In the early days of the Pokémon franchise, James "D-Train" Williams had an opportunity to do vocals on the PokeRap. As it turns out, however, this is just a small portion of his career, and I got a chance to talk about what he's been up to both before and since:
Showing posts with label pokemon the first movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pokemon the first movie. Show all posts
Monday, May 16, 2022
Friday, October 08, 2021
Poke Press Digest Podcast: Episode 49-Paul Umbach/Neal Coomer
First (1:15-20:25), there's an interview with Paul Umbach, co-producer of Aaron Carter's "(Have Some) Fun With The Funk" from the Pokemon: The First Movie soundtrack. In addition to discussing the song, we cover Paul's lengthy musical career, including his time at Jive Records.
Our second segment (21:40-31:47) is an archival interview with Neal Coomer, co-performer of "It's Always You And Me" from the fifth generation of the anime. We talk about that song, as well as his thoughts on being a background vocalist for other singers, and even his video game work:
Links:
Tuesday, October 05, 2021
Interview: Paul Umbach (Co-Producer, "(Have Some) Fun With The Funk")
In one of his early assignments at Jive Records, Paul Umbach helped record Aaron Carter's "(Have Some) Fun With The Funk", a song that would later appear on the double-platinum soundtrack to Pokemon: The First Movie. During his time at the the label, Paul had an opportunity to meet and work with several well-known musicians of the era, and has done quite a few things since:
Monday, December 23, 2019
Why it Works: Lullaby
No, you're not mistaken, the "Bad Girl of Pop" really did a Pokemon song before evolving (?) into her current form. The track she contributed, "Lullaby", very clearly indicates which character it's intended for, but I decided to dive a bit deeper:
Transcript:
“Lullaby” by Willa Fo-er, I mean Mandah, probably didn’t need those Jigglypuff samples to indicate what character prompted its inclusion, as the lyrics match quite well. The puffball isn’t the largest, strongest, or most intimidating Pokémon out there, but it does have another trick up its sleeves that it’s more than willing to share, and the first verse summarizes that pretty accurately. As for the second verse, the primary Jigglypuff from the anime does appear many times throughout the series, making the term “déjà vu” very appropriate. Even the chorus manages to provide a good parallel, as the repeated use of the song’s title mimics how most Pokémon say their name when talking. Finally, the inclusion of the word “capture” in the bridge hints-unintentionally of course-that sleeping Pokémon are easier to catch. As for the musical aspects, while the Latin influence might seem more appropriate for a singing and dancing mythical Pokémon that would come many years later, it is still fitting for our cheery pink balloon. In any event, what do you think of this adopted character song? Be sure to let us know. Thanks.
Transcript:
“Lullaby” by Willa Fo-er, I mean Mandah, probably didn’t need those Jigglypuff samples to indicate what character prompted its inclusion, as the lyrics match quite well. The puffball isn’t the largest, strongest, or most intimidating Pokémon out there, but it does have another trick up its sleeves that it’s more than willing to share, and the first verse summarizes that pretty accurately. As for the second verse, the primary Jigglypuff from the anime does appear many times throughout the series, making the term “déjà vu” very appropriate. Even the chorus manages to provide a good parallel, as the repeated use of the song’s title mimics how most Pokémon say their name when talking. Finally, the inclusion of the word “capture” in the bridge hints-unintentionally of course-that sleeping Pokémon are easier to catch. As for the musical aspects, while the Latin influence might seem more appropriate for a singing and dancing mythical Pokémon that would come many years later, it is still fitting for our cheery pink balloon. In any event, what do you think of this adopted character song? Be sure to let us know. Thanks.
Tuesday, February 05, 2019
Why It Works: We're A Miracle
Christina Aguilera's "We're A Miracle" has some obvious things going for it in regard to Pokemon: The First Movie, but some of the reasons this pre-existing song fits so well are a bit more obscure:
“We’re A Miracle” wasn’t written or re-written to work with Pokémon: The First Movie-and, if for some reason you don’t believe me on that, I do have an e-mail from one of the folks behind the song. In any event, despite its unrelated origins, it seems to do a great job matching up with the film-but why is that? There’s the obvious stuff, like references to a storm and tears early in the piece, and some later lyrics that provide a good summary of the relationship between Ash and Pikachu. However, there’s another possible explanation-“We’re A Miracle” definitely features some of Christina’s more aggressive vocal qualities. Normally this gives her songs a sensual vibe, but here it has the benefit of making her sound a bit more like, well, you know. Anyway, if you’d like to hear a more in-depth analysis of this song, as well as its Japanese equivalent, “Together With The Wind”, a few years ago I recorded a discussion with Anne from Pikapi Podcast.
“We’re A Miracle” wasn’t written or re-written to work with Pokémon: The First Movie-and, if for some reason you don’t believe me on that, I do have an e-mail from one of the folks behind the song. In any event, despite its unrelated origins, it seems to do a great job matching up with the film-but why is that? There’s the obvious stuff, like references to a storm and tears early in the piece, and some later lyrics that provide a good summary of the relationship between Ash and Pikachu. However, there’s another possible explanation-“We’re A Miracle” definitely features some of Christina’s more aggressive vocal qualities. Normally this gives her songs a sensual vibe, but here it has the benefit of making her sound a bit more like, well, you know. Anyway, if you’d like to hear a more in-depth analysis of this song, as well as its Japanese equivalent, “Together With The Wind”, a few years ago I recorded a discussion with Anne from Pikapi Podcast.
Monday, June 26, 2017
Interview: Mark Mueller (Co-Writer, "Somewhere, Someday")
The following is an interview with Mark Mueller, co-writer of “Somewhere, Someday”, a song from the Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack.
Where did you grow up, and how did you get into doing music?
I grew up in Northern California near Palo Alto. When I was five years old, my parents bought a piano for my older brother. He lost interest quickly, but I instantly began sitting down and fooling around on the keys. From the start I could pick out melodies, etc. and “play by ear”. I started taking piano lessons and soon I was writing my first songs. I was only six or seven at the time and the songs were very simple, but I loved writing them-it just came very naturally to me. By the time I was ten I had written a musical version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and it was put on by my fifth grade class. Again, it was pretty basic songwriting, but people seemed to like it and it kept me wanting to write more.
What was the early part of your career like?
I continued to write a lot of songs in college and people would tell me I could do it professionally, but I didn’t know if you could really make a living writing music (and, as it turned out, it is not easy). I decided to try, however, and right after college I made my first demo (demonstration tape) and went down to LA to try and get it heard. I soon learned that getting into the offices of publishers and record companies was tough, but I kept banging on doors. Eventually some publishing execs started to notice and encouraged me to go for it, so I moved to LA full time to pursue my improbable dream of becoming a full-time songwriter. In the meantime, I worked as a bell-hop at the Hyatt Regency. I would save up my tips until I had enough money to do my next demo and then play it for whoever would listen.
In the 80’s, you had an opportunity to write themes for the TV shows "DuckTales" and "Rescue Rangers". How did that come about?
I eventually signed on as a staff writer at MCA Music and then got a film agent too. My film agent sent me to a meeting at Disney because they were starting this new block of animated shows called "The Disney Afternoon." They gave me a shot to write the opening song for this new show called “DuckTales”. I knew that there would be a lot of writers competing and that I likely wouldn’t get it, but I took a shot at it anyway. To my great surprise and continuing happiness...they chose my song for the opening. Woo-oo!!
Later in your career, you wrote the song “Somewhere, Someday”. There are several different arrangements of it-which version was written first, and what was the writing process like?
I believe the versions of "Somewhere, Someday" you're talking about are the one by Jennifer Paige and the one by N'Sync. As far as I remember, Jennifer Paige did the original version of the song for her album (it was not a single, just an album cut). Andy Goldmark (who’s written with and produced for everyone from Carly Simon to Michael Bolton) had the idea for the song (he and I had just written “Crush” for Jennifer). Andy played me the rough outline of this beautiful melody he'd started and asked me if I'd like to help him complete it. What he played me was beautiful and I was thrilled to help him finish the song.
I’m not exactly sure how the song came to the attention of N'Sync, but they recorded it. When I heard it for the first time I was totally knocked out. Unfortunately for me and Andy, they were in the middle of legal battles with their manager and record company and the song (although completely mixed and recorded) just sat in the can unreleased.
How did you find out about the N’Sync version of the song being selected for the Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack? Did you have any involvement with getting it on there?
They were a huge group at the time and it was awful to have this song finished but not able to be released. However, one day I got a call from my publisher who said that she'd gotten a call from the music supervisor for the Pokémon soundtrack and that they needed one last song to finish out the album. She said there wasn’t much time and that the song would have to be ready to go immediately. She asked if I had anything that would fit those requirements. It took me about one second to tell her I had just the song they were looking for. When the Pokémon people heard that there was an N'Sync song just sitting there they got very, very excited. Somehow they were able to navigate the legal obstacles and (by some miracle) “Somewhere, Someday” ended up on the Pokémon soundtrack. It was so great that it had found its home.
What have you been working on more recently?
Lately I’ve been working on a one-woman musical with Lesley Nicol (who played Ms. Patmore on Downton Abbey.) We just performed it in London and Hong Kong. I'm also enjoying helping with the press side of the launch of the reboot of “DuckTales”.
If readers want more information on your work, what’s your website?
I have a website at markmuellermusic.com
Where did you grow up, and how did you get into doing music?
I grew up in Northern California near Palo Alto. When I was five years old, my parents bought a piano for my older brother. He lost interest quickly, but I instantly began sitting down and fooling around on the keys. From the start I could pick out melodies, etc. and “play by ear”. I started taking piano lessons and soon I was writing my first songs. I was only six or seven at the time and the songs were very simple, but I loved writing them-it just came very naturally to me. By the time I was ten I had written a musical version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and it was put on by my fifth grade class. Again, it was pretty basic songwriting, but people seemed to like it and it kept me wanting to write more.
What was the early part of your career like?
I continued to write a lot of songs in college and people would tell me I could do it professionally, but I didn’t know if you could really make a living writing music (and, as it turned out, it is not easy). I decided to try, however, and right after college I made my first demo (demonstration tape) and went down to LA to try and get it heard. I soon learned that getting into the offices of publishers and record companies was tough, but I kept banging on doors. Eventually some publishing execs started to notice and encouraged me to go for it, so I moved to LA full time to pursue my improbable dream of becoming a full-time songwriter. In the meantime, I worked as a bell-hop at the Hyatt Regency. I would save up my tips until I had enough money to do my next demo and then play it for whoever would listen.
In the 80’s, you had an opportunity to write themes for the TV shows "DuckTales" and "Rescue Rangers". How did that come about?
I eventually signed on as a staff writer at MCA Music and then got a film agent too. My film agent sent me to a meeting at Disney because they were starting this new block of animated shows called "The Disney Afternoon." They gave me a shot to write the opening song for this new show called “DuckTales”. I knew that there would be a lot of writers competing and that I likely wouldn’t get it, but I took a shot at it anyway. To my great surprise and continuing happiness...they chose my song for the opening. Woo-oo!!
Later in your career, you wrote the song “Somewhere, Someday”. There are several different arrangements of it-which version was written first, and what was the writing process like?
I believe the versions of "Somewhere, Someday" you're talking about are the one by Jennifer Paige and the one by N'Sync. As far as I remember, Jennifer Paige did the original version of the song for her album (it was not a single, just an album cut). Andy Goldmark (who’s written with and produced for everyone from Carly Simon to Michael Bolton) had the idea for the song (he and I had just written “Crush” for Jennifer). Andy played me the rough outline of this beautiful melody he'd started and asked me if I'd like to help him complete it. What he played me was beautiful and I was thrilled to help him finish the song.
I’m not exactly sure how the song came to the attention of N'Sync, but they recorded it. When I heard it for the first time I was totally knocked out. Unfortunately for me and Andy, they were in the middle of legal battles with their manager and record company and the song (although completely mixed and recorded) just sat in the can unreleased.
How did you find out about the N’Sync version of the song being selected for the Pokémon: The First Movie soundtrack? Did you have any involvement with getting it on there?
They were a huge group at the time and it was awful to have this song finished but not able to be released. However, one day I got a call from my publisher who said that she'd gotten a call from the music supervisor for the Pokémon soundtrack and that they needed one last song to finish out the album. She said there wasn’t much time and that the song would have to be ready to go immediately. She asked if I had anything that would fit those requirements. It took me about one second to tell her I had just the song they were looking for. When the Pokémon people heard that there was an N'Sync song just sitting there they got very, very excited. Somehow they were able to navigate the legal obstacles and (by some miracle) “Somewhere, Someday” ended up on the Pokémon soundtrack. It was so great that it had found its home.
What have you been working on more recently?
Lately I’ve been working on a one-woman musical with Lesley Nicol (who played Ms. Patmore on Downton Abbey.) We just performed it in London and Hong Kong. I'm also enjoying helping with the press side of the launch of the reboot of “DuckTales”.
If readers want more information on your work, what’s your website?
I have a website at markmuellermusic.com
Sunday, October 30, 2016
New Poll + More Pokemon Music Discussion
As a follow-up to our recently posted discussion of ending themes of Pokemon: The First Movie, I've added a poll where you can voice your opinion as to whether "Together With The Wind" or "We're A Miracle" is the better song. Additionally, I recently posted some bonus audio from that discussion:
If that's still not enough for you, here's a preview of our discussion of the second movie's ending themes:
The full version will be posted later, but you can hear it now as a timed exclusive on the Pikapi Podcast Patreon feed.
If that's still not enough for you, here's a preview of our discussion of the second movie's ending themes:
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Pokemon: The First Movie Ending Theme Comparison
Anne of Pikapi Podcast joins in to compare the Japanese and English ending themes of Pokemon: The First Movie. What do "Together With The Wind" and "We're A Miracle" have to offer, and which one will come out on top?
Thursday, May 26, 2016
WTPT-Pokemon: The First Movie Soundtrack Review-Part 5 (Score + Closing)
We wrap up the episode by discussing the score to The First Movie:
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
Monday, May 16, 2016
WTPT-Pokemon: The First Movie Soundtrack-Part 4 (Tracks 13-16)
In part four, the last set of tracks are discussed:
-Catch Me If You Can (Angela Via)
-(Have Some) Fun With The Funk (Aaron Carter)
-If Only Tears Could Bring You Back (Midnight Sons)
-Brother My Brother (Blessid Union of Souls)
These may be the last tracks, but the episode isn't over-stay tuned for part 5!
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
-Catch Me If You Can (Angela Via)
-(Have Some) Fun With The Funk (Aaron Carter)
-If Only Tears Could Bring You Back (Midnight Sons)
-Brother My Brother (Blessid Union of Souls)
These may be the last tracks, but the episode isn't over-stay tuned for part 5!
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
WTPT-Pokemon: The First Movie Soundtrack-Part 3 (Tracks 7-12) + Get Happy on Digital
In our third part, we go over tracks 7-12 on the album:
-Get Happy (B*Witched)
-(Hey You) Free Up Your Mind (Emma Bunton)
-Fly With Me (98 Degrees)
-Lullaby (Mandah)
-Vacation (Vitamin C)
-Makin' My Way (Any Way That I Can) (Billie Piper)
As noted in the video, a few months ago B*Witched's "Get Happy" finally became available digitally via the "C'est la Vie: The Collection" compilation. This album is available on iTunes, as well as Amazon MP3 and Google Play, and the track is available for individual purchase.
-Get Happy (B*Witched)
-(Hey You) Free Up Your Mind (Emma Bunton)
-Fly With Me (98 Degrees)
-Lullaby (Mandah)
-Vacation (Vitamin C)
-Makin' My Way (Any Way That I Can) (Billie Piper)
As noted in the video, a few months ago B*Witched's "Get Happy" finally became available digitally via the "C'est la Vie: The Collection" compilation. This album is available on iTunes, as well as Amazon MP3 and Google Play, and the track is available for individual purchase.
Sunday, April 03, 2016
WTPT-Pokemon: The First Movie Soundtrack-Part 2 (Tracks 1-6)
Our discussion of the Pokemon: The First Movie pop soundtrack continues with the first six tracks on the album:
-Pokemon Theme (Billy Crawford)
-Don't Say You Love Me (M2M)
-It Was You (Ashley Ballard + So Plush)
-We're A Miracle (Christina Aguilera)
-Soda Pop (Britney Spears)
-Somewhere, Someday (*NSYNC)
Like in part 1, there are a number of added notes in this video.
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
-Pokemon Theme (Billy Crawford)
-Don't Say You Love Me (M2M)
-It Was You (Ashley Ballard + So Plush)
-We're A Miracle (Christina Aguilera)
-Soda Pop (Britney Spears)
-Somewhere, Someday (*NSYNC)
Like in part 1, there are a number of added notes in this video.
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
Friday, April 01, 2016
2.B.A. Master, Pokemon: The First Movie pop soundtrack to be re-released on cassette, vinyl
"After the success of Pokemon Symphonic Evolutions, we decided to explore more avenues for music-related Pokemon products," a representative for The Pokemon Company International stated. "With the recent revival of records and tapes, we thought it would be a great opportunity to put something out for the 20th anniversary celebration."
Pre-orders are scheduled to begin on April 11th. The TPCI representative declined to indicate how many units of each format would be available.
Monday, March 28, 2016
WTPT-Pokemon: The First Movie Soundtrack-Part 1 (News + Album Overview)
Back in 2010, I recorded an episode of the WTPT podcast discussing the Pokemon: The First Movie pop soundtrack. In the first part, we discuss some of the (then) recent Pokemon news, and give an overview of the album:
In addition to the podcast audio, I've added a number of updates and other information that will appear periodically through the video.
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
In addition to the podcast audio, I've added a number of updates and other information that will appear periodically through the video.
Special thanks to Jowy Romano for giving permission to upload this audio.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
DVDs, Blu-rays of first three Pokemon movies releasing in February 2016 in the US
Update: A Blu-ray pack of all three movies has been added, to be released on February 9th. Original article follows.
Amazon US recently posted new listings for DVDs for the first three Pokemon movies:
Pokemon: The First Movie
Pokemon: The Movie 2000
Pokemon 3
The movies are set to released in February (the 9th for The First Movie and the 16th for the second and third) for $14.98 each. While the descriptions do make reference to the theatrical shorts, they also appear to be placeholders and it is not known for certain if the discs will contain these or any other special features. It is also not known if these movies will be coming to Blu-ray or digital distribution in the US, though the recent trend of releasing the 8th, 9th, and 17th movies digitally suggests that possibility for these films.
The first three Pokemon movies have been out of print in the US since the 10th anniversary of their original US theatrical release dates, the result of an apparent expiration of Warner Bros.'s rights to distribute them. Since then, they have made occasional appearances on television and the Pokemon TV service, and were released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia earlier this month. These new US releases come very shortly before the 20th anniversary of the original Pokemon games' release in Japan.
Amazon US recently posted new listings for DVDs for the first three Pokemon movies:
Pokemon: The First Movie
Pokemon: The Movie 2000
Pokemon 3
The movies are set to released in February (the 9th for The First Movie and the 16th for the second and third) for $14.98 each. While the descriptions do make reference to the theatrical shorts, they also appear to be placeholders and it is not known for certain if the discs will contain these or any other special features. It is also not known if these movies will be coming to Blu-ray or digital distribution in the US, though the recent trend of releasing the 8th, 9th, and 17th movies digitally suggests that possibility for these films.
The first three Pokemon movies have been out of print in the US since the 10th anniversary of their original US theatrical release dates, the result of an apparent expiration of Warner Bros.'s rights to distribute them. Since then, they have made occasional appearances on television and the Pokemon TV service, and were released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia earlier this month. These new US releases come very shortly before the 20th anniversary of the original Pokemon games' release in Japan.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
A Real Pokemon: The First Movie Blu-Ray Appeared! In Australia...
Turns out the Aussies are getting the first three Pokemon movies on Blu-ray just in time for Christmas. Find out what we know (and don't know) about this collection, and what it could mean for the wider world:
Transcript:
Hi, folks. Steven here. Just wanted to put up a video discussing one of the news stories from earlier this week that I think could use a little more attention. So, some of you may remember that last year I put up a video about a fake Pokemon: The First Movie Blu-ray that appeared on eBay. And, this is sort of a follow up to that.
Now, since then, I’ve seen fake Blu-rays of second and third movies, fake DVDs of the first three movies and Mewtwo Returns. A fake “repress” of the 4-7 Blu-ray, Origins and even the Zoroark movie. But, what’s happened this week is that we found out that Australia is getting a Blu-ray pack of movies 1-3. You may remember that this has been out of print for years. First Movie in 2009, second in 2010, third in 2011. So, there hasn’t been a legitimate way to buy these.
But, in any case, this 1-3 Blu-ray collection is coming out on December 2nd. And, if you would rather get them on DVD, they’re available individually on that same day. We don’t know a ton about these collections. We can’t actually see the backs of them, so we don’t know if they’re going to have the shorts or special features of any sort. Now, you may remember that the first three Pokemon movies have been cycling through on Pokemon TV. As of recording this, they have the third movie up there. And, none of them, as far as I know, have the shorts associated with them. So, it remains to be seen if they’ll be on these. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t.
And, as far as special features, to be honest, I’m not expecting a whole lot. It would be nice if they could at least bring the special features from the original releases forward. That would be very nice. So, with this release, I’m sure a lot of you are wondering, is this going to be importable? Well, as it turns out, these are labeled as Blu-ray Region B, which covers Australia, New Zealand, and a good chunk of Europe. Which, is a different region from Region A, which covers the US, Canada, Japan, and a few other places. So, technically speaking, unless you had a region-free Blu-ray player, you wouldn’t be able to use these.
However, as you may know, the Magna and Beyond Blu-ray for movies 12-15 that came out in Australia-the same distributor for this-would also play in Region A players. There were a few caveats. You might want to check out my review of the movie 14, the Victini movie Blu-ray that we did a couple years ago, sort of discusses some of that.
These might also play in Region A players. We really don’t know. And, my advice, if you don’t have a region-free player, is just to wait until they come out and then look for some confirmation online about whether they support Region A. And then, I guess, you could find a way to import them.
So, next question you’re probably asking, what does this mean for the US? Are we going to see these eventually? I suppose there’s a small chance that we could get something announced for this year. But, I think we’re much more likely to see something next year. And, just to kind of forewarn you, this could be a Blu-ray, or it could be just digital distribution of these movies on iTunes, Amazon Instant, and the like.
Part of the reason for this is that we’ve never gotten, in North America, a Blu-ray of Pokemon from Viz, who would probably end up doing this type of distribution. No real reason why Australia has gotten this but the US hasn’t. Maybe Viz thinks it’s economically unviable. One idea that I have-pure speculation on my part-is maybe Viz has some sort of cap on how many Blu-rays they can produce in a given year and Pokemon would use up too much of that quota. Like I said, total speculation on my part. Just putting that out there.
So, with that said, hopefully some time within the next 6-8 months, we’ll find something out that something is coming to the US. But, until then, I’m just kind of curious, what are your thoughts, idea, comments on this? Are any of you thinking about getting this from Australia? Or, what’s the deal with that? Alright, folks. Thanks.
Monday, April 13, 2015
April Fool's Day Recap + Pokemon Colosseum Part 10
If you were wondering what went into the April Fool's article published earlier this month, you can find out in this video:
Transcript:
Transcript:
Hi folks, Steven here. First off, I wanted to tell you about a written interview I recently posted on the PokePress blog with a player that used a Primal Kyogre deck at Wisconsin states last month. We talk about how he chose the deck, what his matches were like, and so forth. It’s a pretty good read and I’ll post a link here so you can take a look if you haven’t already.
The next thing I wanted to do was sort of dissect the April Fool’s Day gag I posted on the site back on the first. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend you take a look through first before listening to the rest of this. Now, I think came up with this idea of the most ridiculous Blu-ray combo pack sometime last year, probably around when the bogus Blu-rays of the first three Pokémon movies started appearing on eBay. My goal was to come up with things that started out plausible, and then got progressively more absurd as the article went on.
So, since this is supposed to be a fake news article, we start off with a summary paragraph that contains the basic information about the combo pack-the movie, who’s releasing it, the date, and the price. The price should probably be your first tip-off that this is a gag article, because although I think $99.99 is a somewhat fair price for what you get in the made-up package, it’s obviously a bit more than your typical multiformat combo pack goes for.
The next paragraph describes the first piece, the standard Blu-Ray. To give this a bit of credence, I started off by linking it to the resmastered version that was shown in early 2014. I also made sure I mentioned the Pikachu short and a few key features that people would definitely want to know about if this was a real story. At the end, I note that there will be retailer-specific special features, a facet of movie releases that I’ll admit I’m not a fan of, but I do think it enhances the story a bit.
Next up we have the 3D Blu-ray. This part ends up being particularly silly since from what I’ve heard it costs about a million dollars to do 3D post-conversion on ten minutes of video, so just converting the main feature would cost about seven million dollars. Typically this would have been funded for a catalog title by doing some sort of theatrical re-release, but in this case it’s being figured into the cost of the set. Home 3D never really took off as well as the studios would have liked, so I seriously doubt we’d ever actually see something like this anyway.
Nearly every combo pack includes a DVD and/or a digital version of the movie, so I figured why not include both of them on this one.
I always try to put in some sort of musical angle on my April Fool’s Day articles, and this one is no exception. For the special edition of the pop soundtrack, I wanted to point out here that every one of the extra things I list does actually already exist-there is a Spanish version of the First Movie Pokémon theme, several remixes of “Don’t Say You Love Me”, a very minorly remixed version of “Makin’ My Way”, and an alternate version of “We’re a Miracle”. I also threw in a digital version of the score, because why not at this point?
Next, I knew I needed to represent the card game in some way, and thankfully there are some recently released Mew and Mewtwo cards that I was able to pull in. The online TCG is also still out there, so I made sure to include a code for it.
Finally, we finish off the set with a Mewtwo Amiibo. Originally it was going to be a plush, but after Mewtwo was announced as DLC for Smash Bros. and the frenzy for Amiibo kicked in, I knew I had to include one to make the set complete. I also realized that some people buying this set wouldn’t have gotten the DLC by registering the games, so I decided to throw in yet another code so they can unlock the character. I will say that I feel a bit lucky that I was able to get this out there just before the Nintendo Direct that announced that there will, in fact, be an Amiibo for Mewtwo.
Finally, as a way to wrap up the article, I state that advance copies will be given to the top finishers at this year's Pokemon US Nationals.
So, I hope you enjoyed this little tour of the article I posted. I do hope that someday a real Blu-Ray for Pokémon: The First Movie does come out-preferably a little less excessive than this one. Thanks.If that still wasn't enough for you, check out the latest episode of Pokémon Colosseum:
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Warner Home Video Announces Pokémon: The First Movie “Catch ‘em All” Blu-Ray Combo Pack
In a press release sent out today, Warner Home Video announced a special “Catch ‘em All” Blu-Ray combo pack for Pokémon: The First Movie that will be released on August 11th with a suggested retail price of $99.99. The pack includes multiple versions of the movie, music, and several physical bonus items.
The pack starts off with a Blu-Ray edition of Pokémon: The First Movie, based on the digitally remastered version that was shown on Cartoon Network in early 2014. In addition to the full main feature, the disc also includes the “Pikachu’s Vacation” short and the extended “Story of Mewtwo’s Origin” featured on 2001’s “Mewtwo Returns” DVD. Additional special features will vary by retailer.
The next item in the set is a 3D Blu-Ray, the first time that the movie will be available in this format. A representative for Warner Home Video stated, “We had an excellent opportunity to bring this movie to life in a new way using 3D conversion. In particular, the underwater segment and the fight scenes look incredible.”
Rounding out the video portion of the set, both a widescreen DVD and digital HD version of the film are included. The digital HD code will be redeemable on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Instant Video.
The combo pack also covers the musical aspects of the film, starting with a special expanded edition of the Atlantic pop soundtrack to the movie. In addition to the original 16 tracks, the album includes a Spanish version of the Pokémon Theme, remixed versions of “Don’t Say You Love Me” and “Makin’ My Way”, and an alternate version of Christina Aguilera’s “We’re a Miracle”. A digital code for the score to the movie is also bundled in.
Much like when the movie debuted in theaters, the Pokémon Trading Card Game is also represented in this collection. Both Mew ex and Mewtwo ex from the Legendary Treasures expansion are included, with special foil stamps similar to the ones on the promos given out back in 1999. A digital code provided in the box will let players unlock the cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online as well.
Finally, the set includes what is described as a “North American exclusive” Amiibo of Mewtwo for use in Super Smash for Wii U and 3DS, which like other Amiibo in that series will allow players to train the character within the games. Additionally, the set will include a code that will unlock Mewtwo in one copy of one of the games.
While the set is scheduled for release on August 11th, the press release notes that “special advance copies” will be given to top finishers at the 2015 Pokémon US National Championships being held in Indianapolis, IN from July 3rd-5th.
The pack starts off with a Blu-Ray edition of Pokémon: The First Movie, based on the digitally remastered version that was shown on Cartoon Network in early 2014. In addition to the full main feature, the disc also includes the “Pikachu’s Vacation” short and the extended “Story of Mewtwo’s Origin” featured on 2001’s “Mewtwo Returns” DVD. Additional special features will vary by retailer.
The next item in the set is a 3D Blu-Ray, the first time that the movie will be available in this format. A representative for Warner Home Video stated, “We had an excellent opportunity to bring this movie to life in a new way using 3D conversion. In particular, the underwater segment and the fight scenes look incredible.”
Rounding out the video portion of the set, both a widescreen DVD and digital HD version of the film are included. The digital HD code will be redeemable on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Instant Video.
The combo pack also covers the musical aspects of the film, starting with a special expanded edition of the Atlantic pop soundtrack to the movie. In addition to the original 16 tracks, the album includes a Spanish version of the Pokémon Theme, remixed versions of “Don’t Say You Love Me” and “Makin’ My Way”, and an alternate version of Christina Aguilera’s “We’re a Miracle”. A digital code for the score to the movie is also bundled in.
Much like when the movie debuted in theaters, the Pokémon Trading Card Game is also represented in this collection. Both Mew ex and Mewtwo ex from the Legendary Treasures expansion are included, with special foil stamps similar to the ones on the promos given out back in 1999. A digital code provided in the box will let players unlock the cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online as well.
Finally, the set includes what is described as a “North American exclusive” Amiibo of Mewtwo for use in Super Smash for Wii U and 3DS, which like other Amiibo in that series will allow players to train the character within the games. Additionally, the set will include a code that will unlock Mewtwo in one copy of one of the games.
While the set is scheduled for release on August 11th, the press release notes that “special advance copies” will be given to top finishers at the 2015 Pokémon US National Championships being held in Indianapolis, IN from July 3rd-5th.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Unboxing the Pokemon: The First Movie Mini-DVD
Back in the mid-00's, Warner Bros. put out a number of titles in a format called "Mini-DVD", which is basically a smaller DVD disc (three inches across instead of the usual five). One of the titles produced in this format was Pokemon: The First Movie. You can see an unboxing of this edition here:
While the main feature is mostly intact (the commentary from the regular version is not present), several special features had to be cut. The remaining features (all on disc two) are:
-"Don't Say You Love Me" music video
-"Ash's Journey" introduction video
-"The Story of Mewtwo's Origin" (short version)
Overall, I wouldn't say there's a particular reason to seek out this edition, unless you want to own a copy in every format the movie's been released in.
While the main feature is mostly intact (the commentary from the regular version is not present), several special features had to be cut. The remaining features (all on disc two) are:
-"Don't Say You Love Me" music video
-"Ash's Journey" introduction video
-"The Story of Mewtwo's Origin" (short version)
Overall, I wouldn't say there's a particular reason to seek out this edition, unless you want to own a copy in every format the movie's been released in.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
New musician interview following tomorrow's Top 25 Countdown
I recently interviewed Brian Steckler, co-writer of "Catch Me If You Can" from Pokemon: The First Movie, discussing the song and his career as a musician. That two-part interview will debut following tomorrow's Top 25 Countdown. The countdown starts at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central, so be sure to tune in!
Can't wait?
Can't wait?
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