VIZ Media Announces Four New Blu-ray Releases for 2014 Holiday Shopping

VIZ MEDIA OFFERS FANS A VIVID SELECTION OF EXCITING ANIME RELEASES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Dive Into Exciting New And Continuing Series With Bu-ray And DVD Releases For GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET, SAILOR MOON, RANMA ½, And The Latest Action-Packed NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Feature Film

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, gives fans a wide array of exciting new anime releases to consider for wish and gift lists this holiday season.

New and veteran fans are invited to dive into legendary anime series such as the newly dubbed and uncut SAILOR MOON and RANMA ½ with box sets that also contain a wealth of extra features and special bonus material. VIZ Media is also proud to present GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET, the vivid sci-fi/action series from the famed anime studio, Production IG, presented in a comprehensive DVD and Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Fans of the world’s most popular ninja, Naruto, will not want to miss the hero’s latest animated feature film, THE ROAD TO NINJA: NARUTO THE MOVIE, which also will be available on DVD and Blu-ray formats.

New Anime Series Holiday Debuts:

GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET · Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack MSRP: $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN; DVD MSRP: $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN · Available Now! 

In the distant future, Ledo, a young soldier from space wakes up and finds himself marooned on an ocean planet. Growing up in space, and knowing nothing but battle, he is a stranger in a strange land, full of odd customs and a foreign language, but he’s not alone. Starting a new journey on this verdurous planet, Ledo must find a way to survive and reconcile the fact that he may never be able to return home!

VIZ Media gives GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET a collection-worthy treatment with a 16x9 high definition presentation and the inclusion of 2 bonus OVA episodes. The home media releases feature premium packaging with an O-Card for the DVD edition and an illustrated chipboard box with a full-color 2-sided Amaray™ wrap and a special GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET art book included with the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

RANma ½ Set 4 · Limited Edition Blu-ray MSRP: $54.97 U.S. / $63.99 CAN; DVD MSRP: $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN · Available December 2nd! 

The Mayhem continues in the latest RANMA ½ home media set!! Shampoo visits Ranma, bringing a souvenir bell from China along with a Phantom Cat, who’s in search of a bride! Ranma will have to endure his fear of felines in order to defeat the Phantom Cat. Then, after a series of certain events, Ryoga becomes the strongest martial artist in the world. After that, Kuno gets his hands on a secret sword call the “Mangamaru,” which grants the user here wishes, and one of them is to have a date with the Pigtailed Girl! Finally, a mysterious foursome has come from China in search of the legendary Dragon’s Whisker and will stop at nothing to get it. But what is the Dragon’s Whisker and what does it have to do with Ranma? Set contains Episodes 70-92 on 3 Blu-ray or DVD discs housed in a gorgeously illustrated chipboard box with embossed foil stamping.

Fan Favorite Holiday Debuts:

THE ROAD TO NINJA: NARUTO THE MOVIE · Blu-ray Combo Pack MSRP:  $29.99 U.S. / $37.48 CAN; DVD MSRP: $19.98 U.S. / $34.98 CAN · Available November 25th! 

In ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE, long ago, a mysterious masked shinobi unleashed the Nine-Tailed Fox onto the Village Hidden in the Leaves to spread chaos and destruction. But the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki sealed the Tailed Beast into their newborn son, Naruto, to save the village, foiling the shinobi’s plan. Years later, Naruto and his friends succeed in driving away the infamous Akatsuki, who have mysteriously returned from the dead. Upon returning to the village, the young shinobi are praised by their families for completing a dangerous mission. Reminded of how alone he is, Naruto begins to wonder what it’s like to have parents, when a strange masked figure appears before him – the same masked shinobi responsible for the death of his parents!

The Blu-ray edition features crisp 1080p High Definition video and also includes a special bonus art gallery.

SAILOR MOON SEASON 1 SET 1 · Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD MSRP: $79.98 U.S. / $93.99 CAN; DVD MSRP: $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN · Available Now! 

SAILOR MOON depicts the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, a cheerful 14-year-old schoolgirl who often finds herself in unwanted trouble. One day, she saves a talking cat named Luna from some mean kids, and her life is changed forever. Luna gives Usagi a magic brooch that transforms her into Sailor Moon, guardian of love and justice! Now Usagi must work with Luna to find the other Sailor Guardians and the Moon Princess, whose Legendary Silver Crystal is Earth’s only hope against the dark forces of the evil Queen Beryl!

The stunning SAILOR MOON Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack offers a deluxe, 6-disc collection (3 DVDs & 3 Blu-rays), housed in a beautiful shimmery holofoil chipboard box with specialty printing, and contains an array of exclusive extra features along with an 88-page full-color booklet filled with artwork, character profiles, an episode guide, lyrics, and more! Blu-ray episodes are presented in full 1080p High Definition video

For more information on anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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Negromancer New Bits and Bites for the Week of November 9th to 15th, 2014 - Update #20

NEWS:

From YahooCelebrity:  Kirk Cameron says, Cook and sing for Christmas, bitches!  Well, not quite, but here comes more advice from the guy who said that homosexuals are the main problem in the world.

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From Deadline:  Armie Hammer joins actor/director Nate Parker's "The Birth of A Nation," a biopic of Nat Turner, the slave turned rebel in 1831 Virginia.

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From Vulture:  Jennifer Lawrence filmed a cameo for Dumb and Dumber To, this vetoed its inclusion in the film.

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From Eonline:  There will apparently be a sequel to the 1993 cult hit, Hocus Pocus.

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From CBS:  Jennifer Lawrence says she will never sign up for Twitter.

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From Variety:  Starz has ordered a sequel TV series to the original Evil Dead film franchise, entitled "Ash vs. Evil Dead," which will debut with 10 episodes in 2015.

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From THR:  Thank god.  Matt Damon will be back as Jason Bourne in 2016 with Paul Greengrass directing.

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From THR:  Disney's new animated film, Big Hero 6, wins the 11/7  to 11/9/2014 weekend box office with an estimated take of $56.2 million.  Chris Nolan's new film, Interstellar, finishes second with an estimated $50 million gross.

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From TheWrap:  A wrap up of the 2014 Academy's Governors Award, including Harry Belafonte's fiery speech.


COMIC BOOKS:  Movies and Books:

From the Examiner:  "Doctor Strange, say what!" Benedict Cumberbatch knows nothing about it.

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From YahooMovies:  Deadline has an exclusive story that Daniel Bruhl will be the villain in the next "Captain America" movie, which is set for May 2016.

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From THR:  "Game of Thrones" and "Breaking Bad" director, Michelle MacLaren, is top choice to direct Wonder Woman film.

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From YahooMovies:  Spider-Man merchandise is far ahead of other toy franchises, including Batman, in terms of annual gross - $1.3 billion.

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From TheVox:  There is a new (second) "extended" Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer.

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From TotalFilm:  Chris Nolan found Ben Affleck's casting as Batman "thrilling."

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From TheVerge:  More awful Spider-Man movie news - rumors of an Aunt May movie.

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From TheMovieBit:  I found this article from about a month ago that states that Will Smith and Tom Hardy are among the A-listers that Warner Bros. is pursuing for its "Suicide Squad" film.


STAR WARS:

From FlickeringMyth:  See Alex Ross' art for the variant cover of Marvel Comics' Star Wars: Darth Vader #1.

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From IBTimes:  A rumored scene involving Darth Vader...


MOVIE TRAILERS:

From FOX:  New Exodus: Gods & Kings trailer.


OBITS:

From HuffingtonPost:  Big Bank Hank (Henry Jackson), a member of one of the early rap groups, Sugar Hill, gang, died Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at the age of 57 of cancer.

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From Variety:  Carol Ann Susi, the actress who provided the voice of "Mrs. Wolowitz" on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory," died Tuesday, November 11, 2013, in Los Angeles.



MISC:

From Outsports:  The snubbing by the NFL or openly gay football player, Michael Sam.

Hollywood Films Awards Announce 18 Categories Featured During Inaugural Network Broadcast

18 AWARD CATEGORIES TO BE FEATURED DURING THE INAUGURAL BROADCAST ANNOUNCED

The Hollywood Film Awards, the official launch of the awards season™, announced the 18 award categories to be featured during the inaugural broadcast hosted by the multi-talented Academy and Emmy Award nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning musician and talk show host Queen Latifah. The show will broadcast live from the Hollywood Palladium on Friday, November 14, 2014 (8:00-10:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The Hollywood Film Awards have recognized excellence in the art of cinema and filmmaking for over 17 years, honoring some of the world’s biggest stars.

The categories are:

    Hollywood Career Achievement Award
    Hollywood Film Award
    Hollywood Director Award
    Hollywood Actor Award
    Hollywood Actress Award
    Hollywood Supporting Actor Award
    Hollywood Supporting Actress Award
    Hollywood Ensemble Award
    Hollywood Breakout Performance Actress Award
    Hollywood Breakout Performance Actor Award
    Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award
    New Hollywood Award
    Hollywood Screenwriter Award
    Hollywood Song Award
    Hollywood Animation Award
    Hollywood Blockbuster Award
    Hollywood Documentary Award
    Hollywood Comedy Film Award

Winners will be announced during the broadcast.

The Hollywood Film Awards kick off at 7:30 PM live ET/delayed PT on CBS with a special half-hour red carpet show featuring fashion and interviews with the stars as they arrive. Following the Hollywood Film Awards broadcast, the festivities will continue with a live one-hour show that will feature interviews with honorees and look back at the evening’s highlights. “CBS This Morning’s” Charlie Rose, Norah O’Donnell and Gayle King will host from the Hollywood Palladium, (10:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT).

The Hollywood Film Awards, founded in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu, who also executive produces, is produced by dick clark productions.  Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco and R. A. Clark are executive producers along with de Abreu.

CBS Extended Primetime Schedule for Friday, November 14, 2014:

7:30-8:00 PM (live ET/delayed PT): COUNTDOWN TO THE HOLLYWOOD FILM AWARDS

8:00-10:00 PM (live ET/delayed PT): HOLLYWOOD FILM AWARDS

10:00-11:00 PM (live ET/delayed PT): “CBS This Morning” Post-Awards Show (Working Title)

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10 Animated Shorts Compete for Nominations for 87th Academy Awards

10 ANIMATED SHORTS ADVANCE IN 2014 OSCAR RACE

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards.  Fifty-eight pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“The Bigger Picture,” Daisy Jacobs, director, and Christopher Hees, producer (National Film and Television School)

“Coda,” Alan Holly, director (And Maps And Plans)

“The Dam Keeper,” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, directors (Tonko House)

“Duet,” Glen Keane, director (Glen Keane Productions & ATAP)

“Feast,” Patrick Osborne, director, and Kristina Reed, producer (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

“Footprints,” Bill Plympton, director (Bill Plympton Studio)

“Me and My Moulton,” Torill Kove, director (Mikrofilm in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada)

“The Numberlys,” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, directors (Moonbot Studios)

“A Single Life,” Joris Oprins, director (Job, Joris & Marieke)

“Symphony No. 42,” Réka Bucsi, director (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest)

The Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.  Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Review: "Planes: Fire and Rescue" Flies Past Original

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)
Running time:  84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG for action and some peril
DIRECTOR:  Bob Gannaway
WRITERS:  Jeffrey M. Howard; from a story by Jeffrey M. Howard and Bob Gannaway (based on characters created by John Lasseter, Klay Hall, and Jeffrey M. Howard)
PRODUCER:  Ferrell Barron
EDITOR:  Dan Molina
COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

ANIMATION/ACTION/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of comedy

Starring:  Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen, Curtis Armstrong, John Michael Higgins, Hal Holbrook, Wes Studi, Barry Corbin, Regina King, Fred Willard, Kevin Michael Richardson, Rene Auberjonois, Jerry Stiller, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Cedric the Entertainer, Danny Mann, John Ratzenberger, and Brent Musburger

Planes: Fire & Rescue is a 2014 computer-animated fantasy action film and drama that was produced by DisneyToon Studios.  It is a direct sequel to the 2013 film, Planes.  The Planes film series is a spinoff of Pixar's Cars film franchise.  Planes focuses on Dusty, a cropduster plane who dreams of competing in a world-famous aerial race.  In Planes: Fire & Rescue, Dusty learns that he may never race again and begins training as a firefighter to help his hometown.

As Planes: Fire & Rescue opens, Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook) continues his successful aerial racing career that took off after he won the Wings Around the Globe Rally.  However, the high rates of speed at which Dusty flies leads to some internal damage that may end his racing career.  After an accidental fire closes the airport in his hometown of Propwash Junction, Dusty offers to undergo training to be certified as a firefighter.

He travels to Piston Peak National Park to train under Blade Ranger (Ed Harris), a veteran fire-and-rescue helicopter, and the crew he commands, the Piston Peak Air Attack.  Dusty, however, is over-anxious and his training proves to be a difficult challenge, even as a major fire strengthens and threatens the entire park.

There is no way that I expected Planes: Fire & Rescue to be a better film than Planes, which I really liked, but the sequel surpasses the original.  Why is that?   Fire & Rescue has heart; it's that simple.  Dusty Crophopper's problems:  the dilemmas he faces, his conflicts with his new colleagues, his self-doubts, his grief over a possibly lost career, and his desperation to prove himself all over again make for surprisingly gripping drama.

Yes, I said drama.  Pixar's films are strongly dramatic, even when there is a lot humor or at least a strong undercurrent of humor.  The Planes films are a spinoff of a Pixar series, but are not produced by Pixar.  They are produced by another Disney unit (DisneyToon Studios).  Still, Fire & Rescue feels kind of Pixar-ish, and that is, of course, a good thing.  This film is more of a heartwarming drama than it is a comedy for children.

Fire & Rescue is also a topnotch aerial action film.  It is still hard for me to believe that computer-animated air planes and helicopters in action could be as exciting to watch as live-action airplanes and jets, but it is true.  My interest in the story soared with each new flight scene.

Once again, the voice acting cast supporting Dane Cook is good, and that means a good film for family viewing and a good film in general.  In fact, I think that if more adults gave Planes: Fire & Rescue a chance, they would like it.

7 of 10
A-

Tuesday, November 4, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Planes" Flies Pretty High

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Planes (2013)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG for some mild action and rude humor
DIRECTOR:  Klay Hall
WRITERS:  Jeffrey M. Howard; from a story by John Lasseter, Klay Hall, and Jeffrey M. Howard
PRODUCER:  Traci Balthazor-Lynn
EDITOR:  Jeremy Milton
COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILY/SPORTS

Starring:  Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Danny Mann, Colin Cowherd, Oliver Kalkofe, Klay Hall, John Ratzenberger, and Brent Musburger

Planes is a 2013 computer-animated fantasy adventure film and sports comedy that was produced by DisneyToon Studios.  It was originally intended to be released straight-to-video, but was instead released to movie theaters as a 3D film in August 2013.  Planes is a spinoff of Pixar's Cars film franchise and is co-written and executive-produced by John Lasseter, the director of Cars (2006) and Cars 2 (2011).  Planes focuses on a cropduster plane who dreams of competing in a world-famous aerial race.

Planes opens in the small town of Propwash Junction and introduces Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook).  This young airplane is a cropduster, but he dreams of being an air racer and even has a racing alter-ego he calls “Strut Jetstream.”  Dusty's pal, a fuel truck named Chug (Brad Garrett), encourages Dusty's dream of flying in the airplane race, the Wings Around the Globe Rally.

However, Dusty was built to be a cropduster, not an air racer, but he is determined.  After barely qualifying for the rally, Dusty seeks the help of an elderly and reclusive Navy war plane named Skipper (Stacy Keach), who reluctantly agrees to help him.  Still, the odds are against Dusty, and so are some of his competitors.  Does he have what it takes to win?  Does Dusty truly understand the motto “Volo pro veritas” (“I fly for truth.”)?

I was kind of interested in seeing Planes when it first played in movie theaters, but I changed my mind.  However, I was able to get a Blu-ray copy for review of its sequel, Planes: Fire & Rescue, which was released to theaters in July 2014.  So I decided to see the original film, and I have to be honest, dear reader:  I really like Planes.

Planes is a formulaic animated film aimed at the family audience; meaning children watch it and the parents who take them to the movie suffer through it.  However, Planes is a well-executed and entertaining formulaic animated family film.

The characters are a mixture of familiar little-guy heroic types, ethnic stereotypes, and assorted comic caricatures.  But they're mostly all lovable, and stand-up comedian and actor, Dane Cook, who can be, at best, an acquired taste, is quite good as the voice of Dusty Crophopper.   Carlos Alazraqui is a treat as El Chupacabra, a friendly competitor of Dusty's in the Wings Around the World Rally, and Sinbad makes the most of his character, Roper, the forklift who is also a rally official.

Planes is a well-written version of the little engine that could (in this case, an airplane), and the writers are constantly putting believable obstacles in his way that the audience will want to see him overcome.  Some, like me, will find their hearts lifting as Dusty soars over those obstacles, and also over his primary antagonist and rival, Ripslinger (Roger Craig Smith), who is the kind of jerk I want to see get his comeuppance.  I enjoyed Planes enough, surprisingly so, that I'm ready for the sequel.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, November 2, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Disney Channel Star, Olivia Holt, Joins "Same Kind of Different As Me"

OLIVIA HOLT TO STAR IN PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ “SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME”

Olivia Holt, star of  Disney Channel’s “I Didn’t Do It,” has joined the cast of Paramount Pictures’ “SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME,” based on the best-selling nonfiction book by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent, author of the bestselling book Heaven Is for Real.

Holt will play Regan, the daughter of Ron and Debbie Hall, played by Greg Kinnear and Renee Zellweger, respectively.

“SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME” is directed by Michael Carney from a screenplay he co-wrote with Alexander Foard and Ron Hall. Mary Parent and Cale Boyter are producing through Disruption Entertainment, alongside Darren Moorman, Stephen Johnson and Hall. The executive producers are Chris Bancroft, Hans Graffunder, Carney and Foard.

Holt currently stars as ‘Lindy’ in the Disney Channel original series “I Didn’t Do It,” which is about to start production for season 2. She is best known for playing ‘Kim’ in the Disney XD hit martial arts series “Kickin’ It.” Earlier this year, Holt sang the theme song “Carry On” in the DisneyNatures film “BEARS” and in September, signed a record deal with Hollywood Records.

“SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME” is the story of an international art dealer Ron Hall (Kinnear) who must befriend a dangerous homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife (Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Jon Voight plays Hall's father, with whom he reconciles thanks to the revelations of his new life.

The film is shooting in Jackson, Mississippi.

Holt is repped by Principato-Young Entertainment, Paradigm, & Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.