Streamline Pictures 391914 220990062 2008-06-22T15:22:25Z Ryanasaurus0077 183197 /* Later years */ {{Refimprove|date=July 2007}} '''Streamline Pictures''' was an American distribution company that was best known for its distribution of English dubbed Japanese animation. ==History== ===Founding=== Founded in 1988, it was the first North American company that was founded primarily for the intention of distributing translated [[anime]] uncut and faithful to the original content. The founders of Streamline were [[Carl Macek]], who had worked for Harmony Gold USA during the mid 1980s, most notably on the series ''[[Robotech]]'', and [[Jerry Beck]], an animation historian and film distribution veteran who had worked at MGM/UA, Orion and Expanded Entertainment. At one point or another, Steve Kramer, Ardwight Chamberlin, Tom Wyner, and Mike Reynolds all of whom served as series staff writers (and voice actors) on ''Robotech'', worked as independent writers and voice actors for Streamline. ===High profile products distrubted by Streamline=== The first high profile product distributed by Streamline was its December 1989 release of the 1988 film ''[[Akira (film)|Akira]]''. Streamline is also known for its 1989 theatrical distribution of the film ''[[Laputa: The Castle in the Sky]]'' directed by [[Hayao Miyazaki]], and its 1992 video dubbing of ''[[The Castle of Cagliostro]]''. Streamline also dubbed ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'', and ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service]]'', in 1988 for Tokuma Shoten, although these were only used as in-flight films by Japan Air Lines at the time. As a fan of Miyazaki's films, Macek did not think ''Castle in the Sky'' (of which Streamline was the distributor) had received the quality of dubbing that a Miyazaki film deserved. He thought that it could have been done better, so the Japanese releaser [[Tokuma Shoten]] gave him the opportunity to prove his words. For his first project, he asked to dub ''My Neighbor Totoro'', one of his favorite Miyazaki works. The Streamline dub of ''My Neighbor Totoro'' was released theatrically in the U.S. by Troma Films in 1993; but its dub of ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' appeared only on the 1990s Japanese laser disc release of that title. (Since then, however, ''Castle in the Sky'' and ''My Neighbor Totoro'' have both been redubbed by [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]].) Tokuma Shoten was pleased with the quality of the initial work, and it immediately hired Streamline Pictures to produce the [[English language]] version of ''Kiki's Delivery Service''. Soon after its release, the film was bought by [[Japan Airlines]] who showed it during their flights between [[Japan]] and the U.S. (The film has since been redubbed by [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]].) It also licensed and dubbed other popular anime series and movies such as ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', ''[[Wicked City (film)|Wicked City]]'', ''[[Lensman]]'', ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'' and ''[[The Professional: Golgo 13]]''. ===Home video market=== Streamline, in being the first company dedicated to making anime accessible to the English speaking world, was notable for releasing a wide variety of anime that fit in a wide variety of genres, many of which do not fit completely in any genre such as ''Twilight of the Cockroaches''. During the 1990s [[VHS]] era, before the common availability of hybrid [[DVD]]s, anime distributors released anime via subtitled or dubbed tapes with the subtitled editions being noticeably more expensive than the dubs which were expected to sell better. Streamline is also notable in being the only such company to eschew this practice and release only dubs of its anime. The only exceptions were the later ''Akira'' subtitled release and their ''Robotech Collection'', which included episodes of the original ''Macross, Southern Cross,'' and ''Mospeada'' episodes on the same tape along with their ''Robotech'' counterparts. ===Criticism=== Because of Carl Macek's notoriety with a certain branch of fandom, Streamline became one of the early catalysts of the sub vs dub debate. Macek's philosophy towards anime dubbing, as stated in several interviews, most notably published [[Protoculture Addicts]] and [[Animag]], has become largely synonymous with the negative connotation concerning "Americanized dubs". ===Later years=== Streamline Pictures stopped producing new anime releases in 1996, folding into [[Orion Pictures Corporation]], which, in turn, would fold into [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] one year later, in 1997. Streamline Pictures went out of business in 2002. Today, the Streamline film and television library is owned by MGM. ==Notable dubs by Streamline== * ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' (1988) (later distributed by [[Troma Films]]) * ''[[Akira (film)|Akira]]'' (1989) (later distributed by [[Orion Pictures]]) * ''[[Laputa: The Castle in the Sky]]'' (1989) * ''[[Twilight of the Cockroaches]]'' (1989) * ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service]]'' (1989) * ''[[Lensman (anime)|Lensman]]'' (1990) (later distributed by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]) * ''[[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]]'' (1990) * ''[[Robot Carnival]]'' (1991) * ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' (1991) (later distributed by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]) * ''[[Zillion: Burning Night]]'' (1991) * ''[[Neo Tokyo (anime)|Neo Tokyo]]'' (1992) (later distributed by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]) * ''[[Birth (anime)|Planet Busters]]'' (1992) * ''[[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water|Nadia]]'' (1992) (re-released in 1995 as ''The Secret of Blue Water'') * ''[[The Castle of Cagliostro]]'' (1992) (dubbed version) * ''The Professional: [[Golgo 13]]'' (1992) (later distributed by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]) * ''[[3x3 Eyes]]'' (1992) (later distributed by [[Orion Pictures]]) * ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'' (1992) (later distributed by [[CBS Theatrical Films]] and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]) * ''[[Speed Racer|The Speed Racer Show]]'' (1993) (along with [[Live Entertainment]]) * ''The [[Dirty Pair]]'s Affair on Nolandia'' (1993) (later distributed by [[United Artists]]) * ''[[Doomed Megalopolis]]'' (1993) * ''[[Wicked City (film)|Wicked City]]'' (1993) * ''[[Windaria]]'' (1993) * ''[[Dirty Pair]]: Flight 005 Conspiracy'' (1994) (later distributed by [[United Artists]]) * ''[[Dirty Pair]]: The Movie - Project Eden'' (1994) (later distributed by [[United Artists]]) * ''[[Silent Möbius]]'' (1994) (later distributed by [[Miramax Films]]) * ''[[Crying Freeman]]'' (1994) * ''[[8 Man]] After'' (1994) * ''[[Lily C.A.T.]]'' (1994) * ''[[Lupin III]]: Tales of the Wolf'' (1994) * ''[[Babel II]]'' (1995) * ''[[Barefoot Gen]]'' (1995) * ''[[Casshan - Robot Hunter]]'' (1995) * ''[[Crimson Wolf]]'' (1995) * ''[[Mystery of Mamo|Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo]]'' (1995) (theatrically distributed by [[Carolco Pictures]]) * ''[[Megazone 23]]'' (1995) (later distributed by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]) * ''[[Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms]]'' (1995) (later distributed by [[Orion Pictures]]) * ''[[3x3 Eyes]] 2'' (1997) (later distributed by [[Orion Pictures]]) ==Streamline VHS catalog== ===Exclusively distributed by MGM/UA Home Video after August 1994=== :1. [[Lensman]] (1990) :2. [[Akira (film)|Akira]] (1990) :3. [[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]] Volume 1 (1990) :4. [[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]] Volume 2 (1990) :5. [[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]] Volume 3 (1990) :6. [[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]] Volume 4 (1990) :7. [[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]] Volume 5 (1991) :13. [[Zillion (anime)|Zillion]]: Burning Night (1991) :17. [[Birth (anime)|Planet Busters]] (1992) :19. [[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water|Nadia]] Volume 1 (1992) :20. [[Robotech II: The Sentinels]] (1992) :21. [[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water|Nadia]] Volume 2 (1992) :23. [[Vampire Hunter D]] (1992) :24. [[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water|Nadia]] Volume 3 (1992) :26. [[Fist of the North Star]] (1992) :27. [[Twilight of the Cockroaches]] (September 1, 1992) :28. [[The Castle of Cagliostro]] (September 1, 1992) :37. [[Robotech]] Volume 1 (November 1, 1993) :38. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 1 (November 1, 1993) :39. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] Volume 1 (November 1, 1993) :40. The [[Dirty Pair|Dirty Pair's]] Affair on Nolandia (November 1, 1993) :44. [[Robotech]] Volume 2 (November 1, 1993) :45. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 2 (November 1, 1993) :46. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] Volume 2 (November 1, 1993) :47. [[Akira (film)|Akira]]: Special Subtitled Edition (November 1, 1993) :50. [[Lupin III|Albatross: Wings of Death]] (November 1, 1993) :51. [[Lupin III|Aloha Lupin]] (November 1, 1993) :52. [[Robotech]] Volume 3 (November 1, 1993) :53. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 3 (November 1, 1993) :54. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] Volume 3 (November 1, 1993) :55. [[Robotech]] Volume 4 (November 1, 1993) :56. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 4 (November 1, 1993) :57. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] Volume 4 (November 23, 1993) :60. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 1 (November 1, 1993) :61. [[Robotech]] Volume 5 (November 23, 1993) :62. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 5 (November 23, 1993) :63. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] Volume 5 (November 23, 1993) :65. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 2 (November 23, 1993) :66. [[Crying Freeman]] Volume 1 (November 23, 1993) :67. [[Robotech]] Volume 6 (November 23, 1993) :68. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 6 (November 23, 1993) :69. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] Volume 6 (November 23, 1993) :71. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 3 (February 21, 1994) :73. [[Crying Freeman]] Volume 2 (February 21, 1994) :74. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 4 (February 21, 1994) :75. [[Robotech]] Volume 7 (February 21, 1994) :76. [[Robotech|Robotech Masters]] Volume 7 (February 21, 1994) :77. [[Robotech|Robotech: The New Generation]] (February 21, 1994) :80. [[Crying Freeman]] Volume 3 (February 21, 1994) :82. [[Robotech]] Volume 8 (February 21, 1994) :83. [[Dirty Pair]]: Flight 005 Conspiracy (February 21, 1994) :92. [[Wicked City (film)|Wicked City]] (February 21, 1994) ===Exclusively distributed by Orion Home Video after August 1994=== :20. [[Robotech II: The Sentinels]] (February 21, 1994) :26. [[Fist of the North Star]] (February 21, 1994) :30. [[3x3 Eyes]] Volume 1 (1992) :32. [[3x3 Eyes]] Volume 2 (1992) :40. The [[Dirty Pair|Dirty Pair's]] Affair on Nolandia (February 21, 1994) :49. [[3x3 Eyes]] Volume 3 (November 1, 1993) :50. Lupin III's [[Greatest Capers]] (May 30, 1995) :59. [[3x3 Eyes]] Volume 4 (November 1, 1993) :60. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 1 (May 30, 1995) :64. [[Akira (film)|Akira]] (February 21, 1994) :65. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 2 (May 30, 1995) :66. [[Crying Freeman]] Volume 1 (November 21, 1994) :70. The Professional: [[Golgo 13]] (February 21, 1994) :71. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 3 (May 30, 1995) :74. [[Doomed Megalopolis]] Volume 4 (May 30, 1995) :77. [[Crying Freeman]] Volume 2 (May 30, 1995) :80. [[Crying Freeman]] Volume 3 (May 30, 1995) :81. [[Dirty Pair]]: The Movie - Project Eden (February 21, 1994) :83. [[Dirty Pair]]: Flight 005 Conspiracy (November 21, 1994) :87. [[Lily C.A.T.]] (February 21, 1994) :92. [[Wicked City (film)|Wicked City]] (April 21, 1995) :94. [[Mystery of Mamo|Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo]] (April 21, 1995) :117. [[8 Man]] After: The Perfect Collection (1995) :119. [[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water|The Secret of Blue Water]]: The Adventure Begins (1995) :133. [[Babel II]]: The Perfect Collection (1996) :138. [[Casshan - Robot Hunter]] Volume 1 (1996) :142. [[Barefoot Gen]] (1996) ==External links== * {{imdb company|id=0012732|company=Streamline Pictures}} [[Category:Anime companies]] [[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer subsidiaries]] [[Category:Home video companies of the United States]] [[Category:Companies established in 1988]] [[Category:2002 disestablishments]]