Reviews - by Ian - May 25, 2011 - 19:54 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Studio Ghibli is known world wide for producing some of the best animated films in recent times, even western animation studios Disney and DreamWorks have pull inspiration from this film studio. Let’s also not forget that it tends to be Disney who releases all of the dubbed versions of Ghibli films – which his probably why the dubs are actually of a good quality. Even 25 years ago this studio was producing classic films and one that is often forgotten about is Laputa: Castle in the Sky. That is, until now as the team at Optimum Releasing have decided that this classic film is to be re-released in Blu-Ray and the re-release really goes to show how amazing the film is, considering it was made a quarter of a century ago.
Laputa is set in a parallel world, where huge sky ships, sky pirates and sky crime is something that occurs on a daily basis. Humans have dreamed of being in the air since the dawn of time, the ability to fly is a wish that many have and in this world whilst the ability for a human to fly does not exist, flying cities are believed to have existed in the past. Yet, it’s been such a long time since people lived in the sky, in large floating cities, that people have chalked the idea to legend and are now content with living on the ground. Yet, airships are still used by a large number of people and it’s in an airship where we find our heroine, Sheeta.
Sheeta is being held against her will in a huge airship by what looks like pirates and manages to free herself from her captors. Unfortunately, by freeing herself she ends up falling through the sky and tragically looks like she’s going to die in the first few minutes of the film. However, something bizarre happens and a small stone she wears around her neck prevents her from dying by slowing down her speedy descent to terrafirma. She luckily manages to find herself in the arms of Pazu, a young boy who works in the mining town that she finds herself in. As he’s young, naive and somewhat nice he looks after her and takes her back to his to rest after her ordeal.
It doesn’t take long for Pazu to find out what’s going on with his new young friend, Sheeta and in mere moments the pair are good friends and he’s protecting her from the people who are after her. He manages to confuse the group of professionals and takes Sheeta to a fatherly figure in the town. He manages to escape from the town and go to ground. In the mines of his town, the pair learn the truth about the stone and the mystery behind Sheeta’s magical stone.
It’s very easy to enjoy Laputa, it’s not a tale with any overarching storylines, there’s very little talk of the environment or trying to make the viewer think about the real world. It’s a nice and gentle tale that many adults could easily tell their children, it’s got the familiarity that most European fairy tales have and this could be possibly be because Miyazaki was arguably influenced by Gulliver’s Tales and many other staple European tales. This coupled along with the obvious influences of Northern England and Welsh mining towns of the late 20th Century make the film aesthetically very pleasing and comforting on the eye. Watching some of the cobbled streets in the main town in Laputa makes you feel like there should be Corrie’s music playing in the background.
Of course, it’s impossible to talk about Laputa without mentioning the inevitable, the Castle in the Sky. Many who saw Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle before Laputa will see two very distinct similarities. However, what needs to be noted is that neither film has anything to do with one another and in the original novel for Howl’s, the ending is nothing like the way that Miyazaki portrayed it. Yet, it’s the continued feeling of man to want to escape from the shackles of gravity and fly away from everything that makes the ending of Laputa as poignant as it is.
The Blu-Ray release of Laputa Castle in the Sky is something that is pure, visual perfection. The transfer between DVD to Blu-Ray makes a significant difference to the way the film is presented and it looks as good today as any modern anime release. This is something to really shout about as it’s a 25 year old film!
Final Verdict
9/10
Laputa: Castle in the Sky is an amazing film, a truly brilliant piece of work that’s oft forgot, but easily on par with the rest of the major Ghibli releases.
Features - by Ian - February 22, 2011 - 13:37 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Edging ever closer apart in love, in a truly beautiful looking short feature film.
Reviews - by Ian - February 22, 2011 - 13:34 Europe/London - 1 Comment
Life is hard, it’s full of challenges and obstructions that will always be there. It’s how you adjust to these obstacles and who you are that will allow life to either be a pleasurable experience, or one full of regret and woe. 5 Centimetres Per Second is a collection of short stories presented in a feature film that epitomises the challenges that we must all face when it comes to life, love and the pursuit of happiness.
From the outset of the feature, it’s clear what this anime is to become. It’s certainly not a light hearted, happy tale, if anything it’s the reverse. It’s a slow, long winded tale that takes pleasure in being obnoxious and fragmented. However, this method of story telling lends itself well to the subject matter at hand. The tale centres around Takaki Tono and his relationships with girls throughout his life.
We initially see a young Takaki Tono, who is in a close friendship with a young lady and this friendship is seemingly boundless. With correspondence across the country and frequently being split up due to their parents moving to different parts of the country, their passion and friendship looked like it would never end. However, as with everything in life it must come to and end and the reason for this was not made clear. It would appear that the pair fell in love, but neither were prepared to admit it; yet, as time went on the pair grew up and became ever more distant.
In the third part of this tale, it would appear that Takaki Tono’s young love is due to be wed to someone else. Someone who is the exact opposite of what himself. Takaki is neither happy, rich or successful in life and from what we are led to believe the “other man” is and the pair meet up to reminisce about their past.
The actual story itself is nothing new, spectacular or to be honest, all that interesting. Yet, the way the feature is presented is what makes this tale so endearing. There is a clear break between the three tales and this is shown in odd ways, such as an introduction song half way through the feature and credits in unusual places. But this break in the feature clearly shows the fact that there are three separate stories being shown and then that they are all interlinked.
What really sets 5 Centimetres Per Second apart from many anime is the presentation. It has some of the most gorgeous artwork that I’ve seen in any medium in a long time. The level of detail in the scenery is truly stunning; this is why it’s so clear that people are heralding Makoto Shinkai as the next Hayao Miyazaki. Although the storytelling is no where near the standard of a Ghibli production, the artwork is on par if not surpassing the masters of anime feature films.
It’s a real shame that this release is not on Blu-Ray, as it would look simply superb. However, it’s an understandable decision made by Manga Entertainment as it’s appeal is fairly limited. Owing to the unique style it’s presented, a hybrid between individual stories and a feature film and the subject matter at hand – love and distance.
The voice acting on the Japanese side is very good, there’s emotion and passion throughout the entire feature. The English dub isn’t quite as good as the Japanese version, the voice actors, although passable, are a bit flatter and have less depth. However, both are passable and if you’ve got the feature on in the background having it in English is far more convenient.
» Final Score
8
5 Centimetres Per Second is a story about love, distance and regret. It’s presented in a truly beautiful way visually and story-wise it’s unique and a little arty. The feature is certainly not for everyone, as a slow and methodical story can turn many viewers off. Yet, it’s stunning to watch and is certainly worthy of being on the vast majority of anime viewers shelves.
Anime News, News - by Ian - October 3, 2010 - 18:16 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Summer Wars is one of 2010′s films of the year, it’s been picked up by Manga Entertainment for UK distribution already. It was originally going to be released in the UK in October, however, we recently heard news from Manga Entertainment that the DVD is going to be pushed back to next year.
This is because the US anime giant, Funimation has decided to organise the dubbing for the film and due to delay in Japan, the masters arrived to them late.
A few weeks ago, Funimation announced the voice-cast for this epic film. The full cast is as follows:
Character – Actor
Kenji Koiso – Michael Sinterniklaas
Natsuki Shinohara – Brina Palencia
Sakae Jinnouchi – Pam Dougherty
Kazuma Ikezawa – Maxey Whitehead
Wabisuke Jinnouchi – J. Michael Tatum
Sakuma – Todd Haberkorn
Mansuke – John Swasey
Mariko – Shelley Calene-Black
Naomi – Lydia Mackay
Shota – Mike McFarland
Yumi – Monica Rial
Mansaku – Barry Yandell
Riichi – Chuck Huber
Rika – Cynthia Cranz
Tasuke – John Burgmeier
Katsuhiko – Christopher R. Sabat
Yorihiko – Rob McCollum
Yuhei – Brittney Karbowski
Shingo – Alison Viktorin
Kunihiko – Patrick Seitz
Noriko – Colleen Clinkenbeard
Kiyomi – Jennifer Seman
Mao – Cherami Leigh
Nana – Caitlin Glass
Kazuo – Bill Jenkins
Yukiko – Anastasia Munoz
Ryohei – Jason Liebrecht
Kana – Tia Ballard
ADDITIONAL VOICES – Alexis Tipton, Phil Parsons, Trina Nishimura, Anthony Bowling, Mary Morgan, Chris Ayres, Chris Cason, Clarine Harp, Eric Vale, Grant James, Greg Silva, David Trosko, Jim Foronda, Joel McDonald, Liza Gonzales, Maeghan Albach, Scott Freeman, R Bruce Elliott, Kara Edwards, Sonny Strait, John Gremillion, Mark Stoddard, Chris Burnett, Stephanie Young
Source: Funimation
Features - by Ian - April 4, 2010 - 22:28 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
A film based on a beeping toy…
Features - by Ian - March 28, 2010 - 16:12 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
A remastered version of the classic film.
Reviews - by Ian - March 28, 2010 - 16:10 Europe/London - 3 Comments
Even three lustrums ago Production I.G was a forced to be reckoned with. It takes a long period of time to become recognised and at this point Production I.G were nearly a decade old. It was during the fateful year of 1995 that Production I.G released a new film, directed by Mamoru Oshii, based on the hit manga by Masamune Shirow – Ghost in the Shell.
Over the years Ghost in the Shell has managed to achieve the legendary status that is normally only granted to films from Studio Ghibli. The popularity of Ghost in the Shell in the past fifteen years is such that a sequel was released nearly a decade later, Ghost in the Shell Innocence, although not a direct and before that the anime series – Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. To further prove the popularity of this show, Ghost in the Shell 2.0 was released in 2008. GitS 2.0 is a re-release of the original GitS film, but it has been entirely reproduced, from the digital scenes right through to the voice acting and soundtrack.
It’s some years into the future, in a world that looks essentially the same as our own today. The major countries in the world still exist, political turmoil still exists and the corporate and public backstabbing that occurs through all companies and governments have intensified due to the revelation of new technologies. In these government agencies, there are an increasing number of people who used to be human and are now part cyborg with only parts of their humanity remaining – mainly their consciousness, which is referred to as the Ghost.
Two of Japan’s top agencies although to the public appear to be working together, are actually bitter enemies and only keep the façade up to ensure that the status quo is maintained and all out warfare doesn’t occur. However, they are equally as suspicious as secretive as each other and this is seen from the very first scene in the movie. Our heroine, or even anti-heroine as many would argue, is on a stakeout mission where she has to kill one of the contacts of Section 6, which she manages to do with ruthless efficiency.
It doesn’t take long for some of Section 6’s plans to go a bit astray and Section 9, the section where our heroine works, finds out and sends out the team to find out why Section 6 have access to robotic technology that they have no need for. Whilst they investigate Section 6, some truly incredible information falls into their possession around Ghosts and Ghosts evolving from nothing – something that was once thought of as impossible as part human part android people.
Unfortunately Ghost in the Shell 2.0 does not wrap everything up nicely, there’s a huge cliffhanger and this leaves a lot open to interpretation. Naturally this leaves the viewer desperate for more – a sign of a truly great film.
The characters are all clear and distinct, with plenty of questions raised on the morality of creating people and interfering in the human body and there’s loads of character development from the two main “androids”, something which a lot of anime manages to miss. The film itself is very grungy and has echoes of cyberpunk from the very start. However, this does not mean the film has been done on the cheap, or looks cheap, the backgrounds and characters are well drawn and the colours – although dark – are distinct and accurately reflect the mood of the film.
The voice acting of the English cast is brilliant, with all of the characters completely distinct and recognisable even when not looking at the screen, which is a very rare occurrence. The acting of the English voice cast is also top-notch with affection, sadness and melancholy being expressed with truth. The Japanese voice cast are also amazing, as is the actual soundtrack to the entire film.
Ghost in the Shell 2.0 is going to be contentious for many fans, those who saw the original or the Special Edition a few years ago will notice some significant differences in the films that they are watching. 2.0 has a lot more CGI, with some scenes entirely redone and unfortunately some of the CGI scenes jar painfully with the original drawn scenes that it sits next to, it’s more than just a juxtaposition, it’s a little off-putting. However, the rest of the upgrades are perfectly done, the majority of the scenes have been improved with more distinction in the characters and with more effective colours. Between the original and the remastered version the colour palettes have changed significantly as well, there’s a lot more orange and lighter hues than the original blue and greens, this update is done very well and doesn’t jar or look out of place with modern anime – although the original colours give the film a different feel.
» Final Score
9
The original film is going to be many people’s favourite; however, for sheer quality of transfer and the gentle revisions made in most places simply lift the quality of this film’s visual up a few levels. With a great storyline that grabs the viewer and a cast that’s the best in recent times, it’s a must have for all anime fans.
News - by Ian - December 20, 2009 - 21:04 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
It has recently been announced that the UK premier of the much loved anime film, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance will be debuting in Scotland this year. This film will debut in the Glasgow Film Festival, which runs between the 18-28th February 2010 and showcases hundreds of different films, spanning all genres and mediums of film.
To make this even more interesting, the legendary Jonathan Clements, the co-author of the Anime Enclopedia and the author of his 2008 insiders book, Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Manga Trade, will be introducing this film to the audience.
Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance
“Continuing where the previous film, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, left off, the movie opens with a new EVA pilot, Mari Illustrious Makinami, launched with EVA Provisional Unit 05 to destroy the Third Angel which is attacking the arctic Bethany Base of NERV. She successfully defeats the Angel by self-destructing Unit 05, safely ejecting at the last moment.” ~ Wikipedia
Venue: Glasgow Film Theatre
Date: 15th February 2010
Time: 1745
Cost: 12-19 Year Olds – £3.50, otherwise £7
So that’s an exclusive showing of this film on the 15th February in Scotland.
You can buy tickets and find out further information, here.
News - by Ian - December 2, 2009 - 09:00 Europe/London - 1 Comment
As part of Film4′s continued commitment to airing Anime in the UK and as part of their War Season, today at 2340 the Isao Takahata classic will be airing. Grave of the Fireflies is a well known and much loved Studio Ghibli classic, but rather than focusing on the usual happy, nature elements that many of the Ghibli collection does, Grave of the Fireflies is a hard hitting movie about war time and post war Japan.
Grave of the Fireflies
“Animated drama set in Japan toward the end of WWII. Two children fall on hard times as a result of the war, and try to go it alone
Hailing from Studio Ghibli, home of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), Grave Of The Fireflies is a sophisticated, deeply moving film, adapted from Akiyuki Nosaka’s 1967 semi-autobiographical novel by Isao Takahata.
It concerns the fate of two children, struggling to survive in Japan toward the end of the Second World War. Using the device of the protagonist narrating the story after his death, it’s unequivocally tragic – but it’s also potentially one of the most powerful war movies ever made, showing suffering not just from the perspective of the Japanese (unusual for Western audiences reared on US WWII fare), but also from that of non-combatant children. They’re explicitly lambs to the slaughter, young lives cut off before their time. In fact, visually, the fireflies of the title are comparable with falling firebombs, but in symbolic terms they’re analogous with the children – they shine brightly and die all too soon. ”
Airing:
2nd December 2009 – 2340
This harrowing film is a must watch for those who haven’t seen it just yet. So get your recorders going or stay up late and watch this show tonight.
News - by Ian - November 21, 2009 - 13:53 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
By their own words, the Barbican is “The Barbican Centre is the largest multi-arts centre in Europe, featuring art, film, music, theatre, dance and education all under one roof and under one creative direction.”. As such they are well known for being a bit more diverse than the average cinema and arts centre and this year we have reported multiple times about their extensive anime and asian film viewings.
Luther to this, Barbican announced on Thursday that the Studio Ghibli feature film, Ponyo will be getting additional viewings due to public demand and very happily they are also planning and confirming a few events for early 2010 as well.
Ponyo
“The greatest living film animator and storyteller, Hayao Miyazaki transforms The Little Mermaid fairytale into Ponyo, a magical and universal cinema experience that shines so bright all else seems grey. Ponyo is a little goldfish with a girl’s face who escapes the underwater home of her sorcerer father to explore the surface. She is discovered by Sosuke, a 5-year-old boy living on the top of a cliff by the sea. As Ponyo grows closer to Sosuke, her desire to become fully human strengthens. Screening in the original Japanese language version with English subtitles.”
Screening:
21st November – 1100
29th November – 1730
Two additional screenings are being held on the below dates that are subtitle only screenings.
Screening:
26th November – 1800
28th November – 1730
Mai Mai Miracle
“Adapted from Nobuko Takagi’s autobiographical novel, Mai Mai Miracle is a magical time-travelling adventure. Set in a town in the southwest of Japan in 1955 where nine-year-old Shinko and her new school friend Kiiko share a love of history. When they discover Shinko has an ancient family link to a legendary Japanese province, their imaginations take over and they explore a world which existed a thousand years before. Is it possible for daydreams to become reality?”
Screening:
26th November – before 1800
Mai Mai Miracle will be shown before Ponyo on the 26th November and will be introduced by the co-author of the legendary Anime Encyclopaedia – Helen McCarthy.
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
“Shinji Ikari is sent for by his estranged father, Gendo at the beginning of the film. As he wanders around the town, which has been shut down over an emergency announcement, he is caught in the crossfire between the U.N. army and the fourth Angel. Rescued by Lt. Colonel Misato Katsuragi, Shinji is brought to Tokyo-3 and NERV headquarters, where he is pressured by Gendo, NERV’s Supreme Commander, into piloting the Evangelion Unit-01 against the Angel because the other Evangelion pilot, the mysterious Rei Ayanami, is too injured to do so. After the initial fight, Shinji is taken in by Misato as her new housemate and enrolled in middle school. The film portrays Shinji’s attempts to “settle in” with his newfound life alongside Misato, Rei, and the other characters while continuing to defend Tokyo-3 and the world from the coming Angels.” – Thanks Wikipedia
Screening:
26th January – 2030
On top of the above confirmed dates, we should also expect to see Astro Boy and The Sky Crawlers in the early months of 2010.
Features - by Ian - November 20, 2009 - 16:02 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Well, maybe as Film4′s position in the British film scene is solidified.
News - by Ian - November 20, 2009 - 15:57 Europe/London - 6 Comments
The head of the monarchy has a huge role to play in the UK, although a lot of what our Queen does today is ceremonial, a huge amount of ultimate power rests in the hands of her office. However, when Parliament returns from their break and the Queen’s Annual Speech is made, it’s normally just a piece of prescripted literature by the government in power at the time, outlining their vision for the future. Or in election years, as we will soon be facing, their campaign agenda.
What makes this year slightly different to the usual hollow campaign agendas is something very specific to broadcasting. Broadcasting in the UK has been suffering heavily since the turn of the year, with the recession hitting advertising revenues hard, thus impacting the profitability of ITV, Channel 4, Five and the rest of the digital channels. The BBC have managed to escape seemingly OK, with the exception of the weekly Daily Mail article that attacks their “overpaid” talent or “there’s too much management and middle management and none of them should be paid more than the Prime Minister; who, incidentally, we don’t like anyway” – this is due to the fact that the BBC is entirely paid for by the license fee. BBC Worldwide, World Service and America are all private companies funded by advertising or with the World Service actually funded by the Government directly.
ITV are private and have been hit hard with some bad investments and hit even harder with the fall in advertising revenue, although this year’s X-Factor and Katie Price appearing in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here will help their viewing figures and by extension their bank balances greatly. Channel 4, on the other hand, is in a very unique position.
Channel 4 has advertisements on its station, that’s clear to see. Anyone who switches over to Channel 4, or any of the digital stations such as Film4, More4 and 4Music all have advertising. This is what a commercial station has to do to survive in this cutthroat world; however, Channel 4 is also partially funded by the License Fee as part of the Channel 4 charter is to provide “Public Service” programs. This year the Queen’s speech extended this remit to include film and importantly they need to back film and potentially have even more to do with the UK Film Council.
The UK Film Council are incredibly influential for British Films and are also incredibly influential about what films get additional marketing budgets, by their own definition they are:
The UK Film Council (UKFC) was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as a non-departmental public body to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It is constituted as a private company limited by guarantee governed by a board of 15 directors and is funded through sources including the National Lottery.
Sophie, The Witch of the Wste, Markl and Heen
To many this still means nothing and even less relevance on a UK Anime and Manga website; however, the UKFC have been supporting the anime and asian cinema scene in the UK since it’s creation in 2000, which can be seen by the table below:
Anime and Western Animation:
| Title |
Distributor |
Fund |
Total allocated |
| Waltz With Bashir |
Artificial Eye Film Company Ltd |
National Lottery |
£250,000.00 |
| Persepolis |
Optimum Releasing |
National Lottery |
£180,000.00 |
| Howl’s Moving Castle |
Optimum Releasing |
National Lottery |
£150,000.00 |
| Belleville Rendez-vous |
Metro Tartan |
National Lottery |
£80,000.00 |
| Spirited Away |
Optimum Releasing |
National Lottery |
£40,000.00 |
Japanese/Chinese live action:
| Film |
Distributor |
Fund |
Total Allocated |
| Curse of the Golden Flower |
Universal Pictures International UK & Eire Ltd |
National Lottery |
£300,000 |
| Lust Caution |
Universal Pictures International UK & Eire Ltd |
National Lottery |
£200,000 |
| Mongol |
The Works UK Distribution Ltd |
National Lottery |
£150,000 |
| House of Flying Daggers |
Pathe Distribution Ltd |
National Lottery |
£100,000 |
| 2046 |
Tartan Film Distribution Ltd |
National Lottery |
£80,923 |
| Zatoichi |
Artificial Eye Film Co Ltd |
National Lottery |
£70,000 |
| I’m A Cyborg |
Tartan Film Distribution Ltd |
National Lottery |
£20,000 |
Any anime fan will immediately see that without the help of the UKFC that the likes of Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle may not have received a UK airing, or only had a very limited run. For Asian Cinema fans, The Curse of the Golden Flower, Mongol, House of Flying Daggers and Zatoichi are all amazing films and Curse of the Golden Flower would simply not have made it across to the UK without their help.
Gong Li as the Empress in Curse of the Golden Flower
Channel4 and specifically Film4 being legally required to have more to do with film and by extension more to do with the UK Film Council has untold benefits for the British film scene, but will also greatly benefit the distribution and mainstream appeal of anime and Japanese cinema in the UK. In comparison to many of the European countries, anime in the UK is tiny; it’s fans overly fussy and release timescales fairly prompt. Yet, aside from the odd murder where anime and manga is blamed, anime is virtually unknown in the UK, there are the children’s TV shows which are just orange ninjas or mystical pets attacking each other. There’s no mainstream acceptance.
Now that Film4 are legally required to have more to do with film, it’s a good bet to say that they will have influence over the UKFC. Film4 have backed many great British films and are already firmly behind Anime and the Asian Cinema. Which can be seen as recently as last week with their Asian Cinema Season and Grave of the Fireflies being aired in a few weeks time. With Film4 on board we will surely start to see an increased trickle of Japanese films. With much potential for anime films (such as Angel’s Egg, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and if we’re lucky some of the Tenchi Muyo films) to receive real cinema releases and more TV timeslots, rather than the same tried and tested Studio Ghibli fare.
Thanks to Andrew’s blog for the figures above and for Film4′s Twitter Feed for pointing out the new law.
News - by Ian - November 18, 2009 - 20:10 Europe/London - 1 Comment
Today Film4 confirmed as part of their War Season, one of the most touching Studio Ghibli films will be aired to commemorate the pain of war and the fragility of life.
Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies will air on the free-to-air film channel on the 2nd December 2009 at 2340. This film is easily one of the saddest and most memorable Studio Ghibli films, taking an entirely different direction to it’s release partner, My Neighbour Totoro.
The noted American Film critic, Roger Ebert states:
“Grave of the Fireflies” is a powerful dramatic film that happens to be animated, and I know what the critic Ernest Rister means when he compares it to “Schindler’s List” and says, “It is the most profoundly human animated film I’ve ever seen.”
So remember, to see a film that requires viewing you can see it on Film4 at 2340 on the 2nd December.
Source: Film4
News - by Ian - November 17, 2009 - 09:00 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
The Leeds International Film Festival is held every year up in Leeds, this year there are a number of Anime films being shown to viewers. The first anime film is available as of tomorrow – so this is a reminder of what’s going to be on show this year:
Ponyo
“The greatest living film animator and storyteller, Hayao Miyazaki transforms The Little Mermaid fairytale into Ponyo, a magical and universal cinema experience that shines so bright all else seems grey. Ponyo is a little goldfish with a girl’s face who escapes the underwater home of her sorcerer father to explore the surface. She is discovered by Sosuke, a 5-year-old boy living on the top of a cliff by the sea. As Ponyo grows closer to Sosuke, her desire to become fully human strengthens. Screening in the original Japanese language version with English subtitles.”
Screening:
22nd November – 1100
22nd November – 1600
Angel’s Egg
“Unseen in Europe for over 20 years, Angel’s Egg is a hauntingly beautiful animation with a heartbreaking story, a forgotten masterpiece from Japanese anime legend Mamoru Oshii. Mystical, minimal, and musically mesmerising, Angel’s Egg is like nothing else in animation, with the stunning video game ICO its closest relation. In the shadows of a vast abandoned city a mysterious girl protects a giant precious egg. She meets a lone soldier and they share occult secrets. Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D artist Yoshitaka Amano designed the characters.”
Screening:
19th November – 1800
20th November – 1400
Summer Wars
“Astounding anime… dazzlingly imaginative… the future king of Japanese animation may be with us’ – The Japan Times. Summer Wars is the captivating and spectacular new animated feature from Mamoru Hosoda, director of The Girl who Leapt through Time. Millions are addicted to the vast online world of Oz. Maths genius Kenji tears himself away from Oz to escort his crush Natsuki to her formidable Great Grandma’s 90th. The family gathering is not what Kenji expected and soon he is the brains of a kindred force out to defeat the Oz-invading, Earth-ending Love Machine virus.”
Screening:
18th November – 2030
20th November – 1600
22nd November – 1330
Angel’s Egg is an incredibly rare film that’s not been seen in the UK for more than two decades, which is more than the lifetime of the average Naurto fan.
The Leeds International Film Festival is a well known event and it can be found at:
Leeds Film
Town Hall
The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 3AD
UK
You can purchase tickets from the above or online here.
News - by Ian - November 13, 2009 - 18:16 Europe/London - Be first to Comment!
Film4, the free to air Freeview film channel from Channel 4 is well known for their support of anime films and asian cinema in general. Every now and again an Asian Cinema film or anime film crops up and an announcement is made across the anime community. This time around though, Film4 are going all out and are creating a New Asian Cinema film season.
Yesterday on the Twitter stream a lovely little post was made regarding Kamikaze Girls being shown, well, tonight the Live Action Death Note films will be shown. The full season is as follows:
Death Note
“Shusuke Kaneko’s live-action manga adaptation defines the phrase ‘big in Japan’ – Death Note has sold 21 million magazines, and inspired its own anime series, video games, a novel and of course a series of live-action features. Tune in to find out what all the fuss is about.”
Airing: 13th November – 2240
Death Note The Last Name
“The second part of this Japanese franchise about a serial killer was directed back-to-back with the first Death Note in 2006 and features the same cast and crew as the original. Death Note: The Last Name is a high-concept morality tale spearheaded by a deadly battle of wits between two immature and arrogant geniuses. Possibly inspired by The Libertines. Except for the genius part.”
Airing: 14th November – 0105
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK.
“Set in an asylum and rich in character and colour, Cyborg is a coming-of-age tale – with the odd SF action sequence thrown in – and crucially, is funny, poignant and always surprising, with a healthy disregard for the genre cliche. Backing up its whizz-bang visual effects with real heart, it also happens to feature the meanest yodelling to have graced film since the Coen brothers’ Raising Arizona. Don’t try to tell us you’re not intrigued.”
Airing: 14th November – 2300
Zatoichi
“‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano takes on the classic Japanese legend of the blind master swordsman who wanders 19th century rural Japan and gets caught up in gang conflict. So far, so trad, but did you know there’s also a climactic music and tap dance routine? True story. If you don’t believe us, tune in to Film4 at 11.20pm.”
Airing: 15th November – 2320
Memories of Matsuko
“Tetsuya Nakashima, the director of Kamikaze Girls, serves up the merriest variety of miserabilism in this post-modern melodrama of a fallen woman. Human abjection never looked so good – expect whimsy and quirkification to rival even Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. (Note: this is nothing like Fantastic Mr. Fox.)”
Airing: 16th November – 2315
House of Flying Daggers
“Here’s another chance to catch our season opener: the modern classic of assassins, romance and some really rather improbable athletics. D’you think wires could possibly have been involved?”
Airing: 17th November – 2300
Toyko Sonata
“Japan’s contemporary nightmares bubble to the surface in this allegorical family drama directed and co-written by genre hopper Kiyoshi Kurosawa. His aloof style keeps the menace simmering just beneath the surface in this family drama about the waking nightmare of recession, divorce and the breakdown of law and order.”
Airing: 18th November – 2240
Thanks to Film4 for the summaries.
So that’s Death Note twice tonight and tons of other Asian goodness throughout the week. So get that SkyPlus box recording!
Source: Film4 Twitter.
See the full listings here.
