The entertainment industry has been pilfering my memories as of late, and quite frankly it has to stop.

Taking 70’s and 80’s properties and re-vamping them for a new/old audience is nothing new: It’s been in practice since time immortal. We take something old, add a new spin to it and market the crap out of it. It has to end before it goes too far.

Take last summer’s biggest films for example. Most of them originated nearly 30 years ago.
“The Transformers” was a toy line, weekday after-school cartoon that ran from 1984 to 1987 in its original run. Last summer, “Transformers” was remade into a live action film with great special effects; but the story was so full of holes, a Mack truck the size of Optimus Prime could drive through it…sideways. Recently, the cartoon that has been in and out of production for the past 20 years mostly in CGI format was also revamped to make it look more like the old 80’s TV show.

Some movies get such an advertising push that when the film fails to deliver, you feel kind of let down. “Evan Almighty,” anyone? Other movies get that push and they rightfully deserve it. Recent favorites that fit that bill include “Juno” and “No Country for Old Men.”

Then you fall into the obscure category of sweet films that slip under that radar. Films like “Definitely, Maybe.”

The plot revolves around a father in the throws of divorce (played by Ryan Reynolds), telling a story to his daughter (Abigail Breslin) on how he met her mother and fell in love. In an effort to keep things “mysterious,” he changes the his wife’s name and tells the story of the three major loves in his life as his daughter tries to figure out which one is her real mother.

The following is the official press release announcing Sakura-Con’s musical guests.

Seattle, WA1-23-2008 Sakura-Con hosts US debut of Ali Project and welcomes musical guests SCANDAL

Sakura-Con 2008, March 28-30th at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center will host the Japanese band Ali Project for their first ever US appearance. Also confirmed for Sakura-Con 2008 is the Japanese, all girl band SCANDAL. Both are presented with special thanks to NEU BAUHAUS.

Ali Project is a highly accomplished Japanese band with 19 albums to their credit and songs on over 14 anime soundtracks-including series beloved in the US- such as: .hack//Roots, Clamp School, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Noir, Rozen Maiden (TV, Ouvertüre, Träumend), Wish.

Bandai Visual announced yesterday that they had licensed the popular “Harukanaru Toki no Naka de ~Hachiyou Shou~” anime (press release here). Now, most people probably won’t care too much (after all, it is a rather “girly” series), but it is my favorite series. And what will impact many people is the pricing structure.

9 DVDs, 2-3 episodes each, subtitled only… $29.99 each.

Yeah… Basically, $10-15 per episode. I don’t like this idea. And no, it’s not the only series Bandai Visual has done this with. The Galaxy Angel Rune DVDs are 3 episodes, subtitled only, and retail for $49.99. I don’t get this. They’re cutting back on costs by not having to hire scriptwriters to convert translations into dub dialogue, nor having to hire actors. So why are their prices so much higher than everyone else?

Is it just me, or does this look like the worst thing ever? “By the makers of the Matrix trilogy.” They must be having a brain fart.

Speed Racer - Trailer

Posted Dec 12, 2007

Story of Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), who’s Mach 5 vehicle can jump, go under water and clear trees. When he’s not racing, he’s battling villians with his girlfriend Trixie, kid brother Spritle and pet monkey Chim-Chim.

You know, I have nothing against reality shows (or their not-so-distant cousin, game shows). I watch Survivor, I watch The Amazing Race, I watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I watch Dancing with the Stars. I’ll even watch Big Brother and a few others, if there’s nothing on. But I do think there are too many reality shows. And, unfortunately, we’re only in store for more. A lot more.

If you haven’t heard, the Writer’s Guild of America’s contract expired at midnight on Halloween (such a wonderfully auspicious day in itself). And, like any good contract fiasco in the US, no agreement was reached between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The major sticking points were residuals from DVD sales, and digital distribution. Which reminds me, I still need to go to NBC.com and watch the first half of last week’s Heroes, since I missed it…

I am sure many of you know that Star Trek is being rebooted. (The process of starting over…you know like a computer.) It is coming out Christmas 2008. It is being directed by J.J. Abrams of “Lost” and “Alias” fame. It is written by by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who have scripted “Alias” and “Lost” shows as well. The team also wrote Mission Impossible III.

The script is showing how the titular three met each other in the Starfleet academy. It also connects to the original Star Trek series with Leonard Nimoy playing Spock. The three of course being James T. Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy. Of course what everyone is interested is who is playing the pop culture icons as younger men. It has now been announced for all three playing the leads. James T. Kirk is played by Chris Pine. (Smoking Aces) Zachary Quinto (Skylar from Heroes) is playing Spock. Karl Urban (”Lord of the Rings: Two Towers” and “Return of the King”) is playing Dr. McCoy.

The Beatles changed music as we know it. When that
quartet of mop headed musicians crossed the pond in in
the 60s a wave of awakening and plain hysteria took
the hearts and minds of many. Thus, the Beatles became
a pop culture sensation becoming ingrained in the
mythos of music as we know it.

Flash forward, 2007. Across the Universe, a
rock-opera in the vein of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Pink Floyd’s The Wall, opens and the soundtrack
hits the market. People rush out to pick up this
instant classic, not just a Beatles movie, but a well
done movie. The downside, what many growing up from
the era of the Beatles, and the generation after, have
taken for granted in the music becomes forgotten.

This week has been an interesting week, thanks to the news that, as of Tuesday, all Geneon releases after November 6th have effectively been canceled. So we get a “big long list of stuff,” since I’ve been trying to dig up solid info all week on what’s happening to Geneon’s properties.

You know how horrible it is, to get really excited for something, and then have your hopes and expectations dashed? Well, for GvL’s resident otaku, that was last Thursday.

Don’t get me wrong, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conquerer of Shambala was a great movie, and it was awesome to see it on the big screen. And since I didn’t pay for the tickets, I can’t say it was a waste of my money, since I have the movie to watch at home. But that’s not what this article is about.

Modifying the new key slightly (so that it makes a little more sense)

(S)- Subtitled only
(D)- Dubbed only
^- Check it out (watch/read, don’t necessarily buy)
+- Add to your collection (buy it, and buy the rest of the series, too)
*- First volume in a series or stand-alone volume, or a complete series

Doubling the ^ means that it’s a highly recommended title, whether you buy it or not.

Anime (Release Date- 9/18)
Black Lagoon DVD 3 (Also available in Limited Collector’s Edition)
Dragon Ball Z Season 3 Uncut DVD Set
^Full Moon DVD 6
^ + * Fullmetal Alchemist DVD Box Set 1 (1-4)
* GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka DVD Box Set 1
Karin DVD 3: Thicker than Blood
^ Law of Ueki DVD 9: Cold Survival Game
Noein DVD 5
* Super Dimension Century Orguss DVD 1 (S) (includes series carton)
Super Dimension Century Orguss DVD 2 (S)
* Ramen Fighter Miki DVD 1 (S): Miso Mayhem
* Red Garden DVD 1: Live to Kill
^ + Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 1 DVD Set 2 (D)
* This Ugly Yet Beautiful World DVD Complete Collection (Thinpak)
YuGiOh GX DVD 4 (D)

Alright, I’m back, and I have an updated key for you.

(S)- Subtitled only
(D)- Dubbed only
^- recommended title
+- Add to your collection
*- First volume in a series or stand-alone volume

Recommended titles are titles that are worth taking a look at. Collection titles are ones that you should definitely think about collecting the whole series of.

With so many titles coming out each week (especially manga), it’s too hard to try to find a sample of each series.

Anime DVDs (Release Date 9/11)
Ah! My Goddess Season 2 DVD 3: Reunited & It Feels So Good
^ + Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 DVD Collection
Best Student Council DVD 6: Don’t Go! Hello
Burst Angel (Bakuretsu Tenshi) DVD 3: East Meets West
Burst Angel (Bakuretsu Tenshi) DVD 4: Hired Gun
* Hare+Guu DVD Box Set
Guyver DVD 6: Panemonium’s Ransom
Kyo Kara Maoh! Season 2 DVD 6
+ Mushishi DVD 2
Princess Princess DVD 3 (S): Family Secrets
Shonen Onmyoji DVD 2
* Spider Riders Season 1 DVD Set (D)
* Wings of Honneamise DVD/BluRay Combo (also available with DVD/HDDVD Combo)
^^^^^^^^^^ + * Xenosaga DVD 1: Enter the Gnosis

I really don’t know if anyone cares about the forth coming Indiana Jones movie. It is slated for next May, but it has finally got a title and logo. Other websites have reported it, so I thought I would pass it on. Here is the logo, for what it is worth:

If you haven’t already noticed, I have not been able to get up this week’s anime (and related) release list. I regret to inform everyone that it will not be appearing this week.

However, I relay the following things that have prevented me from getting it up in a timely manner this week (in true geeky nature):

1) It has been requested that I give more recommendations for those who are not as anime-savvy as I. However, this is difficult, due to a) so many titles come out each week that I’ve never even heard of, let alone can recommend, and b) so many titles would read “go find volume 1,” as you can’t just jump in on the middle. So I’ve been trying to work out a series of “introduction to anime (and related)” articles.

2) Work (blah… always have that)