Slashdot Mirror


Miyazaki's Spirited Away U.S. Release

soupforare writes "Spirited Away is slated for a US limited theatre release in on Sep. 27th nausicaa.net has a theatre listing and some more info. It looks like some theatres are even going to be showing the subtitled version." No showings near me, but hopefully those prints will make it around. Been wanting to see this one for a long time.

201 comments

  1. anima sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I love Slashdot, but I cant stand fakey stupid looking Japanimation.

  2. Re:First post. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    well you might of had first post if u didn't take so fricken long typing yours, gg n00b

  3. What is Spirited Away? by octalc0de · · Score: 1

    I've actually never heard of it...

    am I the only one? :(

    1. Re:What is Spirited Away? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    2. Re:What is Spirited Away? by d.valued · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's a little movie.. in the sense that the Titanic was a little boat. Working on that tangent.. this movie outgrossed "Titanic" in Japan and is the only movie thusfar to have grossed over $200 million.. without setting foot in North American theaters. And it was done entirely by hand (save for cg backgrounds).

      It's also the film that won the Berlin film festival and praise from almost every critic I can think of. TOo bad it'll be relegated as arthouse fare.

      In synopsis, it's an Alice in Wonderland type story inspired by a friend's daughter. A ten year old girl and her family go on a trip together, through a tunnel to what looks like an amusement park, when the girl gets lost and the fantasy begins. Every kind of fantasmagoric creature from anyone's dreams apears...

      Can't wait for it.

      --
      I used to be someone else. Now I'm someone better.
      Real life is underrated.
    3. Re:What is Spirited Away? by sdo1 · · Score: 2
      It's a Japanese anime, but it has become the highest grossing movie in Japanese history.

      Roger Ebert has a story on it though is review seems to be missing at the moment (he loved it... so did Roeper).

      The IMDB entry is here.

      -S

      --
      --- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
    4. Re:What is Spirited Away? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      TOo bad it'll be relegated as arthouse fare.

      Sorry. Arthouse fare doesn't beat Titanic at the box office. Arthouse fare doesn't get licensed by a panicked Disney.

      Anime is doing to the animation market here what Japan Inc.'s car manufacturers did in the 70s:

      faster

      cheaper

      better

      They are doing what domestic animation companies could be doing if they weren't busy scheduling tee times or loading up on crab cakes.

    5. Re:What is Spirited Away? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i think it's the sequel of "Mononoke Himé" and therefore worth to be watched >8^)

      --kata

    6. Re:What is Spirited Away? by mushro0om · · Score: 1

      Well it's not the sequel to Mononoke Hime,it's a totally different story not related to the forest in any shape or form

    7. Re:What is Spirited Away? by ComaVN · · Score: 1

      So, lots of school girl tentacle rape then?

      --
      Be wary of any facts that confirm your opinion.
    8. Re:What is Spirited Away? by daveshih · · Score: 0

      Here is the official us homepage:


  4. Japanese Culture. by tcd004 · · Score: 2

    I'm really tired of the japanese enforcing their culture on all of the rest of us earth-dwellers. I mean come on! I can't even walk down the street with out tripping over a sushi restaurant, or an anime video store. Now they're taking over disney! Is nothing sacred! /sarcasm

    Read this interesting article detailing how japan can leverage it's cultural roots to overcome it's economic hardships:
    Japan's Gross National Cool

    Then, on a less serious, unrelated note, read:
    Ricard Gere's Ass Zoo

    tcd004

    1. Re:Japanese Culture. by Flounder · · Score: 2, Insightful
      And American culture isn't forced down the throats of the rest of the world. Try going anywhere in the world and not see a damn Coke or Pepsi machine. How about McDonalds in Moscow or Beijing? What about how the Germans are subjected to repeated assaults of David Hasselhoff singing?

      It's a very limited release, and it's something that I'm looking forward to. Hell, I'd like to see more foreign releases in American theatres, and less of the tripe that's currently in circulation (Pluto Nash anyone??). Seeing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon on the big screen in full DTS sound WITH SUBTITLES was one of the best movie-going experiences I've had in a long time. Wish I could have seen Mononoke Hime in a theatre.

      --

      No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    2. Re:Japanese Culture. by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 3, Funny

      Holy shit, you really like to give the moderators a challenge, huh?

      That was funny, flamebait, off-topic, and informative!

      --
      Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
    3. Re:Japanese Culture. by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 2
      I'm really tired of the japanese enforcing their culture on all of the rest of us earth-dwellers. I mean come on! I can't even walk down the street with out tripping over a sushi restaurant, or an anime video store. Now they're taking over disney! Is nothing sacred! /sarcasm


      Sarcasm tag highlighted for the benefit of the humor impaired.

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    4. Re:Japanese Culture. by Flounder · · Score: 2
      Sarcasm tag highlighted for the benefit of the humor impaired.

      Man, I feel stupid now for that rant. I need to clean my monitor and/or glasses.

      --

      No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    5. Re:Japanese Culture. by _Sprocket_ · · Score: 2

      Quite a few years ago, I was thumbing through some entertainment magazine and an interview with some TV type. I think they were some executive from FOX back when FOX was shocking everyone with its out-of-nowhere hipness. There was some comment about ethnic cultures becoming pop-culture and how "black culture" was the current trend. Then the executive noted that Japanese culture would be the next big thing.

    6. Re:Japanese Culture. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that was a humorous tone right?

      if not..

      i'm not sure i follow you...

      surely you don't live outside the US...cause you'd realize that it's OUR culture that has spread across the globe (good & bad)..more then any other.

      from jungle dwelling natives wearing fucking mickey mouse t-shirts

      to czecks doing john wayne impressions

      to chinese youth listening to ganster rap...

      you really don't have a fucking leg to stand on.

    7. Re:Japanese Culture. by Cryptnotic · · Score: 2

      Wow. If not for that "/sarcasm", I might have thought you were serious.

      By the way, "Cheese Nips" and "Coffee Nips" are deragatory products and should be pulled from supermarket shelves.

      --
      My other first post is car post.
    8. Re:Japanese Culture. by offpath3 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, that's why Fox bought the rights to Tenku no Escaflowne (Vision of Escaflowne I believe is the translation they used though it's not the literal one) and then drove it into the ground by editing out the entire first episode and then any scene they didn't like! =(

    9. Re:Japanese Culture. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is really absurd. I would think ./'s reader would understand more than typical American as most are in IT industry where one American company is forcing everyone on earth using their crappy operating system.

      Japanese taking over Disney? Ridiculous! Burna Vista would distribute any movies if there are profit to be made. Pulp Fiction, not something you would associate with Disney, is distributed by Burna Vista.

      America is the most aggressive culture enforcer in the world. There are few spot on earth that you can't find McDonald or Starbucks. Few drink stands you can go to that do not sell Coke or Pepsi. Few TVs you can turn on without seeing Mickey or some Hollywood production.

      And you are here complaining about Disney redistribute ONE Japanese animation? Come on!!!

    10. Re:Japanese Culture. by SirDaShadow · · Score: 1

      what about Spic'N Spam? ladeeelaa...waiting 20 seconds.....

    11. Re:Japanese Culture. by CableModemSniper · · Score: 1

      But but, I love cheese nips. Can't we at least change the name instead? How about to Cheeze-its?

      --
      Why not fork?
  5. In case of slashdotting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Miyazaki's Spirited Away U.S. Release
    Posted by CmdrTaco on Thursday September 19, @10:39PM
    from the celebrate-good-times-come-on dept.

    soupforare writes "Spirited Away is slated for a US limited theatre release in on Sep. 27th nausicaa.net has a theatre listing and some more info. It looks like some theatres are even going to be showing the subtitled version." No showings near me, but hopefully those prints will make it around. Been wanting to see this one for a long time.

    posting anonymously to avoid being a karma whore.

  6. i can't wait... by Gimpy-Joe · · Score: 1

    mononoke was brilliant and certainly the best anime i've ever seen in a theatre i hope i'm not expecting to much but this should be incredible

    --
    Good luck in hell.
    1. Re:i can't wait... by domninus.DDR · · Score: 1

      I was expecting alot of capitalization in your post; boy was I dissappointed.

    2. Re:i can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry to burst your bubble... but this movie is a bizarre mess. Yeah, animation is the usual top notch quality, but the story is weird as hell. Think of the ending of Princess Mononokee X 10.

      This movie has been floating around the net (a decent CAM version) with English subtitles for awhile, I saw it after reading about the Titanic hype and was *extremely* disappointed.

    3. Re:i can't wait... by ii1yama0 · · Score: 0

      I can tell you right now - I saw the subtitled version on DVD (don't ask me where or how) - the animation style is pretty lavish and the storyline is pretty strong until the last 20 minutes, where the fairy tale-ish ending was so sappy and weak compared to what had preceded it that I haven't bother watching it since. Probably seems sappy and weak due to the massive culture gap - I suppose us gaijin will always be gaijin ...

      --

      HelpUsObi 1
    4. Re:i can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If mononoke is your idea of entertainment...well I just don't know what to say. Some people enjoy Jerry Lewis...

    5. Re:i can't wait... by domninus.DDR · · Score: 1

      The ending of mononoke is far from bizzare, if you have seen Serial Experiments Lain, Evangelion, RahXephon, Boogie pop phantom, or Abenaoshi.

    6. Re:i can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you can't expect such an ending from an generic movie with duration of app- 2h.
      S.E.L. was a series...

    7. Re:i can't wait... by comic-not · · Score: 1

      I am a happy owner of both Mononoke Hime and Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi DVD:s (probably like every Miyazaki fan I ordered my copy of StCnKK directly from Japan the day it came out) as well as most other studio Ghibli products, and all I can tell is that if Mononoke was a very good, even great movie, then Sen to Chihiro is an unbelievably fantastic movie. Every time I watch the movie I am full of awe and disbelief for how somebody can make a movie this good. I even enjoy the Leica reel on the extras DVD! And please, don't call Miyazaki movies "anime" nor Miyazaki himself "the Disney of Japan". Both comparisons insult the author and his work. Studio Ghibli works are just great animated movies, and StCnKK is just a great movie, animated or not.

      Go see this movie! Buy the DVD! Live happily ever after! (Disclaimer: the Japanese DVD:s available online from, e.g., CDJapan, are Region 2 DVD:s. That doesn't, of course, bother us decadent Europeans (I think that the evil conglomerates made in their US-centricity a blooper with this one but I am not going to complain). But everybody has bought a region-free DVD player anyway, right? Right?)

      Comic-not

      --
      Existence usually comes as a surprise (Idem)
    8. Re:i can't wait... by moonbender · · Score: 2

      The movie has been available as a high quality subbed DVD-Rip, and if you didn't get the story you must not be too smart. It's a (brilliant) children's movie, and as such can be understood by anyone above the age of 8. It's way less weird than the ending of Mononoke Hime.

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
  7. Bah by zaren · · Score: 2

    And here I was hoping to take my boy to see it, since he's a big Toonami fan. I should have known that if Taco said he couldn't see it, I wasn't either, since we live in the same area. Oh well, guess we'll have to settle for the Monsters, Inc. DVD that's coming from Netflix tomorrow...

    --
    Come to the University of Mars! Classes starting soon!
    1. Re:Bah by Flounder · · Score: 2

      Monster's Inc is actually worth buying on DVD, if just for the second disc. Wal-Mart here has it for $14.87, same price as the VHS release.

      --

      No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    2. Re:Bah by zaren · · Score: 2

      Yeah, I get a feeling that this is going to end up being the first DVD we buy :)

      --
      Come to the University of Mars! Classes starting soon!
    3. Re:Bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's absolutely fantastic. I'm not usually that fussed on cartoons, but this is really special and keeps kids absolutely *glued* to the screen. Top movie!

  8. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Informative

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  9. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes thus far... by gnguyen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/SpiritedAway-11160 64/

    I've had the wonderful opportunity to see this movie several times already. It's my favorite Miyazaki flick. It's great eye-candy and wonderful fantasy. Highly recommended. See it in the best theater you can.

    1. Re:100% on Rotten Tomatoes thus far... by catch23 · · Score: 1

      man, 100% is based on 33 votes. You should check imdb for real ratings. I'm sure they have more than 33 votes!!

    2. Re:100% on Rotten Tomatoes thus far... by MeierEQ · · Score: 1

      the problem with IMDB is there's thousands of kiddies who think "anime is for fagg0ts" and vote 1 on every anime title they can. RT is all respected critics, it's the best place to gauge how good a recent film (1999 on) really is.

  10. Roger Ebert has a write up on this... by jdbo · · Score: 5, Informative

    ..which includes a brief interview with Miyazaki.

    Here 'tis.

    It's a rather fawning bit, but this seems to me to be one of the rare interviews in which the director isn't just puffing up his work, but actually discussing it.

    Besides, this movie looks to be that good. I grabbed a VCD bootleg of this in Taiwan many moons ago, and despite the crappy transfer quality + lack of dubbing/subtitles, I watched the entire first half before I began to feel lost (stopped after that so that I could enjoy the movie in its full-fledged form more). Miyazaki is a fine, fine visual storyteller, and by all accounts so far, the dub (lead by John Lassetter of Pixar fame) is an achievement in of itself.

    1. Re:Roger Ebert has a write up on this... by domninus.DDR · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I wish Roger Ebert would make his support of anime (although its mainly Miyazaki films) better known to the public. I'm pretty sure mononoke was on his top 10 list for the year it came out.

    2. Re:Roger Ebert has a write up on this... by mrsmalkav · · Score: 1

      It is awesome. Saw it twice in California when they were doing their limited showing thing. It is the most beautiful animated movie I have ever seen. Seeing it in the subtitled in the theatres was key.

  11. Wow. by Vanguarde · · Score: 1

    Fun.

    --
    Pay no attention to the man behind the curtian!
  12. Direct link to theater listing by sdo1 · · Score: 4
    Rather than clicking through, here's the "deep link"... I didn't see anything in their TOS restricting my posting of this... and even if I had, it wouldn't have mattered.

    Theater listing for Spirited Away in the U.S. and Canada

    -S

    --
    --- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
    1. Re:Direct link to theater listing by Sparks23 · · Score: 1

      We only care about people direct-linking to our media/pictures/etc. Deep-linking to actual pages is fine. ;)

      (Rachel Blackman, Nausicaa.net sysadmin)

      --
      --Rachel
    2. Re:Direct link to theater listing by jtharpla · · Score: 1

      BTW, kudos to you...the website was slow when I checked it about 8 pm PST, but not hammered to oblivion. Here's to surviving /. Give yourself a toast

    3. Re:Direct link to theater listing by Sparks23 · · Score: 1

      Yay, bandwidth shaping and traffic-management rulesets! ;)

      --
      --Rachel
    4. Re:Direct link to theater listing by sdo1 · · Score: 1

      I knew it was OK, especially by your "free speech online" banners. My comment was made, more or less, tongue-in-cheek.

      -S

      --
      --- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
  13. Saw it in Telluride Colorado, Labor Day weekend by torklugnutz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This movie was a special sneak preview at the 29th Telluride Film Festival, Labor Day Weekend. It played twice and was well recieved. I saw the first showing and I was pretty impressed. TFF also premiered Mononoke when it came out a couple years ago.

    Of the 2 movies, I think that Mononoke is better. The story is a little more enjoyable for me. Spirited Away has the excellent animation that you'd expect from Miyazaki, and the excellent voice acting that we've come to expect from Disney. All in all, It's a great translation and a good film. I think it's geared towards a slghtly younger audience than Mononoke was though.

    --
    Often in Error, Never in Doubt.
  14. Then why not buy it? by User+956 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Been wanting to see this one for a long time.

    Then why haven't you bought it on DVD?

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    1. Re:Then why not buy it? by Microlith · · Score: 5, Informative

      BECAUSE THAT'S A FUCKING BOOTLEG.

      Buy the Japanese R2 release from cdjapan.co.jp, animaxis.com, or animenation.com, or you could wait for the US release.

      DON'T BUY BOOTLEG!

    2. Re:Then why not buy it? by Foresto · · Score: 1

      That disc being sold on newdvd.cc looks an awful lot like a bootleg release. Wouldn't you rather buy an official US release, to encourage distributors to bring us more great stuff from overseas? As much as I hate Disney, I'm still planning to vote with my wallet.

    3. Re:Then why not buy it? by User+956 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Wouldn't you rather buy an official US release, to encourage distributors to bring us more great stuff from overseas?

      No, I'd rather still buy the official Japanese release, encouraging the MPAA to realize that Region coding is fucking stupid.

      --
      The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    4. Re:Then why not buy it? by Microlith · · Score: 1

      The official Japanese release is R2 encoded.

      You'd be better off simply NOT buying it than hurting Ghibli by encouraging the bootlegging of its titles.

      While we don't like the MPAA, we shouldn't support those who exist by TRULY illegal means.

    5. Re:Then why not buy it? by User+956 · · Score: 2
      --
      The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    6. Re:Then why not buy it? by Psx29 · · Score: 1
      No, I'd rather still buy the official Japanese release, encouraging the MPAA to realize that Region coding is fucking stupid.

      And this is what I have been saying about the region coding system! It is backfiring on them! You see, whenever there is a popular import movie out now the only way to get a version that will play properly for everyone is to get a chinese bootleg. Therefore, everyone loses! MPAA!=smart

    7. Re:Then why not buy it? by User+956 · · Score: 2

      You'd be better off simply NOT buying it than hurting Ghibli by encouraging the bootlegging of its titles.

      Then buy the official Ghibli release.

      It's still better than the theater release, because it has English subtitles instead of crap-ass Disney dubbing.

      --
      The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    8. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It says "All Region". The Japanese release was Region 2 only. You're dealing with bootlegs here, no matter how you try to justify it.

    9. Re:Then why not buy it? by Microlith · · Score: 5, Informative

      Think harder.

      Both links you posted are of illegal bootlegs.

      NO legit Spirited Away dvd is "All Region"

      BOTH of those sites are KNOWN for exclusively selling bootlegs, especially discoutanimedvd.

      The LEGIT Japan release of the movie was published by Buena Vista Japan.

      THIS IS NOT THAT DVD.

    10. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Japanese release was Region 2 only. You're dealing with bootlegs here, no matter how you try to justify it.

      Then buy the Region 2 DVD. It's still better than supporting Disney.

    11. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes it is. "Region free" is not what the official Japanese release was.

      Stop trying to screw Ghibli and get a genuine Japanese release, or wait until it comes out here in Region 1.

    12. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Because that release is a Chinese bootleg release!!!

      I own the official release (Region 2), and not only is the box art vastly different, there are no Chinese subtitles.

      Here's a link to the official version (Japanese language site)
      http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0 0005S8L I/ref=d_hp_rs_4_2/249-5227087-1673154

    13. Re:Then why not buy it? by Robotech_Master · · Score: 2

      Or you could wait for the American DVD, which will almost certainly have the dub and the sub, and play in USA DVD players that aren't region-hacked to boot.

      --
      Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
    14. Re:Then why not buy it? by Datasage · · Score: 1

      Yes, That probably is a bootleg, as well as some of the other links... if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.

      Chinese bootlegers take the japan release dvd or record it from japan tv and release it on dvd region free with mandrin and sometimes english subtitles.

      If you ever buy foriegn release anime.. take some time to make sure its a real copy.

      --
      In America we are imprisoned by our fear of them.
    15. Re:Then why not buy it? by Sparks23 · · Score: 2, Informative

      He's right, unfortunately; we're used to seeing a lot of this question come up to Ghiblink (Nausicaa.net team).

      Buena Vista Japan is responsible for all the Ghibli DVD releases there, and they /are/ all Region 2. That said, the legit Region 2 DVD from BVJ /is/ already released, and /does/ have English subtitles; if you have a regionless player (or DVD-ROM drive), you can still play it subtitled. :)

      --
      --Rachel
    16. Re:Then why not buy it? by Microlith · · Score: 1

      Well yeah, he's right about it being out.

      What he's wrong about is the dvd he links to, which is a bootleg.

    17. Re:Then why not buy it? by SetupWeasel · · Score: 2

      The LEGIT Japan release of the movie was published by Buena Vista Japan

      Isn't Disney the company that keeps on lobbying to change copyright laws so that they can sit on Mickey Mouse for all of eternity?

      I say fuck them.

      SW

    18. Re:Then why not buy it? by Microlith · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Fine then.

      Don't buy it.

      Don't see it.

      But don't buy a bootleg and give them ammunition for their copy control laws.

    19. Re:Then why not buy it? by Sparks23 · · Score: 1

      Sorry, I should have been clearer; I'm not disputing that at all. The 'he' in 'he is right' was you, Microlith. :)

      --
      --Rachel
    20. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then why don't you point to a valid Japanese release instead of bootleg copies?

    21. Re:Then why not buy it? by Other · · Score: 1
      The DVD linked is a [probably taiwanese] bootleg, as can be seen by the inclusion of mandarin audio, and some other asian subtitles that weren't included in the original. Sure it is cheaper, but why buy anime when you don't support the studio?

      The nice thing about the japanese release is that they included english subtitles. Proper grammar even! (I have this dvd, but haven't watched it yet) You'll need a region 2 capable player though.

      Once it makes its way into the US region 1 market, expect to see it for $30 or less.

    22. Re:Then why not buy it? by Kanon · · Score: 2

      if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is

      Unless you're buying R3 releases from somewhere like DDDHouse which are official releases.

    23. Re:Then why not buy it? by User+956 · · Score: 1

      Or you could wait for the American DVD, which will almost certainly have the dub and the sub, and play in USA DVD players that aren't region-hacked to boot.

      Anyone who buys a single region DVD player is a tool. But hey, it's not my money. Just don't complain when Palladium+MPAA+DMCA has you by the balls.

      --
      The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
    24. Re:Then why not buy it? by Sunnan · · Score: 1

      "But don't buy a bootleg and give them ammunition for their copy control laws."

      So... to prevent them from making laws that forbid copying, we should stop copying?

      Seems pretty dumb. la la la...

    25. Re:Then why not buy it? by Hanno · · Score: 2

      Then buy the official Ghibli release.

      This is not the official release, but a bootleg. The official release is region-coded. See nausicaa.net

      There are official releases for Japan, Hongkong and Taiwan. All of them are region-coded.

      --

      ------------------
      You may like my a cappella music
    26. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      • BECAUSE THAT'S A FUCKING BOOTLEG.
      Big deal. If I want to watch it, I'll get it. Bootleg or no bootleg. It doesn't really matter.
    27. Re:Then why not buy it? by dmarx · · Score: 1

      How does not buying it hurt Ghibli less than if I bought a bootleg. They still loose a sale.

      --
      "Do I dare disturb the universe?"
    28. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Hmm... If these are bootlegs, then they are awfully expensive. For the same money I can almost get the original version. If I really want to have a copied DVD, I usually pay around $1 for it. I feel sorry for the people who pay more than $10 in the net. Then again, I wish I were in the same business. The profit margin seems to be the same than in drug dealing, and if you get caught you don't probably need to spend your life in prison.

    29. Re:Then why not buy it? by Krieger · · Score: 2

      Well I have to ask...

      Where can I purchase legitimate DVDs of Anime that have the original Japanese mastering, but with English subtitles? It's the only way that I like to watch them... and if I wait for the US release they have invariably made English the primary track and destroyed the mastering of the Japanese track.

      Suggestions?

    30. Re:Then why not buy it? by Sparks23 · · Score: 1

      http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/ has a number of DVDs; you just have to wait a while because, well, they send them to you from Japan.

      A surprising number of Japanese-mastered DVDs are beginning to have English subtitle tracks on them, but it's not a majority yet and they ARE still all Region 2.

      Studio Ghibli (Miyazaki's studio) has been doing the English subtitles; I think Buena Vista Japan is actually one of the big ones in terms of doing the multilingual subtitling on the Region 2 discs. The subtitle translation quality could be better, but it's still quite acceptable.

      Hopefully that helps! :)

      --
      --Rachel
    31. Re:Then why not buy it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I couldnt give less of a shit if its a bootleg or not. I say yes to bootlegs, especially disney-associated ones. Those mickey-rodent loving bastards deserve to lose profits; their CEO Micheal Eisner supported that draconian copy-control bill by Sen. Hollings. His company deserves to lose cash by bootlegs.

    32. Re:Then why not buy it? by haggar · · Score: 2

      Hmmm... however the prices are rather staggering: $60 at animenation and a bit over $40 at cdjapan.co.jp - I must admit, I am takenaback by such prices.

      --
      Sigged!
    33. Re:Then why not buy it? by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 1

      I think the Chinese language Audio option is a dead give a way =)

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
  15. the trailer is pretty cool by be_all · · Score: 4, Informative

    Saw the trailer on Apple a couple weeks ago. Pretty cool. Very long, too.

  16. Damn by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 1

    Only in Toronto for us canooks :(

    --
    Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
  17. Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure... by Flounder · · Score: 3, Informative

    Opening on Sept 27

    KIPS BAY, Manhattan
    86TH ST. EAST, Manhattan
    PAVILION, Brooklyn, NY
    MIDWAY, Forest Hills, NY
    ROOSEVELT FIELD, Westbury, NY
    FARMINGDALE 14, Farmingdale, NY
    SOUNDVIEW CINEMAS, Pt. Washington, NY
    WESTCHESTER 10, Hawthorne, NY
    LOEWS PALISADES, West Nyack, NY
    LOEWS ROUTE 4, Paramus, NJ (Tentative)
    EDGEWATER 16, Edgewater, NJ
    EAST HANOVER 12, East Hanover, NJ
    CLAIRIDGE, Montclair, NJ
    WHITE FLINT, Kensington, MD
    AMC CENTURY CITY Los Angeles, CA
    BEVERLY CENTER Los Angeles, CA
    MONICA, Santa Monica, CA
    PLAYHOUSE, Pasadena, CA
    AMC BURBANK, CA
    GALLERIA, Sherman Oaks, CA
    AMC PROMENADE, Woodland Hills, CA
    AMC COVINA, CA
    EDWARDS STADIUM, Long Beach, CA
    MANHATTAN VILLAGE, South Bay, CA
    AMC ROLLING HILLS, Torrance, CA
    AMC ONTARIO, CA
    AMC THE BLOCK, Orange, CA
    SOUTH COAST VILLAGE, Santa Ana, CA

    --

    No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

  18. Spirited Away US Premier by DarienJax · · Score: 4, Informative

    I had the good fortune to see the US premier of this movie last Tuesday at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood.

    First off, the showing itself was wonderful -- it's a very nice old-style theater with a balcony and a curtain in front of the screen. The movie was digitally projected, and it looked perfect to me. It was also very nice not having any commercials/trailers at the beginning -- they did some light effects, opened and few curtains and the first thing on the screen was the blue Studio Ghibli screen (and the whole audience applauded at that).

    The movie itself is a great movie. Miyazaki did make it for 10-year old girls, but it can appeal to anyone, I think. The feel was a bit like Alice in Wonderland, with a young girl finding this world of spirits and monsters where she meets interesting people and has some adventures (if you really want a good review, there are others out there). Basically, if you have a chance, go see it. I did see the dub, and it was actually fine; after a bit everything just started flowing and I stopped noticing that it was dubbed (I'm generally a big sub-snob for watching anime).

    Miyazaki himself was there for a short interview after the movie; he was asked various questions, first mainly about Spirited Away, and then some audience questions ranging from if he's going to work on the Seven Samurai anime (no, he's opposed to it), to if he's ever going to do more in the worlds of Totoro (never), Laputa (never) or Lupin III (never; he leaves that world to others).

    Anyway, very cool experience. If you're in the LA area, El Capitan will be showing Spirited Away for a month or so, mostly in English, but a few showings in Japanese, subbed, and while Miyazaki won't be there, it should be a great place to see it.

    -Darien Jax

    1. Re:Spirited Away US Premier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Miyazaki did make it for 10-year old girls
      Isn't all anime by definition?

    2. Re:Spirited Away US Premier by jtharpla · · Score: 1

      No :-P ...next caller please

    3. Re:Spirited Away US Premier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The movie itself is a great movie. Miyazaki did make it for 10-year old girls, but it can appeal to anyone, I think. The feel was a bit like Alice in Wonderland, with a young girl finding this world of spirits and monsters where she meets interesting people and has some adventures (if you really want a good review, there are others out there). Basically, if you have a chance, go see it. I did see the dub, and it was actually fine; after a bit everything just started flowing and I stopped noticing that it was dubbed (I'm generally a big sub-snob for watching anime).

      I'll second that. I'm usually a big snob for subtitles (I eschew the dubs in favor of Japanese+subtitles when possible), but the dub of Spirited Away was of excellent quality. Maybe it shouldn't be too much of a surprise, since John Lasseter was a producer of the US version.

      to if he's ever going to do more in the worlds of Totoro (never),

      Well, not anything new starting now, but he did just finish up a short Totoro film a few weeks ago. (I actually didn't know if it was supposed to be a 10-15 minute short or if it was part of a larger movie).

    4. Re:Spirited Away US Premier by JakiChan · · Score: 1

      Actually, the North America premiere for the subtitled version was at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Their blurb about it is here. The showing even made news at the BBC. It was great to see it at the Castro theater...they even played the organ before the showing.

      In the write-up of the Sunday Q&A Session with the Producer, Mr. Suzuki, and John Lasseter, they made reference to the "Mei and Neko-bus" short that is being worked on for the Ghibli museum. So that's sort of a Totoro sequel...or all we're going to get.

      It just sucked having to wait from April 'til September to get the Region 2 release. That was, of course, offset by having seen it at all...especially at the North America premiere.

      --
      "Where quality is like a dead stinking rat - you just can't miss it."
  19. If you liked Princess Mononoke... by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Watch Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind. (There is, of course, a page for it on nausicaa.net ... but for obvious reasons, you're not going to be able to visit it for a few hours now.) It's only available as a fansub, but it's well worth it -- IMO, it's the best anime I've ever seen. (And many of the themes explored in it were carried directly over into Princess Mononoke.) Spirited Away was also an amazing movie, and I hope that it's showed in my area at some point ... but Nausicaa was Miyazaki's best work.

    --

    How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    1. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by tdelaney · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've got to say that I disagree with this. Nausicaa is very good, but it really pales in comparison to the manga.

      Kiki's Delivery Service (also Miyazaki for those who don't know) is my all-time favourite movie (of any genre), and one of the few where I enjoy the dub as much as the sub (Kirsten Dunst was perfect as Kiki :)

      Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is without a doubt my favourite manga. An incredibly strong, detailed storyline, beautiful drawing. The anime suffered due to the fact that the manga was not complete when the anime was made.

    2. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by Microlith · · Score: 2

      That and the licensor pissed Miyazaki off by mutilating it and the dub, then retitling it.

      This is why all of Ghibli's contracts with Disney include a no-edits-allowed clause.

    3. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by BakaMark · · Score: 1
      Miyazaki actually disowned the dubbed release claiming that it was not his work. Basically over 30 minutes of footage was stripped out of the film because the licensor throught that the action was not fast enough.

      It was not for another 10 years after that incident that Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli would even consider anyone approaching them about producing a dub of any of their films in English again.

    4. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Part of why Nausicaa was so good was because it had all the background of the manga behind it -- and it really shows. Although the world in the movie is simplified (otherwise, it would have been as long as the "Lord of the Rings") the amount of background behind the story is apparent. Anyway, I don't think that having an alternative version of the story should take anything away from the movie. It just lets you enjoy it twice as much.


      Kiki's Delivery Service was a good movie as well (... my list of 'favorite anime' pretty much would have all of Miyazaki's stuff to start it...), although not as memorable as Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke. Obviously, of course, a large part of the difference is a difference in taste -- the target and themes of those movies are rather different. As others have said, Spirited Away bears much more resemblance to Kiki than Princess Mononoke, and so will appeal to different people.


      Oh, while I'm talking -- for those of you lucky enough to go see Spirited Away, keep an eye out for the attention to detail, especially in Chihiro's movements. The realism of the little things just blew me away -- it's something that you just don't see in Disney movies. I guarantee you'll be impressed.

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    5. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nausicaa was one of the first few anime that I saw, long long ago when I was younger. I hadn't seen it again until a few months ago when I got a copy of the fan sub (as well as in import). Wow! It blew me away. I was as good as I remember. Most things I rememder from over a decade ago I find very dissapointing going back to today, but Miyazaki's work is timeless.

      The english dub version of Kiki's dissapointed me. I think part of it was how badly they messed up Jiji, giving him an attitude like that. I love the Japanese version.

      Ah, and don't forget My Neighbor Totoro, the only "kids" movie I, as an adult, can watch over and over. :)

    6. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by MisterPo · · Score: 1

      Out of all the Miyazaki movies that I have seen, nothing compares to the beauty of "Laputa". The whole thing was simply inspired..... Then again, Porco Rosso was amazing.... Po

    7. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by tdelaney · · Score: 2

      Ah - you're thinking of the butchered "Warriors of the Wind" - something I've fortunately never seen :)

      There has since been an uncut release which I happened to see at Japanime (2000?) in Sydney. Very good, but as I said, IMO not as good as Miyazaki's other directorial efforts (Kiki, Porco Rosso, Mononoke, etc).

    8. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by Nakago4 · · Score: 1

      Yes yes!! Can't agree more. Laputa is by far my favorite Ghibli movie. And It will be out on dvd in October in japan.

    9. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by BakaMark · · Score: 1

      In case you did not know, Japanime2 is about to be started by Dendy. One of the films to be shown will be "Spirited Away".

    10. Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... by tdelaney · · Score: 2

      Yeah - I know. Looking forward to it - had a "season" pass (all sessions except for the opening IIRC) at the previous one ...

  20. Available on DVD if you can't wait... by Guppy · · Score: 4, Informative

    The legitimate region 2 DVDs can be had for around $50-60 from import DVD sites like cdjapan.co.jp -- and it has English subtitles.

    The only issue (besides the region) is the color balance, which has a slight reddish tint which some people find annoying. Interestingly enough, according to Nausicaa.net, this was done deliberately so that it would look right when played on plasma or lcd screens.

    1. Re:Available on DVD if you can't wait... by BarryHaworth · · Score: 1
      I've seen this one also - I bought a copy while holidaying in Singapore last month, buying a copy of the region 3 DVD. I've not seen Mononoke.

      Verdict: I quite enjoyed it, as did my son (age 12) and daughter (age 8 - though she found some parts scary), and I would recommend it. No idea, alas, when it is likely to hit Australia (I live in Sydney). No sign of Mononoke either ...

      --
      I am a Statistician. One false move and you are a Statistic
  21. Just saw it by ProfessorPuke · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I saw this two days ago at a theater in Cambridge (which isn't TOO far from Taco's stomping ground, I thought).

    It's a fine movie if you like Miyazaki's work, although its somewhat less "normal" than his other projects. It's targeted at younger folks than Mononoke Hime was, and lacks the violent action. In fact it turns out to be quite similar to his previous Kiki's Delivery Service (a pre-teen girl looks for a job around the intersection of magic and the real world). This one is a bit more disney-like though, with some more overt antagonism than Kiki faced.

    Like Mononoke, you can occasionally see places where the animation budget was preserved, but it detracts not at all.

    The dub is just as good as Mononoke Hime's was- that is to say not perfect, there are moments of awkardness when they were obliged to be additionally verbose to help out us slow Americans. But there's nothing as painfully bad as the Gillian Anderson-techno-reverb wolf voice the end of Mononoke suffered from.

  22. Downloaded it off the net months ago by critter_hunter · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The movie really isn't anything like Mononoke Hime. It's much more kid-oriented, and mostly feels like a really good, creative Disney movie. Very little violence or action (though there's quite a bit of blood at times). I personally liked it, but a lot of my friends didn't. Just be cautioned: this movie isn't for anyone.

    --
    Karma: Could be worse (could be raining)
    1. Re:Downloaded it off the net months ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just be cautioned: this movie isn't for anyone.

      The dubs are that bad huh?

  23. Color Balance by starman97 · · Score: 2

    I can only hope that they dont try to shift the color balance to red to justify not replacing all the DVD's that were misprinted with the wrong color-balance..

    --
    Starman97@Gmail.com (bring it on spammers)
  24. and a minor, minor spoiler by ProfessorPuke · · Score: 2
    a few lines of SPOILER SPACE ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...


    Two things that bothered me:

    • Hakul's dragon form shouldn't have had a wolf-head. Too reminiscent of Mononoke Hime, visually. I mean, a girl tending the wounds of a bleeding white wolf whose head is as large as her body? I've got a poster of the exact same scene.
    • Disney's foley-musicians. I'm not 100% sure this was a mouse-corporation addition, but their fingerprints are all over it. Disney's got a crew of classical musicians who've practiced Peter and the Wolf a few too many times, and who like to synchronize musical tweeters to a character's every blink and gaze. During the scene where Chihiro is nervously descending the stairs, they go absolutely overboard and turn her into a full-fledged calliope.

      The same thing happened in Kiki's Delivery Service too- Kiki was descending a random staircase, and for no reason at all they decided it should play like a piano. They feel a need to stuff in extra stimulation to keep us Yanks in the seats.

    Some relationships to Western myth:

    Most of the magical background was Japan's kami, of course. Ubaga was rather like a cross between an oni and a western witch (but original, all her own).

    Random associations: "don't look back"- like Orpheus' walk out of Hades, but inverted. (That story also featured the eating of food as a way to bind yourself to a supernatural realm)

    "don't take food meant for the gods"- Odysseus' men did the same , and were punished for it. As pigs, no less.
    1. Re:and a minor, minor spoiler by thrig · · Score: 2

      Funny, I never noticed Haku's wolf head on the dragon until looking again at the DVD just now. Though the movie is full of references to other Miyazaki movies...

      The music was done by Joe Hisaishi, though I have not seen the Disney version yet to know whether they've mucked with the excellent music.

  25. Why is this on slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is an announcement concerning Japanese porno on slashdot? Why does it have its own group? When I was in the Army and stationed in Japan, a bunch of guys were addicted to this disgusting stuff. Why is it here? The only guys I've ever seen interested in it were some of the least smart people I've ever met. After ten years in the Army, that's saying a lot.z

    1. Re:Why is this on slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're confusing what your square-jaw buddies were watching: Hentai Anime (for Perverted animation) with regular Anime (for kids and some adults too). Hentai anime is for guys who haven't the slightest clue about women and can't impress a woman enough to get some.

      Also, a little off topic but...

      Many Japanese resent having the US army on their land and I had hopes that at least the people stationed there would learn some of the nicer aspects of Japanese culture but listening to what you've just said has blown tha hope far far away.

  26. Possibly Redundant But... by Murdock037 · · Score: 2

    The date's a bit off. I live in Minneapolis and I know it starts here tomorrow (at the Uptown Theater, for anybody that knows the area. Probably the biggest screen in town).

    I would imagine New York, LA, etc. would start tomorrow then, too. All part of the big eight or ten markets, if I'm not mistaken-- the above-mentioned three, plus, I dunno, Boston, Miami, Toronto.

    So check your listings, gang, and see it early. Who knows how long it'll stick around?

    1. Re:Possibly Redundant But... by bedheading · · Score: 1

      I thought it was at the Lagoon? I'm not sure, but I was there the other night and saw some signage.. I'll probably end up seeing it. Looks pretty neat..

  27. Good Reviews from Ebert & Roeper by WickywiK · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ebert & Roeper reviewed it this weekend and loved it. They said that kids will really like it but adults will probably enjoy it more. Apparently Miyazaki almost didn't make this movie. You can hear the review here: http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/tod ay.html

    1. Re:Good Reviews from Ebert & Roeper by CMRichar · · Score: 1
      Ebert and Roper loved something? oh, dear $GOD, it's gonna suck!!!!!!!!

      sorry....just a natural reaction to Ebert's name joined to a review....think he's seen so many movies, that NOTHING is good to him anymore... and the last few movies that they've hated that i saw, were actually pretty good *coughpowerpuffgirlscough*....

      --
      "Good night, good work, sleep well, I'll most likely kill you in the morning." - Dread Pirate Roberts
  28. out on DVD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It has been oput on DVD for about a month (or longer). It's not bootlegged, has english, japanese, and chinese subtitles, and is region free. It's a really fun anime, I also highly recommend Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro (from the same studio).

  29. As far as anime is concerned by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    the US is composed of the New York area, the Los Angeles area, and 46 flyover states.

  30. Re:Pathetic by TheDanish · · Score: 1

    Mm, hm, and you're right here with the rest of us, AC-san. Personally, I'd see it if I was within ten years of the targeted audience age or I found at least one other reasonably sane person who's also going nearby.

    --
    Danish != nationality
  31. I own the Japanese DVD and can tell you something by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you're thinking of seeing this ask yourself what you value in a movie.

    If you just like non-stop action with 2 braincelled heroes like Vin Diesel don't go see this. You'll only get lost half way in and get frustrated.

    If you like a "thinker" movie that challenges your views of the world DO see this movie. You'll also be lost like the action-seeker crowd but it won't bother you and the ending will reward you and explain the entire movie.

    This movie is classic Miyazaki. Although there is a weird sensation when switching from a 3D scene to a 2D scene and vice versa, it is still stuning and there is, unlike many other movies, a story.

  32. Excellent movie! by Chembal · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I just bought this movie on DVD when I was in Japan two weeks ago. It's EXCELLENT! The animation was great, and it had a wonderful storyline. I would definitely recommend seeing it when it hits the theater. Or, if you have or are in the mood for region hacking your DVD player (for those not in region 2) go order the DVD.

    --

    Life is but a mist upon the horizon.

    1. Re:Excellent movie! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So because you got suckered into buying it, you're trying to sucker others into doing it too? How very Tom Sawyer of you! I'm sure that fence could use a fourth layer of paint...

  33. Re:Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure. by freeblee · · Score: 1

    Where's the list of theaters that are showing it with Japanese and English subtitles?

    Thanks,
    Ben

  34. Re:Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure. by ll1234 · · Score: 1

    The Nausicaa.net "Spirited Away" Theaters page:

    http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/theaters.ph p

  35. Yes! Poster is up! by tweakt · · Score: 2

    I'm so happy, the smaller (but nice) independent/alternative film theater right nearby me is showing this, I saw the poster for it today. =D

  36. Don't feel bad by cognizance · · Score: 1

    I missed the "/sarcasm" at first and got really angered. *chuckle* To say that the Japanese are taking over Disney is soooo wrong! It's much the other way around. Disney began with their theft way back when. (remember Lion King?) They claimed they didn't even know of Miyazaki and his other classics.... but then next thing we know Disney has all the rights to Miya's films. *chuckle* Sure... they didn't know... HA!

    1. Re:Don't feel bad by Nogami_Saeko · · Score: 2

      Sokay, I missed it at first too.

      Probably needed a sarcasm opening tag at the beginning ;P

      --
      "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
    2. Re:Don't feel bad by lambda9999 · · Score: 0

      The author is probably used to RTF, not XML ;-)

    3. Re:Don't feel bad by Lord+Apathy · · Score: 1

      Japanese taking over Disney. I don't know if this would be good or bad. On the one hand you might see a improvement in the quality of the stories from Disney. And the other you might see the Disnification of Japanese Anim.

      I'm going to weigh in for safty sake and say it will be a bad thing. Could you imagine Cowboy Bebop ran through Disney's and brewed down for the least common denomonator? Blech. On the other hand could you imagine if Disney did get behind some of Japan's best anim studios and brougth the stories to the US screen without dumbing them down for the kiddys?

      --

      Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification

  37. Someone must buy it by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

    Otherwise the Coke machine would not make money and the owner would remove it, same goes for Mcdonalds. Not that I'm saying its my god given right to buy a big mac in china but you get the idea.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  38. I'll take the dubbed version, please by second+class+skygod · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I know that many movie "experts" consider dubbing as a terrible thing: breaking the director's original vision, etc. For certain foreign movies, I agree. However, for visually rich films like this one is supposed to be, I much prefer dubbing; even bad dubbing. I hate missing what's happening on the rest of the screen while staring at the words on the bottom.

    1. Re:I'll take the dubbed version, please by pVoid · · Score: 1

      Classics like these have to be watched at least twice.

      And by the third time, you almost don't need the subtitles.

      (You have no idea how big of a difference there is between original and dubbed - for me at least. For example Mononoke dubbed was purely painful.)

    2. Re:I'll take the dubbed version, please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you watch movies (especially of the Anime persuasion) with subtitles often and frequently enough, you get used to reading really fast and "dubbing" in your head.

      There are some movies I have watched that I JUST KNOW I watch it dubbed, even can remember hearing the voices speak english, until I watch it again later and find that it is subtitled. Bizarre, but I love it.

    3. Re:I'll take the dubbed version, please by Monkey+Angst · · Score: 1

      I liked the dubbed versions of most of John Woo's films, if only because the guy they got to voice Chow Yun-Fat sounded like Cary Grant. :)

      --
      stripShow - Where WordPress meets webcomics
    4. Re:I'll take the dubbed version, please by badasscat · · Score: 1

      Quite honestly, if you hate reading subtitles the best way to watch this movie is without them - but in Japanese. (You'd do this in this country by watching a subbed version and simply ignoring the subtitles.) This is the way I saw it (in Japan) and I was able to follow the entire story from beginning to end without much of a problem - such is the genius of Miyazaki. I did need somebody to explain some of the finer plot points afterwards but you could easily find something that accomplishes the same thing online.

      I'm sorry, but *adding* dialogue where none existed before (especially as a voice-over, as in Spirited Away) is *not* right. Anyone who's seen both versions of Blade Runner will tell you that - whatever your preference, anyone would admit the film was significantly altered (for better or worse) by adding the voice-over. I'll take the original, thank you (or in BR's case, the version Scott wanted) - call me a purist but I want to see movies the way they were intended.

      Yes, of course if subtitles are available I'll take them, as I consider them the least intrusive way of allowing as large an audience as possible to enjoy a film in their own language, but dubbing is already stretching it, and adding dialogue where none existed is going too far. You're not seeing the real Sen to Chihiro/Spirited Away if you watch this film dubbed.

      As a sidenote, most of the interpretations I've seen written about the dub have been way off as far as the meaning of the film. Obviously I don't speak Japanese, but I live with someone who does and I've read plenty of articles about the original release from those who *are* bi-lingual (and I was able to get the overall themes myself even without understanding much dialogue). I'm wondering if not just the wording but the actual theme of the film was somehow changed in the dub. The film is about gluttony and greed, not "a little girl's journey into womanhood" or some such nonsense, as I've read in a couple reviews today. Did they change the dialogue to the point of over-sanitizing it for a western children's audience? It's really quite a dark film in Japanese.

    5. Re:I'll take the dubbed version, please by mrsmalkav · · Score: 1

      Seeing it twice was definitely helpful. I grew up with subtitles, so reading them quickly and returning back to the action is very very easy. I'm also really pro-subtitling.* However, I was frustrated when I saw this movie for the first time. I had only caught half of what was going on during a sequence where some of the secondary characters are doing some really funny things off to the side that have nothing to do with the current conversation (between main characters). I would be reading the subtitles and their little funny bit would be gone in the half second it took for me to read the subtitles. Thankfully, the second time around I was able to devote my full attention to the funny bits and appreciate the comedy :)

      [*] There are certain unique ways that some cultures say things. When you change the language, you lose that cultural influence and/or meaning. I saw this Chinese movie about the Monkey God subtitled in English and Vietnamese way back when, and it was great. The Monkey God character was very expressive and very Chinese. I saw the same movie dubbed again in Vietnamese, subtitled in Mandarin (I believe) and English. The Monkey God had lost so much of his very Chinese animation and antics that the movie was just very blah. The way he would call for his mother totally lost all humor. There was no way to copy that intonation or the intricacies of interaction when you lost the language (and the culture).

      Yes, it is helpful to being able to watch the movie and listen to the dialog, but sometimes there's something else there that the movie-maker perhaps intended for you to hear or understand.

  39. Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 by dead+sun · · Score: 1
    And I'm going to go see it at the Uptown theater in Minneapolis this weekend. There's an anime club on campus and I just got a poster for it tonight as the theater sent us a bunch of them. It looks excellent and I can see from the poster the Ghibli look that Totoro had is in there too.

    Can't wait.

    --
    If not now, when?
  40. Don't upvote that post. by Microlith · · Score: 1

    As you can see if you READ OTHER POSTS he has no clue what he's talking about.

  41. Re:Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure. by ll1234 · · Score: 1

    This is a list of theaters opening on the 27th, the poster failed to read the opening paragraph of said news article:

    "The following locations are opening on September 27, the theaters and additional details will be added to the Theaters page in the coming days:"

    Theater page: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/theaters.php

  42. Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 by AvitarX · · Score: 1

    It is also playing in Philadelphia at the Ritz east, quite a few shows daily too.

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  43. MOD PARENT DOWN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    From the nausicaa.net link:
    Want the DVD? Beware the many bootlegs, our Video page contains the official releases for this and other Studio Ghibli works.
    The real version from japan starts at around 4700 yen (~$47) so if you're getting it cheaper, it's probably a knockoff. Looks like there may even be english subs on the official region 2 DVD though. :) http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/video/sen/
  44. who mods crap like this up? by Gimpy-Joe · · Score: 1

    why is this modded up to a 3? theres a link to the site with this information in the story tag and link to the page with that exact info posted before this.

    --
    Good luck in hell.
  45. The Man himself was in Toronto. . . by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 2
    Hayo Miyazaki attended the Toronto film fest showing earlier this month.

    The film showed at the Uptown Cinema, one of the few remaining cool theaters in this berg. AND he did a Q&A!

    Not that I had tickets, mind you. --And I've been a fan of Miyazaki since before people even knew that Japan had an animation culture to export.

    Whatever. It'll be cool to see the work of such a master on big screens. I've looked over the production sketches and paintings for the film, and it's very nice; some really clever techniques were used. From what I could see, the transition the characters made from the real world to the magical world is clever in similar ways as that done in "Being John Malcovitch".

    Looking forward to this one. There are so few good film makers still allowed to share their works on the screens of the masses. Miyazaki is a wise man with his head screwed on right, has things to say worth hearing and knows how to speak them without offending or condescending. There are not a lot of great teachers left out there. --What with Lucas having been brain-sucked and all!


    -Fantastic Lad

    1. Re:The Man himself was in Toronto. . . by helloRockview · · Score: 2, Informative
      Interestingly enough, Roger Ebert interviewed Miyazaki when he attended the Toronto festival a couple of years ago before the production of this film. Miyazaki told him that Princess Mononoke would be his last major film. Last week, Ebert said that Miyazaki was so moved by Spirited Away's story that he decided he just had to make one more.

      Incidentally, whether you like Ebert or not, he is a particularly big anime fan and has given this movie rave reviews.

  46. So, why not buy it in japan? by hokanomono · · Score: 1

    I bought it in Japan last month but i think it was available since longer. If you don't have a chance to go there (not via a web site, physically), maybe you have a japanese friend whou can send it to you...

    --
    This sig is a true statement, but I cannot prove it.
  47. Do these hacks work? Anybody know? by quimby · · Score: 1
    If someone does not know the answer to this question, then mod up or something to someone who knows:

    I have a Japanese OS with open bays in my computer. If I want to watch DVDs from two regions, could I buy a DVD player from each of those two countries and install them?

    If so, could I then use the same software to address each CD and play them pretty well seamlessly?

    As a separate hack, could I hook a Japanese system with a J DVD player to a 100 base T network and watch the DVD from a US computer? I mean... could happen, right? More bandwidth needed?

    The REAL BIG problem with region encoding happens to a small minority of people who exist and grow in both cultures. I am a victim.

    --
    ...contending in vain.
  48. Very fun movie... by ctar · · Score: 2

    I saw this w/ subtitles here in Japan. It really is a beautiful movie. The characters are instantly authentic, and it has the typical lack of black and white, good vs. evil that separates Japanese and Eastern stories from the traditional 'good vs. evil' central to Western plots...Evil never has any redeeming aspects in Western ideology. (Just ask Bush)

    I'd like to second peoples remarks about Nausica. It is an amazing animation, and the movie is only one story out of a series of manga.

    1. Re:Very fun movie... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You draw your lessons about the nature of moral action from Japanese kiddie cartoons and imply that Bush is simple-minded? Jeez, talk about ironic

  49. too much magic by master_p · · Score: 1

    Its not bad, but can't they do a story without the magical stuff ? it would be more difficult for the writers, but much more rewarding.

    1. Re:too much magic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you want a good one with no magic, try to find Whispers of the Heart. No magic, witches, spirits, etc, just a good story.

  50. Sprited Away Opinion (spoilers) by kamapuaa · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I saw the Japanese DVD last week, and I have to admit, I thought this was one of the lower-grade Miyazaki movies. Which means it's still worth watching, especially on a big screen with subtitles, but don't expect too much - I've read reviews that call it the best movie released this year, but everybody (who reads them) knows the SF Weekly writers smoke crack.

    The movie most closesly resembles Ghibli's "Ponpoko," in that it's random misadventures, where the generic lead and generic supporting cast go through a series of misadventures that can't really be called a plot. As opposed to the really cool worlds of other Ghibli movies, the setting is mostly the claustrophobic servant's quarters of a luxury hotel. Once you accept the weirdness of the setting, there really isn't much interesting about it.

    Similarly to Ponpoko, the reason to watch it is for the whimsical animated asides. Monsters look crazy and whatnot. It's not as continually imaginative as the novel _Alice in Wonderland_, or the best anime, but it's still a site to see, and is continually well-drawn. A lot of the monsters incorporate traditional Japanese demons, so it's probably more exotic and overwhelming for an American audience, than it would be for Japanese. I don't know if that's good or bad, though.

    A final note: man, these ten year old girls who have to fend for themselves, but end up making good because of their kindness and plucky spirit, is as big a cliche as anything in American movies. "Princess Mononoke" wasn't my favorite, but I was hoping Miyazaki would continue dealing with more difficult themes, and having more interesting leads. I think this movie was a step back to standard Ghibli - only, without anything special enough make it stand out from what's come before.

    --
    Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    1. Re:Sprited Away Opinion (spoilers) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I cant understand how my missed the CENTRAL PLOT to ponpoko.

  51. I Disagree, or "My experience with Spirited Away" by Froobly · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'll add the disclaimer that I *hate* dubs, generally. I usually can't stomach the arguments of people who say, "reading subtitles disturbs the continuity and distracts the eyes from the rest of the screen." This movie, however, is an exception.

    I've watched this movie three times subtitled, and once dubbed now. Even after three viewings of the subtitled version, there were a lot of subtle, but really cool things that I missed, that I noticed at Tuesday's showing at the Guild 45th. And it wasn't like they were "deep" things, either -- everyone in the entire theater noticed them. The fact that our eyes were on the screen, rather than the subtitles, allowed us to see them.

    With movies that have a lot of things happening on-screen, reading subtitles makes you miss things. Your argument that you read the subtitles subconsciously only means that you're looking at the bottom of the screen (away from the picture) subconsciously. You become zoned out from the visual content, and you miss the throwaway visuals.

    That said, there were many things about this dub that I did not like. Such as the voice for Haku. How many inflection patterns does that guy know how to make? I counted two. Even when he was supposed to be supportive and consoling, he still used the "grim" voice. The only deviation from the "grim" voice was when he asked a question, which was really only three lines in the entire frickin' movie. I swear they pulled this guy from a TV commercial. And if he happens to be some famous actor that I just don't know about, then he couldn't possibly be famous for any sort of real talent.

    Chihiro was similar, but for some reason she grated on me much less. I guess her acting, while mostly invariant, sounded more like what I'd expect her character to sound like.

    And just so that you don't think I'm an impossible-to-please dub hater (close, but not quite), the voice for Lin was *awesome*. The emotions, the "I'm a bitch, just kidding" vocal transitions, the matching of attitude to facial expressions... this girl has some serious range.

    Final verdict: A hellaciously fun movie, an adequate (though not spectacular) dub, in a format that allows the eyes to wander over the screen and catch all the little things.

  52. Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 by Nogami_Saeko · · Score: 2

    Grump grump grump. No showings in Vancouver (yet). I may have to drive to Seattle to watch it next weekend.

    Even though the dub is showing, I think it will be just fine - Lasseter is an artist with integrity himself, so I expect it will be very well-done.

    Here's hoping he does versions for theatricals of Totoro, Laputa, and Nausicaa as well.

    N.

    --
    "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
  53. Sept 20th, not 27th... at least where I live. by Blimey85 · · Score: 1

    Fandango.com is reporting that the release date for Spirited Away is today (9/20/02) and I do indeed plan on seeing it tonight. Fandango.com. Did the original poster simply make a mistake or am I just lucky that I live in a metropolitan area that happens to be one of the select cities showing it early?

    --
    How is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
    1. Re:Sept 20th, not 27th... at least where I live. by Hot+Soup+LD · · Score: 1

      Considering everybody I know plans on seeing this movie tomorrow in Minneapolis, it is most certainly released this weekend, and not next.

      Either the Lagoon theatre or the Uptown theatre (they're three blocks away from eachother in Uptown Minneapolis, hard to miss either).

      --
      Hot Soup - Lethal Doses
  54. So when will it appear in Europe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...and specifically, in the Netherlands? Considering we never even got Princess Mononoke?

  55. Dubbed, Not Subtitled? by helloRockview · · Score: 1
    Just a intersting tidbit that mike make a difference to some of you: the 3 or 4 minutes of promotional clips I've seen of this move have been DUBBED in English, not sub-titled as this posting reports.

    There may certainly be a sub-titled version out there, but I must say that I was very impressed with the dubbed clips I saw - very well done.

    Chris

  56. Excellent Movie. by EvilNight · · Score: 2

    Saw this one at Gencon in August. The folks running the Anime room had quite a line up, and there's nothing like seeing a new anime materpiece with a bunch of otaku who are also seeing it for the first time. Of course, it brought the house down when it played.

    I'm generally very tough on anime, the storylines aren't usually enough to keep me interested. Didn't much care for Akira, didn't like the new Metropolis, didn't much care for Ghost in the Shell... generally I don't like a lot of Anime that folks tell me I'm supposed to like, but I did like this one.

    This movie reminds me a LOT of the original Neverending Story, which was my favorite film when I was a kid. The animation is unmatched, of course, and the story is very... unique. Such a strange and magical setting, so many unique characters, it was very refreshing to get a good look at someone else's imagination for a change. There were some very good laughs in this film as well.

    I'd highly recommend this one to anybody who is getting sick of Disney's idea of a kid's movie. I'll definitely be catching this one in the theater, and buying it for my collection.

    --
    Hell is being intelligent in a world full of idiots.
  57. Re:Do these hacks work? Anybody know? by S.Lemmon · · Score: 2

    You don't need two DVD players as long as you're careful about which one you buy. Region checking is usually done two places: first is in the DVD playback software (PowerDVD, WinDVD, etc), but you can use something like "DVD Genie" to get around that. The second is if the DVD player is RPC2 enabled then the hardware itself will check. However, many RPC2 players have a utility available to turn the protection off. As with all things, just doing a little research with Google before you buy is a good idea.

  58. Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 by peter_gzowski · · Score: 2

    Toronto is another one of those cities. Actually, it played here September 7th (dub) and 9th (sub) at the Toronto International Film Festival. I tried to get tickets, but was denied. I'm going to try and head to a matinee this afternoon, yipee! I hope this film does well, so that I can see more anime films at my local theatre. For those who need convincing, check out some reviews here, and here.

    --
    "Now gluttony and exploitation serves eight!" - TV's Frank
  59. Subtitled version alread on VHS/DVD by ceswiedler · · Score: 2

    A local video store here in Atlanta already has the original Japanese version (with subtitles) on VHS and DVD. If you really want to see this film, get the subtitled version. Disney's doing the dubbing and I know they're going to screw it up. The dubbed version of Princess Mononoke had Billy Bob Thorton playing the priest character. God only knows who they'll get to play these voices.

    If you can only see the dubbed version--definitely still see it. It's one of the best anime I've ever seen. It's got a magical quality to it that reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. It's a very strange story, very surrealistic at times, but something kids will love and adults can really get into. I loved Princess Mononoke but I thought Spirited Away was at least as good.

    1. Re:Subtitled version alread on VHS/DVD by tuffy · · Score: 2
      A local video store here in Atlanta already has the original Japanese version (with subtitles) on VHS and DVD. If you really want to see this film, get the subtitled version. Disney's doing the dubbing and I know they're going to screw it up.

      Except for the whole red tint debacle with the region 2 release. In any case, unlike other Ghibli flicks that are still stuck in region 2, this one should be region 1-bound sooner rather than later. And since it'll likely be bilingual (at least), it's probably best to wait for the region 1 version and hope for proper color correction.

      --

      Ita erat quando hic adveni.

  60. Pon poko by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I believe this is from the same studio as Princess Monoke. See it! I cried so hard at the end. It's a movie about tanukis who live in a forest. A city is enroaching on their land. It was a very funny movie, but the end was heartbreaking.

  61. Understanding Miyazaki by cyranoVR · · Score: 1

    Some interesting reading to coincide with Spirited Away: Prof. Susan Napier is author of Anime: From Akira to Princess Mononoke which offers an insightful introduction to the works of Miyazaki, most of all Naussica (which should be released here in the US on DVD at least, dangit!). Animerica also has a great interview with Prof. Napier about her book.

    Last summer, I saw Prof. Napier give a speech on Anime in the US at the Japan Society (as part of the 2001 Big Apple Anime Fest). Her primary thesis was that Princess Mononoke failed in American theaters largely because our audiences didn't "get" its ambiguous morals and "unresolved" ending

    (Point of debate acknowledged - many fans complain that Disney did not support the movie. In fact, Disney spent millions on an all-star voice cast and promotions - something then unheard of for foreign animation).

    However, more interesting is the revelation concerning Japan that she raises in her book. The strong women protagonists found in Miyazaki's films simply do not exist in Japanese society, whereas they have been a staple here for decades both in film (Aliens, Terminator, Silence of the Lambs, Star Wars (Princess Lea) - also Disney animation such as Little Mermaid, Aladin, etc.) and reality (Oprah, Hillary and so on).

    Perhaps the spectacle of a strong independent woman protagonist is what makes Miyazaki's films such runaway successes in Japan. Here, strong women are not uncommon in popular culture - so American viewers come away only remembering the high animation quality? At any rate, it will be interesting to see how the Miyazaki fares this time around.

    1. Re:Understanding Miyazaki by dhuff · · Score: 1

      I'd only recommend Napier's book with several, rather severe, caveats. She often writes in a dense, verbose academic style that takes pages to say basically nothing. She's also obsessed with "gender issues" (in a shallow, Western, "politically correct" sense) and tends to judge anime, and Japanese pop culture in general, from a very Americo-centric standpoint.

      If you want a work on anime that will really give you an appreciation of the form along with a more in depth (and unslanted) look at the Japanese culture which created it, then I'd much sooner suggest Samurai from Outer Space : Understanding Japanese Animation by Antonia Levi.

    2. Re:Understanding Miyazaki by MisterPo · · Score: 1

      Not too sure about the lack of strong woman angle. Take Rumiko Takahashi (best selling anime/manga creater in Japan), all her stories involve *very* strong female characters..... There is also Sailor Moon, Gunsmith Cats, Bubblegum Crisis/Crash etc etc. I think that Miyazaki is successful as he knows how to craft a great movie. From his personal contributions in the story, artwork and even music!! If you ever get a chance to watch an interview he has given, you get a real sense of pride and joy in his work. I remember watching a program where he was talking about his failing health. It was after Princess, that his eyesight was getting so poor that added to pains in his drawing hand that he thought that this would be his last movie. He genuinely seemed saddened by this.......and the water colours that he paints are just amazing.... Po

    3. Re:Understanding Miyazaki by cyranoVR · · Score: 1

      I don't know if it is fair to dismiss the academic style as saying "essentially nothing," nor if this warrants a "severe" cavet in recommending her book. I have found that the academic style actually says a lot...the problem for most being that the authors tend to cram complex ideas into a few (big) words. It takes some getting used to, but is rewarding.

      In other words, Anime is definitely not "layman" writting, as most people expect from books on pop culture. A lot of these books tend to be "gee-whiz" triva tomes written by fanboys, and Anime definitely cannot be placed in the same category. It is more a work of film theory.

      One could argue that it is impossible for any American to analyze Japanese culture without a degree of Western-bias. In fact, I wish more Japanese works on anime - of which there are many - would be translated to english! However, while I have not read Samurai from Outerspace, its very title - a play on cliched American sci-fi movies - seems to imply the imposition of Western perceptions on Japanese culture. I will have to give it a look to quash (or confirm?) this skepticism.

      Still, I think Napier makes an honest attempt to analyze anime from a Japanese context. For example, she cites surveys that contrast the attitudes of Japanese and American fans regarding anime. Furthermore, while her analysis may be her own, she also has read a great deal of Japanese criticism on the anime (as listed in her bibliography). If she writes with a western bias, she is at least familiar with the writtings of her Japanese counter-parts.

      One criticism is that she only focuses on Anime that have been exported to the United States. While this may be true to a degree, many of the the works she focuses on were also hits in Japan, and therefore worth of inclusion in a survey work such as this. On the other hand, she also makes a point in her introduction that anime has become an international phenomenon - so it is completely relevant to address the interpretation of anime from an American perspective!

      In conclusion, after reading Anime, I certainly looked at mainstream anime films/series (Ramna 1/2, Evangelion, Macross Plus, Princess Mononoke to name a few) very differently. I think many /.'ers will too. If you end up enjoying Spirited Away, check this book out.

    4. Re:Understanding Miyazaki by cyranoVR · · Score: 1

      Napier's point is that while these strong women exist in Anime, they are conspicuously ABSENT from actual Japanese society.

      In fact, one anecdote Napier relates in her book is that of a female anime fan approaching Miyazaki and asking (verbatim) "Girls like that [in Nausicca], don't really exist, do they?"

      In anime, more common than the "strong woman" theme is the "magical girl" cliche, in which one (or multiple) girls angle for the attention of a male protagonist. Think Tenchi Muyo, Ah My Goddess to name two.

      There is not doubt that Miyazaki is a great craftsman...however the real power of his films comes from the profound depth of his stories, and the exceptional realism of his characters.

  62. There are also licensed R3 versions by MEK · · Score: 2

    There are two licensed R3 release from Hong Kong, a Cantonese dub, and the original Japanese version (with English subtitles), which is about half the price of the Japanese R2 release, see:

    http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx?pid=100183 85 64&did=0&code=c&section=anime&

    There also are, or will be soon, licensed R3 versions from Taiwan and Korea. For Chinese readers, the Taiwanese DVD is described at:

    http://bvhe.bvi.com.tw/event/ghibli_spiritedaway .h tm

    Bottom line: If a DVD of a Miyazaki film claims to be "all region", it's almost certainly a bootleg. If it has a region code, it is probably an authorized release. For further information on bootleg versions, see:

    http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/video/answers.h tm l

    MEK

    --
    Credo quia impossibilis -- Tertullian
  63. September 20th is the limited release... by nytefyre · · Score: 1

    September 27th is the wider release.. October 4th is the widest distribution release - though like Mononoke or even Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon don't expect it to be at even most of the mega/multi/cineplexes in your area. In DC it's at the Mazza Galerie this weekend - very nice theater, 7$ student - 9$ regular, accessible by Metro.

    The UMCP Terrapin Anime Society is planning an outting to there for one of the afternoon showings on Saturday. Check out their homepage at:
    http://www.inform.umd.edu/StudentOrg/tas/
    or the UMBC Anime Society:
    http://sta.umbc.edu/~anime/

    Anyone in the area interested should definitely go and see this!

  64. You should see Whispers of the Heart (?)... by PCBman! · · Score: 1

    Pity it was only released in TV in japan from what I hear, so it'll never make video release here. On the upside, all the other Miyazaki fans I know have it on fansub, although I want to hunt for it on a digital format. ^_^ Gotta love the John Denver spin off into "Concrete Road."

    --
    So, when's lunch?
    1. Re:You should see Whispers of the Heart (?)... by Nakago4 · · Score: 1

      you can get it on dvd from japan. with english subtitles. I bought it and the quality is excellent. Need a region free dvd player of course

    2. Re:You should see Whispers of the Heart (?)... by MeierEQ · · Score: 1

      Actually the only Ghibli tv movie has been Umi ga Kikoeru (I Can Hear the Sea [literal t/l] or Ocean Waves -- either title is accepted). Whisper of the Heart is tied along with Grave of the Fireflies as my favorite anime film, it's a truly wonderful experience.

  65. Great film, great adaptation by May+Kasahara · · Score: 1

    I saw it at a special pre-screening this Wednesday. This was my second time seeing it (the first time was as a subtitled AVI), and I was really impressed both by the cinematic feel of the film and the quality of the adapted script and dubbing. Of course, Disney's done good dubs before (check out Kiki's Delivery Service, which has Phil Hartman as the cat Jiji!). This is definately my new favorite Miyazaki film (move over Totoro!), and although it's clearly a children's movie, I think that people of any age will enjoy it.

  66. Gah! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All you people not appreciating anime! and Miyazaki at that! *sigh* japan taking disney... Disney destroyed mononoke! *goes on a smiting rampage* Miyazaki good... Disney sometimes good and sometimes not... *huff* alrighty, done now... had my rant :)
    -Jessi-

  67. How suitable is it for young children? by bartash · · Score: 2

    My daughter (now 6) loves Totoro and Kiki.
    Can I take her to see Spirited Away? Or will it be too scary?

    --
    Read Epic the first RPG novel.
    1. Re:How suitable is it for young children? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not quite as tame as Totoro and Kiki, but it's not nearly as violent as Mononoke Hime.

      There is a single scene with a rather significant amount of blood, but it serves as something as a turning point.
      The only part in the movie that I would actually consider scary for 6-year-olds is the rampaging No Face--it consumes several bystanders and chases Chihiro.

      These scenes are resolved, though. No one dies, and Chihiro's actions are a great example of how a good person acts in a stressful/scary situation.
      The movie shouldn't give kids any nightmares.

  68. why *I* have not bought the DVD by lingqi · · Score: 2

    was in japan last week. the damn thing is on sale *everywhere*.

    two reasons prohibiting:
    1) region code: yeah sure by-passable, blah blah. but not for everyone. and one more reason mpaa / riaa sucks elephant trunk
    2) jesus christ they were like 40bux a pop!!! in fact, ALL japanese DVDs were about that much (4000 - 4500 yen). no wonder they poped up something called a region code, eh? certainly can't have people buying legit copies of US version movies and selling them half-price in japan now, can we.

    --

    My life in the land of the rising sun.

  69. If you want a good animated film to see... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you want a good animated flick to see (made right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.), Wait 'til October 4 and go see Jonah: A Veggietales Movie...

    I've seen a sneak peek of it. It looks awesome and the movie is hilarious... It is a great movie for kids too! Oh, and you won't be giving Disney any more money than they deserve...

    http://www.jonahmovie.com

    1. Re:If you want a good animated film to see... by MeierEQ · · Score: 1

      /me turns on AICN talkback form PLANT!! (no pun intended) That movie looks so hideously bad I can't even fathom how it got made.

  70. IMPORTANT NOTE about the R2 release by Chuu · · Score: 1

    I know a lot of people have brought this up the issue of the HK bootleg. Yes, it is cheaper, yes, it does not support the original authors, but this is one case where you should go with the HK version (I know, I bought the R2 and got burned).


    this and this


    There is a *SEVERE* color problem with the R2 release. Yes, the Japanese NTSC and usa NTSC standards are slightly different in their white point, but this has nothing to do with that. They red has been cranked all the way up, so much that the white walls in the entrance to the park look like they are made of adobe, and what should be puffy white clouds look like they are stained with blood. Unfortunately, since they already pressed many millions of these DVD's, they decided to call this a Feature in the official press release (look around for it if you really want to read it). I hope that this color error doesn't make its ways to the US shores. If Buena Vista wouldn't take responsibility for their mistake (and it was certainly one, even Miyazaki has commented on it), I see no reason to give them my money. It is such a shame too, the DVD's are some of the best authored I have ever seen. I hope the R1 release is worthy of my money.



    IMPORTANT NOTE: The HK bootleg I am referring to is not the one that is just a copy of the R2 dvd, which is the one out there now. Obviously that one will have the same color problem.


  71. Truly wonderfull film by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hi,

    I watched he trailer @Apple, Bought it on import DVD (region 3) the first chance I got, it's a F*%king gorgeous movie. It's complete, an internally consistent world, flawless. If you've ever seen Nausicaa ("Warriors of the Wind" in the West) then you have to see this. It's just incredible. As for me I have another treat in-store, "Porco Rosso" (all about the romantic entanglemants of a world war one pig flying Ace :)

    Joy!

    later
    jb

  72. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 1

    I BET WHAT HAPPENED was they discovered fire and invented the wheel on
    the same day. Then that night, they burned the wheel.
    -- Jack Handley, The New Mexican, 1988.

    - this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...