Storm Collectibles Transform Mike Tyson and Dennis Rodman into Toys

BLUEFIN WELCOMES NEW PARTNER STORM COLLECTIBLES AND ANNOUNCES HYPER DETAILED 1/6 FIGURES FOR MIKE TYSON AND DENNIS RODMAN

New Dennis Rodman “Bad Boy” Special Edition Available Now; Mike Tyson “Olympic” Figure Debuts Early Next Year!!

Irvine, CA – Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, Hong Kong and more, is proud to welcome its newest partner – Hong Kong-based Storm Collectibles – and the debut of a pair of new, realistic 1/6 scale collectible figures.

New from Storm Collectibles and available now for purchase and Bluefin pre-order are realistic 1/6 scale pose-able figures of basketball legend and pop culture provocateur, Dennis Rodman, depicted in his “Bad Boy” wrestling attire, and heavyweight boxing champ, Mike Tyson, depicted in his early years when he fought for the U.S. Junior Olympic team. The Mike Tyson “Olympic” figure will be a limited edition product and a Bluefin exclusive.

Each Storm Collectibles 1/6 figure features a lifelike, extremely accurate facial design, capturing all the nuances and expressions of these legendary pop culture personalities. The figures are also fully articulated with moveable arms and legs and each set comes with a variety of alternate hands, feet and other accessories to create endless posing possibilities.

Dennis Rodman is available now with Mike Tyson coming out in February of 2016. They can be purchased through various retailers.

Mike Tyson 1/6 “Olympic” Edition
Height: Approx. 12 inches · MSRP: $255.00 · Available: February 2016

Mike Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles at the age of 20. Tyson won gold medals at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympics and holds the Junior Olympic record for the fastest knockout ever (8 seconds). Tyson also won every bout at the Junior Olympics by knockout. This new exclusive figure captures Tyson’s outfit from the Junior Olympics, just as he was ready to explode onto the international stage, and comes with a variety accessories to recreate all of his iconic moments.

Dennis Rodman 1/6 “Bad Boy” Special Edition
Height: Approx. 13 inches · MSRP: $250.00 · Available Now

The Dennis Rodman “Bad Boy” Special Edition captures Dennis Rodman in his “baddest” look yet, as seen when he took to professional wrestling! During this period he teamed up with Hollywood Hogan to create one of the most memorable and wildest tag team moments in pro wrestling history and shocked the world!


About Storm Collectibles:
Storm Collectibles, a Hong Kong based company, was established in 2007 as a one-stop-source for action figures – we design, produce and distribute high quality, collectible 1/12th, 1/6th and 1/4th scale action figures and statues. We have a great passion for collectibles and our vision is focused on creating authentic, fully realized likenesses for each collectible figure. Storm Collectibles's official licensing partners are; Warner Bros., Capcom USA / Japan, Bruce Lee Enterprise, Mike Tyson, and Hulk Hogan. We simply give collectors what they’re looking for. Additional information is available at: www.stormco.com.hk

About Bluefin:
Based in Irvine, CA, Bluefin built its reputation as a leading distributor of Japanese toys, collectibles, novelty and hobby products. In recent years, Bluefin has grown to include a range of high quality collectible lines from the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore and established itself as the official North American consumer products and retail development partner for Studio Ghibli. Selling to thousands of specialty, chain and independent stores, Bluefin is an official North American distributor for Bandai Hobby, Kotobukiya and Capcom, is the sole provider of Bandai Tamashii Nations products, and is also the exclusive and official distributor for Beast Kingdom, Comicave, Mr. Hobby, Groove’s Pullip dolls, SEN-TI-NEL and X-Plus. Bluefin also represents TruForce Collectibles products worldwide. Additional information is available at: www.bluefincorp.com.

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Arina Tanemura's "Idol Dreams" Arrives on American Shores November 3rd

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES FAMED SHOJO MANGA CREATOR ARINA TANEMURA’S NEW SERIES IDOL DREAMS

An Ordinary Office Worker Gets A Shot At Stardom In An Unexpected Way In The New Manga Series By The Creator Of FULL MOON And THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, brings Arina Tanemura’s newest manga (graphic novel) series to fans and readers with the launch of IDOL DREAMS on November 3rd, 2015.

IDOL DREAMS is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will be published in print under the Shojo Beat imprint with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally on November 3rd via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores.

Shojo manga creator Arina Tanemura has drawn wide acclaim for her prior works, which include FULL MOON, THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †, and SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA (all available from VIZ Media). In IDOL DREAMS, a career woman radically transforms her physical appearance into her teenage self with the aid of an experimental drug to seize the missed chances of her youth. VIZ Media will publish future volumes of the series, which is continuing in Japan, on a quarterly basis.

At age 31, office worker Chikage Deguchi feels she missed her chances at love and success. When word gets out that she’s a virgin, Chikage is humiliated and wishes she could turn back time to when she was still young and popular. She takes an experimental drug that changes her appearance back to when she was 15. Now Chikage is determined to pursue everything she missed out on all those years ago – including becoming a star!

“Arina Tanemura has enthralled manga readers across North America with her unique stories, memorable characters and beautiful artwork. IDOL DREAMS is sure to delight new and existing fans alike,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Senior Editor. “This is Tanemura’s first series featuring an adult heroine. Will Chikage choose youth and stardom, or will she embark on a romance as her 31-year-old self with an old friend? Find out in Idol Dreams!”

Manga creator Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 when her short stories debuted in Ribon magazine. She gained fame with the 1997 publication of I•O•N, and ever since her debut Tanemura has been a major force in shojo manga with popular series such as PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE, TIME STRANGER KYOKO, FULL MOON, SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †. Both PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE and FULL MOON were adapted into popular anime TV series. I•O•N, TIME STRANGER KYOKO, FULL MOON, SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA, PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † are published in English by VIZ Media.

For more information on IDOL DREAMS or other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.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 ONE PIECE, 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.

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Oscar Nominee, Nia Vardalos, Joins EPIX's "Graves"

Nia Vardalos Joins the Cast of the Epix Original Series Graves Starring Nick Nolte and Sela Ward

Series Created by Joshua Michael Stern and Produced by Lionsgate to Debut Fall 2016

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium TV network EPIX® announced today that Academy Award® and Golden Globe ®-nominee, Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), has been cast in a recurring role on Graves, a single-camera half-hour political satire starring Nick Nolte and Sela Ward, and produced by Lionsgate. Vardalos will play Annie Novak, a top political consultant with a killer instinct, who is hired to manage Margaret's (Sela Ward) potential Senate campaign. She and Margaret go way back; in fact, Margaret gave Annie her first job, and their old bond is still strong. However, Annie has to understand that Margaret's first loyalty is to her husband (Nick Nolte).

Vardalos, an alumna of the famed Chicago-based Second City sketch comedy company, is the screenwriter and lead actress of the sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding which earned her an Oscar® nomination for Best Writing and a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Actress. She has just completed acting in her screenplay My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which she also produced. Her acting credits include the films My Life In Ruins, Connie and Carla (which she also wrote), as well as numerous guest appearances on television shows such as “Jane the Virgin,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Vardalos directed and starred in the feature film I Hate Valentine’s Day and co-wrote Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. She is also a New York Times Bestselling Author for her 2013 memoir, Instant Mom, and donates all book proceeds to adoption groups.

The “Graves” cast includes:

•     Three-time Academy Award® Nominee Nick Nolte (A Walk in The Woods, The Thin Red Line) as Richard Graves;
•     Golden Globe® and two-time Emmy® Award-winning actress Sela Ward (Gone Girl, “Sisters”) as Margaret Graves;
•     Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect) as Isaiah Miller;
•     Heléne Yorke (“Masters of Sex”) as Olivia Graves;
•     Chris Lowell (The Help) as Jeremy Graves;
•     Callie Hernandez (“From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series”) as Samantha; along with
•     Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) as Jacob Mann;
•     Roger Bart (“Desperate Housewives”) as Lawrence Mills and
•     Angélica Maria ("Qué Bonito Amor") as Ramona Alvarez.

Created and written by Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote, Jobs), Graves is executive produced by Stern and Oscar®-winning producer Greg Shapiro (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) and produced by Bill Hill (“Veep,” “Eastbound & Down”). The series is currently filming in New Mexico. Graves will premiere on EPIX in Fall 2016.

Vardalos is represented by APA and Untitled Entertainment.


About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on digital devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple® iPhones® and iPads®, Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).

About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a premier next generation global content leader with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms, video games and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has more than 30 television shows on over 20 different networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black, the multiple Emmy Award-winning drama Mad Men, the hit broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show, the acclaimed drama Manhattan and the breakoutseries The Royals.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such successes as the blockbuster first three installments of The Hunger Games franchise, the first two installments of the Divergent franchise, The Age of Adaline, CBS/Lionsgate’s The DUFF, John Wick, Now You See Me, Roadside Attractions' Love & Mercy and Mr. Holmes, Lionsgate/Codeblack Films’ Addicted and Pantelion Films' Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com

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VIZ Media Announces Next Arc of "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure"

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES PRINT LAUNCH OF JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 2 — BATTLE TENDENCY

Second Story Arc Of Celebrated Shonen Jump Advanced Manga Series In Hardcover 2-In-1 Deluxe Print Editions; Complete BATTLE TENDENCY Story Arc Also Available Digitally

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor, publisher and licensor of anime and manga in North America, announces the release of the electrifying next chapter of the acclaimed multi-generational paranormal action manga (graphic novel) series – JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE – with the release of JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 2 — BATTLE TENDENCY, Vol. 1 on November 3rd, 2015.

The opening volume of the second story arc of the long-running series, JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 2 —­­­ BATTLE TENDENCY is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will be published in print with an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN. The series is presented in lavish 2-in-1 hardbound deluxe collector’s editions.

Digital versions of the complete 3-volume JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 2 – BATTLE TENDENCY story arc are available now for $10.99 each (US/CAN) across all platforms serviced by VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores.

As the BATTLE TENDENCY story arc opens, the Joestar family is called upon to do battle against evil again! This time, it’s Joseph Joestar, the grandson of Jonathan Joestar! And his enemies are more powerful and diabolical than ever! Behold! The terror of the Pillar Men!

"With its hyper-stylized art work and mind-melting action sequences, wonderfully outlandish characters and sprawling storyline, JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE is a series as unique as it is compelling," says Urian Brown, Editor. "This new story arc, BATTLE TENDENCY, comes in gorgeous hardcover editions that old school fans will be proud to display on their bookshelves."

Also catch JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 1 — PHANTOM BLOOD, Vols. 1-3 available now in print and digitally from VIZ Media and its Shonen Jump Advanced imprint.

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE creator Hirohiko Araki made his manga debut in 1981 with the Wild West story, Busô Poker. He experimented with several genres, including mystery (Mashonen B.T.) and action-horror (Baoh), before beginning JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE in 1986. Propelled by imaginative storylines, weird imagery and individualistic artwork, JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE is one of the longest-running and most popular shonen manga in Japan. Araki’s current works also include a new series set in the JOJO’s universe, JoJolion.

Additional information on JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE and other manga series from VIZ Media is available at www.VIZ.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 ONE PIECE, 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.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 18th to 24th, 2015 - Update #16

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From HitFix:  The movies Spielberg wishes he'd made.

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From ChicagoMagazine: Spike Lee: Rahm Emanuel tried to bully me.

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From Deadline:  George Clooney set to direct a script by Joel and Ethan Coen.

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From Variety:  R.J. Cyler of "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" is the "Blue Ranger" in the Lionsgate reboot.

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From GoldDerby:  An article about best animated feature dark horse, Anomalisa.

From Variety:  Fox is apparently re-imagining "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as a TV special.  Laverne Cox of "Orange in the New Black" has been cast as "Frank-N-Furter."

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From Variety:  Chris Rock may host the 88th Oscar ceremony.

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From CinemaBlend:  Fox may have found a director for its future box office disappointment, Gambit, an X-Men film starring Channing Tatum.  That might be Doug Liman.

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From TheWrap:  Oscar and multiple-Grammy winner Adele teases new music? First album in five years supposed to hit in November

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  "Goosebumps" wins the 10/16 to 10/18/2015 weekend box office with an estimated take of $23.5 million.


COMICS: Titles and Films:

From CinemaBlend:  Marvel's next wide idea.

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From TheWrap:  David Goyer is developing a TV show about Superman's home planet, Krypton, for the Syfy Channel.

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From Empire:  "Ant-Man" director, Peyton Reed, is in negotiations to return for the 2018 film, "Ant-man and the Wasp."

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From CinemaBlend:  "Ant-Man" is a big hit in China.


STAR WARS:

From YahooNews:  112 views in 24 hours.

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From CinemaBlend:  The final trailer is here.


TRAILERS and PREVIEWS:

From YouTube:  See the new trailer for David O. Russell's "Joy" starring Jennifer Lawrence.

124 Films Vie for 5 "Best Documentary" Nominations at 88th Oscars

124 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES SUBMITTED FOR 2015 OSCAR® RACE

One hundred twenty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Above and Beyond”
“All Things Must Pass”
“Amy”
“The Armor of Light”
“Ballet 422”
“Batkid Begins”
“Becoming Bulletproof”
“Being Evel”
“Beltracchi – The Art of Forgery”
“Best of Enemies”
“The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution”
“Bolshoi Babylon”
“Brand: A Second Coming”
“A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story”
“Call Me Lucky”
“Cartel Land”
“Censored Voices”
“Champs”
“CodeGirl”
“Coming Home”
“Dark Horse”
“Deli Man”
“Dior and I”
“The Diplomat”
“(Dis)Honesty – The Truth about Lies”
“Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll”
“Dreamcatcher”
“dream/killer”
“Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon”
“Eating Happiness”
“Every Last Child”
“Evidence of Harm”
“Farewell to Hollywood”
“Finders Keepers”
“The Forecaster”
“Frame by Frame”
“Gardeners of Eden”
“A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile”
“Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones”
“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”
“He Named Me Malala”
“Heart of a Dog”
“Hitchcock/Truffaut”
“How to Change the World”
“Human”
“The Hunting Ground”
“I Am Chris Farley”
“In Jackson Heights”
“In My Father’s House”
“India’s Daughter”
“Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words”
“Iraqi Odyssey”
“Iris”
“Janis: Little Girl Blue”
“Karski & the Lords of Humanity”
“Killing Them Safely”
“Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”
“Lambert & Stamp”
“A Lego Brickumentary”
“Listen to Me Marlon”
“Live from New York!”
“The Look of Silence”
“Meet the Patels”
“Meru”
“The Mind of Mark DeFriest”
“Misery Loves Comedy”
“Monkey Kingdom”
“A Murder in the Park”
“My Italian Secret”
“My Voice, My Life”
“1971”
“Of Men and War”
“One Cut, One Life”
“Only the Dead See the End of War”
“The Outrageous Sophie Tucker”
“Peace Officer”
“The Pearl Button”
“Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer”
“Poached”
“Polyfaces”
“The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers”
“Prophet’s Prey”
“Racing Extinction”
“The Resurrection of Jake the Snake”
“Ride the Thunder – A Vietnam War Story of Victory & Betrayal”
“Rosenwald”
“The Russian Woodpecker”
“Searching for Home: Coming Back from War”
“Seeds of Time”
“Sembene!”
“The Seven Five”
“Seymour: An Introduction”
“Sherpa”
“A Sinner in Mecca”
“Something Better to Come”
“Song from the Forest”
“Song of Lahore”
“Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine”
“Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans”
“Stray Dog”
“Sunshine Superman”
“Sweet Micky for President”
“Tab Hunter Confidential”
“The Tainted Veil”
“Tap World”
“(T)error”
“Thao’s Library”
“Those Who Feel the Fire Burning”
“3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets”
“The Touch of an Angel”
“TransFatty Lives”
“The True Cost”
“Twinsters”
“Very Semi-Serious: A Partially Thorough Portrait of New Yorker Cartoonists”
“The Wanted 18”
“We Are Many”
“We Come as Friends”
“We Were Not Just…Bicycle Thieves. Neorealism”
“Welcome to Leith”
“What Happened, Miss Simone?”
“What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy”
“Where to Invade Next”
“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom”
“The Wolfpack”

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.  Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.  A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.

Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Review: "Ex Machina" More Proof of Alex Garland's Talents

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review first appeared on Patreon.]

Ex Machina (2015)
COUNTRY OF  ORIGIN: UK
Running time:108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes]
MPAA – R for graphic nudity, language, sexual references and some violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Alex Garland    
PRODUCERS:  Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, and Ben Salisbury
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Rob Hardy
EDITOR:  Mark Day
COMPOSER:  Geoff Barrow

SCI-FI/DRAMA with elements of a thriller

Starring:  Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno, and Oscar Isaac

Ex Machina is a 2015 science film from writer-director Alex Garland.  The film focuses on a young programmer chosen to evaluate a female A.I. on her human qualities.  Oscar-winning producer Scott Rudin is one of this film's executive producers.

Ex Machina introduces Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson),  a programmer working for Bluebook, the world's most popular search engine.  Caleb wins a company-wide contest to visit the company's CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), at his secluded home and research facility.

Shortly after he arrives, Caleb learns that Nathan has built a humanoid robot (or android) named Ava (Alicia Vikander) that possesses artificial intelligence (A.I.)  Nathan wants Caleb to administer “the Turing test” to Ava.  This test is designed to measure an A.I.'s ability to persuade the tester that it is human.  Ava is breath-taking in appearance, and Nathan discovers that he can relate to her despite knowing that she is artificial.  Ava may be an android, but her feminine wiles prove to be more formidable than Caleb could ever imagine.

Alex Garland has proved to be a talented novelist and filmmaker.  His wrote the screenplay for the film, Dredd, one of the best film adaptations of a comic book to be released this decade.  In Ex Machina, he makes use of special effects in subtle ways, and that serves to make this film seem both plausible and tangible.  Like Spike Jonze's Her, Ex Machina seems to be set in some near-future, a decade or so from now.  The manner in which Garland presents Ava makes it seem as if a sentient android A.I. is just a few years from appearing.  In fact, this movie makes me believe that somewhere in our world, in a hideaway compound, nestled in the mountains, a billionaire tech genius is probably halfway to making his own Ava.

Ex Machina is stylish, but substantive, but where it is spare, beauty comes through.  It is as if Garland uses an eye-candy aesthetic to spin his ideas and theories.  He shrewdly intertwines romance, character melodrama, dramatic conflict, and pulp thrills while composer Geoff Barrow's score enhances everything to great affect.  In fact, Barrow has invented a “soundscape” that makes Ex Machina less ethereal and speculative, but more vivid and life-like.

This shrewd, speculative science fiction film could not work without high-quality performances from its actors.  It should be no surprise that Oscar Isaac delivers a complex man who is maddeningly fascinating and repulsive in Nathan.  Isaac's presence is so strong that it is hard to believe that Nathan is apparently a “supporting character.”  Isaac is about to blast off into wider fame in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and so is his costar, Domhnall Gleeson, who is also appearing in the seventh installment of the Star Wars film franchise.

Gleeson delivers a complicated character in Caleb.  Other than realizing that he is smitten with Ava, the viewer might find Caleb hard to figure out.  The character is well written, and Gleeson translates that into a character that, like a real person, hides so much behind the facade of his face.

Alicia Vikander also seems to be close to being a breakout actress, but perhaps she will prove to be a fine dramatic actress instead of merely being a pretty face who is cast in splashy Hollywood flicks for a few years.  Her layered, textured performance makes Ava seem spare, aloof, mysterious, and even cold.  However, Vikander makes you believe that there is so much more to Ava, more than anyone, even her creator, can ever know.

With its themes that recall Frankenstein, Ex Machina is a sleek film with both Gothic and futuristic sensibilities.  As much as I like it, I find the last 10 minutes of the film to be flimsy because the ending seems tacked on more than it seems predictable (which it is).  Despite that, I still think that Ex Machina is an exceptional science fiction film that is worth watching.  Consider it a cautionary tale about our future or perhaps, consider it a sign post along the road to the Twilight Zone.

8 of 10
A

Tuesday, August 18, 2015


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