Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 on DVD in November

Releasing for the First Time in Over a Decade - To Astound the Eyes and Ears of a New Generation!

Highly-Anticipated Hi-Def Debut of Disney’s Acclaimed Masterwork and the Modern Magnum Opus it Inspired

Fantasia & Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition On 4-Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD November 30, 2010

BURBANK, Calif., September 2010 — Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 -- the magical, animated musical masterpiece and the contemporary classic inspired by it -- debut in highly anticipated Blu-ray High Definition and DVD 2-Movie Collection Special Editions on November 30. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is opening the Disney vault to be able to present these two films that broke the boundaries of imagination in the highest quality possible.

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition will be available in a 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack ($45.99 SRP) and a 2-Disc DVD ($39.99 SRP) for a very limited time only. The Blu-ray transformation of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will reveal the magic, music and majesty of both films as never before experienced, with state-of-the-art picture restoration of the original Fantasia and pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound. The Blu-ray combo pack is a tremendous value featuring, in addition to the two films in two different formats, a wealth of bonus features.

Among those Blu-ray special features is the highly requested Academy Award® nominated short Destino. Available for the first time ever on Blu-ray, the seven minute film is the result of a unique collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali begun in 1946, but put on hold due to studio financial concerns. In 2003, Roy E. Disney worked with a team of modern day animators to complete the film as a tribute to Walt’s pioneering artistic vision. Accompanying the highly anticipated short is an all-new feature length documentary entitled “Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino,” which explores the origins of the relationship between Disney and Dali, their collaboration on Destino, and ultimately how the film came to fruition so many years after its inception.

Fantasia, an unprecedented and magnificent feast of music and animated images, was initially released by the Studio in 1940 as a “road show” release. The following year, at the 14th Annual Academy Awards, Fantasia earned two Special Awards. The first was given to Walt Disney and associates for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures, being the first commercial film released in multi-channel sound using a process called Fantasound, and the second to conductor Leopold Stokowski and his associates “for…unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music…thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form.”

Considered avant-garde during its time, Fantasia has gone on to become one of the most popular movies of all time and today is considered a classic. In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Stokowski, this groundbreaking film, which consists of animation set to eight musical pieces, is narrated by Deems Taylor and includes an appearance by Mickey Mouse (voiced by Disney himself).

Equally impressive is Fantasia 2000, the awe-inspiring extravaganza of sight and sound, executive produced by the late Roy E. Disney. Featuring an array of celebrity hosts including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury, Itzhak Perlman and Quincy Jones, the film, like its predecessor, expertly visualizes classical music compositions with various forms of animation and live-action introductions. Fantasia 2000 is primarily performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by James Levine.

Synopsis: The dreams and visions of Walt Disney come to life in Fantasia, which blends music and film magic into an exhilarating movie-going experience. Unforgettable images are brought to life by some of the world’s best music, and highlighted by the comedy of Mickey Mouse as a troublemaking sorcerer’s apprentice, along with the beauty of winged fairies and cascading snowflakes, the majesty of Noah’s ark and even plump hippos performing ballet in tutus.

Motivated by his uncle’s foresight, Roy Disney continued the magic with Fantasia 2000 which begins where its predecessor left off. There are seven completely new segments, and viewers watch a bustling Depression-era metropolis in the style of Al Hirschfeld’s famous cartoons, a flock of flamingos with slapstick yo-yo talents, an ark full of animals gathered by Donald Duck as Noah’s first mate, and musical life breathed into a family of flying humpback whales.

Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:
- New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley
- Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.

Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:
- Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.
- The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook. The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.
- Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.

Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection
- With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
- Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.

Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:
- Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions. Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter. Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.

Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:
- Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.
- Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.

Disney’s Virtual Vault -- BD-Live Feature
- Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection

Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes)
- With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
- Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Combo Packs (Blu-ray + DVD in a single package): To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – Blu-ray Disc(s) plus a DVD in a single package. Classic Disney titles released as Combo Packs include Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack is priced at $45.99 SRP and the 2-Disc DVD set is priced at $39.99 SRP.

STREET DATE: November 30, 2010
Direct prebook: October 5, 2010
Distributor prebook: October 19, 2010
Pricing: 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $45.99 SRP
2-Disc DVD: $39.99 SRP
Feature run time: 125 min – Fantasia; 75 min – Fantasia 2000
Rated:G
FastPlayTM: FastPlay enabled
Technical specifications may only apply to feature.

Blu-ray Discs
Aspect ratio: Fantasia - 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 - 1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

DVDs:
Aspect ratio: Fantasia - 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 -1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks: 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 5.1 DEHT
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles


For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com

Review: "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" - Robert Rodriguez's "Mexico Trilogy" Stumbled to the Finish Line

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 142 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and for language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Robert Rodriguez
PRODUCERS: Elizabeth Avellan, Carlos Gallardo, and Robert Rodriguez
CINEMATOGRAPHER/COMPOSER/EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez

ACTION/CRIME/DRAMA

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Inglesias, Marco Leonardi, Cheech Marin, Ruben Blades, Gerardo Vigil, Pedro Armendariz, Jr., and Willem Dafoe

Take a Sergio Leone spaghetti western like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and spin it on its head; add the flavor of the Southwest and Mexico, and you just might have director Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a follow up of sorts to his 1995 film Desperado, itself a remake of Rodriguez’s El Mariachi. The film is certainly unique, being a mixture of several genres, but not really being like anything else in particular. As with most Rodriguez’s work, the film is of his own unique and zesty recipe, even if the film ends up being quite messy.

Sands (Johnny Depp) maybe a rogue agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, but like a lot of things in this movie, it’s not entirely clear what he is and what he wants. He hires the legendary El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas, reprising his role from Desperado), the guitar case assassin, and his compadres to kill Mexico’s El Presidente (Pedro Armendariz). Sands, however, is into manipulating a whole slew of players including a police officer (Eva Mendes) for whom he has amorous feelings, retired FBI agent (Ruben Blades) and a drug lord (Willem Dafoe), among others. It’s an explosive plan Sands has set for detonation during Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, but he just might find himself scorched by the explosion.

Once Upon a Time has a lot going on in it, and there is so much to see; the film is literally a visual feast. Its most glaring deficit, probably the most important element, is a weak story and an even weaker script. Even if you take this film at its face value, which is that the tale is more impressionistic and symbolic than literal, the narrative is too jumbled to make much sense. There’s a lot of goofiness in the hyper-violence, and the film’s action sequences have a rapid and rabid, colorful, manic, music video cool about them. The film’s color palette is so lush and delicious that the film seems practically edible. Still, when all the dazzling is done, by the end of the film, the best you can do is agree that it seems as if the good guys won.

The acting (what there is of it) is mostly good, and Depp (He’s one of those actors that the camera really loves) steals the show. He is, however, not the lead, and although this is an ensemble drama, his character, if not the most important, is played by the most intriguing cast member. Maybe, he should have been the lead and his character more than just a catalyst (the crap starter) because Banderas, as the central figure here, just doesn’t work.

Rodriguez, as usual, is a one-man gang filmmaker. A musician, he scored the film, and edited it. He shot the film himself using digital video camera technology (which filmmaker George Lucas introduced him to in 2000), and he is, of course co-producer, writer, and director. I’m impressed with his verve, but I wish there was a little more meat to Rodriguez’s film. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, but sometimes, he doesn’t seem to be very good at any one. This is one of those times when a collaborator or two would have better served the end product. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a good idea that doesn’t come to fruition. Although on the surface it may seem otherwise, it ends up being like a lot of summer action flicks, full of sound and fury, and not, surprisingly, empty.

5 of 10
C+

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Disney Brings "The Black Cauldron" Back to DVD

Disney’s The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition

The Black Cauldron, Walt Disney Pictures’ 25th animated feature-length film, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Special Edition DVD release September 14 from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain books, this mystical, action-packed adventure debuts just in time for Halloween.

The film tells the story of Taran, an apprentice pig keeper with dreams of becoming a great warrior, who embarks on a quest to find a magical and powerful Black Cauldron before the evil tyrant Horned King can possess it for his own diabolical purposes. Fantastical characters like the oracular pig Hen Wen, the willful princess Eilonwy, and the droll but annoying Gurgi face witches, elves, magic swords and other obstacles. As they journey through these thrilling escapades, Taran begins to learn the true meaning of what it is to be a hero.

Exciting new bonus features for The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition include a new game and a never-before-seen deleted scene as well as a new digital transfer.

New Bonus Features Include:
Deleted Scene—The Fairfolk: Viewers join Taran, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy as they travel into the depths of the earth and meet the Fairfolk.

The Witches’ Challenge Game—In order to defeat the dark powers of the Horned King, players must gain possession the magical sword from the Witches of Morva by solving their riddles.

Plus Classic DVD Bonus Features:
Still Frame Gallery—A compilation of behind-the-scenes artwork and photos.

Quest For the Black Cauldron—A trivia game in which players compete against the evil Horned King in a race to reach the Black Cauldron first.

Trick Or Treat—Classic Donald Duck cartoon from 1952.

STREET DATE: September 14, 2010
Rated: PG
Run Time: Approx. 80 minutes
Video: Widescreen (1.78 Aspect Ratio)
Audio: Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
DVD Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
SRP: 1-Disc DVD $19.99

Review: "Desperado" Both Beautiful and Brutal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 65 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Desperado (1995)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, a strong sex sequence, and language
DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez
PRODUCERS: Bill Borden and Robert Rodriguez
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro

ACTION/WESTERN with elements of crime

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Carlos Gomez, Quentin Tarantino, Tito Larriva, Carlos Gallardo, Albert Michel, Jr., and Danny Trejo

Robert Rodriguez followed up his ultra-low budget independent thriller, El Mariachi, with the larger-budgeted ($7 million, which is low by Hollywood standards) Desperado. The film is a slightly re-imagined sequel. El Mariachi is now played by Antonio Banderas, replacing Carlos Gallardo, who played the character in the original film and who does make a cameo appearance here. This time the no-named musician (we do learn his name by the end of the film) is stalking Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), the last Mexican drug lord with connections to the death of his girlfriend (as seen in the first film). He meets Carolina (Salma Hayek), a beautiful bookstore owner and falls in love with her while also taking on a small army of Bucho’s henchmen in a small, dusty border town. El Mariachi learns, however, that Bucho has a strong link to his past.

Some described Robert Rodriguez’s poetic way of presenting violence in this movie to the cinematic styles of John Woo and Sam Peckinpah, and the shoot-‘em-ups in Desperado are indeed eye candy, especially the violence in the first hour of this film. This first half of the film sparkles with black comedy, acerbic wit, and violent slapstick, but as the film goes on, it begins to list. The romantic scenes are dry and are only road bumps in the narrative. Whereas El Mariachi was short and tightly efficient, Desperado is a bit long and a little padded. Still, the combination of Guillermo Navarro’s warmly hued photography and Rodriguez’s visual acumen make for a beautiful, brutal, ballet of film violence, proving that violence does indeed look good on film, if the director knows what he’s doing. And with each movie, Rodriguez proves to be a natural born moviemaker.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, May 16, 2005

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VIZ Cinema Offers Summer Climax in "The People I've Slept With"

VIZ CINEMA ANNOUNCES A CLIMACTIC SUMMER ROSTER WITH SEPTMEBER FILM SCREENINGS

The People I’ve Slept With, Death Note Blu-Ray Celebration, Detroit Metal City, 9/11 Documentary Festival, And Special Events For J-POP Summit Week Are Announced!

VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, has announced an intriguing new line-up of films and premiere events set to take place at the venue throughout the month of September.

Also just announced are a range of very special events to kick off the J-Pop Summit Festival 2010, which spotlights Japanese pop culture in a unique all-day celebration that takes over San Francisco’s Japantown on Saturday, September 18th.

New films for September include the third installment of the Bay Area Filmmakers Series, which presents the romantic comedy, The People I’ve Slept With, directed by Quentin Lee. A highly anticipated screening of Death Note and Death Note II: the Last name, based on the popular manga/anime series, is next, and will also mark the release of the films in a new Blu-ray collection from VIZ Pictures. A special screening of Satoshi Kon’s anime masterpiece Paprika is also set.

Marking the anniversary of 9/11, VIZ Cinema presents the 9/11 Truth Film Festival which presents several documentaries that explore the tragic events from several new points of view and trace the global impact of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.

And finally, NEW PEOPLE gets ready to celebrate the 2010 J-Pop Summit Festival with a series of pop culture cinematic events leading up to the premiere of the raucous death metal comedy Detroit Metal City on September 18th. More details on the J-Pop Summit Festival are available at www.J-Pop.com.

Advance tickets, screening times and more details are available at: www.vizcinema.com.

The People I’ve Slept With, September 3rd – September 9th
(Directed by Quentin Lee, 2009, 89 min, Digital, English Language)

The People I’ve Slept With is a sexy comedy about a promiscuous woman who finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy and needs to figure out who the baby daddy is…NOW. Film stars Karin Anna Cheung (Better Luck Tomorrow), Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life) and Archie Kao (CSI). Co-sponsored by Frameline. A special Opening Night Event is scheduled for Friday, September 3rd at 7:00pm and will include a reception and Q&A with Director Quentin Lee. Tickets are now available for $15.00. No discounts apply.

Death Note Day: Death Note Collection Blu-ray Release Special Event, September 4th
(Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, 2006, 120min (Death Note), 140 min (Death Note II), Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)

VIZ Pictures celebrates its first Blu-ray release Death Note Collection with Death Note Day showing both Death Note & Death Note II on the brand new Blu-ray version with the vivid high-def visuals and THX sound at VIZ Cinema. Death Note is a psycho thriller film based on the bestselling manga and anime series. Tickets are $10.00 for each film or $15.00 for both screenings. $35.00 Special Blu-ray Package includes tickets to both screenings, the new Blu-ray and poster!

Paprika, September 11th
(Directed by Satoshi Kon, 2006,Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)

In memory of one of the greatest anime directors Satoshi Kon, who passed away at the age of 49 on August 24th, VIZ Cinema celebrates his work with a screening his masterpiece Paprika. This sci-fi epic centers on a new invention called the DC-Mini. With this revolutionary device, psychiatrists are now able to enter a patient's dreams in a therapeutic setting. But when an unknown assailant steals the devices, using them to manipulate people’s minds and the thin line between the conscious and the unconscious begins to blur. Yes Paprika challenges the same theme as Inception over 4 years ahead, but in incredible and breathtaking world of anime. Tickets are $10.00.

9/11 Truth Film Festival; Friday, 9/10 – Sunday 9/12

Join VIZ Cinema for the 9/11 Truth Film Festival and delve into the investigations and efforts to uncover what really happened on September 11, 2001. Tickets are $10.00 for each film.

Opening Night: Double Feature with Q&A, Friday, September 10th

9/11: Press For Truth (Q&A with filmmakers to follow)
(Directed by Ray Nowosielski, 2006, 75min, Digital, English Language)

The political becomes personal in 9/11: Press for Truth, which examines the World Trade Center attacks from the perspective of the families that lost loved ones.

Hypothesis
(Directed by Brett Smith, 2010, 48 min, Digital, English Language)

Hypothesis is a short documentary on Dr. Steven Jones and his 9/11 research on the destruction of the Twin Towers and WTC 7. The film tells Dr. Jones’ story in his own words and reflects the explosive controversy that ensued which resulted in everything from threats and bribes to academic suspension.

Double Feature of 9/11: Press For Truth and Hypothesis will also be screened on Sunday, September 12th.

Zero: An investigation to 9/11, Saturday, September 11th
(Directed by Francesco Tre, Franco Fracassi, 2007, 104min, Digital, Italian w/ English subtitles)

This feature documentary from Italian production company Telemaco explores the new scientific evidence and reveals dramatic new eyewitness testimony which directly conflicts with the U.S. Government’s account. Featuring presentations from intellectual heavy weights, Gore Vidal, and Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo, the film challenges many assumptions surrounding the attacks.

Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup, Saturday, September 11th
(Directed by Dylan Avery, 2009, 99min, Digital, English Language)

With the departure of the Bush Administration and the arrival of an era of transparency, new information has been disclosed that sheds more light on the events that took place before and after 9/11. Dramatically narrated by Daniel Sunjata of FX’s Rescue Me, and an outspoken advocate for the First Responders, Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup presents a wide array of evidence both known and unknown…until now.

War Promises, Saturday, September 11th and Sunday, September 12th
(Edited by Frank Hofer, 2009, 75min, Digital, German with English Subtitles)

In German documentary War Promises, insiders and whistleblowers try to bring what they know about to the public, including Annie Machon, who was a spy with the British MI5, and Andreas von Bülow and Jürgen Elsässer, who possess enormous insider knowledge from their membership in the parliamentary committee supervising the secret services.

False Flag, Saturday, September 11th and Sunday, September 12th
(Edited by Frank Hofer, 2007, 75min, Digital, German w/ English subtitles)

False Flag focuses on the inconsistencies in the official version of the events and the evidence that has been suppressed regarding 9/11. It also seeks to answer why we still know nothing about it and why we are being deceived – as well as in Europe.

J-POP SUMMIT WEEK: Pre-Festival Events + Festival Day

Monday, September 13th – Saturday, September 18th
From September 13th to 17th (Mon-Fri), NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema will host films, anime, fashion, music and other forms of J-pop culture in a series of nightly events! Special gift bags will be given to all ticket holders each night.

TOKYOSCOPE TALK, Vol. 6: Bad Girls & Wild Women featuring Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

Monday, September 13th at 7:00pm (Happy Hour starts at 6:00pm)
★ followed by screening of Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
(Directed by Shunya Ito, 1973, 87min. Japanese with English subtitles)

Join host Patrick Macias (Editor, Otaku USA) for a unique look at sexy Stray Cats, Female Prisoners, Delinquent Bosses and other captivating and sexy bad girl roles from Japanese cinema. The evening will be complemented by a theatrical screening of the lurid prison film Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. Adults only due to mature subject matter; 18+ General admission tickets for the discussion and film screening are $20.00.

ANIME NIGHT with Anime On Display & Crunchyroll
Tuesday, September 14th at 7:00pm and 8:45pm (Happy Hour and VIP Party starts at 7:30pm)

★ 2 Screenings of 5 Centimeters Per Second at 7pm & 8:45pm

Animation On Display, S.F.’s very own anime convention, joins forces with online content provider Crunchyroll for a theatrical presentation of Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second. Come meet other anime fans and join the fun with a special evening celebrating anime! General admission tickets are $10.00.

NOISE POP MEETS J-POP: Film Screening of 77 Boadrum

Preceded by Cornelius’ Music Video – Synchronized & Sensurround
Thursday, September 16th at 7:30pm (Happy Hour starts at 6:00pm)

Join Noise Pop, organizers of the leading independent music festival in the Bay Area, for a special theatrical presentation of 77 Boadrum, the official live documentary of the Japanese free-rock group the Boredoms’s live performance featuring 77 drummers at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, NY. General admission tickets for the film screening are $10.00.

J-POP SUMMIT DAY – Saturday, September 18th

Detroit Metal City; San Francisco Premiere
(Directed by Toshio Lee, 2008, Japan, 104min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Based on the #1 death metal comedy manga series by Kiminori Wakasugi. Negishi (Kenichi Matsuyama) is a sweet and shy young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter. But for some reason, he is forced into joining the devil worshiping death metal band “Detroit Metal City” (DMC). In full stage make-up and costume, he transforms into Johannes Krauser II (Sir Krauser) the vulgar-mouthed lead vocalist of the band. Against Negishi’s will, DMC rises to stardom. Now the legendary king of death metal Jack Il Dark (Gene Simmons) himself is challenging DMC to a duel. What is the fate of the innocent Negishi as he climbs to the top of the death metal world? Explicit language, viewer and parental discretion advised.

Also screens September 19th – September 30th

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.


About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

Review: Superb "El Mariachi" Introduced Robert Rodriguez

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 64 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

El Mariachi (1992)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Mexico/USA; Language: Spanish
Running time: 81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Robert Rodriguez
PRODUCERS: Carlos Gallardo and Robert Rodriguez
CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER/WESTERN

Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Jamie de Hoyos, Reinol Martinez, and Peter Marquardt

The virtual one-man film studio, Robert Rodriguez, introduced himself to audiences around 1993 with his film, El Mariachi. The film, which garnered Rodriguez and his producing partner, Carlos Garner, an Independent Spirit Award for “Best First Feature,” chronicles the travails of an unnamed traveling musician known only as El Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo) who is mistaken for Azul (Reinol Martinez), a murderous criminal who carries his arsenal in a guitar case.

Both El Mariachi and Azul dress in black and carry a guitar case. Azul goes on a murdering rampage to get money owed to him by a former criminal associate, Mauricio (Peter Marquardt), also know as Moco. Azul kills several of Moco’s men, so Moco sends some of his hired killers out for Azul. They mistake El Mariachi for Azul; however, the musician is capable of defending himself, and he kills several of Moco’s men. El Mariachi takes up with a local bar owner, while he tries to straighten the mess he’s in, but it’s still all heading for a violent confrontation.

El Mariachi also won the “Audience Award” at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, and Columbia Pictures bought the film and distributed it later in the year. Like everyone who has seen it, I’m amazed that this tense, action thriller was filmed for $7,000. The truth of the matter is that Rodriguez is just super skilled at making the most of what he’s got, even if it’s very little.

The actors are mostly amateurs and people off the streets in a small town in Mexico, but Rodriguez makes them look like professionals. The action sequences are more riveting than those from most big-budget action movies. El Mariachi is a gun-slinging modern western that gives life to the genre, although its setting is almost a century after the setting for traditional westerns. Rodriguez takes “The Man with No Name” attitude of such Clint Eastwood films as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars and turns it into a raw, unpolished street fight. This is brilliant, bravado filmmaking that is perfect for action movie fans and movie lovers.

8 of 10
A

Monday, May 16, 2005

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Here Comes Negromancer for September 2010

Welcome to Negromancer, the rebirth of my former movie review website as a movie review and movie news blog. I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I also blog at http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/ and write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).

All images appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.