Author: Robert Greenberger

‘Akira’ Coming to Blu-ray

  • News
  • December 7, 2008

The acclaimed anime Akira will make its Blu-ray debut on February 24 according to Bandai Entertainment. Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 science fiction tale will receive the deluxe treatment.

The disc, coming from Bandai’s Honneamise label, will retail for $49.98 and include both Japanese and English subtitles along with the English dub track, but purists should really enjoy the Japanese track, which will be presented in state-of-the-art 192 kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1ch sound. 
 
The initial pressing of the Akira BD will include a slipcase and a 32-page booklet.  Extras on the disc include two teasers, two trailers, a TV commercial and Otomo’s complete storyboards for the film.
 

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Animation Casting Director Andrea Romano Talks ‘Wonder Woman’

  • Uncategorized
  • December 7, 2008

ww-closeup-sad-2-8235527Andrea Romano, arguably the best known casting/dialogue director on the animation scene today, brings the voices of yet another DC Universe animated original film to life with Wonder Woman.  The original animated feature will be released by Warner Premiere on March 3, 2009.

Her voice cast this time includes Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Virginia Madsen, Oliver Platt and Rosario Dawson.

Romano began her career as an actress in New York before switching coasts and paths, accepting a position as a Hollywood voiceover agent’s assistant. Over five-plus years, she moved from a large talent agency to a smaller boutique agency, learning the business before shifting into casting for Hanna-Barbera in 1984.

She has been nominated for Emmy Awards a total of 18 times, and there are six Emmys standing tall in her home – well, proud as they can stand when attired in Barbie clothes. Romano enjoys dressing her statuettes.

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Review: ‘Lost Season 4’ on DVD

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Serialized television has seen a decline in ratings after becoming all the rage, ignited largely by the originality and quality of Lost.  Created by J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, the series had an intriguing premise, an intricate mythology and a sprawling cast, but they never took the focus off the characters.  We got to know them, one by one, and came to care what happened. As several regulars died off, we were repeatedly told, this is a dangerous situation and everyone was vulnerable. This season, more favorite characters are wiped away in dramatic fashion and helps inform those who survive.

Of course, the fun of the series is also seeing the dead come back to appear in flashbacks and hallucinations so no one stays away from the show for good.

The third season was accused of losing that tight focus and its audience began to dwindle.  In spring 2007, ABC and the producers agreed to an end date for the show, spring 2010, and that freed the producers to finish plotting out the series in broad strokes.  We go the first hint of that in the season finale which had the first flash forward, showing us a suicidal Jack insisting he and Kate have to return to the island.

As a result, we were eager for the fourth season, the six-disc DVD collection, which goes on sale Tuesday and were not disappointed.  The freighter that has arrived proves not to be from Desmond’s beloved Penny but on behalf of Charles Widmore, who seems to be out to control the island and its secrets.  From that point, we delve into sixteen episodes which furthered everyone’s character arcs while introducing new wrinkles and new cast.

As one would expect, Jack and Locke are at odds as Locke’s spiritual side says they have to remain on the island while Jack remains committed to getting everyone off.  The cast splits and we follow both sides with Locke’s crew taking over the compound used by The Others, who have fled.

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All-New Super Friends Hour – Season 1, Volume 2 Due in January

  • Uncategorized
  • December 7, 2008

allnewsprfriendshr-s1v2-6275796Warner Home Video has announced a January 27 release for All-New Super Friends Hour – Season 1, Volume 2. The 32 adventures will appear on a two-disc set retailing for $26.99.

The All-New Super Friends Hour immediately resonated with fans and became a huge ratings success for ABC. Using combined powers, cunning and wit, the Super Friends fight for truth and justice and save the day with the reminder that good will always triumph over evil. Each thrill-packed hour includes four exciting and suspenseful episodes as the Super Friends battle unthinkable dangers. Interactive segments with magic tricks, health and safety tips and puzzles, are just a few cool extras that this thrilling collection boasts!

DVD special features include:

"The Wonder Twins Phenomenon" – Over 20 minutes of bonus content with segments exploring Zan and Jayna’s impact on pop culture.

"The All-New Super Friends Hour – Season 1, Volume 2 is yet another electrifying installation to one of DC Comics’ most beloved series," said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Sports Marketing. "Warner Home Video is thrilled to provide fans with 32 action-packed episodes of the Super Friends on their quest to save humanity."

 

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NYCC Names Living Legends Guests

  • News
  • December 7, 2008

The New York Comic Con has announced that it will honor artist Al Plastino, inker Joe Sinnott, and writer Marv Wolfman as “Living Legends” at the 4th annual New York Comic Con, which will take place from February 6-8 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.  All three Living Legends will participate in convention festivities and make limited appearances at select panel discussions and autograph sessions.
 
Al Plastino, who was born in New York City in 1921, began working in comics as an inker and penciller during the “Golden Age” of comics in the early 1940s.  In addition to inking Captain America and Sub-Mariner, he drew Green Lantern, Rocketman and Dynamic Man.  After WWII, Plastino joined DC Comics where he helped to develop Superman spin-offs such as Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes with writer Otto Binder.  In the late 1960s he began work on a succession of syndicated comic strips including Batman, Nancy and Sluggo, and Peanuts.
 
Joe Sinnott has worked for Marvel Comics for 58 years.  He is perhaps best known as Jack Kirby’s inker on the Fantastic Four, but he has enlivened a host of Marvel characters over the years and currently inks the Spider-Man newspaper strip.
 
Marv Wolfman, who is at present working on the DC online MMORPG with Jim Lee, was born in Brooklyn in 1946.  He has written comics, movies, TV shows, animation, and children’s books, and won numerous awards for his works.  Among his most famous creations are Blade and the New Teen Titans.

A Qualified Positive Notice for ‘Dollhouse’

  • News
  • December 7, 2008

Time magazine’s television critic,  James Poniewozik, has posted the first review for Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, which will not air until February 13.

He wrote, “It was both better and worse than I expected, in different ways. One of my concerns about it was that — given Joss Whedon’s talent for making absorbing serials — the case-of-the-week nature of the show would make it harder to grow attached to. (I’m assuming that anyone who cares at this point knows the premise already, but in case I’m wrong: Eliza Dushku plays Echo, an "Active," which is a person who has agreed to let a secretive organization erase his or her original memories and personality and implant new ones in them for "assignments" involving rich clients.)

“Yes, this is certainly Joss Whedon trying to do What People Think Works on Broadcast TV Today—the legendary serial-procedural hybrid. But the first episode—in which Echo is imprinted with a kidnapping-negotiator’s personality to secure the return of a rich man’s abducted daughter—is well enough written to be absorbing. Writing a crime hour doesn’t seem like Whedon’s thing, but the episode is tight, suspenseful, with intriguing psychological twists and flashes of Whedonesque humor.”

He is concerned that the show “is less a series concept than an actress’ showcase, a sort of extreme version of an Alias undercover premise.”

Still, he’s optimistic about the series and its future, concluding, “But for me, the main draw now is not seeing Dushku become a different person every week, but getting to see Joss Whedon become a different writer every week.”

NBC Trims “Knight Rider’

  • News
  • December 7, 2008

NBC wound up trailing the other networks by a day with their midseason announcements.  Among the details is the coveted post-Super Bowl slot going to an hour-long episode of The Office.

The following day, February 2, Chuck will air it’s 3-D episode and Heroes kicks off its new volume.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC has reconsidered its commitment to the underperforming Knight Rider.  Early encouraging ratings prompted the peacock network to give the show a full season pick up.  Ratings flattened once people realized the show wasn’t very good.  The producers trashed half the cast but ratings tumbled before the revamped episodes could air and now the order has been cut back from 22 to 17 with the season and likely series finale set for February 25.

After 15 years, ER closes its doors to new cases on March 12 with a two-hour finale that is said to be filled with flashbacks throughout the years to acknowledge the ever-changing cast. The following week, Kings from Michael Green, will debut with a two-hour opening installment.
 

‘The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ Coming to DVD in March

  • News
  • December 7, 2008

Now that Warner Home Video has released the complete Man from U.N.C.L.E  in a handsome package, Paramount Home Video has announced a March release for The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E, the 1983 reunion telefilm.

Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reunited for the story which brought in fellow spy Patrick Macnee to head the espionage  agency.  George Lazenby makes a cameo, driving an Astin martin and listed as “JB”. Geoffrey Lewis and Keenan Wynn also starred.

The plot is described as “The criminal organization THRUSH steals the A-bomb H975 and demands $300,000 to be delivered within 72 hours by their former antagonist Solo. So U.N.C.L.E. has to reactivate the super agents Solo and Kuryakin after they were 15 years out of business to take down THRUSH once and for all…and save the world.”

TV Shows on DVD reports the 97-minute story will be released on March 3 with extras, if any, to be announced at a later date.

‘Smallville’ Duo to Make Directorial Debut

  • News
  • December 7, 2008

Al Gough and Miles Millar are experienced writers and producers but now will make their directorial debut on Disney’s Salisbury from their own spec script according to Variety.

Since leaving Smallville, they have been active including signing a first-look deal with Disney, where they just produced Hannah Montana: The Movie for the studio.  They also wrote draft scripts for Iron Man, Spider-Man 2, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. They are at work on a movie based on the Jungle Cruise theme park attraction. For Warner, they are adapting Robotech for the big screen.

Salisbury is the name of a fictional town where the story takes place but the studio is keeping the plot to themselves after acknowledging there will be supernatural elements. The projected budget is $40 million with casting about to begin. Production should begin in 2009 with a 2010 release date anticipated.
 

‘True Blood’ Updates

  • News
  • December 6, 2008

HBO has announced a May 12 DVD release for the first season of True Blood, the acclaimed series based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels. The five-disc set will retail for $59.99 with no extras announced.

True Blood chronicles the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps…where vampires have emerged from the coffin, and no longer need humans for their fix. Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) works as a waitress at the rural bar Merlotte’s. Though outwardly a typical young woman, she keeps a dangerous secret: she has the ability to hear the thoughts of others.

Sookie’s situation is further complicated when the bar gets its first vampire patron – 173-year old Bill Compton (Steven Moye) — and the two outsiders are immediately drawn to each other.

Adapted from Charlaine Harris’ The Southern Vampire Mysteries by creator and executive producer Alan Ball the series proved to be a growing phenomenon, just the sort of thing HBO has needed.

Meantime, production on the second season is already underway with a summer return being eyed, confirmed in part by the May release of the DVD set. Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello wrote this week, “Not only is there fresh Blood on the way, there’s also fresh… um, blood. The vamp hit is on the hunt for a new series regular to play Sarah, the pleasure-seeking missus of Steve Newlin, the Fellowship of the Sun’s big kahuna. New semi-regulars are also being sought for six-episode arcs as Daphne, Merlotte’s new waitress (and Sam’s likely new love interest), and Luke, a burly twentysomething who’s as dedicated to religion as Jason is to sex.”

Michelle Forbes (Battlestar Galactica), has been upped to series regular.

Finally, Mr. Skin named Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield) top nude actress on television for 2008 given her character Amy’s frequent naked moments.

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