My Neighbor...

Recently, Toy Story 3, the 3D sequel to the previous Disney-Pixar films, came out in theaters, and ever since it has been receiving rave reviews. I had all intentions of going to the ever-so-necessary midnight premiere with friends, but then I realized I'd rather spend those 109 minutes getting some shut-eye. WORST. DECISION. EVER. Not only has every person on the planet that I've come in contact with for the past week had nothing to talk about besides the animated feature, but I just found out that one of the biggest household names in show business (well, at least in my household) has a cameo appearance in the movie! That's right, friends... TOTORO is featured in Toy Story 3.

For those of you unfamiliar with Totoro, you might as well consideer yourself non-living creatures. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is a Japanese anime film by Hayao Miyazaki (otherwise known as "genius"). My parents made me and my sister watch it back in the day along with another crucial-to-living-life movie, Fern Gully. *In retrospect, the least we could do was allow the couple that gave us life to force us to watch these actually child appropriate films, considering at age 6, I preferred the likes of Empire Records, Married to the Mob, and Saturday Night Fever.*

The movie turned out to be the most endearing, heart-warming film I'd ever see in the duration of my adolescence. And Totoro became a beacon of hope in my young, fantasy-loving life that was quickly being suffocated by discoveries that Santa isn't real (I'm still skeptical) and that ice cream is bad for you (the calcium benefits outweigh the negatives in my mind). It features a struggling family that seeks comfort in a giant rabbit/whale/penguin/cat/spirit-type thing whose primary modes of transportation include floating, hopping, and teleportation. He/she/it/Totoro also guards the forest, summons large buses in the shape of a cat, and is oddly penchant for umbrellas and small Asian children.

I understand how one might think I'm on major drugs for liking this movie, relating to this movie, or merely suggesting that you should watch this movie. But you must trust me on this one when I say that you're confusing my alleged drug use for your own shame in not ever seeing this film.

Totoro-Toy Story time. Sayonara, bitches.