Source: Well Go USA, MPRM Communications
Official Site: wellgousa.com/detail-tripletap (US)
Special Thanks to Liza Nedelman and Leif Hellend

Three SFJ readers have won the TRIPLE TAP DVD. Photo
courtesy of Well Go USA. © 2010 Emperor Classic Films, Ltd.

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Our thanks to everyone who entered Well Go USA and SciFi Japan’s contest for a free DVD of TRIPLE TAP. The randomly chosen winners are:

David Bullard
Jason Fanesi
Patrick Beagan

Congratulations to the winners! The prizes will be shipped soon by Well Go USA so keep an eye on your mailboxes.

Two-time Best Director Hong Kong Film Award winner Derek Yee’s (ONE NIGHT IN MONGKOK, SHINJUKU INCIDENT) latest action-packed thriller, TRIPLE TAP (鎗王之王, Qiang Wang Zhi Wang, 2010) is now available in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for $29.98 SRP and on DVD for $24.98 SRP.
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A theatrical retrospective of fifteen animated films from Studio Ghibli will begin a North American tour December 16th in New York.
Posters for Studio Ghibli films from 1984-2002 courtesy of GKIDS. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and PONYO posters courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
© 1984-2008 Nibariki

New 35mm Prints of 15 Titles to Screen at IFC Center from December 16 to January 12
Source: GKIDS Inc. press release
Official Movie Site: gkids.tv/intheaters
Special Thanks to Sara Groves, Eric Beckman and Dave Jesteadt

GKIDS, a distributor of award winning animation for both adults and family audiences, is bringing a complete retrospective of films from Japan’s renowned Studio Ghibli to the IFC Center in New York (323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street) from Friday, December 16 to Thursday, January 12. The run will include US premiere theatrical engagements for several titles.

All fifteen Studio Ghibli feature films produced between 1984 and 2008 will be presented, including Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award winning SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, CASTLE IN THE SKY, PONYO, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, and KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE. Newly-struck 35mm prints of the films will be shown in both subtitled and English dubbed versions.

Following the IFC Center engagement, the retrospective will tour to major US and Canadian markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Toronto, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and other cities, throughout the first half of 2012. GKIDS is also planning limited releases of select Studio Ghibli titles, many of which have never been released theatrically in the US, beginning late 2012.
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DVD and Blu-ray cover art for the UK release of TROLL HUNTER. Photos courtesy of The Associates. © 2010 Filmkameratene AS

Source: The Associates press release
Official Site: trollhunterfilm.com

One of the biggest hits with audiences at this year’s Film4 Frightfest and a major critical success during its subsequent UK theatrical release in September 2011, which saw it earning Four Star reviews in Empire (“spectacular fun”), Total Film (“a true one off… it will quite simply blow you away”) and Time Out (“shot through with an unexpected, often unsettling, humour”), the horror-comedy TROLL HUNTER (Trolljegeren, 2010) bursts its way on to DVD and Blu-ray on 9th January 2012.
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Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release
Official Site: tv-tokyo.co.jp/fairytail (Japan), funimation.com/fairy-tail (US)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Michelle Lee

Combo Pack art for FAIRY TAIL: PART 2. Photo courtesy of
FUNimation Entertainment. © 2009 Fairy Tail Guild
Production Committee: Hiro Mashima/ Kodansha/ TV Tokyo

FUNimation Entertainment will release the Blu-ray/DVD Combo set of the action/adventure anime FAIRY TAIL: PART 2 (フェアリーテイル, Fearii Teiru, 2009) on December 27th. Based on the hit manga by Hiro Mashima (each new manga volume published since 2007 has debuted in the Top 5), the long running series is co-produced by A-1 Pictures and Satelight, and directed by Shinji Ishihira. The second Blu-ray/DVD Combo set contains episodes 13-24.

Across the Fiore kingdom, wizards join guilds and make their pay by filling magical needs – but one guild has a reputation as the roughest, rowdiest, most dangerous of all: Fairy Tail!

In the midst of a mission to break the curse over Galuna Island, Natsu and the gang face a band of deranged mages trying to resurrect the monstrous demon Deliora. Gray’s determined to put the freeze on the sinister plan in a frigid battle with a rival from his past – even if it takes his own life!

Back in Magnolia, the city becomes a warzone after sorcerers known as Element 4 destroy Fairy Tail headquarters and kidnap their beloved rookie, Lucy. A bone-crunching, skin-charring fight between fire and iron erupts when Natsu squares off against another Dragon Slayer wizard!
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The Criterion Collection’s DVD and Blu-ray cover art for THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI. Photos courtesy of The Criterion Collection. © 1964 Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Hideo Gosha’s Classic Chambara Film Streets in February
Source: The Criterion Collection, Image Entertainment
Official Site: criterion.com/three-outlaw-samurai
Special Thanks to Jonathan Saba

On February 14th, 2012, THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI (三匹の侍, Sanbiki no Samurai, 1964) will be released in digitally restored DVD and Blu-ray editions by The Criterion Collection.

This first film by the legendary Hideo Gosha (SWORD OF THE BEAST) is among the most canonized chambara (sword-fighting) films. An origin-story offshoot of a Japanese television series phenomenon of the same name, THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI is a classic in its own right. In it, a wandering, seen-it-all ronin (Tetsuro Tamba) becomes entangled in the dangerous business of two other samurai (Isamu Nagato and Mikijiro Hira), hired to execute a band of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of a corrupt magistrate. With remarkable storytelling economy and thrilling action scenes, this is an expertly mounted tale of revenge and loyalty.
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FUNimation Channel Video-On-Demand is now available from Armstrong Cable. © 2011 FUNimation Entertainment.

Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release
Official Site: funimation.tv
Special Thanks to Scott Lonski

FUNimation Channel, a partnership between Olympusat, Inc. and FUNimation Entertainment, is the market leader in providing fans in the U.S. direct access to an exclusive portfolio of anime movies, series and specials to TV, mobile and broadband customers alike. FUNimation Channel is currently available in approximately 20 million TV households in the U.S. and is available on AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, Verizon, and others.

The FUNimation Channel has now launched its Subscription Video-On-Demand Package on Armstrong Cable. The package combines standard definition and select high definition product sampling with proven transactional and subscription levels of service for this extremely attractive demographic. Each product drives usage to the next, creating a path to capture a wider audience while maximizing revenues.
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Source: Tiger Rock Publishing, Rivers PR press release
Special Thanks to Louise Rivers

Cover design for The Bruce Lee Chronicles: Volume 1. Photo
courtesy of Rivers PR. © 2011 Tiger Rock Publishing

The brand new eBook The Bruce Lee Chronicles: Volume 1 goes on sale in the United Kingdom from December 5th, 2011, courtesy of Tiger Rock Publishing. There’s no better reason to want an iPad/Kindle for Christmas this year!

To millions of fans around the world, Bruce Lee was the greatest martial arts icon who ever lived. Join Bruce on one of his greatest real-life adventures and discover the true story behind the making of his most personal movie, WAY OF THE DRAGON (猛龍過江, aka RETURN OF THE DRAGON, 1972).

Officially endorsed by The Bruce Lee Foundation and supported with a foreword from Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee, this compelling 180 page volume by pro fight-trainer and renowned Lee historian, Steve Kerridge, provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made!
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Haruka, Cotton and Teo explore a land of long-lost childhood treasures in the computer animated film OBLIVION ISLAND, screening the next two weekends in NYC.
© 2009 Fuji Television Network/ Production I.G / Dentsu/ Pony Canyon

World Premiere this Weekend at New York International Children’s Film Festival
Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release
Special Thanks to Scott Lonski

The English language version of the anime feature film OBLIVION ISLAND (ホッタラケの島 〜遥と魔法の鏡〜, Hottarake no Shima – Haruka to Maho no Kagami, 2009) will have its world premiere this weekend at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Production I.G., the creators of GHOST IN THE SHELL, mix exquisitely detailed 2D backgrounds with modern 3D character designs in a dazzling animated adventure that plays like Alice’s fall through the rabbit hole into a world of topsy-turvy, anime dream-logic.
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Yoshino Ishibashi (Hikari Mitsushima, right) tries to win the affections of the rich but self-centered Keigo Masuo (Masaki Okada).
Photo courtesy of Third Window Films. © 2010 Toho Co., Ltd., Amuse Inc.

Source: Third Window Films
Official Movie Site: thirdwindowfilms.com/villain (UK)
Special Thanks to Adam Torel

Cover art for the UK DVD of the award-winning VILLAIN.
Photo courtesy of Third Window Films. © 2010 Toho Co.,
Ltd., Amuse Inc.

Lee sang-il’s higly acclaimed adaptation of the award-winning novel by Shuichi Yoshida, VILLAIN (悪人, Akunin) comes out on DVD in the United Kingdom this Monday, December 5th from distributor Third Window Films. A North American release has not been announced.

Nominated for 15 Japanese Academy Awards (winner of 5), winner of the Best Actress Prize at the Montreal Film Festival and picked as the ‘Best Japanese Film of 2010′ by the Kinema Junpo organization, VILLAIN is one of the most highly rated and gripping Japanese films of the year.

Yuichi Shimizu (Satoshi Tsumabuki) is a construction worker who has lived his entire life in a dreary fishing village. With no girlfriend or friends, he spends his days working and looking after his grandparents, with no enjoyment in life other than his car.

Meanwhile, Mitsuyo Magome (Eri Fukatsu) also lives a monotonous life pacing between the men’s clothing store where she works and the apartment where she lives with her sister.

When the two lonely souls meet using an online dating site, they immediately fall in love with each other. But there’s a secret Yuichi had been keeping from Mitsuyo: Yuichi is the one suspected of killing the woman whose body was found at Mitsue Pass only a few days before.
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Complete Series One Streets December 20th
Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release
Official Site: kadokawa-anime.jp/soraoto (Japan), funimation.com/heavens-lost-property (US)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Michelle Lee

Combo Pack art for HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY. Photo courtesy of
FUNimation Entertainment. © 2009

On December 20th, the complete anime series HEAVEN’S LOST PROPERTY (そらのおとしもの, Sora no Otoshimono, 2009) will be released in a 5-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack by FUNimation Entertainment. Based on the manga series of the same name by Suu Minazuki, the anime was produced by Anime International Company (AIC), directed by Hisashi Saito (INUYASHA, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED) and features the talents of art director Hiromasa Ogura (FLCL, APPLESEED and GHOST IN THE SHELL).

Tomoki’s life was normal until a wish-granting angelic android named Ikaros fell from the sky and started calling him master! Of course, thanks to his raging teenage hormones, most of Tomoki’s wishes have something to do with panties. And that makes things pretty complicated, because one simple wish can lead to a rampaging robot made out of frilly undergarments or turn bloomers into bombs capable of blowing up entire neighborhoods!

If Tomoki doesn’t learn to control his impulses around Ikaros and be more careful with his wishes, the chaos will only get crazier. Luckily, even with such a dirty mind, Tomoki’s heart is in the right place. His hands, however, are a completely different story.
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Source: Sentai Filmworks press release
Special Thanks to David Williams

Promotional art for the anime masterpiece GRAVE OF
THE FIREFLIES. © 1988 Nosaka Akiyuki/Shinchosha Co.

Sentai Filmworks proudly announces the company’s acquisition of distribution rights for the critically acclaimed animation masterpiece GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (火垂るの墓, Hotaru no Haka, 1988).

Based on the semi-autobiographical retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Iaso Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli, the studio that performed the animation duties for the film,) GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES has been universally hailed as both an artistic and emotional tour de force, with famed critic Roger Ebert calling the feature “An emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation” and stating that “it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made.” Sentai Filmworks is extraordinarily honored to have been given the privilege of handling the digitally restored version of one of the art of animation’s true crowning achievements.

Digital distribution of GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES will begin through many outlets this winter, and a DVD of the digitally restored master will be in stores next year.
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