As soon as I heard that Netflix were going to start streaming every single studio ghibli movie I was like “I have to tell dad right away!” and I did but there’s was one tiny thing: Netflix is only releasing Studio Ghibli films on the very first day of each month from February till April. So that month me, mum and dad watched:
1. Castle In The Sky
2. My Neighbour Totoro
3. Kiki’s Delivery Service
4. Only Yesterday
5. Porco Rosso
6. Tales From The Earth Sea
We did want to watch Ocean Waves but for this months list it was the only non-English speaking film containing subtitles. We decided not to watch this film because you miss half of the movie when reading the subtitles. Since Valentine’s Day till 19/02/20 I was in Filey and normally blog about it but I accidentally forget to bring my notebook but I guess you can say it was a blessing in disguise because it helped me decide to do a blog about the Studio Ghibli movies I watch this month.
Castle In The Sky:
Young orphan Sheeta and her kidnapper, Col. Muska, are flying to a military prison when their plane is attacked by a gang of air pirates led by the matronly Dola. Escaping from a mid-air collision via a magic crystal around her neck, Sheeta meets fellow orphan Pazu and the pair join forces to discover the mystical floating city of Laputa while pursued by both Muska and the pirates, who lust for the city's myriad treasures.
Cast:
James Van Der Beek as Pazu
Anna Paquin & Debi Derryberry as Princess Sheeta
Cloris Leachman as Captain Dola
Mark Hamill as Col. Muska
Jim Cummings as General Mouro
Richard Dysart as Uncle Pom
Michael McShane as Charles
Mandy Patinkin as Louie
Andy Dick as Henri
John Hostetter as Mr. Duffi
Matt K. Miller as Old Engineer & Motro
Tress MacNeille as Okami
Debi Derryberry as Madge
I thought this movie was really good. It had moments that were enchanting. Mark Hamill as the villainous Col. Muska was a brilliant voice performance. Mark Hamill is as good at voice work as he’s good at acting. James Van Der Beek and both Anna Paquin & Debi Derryberry as Pazu and Princess Sheeta, their voice performances was exquisite.
My Neighbour Totoro:
This acclaimed animated tale by director Hayao Miyazaki follows schoolgirl Satsuke and her younger sister, Mei, as they settle into an old country house with their father and wait for their mother to recover from an illness in an area hospital. As the sisters explore their new home, they encounter and befriend playful spirits in their house and the nearby forest, most notably the massive cuddly creature known as Totoro.
Cast:
Lisa Michelson as Satsuki Kusakabe
Cheryl Chase as Mei Kusakabe
Greg Snegoff as Tatsuo Kusakabe & Moving Man
Yasuko Kusakabe as Alexandra Kenworthy
Unknown as Totoro
Kenneth Hartman as Kanta Ōgaki
Natalie Core as Nanny / Granny (Kanta's grandmother)
Carl Macek (uncredited) as Catbus
Brianne Siddall (uncredited) as Michiko
Melanie MacQueen as Mrs. Ogaki (Kanta's mother)
Steve Kramer as Mr. Ogaki (Kanta's father) & Old Farmer
Edie Mirman (uncredited) as Miss Hara (Satsuki's teacher) & Kanta's Aunt
Kerrigan Mahan (uncredited) as Otoko
Lara Cody as Ryouko & Bus Attendant
Doug Stone (uncredited) as Mailman
This film had minor awkward moments but it was strange, whimsical and funny.
Kiki’s Delivery Service:
In this anime feature, 13-year-old Kiki moves to a seaside town with her talking cat, Jiji, to spend a year alone, in accordance with her village's tradition for witches in training. After learning to control her broomstick, Kiki sets up a flying courier service and soon becomes a fixture in the community. But when the insecure young witch begins questioning herself and loses her magic abilities, she must overcome her self-doubt to get her powers back.
Cast:
Lisa Michelson as Kirsten Dunst
Phil Hartman as Jiji
Tress MacNeille as Osono
Janeane Garofalo as Ursula
Matthew Lawrence as Tombo
Brad Garrett (uncredited) as Fukuo
Kath Soucie as Kokiri (Kiki's Mother)
Jeff Bennett as Okino
Roger L. Jackson as Maki
Debbie Reynolds as Madame
Edie McClurg as Barsa
Debi Derryberry as Senior Witch
Sherry Lyn as Madame's Grandaughter
Pamela Segall as Ket
Julia Fletcher as Maki (Ket's aunt) & Ket's mother
Unknown as Ket's father
Fay Dewitt as Miss Dora
This film was spellbinding and brilliant.
Only Yesterday
Unmarried career woman Taeko Okajima (Miki Imai) takes her first extended trip outside her native Tokyo when she travels to rural Yamagata to visit her sister's family during the annual safflower harvest. On the train, Taeko daydreams about her pre-adolescent self. As her vacation progresses, she has extended flashbacks about the frustrations and small pleasures of her childhood, and wonders if her stress-filled adult life is what the young Taeko would have wanted for herself.
Cast:
Daisy Ridley as Taeko Okajima (Adult)
Dev Patel as Toshio
Alison Fernandez as Taeko Okajima (child)
Hope Levy as Tsuneko Tani
Stephanie Sheh as Aiko
Ava Acres as Toko
Madeleine Rose Yen as Rie
Jaden Betts as Suu
Gianella Thielmann as Shuuji Hirota
Grey Griffin as Taeko's Mother
Matthew Yang king as Taeko's Father & Kazuo
Laura Bailey as Nanako Okajima
Ashley Eckstein as Yaeko Okajima
Mona Marshall as Taeko's Grandmother
Sumalee Montano as Kiyoko
Tara Strong as Naoko
Nika Futterman as Granny
This film deals with what we all have to go through when growing up and becoming an adult such as childish love, puberty, frustrations of math and boys whilst dealing with adult issues such as career and love. I know that going through life changes can be embarrassing and scary time for both boys and girls and this film does answer a lot of questions in a beautifully done understanding way.
Porco Rosso
In Italy in the 1930s, sky pirates in biplanes terrorize wealthy cruise ships as they sail the Adriatic Sea. The only pilot brave enough to stop the scourge is the mysterious Porco Rosso (Shuichiro Moriyama), a former World War I flying ace who was somehow turned into a pig during the war. As he prepares to battle the pirate crew's American ace, Porco Rosso enlists the help of spunky girl mechanic Fio Piccolo (Akemi Okamura) and his longtime friend Madame Gina (Tokiko Kato).
Cast:
Michael Keaton as Porco Rosso / Marco Pagot (Rossolini)
Cary Elwes as Donald Curtis
Susan Egan as Madame Gina
Brad Garrett as Mamma Aiuto Gang Boss
David Ogden Stiers as Mr. Piccolo
Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Fio Piccolo
Bill Fagerbakke, Kevin Michael Richardson & Frank Welker as Mamma Aiuto Gang
This film was weird to me and I asked "why is the hero of the film trapped in a pigs body?" but it turns out that Porco was once human and something had gone wrong to which I don't know what went wrong. But the film was enjoyable to watch and I do recommend this film even of you have an interest in aviation.
And finally...
Tales From Earthsea
Cast:
Timothy Dalton as Ged/Sparrowhawk
Matt Levin as Prince Arren/Lebannen
Blaire Restaneo as Therru/Tehanu
Mariska Hargitay as Tenar
Willem Dafoe as Cob
Cheech Marin as Hare
Brian George as the King of Enlad and Arren's father
Susanne Blakeslee as the Queen of Enlad and Arren's mother
Kat Cressida as Cloak Vendor
Jess Harnell as Hazia Dealer
In the land of Earthsea, a mysterious force threatens to plunge humanity into destruction and chaos. A powerful wizard named Sparrowhawk seeks the source of his world's imbalance, and along the way rescues a runaway prince named Arren. When Sparrowhawk's powers begin to weaken, he and Arren must join forces with a former priestess and her daughter to defeat an evil foe whose quest for immortality will destroy Earthsea.
This film took me away to a different world and it took my breath away despite the fact that I was feeling rough whilst watching this film but it did cheer me up.
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