Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast

Episodes

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  Evil Dead Burn (2026) 26.10.2026 2h 24m

  Time to dust off the Necronomicon! It’s spooky season so we’re returning to cinema’s greatest horror franchise. Hail to the king, baby! This week we bring our Evil Dead series back to life, and this time, there’s an entire family of Deadites trying to kill us. Luckily, we have a weedwacker, a jackhammer, and a vat of burning hot tar. But please, watch out from Grandma’s dentures. Happy Halloween!
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  3000 Leagues in Search of Ghibli 19.10.2026 2h 17m

  Goodbye Ghibli! This week we’re saying a fond farewell to The Pig, The Sloth, The Heron, and, uh, The Earwig (?) Listen as we sort through our remaining thoughts about the Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, answer listener questions, and reveal what’s next for our podcast! Also… Dom is going to play the ocarina for some reason.
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  The Boy and the Heron (2023) 12.10.2026 3h

  Open up those brain lids, listeners. It’s time to go deeper than ever before. This week we go face-to-face with the Grand Uncle himself. Hayao Miyazaki’s final(?) film is a doozy, and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so grab your Number Seven Flight Feathers and come transcend with us. We’ll be your guide!!!!!
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  The Red Turtle (2016) 05.10.2026 2h 11m

  Never flip a turtle! There might be a beautiful woman inside it!! This week we venture beyond Japan to celebrate a European (?!) co-production with Studio Ghibli. It’s a one-of-kind collaboration involving Isao Takahata and the great Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit that defies all expectation… and language!
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  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) 28.09.2026 2h 36m

  Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, AND flowers? All in a single film??! This week we take the leap of life with Isao Takahata and his final masterpiece. It’s an extraordinary work that epitomizes the Studio Ghibli philosophy… and completely shatters all expectations with its singular visual style. So yes, I guess you can say we liked it!
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  The Wind Rises (2013) 21.09.2026 2h 33m

  [Bane voice]: The wind rises!! This week we fly with Jiro Hirokoshi and the mysterious Italian man of his dreams! It's Hayao Miyazaki's most personal film to date, featuring some of the most ravishing animation ever committed to film. And believe it or not, it's also the subject of controversy!
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  From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) 14.09.2026 2h 41m

  It’s Goro Day! This week we are going deep on the embattled, tragic, and nonetheless fascinating collaboration between Hayao Miyazaki and his fledging director son. Whatever you think of Goro’s movies, you’ve got to admit… the story of Studio Ghibli is incomplete without him! But it’s not just the rift between father and son this week. POPPY HILL is an impressive movie in its own right, and we have much to discuss. And it just so happens that fathers and sons also factor heavily into the film. Coincidence?
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  The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) 07.09.2026 2h 15m

  Finally, a movie about a Pod who casts! This week we are putting the “mini” in miniseries for the Hiromasa Yonebayashi cottagecore classic that is equal parts HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS and TOY STORY. And yes, the dad’s name is Pod and he does at one point cast out a fishing line!
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  Ponyo (2008) 31.08.2026 2h 27m

  When it comes to Hayao Miyazaki, the ocean is full of mystery and calamity. But one thing is for certain: Ponyo loves ham! This week is Miyazaki’s late-career “movie for five-year-olds” that somehow combines the terror of complete environmental catastrophe with… the joy of floating around in a candle-powered speedboat. And cool jellyfish! Topics discussed: delicious-looking tea, delicious-looking ramen, whether or not the mad scientist/wizard Fujimoto represents Miyazaki, the perils of painting backgrounds for Ghibli, prehistoric fish, and Frankie Jonas.
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  Howl's Moving Castle (2004) 24.08.2026 2h 28m

  Howl may be the worst type of early 2000s emo hunk. But listeners…We! Can! Fix! Him!!!
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  Spirited Away (2001) with Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether) 17.08.2026 3h 4m

  Listeners, it’s time to remember your name. We’re getting Spirited Away this week to a Studio Ghibli production that is often called the most influential animated film of all time. Joining us to help purify the stink spirits and return the river gods to their kingdom is our old friend Stephen Hilger. Topics discussed this week: the enduring mystery of No-Face, why the Radish Spirit rules, whether or not SPIRITED AWAY is the TENET of Miyazaki’s filmography, Ghibli’s art style in the digital era, and of course, MARIO ODYSSEY.
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  My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) with Nik Long 10.08.2026 2h 17m

  Did Studio Ghibli really make a family sitcom? Kind of! It’s Isao Takahata’s second-to-last film, and we simply couldn’t resist adding it to our series. Joining us to revel in the brilliance (and surprisingly vindictive behavior) of the man they call Paku-San (aka Mr. Munch) is our dear friend and digital producer, Nik Long! Topics covered this week: whether or not YAMADAS is more like EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND or MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, the long-standing rivalry of Miyazaki and Takahata and its similarities to the film CHALLENGERS, our nostalgia for discovering movies on television, Takahata’s love of bananas, and so much more!
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  Princess Mononoke (1997) 03.08.2026 2h 36m

  Before you listen to this episode, please join us in reciting the Ghibli prayer: Oh nameless god of rage and hate, we bow before you! This week we contend with what is unquestionably one of the greatest films ever made, animation or otherwise. It’s a period epic that somehow encapsulates everything we know and love about Studio Ghibli while also somehow raising the bar even higher. And hey, there’s even a kaiju!
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  Whisper of the Heart (1995) with Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether) 27.07.2026 2h 17m

  Country roads, take us home! Of the many, many movies that use this famous John Denver song, who would've expected the DEFINITIVE one to be about about a couple kids in Western Tokyo who fall in love with a really cool cat statue?
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  Pom Poko (1994) with Griffin Newman (Blank Check) 20.07.2026 2h 20m

  We’re back! Joining us after our one week hiatus is returning champion, the one, the only... Griffin Newman! We have so much to talk about this week, including: raccoon dogs, Isao Takahata’s hatred of modernity, the history of “serious” animation, Operation Goblin, Star Wars(?), Mr. Belvedere(??), Dave Matthews Band(????), and also How To “Ball Up” a Pipeline!
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  Porco Rosso (1992) 06.07.2026 2h 28m

  Farewell to freedom in the Adriatic and days of wild abandon! We’re soaring back over the sea this week to hang out with our close personal friend, Porco Rosso! This is… the best movie ever made, right? Topics discussed this week: whether or not Han Solo is just Porco in space, Italian antifascism, French antifascism, fascism in general, Looney Tunes, and of course, cool planes.
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  Only Yesterday (1991) 29.06.2026 2h 33m

  Get ready to reconnect with your 10-year-old self. Because we’re about to face some of the most embarrassing (and transcendent) childhood memories in movie history! Topics discussed this week: dividing fractions, the questionable taste of unripe pineapples, Takahata and Miyakazi’s legendary beef, uncanny animated facial muscles, the weather, and whether or not ALADDIN still holds up.
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  Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) 22.06.2026 2h 28m

  Finally, an animated film about how the gig economy is BAD but dirigibles are COOL! This week we hang out with the snarkiest cat around, Jiji, and his very cool familiar, a little witch who dreams of something better than eating pancakes for every meal. Even if you're not a freelancer, this film speaks volumes, because work/life balance is impossible and Kiki's about to find out why!
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  My Neighbor Totoro (1988) 15.06.2026 2h 33m

  The catbus is here and we’re off to explore the (friendly) haunted forest! This week we’re worshipping the ancient woodland spirit and face of Studio Ghibli — our good, personal friend, Totoro! But heads up, Adam and Dom have completely different takes on this one, so if you’re looking for a real Siskel & Ebert type disagreement, this is the episode for you.
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  Grave of the Fireflies (1988) 08.06.2026 2h 52m

  This week, we pay tribute to one of the most devastating (and life-affirming) movies ever made. It’s our very first Takahata film, and… it’s a doozy. We simply couldn’t do a Studio Ghibli series without honoring this masterpiece. **Please be aware that this episode includes some distressing themes around children and violence. We tried our best to celebrate the brilliance of the film but inevitably the conversation turned dark at times.