The Ghibli Blog is never about me, but each and every one of you. Your contributions and insights are what make this site a success. Now I'm asking for your help. As you know, I'm very busy working to help the revolution in Iran (and that is exactly what it has become). I just don't have much time to write here as well. So I'm starting some open threads so that each and every one of you can contribute.
This is an OPEN THREAD where you can discuss anything and everything. Ghibli, pre-Ghibli, Pixar, whatever. If you are new to this site, take advantage of the extensive archives, as well as any videos that are still available. If this idea is successful, we'll start adding open threads on a regular basis.
My deepest thanks to everyone once again. Now let's kick out the jams, $#@%&!!!
11 comments:
This is for you, Daniel----Tadanari Okamoto and Reiko Okuyama's 1989 collaboration "The Restaurant of Many Orders":
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fviHFGsPHpw
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLYBi0sO-X8&feature=related
Enjoy!
The Box Torrents site that you have links to is gone. It has become http://www.bakabt.com .
You can read why here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3155881
Thanks so everything, Daniel. For this open thread, I'll save any discussions on Up for your review, but I have two questions for everyone:
1) Who else here has seen the American animated series Avatar: the Last Airbender, and what was your opinion? This is the first instance I've seen where a widely acclaimed show is mentioned by everyone but the top animation critics.
2) When is intellectualism taken too far? Not just in regards to filmmaking and viewing, but in other aspects of life, too? Is it really good to question everything? When does all this knowledge and questioning take away from simply living?
Ha ha ha. You always bring up Avatar. You must really be a fan. I have to admit that I've never seen it, but over here in the Twin Cities, Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America has been changed into a Nickelodeon cartoon...thing. No idea what it's called, but it's all tied into their cartoon shows like Spongebob and Dora and Avatar.
I never worry about intellectualism being taken too far. I'm too busy worrying about stupid being taken too far. But that's just me. :P
Well, here's the really weird thing about me and Avatar, and I only just realized this now: I'm a fan of, not what the show is, but what it could've been. I've tried and tried, but have never been able to enjoy this show (which many call the best American animated series ever made) on its own terms. It just isn't as great a show as it should be, which is a shame, because I love its concepts, characters, and visual style, but not its execution. (My reasoning as to "why" I must discuss later, maybe even on my own blog.)
Heh, heh, yeah. Stupidity is definitely a problem, but I'd argue that it stems from a form of intellectualism as well: people are so damn sure of their own logic and knowledge that nothing, not even common sense, can persuade them that they are dead wrong. Dr. Strangelove is my favorite exhibition of this kind of mentality: all the Americans "knew" that, unless they ordered the bomber pilots to block off communications without a code (incidentally, only known by one person, not the President), the Russians would give them false orders; everyone "knows" it's immoral to shoot a Cola-Cola machine for change, even if it's to make an urgent call to the President; and, of course, everyone "knew" that nuclear deterrence was the only way to prevent war. By that logic, and other circumstances, it's only appropriately the world ends in that film.
I've only seen a handful of episodes, certainly less than a dozen, and I've always been surprised by it's quality for a current day TV-show. What is it that bothers you in the execution? (note that I'm not defending the show; I'm merely interested in your comments)
You'll find the complete Future Boy Conan release (and not just the 26 eps) on BakaBT:
http://www.bakabt.com/torrent/128598/Future_Boy_Conan_aFLD_1978.html
Thanks a lot for the tip. I'll update those links as soon as I can. I'll have to wait until I get home after work, however. But I'll take care of the download links tonight.
The speed and teamwork displayed on the internet is a thing of beauty. It is remarkable to see so many people coming together for common causes. Thanks to everyone and keep up the good work!
Benjamin, before I lay down my objections to Avatar, let me first admit that it is indeed a one-of-kind show, especially for television animation. The animation is at times astonishing, be it acting or the choregraphy of the fighting sequences. This is also the first show in general I've seen that dealt with the themes of identity and spirituality at the same time. As I've stated before, I love the characters (well, most of them). And it was very nice to have an animated series that knew when to end.
Having said that, and in spite of all of Avatar's other accomplishments, it often fails at the most rudimentary part of the filmmaking process: the writing. Every obligatory line of dialogue, every desperate attempt at being funny or clever, just about anything that comes out of actor Jack De Sena's mouth, every false moment of emotional manipulation, and just about everything that screams "Screenwriting 101" pulls me out of the show.
And it doesn't take much for me to enjoy a film or show. I used to love early Spongebob Squarepants. Most recently, I quite enjoyed Next Day Air and Drag Me to Hell, as well as Up (Hell, the second time I saw, I'd just read Michael Barrier and Michael Sporn's reviews and was ready to pick the film apart). But Avatar always leaves me disappointed, no matter how many times I change my mind and re-watch it. It's a vicious cycle.
There are also many nitpicks I have with the show, but the failing of the writing is the main problem.
Another torrent on BakaBT, which you'd like to get and to go through the description (click on each film's title to get additional details):
http://www.bakabt.com/torrent/143498/Hayao_Miyazaki_and_Studio_Ghibli_Extras_Collection.html
The American Ponyo trailer has just been released on apple trailers at 1080p...
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