“Spirited Away: Live on Stage” wills Miyazaki’s modern animated classic into reality…

*****YUBABA-SIZED SPOILERS!***** Nearly seven years ago in late 2016, one of the first columns I did for this site was on losing “my Miyazaki virginity” by agreeing to see my wife’s favorite movie, “Spirited Away,” which was returning to theaters for its 15-year anniversary.  While anime is not necessarily my favorite genre, I saw something…

The King (of Monsters) and I: Musings on the 65-year Godzilla legacy…

The King and I. The Godzilla (“Gojira”) franchise is one that I’ve been a fan of for literally as long as I can remember. Sitting too close to the 25” cathode ray tube TV, eagerly watching poorly dubbed, pan-and-scanned prints on Saturday afternoon television… ah, childhood! Back then, the Godzilla movies were frothy fun ……

“Shin Godzilla” (2016) re-awakens a sleeping giant of Japanese cinema

Managed to catch this one in a one-night event at a local cinema back in October.  And after 12 years, Toho studios revives the Godzilla brand with a vengeance. ****** SPOILERS!!! ****** This was (at least to my recollection) the most powerful and politically charged Godzilla film since the 1954 (unaltered) original film “Gojira” (the…