This is a short film that I wrote, directed, and finished in less than a month. It took a lot of time to edit, compose, shoot, and complete. I am certainly proud of the effort put forth by everyone involved. I have to give a shout out to the insanely talented Cameron Seebach, who not only composed an original score, but did an amazing work on sound editing and foley. The music he produced really captures the late 70s/ early 80s horror vibe that I am inspired by. Also Matthew Shoop took time away to completely edit the film and come to location shoots for any help he could offer. I love these guys and I am so thankful of everything that they have done for me and for this project.
I Also want to thank everyone else who was involved in this project of mine. It was a lot to do in a short amount of time. I am proud of the result and I hope that everyone who gets a chance to watch it enjoys it as well.
All a director is, is a guy who is smart enough to surround himself with talented individuals and that certainly is the case here.
This project has really inspired me to work on even more films in the future! So to everyone involved and to everyone who supports me and enjoy my work I would like to say THANK YOU! Without you I would not get the opportunity to do what I do! I love all of you guys.
The Month of Miyazaki concludes with one of Miyazaki’s most
praised and beloved films Spirited Away.
Background
Spirited Away was
released in 2001 four years after the huge success of Miyazaki’s film Princess Mononoke. That film was
completely different from anything he had done previously. It was a much
darker, more mature film that is arguably his greatest work. After he did this
it took him a few years to come back to making films. He came back with Spirited Away, a more upbeat film that has
a very young protagonist that is flawed, but relatable little girl. This film
blew audiences away with its creativity, stunning, animation, and inventive
world. The film was the first major success in the United States for Studio
Ghibli. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, which is rare for a
foreign film. It is very important in Miyazaki’s career and I feel it is only
right that I chose one of the most highly praised Miyazaki films to end this
month.
“Chihiro and her parents are moving to
a small Japanese town in the countryside and Chihiro is missing her old house.
Chihiro's father makes a wrong turn and drives through a lonely land road with
dead end in a tunnel. Her parents decide to stop the car and explore the area.
They cross the tunnel and find an abandoned cultural theme park on the other
side with a ghost town. When her parents sees a restaurant with smelling food
but no staff, they decide to eat to pay later; however Chihiro refuses to eat and
decides to visit the place. She meets the boy Haku that tells her that her
parents and she are in danger and they must leave the place. She runs to the
restaurant and finds that her parents have turned into pigs. Further, the place
is a bathhouse of spirits, monsters, gods and ghosts owned by the witch Yubaba.
Now Chihiro counts on Haku to save her parents and return to their world.” Written by Claudio
Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Review
First off I have to say the World created in this film is
stunning. The complexity and order in the world that is created is astounding.
The little girl, Chihiro, discovers this world as we do she quickly becomes someone
that we as the audience can relate to. She makes mistakes throughout the film
and this adds a sense of vulnerability to her in which we feel very much for
her.Miyazaki always uses young female protagonists
and this film may be the best use. As much as she is a hero and brave in many
aspects, she still is a little girl. In many scenes you can tell the fear and
confusion that she feels. Miyazaki has stated that he based Chihiro on the
daughter of a friend of his that used to come by his house a lot. Like the real
life girl, Chihiro starts off as being sort of distant and unhappy with her
family like many girls that age.
The style of this film feels very different from the other
Miyazaki films. Much of the film takes place at night and the design of the
spirits is very different. Many of these spirits are not cute like the totoro
are. They are often very creepy and bizarre. The other Miyazaki films often
have a more focused narrative (with the exception of My Neighbor Totoro), but this film does not have a straightforward
narrative. Much of the film takes place with Chihiro trying to live with these
spirits.Contrary from what it sounds
like this is a very good thing. The film is an experimental and spiritual
journey.The world and the environment alongside
the brilliant animation and designs of the spirits add up to becoming an
extremely captivating film.There is
always something fascinating happening on screen and there is never a dull
moment.
The characters are also very strong in this film.The relationship between the spirit Haku and
Chihiro is extremely important to the plot.There are many revelations concerning Haku that I can’t explain without
ruining the film. You will just have to see it for your self to see what I mean
when I say that it is brilliant and just adds a whole other layer of character
development and depth to this film.The
film has not yet received a blu ray release at the time of writing this review,
but I do believe that there will be a release sometime in the near future. You
can still see it on DVD however (Here on Amazon).
Overall Thoughts
Spirited Away is a
brilliant film in all aspects. The animation and the character design is truly
something to marvel. This is not my favorite Miyazaki film, but I still
absolutely love it. I can’t deny the impact that it has made on the art of
animation and how much it affected me while watching it. It is obvious that Miyazaki
has put all of his heart and soul into making this film, which has many lessons
that both children and adults can get out of it.I admire Miyazaki and this film in
particular. It is an absolute must see if you plan on watching any Miyazaki or
any Studio Ghibli films. Go out and see it for your self. You won’t regret it.
Score
5 out of 5
Month of Miyazaki
Conclusion
This brings us to the conclusion of the Month of
Miyazaki.I hope that you all have
enjoyed reading these reviews as much as I have enjoyed writing. I believe that
Hayao Miyazaki is a legend who should be more revered over here in the United
States.Thanks to Disney’s goal to dub
every Ghibli film it opens up a whole new way for non-Japanese viewers to enjoy
these beautiful films.Miyazaki is a
master of animated features and I hope my reviews convinced you to give his
work a chance. Now just because the month is over doesn’t mean that in the
future I won’t review any other Miyazaki or Ghibli films.I will still review them, just not as much.
Thank you for reading these reviews. I hope to have more
reviews for all of you in the near future. See all of you next time!
Miyazaki Month continues with a review
of one of Miyazaki’s most recent film Howl’s
Moving Castle.
Background
Howl’s Moving Castle
is Miyazaki’s 8th film and it is the first one not to be written by
him.The story is adapted from a novel
of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones, which makes this film very unique for
Miyazaki.This film was also his first
after the success of Spirited Away,
which got him an Academy Award. Expectations for this film were high.
“A love story between an 18-year-old
girl named Sophie, cursed by a witch into an old woman's body, and a magician
named Hauru. Under the curse, Sophie sets out to seek her fortune, which takes
her to Hauru's strange moving castle. In the castle, Sophie meets Hauru's fire
demon, named Karishifâ. Seeing that she is under a curse, the demon makes a
deal with Sophie--if she breaks the contract he is under with Hauru, then Karushifâ
will lift the curse that Sophie is under, and she will return to her
18-year-old shape.” Written by Sophie
Ball
Review
This film has sort of a different feel from Miyazaki’s other
work and this is probably because he did not write the story.You can tell it is not his story, but this
does not hurt it.A lot of Miyazaki’s
style shines through in this through the characters. The best part of this film
is the characters that are all brilliantly designed.You can tell that Miyazaki really connected
to Diana Wynne Jones’ story and decided to make his own adjustments and
creative touches to this film.
Like any other Miyazaki story the characters are very
unique, creative, and highly entertaining.The Fire Demon is extremely likable and a source of many of the films
humor.The American Disney dub has Billy
Crystal as the voice and he does a fantastic job in the role bringing a sense
of comedy and likability to the role.The
other characters such as Hauru and Sophie we relate to and root for just as
much.Miyazaki is brilliant at creating
young, relatable female characters and this film is no exception. Since Sophie
is cursed most of the film she is an old woman, but her personality really
still shines through in an honest and intelligent way.
My last review was for Laputa:
Castle in the Sky, which was made many years before this and you can tell
the difference in the style of the animation and most obviously in the techniques
used to animate this film. The animation in this is very crisp and colorful and
quite beautiful. It has been said that in every one of Miyazaki’s film it takes
a moment to breathe and lets the audience soak in the animation. There are many
moments of quietness where the beauty of this animation really shines. I would love to see what it looks like on blu ray
but as of right now there is no blu ray release planned. You can still find it
on DVD though (here on Amazon).
Overall Thoughts
This is not my favorite of his work. I think since he did
not write the story it did not have as big of an impact on me. That being said
I still really adore this film. Saying I don’t like it as much is like saying I
don’t like Inglorious Basterds as
much as Pulp Fiction. This film is
still a brilliant example of his craft as a filmmaker and the work he pores out
onto the screen. I admire Miyazaki and this film is another example of his
brilliance, which in all honesty I am jealous of. I highly recommend this film
to anyone who loves some adventure, comedy, and beauty.
Score
4 ½ out of 5
Look out for a surprise review as Miyazaki Month comes to a
close this week. See you next time!
Miyazaki Month continues with a review of one of Miyazaki’s
most under appreciated films called Laputa:
Castle in the Sky.
Background
Even though Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is considered
a Studio Ghibli film it was not created under the Studio Ghibli title. The
studio was created shortly after the release of Nausicaa and the first film
produced by Studio Ghibli was Miyazaki’s Laputa:
Castle in the Sky. The film contains references to popular works such as Gulliver’s Travels and Treasure Island. Since technically being
the first Ghibli film I felt it fitting that I review this in celebration of
the Month of Miyazaki.
A young boy stumbles into a mysterious
girl who floats down from the sky. The girl, Sheeta, was chased by pirates,
army and government secret agents. In saving her life, they begin a high flying
adventure that goes through all sorts of flying machines, eventually searching
for Sheeta's identity in a floating castle of a lost civilization. Written by Tzung-I
Lin
Review
This film has a very
different tone than Totoro had.This
film is more in the vein of Nausicaa and by that I mean that this film breathes
adventure.It is meant to be a fun and
lighthearted adventure inspired by the great adventures of classic literature.It doesn’t really explore any deep themes or
meaning as Totoro did, but it does bring the sense of beauty and wonder that
Nausicaa did. Miyazaki knows how to handle animation and this film carries on
the tradition of Ghibli films and their animation.This film came out over 20 years ago and it
still looks gorgeous.I don’t feel like
it is dated and to me this style of hand drawn animation that is shown in these
films look so much better than even the best looking animated films using
CGI.
The characters do not
take a back seat to the animation.Both
the boy and the girl in this film play off of each other very well and have
chemistry that is difficult to capture in animation.In my opinion Disney always does a great job
with their English dubs. James Van Der Beek and Anna Paquin are the two leads
and even though they sound older than their characters they still bring a great
performance to this film.This film is
more about the adventure and less about a lesson more so than any of the other
Ghibli films, which in this case is a good thing.
Overall Thoughts
This is just another
example of what an animated film can be in the very capable hands of Hayao
Miyazaki.The film is a fun adventure
that not only captures the sense of thrill but also a sense of heart that a
great adventure should have. I highly recommend that if you have not already
seen it that you go out and check it out especially since it has just been
released on blu ray (here on Amazon).It
is a beautiful film that should not be missed.
Score
4 ½ out of 5
Look out for next time as I continue with the Month of
Miyazaki by reviewing Howl’s Moving
Castle
Miyazaki Month begins with a film that is hugely
inspirational and is often ranked as one of his best and most influential work.
A children’s film called My Neighbor
Totoro.
Background
My Neighbor Totoro
is the 4th film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki as well as
the 4th film under Studio Ghibli (the previous being Nausicaa, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Grave of the Fireflies). It is also known for creating the iconic
character of Totoro, which has gone on to become the symbol for Studio
Ghibli. Even if you have never seen the
film I am sure that most of you have seen Totoro in some capacity. Totoro was
even popular enough that he can be seen making a little cameo in Toy Story 3.
The film is extremely popular and now you will get a chance
to see what I think of it and how it stands up against the gorgeous Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
“Two young girls, Satsuke and her
younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer
to their hospitalized mother. Satsuke and Mei discover that the nearby forest
is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros (pronounced toe-toe-ro). They
soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures.” Written by
Christopher E. Meadows
Review
The film is without a doubt one of the
most beloved and most popular of all of the films of Miyazaki and Studio
Ghibli. It is an innocent tale of
childhood, but it also adds a level of maturity. The 2 sisters actually behave
like little girls act and they feel real which makes the audience immediately
understand and relate to them. The
characters discover the Totoros and become friends with them. However, there is
more to this than what appears at first glance. On the surface this film looks
like a sweet and innocent family film but it actually has a lot of depth
beneath its child-like surface. The Totoros can be interpreted as being a part
of the children’s imagination and this element adds so much more weight to the story
as the film progresses. The film also
has no central goal and just decides to show life, which I think, is brilliant. It does not need a complicate or central
conflict to move along at a good pace and connect with the audience.
The animation in this film is gorgeous
and I myself cannot wait until I get a blu ray copy of the film to really see
all of the time and detail that has been put into this animation. This is not only one of my top all time
favorite Ghibli film its one of my favorite animated films of all time. Miyazaki does things differently from any
other director and you can tell when you are watching one of his films. Totoro takes its time in telling a very human
story of family and growing up, which most films have trouble doing. Disney has
done a fantastic job with dubbing the film into english and I recommend
watching that version especially since the blu ray will be hitting shelves on
May 21st 2013. (Available on Amazon)
Conclusion
This film is a brilliant example (Like
Nausicaa) of what an incredible visionary Miyazaki is and how influential he
has become. I highly recommend Totoro to anyone who can enjoy a film that takes
its time. I think I still enjoy Nausicaa
a bit more but I think that may be because it was my first Miyazaki film.
Nevertheless it is a fantastic film that should be watched not only for its
beauty, but also for its ability to connect to its audience in a very emotional
way.
Score
5 Out Of 5
Month of Miyazaki continues with my next upcoming review: Laputa: Castle In The Sky. See you next
time!
Hello Everyone! I know it has been a while since my last
review but I decided to come back with something big. It is March, which means
that I should review films based on one of my favorite directors whose name
also starts with an M. Miyazaki.
A Little About
Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli
Hayao Miyazaki is a legendary filmmaker whose work I have
already reviewed in the past (Nausicaa of The Valley of the Wind).He is best known for his work in
creating some of the greatest anime films of all time. He is also known for
being the mastermind who started Studio Ghibli, which has gone down in film
history as one of the most influential animation studios within the last 30
years. Ghibli is often called “The Pixar of Japan” because of Disney’s US
acquisition of the studio alongside the legacy that the studio has not only in
Japan but all around the world.. Miyazaki started Studio Ghibli in 1984 during
the production of Nausicaa. Before
this he was known for directing the film “Lupin the Third: The Castle of
Cagliostro”.
What to Expect from
this Month
As this is the Month of Miyazaki there will be at least 4
Reviews and the one rule of this month is that all of the films had to have
been directed by Miyazaki. 4 reviews will be at the minimum because I want to
review as much of his work as possible. There is also the possibility of seeing
a video review come around as well. I am a huge fan of almost anything Studio
Ghibli and this month serves as a way to express my fondness for these films
and the beauty that each one presents in the visual medium of film.
By The way this is where Month of Miyazaki came from!
I know what most people thought when you first saw this
trailer. They would say something like “Oh god here comes another stupid horror
film set in a cabin and everyone dies”.
What may surprise people is that it was co-written by Drew Goddard and
Joss Whedon (you know the man responsible for making Buffy The Vampire Slayer,
Firefly, and a little movie known as The Avengers!). The film was scripted and shot in 2009 but due to the
bankruptcy of MGM it got caught up and couldn’t be released. They then decided
to shop the film around to other studios and they ended up at Lionsgate, which
is a perfect studio for it considering that it is technically a horror
film. I say technically because of
many elements that happen to make it the most important horror film to be
released in a long time. It is
hard to explain this film without saying any spoilers so I will end my review
and my rating and then do a detailed spoiler filled section afterwards. I will
give a big warning so you can stop reading.
Five teenagers head off for a weekend at a secluded cabin in
the woods. They arrive to find they are quite isolated with no means of
communicating with the outside world. When the cellar door flings itself open,
they of course go down to investigate. They find an odd assortment of relics
and curiosities but when one of the women, Dana, reads from a book she awakens
a family of deadly zombie killers. There's far more going on however than meets
the eye as the five campers are all under observation. Written by garykmcd
REVIEW
I had known about this film for some time and was really
anxious to see it especially after seeing several posters that boasted the
tag lines: “If you hear a strange sound outside…Have Sex”, “If an old man warns
you not to go there…Make Fun of Him”, and “If something is chasing you…split
up”. I was sold especially after
seeing Joss Whedon’s name attached to the project. Joss is excellent at dialogue and character development,
which is evident in his t.v shows Buffy The vampire slayer and Firefly. It is also very prevalent in The
Avengers but that’s another review for another day. His dialogue in this film is absolutely spot on.
Before seeing this film I had envisioned it to be
reminiscent of Scream but what I got was something totally different but in a
very good way! The film is very
self-aware of what it is and it takes the tropes and clichés within horror
films and it turns those on their head.
The film turns out to be mainly made up of really dark and smart comedy
in a way that no other horror comedies have been able to reach before. The comedy of the film is what makes it
smart and highly entertaining!
The film is a complete deconstruction of the
horror genre and knows every cliché in the book and uses these clichés to
center the story in a very clever way.
I have to say though that the last 20 minutes in the film are excessively
crazy and surprising. I came out of
this film with a big smile on my face knowing how awesome and glad I was that I
had seen this film. This is the
best horror film I have seen in a really long time and it mixes dark comedy
with horror in a way that I have never seen before.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Anyone who loves great horror movies and loves comedy should
definitely check it out. It is
definitely worth a watch and I will be picking up this gem on Blu-Ray!
SCORE
4.5 Out Of 5
WARNING!!
I have to give you
all a warning! Stop reading this if you have not seen the film. Once you have seen it come back and
read this. If you have seen it
then you may continue reading for an in depth discussion of my favorite scenes
and moments.
SPOILER SECTON!!!
The film starts off with an introduction to each of the
characters and what makes these characters different is that even the “jock”
(aka Chris Hemsworth) are smart people. I remember them saying that they are
going into some pretty advanced fields.
The reason that they are acting stupid is because this company that is
making sure that the ritual sacrifice goes according to plan. They are using chemicals to change how
they act. The blonde girl had just
had her hair dyed and this company has put some sort of chemical in this dye to
make her act all slutty and stupid.
What I can determine from this film is that the company is the reason
why horror movie clichés exist. They make sure that everyone acts a certain way
and they also make sure and control the monsters. This company is an explanation for why horror movies exist.
I absolutely love how clever a twist this is!
I had to see this film twice to get all of the references in
it. There are a shit ton of horror movie references in the film. The first and most obvious ones were to
The Evil Dead series. The cabin itself looks very similar to the cabin from the
first 2 Evil Dead films. The hatch
that leads to the basement is also another big reference.
The cabin from The Evil Dead
The other reference I noticed was that big guy holding the
sphere like object with the saw blades sticking out of his head is an obvious
Hellraiser reference. He looks and
acts exactly how Pinhead does in the Hellraiser films. Here are some pictures
so you can compare the 2.
Pinhead from Hellraiser
Saw Head from Cabin in the Woods
There is a scene where the company is doing a betting game
and all the choices are up on a white erase board. If you watch the scene again you can see that it says a
whole bunch of monsters. The best
one would have to be how it says “Deadites” which as you all know is my
favorite. There are many more and
you can see for yourself in this picture below.
There are several more references in the film so I would
recommend seeing the film a second time. It helped me see many things that I
missed. Thank you for reading my review and look out for more reviews from Deadite very soon!
