The Studio Ghibli film nominated for an Academy Award, The Wind Rises, is finally on the big screen for American audiences to enjoy. This is a bit different as Anime goes, because it is a look at the real life of a man who designed fighter planes for Japan during WWII. While Anime does not shy away from hard story lines, it does not often tell you about actual people, other than historical figures long dead in completely different eras. It has some stiff competition in the Awards, it is up against both Despicable Me 2 and Frozen; I am looking forward to seeing it in the theater. After I do, I will have finally seen everything nominated and can make my decision as to which one I would vote for. Also out this week, Pompeii is about a gladiator making a mad dash to save his true love from being married to a corrupt Roman Senator (is there any other kind?) while the Volcano trashes the town. That one sounds like it should be a lot of fun. There is a chance that Angels in Stardust might be an interesting fantasy as well, or at least an indie quirky kind of film.
The only movie I could find this time was an almost-direct-to-DVD release called Battle of the Damned, which is basically Dolph Lundgren and his Robots vs. a Zombie virus outbreak in a remake of Escape From New York. I say almost because it did show up in some theaters in Germany last year, but nowhere else that I am aware of.
We do better in TV, with Game of Thrones: Season Three, bringing the next book of the George R.R. Martin series to the home. I realize that is also only a single title, but the category makes up in quality for the difference.
Where we really make out this week is in Anime; not only more than one title, but more than one excellent title! Ever dream of being able to join your school’s Robot Research Club, and build a giant fighting robot based on your favorite Anime, that would then battle it out in competitions? If so, Robotics;Notes: Part 1 is a must see, from the folks who did Chaos;HEAD and Steins;Gate. But be careful what you wish for; when a sentient AI program begins giving the club members hints about secret robot designs hidden online, things take a turn for the really strange. Naruto Shippūden the Movie: Blood Prison is actually the 5th movie about the Nine Tailed Fox and his ninja friends. They should probably start putting numbers directly in the titles so you wouldn’t have to wonder. In this one, Naruto is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and ends up in prison inside a castle, which I suppose must mean a dungeon. He befriends a few of the inmates and gears up to get free, whatever way he can.
Jormungand is the story of a child soldier desperately seeking those who murdered his family, who ends up as the newest bodyguard for Koko. She is an arms dealer who brings the Boom to the downtrodden masses while preparing for her own version of World Peace. This is one of those instant gratification releases; while season 1 and season 2 are two separate box sets, they are being released on the same day. Folks like me who go nuts being forced to wait 6 months or a year to find out how the story turns out really appreciates that. Of course, in 6 months they will no doubt release both seasons in a single box set for about $5 more than just one season will cost you now, but who wants to wait? I should probably also mention this is from the team that brought you Black Lagoon, so you should expect quite a large helping of ultra-violence and amorality.
Finally, Time Bokan: Royal Revival i just too funny for words. A classic Anime is getting remade, but to select which series of the original 9 different seasons with different casts, the bad guys from the original shows are building their own giant mechas and having a race. Except, the bad guy’s robots in Anime only do one thing really well; get destroyed in some visually stunning fashion. Plus, they are bad guys; cheating and dirty tricks are their stock in trade. My favorite quote about this program is: It’s Grand Theft Mecha Vs. Super Moron Kart as the baddies slam, bash and dirty trick each other to the finish in TIME BOKAN: ROYAL REVIVAL! This one is actually from 1993, and was first released on DVD in the US in 2005. This re-release does mark the first time you can get it in Blu Ray in North America, and if you haven’t seen it before it is quite amusing.
I couldn’t help it, this song was too much fun. I Kveld Med YLVIS isn’t a band, it is a Norwegian talk/variety show with an attitude, and they originally did this track as another comedy skit on their show. It went somewhat viral, pulling in 359,757,676 views (as of the last time I checked), the equivalent of every man, woman, and child in the US watching it. They brought it to the BBC Children In Need Special produced every year to aid kids who might otherwise not get a chance to grow up, and were joined by a bunch of singers you should recognize; how many of them can you name? And then someone mashed it up with 2013’s other runaway silly song, Gangnam Style from Psy. Just goes to show, sometimes when you get silly the world notices and sings along.
When I posted about new movies for this weekend, how the hell did I not mention A Winter’s Tale, this year’s perfect Valentine’s Fantasy? It opened today, do not miss it! Tonight I thought I would mention a short list of 5 of the best Science Fiction romantic comedies for Valentines Day from years gone by. I’m starting with a personal favorite, Earth Girls Are Easy, about a fuzzy alien (Jeff Goldblum) and a human girl (Geena Davis). The fact that they were wildly in love with each other at the time gives this film a chemistry that you almost never find on screen. Besides the Out Of This World romance, it is a wonderful musical comedy, featuring the songs of Julie Brown and the antics of the whole cast, who include some very funny people. Hopefully they will get the live stage version going sometime soon. Also in that vein, Blast From the Past has a boy raised in a fallout shelter going to the surface world for the first time, where a nuclear war never happened after all. The Princess Bride is a classic Fantasy that never gets old, and Warm Bodies is the best Zombie romance/comedy I think I have ever seen. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World rounds out the group with an Apocalypse setting for its story. If you have missed any of these, stream or rent a copy and watch it with your special someone; I am betting you will be glad you did.
My car got buried under the 19 inches of snow that fell last night and today, and then it changed to rain which made me hope it would wash it all away so I wouldn’t have to shovel. 30 minutes later it changed back to snow, laying just enough liquid water down to put a layer of ice over everything when the temperature dropped again. The folks on TV say we can expect another 4 to 6 inches of snow before it ends tonight. This year has kind of made me wish I owned a sled or a pair of skies, so I could get some entertainment out of the unusual weather. At the point I took this picture we were at about the 12 inches mark.
Yes, this is a step-by-step tutorial about how to build your own Minions in Blender, a powerful free open source 3D modeling program. Since I personally love Despicable Me (both of them), this seemed like a great project to learn from. Download your free copy of Blender and start creating today.