Up next is My Neighbor Totoro.

I'm not a big fan of Japanese animation films, but I love this guy's stuff.

Why?

I love the animation, the expressions of the characters, and that the heroes of Miyazaki's films, the children, take life (and danger) by the horns and do what's right.

It's been a fun day.

1. “The Dark Knight”. Det hade visserligen räckt med Christian Bale i rollistan för att få mig entusiastisk, men nu råkar den ju vara helt absurdt lovande och ser nästan ut som en sådan där rykteslista som brukar finnas på IMDB innan en film knappt ens är påtänkt. Christopher Nolan har för övrigt jobbat sig upp till en plats på min topplista över regissörer, me like!

2. “WALL-E”. Det faktum att det nästan finns fler skäl att se WALL-E än att inte se någon av Wayans-brödernas så kallade filmparodier gör den här bloggen ruskigt otillräcklig för att beskriva mina förväntningar på Pixars senaste guldklimp. Jag vill dock ändå göra ett försök och nämna tunga argument som a) Pixar, b) en niondeplats på IMDB:s topplista, c) 9.0 i snittbetyg på IMDB samt d) gulliga robotar.

3. “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. Scarlett! Penelope! Javier Bardem! Woody Allen! Jag blir helt enkelt lyrisk över blotta tanken på den här filmen. Javier var ju helt otroligt bra i No Country For Old Men, och det ska verkligen bli skoja att se honom spela mot två av mina favorittjejer. Pinsamt nog har jag ju aldrig sett en Woody Allen-film (eller jo, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, men den innehöll ju Catherine Zeta-Jones och var rätt kass enligt min ringa åsikt, så det gills inte), och det här känns som precis rätt tillfälle att göra det.

4. “Mamma Mia!”. ABBA, musikal, Meryl Streep och bra recensioner, kan det bli bättre? Jag gissar att det här är årets stora feelgood-film och kan redan se mig själv sitta och sjunga med i precis ALLA låtarna. Jag måste erkänna att jag trots min ABBA-entusiasm varit rejält tveksam vad det gäller denna film, men tydligen blir t.o.m. sura, brittiska, musikal- och ABBA-hatande recensenter omvända av att se den, så vad ska den då ha för effekt på mig som sjöng “S.O.S.” sisådär tretusen gånger på karaoke i Tokyo?

5. “Gake no ue no ponyo”. Självklart hoppas jag att den nya filmen fran Hayao Miyazaki ska vara lika vacker som “Hauru no ugoku shiro”, lika söt som “Tonari no Totoro” och lika fängslande som “Sen to Chichiro no kamikakushi”. Hoppas Japan-boomen i Sverige funkar som den ska så att det inte tar för lång tid innan jag kan se den på bio i Stockholm.

6. “The X-files: I want to believe”. Och jag vill se filmen! Jag gillade verkligen, verkligen trailern, men har av erfarenhet (läs: Vantage Point”) lärt mig att man självklart inte ska förvänta sig för mycket på en tre-minuters-grund. Hursomhelst, det handlar ju ändå om Scully och Mulder (framförallt Mulder!), och även om jag inte sett tillräckligt av serien (okej, okej, jag borde plöja den, jag vet!) så ska det bli härligt med lite 90-talsnostalgi.

7. “Revolutionary Road”. Jag hoppas fortfarande på att Sam Mendes ska slänga ihop en ny American Beauty, och denna gång verkar det sannerligen lovande, med tanke på att både Kate och Leo står i rollistan. Kate har förresten seglat in som en skådespelarfavorit på senare år, framförallt i och med “Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind”. Vilken tjej!

8. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”. Jag har sagt det förut, men jag måste helt enkelt säga det igen; Snape, Snape, Snape!

9. “Låt den rätte komma in”. I och med att jag gillade boken skarpt och att filmen fick det stora priset på Tribeca Film Festival, samt det faktum att vi pratar vampyrfilm här, så finns det helt enkelt inget skäl till varför jag INTE skulle vilja se den.

10. “American Teen”. En dokumentärfilm om en high school-klass i Indiana, vars trailer är så enormt charmig att jag vill se filmen trots att den bara får runt 6 i snittbetyg på IMDB. Och ja, folk sätter fortfarande för höga betyg. En femma BORDE ju innebära att det är en helt okej film, men min erfarenhet säger mig att det snarare är en sjua som gäller om man vill vara på den säkra sidan.

11. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. Oavsett hur kasst det riskerar att bli, så kan man helt enkelt inte missa ett tillfälle att se något Star Wars-relaterat på bio. Jag tror t.o.m. det finns en lag som säger det någonstans.

12. “He’s just not that into you”. Ja, det verkar vara en rejäl chick flick, men Scarlett är ju med trots allt, och dessutom var trailern skojig. För övrigt är jag rätt sugen att läsa boken som filmtiteln kommer från, även om jag väl känner att jag lärt mig den läxan ganska bra vid det här laget.

13. “Igor”. Ja, det är ÄNNU en animerad film i den oändliga skaran, men jag kollade in några serier som gjorts i syfte att reklamföra filmen och stilen var verkligen riktigt gulligt gotisk. Således vill jag verkligen se filmen nu, vilket väl kan sammanfattas som Reklam - Veronica, 1 - 0.

14. “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”. Ja, jag är en riktig sucker för animerad film, jag vet, men jag kommer inte kunna hålla mig ifrån denna uppföljare eftersom det skulle innebära att jag missar mina favoritpingviner.

15. “The Spirit”. Frank Miller kommer nog aldrig bli en seriefavorit rent manusmässigt, men jäklar vad snygga filmerna han bidrar till blir! Dessutom bygger ju den här filmatiseringen tydligen på en Will Eisner-serie, vilket ju låter mycket intressant. Sade jag förresten att Scarlett är med?

16. “Step Brothers”. Okej, jag vet inte vad det är, men av någon ganska outgrundlig anledning tycker jag bara otroligt mycket om Will Ferrell. Även om större delen av hans filmer är rejält fåniga brukar det alltid finnas en oändlig mängd roliga detaljer att titta på, ungefär som alla kläderna i Blades of Glory.

انسجمت مرره

الحلو والمميز بالصوره هذي ان الارنب كائن لطيف ومسالم وتحول لوشح شرير

:p

* (انتبهت بعدين اني غلطت بكلمة وحش وكتبتها وشح  احسن استاهل)

 احب هذا الانسان واحب رسومه الجميله

لللي يسون انفسهم اذكياء :

مافيه قاسم مشترك بين الموضوعين بس كذا..راندوم ههههه

غود نايت ..

i am so excited about hayao miyazaki's new film! it will be his eighth studio ghibli anime, of which my personal favorites are my neighbor totoro + howl's moving castle. 

the plot centers on a goldfish named ponyo who desperately wants to be a human; in pursuing her goal, she befriends a five-year-old human boy, sōsuke.

ponyo on the cliff is inspired by danish author hans christian andersen's little mermaid as well as by the traditional Japanese folktale urashima uaro. the seaside village where the story takes place is inspired by a real town in setonaikai national park in japan, where miyazaki stayed in 2004

the film will be released in japan on july 19

"Sosuke è un ragazzo che vive in una casa sulla scogliera. Un giorno incontra una bambina di nome Ponyo che cavalca una medusa e che è scappata di casa. Ponyo mette la testa dentro un vasetto di marmellata ma non riesce a più a tirarla fuori. Sosuke la trova e la aiuta.
I due si innamorano: "Ti proteggerò", le promette Sosuke. Tuttavia Ponyo viene ricondotta in mare da suo padre Fujimoto, che smise di essere un umano per diventare un abitante del mare.

Ma in questo modo viene liberato il pericoloso potere dell'acqua della vita: il mare si agita, infuria una tempesta e le sorelle si trasformano in pesci giganti. Per finire un immenso tsunami si dirige verso la casa di Sosuke...".

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea esce nei cinema giapponesi il 19 luglio 2008.

Fonte: Japanator.

fonte: www.animeclick.it

Sebbene in Giappone Ponyo on the Cliff (il nuovo film di Hayao Miyazaki) sia probabilmente il film più atteso del momento la mia prima reazione guardando questo trailer è stata di più completo imbarazzo, sembra un film per bambini stupidi e la canzoncina è incredibilmente fastidiosa, quasi quanto le voci dei commentatori televisivi che parlano sopra il trailer.

Poi magari ci stiamo sbagliando di grosso e anche questo film si rivelerà un capolavoro, ci speriamo, ma ci sembra difficile.

La storia sarà quella di un pesciolino rosso che vuole disperatamente diventare un umano, la tecnica è invece quella dei colori ad acqua.

Il sito del film (in giapponese) è invece www.ghibli.jp/ponyo.

Lehet reménykedni, hogy eljusson a hazai mozikba. 

A kevés infoért link ANN-re.

Uno dei film del maestro Miyazaki che qui da noi non è passato (mi viene in mente "Mimi o sumaseba" o l'adorabile "Tonari no Totoro" ovviamente scaricabilissimi e sottotitolati in italiani si trovano) è questo "Porco Rosso"(Kurenai no buta).
No non non è una versione porno con animali del più celebre "Muscolo Rosso" di Cicciolina,bensì un film d'animazione ambientato totalmente in Italia (tra Milano e Istria) piuttosto fittizia in verità dove l'aviatore Marco Pagot (il cognome è un omaggio al creatore di Calimero) dopo in incidente durante la guerra mondiale diventa un maiale (nel senso più suino del termine),questo lo porterà ad esiliarsi su di un'isoletta sperduta rinunciando alla vita mondana e all'amore della bella Gina mentre sopravvive diventando cacciatore di taglie a bordo del "Porco rosso",il suo affidabile velivolo.

Inutile soffermarmi sul lato tecnico ovviamente magistrale come d'abitudine per lo Studio Ghibli,gli ingredienti "Miyazaeski" ci sono tutti come il tema della maledizione (Il castello errante di Howl,la principessa Mononoke,La città incantata)e l'amore sconfinato per l'aviazione del maestro (chi ricorda Conan,il ragazzo del futuro?)inoltre ricordo con particolare amore la scena della ristrutturazione del "Porco Rosso" in una officina dove la manodopera era tutta femminile...con donne molto simili alle tipiche comari italiane.

Ve lo consiglio se amate Miyazaki,la sua narrativa e soprattutto se amate la bella animazione tradizionale.

Jag längtar riktigt mycket efter denna film och kommer garanterat att se den då den kommer, jag hoppas att dem kanske kan få rättigheter att visa den på bio i Sverige, hur vore det? Och då menar jag inte att jag vill vänta till 2012 förens jag får se den i Sverige, snabbt ska de gå, snabbt som tusan :) Filmen kommer för övrigt att ha premiär i Japan den 19 juli.

Andra åsikter om Ponyo on the cliff by the sea, Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, Anime, Video, Stream, Film

In July, Japan will celebrate the release of a new film from Hayao Miyazaki: Ponyo on the Cliff.

What a great year for animation this has become!

I was in kindergarten. Maybe. I can't remember the exact age. But I remember Heidi, Girl of the Alps (アルプスの少女ハイジ Arupusu no Shōjo Haij), a Japanese anime series based on the children's classic Heidi, by Johanna Spyri.

It was made in 1974 but has been dubbed numerous times through the years (the one I watched was in Mandarin), released on tape and DVD, and is popular with children even today. One can see why. A little girl and her pet kid goat (or was it lamb) running barefoot in lush green fields of Switzerland, stringing daisies or lying on the grass, playing under the vast expanse of blue sky. Free and carefree. It was the stuff of dreams for kids growing up in cities (goatherd boyfriend and heiress best friend notwithstanding). It sure was for me. The best I could manage was sneaking out of my grandparents' flat while my parents were at work to run around the block (and get a scolding later because little kids get kidnapped by drug gangs) or play in my grandmother's rooftop orchid garden (and get scolded for nor wearing shoes because I would get "worms").

I didn't even know Heidi was by the people who would years later start Studio Ghibli - Isao Takahata (director), and Hayao Miyazaki (scene design and layout) - until two years ago when I visited the Ghibli Museum and there was a whole room dedicated to the series. Talk about reliving your childhood.

Much much later, still before I'd heard of Studio Ghibli, a colleague passed me a VHS tape (that's how long ago it was) of Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓 Hotaru no Haka) by Takahata. 

At the other end of the spectrum from the happy Heidi, this story is a poignant one of two orphaned children, Seita and his sister, Setsuko (it's apparently based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Akiyuki Nosaka). Even today, it's considered one of the most compelling anti-war movies ever made. I had always thought it was a sad tale of the children's plight during WWII in Japan, a point of view from the Japanese side decades before Letters from Iwo Jima. Until a few years ago when another friend pointed out a deeper moral, blaming the boy's prideful behaviour and how it led to their tragic ends. Interesting. Never saw it from that perspective before.

Anyway, whatever you take from it, it's a profoundly human story, considering it's a "cartoon" made in 1988. I've since lost my tin of fruit drops (a recurring item in the storyline) which I bought on my first trip to Japan, but I've got the movie on DVD. Powerful film.

Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫 Mononoke Hime) is probably the West's first introduction to Miyazaki (outside of anime fans and arthouse moviegoers), with Miramax targetting the masses and releasing it in selected cinemas in 1997 (with translation and adaptation credit to Neil Gaiman).

It's a tale that touches on some of my favourite themes: mythology/fantasy, magic, forest spirits, animal spirits, and humans and deforestation (a bit like an anime Elfquest, only it came too late to absolutely consume my teenage years). Many see this film as an environmental message told in the form of Japanese mythology. 

The tale is about an Emishi (it was once a real tribe in Honshu) prince Ashitaka who defends his village from a demon-possessed Boar God and in the process, gets cursed himself. To find the origin of that curse, and hopefully a cure so he won't die, he journeys to the Forest of the West, a wood where spirits reside, including the Shishigami, Forest Spirit, a huge beast like a stag with many antlers, the face of a baboon and feet of birds, who at night takes the form of a giant Didarabocchi, a translucent supernatural creature that walks around the forest radiating a faint blue glow.

In the forest, Ashitaka meets San, a human girl brought up by the Wolf Goddess, Moro. (Moro attacked San's parents who were found destroying the forest. As a sacrifice to save their own lives, San's parents threw her to Moro, who raised her as one of her own together with her two young cubs) As though rejecting her humanity, San is in battle with the humans from Irontown who are set on clearing the forest to mine more ore. Ashitaka finds himself trying to mediate between the forest spirits and the humans, yet the humans don't intend to stop. In fact, they want the head of the Shishigami, which promises immortality. Look out for the kodama, the mesmerising, almost hypnotic, kind of cute tree spirits that sit on the branches in the forest.

(This being one of Disney's first release of anime in USA, it's interesting to see how they wanted to do things, and how fans reacted. Don't underestimate the power of geeks.)

However, my favourite by far (a really really far) is Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), an Alice in Wonderland meets Brothers Grimm tale, Japanese mythology style. A rabbit hole that leads into strange bizarre world that's not all peachy keen and safe, but really the opposite, fraught with spirits, wraiths, witches, monsters, dragons, magic spells and hexes.

It actually begins with a rabbit hole of sorts. Chihiro and her parents are en route to their new home in a new town when they chance upon a tunnel which leads them into an old amusement park filled with an abundant, tempting feast. As her parents gorge themselves, uninvited, on the food, they are transformed into pigs. Chihiro's distress at her parents' transformation turns to panic as the sun sets and the "amusement park" becomes a spirit world. Enter Haku, a boy who helps Chihiro. He takes her to his mistress, the witch Yubaba, as being under her employ would be the only way Chihiro can remain in the world long enough to find her parents and rescue them. Yubaba agrees to let Chihiro work for her, but takes possession of Chihiro's name - the kanji of her name literally flies off the paper leaving only a partial character which reads as Sen (in many cultures, a name is probably one's most significant, precious and personal possession; likewise folklore or beliefs across the world, knowing one's name is considered as having a power over that someone).

In the rest of the adventure, Sen's mettle, courage and character are tested as she encounters spirits and demons who visit the bathhouse where she works, as she searches for a way to rescue her parents from the spirit world, and save Haku (we learn he, too, is under Yubaba's spell) who has been cursed by Yubaba's twin sister, Zeniba, because he stole her sigil on Yubaba's orders. Sen is aided on her quest by Yubaba's son Bou, who's been turned into a fat mouse, and his crow, who's been turned into a hummingbird.

Besides the story of Sen's evolution from self-centred child to a young girl who discovers her own inner strength, Miyazaki has also injected messages about the environment into the movie in the form of a Stink Spirit that visits the bathhouse where Sen works. No one wants to attend to him and he is cleansed only after Sen pulls out all the trash, junk and gunk that has been trapped in his disgusting, blobbish form, revealing a grateful River Spirit that rewards Sen with magical all-healing pills.

In Spirited Away, Miyazaki creates a strange, mystical, sometimes dangerous, world which defies reason and logic. He dreams up characters, so many of them, both good and bad. Supernatural yet possessing such fallible human traits like pride and greed we can almost see ourselves in them. And in the courage and will of the heroes, we also hope to see ourselves. They're a colourful bunch: Sen and Haku, Yubaba and Zeniba. No Face, Bou (and his hummingbird) and Lin. Even Kamijii, a six-armed old man that works in the bathhouse's boiler room, and the endearing susuwatari, the army of soot-balls that work for him.

Susuwatari (ススワタリ) translate literally to "travelling soot", and first appear in Miyazaki's earlier anime film My Neighbor Totoro. In Spirited Away, they work by carrying coal from the coal pile to the furnace. If they aren't given a job to do, they turn back into soot. They get excited if you feed them Japanese candy kompeito.

  One of the susuwatari (although he's not fuzzy any more) currently serves as my keychain (taking over from Ryoga Hibiki 響 良牙, the piglet from Ranma 1/2, who was also a keychain of a bad guy ninja in Speed Racer), and another larger one (purchased from Ghibli Museum) used to sit on my desk at work and occasionally got hurled at account executives. (It's okay, it wasn't hurt.) (The susuwatari, not the executive.)

Spirited Away was released in Japan in July 2001 where it became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history, surpassing Princess Mononoke for highest grossing animated film. It was the first movie to have earned $200 million at the worldwide box office before opening in the USA. By 2002, a sixth of the Japanese population had seen this movie. The film was dubbed into English by Walt Disney Pictures, under the supervision of Pixar's John Lasseter. (By the way, Miyazaki has a no edit rule on his anime films; Disney has distribution rights to Studio Ghibli films outside Japan, declining only Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday.)

Spirited Away is the first anime to win an Academy Award (2002).

Autobiography of Red is a verse novel by Anne Carson, based loosely on the myth of Geryon and Herakles and lyric poetry. It is the story of a red, winged, teenage monster living in modern Canada. Sexually abused by his older brother, his affectionate mother too weak to protect him, Geryon ("Red") finds solace in photography and another young man named Herakles. But Herakles leaves Geryon at the peak of his infatuation, leaving him heartbroken. When Geryon comes across Herakles several years later on a trip to Argentina, Herakles' new lover forms the third point of a love triangle.

Del Toro would bring lots of sexy, Gothic macabre and longing-filled gloom to Autobiography. I can't imagine anything better than this particular combination.

2. Girlfriend in a Coma, directed by Sofia Coppola or Julian Schnabel

Based on Douglas Coupland's 1998 novel, Girlfriend in a Coma is narrated by a ghost, who tells the story of Karen, a troubled teenager who falls into a coma after dreaming about the end of the world. Whilst unconscious, Karen gives birth to a baby; she lost her virginity on a ski slope on the night of her death, to boyfriend Richard, and miraculously conceived.

For the next twenty years Karen lays asleep as Richard and their mutual friends move away and apart and attempt to find meaning in their lives, with Richard raising their child. One day, when everyone has returned to suburbia, Karen wakes up - only to discover that the end of the world really is nigh...

Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation Director Coppola would add hormone-fuelled dreamy eroticism and postmodern, Coupland-esque dialogue to the story, which would be brightly coloured (like a Benetton advert) and set to a deliciously infectious soundtrack. If Coppola was unavailable, Schnabel (Diving Bell and the Butterly) would be sure to provide lots of lush, awe-inspiring visual sequences and offbeat yet heartfelt conversation.

I imagine that Ellen Page could be a good Karen, although she may not want to 'get pregnant' again.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, directed by Gus Vant Sant or Rian Johnson (Brick)

Stephen Chbosky is already writing a screenplay for his MTV-published bildingsroman novel, in which shy, awkward teen protagonist Charlie is encouraged by teacher Bill to experiment with modern literature, music and film as a means to uncovering his repressed psychological problems.

I think Van Sant would do an interesting job with the material, which is full of pained, realistic teenspeak and long, silent journeys; swooping shots of schools and cereal box houses and shopping malls. Johnson, who won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, is a commendable second choice.

Wallflower is a pop-art collage of modern culture and its meanings; an emotional, introspective voyage to the center of Charlie's problems. It also touches upon sexuality, drugs and abuse, acting as a soft mystery story.

Books referenced include Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsy, On the Road; films include The Graduate, Harold and Maude, Rocky Horror Picture Show, It's a Wonderful Life; music includes The Smiths, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Nick Drake and The Smashing Pumpkins.

4. Neil Gaiman's Dream Country: World's End, directed by Charlie Kauffman

A movie adaptation of The Sandman has been prophecized since the 1990's. This is such an ambitious task that I don't know if it will ever be realized. I am here offering an alternate option.

World's End is the eighth collection of stories in Gaiman's Sandman series but it stands alone as a terrifically mad, cleverly inventive and poignant story. Furthermore, in this interpretation I have used much poetic license, editing out stories that either wouldn't transcend well to film, or would totally alienate mainstream audiences, and completely inventing a new end.

World's End is about Brant Tucker and Charlene Mooney, who are involved in a car crash during what seems to be a snowstorm (in the Northern Summer). They wake up in the Dream Country. Charlene is badly hurt, and Brant is directed by a Mysterious Voice to a strange inn - "Worlds' End, a free house". It transpires that this is one of four inns where travellers in-between realms and dimensions shelter during reality storms - a bizarre consequence of particularly momentous events. The revellers at the inn, including a personified Death, gather by its windows to watch a funeral procession cross the sky. The party begin to suspect that something is amiss, as another reality storm lashes their surroundings.

The gathering take turns in telling stories at the fireside, including the following, edited from Wikipedia:

In an alternate, parallel America, Nixon is not re-elected in 1972; instead, he is succeeded by a young man named Prez, as American youth - allowed to vote for the first time with the lowering of voting age to 18 - vote to lower the required age for President and get behind one of their own. Prez is a great President, averting a conflict in the Middle East, solving the energy crisis and putting the USA's house in order.

During his first term, though he is visited by Boss Smiley, a sinister figure with the "have a nice day" smiley face for a head. Smiley tempts Prez, offering the world in exchange for allegiance. Prez refuses the offer, to which Smiley warns him not to seek a second term.

In Prez's second term, a deranged woman wounds Prez and kills his new fiancee to get an actor's attention. Prez finishes his term and retires to his hometown, declining many requests to return to public life and eventually vanishing altogether.

At the end of his life, he is taken by Death to heaven, where Boss Smiley warmly claims him a good servant and offers him to be his praiser. He chooses not to enter heaven and instead, begins wandering between worlds to help out other Americas. Prez is ultimately a Messiah figure for the American dream; young, perfect, idealistic and brilliant, and therefore essentially fleeting and transitory.

The other stories told at the inn concern a dream vision of a familiar city, in which a confused dream wanderer meets Morpheus, King of Dreams; the dark, foreboding tale of a dead, necrophiliac's apprentice, and a swashbuckling sea shanty about a girl that pretends to be a boy so she can go to sea.

The party at World's End eventually realise that the physical world no longer exists for unknown reasons. Brant and Charlene decide to find identities in new worlds, but go their separate ways.

I'm not sure of Kauffman's thoughts on Neil Gaiman, but he could be the perfect person to direct a film set in a world of dreams and infinite imagination, with a non-linear plot that takes place in various worlds, at various points of time. David Lynch is worth considering, but would probably turn already wayward content into a completely baffling multi-sensual puzzle.

Brant Tucker could be played by Jake Gyllenhaal; Charlene could be played by Reese Witherspoon, why not? With Gyllenhaal summonsing the spirit of Donnie Darko and Witherspoon doing her Pleasantville best, Dream Country would bubble with quirky charm and Technicolor whimsy.

5. Jennifer Government, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, or the Wachowski Brothers

There are already some online rumblings about the film rights to Jennifer Government:

In 2001, the film rights were optioned to Section 8, a production company owned by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney. In 2005, Louis Mellis and Dave Scinto, writers of Sexy Beast, were chosen by Clooney and Soderbergh to write the screenplay. Alias TV star Jennifer Garner expressed interest in playing the titular character in the movie or even television adaptation, although Barry himself has said his primary choice for the role would be Nicole Kidman.^[4]

In 2006 Max Barry reported in his blog that due to the closure of Section 8 the film rights to Jennifer Government had been returned to him, though he remained hopeful that Clooney's next studio project Smoke House Productions would look into optioning the rights again. As of December 2007 the future of the film adaptation is unknown, though the Internet Movie Database reports a 2010 release date for the film.

In Max Barry's dystopian novel of the same name, set in a capitalist, corporate-owned world ruled by the western nation of the United States (including South America, Great Britain, South Africa, India, parts of Asia and Australasia), employees take the name of their companies, police are privatized, drugs are legalized and welfare has been abolished.

Hack, a low-level Nike employee, becomes part of a scheme hatched by the ambitious marketing executive John Nike. Hack is unwittingly contracted to kill at least ten teenagers and steal their new Nike Mercury sneakers priced at $2,500 a pair (and 85 cents to manufacture) in an effort to improve the "street cred" of the shoe and increase sales. Unable to do the job, Hack subcontracts to the Police, who themselves subcontract to the NRA and the plan goes horribly wrong. The parents of one of the victims, a schoolgirl named Hayley McDonald's, are willing to pay for the retributive investigation headed by Jennifer Government, a Government agent with a barcode tattoo under her left eye and fueled by a personal score to settle.

Hayao Miyazaki, Director of Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, would be a curious choice for the project but one that eliminates the chance of turning a thrilling little story into an ugly, Payback-style live-action mess. It could be a futuristic, sci-fi venture for the fantastic Studio Ghibli, who would create animated manga heroes and heroines out of Hack, John, Jennifer Government, Buy Mitsui and Hack's computer virus creator girlfriend Violet. The futuristic cityscenes would cost less to create but they would remain vivid and strangely eerie. Japan is part of Barry's 'United States', so the pairing isn't completely disjointed.

The Wachowski brothers, responsible for The Matrix, are an obvious choice - but I don't know if Jennifer Government would satiate their passions, and after the disappointing Speed Racer, their grand, universal visions seem muddled.

"Sosuke è un ragazzo che vive in una casa sulla scogliera. Un giorno incontra una bambina di nome Ponyo che cavalca una medusa e che è scappata di casa. Ponyo mette la testa dentro un vasetto di marmellata ma non riesce a più a tirarla fuori. Sosuke la trova e la aiuta.
I due si innamorano: "Ti proteggerò", le promette Sosuke. Tuttavia Ponyo viene ricondotta in mare da suo padre Fujimoto, che smise di essere un umano per diventare un abitante del mare.

"Voglio diventare umana", dice Ponyo, e per farlo chiede l'aiuto alle piccole sorelle per rubare il potere magico del padre in modo da poter vivere nel mondo umano.

Ma in questo modo viene liberato il pericoloso potere dell'acqua della vita: il mare si agita, infuria una tempesta e le sorelle si trasformano in pesci giganti. Per finire un immenso tsunami si dirige verso la casa di Sosuke..."

Dal tono e da quello che si riesce a capire della trama sembra promettere molto bene,di sicuro sarà un'altra incantevole fiaba moderna dal raffinato stile giapponese, con un valore aggiuntivo dato dal grande nome del suo autore.

fonte news: Animeclick

Chocado. Atordoado. Estarrecido, pasmo, é pouco. Assisti há pouco – e admito, com um atraso vergonhoso – a animação japonesa Metropolis (メトロポリス) de 2001, baseado na obra de Osamu Tezuka que já contava, mesmo tendo sido escrito há mais de 50 anos, uma visão futurista da humanidade. O fã de ficção científica que adorou Blade Runner por sua visão extremamente destrutiva da sociedade do futuro, ou mesmo o fã de animação (e nesta categoria incluo a produzida nos mais diversos países, desde “As Bicicletas de Belleville”, francês, até o próprio Metropolis aqui) que aprecia este tipo bastante particular de entretenimento com certeza já viu Metropolis, caso contrário, está perdendo tempo, meu filho.

Produzido pelo Madhouse Studios em parceria com a Tezuka Productions, Metropolis com certeza entra para o hall das melhores animações que já vi, tanto no que concerne ao seu enredo denso e bastante emblemático até mesmo à sua qualidade visual, reunindo muito sabiamente a animação tradicional à mão com animação gerada em computador. A história toda se passa na próspera cidade industrial chamada Metropolis há muitos anos no nosso futuro, cujos avanços tecnológicos introduziram robôs nos trabalhos penosos humanos – como o tratamento de esgotos, policiamento, etc – ao mesmo tempo que insere na sociedade um série de disrupções estruturais graves: com a entrada destes robôs ocupando o trabalho de várias pessoas, aparece a pobreza, o fortalecimento da desigualdade social e o surgimento de um submundo onde pessoas pobres e sem chances de ascensão vivem não à margem, mas literalmente abaixo dos demais (a coisa funciona mais ou menos assim: além da verticalização “para cima” da cidade com a construção de inúmeros arranha-céus, em Metropolis temos a verticalização “para baixo” da cidade, estando o subsolo destinado às “castas” e respectivamente às suas tarefas “impuras”). Do lado de cima a coisa não parece tampouco melhor: os ricos se corrompem com o poder, a humanidade se torna destrutiva que oculta por trás da prosperidade tecnológica uma perversidade de espírito.

Neste mundo futurístico bastante problemático o presidente Boon e o prefeito Ryon governam a cidade oficialmente, enquanto Duke Red, opulento político, controla a todos manipulando cientistas, o Exército e todos os demais habitantes mais diretamente com o auxílio de sua organização paramilitar “Marduk”. Logo no início do filme é possível ver Duke Red financiando abertamente a construção do Zigurate, uma imensa construção high tech capaz de, ao irradiar o Sol com uma grande coluna de energia, forçar uma série de tempestades solares e incitar grandes pulsos eletromagnéticos capazes de danificar os aparelhos elétricos da Terra, incapacitando rapidamente qualquer vantagem tecnológica-militar de qualquer país vizinho e, obviamente, se tornando uma incrível peça de barganha para que Duke Red suba mais ainda ao poder. Para controlar o Zigurate Duke Red contrata o Dr. Laughton, um cientista especialista em robótica e procurado em vários lugares por conduzir experimentos ilegais para criar Tima, o robô mais sofisticado de todos os tempos. O conflito se inicia logo de cara quando o filho adotivo de Duke Red, o temível Rock e já corrompido por demais pela vivência nesse mundo, age em busca da destruição de Tima, acreditando ser inadmissível o controle e o poder de Metropolis por um robô e não por um humano.

Não preciso me alongar sobre o enredo (afinal, você que é esperto vai procurar isso o mais rápido possível na vídeo-locadora) para podermos identificar aqui vários elementos que, mesmo pensados há 50 anos atrás por Tezuka, são objetos de polêmica nas nossas próprias rodas sociais: é cada vez mais fácil ligar a TV em qualquer telejornal para podermos observar uma série de entraves ocorrendo simultaneamente em todo o mundo cuja discussão envolve o avanço desenfreado da tecnologia – não só tecnologias de inteligência artificial e robótica como também as reprodutivas, células tronco, clonagem, transgênicos, etc – sem os devidos questionamentos éticos não só quanto a própria humanidade como mesmo quanto ao próprio meio ambiente e ao nosso planeta em si.

Problema que já é apontado pela Ficção Científica há décadas e também é tema de profunda reflexão de inúmeros intelectuais das Humanidades, ao mesmo tempo que gozamos do progresso das ciências – e, permitam-me, deixamos isso cada vez mais entrar em nossas casas ao supervalorizar tudo quanto é descoberta científica sem o menor bom senso ou desconfiança, como assim cada vez se faz mais ao decorarmos as faixas calóricas dos alimentos, permitirmos a intrusão de tudo quanto é tipo de irradiações eletromagnéticas provindas de celular, televisão, rádio e tudo mais – estamos cada vez mais ultrapassando a tênue linha que separa os benefícios do progresso e da ciência dos verdadeiros malefícios disso tudo. Já disse aqui uma vez em outra oportunidade em relação ao livro Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep de Philip K. Dick (o livro inspirador de Blade Runner) em que temos uma impressão horrível de uma Terra quase que pós-apocalíptica: assolada pela radiação, os habitantes daqui que não migraram em tempo para as colônias humanas em outros planetas são forçados a usar várias proteções de chumbo para se protegerem, já sabendo no entanto da diminuição de sua estimativa de vida...

Nas ciências humanas já encaramos isso como o paradoxo da tecnologia e do progresso. Quando mais pensamos que avançamos sem a reflexão mínima do caminho que estamos traçando, mais nos prendemos numa espécie de armadilha do próprio pensamento cientificista.  Exemplo bastante pertinente é quanto ao aumento do aquecimento global, derretimento das calotas polares e aumento do buraco da camada de ozônio graças ao nosso ímpeto progressista: apesar de ser impossível andar de carro em São Paulo sem perder a paciência, a cada dia se vende mais carros, mais acreditamos na sua indispensabilidade, indispensabilidade de carros que se modernizam a todo momento e que “precisam” ser subseqüentemente substituídos na mesma velocidade. Outro exemplo que não posso deixar de dizer é quando vi uma vez numa destas revistas que falam de dietas e bem-estar de saúde matérias conflitantes sobre o coitado do ovo (ou qualquer outro alimento que caia nas graças, ou melhor, nas desgraças da comunidade científica) que não se decide se causa ou não causa câncer nas pessoas devido às descobertas científicas que ocorrem todos os dias.

Metropolis capta com sabedoria tal paradoxo e nos oferece uma maneira – bastante crítica e ok, até mesmo cruel – de encararmos não a humanidade (falando dela como se fosse algo bonito, abstrato e distante), mas a nós mesmos e nossos comportamentos impensados. O próprio nome da torre capaz de destruir civilizações, o Zigurate, remete claramente ao próprio zigurate babilônico, a Torre de Babel: ao querer controlar a natureza e bancar Deus o homem caiu em ruínas... Deus ex machina, chamem da maneira que quiser, mas Duke Red e todas as pessoas associadas a ele que pensam na supremacia e no controle do planeta e do próprio Sol estão cada vez mais presos a esse caminho auto-destrutivo sem saída.

O diretor Rintaro havia pedido ao próprio Tezuka a autorização para fazer a animação de sua obra, veementemente negada a princípio. De acordo com Tezuka, apesar de toda a densidade e solidez de seu pensamento que acabou se mostrando em muitos aspectos enquanto profético, ainda estava inacabado. Apenas após muitos anos e com o auxílio do renomado escritor/diretor de animes Katsuhiro Otomo que Metropolis saiu do papel e chegou às telas nesta obra memorável. Fiquei bastante surpreso ao ter que encarar logo de início uma trilha sonora em jazz à la New Orleans e, o mais curioso, um excesso de letreiros  e banners escritos em inglês na cidade (o contrário do que vemos por exemplo em Blade Runner e Neuromancer, com letreiros em japonês), além de mostrar com bastante eficácia as glórias do pernicioso progresso com várias pessoas comemorando nas ruas sem saber exatamente o que estão comemorando (é, vejam vocês mesmos o filme: logo no início quando o Zigurate é inaugurado, as pessoas estão em franca celebração nas ruas mas sem saber o que é o próprio Zigurate... paradigmático, não? Qualquer semelhança não é mera coincidência) em contraposição aos malefícios deste mesmo progresso com a segregação de pessoas que, por morarem no Submundo/Subsolo, são invisíveis por não possuírem um lugar nesta nova ordem social (é, isso é fácil: para mostrar que uma cidade não tem mendigos e descontentes é simples, é só escondê-los, coisa que a gente aprende nos jornais diários).

Outra questão muito bem explorada do filme é o contraponto dado pelos robôs em meio aos humanos, tema muito significativo e que permeia todo o enredo do começo ao fim: não quero repetir aqui de novo algo que eu mesmo já disse em outro artigo, mas vocês realmente nunca pensaram que apesar de ser uma visão triste da humanidade no futuro, ela nos permite repensarmos as nossas próprias vidas e, quem sabe, virarmos a mesa contra este fatídico destino? Estas obras artísticas como Metropolis, Blade Runner e Neuromancer, todas de teor profundamente crítico nos oferecem a capacidade de uma árdua reflexão - árdua porque é um tema que muitas pessoas acham doloroso discutir e plenamente levar a sério – sobre o nosso papel no futuro e no meio de tantas máquinas: será que não é em meio aos tão falados robôs inteligentes que nós poderemos nos perguntar sobre qual é realmente o estatuto da humanidade, se é que ela/ele existe? É nesse ponto que podemos encarar estas obras - e Metropolis em específico – como uma produção realmente comovente e tocante – no sentido literal do termo: no meio dessa algazarra toda precisamos mesmo parar e pensar, alguém ou alguma coisa realmente precisa nos dar um cutucão, nos comover, nos tocar.

Como disseram Rintaro e Otomo, apesar da diferente infra-estrutura dos estúdios de animação japoneses em relação aos norte-americanos, a animação japonesa não deixa nada a desejar, sendo realmente bastante feliz o resultado final de Metropolis. Pretendo retornar muito em breve para discutir outro autor de animação japonês que freqüentemente adora tocar nas mesmas feridas: Hayao Miyazaki em uma de suas obras-primas, Nausicäa 風の谷のナウシカ. No mais é só pessoal, bons sonhos.

Victor Hugo

Além de alhos com cabeça, pés e dentes nós do Ao Sugo adoramos discutir coisas sérias. Se você quer saber mais sobre esta temática, visite nossos artigos:

Movimento Cyberpunk - http://aosugo.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/movimento-cyberpunk-no-jbbs/

Os Blade Runners e a Cibernética Indiscriminada - http://aosugo.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/os-blade-runners-e-a-cibernetica-indiscriminada/

Virtualidade Real do Cibermundo - Sobre a Bomba Informática - http://aosugo.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/virtualidade-real-do-cibermundo-sobre-a-bomba-informatica/

Metropolis - http://aosugo.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/metropolis/

Lo Studio Ghibli ha rilasciato nuove immagini di Ponyo, il prossimo film d’animazione di Hayao Miyazaki: questa volta possiamo dare un’occhiata ai personaggi protagonisti del film.

Il film racconta la storia della principessa dei pesci rossi Ponyo che vuole disperatamente diventare umana. Nel realizzare il suo sogno diventa amica di un bambino di cinque anni di nome Sosuke.

Dopo il salto potete vedere l’immagine con i personaggi, mentre per vederla a dimensioni maggiori visitate il sito giapponese 7andY

Fonte Comics Blog

-- Omar Chavez
Hollywood, Calif.

"Yes. We've gone from janitor to head janitor. Now and then, you can also see more Latinos on television playing characters who aren't being arrested on Cops."

-- Peter DiCarlo
Los Angeles; Toronto

"I've noticed that if [producers] are going to cast minorities, they still tend to go black or Asian. And I think if you consider the numbers, we're the biggest minority right now and continue to grow. Yet in roles, we're still underrepresented. So yeah, there's been some improvement, but compared to what our population is in the U.S., I don't think it's there yet."

-- Noemi Soulet
Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

"I've seen progress, but not so much in the direction that I would like to see. One thing that I noticed is there are no real superheroes out there who are Latino. There are African-American, Caucasian, and even Asian [superheroes]. That's one thing that I see that's needed in the industry: more action-adventure, hero-type roles represented by the Latino actors in the industry. Nobody's going to change the Latino entertainment industry if it's not Latinos. Latinos have to come together and join forces and make a single voice in the entertainment industry to demand equal and bigger spotlight opportunities."

-- Joey Fiero
Beverly Hills, Calif.

http://www.LifeAsAStrugglingActor.com

http://www.FieroEntertainment.com

http://www.CastingJoseph.com

josephfiero@gmail.com

Latino Actor Joey Fiero

Actor Joey Fiero

How to survive in a film acting career and not to be a "struggling actor".

Joseph Fiero Playing Piano First and foremost, before you read this article read my other article "How to become an actor and make a living from acting" then come back to this one. Look up guides as how to go about becoming an actor if you are not one. If you are one start off by reading everything you can about the entertainment industry from directing,writing,producing,distribution to the music side of things. Know what is happening today and who is that artist. Learn from experienced people who have made it. Take entertainment business/law classes as well.

Step2

Joseph Fiero's Friend GINA doing a fund raiser on TV as a host. Submit yourself to casting calls from all over the internet or local newspaper including game shows. This would include commercials, print work and independent films. Don't wait for someone to call you, follow the casting calls. Google Keywords "Casting Calls" and try to find some in your home town or ones that do "virtual audition". Submit to everything even if it doesn't sound like you but you think they could "keep you on file". Ignore people saying that it will just annoy casting places. Casting sole purpose is to constantly "discover" people.

Step3

Joseph Fiero on the Mcdonalds Bags and Cups around the world. While you are waiting for the auditions and for your face to be plastered all over the world, pick up a camera with a friends help, start making films about yourself and stories about your life and build a video demo reel and make it look like you have been in such and such type films. Horror, comedy, action and drama. Step 1 comes in handy when you have read about "filmmaking". Start showcasing you and your work all over the place.

Step4

Joseph Fiero and Camera Crew. If someone wants to hire you for FREE, then be polite and tell them to at least pay you for the GAS and food and a little extra for the road. AFTER they really, really want you and your basically at the negotiation table. REFUSE to work for free. Sometimes when big corporations throw a campaign and they won't pay the people featured but the exposure can help your image market abilities and sometimes they offer gifts so give in to the big guys to work for free because most of the time they give you something. Examples: CAR MAKERS, PRODUCT MAKERS, FAST FOOD CHAINS, NETWORK CONTESTS.

Step5

Micheal Madsen and Joseph Fiero Keep in contact with EVERYONE you ever meet that is in the entertainment industry and invite them to parties, events and to the local bar at times. If you feel that some of these people are using you or playing Hollywood games, kindly tell them you see threw them and walk away from the so called "friendship". Remember, most of the time when you meet people in the industry and they ask you "what do you do" they are really saying "what can you do for me". The point is FIND REAL FRIENDS that share a mutual interest in becoming rich and famous if thats your thing.

Step6

Joseph Fiero Signing Autographs Discover what the meaning of "struggling" means to you. For most it means not being on TV, Magazines and made into toy action figures, others it means not being casted in your local city theater. Remember its all about business and you yourself are a business. So what is your business model? If you want to become a famous or somewhat famous actor, skip to step 8.

Step7

Joseph Fiero on E! news After all this, don't sound desperate if you haven't seen anything happen because this only means your not doing one of the steps right. Instead focus on more publicity on yourself if you've already tried the above steps with no result. Most of the above steps really mean that you have no talent to do anything so you must focus on making yourself known and image liked by publicity either paid or free. Learn about publicity and how it works from this point.

Step8

Joseph Fiero, Co-Founder of GBTVOnline Find another career that makes you a lot of money, possibly investments, real estate or the lottery. Then pay a somewhat famous or once was famous actor to star in a movie that you wrote and find a distributor to put it into Walmart or Blockbuster OR pitch a TV show with someone famous in it and negotiate for you to be a co-star or at least reoccurring role.

Step9

A poster of Joseph Fiero Never settle for the scraps of a movie or one liners if you are with one of the top agencies if you have established yourself, talk to your agent and tell them to get you in on a bigger "package deal". Never feel that you don't deserve or can't do that role. If you don't know something but you said you did, go learn it before you shoot. So go get them tiger and see you around town! Read my other articles on acting too.

FieroEntertainment.com

CastingJoseph.com

FieroCasting.com

LifeAsAStrugglingActor.com

FieroPhotography.info

FieroDesigns

Joey Fiero is a Independent Producer and Filmmaker and a producer for Creative Entertainment Media Inc. (www.CreativeEntertainmentMedia.com) partially responsible for television/film development, acquisitions and business introductions. He Co-Founded GBTVOnline.com a online music network that showcases nothing but the hottest A-List celebrity artists along with fellow actor and producer Stacy Hall.

Mr. Fiero brings more then a decade of experience from within the entertainment industry that expands from the arts trenches to business product development. A graduate of Broadcasting in television combined with his years of experience as early as in his teens, Mr. Fiero prides himself on building long-term, personal relationships in business which he credits as the secret to his success. Joey Fiero formed Fiero Entertainment Inc. In 2006 and is expanding in all areas of the Entertainment Industry from Production and Development to Casting.

In addition to continuing on his career way, Mr. Fiero devotes part of his time to a non-profit foundation; Global Alliance for the Arts & Humanities Inc. This non-profit is designed to give others the training, experience and access of opportunity to pursue “key decision making” careers in the television and film industry.
Business Inquires: JosephFiero@gmail.com

http://lifeasastrugglingactor.com/

Starring Cast: Joey Fiero Actor, Producer, Director, Daddy. Jacquie Fiero Manager, Producer, Writer, Mommy. Joey Fiero Jr. Actor, Director, Comedian, Trouble Maker. Aly Fiero Actor, Model, Trouble Maker, Princess. More Episodes and Representation: The Fiero's on Youtube Life as a Struggling Actor on Youtube. Watch some of the first episodes that Joey filmed of his life as an actor with kids. Represtation TV/FILM Nancy Chaidez and Associates310.467.8954 Production Company C.E.M. Inc. P.O. Box 12801 Marina del Rey, CA 90295 Phone: 310.902.2326 323.533.6206 Fax: 310.822.4068 Executive Producers: Susan Flanagan, Bidwell Tyler, Joey Fiero Joey Fiero says he is a worldwide unknown star! His face and name has really been seen around the world on street curbs and sitting on trash cans. His mission is to become a high profile actor and producer inspiring the world with his movies. His wife Jacquie would like get into the marketing and advertising side of the industry. Their kids want nothing but to be actors and on TV kids shows. Follow this goofy fun family's and friends day to day lives and just see how many Hollywood adventures they get themselves into! SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! Check out our new online store! Every purchase helps The Fieros! Joey Fiero and his son Joey Jr. take us to a commercial audition for Wal-Mart. Joey Jr. takes over the camera for daddy! Joey takes us on a Latino Actor Fest where he meets new friends and other aspiring actors!

LifeAsAStrugglingActor.Com • CastingJoseph.com • FieroCasting.com © 2008 • WGA Registered

Bargaining toward a new deal between the union and the producers' group began on April 15. The actors' current contract expires on June 30.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, another actors' union, said separately that it had agreed at the producers' request to delay the beginning of its own contract negotiations until May 5.

The federation, whose contract also expires at the end of June, had expected to begin talks next Monday.