Mousterpiece Cinema and Ghibli Blog Discuss Tales From Earthsea

Mousterpiece Cinema: Tales From Earthsea

This Saturday, the newest episode of the Mousterpiece Cinema podcast was released to the public. It is devoted to the 2006 Studio Ghibli movie, Tales From Earthsea, and features yours truly as the special guest. On this show, we discuss various topics, including the plot and characters, the relations between the movie and Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy novels, and the family melodrama that was unraveling behind the scenes at Studio Ghibli.

I like to think that Tales From Earthsea is a movie where Goro Miyazaki openly fantasizes about killing his father, then is cursed to walk through the endless landscapes of his late father's own creations. He is trapped in a Purgatory of sorts, reenacting scenes from Horus, Prince of the Sun, Puss in Boots, Heidi, Girl of the Alps, Future Boy Conan, The Journey of Shuna, and Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind.

For all of the movies faults, and we all agree that this movie is loaded with them, there are some positive qualities. We must also remember that the director was working on his very first movie, with zero experience in animation or filmmaking. Putting Goro-san into the captain's chair was a big gamble, one that, ultimately, didn't quite pan out. But that story has yet to be fully written.

Click on the link above to listen to the podcast episode. You can also download from Apple iTunes. Be sure to post a positive review on the Apple page as well, as that helps support these shows.

The Ghiblers Podcast No.12: My Neighbors the Yamadas

The Ghiblers is a podcast devoted exclusively to the movies of Studio Ghibli. They began broadcasting in August, 2017 and are now rolling ahead with their latest episode, where they discuss Isao Takahata's 1999 comedy classic My Neighbors the Yamadas.

So far, each episode is devoted to one feature film, and the show is progressing in chronological order. I hope this doesn't mean that they intent to quit once they've reached the end. There are endless opportunities for discussing the many topics and ideas expressed in these movies. They'll never run out of material. Believe me, I know.

Ideally, I would like to see this show expand its scope to the pre-Ghibli era, including Toei Doga, A Pro, Zuiyo/Nippon Animation, Telecom and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. And, of course, there are always the Hayao Miyazaki comics, of which there is no limit.

This show does not appear to have many followers, so we need to change that. The Ghibli fan community needs to come together. I highly recommend that you subscribe to this excellent podcast and share with family and friends. Also, please take a moment to write a favorable review on the podcast's iTunes page.

You can follow The Ghiblers at their website, or download episodes from Apple iTunes.

Bocanada: A Journal of Pop Culture and the Arts - The New E-Zine From Ghibli Blog

Have you downloaded your free e-zine yet?

Many years ago (longer than I care to admit), I created zines to nourish my love of writing and popular culture. I wrote about Star Trek and science-fiction, video games, music, art, and the ups and downs of daily life. They were created on simple desktop publishing software, word processors, and an assortment of clip art and marker pens. It was very low-tech, but highly enjoyable. I even managed to score some freelance writing work at GamePro, which was tremendous fun

Ever since then, I wanted to return to zines. I even had recurring dreams about finding an old computer with long-forgotten websites that were still active, and communicating with old friends. 21 years later, while working on my multiple book projects, I thought it would be fun to finally take the plunge again and create a zine that I could share with my readers and fans. And so Bocanada Issue 1 was born.

Bocanada: A Journal of Pop Culture and the Arts. That long-winded title means, simply, that I get to write about whatever the heck I want, but mostly aimed in the same direction as my writings on Ghibli Blog and the new books: Zen Arcade, Pop Life and Greatest Hits.

For Ghibli Freaks, this issue includes essays on Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke and My Neighbors the Yamada. For classic and retro video game fans, there are reviews of Altered Beast (Genesis), Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), Bonk's Adventure (TG-16), Mega Man (NES), and Street Fighter 2 Turbo (Super NES). For music lovers, we have articles on Miles Davis' 1974 jazz-fusion album Get Up With It and Sony's PS-X75 Biotracer Turntable. Finally, we have an art gallery of zine-worthy graffiti works created by me back in 2002.

The cover image is another one of my artworks, a 2005 digital painting created entirely on computer. The title is an homage to Gustavo Cerati's 1999 album, a glorious mashup of trip-hop (remember that?), Radiohead's Kid-A and The Beatles. The pages are "half-size," meaning that they are standard 8.5" x 11" pages folded in half. The zine is 48 pages in total, which matches the output of my old zines perfectly (they were 245 pages at standard size).

Bocanada was created for both physical and digital formats. I find the half-size format works perfectly for tablets and even smartphones. The pages are very readable and neatly designed without becoming too cluttered or dense. I created everything on Scribus, a freeware tool, which I suppose would disqualify me in the eyes of many zine publishers -- it's not a "real zine" unless everything is created on a typewriter, scissors and markers. Whatever.

Bocanada is available as a "perma-free" download, meaning the digital version will always be free. All you have to do is join my mailing list. In addition to receiving the zine, you will also receive regular email newsletters that feature the latest news and developments from DT Media (my indie publishing label) and Ghibli Blog, including the new books!

When is Bocanada Issue 2 coming? Soon. I'm still very busy with releasing the books, assembling the new DT Media website, and doing the usual promotional work (translation: hassling everyone with review copies and appearance requests). If we can assemble and publish the second issue in time for Thanksgiving, I'd be thrilled.

As always, thank you very much for your continued support of Ghibli Blog.

P.S. I keep mentioning the new books: Zen Arcade, Pop Life and Greatest Hits. Well, the books are finished and ready to roll out! As for release date, availability and price...join my mailing list and I'll share all the answers in my next newsletter.

Update (10/4 8:23pm): Bocanada now has a new cover design! I like it a lot, and hope you will, too.

Studio Ghibli Music Box Medley

This is just too charming. A YouTube member named "BoxOfMusic" has created this video of a music box that plays a medley of songs from your favorite Studio Ghibli movies. The music box is a simple DIY machine that can be found at most arts and crafts shops at an affordable price, and plays music from rolls of paper with holes punched in the appropriate spaces. Anyone can compose their own music with a little time and effort.

In addition to composing the songs, this video artist has also drawn illustrations as each movie's music plays, in a rolling panorama of your favorite Ghibli highlights and characters. It's an especially nice touch for those of you who aren't as familiar with some Ghibli melodies.

The medley in this video includes themes from the following movies: Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, The Cat Returns, and Whisper of the Heart.

Overall, this is very entertaining and clearly a labor of love. Kudos to BoxofMusic for putting this together and sharing with us.

New Studio Ghibli Podcast: The Ghiblers

A new podcast dedicated to Studio Ghibli has recently launched. "The Ghiblers" launched in August and has now reached their third episode. So far, the hosts have dedicated an entire episode to a single movie, and have discussed Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (ep.2) and Laputa: Castle in the Sky (ep.3). I assume they will continue to cover the studio's movie titles in order, which should keep them occupied for the next dozen episodes.

Let's send some love and support their way, and hope this podcast becomes a success. You can find the podcast here: The Ghibliers (iTunes).

Gauche the Cellist Soundtrack LP

Gauche the Cellist is one of my favorite animated movies, and when I mentioned how much I loved the soundtrack, I was directed to the official soundtrack album released in Japan. And here it is...well, the photos from a recent Ebay auction, at least.

Michiyo Mamiya and his orchestra deliver a spectacular performance of Beethoven's "Pastorale" 6th Symphony. I still haven't found a better recording. I also love how director Isao Takahata breaks up Beethoven throughout the movie, weaving the music out of sequence, small segments, major movements. It's not the simple 1-2-3-4-5 progression; this isn't another Silly Symphonies direct interpretation, but treated as an equal character in the greater play.

This soundtrack LP is pretty rare, so if you find a copy, expect to spend a lot of money. The cover design features an original color illustration on the front, and a cast illustration on back. Numerous movie screenshots, and a full-size poster, are included in the package. Very impressive, overall. I just wish more copies were available, and that prices were a bit lower. Ah, well, it's all part of being a diehard collector, right?

Studio Ghibli Soundtrack LP: Kiki's Delivery Service

Saturday is "Music Day" on Ghibli Blog, but I didn't want to completely alienate our regular readers, so let's take a look at one of the Studio Ghibli soundtrack LPs from Japan.

In Japan, multiple vinyl LPs associated with the Ghibli movies were released by Takuma Shoten. These include "soundtrack," "image album," "symphonic," and "drama records." 45-rpm record singles were also released for the films if a pop song was attached.

For collectors, these record albums are a prize catch, featuring full-color artwork, sometimes exclusively created for the specific album, and screenshots from the movies. Prices on Ebay range from as little as $15-$20 to well over $600. A recent Ebay auction of Isao Takahata's 1982 Gauche the Cellist asked for a whopping $150 (he didn't get any bids) - Ack!

These photos for Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service come from a regular contributor to the Buta Connection forums in France. He has a very nice collection of Ghibli LPs. Kiki's comes with a single LP, with text and photos on both sides of the sleeve. An extra paper advertising the other Ghibli soundtrack albums is also included. It's very nicely packaged, was probably very affordable back in 1989, and should remain so today. I wouldn't expect to spend more than $15 or $20.

Kiki's Delivery Service was Studio Ghibli's first box office hit in Japan, and it's a charming, quiet little movie, much closer in spirit to My Neighbor Totoro than anything. It remains a little underrated in the Miyazaki canon, which only goes to show there's no accounting for taste. I'd be very happy to have this album in my collection, just to hear Yumi Arai's terrific theme song (it reminds me so much of Karen Carpenter, God Rest Her Soul).

(Photos: Buta Connection, "jrd1")

Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi Soundtrack Box

A few weeks ago, we took a look at the newly released Isao Takahata Soundtrack Box, the soundtrack CD collection spanning the director's many animated films. Today, let's take a look at Miyazaki's box set.

Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi Soundtrack Box, released in Japan on July 16, 2014, is the second of the studio's CD soundtrack compilations. Like the Isao Takahata Soundtrack Box, this 12-disc collection is presented in HQCD format, which is fully compatible with standard CD players (one wonders why SACD or hi-res digital wasn't chosen). All of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli feature films are included, as well as his short film, "Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess," which aired exclusively at the Ghibli Museum.

The 12 CDs included in the set include the following:

Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (OST) 

Laputa: Castle in the Sky (OST) 

Laputa: Castle in the Sky (US Disney soundtrack) 

My Neighbor Totoro (OST) 

Kiki's Delivery Service (OST) 

Porco Rosso (OST) 

Princess Mononoke (OST) 

Spirited Away (OST) 

Howl's Moving Castle (OST) 

Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea (OST) 

Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess (OST) 

Bonus Disc: Kiki's Delivery Service: Seems to be Fine (Mini Drama CD)

All of the discs are the official movie soundtracks (OST), and even includes Disney's US-commissioned score for Castle in the Sky (featured on the old DVD). The bonus disc is very interesting: a "Mini Drama CD" of Kiki's Delivery Service. It's a story based on the movie, narrated by Minami Takayama, and originally published in Animage Magazine in 1989 to promote the film. A nice advantage as Tokuma Publishing owned both Animage and Studio Ghibli.

The Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi Soundtrack Box is available in Japan, and online retailers, for 20,000Yen. All of the CDs are perfect replicas of the original soundtrack LPs (which are themselves valued collectors' items nowadays), and is packaged inside a sturdy box adorned with a Miyazaki illustration. This is listed as a "limited edition," so interested parties should consider purchasing one while supplies last.

(Credit: Thanks to GhibliWiki and Nausicaa.net for providing details on this release.)

Studio Ghibli Isao Takahata Soundtrack Box

On January 21, Studio Ghibli will release "Studio Ghibli Isao Takahata Soundtrack Box," a spectacular 10-disc collection of movie soundtracks from the inconic director's career, mastered in HQCD format, but fully compatible with CD players. The release was originally planned for a late 2014 release (around the same time as the similar Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi Soundtrack Box), but delayed held it back until now.

The 10-CD collection is largely based on Takahata's Studio Ghibli movies, but a number of key pre-Ghibli works are also included. Here is the following rundown of the collection:

Disc 1: Grave of the Fireflies
Disc 2: Omohide Poro Poro
Disc 3: Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pom Poko
Disc 4 & 5: My Neighbors the Yamadas
Disc 6: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Disc 7: The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun
Disc 8: Panda Kopanda (+ The Rainy Day Circus)
Disc 9: Jarinko Chie
Disc 10: Joe Hisaishi conducts The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

The Soundtrack box will also include a booklet, catalog, and individual cardboard sleeves for each of the films. The tenth "bonus" disc is a live recording of Joe Hisaishi and his orchestra, as part of his continuing series of live performances (as documented on the DVD/Blu-Ray, "Joe Hisaishi Live at Budokan").

Music is an especially crucial element to Isao Takahata's films. He has always carried a deep knowledge and passion for world music, and his film scores are often as iconic as the animations. Consider the haunting Grave of the Fireflies theme, or the similar flute melody for The Story of Yanagawa Canals, or the European folk music in Omohide Poro Poro, or the bouncy jazz-pop of Yamadas. I have a special fondness for Jarinko Chie's music, especially the opening and closing songs. And, of course, we can't forget Horus' iconic, imperial march, and Hilda's Joan Baez-meets-Black Sabbath folk songs.

One inclusion that I would really like to see: Michiyo Mamiya's complete recording of Beethoven's 6th Symphony ("Pastorale") for the 1982 film, Gauche the Cellist. It remains one of my favorite renditions of the Pastorale; it has a special spark, perhaps a bit more passion and punch, than anything in my record collection. A full soundtrack LP has to exist somewhere...I can only hope.

I would also like to have seen soundtrack discs for Takahata's three World Masterpiece Theater productions: Heidi, Girl of the Alps; 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother; and Anne of Green Gables. Perhaps copyrights issues (translation: money and ego) prevented their inclusion, or perhaps television soundtracks, by their nature, are less ideal for longer, orchestral listening sessions.

You can purchase the Isao Takahata Soundtrack Box at CDJapan, for 15,000 Yen, or $127.25 USD. Definitely an expensive item, no doubt about it. But this price is comparable to similar CD box sets; Amazon has The Beatles in Mono set for $154.35 for CD, and 318.82 for Vinyl LP.

Much thanks to Buta Connection for their help with the cover photo and details. I'll update the cover photo as soon as one becomes available.

Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro Soundtrack LP

Now here's a cool collector's item for anime and Hayao Miyazaki fans: the 1983 soundtrack LP for Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro.  This LP was released on the Colombia label in Japan, and includes excellent cover and insert artwork.  I especially like the front and back cover, which emphasizes the themes of romance and Lupin's conflicted emotions...who is the rescuing hero, and who is the imprisoned?

This is a really nice collector's item.  It also helps that Castle of Cagliostro has some really good music, very fitting for a late-1970s picture.  It could be used on an episode of Charlie's Angels.  The title song is especially nice, fitting in that James Bond style of espionage, intrigue and romance.  I could see myself spinning this record from time to time; I'd certainly be making mix tapes, that's for sure.

This soundtrack LP, and many others, are commonly available on Ebay for $30, give or take.  If you're looking to add to your Miyazaki collection, here's an excellent choice.

Abbey Road Cover Shoot - August 8, 1969

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the famous Abbey Road photo shoot. This is probably the most popular of all The Beatles' albums, and justly so. As a farewell it is majestic, funny, shocking and beautiful all at once. I think there are more words of wisdom contained within its grooves than any popular musician save Bob Dylan.

I've been fortunate enough to find an early-press British LP, which sounds absolutely spectacular. When you hear the original UK presses of Beatles albums, you understand just why the analog record is the gold standard for recorded music. And you've never lived a full life until you've heard Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road on the original analog LP.

I specify "analog" because so much music being reissued on vinyl records today are, in fact, digitally sourced. The Beatles' records that you can buy brand-new at various shops are taken from the 1987 digital CD masters. Digital music on a vinyl LP just sounds awful to my ears, inferior to digital CDs and digital files on your iPod, and vastly inferior to the analog LP. I've learned this lesson the hard way, so I've learned to trust the few genuine audiophile brands that properly reissue albums in the superior analog sound.

Everybody, I'm sure, is looking forward to the new Beatles reissues on CD on September 9 (9/9/09 - hey, 10 years after Sega Dreamcast!), including me. But I'm really looking forward to the album reissues on LP, and I'm hoping and praying they'll be analog. Steve Hoffman hinted that RTI, his mastering firm, will be in charge. If that happens, fantastic. If not, you would be wise to track down some UK or Japanese* pressings.

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*I have Japanese LP pressings of Revolver and The White Album, and the sound is absolutely spectacular. It would stop you dead in your tracks. The Japanese are highly regarded among audiophiles.

Ponyo on a Cliff Soundtrack CD

Today's illustration is the CD cover for Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack album to the upcoming Miyazaki film, Ponyo on a Cliff. I thought you'd like to take a look and enjoy.

If you're curious about any Ponyo details as they emerge, your best resource is GhibliWorld. I prefer not to look too closely, because I don't want to spoil any surprises. I want to be able to enjoy this movie without any preconceptions, beyond, of course, that it's the next Miyazaki picture. As if you need any more incentive.

Note to self: get press pass to Venice Film Festival. The Western premier is sure to be here, according to tradition.