2009-11-29
Wii Music - Chariots of Fire
There's no real reason why I'm posting this on the Ghibli Blog. I just wanted to show off all my cool songs from Wii Music. If you're the creative type at all, then Wii Music is the best thing that ever happened to you.
This is my favorite song so far, although I have a few others that are fab. The amount of freedom given to you in this music game is just staggering. It was roundly beaten senseless by critics for its looks, but don't let that distract you. Wii Music is revolutionary. Enjoy!
Australian Ponyo Blu-Ray Cancelled
The following message comes from Madman in Australia:
One common theory why the North American Ponyo BD was delayed was to give an exclusive window to Japan. Region-free players and discs make the home markets more vulnerable to imports than ever, and when you consider the high retail prices for Blr-Rays, this makes sense. If this is so, I would expect to see Ponyo in Australia about the same time as the Americans.
In any event, this is a very hard blow for fans. Whatever the reasons, everyone had their heart set on Ponyo for Christmas. That's a real shame. Somebody in the corporate food chain seriously FUBAR'd.
Please note that due to circumstances beyond our control the PONYO BLU-RAY scheduled for December 29th is canceled. Furthermore, the PONYO DVD is now a single-disc DVD product and remains scheduled for release December 29th. We thank you for your ongoing custom and apologise for any inconvenience these changes cause.
One common theory why the North American Ponyo BD was delayed was to give an exclusive window to Japan. Region-free players and discs make the home markets more vulnerable to imports than ever, and when you consider the high retail prices for Blr-Rays, this makes sense. If this is so, I would expect to see Ponyo in Australia about the same time as the Americans.
In any event, this is a very hard blow for fans. Whatever the reasons, everyone had their heart set on Ponyo for Christmas. That's a real shame. Somebody in the corporate food chain seriously FUBAR'd.
2009-11-26
The Hidden Dimension
I saw this final paragraph from Roger Ebert's review of Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I thought it perfectly aligned with my thoughts on Hayao Miyazaki's films like Ponyo. This is a paragraph that should be framed and hung in the wall of writers and storytellers everywhere:
The Hidden Dimension. I think that's a key factor in great storytelling. It's kind of like Super Mario Brothers, with coin boxes buried in the walls and hidden pipes just off the screen. Not everything needs to be shown or explained away. The mystery itself is sufficient. I think this was a point of contention for many Western viewers where Ponyo was concerned, but I think it's a great movie because of it.
Like the hero of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," also based on one of his books, the creatures of Dahl's valley seem to know more than they're letting on; perhaps even secrets we don't much want to know. Children, especially, will find things they don't understand, and things that scare them. Excellent. A good story for children should suggest a hidden dimension, and that dimension of course is the lifetime still ahead of them. Six is a little early for a movie to suggest to kids that the case is closed. Oh, what if the kids start crying about words they don't know? -- Mommy, Mommy! What's creme brulee?" Show them, for goodness sake. They'll thank you for it. Take my word on this.
The Hidden Dimension. I think that's a key factor in great storytelling. It's kind of like Super Mario Brothers, with coin boxes buried in the walls and hidden pipes just off the screen. Not everything needs to be shown or explained away. The mystery itself is sufficient. I think this was a point of contention for many Western viewers where Ponyo was concerned, but I think it's a great movie because of it.
Photos - The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro
Since I'm waiting for the family car to pick me up, I decided I should get off my duff and share some hi-res photos from Spirited Away. If you're looking for a great Thanksgiving movie to share with the family today, you can't do better than this one.
As always, click on the photos to see them in the full size. They're fairly large as they are hi-res, so please be patient if your internet connection is being a pain today.
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hope your Turkey Day goes well and the relatives are manageable. This might be a good time to spring your Ghibli DVDs on those cousins and nephews.
2009-11-18
Short Program Note
A short program note for everyone: registration is now required for leaving comments. OpenID is available in addition to Blogger. Fortunately, all of our regulars are registered, so this shouldn't mean changes for anyone.
This is my latest salvo in the battle against spam-bots, and hopefully it will keep them out. They really are annoying...like termites who are travelling salesmen.
This is my latest salvo in the battle against spam-bots, and hopefully it will keep them out. They really are annoying...like termites who are travelling salesmen.
2009-11-09
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (Marco) Fansub Now Available!
Excellent news, everybody! 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, aka Marco, is now available for download. Yes, English subtitles are included! Just head down to the Download section and begin downloading.
The 1976 World Masterpiece Theater series is an anime masterpiece. The brainchild of Isao Takahata (director), Hayao Miyazaki (layout, continuity), and Yoichi Kotabe (character design), Marco is the second of three classic television series of the 1970s, both directed by Takahata-san - 1974's Heidi, Girl of the Alps; 1979's Anne of Green Gables.
This middle series is the most complex, and most emotional of the three. Heidi paired exuberant energy with high melodrama; Marco scuttles the niceties and goes straight for the heart. I think 3000 Leagues is the richer experience; the tragedy of Marco's suffering, and his endless search, becomes an archetype for man's search for meaning. It achieves an epic grandeur. At its heart, this is a deeply Jewish story. You almost expect God to appear at the end and deliver his speech from the Book of Job.
Once again, Neo1024 delivers the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. One request: could you break up the torrent into smaller downloads? 14GB is probably going to be too much for many people. Smaller file sizes would enable faster downloads and help make sharing easier.
Again, my deepest thanks.
2009-11-07
Night of the Living Spam-Bots
I've been getting hit with a lot of Spam-Bots in the comments for this blog recently. Thank goodness I am able to screen them out, but it's becoming a bit of a pain. Does this mean we're becoming more popular? I think we'd all agree that we would much rather have real visitors than zombies.
2009-11-03
For Your Consideration
If you visit Cartoon Brew this morning, you'll see Disney's banner ads at the top of the page. These are "For Your Consideration" ads for the upcoming Oscar awards season. Ponyo is pitched as a potential nominee for Best Animated Feature, while Pixar's Up is pitched for Best Animated Feature and Best Picture. Very interesting.
I can't say that I'm surprised that Up is getting the Best Picture push. It is the studio's big movie of the year. And the expansion to 10 Best Picture slots will make it easier than ever for Pixar to be given a place at the table. Up's first 20 minutes pushes a lot of buttons and won over all the major critics. And I'm sure a few folks still feel that Wall-E was unjustly snubbed.
However, I'm going to continue to insist that Ponyo is the animation movie that deserves a Best Picture nod. It's the far better film of the two, wiser, smarter, quieter. Hayao Miyazaki is arguably the world's greatest living film director (I'd gladly hand the title to Paku-san, if only he'd get back to work!), and Ponyo is the work of a master artist at the peak of his powers.
Pixar's Up, beloved at it is, remains a deeply uneven movie to me. The marriage sequence is brilliant, wonderful, and frankly, overshadows the rest of the picture. Most of the movie is just rehashing loud Star Wars chase scenes...like practically every other summer blockbuster these days. I could care less about the talking dogs and the endless action scenes and the impossibly old Kirk Douglas who's chasing some silly bird. I cared about the marriage. That first 20 minutes should have been the entire picture, and it could have been a masterpiece.
Of course, I wouldn't expect Disney to promote a foreign movie (Ghibli) over one of their own, so I can't blame them for giving the extra push to Pixar's latest. I'd do the same in their shoes. Instead, I believe it is the imperative of every one of us, Ghibli Freaks within and without the movie business, to promote Ponyo for a Best Picture nomination.
How much does a banner ad at Cartoon Brew cost? Why not pool some money together and buy a front page ad for Ponyo? For Your Consideration - Best Picture!
Let's see what we can do to make a difference. We won't know unless we try...right?
I can't say that I'm surprised that Up is getting the Best Picture push. It is the studio's big movie of the year. And the expansion to 10 Best Picture slots will make it easier than ever for Pixar to be given a place at the table. Up's first 20 minutes pushes a lot of buttons and won over all the major critics. And I'm sure a few folks still feel that Wall-E was unjustly snubbed.
However, I'm going to continue to insist that Ponyo is the animation movie that deserves a Best Picture nod. It's the far better film of the two, wiser, smarter, quieter. Hayao Miyazaki is arguably the world's greatest living film director (I'd gladly hand the title to Paku-san, if only he'd get back to work!), and Ponyo is the work of a master artist at the peak of his powers.
Pixar's Up, beloved at it is, remains a deeply uneven movie to me. The marriage sequence is brilliant, wonderful, and frankly, overshadows the rest of the picture. Most of the movie is just rehashing loud Star Wars chase scenes...like practically every other summer blockbuster these days. I could care less about the talking dogs and the endless action scenes and the impossibly old Kirk Douglas who's chasing some silly bird. I cared about the marriage. That first 20 minutes should have been the entire picture, and it could have been a masterpiece.
Of course, I wouldn't expect Disney to promote a foreign movie (Ghibli) over one of their own, so I can't blame them for giving the extra push to Pixar's latest. I'd do the same in their shoes. Instead, I believe it is the imperative of every one of us, Ghibli Freaks within and without the movie business, to promote Ponyo for a Best Picture nomination.
How much does a banner ad at Cartoon Brew cost? Why not pool some money together and buy a front page ad for Ponyo? For Your Consideration - Best Picture!
Let's see what we can do to make a difference. We won't know unless we try...right?
2009-10-30
The Blu-Ray Blog Gets the Scoop on Ponyo
I just wanted to give a shout-out to The Blu-Ray Blog, for breaking the latest scoop on Ponyo's US DVD and Blu-Ray releases. You can read their Ponyo post here. Great work, guys!
Hmm...looking closer at the DVD + plush package, I'm noticing that the DVD name-drops Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Interesting. You always have to do this sort of thing with Americans, in order to get them to try something new. If it works, it works. I think the stuffed Ponyo will help sell the movie more than anything.
Hmm...looking closer at the DVD + plush package, I'm noticing that the DVD name-drops Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Interesting. You always have to do this sort of thing with Americans, in order to get them to try something new. If it works, it works. I think the stuffed Ponyo will help sell the movie more than anything.
Ponyo DVD + Plush Gift Set Comng March 2010
Ponyo US producer Frank Marshall discussed the upcoming Ponyo DVD and Blu-Ray on his Twitter page. He confirms again that the release has been pushed back, from December 8 to next March. It's unfortunate, yes...but look at what we're getting!
The Ponyo DVD will be packaged with a plush Ponyo as a gift set. This really looks terrific, and marks the first time any Ghibli merchandise was made available in the US. Hayao Miyazaki has always been very strict on this matter, refusing to grant merchandising rights to Disney.
I have no idea if this means Ghibli and Disney have come to a new arrangement. I remember that My Neighbor Totoro is expected to be reissued on DVD soon...a stuffed Totoro or Cat Bus would be terrific. It would also sell like hotcakes, and be a great boon for Ghibli in the States. It's all about Merchandising! Merchandising! in the movie business.
Frank Marshall suggests that Blu-Ray Ponyo could be packaged with a plush if the DVD gift set proves successful. I'm sure we'll all be crossing our fingers.
The American Ponyo and BD will also include a "World of Ghibli" feature, which I'm guessing is one of those standard retrospectives on the studio. If the edited documentary on the Nausicaa DVD is any indication, then I'd expect Disney to blot out any mention of movies not being released on their label. But I would hope that all of Ghibli's films would be mentioned and respected.
2009-10-28
ABC Sucks! Booo!!
The Great Pumpkin is on tonight on ABC, and those jerks at ABC chopped it up! Booo!! They cut the cartoon short so they could pack in more stupid commercials. Why does television even bother with programs, anyway? Why not just broadcast wall-to-wall commercials?
The funny thing is that I remember back in the 1980s when ABC started censoring the violence out of the Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons. Have you ever seen the Road Runner without violence? Predictably, this marked the decline and fall of Saturday morning cartoons....imagine that.
Seriously, broadcast tv can't die fast enough. I'm going to Youtube.
Update: Here's what ABC chopped out of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown":
Lucy and the Football - This is one of the classic Peanuts bits. They cut this out to make way for an SUV commercial?! This scene is removed, and we go straight to Linus writing his letter to the Great Pumpkin.
Shroeder at the Piano - I love this part, when Snoopy dances along to Shroeder's piano tunes. Shroeder, of course, starts screwing around with poor Snoopy's emotions by playing really sad songs. Heh heh.
Did I miss anything? I feel like quick shots were cut here and there, but maybe my memory is playing tricks with me. I think some shots of Snoopy sneaking around were cut, particularly the climax when he rises out of the pumpkin patch. There's also the short bit of Lucy putting Linus in his bed.
Feel free to add in your own two cents to this post. Thank God for Youtube, I say. I'm not paying for a DVD - Charlie Brown cartoons should be free.
The funny thing is that I remember back in the 1980s when ABC started censoring the violence out of the Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons. Have you ever seen the Road Runner without violence? Predictably, this marked the decline and fall of Saturday morning cartoons....imagine that.
Seriously, broadcast tv can't die fast enough. I'm going to Youtube.
Update: Here's what ABC chopped out of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown":
Lucy and the Football - This is one of the classic Peanuts bits. They cut this out to make way for an SUV commercial?! This scene is removed, and we go straight to Linus writing his letter to the Great Pumpkin.
Shroeder at the Piano - I love this part, when Snoopy dances along to Shroeder's piano tunes. Shroeder, of course, starts screwing around with poor Snoopy's emotions by playing really sad songs. Heh heh.
Did I miss anything? I feel like quick shots were cut here and there, but maybe my memory is playing tricks with me. I think some shots of Snoopy sneaking around were cut, particularly the climax when he rises out of the pumpkin patch. There's also the short bit of Lucy putting Linus in his bed.
Feel free to add in your own two cents to this post. Thank God for Youtube, I say. I'm not paying for a DVD - Charlie Brown cartoons should be free.
2009-10-26
Movie Review: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
(Update: This video has since been removed from Youtube. Sorry.)
It's time for one of the great holiday traditions, the Charlie Brown Special! Yaayy!! It really isn't a major holiday unless there's a Peanuts cartoon attached. Now all that's needed are some Dolly Madisons and we're ready to go.
Great Pumpkin, in my humble opinion, is the greatest of all the animated Charlie Brown films. The artwork, color and animation are a step above A Charlie Brown Christmas (my close #2), the story is more filled-out and lively, and any number of episodes will dance in your head for days. There's Snoopy as the World War I flying ace, there's pumpkin carving, there's Charlie Brown's ghost costume, hehe hehe...and Charlie Brown with a bag full of rocks. Hah hah hah!
The heart of Great Pumpkin, of course, is Linus and his unshakable belief among the skeptics. Modern hipsters might see this as a criticism of religion, but we must remember that Charles Shultz was a devout Christian (the love and equality kind, not the neocon warmonger and swindler televangelist kind). He usually treats Charlie Brown as his avatar, but I think he's speaking through Linus in this cartoon. It's an honest, heartfelt portrayal, never hiding from disappointment or unanswered prayers. Sparky Shultz did not fear "God's Silence" and the creeping doubt. He embraced it, accepted it, an humbly understood his place in the world.
I shouldn't have to point out how today's animated films are formulaic or openly pandering. We all have the ticket stubs and empty wallets and the disappointments. But that's to be expected from product created by conglomerates. Got to maximize the bottom line. Got to protect the franchise. And that means taking no risks. It's so very unfortunate, because the Peanuts cartoons demonstrate, time and time again, how you can create a classic with little money. There should be avenues available for similar storytellers today. The audiences are out there.
Of course, when I was a kid, poisoning the Halloween candy was a serious scare, so rocks wouldn't be the worst thing to get. I would have prefered rocks to, say, apples or money. What kind of cheapskate hands out quarters to kids on Halloween? Don't give me money! Use that money to buy me candy!
Halloween is the one great children's holiday. Despite its medieval gothic roots, which have always freaked out the fundamentalist Christians, this night is about one thing only - kids dressing up in costumes and scoring six weeks worth of free candy. It's a moment of pure innocence and wonder. The dark skies and bare trees are not scary at all; they're enchanting, inviting. The ghosts have those Twix candies, and the owls are handing out candy pumpkins. Yaayy!!
It really isn't the same thing when you're an adult, and can just buy candy at the store whenever you want. It's never the same. But I can still watch The Great Pumpkin, and for half an hour, be eight years old once more.
It's time for one of the great holiday traditions, the Charlie Brown Special! Yaayy!! It really isn't a major holiday unless there's a Peanuts cartoon attached. Now all that's needed are some Dolly Madisons and we're ready to go.
Great Pumpkin, in my humble opinion, is the greatest of all the animated Charlie Brown films. The artwork, color and animation are a step above A Charlie Brown Christmas (my close #2), the story is more filled-out and lively, and any number of episodes will dance in your head for days. There's Snoopy as the World War I flying ace, there's pumpkin carving, there's Charlie Brown's ghost costume, hehe hehe...and Charlie Brown with a bag full of rocks. Hah hah hah!
The heart of Great Pumpkin, of course, is Linus and his unshakable belief among the skeptics. Modern hipsters might see this as a criticism of religion, but we must remember that Charles Shultz was a devout Christian (the love and equality kind, not the neocon warmonger and swindler televangelist kind). He usually treats Charlie Brown as his avatar, but I think he's speaking through Linus in this cartoon. It's an honest, heartfelt portrayal, never hiding from disappointment or unanswered prayers. Sparky Shultz did not fear "God's Silence" and the creeping doubt. He embraced it, accepted it, an humbly understood his place in the world.
I shouldn't have to point out how today's animated films are formulaic or openly pandering. We all have the ticket stubs and empty wallets and the disappointments. But that's to be expected from product created by conglomerates. Got to maximize the bottom line. Got to protect the franchise. And that means taking no risks. It's so very unfortunate, because the Peanuts cartoons demonstrate, time and time again, how you can create a classic with little money. There should be avenues available for similar storytellers today. The audiences are out there.
Of course, when I was a kid, poisoning the Halloween candy was a serious scare, so rocks wouldn't be the worst thing to get. I would have prefered rocks to, say, apples or money. What kind of cheapskate hands out quarters to kids on Halloween? Don't give me money! Use that money to buy me candy!
Halloween is the one great children's holiday. Despite its medieval gothic roots, which have always freaked out the fundamentalist Christians, this night is about one thing only - kids dressing up in costumes and scoring six weeks worth of free candy. It's a moment of pure innocence and wonder. The dark skies and bare trees are not scary at all; they're enchanting, inviting. The ghosts have those Twix candies, and the owls are handing out candy pumpkins. Yaayy!!
It really isn't the same thing when you're an adult, and can just buy candy at the store whenever you want. It's never the same. But I can still watch The Great Pumpkin, and for half an hour, be eight years old once more.
2009-10-19
"Ponyo DVD Will Be Out in March"
So says Ponyo's American producer Frank Marshall. He doesn't mention the Blu-Ray, but I would have to assume the BD will be released alongside the DVD in the States.
At least we finally have a release date. Great news, everybody!
At least we finally have a release date. Great news, everybody!
Ponyo in France - December 23 For Blu-Ray and DVD
The prices range from 19.99-29.99 Euros. Bonus materials include tv spots, press conferences, and numerous interviews with the production staff: Hayao Miyazaki (writer/director), Toshio Suzuki (producer), Katsuya Kondo (animation director), Noboru Yoshida (art director), Michiyo Yasuda (in her final film as color designer), Shuji Inoue (sound designer), and Joe Hisaishi (composer).
It will be interesting to see which of these features will appear on the eventual North American Ponyo release, which has been delayed until next year. Needless to say, we're all extremely jealous. This is like looking at presents that Santa took out of his sack and locked in the closet. French kids get Ponyo. We're getting socks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)