Channel 56

7/26/09

WOLVERINE & IRON MAN Anime Trailers

Coming from the renowned Japanese studio Madhouse in 2010 for the Japanese market is 2 of Marvel's greatest heroes!!
These will most likely be direct-to-video features here in the states...

WOLVERINE anime teaser

IRON MAN anime teaser

6/21/09

BCI OOP title rescues: MILL CREEK to release D&D + MOTU 200X

With the closing of BCI's doors last winter, a good percentage of their back-catalog has become available for re-licensing, & it looks like public domain/budget dvd giants Mill Creek have stepped in to purchase some of BCI's most popular back titles. Mill Creek has licensed both the 1980's Saturday Morning cult classic Dungeons & Dragons animated series as well as the MYP hit series Masters Of The Universe (200X).
Both these series look to be "vanilla" releases (aka bare bones no extras or pack-ins) compared to the the BCI releases & will just contain the series on less discs for a budget price.
Newly packaged, the now out of print animated series x 2 will be back in circulation on the cheap!

Dungeons & Dragons: Beginnings (first 9 eps) $14.98 / 8.25.09
Dungeons & Dragons: The Animated Series (27 eps on 3 dvds) $24.98 / 8.25.09
Masters Of The Universe: Origins (unknown eps number) $14.98 / 9.29.09
Masters Of The Universe: The Complete Series $24.98 / 9.29.09

D&D Beginnings cover:

D&D The Animated Series cover:

D&D 3rd op:

D&D ed:

MOTU vs The Snakemen:

MOTU Italian op:

6/18/09

BCI DVD Titles OUT OF PRINT.

With the closing of BCI ECLIPSE'S door's last winter, their "Ink & Paint" Animated titles on DVD from '05~'08 are "Out Of Print" starting in June 2009.
Titles of note include a large part of the Filmation catalog as well as some other noteworthy titles...

* The Best Of He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe: Season 1 Volume 1
* He-Man And She-Ra A Christmas Special
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe: Season 1 Volume 2
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe: Season 2 Volume 1
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe: Season 2 Volume 2
* The Best Of She-Ra: Princess Of Power: + "Secret Of The Sword Movie"
* She-Ra: Princess Of Power: Season 1 Volume 1
* She-Ra: Princess of Power: Season 1 Volume 2
* She-Ra: Princess of Power: Season 2
* The New Adventures Of He-Man Volume 1
* The New Adventures Of He-Man Volume 2
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (200X) Volume 1
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (200X) Volume 2
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (200X) Volume 3
* He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (200X) The Complete Series (Bestbuy)
* Dungeons & Dragons The Complete Animated Series
* Flash Gordon – The Complete Series
* Space Sentinels: The Complete Series + Freedom Force
* Blackstar — The Complete Series
* Prince Valiant volume 1
* Prince Valiant volume 2
* The Best of Bravestarr: Top 5 Episodes & Bravestarr: the Legend
* Bravestarr: Volume 1
* Bravestarr: Volume 2
* Groovie Goolies — The Saturday "Mourning" Collection
* Journey Back To Oz — Special Edition
* Ark II – The Complete Series
* Space Academy — The Complete Series
* Filmation's Ghost Busters: The Animated Series Volume 1
* Filmation's Ghost Busters: The Animated Series Volume 2
* Filmation's The Ghost Busters: Live Action — The Complete Series
* Jason of Star Command — The Complete Series
* Mission Magic — The Complete Series
* Hero High — The Complete Series
* Snow White: Happily Ever After: Special Edition (feature film)
* A Snow White Christmas November 6, 2007
* The Secrets of Isis — The Complete Series July 24, 2007
* Storybook Tales boxset
* The New Adventures of the Lone Ranger and Zorro Volume 1
* The New Adventures of the Lone Ranger and Zorro Volume 2 July 15, 2008

Some of the more popular titles are already fetching high prices on the collectors market...

6/16/09

PREORDER YOUR TF & JOE COLLECTOR SETS!!

The new 1st all new DVD set of G1 Transformers Volume 1 Dropped today at your local quality DVD stores & online!! And for the more ambitious who would like to collect the complete original series for the 80's Transformers & GI Joe sets all in one shot, preorders are available for the monster sets, check out the specs below:
http://www.transformerscollectorsset.com/
http://www.gijoecollectorsset.com/
The sets come in special collectors cases with limited addition goodies!! Finally 2 of the best & well-known series are given the justice they deserve!! Whether your looking to collect the whole series in a set or in Season installments, these new sets by Shout Factory are a HUGE improvement over the Rhino sets offered years ago, & truly are the best releases worldwide to date of our beloved classics!!

5/7/09

CPM files for bankruptcy/ADV rescues 4 titles

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES: One of Studio Ghibli's masterpieces & one of the best anime films ever made & deals specificaly with Japan & WWII: If you have never seen this, you should.
Japanese trailer:

After a long hibernation & even longer battle with the fall of Anime in the US. Central Park Media (US Manga Corps/Anime 18/Software Sculptors) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 27th, 2009 and is facing liquidation. The company owed $1.2 million to its creditors. Officially, they did have plans to re-release some older titles in the future. It was stated that the company could never recover from Musicland (Suncoast/Sam Goody's) bankruptcy & had been on the decline with layoffs ever since.

***On a personal note, CPM was the anime juggernaut of the 90's with more subtitled anime out on VHS than anyone. They were the masters of releasing Anime OVA's in the US, & were some of the 1st to release comics & soundtracks for anime stateside. Although they have been dying a slow death, I will miss their presence greatly, as many of my 1st anime titles (The Supergal, Mermaid Forest, Demon City Shinjuku, Lodoss Wars, Gall Force, Iczer-3, Project A-ko, Venus Wars) & my personal fan favorites like (DNA2, Zeguy, Hen, Alien 9, Knights of Lumune 40 Fresh, Detonator Orgun, Hades Project Zeorymer, Aika) were all thanks to them...

The NYC based company set the standard for subtitled anime in the US.., bringing many new & fansubbed favorites to domestic release... some notable titles are:

UPDATE:
According to the recent Right Stuf updates, ADV Films has license rescued / or will distribute several of Central Park Media titles for reissue in July 2009: Now and Then Here and There (which recently aired on SciFi channel), World of Narue, Grave of the Fireflies, and MD Geist.

Last week, Anime News Network reported Central Park Media's file for bankruptcy, after a long period of hibernation since a series of layoffs in 2005/2006 when CPM was "significantly impacted" by the retail chain, Musicland's bankruptcy in that time period.

Rightstuf ADV rerelease order links:
Grave Of The Fireflies
MD Giest
Now and Then Here and There
World Of Narue

Other fun Manga Corps releases from the past openings:

DNA2:

Machine Robo:

Dancougar:

Lodoss Wars (English Op):

Zenki:

VS Knight Ramune 40 Fresh OVA:

Gowkaizer:

Aika:

4/24/09

RESOLUTE COMPLETE!!

Be there Saturday April 25th at 11:59pm, as you will only have to wait 1 minute for G.I. JOE: RESOLUTE to air at 12:00am Sunday the 26th... Episodes 1 through 10 will air first followed by the final brand new 10+ minute finale. All in one 60 minute package of Joe goodness.( 1 hour and 30 minutes with commercials)

Watch GI JOE RESOLUTE 1-10 on your PC right now on Adult Swim!!
video link:
ADULT SWIM

TRANSFORMERS G1 & GI JOE ARAH BOX SET INFO:

from Home media Magazine:
‘Transformers,’ ‘G.I. Joe’ Complete Series Sets to Debut at Comic-Con

Having secured the rights from Hasbro, Shout! Factory is planning an ambitious release slate for 1980s animated staples “The Transformers” and “G.I. Joe.”

The plan, according to Shout! Factory president Garson Foos, is to debut complete-series sets for each show exclusively for sale at San Diego Comic-Con International, running July 23-26, 2009. After that, the sets will be sold online directly to consumers, before a wide retail release. The hope is to capitalize on buzz surrounding the new live-action films for each franchise.

DreamWorks’ Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters June 24, followed by G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Aug. 7. Both films are being distributed by Paramount Pictures.

The Transformers: 25th Anniversary “Matrix of Leadership” Edition Collector’s Set, containing the four seasons of the “Generation 1” series, will come in packaging modeled after the famed Autobot Matrix artifact featured in the original animated film and the episodes that followed.

DVD producer Brian Ward described the set as a “really cool” box with the Matrix on the cover, which slides apart to reveal a shiny blue foil core which houses the set’s 16 DVDs in plastic digistack trays. The set also will include a collectible booklet.

The “Transformers” complete-series set will include two exclusive bonus features, Ward said. One is a conversation with writer Bob Budiansky, who created much of the “Transformers” mythology for the comic book. The other is a roundtable discussion with eight original members of the voice cast, including Frank Welker (Megatron).

Other extras include content available with the season sets, such as featurettes about the origins of the Transformers, the creation of the TV series and the original toy commercials; printable scripts and rare PSAs that never aired in America.

Shout! Factory sources indicated the “G.I. Joe” complete-series boxed set will come in a foot-locker package, and will include only the episodes animated by Sunbow Productions (a different studio* produced episodes that take place after the animated movie
*Chris' note: DIC).

Ward also promises all the episodes from both shows will include their original opening title sequences, but neither complete-series set will contain the animated films produced for each franchise.

Ward said there are currently no plans for a Blu-ray Disc release of the properties, although the new extras are being recorded in high-definition.

The Transformers: The Complete First Season — 25th Anniversary Edition bows separately June 16 (prebook May 19) as a three-DVD set at $29.99. G.I. Joe: Season 1, Part 1 releases as a four-DVD set July 21 (prebook June 23), also at $29.99.

G.I. Joe 1st single set info:
G.I. Joe: Season 1.1 STATS: The first 3 discs contains the 1st 3 mini series, as well as an interview with G.I. Joe writer Ron Friedman on each disc. The 4th disc will contain seven episodes and more bonus features + rub-on tattoos. Here is the listings for each disc:

DISC 1: G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero (The M.A.S.S. Device) mini-series 1