What I Think Of: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Way back in the 1980's, my dad & brother, both who were into anime, showed me this film...kinda. I say kinda, because the version I saw was called Warriors of the Wind, which was a cut version of the original Japanese film, named Kaze no tani no Naushika. Back in the 1980's, the majority of Anime that was shown in the USA, whether movies or cartoons, did not have the best of dubbingm and were sometimes cut. Especially the cartoons. They were dubbed horribly, but since we were children, we didn't really care that much. That was the case for me with this film, but as I grew older and learned of such things, I always wanted to see the true version of this film. Thanks to the new owners of Marvel Comics releasing Studio Ghibli films on DVD, I was finally able to see Hayao Miyazaki's genius in it's true form.

Our heroine, Princess Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, is a peace loving girl who can communicate with the insects of the Toxic Jungle, like the Ohmu, the intelligent giant armored caterpillars who's eyes dictate their mood. When a ship crashes into the Valley of the Wind, Nausicaä and the citizens of the valley get caught up in a war between Tolmekia & Pejite, with the Tolmekian's taking over the Valley of the Wind to retrieve a creature of unimaginable power. What will become of the Valley of the Wind? Will Nausicaä be able to stop this war and save her people?

For those of you who watch anime, you have most likely seen the work of Hayao Miyazaki, who's makes timeless movie after timeless movie, at least in my opinion. Out of all of Miyazaki's movies, this is my personal favorite. Even though the Warriors of the Wind version was cut, I was always enamored by the world he created, and the visual way he brought it to life. This was one of the movies that got me into Japanese animation in the first place. The vibrant beauty of the Valley of the Wind, the unique design of the insects of the forest, and the awesomeness that was Nausicaä's glider just won me over from an early age. Not to mention that the soundtrack to the movie is simply beautiful, which is to be expected from any of Miyazaki's films. This film is considered to be the first Studio Ghibli film, even though it was made before Studio Ghibli was founded. I have yet to see Miyazaki's latest film, Ponyo, but with his constant track record of animated masterpieces, much like Pixar, I cannot wait to see it.



-Greg

What I Think Of: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

Now, from the title, you might be thinking, "Is Greg reviewing another MST3K movie?" However, despite it's title, this movie is not an MST3K gem. Surprisingly, this movie is actually quite awesome, and one of my all time favorite movies from the 80's. To say that this movie is out there is an understatement. This movie is a tour de force of adventure, sci-fi, and comedy all rolled into 103 minutes of pure awesome. Essentially, evil Red Lectroids from Planet 10 need Team Banzai's now perfected Oscillation Overthruster to pass through solid matter and into the 8th Dimension, in order to free their captive comrades and wage war against the Black Lectroids from the planet of the same name. It's up to Scientist, Brain Surgeon, Rock Star, and all around grand adventurer Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers to stop the evil Lord John Whorfin from succeeding before the Black Lectroids trigger the Cold War in order to make sure he doesn't escape the planet.

No really, this isn't an MST3K movie. It's just pure fun, it really is. What makes me love this movie so much is that it doesn't take itself seriously at all. I mean, there are sequences in the movie that make little sense to anyone but the Hong Kong Cavaliers themselves, but it works so well. Another thing that makes this movie so great is the casting. Peter Weller puts in a great performance as Buckaroo himself and Jeff Goldblum is great as New Jersey. However, the two who really steal the show are John Lithgow as Dr. Emilio Lazardo/ Lord John Whorfin and Christopher Lloyd as John Bigboote. They truly bring the humor to the movie, especially towards the end of it when they interact more.

Now, this was W.D. Richter's directorial debut, and only one of two movies he's ever directed, with his other being Late For Dinner. I'd like to think that he knew he couldn't top this awesome of a movie, so he just wanted to do one more as a director, then call it quits. Really, I don't see how he can top this. What also made this movie so good, in my eyes, was that it's non-stop. The movie just flies by, and doesn't let up in it's silly premise at all. There is no dull point at all, from beginning to end. Speaking of the end, this movie has one of my favorite ending credits ever, if not my favorite of all time. I won't spoil it, but I think it's so hard not to whistle or hum the Buckaroo Banzai theme after you're done watching it. I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking for a fun time. It's one of the best and one of my favorites.

-Greg