Blu-ray Review “When The Wind Blows (1986)”

Starring: Sir John Mills, Dame Peggy Ashcroft
Directed By: Jimmy T. Murakami
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 75 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: November 11, 2014

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have always been a fan of Raymond Briggs’ “The Snowman”. I simply love it. I also happen to be a huge Pink Floyd fan, so combining the work of Raymond Briggs with the music of Roger Waters is a match made in heaven and that is what we got with “When the Wind Blows”. The film itself, even though animated, is not aimed at kids it is a quite heavy and definitely is a blend of comedy/horror themes. It is definitely unlike any animated film that I have ever seen, very unique and still holds up today. There is also a great title song from David Bowie and contributions from Genesis, Squeeze and Paul Hardcastle. also included along with the film is the documentary from Sé Merry Doyle, “Jimmy Murakami: Non-Alien (2010)”. This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. So if you are a fan, get it quick before they sell out.

Official Premise: TWhen the Wind Blows (1986)—writer Raymond Briggs’ adaptation of his own graphic novel, brought to the screen by director Jimmy T. Murakami—is an enchantingly collage-like animated film (featuring drawn, stop-motion, and live-action sequences) on a very grim subject, indeed: the effects of nuclear holocaust on an ordinary English couple. James and Hilda Bloggs (perfectly voiced by acting legends John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft) are a happy, near-elderly pair living in the lovely rural countryside when—seemingly out of nowhere—disaster beyond all imagining strikes.

Twilight Time is releasing this film on a region free Blu-ray disc. The 1080p transfer is solid and really looks solid. There is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track included. I am a huge fan of Roger Waters’ score from this film and the special features are a great continuation of this film including a Isolated Music and Effects Track. . Thre is also an audio commentary track with First Assistant Editor Joe Fordham and Film Historian Nick Redman. After that we get “The Wind and The Bomb – The Making of When the Wind Blows”, which goes behind-the-scenes. Lastly, there is an interview with Raymond Briggs, the creator himself. Also like with all of Twilight Time’s releases be sure to enjoy the extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes included to enjoy. I just wish there was a little more here in the extras department.

Blu-ray Review “The Wind Rises”

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short and Stanley Tucci
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Number of discs: 2
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 18, 2014
Run Time: 135 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“The Wind Rises” is a hard film for fans of Studio Ghibli because it makes director Hayao Miyazaki’s final film. It is truly a masterpiece. They rounded up a all-star English dub voice cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short and Stanley Tucci. I watched this film in Japanese last year and I was so blown away, I immediately needed to watch it again. The music is so enthralling and the score is easily my favorite of the year.  The story is so smart and well-told. You watch the film and you know that this is Miyazaki’s last film and it is ok because it is so amazing. Highly recommend this as it is sure to become a classic.

Official Synopsis: From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away, 2002) comes a spellbinding movie beyond compare. Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, he becomes one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers, experiencing key historical events in an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world

Disney is releasing this film as a Blu-ray +DVD Combo Pack. There are multiple audio tracks including DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 English and Japanese as well as a Dolby Digital 1.0 DVS English Audio. I have to go with the original Japanese track but like I mentioned the English dub cast is outstanding. The 1080p transfer is outstanding. The colors, the animation…it is all just absolutely perfect. The special features are a quite light though. There is a feature “The Wind Rises: Behind the Microphone”, which looks at the English dub. There are is Storyboards, Original Japanese Trailers/TV Spots & the Announcement of the Completion of the Film.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Gone with the Wind: 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

Actors: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia De Havilland, Hattie McDaniel
Directors: Victor Fleming
Number of discs: 4
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Run Time: 238 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

“Gone with the Wind” is one of the most influential films of our time. It is a classic of classics. Who hasn’t seen this film? It is a must see for everyone! Released in 1939, it won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel continues to have an affect on people after all these years. In fact, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is releasing this 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray to celebrate its latest anniversary. It is limited/numbered and comes with new collectible packaging, memorabilia and special features. If you already own the 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition, this release is slightly different in terms of collectibles and some new extras. If you have never owned this film, this is a great re-release (at least until the 80th Anniversary).

Synopsis: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard and Hattie McDaniel star in the quintessential Hollywood epic that still stands as history’s all-time domestic box-office champion ($1.6 billion adjusted for inflation), with more tickets sold than any other movie ever made. Gone with the Wind opens on the eve of the Civil War. Rich, beautiful and self-centered Scarlett O’Hara (Leigh) has everything she could want. Except, that is, Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). As the war devastates the South, Scarlett discovers the strength within herself to protect her family and rebuild her life. Through everything, she longs for Ashley, unaware that she is already married to the man she really loves (Gable) — and who truly loves her — until she finally drives him away. Only then does Scarlett realize what she has lost and tries to win him back.

If you love “Gone with the Wind”, then you will love that this The Ultimate Collector’s Edition comes with a replica of Rhett Butler’s handkerchief as well as a music box paperweight that plays Tara’s theme dressed with the image of the Rhett-Scarlett famous kiss. Also included is a 36-page companion booklet, which focuses on the style of Gone with the Wind and is written by New York fashion designer and Project Runway finalist Austin Scarlett. The new special features include footage of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh attending the original movie premiere in Atlanta called “Gone With the Win: Hollywood Comes to Atlanta” and “Old South/New South”, which takes you on a journey through today’s South revisiting the real-life locations depicted in the film and how they have been influenced over the year.

Warner is releasing this film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + UltraViolet digital copy. The 1080p transfer is unbelievable goregous for a 75 year old film. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is also outstanding as well highlighting the dialogue and Max Steiner’s amazing score. There is also a standard Dolby Digital Mono track included. Other rolled over extras from previous releases include, a commentary track from Historian Rudy Behlmer on the first disc. The second Blu-ray includes literally over 8 hours of special features taken from the 70th Anniversary release…eight hours! Lastly there is a bonus DVD including “MGM: When the Lion Roars”, which is alone a three part, six hour documentary looking at the history of M-G-M, hosted by Patrick Stewart.

Commemorate the 75th anniversary of Gone with the Wind with the new Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray™ set – Available 9/30/14. Buy it now from WB Shop: http://bit.ly/GWTW75

“Gone With the Wind” 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition Arrives September 30

75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition Arrives September 30 Limited & Numbered, With New Collectible Packaging, New Memorabilia and New Special Features Nationwide Celebrations Scheduled

Burbank, Calif., June 3, 2014 – On September 30, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will honor one of the most celebrated motion pictures of all time with the Gone with the Wind 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray™ and Digital HD with UltraViolet.

Gone with the Wind — the quintessential Hollywood epic and still history’s all-time domestic box-office champion ($1.6 billion[1]), with more tickets sold than any other movie ever made – is a “must have” for classic film collectors. It will be fittingly presented in limited and numbered sets, with new collectible packaging, new enhanced content and new collectible memorabilia. The memorabilia includes a replica of Rhett Butler’s handkerchief and a music box paperweight playing Tara’s theme with an image on top of the Rhett-Scarlett kiss. Also included is a 36-page companion booklet featuring a look at the immortal style of Gone with the Wind, written by New York fashion designer and Project Runway finalist Austin Scarlett, whose signature look reflects the romantic elegance of the Gone with the Wind era.

The new special features include footage of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh attending the original movie premiere in Atlanta and Old South/New South, a journey through today’s South, revisiting the real-life locations depicted to see how the world of the Old South continues to inform life in the New South’s cosmopolitan world. Gone with the Wind 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition will be available for $49.99 SRP.

75th Anniversary Celebrations Nationwide

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Gone with the Wind, the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin will launch the exhibition, “The Making of ‘Gone With The Wind.’” For the first time in more than 25 years, three original gowns worn by Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, including the iconic green curtain dress, will be exhibited together along with replicas of the film’s other gowns. Additionally, more than 300 items from producer David O. Selznick’s archive will be displayed, including behind-the-scenes photographs, storyboards, correspondence, production records, audition footage and fan mail. Turner Classic Movies is one of the sponsors of the exhibition which runs from September 9 – January 4, 2015.

On September 22, WBHE will partner with The Actors Hall of Fame in a special 75th Anniversary Gone with the Wind fundraising gala to benefit dramatic arts education in schools. Hundreds of stars and industry leaders will arrive ‘in costume’ at the historic Culver Studios where many key scenes of the movie were filmed. The gala will be streamed live from the Mansion on digital and social media around the world. Planned highlights of this special evening include the dedication of the Olivia de Havilland Dramatic Arts Education Center and a recreation of the famous Virginia Reel dance scene from the movie, with student actors in period costumes and a silent auction including Gone With The Wind memorabilia. For additional information on the events, go to www.hrc.utexas.edu and http://actorshalloffame.org/  respectively.

About the Movie

Gone with the Windlauded as one of the American cinema’s grandest, most ambitious and spectacular pieces of filmmaking, was helmed by Victor Fleming in 1939, the same year as the director’s The Wizard of Oz. It captured 10 Academy Awards®[2] including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, the first Oscar awarded to an African-American actor. Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel, on which the film is based, has been translated into 16 languages, has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide, and even now, continues to sell 50,000 copies a year.

Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard and Hattie McDaniel star in this classic epic of the American South. On the eve of the Civil War, rich, beautiful and self-centered Scarlett O’Hara (Leigh) has everything she could want – except Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). As the war devastates the South, Scarlett discovers the strength within herself to protect her family and rebuild her life. Through everything, she longs for Ashley, unaware that she is already married to the man she really loves (Gable) – and who truly loves her – until she finally drives him away. Only then does Scarlett realize what she has lost … and tries to win him back.

Special Features:

  • Featuring footage including Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh attending the original movie premiere in Atlanta
  • Old South/New South NEW! Take a journey of discovery through today’s South, revisiting the real-life locations depicted in Gone With the Wind, from Gettysburg to Atlanta to New Orleans, to see how the world of the Old South – and the themes depicted in the film – continue to inform life in the cosmopolitan world of the New South.

 

Gone with the Wind 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Street Date: September 30, 2014

Order Due Date: August 26, 2014

Pricing: $49.99 SRP

Cat/UPC: 1000446620/6000079798

Note: All enhanced content and premiums listed above are subject to change.

Academy Awards® and Oscar® are both registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Blu-ray Disc™ and Blu-ray™ and the logos are the trademarks of Blu-ray Disc Association.

Warner Home Video Blu-ray Discs™ offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. The format also provides a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com and WBUltra.

 

ABOUT DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET

Digital HD with UltraViolet allows fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere on their favorite devices. Digital HD with UltraViolet is included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. Digital HD with UltraViolet allows consumers to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through UltraViolet retail services like CinemaNow, Flixster, Target Ticket, VUDU and more. For more information on compatible devices go to wb.com/ultravioletdevices. Consult an UltraViolet Retailer for details and requirements and for a list of HD-compatible devices.

Book Review “The Art of The Wind Rises”

Author: Hayao Miyazaki
Series: The Wind Rises
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: April 8, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Studio Ghibli since the early 90’s and have seen and cherished every one of the films, especially those directed by Hayao Miyzaki. Sad news is that “The Wind Rises” is actually the last film he will be directing. Good news it that it is one of his best. Viz Media has been behind all of Studio Ghibli’s “Art of” books and they are considered gold on my bookshelves. I love reading them over and over and this one is already no different. I am very glad that they switched back to the hardcover format as well after slipping to softcover with “The Secret World of Arriety”. If you are a Studio Ghibli fan, I cannot recommend this anymore, it is a must own!

Official Premise: The latest in the perennially popular line of Studio Ghibli artbooks, which includes interviews, concept sketches, and finished animation cels from classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The Wind Rises is Miyazaki’s love letter to the power of flight and the imagination, an examination of the rise of Japan’s military might in the years leading up to the Second World War, and a call for worldwide peace and harmony in the face of destruction. This book captures the art of the film, from conception to production, and features in-depth interviews with the filmmakers.

I have seen this film about five times now, so I practically know it inside and out. I am just amazed by every single scene in the film. The colors, the animation, the design is just absolutely mind-blowing to me. Well, it is even more mind-blowing once you get inside this book. I literally combed it page by page inch by inch soaking up every single bit of information and detail that I could. It is packed with great concept drawings, interviews and animation cels from the film. It is so beautiful and has the power to generate a tear due to this being such a powerful film and also Miyzaki’s last.

 

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Zac Brown Band Debut Animated Music Video for ‘The Wind’

Check out the new animated music video for Zac Brown Band’s song “The Wind”. It stars an animated, guitar-shredding, big game hunting robot.

If that wasn’t cool enough it is directed by Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Beavis and Butthead) and produced by Titmouse (Metalocalypse, Motorcity, Superjail!, China, IL, Black Dynamite).

Zac Brown Band’s album ‘UNCAGED’ is available in stores and online on July 10th!