FUNimation Entertainment Announces Distribution Of "Attack on Titan" Live Action Movies Throughout The Americas

World Premiere to Be Held July 14, 2015 at Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, CA

FUNimation Entertainment is proud to announce today its distribution of the theatrical, home entertainment, video on demand and broadcast rights to the upcoming Japanese live-action feature film "Attack on Titan" across the Americas (North America, Central America and South America). The film will be released by Toho Co. Ltd. in two parts in Japan on August 1 and September 19, 2015. Series creator Hajime Isayama worked directly with the film's producers to create the screen adaptation.

"Attack on Titan" is based on the popular manga series of the same name ("Shingeki no Kyojin" in Japanese), which tells the story of a world where most of humanity has been destroyed by giants and where the last of mankind fights to survive behind three concentric walls – walls that were once impenetrable to the giants. With more than 50 million copies in print today, "Attack on Titan" has also inspired four spin-off manga as well as a 25-episode anime series which FUNimation both simulcast and released to home video in North America.

"Attack on Titan" director Shinji Higuchi will be making a special appearance at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) for an autograph session with fans on Sunday, July 12, at 1:00 p.m. PST at FUNimation's booth (#4135). Following SDCC, FUNimation Entertainment and Toho Co. Ltd. will host the world premiere of "Attack on Titan" (Part 1; in Japanese w/ English subtitles) at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, July 14. The SDCC special appearance and premiere are being held to promote the August 1 release of part 1 of the film in Japan and will include a red carpet event featuring special guests – Haruma Miura and Kiko Mizuhara, who portray Eren and Mikasa in the movie respectively, along with director Shinji Higuchi.

"FUNimation is honored to host the world premiere of Attack on Titan here in the United States with Toho," said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of FUNimation Entertainment. "Attack on Titan is truly a worldwide phenomenon and we are excited to bring the live action movie to theaters across the Americas later this fall."

Invited guests to the premiere, including celebrities and media, will be among the first in the world to see "Attack on Titan." A limited number of tickets will be available to fans via FUNimation's social channels.

FUNimation Entertainment Announces World Dub Premiere Of "Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'"

FUNimation Entertainment announced today that the world premiere of the English dub of "Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'" will be held on Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. at the Regal LA Live Stadium 14 in Los Angeles, Calif. The premiere coincides with opening night of Anime Expo 2015 — the largest anime and manga convention in North America. FUNimation recently completed principal production of the English dub for the movie which was written by series creator Akira Toriyama and directed by Naoyoshi Yamamuro.

Actors Sean Schemmel and Christopher R. Sabat, starring in the roles of Goku and Vegeta respectively, will be attending the premiere, which will also feature a red carpet event prior to the screening. Schemmel and Sabat are reprising their roles from last year's highly-successful "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods."

"We're pleased to premiere the English dub of "Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'" during Anime Expo 2015," said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and founder of FUNimation. "Our cast and crew have done an amazing job with the dub. Fans will enjoy every minute of it -- from the first scene through the ending credits."

"Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'" is the 20th film in the Dragon Ball franchise. The story is the follow-up to "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" and showcases the return of Frieza -- one of the greatest villains in all of anime. The new film will screen in theaters across the U.S. and Canada from August 4 - 12, 2015. Fans are invited to sign up at www.dragonballz.com to be alerted when ticketing opens later this month. Subscribers can also look forward to receiving exclusive offers, sneak peeks, and other news about the film.

A limited amount of tickets to the premiere will be made available to fans and the general public.

For more information on Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', please visit www.dragonballz.com.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dragonballz & www.facebook.com/funimation, and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/funimation.

Godzilla's Legal Defenders

by Armand Vaquer

Above, former Toho-L.A. General Manager Masaharu Ina and Armand at the Godzilla statue in Hibiya in February. The good working relationship between fan groups and Toho began under Ina's tenure as general manager. 

Here's a story that fans of Godzilla are familiar with. Or should be.

The article from the Japan Times is on the team of lawyers that Toho Co., Ltd. enlists to protect the Godzilla (and related creatures) trademark against bootleggers and companies who try to use Godzilla's image in advertising and other unauthorized ventures.

The article begins with:

LOS ANGELES – He spews radioactive fire, razes cities and pummels creatures from Earth and beyond, but even Godzilla needs a good lawyer sometimes. After all, you don’t survive 60 years in the movie business without taking some fights to court. 

For decades, attorneys acting on behalf of Godzilla’s owners, Tokyo-based Toho Co., have amassed a string of victories, fighting counterfeiters and business titans such as Comcast and Honda along the way. The opponents have come from all corners of pop culture: TV commercials, video games, rap music and even the liquor industry. 

The litigation has kept Godzilla’s brand thriving and helped pave the way for commercial and merchandising tie-ins that will accompany the monster’s return to the big screen on Friday after a 10-year hiatus. Godzilla’s image is for sale, but permission is needed.

Back in the days when I was associated with G-FAN magazine, I made it a point to consult with Toho's Los Angeles office to make sure that what we did on different things didn't infringe on their trademarks. This was started while Masaharu Ina was Toho's Los Angeles General Manager. In this way, no toes were stepped on and Toho appreciated the the gesture. If they a problem with a certain aspect, they would suggest changes. We had an excellent working relationship, even though, officially, Toho has a policy of not sanctioning fan activities. But they were helpful whenever they could. Prior to this, there existed some friction between Toho and various fan leaders (some of whom seemed to want to pick fights with Toho). Cooperating with Toho had paid off many times.

To read the full story, go here.

Godzilla Celebration Screening In Little Tokyo With Koichi Kawakita

by Armand Vaquer

Above, special effects director Koichi Kawakita and Armand in 2000. 

A special Godzilla celebration will take place in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 3. Anime News Network reported:

Los Angeles, CA – April 16th, 2014 - In celebration of Godzilla's 60th anniversary, Anime Jungle presents two special screenings of GODZILLA at the Aratani Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 3rd. The 3:00pm screening will be dubbed. And the 6:00pm screening will be with the original Japanese audio with English subtitle. The screenings are planned as a part of Fiesta Matsuri by JACCC (Japanese American Cultural and Community Center) in Little Tokyo. 

They will invite two guest, Mr. Koichi Kawakita, director of Special effects and Mr. Norihiko Iwasaki, Marbling Fine Arts Co. Before each screening, Mr. Kawakita and Mr. Iwasaki will give a live demonstration of Special Effect with miniatures “Model and Camera Demonstration.”

Reading further down the article, it appears that the Godzilla movie will be 1989's Godzilla vs. Biollante, not 1954's Godzilla.

To read the full article, go here.

War of the Gargantuas and Creature from the Black Lagoon 60th B-Day Celebration Highlight Monsterpalooza

From Monsterpalooza

One of the most beloved art/horror fests on the West Coast is Monsterpalooza, which celebrates the "Art of Monsters." The fest will hit Burbank once again on March 28-30. Save the date!

As usual, Monsterpalooza will feature award-winning F/X artists, special presentations, a walk-thru monster museum, and monster-related artwork on display and for sale. The list of celebrity guests is large and impressive. Take a look at whom you can expect to see at this year’s Monsterpalooza.

Special Celebrity Guests From The Genre And Beyond!

Kenji Sahara – War Of The Gargantuas, Destroy All Monsters, Rodan, Godzilla vs The Thing, The Mysterians, King Kong vs Godzilla

Harou Nakajima – Godzilla, Rodan, Destroy All Monsters

Russ Tamblyn – “Twin Peaks”, War Of The Gargantuas

Rutger Hauer – Blade Runner, The Hitcher, “True Blood”

Dee Snider – Twisted Sister, Strangeland, Van Helsing’s Curse

Tippi Hedren – The Birds, Marnie, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”

Nancy Allen – Blow Out

More at Monsterpalooza

Legendary Pictures Casting Children For GODZILLA In Los Angeles And Canada

Sources: Acting Auditions / Rich Green

It looks like Legendary Pictures is presently looking for kids for Godzilla to stomp on in scenes that will be filmed in Los Angeles and also in Canada. Check out this post featured on the Acting Auditions website:

The film's casting directors in Los Angeles and Canada are holding auditions for several starring roles. These roles are for boys ages 3-11 years of age. The youngest is a Caucasian boy to play a 4-year-old, the middle one is a Japanese boy to play 6 years of age, and the oldest is another Caucasian boy to play 10 years old. The actors do not have to be these exact ages, but can be a year older or younger. The extras will be cast in Vancouver close to the start of filming, which will run through June 22, 2013.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Richard T. Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, David Strathairn, Patrick Sabongui, Brian Markinson, Juliette Binoche, Akira Takarada, Victor Rasuk, and Ken Watanabe star.

Gareth Edwards is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont, and Dave Callaham. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Alex Garcia and Patricia Whitcher are serving as executive producers alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, Godzilla will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment.

Slated to open on May 16, 2014, the film is expected to be presented in 3D.

Also check out this new clip from the Canadian news program "Shaw TV Nanaimo" after the break:

Endeavor Arrives In Los Angeles Tomorrow

by Armand Vaquer

Photo: Nasa

Tomorrow's the day when space shuttle Endeavor lands at Los Angeles International Airport.

After a tour of the Bay Area and Sacramento, the shuttle will enter Los Angeles airspace at around 10:30 tomorrow morning.

This link will provide the flyover spots of Endeavor (atop a modified Boeing 747) for best viewing.  As it will fly over Griffith Park Observatory and Universal City, I will remain in the Burbank Hills after work with my camera to get an excellent hilltop view.

Monsterpalooza 2012

Above, The Monster confronts Elizabeth in "Frankenstein" in Monsterpalooza's Museum.

It was another fun Monsterpalooza in Burbank this year. I attended yesterday afternoon. The crowds waiting to get in were huge, despite an occasional downpour.

The first person I recognized was Godzilla suit-maker Shinichi Wakasa. We chatted a bit over at The Daily Grill, the Burbank Marriott's restaurant. I introduced longtime G-FEST volunteer Barbara Weiler to him.

While waiting to get in, a gent in a homemade Gill-man suit entertained people in line (below).

Once inside, I made my way to Mondo Cult magazine's table and met with Jessie Lilley. Earlier, I had Don Glut snap this shot of actor/writer/film historian Ted Newsom and me (below).

Wandering around, I found that the usual great exhibits one expects at Monsterpalooza were in abundance. Mike Hill's life-size sculptures (below) of Jack Pierce (with The Mummy) and Rick Baker (with An American Werewolf In London) were terrific.

Naturally, Monsterpalooza had celebritites and big names in the horror genre in abundance. Sara Karloff (daughter of Boris) had a table (below) as did Bela Lugosi Jr.

After meandering around the vendor areas, I made my way into Monsterpalooza's Museum. Here's some of the highlights in the museum:

Above, several portraits of Boris Karloff, Vincent Price and Al Lewis.

Above, "Avatar."

Above, Godzilla was represented by this huge sculpture.

Above, The Monster and Henry Frankenstein struggle on the mill.

Following the Museum, I made my way to the autograph section where I obtained this autographed photo of actress Caroline Munro (from 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me) with Roger Moore (below).

And, had a photo taken with her:

After this, I had to dash off to pick up my roomie in Pasadena.


Monsterpalooza continues today and tomorrow.


If you can, head out to Burbank and have yourself a great time!

Save Pickfair Studios! Update And Protest Info!

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Today there will be a protest at Pickfair Studios. I encourage all who live in the vicinity to attend. All week I have been posting links as well as articles and even a blog article written by Kenneth Lee Hulsey and myself about the impending fate of this legendary and historically relevant movie studio. It is easy to discuss how much we all love movies, but with most things it is much harder to prove what they really mean to us. I realize we are spread all over the country as well as the world and most who would attend just cannot...but those who live in the vicinity....please, please attend! I would like to express my appreciation to all of those who signed the petition! Thank you very much! - Terri Pressley

As Terri mentioned above earlier this week I posted an article about the impending destruction of Pickfair Studios one of Hollywood's earliest and most iconic movie studios where such classics as "Some Like It Hot", "Guys and Dolls" and even "Star Wars" were filmed. Now since that time I got a chance to drive by the location, snap a couple of photographs and survey the area a bit. As it has been noted by other writers covering this story the art deco design of the structures in question are just amazing to look at and without a doubt there are many dilapidated and graffiti covered structures nearby that could and should be leveled to improve the general appeal of the neighborhood. So why level a iconic Hollywood location and historical landmark? The answer there is very simple, location, location, location, the plot of land, now known as "The Lot" is directly across the street from a modern shopping complex with a Target and a Bevmo.

Without wanting to seem like I support the idea of leveling this piece of Hollywood history I can understand CIM's desire for wanting to build another set of high end stores so close to an existing shopping complex to a point. It makes business sense. Well, at least on the outset it would seem that way. One could see that if the location was either abandoned or was not economically viable but that is not the case here at all. Pickfair Studios as it stands today is still a very active location with movie and television productions using it's numerous buildings for filming right now. On the day I stopped by people and cars were going in and out as if it was still a major Hollywood studio (as my photos will attest) and casual look through the fence revealed that indeed there is still a lot of activity going on inside those walls.

So what can be done? Well I have a simple idea that would solve this problem if CIM would listen. Turn the studio property into a museum ... or sell it to someone or some entity who wanted to do so, as well as keep it an active studio then buy up some of the run down properties across La Brea on the other side of the existing shopping complex and build there.

To expand on my thoughts. I have always wanted to open a Hollywood film museum and this would be the perfect local for such a project. The bulk of the studio could remain open for filming and selected structures could house the exhibits. Money could be generated through film projects, museum admission and a gift shop / online store.

To simple to work right?

Here is the info on a protest that will be happening today outside "The Lot":

Protest CIM at Pickfair 4/1/2012!

We are currently planning a protest at the Pickfair Lot for the morning of Sunday the 1st of April….or as the City of West Hollywood will be declaring “Kardashian Day” (NO FOOLIN!)

Meeting Place: Right off Santa Monica Blvd at Formosa where the offices are located. Say THE LOT in big letters. Allison Anders will be in attendance to lead all supporters.


Time: 1pm PST

Parking: The Target center has parking for $1.50 an hour, free with validation. There is also street parking that should be unencumbered for a Sunday

BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND ALL PRESS!!!

What You Can Do

*Bring video cameras and phone cameras to film the events

*Make protest signs out of big paper and wooden sticks. Suggested slogans: Mary we care, SAVE PICKFAIR. ITS OUR HERITAGE SAVE PICKFAIR. CIM WE’RE WATCHING YOU SAVE PICKFAIR. HONK IF YOU SUPPORT PRESERVING PICKFAIR STUDIOS!

*Be respectful, courteous and law abiding.

What is Pickfair Day? On Friday 3/30/12 West Hollywood Daily reported the city council of West Hollywood had decreed it officially ‘Kardashian Day’ in honor of the reality TV stars opening a store in the city limits. We have decided to rename the day for something that matters: Pickfair Day. Help us trend on twitter by tweeting comments with the hashtag #PickfairDay and #PickfairDayProtest. - From http://savethepickfairstudio.wordpress.com

See Also: Iconic Hollywood Studio To Be Demolished Unless Fans Step In!

Kardashian Day?!!! Are you friggin kidding me! After your done protesting at Pickfair go to the street and protest that to!

Iconic Hollywood Studio To Be Demolished Unless Fans Step In!

Written By: Terri Pressley / Ken Hulsey

Does it seem feasible that the city of West Hollywood would condone the demolition of a historical landmark?

The idea that a city that normally prides itself on the preservation of of historic structures would turn a blind eye when a developer plans to bulldoze a complex that houses one of Hollywood's earliest and most acclaimed studios seems on the outside to be preposterous, but that is exactly what is about to happen.

At the heart of a growing controversy in the land where dreams are created as fast as they are destroyed is the famed Pickford-Fairbanks Studios where such movies as Some Like It Hot, The Thief of Bagdad, Guys and Dolls, and even select scenes from Star Wars (Episode 4: A New Hope) were filmed.



“This is a sacrilege – do the greedy people threatening this not have any pride in the history of Hollywood? Do they not have any respect and pride for the founders of motion pictures, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford ? The Save Pickford-Fairbanks studios must stop this from happening – it is obliterating history and the legacy that Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford left.” — Daphne Fairbanks

The City of West Hollywood and the CIM Group have plans to demolish the legendary Pickfair Studios, founded in 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Together they formed the first major independent film studio, United Artist. All four of these historic and revolutionary filmmakers spent the remainder of their careers (with a brief exception for Chaplin) making their films with UA. To accommodate their filmmaking, they built the Pickford-Fairbanks studio on Santa Monica Boulevard at the corner of Santa Monica and Formosa, the former Jesse Hampton Studio lot. In addition to silent film classics like Son of the Sheik, Sparrows, and Thief of Bagdad, films like Wuthering Heights (1939), Guys and Dolls, Some Like It Hot (1959), and West Side Story (1959) were also shot there. When George Lucas returned from England, he reshot some of the original Star War scenes at the Pickfair Studio. The Pickfair Studio saw the likes of not only those greats but stars including Rudolph Valentino, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Myrna Loy, Natalie Wood, Marlon Brando, Susan Hayward, Greer Garson, Jack Lemmon, Danny Kaye, Eddie Cantor and Laurence Olivier making some of their most memorable films on the historic lot. This studio, located at Highland and Santa Monica on the border of West Hollywood, CA, stands...but not for much longer.


In the early 50s, against Pickford's will (Griffith and Fairbanks were by then deceased), the studio and company were sold. It passed hands several times before being purchased by Sky Partners in 1999 and renaming it’ The Lot’. Since then Sky Partners has been doing all they can to facilitate the demolition of the historic studio. Skye has sold to CIM Group who plans to raze all historic buildings, with of course, the approval of the West Hollywood City Council. Even though these are historical buildings and legally protected as such, the Los Angeles City Council does not care. Land is valuable in this big and overcrowded town; and they want it. As of April 2012 CIM plans to destroy all the historic buildings. It is history they mean to destroy film lovers, we must band together and let them know that we will not stand by idly; they should not be allowed to destroy film history without a fight.

Sign the online petition - Save Pickfair Studios!

There is a growing online movement to save the studio being pushed forward through blogs, classic movie groups and websites. Though this movement is gaining steam very quickly it may not be enough to beat the clock before CIM can move forward with their plans. As it stands now the once iconic studio will begin to be demolished as soon as the first week of April. That's why things need to move and move as fast as possible or one of Hollywood's historic sites will be no more!

How can you help? Well you need to make your voice heard by contacting the powers behind this travesty. Who should you contact? Well we have a list for you:

CIM Group

http://www.cimgroup.com/

6922 Hollywood Blvd. 9th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028

P.323.860.4900

F.323.860.4901

Karen Diehl

Casey & Sayre

11835 W. Olympic Blvd.

Suite 1285

Los Angeles, CA 90064

p 310.473.8090

f 310.473.8291

kdiehl@cswpr.com

Bill Mendel

Mendel Communications

1841 Broadway

Suite 1009

New York, NY 10023

p 212.397.1030

f 212.974.0705

bill@mendelcommunications.com

City of West Hollywood City Council

8300 Santa Monica Boulevard

Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs 8am - 6pm; Fridays 8am - 5pm.

Telephone: (323) 848-6400 (323) 848-6400

Phone: (323) 848-6460

Email: ccouncil@weho.org

Mayor John J Duran: jduran@weho.org

Mayor Elect Jefferey Prang: jprang@weho.org

Councilmember John D’Amico: jdamico@weho.org

John Heilmen: jheilman@weho.org

Councilmember Abby Land: aland@weho.org

Sr Planner Contreras: fcontreras@weho.org

Sr Planner Degrazia: ddegrazia@weho.org

On This Date: "Adventures of Superman" Premieres In L.A.

by Armand Vaquer



It was a hair under a year before my time, but on this date in 1953, the Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, Jack Larson, John Hamilton and Robert Shayne premiered in Los Angeles on KCEA-TV Channel 7 (the forerunner of KABC-TV).

The premiere episode was "Superman On Earth," which chronicled Jor-El and Lara's sending the baby Kal-El to Earth before the planet Krypton exploded.

The episodes that followed were the ones that Robert Maxwell and Bernard Luber produced. These were rock 'em, sock 'em crime dramas and not kiddie shows.

News From The Black Lagoon: Creature Feature And Julie Adams Book

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Wakulla County News and Information / Julie Adams Official Website

It's that time once again! Time for the residents of Wakulla Springs, Florida to celebrate their favorite monster ... The Creature From The Black Lagoon. As most of you already know Wakulla Springs State Park doubled as the infamous "Black Lagoon" (along with the back lot at Universal) in the first of three Gill-man films. Every October the park shows the movie and holds events to pay tribute to the monster that they love so dearly.

Here is the info from Wakulla.com:

Wakulla Springs State Park will present "Creature Feature" on Friday, October 21, 2011 from 7pm to 9pm.

Entrance will be free to the public. The event is being hosted by Wakulla Springs Lodge on the big screen TV in the hotel lobby. The gift shop will be open during the event for refreshments! Choose from a full range of snacks, drinks and candies.

The Creature will be lurking about the property and is expected to make an appearance!

Can't find the "Black Lagoon"? Maybe this will help - http://www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings/

Normally the stars from the movie make a special appearance but this year Julie Adams will be in Hollywood promoting her new book "The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From the Black Lagoon".

Here is the info from Julie's website:

Julie at Book Signings for Her New Book

After numerous requests, Julie has written her personal autobiography with many pictures never before seen. It is titled The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From the Black Lagoon and covers her whole career. It will be available on October 27th. It will be launched with a book signing on Thursday, October 27 at Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. And there will be a double feature screening at the Egyptian Theatre that night of Creature From the Black Lagoon (Shown in 3D) 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. followed by a Question and Answer session with Julie and Bend of the River following the Q & A.

There will be another book signing on Sunday, October 30th at the Dark Delicacies Book Store, 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA from 2 - 4 p.m. There is no charge for a dedication and signature at the book signings.

The book will sell for $29.95, please add $3.00 for postage. If you want a personal dedication and signature through ordering the book on the Web Page it will be an additional $20.00, postage is free on personally signed books.