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Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. will present the ULTRA HEROES EXPO 2021: New Year Festival in Tokyo Dome City (ウルトラヒーローズEXPO 2020 ニューイヤーフェスティバル IN 東京ドームシティ, Urutora Hīrōzu Ekisupo 2020 Nyūi Yā Fesutibaru In Tōkyō Dōmushiti) from December 26, 2020 – January 4, 2021 at Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall. Advance tickets go on sale starting November 1.
The popular “Ultraman Battle Stage” live shows will be held every day at the event.
The focus of ULTRA HEROES EXPO 2021 is the TV series ULTRAMAN Z (ZETT) 『ウルトラマンＺ(ゼット), Urutoraman Z (Zetto)』 which is currently broadcast every Saturday from 9:00 am on the TV Tokyo network. In addition to the hero Ultraman Z and the robot Sevenger, the main character Haruki Natsukawa (Kohshu Hirano) will appear onstage for all the performances, participating in a fierce battle against the forces of evil. Continued…
Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. has announced that their official Ultraman shop, Ultraman World M78, a chain that has been loved by parents and children for three generations, will open a new store on the 6th floor of the new Shinsaibashi PARCO complex in Shinsaibashi, Osaka on Friday, November 20. Continued…
Bandai Spirits Hobby will be taking things on the road with a Pop-Up Store located inside Anime Jungle in Los Angeles, CA. Gundam fans from all over Southern California are encourage to swing by and check out over 300 individual items available for purchase. This is easily one of the largest selections of Gunpla available for purchase in the US. Continued…
The Ocala Drive-In in Ocala, Florida is hosting a 9 hour horror/monster movie marathon this Halloween. The event kicks off with GODZILLA VS MEGALON at 7:00pm and concludes with a 2:00am screening of BEAST OF BLOOD.
Ocala Drive-In
4850 S. Pine Ave.
Ocala, Florida 34480
ALL NIGHT HORROR MOVIES
Advance Ticket (Per Car Load) $15.00
At Gate Ticket (Per Car Load) $25.00
Saturday, October 31
GODZILLA VS MEGALON @ 7:00
TERROR IS A MAN @ 8:45
DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN @ 10:30
MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND @ 12:15
BEAST OF BLOOD @ 2 AM
Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. will present ULTRA 6 BROTHERS THE LIVE in Hakuhinkan Theater -Ultraman Edition- (ウルトラ６兄弟 THE LIVE in 博品館劇場 -ウルトラマン編-, Urutora 6 Kyōdai THE LIVE in Hakuhinkan Gekijō -Urutoraman-hen ) at the Ginza Hakuhinkan Theater from Saturday, November 21 to Monday, November 23, 2020. This will be the first live Ultraman stage performance in approximately nine months.
The first ULTRA 6 BROTHERS THE LIVE in Hakuhinkan Theater (ウルトラ6兄弟 THE LIVE in 博品館劇場, Urutora 6 Kyōdai THE LIVE in Hakuhinkan Gekijō event was performed in 2019, and presented an original story featuring the Ultra 6 Brothers; Ultraman, Zoffy, Ultraseven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace and Ultraman Taro. A second show, ULTRA 6 BROTHERS THE LIVE in Hakuhinkan Theater -Zoffy Edition- (ウルトラ6兄弟 THE LIVE in 博品館劇場 -ゾフィー編-, uUrutora 6 Kyōdai THE LIVE in Hakuhinkan Gekijō -Zofī-hen-) was scheduled for April 2020, but had to be canceled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Continued…
Premium Bandai USA will begin offering highly sought-after and exclusive collectibles from renowned Bandai toy and collectible brand Tamashii Nations. Dragon Ball S.H.Figuarts and the Star Wars Meisho Movie Realization line continues with all new figures available for pre-order. Continued…
Mill Creek Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new ULTRAMAN R/B Blu-ray + Digital set. The set includes Tsuburaya Productions’ 25-episode series ULTRAMAN R/B (RUEBE) [ウルトラマンＲ／Ｂ(ルーブ), Urutoraman R/B (Ruubu), 2018] and the 2015 feature film ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE: SELECT! THE CRYSTAL OF BOND (劇場版ウルトラマンＲ／Ｂ セレクト！絆のクリスタル, Gekijō-ban Urutoraman R/B Serekuto! Kizuna no Kurisutaru). Both ULTRAMAN R/B and ULTRAMAN R/B THE MOVIE are presented with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles.
ULTRAMAN R/B will be available on Blu-ray + Digital (SRP: $49.99) on Tuesday, October 13. Mill Creek’s Ultraman titles can be ordered from UltramanOnAmazon as well as other retailers (both online and in stores). Continued…
Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Blu-ray of Koji Shima’s WARNING FROM SPACE (宇宙人東京に現わる, Uchūjin Tokyo ni Arawaru, 1956), the first Japanese science fiction film to be made in color. The movie features eye-popping special effects from the same team at Daiei Studios that would bring Gamera to life a decade later.
As Japan is rocked by mysterious sightings of UFOs over Tokyo and large one-eyed aliens attempting contact, scientists collaborate to investigate the unexpected rise in extraterrestrial activity. Unbeknownst to them, one of the aliens has already assumed human form and is about to deliver a very important message… that could be humanity’s last hope for survival. Continued…
Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the pulse-pounding action-adventure epic INVINCIBLE DRAGON, starring China’s next-level action superstar Max Zhang (IP MAN 3, MASTER Z: IP MAN LEGACY). Director Fruit Chan (THE MIDNIGHT AFTER) assembled a dynamic supporting cast, including champion UFC fighter Anderson Silva (NEVER SURRENDER, TAPPED OUT), Kevin Cheng (MASTER Z: IP MAN LEGACY) and Stephy Tang (THE EMPTY HANDS) for Zhang, who portrays a brilliant but trigger-happy detective who pays a high price when he is outsmarted by a vicious serial killer.
INVINCIBLE DRAGON debuts on Blu-ray (SLP: $29.98), Digital and DVD (SLP: $24.98) October 6 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film is presented in the original Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles, has a runtime of approximately 99 minutes and is not rated. Continued…
GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, brings LUPIN III: THE FIRST (ルパン三世 THE FIRST, Rupan Sansei THE FIRST) to U.S. cinemas in October. The movie is based on the manga by Monkey Punch ans is directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET trilogy, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (SPACE BATTLESHIP ヤマト, Uchu Senkan Yamato, 2010) and THE ETERNAL ZERO (永遠の0, Eien no Zero, 2013).
The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new. Continued…
Mill Creek Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new ULTRAMAN GINGA + ULTRAMAN GINGA S Blu-ray + Digital set. The set includes Tsuburaya Productions’ 12-episode series ULTRAMAN GINGA (ウルトラマンギンガ, Urutoraman Ginga, 2013), the 16-episode sequel series, ULTRAMAN GINGA S (ウルトラマンギンガＳ, Urutoraman Ginga S, 2014), the feature film ULTRAMAN GINGA S THE MOVIE: SHOWDOWN! THE 10 ULTRA WARRIORS! (劇場版 ウルトラマンギンガＳ 決戦! ウルトラ10勇士!!, Gekijō-ban Urutoraman Ginga S Kessen! Urutora 10 Yuushi!!, 2015) and the special ULTRA FIGHT VICTORY (ウルトラファイトオーブ 親子の力、おかりします！, Urutorafaito Ōbu Oyako no Chikara, Okari Shimasu!, 2015). The two series are presented in Japanese with English subtitles while ULTRAMAN GINGA S THE MOVIE and ULTRA FIGHT VICTORY come with both the original Japanese audio and an English dub. Continued…
Source: KAIJU MASTERCLASS press release
Special Thanks to Steve Ryfle
Announcing KAIJU MASTERCLASS, a three-day online convention with guest lineup featuring composer Bear McCreary (THE WALKING DEAD, GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS), director Shinji Higuchi (SHIN GODZILLA, ATTACK ON TITAN), composer David Arnold (the JAMES BOND franchise, GODZILLA 1998), director Shusuke Kaneko (GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH, DEATH NOTE), composer Michiru Oshima (GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS), and long list of genre creators and scholars. Continued…
Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new GRAVEYARDS OF HONOR Blu-ray Set. Two peerless masters of Japanese cinema — Kinji Fukasaku (BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY, BATTLE ROYALE) and Takashi Miike (DEAD OR ALIVE, AUDITION) — present their own distinctive adaptations of yakuza expert Goro Fujita’s gangster novel Graveyard of Honor, each tapping into the zeitgeist of a distinct period of Japanese history, in this exclusive two-disc set.
The GRAVEYARDS OF HONOR Blu-ray Set will be released September 8 by Arrow Video US. The movies feature a High Definition (1080p) presentation with the original Japanese soundtracks and optional English subtitles. Extras include new audio commentaries by author and critic Mark Schilling and Miike biographer Tom Mes, archival featurettes, trailers, image galleries, and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan. This first pressing also comes with an illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the films by Jasper Sharp. The suggested retail price is $69.95. Continued…
Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Blu-ray of Toei’s BLACK TEST CAR/THE BLACK REPORT from maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (BLIND BEAST).
BLACK TEST CAR (黒の試走車, Kuro no Shisō-sha, 1962) is a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry, which launched a series of similarly themed “Black” films. In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest “Pioneer” car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, THE LAST EMPEROR) heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato’s spy, and find out what they can about the competitor’s familiar-looking new model.
Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, BLACK TEST CAR is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up THE BLACK REPORT (黒の報告書, Kuro no Hōkoku-sho, 1963). Continued…
This September, the Riverside Drive In Theatre in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania will host the “Drive-In Super Monster-Rama” featuring cult classics like KING KONG VS GODZILLA, KING KONG ESCAPES, MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND and THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK. Continued…
Creepy Ex-Boyfriend Productions is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the hilarious award-winning kaiju comedy spoof NOTZILLA.
When a scientist from Japan smuggles a monster’s egg into the United States, what could possibly go wrong when it actually hatches — and alcohol makes it grow taller than a skyscraper? The race is on as the monster drinks beer and wreaks havoc, the Japanese scientist tries to shrink it, and a crazed weapons physicist tries to nuke the monster—and possibly take the entire city of Cincinnati with it! Continued…
Crunchyroll, the world’s most popular anime brand, announced the first wave of guests, panels, and programming for this year’s Virtual Crunchyroll Expo including the the cast and creators from RENT A GIRLFRIEND, SO I’M A S;IDER, SO WHAT? and THE HIDDEN DUNGEON ONLY I CAN ENTER. Continued…
Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the all-new animated adventure A DOG’S COURAGE (언더독, Eondeodog, 2019). Jacob — a feisty and playful dog abandoned by his owners — joins a pack of strays and embarks on a journey filled with fun adventures and life lessons in their pursuit to find a perfect place of safety and peace — the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
Perfect entertainment for the whole family, the film is available in both the original Korean language and an all-new English dub. Directed by Chun-Baek Lee and Oh Sung-Yoon (DAISY, A HEN INTO THE WILD), A DOG’S COURAGE was nominated as Best Animated Feature Film at the 2019 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Continued…
Mill Creek Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a free digital redemption code for NEO ULTRA Q (ネオ・ウルトラQ, Neo Urutora Kyū, 2013) on Mill Creek’s transaction-based streaming service movieSPREE. Winners will be able to own and stream the complete 12 episode series in high-definition on movieSPREE’s website and apps, now available on Roku, Apple TV / iOS, Amazon Fire TV, and Android devices. Continued…
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra
#KAIJUDEFEAT COVID
#Capsulemonster
The organizers of KAIJU DEFEAT COVID! have released a new trailer and TV spot for the project intended to help inspire kaiju and anime fans worldwide to be safe and get through the COVID-19 pandemic pandemic together. Continued…
Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with information, updated poster art, large photos andvideos for ULTRAMAN TAIGA THE MOVIE: NEW GENERATION CLIMAX (劇場版ウルトラマンタイガ ニュージェネクライマックス, Gekijō-ban Urutoraman Taiga Nyū Jene Kuraimakkusu). The latest Ultraman theatrical feature film was originally planned to open in Japanese cinemas on Friday, March 6, 2020, but was postponed until Friday, August 7, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tsuburaya has also released a revised theatrical trailer and a special message video from Ultraman Taiga, guiding fans on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus during screenings of the film.
ULTRAMAN TAIGA THE MOVIE continues from the ULTRAMAN TAIGA (ウルトラマンタイガ, Urutoraman Taiga) television series that aired from July 6-December 28, 2019. The son of the legendary Ultra Brother, Ultraman Taro., Taiga formed a team called the Tri-Squad with two other Ultramen, Titus and Fuma. The three heroes have integrated with Hiroyuki Kudo (Yuki Inoue), allowing the earthling to transform into multiple Ultramen. Continued…
Arrow Video US is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Blu-ray of Toei’s INFERNO OF TORTURE (徳川いれずみ師 責め地獄, Tokugawa Irezumi-shi Seme Jigoku, 1969). Exploitation legend Teruo Ishii (HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN, ORGIES OF EDO) delivers one of his most extreme visions of violent eroticism in this, the sixth in his abnormal love series.
Tattoos and torture await women forced into servitude. Unable to repay a local lender, Yumi (Yumika Katayama) takes up an offer to serve as a geisha for two years with a promise of freedom once her debt is repaid. She quickly realizes that this is less a house of geishas than an extremely cruel brothel specializing in supplying western visitors with tattooed playthings. Taken under the wing of one of the leading tattoo artists vying for a coveted spot in the Shogun’s good graces through his work, Yumi’s body becomes a battleground as a rival artist becomes determined not to lose his spot at the top. Continued…
Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the action-packed GUNDALA (2019), the feature film adaptation of Indonesia’s preeminent comic book superhero. Based on a popular comic book by Harya Suraminata first published in 1969, GUNDALA was written & directed by Joko Anwar (IMPETIGORE) and stars Abimana Aryasatya (12:00 A.M.), Tara Basro (IMPETIGORE), Bront Palarae (BELUKAR), Ario Bayu (JAVA HEAT) and Lukman Sardi (ABRACADABRA).
GUNDALA is the first film in a proposed eight film franchise launching a new superhero cinematic universe in the vein of Marvel. In this origin story, Sancaka (Abimana Aryasatya) is a security guard who was struck by lightning, giving him superhuman powers and turning him into the superhero Gundala. Continued…
Arrow Video US is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Blu-ray of ZOMBIE FOR SALE (기묘한 가족, Gimyohan Gajok, 2019), an infectiously funny slice of modern Korean cinema where TRAIN TO BUSAN, THE QUIET FAMILY and WARM BODIES collide to create a memorable rom-zom-com from first time director Lee Min-jae.
When the illegal human experiments of Korea’s biggest Pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their “undead” test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family — a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passers-by to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong… With a cabbage-munching zombie who prefers ketchup over blood, and a dysfunctional family that gives the Kim family of PARASITE a run for their money, ZOMBIE FOR SALE will warm the deadest of hearts and breathe some new life into the zombie genre. Continued…
Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of SAMURAI MARATHON (サムライマラソン, 2019), the action-adventure flick with a samurai twist. Award-winning director Bernard Rose — whose wildly diverse career has spanned horror classics (CANDYMAN), historical romances (ANNA KARENINA) and indie dramas (IVANS xtc) — co-wrote the screenplay with Japan’s Hiroshi Saito and Kikumi Yamagishi based on the novel The Marathon Samurai: Five Tales of Japan’s First Marathon.
Inspired by a race still held yearly, the film follows an aging lord who challenges his samurai to a grueling marathon — joined covertly by his daughter — and the group must overcome deadly odds to survive. SAMURAI MARATHON stars Takeru Satoh (RUROUNI KENSHIN: FINAL CHAPTER), Nana Komatsu (THE WORLD OF KANAKO, SILENCE), Mirai Moriyama (RAGE, VISION), Shota Sometani (FIRST LOVE) and Danny Huston (X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, TV’s YELLOWSTONE). Continued…
First Round of 2020 SDCC Exclusives Feature Dragon Ball and Godzilla Franchises and S.H.Figuarts, S.H.MonsterArts, FiguartsZERO, Dragon Stars and Final Blast Series Lines
Source: BANDAI NAMCO Collectibles (Bluefin) press release
Special Thanks to Scott Barretto
Fans need wait no longer because tonight BANDAI NAMCO Collectibles (Bluefin) officially drops this year’s collection of anime and kaiju San Diego Comic-Con exclusive figures. For 2020, Bluefin, the BANDAI NAMCO Group company and leading distributor of Japanese toys, collectibles, novelty and hobby products in North America, is offering nine different figures from the Dragon Ball and Godzilla franchises across five of the most popular figure lines from Tamashii Nations and Bandai America. Continued…
The Loot Company is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win July’s ‘Red, White and Blue!’ themed Anime Crate. Show off your Ultraman love, display your Mobile Suit Gundam pride and get cute with a Sailor Moon capsule containing a random collectible.
The July crate includes colorful items and gear from some of your favorite anime properties. Fans won’t want to miss out on getting an awesome Ultraman XL T-shirt, Mobile Suit Gundam figure, Sailor Moon capsule and more.
The Anime Loot Crate will ship in early August and retails for $28.95. Continued…
The Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, PA is sure to delight monster and sci-fi movies fans with great events this July and August.
First up is SCHLOCK-O-RAMA IV, a 10 film event the kicks off Friday, July 24 and features such greats as KING KONG VS GODZILLA, VALLEY OF GWANGI, FORBIDDEN PLANET, WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS and BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS.
Then on Tuesday, August 4, the Toho classic DESTROY ALL MONSTERS will be screened in 35mm. Continued…
Arrow Video US is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Arrow Academy Blu-ray of HIROSHIMA (ひろしま, 1953). The film is a powerful evocation of the devastation wrought by the world’s first deployment of the atomic bomb and its aftermath, based on the written eye-witness accounts of its child survivors compiled by Dr. Arata Osada for the 1951 book Children Of The A Bomb: Testament Of The Boys And Girls Of Hiroshima.
Adapted for the screen by independent director Hideo Sekigawa (LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF THE SEA, TOKYO UNTOUCHABLE) and screenwriter Yasutaro Yagi (THEATRE OF LIFE, RICE), Hiroshima combines a harrowing documentary realism with moving human drama, in a tale of the suffering, endurance and survival of a group of teachers, their students and their families. It boasts a rousing score composed by Akira Ifukube (GODZILLA) and an all-star cast including Yumeji Tsukioka (LATE SPRING, THE ETERNAL BREASTS), Isuzu Yamada (THRONE OF BLOOD, YOJIMBO) and Eiji Okada (HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, WOMAN IN THE DUNES), appearing alongside an estimated 90,000 residents from the city as extras, including many survivors from that fateful day on August 6, 1945. Continued…
One of the finest Japanese directors to emerge in the last decade, Kôji Fukada has earned renown for crafting suspenseful dramas. Following 2016’s HARMONIUM (淵に立つ, Fuchi ni Tatsu), which captured Cannes’ prestigious Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, he returns with A GIRL MISSING (よこがお, Yokogao, 2019), a tense portrait of a woman caught up in a spiral of defamation.
In this slow-burning thriller, also scripted by Fukada, Ichiko (HARMONIUM’s Mariko Tsutsui) works as a home-care nurse to the elderly matriarch of the Oisho family — long enough to feel like part of the family. She’s closest to the eldest sister, Motoko (Mikako Ichikawa), who’s studying to follow in Ichiko’s footsteps. However, their happy routine is disrupted when Motoko’s sister, Saki (Miyu Ogawa), is abducted. The girl is eventually returned, but it’s discovered that her kidnapper was Ichiko’s nephew — a fact that Motoko insists they keep between them. It’s this shared secret that forges an even closer bond between the two, yielding further confessions — some of which may be turned into weapons. Continued…
