One of the world’s best filmmakers, Hayao Miyazaki, turns 70 today. If you haven’t seen all of his stuff—but especially my favorites, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and My Neighbor Totoro—get to Netflix and make that shit happen. In the meantime, maybe a few of Miyazaki’s stunning scenes—from Totoro, Mononoke, and Spirited Away, respectively—will tide you over.
With honor and distinction, Erik Henriksen served as the executive editor of the Portland Mercury from 2004 to 2020. He can now be found at henriksenactual.com. More by Erik Henriksen
He’s awesome. I sent my 10-year-old niece MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO for Christmas to get her started on Miyazaki.