This one is a bit silly, and very Otaku. Van Von Hunter rolls with the tag line “Putting the Van in Vanquished“, and is a live-action comedy mocumentary. It takes place in Hollywood and Tokyo, with a hero who is out to vanquish evil and save the world… sort of. Watch it now at Crunchyroll.
Some interesting things from the realm of Doctor Who are available this week, with others coming soon. In the Classic Who category there are two audio treats that you still have a few days to get in on, as part of the ongoing 7th Dimension audio series on BBC7. Both of these are fun, starting with Tom Baker reading from the first 4th Doctor adventure, Doctor Who and the Giant Robot. And yes, they even include the bit where Baker chose his costume for his version of The Doctor in this Big Finish production. You should hit it now, as of the point I am writing this you only have 5 days before the first episode is no longer available. You only have 4 days left to catch episode two of Barry Letts Who & Me, in which The Doctor Who TV producer from 1969 to 1974 recounts his career. There are some wonderful behind the scenes bits about Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee in this one. So while I am really looking forward to the new series, it is good to know Classic Who still has some new things to offer.
Ad-Astra is a ReaderCon in Toronto this weekend with a ton of guests, including Eric Flint and Robert J. Sawyer. Besides all the usual events, they will also be running the competition for AD ASTRA’S NEXT TOP ZOMBIE!!!! A bit to the west (but still in Toronto) is another Canadian gathering at FilkOntario, where the inductions into the Filk Hall of Fame will be held.
RavenCon 2010 takes place in Richmond, VA, and celebrates all things Edgar Allen Poe-ish. As well as a lot of other stuff, since this is a general con; check out their schedule of programs. While over in Fargo, Core Con takes place featuring gaming, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Bushido, and Cosplay.
In about a week or so, the new Steampunk Luc Besson movie gets released in France, Adele Blanc-Sec. The trailer looks killer, so if you want to see it (and I recommend you do so) visit Eurocorp YouTube and get ready for a great movie! Here is the English subtitle version…
This weeks offering, Afterlife, is a thriller on the edge of horror, but it does have a great cast in the form of Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, and Justin Long. I am undecided if this will be worth time in a theater chair, but it may be a moot point since it is in limited release. There are two movies about the history of music coming out this week as well, also in limited release but well worth mentioning. Who Do You Love tells the story of Chess Records, who made records from people like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Etta James, and Chuck Berry available to the public in the 40s and 50s, introducing America to the blues and leading to the birth of Rock and Roll. The other film is When You’re Strange, a documentary about the Doors narrated by Johnny Depp, and including footage never before seen.
The TV show that stands out this week is Blood Ties: The Complete Series. While all of this had been previously released in two series boxes, it is nice to have everything available in a single package.
The silly montage of copyright-free footage taken from vintage porn and 1950’s Sci-Fi films know as Sex Galaxy will also be hitting the shelves. If you are an MST3K fan, this should be right up your alley.
On the Anime front, Ah My Buddha – The Complete Collection is a good choice, with enough action to keep it interesting. The fan service built into the premise (he only gets strong enough to banish demons when he sees naked women) never really delivers, since naked women without nipples are obviously not really naked; think Sophia Loren in a bodysuit in that 1960’s movie.
Lucky Star Complete Collection is an entirely different critter on several fronts. To begin with, the young women in this series are the focus, not the eye candy. In addition, it tells a high-school tale that almost works for guys as well…
Rental Magica – Collection 2 takes us back to the world where multiple systems of magic work, each with its own set of practitioners (all of whom are in competition with each other), based on the book voted “Best Action Story” by Japanese fans as part of the 2007 Light Novel Awards (the Manga came after the book).
Hidamari Sketch × 365 – Complete Collection is also being released on Tuesday. I probably shouldn’t mention it here, since it has virtually no Sci-Fi elements, but the artist in me couldn’t resist.