With simulcasting and the proliferation of digital distribution both legal and otherwise, it comes as no surprise that Hulu has finally decided to take anime seriously. While US distributors are losing the constant battle for shelf space with brick & mortar retailers, companies like CrunchyRoll, Netflix, and Anime News Network have worked to expand their online catalog. While Hulu has managed to ink deals with companies like Funimation and Aniplex to stream several of their titles in recent months, on July 3rd the company will begin to stream the upcoming second season of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clana mere 3 hours after its Japanese broadcast. Sure, it’s not quite a simulcast, but its impressive.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 30, 2011 in Cinema, Fandom
Well, it’s certainly not the worst fan-film I’ve ever seen –Dark Betrayalcomes to mind – but I suppose we can’t really expect much after the hot mess that was John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A. I have a soft-spot in my heart for that film, but even I have to admit that it was terrible. Rather than attempting to follow Carpenter’s ridiculous sequel, director Chris Notarile decided to pen one of his own with his fan-film Escape from New Jersey. I imagine that trying to recreate the feel of Carpenter’s original film would be difficult on a shoe-string budget. Though it’s slow-paced, and lacks polish, the script itself isn’t half bad. While I can’t overlook every issue, I feel the film is a decent attempt worth mentioning. It’s enough to make me wonder if Snake Plisskin will ever make his return. Until then, this might have to do.
I have to admit, there’s nothing quite like watching Apple fail. In recent years, the company has worked to establish an infallible aura surrounding creative platforms like music and film production. This has led their users to believe the notion that Apple could do no wrong. Rightfully so, Apple became Hollywood’s industry standard. When the company released the latest version of their video production software Final Cut Pro X, studios flocked to install the new software, only to find that Apple had changed almost everything, and had completely removed many of the advanced features in a vain attempt to simplify the work-flow. It wasn’t long before someone — in this case, Conan O’Brien’s staff — decided to poke fun at Apple’s shiny new crippleware. The worst part? It’s all true.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 29, 2011 in Videogames
Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 3 is still months away from its official release, but today the company launched its “closed” multiplayer beta. They say closed, but there are a number of ways for prospective gamers to gain access. The first and most immediate way would be to purchase a Playstation Plus membership, or to take advantage of Sony’s free 30 day offer they extended in light of their recent troubles if you haven’t done so already. This will allow you to access the beta early. Another method, and perhaps the most satisfying for some would be visiting any Subway restaurant during the month of October to obtain a code. Unfortunately, that won’t leave you with a lot of time to toy with the multiplayer ahead of its November 11th release date, but it’s better than nothing. After all, I’m sure nobody is really buying the game for its “ground-breaking” multiplayer experience.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 28, 2011 in Cinema, Design
The other week I stumbled across the works of Damon Bard. While many of you might not recognize his name, you’ll definitely recognize his work. Damon’s been involved with a number of Hollywood productions over the course of his career, with his sculptures and character designs having graced such films Revenge of the Sith, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek 2, and more. While his website might seem a tad unassuming, his online portfolio is filled with a plethora of beautiful sculptures, Marquettes and models he’s crafted over the years. While he might not be responsible for bringing these models to life on the big screen, Bards creations have likely fueled the creativity of animators who have. To find out more about Damon and his craft, check out his official website, portfolio and blog.
This one took me by surprise. About a year ago, there were some rumors floating around the net regarding a potential live-action adaptation of the classic manga, Rurouni Kenshin. Well, it turns out it’s not just some rumor after all. Warner Brothers will be producing the film, starring Sato Takeru as Kenshin. Some of you might recognize him from last year’s live-action adaptation of Beck (the manga, not the musician.) While I enjoyed the Rurouni Kenshin’s manga and OVAs, the animated series that aired in the late-90s seemed a bit too juvenile in comparison. Of course, that didn’t stop it from being wildly popular. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing how the film shapes up over the next few months. The rest of the cast for the upcoming film have yet to be unveiled, and it won’t hit theaters until sometime in 2012.
You may not recognize the name Chris Meloni, but I guarantee you’ll recognize his face, seeing as for the past 12 years he’s been one of the two primary faces on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (the other being the talented Mariska Hargitay). Word on ComingSoon.net is that Meloni, who is departing SVU for greener pastures (or at least less “blue” ones…get it? Cop uniforms? No? Okay then!), will play “a general” in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman flick, Man of Steel. So no, everyone who thought he’d play Lex Luthor is (sadly) wrong. But… Read more…
Music fans— and horror fans — will doubtless nod knowingly when they hear that Michael Jackson’s trademark red and black leather(-that-looks-like-vinyl) jacket from the music video for “Thriller” has sold for US$1.8 million dollars at auction. That’s nine times the initial estimate of “at least $200,000.” That’s a damn high price, even if you factor in that the jacket is signed. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jun 26, 2011 in Comic Books
With great power comes great sacrifice! Brian Michael Bendis wrote Peter Parker’s origins in the Ultimate Spider-Man series, one of the arguably more successful forays into Marvel’s Ultimate continuity, so it’s only fitting that he also got to write … the end of Peter Parker?! That’s right: Marvel has officially killed Peter Parker in the Ultimate universe as of Ultimate Spider-Man #160. So what’s next for Ultimate Spidey? A new hero and a new costume, though Marvel is mum on the details, will appear in the Ultimate Comics Fallout series in August, with a reappearance in Ultimate Spider-Man #161 to follow. While Bendis insists that Parker is deader than dead in this continuity, fans of the web-slinger can still catch his adventures in The Amazing Spider-Man, which is ongoing. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jun 25, 2011 in Comic Books
We’ve seen minimalistic versions of superheroes in pixel form plenty of times before, but I think this is the first time that I’ve seen superheroes represented as flags! Fabian Gonzalez created this piece, available in print and t-shirt form, giving 50 different superheroes their very own national flag. Some of them are obvious (Captain America), some less so (is that Black Vulcan?). How many can you name? And would you want to live in the People’s Republic of Spawn? Read more…
