All sorts of folk will be heading into Brooklyn for humorous haiku and the Miyazaki classic SPIRITED AWAY
SPIRITED AWAY (SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI) (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
Leon S. Kaiser Park
2401 Neptune Ave. at West 27th St.
Friday, August 12, free, 7:00
718-907-0709
www.nausicaa.net
www.nycgovparks.org
Prepare to have your spirits lifted up and away in this sensational animated feature from Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki, who made one of our all-time faves, 1992’s Porco Rosso (Kurenai No Buta). Ten-year-old Chihiro is unhappy about moving to a new home despite her parents’ best efforts to convince her otherwise. When her father takes a wrong turn on the road, the family ends up in an oddly deserted village that Chihiro soon finds out is a lot more than it seems. Chihiro’s adventures through this dreamlike, surreal, magical place filled with bizarre characters and evil beings are unforgettable, with nuances and references from such diverse works as The Wizard Of Oz and The Seventh Seal. The sheer visual beauty of the animation is staggering; many of the backgrounds are reminiscent of Impressionism. The film includes the voice talents of Daveigh Chase (Chihiro), Jason Marsden (Haku), Susan Egan (Lin), Michael Chiklis (Chihiro’s father), Lauren Holly (Chihiro’s mother), Suzanne Pleshette (Yubaba and Zeniba), John Ratzenberger (assistant manager), David Ogden Stiers (Kamaji), and Tara Strong (baby Boh). Joe Hisaishi’s maudlin music is way overpraised, as usual, but this Japanese box-office champ deservedly won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and was named Best Asian Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Spirited Away is screening August 12 at Mark Twain Circle in Leon S. Kaiser Park on Gravesend Bay, where it will be preceded by “Hilarious Haiku for Brooklyn,” spoken-word poetry presented by Staten Island OutLOUD.