According to Twitch, the legendary animation house Studio Ghibli will be producing new work from co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Miyazaki’s next is described as an “autobiography,” but it’s unclear whether that means he’ll be telling his own story on screen or telling someone else’s (although Dick Cheney just had a book out, right?). As for Takahata – in his first project in 12 years – he’ll be telling a classical Japanese story involving a baby found inside a bamboo stalk who turns out to be a princess. We call that the Reverse Moses. It’s most likely “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” a folktale from the 10th century. That’s speculation based on the description, but if someone else knows their Japanese literature and has a different answer, please feel free to enlighten. Even if these two announced a joint project about watching paint dry, it would still be exciting. Ghibli is perhaps the most consistent studio on the planet – delivering phenomenal work year after year. Miyazaki and Takahata are the heart of it all, so this is like an all-you-can-revel-in buffet of good news for animation fans.

So Lars Von Trier isn’t forcing Martin Scorsese to remake Taxi Driver. Who cares? Here are ten directors that the madman should punish for being geniuses.

While 2009 may have been a weak year for movies overall, animated films shined in a way they haven’t in a very long time.

Kevin Carr breaks down the week’s releases, looking at District 9, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Bandslam, and Ponyo.

Neil is whisked away for an “emergency” surgery in the Netherlands, so Kevin welcomes guest host Emily McFadden. Together, they take a trip to District 9 and galavant with The Time Traveler’s Wife. Kevin and Emily also talk Bandslam and Vanessa Hudgens in pictures.

From the next film from visionary Hayao Miyazaki, we’ve got a ton of new images to entice you into theaters next week.

I’ll get excited every time Hayao Miyazaki makes a new film. But apparently Disney has some difficulty figuring out how to make a trailer that accurately portrays anything about a film’s plot.