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10.09.05 by Dindrane @ 2:38 am  Film: Directed by Tensai Okamura Dindrane's Anime Warnings:
Released by: ADV My Advice: Get it if you have young children who like the genre  Medabots, which has quite a following among younger anime viewers, is a harmless anime story about the hero Ikki and his friends, who, with the help of the Medabots, oppose the evil Dr. Meta-Evil and the Rubberobo Gang. In the grand tradition of Pokemon, young Ikki has always had a dream of winning the Robattle Tournament, but the only Medabot he could afford, Metabee, is not exactly easy to control. Will Metabee and Ikki be able to work out their differences and work together as a team to train for the upcoming Tournament? What is the secret of Metabee's Rare Medal? Will Dr. Meta-Evil's plans for world-domination allow Ikki time to train? And just why does this kid never seem to study or go to school? The audio is nicely done, with good voice-acting by both English and Japanese cast. The Japanese cast does get a bit screechy at times, especially the younger females, but that's to be expected in a show of this type. The video is also strong, with bright clear colors, thick lines and simple designs typical for children's anime. There are no problems with the digital transfer, though my copy locked up when I tried to access the Battle Recap from the scene menu. This is almost certainly a flaw with my disc, however, and not the coding overall.  All in all, if you like good-hearted battle/training type anime shows like Pokemon, Beyblade, or Digimon, then you should enjoy Medabots. It's inoffensive, and parents can be sure that the show will teach the not-so-fine line between good and bad, in a world where the difference is clear, heroes are always heroic, and even a kid can make a positive difference. Your daughters, however, will undoubtedly want to know why girls are always in pink in anime and why Karin's medabot's special "attack" is Healing. The creators weren't trying to do anything all that ambitious, which keeps the show from transcending its genre, but it is a decent example of its genre of human-controlled battlers, and this time no animals are harmed in the winning of tournaments (unlike that Ash kid, whose "best friend" ends every episode beaten up). Check this one out if you have kids under thirteen or so, or you just long for a simpler world. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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10.02.05 by HTQ4 @ 10:48 pm   Film: Written by Nunally Johnson, based on the play Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins Features:
Released by: Fox Home Entertainment My Advice: Own it. Roxie Hart (Rogers) is innocent. However, she's also dancer who's down on her luck and in need of a career boost. So, she admits to a murder that she didn't commit. She hires the best (read: sleaziest) lawyer in town, Billy Flynn (Menjou), and starts the biggest media blitz about her trial that the country has ever seen. She's basing all of this on the fact that Cook County, the location of our story, is known for not allowing dames to swing. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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09.28.05 by Widge @ 3:24 am   There's always room for Python--we all know this. A&E Home Video knows this as well, since they've gotten the surviving Python members to choose their best (acted and/or written) sketches. Those compilations, almost an hour for each of the gents represented here, are being released under the moniker "Personal Best." They do boast new material, with Palin revisting the site of the Fish-Slapping Dance and Idle returning to the Hollywood Bowl. They even come with their "Personal Second Best," an additional slew of sketches, not to mention trivia games. Categorized as: DVD
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08.31.05 by Dindrane @ 2:21 am  Film: Based upon the novel by Jules Verne Features:
Dindrane's Anime Warnings:
Released by: ADV My Advice: A must-have for every anime collection  Based loosely upon the Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is a classic tale of adventure and discovery, as well as one of the best known and loved anime series of all time. Gargoyle is obsessed with Atlantis and with returning the Atlantean culture to world dominance, but to achieve this end, he needs a sacred pendant known as Blue Water. Nadia, a young orphan, has had this pendant since she can remember and knows nothing about it. Luckily, she does not have to stand alone against the evil machinations of Gargoyle; clever inventor Jean Ratique and the legendary Captain Nemo are both on her side versus Gargoyle and his forces. Nadia and Jean flee with Nemo on the Nautilus and begin the adventure of their lives. The show begins as Jean meets Nadia the circus-performer and her pet lion at the Eiffel tower. The visuals are simply amazing. This is Hideaki Anno's first series, and since he went on to create the blockbuster Neon Genesis Evangelion, you can see the roots of his style and flair for visual dramatics. You can also see where Disney got their inspiration for the much less spectacular Atlantis. The introduction of the Nautilus and the scenes of the initial chases through Paris are remarkable. Unfortunately, your enjoyment of this art will be a bit muted, along with the colors on the digital transfer. While dirt and scratches are minimal, they are present here and there, which is a shame on a series of this magnitude and beauty. The English and Japanese tracks are both digital stereo and sound great. The voice acting is even quite skillful in both languages, avoiding the annoying traps that so many voice actors get into. Jean even has an appropriate and realistic slight French accent that never slips.  This release does not suffer from lack of charity on the part of the producers. We get twenty episodes on four discs, which is half the series in one fell swoop. We also get two soundtracks full of the show's amazing music, both vocal and orchestral. The music, composed by Yoshimasa Inoue, Yukihiro Takahashi, and others, is simply wonderful, accompanying and enhancing the show at every turn. The extras on the discs proper are a little spare: just clean openings and closings and the usual trailers for other releases. Again, a series this important to the history of anime and entertainment should have interviews galore, retrospectives, featurettes on the making-of, and manga comparisons. If you are a fan of the original Verne novel, then you will be interested rather than offended by this retelling. Don't expect faithfulness, however; the story divulges significantly at several points, and many of the details are quite different. However, the feeling of intrepid adventure and courageous heroism is the same. ADV has produced a solid collection that every anime fan will need in his or her collection. While the villains are in places bumbling cardboard clichés, you can't fault the production values, the art, the characterization of the heroes, or the tale itself. If you don't yet consider yourself an anime fan, then this is a wonderful place to start—as adventurous as Akira, but less disturbing. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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08.29.05 by ScottC @ 5:23 am  Film: Written by Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Barbash, Richard H. Landau Features:
Released by: Walt Disney Home Video. My Advice: Fans should consider it.  The good crew of the exploratory space vessel Palomino--Capt. Dan Holland (Forster), First Officer Lt. Charles Pizer (Bottoms), Dr. Kate McCrae (Mimieux), Dr. Alex Durant (Perkins), reporter Harry Booth (Borgnine), and robotic crewmember V.I.N.CENT. (McDowall)--have just come across the mother of all black holes. While gazing at the massive warp in space, they find the impossible: a space ship just sitting there when it should be sucked into the gravity whirlpool. Even stranger, the ship is the U.S.S. Cygnus, thought lost during its own exploration mission 20 years ago. This has special significance for Dr. McCrae since her father was the first officer of the ship. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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08.25.05 by Dindrane @ 1:36 am  Film: Story by Chiaki J. Konaka Features:
Dindrane's Anime Warnings:
Released by: Geneon My Advice: Get this one.  Created by the geniuses behind serial experiments lain, Hellsing, and the gorgeous and moody Haibane Renmai, the gloomy thriller Texhnolyze is a complex tale about an experimental metropolis called Lukuss, far beneath the surface of the Earth. The title of the series comes from the name of the process where human limbs are replaced with cyborg components. Lukuss is a gritty, dark place, ruled by gangs and violence, exactly the sort of place where you'd expect to find a game like the "Spectacle," where the city's gangs fight for dominance. Our heroes are Onish, Ran, and Ichise, who are fighting to survive the horrors of Lukuss and even more terrifying secrets they have yet to discover. Due to some shuffling that happens with character deaths and clarified allegiances, the show is becoming much clearer and more enjoyable as things start to make sense. You realize that some of the creepiness and weirdness of the first couple of discs was not just for atmosphere and that the show really is going somewhere, though where it's going isn't exactly anywhere nice. The mafia-like action heats up, and you start to expect the usual trappings of that genre, like betrayals, hidden agendas, and the trafficking of controlled substances. Ran continues her Vision Quest of sorts, and more is revealed about her place in Lukuss and who (and what) she really is. The look of the show is excellent, very dark and creepy, befitting the show itself. The colors, such as there are, are very clear and beautifully painted. While the show isn't as visually arresting as, say, Last Exile or a Yu Watase feature, it is perfect for the show and is very artistically done. Pay attention to the edges of the screens and the large backgrounds that occur behind character action; you'll be astonished by the detail and richness. The sound is also nice; this director knows that sometimes silence is scarier and more loaded than music or dialogue. Both language tracks are nicely produced and acted, especially the actresses who portray Ran, which is marvelous, given how important character is to the success of this show.  The extras are a bit underwhelming in their spareness, but are nicely done. We get a selection of production art, along with a few outtakes from the dubbing. It would have been nice with a series of this sort to have a look at how this series fits into the larger genre of mafia fiction or science-fiction, especially as this is such an intelligent, but not pedantic, show. Texhnolyze is definitely not a series to start in the middle. If you haven't seen the first two volumes yet, then go get those and then watch this one; you'll be glad you have the whole series. If you like crime movies, psychological drama, or thrillers of any sort, you'll enjoy this series, and if you just appreciate a richly produced and beautifully designed show, definitely check this one out. You must be able to appreciate taut characterization and story; if all you care about are explosions and noise, then this series is not for you. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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08.21.05 by ScottC @ 1:47 am  Film: Written by Dennis Feldman and Jeff Franklin Released by: Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment. My Advice: Rent something better. By high school standards, Teri (Hyser) has it made: she's cute and popular, has a college-age boyfriend, and wonderful prospects. The last part is put in doubt when she loses out on an important newspaper internship. She reasons that it can't be because she stinks as a writer, it must be because She's A Woman. She further reasons that she must do something outrageous to get the job.  Through some convoluted line of so-called logic, she plans to masquerade as a guy at another high school and find out how the other half lives--and masquerade as a guy. Her permanently horny brother Buddy (Jacoby) and her best friend Denise (Hudson) help her with the moves and the attitude and she manages the pitfalls of gym class and peeing standing up with skill. She starts to stumble when she meets Rick (Rohner). He thinks he and "Terry" are good friends, but Teri is feeling more than that. Will she admit all to Rick or will she remain Just One of the Guys? This movie is on the low end of the 80s teenage sex comedy totem pole where its trademark mix of smuttiness and naiveté leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. Now most movies of this genre were quite formulaic, but good performances or good writing helped some films become classics. This is not one of them. We have tired sex jokes about "getting some" and tired crossdressing jokes about "adjusting the sock." Frankly the whole "sock in the pants" gag gets old quick. The characters are cut and pasted from the High School Tool Kit where you get the Jock template, the Nerd template, and so on. With no real development or depth, you couldn't care less about them or their manufactured trails and tribulations.  The plot is the epitome of contrived. The parents just happen to be out of town, Teri just happens to attract the amorous attention of a popular girl, and she just happens to make friend with a guy who is a possible love interest. There is no rhythm or reason, just a collection of set pieces to set up jokes. And since the jokes aren't that funny, this makes the plot look even shabbier. The whole movie is a waste. Columbia-TriStar must have thought so too. I can understand not having features on this thing. Fine. No commentaries, no behind the scenes bits...hell, a small ten-minute bit on crossdressing in cinema would have been amusing enough. But they put the thing out in full-frame only, which we don't wish on any film. So find something else to watch besides Just One of the Boys. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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08.14.05 by Dindrane @ 11:26 pm  Film: Based upon the manga by NeSKeS Features:
Dindrane's Anime Warnings:
Released by: Geneon My Advice: Check it out.  Maia's bad day may finally be over, but now that she's ensconced in the Naiad HQ and working for the tyrannical Daphne in the Brilliant Blue, her real problems may be just beginning. In the first episode of volume 3, the company medical exam seems to indicate that tough-as-nails gun-girl Gloria has cancer and only a week to live. Her secret dream is to experience true love, so when Maia discovers that her perfect man is a lot like Maia's friend Tsukasa, poor Tsukasa dresses up as a man and pretends to take her out. With Maia writing the dialogue, will Yu, Branch Manager, and the rest succeed in rescuing Tsukasa from Gloria's tender mercies? Episode 2 takes the Naiads on their company vacation in Siberia, a resort, ocean retreat and spa, complete with fine eating and casinos. Maia goes with Shizuka on a whirlwind dining tour, while Gloria gets stuck undergoing interrogation as a suspected terrorist. Maia and Yu are left to rescue Shizuka from slavers each in their own way, especially as Maia starts to recover some of her lost childhood memories. Episode 3 opens with Maia revealing her amnesia to the other Naiads and asking for leave to stay in Siberia City where she might be able to remember more of her missing life. But someone is trying to keep her from remembering, and it might be her beloved Ocean Agency. Episode 4 has Maia rededicated to her present and future with the Naiads, who have been assigned to protect the city during its huge Centennial Celebration. The city used to be sealed underneath the sea, but 100 years ago, it and several other underwater cities rose to the surface again, except for one metropolis, that was destroyed, killing all inhabitants. Gloria is thrilled about being a government agent who can shoot anyone she wants, including Yu, who Gloria thinks would make an impressive ceremonial sacrifice. This episode reveals a great deal about the fascinating history and culture of the series. The graphics are quite nice; the only real fly in the ointment is those ludicrous, offensive costumes. Women watching the show will be horrified and annoying, meaning that this should not be the first anime a female sees, lest she worry that all anime objectifies and abuses women in this fashion. At least the art is attractive, and the Siberia scenes are especially lovely. The sound is also satisfactory, with solid voice acting in both languages and a good balance between sound effects, vocals, and background music.  The only extra on the disc is a gallery of Japanese cover art from the Japanese DVD releases. They are very much like the covers used for the American releases, and there are eighteen in all. This is nice, but not outstanding. Interviews, cultural notes, conceptual art, and translator notes...now that would have been outstanding. The reversible cover is absolutely shameless fan service; not only does it display their ridiculous costumes to best effect, the costumes and poses display the girls to, well, if not "best," then at least "trashiest" effect. Whether your favorite is Maia or Rena, you should be pleased; feminists of course will be horrified. All in all, the show is fairly conventional for its genre, with slick action, lots of jubblies, and some character interaction that builds character at the expense of action. As long as the cheesecake in the first volume didn't turn you off, you should enjoy this volume. The characters continue to be the strength of the show, a notch above their counterparts in other similar series. Too bad they're dressed so foolishly. Give this series a shot, and you just might like it, despite the idiot fan service. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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08.05.05 by Doc @ 8:49 pm  Film: Written by Sakichi Satô and Hideo Yamamoto Released by: Central Park Media My Advice: Not really worth it, honestly. Ichi the Killer first entered the world as a live-action film by the incomparable Takeshi Miike. The film is an orgy of violence, sex, and gore, and is both over-the-top disturbing and damn near impossible to follow. The story, as told in the film, leaves dozens of loose threads hanging, most notably where this "Ichi" ("one" in Japanese) came from and what made him into a psychotic weeping assassin wreaking havoc on the Japanese underworld. In an effort to address this confusion, Takeshi authorized an animated prequel to the story, detailing the disturbing development of his titular assassin. Why animated? Well, for starters, I'm pretty certain he'd have needed to violate a whole host of child abuse laws to film this story with real people, so it was just simpler to have it all animated, where no concern about lasting damage to the child actors exists. Categorized as: DVD and Reviews
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08.02.05 by Widge @ 10:39 pm  Well, it streeted today, and I know it's going to make a lot of folks happy. This first season boxed set from Urbanworks contains all twenty-four first season episodes spread over three discs. The fourth disc is for the ninety-minute TV special, "The Cosby Show: A Look Back," which aired in 2002. It's mostly a ginormous highlight reel for the entirety of the show's run, though it also comes with deleted scenes, bloopers, audition footage and the cast looking back on the show. This show's so solid, it's hard to pick favorites. However, I'll do my best: this is the season that has Theo and Cliff discussing how much money it takes to get ahead in the world (the Monopoly bit from the pilot), Dizzy Gillespie's appearance, and Cliff's track rematch among the episodes. Nice. Categorized as: DVD and Headsup
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