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Post by angilasman on Feb 23, 2010 20:35:01 GMT -5
Although I like the Japanese langauage tracks more, I do appreciate the quality of the dubs Disney made for these films (as I said before, it's how kiddies will watch them and kiddies should definately see this films) - I mean, there's even some major star power in them! (Uma Thurman and Patrick Stewart in Nausicaa, Micheal Keaton and Carey Elwes in Porco, Christian Bale and Billy Crystal in Howl)
The dubs for Nausicaa and Howl are paticularly great. For those two it doesn't really matter to me which one to watch.
Which reminds me: Dinsey's Porco Rosso release also contains the French dub with Jean Reno as Porco and Miyazaki has said he considers this the definitive version because he imagined the film as being shot in French - I need to watch that!
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Post by spackle on Feb 23, 2010 22:19:41 GMT -5
I'm almost loathe to admit it, but I was just at Disney World for 2 days. And there at Epcot, in a shop in the Japanese pavilion, was a whole stand of books on Miyazaki films. One was Miyazaki's memoirs of the early years, through interviews and writings. The books of artwork from his movies were beautiful, and I was digging through trying to find a book in English (most of them were in Japanese), when the Kaito (is that right?) drummers started. Amazing drumming, shakes your bones. Then I was whisked away to something else, and never got back in the shop to look at books. I reckon they're on Amazon. But before I found the Miyazaki section, I asked someone if they had any kappa stuffed toys. Alas, no kappa. I like the dubs for Nausicaa and Howl, too. Especially Howl, where they used two different performers for the old and young Sophie. Jean Simmons (RIP ) was great as old Sophie. Jean Reno as Porco! I might actually like it then!
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Post by caucasoididiot on Feb 24, 2010 13:35:19 GMT -5
Yeah, taiko really grab your attention when they start up. My wife had a kappa pillow just like this one: There are lots of kappa goods in Japan, but probably pretty hard to find in the States. You could probably find something online though.
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Post by spackle on Feb 24, 2010 14:17:44 GMT -5
Whoops, I transposed the letters. It was just three drummers, but they still made a mighty sound. I had seen a larger group before.
Kappa is both bizarre and cute. I like that there is no equivalent in the folklore I grew up with. Thanks for the pic.
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Post by afriendlychicken on Feb 24, 2010 18:51:23 GMT -5
Yeah, taiko really grab your attention when they start up. My wife had a kappa pillow just like this one: There are lots of kappa goods in Japan, but probably pretty hard to find in the States. You could probably find something online though. I probably could find that somewhere here. Hawai'i has a lot of Japanese toy stores. Heck, I can still find places that sell my favorite henshin superhero, Kamen Rider V3. I re-watched Rhapsody In August. The Grandma does tell a story of seeing a Kappa when she was young and scaring her grandchildren. Then one of the boys dresses up as a Kappa to scare everyone. I see very little love being given, so far, to Castle In The Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service. Castle In The Sky is fun, especially when you realize that Laputa is straight out of Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels. I feel the best visual moment in all of Miyazaki films happens in the cave when the crystals light up and it looks like they are all in space. Beautiful. Kiki is my favorite of his 'children' films. All the scenes with her flying on her broom; and I love that Japanese animators were never afraid of showing peoples clothes, usually women of course, flapping and billowing in the wind, and seeing what you would in real life, legs and butts; are great. I think it's been mentioned before buy nobody seems to do flying scenes better than Miyazaki.
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Post by caucasoididiot on Feb 24, 2010 19:24:19 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm surprised Kiki doesn't have a vote yet. It was actually a toss-up for me between that and Totoro when I voted. I'm also surprised that the "turnout" is so low. What is it, only nine votes so far?
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Post by spackle on Feb 24, 2010 21:09:04 GMT -5
I see very little love being given, so far, to Castle In The Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service. Castle In The Sky is fun, especially when you realize that Laputa is straight out of Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels. I feel the best visual moment in all of Miyazaki films happens in the cave when the crystals light up and it looks like they are all in space. Beautiful. I'll give them a little love! That moment in Castle in the Sky in the cave is breathtaking and moving. But then so is the forest spirit's grove in Mononoke, and the kodama rattling their heads in the treetops, and the shooting stars in Howl, and ... so much more. Can I vote more than once?
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Post by GProopdog on Feb 25, 2010 20:12:19 GMT -5
Nausicaä has always had a spot in my movie watching life for me....one of the few movies I can watch again and again without getting sick of it.
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Post by reaperg on Feb 27, 2010 11:45:09 GMT -5
Lots of kappa talk here. Be sure to watch "100 Monsters: Spook Warfare", "Sakuya: Slayer of Demons", and "The Great Yokai War" for all your kappa needs.
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Post by spackle on Feb 27, 2010 14:17:08 GMT -5
Lots of kappa talk here. Be sure to watch "100 Monsters: Spook Warfare", "Sakuya: Slayer of Demons", and "The Great Yokai War" for all your kappa needs. Thanks! Netflix has the first and third. They're now at the top of my list along with Kwaidan, Maborosi, Ponyo, and Kurosawa's Dreams. Do I detect a theme? Great Yokai War will be my third Miike film.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Feb 27, 2010 20:18:44 GMT -5
I've added Porco and Nausicaä to my que, along with some Pressburger... so I'll be strumming on two notes for a while.
I wish we had more votes, but it doesn't suprise me. I also wish we had multiple voting options so I could vote for 2 or 3 or, er, 4 or... ;D
I also want to give some love for Ponyo, one of the most grossly under-rated films of the year. I loved it.
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Post by caucasoididiot on Feb 27, 2010 20:57:33 GMT -5
I wish we had more votes, but it doesn't suprise me. I also wish we had multiple voting options so I could vote for 2 or 3 or, er, 4 or... ;D Heh heh, that's exactly why I figured it was best to stick with one!
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Post by angilasman on Feb 27, 2010 21:08:06 GMT -5
Also, if anyone's interested in Japanese mythology - and just old Japanese culture and history, you should check out Stan Sakai's comic book Usagi Yojimbo. It's a long-running (25 years) creator owned book that features a version of 16th century Japan with Disney-like anthropomorphic animals instead of people, but don't let the cuteness fool you: it's a incredible mix of drama, comedy, mythology, swashbuckling adventure - and frankly whatever else Sakai puts in issue to issue.
I learned a lot about Kappa, Tengu, 16th century Japanese kite making, the social and political systems of the time, ect. in Usagi. Sakai puts in an incredible amount of research, the newer trade paperbacks often have an epilogue in the back where Sakai lists the influences and reseach that went into the stories and even gives a bibliography! The 12th book (which I haven't got to yet), called Grasscutter, has actually been used in Japanese history courses here in the states.
Oh, and I'd start with Book 3 if I were a newcomer dipping into the series. That's when things get good.
Anyway, back to Miyazaki: next week the Ponyo DVD comes out (and you can also get the DVD/Blu Ray combo) and special edition DVDs of Totoro, Kiki, and Castle in the Sky are being rereleased as well.
-I'm more than happy with the current releases of those three I have now, but if the special features are especially good....
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Post by spackle on Feb 27, 2010 23:09:36 GMT -5
Also, if anyone's interested in Japanese mythology - and just old Japanese culture and history, you should check out Stan Sakai's comic book Usagi Yojimbo. It's a long-running (25 years) creator owned book that features a version of 16th century Japan with Disney-like anthropomorphic animals instead of people, but the don't let the cuteness fool you: it's a incredible mix of drama, comedy, mythology, swashbuckling adventure and frankly whatever else Sakai puts in issue to issue. I learned a lot about Kappa, Tengu, 16th century Japanese kite making, the social and political systems of the time, ect. in Usagi. Sakai puts in an incredible amount of research, the newer trade paperbacks often have an epilogue in the back where Sakai lists the influences and reseach that went into the stories and even gives a bibliography! The 12th book (which I haven't got to yet), called Grasscutter, has actually been used in Japanese history courses here in the states. Oh, and I'd start with Book 3 if I were a newcomer dipping into the series. That's when things get good. Anyway, back to Miyazaki: next week the Ponyo DVD comes out (and you can also get the DVD/Blu Ray combo) and special edition DVDs of Totoro, Kiki, and Castle in the Sky are being rereleased as well. -I'm more than happy with the current releases of those three I have now, but if the special features are especially good.... Thanks, I'll check Usagi Yojimbo out. My local library has some of the later volumes, but I might just get vol 3 from Amazon. I'm excited about the new Miyazaki releases, too- especially Ponyo. I've got it at the very top of my Netflix list, hopefully I'll get it as soon as it comes out.
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Post by reaperg on Feb 28, 2010 9:43:52 GMT -5
Lots of kappa talk here. Be sure to watch "100 Monsters: Spook Warfare", "Sakuya: Slayer of Demons", and "The Great Yokai War" for all your kappa needs. Thanks! Netflix has the first and third. They're now at the top of my list along with Kwaidan, Maborosi, Ponyo, and Kurosawa's Dreams. Do I detect a theme? Great Yokai War will be my third Miike film. Glad to help! Kappas are among the main heroes in those two -- "100 Monsters" is old school Daiei, while "Yokai War" is Takashi Miike doing something semi-family friendly. Both fun. "Sakuya" is a sort of Japanese "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but less humorous. There's just a small scene with kappa there, but they're quite nasty.
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