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Studio Ghibli’s haunting masterpiece Grave Of The Fireflies will stream on Netflix in September, and here’s a new trailer.

Aside from Threads – a film we wrote about in detail here – Studio Ghibli's Grave Of The Fireflies is one of the most harrowing, dark, depressing films you can choose to sit through. It is also gorgeously animated and a fascinating historical document.

The film was released in 1988, the same year as Hayao Miyazaki’s wonderful My Neighbour Totoro. In fact in Japan the two films were played together in what must be the most tonally jarring cinematic double bill in history.

The synopsis reads as follows:

Grave of the Fireflies follows the story of Seita and Setsuko, two young Japanese siblings, living in the declining days of World War II. When an American firebombing separates the two children from their parents, the two siblings must rely completely on one...

"Why do fireflies have to die so soon?" One of the saddest films ever is getting a proper streaming release on Netflix this fall. Grave of the Fireflies is one of the masterpieces directed by the late Japanese animation master Isao Takahata. It never got a US theatrical release in 1988 when it initially opened, but it has since become a cult classic, known by all who love & appreciation animation. Based on Akiyuki Nosaka's Naoki Prize-winning short story, Grave of the Fireflies is set in Kobe near the end of World War II and depicts the tragic fate of war orphan siblings and the horrors of this period. It was made by Studio Ghibli and released by Toho, though it was also the same year as My Neighbor Totoro, which is why it never achieved the same amount of fame. Written and directed by Takahata, the film stars Tsutomu Tatsumi,...

War is a living nightmare, wreaking its destruction on innocent lives and civilizations. It casts deep wounds that shape our history, present circumstances, and potential prospects for the future.

War has been a central theme in all of human history since its inception. It inspires both captivation and terror, with stories of bravery, resilience, and courage, as well as violence and death. It is the peak of danger – where any semblance of safety or security ceases to exist for those who fight. All that remains are humanity’s yearning for survival against insurmountable odds.

Hollywood has no shortage of war films meant to both awe and educate. Some promote the best humanity can offer as people come together for a common cause. Others reveal the horrific truth behind conflict’s brutality and man’s capacity for harm on an unimaginable scale.

Here is the ultimate fan selection of the top...

It should come as no surprise that last week’s featured Blu-Ray release Brave has made a significant showing in the sales charts, while The Watch and Savages are having a tough time competing in the home release arena. If you’re still on the fence about adding the latter two to your Blu-Ray collection, be sure to head on over to our Blu-Ray Reviews section where our own Jeremy Lebens has covered both releases.

This week, The Expendables 2 makes an explosive entrance into your home, director Quentin Tarantino‘s eight most notable films come together to form a sweet collection, and Game of Thrones‘ first season is released in an epic Collector’s Edition.

Ready for this week’s Blu-Ray releases? Then read on.

The Expendables 2

Release Date: November 20th, 2012

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Clause Van Damme, and Chuck Norris.

Director: Simon West...