Are you ready for the future? Futurama, that is… I am looking forward to a new season of this one. And doesn’t the second video remind you of what music would have evolved into had the music boxes mated with the player pianos? Throw in a steam power source and you would have an elegant music system.
Terrestrial Human
It began April 14th, and runs through July 4th of this year; the Reallusion Sci-Fi Machinima Filmmaking Competition, based on the iClone Animation software package. Build your best Sci-Fi animation segment and submit it for a shot at $10,000 in prizes. And yes, the software package in question is a bit pricey to get the latest and greatest version, but you can pick up fully functional LE versions for cheap or free from partners like Daz 3D Studios or included on disks from magazines like 3D Artist. And there are also a ton of free online tutorials from many sources to help get you up to speed, including the 2nd Life Machinima Resources. Good luck in the competition!
A year before Akira made the world aware of Anime, a little known masterpiece was the first film released by Gainax: Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise. I just re-watched it and was amazed all over again at just how good this movie is, and not only for its time. This is a story of mans first steps into space as told from an alternate history that diverged from our own a little before World War I. The artwork and animation are excellent, the characters are well rounded, and the story will draw you in. If you missed it, this one is worth spending the time to watch and enjoy. If you are a fan of the Moonlight Mile manga and anime series, you really want to see this one, to learn where some of the inspiration and attitude came from.
This weekend is the first ever DC Comic Con in the Washington, DC, suburbs. It takes place on Sunday, May 2nd, and has some good guests lined up. This one is a small, one day event, no doubt testing the waters to see if they should expand next year.
Tampa, FL. has the Vulcan Events media con, which interestingly enough does not seem to have a single primary Star Trek actor, but it does have a ton of stars of other programs (and a few have been in Trek episodes or movies). In Charlotte, NC, is this weekends Twighlight Con for those looking for a different flavor of media con.
Nashville Anime fans will be holding forth at the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention, which is a much more complex and well rounded event than a first glance would indicate. With a large assortment of tracks, and every one of them full of events and entertainments of all sorts, this is one I need to try to attend next year. I would pay the full price just for the music track concerts, panels, and other events, and wedge in as much other fun as I could squeak in. It looks like staying awake for the full 72 hours would be the only acceptable option for this one.
Other Anime Cons include the No Brand Con in Eau Claire, WI, Chibi Con in Virginia Beach, VA,
If you are in the UK, don’t forget that Sci-Fi London kicks off tomorrow.
SCI-FI-LONDON festival ident
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There is nothing really new in the theaters this week, unless you are part of Sci-Fi London, so this might be a good weekend to catch up on anything you have missed that is still in the theaters. Coming up in May there are some great films on tap, starting with the sequel Iron Man 2. I expect the seats to be packed for that on, opening on May 7th. I may even have to brave the crowed for a midnight show, just because I can’t wait. The other big-screen epic I am expecting a large crowd to attend is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on May 28th. While movies based on games have not generally been of high quality or very successful with a very few exceptions, the trailers give me great hopes for this one, as does what Disney did with Pirates of the Caribbean.
There are a few less well known movies in May I think might end up being quite enjoyable, and surprise a lot of people. TiMER has been winning awards hand over fist on the Film Festival circuit (I think they are just shy of 20 or so by now), and has a great cast and an original concept. It hits New York on the 8th, but goes into wider release on the 14th. The Wild Hunt tells the story of a young man who follows his ex-girlfriend into a medieval re-enactment game, and the lines between reality and fantasy get fairly blurred.
And there are a few films which just plain look like fun; Shrek Forever After (the Final Chapter) on May 21st, and Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood on the 14th. And there are more coming, it should be a great summer for movies.