Winds of Anime's Past

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

In the distant future, Earth has been destroyed by nuclear war and humanity survives in small kingdoms, which are constantly under threat by dangerous animals, and an encroaching toxic jungle. One kingdom, the Valley of Wind, has a princess named Nausicaä who tries to understand, rather than destroy the Toxic Jungle. Meanwhile, the rival kingdom of Tolmekia plans to deal with the threatening flora and fauna by destroy their home, the Sea of Decay by resurrecting one of the Great Warriors that started the holocaust. Nausicaä is taken prisoner by the Tolmekians, but escapes under the Sea of Decay where she discovers the plants are toxic because they act as a filtration system drawing in radiation and purifying the world. It’s up to Nausicaä to prevent another holocaust.

Released in the early 1980s, this Studio Ghibli anime is a little less distinctively Miyazaki, and more like in keeping with other Toho sci-fi films - nuclear holocaust, giant monsters, the wrath of nature, etc. – it’s no coincidence that the creatures that threaten mankind are called ‘Ohms’ (Ohm is a universally recognized symbol of divine power throughout east Asia) - however, a number of trademark Miyazaki motifs are starting to emerge, most notably, his love of flying machines.

In the quarter century since Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released anime has gotten more complex, with computer effects and more extreme ‘camera angles’, but that doesn’t really take anything away from this movie, which may not be as wowing, but still has damn good animation which must have seemed unbelievably ground-breaking at the time.

Normally with these anime titles I try to recommend whether it should be viewed in subtitled or dubbed mode. This is particularly challenging when it comes to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. In it’s initial U.S. release, as Warriors of the Wind, it was so badly cut and redubbed that Miyazaki sent a katana with a two word note, “no cuts” to Harvey Weinstein at Disney when they were contemplating cutting another Studio Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke. But, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a bit difficult for non-Japanese audiences, and it’s easy to see why literal translation isn’t always desirable. So when Disney re-released Nausicaä, they did release it uncut, but there are definite differences between the subtitled and dubbed versions. To fully grasp all the subtleties of the story, I actually recommend viewing it with both the English dubbing and the English subtitles on simultaneously. If you must decide between one or the other, pick whichever you prefer, you will probably gain and lose an equal amount either way.

Dark Side of the Rainbow

The Wizard of Oz / The Dark Side of the Moon soundtrack

In honor of the Wizard of Oz’s 70th Anniversary, I decided to rewatch it.
However, instead of reviewing a film we’ve all seen 25 or more times, I decided to investigate the myth surrounding the synchronicity of this film to the 1973 Pink Floyd album, The Dark Side of the Moon. The phenomenon sometimes referred to as “The Dark Side of the Rainbow”.

To begin with, I checked all the ‘net sources I could find – most were in agreement, that proper synchronicity is achieved by starting the Pink Floyd disc as soon as the MGM lion roars for the 3rd time. So, with a big bowl of popcorn in one hand, and a Dunkelweizen in the other, I prepared for a psychedelic experience to outdo the finale of 2001: A Space Odyssey or the first I ever heard “Interstellar Overdrive” (hey, now there’s an idea for a pairing).

Sadly, I have to say that it did not blow my mind. Twenty years of rumors, and this is what I get? To be fair, I was not under the influence of any unusual substances – O.K., a couple beers, but I do everything under the influence of a couple beers. I suppose that those who do enough of the right drugs can probably find connections in any DVD/CD pairing (Dude, Britney is totally singing the soundtrack to Shindler’s List on her debut album!!!) .

I will concede that there are quite a few points of synchronicity between the two. They do in fact complement each other – to an extent. But the band members have repeatedly denied any intentional connections between the two, and I for one believe them. What then accounts for this seeming synchronicity? I believe I have an answer for that.

To begin with, both deal heavily with Freudian aspects of the psyche. That has been a hallmark of Pink Floyd’s music from the beginning. Even after demented genius Syd Barrett was institutionalized, the remaining members of Pink Floyd were keenly aware that Barrett’s introspective lyrics were a key element of the band’s appeal.

L. Frank Baum, for his part wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to be a modern update of age-old fairy tales deeply rooted in the human psyche, and the characters themselves are concerned with primary desires of the id – home (shelter) for Dorothy, courage for the lion, etc. This Freudian connection was deepened by the filmmakers who took an Oz as dream approach, both in dreamlike experiences in Oz (the poppy field for example) as well as the entrance and exit of Dorothy passing out on a bed (“It was all a dream).

Second of all, The Wizard of Oz is, let’s not forget, a musical. One doesn’t need to have more brains than the Scarecrow to figure out that a film based around music is likely to synch up pretty well with another piece of music. And so it does; many of the alleged match up points are song and dance routines. While Dark Side is a great match, I wouldn’t be surprised if a pairing with, say, Sgt. Peppers wouldn’t provide an equally interesting result.

While we’re on the subject of myths, I also looked for the other big Wizard of Oz urban legend – the hanged man. Allegedly a member of the cast or crew who committed suicide can be seen in one of the scenes along the Yellow Brick Road. Maybe it would be different if I saw it on the big screen, but all I saw at the appointed scene was an amorphous shape in the deep background that could have been… well… literally anything!

In conclusion I’d say that what this exercise did yield for me was a great bit of nostalgia. It reaffirmed in my mind that both of these two artworks are masterpieces, and deserve undivided attention. I couldn’t help but wish I were fully focused on enjoying one or the other.

Totoro, wonderful for all ages

My Neighbor Totoro



Prior to the mid 1990s few Americans had heard of Hayao Miyazaki. But, with the success of Toy Story, the anime fans at Pixar Animation studios (John Lasseter in particular) were able to flex their influence at Disney to get the Mouse House to acquire and release much of Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films in the U.S., including a couple films then-in-production theatrically.

My Neighbor Totoro was one of the earlier Miyazaki anime films released direct to video (and later to DVD) by Disney in the U.S. It’s by far one of the simplest stories by Miyazaki, and therein lies it’s charm. Two young girls move with their father into a home in the Japanese countryside, and try to manage without their bedridden mother who is in a hospital far away. They soon learn that their house and the surrounding wilderness are inhabited by all sorts of supernatural creatures, including the giant Totoro.

Despite all the mythical beasties, My Neighbor Totoro is one of the most human tales Studio Ghibli has put out, and the simple, universal storyline translates well, whether subtitled or dubbed.

Not Bergman’s Finest Hour

Hour of the Wolf

Let me start by saying, I am a Bergman fan. Outside of Hollywood there were very few people making fantasy based films on the international scene prior to the 1970s.

Hour of the Wolf, however is not a film I’d rank among Bergman’s best. Yes, there are elements of the supernatural, and the brooding atmosphere we’ve come to expect from the master storyteller, but this is Bergman as influenced by those he originally influenced.
It seems to be a film similar to the works of the French New Wave directors of the time, as well as Frederico Fellini (especially similar to Fellini’s Satyricon, even though it predates that work by a year).

Hour of the Wolf seems very unfocused, and derivative of the experimental cinema of the 1960s that was taking place all around the world, and less distinctively a signature Bergman work. Which is all to say that the film isn’t bad – even lesser Bergman works are worth your time – just be sure to watch 'The Seventh Seal' or 'The Virgin Spring' first.

Grindhouse, where have you been?

GRINDHOUSE

I was one of those guys haunting the independent cinemas in the early nineties. I remember the indie film renaissance well – particularly seeing the first films by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarrantino long before most of America. It was refreshing to see a totally different take on action films from what was going on in Hollywood.

But after about 15 years and numerous movies, these two filmmaking icons, who once could do no wrong, were wearing very thin for me. So, when I heard some of the negative reviews for Grindhouse, I decided for the first time to skip this double feature by two of my former faves.

Eventually, I watched the films on DVD (in reverse order it turns out). Man, I didn’t know what I was missing! From the very first moments of Grindhouse: Planet Terror I was entranced by the fanfare music, the scratching and popping film, the ‘coming soon’ intro, the trailer for ‘Machete’, and the “Restricted” animation. The film itself reminded me not of the 70s retro I was expecting, and had heard about over and over, but of a time I was even more fond of – the 1980s – sitting in the back of the house at the walk-in theaters, seeing ‘B’ movies like Day of the Dead, and C.H.U.D.

With all the hype and ubiquity of zombie films these days, I expected to thoroughly groan through every minute of this film, but I didn’t I was thoroughly entertained. Rodriguez really knows how to not only put his characters in danger, but put them under serious pressure – Cherry Darling, a dancer, loses a leg early on. Dr. Block, a surgeon, at one point loses control of her hands. But their bulldog tenacity through their personal Hells, and while the whole world is being overrun, keeps you cheering all the way.

The great thing about Grindhouse is that it’s not just one move, not just two movies, but two movies and a bunch of shorts – now that’s value! The shorts are actually movie trailers and they’re great fun. They run the gamut of Drive-in, B-movie, and exploitation genres, and will surely remind you of when movie trailers weren’t always preceded by a “this movie has been approved for all audiences” screen.

Death Proof, Tarantino’s entry, is (of course) a throwback to 70s. This time he sets his sights on the road pictures that were so popular at the time (you remember, car chase pictures like Hooper, Vanishing Point, Two-Lane Blacktop and Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry – what? You don’t? O.K., I will have to review some of those here in the future) You don’t have to have been there to appreciate Death Proof, but it definitely helps. This entry features some of the same cast from Planet Terror this time being stalked and terrorized by a guy named ‘Stuntman Mike’ who’s built an indestructible muscle car which he uses to chase them down Duel style.

My chief complaint with Grindhouse comes from Death Proof which spends a great deal of time developing interesting characters and then abandons them part way through for a less interesting cast. Maybe I would have felt a tiny bit better if I had watched the films in their proper order, so at least the actors would come back in the second film, but I kind of doubt it. Anyway, Death Proof is still great fun, and so is all of Grindhouse.

Actress/starlet from Covington, KY

In the past I've mentioned Tyrone Power and Theda Bara as two screen legends from Cincinnati.
In my latest review of a Harold Lloyd talkie, I mention Una Merkel who was from Covington, KY and got her start in film as a stand-in for another homegirl, Lillian Gish (of Springfield, OH). Though the review only mentions her briefly, I thought some of you locals might like seeing it cross posted here:



We hear so much about how the coming of sound ruined careers. This doesn't seem to be the case for Harold Lloyd, who smoothly makes the transition to talkies in 'The Cat's Paw' (1934) on The Harold Lloyd Collection Vol. 1, Disc 2. The story has Lloyd as missionary's son Ezekiel Cobb raised in rural China. On return to America Cobb becomes a patsy for a political machine, but to everyone's surprise gets elected mayor. The story is entertaining even though most of the jokes fall flat. It does contain a lot of racial stereotypes and epithets, but is good natured and pretty equal-opportunity in it's treatment of various ethnic groups making it at least honest in it's portrayal of life in Depression era U.S.A.

Modern audiences may find the use of caucasian actors in Chinese roles, and the dubbing of Lloyd when he speaks Chinese in 'The Cat's Paw' as much more blatantly obvious than audiences of the time. And while it's not as groundbreaking as Lloyd's silent film work, and there are admittedly better films from the mid 30s, it's entertaining and fast moving, and worth checking out if for no other reason than to see Una Merkel as savvy cigarette girl Pet and to see Lloyd transition from sight gags to speaking.