‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ Review: Miyazaki’s Search for Hope Under Bleak and Tragic Circumstances

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Although not technically the first Studio Ghibli movie, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind set the foundation for everything that we have come to love most in their long body of work from over the years – we nonetheless still recognize it as one of their films. Being only the second feature film directed by Hayao Miyazaki as well as the first to have been based upon his own property, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind not only has not aged a single day in time but like all the best of Studio Ghibli’s movies, its message is one that still resonates with the way our world moves today. Above all, the hopefulness that Miyazaki creates within such a bleak setting results in one of the most beautiful films ever made.

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Drag Me to Hell – Review

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In the spirit that defined him during his earlier years, Drag Me to Hell serves as a return to form for Sam Raimi to what he was known for when he was at the peak of his career. Reveling in the glory of the camp that defined the Evil Dead films, what Sam Raimi does with Drag Me to Hell is create something that exposes himself at his fullest to a new audience – to extremely satisfying results. There is no denying that Drag Me to Hell certainly is ridiculous with how events unfold, but there’s a reason such ridiculousness adds up to greater effect. Drag Me to Hell embraces such a factor and exploits it to its core, but at the same time what it presents is so morbid and in turn it creates this wonderful blend of comedy and horror – resulting in one of the best films to blend such in recent years. Continue reading →