No one likes a gatecrasher. Who cheers when the folks from the bar downstairs decide they're gonna burst into your wedding reception and hog the dancefloor and have everyone in a bad mood on account of there being no room for the legitimate guests to line dance? No one, is who. Gates, as a rule, should not be crashed, as far as I'm concerned. In the west, we crash cars, and we open gates politely, and then we ask if we can enter.
So imagine The Duke's disdain when this uppity motherfucker by the name of Hayao Miyazaki decides he can just waltz on into The Duke's Favourite Ever Directors List, and just sit down and stretch himself out all over the sofa. What gives, Miyazaki, what in Hell gives?
To make The Duke's Favourite Ever Directors List, you need to put in the effort. You need to have a back catalogue fit for intense scrutiny by mine eyes. You need to make very witty statements about the sexing. You possibly need to be called Woody Allen.
This Miyazaki character, this unannounced presence on The List, he has a back catalogue of gargantuan proportions, but The Duke has only seen two of his works, so as far as I'm concerned, he may as well have started pointing cameras last week after a lifetime spent on the heroin or some shit. Also, I haven't once heard him refer to the sexing in any context, and I bet he doesn't even have glasses.
So what the hell is he doing on the list, then?
Here's why.
The Duke picked up the Oscar-Winning animated film, or cartoon as they're known to some folks, by the name of Spirited Away. Many critics of Filmic Affairs got themselves all in a state over this here little film, and next thing you know it’s the best thing what ever happened to Japan or the greatest movie ever made by anyone with the name of Hayao. To The Duke, whose cynicism is sharp enough to puncture the head of a mule positioned forty feet away, this all seemed like so much gumpf. A load of the old hyperbole, thought The Duke. God knows why I bought the damn thing, but he's too busy with Mel Gibson to explain it to me, so I'll have to assume I liked the pretty cover.
Then there's a big twist, and the twist is that the film turned out to be utterly stunning. Who the hell gave it permission to be so beautiful? Not I, says The Duke, so who?
Article comments
1 - BJ
You're not going to be disappointed by Kiki or Totoro either. They're both "smaller" films (fewer characters, more personal) than the world-creating Mononoke and Spririted Away, but not in a bad way. Castle in the Sky is fun.
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Hi BJ. I look forward indeed to checking out the three you mentioned. It was a toss between Castle... and Princess... in HMV to be honest. Totoro seems to be absent from the shelves around here at the minute, so its gonna be Kiki and Castle next. To be honest, i can't wait. I have never been so impressed by an animated film as i was with the two mentioned in the article. And i've seen me some animation, oh yes. Fritz The Cat, Akira, Urotsukidoji - Legend Of The Killer Penis. You can be sure i saw plenty, and these two still blew me away unlike anything else. Thanks for the comment!
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
BJ, i picked up Castle In The Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service a wek or two ago, but haven't got them watched yet. No doubt a review will be forthcoming as soon as the credits roll. Really lookin forward to them.
4 - barry
"Castle in the sky" is great same with
"Valley of the wind"
in my opinon his two best
5 - DJRadiohead
Duke, fantastic review. You have almost convinced me I ought to watch these things. Only I probably won't on account of I have never been a fan of the Japanimation/ Anime/ whatever the fuck one calls these fucking things. I work with a couple of fellas who swear I am a dumbass (I guess that's American for cunt) for not checking these things out. At any rate, I enjoyed your review.
So other than Woodrow Allen and this Hayao dude, who is on The Duke's list?
6 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
DJ, this review is a year old, so it's probably plenty embaressing, but thank you for the kind words, regardless! who else is on the list... i'd never to consider it, and i might actually devise a post of such, but let's see;
the two you mentioned, Martin Scorsese, Sergie Eisenstien, Lucio Fulci, Kevin Smith... there are tonnes, but that's all i can get off the top of the head.
Barry, i must get my hands on Valley Of The Wind one a these days...