Studio Ghibli Fest | My Neighbor Totoro

Two young girls, Satsuki and Mei, move with their father to a new house in the countryside. But country life is not so simple as it seems, as they soon discover the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, most notably a family of Totoros, gigantic but gentle bear-like forest spirits that can only be seen by children. The Totoros introduce the girls to a series of new adventures, including a ride aboard the Cat Bus.

Studio Ghibli Fest 2017 has begun! I watched the English dubbed screening of My Neighbor Totoro this past weekend, delighted to be in the audience of a packed theater. Totoro is undoubtedly the most widely recognized Studio Ghibli character, a character that has definitely become an icon within my own life. My Neighbor Totoro tells the story of Satsuki and Mei, two young girls who move to the countryside with their father while their mother is sick in the hospital. Dealing with their mother’s absence, the girls take to exploring their new home and its surrounding forest, where they encounter fantastical creatures from soot sprites and totoros, to the catbus. These creatures are considered to be spirits that can only be seen by children, if they’re lucky. I remember watching this film when I was younger, certainly fascinated with the creatures that I hoped I would be lucky enough to catch sight of someday. Now, as a full fledged adult (debateable), the themes of family and loss have become all the more prevalent.

The unconditional love between Satsuki, Mei, and their father is touching. They take pleasure in cleaning house and making a home for themselves, simply happy to be in each other’s company. The girls even go so far as to stand out in the pouring rain at the bus stop, waiting for their father to come home from work just to make sure he didn’t have to walk home in the rain without an umbrella. And after the girls visit their mother in the hospital, it’s clear that while they put on a brave face, there is an ache in their hearts. The girls write to their mother frequently, preparing for the day when she may finally come home, until they discover that her return is to be postponed due to more complications. What must it be like for a child to be uncertain of their parent’s fate? Mei, who is only 4 years old with a limited understanding of human mortality, petulantly cries that “it’s not fair!”, to which Satsuki, who is several years older than Mei and more understandably angry and upset, yells at her for being a child. The girls fight and Satsuki runs off in an upset while Mei proceeds to wail uncontrollably. Later, Satsuki is seen laying on the floor in the dark, a vision of depression. It isn’t until she realizes that Mei is missing that she comes back to life and takes off in a desperate chase to find her lost sister, turning to Totoro for help.

After all of their fear, pain, and suffering, in the end they all find each other again and return home with a new hope. What would the girls have done without their friendly neighborhood Totoro? He was their guide, a spirit of the forest watching over their precious family. They were blessed. My Neighbor Totoro is considered to be a masterpiece, a family film for adults and children alike, centered on the love of a family, with a delicate balance between love and pain. I highly recommend each and every Studio Ghibli film, which are all beautifully animated with rich and compelling storylines. Continuing through Studio Ghibli Fest I will be watching the English dubbed screenings and I'm most excited for Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away which are high up on my list of favorites. Till next time, see you at the movies! ★

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (review)

Star-Lord and the Guardians are back for another epic space adventure! When I first heard about these superheroes in space they sounded strange and unfamiliar, but I was still completely on board. I’m a total Marvel superhero fangirl and I’m completely fascinated with space and time and Guardians of the Galaxy was the superhero film I didn’t know I was waiting for. I fell in love with Guardians for its galactic setting, its rag tag band of misfits/heroes, and its awesome soundtrack. As much as Guardians was just another superhero origin story among many, it was a breath of fresh air. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just as entertaining and action-packed as the first film, but it's also different enough in story and theme that it serves as a successful sequel that expands on everything that was introduced in the first film.

If you're familiar with Guardians, then you know that the soundtrack is essential, not only to Peter Quill, but to the overall tone of the films. Vol. 2 starts on a high note as the intro scene showcases a criminally adorable Baby Groot dancing to my legit all time favorite song, "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra. Without missing a beat, the film jumps right back into the action as the Guardians work together to take down a monster, a scene that serves to remind the audience of the character dynamics that were established in the first film. Although they may fight and bicker at times, they still get the job done. At the end of the day they’re still a team. They’re family. And unsurprisingly enough, Vol. 2 is very much a family affair. Peter Quill’s origin was left to question at the end of the first film and those questions are quickly answered as Peter finally meets his long absent and mysterious father.

While Peter’s origin is at the center of the film, each of the Guardians have a defining arc outside of the main plot. The audience learns the history behind the rivalry between Gamora and Nebula, sisters fighting with very different motives. Rocket and Yondu share a moment about the pains of not having a family, and despite Drax’s limited emotional range, we are exposed to the unbearable pain of how much he truly misses his wife and child. Writer/Director James Gunn did a great job of building these characters and organically giving them depth throughout the film. The film explores themes of what it's like to lose your family, of feeling alone and estranged, to what it's like to create a new family, and to learning to appreciate the family in front of you. I found Vol. 2 to be equally as enjoyable as the first, despite having some pacing issues and some of the humor falling flat. However, I do think that the first Guardians of the Galaxy is a better film overall, but the themes in Vol. 2 create a stronger emotional and personal connection for me. I'm torn between which film I like better and how I would rank them because both films are great by their own right. But either way, the galaxy definitely needs more dancing Baby Groot!

RATING: 8/10
★★★★★★★★

American Gods

I originally intended for this post to be a review of the entirety of American Gods by Neil Gaiman, but unfortunately I fell behind schedule and am currently only halfway through the book. I should also mention that I'm reading the 10th anniversary edition of the book, which is twelve thousand words longer than the original text. However, I still wanted to give my impressions of the book so far, before the television series premieres this weekend. I was introduced to American Gods at the Nerdist Conival last summer where I saw the panel for the upcoming show which included Ricky Whittle from The 100, Ian McShane from Game of Thrones, and the author Neil Gaiman himself! I wasn't familiar with the source material at the time, but I was a fan of Gaiman's other works (Stardust, Coraline) and I find him to be an incredibly inspiring writer. The panel itself was fairly short, but the cast was charismatic and entertaining and I was intrigued by the subject of gods and goddesses.

"There's never been a true war that wasn't fought between two sets of people who were certain they were in the right. The really dangerous people believe they are doing whatever they are doing solely and only because it is without question the right thing to do. And that is what makes them dangerous."

Shadow Moon is an ex-con reentering society with a completely blank slate. Immediately upon his release from prison he finds himself caught on the precipice of a war between the old gods and the new gods living in America. The old gods are becoming extinct as Americans continue to worship the new gods and forget about the old gods. I've always been fascinated with mythology and the gods and goddesses of different cultures, as that was my main appeal for reading this book. But with that said, I found the overall story to be rather slow paced for my liking as Shadow travelled across America and I struggled to read through chapters in an attempt to stay on schedule. To me the most interesting parts of the story were whenever Shadow met a new god and all of his scenes with Laura, his very lovely but very dead wife. The book was written over a decade ago and although some of the references are dated, it has very poignant and powerful themes of worship, religion, and media. It is true now more than ever that society worships technology and the media above all, and the old gods of lore are all but history. They're dying. Because the gods only exist through belief. And the gods only gain power through worship. It's like Tinkerbell when her light starts to go out or whenever a child says they don't believe in fairies... she needs you to clap for her. She needs you to believe.

"Tell him that we have fucking reprogrammed reality. Tell him that language is a virus and that religion is an operating system and that prayers are just so much fucking spam."

It is the fear of a lack of faith which is tied to the struggle for power that drives the war between the old gods and the new. It's Mr. Wednesday vs. Technical Boy in the war to come, with Shadow as witness to all the calamity. Although the book may be a slow burn for me, I can see this story translating into a compelling television series that will introduce a wide range of gods with rich histories. And now that the show is set to premiere and this post is written, I feel less pressured to rush through finishing the book. I am content with taking my time reading through the second half of the story and enjoying Shadow's road trip through America. Based on the trailer the show looks amazing, the cast is spot on, and the visuals are stunning. American Gods premieres this Sunday, April 30, 2017 on STARZ and I have high hopes. Who else is tuning in?!

Legion | Season 1

Legion is FX x Marvel's comic book television series that tells the story of David Haller, a troubled young man with schizophrenia who is struggling to control and understand his condition. Legion is in a league of its own when compared to any other Marvel television series to date. While shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Daredevil are full of action, adventure, and epic fight scenes, Legion is dramatically different in aesthetic and theme. Much of the story takes place in David's mind, providing for a mind-bending visual experience. And as the show digs deeper into David's psyche, the more it starts to feel like a dark and gritty psychological thriller.

I had no prior knowledge of the story of Legion other than the fact that it existed in the X-Men universe. While watching the show I couldn't comprehend the extent of David's abilities until I did further research on his character. Legion is described as the most powerful mutant in the Marvel universe, and it's no surprise considering he's the son of Professor X. David has the ability to absorb other mutants' abilities and personalities, all of which fight for control over his mind, making him very unstable and very dangerous. With David's schizophrenic condition, it's also no surprise that the show shares similarities to the film Fight Club, which is coincidently my #1 all time favorite movie! The viewer is exposed to David's mindscape, exploring his memories, but which of his realities is actually reality? Which of David's personalities is his core personality? Who is Tyler Durden?

I binge watched season 1 and the visuals stuck with me days after. The creepy imagery of David's memories combined with those teeth gritting violin screeches create an intense urgency as the viewer struggles to distinguish dreams vs reality. I have a great appreciation for the visual effects of the show which seem practical in production and that, along with the music/score combine to create a sitting on the edge of your seat, nail biting television viewing experience. And let's not forget the amazing cast of the series. David Haller is played by Dan Stevens who is fantastic as his personality shifts from sweet and innocent one moment to menacing and powerful the next. (sidenote: Dan Stevens also plays Beast in the live action Beauty and the Beast adaptation which I'm now dying to see even more!) And if I wasn't already a fan of Aubrey Plaza, I would be after her performance in this show. Aubrey Plaza is fucking phenomenal as Lenny, or Benny, or whoever the hell she is...

Rating: 8/10
★★★★★★★★

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch has been out in the wild for over a month now and the Switch hype is still alive and thriving. The main game I'm playing is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but I've also played the Snipperclips demo, as well as the Splatoon 2 global testfire. Both of these games are now on my wishlist, among many more upcoming releases. Splatoon 2 was my introduction to the series and my first online multiplayer experience on the Switch, and it was seriously so much fun! Despite experiencing connection issues, I'm looking forward to playing more multiplayer games on the Switch, specifically Mario Kart 8 Deluxe later this month!

Although I don't have a lot of experience playing the variety of Zelda games that exist, I was intrigued by how unique Breath of the Wild was compared to any other game in the franchise. And it's nearly impossible to escape the game's 10/10 ratings and reviews. I have vivid childhood memories from over a decade ago of playing Ocarina of Time, but other than that the only other Zelda game I've played is A Link Between Worlds for 3DS. Although I never actually finished the game, I remember thoroughly enjoying it. The dungeons and puzzles were fun, challenging, and satisfying to play through, and the game's story and graphics also left an impression on me. I definitely want to get around to finishing the game one day. I'm also interested in playing other Zelda games such as Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess.

As for Breath of the Wild, I'm taking my time playing through the main story. As an absolute perfectionist I made sure to get the official guide. The game has such an expansive world and I want to make sure I explore and unlock every map area and complete every shrine before I even attempt to take on Ganon. Unfortunately for me, I'm also prone to headaches and motion sickness while playing games that involve a lot of camera movement. For that reason I generally play handheld rather than docked and connected to a screen. And even then I find myself playing for rarely over an hour at a time. The shrines can get frustrating and time consuming for a newbie like me, and more often than not I find myself consulting the guide. But despite my overall lack of story progression, I'm addicted to exploring and discovering this world. It truly is breathtaking. I have nothing but high praise for Breath of the Wild and I expect to be playing this game for hours on end.

I completely recommend the Nintendo Switch for even the most casual of gamers. Don't get me wrong, I still absolutely love and play my 3DS everyday. And although there are still several 3DS games I have in queue to play, I'm dying for an Animal Crossing or Pokémon game to come out for the Switch! Too many games, so little time!