Animatrix Network

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble

2013-05-26T00:30:00.000-05:00

THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR SUPER HEROES ASSEMBLE IN MARVEL’S AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, PREMIERING SUNDAY, JULY 7
ON MARVEL UNIVERSE ON DISNEY XD

A Special One-Hour Preview Debuts Sunday, May 26
On Marvel Universe on Disney XD

“Marvel’s Avengers Assemble,” a new animated series reuniting some of Marvel’s most iconic Super Heroes – Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow and newcomer Falcon — premieres SUNDAY, JULY 7, with a special one-hour preview on SUNDAY, MAY 26 (both at 11:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Marvel Universe on Disney XD.

Featuring the team that took the world by storm in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble” follows the action-packed adventures of the iconic Super Hero team, the Avengers, as they find a way to put their differences aside and work together to defend the planet from threats no single Super Hero could withstand. The world’s most dangerous Super Villains don’t stand a chance when the Avengers Assemble.

The multi-platform rollout is as follows:

Sunday, May 26
Special one-hour preview (11:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Marvel Universe on Disney XD. In the episode “The Avengers Protocol: Pt. 1,” when Captain America is apparently destroyed by Red Skull, Iron Man re-unites the team to try and avenge his friend and stop Red Skull’s army. In “The Avengers Protocol: Pt. 2,” M.O.D.O.K. and Red Skull steal Tony Stark’s armor, which forces the Avengers to put aside their differences and galvanize the team to stop the evil duo from destroying New York City.

At DisneyXD.com/Marvel, fans can take on the role of Hawkeye in the new side-scrolling action defense game, “Avengers Tower Assault.” Players can help the Avengers defend Stark Tower and an ancient powerful artifact from the oncoming hordes of Red Skull’s minions.

Monday, May 27
“The Avengers Protocol: Pt. 1″ and “The Avengers Protocol: Pt. 2″ episodes will be available on iTunes.

Friday, June 28
A special 2-minute preview of the premiere episode will air during the 8:30 p.m., ET/PT telecast of “Jessie” on Disney Channel.

Preview episodes are available on DisneyXD.com, WATCHDisneyXD.com and the WATCH Disney XD app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Additionally, verified WATCH Disney XD viewers will be able to watch the series premiere. WATCH Disney XD delivers a live feed of the network online and to mobile devices, as well as on demand episodes of popular shows.

Sunday, July 7
Series premiere (11:00 a.m., ET/PT) – In the episode “Ghost of a Chance,” the rookie Falcon stands alone to save his team and stop a full scale invasion of Earth after the Avengers fall victim to the body-swapping Space Phantoms.

At DisneyXD.com/Marvel, a second game will launch.

Starring are Adrian Pasdar (“Heroes”) as Iron Man/Tony Stark, Fred Tatasciore (“Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness”) reprising his role as Hulk/Bruce Banner, Roger Craig Smith (“Wreck-It Ralph”) as Captain America/Steve Rogers, Travis Willingham (“Shelf Life”) as Thor, Troy Baker (“Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man”) as Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Bumper Robinson (“The Game”) as Falcon/Sam Wilson and Laura Bailey (“The Super Hero Squad Show”) as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff.

The creative team consists of executive producers Alan Fine (“The Avengers,” “Iron Man,” “Thor”), Dan Buckley (“The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” “Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man”), Joe Quesada (“Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man”) and Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”); co-executive producers Stan Lee (“Spider-Man”), Eric Radomski (“Spawn,” “Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man”) and Man of Action Studios (“Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man,” “Ben 10″); and supervising producers Todd Casey (“Thundercats”), Cort Lane (“The Super Hero Squad Show”) and Eric Radomski (“Spawn,” “Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man”). “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble” is produced by Marvel Television and carries a TV-Y7-FV parental guideline.

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. For more information visit http://www.DisneyXD.com/

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit http://www.marvel.com/

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

2013-05-25T00:30:00.000-05:00

Coming to ABC TV this Fall!

Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) expert pilot and martial artist, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker); brilliant engineer and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). From Executive Producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”); Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” pilot co-writers (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”); Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”); and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville”) comes Marvel’s first TV series. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

Anime Viewing Schedule for May 25, 2013

2013-05-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Wood Dale Public Library

Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm

(Click on titles to view Video Previews)
10:15 - 11:05    Accel World 18-19
11:05 - 11:30    Rinne no Lagrange 14
11:30 - 12:20    Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 9-10
12:20 - 1:10      Red Data Girl 3-4
1:10 - 1:50        Club Meeting / Announcements
1:50 - 2:40    Sword Art Online 13-14
2:40 - 3:30        Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet 3-4
3:30 - 4:45    Attack on Titan 4-6

10:15 - 11:05 Accel World 18-19

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In the year 2046, Neuro-synchronization, a technology system that allows humans to manipulate their five senses, has become widespread where people can access the internet and enter virtual worlds. Haruyuki "Haru" Arita is a short, fat boy who due to constant bullying has low-self esteem. To escape the torment of real life, he logs-in to the school's virtual world network where he plays squash alone and always gets the highest score. One day Haru attracts the attention of the Student Council Vice-President Kuroyukihime who offers him Brain Burst, a secret program which allows a person to make time appear to stand still in their surroundings by "accelerating" their brainwaves in the real world. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how many times a person can accelerate due to Brain Burst points and the primary way to get more points is to fight and defeat other Brain Burst users in the program's virtual reality massive multiplayer online (VRMMO) fighting game. However, if a user loses all of his/her points the Brain Burst program will uninstall itself and block all re-installation attempts, thus permanently removing the user's ability to accelerate. Kuroyukihime wants Haru's help as she wishes to reach Level 10 and meet the creator of Brain Burst to learn its true purpose. But in order to do that, she must defeat five other Level 9 users who just so happen to be "The Six Kings of Pure Color", the leaders of the six most powerful factions in the Brain Burst world. For helping him, Haru agrees to help Kuroyukihime not only to repay her but to overcome his weaknesses.

Episode 18 "Invitation": Over in Okinawa, Kuroyukihime is on her school trip with her friend Megumi. As the two go souvenir shopping for each other, Kuroyukihime is approached by two local Burst Linkers, Ruka Asato (Lagoon Dolphin) and Mana Itosu (Coral Merrow), who ask her to help their master fight against a monster that is plaguing their community within the Accelerated World. The discussion causes Kuroyukihime to lose track of time and forget to buy Megumi a present, which upsets her. Kuroyukihime apologizes to Megumi by telling her that, since discovering Brain Burst seven years ago, she is the one who kept her tied to the real world. The next day, Kuroyukihime enters the Unlimited Field with Ruka and Mana to meet up with their master, who turns out to be an old acquaintance of Black Lotus's.
Episode 19 "Revolution": Black Lotus is reunited with Crimson Kingbolt, aka "Crikin", a Burst Linker who moved from Tokyo to Okinawa after his parents divorced. Just then, they are surprised by the mysterious threat, revealed to be a Burst Linker named Sulfur Pot, who has the power to tame "enemies". When it is mentioned that Sulfur Pot doesn't appear on the challenge list, Black Lotus realizes that he's from Tokyo, using a backdoor program to dive into Okinawa. As they fight, in the real world, Megumi finds Kuroyukihime, Ruka and Mana's bodies slumbering while linked up. As she reaches to disconnect Kuroyukihime, she sees a vision of her younger self, urging her not to do it. Megumi then spots a spare cable and plugs into the Unlimited Field. Her avatar, Orchid Oracle, causes a landscape transition to the ocean phase and disappears, giving Black Lotus and her allies an advantage against Sulfur Pot. After severing control of his mount, the enemy then devours him. Crimson Kingbolt then gives Black Lotus the enhanced armament that Sulfur Pot used to control the enemy, figuring she may use it one day. As Kuroyukihime departs Okinawa, Ruka and Mana see her off. Crimson Kingbolt then sends her a message informing her that the trail on Sulfur Pot has gone cold. Kuroyukihime can then only wonder about the mysterious faction Sulfur Pot belongs to. It is then revealed that Kuroyukihime did indeed get a present for Megumi, the latter of whom attributes the events of the Unlimited Field as a dream.

11:05 - 11:30 Rinne no Lagrange 14

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Madoka Kyouno, a schoolgirl from Kamogawa, is the sole member of the Jersey Club and always ready to help others out. One day, she is approached by an alien named Lan who asks her to pilot a robotic aircraft to defend mankind against an evil force.

Episode 14 "Welcome Home, Kamogawa": A year following the events of the last season, Madoka contemplates her career options whilst Lan is on a space station being experimented on by her brother, Dizelmine. Just then, the station is attacked by the De Metrio army, led by Muginami, forcing Lan and the Le Garite army to retreat. The next day, as Pharos appears in Kamogawa again for an intergalactic conference, Madoka finally reunites with Lan, who takes her to Pharos asking her to pilot Midori again. As Muginami is seen approaching Pharos, intending to stop Madoka from piloting Midori, Lan engages her in battle, believing she intends to kill Madoka. As Madoka objects to the fighting, she manages to get Midori working again and enters the fray.

11:30 - 12:20 Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 9-10

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Yūta Togashi is a boy who, during junior high school, had 'adolescent delusions' (中二病 chūnibyō, lit. "junior high school second grade illness"), believing that he possesses supernatural powers and dubbing himself the 'Dark Flame Master,' therefore alienating himself from his classmates. Finding his past embarrassing, Yūta attempts to start off high school where he does not know anyone, free from his old delusions. This proves to be difficult, however, as a delusional girl in his class, Rikka Takanashi, learns of Yūta's past and becomes interested in him. As the plot progreses Rikka becomes more attached to Yūta, who despite finding her delusions irritating and embarrassing, accepts her. He helps Rikka with a number of things, including founding and maintaining her club and tutoring her. When he joins her on her summer vacation, Yūta learns that when Rikka was very young her father, whom she was very close to, died unexpectedly due to a terminal illness, causing her to fall into her delusions. After Yūta agrees to help Rikka search for the 'Ethereal Horizon' (不可視境界線 Fukashi Kyōkaisen), which she believes will lead her to her father, she becomes romantically interested in him and vice versa.

Episode 9 "The Chaos of... a Chaotic Heart": Wanting the club to actually do something for the culture festival, Shinka decides to put on a performance starring Yūta and Rikka, who haven't spoken to each other since the night they came back from the summer trip. As Yūta worries that Rikka is still troubled over what happened, Rikka simply assumes Yūta is possessed by some evil force and recruits Sanae to perform a ritual on him which he naturally sees through. Meanwhile, Shinka deduces that Rikka is actually in love with Yūta and tries to get her to understand her own feelings and confess to him. After various failed attempts to confess her feelings, Rikka almosts slides off the school roof but is rescued by Yūta, whom she embraces.
Episode 10 "The Holy Mother's... Pandora's Box": As Rikka mentions her feelings for Yūta to Sanae, Yūta also asks Makoto for advice on confessing to Rikka. Afterwards, Yūta and Rikka try to work up the courage to confess to each other and, after some initial awkwardness, Rikka manages to confess first. Afterwards, Tōka reveals to Yūta that she will be doing restaurant training in Italy, meaning Rikka will be looked after by her mother, who was largely ignored by her following her father's death. To this end, Tōka asks Yūta to help Rikka grow out of her chūnibyō phase so she can get along with her mother. After running into Rikka's mother at the culture festival the next day, Yuta ends up telling Rikka to remove her eyepatch, which doesn't settle well with her. During the afterparty, Rikka gets on stage and performs a song her father liked, before taking off her eyepatch to reveal she is no longer wearing her contact.

12:20 - 1:10 Red Data Girl 3-4

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] The story revolves around Izumiko Suzuhara, a 15-year old girl who has been raised at Tamakura Shrine, part of the Kumano Shrines World Heritage Site. She destroys any electrical device that she comes into contact with. Despite being shy, she wants to try living in the city. Her guardian Yukimasa Sagara recommends that she enroll at Hōjō High School in Tokyo, accompanied by his son and Izumiko's childhood friend Miyuki Sagara. While in Tokyo, an entity named "Himegami" appears. Izumiko learns that she is a yorishiro, a vessel for a shinto spirit known as a kami, while Miyuki learns that he is a yamabushi, a warrior tasked with protecting her.

Episode 3 and 4: Izumiko eats lunch with Mayura and her brother Manatsu. She learns from Mayura that she and her brother aren't twins but part of a set of triplets, and that her other brother Masumi died when they were little. Later on, when she is with Miyuki, Izumiko meets the schools top student Takayanagi Ichijō whom Miyuki dislikes greatly. While preparing for school the next day Mayura decides to change her hairstyle while Izumiko decides not to wear the glasses that her mother gave to her. After the opening ceremony, Izumiko heads to class with Manatsu. She begins shaking with fear when she sees that Ricardo, an exchange student, is covered in a black aura. She realizes that her mother gave her the glasses so that she would be unable to see such things. When she sees Ricardo again after class, two students come up to her and give her the password to a website Takayanagi created that tells your fortune. In her classroom, Ricardo approaches Izumiko and asks her to meet him after school and she agrees if only to get him to leave her alone. She immediately runs to tell Miyuki, dropping the password given to her earlier in the process. Izumiko ends up meeting Ricardo and Takayanagi who question how she figured out what Ricardo was. Miyuki comes to Izumiko's rescue and shoots Ricardo turning him to ash. Takanagi confirms that he knows who they are and tells Miyuki that they aren't even in his league. After Takayanagi leaves, Mayura enters the room and congratulates Izumiko on being the first to identify one of Takayanagi's spirit agents. Mayura identifies herself as a monk and she and Miyuki both agree that they don't like Takayanagi being on top. Mayura then questions Izumiko about the password she dropped. They go to the computer lab and log in to the site and immediately after the computer explodes cutting Mayura's face and arms. When she comes back to her room from the hospital Manatsu comes in through their window and berates his sister for being careless. They then summon Masumi so that they can get payback against Takayanagi.

1:10 - 1:50 Club Meeting / Announcements

- Convention Announcements
- Anime Central Coverage
- Animation News from around the world
- Cosplayers/Skits/Masquerade
- Anime Music Videos
- And other weird, interesting stuff...

1:50 - 2:40 Sword Art Online 13-14

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In the year 2022, the Virtual reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) Sword Art Online (SAO) is released. With the Nerve Gear, a virtual reality Helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds. On November 6, 2022, all the players log in for the first time, and discover that they are unable to log out. They are then teleported to a place where Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of SAO, issues them a challenge; if they wish to be free and log out of the game, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if their avatars die in game, their bodies will also die in the real world. The story follows Kirito, a skilled player who is determined to beat the game. As the game progresses Kirito eventually befriends a female player called Asuna who becomes his partner and lover. After the duo discovers the identity of Kayaba's avatar in SAO, the couple confronts and defeats him, freeing themselves and the other players from the game. Upon returning to the real world, Kirito learns that Asuna is trapped along a small group of SAO players against their will in another VRMMORPG called Alfheim Online (ALO) as a part of a plan devised by Nobuyuki Sugō with the intention of brainwashing Asuna and marry her in an attempt to take over her family's company. Helped by old friends from his time in SAO along new allies, Kirito manages to thwart Nobuyuki's plans and finally reunite with Asuna in the real world. Soon after, Kirito embarks in another VRMMORPG called Gun Gale Online (GGO) to investigate the mysterious connection between the game and deaths ocurring in the real world. He eventually discovers that the cuplrits behind the deaths include former members of a murderous guild he has previously confronted in SAO. After solving the murders in GGO, Kirito is recruited to assist in the development of a state-of-the-art game interface far more realistic and complex than those of the games he had previously played, but he eventually gets trapped in a game called UnderWorld (UW) where the flow of time is thousands of times faster than in the real world and is currently finding a way back to reality.

Episode 13 "The Depths of Hell": While fishing near a lake, Kirito encounters Nishida, an old man and former network security manager for Argus, the company that made SAO, who oversaw the game's development. He remarks that despite honing his fisherman skill, he is unable to cook delicious dishes with what he catches. Kirito then invites him to his home for Asuna to cook the fish he just caught for them. During their meal, Nishida mentions a huge fish he tried to catch many times but failed, and he asks Kirito to help him. Later, Nishida manages to hook the fish and passes the rod to Kirito to pull it away. The fish is revealed to be a huge monster which Asuna slays. Soon after, Kirito receives a summons from Heathcliff. Kirito and Asuna leave to meet up with him at the Knights of Blood headquarters, where they learn that a scouting party had been trapped and killed in the 75th level's boss room. A team of players from several guilds, including Kirito and Asuna, is being assembled to fight the boss. Fearing for her safety, Kirito asks Asuna to stay behind, but Asuna refuses, declaring that she would rather die than live without him. She also surmises that all players' real bodies must be currently undergoing treatment in hospitals and that their condition cannot be preserved indefinitely. Therefore, simply fleeing to live by themselves in the game is not an option. Later, when the players enter the boss room, they are confronted by the Skull Reaper, a ferocious, skeletal monster capable of killing players in one blow. Kirito, Asuna and Heathcliff battle the creature head on, while the other players flank it.
Episode 14 "The End of the World": After the group defeats the Skull Reaper, suffering 14 casualties in the battle, Kirito deduces that Heathcliff is, in fact, Akihiko Kayaba himself. Akihiko paralyses everyone except Kirito, and he then offers Kirito the chance to face him in a one-on-one duel where, should Kirito win, Akihiko would log out all the remaining players. After giving his best wishes to the others, Kirito accepts the challenge but is unable to overcome Akihiko's absolute defense and intimate understanding of the game's mechanics. As Akihiko readies the finishing blow, Asuna overcomes her paralysis and takes the hit instead, losing all her HP and disappearing as a result. Distraught by Asuna's death, Kirito loses the will to fight and receives a fatal stab from Akihiko. However, at the point of death, Kirito remembers Asuna's belief in him and re-materializes to defeat Akihiko using Asuna's sword. They are both killed simultaneously and the game is declared cleared on November 7, 2024. Kirito then awakens high above the game world, where he finds both Asuna and Akihiko. Akihiko informs Kirito and Asuna that he has logged out all the other players as promised, and he also explains his motives for creating Sword Art Online before disappearing. Kirito and Asuna then tell one another their real names, Kazuto Kirigaya and Asuna Yūki, and embrace each other as the world falls apart. To his surprise, Kazuto awakens in a hospital in the real world and, despite being physically weak, he sets off to search for the real Asuna.

2:40 - 3:30 Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet 3-4

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In the distant future, mankind has taken to the stars and formed the Galactic Alliance of Humankind. The Alliance is currently engaged in a genocidal war with a plant-like alien species called the Hideauze. 16-year-old Ensign Ledo is a soldier for the Galactic Alliance, piloting a Machine Caliber, an AI-automated, humanoid-shaped battle suit, which he refers to as 'Chamber'. After a failed attempt by the Alliance forces to destroy an enemy super-weapon, Ledo is knocked into a wormhole and loses consciousness. When he awakens, he learns from Chamber that he has been in cryo-stasis for 6 months while his wounds were healing. Ledo learns that he and Chamber have been 'found' by a rag-tag band of 'primitive' human scavengers. Escaping, Ledo quickly discovers that he is on board a massive floating ship on an ocean covered planet. Chamber tells him that local star charts reveal the planet is Earth, the birth-place of humanity, a place members of the Alliance only knew of in stories and believed was a myth.
Episode 1 "The Vile Empress": Amy gets angry at Ledo for killing the pirates and the leaders of Gargantia discuss about the eventual retaliation they may suffer from them. Meanwhile, a survivor of Ledo's attack informs the pirate leader Lukkage about it and she decides to launch an attack on the Gargantia. Bellows brings Amy to talk with Ledo, and they explain to him that weapons must be used only as a last resort, as in their world, people must rely on each other to survive. After Amy reconciles with Ledo, a large pirate fleet led by Lukkage is seen approaching the Gargantia. Ledo discuss with Ridget about the situation and agrees to help them once more, in exchange for being accepted aboard the fleet. Instructed to defeat the enemies with no casualties, Ledo disables the pirate ships in the front lines and returns to the Gargantia to deal with a sneak attack led by Lukkage herself, piloting her custom Yunboro, the "Lobster". Ledo confronts Lukkage and defeats her with ease, forcing the pirates to flee. Upon being saluted by the crew of the Gargantia, Ledo is greeted by Amy and replies with the first native words he learned: "Thank You".
Episode 2 "The Flute of Remembrance": Despite having driven away the pirates, Ledo receives an invoice to pay for all the damage caused by him/Chamber, although Ridget claims that he shall be relieved from the living expenses and the fee of having Chamber aboard for his help. While Chamber helps the other workers, Ledo keeps sculpting the Hideauze claw he always carry with him, and when Amy asks him about it, he gives it to her, and she decides to pass it to her little brother Bevel. With Ledo asking for more information about his whereabouts, Amy decides to take him to Dr. Oldham, who explains to him that most of mankind's old technology is lost, thus there is no way for the Gargantia to help him return to space. Some time later, it starts raining, and Ledo helps collecting rainwater to replenish the ship's fresh water supply. Amy takes Ledo to meet Bevel, who asks him about his life in space and the object he was carving. Ledo claims to not know what it really is and upon realizing that it is actually a flute, Bevel plays it, helping Ledo to recall a long forgotten memory that made him cry. He then asks Bevel to return the flute to him, and wonders if he should learn more about their surroundings, while Chamber mentions that he must eventually leave it all behind when returning to his unit.

3:30 - 4:45 Attack on Titan 4-6

Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In an alternative, middle-ages setup, the human population is dwindling in numbers. With the advent of Titans, giant humanoid creatures that attack and devour any human on sight, what remains of civilization is protected by three concentric walls, hundreds of kilometers long and around fifty meters tall, called Wall Maria (the outermost wall), Wall Rose and Wall Sina (the innermost wall housing the capital). All efforts to expand the human territory beyond the walls have failed so far, but the citizens inside remained safe for a hundred years, until two unusual Titans, a colossal one, sixty meter tall and another one, covered with a hardened shell, break through Wall Maria, bringing the other Titans inside, forcing mankind to once again face its greatest threat to ensure its survival. The series follows the story of Eren Jeager, a young boy whose father disappears after his mother is killed during the fall of Wall Maria. Years later he enlists into the army, accompanied by his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and their childhood friend Armin Arlelt. When the Titans threaten to break further through Wall Rose, Eren discovers that he possesses the ability to temporarily transform himself into a Titan. Seen as a threat by some, and a ray of hope by others, Eren joins his companions in a war to protect what still remains of mankind, making use of his newfound power while looking for answers to the mysteries surrounding the Titans, the walls, and his own existence.
Episode 4 "Night of the Graduation Ceremony: Mankind's Comeback, Part 2": Five years since Wall Maria fell, the time for the recruits' graduation approaches. While training in hand-to-hand combat with Reiner and Annie Leonhart, Eren learns the contradiction that many among his peers are just honing their abilities to earn a place in the Military Police and avoid confronting the Titans at all. Jean claims that confronting the Titans is pointless, as mankind has never won a battle against them. Despite this, Eren remains dead set on joining the Recon Corps. On the day of graduation, Krista, Sasha, Connie Springer, Marco Bott, Jean, Eren, Annie, Bertholt, Reiner and Mikasa become the top ten recruits of their class. Despite the fact that the top ten are allowed to join the Military Police, Eren joins the Recon Corps as he always intended with Armin and Mikasa to watch over him. Later Sasha, Connie and some of the other recruits follow their example and join the Recon Corps as well, after being inspired by Eren's speech to have mankind freed of the Titans. They are assigned to the District of Trost, one of the cities near Wall Rose, and are taken by surprise when the Colossal Titan appears before them and breaks through the gate, leaving the city unprotected. Once Eren regains his composure, he takes command and orders a counterattack, climbing back to the top of the wall to have his revenge against the Titan.
Episode 5 "First Battle: Battle of Trost District, Part 1": As Eren attacks the Colossal Titan, it destroys the wall's cannons, making Eren realize it is intelligent. As Eren makes to attack its vital point, it vanishes in the steam. The Army scrambles to evacuate the people of Trost and set up defenses before the Titans enter the city, Eren calms Armin and Jean who both start having nervous breakdowns due to the approaching Titans. Mikasa and Eren are assigned by the Army to different squads with Mikasa's squad assigned to help the evacuation while Eren and Armin's squad are to provide backup at the front lines. Despite Mikasa's protest of wanting to stay and protect Eren, he convinces her to do her duty after promising her he will not die. With the Titans now in the city, Eren recalls his lessons that to kill a Titan, they must strike the nape of their necks. As Eren's 34th squad attack, one by one his comrades are killed or eaten by the Titans with Eren himself losing his left leg. Armin, paralyzed with fear upon seeing his comrades fate, is picked up by a Titan and almost swallowed. As Eren recalls his past of him and Armin wishing to see the world outside the walls, he manages to drag and toss Armin out of the Titan's mouth before he is completely swallowed. Armin tries to help Eren, but the Titan closes its jaw and eats Eren, much to his horror.
Episode 6 "The World She Saw: Battle of Trost District, Part 2": Armin awakens to find himself surrounded by Connie, Ymir and Krista's squad. When Armin breaks down into tears after Connie asks what happened to his squad, Ymir correctly deducees that they all died. As Armin heads back to the rear guard, he blames himself for being weak in not saving Eren. Meanwhile, a greedy merchant tries to force his cargo into the city's exit gate and refuses to allow the refugees to go first. As the crowd grows impatient, a lone Titan starts approaching but is killed by Mikasa at the last second. When she realizes the merchant is the cause of the hold-up at the gate, she threatens him to move his cargo for the refugees. As she is thanked by a mother and daughter, Mikasa starts to reminiscence her past. In the year 844, a year before Wall Maria fell, Mikasa and her mother were targeted by slave traders. The slavers kills her father and accidentally kill her pureblood mother. As Dr. Grisha and Eren discover Mikasa's parents' bodies at her home, Grisha orders Eren to return home. Instead, Eren tracks down the slavers to a nearby hut and kills two of them in an attempt to save Mikasa. However, the third slaver shows up and strangles Eren, who tells Mikasa to kill the man if she wants to live, which she does after obtaining resolve. Eventually, Grisha scolds Eren's recklessness. As Mikasa laments that she has nowhere left to go home, she is invited by the Jaegers to live with them and Eren gives Mikasa his red scarf. Back in the present, Mikasa slays more Titans and goes to help the other squads evacuate.

Next Club Meeting is this Saturday, May 25, 2013

2013-05-23T00:30:00.001-05:00

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Wood Dale Public Library

520 N. Wood Dale Road

Wood Dale, IL 60191

Main Meeting Room

Saturday, May 25, 2013

10:15 AM - 5:00 PM

Map
Public Transit Options

Our next club meeting will be at the Wood Dale Public Library,
Main Meeting Room (on your right as you enter the front doors),
on May 25, 2013, from 10:15 AM to 5:00 PM
(until the library closes).

There is public transportation available.
A Metra train-stop is located within walking distance.

Please note: If you are driving, please park your car
on the south side of the building (not the front) in order to
make room for other library patrons.

A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.

Hope to see you all there!

(Click below for maps)

Building Map

Regional Map

Local Map

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

2013-05-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
New Action RPG Game Available May 22, 2013

About the Game
Put on your wide-brimmed hat, grab your weapons and embark on an incredible adventure in the gothic-noir world of Borgovia, where mad science threatens the fragile peace between monster and mortal. Be Van Helsing, monster-hunter extraordinaire and save the day with your charming and beautiful companion, Lady Katarina (who happens to be a ghost, by the way). Explore the savage wilderness in the mountains and the soot-stained brick districts of a grim metropolis twisted by weird science, and don’t forget: you might never know who the real monsters are!
Main Features:
Enter a memorable gothic-noir universe filled with monsters, magic and weird science.
Play through a refreshingly unique story, spiced up with wry humor and snappy dialogue.
Fight fierce battles against supernatural foes with diverse skills and abilities.
Use the special abilities and tailor the skills of your remarkable follower.
Customize your character through a detailed level-up system where you decide which skills and abilities you’ll need for the hunt.
Modify your skills on the spot with a unique power-up system.
Learn the secrets of mystical alchemy and forge powerful items.
Build and develop your hideout and place traps to defend it from waves of terrible monsters.
Gather the members of the Resistance and decorate the hunter’s lair with valuable trophies.
Become the greatest monster slayer of all time while playing a co-operative multiplayer monster hunt up to four players.

“My Neighbor Totoro” on Blu-ray

2013-05-21T00:30:00.003-05:00

Coming May 21, 2013

Spectacular 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack
Available May 21, 2013

Disney proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of “My Neighbor Totoro,” the acclaimed Studio Ghibli film about the magic of friendship and sisterhood from Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Best Animated Feature, 2002, ”Spirited Away”) – with the film’s Blu-ray debut on May 21, 2013.

Arriving for the first time on Disney Blu-ray with a spectacular new HD digital transfer, perfect picture and sound, the highly-anticipated release of “My Neighbor Totoro” features the fantastic voice talents of Timothy Daly, Lea Salonga and real-life sisters Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning.

Lauded as “one of the most beloved of all family films” by critic Roger Ebert, “My Neighbor Totoro” is the heartwarming story of sisters Satsuki (voiced by Dakota Fanning) and Mei (voiced by Elle Fanning). Much to their delight, when Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei move into a new home in the countryside, they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro—who can be seen only through the eyes of children. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters—including a catbus—and takes them on an incredible journey.

Cast:
Timothy Daly (TV’s “Private Practice”) as the voice of Father
Dakota Fanning (“Twilight”) as the voice of Satsuki
Elle Fanning (“Super 8”) as the voice of Mei
Lea Salonga (“Mulan”) as the voice of Mother

Writer, Director: Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Ponyo”)

Bonus Features: Original Japanese Storyboards
Behind the Studio

Creating “My Neighbor Totoro”
Creating the Characters
The Totoro Experience
Producer’s Perspective: Creating Ghibli
The Locations of Totoro
Scoring Miyazaki

Original Japanese Trailer
Behind the Microphone

Street Date: May 21, 2013
Direct Prebook: 3/26/13
Distributor Prebook: 4/9/13

Rating: G in U.S. and Canada
Bonus material is not rated

Feature Run Time: Approx. 88 minutes

Suggested Retail Prices: 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) =
$39.99 U.S. and $46.99 Canada

Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: Widescreen 1.85:1
DVD: Widescreen 1.85:1

Sound, Languages
and Subtitles: Blu-ray: English 2.0 Dolby Digital
French 2.0 Dolby Digital
Japanese 2.0 Dolby Digital
English, English SDH and French subtitles

DVD: English 2.0 Dolby Digital
French 2.0 Dolby Digital
Japanese 2.0 Dolby Digital
English, English SDH and French subtitles

“Howl’s Moving Castle” on Blu-ray

2013-05-21T00:29:00.000-05:00

Coming May 21, 2013

Acclaimed Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s Unforgettable Adventure
Debuts for the First Time in High Definition
on Blu-ray Combo Pack May 21, 2013!

Disney and Studio Ghibli proudly present Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki’s (Best Animated Feature, 2002, “Spirited Away”) unforgettable animated adventure “Howl’s Moving Castle” in high definition, on Blu-ray for the first time ever — on May 21, 2013.

The fantastic new Blu-ray Combo Pack release lets “Howl’s Moving Castle” soar like never before with a breathtaking new HD digital transfer of the fantastic animated adventure that celebrates the power of love and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Brimming with a blend of imagination, humor, action and romance, “Howl’s Moving Castle” is the story of Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), a diligent teenage girl working in her family’s hat shop, who finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome-but-mysterious wizard named Howl (voiced by Christian Bale). The innocent encounter engages the vain and conniving “Witch of the Waste” (voiced by Lauren Bacall), who transforms Sophie into a 90-year old woman (voiced by Jean Simmons). Sophie’s efforts to break the curse bring her to Howl’s magical moving castle, where she befriends Markl (voiced by Josh Hutcherson), Howl’s apprentice, and the hot-headed fire demon Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal). Her love and support have a major impact on Howl, who can be maddeningly self-indulgent and singularly noble as he defies royal orders to participate in a meaningless war and risks his life to protect Sophie.

Cast:

Jean Simmons (“Spartacus”) as the voice of Grandma Sophie
Christian Bale (“The Dark Knight” trilogy) as the voice of Howl
Lauren Bacall (“The Big Sleep”) as the voice of Witch of the Waste
Blythe Danner (“Meet the Parents”) as the voice of Madam Suliman
Emily Mortimer (“Cars 2”) as the voice of Sophie
Josh Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games”) as the voice of Markl
Billy Crystal (“Monsters, Inc.”) as the voice of Calcifer

Director: Hayao Miyazaki (“My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”)

Producer: Toshio Suzuki (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo,” “The Secret World of Arrietty”)

Bonus Features: Behind the Microphone
Interview with Pixar Animation Studios Director, Pete Docter
Hello Mr. Lasseter: Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar Animation Studios
Original Japanese TV Spots and Trailers
Original Japanese Storyboards

Street Date: May 21, 2013
Direct Prebook: 3/26/13
Distributor Prebook: 4/9/13

Rating: PG in U.S. and Canada
Bonus Material not rated

Feature Run Time: Approx. 119 minutes

Suggested Retail Prices: 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD)
$39.99 U.S. and $46.99 Canada

Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: Widescreen 1.85:1
DVD: Widescreen 1.85:1

Sound, Languages
and Subtitles: Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
English, English SDH and French subtitles

DVD: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital
English, English SDH and French subtitles

Anime Central 2013 - SUNDAY

2013-05-20T00:30:00.001-05:00

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Anime Central 2013 - SATURDAY

2013-05-19T00:30:00.001-05:00

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Anime Central 2013 - FRIDAY

2013-05-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

Friday, May 17, 2013

First Music Video Recorded in SPACE

2013-05-17T00:30:00.001-05:00

Astronaut Sings Bowie's "Space Oddity"

on board the International Space Station

[Source: Blastr] As Cmdr. Chris Hadfield prepares to take his final bow and exit the outer-space stage that is the International Space Station, he gives us one last encore.
There's already no shortage of reasons to love Cmdr. Hadfield. His raw charisma has reignited the world's interest in space exploration. He even managed to grab the attention of both Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock. But his time is running out, and, before he returns to the womb of Mother Earth, he has one last video message to impart, which also doubles as the first music video to be recorded in space.

Somehow, deep down, we always knew the first-ever intergalactic music video would involve David Bowie. We're glad we were right, and we're thankful it was Hadfield who made it happen.
Safe travels home, commander.

Anime Central is this Weekend!

2013-05-16T00:40:00.000-05:00

May 17-19, 2013,

Rosemont, IL

Hyatt Regency O'Hare

Stay Tuned for UPDATES!

Don't miss the biggest anime event in the Midwest
or end up like this...

"I can't believe I missed the con! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

Captain Harlock - English Trailer

2013-05-16T00:32:00.000-05:00

CG Animated Film Coming this Fall!

Appleseed's Shinji Aramaki is back at it again, this time tackling anime icon Captain Harlock.

Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien. In his own words, he "fights for no one's sake... only for something deep in his heart". He does not fear death, and is sometimes seen wearing clothing with the number 42 on it. In Japanese culture, the number 42 is associated with death (the numbers, pronounced separately as "four two", sound like the words "shi ni"—meaning "to death").

In the future, Mankind has achieved a vast starfaring civilization, but is slowly and steadily succumbing to ennui or despair, often due to defeat and subjugation by a foreign invader. Rising against the general apathy, Harlock denies defeat and leads an outlaw crew aboard his starship Arcadia to undertake daring raids against Earth's oppressors. Their primary oppressors are the Mazone, a race of organic plant-based alien women who explored Earth in the mythic past and are now back to reclaim it.

Get ARISE from this New GitS Trailer

2013-05-15T00:30:00.001-05:00

"Ghost in the Shell: ARISE"

The full 90-second trailer for the first installment, "border:1 Ghost Pain," premiered on Saturday.

The story is set in 2027, one year after the end of the fourth non-nuclear war. New Port City is still reeling from the war's aftermath when it suffers a bombing caused by a self-propelled mine. Then, a military member implicated in arms-dealing bribes is gunned down.

During the investigation, Public Security Section's Daisuke Aramaki encounters Motoko Kusanagi, the cyborg, wizard-level hacker assigned to the military's 501st Secret Unit. Batou, a man with the "eye that does not sleep," suspects that Kusanagi is the one behind the bombing. The Niihama Prefectural Police detective Togusa is pursuing his own dual cases of the shooting death and a prostitute's murder. Motoko herself is being watched by the 501st Secret Unit's head Kurutsu and cyborg agents.

In addition to the new trailer, the anime's website posted a character relationship chart and published a comment from "salyu x salyu," the performer of the first volume's ending theme song.

The Ghost in the Shell Arise anime, which consists of four 50-minute parts, will premiere in Japanese theaters on June 22, and will then be available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD at retail on July 26.

Katsuhiro Otomo's new anime: SHORT PEACE

2013-05-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

An omnibus of four shorts by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Memories, Steamboy) and other leading anime creators.

The four shorts are:

"Combustible" ("Hi-no-youjin")
Screenplay, Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Character Design, Visual Concept: Hidekazu Ohara (Memories' Cannon Fodder)
Music: Makoto Kubota

"Tsukumo"
Screenplay, Director: Shuhei Morita (Kakurenbo, Freedom)
Original Story Concept, Conceptual Design: Keisuke Kishi

"Gambo"
Director: Hiroaki Ando (Five Numbers!)
Original Story Concept, Screenplay, Creative Director: Katsuhito Ishii (Redline, Funky Forest: The First Contact, Taste of Tea)
Character Design: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion, .hack, Summer Wars)

"Buki yo Saraba" (A Farewell to Arms)
Original Story: Katsuhiro Otomo
Screenplay, Director: Hajime Katoki (mechanical designs in Gundam franchise, Super Robot Wars)
Character Design: Tatsuyuki Tanaka (Tojin Kit)

In addition, Koji Morimoto (The Animatrix's Beyond, Memories' Magnetic Rose, Noiseman Sound Insect, Genius Party's Dimension Bomb) contributed the film's opening animation.

Short Peace assembles "top creators at the leading edge of Japanese animation, exploring possible future avenues of expression." Short Peace is also the title of a collection of Otomo's manga shorts that was first published in the 1970s. Yasumasa Tsuchiya is producing the shorts at Sunrise.

"Combustible" already debuted in a preview screening in Japan last year, and the Annecy Film Festival in France presented both "Combustible" and "Tsukumo" as nominated works last June. "Combustible" also played at the Platform International Animation Festival in Los Angeles in October. The short won the Grand Prize in the Animation division of the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards and the Noburou Oofuji Award in the 67th Annual Mainichi Film Awards.

The omnibus film will open in Japan on July 20.

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Disney animates Marvel's BIG HERO 6

2013-05-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

Disney's first attempt at animating comic book heroes...

[Source: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY] Live-action Marvel Comics characters have been saving the day on the big screen, and now Disney is borrowing from the comics for a new animated action comedy. Big Hero 6 stars Hiro Hamada, a robotics genius who — along with his mechanical pal Baymax — joins a team of rookie crime fighters when a plot arises to decimate the high-tech metropolis of San Fransokyo. The computer-animated movie, which will be released in 3-D on Nov. 7, 2014, is inspired by the 1998 Marvel miniseries Sunfire & Big Hero 6 featuring Silver Samurai, Sunfire and a group of superpowered individuals who come together to save Tokyo. The film marks the first time that Walt Disney Animation Studios has made a movie with Marvel characters since Disney bought the comic-book publisher in 2009.

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Animated Version of "Man of Steel" Trailer

2013-05-12T00:30:00.000-05:00

Awesome trailer gets animated!

Fans have taken scenes from the Animated Superman series and spliced them together with the soundtrack from Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" trailer to create this inspiring piece of video.

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Kid's Version of Star Wars VII (with Puppets)

2013-05-11T00:30:00.000-05:00

Now Showing in Awesome 2D!!!!

With fresh excitement over the announcement of a new Star Wars movie, three children (and some, ahem, adults) set out to make a trailer for a possible Episode 7. Shooting in beautiful Los Angeles including famous Vasquez Rocks and supplementing with VFX and sounds inspired by Star Wars, this short teaser asks the question what a galaxy far, far away be like with Junior Jedi protecting it.

Winner - "Best Group Project" Premiered at Encino Charter Elementary School Movie Night on April 27, 2013.

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The Walking (And Talking) Dead

2013-05-10T00:30:00.001-05:00

A Bad Lip-Reading of the Walking Dead

ENDER'S GAME - Official Trailer

2013-05-09T00:30:00.000-05:00

Based on the best-selling, award-winning novel...
ENDER'S GAME

Set in Earth's future, an imperiled humankind that has barely survived two conflicts with the "Buggers", an insectoid alien species. In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world's most talented children, including the main protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room, where Ender's tactical genius is revealed.

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Ray Harryhausen dies at age 92

2013-05-08T00:30:00.000-05:00

Ray Harryhausen
(1920 - 2013)
"Special Effects Legend"

"Without his work, there never would have been a "Star Wars" or a "Jurassic Park,''
-Steven Spielberg

[Source: L.A. Times; by Dennis McLellan] Ray Harryhausen, the stop-motion animation legend whose work on "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," "Jason and the Argonauts" and other science fiction and fantasy film classics made him a cult figure who inspired later generations of filmmakers and special-effects artists, has died. He was 92.

Harryhausen died Tuesday in London, where he had lived for decades. His death was confirmed by Kenneth Kleinberg, his longtime legal representative in the United States.

In the pre-computer-generated-imagery era in which he worked, Harryhausen used the painstaking process of making slight adjustments to the position of his three-dimensional, ball-and-socket-jointed scale models and then shooting them frame-by-frame to create the illusion of movement. Footage of his exotic beasts and creatures was later often combined with live action.

Working with modest budgets and typically with only two or three assistants -- if any -- to keep costs down, Harryhausen created innumerable memorable big-screen moments.

In "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" (1953), a dinosaur thawed out by A-bomb testing in the Arctic goes on a Big Apple rampage in which it devours a New York cop before meeting its demise at Coney Island.

In "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963), the mythological hero Jason, played by Todd Armstrong, slays a seven-headed hydra guarding the Golden Fleece, then Jason and two of his men battle seven sword-wielding warrior skeletons that spring from the hydra's scattered teeth.

In "The Valley of Gwangi" (1969), a group of turn-of-the-20th-century cowboys on horseback attempt to lasso the movie title's namesake, a 14-foot Tyrannosaurus rex, to capture it for a Wild West show.

And who can forget the prehistoric flying reptile that scoops up and carries off Raquel Welch, clad in an animal-skin bikini, in "One Million Years BC" (1966)?

The fantasy world of Ray Harryhausen inspired Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron and many other filmmakers, some of whom have paid cinematic homage to the special-effects maestro.

In Pixar's 2001 animated feature "Monsters Inc.," a Monstropolis restaurant is named after Harryhausen.

Director Robert Rodriguez's "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams" included a Harryhausen-inspired multiple-skeleton swordfight and a closing-credit thank you to Harryhausen.

And Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode 2 -- Attack of the Clones" featured a gladiator-style scene, including two shots set up exactly like ones Harryhausen devised for his 1958 classic "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad."

"I had seen some other fantasy films before, but none of them had the sort of awe that the Ray Harryhausen movies had," Lucas said in "The Harryhausen Chronicles," a 1998 documentary written and directed by film critic and historian Richard Schickel.

In 1992, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Harryhausen with the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for technical achievement.

As part of a Hollywood contingent that wrote letters and donated money to get Harryhausen a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, Spielberg wrote: "Without Harryhausen's effects work over the last five decades, there never would have been a 'Star Wars' or a 'Jurassic Park.' His films continue to set our imagination on fire."

For Harryhausen, it all began with a giant gorilla named Kong.

Born in Los Angeles on June 29, 1920, Harryhausen was 13 when he saw "King Kong" during its run at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

"I haven't been the same since," he is repeatedly quoted as saying over the years.

Epic DREDD Fan-Film

2013-05-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

Based in the Judge Dredd universe

Last year’s Dredd film was great, but sadly, it was a box-office bomb. Luckily, with no sequel on the horizon, some fans have stepped in to fill the void. Enter: Judge Minty.
Based on the minor character from the 2000AD comic series, this fan film tells the story of an aging Judge forced to face his own weakness. After being injured on the job, Judge Minty is forced to take the long walk into the Cursed Earth.
It’s 27 minutes of pure, unadulterated awesomeness. The production values are quite high for a fan film, and the look falls somewhere just outside the budget of the recent big-screen adventure. It has a little too much gloss around the seams, but the FX are pretty solid.
The film is so good that the folks at 2000AD and publisher Rebellion have given it their blessing, and the creators are even planning some screenings at a few fan cons. Hey, we might not get a proper Dredd sequel, but this sure beats nothing.

Sneak Peak at Cancelled Clone Wars Episodes

2013-05-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

Clone Wars Special Preview

The beloved CGI series Star Wars: Clone Wars might’ve gotten the ax during Disney’s buyout of Lucasfilm, but there’s still a silver lining — there’s reportedly a near-season’s worth of content already produced and just waiting to find a way into the wild. Now we have our first look at those precious few remaining episodes.
IGN has a 2-plus-minute clip that follows Jedi Master Plo Koon and and a team of Clone Troopers as they investigate a pretty rough shuttle crash. In a show of sheer FX force, the entire search takes place in the middle of a massive sandstorm, which is a true sight to behold. If nothing else, we’re losing one of the most visually stunning shows on TV.
In case you’re wondering when the new episodes might make it to air, join the rest of us. Disney has remained mum on its plans for Clone Wars since pulling the plug, though the best guess would be a possible DVD release or online agreement (i.e. Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Prime) to burn off the remaining episodes.

Teaser for ENDER'S GAME Trailer

2013-05-05T00:30:00.000-05:00

The official trailer for Ender's Game premiers May 7.
Watch the Trailer Here

Today is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

2013-05-04T00:30:00.001-05:00

The First Saturday of May is Declared
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local comic book shop for their participation and rules.
Need a local comic shop to visit on May 4th? Use our "shop locator":
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/StoreLocator

[Source: Detroit News] When the doors open today for Free Comic Book Day, an annual event that's grown in stature from a few stores to some 2,000 worldwide, publishers and purveyors of tales of heroes and villains will court new readers who, despite the ease of digital displays, are making time for and spending money on comics printed on paper.

Retailers say the turnout and scope of the event, which began in 2002, is giving them and the industry a chance to tout their success by giving away 4.6 million comic books featuring everything from Superman to "The Walking Dead" to Gilbert Hernandez's "Marble Season.".

According to the Free Comic Book Day's website, participating Metro Detroit retailers include comic stores in West Bloomfield, Canton, Dearborn, Farmington, Clawson, Madison Heights, Warren, Ferndale, Rochester Hills, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, as well as Windsor. For a complete list, go to www.freecomicbookday.com.

It's also a chance to extol not just comics as an art-form, but as a nexus of pop culture, too, said Joe Field, who organized the first Free Comic Book Day in 2002 and has been its chief architect and No. 1 proponent ever since.

"That really is the crux of Free Comic Book Day, inviting people into these shops that are really social hubs for people who like anything that's going on in popular culture," he said this week.

It's also a time for the industry to tout its growth, in print and online.

Among print-based products, from magazines to books, comic book publishers big and small have been posting steady gains in sales and increases in issues.

John Jackson Miller, who tracks industry sales figures and estimates through his www.comichron.com website, said that sales of single-issue comic books were up nearly $60 million to $474.6 million in 2012.

That compared with $414 million in 2011 and $310.6 million in 2003.