The release dates for this and Kiki's Delivery Service are now both blank. I wonder if there's been a delay.
Both have now been dispatched to me:-
KIKI on the 22/2 with estimated delivery on the 25/2
MONONOKE on the 23/2 (today) with estimated delivery on the 26/2
KIKI arrived today - love it as much as the other four from 2013
Hopefully MONONOKE tomorrow or Friday at the latest.
A few snippets of (useless) trivia about this film:-
- Studio Ghibli is famous for its "no edits" policy in licencing its films abroad due to NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND being heavily edited for the film's release in the U.S. as WARRIORS OF THE WIND. The "No cuts" policy was highlighted when Miramax co-chairman, Harvey Weinstein, (who was charged with handling the U.S. release of the film) suggested editing PRINCESS MONONOKE to make it more marketable and it was rumoured that Miyazaki sent a Samurai sword (or katana) in the post to Weinstein and attached to the blade was the stark message "no cuts". Miyazaki denied this and reportedly said with a laugh "Actually, my producer did that".
- First Miyazaki feature to use computer graphics.
- First SG film to use digital colouring.
- First animated feature in Japan's history to gross more than 10 Billion Yen (11.3 billion) at the box office with a domestic total of almost 15 billion yen and was 1997's highest grossing film in Japan until "Titanic" was released latest that year.
- Miyazaki preferred the title THE STORY/LEGEND OF ASHITAKA for this feature but the producer, Toshio Suzuki, favoured PRINCESS MONONOKE.
- First animated film ever to win a National Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year.
EDIT 26/2: MONONOKE arrived yesterday and printed on the j-card is the blurb "the Star Wars of animated features".
A quick pic of the SG released SBs in the U.K. alongside the regular Amarays of the same films and the OCD collector will know which ones he/she prefers.
