Spirited Away/Laputa

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I recently picked up these two fine animated features and settled down to watch them. Writer and director Hayao Mayazaki must have some friends in the higher STO realms.

Both films deal with youngsters caught up in impossible situations, involving dark selfish forces. Spirited Away focuses on the the idea of an Oz-like negative realm, with more than a hint of 4th D about it. Laputa is less otherworldly, but it combines hints of a mystical past with ancient technology, sacred stones, government conspiracies and a mysterious island in the sky.

I will provide no spoilers, but I urge any lover of thought provoking, positive movie making to hunt these two down on DVD - I think they are universally available.
 
Skystalker said:
I recently picked up these two fine animated features and settled down to watch them. Writer and director Hayao Mayazaki must have some friends in the higher STO realms.

Both films deal with youngsters caught up in impossible situations, involving dark selfish forces. Spirited Away focuses on the the idea of an Oz-like negative realm, with more than a hint of 4th D about it. Laputa is less otherworldly, but it combines hints of a mystical past with ancient technology, sacred stones, government conspiracies and a mysterious island in the sky.

I will provide no spoilers, but I urge any lover of thought provoking, positive movie making to hunt these two down on DVD - I think they are universally available.
I also enjoyed Spirited Away. I haven't seen Laputa, but it sounds interesting. I'll look it up.

A recently watched a rather psychedelic non-kid anime named Cat Soup. I's a 30 minute film that addresses some interesting themes, especially death. At http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=33627
its described this way: "When a young kitten's soul is stolen by Death, she and her brother set out for a strange land on a mission to recover the plundered entity. All Nyaako wants is her soul back, and her loyal brother Nyatta is more than willing to help his sister in her time of need. In the surreal and unexplored landscape of the Other Side, however, nothing is what it seems and their journey soon takes an ominous twist."

It can be purchased, rented, and even downloaded for free off the internet using bit torrent. There are images and more info about it here: http://www.centralparkmedia.com/catsoup/images.html
 
Hi Skystalker and Lucy...

I love the movies you refer to Skystalker and also recommend them for everyone who loves good animation. Some other Hayao Mayazaki movies that I love are Princess Mononoke and his new one Howl's Moving Castle. Those are also excellent.

I also have something kind of funny to share. When I saw Castle in the Sky (Laputa) when I first bought it; while watching it I remembered that I had watched this movie in my home country Iran. I think I was around 4 or 5 at the time. So I thought to my self, wow, I was exposed to this kind of info at that age and in those conditions (because video was illegal in Iran when I was living there at the time around 88) so, it was pretty rare and I found that interesting.

Thanks for sharing your find Lucy, I will surely watch it.

Nina
 
Spirited away was amazing indeed.
It was so vivid and colourful.

Howl's moving castle was very touching, in a way it was an easier watch than Spirited away because it was less frantic imho.

I still have to watch Laputa.
 
I've watched every Miyazaki film and almost every studio Ghibli film made and they are all FANTASTIC. 'Spirited Away' and 'Mononoke Hime' are definitely my favourites.
 
knowledge_of_self said:
When I saw Castle in the Sky (Laputa) when I first bought it; while watching it I remembered that I had watched this movie in my home country Iran. I think I was around 4 or 5 at the time. So I thought to my self, wow, I was exposed to this kind of info at that age and in those conditions (because video was illegal in Iran when I was living there at the time around 88) so, it was pretty rare and I found that interesting.
Hi Nina,

I think Iranians are amazingly inventive at getting around all the rules that say what they can and can't have, so I'm not surprised that you were able to watch a forbidden movie there as a child. I've heard lots of stories about such things as movies, books, foods, and especially alcohol, being rather easily available to those with the connections and means to pay for them. And there are other ways to get such things. In fact, in the early 90's I mailed forbidden movies and music to relatives in Iran myself-- hidden inside boxes of Cracker Jack! :) And it seems whatever anyone there manages to get ends up being shared...passed around and traded.

This is getting even more off topic, but here are three of my favorite Iranian movies that I highly recommend:
A Taste of Cherry
The White Balloon
Leila
All three gave me a unique glimpse of Iranian life that I (not being Iranian) found fascinating, yet they all embrace themes that are universal, and do so in unique and thoughtful ways. And they're all beautifully made. The kinds of films that stay with a person for a long time after being viewed.

Lucy
 
Hi Lucy
Lucy said:
I've heard lots of stories about such things as movies, books, foods, and especially alcohol, being rather easily available to those with the connections and means to pay for them. And there are other ways to get such things.
You are right... the people who had/have the means can get whatever they want.
Lucy said:
. In fact, in the early 90's I mailed forbidden movies and music to relatives in Iran myself-- hidden inside boxes of Cracker Jack! smile And it seems whatever anyone there manages to get ends up being shared...passed around and traded.
I can't believe you did that :D. I'll share something funny with you about that. When I was little, I remember the only person who could get movies for us were special movie 'dealers'. They were usually private cabby men who carried a large suitcase full of movies and brought it to your house. They would open the suitcase and let you pick whatever movie you wanted, but I remember that they were really fijjity and nervous and wanted the 'deal' to go through as soon as possible. Because back in those days 'dealing' videos was like dealing drugs. Its so funny when I think about it now. But now days the have movie stores in Iran.
Lucy said:
This is getting even more off topic, but here are three of my favorite Iranian movies that I highly recommend:
Yes... sorry to continue this off topic discussion, but I haven't seen those movies and will check them out. Also, have you seen the movie Children of Heaven? It is also a very good Persian movie that I recommend.

Thanks for sharing your list Lucy
Nina
 
knowledge_of_self said:
Hi Lucy
Lucy said:
. In fact, in the early 90's I mailed forbidden movies and music to relatives in Iran myself-- hidden inside boxes of Cracker Jack! smile And it seems whatever anyone there manages to get ends up being shared...passed around and traded.
I can't believe you did that :D.
I actually have a little trouble believing it myself! Fact is, I became a pretty good 'smuggler' during those days. I also figured out how to send U.S. dollars, which were worth a lot in Iran those days, even when exchanged on the 'street', but don't tell anybody! :D (I used candy wrappers and 'invisible' tape and a lot of patience and attention to detail. I even had a 'favorite' candy to use because of the 'particular way' the wrapper is made. Uh...I probably shouldn't say anything more about this in public.)

knowledge_of_self said:
I'll share something funny with you about that. When I was little, I remember the only person who could get movies for us were special movie 'dealers'. They were usually private cabby men who carried a large suitcase full of movies and brought it to your house. They would open the suitcase and let you pick whatever movie you wanted, but I remember that they were really fijjity and nervous and wanted the 'deal' to go through as soon as possible. Because back in those days 'dealing' videos was like dealing drugs. Its so funny when I think about it now. But now days the have movie stores in Iran.
I've also heard about dealers who had 'rescued' English language paperback novels, and other forbidden reading materials before they could be confiscated when the Revolution broke out. They would bring literally hundreds of them at a time to private homes, by appointment only, and sell them in bulk. I know two people who felt their very sanity was saved by such dealers.
knowledge_of_self said:
Lucy said:
This is getting even more off topic, but here are three of my favorite Iranian movies that I highly recommend:
Yes... sorry to continue this off topic discussion, but I haven't seen those movies and will check them out. Also, have you seen the movie Children of Heaven? It is also a very good Persian movie that I recommend.
Thanks for sharing your list Lucy
Nina
Thanks for the recommendation...I'll look for that movie. I find Iranian cinema really interesting. Iranians are very creative people who, imo, have acquired some very special 'skills' from the necessity of dealing with their special circumstances over the years. Rather than 'giving up' or 'giving in' they creatively find a way 'around' the strictures put upon them. I imagine this same 'attitude' will come in handy for all of us in the days to come.

Thanks Nina. It's always fun to share with you. :)
 
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