Tag: GKIDS

Getting Funky with Lu Over the Wall, A DVD Review

Many comparisons have already been made of Lu Over the Wall to Ponyo and director was not averse to paying tribute to this particular Studio Ghibli work.

Lu Over the Wall Blu-ray + DVD Case
Blu-ray available to pre-orderLu Over the Wall

Shout! Factory & GKIDS
Release Date: Feb 5, 2019

The home video release of Lu Over the Wall is right around the corner and one of the two bonus features includes an interview with director Masaaki Yuasa and producer Eunyoung Choi. Fans can hear about how he felt when this anime won the top prize at the 2017 Annecy International Film Festival. The audio commentary is even better as it discusses the creative process behind this movie. At first, they thought of introducing a vampire and thankfully changed their minds. They also discussed how integral the music had to be. In between wanting to craft a supernatural tale, the emphasis on Kai (Kanon Tani) had to be important.

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The Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki is coming to Home Video!

miyazaki
Available for preorder on AmazonLu Over the Wall

People unable to see the documentary Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki will get their chance to purchase the Blu-ray + DVD combo pack on April 30, 2019.  GKIDS and Shout! Factory are making this work available for the masses. The film offers a new look at the rarely-interviewed filmmaker as he faces the challenges of working with unfamiliar CGI technology to create a new short film, Boro the Caterpillar.

This release contains two different versions: a 70-minute version in Japanese with English subtitles, and an alternate cut, a 48-minute broadcast version with English narration, which includes footage not included in the 70-minute version.

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Details Revealed for Lu Over the Wall Home Video Release

lu
Blu-ray available to pre-orderLu Over the Wall

The fun new musical feature Lu Over the Wall from anime auteur Masaaki Yuasa (Mind Game, The Night is Short, Walk On Girl) will be released on Blu-ray™ + DVD combo pack, DVD and digital download on February 5, 2019 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory. An official selection of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and winner of the Cristal, the highest prize of the 2017 Annecy International Animation Festival, this film makes its home video debut following a limited theatrical release this year.

This release is presented in both the original Japanese language and English dub versions. Bonus features include audio commentary and an interview with Director Masaaki Yuasa, trailers and TV spots.

This wonderful tale looks at the life of Kai, a teenager uprooted from a small fishing village to go live in the big city. In Tokyo, he needs a way to connect. When his classmates invite him to play keyboard in their band, their jam sessions bring an unexpected guest: Lu, a young mermaid whose fins turn to feet when she hears the beats, and whose singing causes humans to compulsively dance. But when an ancient prophecy threatens Lu and the village, Kai and his new friends must save the day in this toe-tapping adventure for the entire family.

Bonus Features:
· Interview with Director Masaaki Yuasa
· Audio Commentary with Director Masaaki Yuasa
· Trailers
· TV Spots

Breaking Down Satellite Girl and Milk Cow

Lu Over the Wall
Available to order on AmazonLu Over the Wall

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers could not have expressed “Breakdown” any better and South Korean animator/director/storyteller Chang Hyung-yun illustrated it when he created Satellite Girl and Milk Cow. This work debuted in 2014, and its home video release by Shout! Factory / GKIDS for international audiences this month is long overdue. Not a lot of bonus material is included, and both the original and English dub was viewed. The latter presentation is decent, and it captures some nuances from the original work to make this work accessible for younger audiences to follow.

For animation aficionados, the technical quality is on par with many a cinematic product. It ranks right up there with many a Disney movie. For folklore enthusiasts, this work is puzzling at times and is not too hard to figure out. It draws on ancient shamanism to explain why witches and warlocks are prevalent in Korea. Less is said about those mortals who suddenly get transformed into anthropomorphic creatures. When they suffer heartache, a black fog descends upon them and they become shape-shifters. When Kyeong-cheon sees Eun-jin (his girlfriend) take an interest in another boy, he’s ready to call it quits than to ask her about it. As a result, whenever he is stressed and wallows in self-pity, he transforms into a milk cow. Alternative forms include zebras and donkeys.

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Is This Studio Ghibli Blu-ray/DVD Re-release Worth Waiting For?

GKIDS is rereleasing all Studio Ghibli’s films in all new packaging!

Studio Ghibli and GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Factory, will soon have on shelves in North America several titles from the library of Studio Ghibli this fall on Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack and on DVD. The former versions from Disney had tiny issues which made them far from perfect and those fans who complained of the “red tint” problem with Spirited Away may well consider this remastered version (if they have not bought the Japanese version).

This new release promises significant upgrades to one of the world’s most coveted animation collections. Part of Studio Ghibli’s catalog of films to get this re-release includes Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. These will arrive on October 17, 2017. Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind will be released on October 31, and The Secret World of Arrietty and Porco Rosso will follow on November 21. There’s no word of other titles like Pom Poko will see a Region 1 side release also. Essentially, this particular set spotlights the works of Hayao Miyazaki.

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[Victoria Film Festival 2017] Dreaming About My Life as a Zucchini & Upcoming Dates

ma_vie_de_courgetteBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

GKIDS USA release date:
February 24, 2017

Once in a while, a stop-motion animated film will amaze. My Life as a Zucchini (the English title of the Swiss-French Ma vie de Courgette) has a wonderful artistic design to it, reminiscent of Tim Burton’s wide-eyed look. This movie is based on the book by Gilles Paris and just like it, the story touches on the tough themes of how kids dealing with abandonment. At the same time, audiences get to learn about what establishing of a family, related or not, means. Icare (who prefers the nickname Zucchini – Courgette in French) is the protagonist, and after a quick look at his home life, his next day looks like a complete disaster. He may have or not have accidentally caused the death of his mother. She was drunk and aggressive towards her boy, so it’s tough to say if what happened was her fault or his. We never truly know when the titles roll.

Without any adults in his life, he now faces an uncertain future while living at an orphanage. He finds others like him and in some people’s eyes, they are damaged goods because of why they were placed here. Simon, the bully of this estate reveals all, but after an instance where Courgette shows he’s not afraid, becomes his friend (perhaps maybe too quickly) and as the two come to realize their existence is meaningless, just where this movie goes depends on how quick viewers are to notice the signs.

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