This week we get Strange Magic, an animated film about the culture clash and confusion that ensues when goblins and fairies find each other for the first time. Both the animation quality and the story look first rate, I will be in the theater for this one.
We have a couple of good choices in the Movie category this week. The Zero Theorem is the latest sci-fi film from Terry Gilliam. As usual with his films, you can watch it as a twisted adventure or you can enjoy the more cerebral aspects. Luc Besson’s tale of forced evolution, Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman also hits the shelves. The animated feature film The Boxtrolls is one of the best examples of stop motion I have seen in a while, tells a wonderful story, and is nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature category. Finally, Coherence is also coming to disc, and has won some awards on the Film Fest circuit. I didn’t really see anything this week in genre TV.
In Anime, A Certain Scientific Railgun: Season 1 takes place in Academy City, and involves the scientific induction of Psy powers into a percentage of the population. Total Eclipse: Season 1, also known as the Muv Luv Alternative, is about an alternate timeline where the Eurasian continent was invaded by aliens in 1967, and mankind has been in a desperate fight for survival ever since. By the present day the invaders own a third of the land surface on the planet. We also get Naruto Shippūden: DVD Box 21 with episodes 258 through 270.
Yes, it is true; Scarlett Johansson has signed up to be Major Motoko Kusanagi, the kick-ass cyborg at the heart of Masamune Shirow’s classic Manga and Anime Ghost In The Shell for the live action version of the story. I think she is the perfect choice to play the part, and only wish I had a Tardis handy so I could jump forward in time and watch it now. Sadly, there is no live action footage available for the film yet, but here is the original Anime trailer for those few who forgot what the story is about. Thank’s to Nerdist for the heads up on this one.
This week Vice appears to be a variation on Westworld, with Bruce Willis’s character having designed a resort where anything goes. The customers can play out their wildest fantasies with robots who look and act like human beings. When one of the fembots becomes self aware and tries to escape things start getting ugly. While not genre, Blackhat is enough of a computer geek plot line to rate a mention here as well. If you are looking for something more family friendly, the animation Robodog is also out this weekend, as is Paddington.
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power is pretty much it this week for live action films, while DuckTales, The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp does it for western animation films. The first is direct to disc, while the second hasn’t been in theaters since 1990. I could also mention John Wick, which isn’t genre but could be fun.
In Anime we get One Piece: Collection 11, because you just can’t have too many episodes about friendly pirates. A Certain Magical Index: The Movie; The Miracle of Endymion has a space elevator under construction as the setting for a battle between science and magic, with a miraculous singer as the prize. Kamijo and Index have the fight of their lives on their hands in this one. Chaos Head: The Complete Series is coming out in a S.A.V.E. edition, so you can pick up this twisted expedition into paranoia for a very small price. Finally, the parallel universe romantic fantasy Amagami SS Plus brings a continuation of the original seven stories.
I already knew I wanted to see the new movie from Neill Blomkamp, Chappie, but with this trailer I am getting seriously psyched. It will hit the big screen on March 6th, and I will be in the theater for this one.