Tag: Studio Ghibli

Chris Gardner, Spirited Away, The Crucible, Archetype of the Magician, and Proverbs 25:18

Chris Gardner, Spirited Away, The Crucible, Archetype of the Magician, and Proverbs 25:18

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 31, 2021

Sunday Supplement #25 (October 31st, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a movie worth watching, a book worth reading, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others.”

– Chris Gardner

Movie of the Week:

Spirited Away

I highlighted Studio Ghibli in Sunday Supplement #2 and Sunday Supplement #16. Spirited Away is another brilliant movie from their catalog and is one of my favorite films.

The story follows 10-year-old Chihiro as she stumbles upon a world of gods, witches, and spirits. Her parents are turned into pigs for their greed, and Chihiro must find a way to fit into the magical world and figure out a way to save her parents. She receives help from Haku, a servant of the witch Yubaba, but must overcome many obstacles on her own while staying true to her feelings and beliefs.

One of the important takeaways from the movie is Chihiro’s belief in Haku when others do not trust him. The message of valuing friendship and standing up for what you believe in is subtle but powerful in the film.

Spirited Away won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars and is currently #28 on IMDB’s Top Rated Movies list. The film is a masterclass of storytelling, and the visuals are stunning. The themes in the movie (capitalism, spirituality, standing up for others) are brilliantly explored in a video by the YouTube channel The Take.

The story and tone of the film provide an exciting version of the Halloween movie. There are plenty of classic Halloween movies, but Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is one you should add to your list. There is so much to take away from the film, and I can’t recommend it more highly.

Book of the Week:

The Crucible – Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller’s classic play tells a fictionalized story about the witch-hunts and trials in 1700s Salem, Massachusetts. The story revolves around a disgraced maid, Abigail Williams, and her attempts to exact revenge by accusing citizens of Salem of practicing witchcraft. Her old employer, Elizabeth Proctor, is one of the women charged. And the accusation of Elizabeth comes after she was fired for a suspected illicit relationship with Elizabeth’s husband, John Proctor.

The Crucible touches on many themes about humanity and hysteria and is a valuable lesson of the power of fear and dishonesty. Miller wrote the play in 1953 and used the story to reflect the current times and effects of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s modern-day witch-hunt with Communism. The ruthlessness and eagerness of the community to turn on their neighbors is a reminder of the dark side of human nature and a warning against that path.

Halloween is often a chance to partake in festivities and should be celebrated, but inclusion and community should be at the center. The Crucible can be a way to connect with the history of witches in America while picking up some timeless lessons along the way.

Brainfood of the Week:

Like Stories of Old — Venturing into Sacred Space | Archetype of the Magician

Tom van der Linden is a video essayist whose YouTube channel (Like Stories of Old) explores different wisdoms, philosophies, social constructs, and spirituality. Linden’s videos tend to implement stories from authors and films to convey the thoughts behind the topics he discusses.

In this video, Linden goes over the final category in Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette’s book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. The book is a venture into the four basic building blocks of our psychology. The video examines the archetype of the Magician and explores related concepts such as initiation, ritual process, and sacred space.

Lined quotes Carol S. Pearson for a description of the role: “The archetype of the magician teaches us about creation, about our capacity to bring into being what never was there before, about claiming our roles as co-creators of the universe.”

The video uses examples from movies and various books when discussing the archetype of the Magician. It focuses on the two sides of the archetype, Master of Technology and Knower. One has to do with the material world, and the other represents the personal psyche and internal/spiritual knowledge. The video then concludes with how the archetype of the Magician functions today. The qualities of the Magician revolve around the deconstruction of the ego, thoughtfulness, reflection, awareness, and insight. The purpose is to create and help others.

I recently came across Linden’s channel and am eagerly exploring its videos. The visuals and auditory background of his work are superb. The content is well worth checking out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Telling lies about someone is as harmful as hitting him with an ax, or wounding him with a sword, or shooting him with a sharp arrow.”

– Proverbs 25:18

Amid Halloween celebrations, I see the masks and costumes we all put on for a bit of adventure. The above passage reminds me that people often still have masks on in everyday life. The previous entries on this post show the mistake of judging someone or bearing a false witness. I like to think that there is a reason for everyone’s actions, and a lot of times, crueler behavior masks an internal or previous wound. The backstory doesn’t excuse the action, but I try to pause and choose my response before making a hasty judgment.

One of the things I’ve learned and enjoyed is how a one-on-one conversation can completely change my perspective on someone I don’t know. It’s interesting to see people take off their masks and connect with someone I haven’t met before. Sometimes the best of these experiences have been with people I’ve judged before without knowing them or their story. I’m glad for these lessons, and I’m constantly working on being more aware of my thoughts and actions, especially when talking with and about other people.

Have a happy Halloween, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Plato, A Clockwork Orange, Howl’s Moving Castle, Alan Watts, and Quran 30:21

Plato, A Clockwork Orange, Howl’s Moving Castle, Alan Watts, and Quran 30:21

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 29, 2021

Sunday Supplement #16 (August 29th, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.”

– Plato

Book of the Week:

A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess is most recognized for the massive success of his novel A Clockwork Orange, which he gave credit to Stanley Kubrick for the movie adaptation. The film is a cinematic masterpiece for many reasons, but it is not a completely faithful adaptation of the novel. It also isn’t a great representation of Burgess’s work as a whole.

Most of Burgess’s creative writing was comedic, and he considered himself as much a composer as an author with over 250 musical pieces credited to his name. He was also a literary critic for The Observer and The Guardian and wrote studies of classic writers during his lifetime. For any who read A Clockwork Orange, though, it’s obvious why it’s his most famous work.

A Clockwork Orange takes place in a dystopian city that contains a youth subculture of acute violence. Gang leader, Alex, narrates his terrorizing journeys to the reader in a Russian-influenced English slang. Everything about the novel pushes the boundaries of good and evil and the meaning of human freedom. The primary arc of the book follows Alex’s adventures, his imprisonment for his crimes, and his subsequent release after he has been “reformed.”

What most people will miss if they’ve only seen the Kubrick film is the final chapter the famous director omitted. This chapter brings an entirely different perspective to the end of the story and is worth the whole read to find out where Burgess intended to leave Alex. The novel takes a chapter or two to get used to the language, but it is well worth pursuing. It is on many top lists of “Greatest English Novels” and deserves its place in literary history.

Movie of the Week:

Howl’s Moving Castle

A shy young woman is cursed to an elderly age by a spiteful witch. Her only chance of reversing the curse is in the hands of a self-indulgent, insecure young wizard and his bizarre walking castle.

I highlighted Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke in Sunday Supplement #2, and this is another gem from the acclaimed Japanese animation studio. Any one of their films is worth checking out, but this is one of their best. The theme of self-belief throughout the film creates an uplifting and wonderful watch.

The movie creates a beautiful blend of magic and realism. The internal journeys of each character have depth and meaning that come from a brilliantly adapted story. The scenery is breathtaking, and the magic in the film allows director Hayao Miyazaki to bring out the best of his creativity. I highly recommend the Japanese version, but you get Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Emily Mortimer, Blythe Danner, and Lauren Bacall voicing the characters if you choose the English audio.

If you missed my post about Princess Mononoke, check it out, and add Howl’s Moving Castle to your list of animation films to watch. The former wasn’t nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, but the latter was one of the picks, and both were deserving of the win. They are considered animated classics and wonderful films.

Brainfood of the Week:

An Alan Watts clip “Life is NOT a Journey” — animated by After Skool.

After Skool is a YouTube channel that animates videos as the backdrop to various life lessons presented by various individuals and texts.

Alan Watts is most known for breaking down and popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for the Western world. He became known through his role as a volunteer programmer at KPFA radio station in Berkeley, California. Throughout his life, he wrote over 25 books and articles about religion and philosophy. The Way of Zen was one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. Various of his other works put forth ideas and philosophies about human consciousness and existence.

In this video, Alan Watts talks about existence in the universe. He maintains that the universe is meant to be playful. He explains this through an analogy of music and art. The meaning in both is not determined by any destination but by the act itself. However, this concept is not something we see reflected in everyday conduct. The idea of a destination is brought on by many constructs in our society but often leaves the individual missing out on a deeper experience of life.

The After Skool video provides a cool animation of a brilliant monologue by Watts. It is a short clip and puts forth a positive perspective on engaging the world around us.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”

– Quran 30:21

This passage from the Quran can be broken down in many different ways. One is the idea that we need companionship. From this, I take the word mate as meaning both intimate relationships and also the British slang for friend. I believe both provide significant meaning to our lives and help us be our best selves, have peace, and find purpose in life.

Another thing I pull from this passage is the idea of affection and mercy in love and friendship, meaning being there for support, especially in vulnerable moments. This isn’t always easy when you aren’t at your best, but it reminds me to be clear with my communication and inquire what is the best way to support them.

This coincides with the last part, which mentions the signs for people who give thought. In my opinion, meaningful relationships come when you give them thought and are present. You always have the time to be there for everyone at every moment, but I believe when you are with someone, you should give them your full attention and support.

I enjoyed coming across this passage from the Quran and hope you take something away from it that brings a positive perspective to your life.

Give the people you’re with your full attention and have a blessed week ahead!

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Muhammad Ali, Rock Me on the Water, Princess Mononoke, Brené Brown, and a Jewish Creation Prayer

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 23, 2021

Sunday Supplement #2 (May 23rd, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something from this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.”

– Muhammad Ali

Book of the Week:

Rock Me on the Water – Ronald Brownstein

The subtitle of this book is 1974 — The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics.

The book is divided into twelve chapters as months of the year and recounts highlights from each month. Brownstein breaks down how musicians, television shows, movies, and political figures shaped the times and the future.

Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Tom Bradley, and Jane Fonda are some of the people highlighted in the music and political arena. All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Chinatown, and Shampoo (among others) are used as examples of TV shows and movies that challenged the previous standards and created a discussion of the current times.

Brownstein did a fantastic job capturing and describing a year in history that reshaped American life. The book is full of rich history and entertaining stories. It also has poignant examples of parallels to today’s times.

Movie of the Week:

Princess Mononoke

If you haven’t heard of Studio Ghibli, there is a whole roster of beautiful Animated films for you to explore. An expert tribute to their movies is a quote from ex-Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Disney, John Lasseter— “Whenever we get stuck at Pixar or Disney, I put on a Miyazaki film sequence or two, just to get us inspired again.”

Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke tells the tale of Ashitaka as he searches to find the source of the curse put on him by a demon that attacked his village. His journey “to see with eyes unclouded by hate” brings him to the middle of a war between forest gods and a mining colony.

The visuals are stunning, and like the majority of Studio Ghibli films, were mostly hand-drawn. Another one of the great attributes to their company is its strong female characters, which Princess Mononoke is a prime example of.

Both the English dubbed and subtitled versions are excellent. Author Neil Gaiman penned the English dialogue for the screenplay with approval from Miyazaki. And Studio Ghibli famously sent Harvey Weinstein an authentic Japanese sword with a note stating “no cuts” after he suggested edits for the film.

Regardless of what version you choose to check out, you will experience a wonderful tale.

* This is one of the more serious films on Studio Ghibli’s roster— the only one rated PG-13. There is some violence, but that shouldn’t detour any viewer. The messages of the movie are clear for all, and the film itself is brilliant.

Brainfood of the Week:

Russell Brand’s interview with Brené Brown on his podcast Under the Skin.

Russell Brand originally came to public notice as a comedian and an actor. While he continues to act, he has done a lot of work on self-improvement over the years and has delved into different arenas as a result. One of his ventures is a podcast where he interviews leaders and specialists across various fields.

Brené Brown is the guest on this episode. She is a 5x New York Times bestselling author and is an expert on vulnerability, courage, and empathy. Any of her books are worth checking out, as is her TED Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability.” In this interview, she and Russell have a great back and forth and discuss various topics, including perception, parenting, and communication.

If the length of the episode detours you, check out the (20 min) TED Talk to get a feel for her and to see if you’d be interested in delving into more of her material.

Closing Prayer/Passage:

And God saw everything that He had made and found it very good.
And He said: This is a beautiful world that I have given you. Take good care of it; do not ruin it.
It is said: Before the world was created, the Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them.
Finally, He created this one and was satisfied.
He said to Adam: This is the last world I shall make. I place it in your hands: hold it in trust.

– Jewish Creation Prayer

When I read this prayer, I think of the impact we all have on this Earth. It is a good reminder for me to be aware of my actions and how they can have a positive effect if I am conscious.

Have a blessed week ahead!

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