Final "InuYasha" Episode at VIZ Anime

INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT REACHES THE ULTIMATE SERIES FINALE ON VIZAnime.com

VIZ Media invites fans to catch the last episode of INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT airing on VIZAnime.com. The finale to the long-running animated adventure saga will be broadcast on the new video-streaming site shortly after it airs in Japan. Find out in the exciting conclusion to one of the greatest anime series of all time in the installment titled “Toward Tomorrow”!

INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT is based on a massively popular manga (also published by VIZ Media, rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) by famed creator Rumiko Takahashi, who won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for the series in 2002. Many of Takahashi’s titles have been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. The INUYASHA anime series has run for 193 episodes in total and has also spawned several feature films.

Pulled back in time to Japan's ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named Inuyasha, who remembers Kagome's previous incarnation as the woman who killed him - and to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls," which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inuyasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone's nightmares are given the power they need to come true.

Takahashi’s manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi’s work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga. Please visit the official North American web site for all Rumiko Takahashi-related news and information located at www.TheRumicWorld.com.

VIZAnime.com is a brand new, free-to-use interactive web destination that is the permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series VIZ Anime is accessible at: www.VIZAnime.com.

Ralph Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings" Remastered DVD Arrives Soon

"The Lord Of The Rings Remastered Deluxe Edition" is coming April 6, 2010 from Warner Home Video. This original animated classic from acclaimed director Ralph Bakshi and Academy Award Winning producer Saul Zaentz has been remastered with pristine New Dolby 5.1 audio and picture quality and will be distributed as a single disc DVD and Blu-ray combo which features a Blu-ray, DVD and bonus digital copy. The film will also be available for Digital Download. This film is rated PG.

One of the great visionary animation directors of the modern era, Bakshi went to artistic extremes to meticulously bring the legendary world of J.R.R. Tolkien to animated life – adding yet another stunning title to the director’s canon of ground-breaking films. Bakshi’s animation accomplishments include Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, American Pop, Wizards and Cool World.

All the magical adventure of the fantasy classic comes to life in Bakshi’s brilliantly animated tale of the enchanted land of Middle-earth – and the brave band of hobbits, heroes and wizards who set out to protect it. When a dangerous and powerful gold ring falls into his hands, a courageous hobbit named Frodo embarks on an epic adventure. Along with the mighty wizard Gandalf and some daring elves, he defends his homeland from the Dark Power who would destroy it. Set in a mystical age of magic, monsters and unlikely heroes on incredible journeys, The Lord of the Rings will cast its spell over the entire family!

The deluxe edition also features a never-before-seen, 30-minute in-depth interview with legendary director Ralph Bakshi entitled "Forging Through The Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for The Lord Of The Rings." This special feature explores his concept for creating an illustrated film, his pioneering rotoscoping process, and inspirations for his visual storytelling.

VIZ Cinema Offers Unique Films for April

VIZ CINEMA CELEBRATES SPRING WITH A COLORFUL SCHEDULE OF DELICIOUS EVENTS AND UNIQUE FILM SCREENINGS FOR APRIL

Theatre Welcomes Director Yuri Nomura For The Premiere Of Eatrip, Screens New Films Sakuran And Gravity’s Clowns, Announces A Special Gundam Movie Marathon And Much More!

April welcomes Spring, and VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, celebrates the season of the sakura (cherry blossom) with a colorful – and tasty – schedule of films and fun events.

Don’t miss a very rare personal appearance by Director Yuri Nomura for the U.S. premiere of her acclaimed documentary film about gastronomy, Eatrip. Known widely in Japan as a chef, author and teacher, and also for her Food Creative Team, “Eatrip,” that takes ‘eating’ to the next level. Eatrip created a buzz in film festivals worldwide and now comes to San Francisco!

Nomura will attend the U.S. premiere of Eatrip at VIZ Cinema on April 10th as part of the 43rd annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco’s Japantown. Tickets are available to attend a unique dinner and discussion with the Nomura, hosted in association with Sylvan Mishima Brackett, owner of PEKO-PEKO and the former creative director at the world-renowned restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, CA. VIP tickets are $50.00 and include dinner and reception (April 10th, 7:00pm) and are now available for purchase online.

Other new films opening in April include Sakuran, Gravity’s Clowns and a special Gundam Forever Movie Marathon! Science fiction fans can also look forward to the next installment of TokyoScope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films Vol. 2, which this month focuses on MECHA MANIA: Four Decades of Slam-Bang Sci-Fi Robot Anime, and a special screening of K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces to celebrate the release of the film on DVD by VIZ Pictures on April 20th. Preview trailers and screening times for all films are available at: http://www.vizcinema.com.

Sakuran, March 26th – April 8th
Cinema starlet Anna Tsuchiya, who first thrilled audiences as the brash and spunky biker in Kamikaze Girls, returns with similar on-screen swagger but melts this time with sensuality in Sakuran. The film is based on a popular manga comic about the life of a girl with an unfortunate childhood and brought up to become a Yoshiwara courtesan during Tokyo’s Edo era. The film is alight with bright and colorful sizzle and a unique soundtrack by pop diva Sheena Ringo. This film contains nudity. Parental guidance is recommended.

Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films

Vol.2 MECHA MANIA: Four Decades of Slam-Bang Sci-Fi Robot Anime, Friday, April 9th 7:00pmJoin Patrick Macias, Editor-in-Chief of OTAKU USA, as he hosts the second lecture in his ongoing series about Japanese cinema. This time it’s all about ‘mecha’ (robots and machines). Macias gives insights into the long and storied world of mecha anime from its inception in the 60’s with Tetsujin 28, and on through the 80s with Gundam and the dawn of a new generation of films such as Gurren Lagann. Tickets are $8:00. No further discounts will apply.

Gundam Movie Marathon, Saturday, April 10th – One Day Only!
Mobile Suit Gundam Movie I, 11:00am

Mobile Suit Gundam Movie II: Soldiers of Sorrow, 1:35pm

Mobile Suit Gundam Movie III: Encounters in Space, 4:05pm

VIZ Cinema’s Weeknight Anime People makes a special weekend stop with an afternoon of Gundam! In the year 0079 of the Universal Century, the Earth Federation and its space colonies are engaged in an apocalyptic war. The rebellious Duchy of Zeon, using humanoid fighting machines called Mobile Suits, has all but vanquished the Federation. Now the Federation’s last hope is the prototype Mobile Suit, Gundam. When a twist of fate makes young civilian Amuro Ray the sole-pilot of Gundam, Amuro’s own battle begins – a struggle not only for the Federation’s survival, but for his own. General ticket price: $10:00; Combo tickets are $25:00. No further discounts will apply.

Eatrip, April 10th – April 15th

Eatrip explores the interpersonal relationships that food nurtures. This documentary includes interviews with actor Tadanobu Asano, singer UA, tea master Sen Souoku, and many others. It takes you on a journey throughout Japan to look at how life can be led optimally through the daily ritual of eating. To eat is indeed to live. Life is just an “eating trip” (Eatrip). Director Yuri Nomura will attend the U.S. premiere of Eatrip at VIZ Cinema on April 10th.

Gravity’s Clowns, April 16th – April 29th

Based on the emotionally haunting suspense thriller, A Pierrot, by Kotaro Isaka, Gravity’s Clowns follows brothers Izumi and Haru, who both hold bitter memories from the past. When a serial arsonist begins leaving mysterious graffiti by burn sites, they become obsessively drawn to solving the dangerous case on their own. As they uncover the facts, their own dark family secrets are unraveled.

K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces, Thursday, April 20th, 7:00pm

Celebrate the release of K-20 on DVD by VIZ Pictures with this special one-night-only screening. It is 1949 in Japan, in a world where World War II never happened and the nobility system is still in place. Heikichi, a circus acrobat, is deceived by “The Fiend (Kaijin) with Twenty Faces”, a.k.a. K-20, and is set up to take the fall for the phantom thief. Now, Heikichi must wage war against K-20. The character K-20 is originally from the bestseller mystery novel series by Rampo Edogawa. Stars Takeshi Kaneshiro, Takako Matsu, and Toru Nakamura. Tickets to attend movie-only are: $10; or to attend the film and take home the brand new DVD, a K-20 poster, and more for only $25.00.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

Review: Original Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" is not Exactly Classic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 169 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Alice in Wonderland (1951) – animation

Running time: 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)

DIRECTORS: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske

WRITERS: Winston Hibler, Ted Sears, Bill Peet, Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, William Cottrell, Dick Kelsey, Joe Grant, Dick Heumer, Del Connell, Tom Oreb, and John Walbridge with Aldous Huxley (based upon the book by Lewis Carroll)

PRODUCER: Walt Disney

EDITOR: Lloyd Richardson

Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY/MUSICAL

Starring: (voice) Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna, Verna Felton, J. Pat O’Malley, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel, Joseph Kearns, and James MacDonald

Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland is animated feature film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s world-renowned children’s novels, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1872). The film takes elements from both books, but especially the more popular Alice. Thankfully, the film manages to be something on its own as its screenplay could never capture subtle satire, allusion, symbolism or the mysterious meanings behind Carroll’s remarkable work.

The adaptation is rather simple, Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) follows the White Rabbit (Bill Thompson) down a deep, dark hole in a tree and ends up in Wonderland. She has many encounters with the land’s strange inhabitants, including a tumultuous run in with the violent-tempered Queen of Hearts (Verna Felton), before the inhabitants of Wonderland chase her out of their domain.

Although Alice in Wonderland would stand head and shoulders above most other feature-length animated films, when compared to the Disney greats, this film isn’t one of them. It’s actually quite dry for most of its running time. What makes the film so memorable is the animation that is drawn to resemble the work of book illustrator John Tenniel, whose drawings for the Alice novels would become the definitive visual interpretation of Carroll’s characters. The Disney animation artists do a worthy job turning Tenniel’s precise delineation into the line work necessary for animation.

The second really memorable element of the film is the superb voice acting. Each and every actor deserves notice, from the starring roles to the small bits. I especially liked Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter, Jerry Colonna as the March Hare and, of course, Kathryn Beaumont as Alice. The film’s 14 songs are the most thus far for a Disney animated film. They are good, though not great, except for the one that has most stayed in the public’s pop culture conscience, “I’m Late,” written by Bob Hilliard and Sammy Fain.

6 of 10

B

NOTES:

1952 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture” (Oliver Wallace)

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Review: The Dragon in "How to Train Your Dragon" Makes the Film Soar

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

 

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) – animated

Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)

MPAA – PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language

DIRECTOR: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

WRITERS: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, Adam F. Goldberg, and Peter Tolan (based upon the book by Cressida Cowell

PRODUCER: Bonnie Arnold

EDITOR: Maryann Brandon

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Kathy Altieri

ART DIRECTOR: Pierre-Olivier Vincent

 

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

 

Starring: (voice) Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Kristen Wiig 

 

The latest computer-animated (or 3D animation) film from DreamWorks Animation, How to Train Your Dragon, really does reach new heights. This story about a boy and his dragon will take the viewer soaring across the sky through cloud banks and far into the atmosphere. The audience will follow the two as they streak across the ocean and over, around, and through islands and outcroppings. For over a century, cinema has shown us humans riding into the sky on winged horses, magic carpets, giant birds, etc., but never has movie flight felt so thrilling as it does here on the back on a young dragon. 

 

How to Train Your Dragon is set on the island of Berk, a Viking settlement where the Vikings have been fighting dragons since the settlers arrived on Berk. The story’s hero is a Viking teenager named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the son of Viking chieftain, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). Hiccup’s smarts and offbeat sense of humor don’t sit too well with his tribe or his father because fighting dragons is their way of life – not humor. 

 

The beanpole-thin Hiccup is not strong, nor is he built like other Vikings, but still he is included in Dragon Training with the other Viking teens. Hiccup sees this as his chance to prove he has what it takes to be a fighter. When he encounters an injured dragon, one of the dreaded breed know as the Night Fury, Hiccup’s world is flipped upside down. He eventually befriends the dragon, whom he names “Toothless,” and helps the creature when he discovers that half of Toothless’ tail wing has been ripped off, grounding him. What started out as Hiccup’s one shot to prove himself as a Viking dragon slayer turns into an opportunity to set a new course for the future of Hiccup’s entire tribe. 

 

There is a lot about How to Train Your Dragon that can be praised, but the film does have its problems. Most of the characters are dull, flat, and uninteresting. Even Hiccup’s father, Stoick, large and fearsome as he is, really doesn’t generated dramatic heat, and Gerard Butler’s voice performance doesn’t make the character better. The character, Gobber, who acts as comic relief and is voiced by late-night talk show host, Craig Ferguson, is tepid. The story isn’t bad, but it is slight; there isn’t the dramatic weight here that one would get from a Pixar movie. In fact, the first quarter hour or so of this film presaged a cinematic bomb. Then, Hiccup and Toothless kick things off. 

 

What makes How to Train Your Dragon fantastic is its star duo. The depth, back story, conflict, and motivation missing from the other characters are abundant in Hiccup. His need to be accepted by his tribe, especially his father, versus his penchant for investigating and challenging the consensus, the status quo, and conventional thinking is the dramatic backbone of this film. Hiccup’s dragon buddy, Toothless, is simply a great animated character. He doesn’t speak, but his personality and character come through the expressiveness of his face and the vivid nature of his body in motion. In an animated film – 2D or 3D, the art of animation is indeed the illusion of life, as seen in the animated character. Gabe Hordos, the supervising animator of Toothless, and his staff have executed a grand magical spell in bringing Toothless to life. 

 

How to Train Your Dragon shows the audience the evolution of a boy from outcast teen to acknowledged hero. The film offers an impish, playful cartoon creature possessing the best human qualities. Together boy and dragon take us on a journey of self-discovery and maturity, and How to Train Your Dragon will take the audience on an aerial adventure that sometimes rivals the high-flying action of James Cameron’s Avatar. That is more than enough to make up for this film’s faults. 

 

8 of 10

A 

 

Monday, March 29, 2010

 

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Dragonslayer a Cult Classic Deserving of More Love

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 70 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Dragonslayer (1981)

Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)

DIRECTOR: Matthew Robbins

WRITERS: Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins

PRODUCER: Hal Barwood

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Derek Vanlint

EDITOR: Tony Lawson

Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/DRAMA/ADVENTURE/THRILLER

Starring: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Peter Eyre, Albert Salmi, Sydney Bromely, Chloe Salaman, Emrys James, Roger Kemp, and Ian McDiarmid

To appease Vermithrax Pejorative, an old dragon prone to rampages, Casiodorus Rex (Peter Eyre), the ruler of a small kingdom, sacrifices virgins twice a year during the solstice (winter and fall, I think) to the dragon. A young woman masquerading as a man leads a contingent to visit the sorcerer, Urlich (Ralph Richardson), and ask him to slay the dragon, but Urlich is killed during a test of courage. Urlich’s apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol), boldly decides to take his master’s place and slay Vermithrax. The dragon, however, is known to wreaked havoc and much destruction on the human settlements immediately after the numerous unsuccessful attempts to slay him. The film begs three questions: does Galen have what it takes to be a dragon slayer? Can the novice be a wizard and unleash the magic necessary to kill a monster? And did he truly understand his master’s final instructions to him?

Dragonslayer remains an exceptional fantasy film over two decades after its release. The Paramount Pictures/Walt Disney co-production obviously lacks the computer effects that make the monsters and supernatural creatures of today’s films so convincingly real. However, some of the best creature builders and special effects minds of the time worked on the film, and the result is a mechanical dragon that is as scary today as it was in 1981. This is truly a monster and a monster movie that stands out from the pack.

While the acting is wobbly, everything else about Dragonslayer is great. From the locations in Scotland and Wales to the natural lighting used to photograph this film, the technical aspects give a ring of truth to this fantastic film. Co-writer/director Matthew Robbins directs the film at a nice pace that overcomes the shortcomings in the actors’ performance and a script that seems to wander and lacks real dramatic conflict between the characters. There is a lot of potential in this story for conflict that is underplayed or underdeveloped. One thing that the script does do well is emphasize how Christianity slowly encroached on the old pagan ways and belief in magic. There is a strong feeling of authenticity in this film’s depiction of the old ways giving in to the new, and that the light of Christianity has come to dispel the darkness of evil and the black arts. Dragonslayer isn’t high fantasy like The Lord of the Rings, but this is high quality “reality-based” fantasy that hits the spot.

7 of 10

A-

NOTES:

1982 Academy Awards: 2 nominations – “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Ken Ralston, and Brian Johnson) and “Best Score” (Alex North)

May 20, 2005

Sherlock Holmes Coming Home

Arriving on DVD is Sherlock Holmes

I reviewed this film for the Comic Book Bin (the Bin's iPhone app). I think Robert Downey, Jr. was excellent as Holmes and Jude Law matched him as Dr. Watson. This was a great time at the movies.