Skip to main content

Something to Watch: DVDs, 20Aug13

Epic is a fun animated adventure from the team that does the Ice Ages franchise. I missed it in the theaters and am looking forward to finally seeing it. Scary Movie 5 is the latest from that series. By now you must know if you like those or not; I always consider them silly fun.

I didn’t find anything that caught my attention in TV this week, but there are a goodly collection of Anime coming out. Being a long time cyberpunk fan, I am excited that Ghost in the Shell: Arise will be out, but not on the shelves. It is only available as a Limited Edition Import from Japan, rather than licensing it to an American distributor to manufacture and release. Add to that the fact that this Blue-Ray is limited to only 2,400 copies in the US plus is the Japanese Collectors Edition, and you wind up with a very expensive 58 minute program. It is still tempting, but I am going to have to wait for a more cost effective release, probably in 6 months to a year.

Also out this week High School DxD doesn’t have anything to do with Dungeons and Dragons, but rather Demons and Devils, one of which is apparently fallen angels while the other is not. It is also from the studio that made Ikki Tousen, so expect some sex and violence. As an example, it starts with our male protagonist going on his first date, only to have said date turn into a monster and kill him. Mobile Suit Gundam UC comes in Part 1 and Part 2, each running about 2 hours, and I am having a hard time when I try to visualize the Unicorn Gundam. For me the words Unicorn and Gundam do not have a lot to do with each other. I am sure I will understand when I get to watch the video.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan continues that epic spiritual battle, now against the 88 Demons of Shikoku. In The Legend of the Legendary Heroes, available as a single boxed set for the first time, Ferris and Ryner face an entire countryside filled with their enemies, all armed with mystical weapons. Finally, in Tsuritama, the new kid in school is an alien. Who would have suspected that in an Anime?

And remember: When tanks are outlawed, only outlaws will have tanks! Yes, they are re-releasing Masamune Shirow’s New Dominion Tank Police, an absolute classic in the collateral damage mayhem category.

Something to Do: Movies, 16Aug13

There are two tasty choices this weekend; Kick-Ass 2 could be even more off the hook than the original. Hit Girl gets grounded, and Kick-Ass teams with a group of costumed vigilantes inspired by their original antics. Based on the trailers I have to say Jim Carrey’s character looks well and truly twisted. The other film worth checking out this time around is the docu-drama Jobs, and there is one thing I am hoping they deal with. That is their near mythical raid on Xerox PARC, where they supposedly stole the idea of the mouse and its use with clickable icons to create a graphical user interface. That GUI format was later supposedly stolen from them as Bill Gates madly played catch-up and replaced DOS with Windows in his bid to compete with the Mac. As with all such mythologies, the reality was a bit more complex than that (see the Stanford story linked above), but it made a great story.

Something to Watch: DVDs, 13Aug13

My favorite movie release this week has to be The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, the Luc Besson French Steampunk masterpiece. The film is the first in a series based on the graphic novels by Jacques Tardi, which are also being released in hardcover volumes in the US for the first time since the 1970s. It was previously available in the US only as an import from Canada at a noticeably higher price point. You can watch it in the original French with English subtitles, or dubbed into English.

From Hong Kong, The Guillotines is a historical martial arts epic about the effect of the import of firearms on a traditional secret police organization who’s primary assignment is assassination. The short answer is, nothing good, as they find themselves under attack by both sides. The Korean fantasy A Werewolf Boy is the story of a feral child taken in and taught to eat at a table and otherwise pretend to be normal. When his bestial strength and speed are displayed to protect his benefactress, he is abandoned with a promise of return. This one is a bit of a tearjerker.

The US film of note this time is a documentary, A Band Called Death, about one of the earliest Punk bands. Their 1976 album was only released in 2009, after the discovery of their 1974 demo track generated some serious interest.

In TV, Once Upon a Time: The Complete Second Season hits the shelves. I am happy to report it looks like this show is coming back for a third season, as it just seems to keep getting better.

In Anime, Eureka Seven Astral Ocean: Part 1 is a sequel to the original series, taking place on an Earth caught between warring alien armies. The young Ao flies into combat in a giant Mecha that is somehow connected with his missing mother, being chased by monsters. This is the first twelve episodes in the new series. Blast of Tempest: the complete 1st season has a banished sorceress and a murdered girl triggering a war across time and space. Again, the first 12 episodes of the series.

Sword Art Online: Aincrad Part 1 is an excellent series, cyberpunk virtual reality game play at its finest, but with just 7 episodes in this package and a price tag starting at $40 and heading up from there, it is a bit overpriced. While I am waiting for a more realistically priced edition, I will continue to watch it streaming on Crunchyroll, which is why I chose the link I did for it. Finally, Shining Hearts: the complete collection is the story of a peaceful island where elves and humans live in harmony, untroubled until a beautiful castaway washes up on shore. She has amnesia, and so can not explain why pirates and brigands are suddenly invading the land, searching for her.

Movie Remakes: 47 Ronin

The original 47 Ronin were a group of Samurai who’s feudal lord was forced to commit suicide; they spent two years plotting to kill the court functionary who ordered his death, and then had to commit suicide themselves for the murder. It is a true story that happened in the early 1700s in Japan, and has been made into a movie half a dozen times already, with numerous TV shows, Operas, and stage presentations, including Kabbuki and Bunraku renderings. As far as I know this is the first time a Hollywood version has been made of the 47 Ronin, but the sheer number of famous Japanese actors who have signed up to take part bodes well for the core story’s being presented properly. Plus, this version has dragons! While not a tale I would have associated with Christmas, I will be seeing in on the big screen come December.