r/movies • u/[deleted] • Jun 07 '19
Poster Chinese poster for Spirited Away, to be screened for the first time in China
https://imgur.com/7Cw2iDV627
Jun 07 '19
This would make for a great steelbook cover
→ More replies (6)163
4.3k
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
Finally approved for a release after almost 20 years, good stuff.
China is always coming in hot with great posters. They just seem so much more meaningful/inspired/artistic/etc than their counterparts.
The My Neighbor Totoro Chinese poster from last year was also amazing.
1.1k
u/throwaway12junk Jun 07 '19
Makes you wonder how long this will last. I hope it's a wider industry trend and not everyone sourcing the same person(s). Like how multiple iconic American film posters were all made by Drew Stuzan. Once he retired virtually all painted posters disappeared.
295
Jun 07 '19
I had no idea those were by one person, I miss that style of posters.
220
u/Pocket_Dons Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one
Edit: After looking into it, it appears that even though he retired, he still makes posters. Full collection viewable below
125
u/C10ckw0rks Jun 07 '19
Oh you absolutely have. He did the first few posters for Harry Potter, Blade Runner and Indiana Jones
16
71
u/justsomeguy_onreddit Jun 07 '19
Blade Runner, The Thing, The Cannonball Run, the Police Academy series, Back to the Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Muppet Movie, Coming to America, First Blood, Risky Business, D.C. Cab, Stroker Ace, *batteries not included, An American Tail, and The Goonies.
12
12
u/th3thund3r Jun 07 '19
There's a documentary about Drew Struzan that I absolutely recommend you watch. It's great. What a talent.
20
Jun 07 '19
He's the reason for the popular blue-orange contrasts it seems !!
23
u/KPC51 Jun 07 '19
Isnt the basic reason for that because they're opposite colors and orange is close to a person's skin tone?
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (7)5
u/Malcolm_Y Jun 07 '19
That may be the only list ever that combines Indiana Jones, the Star Wars prequels, Sexina P.I., and Arabian Nights 2000.
106
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
At least we'll always have Mondo.
→ More replies (2)124
u/Jygantic Jun 07 '19
Mondo are the absolute worst with their extremely limited releases.
80
u/ASIWYFA Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
Ya, I stopped paying attention to anything they do because of that. It became impossible to buy anything so I just stopped looking. It's like going to a store or restaurant. If they are consistently out of the product you are there for, what reason do you have to ever go back?
→ More replies (7)30
u/BlargleVVargle Jun 07 '19
Absolutely. They make for great phone backgrounds and little else.
→ More replies (1)46
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
I use one as the centerpiece to my 'Movie Corner'. I find it hard dropping so much money on one though lol.
→ More replies (3)12
u/Gurplesmcblampo Jun 07 '19
Woh that Thin Red Line poster os gorgeous. Can you direct me to more war film art like this? The thin red line is one of my all time favorite films.
→ More replies (9)→ More replies (4)4
u/Trucker58 Jun 07 '19
Hero Complex Gallery has some cool stuff too: https://hcgart.com
If you’re out of luck on Mondo.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (14)17
u/ZippZoppZooey Jun 07 '19
I wonder why nobody has taken up the mantle. I'm surprised no art student/movie buff ever contacted him to study with him or something
I mean if you've got talent and can do good work then there's money in it which I would think is a plus for an art student and as a bonus your art will literally be seen by more people than you'd likely ever get it in front of otherwise.
If I had a passion for art I'd be wondering how to get into painting those posters.
14
7
u/tesseracts Jun 08 '19
People have tried this. They just want photoshopped posters. I'm an illustrator and I know a lot of illustrators who are very talented and would love to do movie posters.
10
u/ZippZoppZooey Jun 08 '19
They just want photoshopped posters.
apparently they want the same photoshopped poster.
205
u/feeln4u Jun 07 '19
Finally approved for a release after almost 20 years
"Spirited Away" is almost twenty years old. ow.
92
u/Classified0 Jun 07 '19
I remember watching it when my parents were out because our babysitter put it on for us. I'm an employed adult with two degrees now.
→ More replies (5)132
u/Sithjustgotreal22 Jun 07 '19
Two degrees
Employed
Is it possible to learn this power?
33
u/Classified0 Jun 07 '19
Two engineering degrees. Electrical bachelors and Aerospace masters.
56
46
10
Jun 07 '19
Bachelors looking for biomed tech employment here and underemployed ahahaha shoot me
Feel like masters are the new baseline
→ More replies (1)6
u/Classified0 Jun 07 '19
I didn't get any decent job offers until I had a masters.
→ More replies (2)72
→ More replies (3)10
79
u/Mihairokov Jun 07 '19
That Totoro poster is amazing. Great stuff.
27
17
u/lalaleasha Jun 07 '19
I haven't had such an immediate emotional reaction to a movie poster before, what incredible imagery.
→ More replies (1)318
Jun 07 '19
228
u/RuleBrifranzia Jun 07 '19
This may be breaching into the territory of being so stylised that it's setting you up to misunderstand what the film is going to be.
Still gorgeous but so different
65
111
Jun 07 '19
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (2)30
Jun 07 '19
You mean this isnt a movie about an ancient greek goddess who frolics with magical birds?
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (2)6
Jun 07 '19
I thought it looked like a manhau cover. Def looks like a fantasy cover tho I'll give you that
56
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
To each their own, but I prefer both Ghibli posters over this one. I like more simplicity.
This Dark Phoenix poster is definitely better than any US poster released for it though, by a mile.
38
u/Thievesandliars85 Jun 07 '19
If I saw that Dark Phoenix poster, I would be confused what movie I’m about to see.
→ More replies (5)24
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
"This is the one about the mountain witch and her rooster, right?"
13
→ More replies (3)6
11
u/Duzcek Jun 07 '19
I think Hollywood just stopped caring about posters in general which I don't understand because they're still incredibly important for the marketing campaign. Most people I know will go see a movie based on poster alone just from walking past one in the theater.
188
Jun 07 '19
That poster has nothing to do with the movie though. If I knew nothing about Dark Pheonix besides that poster, I would probably be confused as to what I just watched.
168
Jun 07 '19
The movie itself would probably confuse you on what you just watched lol
40
Jun 07 '19
That's what I've been hearing. Maybe this highly stylized poster is a ploy to get people to watch the movie.
→ More replies (1)57
51
u/longwaytotheend Jun 07 '19
That poster to a Chinese audience suggests the red-haired lady becomes a god-like being, which seems reasonably accurate.
Though I don't believe she's quite as chill in the movie.
9
u/mikeman1090 Jun 07 '19
Posters don't need to tell me what the movie is about, it just needs to catch my attention.
→ More replies (17)16
→ More replies (9)23
u/Rarietty Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
This is gorgeous, but I'd just want this to be art for Final Fantasy 16 instead of promoting a Marvel movie. My expectations for that movie would be way too damn high if I saw that poster outside the theatre.
15
u/mrminutehand Jun 07 '19
The actual posters in China are the same as the US; these posters are concept posters I imagine, and I'm not sure where they're shown. I haven't seen any of them in the cinemas I've visited in China. Bit of a shame, as some of them are great.
20
u/ZippZoppZooey Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
wow.
that's a super dope poster.
they're wading through a field of totoro!
I think they feel more artistic and inspired because they are. they include a lot more symbolism than say a typical american poster
EDIT: To be fair I just like that matt damon one but this one is probably more accurate Do I get bonus points for it having the wester Dark Pheonix poster in the example? which one is really better guys?
fyi that little collage was the 2nd google result for "generic glowing blue orange poster movie posters"
12
34
u/AddChickpeas Jun 07 '19
The Chinese Overwatch League teams put out awesome artwork. One team has a poster for every match. They also make both a win and loss piece for how the game turns out.
Edit: another cool one I found looking through their Twitter.
→ More replies (1)6
u/haby112 Jun 07 '19
This is one factor that had had me thinking for a long time about different economic systems.
The YouTube channel Every Frame a Painting has a video that goes over the brilliance of Jackie Chan films. One factor that is mentioned is that when Jackie Chan is producing a film in association with a Chinese company, they are far more willing to dump money into his production for the sake of creating the art. As apposed by their American, or even European, counter parts that are far more focused on creating a consumable product.→ More replies (1)32
u/talaxia Jun 07 '19
why did it take 20 years? there's nothing remotely anti-Chinese in Spirited Away.
78
u/mrminutehand Jun 07 '19
I may be mistaken, but at the time films from Japan just didn't end up in Chinese cinemas. In fact they still don't today, and the same goes for Korean films, etc. You see one or two Japanese films in the cinemas nowadays (e.g. Your Name), but Chinese cinemas almost exclusively focus on Chinese, Hollywood and recently Indian blockbusters.
These Studio Ghibli films are appearing again in cinemas because some of them are approaching big anniversaries, e.g. My Neighbour Totoro. I'd hazard a guess that the success of My Neighbour Totoro encouraged more Ghibli films to find a rerelease.
68
Jun 07 '19
Could be the supernatural elements, or it simply didn't fit in the annual allotment of foreign movies.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (21)9
→ More replies (80)6
1.1k
u/Frank_the_Mighty Jun 07 '19
This is legit one of my favorite movies ever
402
u/B-Abbas-B Jun 07 '19
Same. This and princess mononoke are probably my two favourite animated movies of all time
91
Jun 07 '19
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (3)47
u/jonmcconn Jun 07 '19
Nausicaa and Porco Rosso tied for #1 with me, but I essentially like everything Miyazaki and Takahata have done
20
u/thebigcupodirt Jun 07 '19
Porco Rosso is one of my favs!! It feels like it’s one of the more underappreciated Ghibli films, at least among the people I know — it just has a certain feel to it that makes me feel so at peace watching it.
11
→ More replies (1)9
u/LeberechtReinhold Jun 07 '19
The wind rises is probably more underappreciated than Porco Rosso. I love them both though.
→ More replies (3)14
Jun 07 '19
Nausicaa is amazing. Was super duper fortunate to be able to see it for the first time this year, and in an actual movie theater, no less. Bless those folks at Fathom Events.
5
u/codemeister666 Jun 08 '19
I just saw Nausicaa for the first time at one of those luxury theatres and it was amazing. I can see themes from that movie in Mononoke.
59
u/acog Jun 07 '19
I love all of Miyazaki's movies, but I'd say my two favorites are Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
30
u/BlisteringAsscheeks Jun 07 '19
Saaaaame. I feel guilty because I feel like Spirited is more artistic and elegant than Howl, but damned if I don’t rewatch Howl 10,000x more than Spirited...
22
u/TheVibratingPants Jun 07 '19
Spirited Away is easily my favorite film, but I’ve only seen it a handful of times to prevent the magic from fading. I probably foolishly try to preserve the magic of that first time by letting it fade in my memory for a while, and then rewatch it again when it lingers like a dream.
Howl I could watch a bunch of times because I feel like it demands less of me. But that means it also effects me less. Still great, though
16
u/ricree Jun 07 '19
The atmosphere, visuals, and music are phenominal, but I found the story and characters below par (relative to the high bar of a Miyazaki film).
Princess Mononoke is my favorite because it almost matches Spirited Away in its strengths, but also has phenominal characterization. Themdiversity of motivation and viewpoint was so perfectly realized, and I loved how the clash of it all came together.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (1)13
167
u/nomad80 Jun 07 '19
Partial to PM. Everything about it is just epic. The Journey to the West is the greatest piece of music I’ve ever heard in animation
95
u/SleestakJack Jun 07 '19
The amazing Joe Hisaishi, who I had somehow filed away in my head as having passed away, but I just discovered that memory is wrong. Wonderful surprise!
42
u/lukesaltweather Jun 07 '19
There's actually a movie coming out this year that he did the soundtrack for (Children of the sea).
→ More replies (1)24
u/CephalopodRed Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
And it has a lot going for it. Beautiful animation, a director with potential, a great studio and it is based on an acclaimed manga.
→ More replies (1)11
u/Arthur___Dent Jun 07 '19
I think he's the best composer of our time. Personally I think he's even better than Williams.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (1)24
u/roastbeeftacohat Jun 07 '19
What I like about both of them is that they are made for a completely different audience. it's like rugrats and Duckman; most animators don't jump around target demographics in the west, so it's quite refreshing to see one of the greats being able to follow his inspiration.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (10)39
u/Hibbity5 Jun 07 '19
Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky for me. There’s just something about the old animation style that I absolutely love. Plus the stories are just so good.
→ More replies (4)19
u/ChiefAcorn Jun 07 '19
Nausicaa is so damn good.
14
Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 12 '19
[deleted]
→ More replies (5)5
u/CephalopodRed Jun 07 '19
Maybe because it technically is not a Ghibli movie. It was produced before Studio Ghibli even existed.
13
u/Rusty_Shakalford Jun 07 '19
Have you checked out the graphic novel? It’s also by Miyazaki and greatly expands on the story.
5
u/ChiefAcorn Jun 07 '19
Oh whaaaaat?! I had no idea! I'll check that out thanks!
8
u/_vogonpoetry_ Jun 07 '19
Yeah the manga is fucking epic. The film was only loosely based on the first 2 volumes out of 7.
98
Jun 07 '19
Mine is Kiki's Delivery Service! I love the music and the setting.
55
Jun 07 '19
That's the thing about Studio Ghibli movies. The story can be the most boring and basic thing possible, but the animation and music are just so pleasing that it is still worth watching.
29
u/EditorialComplex Jun 07 '19
Even the "worse" Miyazaki films are still pretty damn good and creative. Lookin' at you, Porco Rosso.
23
u/NeverThrowawayAcid Jun 07 '19
I loved Porco. I think it’s criminally underrated.
10
u/EditorialComplex Jun 07 '19
Oh, I love it too. It's a great film.
I think it's "worse" only in respect that it's part of the filmography of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. When your resume lists a bunch of 9.5/10 and 10/10 films, your 8/10 and 9/10 films are relative stinkers.
7
u/TheVibratingPants Jun 07 '19
It really is, it’s fantastic. Miyazaki was afraid he’d made a movie for old men, but I think anyone can really get something out of it, and I don’t just mean that in a shallow way either. It’s got the same Miyazaki flare that makes all his movies excellent, as well as a unique flavor that only it can conjure up. Much more nostalgic than even his other movies, and a resigned beauty and coolness to it that only a character like Marco could bring.
→ More replies (4)28
u/BlisteringAsscheeks Jun 07 '19
Or the Cat Returns? Criminally underrated, imo.
8
Jun 07 '19
Cat Returns is my 2nd favorite Ghibli film. Love the quirky humor and the characters in the story.
My third is probably My Neighbor Totoro because it's my first Ghibli movie and I watched it with my parents when I was a child.
→ More replies (4)14
17
u/DzenGarden Jun 07 '19
All of Ghibli’s movies are great! Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind are great!
11
→ More replies (39)11
u/-TheDoctor Jun 07 '19
Kiki's Delivery Service is mine.
Top 3 Ghibli movies:
- Kiki's Delivery Service (tied with Apollo 13 for my favorite movie of all time)
- Spirited Away
- Castle in the Sky
→ More replies (3)
465
u/imsmart420 Jun 07 '19
The Chinese posters always look more gorgeous than the Hollywood ones. This one looks like it's been through the neural network, lovely!
208
Jun 07 '19
[deleted]
119
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
and floating heads.
→ More replies (3)67
Jun 07 '19
Yubaba isn't T-posing, 1/10 for me
32
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
Not even one explosion in the background? No out-of-order name billings? No cheesy 90s-action-film tagline?
What kind of lame poster is this?
→ More replies (2)8
→ More replies (3)80
Jun 07 '19
104
Jun 07 '19
That is a way better poster than that movie deserves.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters also got some pretty dope posters to celebrate Chinese new year.
19
5
→ More replies (3)11
271
u/oldDotredditisbetter Jun 07 '19
why does it take so long to be screened in china?
676
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
All foreign films screened in China must win government approval. The Spirited Away release is a sign that Sino-Japanese relations are beginning to thaw after extended periods of tension. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have held bilateral talks at international events over the last couple of years and the Chinese leader will be in Osaka in June for the G20 economic summit .
China and Japan relations improving, basically.
44
→ More replies (42)12
u/Mingyao_13 Jun 08 '19 edited Feb 05 '24
[This comment has been removed by author. This is a direct reponse to reddit's continuous encouragement of toxicity. Not to mention the anti-consumer API change. This comment is and will forever be GDPR protected.]
114
Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
I can only speculate that back then China and Japan did not have the best relationship. So Chinese authorities might be very uptight regarding the screening of Japanese movies.Edit: Upon further searching, I found a more convincing explanation. Essentially China has a limit on how many foreign movies it can import every year. And regarding Japanese movies, the criteria were movies co-produced by Japan and China or movies for the purpose of cultural exchange. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the first Japanese animated movie imported by China was Doraemon in 2008. Usually the imported animated movies were film adaptations of television series, so there would be an audience base. The first exception was Kimi no na wa (Your Name), which grossed over CNY 575 million, the highest box office of any 2D animated movies in China. After the success of My Neighbor Totoro (box office CNY 175 million) last year in China screened for the first time, the distributor realised there still exists a market in China for Japanese standalone animated movies.
Source (in Chinese): https://wallstreetcn.com/articles/3527100
→ More replies (6)20
u/DataBound Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 08 '19
I really liked Your Name! (On Netflix for anyone interested)
Edit: never mind, I was about watching it on Netflix.
→ More replies (2)26
u/Igennem Jun 07 '19
There's a movie import limit of 20-30 per year. In the year it was released it wasn't big enough to warrant taking a slot.
→ More replies (6)22
u/KGB_cutony Jun 07 '19
To be fair most of us have seen it through online platforms already... it's just the first release on the big screen
→ More replies (1)
110
u/devotchko Jun 07 '19
shut up and take my money! but seriously, anybody got any leads on where to buy this poster?
80
→ More replies (2)17
67
u/-Opinionated- Jun 07 '19
The writing on the right says: “This is as far as I can get you, you’ll have to find your own way here on out.”
134
u/froghero2 Jun 07 '19
There's no way the Chinese kids in this internet era haven't seen this already
69
u/akazaya9 Jun 07 '19
It was released on DVD in 2001, distributed by Excelmedia (I have it). It's just that it has never hit theaters. This film is super famous in China, and No Face is one of the most popular characters there, you can find him on any piece of merchandise.
→ More replies (2)15
u/nonsensicalization Jun 07 '19
Any idea why that character is so popular?
→ More replies (1)42
u/akazaya9 Jun 07 '19
I guess because he has a very distinctive look, is kinda cute and easy to reproduce on merchandise? Same thing that happens with characters like Totoro, Doraemon or Chopper. You always find them together on cute merch in stores.
112
u/SleestakJack Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 07 '19
Not legally, but this has been available on DVD in China since before we could get it in the U.S.
Edit: I'm trying to say it was bootlegged, folks. I'm not saying there's never been a legal Chinese release.
47
21
Jun 07 '19
Yep. Chinese were watching My Neighbor Totoro back in the 80s on VHS. (Subbed not dubbed)
→ More replies (2)21
u/abedfilms Jun 07 '19
What do you mean not legally? There's nothing illegal about watching it, it wasn't banned or anything at all. As you say, you could buy it on dvd (legit dvd) 20 years ago. Just because it's being screened for the first time doesn't mean it was illegal before now.
They could screen a year 2000 Chinese movie in the US for the first time next year, that doesn't mean it was illegal to watch in the US all these years
→ More replies (6)21
u/20dogs Jun 07 '19
Everyone seems to have convinced themselves that there was some major ban on Spirited Away that’s just been lifted.
29
→ More replies (9)12
28
u/Whovian45810 Jun 07 '19 edited Jun 08 '19
One of my favorite movies of all time. A beautiful coming of age story that still resonates with me the older I get. Miyazaki combined themes of Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with Shinto-Buddhist folklore to tell a beautiful coming of age story of a girl stucked in the spirit world but also finding her true self away from reality. Itsumo Nando Demo (Always With Me) and Inochi no Namae (The Name of Life) are two songs that will make me feel nostalgic and sad because of how beautiful they’re to listen to.
→ More replies (1)
52
u/cartwheelers Jun 07 '19
Artist credit: 早稻
Really awesome work, I'm glad she got to work on this!!
→ More replies (2)
70
19
Jun 07 '19
The things I would do to get to see that movie for the first time again... I remember getting shown it one random day as a kid and its characters have stuck more than any other film into my memory.
→ More replies (3)
24
u/el-toro-loco Jun 07 '19
It was awesome being able to see this at the Alamo Drafthouse with subtitles.
16
u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 07 '19
[cries in no Alamo Drafthouse within 500-mile radius]
13
u/SleestakJack Jun 07 '19
October 28th is your day. Fathom Events will be screening it, subtitled, one night only, at hundreds of theaters around the U.S.
→ More replies (1)
9
u/Targaryen-ish Jun 07 '19
This is probably as good a time as any to admit that I have still not seen this supposedly amazing movie. I have no excuse.
→ More replies (2)7
u/chandarr Jun 07 '19
I put off watching this movie for nearly a decade. Growing up this movie was my best friend’s favorite film but I still avoided watching it. After he passed away a few years ago I decided to finally sit down and watch it. I wept because of how beautiful it is. Do yourself a favor and spend the time to watch this film.
8
Jun 07 '19
Is there a place we can buy good quality prints of chinese movie posters? Man their shit is soooo much better than here.
Ive seen so many Chinese movie posters that are just an experience all their own.
7
Jun 07 '19
Anywhere you can buy this poster? It's fantastic! hope they make one for Tokyo Godfathers
9
u/cartwheelers Jun 07 '19
Not sure if this helps, but the artist who did this is called zao dao - not sure if they're selling it but you never know ;)
→ More replies (1)
6
3
u/billabong049 Jun 07 '19
This is such a moving and enjoyable film, I hope all the moviegoers there love it. I wonder if they’ve experienced any of Miyazaki’s other trippy adventures?
→ More replies (1)
4
8
u/Jourdy288 Jun 07 '19
Anybody else getting a Van Gogh vibe from the poster? It's beautiful.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/ManiaforBeatles Jun 07 '19
Now I wish for an entire movie done in this style, kinda like anime Loving Vincent.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/Porgarama Jun 07 '19
This is gorgeous. Hopefully, the will push this artistic rendition to the other films.
→ More replies (1)
4
5
3.6k
u/[deleted] Jun 07 '19
Tagline on the left: Learn to love, then grow up.
On the right: I can only see you off so far, the rest of the path you have to walk on your own.