Studio Ghibli on DVD

[Michael Kerpan]

Is the R2 of Totoro a good release to buy or is it strongly recommended to go for the R3 releases? I've had Totoro sitting in my Amazon UK basket for about a year now.

Do NOT get the R2 Totoro -- it has dubtitles that are far more verbose than the dialog being subbed. Very frustrating and annoying -- the Korean DVD (which I also have) and HK and Taiwanese DVDs (by report) all have real subtitles.

[Murdoch]

Is the R2 of Totoro a good release to buy or is it strongly recommended to go for the R3 releases? I've had Totoro sitting in my Amazon UK basket for about a year now.

Do NOT get the R2 Totoro -- it has dubtitles that are far more verbose than the dialog being subbed. Very frustrating and annoying -- the Korean DVD (which I also have) and HK and Taiwanese DVDs (by report) all have real subtitles.

Wow, good to know. Okay, I'm going to spring for the R3 then. Thanks for the info!

[Michael Kerpan]

The only good thing about the R2 -- it has the classic (pre-Disney dub) -- and the cleaned up, widescreen image (unlike the Fox DVD). If you really want this for showing the film to little kids, then this is your only option. (When we showed the film to little kids, their parents read any necessary subs to their kids -- and the kids loved the Japanese version).

[manicsounds]

The only good thing about the R2 -- it has the classic (pre-Disney dub) -- and the cleaned up, widescreen image (unlike the Fox DVD). If you really want this for showing the film to little kids, then this is your only option. (When we showed the film to little kids, their parents read any necessary subs to their kids -- and the kids loved the Japanese version).

What do you mean? You don't specifically need the R2 Japanese disc for that.
Just pop in the US / UK / Korean, whatever disc in, turn on the Japanese, and turn on the subtitles. Then the parents can read out loud the actual "correct" subtitles, which I think is a better option than reading "dubtitles" out loud....

[Michael Kerpan]

In order to watch the Japanese version with little kids -- any subbed DVD (other than the Japanese one) will do.

However, if you happen to actually love the antique Totoro dub -- and want to display a nice restored version of the film along with it, the Japanese DVD is your only choice. So, if you like the old dub better than the new Disney one, then (and only then) this might be worth getting.

[manicsounds]

The UK disc has the old dub as I know

[Michael Kerpan]

The UK disc has the old dub as I know

How is the quality overall -- and does it have true subtitles?

[manicsounds]

Oops, my mistake, the UK Optimum has the new Disney dub, and it has true subtitles, and dubtitles too. Transfer is a PAL transfer, (Not NTSC to PAL like some of their other Ghibli titles)
PAL Optimum review

And of course, unlike the US version, it is still in print.
So no one is sure what is up with Disney taking this out of print. I don't get it either. Maybe a reissue when Ponyo comes out in December on DVD in the US? Then how come the other DVDs are still in print? Hmm...

[StevenJ0001]

The Japanese BD of Ponyo is being released December 8th with English subtitles (no English dub included). I guess a US BD is forthcoming also, but probably without this beautiful cover:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... december-8

[manicsounds]

That's not the cover....
That's the cover for the Bluray for the making-of, which is already out now.

[StevenJ0001]

That's not the cover....
That's the cover for the Bluray for the making-of, which is already out now.

Oh, oops! That will teach me for not learning to read Japanese.

[manicsounds]

Ponyo BD:

Japanese Version:
-Audio: Japanese PCM 2.0, Japanese DTS-HD, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese Dolby 2.0
-Subtitles: Japanese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese

English Version (with English Credits):
-Audio: English (format?)
-Subtitles: Japanese

-Full Storyboards (picture in picture)
-2 Trailers
-11 TV spots
-3 Tie-up TV spots
-2 Nihon TV spots
-Credit-less Ending
-Theme Song Announcement Event
-Voice Recording
-Japan Premier
-Hayao Miyazaki Interview
-Toshio Suzuki and Toshio Tsuchiya on Nihon TV
-Nihon TV News Zero Spinoff: The 5 Geniuses Behind Ponyo
-Footage of Hayao Miyazaki
-Footage of Venice Film Festival
-Music Video of the Ponyo Theme
-Korean Music Video of the Korean Ponyo Theme

Almost all of the extras are new. And the English dub is confirmed.

[StevenJ0001]

Nice!

[Nocturnaloner]

Any word or hint of a Spirited Away blu ray release?

[davebert]

I can't find my actual post to edit by searching, but since I started the rumor vine here that Ghibli and Disney were divorcing in this particular thread, I figure I should post an official backtrack. So far it looks like it was just some internal grumbling and a handful of "what if" meetings. Not sure why Swank has had the full slate pulled, though, but it has been almost a year since that happened, so it must be isolated from the rest of the discussion.

[swo17]

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 67#p253567" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 04#p254004" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So I believe Disney was originally planning to rerelease My Neighbor Totoro and possibly some other titles later this year. Where does this news put this? Used copies of Totoro are now going for $60+ on the usual auction sites. I probably should have just bit the bullet a few months ago when they were going for half that. ](*,)

[dx23]

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 67#p253567

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 04#p254004" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So I believe Disney was originally planning to rerelease My Neighbor Totoro and possibly some other titles later this year. Where does this news put this? Used copies of Totoro are now going for $60+ on the usual auction sites. I probably should have just bit the bullet a few months ago when they were going for half that. ](*,)

They are going for over $90 in new condition. I'm now thinking of selling my sealed one, since this will probably get released again down the road.

[mikkelmark]

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 67#p253567

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 04#p254004" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So I believe Disney was originally planning to rerelease My Neighbor Totoro and possibly some other titles later this year. Where does this news put this? Used copies of Totoro are now going for $60+ on the usual auction sites. I probably should have just bit the bullet a few months ago when they were going for half that. ](*,)

They are going for over $90 in new condition. I'm now thinking of selling my sealed one, since this will probably get released again down the road.

Sounds kinda sad, in Denmark it costs $8 in the shops, but im guessing you want it with english soundtrack, because the Danish version only has Danish and Japanese sound. Before you think about about moving to Denmark, let me just say that in stores they only sell films with danish subtitles, which limits the selection of older movies.

[perkizitore]

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 67#p253567

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/vie ... 04#p254004" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So I believe Disney was originally planning to rerelease My Neighbor Totoro and possibly some other titles later this year. Where does this news put this? Used copies of Totoro are now going for $60+ on the usual auction sites. I probably should have just bit the bullet a few months ago when they were going for half that. ](*,)

They are going for over $90 in new condition. I'm now thinking of selling my sealed one, since this will probably get released again down the road.

I was going to buy one last month for 25$, but i couldn't be bothered.

[dx23]

I can't find my actual post to edit by searching, but since I started the rumor vine here that Ghibli and Disney were divorcing in this particular thread, I figure I should post an official backtrack. So far it looks like it was just some internal grumbling and a handful of "what if" meetings. Not sure why Swank has had the full slate pulled, though, but it has been almost a year since that happened, so it must be isolated from the rest of the discussion.

You should mention to our friend ianungstad, since he is rolling around with that rumor, even asking Criterion in their Faceook page about them acquiring the rights.

[ianungstad]

I can't find my actual post to edit by searching, but since I started the rumor vine here that Ghibli and Disney were divorcing in this particular thread, I figure I should post an official backtrack. So far it looks like it was just some internal grumbling and a handful of "what if" meetings. Not sure why Swank has had the full slate pulled, though, but it has been almost a year since that happened, so it must be isolated from the rest of the discussion.

You should mention to our friend ianungstad, since he is rolling around with that rumor, even asking Criterion in their Faceook page about them acquiring the rights.

No need! Too bad IMO. It would be nice to see Ghibli discs in which the special features were more than interviews with the american screenwriters and voice over celebrities.

[davebert]

Yeah, I don't know what's happening with potential DVD releases, but my guess is they are still on track, since things seemed to have calmed down. There was some serious buzzing months ago that has since gone silent, so whether it was just an internal squabble getting hashed out in semi-public or a negotiation that has now progressed far enough that it requires more secrecy, I wouldn't know.

I certainly wouldn't splurge on any expensive OOP edition, and I guess you could sell your Totoros pretty safely if you have them, and expect to update later... that title is their bestseller by far, and any company would be stupid to keep it out of print for too long. I'll have to post mine this evening.

[swo17]

Thanks for the info, davebert. You just saved me $90!

[davebert]

My hope, as always, is that someone goes Blu-Ray on his catalog. Disney would actually be a more likely candidate to do this than many other studios, given their recent full embrace of the format, provided they can also bundle in an extra standard DVD edition and upcharge you for it. So we shall see... I would at least expect Ponyo to go Blu, if all the Tinkerbell CGI spinoffs deserve the treatment.

[tavernier]

Ponyo is coming out on DVD and Blu on December 8.