Friday, September 11, 2015

Spike Lee Among Recipients of 2015 Governors Awards

Spike Lee, Debbie Reynolds And Gena Rowlands To Receive Academy’s 2015 Governors Awards

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night (August 25, 2015) to present Honorary Awards to Spike Lee and Gena Rowlands, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Debbie Reynolds.  All three awards will be presented at the Academy’s 7th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

“The Board is proud to recognize our honorees’ remarkable contributions at this year’s Governors Awards,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.  “We’ll be celebrating their achievements with the knowledge that the work they have accomplished – with passion, dedication and a desire to make a positive difference – will also enrich future generations.”

Spike Lee, a champion of independent film and an inspiration to young filmmakers, made an auspicious debut with his NYU thesis film, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads,” which won a Student Academy Award® in 1983.  He proceeded to blaze a distinctive trail with such features as “She’s Gotta Have It,” “School Daze” and “Do the Right Thing,” which earned him a 1989 Oscar® nomination for Original Screenplay.  His work as a director ranges from the Oscar-nominated documentary feature “4 Little Girls” to such mainstream successes as “Malcolm X” and “Inside Man.”  Lee’s other feature credits include “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Jungle Fever,” “Crooklyn,” “He Got Game,” “25th Hour,” “Miracle at St. Anna” and “Red Hook Summer.”  He currently serves as the artistic director of the graduate film program at NYU.

Gena Rowlands, an original talent whose devotion to her craft has earned her worldwide recognition as an independent film icon, received Academy Award nominations for her lead performances in “A Woman under the Influence” (1974) and “Gloria” (1980), both directed by her husband and frequent collaborator, John Cassavetes.  She got her start on the New York stage and in live television in the 1950s and has appeared in 40 feature films to date, from “The High Cost of Loving” in 1958 to “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” which she starred in earlier this year.  Her other notable films include “Lonely Are the Brave,” “Faces,” “Minnie and Moskowitz,” “Opening Night,” “Another Woman,” “Unhook the Stars,” “Hope Floats,” “Playing by Heart,” “The Notebook” and “Broken English.” 

Debbie Reynolds, a Hollywood icon since she won hearts with her buoyant performance in “Singin’ in the Rain,” embarked on the role of a lifetime as a founding member of the Thalians, a charitable organization conceived and sustained by entertainers to promote awareness and treatment of mental health issues.  She served as the group’s president almost continuously from 1957 to 2011, adding numerous terms as board chair and frequently presiding over its annual fundraising gala.  Her tireless efforts have enabled the Thalians to contribute millions to the Mental Health Center at Cedars-Sinai and to UCLA’s Operation Mend, which helps military veterans recover from the physical and psychological wounds of war.  Reynolds has appeared in more than 40 feature films, including “The Tender Trap,” “A Catered Affair” and “Mother,” and received a 1964 Oscar nomination for her lead performance in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”

The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.”

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Thursday, September 10, 2015

Review: "Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery" Rocks

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015) – Video
Running time:  79 minutes (1 hour, 19 minutes)
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS:  Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITERS: Kevin Shinick; from a story by James Krieg and Kevin Shinick
EDITOR:  Bruce A. King
COMPOSERS:  Greg Collins and Jared Faber
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Don McGhee, Darius Rucker, and Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a 2015 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is also the 24th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Rock and Roll Mystery, Mystery Inc. joins the legendary rock band, KISS, in an attempt to save an amusement park from a marauding witch.

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery introduces KISS World, an amusement park where fans can enjoy and celebrate all things related to the legendary rock band, Kiss (stylized as KISS).  The celebrated members of Kiss:  The Demon (Gene Simmons), The Starchild (Paul Stanley), The Catman (Eric Singer), and The Spaceman (Tommy Thayer) are preparing for a big Halloween concert.  However, the scary “Crimson Witch” is haunting KISS World, screaming “Give Me Rock!” and is scaring all the visitors away.

Meanwhile, Mystery Inc. (a.k.a. “the Scooby gang”): Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) have traveled to KISS World to see the band, mostly because Daphne has a crush on Starchild.  When the gang discovers that there is a mystery, they insist on helping.  However, the mystery of Crimson Witch spans worlds and dimensions, so how will Scooby and his friends handle their most mind-bending case yet?

As a child, I was a fan of Kiss, although I was not particularly enamored with the band's music.  I did like the stage personas of the band's members, and I liked to imagine the band as a different kind of superhero team.  That is how this most recent Scooby-Doo straight-to-video movie, Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, plays the band:  as a far-out, cosmic band of superheroes who use music and mystical powers to fight evil.

Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is one of the better recent Scooby-Doo movies, specifically because of the inclusion of Kiss.  I am surprised how well Scooby and friends mesh with Kiss.  In fact, Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery reminds me of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies” (1972-1974), the Saturday morning animated series that featured Mystery Inc. teaming up with real-life celebrities and well-known animated characters to solve bigger-than-usual mysteries.  I loved that series as a child, which may be part of the appeal of this movie for me.

Still, nostalgia aside, Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a well made animated film.  The mystery is compelling and the last act features a cosmic-inspired battle that is almost too big for the movie.  This movie is also genuinely funny, with lots of jokes about Kiss merchandising, and the film also gets a lot of mileage out of Daphne's crush on Starchild and Fred's jealousy over it.

Music plays a big part in this movie.  It includes six Kiss songs:  “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Love Gun,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “I Was Made for Lovin' You,” “Detroit Rock City,” and “Modern Day Delilah.”  Plus, the members of Kiss take part in a joke song for the end credits, “Don't Touch My Ascot.”  The score by Greg Collins and Jared Faber takes its lead from 1970s and early 1980s hard rock, with some synthesizer-imbued music for the big cosmic battle in Kissteria (an alternate dimension).

I hope that Scooby-Doo and Kiss reunite.  The members of Kiss certainly seemed up for their voice-over performances.  If Scooby-Doo! And Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery is a one-off treat, I can accept that, but this deserves an encore.

8 of 10
A

Monday, September 7, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



VIZ Media Announces Final Ranma Home Media Release - RANMA ½ Set 7


VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOME MEDIA RELEASE OF RANMA ½ ANIME SERIES SET 7 LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SET

Legendary Comedy And Martial Arts Action Series Reaches Exciting Finale In The Concluding Home Media Edition Available In A Special Blu-Ray Collectable And Standard Edition DVD Set

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, prepares fans for the final home media installment of the celebrated gender-bending martial arts action comedy based on the popular manga series created by Rumiko Takahashi as it announces the release today of RANMA ½ Set 7.

VIZ Media has released the entire gender-bending martial arts action comedy in its original Japanese series order across seven Limited Edition Blu-ray and Standard Edition DVD Box Sets. RANMA ½ is rated TV-14 and is based on the popular manga series originally created by Rumiko Takahashi.

The RANMA ½ Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set 7 carries an MSRP of $54.97 U.S. / $63.99 CAN. The final set of the series contains Episodes 139-161 on 3 discs, presented in full 1080p high-definition resolution with the series’ original, uncropped 4:3 aspect ratio. Subtitled and English dubbed dialogue options are available. The Blu-ray edition also contains a full color art card and a 32-page booklet with individual episode summaries.

Blu-ray bonus features include clean openings and endings as well as series trailers and the concluding installment of “We Love Ranma Part 8 - We Love Rumiko Takahasi.” The set comes in a gorgeously illustrated chipboard box with embossed foil stamping.

The RANMA ½ Standard Edition DVD Set 7 also features the final 23 episodes with the original, uncropped 4:3 aspect ratio, with bonus features that include clean openings and endings and trailers. Subtitled and English dubbed dialogue options are available. The Standard Edition DVD set is available with an MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN.

The madcap days of martial arts mayhem comes to a thrilling conclusion in the final set of RANMA ½! Ranma is challenged by Ryoga to fight yet again, but this time he is completely defeated by Ryoga's new technique, the "Lion's-Roar Blast." It is said that the more miserable the user, the stronger the technique becomes - does Ranma have a chance against the tragic Ryoga?! Then, Ranma must master martial arts cheerleading, but in order to win, he is going to have to cheer up Upperclassman Kuno! Finally, Ranma's mother at last comes to the Tendo Dojo, but why is Genma doing everything he can to stop Ranma from meeting her? Akane feels sorry for Ranma, who barely remembers his own mother, and forms a plan to bring them together.

RANMA ½ manga creator Rumiko Takahashi is one of Japan’s most prolific and respected manga artists and is the creator of several long running series including MAISON IKKOKU, RANMA ½, and INUYASHA – all published in North America by VIZ Media. The spotlight on her prolific career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and also spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another— MAISON IKKOKU ran from 1980 to 1987, RANMA ½ from 1987 to 1996, and INUYASHA from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include MERMAID SAGA, RUMIC THEATER, ONE-POUND GOSPEL, and RIN-NE (all also published in North America by VIZ Media).

For more information on RANMA ½ or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Bret Blevins, Geof Isherwood Among Latest 2015 Baltimore Comic-Con Guests

Blevins, Isherwood, Jordan, St. Pierre, and Takara Coming to Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Buy your tickets now and avoid lines for the Baltimore Comic-Con on September 25-27, 2015. The annual comics pop culture event returns to the Baltimore Convention Center for the 16th annual show in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The Baltimore Comic-Con is excited to have to this year's show Bret Blevins, Geof Isherwood, Justin Jordan, Joe St. Pierre, and Marcio Takara.

Beginning his comic book career in 1981, Bret Blevins began a decade of working almost exclusively for Marvel Comics on many of their most famous characters, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, The X-Men, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, The Fantastic Four, The New Mutants, Sheena, Ghost Rider, Conan, Solomon Kane, The Inhumans, the Punisher, Sleepwalker, Clive Barker's Nightbreed, The Bozz Chronicles, Cloak and Dagger, The Trouble with Girls, The Destroyer, Terror Inc., and various licensed properties, including graphic novel length adaptations of the films The Dark Crystal, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Krull, and The Last Starfighter. Moving primarily to DC in 1993, Bret drew Batman, Superman, Supergirl, Starman, and Vigilante, and along the way drew Star Wars, Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, and Bettie Page for Dark Horse. A 146-page graphic of novel of Brian Jacques' Redwall illustrated by Bret was published by Philomel Books in 2007. In the mid-90's, Bret began working for Warner Bros. animation and won two Emmy awards while creating storyboards for the acclaimed Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Static, Batman Brave and Bold, and Ben 10 cartoons. For Disney, Blevins has drawn storyboards for Tarzan and Atlantis, and copious artwork for various other Disney projects including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, Tinkerbell, Toy Story, Tron, and Wreck-it-Ralph. In addition to other miscellaneous advertising and illustration work, Bret is always busy drawing and painting from life, writing instructional articles for DRAW! magazine, and occasionally teaching.

Geof Isherwood drew comics for Marvel, DC, Broadway, and Heroes Of The North starting in 1982. Major title runs include Dr. Strange, Suicide Squad, Conan the Barbarian, Conan The King, Namor, and The 'Nam. Geof has also worked on over 60 film and TV productions, including X-Men: DOFP and X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, Being Human (US), and The Fountain. Geof teaches in the Concept Art and Illustration program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario. Geof is now working for Renegade Media, drawing the final issue of the soon-to-be-released Necromatics.

Justin Jordan first came to the attention of the comic-buying pubic writing his creator-owned The Strange Talent of Luther Strode (with Tradd Moore on art) published through Image Comics. That title was followed up with two sequels, The Legend of Luther Strode and The Legacy of Luther Strode. He has also worked on DC Comics' Green Lantern: New Guardians as well as runs during the "New 52" initiative on Superboy, Deathstroke, and Team 7. At Valiant Comics, he wrote the relaunch of Shadowman, and co-created Deep State at BOOM! Studios, Spread and Dead Body Road at Image Comics, and Dark Gods at Avatar Press. In 2012, he received a Harvey Award nomination for Most Promising New Talent, and contributed to the Eisner-nominated In the Dark: A Horror Anthology from IDW.

Joe St.Pierre graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and began his professional career in 1992 as a penciller for the fledgling comic book publisher Valiant, taking on writing responsibilities in time as well. His best known work at Valiant was a 10-issue run of the title Secret Weapons, which he wrote and drew. In addition to his work in commercial art and as a storyboard artist for just over 20 years, he has worked on titles at major publishers, including DC's Aquaman, Batman, Green Lantern, Superboy, and Superman, Marvel's Fantastic Four, Wolverine, X-Men, and he has the distinction of being the artist who most probably worked the most first issues featuring Spider-Man or Spidey family characters. He is currently working on his own title, New Zodiax.

Amongst our seasoned luminaries, Marcio Takara is a relative newcoming, having worked in comics since 2006. His art has graced the pages of Marvel Comics' Marvel Adventures Super Heroes, Captain Marvel, and Armor Wars, Image Comics' Dynamo5, BOOM! Studios' The Incredibles and Incorruptible, and DC Comics' Blue Beetle, The Flash, and Smallville: Lantern. He has also launched a successful Kickstarter project with writer Bryan Q. Miller called Earthward, and provided artwork for the game League of Legends.

"It's so great to be able to announce another batch of top-tier comic talent," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "From industry veterans with long resumes to newcomers making big waves, these creators are all a big part of our little ecosystem, and we know their fans will be excited to meet them in Baltimore."

TICKETS
General Admission and VIP Package tickets for Weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as the Harvey Awards, are now on sale! Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets now, and as always, kids 10 and under get into the show free with a paid adult General Admission.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
While they are available, be sure to take advantage of discount rate arrangements we have made with hotels near the Baltimore Convention Center. For all the details, see: http://baltimorecomiccon.com/about/hotels/

Contact Information

Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com- for the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
general@baltimorecomiccon.com- for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 16th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 10 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

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Tuesday, September 8, 2015

2015 Student Academy Award Winners Announced

ACADEMY REVEALS 2015 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

All winning films now eligible for Oscars®

Los Angeles, CA — The Academy has voted fifteen students as winners of the 42nd Student Academy Awards competition. The Academy received a record number of entries this year — 1,686 films from 282 domestic and 93 international colleges and universities — which were voted upon by a record number of Academy members. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 47 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards.  Previous winners include Pete Docter, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis.

The winners are (listed alphabetically by film title):

Alternative
“Chiaroscuro,” Daniel Drummond, Chapman University, California
“Zoe,” ChiHyun Lee, The School of Visual Arts, New York

Animation
“An Object at Rest,” Seth Boyden, California Institute of the Arts
“Soar,” Alyce Tzue, Academy of Art University, San Francisco
“Taking the Plunge,” Nicholas Manfredi and Elizabeth Ku-Herrero, The School of Visual Arts

Documentary
“Boxeadora,” Meg Smaker, Stanford University
“I Married My Family’s Killer,” Emily Kassie, Brown University
“Looking at the Stars,” Alexandre Peralta, University of Southern California

Narrative
“Day One,” Henry Hughes, American Film Institute, California
“Stealth,” Bennett Lasseter, American Film Institute
“This Way Up,” Jeremy Cloe, American Film Institute

Foreign Film
“Everything Will Be Okay…,” Patrick Vollrath, Filmakademie Wien, Austria
“Fidelity,” Ilker Catak, Hamburg Media School, Germany
“The Last Will,” Dustin Loose, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

Students will arrive in Los Angeles for a week of industry activities that will culminate in the awards ceremony on Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 7:30 p.m., at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  The medal placements – gold, silver and bronze – in the five award categories will be announced at the ceremony.

First-time honors go to Chapman University in the Alternative category and Filmakademie Wien in the Foreign Film competition.  Academy members voted the winners from a field of 33 finalists, announced last month.

The 42nd Student Academy Awards ceremony on September 17, 2015 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required.  Tickets may be obtained online at Oscars.org today.  Any remaining tickets will be made available at the door on the evening of the event.  The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work.

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Monday, September 7, 2015

Grammy-Winner Brandy Norwood to Lead New Series "Zoe After Zoe"


BET Networks Begins Production on New Scripted Series “ZOE EVER AFTER” in Atlanta, GA

Starring Brandy Norwood and Executive Produced by Debra Martin Chase, Danny Rose, Erica Montolfo-Bura, Scooter Braun; Co-Executive Produced by Norwood and Elaine Aronson

ZOE EVER AFTER Is Slated to Premiere in January 2016


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks announced that production on its new scripted series ZOE EVER AFTER, starring Grammy Award-winning superstar Brandy Norwood, is underway in Atlanta, GA. ZOE EVER AFTER comes from executive producers Debra Martin Chase, Danny Rose, Scooter Braun, executive producer/writer Erica Montolfo-Bura and co-executive producers Brandy Norwood and Elaine Aronson. The BET Networks production is slated to premiere in January 2016.

ZOE EVER AFTER is a multi-camera romantic comedy about Zoe Moon (Brandy Norwood), a newly single mom stepping out of the shadow of her famous boxer ex-husband Gemini Moon (Dorian Missick) while trying to balance dating, motherhood, a complicated relationship with her ex and finally fulfilling her career dream of starting a cosmetics line.

Zoe is surrounded by a cast of colorful characters, including her smart and precocious eight-year-old son Xavier (Jaylon Gordon), her fashion-forward and fun assistant Valenté (Tory Devon Smith), her publicist and best friend Pearl (Haneefah Wood) and sexy contractor Miguel (Ignacio Serricchio).

ZOE EVER AFTER comes from executive producers Debra Martin Chase, Danny Rose, Scooter Braun, executive producer/writer Erica Montolfo-Bura and co-executive producers Brandy Norwood and Elaine Aronson.


About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

Follow on Twitter: @BET_PR

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Sunday, September 6, 2015

Neon Alley Has New Anime Content for September 2015


VIZ MEDIA STARTS SEPTEMBER OFF WITH A BRAND NEW ANIME CONTENT UPDATE FOR NEON ALLEY

Don’t Miss The Latest SAILOR MOON SUPER S Episodes, New NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Weekly Simulcasts and more

VIZ Media keeps the anime action running hot for the remainder of the summer as it details new content for its Neon Alley streaming platform for September.

The magical girl anime adventure of SAILOR MOON SUPER S continues the must-see fourth season of the legendary series with 2 new subtitled episodes set to premiere every Monday throughout the month. Catch a total of 8 episodes during September beginning with Episodes 138 and 139 on September 7th.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN digital simulcasts also offer Neon Alley viewers the newest adventures of the world’s most popular ninja with subtitled streams of the latest action packed episodes straight from Japan every Thursday. Catch Episode 426 on September 3rd, followed by Episode 427 & 428 on September 10th, Episode 429 on September 17th and Episode 430 on September 24th. Additional English dubbed NARUTO action from earlier seasons of the series also continues this month with the premiere of Season 4 Episodes 180-192, which are available to stream now in their entirety.

The latest September 2015 update is further highlighted by new episodes from additional top-rated VIZ Media anime properties including:

HIKARU NO GO

·         Catch the Neon Alley run of this gripping anime series based on the smash hit manga about a boy that discovers the amazing Japanese strategy game of Go with the help of the ghost of an ancient Go master.

·         Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal kid with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. His life completely changes when he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather’s attic. The ghost of an ancient Go master named Fujiwara-no-Sai was trapped in the board and soon becomes a part of Hikaru’s consciousness. Together Hikaru and Sai make an unstoppable Go-playing team!

·         HIKARU NO GO Season 1 Episodes 1-15 and Season 2 Episodes 16-25 (dubbed) are available to stream throughout the month!

KEKKAISHI
·         The supernatural action of KEKKAISHI continues in September with the streaming premiere of dubbed Episodes 27-39.

·         Mystical forces are powerful in the region called Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of Kekkaishi – barrier masters – to guard the land, exterminating the supernatural beasts which appear there night after night. Yoshimori Sumimura is a 14-year-old student at Karasumori School. Following in the tradition that's come down through the generations, he is the twenty-second Kekkaishi of the Sumimura clan. But he’s constantly fighting with his rival, Tokine Yukimura – his childhood friend and also a Kekkaishi – about who is the rightful heir to the magical barrier arts. Protecting people from danger while growing stronger himself, Yoshimori will battle the forces of evil again tonight!

Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. with over 3,700 subtitled and English dubbed episodes and movies from more than 32 series! Neon Alley also reaches an expansive on-demand U.S.-based audience on Hulu, which enables viewers to watch shows anytime, anywhere across devices including Xbox One, PlayStation®4 (PS4™), Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu -enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.

Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com and http://blog.neonalley.com.

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