Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast

By Dom Nero and Adam Volerich | Morbid NetworkTV & Film Film History

Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast episodes

October 19 3000 Leagues in Search of Ghibli
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.
A very special thanks to everyone who voted for us at the 2026 Signal Awards! If you're listening on release date, you still have one more day to vote here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/television-film

Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 18 min
October 12The Boy and the Heron (2023)
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!!!!!
Next week we say farewell to the Kingdom of Dreams and Madness. We’ll be tying off some loose ends, answering listener questions, and revealing what’s next for Eye of the Duck! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
Help us win the Listener Choice Award at the 2026 Signals by voting here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/television-film
References:
Special Features
Interview with Supervising Animator Takeshi Honda
Interview With Producer Toshio Suzuki
Interview With Composer Joe Hisaishi
The Art of Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron
2399 Days With Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli
Entertainment Weekly Toshio Suzuki Interview
How GKids Made the English Dub
Full Frontal Toshiyuki Inoue Interview
Full Frontal Akihiko Yamashita Interview
Animation World Network Takeshi Honda & Dave Jesteadt Interview
Columbian Graphic Artist Scams the World
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
3 hr 1 min
October 05The Red Turtle (2016)
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!
Next week we return to the world of Hayao Miyazaki one last time for THE BOY AND THE HERON (2023). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
We also have some BIG NEWS to share – our episode on THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING has been nominated for a Signal Award for Best Episode in the TV/Film category! But we need your help! While we wait for the final results, you can help us win the Listener’s Choice Award by voting here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/television-film
References:
Special Features
The Birth of The Red Turtle
The Red Turtle at AFI Fest Q&A
Sony Pictures Press Notes
The Film Stage Michael Dudok de Wit Interview
Screen Daily Production History
The Washington Post Michael Dudok de Wit Interview
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 12 min
September 28The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
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!
Next week we explore the 2016 Ghibli co-production, THE RED TURTLE. Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References:
Special Features
Isao Takahata and his Princess Kaguya
Announcement of the Completion of the Film
Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
Japanese Policy Forum Toshio Suzuki Interview
IndieWire Isao Takahata Interview
Isao Takahata Reveals His Next Film
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 37 min
September 21The Wind Rises (2013)
[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! We'll get into it.
Next week it's the great Isao Takahata's final film, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA (2013). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References:
Special Features
Ten Years With Hayao Miyazaki
Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
The Art of The Wind Rises
Japanese Policy Forum Toshio Suzuki Interview
Princess Kaguya delayed to the Fall
Another Double Feature
Suzuki Turns Down Ponyo Sequel
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 34 min
September 14From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
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?
Next week it’s the penultimate (?) film of Hayao Miyazaki, THE WIND RISES (2013)! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References:
Special Features
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki
Post-Fukushima Earthquake Staff Speech and Press Conference
Behind the Microphone
Interview with Goro Miyazaki
Film4 Goro Miyazaki Interview
LA Times Goro Miyazaki Interview
The New York Times Making Of
Reuters Goro Miyazaki Interview
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 42 min
September 07The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
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!
Next week it’s Goro Miyazaki’s FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (2011). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:
Special Features
Interview with Hayao Miyazaki
Interview with Hiromasa Yonebayashi
The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty
IGN Hiromasa Yonebayashi Interview
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 16 min
August 31Ponyo (2008)
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.
Next week we take a brief detour from the late works of Miyazaki and Takahata to cover Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY (2010). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References:
Special Features
The Five Geniuses of Ponyo

Interview with Toshio Suzuki

Behind the Microphone

Creating Ponyo

Ponyo & Fujimoto

The Nursery

Scoring Miyazaki

The Art of Ponyo

The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton

Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier

Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 28 min
August 24Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Howl may be the worst type of early 2000s emo hunk. But listeners…We! Can! Fix! Him!!!
This week is a real doozy. Dom and Adam are not particularly effusive about Miyazaki’s moody, dark magic sequel to SPIRITED AWAY. It’s bewildering, it’s bizarre, and some moments seem completely incomprehensible. But as an animated film, it’s a spectacle to behold, and we have a lot to celebrate, too. For instance…Calcifer!
Next week, it’s Miyazaki’s child-friendly disaster film, PONYO (2008). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:
Special Features:
Behind the Microphone

The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack

Interview with Diana Wynne Jones

Explanation of CG: How to Move Howl's Castle

The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle

Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki

The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton

Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier

Hayao Miyazaki Takes Over Howl

Variety Akihiko Yamashita Interview

Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2 hr 29 min
August 17Spirited Away (2001) with Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether)
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.
Next week, it’s the most Hot Topic of Miyazaki’s oeuvre, the very moody HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004). Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod
References:
The Art of Miyazaki's Spirited Away

Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man by Steve Alpert

Turning Point by Hayao Miyazaki

The Works of Hayao Miyazaki: The Japanese Animation Master by Gael Berton

Miyazakiworld by Susan Napier

Spirited Away Making of Documentary

Time Magazine Production History
Credits:
Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.
This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.
Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop
The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.
Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.
Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
3 hr 5 min

About Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast

From the publisher's feed

A podcast about movies and the scenes that make them special. Each week, hosts Dom Nero and Adam Volerich explore a movie by finding the scene at its core–what David Lynch calls an "Eye of the Duck"…