Miyazaki, Oshii, Kitano going to Venice

[ryuk007]

The 65th Venice Film Festival has unveiled its lineup, which includes three of Japan's most acclaimed directors in the running for the Golden Lion. Among the 21 films in the competition category are Takeshi Kitano's "Achilles to Kame" ("Achilles and the Tortoise"), Hayao Miyazaki's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" ("Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea"), and Mamoru Oshii's "The Sky Crawlers."

In addition to those three films, the China-Brazil-Japan collaboration "Plastic City" has been chosen for competition. Directed by Yu Lik Wai and produced by Jia Zhangke, the movie features Japanese actor Joe Odagiri in a major role.

Outside of the competition category, the festival will screen the 1937 film "Ketto Takadanobaba," directed by Masahiro Makino and Hiroshi Inagaki, and the just-released "Guilala no Gyakushu: Toyako Summit Kiki Ippatsu" ("Monster X Strikes Back: Attack The G8 Summit!") by Minoru Kawasaki.

The Venice Film Festival is being held from August 27 to September 6.

-Tokyograph

[Cloud9]

I still doesn't find a movie by Mamoru Oshii, but the works of Kitano-sama and Miyazaki-sama were great! "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" will became one of my everloved movies of this year!!!

[sakuma2]

Hayao Miyazaki's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" ("Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea") is so great movie I like so much all miyasaki san

[snowii77]

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea was a huge hit overseas. The theme sone is out of control, its popularity in Japan is everywhere, with to many remixes.

We will probably never see Ponyo until licensing is all legit. I have seen a bootleg copy on line with bad sound and the occasional person getting up in the theatre. The movie itself felt short compared to other Miyazaki films. I couldn't help feeling there was a underlining social message throughout the film. Like a self destruction of Japan message.

[mbot]

The Mamoru Oshii movie, Sky Crawlers, is suppose to be mediocre. His remake of Ghost in the Shell in CG was pretty bad. If you want to see him in his prime, look at this old stuff like Patlabor or Ghost in the Shell movies. Those were and still are highly rated. His new stuff is just off the mark.