Episode 7.09: Too Cold for Spring

U62: The TargTime to bust out another episode of U62: The Targ!  Why blog about the news of the week that caught my eye, when I can fire up the ol’ recording software and tell you about it?  What caught my eye in Episode 7.09: Too Cold for Spring?

  • Westlock has finally joined Canadian civilization with a Tim Hortons having opened up in town!  My thoughts and quest to become the first customer through the door!
  • OK, here’s some news I did blog about…picking apart the trailer for Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
  • And it looks like one of my favourite TV shows ever, Now and Again, may finally be coming to DVD!

So fire up the ol MP3 player and give it a spin!

You can download it  here!

And here’s iTunes!

Episode 7.08: Let’s Make a Movie!

U62: The TargAnother week has gone by, so that means it’s time to ramble for about 15 minutes or so, and play a song when I need to catch my breath!  And I do that in podcast form.  Yes, it’s time for a new episode of U62: The Targ!  Here’s what’s in store for Episode 7.08:  Let’s Make a Movie!:

  • They’re making a movie version of Jem and the Holograms!  My thoughts and fanboy whining.
  • Fox has laid out their long terms plans for the Marvel properties they own (i.e. X-Men and Fantastic Four).  Are they good?
  • And general amazement at the trailer for Peanuts.  Here it is, if you haven’t seen it.

 


So kick back, grab a frosty beverage of your choice, and give U62: The Targ a listen!

Download here!

And we’ve got iTunes!

Episode 7.07: 2 Sevens

U62: The TargSunday is here, that means it’s time to put a brand new episode of U62: The Targ on ye olde Internet!  What are you going to get when you listen to my podcast this week?  Well….

  • I offer up my thoughts on Agents of SHIELD and entertain the notion that it might be getting better.
  • I dust off What’s Wrong with Society to express my distaste for pun-based holidays.
  • Share a tale of my days in college, and when I first accepted that I’m getting old.

All this and more on this week’s episode, Episode 7.07: 2 Sevens!

Download here!

And here’s iTunes!

Episode 7.06: Just Another Saturday

U62: The TargNothing better on a Sunday than sleeping late, lying in bed, and listening to soothing sounds on the radio.  And the sounds don’t get any more soothing than my podcast, U62: The Targ!  This week I dish up Episode 7.06: Just Another Saturday.  Topics of discussion include:

All this and more when you listen to this week’s U62: The Targ!

Download here!

And here’s iTunes!

Episode 7.05: Beautiful Dreams

U62: The TargIt’s Sunday!  You’re probably sleeping in.  You’re just lazing in bed and thinking,  “Hey.  Some musical accompaniment to this slumber would be nice.”  So then, just for you, I’ve put together this episode of U62: The Targ, entitled Episode 7.05:  Beautiful Dreams.  You will experience:

  • A harrowing trip to the south side of Edmonton!  (May not actually be harrowing)
  • A thrilling review of the film The Wind Rises!  (May not actually be thrilling)
  • And, while everyone will remember Harold Ramis for Ghostbusters, I’ll tell you what I’ll remember him the most for.

All this and more on today’s episode of U62: The Targ!

You can download it here!

And here’s iTunes!

Movie Review – The Wind Rises

The Wind Rises

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki; English dub directed by Gary Rydstrom

Starring the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Werner Herzog, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, and Mae Whitman.

Backstory

Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki is generally regarded as one of the world’s greatest living animators. I first fell in love with his works when I saw Kiki’s Delivery Service at the Augustana Anime Club’s first film festival. And since Disney has been giving his movies big theatrical releases in North America, I’ve always made it a point to go out and see his latest films when they come out. There was some fear that Disney might skip releasing his latest film, The Wind Rises, because of it’s more grounded and realistic subject matter. It’s a fictionalized and highly romanticized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, one of Japan’s most renowned aircraft designers. But, when Miyazaki announced he was retiring and this would be his final film, Disney gave it a wide release. Is it a good note for Miyazaki to go out on?

Plot

Young Jiro is madly in love with aviation, but his poor eyesight means he’ll never be a pilot. But, when his mentors visit him in his dreams, he realizes he can still fulfill his dreams by becoming an aviation engineer. While in college, he rescues young Naoko in an earthquake, and even though he never sees her again, he still thinks of her. Upon graduation, Jiro and his friend Honjo are hired by an aircraft company, and they set out to bring Japanese aviation into the modern era. They have trouble finding the resources they require, but the winds of war may soon bring them what they need. And the winds of fate may even bring Jiro and Naoko together again.

What I Liked

While it’s Miyazaki’s most realistic film, the fact that such a serious subject is handled in animation makes it his most dreamlike. With Jiro frequently conversing with his mentors in his dreams, it soon becomes difficult to distinguish dreams from reality, which adds to the dreamlike qualities. The romance is passionate, as Jiro loves with this whole heart both aircraft and Naoko. And being Studio Ghibli, the animation is, of course, superb.

What I Didn’t Like

It moves awful slow. Without a big musical number or an action sequence like in most animated films, the long quiet moments take some getting used to. I also saw the English dub, and while most of the voice acting is top-notch, I found Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Jiro to be a little…sleepy at times.

Final Assessment

I enjoyed it, and it’s sticking with me. I’m still puzzling over some things. That’s a good thing, right?

3 Nibs