"Spirited Away" won an Oscar!!

[E.J.Su]

Animated Feature Film of the year!!

[Nitemare]

I cant believe it. Maybe there is hope after all ..
Nice to see the best peice of work win in this catagory finally.

[DeForgeo]

:)

Guess it makes up for Waking Life not even getting a nomination last year. . .

[Carter]

I couldn't even finish Waking Life. We started watching it, then started talking and not paying attention, and eventually went to go get dinner and turned it off. I'm sure I would have been interested when I was 16 or 17, but the highschool philosophy made me roll my eyes at 24.

--Carter--

[Carter]

Oh crap! Original intent! I loved Spirited away, and I'm pretty happy it got some recognition, but I doubt that will have any affect on the release of future mature themed animated films. You can talk about the Oscars and the Academy Awards all day long, but the real power is in cash, and Miyazaki stuff (in the US) hasn't even broke even yet as far as I can tell. Maybe Cowboy Bebop will draw a crowd next month?

--Carter--

[Solace]

Nice to see Miyazaki's revenge. Too bad Disney buried those films in the box office. Shame they're still going to make out on the deal, since they have the US video rights. Ah well, the House of the Mouse shall never fall. :p

-sol

[Mike]

Maybe Disney will ****ing show some respect next time they release a Miyazaki film to any audience. Assholes.

[Debs]

Yay to Japanese anime! hehe

And yay to Cowboy Bebop coming out in theatres next month. Me be there.

[Justice41]

Who? What?

[Carter]

Originally posted by Mike
Maybe Disney will ****ing show some respect next time they release a Miyazaki film to any audience. Assholes.

Ha! Sure they will.

--Carter--

[miromi]

wow, i am shocked, i actually agree with the oscars for once

I really find the Disney video rights issue nausesating. You know, you can't get the DVDs over in europe. thank god for VCD :D

[E.J.Su]

Originally posted by The Enemy Brain
and Miyazaki stuff (in the US) hasn't even broke even yet as far as I can tell. Not as long as Disney keep releasing his films in 500 theaters nationwide, limited showtimes and next to none promotion.

[Inkthinker]

Originally posted by Mike
Maybe Disney will ****ing show some respect next time they release a Miyazaki film to any audience. Assholes.

Maybe Studio Ghibli will be able to negotiate a better contract with them now...

I was shocked and ecstatic to see this one... I really expected them to give it to Lilo and Stitch or Ice Age (both excellent films) but it's good to see Spirited Away get the recognition that it so very richly deserves.

w00t!! Go Ghibli!! :D

[Inkthinker]

Originally posted by The Enemy Brain
... Miyazaki stuff (in the US) hasn't even broke even yet as far as I can tell. Maybe Cowboy Bebop will draw a crowd next month?

--Carter--

Ej is right, it's the criminal way in which Disney released the films, in limited theaters and with no publicity to speak of, that lies behind the low box-office returns of the films.

I spoke of this a while ago, the idea that I believe Disney is purposely nosediving the Japanese theatricla films it releases in order to convince theater managers and other distributors that there is no market for these films in America, thus protecting Disney's shaky hold on the US animated theatrical industry.

I dearly hope that the Bebop film will get enough word of mouth to get a good run, becasue I sure as hell haven't seen much in the way of advertising for it's theatrical release

Who is releasing it? When does it premiere? In what cities? Frick, I haven't even seen any TV ads or theatrical trailers!

It was the same for Spirited Away... here the local newspapers issued an apology when they wrote the review for it, saying that the film had been out for a week but their reviewer didn't know because Disney never notified them as they are supposed to (he went on to write a glowing review of the film).

I have faith, however, that even Disney's stranglehold can't hold back the superior quality films that are being created even now.

[Carter]

The truth of the matter is that I really don't care if they get played in theaters anymore. There are other routes to take if I want to watch these, and I don't have to wait for years and years for an American release.

--Carter--

[Debs]

http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/cowboybebop/

Info on the American release of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.

FYI :)

[Carter]

Well, I'm not driving to Austin or Dallas to see it, so screw that crap.

--Carter--

[Finnegan]

nothing else deserved to win over it... had it not won, i woulda screamed shanannagins!

i love spirited away damnit!


=BoB=

[Inkthinker]

Originally posted by Debs
http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/cowboybebop/

Info on the American release of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.

FYI :)

Thanks!

Unfortunately, according to that, they're not even showing it in Florida.

Ah, well, thank god for Bootlegging Pirates.

I've actually already got a copy of the movie... I'll just wait until the domestic DVD release, and even then only becasue the DVD I have now is of mediocre quality with bad navigation and no dub (Bebop had some of the best voice actors in anime.)

[muthmaniac]

A couple things:

1. HOW THE HELL does the movie get a release in Michigan, not even Detroit for Heaven's sake!, but not in Pennsylvania....Philly is usually one of the places that gets the "Limited" releases and stuff...Not too mention that it would be nice to see Pittsburgh on there for once!

2.

Originally posted by The Enemy Brain
Well, I'm not driving to Austin or Dallas to see it, so screw that crap.

--Carter--

See, the problem with your philosophy is that by not showing that you're willing to drive (who knows how far), to see one of these movies that you're complaining about wanting to see, you're showing that people don't REALLY want to see the movie! At least from the company's perspective.

They have to make money to spend money!

3. So, happy that Spirited Away beat any other animated movie for the Oscar. (Not that winning an Oscar means much anymore, after Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind both won!)

That's it....oh and Cowboy Bebop rules! :)

[Akira X]

i just saw a commercial for it on tv, during adult swim.


i also saw the movie last year. haw haw!

but damn, good dubbing and big screens? i'll throw down eight bucks more than once for that gem.

[whibbage]

I really wish they'd rerelease spirited away as if it were a normal american film. You're missing out on 50% of the movie if you don't see it on a big screen.

I've been a miyazaki fan ever since totoro, and I never got a chance to see his stuff on the big screen until they did the filmography at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. I'm telling you, it's like seeing a new movie in the theatre. all of those flying scenes in nausicaa, laputa, and totoro are just so powerful seen in theatres and it's sad that the fine detail put into spirited away won't be seen by many curious people because disney doesn't want the competition for their movies like treasure planet.

It's too bad. =/

But I'm so gonna buy the DVD. Spirited Away is gorgeous.

[Debs]

Hi Muth,
I'm sorry to hear that it's not playing in the Philly area. That is weird, and sucks! A lot of obscure films get played in the Detroit area, but they're not well publicized (of course) or they play at very specific, downtown theatres.

And I understand the frustration of this film not playing in all areas. It's too bad. I have already seen the film on VCD (from a friend) but I look forward to seeing it on the big screen.

[muthmaniac]

Actually, I'd prefer that it were playing in the Pittsburgh area, but was surprised to see that Philadelphia wasn't on the list.

I've seen the movie as well, as well as the whole series (thank you kazaa). And I would honestly drive the 8 hours to Philly to see the movie on the big screen....come to think of it, Detroit is only 8 hours away as well...hmm. :)

[Inkthinker]

I'd go see it if it was playing in Florida... but apparently it's not even playing in the Southeast!

Bastards!!!

[Inkthinker]

Damn, the English trailer onthe website made me pop wood. I'm ever so pissed that I can't see this in theaters.

[muthmaniac]

Everyone (interested) from Penciljack should go to the theatre in D.C. and watch it there....like three times!

:)

**It's rare that I geek out this badly over something, and besides the whole Matrix hoopla, this is the most exciting thing that I've seen recently!**

[Aridante]

bah, I'm bracing down the hatches for RoTK (Gimme my trailer, dammit!!)


:D


Yay for Miyazaki though...it made its rounds here in Hawaii for like a month or so (and I STILL missed it, bleh).

[Inkthinker]

Oooohhhh... Return of the King... that's right, it is about time for that trailer, huh?

*homer gurgle*

Hey, my post count matches the year! Cool, I should win a prize...

:D

[Mike]

We'll create the PJ No-Prize just for you. Instead of the Marvel No-Prize of an empty envelope, we'll send you a blank PM. :D

[Chris Piers]

It totally deserved the Oscar too. That's great that Spirited Away will get a bit of publicity through the Academy Award.

I saw it in the theatre and it's definately one of my favorite films. But I don't know why you all hate Disney so much. If Disney didn't pick it up for a North American release I doubt anyone would have. I guess it's fun to play conspiracy theorist but get real. Disney bought it to make money, not to try to keep it hidden. If they wanted that, they could have bought the rights and not released it at all.

[Inkthinker]

No, that would have violated the contract that they've got with Ghibli, I'm sure... they bought the distribution rights to release the film in North America, but there was almost defintley clauses in the deal that would guarantee the film saw theatrical release or else Studio GHibli would never have signed it.

Honestly, they didn't make much money with these films (Mononoke or Spirited), but both were critically acclaimed and largely enjoyed by everyone who saw them.

But both had almost no advertising, and were released in low runs, while Disney dropped massive advertising campaigns for their own films onto the market, saturating the airwaves with ads and releasing them in massive distribution.

It's not as though Disney couldn't afford to pay for the advertising, and even with the low theater run it would have greatly increased the amount of revenue these films saw had their been television ads run during those time blocks normally associated with children's marketing, but instead there were almost no ads, certainly no print advertising to speak of, no movie posters put up in malls or billboards or buildings in donwtown LA draped in 30 story murals. They neglected to inform film reviewers of the movie's existence (no, reviewers are not responsible for keeping up with all the movies out there themselves... generally they're sent free tickets for sneak previews, and expected to provide the film with a bit of publicity through writing reviews) and when asked about all of these things, they remain silent. And of course, they're not required to tell us anything.

Yet both of these films were making millions in ticket sales in Japan, and Spirited Away just won an Oscar for crying's sake... beating out not one but TWO Disney films to get it!

I hardly think that the film was undeserving of a proper advertising campaign. So you tell me... why did Disney bury the film, doing no more than was apparently necessary to fulfill the terms of their contract with Ghibli to release the film in North America?

[DEVin]

Yeah, it's great that it won. I'm happy. It was a beautiful, well deserving movie.

And Ebert and Roeper put up their "Best Movies of 2002", both had Spirited Away on there, and they seemed happy that it won.

At least this should show disney that Studio Ghibli = Rocks.

[E.J.Su]

Disney bought it to make money, not to try to keep it hidden. If they wanted that, they could have bought the rights and not released it at all.I just wanted to add, actually for the better part of 2002 Disney had no plan to release the film at all. Their reason for the "hesitation" is that Mononoke did not do well in Box Office. I am usually pretty kept up to date on Studio Ghibli's film releases, but I did not know anything about when and where Mononoke was being shown. I think, to me, that's pretty well hidden. :o

[Inkthinker]

Originally posted by DEVin
At least this should show Disney that Studio Ghibli = Rocks.

Oh, I think they know it... that's what they're afraid of.

[Carter]

Miyazaki has been quoted more than once that he doesn't care how his films perform in America. He says they're not made for us anyway. His audience is Japan.

--Cartewr--

[Chris Piers]

Say what you want but Disney has created fantastic DVDs of Mononoke and Spirited Away for us.