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Gkids Giving Studio Ghibli Films a Limited Edition Steelbook Release

Sarah Leone
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Gkids Giving Studio Ghibli Films a Limited Edition Steelbook Release

Last year, GKids began to release limited edition steelbooks of Studio Ghibli movies. So far, eight of the 23 Ghibli films have been released, plus the latest steelbook release of Earwig and the Witch. This year, they will be continuing to release more films to steelbook editions, starting with Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns.

Whisper of the Heart is a coming-of-age tale about young love, chasing your dreams and finding yourself. This was Yoshifumi Kondo’s first and only film as director before passing away in 1998, but it carries on his tremendous artistic legacy.

The Steelbook’s gorgeous lilac front cover shows Shizuku and Seiji riding off on his bike. Both the Blu-ray and DVD include the Japanese, English and French dubs in 5.1 surround sound and feature English, English SDH and French subtitles. The Steelbook also includes a booklet with memos from Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki, punctuated with beautiful stills from the film.

Exclusive to the Blu-ray are feature length storyboards and the four masterpieces of Naohisa Inoue, which showcases the watercolor background artist’s astounding talent. On both discs we have background art from “The Baron’s Story,” a “Behind the Microphone” featurette which takes you through the recording of the English dub, and original theatrical trailers.

The Cat Returns is a follow-up of sorts to Whisper of the Heart, as it also prominently features the character of The Baron. Directed by Hiroyuki Morita, The Cat Returns centers on Haru, a schoolgirl whose rescuing of a stray cat whisks her away to the fantastical Cat Kingdom.

Here on the orange cover we find Haru feeding a stray cat, showing her selflessness. Once again, the Blu-ray and DVD contain the English dub, the original Japanese dub, and the French dub. The English dub features a star-studded cast including Anne Hathaway, Tim Curry and Cary Elwes as the dashing Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. English, English SDH and French subtitles are available so you can watch as you wish.

Feature-length storyboards are likewise included in the Blu-ray. Both discs include a Making-of documentary and a “Behind the Microphone” featurette. You can find theatrical trailers and TV spots on the DVD.

Check out this fun video of an Unboxing that would please any fine cat:

More Ghibli movies are going to be released throughout the year, so keep an eye out if you’re interested! These movies are available to buy on the Gkids website or wherever official anime movies are sold.

Source info and photos: Gkids

Website Launched to Support Indie Anime Animators

Sarah Leone
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Website Launched to Support Indie Anime Animators

A website has been created with the hope of revitalizing the indie anime community in both Japan and overseas.

The movement started with indie animator Komugiko2000, who popularized the #indie_anime hashtag on Twitter on around April 2020. From 2D works to 3D CG, pixel art and more, the hashtag sets no limits on style or content.

The Japanese text says, “Clothes alone are interesting”.

Currently, those who Tweet their work along with the hashtag have the chance to be retweeted by the official indie_anime Twitter account, which is also run by Komugiko_2000. Such works will also be displayed on a feed on the Indie Anime website, along with other popular works under the same hashtag.

Here are several examples of very short indie anime animations:

It was very difficult to choose only a select few, as there are so many great indie anime animations out there! You can discover more here, on twitter page Komugiko_2000, the official Indie Anime Twitter, or the official Indie Anime website.

Source: OtakuMode

Emily Blunt Opens Up About Passing On The Role Of Black Widow

Jacob Airey
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0
Emily Blunt Opens Up About Passing On The Role Of Black Widow

Ever since her debut in ‘Iron Man 2,’ Scarlett Johansson has pretty much been known for her role as Natasha Romanov the Black Widow, a founding member of the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the ‘Iron Man’ sequel, she has appeared in ‘Captain America: The Soldier’, as well as all four ‘Avengers’ films, and will soon star in her own standalone movie.
It is hard to picture anyone else in the role, but that was almost the case. ‘A Quiet Place’ actress Emily Blunt was Marvel Studios’ first pick to play the Agent of SHIELD. In fact, she wanted the part but has to pass on it due to scheduling conflicts.
In a recent interview with radio host Howard Stern, the ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ actress opened up about the experience and why she had to pass on the opportunity to join the MCU.
“I was contracted to do ‘Gulliver’s Travels,'” she explained. “I didn’t want to do ‘Gulliver’s Travels.’ She added that while she would have preferred to appear with the Avengers, there were “a lot of really lovely people who were heaven to work with,” on ‘Gulliver’s Travels.’
Blunt continued, “It was a bit of a heartbreaker for me. I take such pride in the decisions that I make, and they mean so much to me, the films that I do.”
This is not the first time the ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ actress has been associated with the MCU. In fact, it was once thought that she had landed the role of Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in the recently announced Fantastic Four movie.
Blunt dispelled those rumors in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, though she said it is a ‘compliment’ that fans have brought up her name as a possibility for the role.
“I have heard that. People have asked me about that a lot,” she said. “But I have had no formal introduction to the Invisible Woman. No.”

The Original TMNT Toys Get Super7’s Ultimate Treatment

Mike Phalin
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0
The Original TMNT Toys Get Super7’s Ultimate Treatment

While everyone else is listening to Disney executives pretending the company isn’t on fire, I’m just over here looking at Ninja Turtles.
Sometimes it’s nice to get away and remember those simpler days when a group of mutated turtles fought against a squishy brain boy and an incompetent ninja with a fetish for pointy metal armor.
Simpler times when we wouldn’t wonder how anyone could live in a New York sewer with dying from some gross disease or ending up trodding on discarded needles. Never questioning why a news reporter wore only a yellow jumpsuit.
You know … I think we let a lot more slide with our entertainment in the 1980s and 1990s. This was before everything had to be hyper-politicized by weirdos. The weirdos who turned animation into their personal therapy sessions while trying to force a prom episode into the most awkward places.
Just give me some silly ninja action and fun characters. Please.
I guess the only way to relive those days is to buy premium action figures. Like these from Super7! Based on the original TMNT figures that launched Playmates’ long-running toyline, Super7 has reimaged the four brothers with lots of articulation and accessories.
The Turtles are available for individual sale at $45.00 apiece. If you want to go all or nothing, then there’s a four-pack at $180! Yeah, it’s pricey but look at all the stuff ya get!

Super7
Each Turtle comes with both painted weapons and an unpainted rack set, matching what came with the original toys from the ’80s. They’re also packed with alternate heads, hands, and various accessories like pizza and communicators.
Super7 is taking orders now. 
Which classic Playmates TMNT figures would you like to see get the Super7 treatment? Would you pay a couple hundred for an upscaled “sewer lair” playset? Or maybe a supersized Technodrome playset? Let us know in the comments.

Mezco To Deliver Batman: Gotham By Gaslight One:12Collective Figure

Mike Phalin
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0
Mezco To Deliver Batman: Gotham By Gaslight One:12Collective Figure

Mezco’s One:12Collective line of figures is some top-notch stuff. Loads of accessories, lots of articulation, and some of the best flesh tone plastic I’ve ever seen. Now one of the greatest one-off Batman comics is joining the line.
Batman, as seen in the Elseworlds story ‘Gotham By Gaslight’, is now up for preorder!

Mezco | DC
Mezco | DC
The shipping window for this figure is between January and March of 2022. Pre-orders are available now through Mezco’s website. Batman will set you back $115 with a non-refundable deposit of $28.75 is due upfront.
For that price, you’ll be getting the figure and accessories listed below.
Batman Figure Features:

  • One:12 Collective body with over 30 points of articulation
  • (3) head portraits
  • Hand painted authentic detailing
  • Approximately 17cm tall
  • (10) interchangeable hands
  • (1) pair of fists (L & R)
  • (1) posing hand (L)
  • (1) holding hand (R)
  • (1) karate hand (R)
  • (1) knuckleduster fist (R)
  • (1) pair of gripping hands (L & R)
  • (1) pair of knife holding hands (L & R)

COSTUME:

  • Cowled head
  • Cloak cape with integrated posing wire
  • Double-breasted coat with chest insignia
  • Utility belt Thigh satchel
  • Riding pants Knee-high boots with guards

ACCESSORIES:

  • (1) One:12 Collective Glider
  • (1) pair of goggles
  • (1) cowl
  • (6) throwing knives
  • (4) foldable Batarangs
  • (1) grappling hook with rope
  • (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo
  • (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post

The first time I learned about ‘Gotham By Gaslight’ was in Comics Scene magazine #10. This particular issue covered a lot of horror-themed comics, including Hellraiser and Mr. Monster. What is arguably the first Elseworlds story featuring Batman was not kid-friendly, trust me.
That publication was great. The last page had a list of “upcoming” comic book movies with short descriptions. In issue #10, X-Men was listed with a similar plot to what we saw in the first film from FOX. That issue was published in 1989. To think that the story sat in limbo for about ten years…
‘Gotham By Gaslight’ eventually got an animated adaptation, but it doesn’t capture Mike Mignola’s style that made it such a standout. Check out the trailer below:

A video game adaptation was also in the works but was ultimately unfinished. There is test footage and some backstory available. I’ve linked the video below. There probably wouldn’t have been as much highflying action like we saw in the ‘Arkham’ games, but stalking the fog-filled streets of Gotham of the 1800s would’ve been cool.

Which other DC heroes and villains would you like to see get the One:12Collective treatment? Personally, I’d pay a premium for a Lobo VS Santa box set! Let us know in the comments.

Evangelion Movie Gets Animation Help from Studio Ghibli (Spoiler Free)

Sarah Leone
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0
Evangelion Movie Gets Animation Help from Studio Ghibli (Spoiler Free)

Most animations these days are done on digital art programs. Japan is no exception, with the majority being done digitally. But there are still those who hold onto what made them stand out in the animation world.

Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno and his staff at Studio Khara wanted one scene in particular to be animated the old fashioned way in their latest movie, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. Rather than use digital drawings, they were going to use physical drawings, then photograph each cel frame-by-frame using something called an animation shooting table.

Founded in 2006, the studio sought help from the only place that had a shooting table, Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. Studio Khara brought their artwork and timing notes over to Ghibli and borrowed the machine to help them create the scene for Thrice Upon a Time.

The video shows the technician first laying down the background art, then layering the various cels of protagonist Shinji. And yes, that’s cels, plural, as his face/hair and body/clothing are separate pieces of art, since they move independently of each other.

Between each layer, the technician cleans off the artwork with a soft glove and duster, ensuring that not a speck of dirt or other debris are left behind to ruin the shot.

Studio Khara’s tweet mentions that this shooting table is the one and only one that Ghibli has left, hammering home how animation production has pretty much moved on from these techniques. But it’s always nice to see it in use, even if it’s just one scene.

See the process in action in this tweet video:

Source: SoraNews24

There’s An Indiegogo For Elvira’s Awesome ’90s Comic Books

Mike Phalin
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1
There’s An Indiegogo For Elvira’s Awesome ’90s Comic Books

The 1990s was the greatest decade for comic books. Although the ’70s had pushed the envelope for parody, violence, and social topics, the ’90s made comic book characters true multimedia juggernauts.
We got so many new comic publishers and characters. The competition was stern. It pushed the big guys to take chances with their characters, and it paid off. I do not doubt that you could ask anyone to name a big comic event from that decade, and they’d be able to name at least one.
The Maxx, Spawn, X-Men, WildC.A.T.s, Marvel’s 2099, Infinity War, Death of Superman, ShadowHawk, Faust, and so on. Great stories, great characters, and great artwork. The pull list I had with my local comic shop was insane. Trying to justify a $100 monthly comic book bill to my folks wasn’t easy.
Now thanks to crowdfunding, more defunct comic series from the past are being resurrected. One such line is ‘Elvira Mistress of the Dark.’ Yes, that Elvira. The buxom gothic beauty with the Valley accent.
Elvira had her own series that spanned 166 issues. It was published by Claypool Comics starting in 1993. Sadly, the shop in my town never stocked Claypool stuff. After almost 30 years of being without a unified collection of her comic book adventures, Dynamite Entertainment gives us the chance to own such an omnibus.
The Indiegogo for ‘Elvira Mistress of the Dark’ is currently active and already blasted past the original funding goal of $6,666. Thanks to the support, Dynamite is offering a huge number of extras and multiple tiers and perks:

Turn back the clock to 1993…Bill Clinton was President, the Blue Jays won the World Series, and Jurassic Park ruled the box office.  A young horror host (why barely out of puberty I believe) named Elvira ruled late night television and became the Queen of Halloween.  An independent comic book company began working with the Mistress of the Dark delivering some brilliantly funny and frisky comic stories.  Creators from every corner of the industry contributed to her growing lore with stories and art celebrating the “sassy lassie with the classy chassis” including comic legends like Kurt Busiek, Paul Dini, Neil Vokes, Fred Hembeck, Dave Cockrum, and a host of others!
The Elvira Mistress of the Dark Classic Years Omnibus is the first volume kicking off reprinting the highly sought-after tales originally published by Claypool Comics. In these beloved adventures Elvira must contend with teen werewolves, killer clowns, aliens, a high school reunion, pro wrestling, and more! Plus, special Halloween, Christmas, and Easter stories. The book is available in paperback or hardcover and covers 26 issues, rounding out to a massive 600-page tome. And for a special surprise Dynamite is sneaking in extra bonuses amounting to .666 of an issue. That’s right gals and ghouls, 26.666 comics in one massive book! Spooky!

Yes, please. The comics stay true to Elvira’s tongue-in-cheek style. There’s lots of sexy sarcasm and titillation. Thanks to Superhero Hype, they gave us a look at several pages from the original comic:

Dynamite Entertainment

Dynamite Entertainment
Are you going to pledge? What other obscure comics from the past like to see have a resurgence? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Superhero Hype]

Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands’ Pinned Down Penn Jillette

Mike Phalin
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0
Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands’ Pinned Down Penn Jillette

When news first broke about a ‘Borderlands’ movie, I was excited. Polish up the character models and get some great animators in there, and you’d have a fun CGI flick. Then I read it was live-action. Then I read Eli Roth was directing it. Then I read the screenwriter was the guy behind ‘Identity Thief,’ ‘The Hangover Part II,’ and ‘Superhero Movie.’
OK, Craig Mazin did pen the HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’ series. Though, the draw of that series was more about the atmosphere and the reality of the disaster than the dialog. Sometimes you win some.
Regardless of how pensive we are over the people steering the ship, the adaptation of the Gearbox Software game series is happening. There is good news to be had, too.
Penn Jillette, the magician who hates BS, is joining the movie’s cast. According to an interview covered by SlashFilm, Jillette has a minor appearance in the film. The long and short of his scene is not going to be a secret, “Jillette will be playing a preacher overseeing a wedding, and there’s a fight scene that interrupts the nuptials. After the action is done, he ends up in a ‘space paddywagon’ with Kevin Hart’s character Roland.”
If you were hoping for more of Jillette in ‘Borderlands,’ you can check out the third game. Penn and Teller had brief cameos in ‘Borderlands 3’ via a boss battle. Both magicians got physical cameos, while Penn also got to voice his character. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t played the sequel from Gearbox Software:

The casting for this adaptation has been a bit interesting. Jamie Lee Curtis is playing Dr. Tannis. Cate Blanchett will be Lilith. Jack Black will be voicing Clap Trap. Why? Dunno. Why not use the original voice actor Jim Foronda?
Knowing Roth, this film may not be entirely recognizable to fans of the series. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. ‘Borderlands’ characters and stories work best in a medium that isn’t constrained by the physical world. What the ‘Hostel’ director does with the IP could be something unique but totally distant from what we’re used to.
What are your opinions on the upcoming ‘Borderlands’ big-screen adaptation? Do you think the casting choices will work, knowing the characters from the games? Or will this end up like ‘The Green Inferno’ and lead to unintentional laughs?
[Source: SlashFilm]

Margot Robbie Pushing For A Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy DCEU Team-Up

Jacob Airey
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0
Margot Robbie Pushing For A Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy DCEU Team-Up

First appearing in the 1992 ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ episode “Joker’s Favor,” Harley Quinn has become a pop culture icon, not just as a foil for the Joker or as Batman rogue, but on her own merits. Expanding from a cartoon character the psychiatrist-turned-psycho has made appearances in video games, TV shows, but more specifically into the live-action films ‘Suicide Squad’ and ‘Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey’ where she is played by ‘I, Tonya’ actress Margot Robbie.
Almost synonymous with Harley Quinn is her sometimes best friend, sometimes romantic partner Poison Ivy, another foe of the Caped Crusader. They first tag-teamed against the Dark Knight in the ‘Batman: TAS’ episode “Harley and Ivy.” Since that time, their relationship has been turbulent and has been expanded upon in the comic books and such shows as the HBO Max series “Harley Quinn.”
However, one voice is hoping to change that. Margot Robbie recently told Den of Geek that she is openly advocating for Harley and Ivy to appear together in the DC Extended Universe film franchise.
“Trust me, I chew their ear off about it all the time,” the ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ access said. “They must be sick of hearing it, but I’m like, ‘Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy. Come on, let’s do it.’ I’m very keen to see a Harley-Poison Ivy relationship on screen. It’d be so fun. So I’ll keep pestering them. Don’t worry.”
While a tag-team action film or romantic comedy involving the two might be appealing to many fans, the DCEU seems to be going through a turbulent time following the release of Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League.’
Robbie herself admitted as such, explaining in a previous interview that for the upcoming sequel ‘The Suicide Squad,’ Harley Quinn will be a very different version than what was seen previously.
“It’s interesting, depending on who’s writing her or who’s directing her,” she said. “People want to explore different aspects of the character, which is great for me because I want to explore every aspect of her. The three different movies—Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and now The Suicide Squad—have been their own adventures, kind of like when you pick up a comic book. Depending on who your author is, it’s a different adventure.”
Only time will tell if Batman will go up against two of the most Femme Fatales in Gotham City, or if Harley and Ivy’s relationship will be explored further in other outlets.

‘Stillwater’ Director Discusses Matt Damon Transformation Into A “Roughneck” Father In New Thriller

Jacob Airey
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0
‘Stillwater’ Director Discusses Matt Damon Transformation Into A “Roughneck” Father In New Thriller

Matt Damon is no stranger to thrillers. From ‘The Incredible Mr. Ripley’ to ‘The Departed,’ he has often stepped into roles that are never quite what they seem.
Now he is stepping into the role of Bill Baker, an oilrig “roughneck” worker and concerned father who travels to France to help his Allison, played by Abigail Breslin, who has been arrested by the French authorities after being accused of murder in the upcoming film ‘Stillwater.’
The movie’s co-writer and director Tom McCarthy recently sat down with EW to discuss the plot and what audiences can expect.
“He’s a guy that’s had a difficult life, he’s struggled, but he sort of tried to make amends and do what’s right, I think, when we meet him,” McCarthy said, describing Baker’s relationship with his daughter as “fractured.”
“Matt and I started going [to Oklahoma] early on to get a taste of the place and the people and spending time with roughnecks, in particular,” he explains. “They really opened up their lives to us, and their worlds and their families. They were incredibly instrumental in helping us shape the story.”
“It’s a beautiful film shot in a beautiful place, and I think [Focus Features] felt strongly that people should see it in movie theaters, and I was in agreement with that,” he said. “I’m in no rush — the movie will play as well this year as it would have last year.”
McCarthy said that ‘Stillwater’ was supposed to be released last fall, but production was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but he says that helped them not rush the film.
“We shut down and put it down, revisited it, shut it down again, and then opened it up about a month ago,” he continued. “Whenever you can get away from a film like that, and you approach it with fresh eyes, you have the ability to make positive changes to it. I think we made a number of changes to it, which really impacted the movie, but it feels done. It feels baked now.”
‘Stillwater’ is slated to hit theaters in July Damon, Breslin, Camille Cottin, Lilou Siauvaud, and Deanna Dunagan starring.

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