SciFi Japan » Kaiju / Monsters http://www.scifijapan.com/articles Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:27:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 ALIEN VS NINJA Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/05/alien-vs-ninja-blu-raydvd-combo-pack/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/05/alien-vs-ninja-blu-raydvd-combo-pack/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:23:24 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28748 Rin (Mika Hijii, foreground right) is one of the many ninja who must stop a killer alien in Sushi Typhoon's ALIEN VS NINJA. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2010 Sushi Typhoon & “Alien vs. Ninja” Production Committee Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Official Site: funimation.com/avn, Sushi Typhoon (US), Sushi Typhoon (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Lonski, Tim Baxter and Michelle Lee On February 21st, FUNimation Entertainment will reissue ALIEN VS NINJA (AVN, 2010), this time in a 2 disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Centuries ago, the fiercest ninjas of the Iga clan face their toughest enemies -- and they aren’t from this planet! A fiery mass crashes in the forest and soon horrifyingly savage creatures reduce the warriors to tasty snacks. But these extraterrestrials have bitten off more than they can chew. Swords and throwing stars may fail against unearthly goons, but ninja skills don’t stop at sharp stuff. If you’re into ARMY OF DARKNESS, you’ll be taking bets over who’ll win this over-the-top battle for survival! Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/02/05/alien-vs-ninja-blu-raydvd-combo-pack/feed/ 0 Mill Creek Offering Replacement Copies of GAMERA 3 Blu-ray http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/31/mill-creek-offering-replacement-copies-of-gamera-3-blu-ray/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/31/mill-creek-offering-replacement-copies-of-gamera-3-blu-ray/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:27:16 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28821 Mill Creek Entertainment Special Thanks to Chris Smith and Barrett Evans

UPDATE with additional information, 2/1/2012.

Send Mill Creek your GAMERA 3 Blu-ray cover sleeve to receive a free replacement disc with corrected subtitles. Photo courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment. © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.
Last September, Mill Creek Entertainment released the acclaimed daikaiju film GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (ガメラ3 邪神〈イリス〉覚醒, Gamera 3: Jyashin Iris Kakusei, 1999) on Blu-ray, both as a single disc and as part of a GAMERA TRILOGY Collector's Edition set. The bargain priced (SRP: $9.98) release -- packed with nearly 3 hours of Gamera bonus features -- was unfortunately marred by subtitling problems, including subtitles which were out of sync with onscreen dialogue and text. Mill Creek is now offering free replacement copies of GAMERA 3 for people who are having issues with the subtitles. They've asked SciFi Japan to run the following message... GAMERA 3 Replacements now available! If you are having problems with the subtitles on GAMERA 3, please send your artwork wrap (as proof of purchase) with your contact and mailing information to Mill Creek and we will send you a new GAMERA 3 (with artwork). Mill Creek's address is: Mill Creek Entertainment 2445 Nevada Ave N Golden Valley, MN 55427 Mill Creek is to be commended for their excellent customer service. For additional information or answers to any questions, please email support@millcreekent.com. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/31/mill-creek-offering-replacement-copies-of-gamera-3-blu-ray/feed/ 0 GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER on Australian DVD and Blu-ray in February http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/28/gantz-2-perfect-answer-on-australian-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/28/gantz-2-perfect-answer-on-australian-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:45:52 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27665 Australian DVD and Blu-ray cover art for GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Photos courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Second Installment of the Popular GANTZ Franchise Streets February 15th Source: Madman Entertainment Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) The Australian label Madman Entertainment will release the box office hit GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) on DVD (Region 4, PAL) and Blu-ray (Region B) in February 2012. The discs will feature a never-before seen extended version of the film with new scenes added. Several months after the events of GANTZ 1, Kei Kurono (Kazunari Ninomiya) faces an impending alien invasion under the order of Gantz. As he closes in on the magical "100" score to resurrect his friends, young pop star Eriko Ayukawa (Ayumi Ito) is being secretly ordered by Gantz to carry out assassinations, and cop Masamitsu Shigeta (Takayuki Yamada) inches closer towards finding out the truth about the invading aliens. As the missions get increasingly dangerous, Kurono discovers that the endgame for Gantz is quickly approaching with a massive bloody showdown with the aliens. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/28/gantz-2-perfect-answer-on-australian-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/feed/ 0 GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER on UK DVD and Blu-ray in February http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/gantz-perfect-answer-on-uk-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/gantz-perfect-answer-on-uk-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:26:25 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28080 Cover art for the upcoming UK DVD and Blu-ray editions of GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Photos courtesy of The Associates. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Source: The Associates press release Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) will be released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) and Blu-ray (Region B) in the UK by Manga Entertainment on February 6th, 2012. The sequel begins several months after the events of the first film. Kei Kurono (Ninomiya) is still fighting aliens under the order of Gantz and he is close to reaching the score he needs to resurrect his friend Masaru Kato (Matsuyama). As the missions begin to get increasingly dangerous for both the alien fighters and the general public, Kurono discovers that the endgame for Gantz is quickly approaching. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/gantz-perfect-answer-on-uk-dvd-and-blu-ray-in-february/feed/ 0 VIZ Media Offers Giant Monster Sci-Fi in the Latest Haikasoru Title, MM9 http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/viz-media-offers-giant-monster-sci-fi-in-the-latest-haikasoru-title-mm9/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/viz-media-offers-giant-monster-sci-fi-in-the-latest-haikasoru-title-mm9/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:10:45 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28509 VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: haikasoru.com Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen
Hiroshi Yamamoto’s novel MM9 will appeal to fans of Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2007 by Hiroshi Yamamoto
VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint brings a fantastic new tale of science fiction and giant monsters to North American readers with the release of Hiroshi Yamamoto’s novel MM9, available now. The release will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. An eBook edition is also available on the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Books Store, and the Sony Reader Store for $8.99. Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation. The Japan of MM9 is beset by natural disasters all the time: typhoons, earthquakes... and giant monster attacks. A special anti-monster unit called the Meteorological Agency Monsterological Measures Department (MMD) has been formed to deal with natural disasters of high “monster magnitude.” The work is challenging, the public is hostile, and the monsters are hungry, but the MMD crew has science, teamwork... and a legendary secret weapon on their side. Together, will try and save Japan, and the universe! Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/19/viz-media-offers-giant-monster-sci-fi-in-the-latest-haikasoru-title-mm9/feed/ 0 GAMERA THE BRAVE Coming to Blu-ray http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/17/gamera-the-brave-coming-to-blu-ray/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/17/gamera-the-brave-coming-to-blu-ray/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:00:15 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28330 Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Carl Morano
Promotional art for GAMERA THE BRAVE. Photo courtesy of Media Blasters. © 2006 Chiisaki Yushatachi-GAMERA- Film Partners
Distributor Media Blasters has announced plans to release the 2006 daikaiju movie GAMERA THE BRAVE (小さき勇者たち～ガメラ～, Chiisaki Yusha-tachi Gamera) on Blu-ray in North America this May. The twelfth film in the long-running Gamera series -- and the first to be produced by Kadokawa Pictures -- GAMERA THE BRAVE takes the monster back to his “The Friend of All Children” roots. The movie opens forty years ago, as the giant fire-breathing turtle Gamera disappears during a battle against the flying monsters called Gyaos. In 2006, a young boy named Toru Aizawa (Ryo Tomioka) discovers a turtle egg on a beach. The egg hatches in his hand, and Toru decides to keep the tiny newborn as a pet. But when the little turtle starts flying and breathing fire, Toru realizes that he has found a baby Gamera. The young monster grows quickly, and is soon put to the task against Zedus, a giant man-eating sea monster. But the new Gamera is no match for his bigger, stronger, and faster opponent and suffers terrible wounds during the battle. Now Toru must help Gamera recover from his injuries and put an end to Zedus. GAMERA THE BRAVE was previously released on DVD by Media Blasters' Tokyo Shock label in December 2008. The upcoming Blu-ray edition, scheduled to street on May 22nd, will feature a new high-definition transfer provided by Kadokawa. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/17/gamera-the-brave-coming-to-blu-ray/feed/ 0 GANTZ Interview: Director Shinsuke Sato http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/13/gantz-interview-director-shinsuke-sato/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/13/gantz-interview-director-shinsuke-sato/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:21:33 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27954 Masaru Kato (Kenichi Matsuyama) and Kei Kurono (Kazunari Ninomiya) in publicity art for GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER. Photo courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Author: Elliot Gay Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Source: NTV (Nippon Television Network) Photos: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, The Associates, Madman Entertainment Special Thanks to Asuka Kimura and Shio Toyoda

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

GANTZ and GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER director Shinsuke Sato. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment.
Both GANTZ (前編, Gantsu, 2011) and its sequel, GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011), were directed by filmmaker and video game developer Shinsuke Sato. A graduate of Musashino University of The Arts, Sato first drew attention for writing and directing successful student films, before making his professional directorial debut with LOVE SONG (2001). His second film, THE PRINCESS BLADE (修羅雪姫, Shura Yukihime, 2001), was released internationally, and he has directed such well-received movies as ALL ABOUT MY DOG (いぬのえいが, Inu no Eiga, 2005), SAND CLOCK (砂時計, Sunadokei, 2008) and the Japan Academy Prize-nominated animated feature OBLIVION ISLAND: HARUKA AND THE MAGIC MIRROR (ホッタラケの島 〜遥と魔法の鏡〜, Hottarake no Shima - Haruka to Maho no Kagami, 2009). Sato has also developed characters and storylines for video games, most notably TEKKEN 4 (2002). SciFi Japan writer Elliot Gay recently spoke with Shinsuke Sato about his work on the two GANTZ films. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/13/gantz-interview-director-shinsuke-sato/feed/ 0 NEW PEOPLE Celebrates GANTZ II Release With Special S.F. Screenings http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/07/new-people-celebrates-gantz-ii-release-with-special-s-f-screenings/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/07/new-people-celebrates-gantz-ii-release-with-special-s-f-screenings/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:25:40 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=28000 The mysterious men in black are looking for a fight in GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER, playing January 14th at NEW PEOPLE Cinema. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco to Screen GANTZ and GANTZ II on January 14th Source: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, MediaLab press release Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Special Thanks to Erik Jansen NEW PEOPLE Entertainment celebrates the recently announced release of GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER on DVD/Blu-ray with a special series of screenings of the entire GANTZ film saga on Saturday, January 14th at the S.F. Film Society | NEW PEOPLE Cinema located in San Francisco’s Japantown. Tickets are $10. Additional ticket and film info is available at newpeopleworld.com/#gantz2. GANTZ (Dubbed) 1:00pm GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (Dubbed) 4:00pm GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (Subtitled) 7:00pm All those attending the screenings of GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER will receive a free full-color GANTZ poster. A special ticket bundle is also available for $25 (DVD) or $30 (Blu-ray) that includes a movie pass, poster, and either the DVD or Blu-ray release. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/07/new-people-celebrates-gantz-ii-release-with-special-s-f-screenings/feed/ 0 Meet SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS in 3D http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/03/meet-speckles-the-tarbosaurus-in-3d/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/03/meet-speckles-the-tarbosaurus-in-3d/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:10:44 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27841 One-eye the Tyrannosaur corners two young Tarbosaurs. Photo courtesy and © 2012 Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc. New Korean 3D Dinosaur Feature Debuts this Month, International Release to Follow Author: Kim Song-ho Source: Dream Search C&C Inc., EBS, Olive Studio Inc. Official Website: blog.naver.com/jumbagi2012

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Theatrical poster art, courtesy and © 2012 Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc.
The production companies Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc. have jointly announced the release of SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS1 (점박이: 한반도의 공룡 3D, Jumbagi: Hanbandoui gongryong 3D, literal translation "Speckles: Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula 3D"), which opens January 26, 2012 in Korea. SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS is a 3D, computer-animated feature based on KOREANOSAURUS (한반도의 공룡, Hanbandoui gongryong, Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula), a 2008 nature documentary that aired on the Korean TV channel EBS (Educational Broadcasting System). Both the documentary and the new film follow the life of Speckles (Jumbagi in Korean), a fictional Tarbosaurus that lived in Korea during the Cretaceous period (about 70 million years ago). Speckles must protect his family, not only from One-eye (Aekunun in Korean), a violent, vengeful Tyrannosaurus, but also an impending disaster that could change the face of the planet. The film will be distributed in Korea by CJ Entertainment. The North American theatrical, DVD/Blu-ray, digital, Video on Demand, and television rights for SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS have been acquired by distributor Well Go USA Entertainment. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2012/01/03/meet-speckles-the-tarbosaurus-in-3d/feed/ 0 GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2011/12/21/gantz-ii-perfect-answer-on-region-1-dvd-and-blu-ray/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2011/12/21/gantz-ii-perfect-answer-on-region-1-dvd-and-blu-ray/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:30:43 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=27682 Cover art for the upcoming North American DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Set of the Japanese live action sci-fi adventure GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER. Photos courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners Source: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, Warner Home Video Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. that focuses on the licensing and distribution of Japanese films and media, has announced the highly anticipated release of the live-action film sequel to GANTZ. GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) will debut on Region 1 DVD (SRP $24.92) and Blu-ray/DVD combo-pack (SRP $29.99) on January 17th, 2012. The film, which is unrated, features both English and Japanese dialogue options and includes a bonus disc with an exclusive director’s interview, cast profiles, and theatrical film trailers. NEW PEOPLE DVD/Blu-ray titles are distributed in the U.S and Mexico by Warner Home Video. To celebrate the film’s North American release, NEW PEOPLE Entertainment will hold three special theatrical screenings of GANTZ and GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER on Saturday, January 14th at the S.F. Film Society | NEW PEOPLE Cinema located in San Francisco’s Japantown. Tickets are $10. All those attending the screenings of GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER will receive a free full-color GANTZ poster. A special ticket bundle is also available for $25 (DVD) or $30 (Blu-ray) that includes a movie pass, poster, and either the DVD or Blu-ray release. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2011/12/21/gantz-ii-perfect-answer-on-region-1-dvd-and-blu-ray/feed/ 0