Skip to main content

#015 Hayao Miyazaki: Spirited Away vs. Ponyo

By

In today's episode Nate and Austin compare Hayao Miyazaki's best and worst rated films, Spirited Away (2001) and Ponyo (2008), respectively. Austin thinks P is being a B, Nate wishes  Amon Goeth played Ponyo, and they both need to watch more animated films. Check back next Sunday at 7pm PST where we will compare Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead (2004) and A Fistful of Fingers (1994), his best and worst rated films.
And check out this clip from the documentary on Hayao Miyazaki, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFIE-ISqNoU

Ponyo Notes
Worst Rated
PLOT: An adventure about a five-year-old boy and his relationship with Ponyo, a goldfish princess who longs to become a human after falling in love with him.
  • Ratings: IMDb 7.7 | RT 92% C / 83% A
  • Released: 2008
  • Director: Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke)
  • Writer(s): Hayao Miyazaki
  • Cinematographer: Atsushi Okui (Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke)
  • Notable actors: Cate Blanchett, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas, Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Jennessa Rose, Betty White, Lily Tomlin
  • Budget: $34 million
  • Box office: $201.7 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • Hayao Miyazaki drew most of the sea and wave imagery himself, experimenting with making it as expressionistic as possible. John Lasseter said that he had never seen water animated so beautifully before.
    • The opening 12 seconds, involving vast schools of fish and undersea creatures, required 1613 pages of conceptual sketches to develop.
    • Hayao Miyazaki was very surprised by the lukewarm reaction of children to his film in test screenings.
    • This is the first animated feature film since Princess Mononoke (1997) to be created and painted on traditional animation cels.
    • The level of detail in the animation resulted in 170,000 separate images - the most that have ever appeared in a Hayao Miyazaki film.
    • Hayao Miyazaki stated at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con that he was inspired to create the film after watching Disney's animated adaptation The Little Mermaid.
    • Sôsuke is based on Hayao Miyazaki's son Gorô Miyazaki, when he was five years old.

Spirited Away Notes
Best Rated
PLOT: During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
  • Ratings: IMDb 8.6 | RT 97% C / 96% A
  • Released: 2001
  • Director: Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke)
  • Writer(s): Hayao Miyazaki
  • Cinematographer: Atsushi Okui (Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke)
  • Notable actors: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers, Lauren Holly, Michael Chiklis, John Ratzenberger, Tara Strong, Bob Bergen
  • Budget: $19 million
  • Box office: $289.1 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • Won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003.
    • In order to animate the scene where Chihiro force feeds Haku the medicine in his dragon form, Hayao Miyazaki had his animators study a dog's mouth as they fed it treats while a veterinarian held its lower jaw.
    • When Chihiro arrives at Zeniba's house, the jumping lamp with sound effect is a nod to the Pixar logo.
    • The cleansing of the river spirit is based on a real-life incident in Hayao Miyazaki's life in which he participated in the cleaning of a river, removing, among other things, a bicycle.
    • First anime film to be nominated for (and win) an Academy Award. It also has the longest runtime of any other film nominated or winning in that category (125 minutes).
    • This is the first film to earn US$200 million in grosses before opening in the U.S.
    • As of 2016, Spirited Away (2001) is the highest-rated animated film (traditional or computer) in the IMDb Top Rated Movies (Top 250).
  Intro music by: Calm The Fuck Down (Broke For Free) / CC BY 3.0  

Check out this episode!
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

By
MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a complex and surreal film directed by David Lynch, known for its non-linear narrative and dreamlike sequences. The ending is open to interpretation and has been the subject of much debate among viewers. Here's a breakdown of the ending: Diane's Dream vs. Reality: Throughout the film, there are two main narrative threads: one follows Betty/Diane's dreamlike experiences in Hollywood, and the other delves into Diane's harsh reality. The ending reveals that the majority of the film has been a dream constructed by Diane Selwyn, a failed actress, as a means to escape the guilt and pain of her actions. Betty/Diane's Descent into Madness: Betty, played by Naomi Watts, represents Diane's idealized self—a hopeful and innocent aspiring actress. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Betty's story is unraveling, and her identity begins to merge with Diane's. This culminates in the revelation that Betty is merely a construct of Di...
Read More

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

By
The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...
Read More

4K Blu-ray Review: Drop (2025) — A Tense, Tech-Driven Thriller That Mostly Sticks the Landing

By
In Drop, director Christopher Landon (Freaky, Happy Death Day) crafts a nerve-wracking thriller centered on a devastating dilemma: would you take a life to save the ones you love? The story follows Violet, a widowed single mom attempting to re-enter the dating world after years of grief and recovery. Played with emotional precision by Meghann Fahy, Violet finds herself on a promising first date with the affable and seemingly genuine Henry (Brandon Sklenar) in an elegant, glass-walled Chicago restaurant. But their evening takes a sinister turn when Violet receives a disturbing message via a sleek, anonymous app called DigiDrop: if she doesn’t kill her date before the check arrives, her son and sister will die. What unfolds is a tightly wound 95-minute thriller that feels both classic and timely. The film builds its suspense through confinement, not action. Most of the story unfolds in real-time at their dinner table, creating a pressure-cooker environment that reflects Violet’s psycholo...
Read More