Monday, November 2, 2015

FUNimation Entertainment Announces Release Dates for "Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie"


FUNimation Entertainment Announces North American Theatrical Dates For "Ghost In The Shell: The New Movie"

Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise in Theaters across U.S. and Canada on November 10, 11 and 16

FLOWER MOUND, Texas /CNW/ -- FUNimation® Entertainment announced today the North American theatrical dates for the release of "Ghost in The Shell: The New Movie." This is the first movie in more than ten years for the Ghost in The Shell sci-fi franchise, which will screen in more than 330 theaters across the United States and Canada on November 10, 11 and 16, 2015.

"Ghost in The Shell is truly an iconic franchise in the world of anime, and FUNimation is pleased to bring this long awaited, new film to audiences across North America," said Gen Fukunaga, founder and CEO of FUNimation. "Long-time fans as well as new fans from last year's Arise series will be blown away by this action packed movie."

"This is the Ghost in The Shell film for the modern era.  We encourage fans to purchase tickets in advance so they don't miss the opportunity to experience all of the action on the big screen," said Mike Duboise, EVP and COO of FUNimation.

For more than 25 years "Ghost in The Shell" has delivered a compelling story and artistic experience resulting in an international fan base that keeps coming back for more. The first theatrical release for the franchise screened in 1995, which originated six years earlier in 1989 as a manga series. In 2002, "Ghost in The Shell" became a televised anime series.  Last year's four-part saga "Ghost in The Shell: Arise" gave fans the opportunity to delve deeper into the origin stories of the characters they have come to know and love.

Film Synopsis
Set in a futuristic Japan after the end of a brutal world war, science has advanced by leaps and bounds giving humanity the choice to prolong life and reduce suffering with the use of sophisticated cybernetics. With all of humanity linked into one system of minds and personalities known as ghosts, the biggest threat to civilization is the cyber terrorists capable of hijacking people's bodies and memories.

When a ghost-infecting virus known as Fire-Starter begins spreading through the system resulting in the assassination of the Japanese Prime Minister, Major Motoko Kusanagi and her elite team of special operatives are called in to track down its source.  As they delve deeper and deeper into their investigation, they uncover traces of government corruption and a shadowy broker that bears an all-too-familiar face.

When your target can be anywhere and look like anyone, the only choice you have is to trust your ghost, and hope you aren't infected too. 

For more information on "Ghost in The Shell: The New Movie" and to purchase tickets, please visit www.ghostintheshellnewmovie.com. The official theatrical trailer can be viewed here.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ghostintheshellanime & www.facebook.com/funimation, and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/funimation.


About FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment is the leading anime company in North America. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands. They manage a full spectrum of rights for most of their brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, Internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com.
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Sunday, November 1, 2015

Negromancer vs. November 2015

It's a love fight.  Welcome to Negromancer 2.0.  This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site.

Support Leroy on Patreon.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" Arrives in Homes December 15th

Tom Cruise Returns in the Explosive $650m+ Worldwide Blockbuster MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION, Debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack December 15 and Digital HD November 17

“The best Mission: Impossible yet.”— Scott Mantz, “Access Hollywood”

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hailed as “relentlessly thrilling” (Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly) and filled with “jaw-dropping stunts” (Scott Mendelson, Forbes), the global hit MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION takes off on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand December 15, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The critically acclaimed action-thriller will also be available as part of the Mission: Impossible 5-movie Blu-ray collection, the perfect gift for the holiday season. The film arrives four weeks early on Digital HD November 17, 2015.

Loaded with “killer action and tight suspense” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION was directed and written for the screen by Christopher McQuarrie. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames return to their iconic roles and the movie also stars Alec Baldwin and newcomer Rebecca Ferguson in a “star-turning role” (Brian Viner, Daily Mail) as a mysterious double agent.

With his elite organization shut down by the CIA, agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team (Renner, Pegg, Rhames) race against time to stop the rise of a new global threat, The Syndicate, a dangerous network of rogue operatives turned traitors. To stop them, Ethan must join forces with an elusive, disavowed agent (Ferguson) who may or may not be on his side as he faces his most impossible mission yet.

The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital HD is loaded with cast and crew interviews and a commentary by Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie. Plus, get an inside look at the movie’s incredible stunts, including the jaw-dropping Airbus stunt, the nail-biting underwater sequence and the riveting Moroccan car and motorcycle chase, and much more.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack also features a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack*, which delivers captivating sound that places and moves audio anywhere in the room, including overhead, to bring entertainment alive all around the audience.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Blu-ray Combo Pack
The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English Dolby Atmos* (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by Tom Cruise and director/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie
    Lighting the Fuse
    Cruise Control
    Heroes
    Cruising Altitude
    Mission: Immersible
    Sand Theft Auto
    The Missions Continue

DVD

    Feature film in standard definition

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital HD Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet™, a way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.

*To experience Dolby Atmos at home, Dolby Atmos enabled AV receivers and additional speakers are required; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Blu-ray Collection

The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5-Movie Collection includes access to a Digital HD copy of each film as well as the following special features:

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

    Feature film in high definition

    Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossible
    Mission: Explosive Exploits
    Mission: Spies Among Us
    Mission: Catching the Train
    And Much More!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by director John Woo
    Behind the Mission
    Mission Incredible
    Impossible Shots
    And Much More!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by Tom Cruise and director J.J. Abrams

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL

    Feature film in high definition
    Mission Accepted: On-set action with Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams & director Brad Bird
    Impossible Missions: The sandstorm brought to life and the secrets behind the gadgets
    Deleted scenes and alternate opening

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION

    Feature film in high definition
        Commentary by Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie
    Lighting the Fuse
    Cruise Control
    Heroes…
    Cruising Altitude
    Mission: Immersible
    Sand Theft Auto
    The Missions Continue

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION Single-Disc DVD

The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

http://www.MissionImpossible.com/

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media present a Tom Cruise/Bad Robot Production: Tom Cruise “Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation.” Starring Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin. Music by Joe Kraemer. Executive producer Jake Myers. Produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger. Based on the television series created by Bruce Geller. Story by Christopher McQuarrie and Drew Pearce. Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.


About Paramount Home Media Distribution
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories. The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

About Skydance Media
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create elevated, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across platforms, including feature film, television, gaming and digital. Among Skydance Media’s commercially and critically successful feature films are Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Terminator Genisys, World War Z, Jack Reacher, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness and True Grit. Its 2015 feature films, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Terminator Genisys have together grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Skydance’s future feature film slate includes Star Trek Beyond, the follow-up to Jack Reacher and Geostorm. The Company’s Emmy-nominated television series are Grace and Frankie on Netflix and Manhattan on WGN America.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—ROGUE NATION
Street Date:
December 15, 2015 (Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand)
November 17, 2015 (Digital HD)
SRP:    $39.99 U.S. (Blu-ray Combo Pack)
            $29.99 U.S. (DVD)
            $64.99 U.S (5-Pack Movie Collection)

U.S. Rating:             PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity
Canadian Rating:             PG for violence; not recommended for young children

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Friday, October 30, 2015

"Ash vs. Evil Dead" Gets Second Season Ahead of Halloween 2015 Debut

Starz Greenlights Second Season of Original Series “Ash vs Evil Dead” in Advance of Series Premiere on October 31

"HOT DAMN" – Deadline Hollywood
"IT’S FREAKIN’ GREAT" – IGN
“FEROCIOUSLY IN YOUR FACE” – TV Guide

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ahead of its Halloween premiere, STARZ Original series “Ash vs Evil Dead” has earned an early renewal for a second season from Starz. Strong fan, affiliate and distributor demand for the highly-anticipated premiere of “Ash vs Evil Dead” has generated the early pickup of the series which is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film The Evil Dead.

    “The early fan and press support, along with the international broadcaster demand for more story have made it clear that the adventures of Ash Williams can’t end with season one.”

Executive producers and The Evil Dead original filmmakers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell will return for the second season with executive producer and showrunner Craig DiGregorio. Campbell will continue in his role as Ash Williams, the aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter. Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus”) is also returning as Ruby, a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks.

“One season isn’t enough to satisfy the fans’ two decade-long appetite for more Ash,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director of Starz. “The early fan and press support, along with the international broadcaster demand for more story have made it clear that the adventures of Ash Williams can’t end with season one.”

Starz recently announced global licensing deals with broadcasters and digital platforms in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide allowing “Ash vs Evil Dead” to premiere simultaneously with its network premiere in the U.S. on October 31. Broadcasters and digital providers offering “Ash vs Evil Dead” on October 31 include Amedia (Russia/CIS), C More (Scandinavia), Fox Action on Fox+ Premium service/Fox Latin America Channels (Latin America/Brazil), Sky TV (New Zealand), Stan (Australia), Starz Play Arabia (Middle East/North Africa) and Super Channel (Canada).

Starz will retain all domestic and international multiplatform rights including television, home entertainment and digital.


About “Ash vs Evil Dead”
The 10-episode first season of the half-hour series features Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) as Ash Williams; Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus”) as Ruby, a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks; Ray Santiago (“Touch,” Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick; Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past; and Jill Marie Jones (“Sleepy Hollow”) as Amanda Fisher, a disgraced Michigan State Trooper set to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility in the grisly murder of her partner.

About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of June 30, 2015, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.8 million subscribers, including 23.5 million at STARZ, and 33.3 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

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Thursday, October 29, 2015

"Saga" Comic Book Begins New Story Arc with Issue #31

SAGA sets sail on new story arc

Award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan (PRIVATE EYE, WE STAND ON GUARD) and artist Fiona Staples (Archie, North 40) will launch a new story arc in their three-time Eisner Award-winning sci-fi/fantasy series SAGA this November.

Previously in SAGA, the gang of heroes and anti-heroes was further scattered as uneasy alliances were forged and broken. The Will was revived, though at great cost. Marko and Alana were reunited, but Hazel remained out of their reach.

In SAGA #31, after a dramatic time-jump, Hazel is on the brink of her most exciting adventure yet—kindergarten!

“Hazel is growing up fast, and we can’t wait for everyone to see what she learns about the universe this arc,” said Vaughan. “If you just finished Saga Volume 5 and are thinking about joining us for our monthly adventures, November’s Chapter 31 is the perfect jumping-on point, especially because it's the only place where you’ll be able to learn about the next Saga Costume Contest, as well as some other cool surprises exclusively for our monthly readers.”

SAGA #31 (Diamond code: SEP150597) hits stores Wednesday, November 25th, 2015. Final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, November 2nd, 2015.

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VIZ Media Has Two Manga Samples for Halloween Comicfest 2015


VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES TWO FREE MANGA SAMPLERS FOR HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2015

Fans Are Invited To Visit Their Local Participating Comic Shop For Special Samplers Featuring Excerpts From FRAGMENTS OF HORROR And YO-KAI WATCH Manga

VIZ Media invites readers to celebrate Halloween – manga style – as the company announces its participation in Halloween ComicFest 2015 with two special FREE samplers featuring an excerpt from Junji Ito’s critically acclaimed manga short story anthology, FRAGMENTS OF HORROR, and a preview of the just-released new All-Ages supernatural adventure series, YO-KAI WATCH.

Held each year, Halloween ComicFest is celebrated at scores of comic shops and retailers nationwide on the Saturday before Halloween. On this day, participating shops offer fans and visitors FREE Halloween ComicFest samplers filled with previews of exciting upcoming titles. For additional information and a list of participating retailers, please visit: www.halloweencomicfest.com.

FRAGMENTS OF HORROR (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) contains a unique collection of delightfully macabre tales from the master of horror manga. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.

YO-KAI WATCH (rated ‘A’ for All Ages) is a supernatural comedy adventure series is inspired by the explosively popular YOKAI WATCH video game created by LEVEL-5 for the Nintendo 3DS. The YO-KAI WATCH manga is published under the company’s Perfect Square imprint, written and drawn by Noriyuki Konishi under the guidance of the LEVEL-5 team. In the series, Nate Adams is just an average kid until the mysterious Whisper gives him a device that allows him to see what others cannot, Yo-kai of all shapes and forms!  Now, armed with the Yo-kai Watch, Nate, Whisper and their new invisible friends embark on an all new supernatural adventure!

For more information on FRAGMENTS OF HORROR, YO-KAI WATCH, or other manga and/or anime titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 25th to 31st, 2015 - Update #20

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From Thompson:  Ben Affleck starts filming "Live By Night."

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From TheIntercept:  On the new film, "Truth," and Dan Rather's real-life stumble.

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From Variety:  Rihanna joins Luc Besson's "Valerian."

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From Variety:  Elizabeth Banks will direct "Pitch Perfect 3."

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From Indiewire:  Common is the villain in "John Wick 2."

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From Variety:  Idris Elba and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer added to the voice cast of Disney's animated "Zootopia."

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From TheWrap:  Danai Gurira (Michonne of "The Walking Dead") wrote a play, "Eclipsed."  It is headed to Broadway with Lupita Nyong'o.

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From TheWrap:  Quentin Tarantino leads NYC really against police brutality.

From TheWrap:  Now New York City's police union want to boycott his films because of his statement “When I see murders, I do not stand by . . . I have to call a murder a murder, and I have to call the murderers the murderers.”

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From BleedingCool:  Re: "The Walking Dead" - is he dead?

From TheWrap:  5 fan theories about Glenn.

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  "The Martian" returns to the #1 spot for the 10/23 to 10/25/2015 weekend box office with an estimated take of $15.9 million.

From YahooMovies:  Four new movies; four flops.

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From SlashFilm:  "Super Troopers 2" has begun filming.

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From EntertaimentWeekly:  NBC will reboot Steve Spielberg's 1980s anthology series, "Amazing Stories," which was originally broadcast on NBC.


COMICS - Books and Films:

From Indiewire:  Terry Gilliam's mixed reaction to "Ant-Man."

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From FlickeringMyth:  "Captain America: Civil War" trailer next week or maybe not.

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From YahooMovies:  Jared Leto's ridiculous take on Joker makes the cover of Empire mag.

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From YahooTV:  Beyonce cosplayed as "Storm" of the X-Men at singer Ciara's 30th birthday party.


TRAILERS and REVIEWS:

From YouTube:  New trailer for "Daddy's Home" with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.  It's really funny; hopeful the movie is, too.

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From ComicBookBin:  This website, for which I write, has a short review of "Spectre" posted by one of the writers who apparently recently saw the film.


HARD NEWS:

From BETNews:  "Office Slam" is fired in South Carolina.

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From YahooPolitics:  It's true.  Somebody had to say it, even if it is Trump.


OBITS:

From CinemaBlend:  The actress Maureen O'Hara has died at the age of 95 (Saturday, October 24, 2015).  The ginger-haired actress was best known for John Ford's 1952 film, "The Quiet Man," in which she co-starred along with friend, John Wayne.  They co-starred together several time, including in one of my favorite film, 1971's "Big Jake."