Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast

Howl may be the worst type of early 2000s emo hunk. But listeners…We! Can! Fix! Him!!!

This week is a real doozy. Dom and Adam are not particularly effusive about Miyazaki’s moody, dark magic sequel to SPIRITED AWAY. It’s bewildering, it’s bizarre, and some moments seem completely incomprehensible. But as an animated film, it’s a spectacle to behold, and we have a lot to celebrate, too. For instance…Calcifer!

Next week, it’s Miyazaki’s child-friendly disaster film, PONYO (2008). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features:

Behind the Microphone

The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack

Interview with Diana Wynne Jones

Explanation of CG: How to Move Howl's Castle 



The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle

Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki

The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton

Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier

Hayao Miyazaki Takes Over Howl

Variety Akihiko Yamashita Interview

 

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners, it’s time to remember your name.

We’re getting Spirited Away this week to a Studio Ghibli production that is often called the most influential animated film of all time. Joining us to help purify the stink spirits and return the river gods to their kingdom is our old friend Stephen Hilger.

Topics discussed this week: the enduring mystery of No-Face, why the Radish Spirit rules, whether or not SPIRITED AWAY is the TENET of Miyazaki’s filmography, Ghibli’s art style in the digital era, and of course, MARIO ODYSSEY.

Next week, it’s the most Hot Topic of Miyazaki’s oeuvre, the very moody HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References: 

The Art of Miyazaki's Spirited Away

Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert

Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki

The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton

Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier

Spirited Away Making of Documentary

Time Magazine Production History

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did Studio Ghibli really make a family sitcom? Kind of! It’s Isao Takahata’s second-to-last film, and we simply couldn’t resist adding it to our series.

Joining us to revel in the brilliance (and surprisingly vindictive behavior) of the man they call Paku-San (aka Mr. Munch) is our dear friend and digital producer, Nik Long!

Topics covered this week: whether or not YAMADAS is more like EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND or MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, the long-standing rivalry of Miyazaki and Takahata and its similarities to the film CHALLENGERS, our nostalgia for discovering movies on television, Takahata’s love of bananas, and so much more!

Next week, at long last, we get SPIRITED AWAY (2001). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features

The Secrets of My Neighbors the Yamadas



Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Before you listen to this episode, please join us in reciting the Ghibli prayer: Oh nameless god of rage and hate, we bow before you!

This week we contend with what is unquestionably one of the greatest films ever made, animation or otherwise. It’s a period epic that encapsulates everything we know and love about Studio Ghibli while also somehow raising the bar even higher. And hey, there’s even a kaiju!

Next week, it’s a last-minute addition to the series: Isao Takahata’s penultimate film, MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS (1999). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's Most Popular Film of All Time

Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy

Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison

Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert

The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton

Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier

The Guardian Hayao Miyazaki Interview

Neil Gaiman on Scripting Princess Mononoke

Cinefantastique Vol 31 No 4 Production History

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Country roads, take us home! Of the many, many movies that use the famous John Denver song, who would've expected the DEFINITIVE one to be about about a couple kids in Western Tokyo who fall in love with a really cool cat statue? 

This week our old friend Stephen Hilger of the very great Into the Aether podcast is filling in as guest host! Topics explored by Dom and Steve: Zelda games (of course), Les Mis (obviously), doing improv comedy for no one (what?), learning to love yourself as an artist, and for some reason, pro wrestling! What an episode!

Next week we worship at the altar of PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Special Features

Behind the Microphone



Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki

Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History by Rayna Denison

Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation by Helen McCarthy

Studio Ghibli: The Complete Works 2nd Edition

Cartoon Brew Atsushi Okui Interview

John Lasseter Whisper of the Heart Introduction

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.