed a lot of my imagination was dying. When I was getting closer to graduating from high school I felt that eventually I knew I'd have to face and accept reality. It would be inevitable. I would no longer have much time to myself to draw when ever I wanted and at the same time I didn't see myself making much progress with my art but that was the result of feeling pressure to accept reality so I couldn't act like a child anymore which meant I needed to stop wasting my time drawing and do something more productive for my life(that's what I thought since my mother always discouraged me). I used art as a way to make friends in my early school years. If it wasn't for this passion that I had since I was young I don't know if I would have ever been able to make friends on my own (girls didn't really like me when I was little idk why lol) anyways I fell in love with art when I was so young I still remember how it started and my first inspirations was Bob Ross (yeah 😅), Kiki's delivery service (at the time I didn't know about Hayao Miyazaki yet I just really fell in love with my first studio Ghibli film I was probably like 4yrs old hadn't started school yet!), a painting that my mother has had since even before I was born, and sailor Moon (this anime inspired me to pursue animation when I grew up). But I started falling into really bad depressions (typical artist huh) and I started to pick up my pencil to draw less and less til eventually I stopped drawing all together. Til this day it has been extremely hard for me to get back into drawing. But I don't want to give up that's why I still try to draw something from time to time. I want this to be something I could possibly live off in the future and prove that its not a waste of time..