From Warner Bros
New Line Cinema’s original anime feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Showing posts with label Animation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animation. Show all posts
Futurama Reboot Coming To Hulu July 24th
From Hulu:After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries - including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler's litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy's tadpoles. Meanwhile there's a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.
CAST: John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman
CREDITS: Created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen. Executive Producers include Groening, Cohen, Ken Keeler and Claudia Katz.
The Babylon 5 Animated Movie Is Coming Soon - Voice Cast Announced
This is exciting news! I loved Babylon 5 back in the day.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
A week ago, Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski revealed that a new animated film from the franchise was in the works, and now more details are coming to the surface.
Babylon 5: The Road Home will continue the story he started in the 1990s, with the logline stating, “Travel across the galaxy with John Sheridan as he unexpectedly finds himself transported through multiple timelines and alternate realities in a quest to find his way back home. Along the way he reunites with some familiar faces, while discovering cosmic new revelations about the history, purpose, and meaning of the Universe.”Returning Babylon 5 cast members include Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan, Claudia Christian as Susan Ivanova, Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari, Bill Mumy as Lennier, Tracy Scoggins as Elizabeth Lochley and Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander.
Straczynski wrote the film and executive produces. Matt Peters, known for Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, directs, with Rick Morales serving as supervising producer. Sam Register is the executive producer on the project.
The voice cast also includes Paul Guyet as Zathras and Jeffery Sinclair, Anthony Hansen as Michael Garibaldi, Mara Junot as Reporter and Computer Voice, Phil LaMarr as Dr. Stephen Franklin, Piotr Michael as David Sheridan, Andrew Morgado as G’Kar and Rebecca Riedy as Delenn.
Babylon 5 began life as a film that aired on TV in 1993, and the ratings were strong enough that Warners ordered a series that ran five seasons and 110 episodes. Straczynski has continued expanding the story of Babylon 5, a 5-mile-long space station seen as neutral ground for various alien species to interact amid the backdrop of a threat of war. It spawned multiple feature-length TV films, comics and novels, as well as the spinoff series Crusade.
Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment are plotting a summer release for the new animated feature.
Straczynski has plugged the new film with words such as “raucous,” “heartfelt” and “nonstop,” and called it a “love letter to the fans.”
An Awesome New Anime Short - The Mighty Grand Piton
The Line
Looks like an updated version of Gigantor or Johnny Sokko...
The Mighty Grand Piton is a short film about a young British girl, Connie, who travels to the Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia for her school holidays with her family. There, she accidentally awakens a giant robot buried under the Twin Piton mountains on the south of the Island. This robot seems compelled to protect Saint Lucia but his origins are mysterious. No one knows where he came from or how long he’s been there. During the many years he’s lain dormant, The Mighty Grand Piton, became nothing more than the stuff of legend.
READ MORE: Epoxy #1 - Limited Series - Giant Robot Manga - Epoxy Press - Grade NM
The Mighty Grand Piton is the brainchild of Wesley Louis, whose parents were born in Saint Lucia before moving to the UK. Connie, whose character is based on an amalgamation of Wes’s nieces and nephews, is also an embodiment of his own experience of visiting the Caribbean. Specifically, the story references his memories of engaging with a culture and community that he grew up just hearing about. We also get a sense in this film what it was like seeing for the first time a landscape that could not be more different from where he was born in London.
I wonder how long until Disney steals this one? lol
Darth Vader Uses The Full Power Of The Dark Side Against The Rebels On Hoth
These scenes should have been in The Empire Strikes Back!
From Gizmodo (Australia)
Darth Vader is scarier than he used to be. While he’s always been intimidating, knowing that he was once a little kid who built C-3PO hurt his threat factor. For a while. Rogue One, arguably, changed that, melding the prequel and original trilogy versions of Darth Vader into a Force-powered walking tank of terror.
Related: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Official Collectors Edition Paradise Press, Inc 1980 Grade F/VF
The latest Galaxy of Adventures short brings that Vader to Hoth. This is not the Darth who just calmly waits for doors to open, who marches through the Rebel Base while his Stormtroopers do all the dirty work.
No, this Vader is much more dangerous than that. This is the Darth Vader I like to imagine, the one who you know by reputation in the original trilogy but don’t really get to see in action. The force (heh) of nature, knocking down your door and cutting you down.
Scary guy, yeah?
Dinosaurs Korean Style In "Speckles The Tarbosaurus 2"
Here is a great looking family film from South Korea that is very much in the style of the "Land Before Time" movie series.
Synopsis:
After the great disaster of the Cretaceous Period 80 million years ago, a Tarbosaurus named Speckles lost all of his family but his youngest son. Unlike his father, Mak-ne is scared and timid and is always being picked on by other dinosaurs. One day, Mak-ne is abducted by 3 Deinonychuses and Speckles embarks on an adventure to start looking for him. On his way, he meets Songgot who is looking for his daughter and a friendly herbivor named Sai. Together, they continue their journey until Speckles finds clues about the whereabouts of his son Mak-ne. However, a mutant dinosaur appears in front of them. Will Speckles be able to save his son?
Trailer:
Photos:
New Ultraman Animated Series Coming To Netflix In 2019
I only hope this one is better than the boring Godzilla anime ...
From The Asahi Shimbun
The full 3-D CG anime adaptation of the “Ultraman” manga series will be streamed worldwide on Netflix in spring 2019, it was revealed during the Anime Expo 2018 held in Los Angeles.
A star-studded production team comprising anime creators working on a global scale has been assembled to create a “never-before-seen Ultraman” for the upcoming series.
Kenji Kamiyama, whose previous works include the “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” series and feature film “Ancien and the Magic Tablet,” serves as co-director with Shinji Aramaki, who created the “Appleseed” film series and CG movie “Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars.”
Boasting more than 2.8 million copies in print, the original comic series is currently running in the monthly Hero’s manga anthology. Penned by Eiichi Shimizu and illustrated by Tomohiro Shimoguchi, who together created the “Linebarrels of Iron” manga series, “Ultraman” centers around a superhero dressed in the metallic suit to fight evil forces.
The manga is inspired by a classic live-action superhero TV series of the same name featuring the gigantic superhero that protects humans from aliens and monsters.
The “Ultraman” series is being produced by Production I.G Inc. and Sola Digital Arts Inc.
Visit the anime’s official website at (https://anime.heros-ultraman.com/).
Check out the preview:
Related:
Did You Know That Tsuburaya Held A Funeral For Fallen Monsters In 1973?
Ultraman 2019 anime series created entirely with motion capture
Long Forgotten Ultraman Animated Series Gets A Blu-ray Release
Ultraman 2019 anime series created entirely with motion capture
I sure hope this is more exciting than that boring Godzilla anime.
From Anime News Network
It's no secret that 3D animation in Japan has its detractors among anime fans. Despite this, more CGI anime have been released recently, and the upcoming Ultraman anime, set to launch in 2019, is going to be entirely in 3D animation.
However, directors Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki are using a different approach when it comes to the anime's actual animation. They are using motion capture to create the CGI, but the anime is not filmed shot by shot. The studio decided to film the entire anime in motion capture. At AnimeNext in Atlantic City, Kamiyama and Aramaki showed footage of how the anime's actors wear motion capture suits during stunts and fight scenes. They also wear them during drama scenes, where the characters talk or use simple movements.
The directors explained that this makes the characters' movement more natural. Using the motion capture technique, the initial scenes are recorded in Motion Builder. Then, they are transferred to the animation program Maya, where the animators add more details, subtle movements, textures, and other finishing touches. Professional voice actors (who are different from the stunt actors) act out the script, and their voices are then incorporated into the animation.
But besides having an uncommon animation style, something else is unique about the anime: having two directors at the same time. At their panels, Kamiyama and Aramaki explained that having two directors is rare in Japan. Usually, there is a hierarchy in anime studios, where the higher-up director has more of an administrative role and the lower director does more hands-on work in the studio. It's unusual for two directors to be working together. In fact, Aramaki and Kamiyama have worked together before on other projects and met over 30 years ago, making the situation even more uncommon.
The CGI Ultraman adaption is set to launch in Japan next year. The series adapts Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi's Ultraman manga. Both directors are working on the anime at Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts.
Source
Find out more in Movie News
Long Forgotten Ultraman Animated Series Gets A Blu-ray Release
From Crunchyroll
Tsuburaya Productions announced today that a Blu-ray disc of Ultraman USA, its co-production anime film with Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1987, will be released on September 26, 2018.
I wonder if we will be able to get this here in America? I will have to see if I can dig up anything on that.
The film was inspired by the concept of Tsuburaya's long-running Ultraman tokusatsu superhero franchise,but its story was set in the US and featured three American protagonists, who transform into Ultraman Scott, Ultraman Chuck, and Ultrawoman Beth. Mitsuo Kusakabe (Kirby: Right Back at Ya!) served as director.
Under the title Ultraman: The Adventure Begins, its English-dub version was first aired in the US in October 1987, then its Japanese-dub version was screened as part of the "Ultraman Festival" event along with two episodes of Ultraman and Ultraman A in April 1989. Short introduction anime footage of Ultraman Kid were also attached to the beginning of each episode.
Its VHS was released in September 1989, then its laser disc was added in July 1991, but no DVD or Blu-ray have been officially released. The film's original 35mm film is digitally remastered in Hi-Vision resolution for the Blu-ray, and both the 75-minute Japanese and 78-minute English versions are included in the disc. In addition, the Ultraman Kid anime footage used in "Ultraman Festival" also comes as a bonus content. The price is 7,800 yen (about 72 US dollars).
Be on the lookout for an animated Adams Family feature in 2019!
They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're altogether ooky,
The Addams Family.
Their house is a museum
When people come to see 'em
They really are a scream
The Addams Family.
[snap twice]
(Neat)
[snap twice]
(Sweet)
[snap twice]
(Petite)
So get a witch's shawl on
A broomstick you can crawl on
We're gonna pay a call on
The Addams Family.
(Sorry ... couldn't resist)
From Dread Central
Snap snap! It’s been in the works for a while but MGM has officially announced the voice cast for their The Addams Family animated feature and we’ll be hearing the kooky family brought to life by Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler and Allison Janney. Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon will co-direct based on a script by Matt Lieberman. Additionally, the release date has been set for October 11, 2019.
Vernon explains, “Greg and I have always been a fan of the Addams Family in past versions, so when we set out to make this movie, we were excited to do something new. With that in mind, I drew from the brilliantly original Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons for the look of the film and decided to tell the story of how Gomez and Morticia meet, find their house and start their family. This unique approach is what drew me in to direct the film. The reimagining also extends to the stellar cast we’ve put together who will each bring their own spin to our film that will appeal to longtime fans of the Addams and introduce them to a new generation.”
MGM President, Motion Picture Group, Jonathan Glickman adds, “Conrad and Greg are masters of animation with the keen ability to create something both kids and their parents will enjoy for different reasons. Adding to that a world class caliber of talent with Oscar, Charlize, Chloë, Finn, Nick, Bette and Allison – we can’t wait to bring their fresh and modern take on The Addams Family to the worldwide audience.”
“Based on the famous New Yorker creations of Charles Addams, this animated action-comedy will follow the Addams family whose lives begin to unravel when they face-off against a crafty reality-TV host while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration, Addams-style.”
A New 'Ultraman' Animated Film Is Coming In 2019!
From Comic Book Movie
The pop culture properties of yesteryear, that helped lay the foundation for the characters and stories we know and love today seem to be making a comeback in full force. Not only in America but even in Japan. The latest property at bat is none other than the kaiju fighting godfather himself, Ultraman.
The news broke over at Asahi Shinbum, where they stated that this new 3-D animated film would be helmed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed). The film will be produced by Production I.G Inc. (Ghost in the Shell, Evangelion, Batman: Gotham Knight) and Sola Digital Arts (Tekken 7 opening movie). We were also told that the cast would be announced later in the year. Considering that the manga series alone has over 2.6 million copies in print, it is safe to say that this A-list treatment is well deserved.
While everyone who remembers Ultraman as a giant, primary colored, superhero who fought Kaiju; this new interpretation will be changing the formula of what we knew of the character. According to the creators of the film, this will be a sequel to the original TV series. The synopsis follows the son of the original Ultraman. The young hero, Shinjiro Hayata, now only dons the suit of Ultraman to take on the new threats that his world holds for him. The main change? He will not transform into the colossal protector of earth.
But how Ultra can a human sized Ultraman be? Well to try and answer that, we were also given a teaser poster of the hero and a short teaser video to display the animation that you can see below. While the teaser is the same from Tokyo comic-con in 2017; the poster gives us a look at a possibly battle damaged Ultraman.
Source
Negadon The Monster From Mars (2005)
Directed by Jun Awazu from his original script and rendered in staggeringly realistic computer graphics, Negadon: The Monster From Mars pays homage to a wide variety of 1950's and 60's Japanese monster movies such as Godzilla, Mothra, and other classics which first brought global attention to Japan's then-emerging post-war feature film industry.Negadon is the world's first completely computer-generated monster movie. The film was in production for over three years and required the invention of special rendering algorithms to reproduce a 1950's style look.Unleashed in Japan in October 2005, Negadon won the Outstanding Production Award at the 20th Digital Contents Grand Prix and was named a Jury Recommended Work at the 9th Japan Media Arts Festival.
See Also: Epoxy #1, Limited Series - Giant Robot Manga - Epoxy Press
About “Negadon: The Monster from Mars” (Wakusei Daikaiju Negadon)
Original story written and directed by Jun Awazu (Daikaichou Magara Shurai, Magara Gekimetsu Daikessen), with music by Shingo Terasawa and animation modeling by Makoto Miyahara. Kenjiro Kato served as SFX Supervisor. Worldwide distribution is by CoMix Wave.
Story Synopsis
In the year 2025, the world population explodes to over 10 billion. In search for a new place to live, mankind initiates the space exploration project entitled “The Mars Terraforming Project.” Step by step, mankind successfully transforms Mars into a habitable planet.But when a Japanese freight spaceship returning from Mars crashes on the streets of Tokyo unleashing a giant and vicious monster from underneath the surface of Mars, only Dr. Narasaki and his long-abandoned robot Miroku can save Earth and mankind.
About Jun Awazu
Jun Awazu was born in 1974 in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan. After completing his Master’s Degree in Japanese-style painting at the Aichi Prefecture Art University, Awazu studied 3D CG designing at the Department of Digital Creations at the Trident School of Computing. He worked for two years at a production company as a CG designer and VFX artist, which he left in March 2003, to start his own company and the production of “Negadon.”
Mr. Awazu’s previous works include:
“Daikaichou Magara Shurai” (Magara: The Giant Monster): Winner at the Arts Student CG Contest 2000
“Magara Gekimetsu Daikessen” (Magara: The Final Showdown): Second prize winner in the original story category of the CG and Animation Film Festival 2001.
Negadon The Monster From Mars (2005)
Director/Original Story/CGI - Jun Awazu
Music/SE - Shingo Terasawa
VFX Supervisor - Kenjiro KatoYoshizawa
(Modeling/Animation) - Shin Miyahara
Cast:
Ryuichi Narasaki - Dai Shimizu
Seiji Yoshizawa - Takuma Sasahara
Emi Narasaki - Akane Yumoto
TV Announcer/Narration - Masafumi Kishi
Negadon: The Monster From Mars - DVD Review
Normally when anything monster related from Japan gets a US DVD release the fans normally get the short end of the stick. Sony has been gracious enough to give us all the Godzilla films in both their American and original Japanese forms, but that has been about it. Vary rarely has any of those releases contained any bonus material. No trailers, no interviews, no photos, no nothing. Just a bare bones release.
See Also: Patlabor 1 Mobile Police (Patlabor: The Movie) - VHS Tape - Manga Video
This is however not true with the upcoming release of the fully computer generated Japanese monster tribute “Negadon: The Monster From Mars.” Central Park Media pulls out all the stops and gives us a cornucopia of bonus material to go through. Included is a interview with the films director Jun Awazu, a making-of featurette, an art gallery, a fan art feature, both US and Japanese trailers and two extra shorts “Magara: The Giant Monster” and “Magara: The Final Showdown.” Magara being one of the better kaiju designs I have seen in some time. Indeed CPM gives the kaiju fan a complete overall package more in line with the ADV “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe” DVD. Which to this point has been the best kaiju related release. It is very apparent that CPM had the fans in mind when compiling content for this DVD.
Okay, so the thing comes with all the bells and whistles, but how good is the picture and sound quality? CPM scores high marks for presenting “Negadon” in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The picture quality is next to perfect. The quality of some of the shots is grainy, but it is supposed to be to give the film that 1960s’ retro feel. The sound is presented in both Japanese and English Dolby 5.1 surround that again is very clear and almost perfect. My wife complained that the windows upstairs were shaking while I was watching the movie so you know that’s a good sign. Fans should have no complaints about the look and feel of this DVD.
Already many fans have gotten wind of this features short run time. At a little under one half hour one could understand why many fans will have reservations about this feature. Let me put those to rest, without giving too much away hopefully.” Negadon The Monster From Mars” is an amazing piece of computer-generated animation. The film may be “short but sweet” but you get bang for your buck. This is a well thought out tribute to the Japanese monster films we all grew up on. Negadon captures the vibe of the old-school kaiju films like “The Mysterians” and “Monster Zero” to perfection. I guarantee that you will pull those old films out of your collection for another viewing after watching this one. I know I did. The back-story may seem a little too “A typical” for some but as a tribute piece you really wouldn’t expect anything else. What you get is a giant robot fighting an alien monster both on the streets of Tokyo and in outer space and that’s what everyone wants to see in the end anyway. The one drawback is that you may be left wanting for more. The two “Magera” shorts will help fill that need. Both are great additions to the main feature.
“Negadon The Monster From Mars” is great release from Central Park Media. I believe that all Japanese monster fans will appreciate it on a very personal level as a tribute to the great films that have come out of Japan over the past few decades.
See Also:
Dominion: Tank Police (1988)(Agent 21, Manga Entertainment)
Mazinkaiser (1999)(2001) OVA
World first! Breaking news! Godzilla himself finally revealed! A roar that shakes the Earth still, 20,000 years in the future!
From Polygon Pictures (Press Release)
2016 saw the release of the no. 1 box office smash hit live action film, Shin Godzilla (directed by Hideaki Anno). This grounded portrayal captured the hearts of audiences, and has been honored with seven prizes at the 40th Japan Academy Awards, including Picture of the Year.
The next step in the Godzilla franchise will be the release this November of Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters. This landmark year in which Japan celebrates the 100th anniversary of the release of its first animated film will also finally herald the first time in history that the challenge has been undertaken to adapt Godzilla into an animated feature.
An advance teaser trailer is now available on the web, ahead of being also shown in cinemas starting from Saturday, July 8.
Starting with the words "1 year on from Shin Godzilla..", the trailer shows the protagonist, Haruo (Mamoru Miyano), as he gazes down intensely at the beautiful blue Earth below from the returned emigration ship, a number of landing craft descending toward the surface itself, crew members preparing themselves for battle, as well as what seems to be a flashback to a fierce fight between armed humans and a previously unknown monster—the Servum, which has now proliferated over the surface of the planet.
Then, in the final shot, what appears to be the colossal form of Godzilla himself, with his signature roar! In the face of this fearsome presence, to which the response can only rightly be "despair", can humanity truly prevail?
Bestiary
Servum
A sub-species of Godzilla discovered by the Earth landing party, given the name "Servum".
Cellular analysis shows a 97% similarity to Godzilla, when compared to data collected during a nuclear attack on that beast in 2032, before the escape from Earth.
Like Godzilla, it has extremely metal-like body tissue, but despite this can generate a strong electromagnetic charge.
Two varieties of Servum have been observed, the flying type, and another worm-like kind which burrows in the ground. The flying type prey on the worm type, and the worm type preys on further smaller types, creating a food chain.
Introduction
Ever since it was first released as a feature film in 1954, Godzilla has come to be a colossal cultural icon loved by millions around the world. 2016 saw the release of Shin Godzilla, directed by Hideaki Anno. This grounded depiction of the iconic monster story captured audiences and became a huge hit. Now in 2017, Godzilla continues to surprise with this evolution into a feature-length animated film.
This animated movie takes the franchise into uncharted territory; mankind's fateful confrontation to retake their planet in a distant future where Godzilla has dominated the Earth for 20,000 years.
Directing is Kobun Shizuno, whose theatrical release of Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare last year achieved the highest box office success yet for that famed franchise. He is joined by another proven talent on the cutting edge of computer graphics, Hiroyuki Seshita, director and supervising director of Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine and Ajin:Demi-Human. Penning both the story and screenplay is Gen Urobuchi of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Psycho-Pass, a writer known to his large and loyal fan base as a master of meticulous and unpredictable storytelling laced with powerful ideas. Finally, handling the production is 3-consecutive Emmy award winning Japanese 3DCG animation studio, Polygon Pictures, which produced Knights of Sidonia, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars for U.S. television and earning Outstanding Special Class Animated Program at the 40th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Prepare for the earth-shattering roar of a brand new Godzilla, unlike anything heard or seen before!
Story
The final summer of the 20th century… when mankind learns it is no longer the sole ruler of planet Earth.
The planet is beset by the emergence of colossal creatures that roam the Earth, and king among them is "Godzilla". For a half a century, these beasts engage in ferocious battle with each other and mankind. Ultimately humanity, unable to compete, prepares for exile from its home planet. In the year 2048, a select few humans are chosen by the central government's artificial intelligence to set out on an interstellar emigration vessel, the Aratrum, on an 11.9-light-year journey for the planet Tau Ceti e. But when they arrive after 20 years of space travel, the remnants of mankind find the environmental conditions on Tau-e to be much worse than expected, and uninhabitable by humans.
On board the vessel is a young man, Haruo. When he was four years old, he saw his parents killed by Godzilla before his eyes, and in the 20 years since he has thought about nothing but returning to Earth and defeating Godzilla. With their chance for escape to another world closed, and living conditions on the ship deteriorating, Haruo spearheads a movement to return to Earth despite the dangers of such a long return trip.
Somehow, the Aratrum makes the return journey in one piece, but the home they return to has become an alien planet. 20,000 years have elapsed, and a new ecosystem has emerged with Godzilla at its apex. Can mankind take back its native planet? Will Haruo get his revenge?
See Also:
Godzilla 2: First Set Photos ... More Monsters?
Red Alert: El Rey Network July 4th Godzilla Movie Marathon In Progress!
Godzilla Takes Hollywood By Force
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1954)(Toho)
It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966)(CBS)
With autumn already in full swing, Charlie Brown is busy raking leaves with Snoopy's help. Linus sees the pile and jumps right in the middle of it, forgetting he had a wet sucker in his possession. Moments later Lucy comes with a football for Charlie Brown to kick, but he initially refuses. Lucy shows him a letter, but for the first time she pulls it away when Charlie Brown is about to kick the ball, which sends him landing flat on his back, like always.
Later, Linus writes a letter to The Great Pumpkin, to Charlie Brown's disbelief, Snoopy's laughter, Patty's assurance that the Great Pumpkin is a fake, and even to Lucy's violent threat to make Linus stop ("You better cut it out right now or I'll pound you!"). Linus laments in the letter that "more people believe in Santa Claus than in [The Great Pumpkin], but let's face it; Santa Claus has had more publicity. But being number two, perhaps you try harder" (a tongue-in-cheek jab at Avis Rent-A-Car's popular slogan of the day).
After Linus mails his letter to the Great Pumpkin (using his blanket to open the mailbox after Lucy refuses to help), Charlie Brown dances when he receives an invitation to go to Violet's Halloween party. His bubble is quickly burst by Lucy who mentions there were two lists, people to invite and people not to invite; Lucy is certain Charlie Brown's name was on wrong list.
On Halloween night, the gang gets their costumes ready. Lucy dresses as a witch, while the other kids dress up as ghosts. Pig-Pen is easily recognized by his trademark cloud of dust, while Charlie Brown has eyeholes cut out all over his sheet, matter-of-factly stating he had a little trouble with the scissors.
Before going trick-or-treating, the gang stops off at the pumpkin patch to make fun of Linus's missing out on all the fun as last year (especially when he asks if they came to sing "pumpkin carols"). But Linus is convinced that the Great Pumpkin will indeed come because he thinks the patch he's in is sincere enough and even convinces Sally to stick around to wait with him. The rest of the gang go off leaving Sally and Linus behind.
During trick-or-treating, everyone else gets assorted candy, gum, apples, cookies, popcorn balls, and even money. But at every house, Charlie Brown gets the same thing — a rock. After tricks-or-treats, and another quick stop at the pumpkin patch to rib Linus and Sally again, the gang all go off to Violet's Halloween party.
Meanwhile, Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy, wearing his World War I flying ace gear, climbs aboard his Sopwith Camel (in reality, his doghouse) to do battle with the Red Baron. After being shot down, Snoopy makes his way across the countryside, before briefly crashing the Halloween party. He then makes his way to the pumpkin patch where Linus and Sally are still waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show up. Linus hears Snoopy's rustling, and believes it's really the Great Pumpkin, and when Snoopy (still hidden in the shadows) rises above the pumpkins, Linus promptly faints. When Sally sees it's only Snoopy, she becomes outraged over missing tricks-or-treats AND the Halloween Party, and threatens to "sue" Linus. She storms out of the pumpkin patch with the other kids, leaving Linus by himself, still convinced the Great Pumpkin will come.
When 4:00 a.m. rolls around on November 1st, Lucy gets up to check on Linus. Seeing his bed empty, she goes out to the pumpkin patch to find him lying on the ground shivering, covered in his security blanket. Lucy grudgingly walks him home and to his room, removing his shoes and he passes out in his own bed as she puts the covers on him before angrily walking out of his room.
Later on that day, Linus and Charlie Brown are at the rock wall talking about last night's events. When Charlie Brown tries to console Linus saying "I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, too", Linus blows a fuse and angrily vows to Charlie Brown that the Great Pumpkin will come next year, his ranting continuing as the end credits roll.
"It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was the third Peanuts special (and first Halloween special) to be produced and animated by Bill Meléndez. Its initial broadcast took place on October 27th, 1966 on the CBS network, preempting My Three Sons; CBS re-aired the special annually through 2000, with ABC picking up the rights beginning in 2001. The program was nominated for an Emmy award. It has been issued on home video several times, including a Remastered Deluxe Edition of the special released by Warner Home Video on September 2, 2008.
Charles Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in Saint Paul. He was the only child of Carl Schulz, who was German, and Dena, who was Norwegian. His uncle nicknamed him "Sparky" after the horse Spark Plug in the Barney Google comic strip.
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to the Saturday Evening Post; the first of seventeen single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957 – 1959), but abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he also contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God (Anderson).
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years without interruption and appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz died in Santa Rosa of complications from colon cancer on February 12, 2000.
Marvel's Spider-Man & the Avengers Will Return with All-New Seasons to Disney XD
New seasons on their way to Disney XD in 2016!
From Marvel Comics
Disney XD has ordered two new action-packed seasons of the popular animated series on the Marvel programming block – continuing the adventures of Earth's Mightiest Heroes with "Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution" and introducing a new band of villains in "Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6." Produced by Marvel Television, both series deliver the biggest, most explosive seasons yet with some of Marvel's most aspirational super heroes facing off against some of the greatest threats in the Marvel Universe. Both of the new seasons are currently in production and slated to premiere in 2016 on Marvel on Disney XD.
In season three of "Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution," the Avengers are not only shocked by the return of a vengeful Ultron, but they also encounter new threats like Baron Zemo, the Masters of Evil, the Inhumans, and the futuristic Kang the Conqueror. It's only with the help of heroes like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man and Ms. Marvel that they have a chance of surviving an all-out Marvel super hero Civil War.
In season four of "Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6," a confident Spider-Man feels like the ultimate hero after fighting alongside The Avengers and leading a team of heroes at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. However, when the wall-crawler discovers that his greatest enemies – Doctor Octopus, Hydra and the all-new Sinister 6 – are working together to destroy him and S.H.I.E.L.D., he teams up with a special new team of Spiders including Miles Morales, Agent Venom, Iron Spider and the mysterious new Scarlet Spider. Spider-Man and his new friends will need to use all of their power to overcome their greatest challenge yet.
"We're delighted that Disney XD is partnering with the world-class Marvel team to bring our viewers new installments featuring the Avengers and Spider-Man, some of the world's most iconic and engaging comic book characters," said Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Disney XD. "In these new animated seasons we are looking forward to even higher stakes, bigger threats and the trademark quality storytelling that Marvel is famous for."
"These series have been the heart and soul of Marvel Animation for several seasons and, thanks to Marc and his top-notch crew at Disney XD, we're thrilled to bring our fans more episodes of what they've been clamoring for," said Stephen Wacker, Vice President, Current Series, Marvel Animation Studios. "It's a testament to the hard work and creative effort of our production and writing teams that Marvel's animation slate continues to roll onwards and upwards."
The "Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution" voice cast includes Adrian Pasdar ("Heroes") as Iron Man, Fred Tatasciore ("Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness") as Hulk, Roger Craig Smith ("Wreck-It Ralph") as Captain America, Travis Willingham ("Shelf Life") as Thor, Troy Baker ("Ultimate Spider-Man") as Hawkeye, Laura Bailey ("The Super Hero Squad Show") as Black Widow and Bumper Robinson ("The Game") as Falcon. Jeff Allen serves as Supervising Director and Eugene Son and Dani Wolff serve as Co-Story Editors on the series.
"Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6" stars Drake Bell ("Drake & Josh") as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride ("Hawaii Five-0") as Nick Fury, Steven Weber ("Wings") as Norman Osborn, Greg Cipes ("Teen Titans," "Ben 10") as Danny Rand, Ogie Banks ("Fatherhood") as Luke Cage, Misty Lee ("Batman: Arkham City") as Aunt May, and recurring guest star Stan Lee ("Spider-Man") as Stan the Janitor. Alex Soto serves as Supervising Director while Kevin Burke and Doc Wyatt serve as Co-Story Editors.
Alan Fine ("Marvel's The Avengers," "Iron Man," "Thor"), Dan Buckley ("Marvel’s Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.”), Joe Quesada ("Marvel's Daredevil"), and Jeph Loeb ("Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") will serve as executive producers on "Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6" and "Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution," while Stan Lee ("Spider-Man"), Eric Radomski ("Spawn"), Cort Lane ("The Super Hero Squad Show") and Stephen Wacker ("Marvel's Avengers Assemble") will serve as co-executive producers for both series.
Tune in to Disney XD on Sunday mornings to catch episodes of your favorite Marvel animated series! Stay tuned to Marvel.com for all the latest news and updates on all things Marvel.
Rule The Galaxy As Father And Son ... D'Oh' - Reproduction Artwork Print - Homer and Bart Simpson Star Wars Parody - by Matt Groening
Rule The Galaxy As Father And Son ... D'Oh' - Reproduction Artwork Print - Homer and Bart Simpson Star Wars Parody - by Matt Groening
$10 @ View Obscura
This is a reproduction photo print featuring an image of Homer Simpson as Darth Vader and Bart Simpson as Luke Skywalker. Looks like you have been trained well by Milhouse young Simpson ... D'Oh'! The print looks amazing matted and framed and will make a great addition to your Star Wars memorabilia collection. A must for all Simpson's fans!
The Watermark does NOT appear on the print!
This image was reworked by renowned California artist Ken Hulsey.
The image is printed on professional studio grade matte paper by a professional photography studio not a home printer.
The item will be shipped in an acid free bag with a protective board to prevent folding or creasing.
History:
This image was created for the Star Wars Insider Magazine by Matt Groening.
'Robot Chicken' Creators Talk 'Star Wars,' Quentin Tarantino, and 'Big Trouble in Little China' at Hollywood Screening
From Indie Wire
When asked to choose a film as part of the Modern School of Film's Film Masters screening and discussion series, "Robot Chicken" co-creator Matthew Senreich didn't take long to choose. "I think I walked into Eric's [Towner] office, and I was like, 'We gotta pick a movie. How about "Big Trouble in Little China?"' And he threw out the other two, and I was like, 'Let's go with "Big Trouble in Little China."'
The "other two" to which Senreich was referring were "The Last Starfighter" and "The NeverEnding Story," but those were quickly dismissed in favor of the 1986 fantasy action flick starring Kurt Russell. After screening to a nearly packed house at the Arclight Theater in Hollywood, CA, Senreich, writer Zeb Wells, co-founder of Stoopid Buddy Studios Eric Towner, and co-head writer Doug Goldstein took part in a lengthy question and answer session regarding the film they just watched as well as the past and future of "Robot Chicken." Here are the highlights:
George R.R. Martin will guest with the nerd character on an upcoming episode of "Robot Chicken."
Technical difficulties prevented the premiere of an upcoming episode featuring the vocal talents of "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin and the nerd character, but the guests made up for the snafu with news on more upcoming guest stars, including Kate Mara, Billy Bob Thornton, and a politically-placed Calista Flockhart.
"We ask Harrison Ford every season [to guest on the show]," Senreich said. "He's said no so far. We'll keep asking." Wells then reminded him they got Flockhart, Ford's wife, to lend her voice to the show, and Senreich gave a knowing nod. "If her role came out right, she'll show Harrison and we'll see what happens."
"Big Trouble in Little China" did appear on "Robot Chicken" -- twice.
The first was in a brief channel surfing moment referencing a scene in the film where Egg says China is always with him. In the "Robot Chicken" version, he points to china dishes and says, "China is always in there." The clip was supposed to be shown, but the aforementioned technical difficulties prevented it from happening. The second reference to the film came in a show title from season five called "Big Trouble in Little Clerks 2."
"We picked one of the best movies we could think of and one of the not best movies," Senreich said.
They love Kurt Russell in "Big Trouble in Little China," but have a unique perspective on his character in "Overboard."
Moderator and Founder of the Modern School of Film Robert Milazzo asked the gang about a joke from the show about the Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn comedy "Overboard," saying, "there's not a lot of 'Overboard' jokes out there, so I'm glad you put that in there."
"One of the things we did in the first few seasons was get out of our system all of the things we noticed in movies growing up, one of which was in Kurt Russell's 'Overboard,' where he's basically spending the entire movie raping this poor woman, and we just kind of had to get it out of our system and say so," said Doug Goldstein.
It's not exactly how I remember the PG-rated family film, but the '80s were a weird time. Take a look at the clip and judge for yourself.
READ MORE
Ralph Bakshi’s son brings deleted Lord of the Rings footage to light!
From Movie Pilot
Fans of Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 cult animation of The Lord of the Rings can rejoice at some interesting discoveries rescued from the cutting room floor.
The artist's son, Eddie Bakshi has been rifling through the archives hunting out long lost scenes, and a couple of them are of particular interest. Anyone who has seen the film will vividly remember the scene featuring the confrontation between Gandalf and the Balrog in Moria.
The lion-headed creature with the ungainly body of an ape, butterfly wings and a whip paired with a flaming sword for good measure, remains one of the classic renditions of Tolkien’s monster, but there is no sign of Balrog in its worm form.
Now, however the scenes featuring Gandalf's battle through the fall in Moria’s abyss and on the Endless Stair have been discovered and restored to their former glory.
Check out the videos for yourself HERE
READ MORE
More Stories @ Monster Island News
Rocky and Bullwinkle Mr. Peabody Pop! Vinyl Figure
Rocky and Bullwinkle Mr. Peabody Pop! Vinyl Figure
Price $9.99 - Entertainment Earth
Mr. Peabody - the world's smartest inhabitant - is coming to you in the Pop! Vinyl form! This Rocky and Bullwinkle Mr. Peabody Pop! Vinyl Figure features the dog genius in all his classic splendor, a knowing look on his bespectacled face. Measuring 3 3/4-inches tall, fans of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, specifically the segments with Mr. Peabody and Sherman, will not want to miss out on this great stylized vinyl figure!
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Futurama Bender Shogun Warriors 24-Inch Vinyl Figure
Pre-Order now and we'll deliver in November 2013 (estimated date / subject to change).
Item Number: TN4130
Price: $149.99
From Futurama - Biggest Bender Ever!
You've seen a lot of toys, but rarely do they come as large as the Futurama Bender Shogun Warriors 24-Inch Vinyl Figure! Modeled after the classic jumbo Shogun Warriors toys, Bender stands a whopping 2-feet tall and has that most important of action features… launching fists! What's more, this item enjoys Free Shipping. It's quite a deal and limited to only 500 pieces, so pre-order yours now!
Futurama Bender Shogun Warriors 24-Inch Vinyl Figure:
Spring-loaded arms for fist-firing action!
Jumbo figure measures 2-feet tall!
Limited edition of 500 pieces.
A limited edition of 500 pieces featuring awesome fist-firing action that will take you back to the old Shogun Warrior days, it's the Futurama Bender Shogun Warriors 24-Inch Vinyl Figure! This amazing, 2-foot tall figure is not to be taken lightly, as it weighs in at a respectable 4 pounds with the kind of detail you'd expect on a smaller figure. More importantly, Bender's arm is spring-loaded for fist-firing action. The Futurama Bender Shogun Warriors 24-Inch Vinyl Figure is made of vinyl and hard plastic.
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