Movie 15 - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Any fan of anime or animation in general can agree that one of the greatest storytellers of the medium is writer/director Hayao Miyazaki. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) was his second feature, but some of us in the States may remember this film under the name Warriors of the Wind (1985), which was an edited down, quickly dubbed and inferior version. After Miyazaki made a huge splash over here with epics like Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001), the Disney corporation made a distribution deal with Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli that ensured quality releases of his past and future films with big name actors doing the English dubs. Disney re-released Nausicaa in 2005 on DVD in its full uncut original length with a new dub including talents like Patrick Stewart, Uma Thurman and Mark Hamill.

This was my first time actually sitting down and watching this film in its entirety. While it has many of the tell-tale traits of Miyazaki's work, this is so early that his style is not quite in place yet. The overall look of the art itself has a much lighter line work than most of the Studio Ghibli films. This look made me think more of American animation icon Ralph Bakshi's films like Wizards (1977) and Lord of the Rings (1978).

Nausicaa's character designs almost look like the blueprint for what would become Princess Mononoke. At the same time, the massive and organic looking creatures in the movie made me think of Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky (1986). There is so much of that Studio Ghibli look taking form here, that you instantly know who made this movie.

One thing that was tough for me was the synth heavy prog-rock-esque score. It felt out of place for me. This could be because it made the film feel dated or it could be my bias based on the beautifully orchestrated epic scores that Studio Ghibli films usually have. I feel this score is so much a sign of the times, that it stunts the film's ability to remain timeless, like many of the other Ghibli films.

Another difference between Nausicaa and most of the Ghibli catalogue is the genre. This film felt like a fairly standard apocalypic science fiction story. Man has demolished the Earth and it has become a dangerous wasteland for those that have survived. Many of Miyazaki's movies do share this theme of Mankind Destroys the Earth, but usually there is far more of a fantasy element. While Nausicaa is obviously a story of the future, many of the other movies have an ancient look that makes it hard to place the film in a particular time period. They may be the future, they may be the past, but they are definitely a world of epic fantasy. While Mononoke look like ancient Japan, it could just have easily been a world where all civilization crashed and had to start over.

While I was not instantly drawn into the story of this film, I did enjoy the main character. Princess Nausicaa is a strong, independant young woman who is balanced between her warrior training and her bond with nature. Sound familiar? Exactly! These are the type of protagonists that Miyazaki builds many of his greatest stories around. Princess Mononoke, Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service), Sen (Spirited Away) and even Satsuki (My Neighbor Totoro) are all brave and capable females with that tight connection to their environment.

Again, you can look to Nausicaa for the themes that would become the basis of Miyazaki's brand of anime. There is the strong female, Mankind vs. Nature (nature looses and humanity must learn to help it flourish again) and the idea that youth needs to lead the aging away from old fashioned and flawed beliefs. Watching this film now may feel a bit tedious and unpolished because we know about the masterpieces yet to come, but I am sure it blew some minds when it came out. Like Miyazaki's best films, Nausicaa is serious, epic and thought provoking. The only problem is that it is not the master's greatest film and we the viewer can be critical because we know what Miyazaki is truely capable of in his the films he went on to make next.

So what does this all boil down to? Did I like it or not? In my humble oppinion, the movie was just okay. I was not engaged through the entire film and it felt very long to me. While I can't say I loved it, I will say that it is an important movie and holds its place in history. I would reccomend it to Miyazaki, anime and animation fans everywhere so you can see Studio Ghibli's far from humble beginings.

Nausicaa on imdb

Movie 14 - Starman

   E.T. meets Terminator? Short Circuit mixed with Mac and Me? Close Encounters plus Data from Star Trek: Next Generation? Starman (1984) is kind of like all of the above. Definitely the product of a kinder, gentler John Carpenter than the man that brought us The Thing, Prince of Darkness, They Live and Halloween.

   Starman is the story of an alien being that comes to Earth in response to one of our experiments in the 80s to send capsules into space that transmitted radio signals of welcome and information about us. In an effort to assimilate, the alien finds a house and takes on the appearance of a man who's images are found inside. Turns out the man was a house painter that recently died. After thoroughly freaking out his widow, the alien makes her drive him to an alien rendezvous point. As they travel, she goes from being kidnapped to becoming a full blown accomplice. On the trip, she teaches the alien how to be human.

   Much more of a heartwarming tale than I expected, Starman felt very much like a product of it's time. In an age that spawned movies like Explorers and The Last Starfighter, the 80s was a time when all of us down here were hoping to spend some quality time with beings from another planet. While this movie takes a cue from E. T. in telling us not to trust the government when it comes to dealing with alien life...they tend to have a tendency to want to dissect non-humans. Because of this, the movie is essentially a long chase sequence.

   I feel like if this movie was made today though, it would be far more violent and cynical. I guess my hope is that there will never be a over-hyped remake full of explosions and bad CG. A modern version would also have ended with an intense showdown between the U.S. military and a full fleet of alien ships. While a re-make would have surely kept a sex scene in place, I find it hard to believe that a kind-hearted romance would have still been at the movie's core. This is definitely a film from a different time.

   All in all, it was an enjoyable film, if not a little naive. Both Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges held the film together with their strong performances and chemistry. If you find yourself nostalgic for the 80s approach to science fiction, then I would highly recommend this film.

   Starman on imdb

May the 4th Special Edition - Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

  On my third (and now fourth) viewing, I can honestly say that I love this movie. It captures the awe, fun and wonder of the original trilogy. What I have truly come to appreciate with this Blu-ray edition is seeing the pure joy that went into creating this film. Its great to see cast and crew from the past movies get to reunite in telling a new story. It puts a smile on my lips to see how giddy some of the new cast members were at getting to enter the world they grew up watching. And, most importantly, you can really see that J.J. Abrams was like a kid in a candy store when he was on set.

  The Force Awakens works on many levels. It is a great action/adventure epic. It is also an amazing sequal to one of the most important franchises of all time. And, most importantly, it is the film that we all needed as fans. Here is the movie we can finally and happily say is a true addition to the canon that we all deserve. There is a definite sense of the impact of the previous films that is beautifully explored in this movie.

  I was instantly engaged in both Finn and Rey's stories. They are both wonderful characters that are this generation's "everyman", like Luke was for us. And how can you not love BB-8? This droid is a fun and cool addition to the family, especially with his humanizing tones and "expressions". Seeing Rey live and forage amongst the wreckage of past battles is exactly what I wanted to see. Having her emerge as our heroine from her meager life as a scavanger to go on to pilot the Falcon is perfect. She is what young Anakin should have been. As Finn comes into being his own person instead of a mindless Stormtrooper, he has the fun and excited spirit that reels us in as viewers. Poe is obviously the new Han Solo figure...an element that was sadly missed in the prequals. His cocky attitude and witty banter helps to counter Finn's naive sense of wonder. And while he is no Vader, Kylo Ren has a lot of potential to grow into becoming a true villain as this new trilogy continues. His backstory already has a great start. I look forward to seeing the Sith he will become. Now that we have met this new cast and tagged along with them, I am anxiously awaiting their continuing adventures.

  How amazing must it feel to be J.J. Abram? Not only do you have the successes of your own films, like Cloverfield, and shows, like Lost, but then to get the honor of re-energizing not one, but two of the most important sci-fi series of all time! Simply amazing work. My hat is off to you, sir.

  The extra features teach us who the true hero of this movie (and the future of the franchise) is though; and it's Kathleen Kennedy. She had worked with George Lucas since the early days of Lucasfilm. As Lucas stepped down to retire, he handed the keys to the kingdom over to Kennedy. Her passion and experience guided The Force Awakens from concept to the big screen. It's wonderful to see her get the credit she deserves on this Blu-ray set. I can only hope that more women in the industry will be acknowledge like this in the future...and that seeing her in these interviews may inspire some young girls to want to work behind the camera too.

  As for the extras, my favorite was a small piece about the first table read with the full cast and crew. For the first time in years Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew sat in the same room.On top of that monumentous occassion, the new cast members (Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac) were able to be a part of the Star Wars Universe for the very first time. Its beautiful that the day was captured on film. Aside from that one piece, there are ample behind the scenes looks at how the magic was created. Lucasfilm discs always do a fantastic job highlighting the work of all the artists and technicians that make the films look and feel like they could be reality.

  Ok. I'll stop gushing. Basically, every Star Wars fan, every science fiction fan, every action/adventure fan, every movie fan...any person with a pulse should own this movie!

And may the force be with you!

Force Awakens on imdb