Those who live in the Los Angeles area can catch a trio of classic animated films from master director Hayao Miyazaki on the big screen at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. The American Cinematheque will present Nausica’ of the Valley of the Wind on Friday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., followed by Saturday screenings of My Neighbor Totoro (3 p.m.) and Spirited Away (7:30 p.m.)
First released in 1984, Nausica’ of the Valley of the Wind takes place a thousand years after a great war and is set in a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind, one of the only areas that remains populated. Led by the courageous Princess Nausica’, the people of the valley are engaged in a constant struggle with powerful insects that guard a poisonous jungle spreading across the Earth. The English-language cast includes Alison Lohman (Matchstick Men), Patrick Stewart (X-Men), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill), Edward James Olmos (TV’s Battlestar Galactica) and Shai LaBeouf (Constantine).
My Neighbor Totoro (1998) is the story of two girls who move to the country to be near their ailing mother and end up having fantastic adventures with colorful forest spirits. This English dub features the voice of ubiquitous child star Dakota Fanning and her sibling, Elle Fanning.
Winner of the Best Animated Feature Academy Award for 2002, Spirited Away follows the adventures of Chihiro, a young girl who wanders into the spirit world and struggles to release her parents from the spell of a powerful overlord. Contributing to the English-language voiceovers are Daveigh Chase (The Ring) Michael Chiklis (TV’s The Shield) and Lauren Holly (TV’s NAVY NCIS).
Miyazaki’s next film, Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on a Cliff), is slated for release in Japan this summer, possibly July 19. Written by Miyazaki, the film’s story takes place in a seaside town and revolves around a five-year-old boy named Sosuke, who encounters a goldfish princess who wants to become human.
