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Worldwide Casting Call for New Anime Movie BELLE

Sarah Leone
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Worldwide Casting Call for New Anime Movie BELLE

Have you ever dreamed of being part of an animated movie? Perhaps singing a tune? You may just get that chance with Mamoru Hosoda’s latest movie BELLE: Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime, which translates to “The Dragon and the Freckled Princess”. For the first time, Mamoru Hosoda and his studio Studio Chizu announced Friday the film’s staff are holding a worldwide open casting call. They are looking for people from all over the world to play a part of an important scene, in which there are people from all over singing along with the main character Belle. The lyrics are simple. All you would need to sing are “lalala” and to be able to listen to sample low and high-pitch vocal recordings to match their voice to vocalize what they are looking for. If you are interested in participating in this casting call, go to this page: Casting Call Page.

Mamoru Hosoda is credited as the director, screenwriter, and author of the original story. His past works include Digimon: The Movie, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, and Mirai.

BELLE is about Suzu, a 17-year old high school girl living with her father in a rural town of Kochi. When she was younger, Suzu would always sing with her mother. But since losing her, Suzu lost the ability to sing. One day, Suzu discovers the massive online world, “U,” and dives into this alternate reality as her avatar, Belle. As an avatar, she is able to feel free to sing what it is in her heart. Before long, all of U’s eyes are fixed on Belle (Suzu), when one day the mysterious and infamous Dragon-like figure appears before her.

“BELLE is the movie that I have always wanted to create,” says Director Mamoru Hosoda, “and I am only able to make this film a reality because of the culmination of my past works. I explore romance, action and suspense on the one hand, and deeper themes such as life and death on the other. I expect this to be a big entertainment spectacle.

“I have directed films in the past, exploring the implications of the Internet and how our younger generations will transform the world with their own amusement. At the same time, the Internet has a more negative side to it, where people slander others without a second thought, filling it with misinformation. In spite of this, I believe that it is marvel that will expand the possibilities of humanity. I wanted to depict this massive shift in our relationship with the Internet in a way that would pave a path towards our future.

“The unprecedented events of last year have accelerated the paradigm shift in our online interactions with one another, be it the workplace or our personal lives. As this era continues to change, unbound from the shackles of yesterday’s common sense, capturing this global phenomena felt like an inevitability.

“Yet, the things that we must cherish, largely remain the same. Legacies we have inherited from generations past, will continue to exist and adapt to the new age and new tools that will now shape it. This shift is more apparent than it has ever been because of the era in which we currently live.

“I hope you can enjoy our world that is now evolving at the speed of light while savoring those things that really matter to us, in this film.”

Watch the trailer here:

The song that is featured in the trailer is one of the songs the character Belle sings in the online world of “U”. I think it sounds beautiful and I am really looking forward to seeing this later this year.

It’s not often one gets an open invitation to get to voice in an anime movie! Do you think you will enter in the voice casting call?

Apple Fails To Dismiss Lawsuit About Vanishing Purchases

Mike Phalin
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Apple Fails To Dismiss Lawsuit About Vanishing Purchases

Apple’s fine print in the user agreements makes it “clear” that you don’t own anything bought through Apple TV or iTunes. Even though their storefronts do say you are about to “buy” a movie, show, or song, it’s actually a license.
Over the past five years, I’ve seen my library of 300+ movies from Apple fluctuate. At random, one or two movies would disappear. I don’t keep a readily available list to compare the active titles to. Oh, and Apple does not tell you when a movie is no longer available. If you haven’t downloaded it somewhere else, you’re out of luck.
If you have an Apple TV,  you also need to have a computer with a large enough drive to hold any and all of your potential future purchases. Yeah. Just “bought” a movie? Go over to your computer and download the backup. How … convenient. Apple isn’t the only company that pulls this, mind.
The Hollywood Reporter showed us a single person from Sacramento, California, taking Apple to court over the dubious wording. Of course, Apple attempted to have the lawsuit thrown out. The reason Apple gave? The “injuries” the plaintiff stated were “speculative.” As someone who has seen movies vanish, I call BS.
Here’s the exact wording from the court documents, “Apple argues that Plaintiff’s alleged injury — which it describes as the possibility that the purchased content may one day disappear — is not concrete but rather speculative.”
What could be the resolution? Personally, I think Apple needs to make it clear that you’re not buying anything. You’re leasing a film at a one-time price that could expire whenever without notice. That could dissuade people from making that $19.99 purchase.
What do you think of Apple’s wording regarding what you may spend money on in iTunes? Have any of your purchases vanished? Would you still “buy” movies from Apple if the disclaimer about licensing rights was clear and present before you finished the transaction?
Let us know in the comments.
[The Hollywood Reporter]

The Unlikely Story of How Sam & Mattie Made A Zombie Movie

Mike Phalin
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The Unlikely Story of How Sam & Mattie Made A Zombie Movie

I’ve been in the horror movie business for almost twenty years now. When zombies started making a comeback in the 2000s, the flood gates opened. Everyone wanted to make a zombie flick.
Before crowdfunding, potential filmmakers would hit us writer’s up for some free press. My inbox would be filled with requests to review scripts or short films. A few were good. Zombabies and Bubba’s Chili Parlor were my all-time favorites.
For every handful of good ones, there are hundreds of films that are just terrible … terrible.
It takes a lot of passion to pull off a low-budget horror movie. A lot of hard work is needed, too. You don’t need the best actors or even the best SFX. Ya need heart. Heart is something the duo of Sam and Mattie have.
The story of ‘Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie’ hit my inbox this week. This documentary focuses on the titular duo who made ‘Spring Break Zombie Massacre.’ The film was ten years in the making. Remember what I said about heart and passion?

Their story is an interesting one:

“Since they met at the Special Olympics, Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt have forged an unbreakable bond fueled by their passion for movies. Sam and Mattie pitched their idea of the ultimate cinematic experience to all who would listen: a racy teen zombie flick they proudly proclaimed would be ‘the greatest movie ever,’ exploding with sex, gore, and more over-the-top violence than you can shake a machete at.”

Check out the trailer here:


The doc is currently available on several platforms included Apple and Microsoft stores.
Have you seen ‘Sam & Mattie Make A Zombie Movie’? Let us know in the comments.

 

Whack-A-Mole Update Now Available for ‘Dead Cells’

Mike Phalin
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Whack-A-Mole Update Now Available for ‘Dead Cells’

If there’s one game I could play over and over regardless of how many times I die, it’s ‘Dead Cells.’ The roguelike beauty never fails at lulling me into a sense of security with a great weapons drop, only to catch me off guard with a well-spawned enemy at the bottom of a drop.
Frustrating, yet rewarding. The way a game should be, and that game keeps getting better.
Motion Twin has released update 2.3 for the amazing indie title. We found this out thanks to Nintendo Life. The new release is going by the name ‘Whack-a-Mole’ and features three new heavy weapons.
Several bug fixes, quality of life changes, and balancing tweaks are included. The official patch notes for this update can be found here. As far as what has been added, we’ll list those here:

  • New weapon: the Oven Axe. They say the last hit can be chained, but no one lived long enough to confirm…
  • New weapon: the Toothpick. A big wooden club. Hold to charge and break the club on the head of your unfortunate enemies.
  • New weapon: the Tombstone. Stay on the ground and doom nearby enemies if you manage to kill something with the last hit. An ethereal tombstone falls on the heads of doomed enemies. Each kill starts a new wave of doom (up to 3 consecutive waves).

Motion Twin posted previews of the new weapons on Twitter:


If you haven’t picked up ‘Dead Cells’ … why not? It’s available on nearly every current platform. I play it while doing cardio at the gym because it makes that hour fly by. When I grow frustrated by dying while having a perfect run, I take it out on the punching bag. Video games really should be built into every piece of cardio equipment now.
 

DC Comics New Horror Imprint To Debut With ‘The Conjuring’ Tie-In Comic Book

Jacob Airey
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DC Comics New Horror Imprint To Debut With ‘The Conjuring’ Tie-In Comic Book

‘The Conjuring’ horror film franchise is getting a comic book expansion with the release of the five-part miniseries ‘The Conjuring: The Lover.’ The comics serve as a prelude for the upcoming New Line Cinema film ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,’ the third movie entry that retells the saga of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively.
The comic book also serves as a launch for the new imprint DC Horror, which, according to a press release, will “deliver a new level of suspense and terror guaranteed to have fans reading with the lights on, even in daytime. This new, spine-tingling imprint launches with a prelude to the most successful horror movie franchise ever.”
‘The Conjuring 2’ screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and ‘Free Lunch’ author Rex Ogle will write ‘The Conjuring: The Lover’ with ‘Black Crude’ artist Garry Brown illustrating.
The comic book miniseries follows Jessica, who is “a college freshman returning to campus after winter break, bringing with her the anxieties of last semester’s poor grades, the awkwardness of facing a boy she wishes she’d never slept with, and an undeniably unnerving feeling of being watched.”
Supernatural and sinister spirits have targeted Jessica for an unknown reason and now she must unravel the mystery of why it set its sight on her.
DC Comics announced that more titles will be announced in July, following the release of ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ and its comic book prelude.
“From early titles like House of Mystery and House of Secrets to current series featuring Swamp Thing and John Constantine: Hellblazer, DC has always been the home of great horror comics and characters,” said DC editor-in-chief Marie Javins on the upcoming launch. “DC HORROR continues this tradition with new frightening tales from both well-known and new storytellers that will keep fans spooked and entertained.”
DC Comics tweeted out a few teaser images featuring variant covers for the first issue of ‘The Conjuring: The Lover.’

‘Rocky Vs. Drago’, Sylvester Stallone Announces New Title For ‘Rocky IV’ Director’s Cut

Jacob Airey
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0
‘Rocky Vs. Drago’, Sylvester Stallone Announces New Title For ‘Rocky IV’ Director’s Cut

‘Rocky IV’ saw the iconic boxing champion Rocky Balboa go up against Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, played by Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren respectively. The movie got a mixed reception when it premiered in 1985, but audiences everywhere loved it, making it a financial blockbuster.
Besides starring in the film, Stallone also wrote and directed the movie, announcing in August 2020 that he was editing together a “director’s cut” of the film.
Stallone gave an update in April on the progress of the new version with an Instagram post where he announced the cut will be retitled ‘Rocky Vs. Drago’ and it will accompanied by a documentary about the making of the film.
“Now for some good news,” Stallone said. “We shot a full length behind the scenes documentary. While re editing ROCKY 4, This is a little taste. When the film comes out it will be called. ROCKY VS DRAGO – The ultimate directors cut. Enjoy and keep punching.”
In the clip, Stallone is shown walking into office to continue editing where he says, “In my life as you walk forward, the ground behind you disintegrates, so there is no retreat.”
“When you go back and you recut your film, I guarantee you, you will approach it with sensitivity and wisdom and confidence,” he continues. “Why didn’t I see that before?”
“We are entitled to follow our dreams and stick to our beliefs because in the end, that’s all you have. And if you keep believing in that, eventually your dreams will come true,” Stallone added. The teaser ends with the caption, “KEEP PUNCHING the present meets the past.”


It has also been confirmed that Paulie, the brother-in-law of Balboa, will not be toying with a robot he receives for Christmas. In fact, it will not appear at all, according to IGN. “…the robot is going to the junkyard forever,” Stallone told a fan.
‘Rocky IV’ also stars Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Brigitte Nielson, and Dolph Lundgren. It serves as a backstory for the spin-off ‘Creed’ franchise starring Michael B. Jordan as Adonis, the son of Rocky’s rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed. Lundgren stars in the sequel ‘Creed II’ where his son Viktor, played by Florian Munteanu, has a showdown with Adonis.

Pac-Man, Hello Kitty, and Gundam Hit Google Japan’s AR “3D View”

Mike Phalin
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0
Pac-Man, Hello Kitty, and Gundam Hit Google Japan’s AR “3D View”

Why does Japan always get the good stuff? The cute, wholly unnecessary, and awesome stuff! Is it so un-American to want random small fun things to brighten up our day? Maybe that’s what’s wrong with all those whiny people on Twitter. They don’t have enough Japanese-fueled fun stuff in their lives.
Me? Give me Pac-Man stuff, and it’ll pull me out of even the deepest depression. Heck, even seeing the random Hello Kitty stuff in a shop window grabs a smile from me now and again. Something about that stuff just being fun and non-political is so welcome right now.
Well, if you’re in Japan, you can take those little twinkles of mirth with you via the Google App. Anime News Network pointed us in the direction of the Google Japan blog. 14 characters were announced for the app’s augmented reality feature. Just open up yer camera, turn on ‘3D View’ and superimpose Gundams, Pac-Man, and even Ultraman on your surroundings.
Here’s the rundown of who has been added:

  • RX-105 Xi Gundam
  • RX-104 Odysseus Gundam
  • RX-104FF Penelope
  • Evangelion Unit-0
  • Ultraman
  • Ultraman Zero
  • Ultraman Belial
  • Gomora
  • Pac-Man
  • Don-chan and Kat-chan
  • Hello Kitty
  • Pompompurin
  • Cogimyun
  • Little Twin Stars

Here’s a video preview of the characters in question:

What’s the practical application for having small 3D characters from these IPs appear in AR? None, but it’s fun!
The Google App can be found on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Don’t get your hopes up if you’re outside of Japan. I’m not sure if these apps will function stateside. There are ways of circumventing the lockout. Just crack open a search engine and have a go.
Which characters from your favorite anime or video game would you like to see as part of the Google App’s AR function? Let us know in the comments.

Netflix’s He-Man Series Gets A Prequel Comic: ‘MotU: Revelation’

Mike Phalin
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0
Netflix’s He-Man Series Gets A Prequel Comic: ‘MotU: Revelation’

The blonde prince of Eternia will soon be swinging his magic sword into the air once again in ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation.’ He-Man, Teela, Skeletor, and other Masters of the Universe are set for a TV comeback via Netflix and Kevin Smith. Before all the power of Greyskull is unleashed on our screens, He-Man is returning to comics.
The Beat reports that we’ll be seeing a MotU:R prequel comic this July 7th from Dark Horse. The four-issue comic will act as a prequel to the upcoming show. It looks like we’ll see nostalgia on full display here!

Dark Horse Comics
Tim Sheridan has penned the story with input from Kevin Smith and Rob David. The plot outline reminds me of what could have been a 200X series storyline. Man do I miss that show. So much lore! Here’s the official synopsis from Dark Horse:

In the comic book, following a vicious Orlax attack on his father King Randor, He-Man learns the creature is linked to the origin of the sword of power. To save Randor and put an end to the chaos, He-Man embarks on an epic journey that pits him against his longtime foes Skeletor and Evil-Lyn, and sees Teela take the reins of a powerful legacy.

Based on that little snippet, it looks like Teela will take up the mantel of the Sorceress. This may explain the rumors that she has a pretty big part in the upcoming Netflix series. It may be spoilerish if you’ve missed the last 40 years of He-Man, but Teela is a related to the Sorceress. Depending on which bit of conflicting lore you subscribe to, she’s either a clone or the daughter of Fisto and the Sorceress.
The first issue of the four-part mini-series is available for pre-order at your local comic shop.
There is also an awesome variant cover by ‘Hellboy’s’ own Mike Mignola.

Dark Horse Comic
Every time I see Mignola’s art, I weep that we never got an ongoing series about ‘The Amazing Screw-On Head.’

Are you excited about the return of He-Man? What were your favorite characters and stories from the original Filmation or 200X series? Let us know in the comments.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Is Coming To PS4

Jacob Airey
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The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Is Coming To PS4

Sony Playstation is bringing the franchise of “murder mysteries and courtroom dramas” to the PS4. The game console is adding ‘The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles’ to their catalogue of video games.
According to a post on the Playstation Blog, the new addition will be a combination of two of the fan-favorite video games.
“Rewind the clock to the courtrooms at the turn of the 20th century with two amazing games in one,” they write. “This collection contains The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, both being released for the first time outside of Japan as part of this collection. Set at the turn of the 20th century Japan and England, Chronicles introduces a robust cast of quirky and unusual characters, with tons of drama, comedy, and mystery. Get ready to crack some of the wildest legal cases in the world of fictional courtrooms.”
Previous Ace Attorney entries had Phoenix Wright as the legal-eagle, Chronicles will focus on his ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo.
“Much like previous games, Ryunosuke will also investigate criminal cases with his comrades, such as his legal assistant Susato Mikotoba, and overeager detective Herlock Sholmes,” the entry continues.
“While retaining the classic investigations and trials gameplay, new features have been added to the mix incorporating more variety to investigations and courtroom battles,” they add. “For example, the Dance of Deduction gameplay has you working together with Herlock Sholmes, identifying contradictions in the detective’s overeager (and usually incorrect) logical deductions to uncover new facts about the case.”
The game will feature two new features. The first is called Summation Examination, which will allow you to reconnect with the jury if they start to doubt the innocence of your client. The second is an optional “Story Mode” which allows you to watch the adventure. You’ll be able to toggle it on and off during gameplay.
‘The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles’ will also feature bonus content including alternate costumes and will be released July 27th.

Anson Mount On Star Trek Fandom, Episodic Nature On ‘Strange New Worlds’

Jacob Airey
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0
Anson Mount On Star Trek Fandom, Episodic Nature On ‘Strange New Worlds’

‘Hell On Wheels’ actor Anson Mount made his debut as fan-favorite character Captain Christopher Pike in season two of ‘Star Trek Discovery.’ Fans praised his performance as the first captain of the USS Enterprise.
Anson Mount discussed his role and the reaction from viewers in an interview with Collider.
“Honestly, I’ve never felt such embrace from a fan base, on anything I’ve done,” he said. “It is really night and day, and I’m very thankful to everyone with Gene Roddenberry and CBS, and Alex [Kurtzman] and Akiva [Goldsman] for putting a huge amount of trust in me to be able to do it.”
Mount also revealed that Goldsmith assumed the show was about Pike before realizing that it was about the USS Discovery and wrote in the captain.
“Akiva is so busy in his film career that he didn’t need to add a TV show, but he wanted to do Discovery,” he explained. “All he had heard about was that it was going to be a pre-Kirk show, so he assumed it was a show about Captain Pike. He gets in the writers’ room and he’s like, ‘Wait, what?! This is a different show. Okay, all right. We can play with this, but we’ve gotta do another show.’ So, he was lobbying for it and lobbying for it and lobbying for it. I got lucky enough to be cast in the role for Season 2 of Discovery, and they didn’t tell me any of this, thank God, because I would have been far too nervous. I just thought it was a one season gig and that was it.”
‘The Virtuoso’ actor also explained how the show is a return to the Star Trek format of being episodic in nature.
“Well, I think that Star Trek is, by nature, episodic. Now, that doesn’t mean that Star Trek can’t be other things,” Mount said. “Star Trek can be a lot of things, as we’ve seen in every iteration of it. But classic Trek is really founded on the big idea of the week, and the big idea of the week needs room to breathe. In serialized structure, you’re trying to take care of so many relationships that there doesn’t tend to be a lot of room for that. Now with that said, I think Discovery does a phenomenal job with that structure and I was very fortunate to be a part of it. Normally, serialized is my taste, as an actor, but this really felt like it needed to be episodic.”
Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn join the cast Science Officer Spock and Number One, reprising their roles from ‘Star Trek Discovery.’ It was announced in March that the series had entered production.

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