A few reviews

[mnkykungfu]

^ Such an amazing doc. Did you know that Netflix also uploaded some of the wartime shorts featured in FCB when the doc was released?

I did indeed!  I ended my Netflix subscription last month to protest their price hike, but before that, I watched about half of the films featured in Five Came Back.  Honestly, FCB shows the best bits in the most exciting way, generally.  The Negro Soldier (1944) is pretty stunning to watch in its entirety.  It's funny: it's credited to Stuart Heisler, but FCB said Carlton Moss (who wrote it and played the central role) was really the instrumental force in the final project, which ends up being a kind of tribute to African American contributions to the country (conspicuously not mentioning slavery!)
 

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Miyazaki's idea of exciting is occasionally moving the camera!

Oh man, don't get me started on Ghibli!  I'm a big fan, though having lived in Japan and been to the Ghibli museum several times, I think Western audiences often mis-interpret a lot of what goes on in Japanese film.  For example, the simple camera work in this film is more likely due to lack of time and money than directorial choice!  haha  Look at later Miyazaki films to see what he prefers to do when he actually has the budget for it.

Joe Hisaishi's music reminded me of Cliff Richard's 'Summer Holiday'... no bad thing.

Yes!  After Isao Takahata, Hisaishi-san is the unsung hero of Ghibli.  His work so often perfectly compliments the simplicity of the stories and animation.  I think it especially shines in Laputa, as well as Mononoke-hime, of course.