Skip to content
The Matinee

The Matinee

Cinematic Passion & Perspective

The Matinee

  • writing
    • reviews
    • reactions
    • dvd doubleback
    • watchin’ & writin’
    • the decade so far
    • Review Index
  • podcasts
    • matineecast
    • winchester chronicles
    • guest spots
  • festivals
    • TIFF
    • hot docs
    • nxne
    • Toronto After Dark
    • toronto silent film festival
  • Ongoing Features
    • blind spot series
    • thoughts & opinions
    • the watchlist
    • links
    • falling for the first time
    • my back pages
    • essays
    • conversations
    • discussion
    • award talk
  • Contact Me
  • About Me

anime

blind spot series 1988, 2015 blindspot, animation, anime, blindspot, hayao miyazaki, japanese, my neighbor totoro, Studio Ghibli

Blindsided by MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

January 27, 2015

With a twelve-course meal on-tap for 2015, I decide to start with dessert.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
reactions, TIFF animation, anime, isao takahata, Studio Ghibli, the tale of princess kaguya, TIFF 2014

THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA plays TIFF 2014

September 6, 2014

Takahata breathes new life into an ancient Japanese folk-talk, and leaves us wondering if he is taking a bow in the process.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
reviews animation, anime, darren criss, emily blunt, hayao miyazaki, japanese, jennifer grey, john krasinski, joseph gordon-levitt, mae whitman, mandy patinkin, martin short, stanley tucci, Studio Ghibli, the wind rises, werner herzog, william h. macy

THE WIND RISES

February 23, 2014

Maestro Miyazaki decides to play one last song, and it’s a tune with tones of home.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
TIFF, trailers anime, foreign, hayao miyazaki, japanese, Studio Ghibli, the wind rises, tiff, TIFF 2013

Down from Above: THE WIND RISES Trailer

September 3, 2013

One last offering from a master of animation.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
watchin' & writin' akira, animation, anime, anime syllabus, japanese, katsuhiro ohtomo, mamoru hosoda, michael arias, tekkonkinkreet, the girl who leapt through time

Big in Japan pt. 5 – Concluding the Anime Syllabus

May 15, 2012

The finish line comes into sight…but those final fifty meters felt like the toughest leg to run.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
blogathon, watchin' & writin' animation, anime, anime syllabus, hayao miyazaki, howl's floating castle, japanese, princess mononoke, Studio Ghibli, whisper of the heart, yoshifumi kondo

Big in Japan pt. 4 – Continuing the Anime Syllabus

March 22, 2012

We approach the clubhouse turn as I experience Studio Ghibli larger-than-life.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
watchin' & writin' 5 centimetres per second, animation, anime, anime syllabus, grave of the fireflies, isao takahata, japanese, makoto shinkai, the place promised in our early days

Big in Japan pt. 3 (Continuing the Anime Syllabus)

February 16, 2012

Shinkai and Takahata bring me back to earth.

Read More
Ryan McNeil
  • « Previous Page
  • Letterboxd
  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Spotify

Subscribe to the Matineecast

  • Spotify
  • Apple
  • Google

Straight Up

Enter your email address to receive new posts by email.

© 2026 The Matinee | Designed by: Theme Freesia | Powered by: WordPress