Mock Squid Soup: What Princess Mononoke Does in the Shadows

MOCK! and The Armchair Squid are proud to welcome you to Mock Squid Soup: A Film Society, meetings on the second Friday of each month. This month, each of us is choosing another society member's movie to review as listed in The Mock Squid Soup Film Library.  I watched two such films this past month.  Princess Mononoke was first reviewed by angryparsnip.  What We Do in the Shadows was first reviewed by Cherdo.

Title: Princess Mononoke
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Original Release: 1997
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

When I arrived in Japan in 1996, I had never heard of Hayao Miyazaki or any of his movies.  That all changed once the promotional campaign for Princess Mononoke hit full throttle.  Posters and trailers were everywhere.  Once released in July '97, the movie shattered all previous box office records, becoming the highest grossing film in Japanese history, a distinction it only held onto for a few months before Titanic hit theaters.

The story is set in medieval Japan.  While defending his village from a cursed boar, Prince Ashitaka is bitten and infected by the same curse.  He leaves to find a cure in the western lands.  A wondering monk tells him the Great Forest Creature may help him.  While on his quest, Ashitaka gets caught up in a conflict between San (aka Princess Mononoke), a human woman who lives as a wolf, and Lady Eboshi, the leader of Irontown.  Ashitaka is stuck in the middle between the forces of nature and technological progress, a prominent theme in Miyazaki's work.

Society member Toi Thomas reviewed the movie, too.   In her reflection, she asked why at one point is San drinking blood from the wolf goddess Moro and I think I can explain it.  Moro has been injured in battle and I think San is sucking out the blood (not drinking it) in order to treat the wound.

Miyazaki's films have been a major part of our Family Movie Night tradition from the beginning.  I wouldn't say Princess Mononoke is my favorite story among them, or even in my top five.  But visually, I think it is Miyazaki's most impressive work.  As I have written before, I believe the anime master is at his best with landscapes and Princess Mononoke's are particularly breathtaking.  There were a couple moments in our most recent viewing when I'm pretty sure I sighed audibly in appreciation.  The musical score by Joe Hisaishi, a longtime Miyazaki collaborator, is also used to especially strong effect in this film.


Title: What We Do in the Shadows
Directors: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
Original Release: 2014
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

Or perhaps Princess Mononoke is a vampire.

What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary about four vampire housemates in a Wellington, New Zealand suburb, struggling to navigate 21st century society. Viago (Taika Waititi) is an uptight, neat freak, the Felix Unger of the crew.  Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) is a few centuries older and was, at least in his heyday, quite powerful.  Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) is the young rebel at 183 years old - if Viago is Felix, Deacon is Oscar, with a kinky side.  Petyr (Ben Fransham) lives in a stone coffin in the basement.  He is an 8,000 year-old monster, reminiscent of Nosferatu's Count Orlok.

Matters get complicated when Petyr turns one victim, Nick, into a new vampire.  Nick can't help blabbing to everyone at the clubs about his new status which, of course, brings heaps of trouble to the house.  Nick does, however, have a very nice human friend Stu who quickly endears himself to the household.  He's especially helpful in getting them up to speed on technology.

The film's a lot of fun, plenty of Christopher Guest-esque humor.  It's vampires so there's lots of blood.  This squeamish viewer had to turn away from the screen a few times but I toughed it out.  There's a band of werewolves in town, too, which allows for some wonderful Twilightesque rivalry banter.  The movie would fit well in either a mockumentary or undead-themed film fest. 

Trivia challenge again for October!  Pick your own movie to share.  Post three clues on Friday, October 7th.  Post your reveal and review on Friday, October 14th.  Meanwhile, please visit my friends today: