The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews
The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews |
| In Hayao Miyazaki's shadow Posted: Asia's animators draw inspiration from the Japanese maestro but could be hard pressed to emulate his success. AS Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki heads into retirement, industry watchers say the next generation of Asian filmmakers stepping out of his shadow will struggle to match the Japanese master's box office domination. "The view here is that there will be no 'second Miyazaki'," Tokyo-based author and film critic Mark Schilling says. The market for Asian animation is dominated by children's films, Schilling said, and not the more adult-themed productions Miyazaki became famous for, such as his Oscar-winning Spirited Away in 2002. The 72-year-old director last month shocked the industry – and his legions of fans – by announcing he was walking away from directing. The decision was made even as Miyazaki's latest production The Wind Rises – a look at the life of the man who invented Japan's Mitsubishi Zero fighter airplane – continues to dominate the box office in Japan. It has collected an estimated US$115mil (RM364.5mil) in takings since its July release. That success follows impressive global totals from Miyazaki's Spirited Away (US$274.9mil / RM871.4mil), 2004's Howl's Moving Castle (US$235.2mil / RM745.6mil) and 2008's Ponyo (US$201.8mil / RM639.7mil). The Wind Rises is scheduled to begin hitting screens in Europe and the United States from January. Schilling – who translated the Miyazaki-themed book Princess Mononoke: The Art And Making Of Japan's Most Popular Film Of All Time – said audience figures for many animators working in a similar hand-drawn style would inevitably fade. "None of their films have scaled the Miyazaki-like box-office heights and it's hard to see how they can in the future." Small market The small marketplace has not deterred 35-year-old Yeon Sang-Ho, whose second feature The Fake was a hit with critics at the Busan International Film Festival held earlier this month. "Animated films for adults are actually rare," he says on the sidelines of the festival. "So even when a film gets money invested in it, it's still difficult to get it released. "Animators like me will just have to make people become more familiar with animation by making more films."  Undeterred: The small market for hand-drawn animation has not put off Yeon Sang-Ho, whose second feature The Fake was a hit with critics at Busan. Despite being lauded by critics – and picking up three awards at Busan in 2011 – Yeon's debut The King Of Pigs did not recoup its US$150,000 (RM475,500) budget from box office takings. Undeterred, Yeon has infused his latest production with a similar brand of savage and profane social comment as he explores the story of a man locked in battle with an unscrupulous church leader. The director, while acknowledging that the market for more mature-themed animation in Asia was small, says the reaction to his first feature and the inspiration he drew from the likes of Miyazaki and the manga artist Minoru Furuya (Himizu) had made him fiercely determined to continue developing his own style. His films are noted for their ultra-realistic mix of computer-generated and hand-drawn images. Creative control Also capturing the attention of both critics and the audience in Busan was 23-year-old Korean Han Yeo-ul, whose The Child Who Draws An Octopus was the only piece of animation in the running for the festival's major prize for Korean short films (unfortunately, it did not win).  Animator Han Yeo-ul feels the medium gives her a better opportunity to communicate with her audience because 'you can express yourself more (in animation) than in other films. It is a very personal thing.' Han's production uses a very child-like cut-out style which belies the weighty issues it conveys. "Animation allows me to capture the innocence of childhood," she says. "You can capture how the world looks through a child's eyes but still look at serious issues." While Han also acknowledges the market is small, she says it gives her freedom to communicate more directly with her audience."You can express yourself more (in animation) than in other films. It is a very personal thing." – AFP |
| Posted: The adoringly brash and conniving ghost is set to make a comeback. American filmmaker Tim Burton is preparing to produce a sequel to his 1988 comedy starring the rude yet lovable ghost. The Beetlejuice 2 project, which has been under discussion at Warner Bros for a number of years now, seems to finally be taking shape. According to details reported by Schmoesknow.com and confirmed by the Hollywood trade press, Burton has agreed to co-produce the feature. Michael Keaton, who has expressed his particular fondness for the character he brought to the screen in 1988, is expected to return to the role for the sequel.  A scene from Beetlejuice, which was released in 1988. The storyline for Beetlejuice 2 is currently in development by producer David Katzenberg and writer Seth Grahame-Smith, who authored the parody novel Pride And Prejudice And Zombies and the screenplay for Burton's Dark Shadows. Beetlejuice was one of Tim Burton's earliest Hollywood films. — AFP Relaxnews |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Movies To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan