Spirited Away Back on the Big Screen

Great news my fellow animation lovers, Spirited Away one of the best films of recent years is returning to American theaters. This will happen on December, 4th and December 5th. The dubbed version will be shown on December 4th, and the subtitled version will be shown on December 5th for the film's 15th anniversary. If you haven't seen this film you need to see it, as it is a modern day masterpiece. If you have seen this film try to see it on the big screen.


You can find dates and places here: http://www.fathomevents.com/event/spirited-away/more-info/details. Hope you can make it.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Only Yesterday's Theatrical Release in the U.S.A. on February 26

As I have mentioned in a previous post Only Yesterday is the only Studio Ghibli film not to be readily available to American audiences. However it is finally going to be released in the U.S.. It will be released theatrically nation wide on February 26, 2016, and will later be released on Blu-Ray and DVD. It will however have a U.S. premiere showing in New York on January 1st. So be excited my fellow Studio Ghibli fans, I know I am.




-Michael J. Ruhland

Only Yesterday to get U.S. Release

Great news fellow American Studio Ghibli fans. Isoa Takahata's 1991 film Only Yesterday is finally going to get a U.S. release in 2016. This has been the only Ghibli film not to be released in the U.S.. So for us American Fans this is a new page in the history of not only one of the greatest animation studios to ever exist, but also one of the greatest film studios to ever exist.

This film is going to get both a Blu-ray/DVD release and a theatrical release. This is going to be brought to us by the company Gkids. So be excited everyone, I know I am.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Turner Classic Movies Animation Marathon on October 6th

Great news fellow animation lovers on Monday October 6th Turner Classic Movies is going to give us marathon of classic animation rarely seen on TV today. It begins at 5pm pacific time or 8pm Eastern time.

The marathon will began with some shorts from animation pioneer, and one of the greats in the history of animation Winsor McCay. Then some shorts from animation pioneer John Randolph Bray, who created the character of Colonel Heeza Liar (based off President Theodore Roosevelt). Some of the cartoons from John Randolph Bray feature animation by future Woody Woodpecker co-creator Walter Lantz (the other co-creator was Ben "Bugs" Hardaway (the name sake for Bugs Bunny)). Next up comes some cartoons from the Van Buren studio, who gave us the now forgotten "Rainbow Parade" cartoon series. Coming up next is "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926), the earliest surviving animated feature film ("The Apostle" (1917), and "Without a Trace" (1918) (both directed by Argentine animation pioneer Quirino Cristiani) came before but they are considered lost today). This masterpiece of a film is directed by Lotte Reingner, Queen of Silhouette animation. The animation and story telling of this film still holds up very well today, and not only remains an animated classic, but one of the best German films from the silent era. Next up comes The Fleisher Brothers first feature length film "Gulliver's Travel". I already talked about this great movie in a previous post so I won't go that much into it now. Next up comes the 1960 anime "Magic Boy". Lastly comes "The Phantom Tollbooth" (1969) directed by animation legend (a title he received for good reason) Chuck Jones. This is one of the only two feature films by Chuck Jones (the other being "The Bugs Bunny/ Roadrunner Movie" (1979)), and it is a film worthy of the legend who created it. Hopefully you tune in as well. This promises to be a fun night.

-Michael J. Ruhland

American Realese of "The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya"

Like I am sure many American fans of Studio Ghilbi are I am annoyed at having to wait longer for their films than I should have to since I have to wait for a dubbed version to be completed when I am perfectly satisfied with a subtitled version . This is nothing against people who prefer dubs. Great art should be enjoyed by anyone in the way they prefer to see it, and even though I prefer subtitles, I can still enjoy a dub. I am just impatient.

Anyway, on October 17 "The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya" will be released in America. This film is directed by Isao Takahata, who brought us the masterpiece "Grave of the Fireflies". The Dubbed version will be released though G-Kids, and feature the voices of James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, James Marsden, Oliver Platt and Dean Cain.

-Michael J. Ruhland