Miyazaki's The Wind Rises Nominated for Oscar Alongside Frozen

[Soviet Heavy]

It's a shame that The Wind Rises is going to lose to this. Guess people just don't like animated films that make you think/don't include song and dance numbers/don't have a stupid comedic sidekick/doesn't have an animal that isn't a dog that acts like a dog anymore.

Or maybe the general public in the United States wouldn't take too kindly to a film about the development of the precursor to one of the most infamous airplanes in existence?

Just because you don't like Frozen doesn't mean you get to pass judgement while your preferred film gets overlooked. It got a flipping nomination and you already sound angry simply because of its competition.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Has anyone here noticed a certain someone who was involved with the film >.>

His name begins with H and ends in O.

Also created a psychedelic anime of the 90's.

 

[Dragonbums]

I know Frozen is going to win if only because Disney paid that whole staff big money to make that glorified, over stuffed, music fest get an even bigger ego stroke for promoting the Rapunzel doll face toy market chain.

Disney hasn't made an animation classic worthy of such a title since Princess and the Frog. I've seen more heart in animation student's finals than I see in most Disney movies today.

I hope Miyazaki wins the award. If not him, at least the other animation studios.

 

[Dragonbums]

This film better win. Honestly, if Miyazaki loses to Frozen or...The Crudes...then I'm going to shoot myself. The trailer alone was better than any of those films. This is his "final" film, he deserves this.

I would love to see Disney return to form, but they haven't released a quality film in many years. I'm sick of poorly written 3D animation, I want an animated film with as much substance as style.

It's like everyone forgot Princess and the Frog. It really was a huge step in the right direction. Not surprising I guess. They didn't even bother to aggressively advertise the film lime they did with Frozen. I can't even remember if the movie trailer so much as had a TV ad!

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well shit, usually Ghibli movies jump from Asia to Europe, and then over to America. So either I missed that very short window, or nobody decided to release it over here.

It was only in theaters in LA for 1 week in order for it to be eligible for the Academy Awards, but it's getting a proper release cycle in February.

I did some searching and apparently it's getting a release over here (Holland) in May.

Or maybe the general public in the United States wouldn't take too kindly to a film about the development of the precursor to one of the most infamous airplanes in existence?

You can bet your ass Miyazaki is not in any way going to romanticize the Japanese WW2 effort. When Spirited Away won an Oscar he refused to be at the ceremony because of America's war on Iraq. And I heard The Wind Rises already caused some controversy in Japan, with some people calling Miyazaki a traitor to his country. Japan still isn't too keen at condeming its own war crimes. But then who is?

Anyway, no it won't win. But that has everything to do with it being up against a big favourite. I hate to say this and it obviously deserved it, but the only reason Spirited Away won at the time was because it was up against Lilo & Stitch and Ice Age. I think Treasure Planet came out that year too, so yeah...

 

[Soviet Heavy]

You can bet your ass Miyazaki is not in any way going to romanticize the Japanese WW2 effort. When Spirited Away won an Oscar he refused to be at the ceremony because of America's war on Iraq. And I heard The Wind Rises already caused some controversy in Japan, with some people calling Miyazaki a traitor to his country. Japan still isn't too keen at condeming its own war crimes. But then who is?

I know that. Do you think the general population knows that? You're already fighting for the spotlight by being an anime film, even if it is coming from a highly respected director. The odds are already stacked against you. And then you throw in the historical context, and you can see how a film like this might not be as well received in the United States.

I'd still take The Wind Rises over something like Konpecki No Kantai, which not only seriously underplayed Japanese war atrocities, but also decided to make Japan into the superheroes of WW2, where they save britain, beat up the USA, and destroy super Germany. You can imagine why that series was never distributed to stateside.

But the guy I was responding to was trying to make out The Wind Rises' situation as a comparison of idiots vs intellectuals. "Only people who want big family films with stupid sidekicks like Frozen, while people who want to be forced to think can truly appreciate Miyazaki's brilliance!"

Maybe let people like what they like, and stop bitching about Award snubbing? An Oscar is not an automatic stamp of quality when you're dealing with personal preferences.

 

[Elamdri]

Frozen's gonna win since apparently everyone has lost their collective shit over it. And I still can't fathom why.

But the snow's pretty!
I guess, but having *a* nice effect don't make a whole film.

Well for a movie where snow is a major element of the story, having the snow look good is actually important. You're right, it doesn't make a film, but it's important within the context of Frozen and Disney delivers.

"Let It Go" is such a good song!
Eh. Still doesn't make the movie. Aside that *one* song, what about the rest of the soundtrack? You hardly hear people say anything about that building a snowman song, and that's apparently the only other good one.

Actually "Fixer Upper" "For the First Time in Forever" and "Love is an Open Door" are all very solid songs. "In Summer" while not my favorite, is also a very funny and enjoyable musical number, although not something you'll find yourself singing along with in the car.

It's Disney Renaissance good!
No, it isn't. It's not Beauty and the Beast good, it's not The Lion King good, it's not Mulan good, shit, I don't even think it's on par with Pocahontas or Hercules.

We'll have to disagree there. It's certainly better than Pocahontas and Hercules by quite a bit. I recently re-watched Hercules and spent half the time groaning. Pocahontas was just always bad.

It's a shame that The Wind Rises is going to lose to this. Guess people just don't like animated films that make you think/don't include song and dance numbers/don't have a stupid comedic sidekick/doesn't have an animal that isn't a dog that acts like a dog anymore.

It's not a foregone conclusion that the Wind Rises is going to lose, although I don't know that it's as ambitious as say Spirited Away was.

I think honestly that you're a bit prejudiced against movies that have some levity to them. Having musical numbers and comic relief doesn't make Frozen somehow an inferior film.

The movie also explores a lot of important themes that are relevant to it's target audience and presents them in a very modern context, which I honestly think is one of the biggest praises that you can give Frozen.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I know that. Do you think the general population knows that? You're already fighting for the spotlight by being an anime film, even if it is coming from a highly respected director. The odds are already stacked against you. And then you throw in the historical context, and you can see how a film like this might not be as well received in the United States.

The general population won't decide who wins though. That'll be the Oscar Committee. And 'The horror of war' themed movies generally does good business with them. Though probably only when it's the Holocaust.

I'd still take The Wind Rises over something like Konpecki No Kantai, which not only seriously underplayed Japanese war atrocities, but also decided to make Japan into the superheroes of WW2, where they save britain, beat up the USA, and destroy super Germany. You can imagine why that series was never distributed to stateside.

A lot of countries have that chest pounding celebration of its military, but with Japan it becomes double awkward. It's like 'Okay, you really didn't do anything worthy of celebration in that war at all.'

But the guy I was responding to was trying to make out The Wind Rises' situation as a comparison of idiots vs intellectuals. "Only people who want big family films with stupid sidekicks like Frozen, while people who want to be forced to think can truly appreciate Miyazaki's brilliance!"

Maybe let people like what they like, and stop bitching about Award snubbing? An Oscar is not an automatic stamp of quality when you're dealing with personal preferences.

Every Oscar season people get bent out of shape over who gets nominated and who doesn't, with very few winners actually being remembered. Remember The Hurt Locker, that timeless classic. Obviously who'd want your favourite movie to win and it's pretty great when it does, but ultimately it really doesn't mean much.

 

[Fox12]

This film better win. Honestly, if Miyazaki loses to Frozen or...The Crudes...then I'm going to shoot myself. The trailer alone was better than any of those films. This is his "final" film, he deserves this.

I would love to see Disney return to form, but they haven't released a quality film in many years. I'm sick of poorly written 3D animation, I want an animated film with as much substance as style.

It's like everyone forgot Princess and the Frog. It really was a huge step in the right direction. Not surprising I guess. They didn't even bother to aggressively advertise the film lime they did with Frozen. I can't even remember if the movie trailer so much as had a TV ad!

That was a great film, but I got the impression that it was a one off kind of deal because they realized they didn't have an African American princess in their line up. I also enjoyed their Paper Man short. I know they fired what was left of their 2D animation staff a few years ago, so that was basically the nail in the coffin. It's too bad, I'm a big fan of traditional 2D animation. Maybe it's just too expensive or something. In ant case I would love to see the medium make a come back in the U.S. I've had to make do with the occasional indie hit, like The Book of Kells. If Kells had come out any other year it would have deserved a victory, but unfortunately it was facing off against the UP juggernaut, a film that deserved all the awards.

 

[Dragonbums]

This film better win. Honestly, if Miyazaki loses to Frozen or...The Crudes...then I'm going to shoot myself. The trailer alone was better than any of those films. This is his "final" film, he deserves this.

I would love to see Disney return to form, but they haven't released a quality film in many years. I'm sick of poorly written 3D animation, I want an animated film with as much substance as style.

It's like everyone forgot Princess and the Frog. It really was a huge step in the right direction. Not surprising I guess. They didn't even bother to aggressively advertise the film lime they did with Frozen. I can't even remember if the movie trailer so much as had a TV ad!

That was a great film, but I got the impression that it was a one off kind of deal because they realized they didn't have an African American princess in their line up. I also enjoyed their Paper Man short. I know they fired what was left of their 2D animation staff a few years ago, so that was basically the nail in the coffin. It's too bad, I'm a big fan of traditional 2D animation. Maybe it's just too expensive or something. In ant case I would love to see the medium make a come back in the U.S. I've had to make do with the occasional indie hit, like The Book of Kells. If Kells had come out any other year it would have deserved a victory, but unfortunately it was facing off against the UP juggernaut, a film that deserved all the awards.

It's bittersweet honestly. They wanted to add an Black Princess, and at the same time they were gouging out whether or not the animation studio was really worth keeping around. As you stated- it's clear they didn't give a shit and shut them down a second time. It's sad actually. A lot of Disneys' old time animators were just HAPPY to finally make a 2D animated film again after so many years. You could feel the heart and soul that went into that movie. They honestly thought that the Disney that hired them 40 years ago was coming back. Even sadder is that they said that they felt rusty when making the movie because it was such a long time since they did it. That means that movie could of been animated EVEN BETTER than it was now...really sad.
2D animation IS expensive. However the mindset Disney has now is that 2D movies will "always" do bad. When it was more of a case of shitty movies in 2D than the latter. Also Disney just didn't seem to care about promoting the movie as much as Frozeon.