"I mustn't give up... I made a promise...!" GKids has unveiled an official Us trailer for the Japanese anime Mary and the Witch's Flower, made by Studio Ponoc. This film already opened in Japan in July, and we featured the Japanese trailers leading up to that release. Studio Ponoc is the spiritual successor to Studio Ghibli started by a bunch of former Ghibli animators. Their first film tells the story of a girl who discovers a broomstick and goes to a witches school only to learn that the animals are being kept in cages. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, with music by Takatsugu Muramatsu, based on "The Little Broomstick". This trailer features English language voices, since it will be released for one night in theaters dubbed in English. Check it out below if you're still interested. The English language version features the voice talents of Ruby Barnhill (from Spielberg's The Bfg), Kate Winslet,...
- 12/27/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
141 original scores just made the Oscar shortlist, meaning that we have no real idea which soundtracks will go on to be nominated for the actual Academy Award — “Phantom Thread” composer Jonny Greenwood looks poised to finally be recognized for his work, but might “Baywatch” be a spoiler? We simply don’t know, dear reader. We simply don’t know.
As you await the nominations — which will be announced on Tuesday, January 23 — treat yourself to this selection of tracks from the shortlist.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score
Read More:Oscars 2018: Best Original Score Shortlist Includes ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘All the Money in the World,’ and More
Here are the 141 scores vying for an Oscar nod:
“Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer
“All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer
“All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer
“Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer
“Band Aid,” Lucius, composer
“Battle of the Sexes,...
As you await the nominations — which will be announced on Tuesday, January 23 — treat yourself to this selection of tracks from the shortlist.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score
Read More:Oscars 2018: Best Original Score Shortlist Includes ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘All the Money in the World,’ and More
Here are the 141 scores vying for an Oscar nod:
“Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer
“All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer
“All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer
“Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer
“Band Aid,” Lucius, composer
“Battle of the Sexes,...
- 12/23/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
"That power will change the world." Studio Ponoc has revealed another new full-length trailer for their animated adventure film Mary and the Witch's Flower, opening in Japan this July. Studio Ponoc is the spiritual successor to Ghibli started by a bunch of former Ghibli animators. You can definitely see how this looks/feels very much like a Ghibli movie, which I think is a good thing. The best way to describe it might be a mashup of The Secret World of Arrietty and Castle in the Sky, but this is still has its own unique story about a girl who discovers a broomstick and goes to a witches school only to learn that the animals are being kept in cages. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, with music by Takatsugu Muramatsu, based on "The Little Broomstick". All these trailers are for the Japanese release, since there still isn't a Us release set yet.
- 6/9/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"Just for tonight... I'm a witch." Studio Ponoc out of Japan has released a second full-length trailer for their new animated adventure Mary and the Witch's Flower. This film is receiving quite a bit of attention because it's the first major feature made by a bunch of former Studio Ghibli animators who moved over to work at Studio Ponoc, which is the spiritual successor to Ghibli. And from this trailer, you can definitely see how this looks/feels very much like a Ghibli movie. It has cats and magic and cool fantasy elements. The best way to describe it might be a mashup of The Secret World of Arrietty and Castle in the Sky, but this is still has its own unique story. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, with music by Takatsugu Muramatsu, based on "The Little Broomstick" by Mary Stewart. It tells the story of a girl who discovers a...
- 4/13/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A new Studio Ghibli film?! Not quite. It's a new Studio Ponoc film. In fact, it's the first Studio Ponoc film, directed by the same filmmaker who worked at Studio Ghibli for years. Mary and the Witch's Flower is the new film from Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of of The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There, with music by Takatsugu Muramatsu, based on "The Little Broomstick" by Mary Stewart. It tells the story of a girl who discovers a broomstick and goes to a witches school only to learn that some animals are being kept in cages. This definitely looks and feels like a Ghibli film, no doubt, from all the stunning background art to the animation to the fantasy elements and characters. I want to see this sooner than later. First teaser trailer for Hiromasa Yonebayashi's Mary and the Witch's Flower, on YouTube (via Tfs...
- 12/15/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“So I sit in my room /After hours with the moon/ And think of who knows my name” sings Priscilla Ahn during the closing credits in an emotionally stirring theme song that graciously concludes one of the most profoundly moving cinematic experiences to be had this year. In her lyrics, Ahn flawlessly captures the resilient spirit and tragic melancholy that pervade Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s animated adaption of British writer Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 novel “When Marnie Was There.” Notably current while still unequivocally timeless, Studio Ghibli’s latest film was confected with equal doses of heart-rending drama and life-affirming beauty.
Replacing England with Hokkaido, Japan, a logical move to fully embed the narrative with Ghibli’s magical allure, Yonebayashi fittingly fabricated a small town surrounded by marshes that could accentuate the fluctuating emotional distance between the two protagonists and their worlds. Following a frightening asthma attack, Anna (Sara Takatsuki/Hailee Steinfeld), a quiet young girl from Sapporo, is sent to spend the summer with relatives in a picturesque seaside community. Yoriko (Nanako Matsushima/Geena Davis), Anna’s foster parent, makes the decision in an effort not only to improve her health, but also her interpersonal skills. Soon we discover that beneath Anna’s silence there is painful resentment towards Yoriko, who she refers to as “auntie” instead of mom.
As with a great number of the famed studio's legendary masterworks, their ability to observe childhood and adolescence with a delicate maturity and truthfulness is present here – a quality that’s often lacking in American fiction aimed at this demographic. Anna can be moody, dismissive, and mean at times, yet Yonebayashi treats these occasional outbursts not as flaws but as valuable nuances that deeply inform our perception of the character. Unlike Miyazaki’s Chihiro who transforms from a spoiled child into a caring daughter or even Takahata’s Kaguya and her journey between freedom and confinement, Anna’s core conflict is an issue of identity much less concerned with the otherworldly circumstances surrounding her than the other heroines. Anna is uncertain about the sincerity of Yoriko’s love, and that translates into troubling insecurities. That’s where the eponymous Marnie (Kasumi Arimura/Kiernan Shipka) comes in.
Settled into her temporary home with her nonchalant and affectionate adoptive aunt and uncle, Anna spends her days sketching and exploring nature. She avoids other kids her age and has learned to be comfortable by herself. But when she comes across an isolated old mansion beyond the marshes, an overwhelming need to know more about it takes over her. This imposing Marsh House has a hypnotizing pull, and up close, at least in Anna's eyes, it doesn’t seem to be abandoned - a beautiful blond girl can be seen from a window. Enticed by the mysterious aura of the place Anna can't help but return and this time she meets the vibrantly gorgeous and welcoming Marnie, who appears to be around the same age but exudes an enchanting glow from another time.
Immediately, the girls become inseparable and establish a secret friendship. Under the moonlight they share each other's secrets with the trust of old confidants. Anna finds in Marnie the companionship she was missing, but there is a magical spark between them that will prove to be more than a coincidence. Still, even as comforting as spending time with her new friend is, Anna suspects that she has tapped into something beyond reality. Expertly structured to reveal itself with cautious pace, Yonebayashi's magnificent tale of unconditional love and forgiveness confronts the viewer with a number of plot twists and measured revelations that never blatantly point to its tempestuous conclusion. Marnie could simply be a coping mechanism for Anna to battle loneliness, a vision from a different era, or a tangible memory.
It's the heartwarming and intensely depicted bond between these longing souls that renders the film utterly devastating. They are connected through the shared pain of loss and their unfortunate destinies. Intelligently, the affecting topics discerned in "Marnie" are not toned down or simplified but affronted through the characters' conviction to overcome, and it's absolutely touching. Adoption, neglect, and even despair appear on screen as situations that are unquestionably rough but never unbeatable. Hope is another color Yonebayashi's uses to paint his frames.
Radiant landscapes, as luminous as masterful watercolors, are the backdrop for Ghibli's eternally detailed and uniquely stylized animation. Although "Marnie" doesn't exist in a fully fantastical realm as Yonebayashi's debut film "The Secret World of Arrietty" - which is the highest grossing Ghibli release in North America - this follow up uses those elements subtly and in a way that is cohesive with the subject at hand. It's a distinct form of fantasy that's derived not from an alternate reality, but from the vivid memories of past disillusionment sipping into the present to be be rectified. Needless to say the quality of the craft employed is reminiscent of the studio's best work, yet "Marnie" is destined to become a classic on its own merits.
Elegantly scored by renowned composer Takatsugu Muramatsu, this intimate film is a pleasure to watch because its emotive powers are fueled by every element at work, up to the last note on Ahn's poignant song "Fine on the Outside." More than just a visually delightful tearjerker, "When Marnie Was There" is an animated lullaby that reassures our broken hearts will eventually heal, even from the most indomitable tricks of fate.
"When Marnie Was There" opens today at the Nuart in L.A and in NYC at IFC Center...
Replacing England with Hokkaido, Japan, a logical move to fully embed the narrative with Ghibli’s magical allure, Yonebayashi fittingly fabricated a small town surrounded by marshes that could accentuate the fluctuating emotional distance between the two protagonists and their worlds. Following a frightening asthma attack, Anna (Sara Takatsuki/Hailee Steinfeld), a quiet young girl from Sapporo, is sent to spend the summer with relatives in a picturesque seaside community. Yoriko (Nanako Matsushima/Geena Davis), Anna’s foster parent, makes the decision in an effort not only to improve her health, but also her interpersonal skills. Soon we discover that beneath Anna’s silence there is painful resentment towards Yoriko, who she refers to as “auntie” instead of mom.
As with a great number of the famed studio's legendary masterworks, their ability to observe childhood and adolescence with a delicate maturity and truthfulness is present here – a quality that’s often lacking in American fiction aimed at this demographic. Anna can be moody, dismissive, and mean at times, yet Yonebayashi treats these occasional outbursts not as flaws but as valuable nuances that deeply inform our perception of the character. Unlike Miyazaki’s Chihiro who transforms from a spoiled child into a caring daughter or even Takahata’s Kaguya and her journey between freedom and confinement, Anna’s core conflict is an issue of identity much less concerned with the otherworldly circumstances surrounding her than the other heroines. Anna is uncertain about the sincerity of Yoriko’s love, and that translates into troubling insecurities. That’s where the eponymous Marnie (Kasumi Arimura/Kiernan Shipka) comes in.
Settled into her temporary home with her nonchalant and affectionate adoptive aunt and uncle, Anna spends her days sketching and exploring nature. She avoids other kids her age and has learned to be comfortable by herself. But when she comes across an isolated old mansion beyond the marshes, an overwhelming need to know more about it takes over her. This imposing Marsh House has a hypnotizing pull, and up close, at least in Anna's eyes, it doesn’t seem to be abandoned - a beautiful blond girl can be seen from a window. Enticed by the mysterious aura of the place Anna can't help but return and this time she meets the vibrantly gorgeous and welcoming Marnie, who appears to be around the same age but exudes an enchanting glow from another time.
Immediately, the girls become inseparable and establish a secret friendship. Under the moonlight they share each other's secrets with the trust of old confidants. Anna finds in Marnie the companionship she was missing, but there is a magical spark between them that will prove to be more than a coincidence. Still, even as comforting as spending time with her new friend is, Anna suspects that she has tapped into something beyond reality. Expertly structured to reveal itself with cautious pace, Yonebayashi's magnificent tale of unconditional love and forgiveness confronts the viewer with a number of plot twists and measured revelations that never blatantly point to its tempestuous conclusion. Marnie could simply be a coping mechanism for Anna to battle loneliness, a vision from a different era, or a tangible memory.
It's the heartwarming and intensely depicted bond between these longing souls that renders the film utterly devastating. They are connected through the shared pain of loss and their unfortunate destinies. Intelligently, the affecting topics discerned in "Marnie" are not toned down or simplified but affronted through the characters' conviction to overcome, and it's absolutely touching. Adoption, neglect, and even despair appear on screen as situations that are unquestionably rough but never unbeatable. Hope is another color Yonebayashi's uses to paint his frames.
Radiant landscapes, as luminous as masterful watercolors, are the backdrop for Ghibli's eternally detailed and uniquely stylized animation. Although "Marnie" doesn't exist in a fully fantastical realm as Yonebayashi's debut film "The Secret World of Arrietty" - which is the highest grossing Ghibli release in North America - this follow up uses those elements subtly and in a way that is cohesive with the subject at hand. It's a distinct form of fantasy that's derived not from an alternate reality, but from the vivid memories of past disillusionment sipping into the present to be be rectified. Needless to say the quality of the craft employed is reminiscent of the studio's best work, yet "Marnie" is destined to become a classic on its own merits.
Elegantly scored by renowned composer Takatsugu Muramatsu, this intimate film is a pleasure to watch because its emotive powers are fueled by every element at work, up to the last note on Ahn's poignant song "Fine on the Outside." More than just a visually delightful tearjerker, "When Marnie Was There" is an animated lullaby that reassures our broken hearts will eventually heal, even from the most indomitable tricks of fate.
"When Marnie Was There" opens today at the Nuart in L.A and in NYC at IFC Center...
- 5/22/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.