This week we get the Smith family in After Earth, the second movie this summer to show planet Earth abandoned by humanity. These is another one that looks interesting this time around Now You See Me, about stage magicians who pull off robberies in the middle of their act and give the money to the audience. Not exactly genre, but the trailer makes it look like fun.
Not much in genre movies this time beyond AE: Apocalypse Earth and Battle Earth, both direct to DVD. The first at least has actors I like and an actual web page.
We do much better in TV, with Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part Two coming out. Looking around Amazon I found a listing for the complete Series 7 costing twice as much as the first two parts combined, and with no release date listed. That tends to make me wonder if they have plans to bundle it together with all the different 50th anniversary specials and bring it out in November for the anniversary itself, or possibly Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, Doctor Who: The Snowmen is also out on disk this week.
In Anime only one entry this time around: Phi-Brain: Puzzle of God: Season 1 Collection 2, bringing still more deadly puzzles along for our protagonist to resolve. Kaito doesn’t really want to solve these puzzles, but they are all deathtraps which will kill him and his friends if he fails to figure them out. This series is different in that the person with the brain is the hero, rather than the one with the biggest muscles or best school of Kung Fu, and I quite enjoy it. If you don’t know it already, bop over to Crunchyroll and watch some episodes (the link takes you to the start of the first season, so you don’t drop into the middle of the series).
The one that gets my vote this week is Epic, an animated fantasy from the folks who did Ice Age and Rio. They did pretty good on the voice actor department to, with a cast that includes Collin Farrell, Chris O’Dowd, and Beyonce to name a few. If you’re in the mood for something darker, the no budget film No Sanctuary will also be out in at least some theaters.
Movies this week have a genre option, although Lego Batman: The Movie DC Super Heroes Unite can be considered as a commercial for the game of the same name. 2011’s An Assassin is being released in North America this week for those who enjoy Asian action, and if you prefer your action movies in English Parker is probably the way to go.
In TV True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season continues the twisted goings on around America’s favorite telepathic waitress and her never ending collection of non-human boyfriends. Saving Hope: The Complete First Season is also out this week, for those looking for something a bit more serious from their weekly dose of the supernatural. Finally, the funniest secret agent series since Get Smart is out with it’s next round: Spy: Series 2 out of the UK. Sadly, it looks like they have cancelled it before it made it into season 3.
In Anime, Gunbuster 2: Diebuster is the story of Nono, a girl who wants to be a space pilot, but ends up spending her days working the space port diner. Until the monsters attack, when she becomes key to saving the world. Also this week Lupin the 3rd: Green vs Red is an OVA series in which a hoard of Lupin imitators descend on Tokyo to become a one man crime wave.
Another OVA worth watching is Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar, another fun entry in the Tenchi saga. This time the Princess has kidnapped Kenshi (Tenchi’s half brother) to her home planet to be trained on combat mechas and serve as her sauna attendant. If he can’t win the war he will be stuck scrubbing backs the rest of his life. It is being released in two parts of 7 OVA episodes per part, but the episodes are 45 minutes long each so they do add up to a decent story length.
Two last mentions, not Sci-Fi or Fantasy but fun shows in their own way are K-ON! The Movie, and Love <3 Love?, because you got to make room for silly fun sometimes.
I am really looking forward to the new Marvel TV series Agent of SHIELD, and this trailer just kind of helps that along. ABC signed up to carry the series this fall, adding it to the Tuesday night lineup. And Joss is doing it! TV needs more Joss!
Looks like the Daisuki streaming animation site is now live! Because, you know, I didn’t have enough online streaming services to watch anime on already, so I needed this. If, like me, you need more streaming anime in your life, sign up today and check them out. Also, starting today as part of their launch festivities, they are giving away a boatload of prizes of various sorts, you can pick one and apply to win each day.