SciFi Japan

    The Japanese and US versions of the classic Toho films THE H-MAN, BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE, and MOTHRA have been restored for Sony`s new DVD set ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION. © 1958, 1959, 1961 Toho Co., Ltd.

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    An Interview with the Man Behind Sony Pictures` Restoration of MOTHRA, THE H-MAN, and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE Author: Steve Ryfle Special Thanks Oki Miyano A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE The ICONS OF SCI FI: TOHO COLLECTION marks the first time that a Japanese genre film—in this case, three films—has been digitally restored for home video release in the United States. Overseeing the process, which lasted more than two years from start to finish, was Michael Friend, the former director of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences film archive, and a highly respected film preservationist, archivist, and historian. Friend, who currently works for Sony Pictures Entertainment in Asset Management and Film Restoration and teaches at UCLA in the Moving Image Archive Studies Program, has been involved with some of the most prestigious film restorations ever undertaken, including Akira Kurosawa’s RASHOMON, a

    DVD cover art for the UK release of BIG MAN JAPAN. © 2007 Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. Ltd.

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    Source: Revolver Entertainment Official Movie Site: dainipponjin.com (Japan), sixshooterfilmseries.com/bigmanjapan (US) Revolver Entertainment will release the 2007 mockumentary BIG MAN JAPAN (Dai Nipponjon) on DVD in the UK on September 21. A middle-aged slacker living in a rundown, graffiti-ridden slum, Daisoto’s (Hitoshi Matsumoto) job involves being shocked by bolts of electricity that transform him into a stocky, stick-wielding giant several stories high who is entrusted with defending Japan from a host of bizarre monsters. But while his predecessors were national heroes, he is a pariah among the citizens he protects, who bitterly complain about the noise and destruction of property he causes. And Daisato has his own problems – an agent insistent on branding him with sponsor advertisements, an Alzheimer-afflicted grandfather who transforms into a giant in dirty underwear, and a family who is embarrassed by his often cowardly exploits. A wickedly deadpan spin on the giant

    Promotional art for the Rankin/Bass- Tsuburaya co-production THE BERMUDA DEPTHS. © 1978 Rankin Bass Productions Inc.

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    Cult Favorite Rankin/Bass-Tsuburaya Co-production Now Available Author: Keith Aiken Source: Warner Archive Collection Special Thanks to Gabriel Vicuna, Garo Setian, and James Ballard What secret lurks 20,000 feet below the waves in the paranormal realm called The Bermuda Triangle? That’s the question a scientist (Burl Ives), his student (Carl Weathers) and a young man (Leigh McCloskey) haunted by nightmarish memories of his Bermuda childhood ask themselves. The answer involves a beauty (Connie Sellecca) who has sold her soul for eternal youth, and a giant sea turtle that leaves death in its wake. Eerie and hypnotic, THE BERMUDA DEPTHS was produced by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, who meld their imaginative fantasy style with the live-action horror genre. -synopsis courtesy of Warner Bros. The 1978 cult classic THE BERMUDA DEPTHS— one of three movies produced by the American studio Rankin/Bass in association with

    DARKER THAN BLACK V6 © 2007 TBONES, Tensai Okamura / DTB Committee, MBS

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    Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Jackie Smith North American distributor FUNimation Entertainment unleashes a huge selection of anime titles (and one live-action film) on DVD this month. DARKER THAN BLACK V6 August 11 SRP $29.98 A new and deadly breed of covert agent walks the streets. Known as Contractors, these assassins and spies wield bizarre supernatural powers to carry out the dirty work of others. One among these operatives is more mysterious than the rest – The masked killer BK201, the Black Reaper. The mysteries of his violent past have been revealed, but the future is still in question. Something big is on the horizon for those who dwell in the shadows. As the spotted sun rises over Hell’s Gate, the clock ticks toward imminent destruction. The final battle in the war between humanity and the Contractors has begun. Should the Black Reaper

    Sony Pictures Home Entertainment`s new ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION features three classic films directed by Ishiro (often billed as

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    First Look at New 3 Disc DVD Collection of THE H-MAN, BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE, and MOTHRA Author: Keith Aiken Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Special Thanks to Kai Saari and Oki Miyano SPOILER WARNING: This article contains screen shots from several movies made half a century ago. On August 18, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION, a three-disc DVD set containing THE H-MAN (1958), BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959), and MOTHRA (1961). These three films were produced during what is known as the "Golden Age of Toho" by the same creative team responsible for GODZILLA (Gojira, 1954); producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, and director Ishiro Honda. Honda in particular seems to be the focus of this ICONS collection, with Sony`s advertising materials referring to him as "the Father of Japanese Sci-Fi Movies" and "the

    Cover art for the DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd DVD. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 2008 L Film Partners. © 2008 L Plot Produce

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    Concluding Chapter Of Edgy DEATH NOTE Psychological Crime Drama Available August 18 Source: VIZ Pictures, MediaLab press releases Official Movie Site: Death Note Films: L Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced the DVD release of the feature film DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd. The DVD will be distributed by VIZ Media, available on August 18th and will carry a MSRP of $24.92 US/$35.99 Canada. To celebrate this release, VIZ Pictures will have a special DVD Release Event at their brand-new VIZ Cinema in San Francisco on Tuesday, August 25th. The admission price includes a L movie screening (in Japanese with English Subtitles) and an exclusive L gift-box with the newly released DVD, a limited edition poster, and more. Visit vizcinema.com for ticket info and more details.

    Logo for the ASTRO BOY animated series. © 2004 Tezuka Productions Co., Ltd., Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc. and Dentsu Inc.

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    Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment press release Official Site: Astro Boy Complete, Astro Boy Vol 1 With Imagi Studio`s CG ASTRO BOY movie scheduled for a October 23rd US theatrical release, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is taking the opportunity to re-issue the 2003-04 ASTRO BOY animated series on DVD. The anime based on the legendary Japanese comic series by Osamu Tezuka, known as the "Japanese Walt Disney", will be available on September 15. ASTRO BOY follows the adventures of a clever and resourceful atomic-powered robot with super strength and jet-rocket feet, who possesses a human-like personality and fights for justice and peace for humans and robots alike. Produced by Tezuka Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, the fifty episode ASTRO BOY was inspired by the classic anime series that originally aired in Japan in 1963. The new show celebrated the 40th anniversary of

    The new Japanese daikaiju Geharha attacks Kanazawa Station in GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER. © 2009 NHK `Geharha` Project.

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    New TV kaiju movie comes to DVD & Blu-ray Author: James Ballard & Keith Aiken Source: AV Watch Official Site: Geharha (Japan) SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details and images from a new movie. NHK`s TV movie GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER (Chouhatsu Daikaiju Gehara) will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on September 30th and will include English subtitles. Premiering on the NHK program PAPHOOO! (Perform!) this past February 24th, GEHARHA is an affectionate tribute to the classic Toho monster movies of the 1950s and 60s that liberally mixes comedy and daikaiju action. A fishing boat is attacked at sea by a gigantic, hairy monster. After examining the sole survivor (Kanji Tsuda from GAMERA THE BRAVE) of the assault— who has lost all his hair— scientific adviser Dr Murakami (Shiro Sano, GODZILLA 2000) suspects the culprit is

    US poster art for 20TH CENTURY BOYS 1: BEGINNING OF THE END. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 1999, 2006 Naoki Urasawa, Studio Nuts / Shogakukan © 2008 “20th Century Boys” Film Partners

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    Critically Acclaimed Movies Based on Smash Hit Manga Series to Open New VIZ Cinema in August Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Movie Site: 20thboysfilms.com (US), 20th Boys (Japanese) Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced that it has licensed from Nippon Television (NTV) the North American theatrical and DVD distribution rights to the live-action 20TH CENTURY BOYS (20-Seki Shonen) feature film trilogy from Japan. The films are based on the critically acclaimed 20th Century Boys manga series created by Naoki Urasawa, which is a national phenomenon in Japan, selling over 20 million copies to date. VIZ Pictures is scheduled to release the first and second chapters of 20TH CENTURY BOYS films on DVD later this year, with the remaining film scheduled for release in 2010. VIZ

    KAZE NO STIGMA © 2007 Takahiro Yamato, Hanamaru Nanto/ FUJIMI SHOBO, Stigma of the Wind Partners

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    Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Jackie Smith North American anime distributor FUNimation Entertainment has provided details on some new DVD releases going on sale this month... KAZE NO STIGMA: SEASON 1, VOL. 1 July 7 SRP $59.98 When the family business is fire, and you can`t handle the heat, it`s time to look for a new line of work - and maybe a new family, too. Kazuma is a descendent of an ancient clan skilled in the magical Fire Arts. Unfortunately for him, the gift seems to have skipped a generation. Defeated by his younger, female cousin, Ayano, in a battle to become the clan`s successor, Kazuma is exiled with only the smoldering burn of failure to keep him company. But now he`s back, risen from the ashes and armed with a powerful new mojo that`s sure to fan the flames of the

    Cover art for the upcoming British DVD of MEATBALL MACHINE. Photo courtesy of 4Digital Media. © 2005 King Record Co.

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    Source: 4Digital Media, The Associates Special Thanks to Steve Beecham and Farhana Shaikh SciFi Japan is pleased to present another giveaway contest aimed at Japanese science fiction fans in the United Kingdom. As previously announced, the British movie and home video distributor 4Digital Media has acquired the UK rights to the Japanese splatter and gore movies MEATBALL MACHINE (Mîtoboru Mashin, 2005), TOKYO GORE POLICE (Tokyo Zankoku Keisatsu, 2008), and GROTESQUE (Gurotesuku, 2009). Now, 4Digital Media and The Associates are giving SciFi Japan readers in Britain a chance to win free DVDs of the three films, starting with MEATBALL MACHINE. An all out in your face gore-fest Japanese style. MEATBALL MACHINE is a wild, splatterific, experimental sci-fi/horror rollercoaster that will have your entire brain and body shaken and stirred. Capable of making biomechanical weapons out of human flesh, alien parasites grotesquely invade the Earth, turning their hosts

    Region 1 DVD cover art for the Japanese horror film KAIDAN. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate and Bender/Helper Impact. © 2007 “KAIDAN” Film Partners.

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    Japanese Horror Film Released by Lionsgate Source: Lionsgate press release, Bender/Helper Impact From the legendary director of RING and THE RING TWO comes this eerie tale of ghostly vengeance. The unwitting victim of a terrible curse, a young man accidentally injures his wife, a jealous teacher who soon dies from her wound. Running away with one of her students, he fails to heed the dead woman’s warning that if remarried, she’ll haunt him to the grave. And now for an unfaithful husband, the real terror is about to begin. On June 30, the 2007 J-Horror film KAIDAN (meaning "Supernatural Tales") will be released on DVD in America by Lionsgate. Despite the title, the film is not a remake or "reimagining" of the 1965 classic KAIDAN (known in America as KWAIDAN), but is instead based on the 1859 ghost story Reckoning at Kasane Swamp (Shinkei Kasane ga

    Title design for Sony`s TOHO COLLECTION DVD set. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. © 2009 Toho Co., Ltd.

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    Sony to Release 3 Disc DVD Collection of THE H-MAN, BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE, and MOTHRA on August 18 Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment press release ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION Three Classic Films Directed by Ishiro Honda, the Father of Japanese Sci-Fi Movies THE H-MAN ~ BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE ~ MOTHRA Collection Debuts on DVD August 18 Toho, the most famous of all Japanese movie studios, made its name in the West for the extraordinary masterworks of Akira Kurosawa. But they really struck box office gold with the wildly colorful kaiju eiga (monster movies) that began in 1954 with the original GODZILLA (Gojira), the creation of director Ishiro Honda and special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya. Now for the first time on [Region 1] DVD— and in their original Tohoscope aspect ratios— Sony Pictures presents three Honda classics that display

    Sales sheet for 4Digital Asia`s Japanese gore DVDs. Photo courtesy of 4Digital Media. © 2009 4Digital Media.

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    4Digital Media Gets TOKYO GORE POLICE, MEATBALL MACHINE, and GROTESQUE Source: 4Digital Media, The Associates press materials Special Thanks to Steve Beecham and Farhana Shaikh 4Digital Asia, an imprint of the British movie and home video distributor 4Digital Media, has acquired the UK rights to the Japanese splatter and gore movies MEATBALL MACHINE (Mîtoboru Mashin, 2005), TOKYO GORE POLICE (Tokyo Zankoku Keisatsu, 2008), and GROTESQUE (Gurotesuku, 2009). The films will be released on DVD beginning this July. MEATBALL MACHINE Release date: 6th July 2009 Certificate: 18 Running time: 90 mins Price: £14.99 Director: Yudai Yamaguchi, Junichi Yamamoto Stars: Issei Takahashi, Shoichiro Masumoto, Toru Tezuka, Ayano Yamamoto "Plays Like a Gloriously Bloody and R-Rated Version of the MIGHTY MORPHIN` POWER RANGERS." – DVD Town Co-directed by Yudai Yamaguchi (BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL) and Junichi Yamamoto (KABUKING Z: THE MOVIE), with special effects by Yoshihiro

    The masked criminal K-20 battles battles circus acrobat Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) on the rooftops of the Japanese capital in K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES. The Japanese sci-fi mystery adventure has been picked up for release in North America. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 2008

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    Premiere Theatrical Screenings this Month at New York Asian Film Festival Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Additional Material: NTV (Nippon Television Network) Official Movie Site: k20themovie (US), K-20 (Japanese) Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has licensed the new action film K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES (K-20: Kaijin Nijumenso Den) and announced special theatrical screenings at the New York Asian Film Festival 2009. K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES was released in Japan by Toho on December 20, 2008, and has been marketed internationally by NTV with the English title K-20: LEGEND OF THE MASK. The New York premiere will take place during NYAFF, with the next showing scheduled for 1:45pm on Tuesday, June 30 at the IFC Center (323 Sixth Avenue, at West

    Sony`s DVD and Blu-ray cover art for THE SKY CRAWLERS. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. © 2008 MH/NI and BWDVYHDYCH

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    Award-Winning Anime Goes on Sale May 26, 2009 Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Official Site (Japan): sky.crawlers.jp From Mamoru Oshii, the world-acclaimed director of GHOST IN THE SHELL, comes an award-winning story of an exciting but endless war with heroes too young to understand the meaning of their battles. A group of eternally young fighter pilots known as Kildren experience the sudden loss of innocence as they battle the enemy in astonishing dogfights above the clouds. With his only childhood memory consisting of intense flight training, the fearless teenage pilot Yuichi`s dogfights coexist with his struggle to find his missing past. When his beautiful, young female commander Suito is reluctant to discuss the fate of the pilot that Yuichi is replacing - or the strangely perfect condition of that pilot`s former aircraft - Yuichi`s curiosity becomes heightened. THE SKY CRAWLERS DVD

    DVD cover art for HAPPILY EVER AFTER, the manga-based comedy from the director of 20TH CENTURY BOYS. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 2007 HAPPILY EVER AFTER Film Partners. © Yoshiie Gouda / Takeshobo Co., Ltd.

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    Award-Winning Film about a Married Couple’s Unconventional Relationship is Based on Popular Manga Source: VIZ Pictures, MediaLab press releases Official Movie Site: happilymovie.com Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced the DVD release of the live-action feature film - HAPPILY EVER AFTER on May 12th. The DVD will also include the original theatrical trailers, director and cast profiles, and insightful tips on Japanese culture. The DVD will carry a suggested retail price of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN and will be distributed in North America by VIZ Media. To complement the release, VIZ Pictures has launched a HAPPILY EVER AFTER giveaway contest for a prize package that includes the DVD, film poster, a premium Japanese cotton towel, and an Anime Sampler Pack courtesy of The Right Stuf /

    Cover art for THE GRUDGE 3, the new DVD sequel to the American series. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. © 2009 B and G Derivatives Holdings, LLC.

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    Franchise Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary with Three New Films Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Official Site: TheGrudge3 Official Site (Japanese): juon10th.jp SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for new movies. In 1998, writer-director Takashi Shimizu was hired by Kansai TV to create two short segments for their J-horror anthology film SCHOOL OF GHOSTS G (Gakko no Kaidan G). Shimizu produced two shorts, IN A CORNER (Katasumi) and 4444444444, that featured Kayako Saeki (Takako Fuji), a twisted, death-rattling female ghost, and her son Toshio, a ghost boy that howled like a cat. The two short films were a hit with terrified viewers so, with the assistance of RING (Ringu, 1998) screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi and producer Taka Ichise, Takashi Shimizu developed the ideas into the straight-to-video movies JU-ON (released on Feb 11, 2000) and JU-ON 2 (released March 25, 2000). The video movies introduced

    Slipcase art for DEATH NOTE DVD Box Set Volume 2. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2003 by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata, Shueisha, DNP, VAP, Madhouse

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    Source: VIZ Media and MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC has announced a diverse collection of new animated and live-action titles scheduled for release throughout the Second Quarter of 2009. The new releases include DEATH NOTE RELIGHT: VISIONS OF A GOD, which retells the groundbreaking DEATH NOTE psychological crime drama from an entirely new perspective. Also set for release is the concluding DVD Box Set of the DEATH NOTE animated series. New BLEACH episodic and NARUTO box set editions are also scheduled for release, along with the next Box Set compilation of HUNTER X HUNTER. INUYASHA fans will delight in the debut of the final Season 7 Box Set edition containing the series’ cliffhanger finale, while younger fans can look forward to four new POKÉMON DVDS that highlight their favorite characters. Many of these releases are also available as Special Editions featuring

    Cover art for Sentai Filmworks` APPLESEED DVD. Photo courtesy of ADV Films. © 2004 Masamune Shirow/ Seishinsa/Apple Seed Film Partners

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    ADV Films Will Distribute To Home Video Market Source: ADV Films press release Special Thanks to Chris Oarr Sentai Filmworks announced its forthcoming DVD release of APPLESEED (Appurushido), which brings the dystopian sci-fi thriller back in print for the first time in years. ADV Films handles North American home media distribution for Sentai Filmworks and will release the APPLESEED movie June 30. APPLESEED was first released in North America by Geneon Entertainment (USA) in 2005. Based on the legendary manga series by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Dominion) and directed by groundbreaking filmmaker Shinji Arimaki (BUBBLEGUM CRISIS), APPLESEED set a high-water mark for anime features in the 21st century. Synopsis: Earth`s last city, Olympus , rose from the ashes of a global war on the backs of Bioroids, artificial clones who make up half the city`s population. Under the strict guidance of a supercomputer, humanity`s

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