Source: The Associates, Madman Entertainment press releases
Official Movie Site: monstersfilm.com (US), monstersthemovie.com (UK)
Following a US home video release in February, the critically acclaimed MONSTERS comes to DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on April 11th courtesy of Vertigo Films, and in Australia on April 13th from Madman Entertainment.
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Cult Favorite Rankin/Bass-Tsuburaya Co-production Available March 22nd
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Warner Archive Collection
Special Thanks to Gabriel Vicuna and Ed Godziszewski
“It eats meat! Us!!” It is a Tyrannosaurus, ruler of a lost world hidden within a dormant polar volcano. Us are members of expedition led by a big game hunter and überzillionaire (Richard Boone). And eats – well, you get the idea, tyrant lizard fans! Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, who charmed families with THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS and more animated and stop-motion holiday heartwarmers, relied on dinomight for THE LAST DINOSAUR, the sort of thrill-a-minute popcorn-seller that gives bad movies a good name. Join the adventurers as they encounter a perilous array of prehistoric beasts, a tribe of savage cavemen and a T. rex who, despite its less-than-special effect appearance, can kick some serious Triceratops butt. -synopsis courtesy of Warner Archive
The 1977 cult classic THE LAST DINOSAUR— one of three movies produced by the American studio Rankin/Bass in association with Tsuburaya Productions in Japan— is coming to DVD from the Warner Archive Collection.
The Warner Archive Collection DVD of THE LAST DINOSAUR can be ordered from the Warner Bros online store WBShop.com. The title is currently $16.56, a 17% discount off the standard retail price of $19.95.
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Get the Second “Rebuild of Evangelion” Film For Free, Courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment and SciFi Japan!
Source: FUNimation Entertainment
Official Movie Site: funimation.com/evangelion (US), evangelion.co.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith
Our friends at FUNimation Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers the opportunity to win DVD or Blu-ray editions of EVANGELION: 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE, the digitally mastered and upgraded version of the anime theatrical feature EVANGELION: 2.0 (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha, 2009). The movie was one of the top five highest grossing Japanese films of 2009 with box office in excess of $40 million. It was also critically praised, a favorite at international film festivals, and given a theatrical release in both the United States and Canada.
Now comes your chance to get the EVANGELION: 2.22 edition— for free!
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Who will Receive the Complete Gamera Set DVD for Free from Shout! Factory and SciFi Japan?
Source: Shout! Factory
Special Thanks to Tom Chen, Roy McAree and Richard Noboru Kekahuna
Our thanks to everyone who entered Shout! Factory and SciFi Japan’s contest for the complete Shout! Factory Gamera DVD Collection. We’ve received hundreds of entries, and the randomly chosen winners are:
Jared P. Foust
Mike Powell
Rob Walicki
Kevin Blackwell
Abelardo D. Flores
Congratulations to the winners! Each of you has won a DVD set of the original series of Gamera movies, including GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER, GAMERA VS BARUGON, GAMERA VS. GYAOS /GAMERA VS. VIRAS Double Feature, GAMERA VS. GUIRON /GAMERA VS. JIGER Double Feature, and GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER Double Feature. Shout! will be shipping the prizes soon so keep an eye on your mailboxes.
For anyone who did not win, the GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER Double Feature will be sold online and in stores starting March 15th. This new DVD features newly restored anamorphic widescreen transfers of both movies, the original Japanese language audio, removable English subtitles, English dubs, and photo galleries. The combined running time is approximately 179 minutes. The SRP is $19.93.
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Second “Rebuild of Evangelion” Film Streets March 29th
Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release
Official Movie Site: funimation.com/evangelion (US), evangelion.co.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith
Brutal mechanized action explodes on a grand scale as towering cyborg gladiators— the Eva Units— fight for the fate of the world in the new feature film EVANGELION: 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE, coming to Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD in North America on Tuesday, March 29th. The home video editions from FUNimation Entertainment present the theatrical anime movie EVANGELION: 2.0 (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha, 2009), digitally mastered and with upgraded scenes.
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Godzilla, Ultraman, and More at Tokyo Model and Toy Collectors Show
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Wonder Festival
Once again, it’s that time of year for the winter season orgy of model kits, toys, and cosplay otherwise known as Wonder Festival. Hosted once again by toy and kit maker Kaiyodo, this year’s event again took place February 6, 2011 at the Makuhari Messe, just a few train stops down the Keio Line from Tokyo Disneyland. And as usual, this year’s show had its share of surprises as well as the weird, wacky, and wonderful.
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Get the Entire Series of Classic Gamera Movies for Free, Courtesy of Shout! Factory and SciFi Japan!
Source: Shout! Factory
Special Thanks to Tom Chen, Roy McAree and Richard Noboru Kekahuna
This month, Shout! Factory completes their DVD releases of the early Gamera movies (1965-1980) with the GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER Double Feature. In celebration, Shout! is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their complete Gamera collection before the final DVD arrives on store shelves!
The GAMERA Collection from Shout! Factory includes all eight movies on five DVDs…
GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER
GAMERA VS BARUGON
GAMERA VS. GYAOS /GAMERA VS. VIRAS Double Feature
GAMERA VS. GUIRON /GAMERA VS. JIGER Double Feature
GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER Double Feature
The first four Gamera DVDs are now available in stores and from online retailers with a suggested retail price of $19.93 each. The fifth DVD will be released on March 15th and features the final two entries in the first cycle of Gamera films; GAMERA VS. ZIGRA (ガメラ対深海怪獣ジグラ, Gamera tai Shinkai Kaijuu Jigura, 1971) and GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER (宇宙怪獣ガメラ, Uchuu Kaijuu Gamera, 1980). Both movies are presented with newly restored anamorphic widescreen transfers, the original Japanese language audio, removable English subtitles, English dubs, and photo galleries. The combined running time for the GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER Double Feature is approximately 179 minutes.
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Interview with IDW Cover Artist Matt Frank
Author: Bob Johnson
Special thanks to IDW Comics
As fans eagerly await the debut of IDW’s Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters comic, SciFi Japan caught up with cover artist Matt Frank and discussed the comic and what to expect in the months (years?) ahead. We also have an exclusive look at the Rodan cover for issue #2! So read on and enjoy!
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Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release
Official Site: funimation.com/avn, Sushi Typhoon
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Manny Alcala
On February 22nd, ALIEN VS NINJA will be released on North American DVD and Blu-ray from FUNimation Entertainment. The filmmakers behind TOKYO GORE POLICE and THE MACHINE GIRL joined studio Sushi Typhoon for this side-splitting horror-comedy… a new hybrid of science fiction and period action film brought to fans by legendary action directors and fight choregraphers Yuji Shimomura (VERSUS, SHINOBI, DEATH TRANCE) and Kensuke Sonomura (MACHINE GIRL, HARD REVENGE MILLY: BLOODY BATTLE), and directed by Seiji Chiba (DEATH TRANCE, EVIL NINJA)!
In ancient Japan, 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 jerks from outer space have bitten off more than they can chew. The ninjas’ swords and throwing stars may fail against the unearthly goons, but their 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!
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Source: Shout! Factory
Special Thanks to Tom Chen
Our friends at Shout! Factory sent over an advance copy of their GAMERA VS ZIGRA/ GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER Double Feature Collector’s Edition DVD set, so we’re pleased to give SciFi Japan readers an early look at what’s coming their way on March 15th. The DVD has a suggested retail price of $19.93.
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Source: MediaLab press release
Official Site: NewPeopleWorld.com
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen
VIZ Cinema at NEW PEOPLE, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese and Asian film, presents a pair of special movie events taking place at the venue in February. Trailers, screening times and tickets are available at VIZCinema.com. The venue is located inside NEW PEOPLE at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown.
Slated to screen on February 19th will be the acclaimed Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s romantic prison drama, BREATH, which will be followed by a reception with The Red Lantern: Bay Area Asian Cinephiles, based in San Francisco and the world’s largest Meetup group for Asian films.
Also, by popular demand, VIZ Cinema at NEW PEOPLE will offer a special one-night-only screening on February 19th of the live-action sci-fi thriller GANTZ (in Japanese with English subtitles). GANTZ is based on the smash hit manga and anime series and was world-premiered at 334 theatres nationwide in January.
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Second Impact Happens in Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis and More…
Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release
Official Movie Site: funimation.com/evangelion (US), evangelion.co.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Shun Ohara
Cinema Arts Releasing, Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment are proud to announce the new release schedule of EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha, 2009) in the United States. The movie originally opened in US theaters on January 21, 2011. EVANGELION: 2.0 has met with great success in each city and has received postive reviews and word of mouth, prompting an expansion of its theatrical release. Some theaters will also show the first chapter, EVANGELION 1.0: YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Jo, 2007), prior to the release of the second feature.
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Kazunari Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama present GANTZ World Premiere in Hollywood
Author: Richard Pusateri
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen and Rieko Fuji
The fans were restless at the GANTZ World Premiere in Hollywood. Above the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater January 20, the fans lining the entrance corridor of Mann’s Chinese 6 theaters were fidgeting and nervously chattering long before the film’s stars Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DETROIT METAL CITY, DEATH NOTE) arrived for what was billed as the “GANTZ WORLD PREMIERE.” One of the first things master of ceremonies Patrick Macias told the crowd was the stars were just in from the World Premiere earlier that day in Tokyo, leaving the description of this event as the “World Premiere” needing some clarification.
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Final Two Classic Gamera Movies to be Released March 15th
Source: Shout! Factory press release, Golden Media Group, Inc.
Special Thanks to Tom Chen, Roy McAree and Richard Noboru Kekahuna
The wait is over! On March 15, 2011, Shout! Factory will unleash the final two films in Daiei Motion Picture Company’s illustrious Gamera franchise: GAMERA VS. ZIGRA and GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER! Witness twice the excitement as Gamera takes on the malevolent underwater alien creature Zigra and then revisits each of his deadliest foes on by one while trying to save the word! Both films feature newly remastered transfers in their original Japanese language as well as English dubs.
Until the partnership of Shout! Factory and Kadokawa Pictures in May 2010, the original Gamera films were woefully underrepresented on DVD in the United States, especially in featuring the authentic original Japanese versions of the films. But that has changed with the recent releases of GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER, GAMERA VS. BARUGON, the two double feature collections GAMERA VS. GYAOS/GAMERA VS. VIRAS and GAMERA VS. GUIRON/GAMERA VS. JIGER and now GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER.
The GAMERA VS. ZIGRA/GAMERA: THE SUPER MONSTER DOUBLE-FEATURE COLLECTOR’S EDITION DVD has a suggested retail price of $19.93.
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Sushi Typhoon Presents a New Movie Update of the 70s Superhero Show
Source: Sushi Typhoon
Official Movie Site: zaborgar.com (Japan)
Special Thanks to Marc Walkow
On April 6, 1974, the Fuji Television Network debuted the first episode of DENJIN ZABOGA (電人ザボーガー), a live action superhero series from P-Productions (THE SPACE GIANTS, SPECTREMAN). Created by manga writer Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub, Crying Freeman), the show starred Akira Yamaguchi (KAMEN RIDER V3) as Yutaka Daimon, a secret police agent who battles sinister organizations with the help of his transforming robot Zaboga (played by Yoichiro Tajiri). The series ran for 52 episodes through June 29, 1975. The first 39 episodes were also broadcast in Hawaii with English subtitles as DENJIN ZABORGER.
Now, as DENJIN ZABOGA approaches its fortieth anniversary, the story has been reworked and updated for the new movie KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR (電人ザボーガー劇場版, Denjin Zabogaa: Gekijoo-ban, 2011) from director Noboru Iguchi.
Produced by Nikkatsu Corporation’s genre label Sushi Typhoon, KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR will make its world premiere this Friday, January 28th at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Iguchi will be present for the premiere, and for the first encore screening on January 29th. A promotional event for the film is also planned for late February at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in Hokkaido. Later in 2011, KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR will play at various film festivals around the world, though exact locations and dates have not yet been announced.
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First Batch of Stills and More Information on Upcoming Korean Monster Movie
Author: Kim Song-ho
Source: CJ Entertainment
This week, the Korean film company and distributor CJ Entertainment and production company JK Film released a batch of new stills for the upcoming 3D creature feature SECTOR 7 (7광구, Chil gwangu). These are the first images issued from the movie itself other than the conceptual/advertising artwork. Most of the photos depict the struggle against the hostile undersea creature (its appearance is yet to be revealed) by the crew members of ‘Eclipse’, an oil prospecting platform. SECTOR 7 has been described by producer Youn Je-kyun as the Korean equivalent of the ALIEN movie series.
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Press Notes for New Zombie Film from the Director of TOKYO GORE POLICE
Source: Sushi Typhoon
Special Thanks to Marc Walkow
Sushi Typhoon’s HELLDRIVER (日本分断 HELL DRIVER, Nihon Bundan: Heru Doraibaa, 2010) is the latest movie from cult-favorite splatter film director Yoshihiro Nishimura. The all-out zombie epic has been playing the international film festival circuit.
The following press notes and images are courtesy of Sushi Typhoon…
WELCOME TO ZOMBIE WORLD!
An alien-spawned, mysterious mist blankets the northern half of Japan, transforming those who inhale it into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies hell-bent on devouring the surviving human population. Plunged into chaos, Japan is torn in two— the southern half of the country, where the populace remains untouched by the deadly gas, lives behind a heavily-fortified wall, while the northern half is a lawless, zombie-infected wasteland. Political forces are locked in a stalemate over whether the living dead should remain protected as family members or exterminated like a plague. The economy withers away, and all hope seems lost for the people and the nation of Japan.
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English Language Press Notes for Highly Anticipated Manga Adaptation
Source: VIZ Pictures, NTV
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji
The long-awaited adaptation of the suspense action manga GANTZ is finally here!
Based on the popular Japanese manga and anime series, GANTZ is the ultimate survival game. Summoned by the mysterious black orb known as “GANTZ”, childhood friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato are forced into participating in the extermination of ‘aliens’ in order to survive. While Kurono chooses to fight for survival, Kato refuses to engage in battle and rejects a world controlled by violence. Kurono and Kato, along with the others sharing their fate, are pushed to their limits in the relentless battles against the aliens.
Due to its intense action and strikingly original story, a movie adaptation was once considered impossible. However, after NTV led the adaptations of DEATH NOTE and 20TH CENTURY BOYS to success, a movie adaptation of GANTZ became possible with director Shinsuke Sato. The highly-awaited movie project has two parts; the first installment coming in January 2011, and the second in spring 2011.
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Anime Series Available January 25, 2011
Source: FUNimation Entertainment
Official Site: gantz.net (Japan), funimation.com/gantz (US)
Special Thanks to Manny Alcala
Life and Death. It’s nothing but a game.
He thought he was dead. The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his own body. But now he is in a room filled with strangers, all resurrected by a strange, featureless black sphere known only as the Gantz. Caught in a strange realm between life and death, Kei and the others must undertake brutal missions that the Gantz assigns. Otherwise, none of them will live long enough to leave the room.
Is it a game? A nightmare? All Kei knows is that this reprieve from death may only be temporary. If they fail, they will die again…
Excitement is building for the live-action feature film GANTZ (前編, 2011), which will make its world premiere at 334 movie theaters across the United States in an exclusive one-night-only event this Thursday, January 20th. And following hot on the heels of that premiere comes GANTZ: THE COMPLETE SERIES (2004), a Region 1 DVD anime set from FUNimation Entertainment which streets on January 25th.
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Two of Japan’s Top Actors Introduce New Sci-Fi Action Feature Debuting on 333 Screens Across North America
Source: MediaLab press release
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen
NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment company bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, welcomes Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY), for the opening of the stars’ latest feature film – GANTZ. The pair will appear in-person for the premiere of the film in Hollywood, CA on Thursday, January 20th at 5:00pm at the Mann’s Chinese 6, located in the Hollywood & Highland Mall in Hollywood, CA. Immediately following the GANTZ screening, Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias will conduct a live interview session with Kazunari Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama that will be telecast to the 333 theatres across the U.S. also screening GANTZ for the January 20th premiere.
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Winners to See the New Movie Before It Opens in Japan, Courtesy of VIZ Pictures and SciFi Japan!
Source: VIZ Pictures
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji and Erik Jansen
Thank you to everyone who entered VIZ Pictures and SciFi Japan’s contest for a free ticket to the GANTZ One-Night World Premiere screening. The winning entries are:
Anthony DeGelorm
Jonathan Ragon
Christopher Rowe
Congratulations to the winners! Congratulations to the winners! Each of you has won a ticket to see the live-action feature film GANTZ at your local cinema on Thursday, January 20th; nine days before the movie opens in Japan.
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If It Bleeds… Ninjas Can Kill It!
Source: The Associates
Official Site: Sushi Typhoon
Returning from a deadly mission, a band of legendary Iga Ninja warriors see a giant fireball blaze across the sky and crash into the distant forest. Rushing to investigate, they soon find themselves under attack from a pack of brutal and hungry aliens, and that none of their weapons, neither swords nor throwing stars, seem to have any effect on the savage predators.
ALIEN VS NINJA (2010), one of the first titles from Nikkatsu’s new genre label Sushi Typhoon, will be released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) and Blu-ray (B/2) in the UK by Revolver Entertainment this February.
ALIEN VS NINJA is non-stop martial arts mayhem meets monster mash-up in this fantastic flick packed with fast and furious fights, great gore, hilarious action and incredible stunt work. A new hybrid of science fiction and period action film brought to fans by legendary action directors and fight choregraphers Yuji (VERSUS, SHINOBI, DEATH TRANCE) Shimomura and Kensuke (MACHINE GIRL, HARD REVENGE MILLY: BLOODY BATTLE) Sonomura, and directed by Seiji Chiba!
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Kinetic Sci-Fi Live-Action Film Screens at Mann’s Chinese 6 and Will Include In-Person Cast Interviews
Source: MediaLab press release
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen
NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment company bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, presents a very special theatrical event to celebrate the premiere of GANTZ across North America on Thursday, January 20th. Mann’s Chinese 6, located in the Hollywood & Highland Mall in the heart of Hollywood, CA, will host the film’s theatrical premiere in a gala screening beginning at 5:00pm.
Audiences are invited to join Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias immediately following the screening as he leads an insightful discussion session on GANTZ and conducts in-person interviews with several cast members. More details about this session and the chance for audience members to submit interview questions will be announced next week.
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Exclusive Nationwide One Night Only Engagement on January 20, 2011
Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release
Official Movie Site: funimation.com/evangelion (US/Canada), evangelion.co.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Shun Ohara
Cineplex Entertainment and Cinema Asia Releasing, Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment are pleased to announce they are bringing the second film of the new EVANGELION series to the big screen in Canada. EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha, 2009) will be shown nationwide in Canada, for one night only, on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 7 p.m. (local time) at select Cineplex Entertainment and Empire Theatres locations.
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New Information on Upcoming Korean Monster Movie
Author: Kim Song-ho
Source: CJ Entertainment
The Korean film company and distributor CJ Entertainment and production company JK Film recently revealed the advance teaser poster for their upcoming 3D creature feature SECTOR 7 (7광구, Chil gwangu). The revised design overall is basically the same as the promotional artwork distributed at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, CA back in November, but has been somewhat modified with a different color tone and added elements (mainly the smoke and the flying birds in the sky). It also shows the new English title logo for the film.
Along with the new artwork, CJ and JK announced that they have pre-sold the picture to four international markets during AFM. The foreign distributors who have acquired rights to SECTOR 7 are TF1 Group of France, M Pictures Entertainment Public Company Ltd. from Thailand, and Scorpio East Holdings Ltd. of Singapore and Malaysia. The companies were reportedly impressed by promotional materials and computer generated concept art shown at the film market.
Produced by Youn Je-kyun, who directed the disaster hit HAEUNDAE (해운대, released in the US as TIDAL WAVE), the film is about a group of workers on the ‘Eclipse’, an oil prospecting platform, being terrorized by a hostile undersea creature. The movie is directed by Kim Ji-hoon, who is well known in Korea for his 2008 drama MAY 18 (화려한 휴가, Hwaryeohan hyuga), which depicted the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement.
Starring Ha Ji-won (Youn’s HAEUNDAE and MIRACLE ON 1ST STREET), Ahn Seong-gi (SLEEPING MAN), Lee Han-wee (CITY OF GLASS), Park Cheol-min (MAY 18), Oh Ji-ho (MY WIFE IS A GANGSTER 3), Song Sae-byeok (MOTHER) and Cha Ye-ryeon (DOREMIFASOLASIDO), SECTOR 7 is now in post-production and will open in Korea in the summer of 2011.
Action, Fantasy, Horror, Animation and Thrillers Scheduled for the Coming Year
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures has provided details and images for movies scheduled from release by the studio from January through December of 2011. Read on for an early look at GREEN LANTERN, THE RITE (starring Anthony Hopkins), the over the top action fantasy SUCKER PUNCH, Liam Neeson in UNKNOWN, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2, the romantic fantasy thriller RED RIDING HOOD, HAPPY FEET 2, FINAL DESTINATION 5, the supernatural tale THE APPARITION, JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, the all-star thriller CONTAGION, and Robert Downey Jr. in SHERLOCK HOLMES II.
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See the New Movie Before It Opens in Japan, Courtesy of VIZ Pictures and SciFi Japan!
Source: VIZ Pictures
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan)
Premiere Event Page: GANTZ
Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji and Erik Jansen
The live-action feature GANTZ, based upon the popular Japanese manga and anime series, will be screened in American theaters nine days before the film opens in Japan. NEW PEOPLE and NCM Fathom are bringing the world premiere of GANTZ to cinemas nationwide for a one night live event on Thursday, January 20th at 8:00 pm ET/ 7:00 pm CT/ 6:00 pm MT/ 8:30 pm PT (tape delayed). It will be English over-dubbed exclusively for this big screen event.
Following the feature, the two stars, Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY) will participate in an exclusive live interview that can only be seen at this premiere.
Tickets for this special event are available at participating theater box offices and online now. For a complete list of theater locations and ticket information, please visit FathomEvents.com/Gantz.
As an added bonus, our friends at VIZ Pictures have offered SciFi Japan readers a chance to win free tickets to see this film on the big screen. We have three passes to give away… and here is your chance to grab one for yourself!
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From the Director of THE GRUDGE Comes J-Horror’s First Live-Action 3D Shocker
Source: The Associates press release
Official Movie Site: 3d-shock.asmik-ace.co.jp (Japan)
Japanese master of horror Takashi Shimizu, the writer-director and overall creative force behind the nerve-shredding and hugely successful JU-ON/THE GRUDGE franchise, takes J-Horror into a brand new era with the spooky and mysterious SHOCK LABYRINTH 3D (戦慄迷宮３Ｄ, Senritsu Meikyuu 3D), which comes to DVD in the United Kingdom in January 2011 and features both the 2D and 3D versions of Shimizu’s latest spine chiller complete with two pairs of 3D glasses.
Directed by Shimizu and based on the world’s largest walk-through ‘haunted house’, The Haunted Hospital attraction situated at the world famous Fuji-Q Highland theme park, SHOCK LABYRINTH 3D is the first Japanese film shot in HD Digital 3D (and J-Horror’s first ever live action 3D movie) and stars some of Japanese cinema’s hottest acting talents, including Ai Maeda (GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS, DEATH NOTE II: THE LAST NAME), Suzuki Matsuo (ROBO-GEISHA) and Shoichiro Masumoto (GOEMON; ICHI; TOKYO GORE POLICE).
SHOCK LABYRINTH 3D (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) by Chelsea Films on 31st January 2011.The suggested retail price is £14.99.
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Theatrical Run Launches January 21, 2011
Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release
Official Movie Site: funimation.com/evangelion (US), evangelion.co.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Shun Ohara
Cinema Arts Releasing, Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment are proud to announce the initial release schedule of EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha, 2009) in the United States. The movie is the second chapter in four part “Rebuild of Evangelion” (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban) film series by Hideaki Anno and Studio Khara, re-imagining the sci-fi animated series blockbuster NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (Shin Seiki Evangelion)— also written and directed by Anno— which first aired on Japanese television in 1995. It was one of the top five highest grossing Japanese films of 2009 with box office in excess of $40 million US. EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE screened at Film Festivals around the world, including the 2010 Fantasia Film Festival, the 2010 SITGES Film Festival, and the 15th Lyon Asian Film Festival (France).
With a few exceptions, EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE will begin its American theatrical run on January 21, 2011. Some theaters will also show the first chapter, EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Jo, 2007), prior to the release of the second feature.
Read on for a list of confirmed theaters at this time. More American theaters will be added in the coming weeks, and the theatrical release schedule for Canada will be announced in early January.
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Exclusive Event Featuring Two of Japan’s Biggest Stars to 325 Select Movie Theaters LIVE on January 20
Source: MediaLab press release
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan)
Premiere Event Page: GANTZ
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen
GANTZ, a live-action Japanese feature event, is making its world premiere in 325 movie theaters in an exclusive one-night Fathom event on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. PT (tape delayed). Following the feature, GANTZ’s two leading actors, Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY) will participate in an exclusive live interview that can only be seen at this event.
Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit EventTheatresReport_gantz.
Presented by NCM Fathom and NEW PEOPLE, in association with Dark Horse Comics, GANTZ (English dubbed) tells the story of childhood friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato who are accidentally killed while trying to save another man’s life. Rather than find themselves in the hereafter, however, they awaken in a strange apartment in which they find a mysterious black orb they come to know as “GANTZ.” Along with similar abductees, they are provided with equipment and weaponry and manipulated into playing a kind of game in which they are sent back out to the greater world to do battle with alien beings, all while never quite knowing whether this game is an illusion or their new reality.
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