Some Like It Scott

Miyazaki Countdown Part 11 - The Wind Rises

Hello everyone and welcome to Some Like It Scott's second Countdown miniseries of 2023, a podcast first focusing entirely on the works of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki: the Miyazaki Countdown. To honor one of the living legends of animation, the countdown crew of Scott, Scott, and Jay will watch all 11 of Miyazaki's films to-date, rewinding all the way back to his directorial origins with 1979's action-adventure heist thriller LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, all the way to his then-final film, 2013's biographical epic romance drama, THE WIND RISES. Join us each week over the next 11 weeks, as we build up to what is Miyazaki's self-proclaimed now-final film (we'll see...), the fantasy epic, THE BOY AND THE HERON.

 

In Part 11 of the Miyazaki Countdown, Scott, Scott, and Jay discuss what seemed for many years toa be Hayao Miyazaki's swan song, the 2013 animated historical drama, THE WIND RISES. Set over 20+ years in Japan, THE WIND RISES goes back to Miyazaki's own roots: World War II and airplanes, crafting a somewhat fictionalized bio pic of the Japanese aeronautical engineer and designer of several Japanese military planes used in World War II, Jiro Horikoshi. Young Jiro grows up longing to become a pilot, though he recognizes his nearsightedness will likely preventing him from doing so. One night, Jiro dreams of his hero, Italian World War I aircraft designer, Giovanni Battista Caproni. In this dream, Caproni tells Jiro that he's never flown a plane in his life, and that building planes is much better than flying them. Fast forward 7 years after the conclusion of World War I, and Jiro is off to Tokyo to study aeronautical engineering to fulfill his dream of building big, beautiful planes. On the train, he meets a young girl, Nahoko, and when the Great Kantō earthquake hits, assists Nahoko and her maid to safety. Two years later, Jiro graduates with his friend, Kiro Honjo, and both are employed in the aircraft manufacturing divisions of Mitsubishi to design and build fighter planes. Throughout the rest of his life, Jiro must reconcile the beauty of his passion and his creations with the terrible purpose it is clear that they will be used for. Something he struggles with, especially with failure after failure to successfully test his designs. The countdown crew discuss Miyazaki's most recent and arguably most personal film, including how many elements of Jiro Horikoshi's internal conflicts and personal reckonings feel like things deeply ingrained within Miyazaki himself, how his animation of airplanes comes to life after so many representations of them in his prior films, and how fitting of a denouement this would have been for his career, if not for the inescapable pull of trying to live, while the wind is rising.

Ep. 255 - Napoleon

Hello and welcome to an all new episode of Some Like It Scott! On this week's episode, the two Scotts review Ridley Scott's next epic, this time about arguably the most famous French general and emperor, Le Petit Caporal, NAPOLEON. After discussing the grand scope of the film, Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby's dueling performances as Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte, and the epic battle sequences, the co-hosts turn their attention to dire casting updates in the Scream franchise, as well as the Golden Globes finding a broadcast partner for the upcoming show. See time codes below:

 

7:34 - NAPOLEON review

55:24 - Scream franchise update

1:14:24 - CBS acquires distribution rights to Golden Globes

 

Next time: MAY DECEMBER (Netflix)

 

Patreon: www.patreon.com/MediaPlugPods

Miyazaki Countdown Part 10 - Ponyo

Hello everyone and welcome to Some Like It Scott's second Countdown miniseries of 2023, a podcast first focusing entirely on the works of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki: the Miyazaki Countdown. To honor one of the living legends of animation, the countdown crew of Scott, Scott, and Jay will watch all 11 of Miyazaki's films to-date, rewinding all the way back to his directorial origins with 1979's action-adventure heist thriller LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, all the way to his then-final film, 2013's biographical epic romance drama, THE WIND RISES. Join us each week over the next 11 weeks, as we build up to what is Miyazaki's self-proclaimed now-final film (we'll see...), the fantasy epic, THE BOY AND THE HERON.

 

In Part 10 of the Miyazaki Countdown, Scott, Scott, and Jay discuss Hayao Miyazaki's 2008 animated family fantasy film, PONYO. PONYO follows the eldest fish-like daughter, Brunhilde, of a once-human wizard, Fujimoto, who now lives underwater on a four-flippered submarine, after she secretly escapes on the top of a jellyfish. Emerging above water and eventually washing ashore in a small fishing village, a 5-year-old boy named Sōsuke finds Brunhilde and releases her from a glass jar she had become trapped in. Sōsuke cuts himself in the process, but Brunhilde magically cures his wound with a lick of her tongue, motivating Sōsuke to keep Brunhilde as a pet fish, name her Ponyo, and promise to protect her. After discovering Ponyo missing, Fujimoto searches for his lost daughter, whom he believes was kidnapped, eventually locating her at Sōsuke's home on the cliff by the sea, where he sends his wave spirits to rescue her. Ponyo's successful return to Fujimoto leaves Sōsuke deeply saddened and confused. but Ponyo quickly begins to rebel against her father again, refusing to respond to her birth name, Brunhilde, and beginning to transform herself into a human, thanks to the blood she licked off of Sōsuke's wound. The battle of wills between Ponyo and Fujimoto continues, while Sōsuke must reckon with Ponyo's (at least temporary) departure. The countdown crew discuss Miyazaki's first film specifically made with families and children in mind, whether the themes of the film still resonate for adults, and how the new cast of characters and advancements in animation stack up against the other films in Miyazaki's catalog so far.

Ep. 254 - The Killer (feat. Jay Habib)

Hello and welcome to an all new episode of Some Like It Scott! On this week's episode, the two Scotts and Jay revisit their Fincher Countdown days of old with David Fincher's latest Netflix outing and a bit of a return to his more classic thrillers, THE KILLER. After discussing Michael Fassbender's leading performance, the meta-commentary and themes of the film, and whether any of the kills rank up in the top Fincher kill moments, the Scotts discuss what seems like the end to the long-running SAG-AFTRA strike and the potential implications for Hollywood moving forward.

 

4:39 - THE KILLER review

1:02:27  - SAG-AFTRA strike resolution

 

Next time: NAPOLEON (Theaters)

 

Patreon: www.patreon.com/MediaPlugPods

Miyazaki Countdown Part 9 - Howl’s Moving Castle

Hello everyone and welcome to Some Like It Scott's second Countdown miniseries of 2023, a podcast first focusing entirely on the works of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki: the Miyazaki Countdown. To honor one of the living legends of animation, the countdown crew of Scott, Scott, and Jay will watch all 11 of Miyazaki's films to-date, rewinding all the way back to his directorial origins with 1979's action-adventure heist thriller LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, all the way to his then-final film, 2013's biographical epic romance drama, THE WIND RISES. Join us each week over the next 11 weeks, as we build up to what is Miyazaki's self-proclaimed now-final film (we'll see...), the fantasy epic, THE BOY AND THE HERON.

 

In Part 9 of the Miyazaki Countdown, Scott, Scott, and Jay discuss commercial hit follow-up to SPIRITED AWAY, the 2004 anime fantasy film, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. Set in Miyazaki's now-familiar steampunk-esque post-industrial fantasy environment, the film begins with Sophie, a young hat-maker, encountering the titular wizard named Howl while on her way to visit her sister, Lettie. Howl rescues her from the harassment of local town's guards, only to himself be followed by mysterious black-ooze entities. After escaping, Sophie returns home later that night, only to be confronted by the Witch of the Waste, whose entities Sophie and Howl had escaped earlier that day. The witch curses Sophie, transforming her into a 90-year-old woman, and in-turn Sophie flees her family and town in search of a way to break the curse in the dangerous local countryside. While trekking through the plains and hills, Sophie eventually comes upon Howl's moving castle, where she enters to seek refuge without invitation. There, she meets Howl again, as well as his young apprentice, Markl, and the fire demon, Calcifer, that powers the magic of the moving castle. As always, things are more complicated than they initially seem, as Calcifer intimates that Sophie is not the only one in the castle bearing a curse, and the two agree to help each other free themselves from their respective burdens. The countdown crew give their thoughts on the exquisite step forward in animation that HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE represents, the old (anti-war) and new (aging) themes of the film, and whether Miyazaki continues to live up to the legendary expectations he has built for himself during his directorial career so far.

Miyazaki Countdown Part 8 - Spirited Away

Hello everyone and welcome to Some Like It Scott's second Countdown miniseries on 2023, a podcast first focusing entirely on the works of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki: the Miyazaki Countdown. To honor one of the living legends of animation, the countdown crew of Scott, Scott, and Jay will watch all 11 of Miyazaki's films to-date, rewinding all the way back to his directorial origins with 1979's action-adventure heist thriller LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, all the way to his then-final film, 2013's biographical epic romance drama, THE WIND RISES. Join us each week over the next 11 weeks, as we build up to what is Miyazaki's self-proclaimed now-final film (we'll see...), the fantasy epic, THE BOY AND THE HERON.

 

In Part 8 of the Miyazaki Countdown, Scott, Scott, and Jay discuss Hayao Miyazaki's most acclaimed film to-date, the 2001 Academy Award winning animated fantasy film, SPIRITED AWAY. SPIRITED AWAY tells the story of a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, whose family are traveling to their new home in a new city. Chihiro's father takes Chihiro and her mother on a detour as they near their new home to explore an abandoned amusement park, and while there, they find a restaurant curiously fully stocked with prepared foods. Hungry, Chihiro's parents ravenously begin to consume the food, making Chihiro uncomfortable and leading her to explore the nearby attractions, including a bathhouse. Approaching the bridge to the bathhouse, a mysterious boy, named Haku, appears to Chihiro and begs her to leave before nightfall. Rushing back to warn her parents, Chihiro finds only pigs where her mother and father were before, and panickedly fleeing the impending nightfall, Chihiro is stopped in her tracks when an ocean of water blocks her path back to the amusement park entrance. Stuck in this unknown and scary fantastical world, Chihiro must adapt quickly to her new surroundings and navigate new potential allies and enemies, all while finding a way to rescue her parents and return to the real world. The countdown crew give their thoughts on what many consider Miyazaki's greatest film, including the numerous themes of environmentalism, consumerism, and traditional cultural values, in addition to discussing Chihiro as a potential evolution in Miyazaki's lead character archetype and the reversion back to a smaller-scale narrative from the expansive PRINCESS MONONOKE. (Oh yeah, and an absolutely ludicrous Joe Hisaishi score, though what's new.)

Ep. 253 - Anatomy of a Fall

Hello and welcome to an all new episode of Some Like It Scott! On this week's episode, the two Scotts talk about this year's Palme d'Or winning courtroom drama, ANATOMY OF A FALL. After discussing Justine Triet's composition, Sandra Hüller's performance, and the supporting cast and core themes of the film, the co-hosts turn their attention to awards season to discuss the Gotham Awards nominees and the announcement of the delayed WGA Awards ceremony. See time codes below:

 

6:19 - ANATOMY OF A FALL review

1:10:10 - Gotham Awards nominees

1:23:47 - WGA Awards date delayed

 

Next week: THE KILLER (Netflix)

 

Patreon: www.patreon.com/MediaPlugPods

Miyazaki Countdown Part 7 - Princess Mononoke

Hello everyone and welcome to Some Like It Scott's second Countdown miniseries on 2023, a podcast first focusing entirely on the works of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki: the Miyazaki Countdown. To honor one of the living legends of animation, the countdown crew of Scott, Scott, and Jay will watch all 11 of Miyazaki's films to-date, rewinding all the way back to his directorial origins with 1979's action-adventure heist thriller LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, all the way to his then-final film, 2013's biographical epic romance drama, THE WIND RISES. Join us each week over the next 11 weeks, as we build up to what is Miyazaki's self-proclaimed now-final film (we'll see...), the fantasy epic, THE BOY AND THE HERON.

 

In Part 7 of the Miyazaki Countdown, Scott, Scott, and Jay discuss the film that catapulted Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli to international recognition, the 1997 fantasy epic, PRINCESS MONONOKE. Set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (14th-16th century AD) and centering on Ashitaka, one of the last young princes of the indigenous Emishi tribe, PRINCESS MONONOKE opens with a demon-possessed boar god attacking Ashitaka's village. He manages to fend the boar off, but at great personal cost, as the boar passes the curse to Ashitaka before he is slain. One of the elders of the Emishi tribe give Ashitaka a choice: set out from the village heading west in search of the cure to this curse and never be allowed to return to his homeland, or surely perish as the curse consumes him. Ashitaka of course takes the former option, and heads west, with only a single lead: a heavy iron ball in the stomach of the boar that appears to have caused the demonic corruption. On his journey, Ashitaka encounters Jigo, a mischievous monk who informs him that the Great Forest Spirit may be able to help cure him. When Ashitaka heads that direction, he encounters a new settlement - Iron Town, a refuge for societal outcasts like lepers and prostitutes - run by the enterprising Lady Eboshi, who is in conflict with the local wolf god of the forest, Moro, her two cubs, and a young girl, San, that Moro has taken in after she was abandoned in the forest as a baby. Ashitaka finds himself stuck in the middle between both sides of the conflict and must find a way to convince each side that peace and compromise are the better option than continued destruction of either the forest or the local people. Easier said than done for Ashitaka, and the countdown crew give their thoughts on what may be Miyazaki's most nuanced film to-date, discussing a number of complex themes about balance and duality, as well as economic development and environmental preservation. Those ideas, the most expansive plot of his since NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, and the production and musical score create a recipe for plenty to discuss.

Ep. 252 - Killers of the Flower Moon

Hello and welcome to an all new episode of Some Like It Scott! On this week's episode, the two Scotts talk about Martin Scorsese's long-awaited return, 5 years in the making, with the historical epic crime drama, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON. After discussing the star-studded ensemble cast, the almost-meta nature of the 206 minute runtime, and the searing historical narrative and themes, the co-hosts turn their attention to a recent overhaul of the 2023/2024 release calendar as the SAG/AFTRA strike still has not been resolved, as well as the surprise announcement of THEY FOLLOW, the sequel to the hit 2014 indie horror film from David Robert Mitchell, IT FOLLOWS. See time codes below:

 

4:40 - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON review

1:19:40 - Release date revisions

1:32:56 - THEY FOLLOW announcement

 

Next week: ANATOMY OF A FALL (Theaters)

 

Patreon: www.patreon.com/MediaPlugPods

Miyazaki Countdown Part 6 - Porco Rosso

Hello everyone and welcome to Some Like It Scott's second Countdown miniseries on 2023, a podcast first focusing entirely on the works of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki: the Miyazaki Countdown. To honor one of the living legends of animation, the countdown crew of Scott, Scott, and Jay will watch all 11 of Miyazaki's films to-date, rewinding all the way back to his directorial origins with 1979's action-adventure heist thriller LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, all the way to his then-final film, 2013's biographical epic romance drama, THE WIND RISES. Join us each week over the next 11 weeks, as we build up to what is Miyazaki's self-proclaimed now-final film (we'll see...), the fantasy epic, THE BOY AND THE HERON.

 

In Part 6 of the Miyazaki Countdown, Scott, Scott, and Jay discuss one of the stranger films - at least in terms of origin - in Hayao Miyazaki's filmography, the adventure-fantasy film, PORCO ROSSO. Originally conceived as an in-flight animated short for Japan Airlines but eventually converting into a feature-length film, based on a manga of Miyazaki's own creation (à la NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND), PORCO ROSSO is a 1929-set period piece following the titular pig, Porco Rosso, an Italian World War I veteran fighter pilot-turned-bounty hunter. Porco lives a pretty chill life, lounging on a private patch of island somewhere off the coast, rescuing innocent civilians from the throes of airborne pirates whenever he is called upon. One day, after defeating the Mamma Aiuto Gang and treating himself to a dinner at the Hotel Adriano, run by his friend and maybe-love-interest Gina, Porco butts heads with an arrogant and hot-headed American hired gun, Curtis, who's been contracted by the local pirate gangs to aid in their next attack. Needless to say Porco and Curtis, who makes a pass at Gina, do not hit it off, and their conflict extends to the sky, where Curtis attacks Porco, severely damaging and crashing the iconic crimson plane and setting off a feud that tests Porco's honor as an ace in the sky. The countdown crew give their thoughts on Miyazaki's relatively low stakes return to the adventure genre, what themes may still lurk underneath the surface of this high-flying adventure, and if Porco joins the cast of memorable characters in Miyazaki's movies.