Sep 8 2009 Some People Writing 'Akira'
It's been so long since first hearing of Leonardo DiCaprio's plan to produce a live-action remake of Akira, I was almost beginning to think he'd grown content with the perfectly satisfactory Akira movie that already exists. Alas, that's not the case. The thing is apparently still going ahead, and Collider is reporting the Children of Men screenwriters are at work on a script:
According to my source, screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, guys whose work I like, are about to turn in their version of an “Akira” movie and the reason why the project has been so quiet is they’ve been hard at work trying to get the script right.From what I could gather, the movie is still a priority for the studio, and if the script meets with approval from key people, the movie could go into production in 2010 with a release date in 2011. Also, this isn’t going to be some mid-range budget movie. If the film goes into production, it’s going to be one of those BIG event movies.
Well, I'm not thrilled this is still happening, but at least it's better than someone remaking a Disney or Pixar film. It's good to send Japan the clear message that it's only their animation we don't consider legitimate enough to exist solely as animation.
Aug 3 2009 New 'Ponyo' Trailer: Such Adorable Utter Madness
A new trailer for Ponyo has been released, and it's a good thing I know director Hayao Miyazaki is an animation genius, responsible for such greats as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, or this more-complete preview might have got me thinking the film--which centers on a fish-with-a-human-head becoming human, a giant woman under the sea, and water coming to life in the form of fish--was a tad insane. Actually, now that I described it, that's unquestionably insane. But, because it's a Miyazaki, it's probably also a charming masterpiece.
Continue Reading " New 'Ponyo' Trailer: Such Adorable Utter Madness "
Jun 24 2009 'Ponyo' Trailer: Aquaman Meets Multiple Man Meets Little Freaky Dude Meets Fish
Hiyao Miyazaki is the man responsible for such animated classics as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro, so he's no stranger to making freakish creatures seem endearing. This summer, he'll continue that tradition as he asks us to fall in love with a weird little sea monkey of a freak--a child-like, aquatic mutant apparently able to replicate itself and ride on magic fish--as we behold it's struggle to save this unbalanced world. I guess it's sort of an amphibious Jesus:
Continue Reading " 'Ponyo' Trailer: Aquaman Meets Multiple Man Meets Little Freaky Dude Meets Fish "
Mar 24 2009 Modern Warfare Just Got Both Cuter and More Horrific
I've seen most modern war films that have been considered graphic or controversial in their portrayals of violence. I've played one of those Call of Duty realistic combat simulation video games. But I have never found war as disturbing and morally questionable as I did watching this trailer for the anime Cat Shit One (perhaps you read the manga under its American title, Apocalypse Meow). It is truly unsettling. You haven't fully understood the horrors of Middle Eastern warfare until you've seen them through the eyes of a rabbit on its hind legs fighting an anthropomorphic camel:
Continue Reading " Modern Warfare Just Got Both Cuter and More Horrific "
Jan 29 2009 Miike's 'Yatterman' Preview, Premiere, Trailer, Dinosaur on a Disappearing Bridge
Hey, everyone going to New York Comic Con: I just realized that Takashi Miike, the director of great Japanese films like Audition and Happiness of the Katakuris, is one of the special guests. He'll be speaking and showing a 7-minute clip from his new film, Yatterman, February 6 at 4 PM, and tickets to the 8 PM premiere will be handed out at the Nikkatsu booth earlier in the day.
Why is this exciting?
1. Takashi Miike is pretty great.
2. This film involves giant robots, at least one dinosaur, and an overall feeling of madness.
Here's the trailer:
May 23 2008 'Batman: Gotham Knight' Trailer or Hypothetical Ways the Japanese Could Have Ruined Batman
This trailer for Batman: Gotham Knight doesn't contain anywhere near the number of giant Bat-mechs, oversized comic teardrops, or busty catgirl Robins I would have hoped for in a Batman-as-anime scenario. At least they remembered to give the superhero the malicious, horrid grin of the archetypical anime rapist character. I know where those Batarangs are going!
Feb 21 2008 DiCaprio, Gordon-Levitt Join Drastically-Altered 'Akira'
Weekly, when I write down a list of Leonardo DiCaprio's interests, it generally includes the same items: acting, the environment, supermodels, Martin Scorsese, never quite growing out of a scrunched baby face. Never would I have dreamed "anime" would make the list, particularly over "idiotic facial hair." But apparently it has, with Leo announcing plans to bring the classic '80s manga/anime Akira to the big screen, with himself in the lead as Kaneda and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tetsuo.
Of course, since the film will take place in Neo Manhattan instead of Neo Tokyo, the names will probably be changed to something moms can more easily pronounce. And since DiCaprio is in his mid-30s, the whole teenage thing will have to be altered a bit, maybe adding some references to mortgages. And with his views on environmentalism, the signature motorcycle will probably be changed to hybrid mass transit, or maybe a community-shared bicycle. But ignoring all of the massive changes, it sounds like it will be a very faithful adaptation that should please all of the original's rabid, obsessive fans.
Is this as bad an idea as I think it is? All I can remember from the anime is the constant screaming.
Feb 15 2008 'Batman: Gotham Knights' Preview
This preview to Batman: Gotham Knight--a collection of six anime-style Batman shorts--would be a lot more interesting if two-thirds of it wasn't spent explaining who Batman is. This fella's some sort of vigilante? You don't say! Dresses like a bat, too? Seems a bit far-fetched, but I'll give it a shot.
But despite the superfluous interviews, my general cynicism towards anime, and Bruce Wayne looking suspiciously like a wood nymph, I found myself surprisingly intrigued by this vision of the superhero. It has to be at least as good as Joel Schumacher's interpretation, right?
Nov 14 2007 Chatwin, Marsters Join 'Dragonball'
I still don't fully understand why they've decided to film the long, confusing amalgam of giant, angular hair, motion lines, and, more importantly, the constant screaming that is what I've seen of the Dragonball anime. But they are. And since they are, I have to say, they're doing a pretty decent job casting it.
For Goku, the lead protagonist, they've decided to go with Justin Chatwin, the annoying kid from War of the Worlds and The Invisible. From what I remember of Goku, he was either a man with a boyish face or a boy with a man-like body. Either way, it was easy to understand why the other characters were constantly trying to punch this man-child. It's impressive they were able to find that same quality in a real actor.
To play the villain Piccolo, director James Wong has chosen Buffy star James Marsters, an actor whose face naturally carries the necessary evil angularity. It will be interesting to see if they keep the character's signature white turban or if they decide to just sculpt Marsters bleached gel-chunks into something passable.
As I've said before, if they can make this into anything I can even loosely understand, it will already be a step above the pre-pubsecent Japanese mind explosion of the cartoon.
'Dragonball' comes to bigscreen [Variety]
Nov 12 2007 'Astro Boy' Concept Art
With this concept art for the Astro Boy, I'm not sure if I'm more annoyed they're deciding to make concept art at all (are the 50 years worth of manga not enough?) or that they're making such pathetic little changes. More metal stuff on the arm gun? F***ing brilliant. If anything, make him less naked, or at least do something that would distinguish him from a cyborg Big Boy.
AstroBoy Concept Art and Director Interview [FirstShowing]
Oct 3 2007 'Astroboy' Poster is Kind of Awesome
There's absolutely nothing funny about this awesome teaser poster for the big-screen adaptation of the Astroboy anime. Unless you pretend that's poo shooting of him! Ewwww, gross!
Astroboy Poster [Latino Review]
Oct 2 2007 James Wong Translating 'Dragon Ball Z' to Something I Can Understand?
I probably had my first real taste of Dragon Ball Z about ten years ago. Flipping through channels, I stopped on the image of a squat male of indeterminable age with a four-foot bush of yellow hair. Though it looked ridiculous, it seemed like I recalled the animated character from the shiny, button-up shirts of pudgy adolescents, so I gave it a shot. What followed was like a pre-pubescent Japanese boy's mind exploded on acid and materialized on my screen.
It's a bit fuzzy now, but what I recall was essentially one long, nonsensical battle inter-cut with some other guys traveling and eventually battling in a similar fashion. And when I say 'battle,' I use the term in the loosest sense; it seems like more of the time was spent charging some kind of power, jumping/flying, screaming, or some combination of the three. The characters competing in this way bore no resemblance to anything I ever have or could relate to. One was like a green alien lizard dressed like a sheik, another guy had a monkey tail and rode a sentient cloud--I honestly had no idea what was going on, yet before I knew it it was over. It seemed like no progress had been made towards any discernible goal, but a preview of next week's episode made it seem like we were covering some huge strides.
Anyway, CHUD is reporting that director James Wong will be bringing us a live-action version of this mess. Normally I'd be concerned that the director of Final Destination was being given such a huge project, but honestly, if he can bring even a semblance of reason to this thing, more power to him.
Above is a clip so you can see what I mean. Sorry I couldn't find any that didn't have Nickelback or something laid over them.
JAMES WONG HAS DRAGON BALLS [CHUD]
Sep 7 2007 Maguire Climbing in Robotech Suit
Tobey Maguire's Maguire Entertainment and Warner Bros. have picked up the right to anime classic Robotech and hope to bring it to screens with Maguire in the lead. After three big-budget Spider-Man films in the bag, the young actor is ready to return to those smaller, intimate, giant robot mech suits in outer space roles that gave him his start.
The move was spurred on by the recent success of the $311 million-grossing giant robot flick Transformers, as well as the long-held understanding that giant robots are really awesome.
Maguire, WB attack the big screen with 'Robotech' [Hollywood Reporter]
Apr 3 2007 Mom, Pops Racer Cast?
The Hollywood Reporter has informed me that Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are in talks to play Mom and Pops Racer in the Wachowski Brothers' adaptation of Speed Racer. If I remember correctly, Pops was a large, fatter guy while Mom was slender and fairly attractive. The casting seems somehow appropriate.
Mar 22 2007 Gatchaman Concept Art
While the Wachoswkis work to get Speed Racer across the checkered flag (by that I mean get completed, using a clever racing reference), the folks at Imagi at dutifully working on another old anime adaptation, Gatchaman. For those who have forgotten, this is the one where they're dressed like birds.
The production company has revealed some concept art from the film, and though it does not include teenagers dressed as birds, it does highlight scenes of giant robots attacking a city (Neo-Tokyo? I think it always is) and more.
Between spoonfuls of an unidentified substance, Mr. Harry Knowles was kind enough to rip all the images from the Flash page and post them here with some more information. Cheers to you, sir.
Mar 21 2007 Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alpha Dog's Emile Hirsch is in talks to take the starring role in the Wachowski Brothers' adaptation of Speed Racer. The anime promises to translate well to live-action because it's absurd concept about a fantastic car full of crazy devices, a character named Racer X, and a clothed chimp mechanic. Hirsch has already begun growing out his ascot for the role.
Mar 15 2007 High School Musical in Speed Racer
Looking like an asshole pays off for Zac Efron.
According to Just Jared, High School Musical star Zac Efron is in talks to star as Speed in the Wachowski Brothers' adaptation of Speed Racer. If Efron nails the part, he can add the coveted nerd demographic to the adolescent girls he's already stolen the hearts of. It is said he who controls the nerds and the 10 to 14-year-old girls... controls the world. Is Zac Efron the geek/tween messiah written of (in Tiger Beat and Slashdot)? Only time will tell.
Mar 2 2007 Paprika Trailer
While American animation continues to stagnate in the world of Shrek sequels, the Japanese are reinventing my nightmares with strange, surreal imagery and terrifying mutations, as seen in this trailer for Paprika. I don't know how to explain what it looks like except by saying that this might be your new "playing Pink Floyd and staring at a black light poster."
