If you’re like me, you’re wary of watching too many trailers for an upcoming blockbuster film, because with the way trailers are cut these days, you don’t want every plot point spelled out. (I remember seeing The Dark Knight, whose early trailers I had burned into my memory, and being pleasantly surprised when the Joker was caught and the movie wasn’t even close to finishing.) And yet, when the movie is like Pacific Rim, you can’t help but watch, because it’s simply awesome. This is one of those trailers. Read more…
Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim may not have had a trailer during the Super Bowl — for that matter, no Warner Brothers movie did — but at least we have a bunch of fancy new images to share. If buzz from the recent test screening is anything to go off of, this is going to be a giant robot movie you don’t want to miss. Plus, Looper director Rian Johnson has seen it, and he loves it!
Look at that robot above. That’s a mech from Star Driver, the 2010 anime from Bones that features fabulous mechs. There is a semi-new anime movie coming out simply called Star Driver the Movie, and I can immediately tell that there are not sufficient levels of fabulousness to be found in the ad. For something that is being termed a “new construction” of the TV series focusing on Takuto, Waka, and Sugata (plus a new segment about their lives after the TV series), it seems they are taking the sass right out of that robot. The movie opens in Japan on February 9, so there is plenty of time for them to put those fabulous poses back into trailers to recapture the spirit of, well, that picture I posted above. Get on it! Read more…
Last night, Nico Nico Namahousou hosted a live-stream discussion between Mamoru Oshii, the director of the original Ghost in the Shell movie, and Toshio Suzuki, the producer at Studio Ghibli (known for films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away). While the talk was going on, Suzuki mentioned that he had talked with Tomohiko Ishii, the producer of The Sky Crawlers, a 2008 film also directed by Oshii. Suzuki claimed that he heard some interesting rumors concerning Oshii’s next project: a live-action Patlabor movie. Read more…
In Japan Sharp is showing off two robot vacuum cleaners which have been given a Mobile Suit Gundam theme. Apparently these are variations on their existing Cocorobo robot cleansers which include a voice recognition system. Here they are on display: Read more…
I’m sure at some point you’ve all thought about having your very own robot — I know I have. The closest I ever came was helping a friend build a remote-controlled “battlebot,” only to see it laid to waste by some other kid’s metal monstrosity. It’s been well over a decade since then, and technology has certainly progressed. Designers Peter Seid and Phu Nguyen sought to take advantage of these advancements by developing a unique interface that transforms our everyday smartphones into robots capable of learning, growing, and expanding their functionality through a series of apps. They call it Romo, the smartphone robot.
The Great Garloo was first manufactured by the Marx toy company in 1961 — this very creepy looking two foot tall battery powered humanoid lizard robot could go forward or backward and turn his arms. And for extra kitsch we wears a “Garloo” medallion and cute leopard print loin cloth. How to Be a Retronaut discovered this great commercial from 1963 for the little green guy: Read more…
Future Fighters is in the early stages as a film, but as a mecha fanboy who is obsessed with robots and spacecraft I really like what I see so far. This international project is being produced by British movie producer Guy Orlebar who is teaming up Korean director Nelson Shin (who was behind the 1986 animated Transformers film) and will star Japanese actress Rina Takeda of High-Kick Girl fame. But what I really love about what I see so far is the colorful anime inspired pre-production art which makes my inner geek happy: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 11, 2010 in Animation
Before Robotech there was Voltron which was the ultimate Japanese robot show about robots that came together: The series featured smaller robots that came together to form a larger robot, and the show itself was create by editing two anime series together (Beast King Go-Lion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV). Incubot is honoring this old school show with a Voltron Nekobot Flash Drive which will hold two gigs of storage and features a blazing sword. Read more…
You know, it seemed inevitable. C-3PO and R2D2 always seemed so inseparable, so it would stand to reason that they may or may not have given birth to an illegitimate lovechild-droid. At least, web dev and caricature artist Jon Plante, seemed to think so – I just never imagined it’d be so hilarious or horrifying . That said, it sure makes for an awesome t-shirt. The shirt is currently available at teefury.com for only $9 plus shipping, but if you want one, you’ll need to hustle. Due to the format of the site, the shirt will only be available for the next 24 hours and once they sell out, they’re gone forever. If you’re worried about the quality of the shirts, I can actually vouch for them as I order from the site quite often. For more of his work, you can also check out Jon’s infrequently updated web comic Celebrity Skinned. Read more…
