VIZ Media Announces "Berserk" Event

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS A DOUBLE DOSE OF MEDIEVAL ACTION WITH BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC DOUBLE FEATURE EVENT ON MAY 11th

First Two Installments Of The Action-Packed Trilogy, Including The North American Premiere Of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II – THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY, Will Screen At NEW PEOPLE Theater In San Francisco And Simultaneously Air On Neon Alley Channel

San Francisco, CA, April 4, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings a very special anime theatrical presentation with a double-feature premiere of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING and the North American theatrical premiere of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY. The double feature event will be held on Saturday, May 11th at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the dynamic Japanese pop culture entertainment venue in San Francisco’s Japantown at 1746 Post St. A special galley exhibit featuring original BERSERK production art from Studio 4℃ will also be showcased in the theatre lobby. The double feature will simultaneously air on VIZ Media’s own Neon Alley channel, accessible by fans in North America.

Two double-feature showings (presented with dubbed English dialogue) at NEW PEOPLE Cinema are scheduled for Saturday, May 11th, beginning at 3:00pm and 8:00pm. A short intermission will take place between each movie. Tickets are $25.00 and are available online at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/films/films-5-2013/. Each ticketholder to the event will also receive an exclusive BERSERK gift pack upon arrival to the theater with chance to win very special items from Japan.

VIZ Media also invites Neon Alley members to catch back-to-back airings of the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING and BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY on the same day at the same times – Saturday, May 11th – at 3:00pm and 8:00pm PST. Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s new 24-hour, subscription-based anime channel, available for the PS3 game console and Playstation® Network, and the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live®, featuring many of the world’s best anime titles (dubbed in English and uncut) and presented in HD (when available) for a low monthly subscription rate of only $6.99. More details at: www.neonalley.com.

A variety of exclusive BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC memorabilia – including collectable figures, a special artbook, cell phone charms, and Japanese theatrical pamphlets autographed by Studio 4ºC CEO Eiko Tanaka – will be raffled at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema event. Neon Alley viewers will also have a chance to watch and win one of 50 one-of-a-kind pieces of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC production art available exclusively during the premiere event. Please visit www.facebook.com/neonalleynetwork for more details and update on the special giveaway items.

As a special bonus, both the NEW PEOPLE Cinema and Neon Alley presentations will feature a video of musician/composer Susumu Hirasawa performing the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC theme song "Aria.”

“The BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC trilogy possesses all of the great elements for an epic and vicious action saga,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “We invite fans from the Bay Area and beyond to join us for an exciting theatrical event at NEW PEOPLE Cinema, or to catch the back-to-back premieres, completely uncut, on Neon Alley. And also don’t miss the chance to score some one-of-a-kind and highly collectable BERSERK production art pieces that we will give away in a special contest!”

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING (rated TV-MA) follows lone mercenary Guts as he travels the land where a hundred-year-old war is taking place. His ferocity and ability to take down enemies attracts the attention of Griffith, leader of the mercenary group “The Band of the Hawk,” and Guts is recruited to the unit. Thanks to their continued victories on the battlefield, the bond between Guts and Griffith deepens, but despite all their success, Guts begins to question his reasons for fighting for Griffith’s dream. Unknown to Guts, this unyielding dream is about to bestow a horrible fate on them both.

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY (rated TV-MA) picks up the story as Guts believed, for three years, that his mission was to pursue Griffith’s dream together with him. But in order to become Griffith’s equal and truly be called his friend, Guts realizes he will have to leave the Band of the Hawk. At the same time, a bloody battle to capture the impenetrable Fortress of Doldrey from the Empire of Chuder is about to begin. The Band of the Hawk will face an army 30,000 strong!

The BERSERK manga series, by Kentarou Miura, debuted in Japan in 1989 and quickly drew a devoted following, going on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. The series, still ongoing in Japan, has been published in North America and the UK, as well as in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Latin America. The BERSERK manga has also inspired a popular anime television series and has spawned a variety of related video games, collectable figures and toys, and music soundtracks, as well as the current BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy.

For more information on the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy, please visit the official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BerserkFilm.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

"Jurassic Park" Returns in 3D

Universal Pictures' Jurassic Park To Be Released In IMAX® 3D For The First Time Ever On April 5

Steven Spielberg's Classic Returns to the Big Screen in IMAX® Theatres

PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Universal Pictures announced that Steven Spielberg's epic Jurassic Park will return to the big screen with a one-week 3D engagement in IMAX® theatres worldwide simultaneous with the film's wide release beginning April 5, 2013.

With his remastering of this epic film into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Steven Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award®-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film's original release. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen.

"Jurassic Park is the quintessential film for fans to experience in IMAX 3D," said Nikki Rocco, President of Distribution, Universal Pictures. "Jurassic Park was groundbreaking when it was originally released, and The IMAX 3D Experience® will allow today's audiences to become fully immersed in one of the most breathtaking epics Universal has ever released."

"Steven Spielberg's films resonate uniquely with audiences," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We're thrilled to offer moviegoers an opportunity to see this fan favorite back on the big screen and transport them - for the first time through the power of The IMAX 3D Experience® - into the world of Jurassic Park."

The IMAX release of Jurassic Park has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

You can learn more about Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D by visiting the film's official site at http://www.jurassicpark.com/.


About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

Renowned Film Critic Roger Ebert Dies at 70

by Leroy Douressaux

A crappy day for me just got even crappier. Roger Ebert, one of the few film critics known to the general public, died today, Thursday, April 04, 2013, at the age of 70.

Ebert was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, winning the “Pulitzer Prize for Criticism” in 1975. Ebert began writing a film review column for the Chicago Sun-Times beginning in 1967. Later, he also began posting his reviews online.

Ebert is likely best known for his association with fellow film critic, the late Gene Siskel. For 23 years, Ebert and Siskel hosted three television series in which they reviewed and discussed films. Sneak Previews began in 1975. The two launched the syndicated series, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, in 1982. In 1982, the duo created Siskel & Ebert & The Movies, which was syndicated by a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The two men were known for their “thumbs up/thumbs down” review summaries. Siskel died in 1999.

Ebert had been battling thyroid cancer since 2002. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Ebert died of complications from cancer.

Negromancer sends its condolences to Roger Ebert’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Mr. Ebert.

"Pokemon the Movie" No. 15 Now on DVD

VIZ MEDIA EXCITES FANS WITH THE DEBUT OF POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE ON DVD

Latest Feature Film From The Leading Kids Entertainment Franchise Also Complemented By VIZ Kids Release Of Tie-In Manga Edition

San Francisco, CA, April 2, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings an exotic new animated POKÉMON adventure to fans of all ages with the DVD release of POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE. Debuting today, the new film can be enjoyed by the entire family (rated ‘TV-Y7-F7’) and carries an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $24.98 CAN. A tie-in manga edition is also available now in stores under the VIZ Kids imprint, rated ‘A’ for All Ages and carrying an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the latest exciting POKÉMON feature film adventure, Ash and friends spot an injured Pokémon they don’t recognize during a train trip. They’re planning a rescue when the train is attacked by the Lengendary Kyurem! Ash and the others manage to get the unfamiliar Pokémon to safety, and they learn its story… The Mythical Pokémon Keldeo is on a mission to rescue its friends – Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion, the Swords of Justice – from Kyurem’s icy clutches. But Kyurem has other ideas, and when it transforms into Black Byurem or White Kyurem, for greater power, things look grim! Can Keldeo find the courage to stand up to this menace?

“Fans won’t want to miss the latest riveting adventure of hit franchise, POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE,” says Charlene Ingram, Sr. Marketing Manager, Animation. “Anticipation for this feature film has built ever since Keldeo was revealed in the latest POKÉMON video game. Follow Keldeo, Ash, Pikachu, and friends as they embark on a dangerous quest in an exotic land to rescue the Swords of Justice!”

For more information on VIZ Media’s POKÉMON manga and anime titles, please visit www.VIZ.com/Pokemon/.

For more information on other VIZ Media kids titles, please visit http://www.vizkids.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

10-Disc Blu-ray Collection "Marvel Cinematic Universe" Releases

MARVEL’S Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Limited Edition 10-dISC – 6-MOVIE Collection

Synopsis: On April 2, 2013, fans will be able to immerse themselves in every aspect of Marvel’s elite Super Heroes with this limited-edition, 10-Disc “Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One Collection.” Complete with glowing Tesseract, this exciting collection includes stunning Blu-ray 3D™ and Blu-ray™ presentations of Marvel’s “The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Thor,” as well as Blu-ray™ versions of “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2” and “The Incredible Hulk” in exclusive collectible packaging.

In addition, to possessing level 7 security clearance, fans will also be granted special access to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most confidential archives, including a top-secret Bonus Disc filled with never-before-seen deleted scenes, extended scenes, featurettes and more. Also featuring exclusive memorabilia (prop reproductions and artifacts) from the motion pictures, the must-own “Marvel’s Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Collection” will verify owners status as the world’s greatest authority on the Marvel Super Hero mythos!

Collection: “Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Limited Edition Collection” includes the following:
·“Marvel’s The Avengers” film (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)
·“Captain America: The First Avenger” film (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)
·“Thor” film (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)
·“Iron Man 2” film (Blu-ray)
·“The Incredible Hulk” film (Blu-ray)
·“Iron Man” film (Blu-ray)

Top-secret Bonus Disc: “The Phase One Archives” (Blu-ray) includes:
·“And Then Shawarma After” featurette
·New deleted scenes, animatics and more from each film
·Collectible packaging with memorabilia from the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe

NEW BONUS MATERIAL – JUST ADDED - Exclusive inside look at Marvel’s Iron Man 3 and other films from Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Street Date: April 2, 2013
Suggested Retail Price: $219.00 U.S. / $239.00 Canada
For More Information: www.AvengersAssembled.com

Review: In "Darkness Falls" Scary Rises

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 159 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Darkness Falls (2003)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for terror and horror images, and brief language
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Liebesman
WRITERS: John Fasano, James Vanderbilt, and Joe Harris; from a story by Joe Harris
PRODUCERS: John Fasano, John Hegeman, William Sherak, and Jason Shuman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dan Laustsen (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Tim Alverson and Steve Mirkovich
COMPOSER: Brian Tyler

HORROR/THRILLER

Starring: Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie, Grant Piro, Sullivan Stapleton, Steve Mouzakis, Peter Curtin, Kestie Morassi, Jenny Lovell, John Stanton, Joshua Anderson, and Emily Browning

The subject of this review is Darkness Falls, a 2003 horror film produced by Revolution Studios and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the film was co-written by Joe Harris, a comic book writer who has written X-Men and Spider-Man comics for Marvel Comics and Batman comics for DC Comics. Darkness Falls focuses on spirit exacting revenge on the town for a 150-year-old lynching and a young man called to help stop the spirit’s rampage.

Darkness Falls is a creepy, atmospheric little thriller with all the requisite bumps in the night, and a boogeyman (woman) who hits her mark every time she rockets out of the dark to deliver hot death. She’s a fearsome old thing, even in her worse moments.

In this horror tale, a vengeful spirit has taken the form of the Tooth Fairy and has been exacting revenge on Darkness Falls, the town that killed her, for the 150 years since her unjust execution. The Tooth Fairy visits a child on the night he loses his last tooth. If anyone looks at her during one of her visits, she whacks him. As the story begins, she has her sights on Michael Greene (Lee Cormie) who did see her. Desperate to save her little brother, Caitlin Greene (Emma Caulfield) calls on Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley), a childhood friend who survived one of the Tooth Fairy’s attacks and who is the sole opposition to the murderous supernatural creature.

Darkness Falls isn’t great, and the script is light on character development even though it has many good characters and backstory that easily connects the characters to one another. The credit goes to director Jonathan Liebesman (a South African who won some notable awards for his short film Genesis and Catastrophe) who deserves all the credit for making Darkness Falls creepy and fun. It’s an effective suspense thriller directed with a veteran’s flair, and those who are not burnt out and made cynical by overdone heavily laden special effects horror films should enjoy this.

6 of 10
B

Original "Star Wars" Script to Become a Comic Book

Apparently, this is NOT an April Fool's joke, as this announcement was first made yesterday (Sunday, March 31, 2013) at WonderCon.  The above is a page of art from "The Star Wars" comic book, coming in September 2013.

LUCASFILM AND DARK HORSE ANNOUNCE THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF STAR WARS COMICS!

George Lucas’s original-draft screenplay for The Star Wars to be adapted by J. W. Rinzler and Mike Mayhew!

APRIL 1, MILWAUKIE, OR–It’s no April Fools’ prank! Dark Horse is honored to announce a dream project: working with J.W. Rinzler, executive editor at LucasBooks, and artist Mike Mayhew (Avengers) to adapt the rough-draft original screenplay which spawned the biggest franchise in film history!

Three years before his 1977 film, George Lucas put down on paper his first story set in a galaxy far, far away—a tale of fantastic adventures, daring escapes, “lazer swords,” romance, and monsters. A story of Jedi Annikin Starkiller and General Luke Skywalker, an alien named Han Solo, and evil Sith Knights. The screenplay was titled The Star Wars!

“I’m not sure where I first read about The Star Wars—it was years and years ago—but the idea of Luke Skywalker being an older Jedi General, and Han Solo being a six-foot-tall lizard, turned my Star Wars fan brain on its side,” said longtime Star Wars editor Randy Stradley. “I always assumed this would be one of those stories that would be ‘lost to history,’ so getting to work on bringing it to life is kinda like a dream come true.”

“While researching in the Lucasfilm Archives I’ve found many treasures—but one which truly astounded me was George’s rough draft for The Star Wars. His first complete imaginings were hallucinating to read—mind blowing,” said writer J.W. Rinzler. “While working with George on another book project, I once asked if we could adapt his rough draft. He was hesitant. Years later, with Dark Horse’s invaluable help, we showed him a few drawn and colored pages of what it might look like. He gave us the okay.”

Originally conceived in 1974, The Star Wars has been the subject of rumor and legend in the fan community throughout the history of the galaxy far, far away. Now, Lucas has seen fit to grant Dark Horse the right to adapt this fabled story into an eight-issue comic series launching in September!


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, including The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & (c) 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.