Showing posts with label movie release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie release. Show all posts

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UK Trailer for "The Tale of Princess Kaguya" (Coming to UK Theaters in English & Japanese March 20)

What lucky folks our British friends are! The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is coming to theaters on March 20, 2015, and can be seen with either the English dubbing OR in the original Japanese! #slightlyenviousoverhere

The trailer is the first proper English trailer I've seen and is wonderful, and a very different presentation from what we've seen to date. (I don't understand why this didn't get advertised like this in the US - it would have drawn a huge audience.) If you were on the fence about seeing it before this will likely to change your mind to a "yes - gotta see that!".

For the rest of us, we'll have to be content to watch on DVD and Blu-ray, though we still won't have the original Japanese language, with English subtitles option. (Why?)

I'm hoping to have a "home viewing" of the movie myself (finally!) this weekend. And if I do, I will review...

In the meantime, enjoy - and be inspired:

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"Into The Woods" Coming to DVD & Blu-ray March 24th

This is on my to-get list. I'm aware of some of the challenges of bringing a musical to screen and how impossible it is to please everyone. Considering the "small" budget (relatively speaking) for this movie and the decision to do as much as possible "in camera", I think this is an overall better-than-we-expected result. The casting was good to great and the music, complete with symphony-sized orchestra, is wonderful. I just wish there was more to this take-it-home package. Considering how beloved a musical it is in general I think they could have easily had a special edition with book and lyrics that included pre-production designs, as well as nods to previously great productions. I would have considered getting it and I know I'm not alone...

Listed below are the special features from the Blu-ray. Disney has a track record of only putting the best features on the Blu-ray, not the DVD, so if you want the behind the scenes extras the Blu-ray is the way to go.
They still haven't put everything currently available to view online on the discs though! (Seems crazy to me.) I wish there was more from Sondheim and Lapine, a comparison to the original screenplay, a shout-out to the original Broadway cast, some development artwork and story research notes... Anyone who is interested in this as a play, who is looking at tropes or as a lyricist is going to feel frustrated (including me).

There is a filmmaker commentary though and Rob Marshall isn't just a technical conductor with regard to his films. He's very involved in the "how" and "why" of each scene and moment, so hopefully there will be some great gems from him on here.

There's also the newly written, then deleted song. Disney released an excerpt of it late Friday as a DVD teaser (it was filmed for the movie, not just recorded and was cut late in editing so it's a fully produced version).
The clip features Meryl Streep as The Witch performing ‘She’ll Be Back,’ an original song written by Stephen Sondheim for the film. In the song, The Witch laments Rapunzel’s decision to leave her and run off with the prince, but she is convinced Rapunzel will return once she comes to her senses. (The) full length of the bonus feature/song (which also features an introduction by director Rob Marshall) is just over 4 1/2 minutes long. (via StitchKingdom)
Take a look:

Additional bonus features are as follows:
  • Streep Sings Sondheim – ‘She’ll Be Back’ (4:35) – Meryl Streep performs a compelling new song that sheds a little more light on the Witch’s relationship with Rapunzel. This never-before- seen composition was penned especially for this movie by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, and is seenexclusively on Blu-ray and EHV. With introduction by Director Rob Marshall.
  • There’s Something About the Woods (12:46) – Journey into this mysterious forest to discover how this compelling, new musical was made. Meet Director Rob Marshall and his award-winning team of artists and craftspeople, see how the woods were brought to life…and what they represent to the story… and to all of us.
  • The Cast as Good as Gold (9:42) – Emily Blunt. Anna Kendrick. Chris Pine. James Corden. Johnny Depp. Meryl Streep. Meet the remarkable cast of this musical movie, and hear of their affinity for this Broadway classic.
  • Deeper Into the Woods – Journey even further into the development of the film in these 4 segments:
  • Deeper Into the Woods – From Stage to Screen (8:10)
  • Deeper Into the Woods – The Magic of the Woods (7:03)
  • Deeper Into the Woods – Designing of the Woods (6:48)
  • Deeper Into the Woods – The Costumes of the Woods (6:35)
  • Get direct access to the musical song segments from the film, with optional sing-along lyrics.
  • Easter Eggs – Meryl Climbs (:21), Witch Riser (:46), Sneakers (:12), Jack and the Bean Stalk Rehearsal (1:30), Bird Attack (:19)
  • Into the Woods Audio Commentary with Director Rob Marshall and Producer John Deluca

You can pre-order via Amazon (they've updated with the proper images now) or through the official Into The Woods movie site.

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"Song of the Sea" Receives Multiple Annie Awards Nominations, Incl. Best Picture - Now Playing In Select Theaters

Do you remember the selkie movie, Song of the Sea, I've been excited about for some time now, being made by the creators of the Academy Award nominated film, The Secret of Kells? It's finished! And by all reports just as stunning as everyone hoped. It even has MULTIPLE Annie Award nominations (judged by animation peers) including a Best Picture nom as well as Best Director, and is currently playing in select theaters around the US. (Theater details and opening dates can be found HERE).

For other fairy tale people in Los Angeles, it arrivesTOMORROW (which is probably TODAY by the time you all read this, ie. Friday, January 9th.) It also opens in Irvine, CA on January 16th, so two windows of opportunity to see it in LA!
In gorgeous, hand-drawn animation, “Song of the Sea” tells the tale of the last seal-child, Saoirse, and her brother Ben, who must race against time on a journey to awaken Saoirse’s powers and save the magical spirit world.... 
The idea for the film was born during production on “Kells” on the west coast of Ireland, where Moore and his family came across corpses of seals that had been killed by fishermen. A local told Moore that, years ago, the widespread belief that seals were mystical creatures who could contain human souls or transform into humans would have prevented their deaths. 
Selkies aren’t the only characters from Irish folklore to be featured in “Song of the Sea”; the film also has the sea deity Mac Lir, as well as the Great Seanachai, or traditional storyteller, and a host of ancient and mystical creatures.


I've included some stills that have been released so you can get an idea of the style. While it looks simplistic, sort of like Kells did, it's anything but and is already receiving high praise from animation critics globally (it's already had screenings in the UK and throughout Europe and at a number of festivals).


Here's the (wonderful!) official trailer, released in December, for those of you who haven't seen it yet:
PRAISE FOR SONG OF THE SEA
“ONE OF THE MOST BLISSFULLY BEAUTIFUL ANIMATED FILMS EVER MADE!It is a gem beaming with awe-inspiring, heartwarming magic. As if wrapped in a blanket made of
gorgeous dreams, watching Song of the Sea is a spellbinding experience
that captures fantasy in its purest form."
- IndieWire 
“DAZZLING!”
“A marvel to behold!”
- Variety

"WONDROUS! DELIGHTFUL!"
- The Hollywood Reporter
Doesn't it look beautiful? 
And folkloric-ly magical? 

I can't wait to see it!

For those who love Celtic music (like me) the Annie Award nominated soundtrack (yes, for that too!) is already available for download via iTunes and GooglePlay. 

The 2014 Annie Awards will be held January 31st, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA. While Song of the Sea up against heavy hitters like The Lego Movie and How To Train Your Dragon 2, (both popular, "successful"* and extremely excellent movies), having so many nominations (there are quite a handful!) should help people take special notice of this lovely fairy tale film. 

Other fairy tale films in the running for Best Picture at the Annie Awards this year, include The Book of Life and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. 

We are spoiled for wonderful fairy tale-esque viewing choices right now!
This is the gorgeous picture awaiting you when you go to the official film website. (I had to grab a screen-cap to entice you!)

* "Successful" read the Studios are happy with their box office performance/ $$.

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"Maleficent" Release Day (Will She Re-Awaken Fairy Tale Films for Disney?)

So, today is the big day and yes, I am looking forward to seeing the movie. What I'm really interested in, however, is that in the ramp up to this movie I've seen more than the average amount of "delving into Sleeping Beauty's  - the literary fairy tale - history", and from a much wider variety of sources as well, than for any other fairy tale movie remade, retold or sent to the "dark side". People are being sent back to their libraries, searching google for this "Perrault" guy, buying up vintage fairy tale volumes with Sleeping Beauty (the extended version) and learning about it would really be like to have an ogre-ish mother-in-law.

Case in point, seen in Entertainment Weekly this week, a timeline spanning Perrault's tale and it's retellings and remakes till today (literary, the movie being released today, Maleficent). Please click on the image to see the double page scan full size.

While we're on the topic:


 Disney has announced the release of “Maleficent”: The Official Multi-Touch Book.  The book,which you can get for free exclusively through iBooks. 
It explores both the legacy of Disney’s classic animated film, “Sleeping Beauty”—which first introduced the iconic villainess Maleficent—and the making of the all-new live-action film, “Maleficent.” 
The books include a interactive timeline of the origins of the timeless “Sleeping Beauty” tale, with rare content from the Disney archives; rich and explorable environments, filled with fantastic creatures from the world of “Maleficent”—waiting to be discovered at your fingertips; interviews with Angelina Jolie and the cast and crew responsible for bringing the reimagined story to the big screen; an afterword by director Robert Stromberg, two-time Academy Award, winner for production design on “Alice in Wonderland” and “Avatar”; exclusive behind-the-scenes photo galleries and video featurettes; never-before-seen concept art, storyboards and sketches from pre-production; fun facts from the set; and profiles of the characters from the film, all created by Apple’s digital book creation app, iBooks Author. The “Maleficent” book is available for free, exclusively on iBooks HERE.

Maleficent is a family movie and not only the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, but also the idea of a more traditional (to fairy tales) "faerie world" are a big factor in this one, as are some other mythic elements. I'm really curious to see, not only if it's a good movie, but what impact it will have on fairy tale movies in the future, on people's perception of fairy tales and faerie and if it will mark yet another significant change in the approach Disney has been having to fairy tale properties.

So far the reviews are ridiculously good and rather gushy so I'm not at all certain if I'm seeing a proper cross section or just a certain demographic but I'm on the optimistic side. I get the feeling the naysayers on WallStreet are going to be a little red-faced after this weekend...

I have many more thoughts on this but am planning on taking my family to see it this weekend so, between the actual movie, and the book properties which I am quickly getting up to speed on, I should have some better - and more informed - comments to offer on the topic soon...


By the way, the trailer, reportedly being shown in front of Maleficent is for the upcoming animated family film, The Book Of Life, based on the traditions, superstitions and mythology surrounding the Mexican Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos. It looks kind of adorable. The adorable dead. (It was going to happen.)
The Book of Life: Produced by Guillermo Del Toro and directed by Jorge Gutierrez, the film revolves around three childhood friends—Manolo (Diego Luna), Maria (Zoe Saldana), and Joaquin (Channing Tatum)—who find themselves in a love triangle as the gods wager on who will win Maria’s heart.  Manolo is the central character of the story, as he dreams of breaking his family tradition of bullfighting to become a guitar player.  Over the course of the fantastical story, audiences are taken to The Land of the Living, the Land of the Remembered, and the Land of the Forgotten as Manolo seeks to live a complete and fulfilling life that is remembered by the living.  
You can see more on the upcoming film HERE (stills and more).

I do find it interesting that nowhere have I seen anyone make the connection between a journey through the lands of the dead and a sleeping tale, or of deferred dreams. Looks like there's another theme emerging from the social subconscious...

Sounds like a good time to pull out Heidi's wonderful collection on Sleeping Beauties again (SurLaLune Fairy Tale Series book).
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