GKids much-anticipated Studio Ghibli film retrospective comes to Los Angeles tonight, courtesy of the American Cinemateque. Titled, "Castles in the Sky: Miyazaki, Takahata and the Masters of Studio Ghibli," 15 feature films will be shown on the big screen, in stunning new 35mm prints, in both subtitled and dubbed versions.
The festival begins tonight with Porco Rosso, a favorite film of mine and one that I'm sure you'll love to see up close. Closing out on Feb 13 will be The Secret World of Arrietty, just ahead of its American theatrical release on the 17th.
Miyazaki's films are going to be amazing, wonderful, thrilling, and awe-inspiring. I was lucky enough to see My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke at the late Oak St. Cinema some years ago, and I assure you that these movies are meant to be seen on the big screen. Howl's Moving Castle looks especially grand on a larger canvas (the DVD really never did it justice), and Nausicaa? Wow. If I had the money, I'd already be on an airplane to California and live in the movie theaters.
Even more exciting for Ghibli Freaks is the chance to see Isao Takahata's masterpieces in full display. You're about to meet the world's greatest living movie director. I've praised Omohide Poro Poro for years (it's just about the greatest animated film ever made), and now Americans will finally discover for themselves. They will finally discover Ghibli's naturalist side, seen in Poro Poro and Whisper of the Heart and Ocean Waves and My Neighbors the Yamadas.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, stop everything you're doing, throw your TVs out the window, SCTV-style, and go to the Studio Ghibli festival. GKids will not be bringing their festival tour to Minneapolis-St. Paul, tragically - the Home of The Ghibli Blog, left uninvited to the big party! That's quite a humbling thought, kids.
Enjoy the movies, everyone. You're going to have a terrific time.
2 comments:
I don't live IN Los Angeles, but I do live within driving distance and was so tempted to go out there to catch at least one showing. However, I don't think I can justify driving two hours each way to see a 90 minute movie... Alas, maybe another time.
A friend that works at a couple of art house/college town theaters in Saginaw, MI is trying to get the GKIDS package booked for there. Assuming they get it, that seems to be the closest that the package will get to the MSP area. I'm really surprised that the Chicago area wasn't on the list.
Most of these films will be available for individual booking by theaters after July.
Paul
(Soon to be a denizen of SoCal again) Yatta!
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