| 1. | (5 posts) | No R1 DVD Release Schedule, Yet |
| 2. | (8 posts) | Deconstructing a Porco Rosso Review |
We looked at 55 posts by 35 different contributors.
Hmm. . . no big threads this week, thus this issue is bite-sized.
Michael Johnson received semi-solid information from deep within BVHE:
Word from Buena Vista:
So as some have suggested, the DVD information page for _Kiki_ is premature or a mistake.
> We do not have a release date yet planned for any of the Miyazaki
> library (including Kiki) on DVD or video outside Japan. However,
> we're getting closer and hope to be able to report otherwise over the
> coming months.
Christopher Macdonald wrote an artice for the Anime News Network and commented, "You might notice at the bottom the suggestion to write Disney, and the link to the address at Nausicaa.net. Those of you with good memories might remember the comments I made about a year ago regarding writing to Disney. Probably one of the biggest mistakes I have made while working on ANN, but... Now that I know Disney, BHVE and David Jessen welcome polite mail, I'll be glad to suggest that people write to them."
Sharon Westfall added, "While I'm sure the information page was premature; I hope the mistake was Disney, who might have been assuming an English-only Kiki DVD would fly, got the message, and will now surely be working on a Kiki DVD (and a Laputa DVD, and a Nausicaa DVD, etc...) that will include the Japanese track (and 2 sets of subtitles, too).
Yeah, I've already sent in my premature reaction... ^_^
James Culbertson wondered, "Is Disney's page really a mistake or premature? Or is the market being tested? Get enough responses, make a dvd."
Michael replied, "I see your point: Buena Vista might want to see how we react. There is certainly no harm in writing a letter to them to show your support, even if they have already made the decision that we want to hear. Remember: please be polite when you write. Think of how horrible you would feel if your letter chewed them out for including the *right* features on the DVD. :)"
Michael Kerpan spotted something interesting, "A new website on Japanese films, the Midnight Eye, contains a positive review of Porco Rosso (leavened with a little criticism of Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke): http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/porcross.shtml. . . In general, this would appear to be a good site to keep track of if you are interested in contemporary Japanese films."
Andrew Osmond commented on the review:
Really? Of the seven films he's directed, I suppose three could be called 'epic' (Nausicaa, Laputa, Mononoke), one (Cagliostro) is a very
lighthearted comedy-adventure and the other three (Totoro, Kiki, Porco) are all 'humble.' If you count Whisper, it's even more obvious. I don't know how Sen to Chihiro will compare, though it's meant to be much lighter than Mononoke...
[...]
'... the highest grossing Japanese film of all time until it was eclipsed by Pokemon: the Movie in 1999.'
I think (and hope!) this is wrong. afaik, the Pokemon film is the biggest-earning Japanese film _outside Japan_ - certainly the biggest-
earning in America - but I'm pretty sure Mononoke's overall take is higher.
[...]
'Mononoke herself doesn't even appear until an hour into the film, by which time the viewer is left floundering without any clue as to which way the story is heading.'
If you're being picky, San actually appears 25 minutes in. (I presume the writer is referring to her big attack on Tatara-Ba.) As for films that don't make the story clear at the outset... why, that's shocking behaviour. No wonder Psycho and The Third Man were such turkeys...
(Porco review)
'Miyazaki's films, as witnessed by for instance Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind (Nausikaa, 1984) and the aforementioned Princess Mononoke, are usually elaborate, epic scale adventures driven by socialallegories.'
Mike Arnold dug up some box office figures:
According to info I have this is wrong. Here's 2000 data from Kogyo Tsushinsha, "Top 10 All-time Japanese-release Anime Films by Distribution Income," as quoted in last year's _Animage Anime Data Notes 2000_. Figures in 100 million yen.
1. Mononoke Hime 113.00 dist. by Toho
2. Pokemon (1998) 41.50 Toho
3. Pokemon (1999) 35.00 Toho
4. Porco Rosso 28.00 Toho
5. Ponpoko 26.30 Toho
6. Aladdin 25.00 Buena Vista
7. Kiki's Delivery Service 21.50 Toei
8. Doraemon (1998) 21.00 Toho
9. Doraemon (1989) 20.20 Toho
10. The Lion King 20.00 Buena Vista
10. Doraemon (1997) 20.00 Toho
10. Doraemon (1999) 20.00 Toho
Michael later discovered review of "Princess Mononoke" and "Perfect Blue" on the site.
Prepare for the boatload of quickies! Nausicaa.net is 4-years old, w00p! Need a light? Heyadol spotted some Lupin III Zippos. Ryoko Toyama discovered the official Studio Ghibli "Sen" site and translated a page from the site entitled, "What is Sen no Kamikakushi?". Michael Johnson is skipping AX2001. A (translated) German fan review of "Mononoke" posted by Hanno Muller. Keeping with the German theme, Michael Kerpan spotted a (non-translated) "Totoro" review. Speaking of Totoro, they're everywhere! Freddie Wong ran a "Cartoons and Crackers" movie project at his school and pounded out a lenghty report. Scott Ryan whipped up a synopsis of "Alibaba's Revenge" which now resides on NN.
Another month, another MML release schedule. Watch for new issues on Tuesdays this month, see you then!