This is topic And the Golden Bear goes to "Spirited Away" in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-18-2002, 06:47 PM:
For Film-Tech anime fans (I know there's a few of us here 
):
The latest film from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is one of two films accorded the Golden Bear in a split decision at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) is the first animated film to win the best-film award in the festival's history (Disney's Cinderella won for best musical at the first festival in 1951), and shares this year's honor with the British-Irish production Bloody Sunday.
Amusingly, many of the German film and culture critics attending the festival decided to skip the screenings of Spirited Away, dismissing it as just a cartoon, even though the film was entered in the competition. Now those same critics are scrambling to write knowledgeable reviews and commentary about a film that they haven't seen. Judging from the tone of some of the English translations, I'd say they were not amused. 
Spirited Away is still playing on 135 screens in Japan after its July 20, 2001 roadshow opening. At over $219 million USD it is Japan's all-time box office champ, having dethroned both Titanic (highest foreign film gross) and 1997 Studio Ghibli stablemate Princess Mononoke (highest domestic film gross) in November 2001. It has also become the world's highest grossing non-English language film of all time.
The film is currently playing in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and will be released in France this April through Canal+ and Wild Bunch. Additional theatrical rights were recently announced for Russia (Central Partnership) and Italy (RAI Cinema), along with Switzerland and the UK (Pathe). No US release has been announced yet, though negotiations are under way with Disney, which had a minority stake in the film's $19.2 million USD production cost. A few weeks ago rumors had been claiming that Disney, stung by the US theatrical failure of Mononoke, had decided to pass on Spirited Away and that Ghibli was negotiating with Dreamworks for handling US distribution. Apparently that rumor was wishful thinking on the part of US anime fans (a.k.a. otaku), many of whom feel that Disney has been deliberately plodding in its handling of Ghibli's titles in the US (Disney bought the US rights to 11 of Ghibli's films in 1996 and so far has released only two--Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) on video and LD, and Mononoke (1997) in a limited theater run and on video and DVD). The only other Ghibli titles available in the US were My Neighbor Totoro (1988) on Fox Video and Grave of the Fireflies (1988) on Central Park Media. Disney now holds the rights to Totoro as well.
Spirited Away will be released on R2 DVD in Japan in July (and will be on my shelf shortly thereafter ). I'd love to see it get at least a subtitled art-house run here; we almost got it for the AFI Los Angeles Film Festival last year. I own a copy of the 5-minute theatrical trailer on R2 DVD along with the soundtrack and image album CDs, the art book, the Japanese theatrical posters, and the roadshow theater program booklet. Take it from me the artwork and music are stunning and I think it would appeal to the art crowd along with the otaku and be relatively cheap to distribute on subtitled prints. If it does well, the expensive big-name English dub for the kids can come later (it is afterall a kids film, but written in a way that adults will appreciate). Anyway, here's hoping we will get to see it here sooner rather than later. I'll happily volunteer to be the projectionist for its North American premiere!
(BTW 1.85 AR, Dolby SR-D EX, DTS ES, 2+05 running time) 
For those who'd like more info about Spirited Away, here's a link to the ultimate English-language Studio Ghibli fan site: Nausicaa.net Sen Page
Paul
Member, SMPTE Hollywood Section
Member, Otakus Over Forty
Unemployed 
film/video projectionist/engineer
"Otaku wa tsurai yo" <-- Yeah I know, bad pun. Sue me.
It's tough being a fan!
-30
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-18-2002, 08:28 PM:
YES! YES! YES!way to go Miazaki!
long live anime
ok, I've calmed down now
Josh
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 02-19-2002, 05:43 PM:
Paul M: Miramax 
handled Princess Mononoke in the States. The Weinstein brothers sat on that picture for over a year, redubbed it with American voices, and opened it opposite Being John Malkovich.I don't see Disney trying too hard to get Spirited Away for the US. Disney has had a spotty track record on limited-release fare.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-19-2002, 08:58 PM:
Yeah for all their supposed expertise in marketing, I think Disney/Miramax really shot themselves in the foot multiple times on Mononoke. Frankly I'm one of those that would like to see someone else handling the distribution of Ghibli's films here, given Disney's lackluster efforts to date. But for better or worse The Mouse has the US rights for the foreseeable future. Someday we may get to see a US release of all of titles in the Disney-Tokuma deal package, but I'm pretty sure that someday will not be in my lifetime... Paul
-29
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-01-2002, 03:38 AM:
Madman Entertainment just picked up the rights for the Australian release, probably late 2002 in theaters. Of course, no word on any US release yet. 
Paul
-19
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-01-2002, 06:56 AM:
Here's the latest:
http://www.screendaily.com/index.pl?7506 Disney gets Spirited Away for North America
Mark Schilling in Tokyo February 28, 2002
Walt Disney Co. has acquired North American rights to Hayao Miyazaki’s smash animated hit Spirited Away, which has broken all box office records in Japan. Disney also bought rights to the film for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and France in previously concluded deals...(go to link for complete article).
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-05-2002, 05:10 PM:
Disney will release Spirited Away in US theaters as early as July, most likely dubbed into English.Now there'll be something to look forward to this summer besides Scooby-Doo.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-10-2002, 04:13 PM:
Looks like Spirited Away will get its subtitled North American debut at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The particulars:Saturday, April 20, 2002 18:30
Sunday, April 21, 2002 11:00
at the Castro Theatre
Paul
Member, Otakus Over Forty
"Otaku wa tsurai yo" <-- Yeah I know, bad pun. Sue me.
It's tough being a fan!
Greetings from the land of the thrice kissed ass
-10
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-20-2002, 10:07 PM:
Spirited Away took Best Picture at the Japanese Academy Awards. And Hayao Miyazaki was given an Outstanding Achievement Award for his contributions to Japanese cinema during his 45-year career. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=1823 Toho Theatres just published their numbers for Spirited Away. As of March 2002: $230,000,000 USD and 23,140,000 admissions in roadshow release. Toho plans to continue screening "Sen" through April.
Paul
Chou Sutajio Jiburi otaku
Super Studio Ghibli fan
-0
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-11-2002, 01:24 PM:
The English voice cast for Spirited Away was announced by Disney yesterday:Daveigh Chase, as the girl Chihiro [and Sen]
Jason Marsden, as the boy Haku
David Ogden Stiers, as the Boiler Room Man
Suzanne Pleshette, as the Twin Witches
Lauren Holly, as Mom
Michael Chiklis, as Dad
Susan Egan, as Lin
John Ratzenberger, as the Bathhouse Manager
John Lasseter is creative consultant on the dub. Don Ernst (Fantasia 2000) will produce and Kirk Wise (Beauty and the Beast, Atlantis) will direct.
The dub job is scheduled to wrap in July. It'll be interesting to see how Disney positions the release this fall.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-07-2002, 01:37 PM:
Looks like Spirited Away will get a limited opening (NY/LA) on SEP 20 through Touchstone. The film will get its LA premiere on SEP 10 at the Egyptian in Hollywood, then play just down the street at the El Capitan starting on the 20th. The man himself Hayao Miyazaki will be at the Egyptian to do Q&A after the premiere screening! American Cinematheque event listing I didn't make it to the SFIFF after all (damn broken ankle). But I'm planning on making it to this, financial straits not withstanding. I've offered up my collection of original Studio Ghibli theatre posters for display in the lobby--we'll see if the American Cinematheque takes me up on that.
Paul
Mercenary video/16/35/70mm/IMAX projectionist
"When the money runs out, so does I."
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-16-2002, 02:30 PM:
Well, that didn't take too long--the Sept. 10th screening with Miyazaki moved to the El Capitan for more seats and sold out in two days.This engagement runs through Oct. 10th and will be in DLP. I noticed that two shows a week will be in Japanese with English subtitles, the rest will be the new English dub. A question for those with DLP experience: Does this mean that two separate "prints" have to loaded and linked on the server? Or is it possible to have multiple soundtrack/subtitle files available for a common picture file (kinda sorta like DVD .vob files)?
BV's new site for this release: http://bventertainment.go.com/movies/spiritedaway/
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-16-2002, 04:49 PM:
I'm really pushing to get this film for our theater. Will you have the option of running dub or sub? We would much perfer the subbed version, I have seen it and it is a great film Josh
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-16-2002, 10:47 PM:
Disney/BV/Touchstone is supposed to have subbed or dubbed, print or DLP available. Dolby SR-D EX and DTS-ES. Sept. 20 is the limited open in NY/LA. No word yet on their plans for widening that. Haven't heard of any trailers or posters going out yet either.You're lucky Josh--I haven't seen the whole thing yet, only the Japanese and French trailers. My R2 DVD of it is on hold due to the goofed up transfer BV Japan did (see my FY post "R2 DVD film transfer done wrong"). May end up cancelling the order and waiting for a reissue, or for the R1 release.
And I got shutout for the premiere El Cap screening dammit! Oh well, I have all the rest of the stuff to hold me over--soundtrack CD, image album CD, two J-theatrical posters, art books, J-roadshow program booklet...
Paul
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-17-2002, 01:10 AM:
A good friend of mine burned me two video cd's off the internet(isnt technology great ). I am really hoping we will get it, it is much tamer than mononoke, and the music is somewhat similar.Josh
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-17-2002, 01:36 AM:
Careful there Josh. Jack Valenti's minions lurk here--the MPAA and the Mouse Police will be banging on your door directly... Paul
Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 08-17-2002, 03:01 AM:
Maybe you havent seen any trailers around because they shipped them all to my place!
Seriously, we got a ton of them (24 flat, actually).
Its rediculous.
Oh, and the trailer is dubbed (poorly).------------------
Find me online
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yahoo!: dexter_caldwell
"It is the opinion of the entire staff the Dexter is criminally insane."
Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 08-19-2002, 09:17 AM:
Just received 24 FLAT trailers last week. Could have done with about 6. BTW, they were sent from Technicolor.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-19-2002, 12:14 PM:
Gads! What's up with sending so many trailers to individual places? This film's expected to be a small release, probably no more than a few hundred screens at the most in the US. Just curious, did the big releases of this summer have that many trailers sent out to you guys? During my short time at Crown in 'Vegas I don't remember seeing that many trailers for any title.BTW I'm looking for one of these trailers. Anyone care to lose one in my direction?
[Edit to remove dumb question]
http://www.spiritedaway.net
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 08-22-2002, 04:07 PM:
Landmark is scheduled to open Spirited Away in at least NYC (Sunshine) and Boston (Kendall Square). Unfortunately, that chain will get the English dubbed version.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-13-2002, 10:40 AM:
The movie is featured in the September 2002 issue of NATO "In Focus" magazine:
http://www.infocusmag.com/02september/spirited.htm ------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 09-18-2002, 02:45 PM:
Wonderful news! The Loews E-Walk in Times Square gets to open 2 versions of Spirited Away -- the Japanese original in 35mm and the English dub in DLP.Who else is opening the Japanese version?
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-18-2002, 03:50 PM:
Places confirmed to run the subtitled version can be found at:http://nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/theaters.php
Spies for Nausicaa.net will be reporting in as SA and Sen hit the screens
If anyone here gets to handle the subtitled print, could y'all please confirm the sound formats on that print? Over at FI&TA Jeffry Johnson noted the English-dubbed version only has Dolby SR/SR-D EX. In Japan, the prints came with DTS-ES as well. Just curious.
Regards,
Paul
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 09-18-2002, 04:38 PM:
Hi Paul, I have a photographer/video friend who lives in Los Angeles whose 7 year old son, Kevin was fortunate to receive as a gift, a DVD of "SPIRTED AWAY' from a Japanese house guest. I asked my friend if has has a region free DVD player and said Kevin had already watched the movie at least twelve times on his mac computer at work which can play DVDs from all regions. My older iMac can also do that but my new G4 iMac cannot. I hope if and when we get the movie, it will play in Hawaii in the subtitled version. I have found no matter how well Japanese movies are dubbed into English, it just does not sound right.
-Claude
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-18-2002, 07:26 PM:
Claude, I'm sure at least one screen in the Honolulu area will play Sen in Japanese. Looks like theatres in areas that have large JA or arthouse demographics are doing that. A big "thank you!" (and numerous bangings of head into tatami floor) goes out to Disney for making subtitled prints available this time (Miramax refused to do so for Princess Mononoke a few years back).I'm surprised that the old iMac played DVDs from other regions. Must've slipped through the cracks. But I imagine one could flash their present DVD drive using something like RegionKiller or install DVDGenie to achieve the same capability. Me? I was using an all-region Apex standalone DVD player until it died a few weeks ago. Sure wish I could find a job and get crackin' on my HTPC project.
For everyone, I ended up with two copies of the R2 double-disc DVD. So, if anyone here would like to buy one, I'll offer it up here first--$50 US (DVDs in Japan are expensive) including shipping and insurance. Contact off list...
Regards,
Paul
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 10-04-2002, 01:46 PM:
For Claude and anyone else from my spiritual (second) home islands Spirited Away opens October 11th at the Dole Signature and Varsity Twin theatres. Can't find any info on sub vs. dub but I have to assume at least one of those screens will show the sub.
No word on SA playing here yet. The one theatre that I thought would play it has decided to pass on it. Ah well, we'll probably be screening it sometime this semester at the anime club here--after I cobble together a sound system that will do the Japanese DTS-ES tracks justice.
Mata ne,
Paul
SoCal, Hawaii, Japan--the job quest continues...
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 10-04-2002, 05:30 PM:
Hi Paul, "SPIRITED AWAY" will most likely play in the subtitled version at the Varsity but the presentation will be in SR only because both houses at the Varsity Twins are analogue. The Dole, Honolulu's only THX theatre complex will play the film in SRD-EX but the print might be the dubbed version because the Dole patrons are mostly mainstream whie the Varsity are the artsy type. I think I will wait for the DVD so I can watch the film with 5.1 sound in the original version at home.
-Claude
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 10-06-2002, 11:10 AM:
Took in Spirited Away yesterday (5:40 PM show) at the Loews E-Walk. When I bought my ticket the box office cashier told me, "You understand that is the Japanese version?"I answered, "Yes -- I'm from New Jersey and I came here to see that version."
The Edgewater Multiplex in New Jersey should have gotten the Japanese version as well -- there's a large Japanese community in Edgewater and nearby Fort Lee. Apparently, National Amusements couldn't convince Disney to send the Japanese version to Edgewater.
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 10-12-2002, 10:05 PM:
Hi Paul, In addition to the Dole Cannery and the Varsity, "SPIRITED AWAY" has opened in two other theatres. They are both Consolidated (Pacific) theatres and include the chain's flagship house, the Victoria Ward Theatres and the Pearlridge 16. All theatres are playing the film in SRD except the Varsity. The Varsity is an analogue house and it is the only theatre in Honolulu with the Japanese language version. With so little time for theatrical films and many good ones I want to see, I may have to pass on seeing"SPIRITED AWAY" in a theatre and wait for the DVD.
-Claude
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 10-13-2002, 01:20 AM:
Oh well. Spirited Away will drop off all screens shortly anyway, swept away by the flood of new titles slated to open in the next few weeks. Despite overwhelmingly great reviews, The Mouse maintained its slow rollout pace, thereby losing the advantage of the good reviews and WOM, and combined that with no advertising push, the result being that SA has now probably peaked at under 200 screens and will now die quickly. It's playing on two screens here this week and I will try to catch it on both--my first and last chance to see it on film, on a big screen, at the correct color temp, with Joe Hisaishi's music on a big sound system, and with an English dub that many say flows better (dramatically speaking, by western audience standards anyway) than the original Japanese. Hopefully the R1 DVD, rumored to be coming in early 2003, will not have the screwed up color temp. of the Japanese R2, and will have the subtitled Japanese tracks. (The R2 is shaded to look correct at 9300K, but I'm not willing to mess up my monitor's grey scale just to watch one film--even if it is a great one.)On the plus side, at least we can look forward to three other Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli titles coming out on DVD here over the next few months. Fox is releasing My Neighbor Totoro (pan & scan and English only, dammit), and Disney is planning on *Castle in the Sky--Laputa and Kiki's Delivery Service before the end of the year, assuming The Mouse' suits don't overrule John Lasseter. These, along with Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies (probably the saddest animated movie ever made, now out on a beautifully remastered 2-disc DVD collector's set from CPM) and the too-limited theatrical run of SA, will actually make 2002 a year to remember for Ghibli films in the US.
Ja ne,
Paul
Member, SMPTE Hollywood Section
Member, OOF Otakus Over Forty
Chou Sutajio Jiburi Otaku--Super Studio Ghibli fan
* Castle in the Sky--the film that started my Ghibli fixation