Older
anime fans know all of this all ready. But they should
also know that they can now throw out their moldy, fifth
generation, extra long/6 hour speed videocassette copies
of Lupin III. Pioneer has brought the show to DVD, and
they've done a brilliant job with it. The ADR writers
at Pioneer are having a field day making sure that the
English interpretation keeps to the fun (and funny) spirit
of the series. The incredibly clever and witty dialogue
is extremely well done -- it's actually hysterical!
American voice actors serve the characterizations well
- comedy is timing, and they do a good job delivering
funny lines. The DVD is packed with a whopping six episodes
(plus some cool extras) and the crystal-clear transfer
is so sharp you can see the dust on the cels. We were
very impressed by what we've seen so far and can't wait
for more to come out. Lupin rocks!
Transformers
Season Two Box Set, Part 1
For those of you who thought the
Season 1 Box Set was to die for comes the Season Two Set - Part
1. The second season of the Transformers had
some of the most memorable episodes, with many new characters introduced
with quite a few making appearances on the third and fourth discs.
It's great to see Devastator/Constructicons and the Dinobots on
a regular basis as well as newer Autobot characters
such as Grapple, Hoist, Tracks, Beachcomber, Warpath, Red Alert,
Inferno, Cosmos, Smokescreen, Perceptor and Warpath. New Decepticon
characters that turn up include Ramjet, Dirge, Thrust, Blitzwing,
Astrotrain, Frenzy and Buzzsaw.
All
time classic characters such as Ironhide, Bumblebee,
Cliffjumper, Starscream, Brawn and Ratchet are given
a good run which is terrific. It's great to see more
of Skyfire and Shockwave as well (& Swoop is very
cool). 24 Episodes are squeezed onto a 4-disc set, along
with some extras including interviews from the voice
talent when they were part of 'Botcon 2002'. It's a super-cool
must-have for all of us regardless of whether we consider
ourselves to be an Autobot or Decepticon.
Virus
Buster Serge (DVD)
This action-packed thriller, directed by Masami Obari (Battle Arena
Toshinden, Fatal
Fury: The Motion Picture) has everything anime fans have come
to expect from the genre — complex character development, and
inventive design along with a plethora of mecha-combat sequences
that will leave your mouth hanging open! Virus Buster Serge is a
DVD-only release of a four-part "mini-series" that aired
originally in 1997.
The
film is a sea of mysteries, with dream sequences seeming
as real as the life of the main character, set in Neo-Hong
Kong, 2097, when genetic engineering and advanced cybernetics
now regularly fuse man and machine. However, the technology
that facilitates such melding has become susceptible
to computer virii capable of controlling the hybrids
and an elite task force is assembled to deal with the
resulting chaos. Feeling a little like Ghost
in the Shell combined with Bubblegum
Crisis, Virus Buster Serge contains both what you
expect, as well as a lot of surprises!
Project
A-ko (DVD) Reviewed by Lawrence
Sufrin
It's the anime version of Road
Runner and Coyote. The 1983 movie Project A-Ko spawned a plethora
of sequels and spin-offs.
It still holds up on its own as a wild, sassy take on superheroes,
Japanese school girls, and alien
invaders. Student cuties A-Ko, C-Ko and B-Ko have a lot of problems
in store for them besides being late for class. They must do battle
with a drunken Captain
Harlock look alike, genetic mutant students, and each other.
Nightmares and fantasies collide as the super schoolgirl genre is
written for all others to copy.
It is a
parody of all things anime while at the same time being one of
the best examples ever of the genre as a whole. One of the running
gags throughout the movie is that everyone is a girl -- even if it
looks like a guy, trust us, it's a girl. The film is so packed with
power that you're never given a moment to catch your breath, or even
wonder why B-ko is so interested in that ditzy blonde — oh,
and did we mention that C-ko's an alien space princess? With witty
inside-joke humor, and a maelstrom of action ranging from intensive
to downright silly at times, Project A-Ko is one of the few anime
titles that that has withstood the test of time and gone on to become
a true classic. No anime collection is complete without it.
Enter
the Dragon - Limited Edition Collector's Set (DVD)
Some martial arts movies do not age well, they start to look hokey
and the action looks bad by comparison to today's standards of film-making.
This is NOT one of those movies. Enter the Dragon is still one of
the best kick-ass flicks of all time, starring "the master" BRUCE
LEE!!!!!!
The
man is so freaking intense in this film you will believe
everything you're seeing. The last film completed by
Bruce Lee before his untimely death, Enter the Dragon
was his entre into Hollywood (not counting his stint
as Kato in the short-lived TV series The Green Hornet).
The American-Hong Kong co-production, filmed by American
director Robert
Clouse, stars Lee as a British agent sent to infiltrate
the criminal empire of bloodthirsty Asian crime lord
Han (Shih
Kien) through his annual international martial arts
tournament.
For Bruce Lee fans, this really is one of his best films — and
for English speaking audiences, this is the best film you're going
to get to see from the master. Bruce
Lee was simply unbeatable in every respect and Hong Kong has
spent the last 30 years trying to find a replacement for this incredible
martial artist and actor.
Walking
that fine line between inundating a newbie
with too much information, yet giving all
of us a good lesson in creating cool-looking
artwork, Hart strikes just the right blend
of information, and of course, the book is
full of some kick-ass illustrations, as well
as break-downs of just how they were done.
If you've been inspired by anime and want to start making
your own films, this book is a great guide to getting started
doing the type of illustration you'll need to create your own
anime. Combined with some books on the art
of animation, you'll have a start at figuring out what
it takes to make the anime we admire so much.
Kristine
Sa -
I Never Knew
Kristine Sa is easy on the eyes and easy on the ears. A smooth
and surprisingly wide vocal range allows her to create a mellow
mood with just a twinge of j-pop
sound. Her best tracks are the ones where she doesn't try
too hard to fill the voids in the music and she just sings.
The acoustic tracks are superior, but her digital j-pop shows
her range of ability. Composer, musician, artist, writer, poet
she is all of these things and more as she weaves her way into
your heart.
With
a skillful blend of sultry, soulful
ballads that will touch you and dance
tracks that will ease you into a cool
groove, her music is worth more than a listen — she's
reaching deep into you and drawing out what
makes each of us alive. A thousand emotions
and more are waiting for you when you play
this CD.
Kristine
Sa
The official website and blog of an anime inspired diva on
the rise. You may also want to visit her record company Nemesis
Records too...
Kill
Bill
The official website for the new Quentin Tarantino movie which
will feature quite a bit of Kung Fu action and Uma Thurman.
