It's not unusual for the movies to come out of manga and anime series to feel a little off. The stories are often non-canon or otherwise abridged adaptations of ongoing story arcs, and the best thing you can hope for as a viewer is that a given movie captures some hint of what you enjoy about the series. While the movies may not hit the heights of the series, they can still deliver excellent character moments and action.
Whether or not the "Naruto" films deliver on that is up for debate. As the manga and anime series focused on the growth and development of its title character, a young ninja in a fantasy world on the path to glory, the movies give him and some of his coterie of allies non-canonical missions on which they can prove their mettle. For a series weighed down with a large number of "filler...
Whether or not the "Naruto" films deliver on that is up for debate. As the manga and anime series focused on the growth and development of its title character, a young ninja in a fantasy world on the path to glory, the movies give him and some of his coterie of allies non-canonical missions on which they can prove their mettle. For a series weighed down with a large number of "filler...
- 2/5/2024
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Spector, the new, four-part documentary premiering on Showtime on November 4th, is unique among music docs: It’s part true-crime narrative, part monumentally lurid Behind the Music. Directed by Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott, it takes us through the well-documented story of how Phil Spector went from iconic and contentious record producer to convicted murderer.
The tale is still both familiar and queasy. After he’d made booming, cathartic pop symphonies like the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” the Crystals’ “Then He Kissed Me” and the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve...
The tale is still both familiar and queasy. After he’d made booming, cathartic pop symphonies like the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” the Crystals’ “Then He Kissed Me” and the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve...
- 11/4/2022
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Stars: Johnny Yong Bosch, Cherami Leigh, Bryce Papenbrook, Faith Graham, Landen Beattie, Michael Sorich, Keith Silverstein, Jamieson Price, Darrel Guilbeau | Written by Anna Manfio, Francesco Manfio, Sergio Manfio, Davide Stefanato | Directed by Sergio Manfio
Life is idyllic in the quiet town of Vinci. The young genius inventor, Leo da Vinci (voiced by Power Ranger Johnny Yong Bosch), is continuously tinkering and testing his inventions with a little help from his best friends, Lorenzo (Bryce Papenbrook) and Lisa (Cherami Leigh). On their return from an outing to a nearby lake, the trio has a shocking surprise: Lisa’s family home has mysteriously burst into flames and, to make matters worse, the odious landlord is demanding that her father repay his debts in full – or agree to have Lisa marry his despicable son. Determined to raise the money Lisa needs, Leo takes his paintings and heads with Lorenzo and Lisa to the nearest big city,...
Life is idyllic in the quiet town of Vinci. The young genius inventor, Leo da Vinci (voiced by Power Ranger Johnny Yong Bosch), is continuously tinkering and testing his inventions with a little help from his best friends, Lorenzo (Bryce Papenbrook) and Lisa (Cherami Leigh). On their return from an outing to a nearby lake, the trio has a shocking surprise: Lisa’s family home has mysteriously burst into flames and, to make matters worse, the odious landlord is demanding that her father repay his debts in full – or agree to have Lisa marry his despicable son. Determined to raise the money Lisa needs, Leo takes his paintings and heads with Lorenzo and Lisa to the nearest big city,...
- 9/2/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.
This Past Weekend:
As expected, Labor Day weekend wasn’t good for the two new wide releases at all, although the romantic drama The Light Between Oceans (DreamWorks), starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, ended up doing far better of the two. Also as expected, Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems) won the weekend with a four-day total of $19.7 million, a little less than I predicted. The Light Between Oceans ended up with slightly over $6 million, roughly the same as my original prediction but 20th Century Fox’s thriller Morgan, starring Kate Mara, bomb-bomb-bombed with a ridiculously bad four-day opening of just $2.5 million in its first four days. The Mexican comedy No Manches Frida (Lionsgate/Pantelion) ended up faring better in just 362 theaters,...
This Past Weekend:
As expected, Labor Day weekend wasn’t good for the two new wide releases at all, although the romantic drama The Light Between Oceans (DreamWorks), starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, ended up doing far better of the two. Also as expected, Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems) won the weekend with a four-day total of $19.7 million, a little less than I predicted. The Light Between Oceans ended up with slightly over $6 million, roughly the same as my original prediction but 20th Century Fox’s thriller Morgan, starring Kate Mara, bomb-bomb-bombed with a ridiculously bad four-day opening of just $2.5 million in its first four days. The Mexican comedy No Manches Frida (Lionsgate/Pantelion) ended up faring better in just 362 theaters,...
- 9/7/2016
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
Title: V.R. Troopers Starring: Michael Sorich, Mike Reynolds and Gardner Baldwin Running time: 9 hours (26 episodes/3 discs), Rated TVY7 Special Features: None Ryan, Kaitlin and J.B. are a trio of young adults who are given the ability to travel into virtual reality as superheroes, which was created by Ryan’s missing father to defend the world from the evil Grimlord. Saban’s V.R. Troopers is a children’s action show which was shot in the style of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers but with sh*ttier acting and the special effects were even more lame. This show looks like one of those cheesy Japanese flicks from the 70′s with some American actors cast for [ Read More ]
The post Vr Troopers DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Vr Troopers DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 10/29/2012
- by juliana
- ShockYa
DVD Playhouse September 2010
By
Allen Gardner
The Girl Who Played With Fire (Music Box Films) Follow up to the hit The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo finds Lisabeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) joining forces once again as Blomkvist is about to break a story on Sweden’s sex trade, which leads unexpectedly to a dark secret from Elizabeth’s past. Starts off well, then quickly nose-dives into sensationalism and downright silliness, with a pair of villains who are straight out of a Roger Moore-era James Bond film. A real letdown for those of us who felt Dragon Tattoo had finally breathed life into the cinema’s long-stagnant genre of the thriller. Bonuses: English language track; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
The Killer Inside Me (IFC Films) Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of Jim Thompson’s classic, and notorious, novel about the psychotic mind of a small town sheriff (Casey Affleck,...
By
Allen Gardner
The Girl Who Played With Fire (Music Box Films) Follow up to the hit The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo finds Lisabeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) joining forces once again as Blomkvist is about to break a story on Sweden’s sex trade, which leads unexpectedly to a dark secret from Elizabeth’s past. Starts off well, then quickly nose-dives into sensationalism and downright silliness, with a pair of villains who are straight out of a Roger Moore-era James Bond film. A real letdown for those of us who felt Dragon Tattoo had finally breathed life into the cinema’s long-stagnant genre of the thriller. Bonuses: English language track; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
The Killer Inside Me (IFC Films) Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of Jim Thompson’s classic, and notorious, novel about the psychotic mind of a small town sheriff (Casey Affleck,...
- 9/25/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
While some filmmakers spend their entire careers maximizing the succinct pleasures of the short film, others start out by making shorts that they hope will maximize their chances of becoming a feature film director. This week alone will see the feature debuts of two directors who have turned their short films into full-length one -- Neill Blomkamp, whose 2005 socially conscious alien invasion tale "Alive in Joburg" has been turned into the Peter Jackson-produced "District 9," and Paul Solet, whose 2006 horror short "Grace," about a mother who refuses to give up on her miscarriage has morphed into a feature of the same name starring Jordan Ladd. Here's a look at ten other notable shorts that got the full feature treatment.
"Bottle Rocket" (1992)
Directed by Wes Anderson
What's another $4,000 after paying private school tuition? That was probably the pitch made by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson to their fathers, a year...
"Bottle Rocket" (1992)
Directed by Wes Anderson
What's another $4,000 after paying private school tuition? That was probably the pitch made by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson to their fathers, a year...
- 8/14/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
An amazing movie about the downfall of scrappy Panamanian strongman Manuel "Tony" Noriega, "Noriega: God's Favorite" looked great on the big screen of the Granada Theatre, where the Roger Spottiswoode-directed film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Alas, despite its availability to distributors, the less than-$6
million production has not landed a theatrical deal. It is set to air April 2 on Showtime.
Although more festival showcases are certainly in order, most of the intended mature audience will discover the project's many virtues over time through cable play dates and a long ancillary shelf life. Written by journalist and nonfiction author Lawrence Wright, adapting his just-published debut novel "God's Favorite", "Noriega" stars Bob Hoskins in another superb performance -- arguably his greatest yet -- with a well-picked supporting cast of veterans and relatively unfamiliar faces.
Starting with the torture and murder of Noriega's well-known foe Hugo Spadafora in 1985 and climaxing with the general's seeking shelter from American soldiers and outraged Panamanians inside the Vatican Embassy, "Noriega" is a wild tale that many potential viewers are probably not fully acquainted with.
The filmmakers and Wright make no promises of accuracy on every detail, conversation, date or even names and faces. But in the tradition of art "re-imagining" reality, "Noriega" is a major success, bringing to a potentially wide audience a film that is literate, challenging, even a tad controversial in its occasionally sympathetic portrayal of the "Little General".
Intricately constructed around the spiritual and international crisis Noriega confronts when the invasion of 1989 ends his corrupt career -- using a fictional confession to periodically provide insights into the protagonist's complex mind -- "Noriega" is intelligently lurid, unabashedly funny and sickeningly violent.
It holds too many oddities and subtle storytelling flourishes to begin to do justice to a one-of-a-kind experience that, for example, features a sunny scene on a boat with Gen. Tony, a bevy of topless girls and Oliver North (Edward Edwards) talking about their troubles with Contras and Colombians.
Or, if that's not wicked enough, there's the scene where tough chit-chatting Fidel Castro (Michael Sorich) sticks Tony with the bill at an intimate summit in a Havana nightclub.
An alcoholic despot whose primary beliefs are "forget the past" and that God has given him extraordinary luck, Tony is a big, bad, bisexual barrio boy turned "tin-pot fascist," with a sultry mistress (Rosa Blasi), a witch doctor, loyal second in command Roberto (Tony Plana), who "knows too much," and, last but not least, a jealous wife (Denise Blasor).
After the Spadafora affair, Noriega drives Panamanian President Nicky Balretta (Luis Avalos) to resign and also banishes Roberto, while making a big show of holding elections. As the forces of betrayed drug lords, American intelligence and military and his own internal critics close in, Noriega brutally overturns the results of the election and stops a coup by Roberto's replacement (Nestor Carbonell) in its tracks with a well-placed phone call and his own fierce personality -- a tremendous sequence that Hoskins pulls off spectacularly.
With an excellent soundtrack of Latin-flavored songs and instrumentals, the well-paced, entirely absorbing scenario concludes with Noriega and a savvy papal nuncio (Jeffrey Demunn) enduring the U.S. military's barrage of hard-rock music in a bizarre standoff.
And Tony's story is not over yet, we learn in the finale. Convicted of racketeering and drug trafficking and serving a 30-year sentence in federal prison in Miami, Noriega is eligible for parole this year.
Filmed in the Philippines, the production is first-rate in all regards. Pierre Mignot's cinematography, Owen Paterson's production design and Florence-Isabelle Megginson's costumes work together magically to help fully realize the perceptive, at times playful, cinematic ministerings of Spottiswoode ("Tomorrow Never Dies", Showtime's "Hiroshima").
NORIEGA: GOD'S FAVORITE
Showtime Networks
Showtime and Regency Enterprises present
A Nancy Hardin/Industry
Entertainment production
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Screenwriter: Lawrence Wright
Producer: Nancy Hardin
Executive producers: Arnon Milchan,
Nick Wechsler, Roger Spottiswoode
Director of photography: Pierre Mignot
Production designer: Owen Paterson
Editor: Mark Conte
Costume designer: Florence-Isabelle Megginson
Casting: Judith Holstra
Color/stereo
Cast:
Manuel "Tony" Noriega: Bob Hoskins
Papal nuncio: Jeffrey Demunn
Roberto: Tony Plana
Maj. Giroldi: Nestor Carbonell
Vicky: Rosa Blasi
Felicidad: Denise Blasor
President Nicky Barletta: Luis Avalos
Running time -- 120 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Alas, despite its availability to distributors, the less than-$6
million production has not landed a theatrical deal. It is set to air April 2 on Showtime.
Although more festival showcases are certainly in order, most of the intended mature audience will discover the project's many virtues over time through cable play dates and a long ancillary shelf life. Written by journalist and nonfiction author Lawrence Wright, adapting his just-published debut novel "God's Favorite", "Noriega" stars Bob Hoskins in another superb performance -- arguably his greatest yet -- with a well-picked supporting cast of veterans and relatively unfamiliar faces.
Starting with the torture and murder of Noriega's well-known foe Hugo Spadafora in 1985 and climaxing with the general's seeking shelter from American soldiers and outraged Panamanians inside the Vatican Embassy, "Noriega" is a wild tale that many potential viewers are probably not fully acquainted with.
The filmmakers and Wright make no promises of accuracy on every detail, conversation, date or even names and faces. But in the tradition of art "re-imagining" reality, "Noriega" is a major success, bringing to a potentially wide audience a film that is literate, challenging, even a tad controversial in its occasionally sympathetic portrayal of the "Little General".
Intricately constructed around the spiritual and international crisis Noriega confronts when the invasion of 1989 ends his corrupt career -- using a fictional confession to periodically provide insights into the protagonist's complex mind -- "Noriega" is intelligently lurid, unabashedly funny and sickeningly violent.
It holds too many oddities and subtle storytelling flourishes to begin to do justice to a one-of-a-kind experience that, for example, features a sunny scene on a boat with Gen. Tony, a bevy of topless girls and Oliver North (Edward Edwards) talking about their troubles with Contras and Colombians.
Or, if that's not wicked enough, there's the scene where tough chit-chatting Fidel Castro (Michael Sorich) sticks Tony with the bill at an intimate summit in a Havana nightclub.
An alcoholic despot whose primary beliefs are "forget the past" and that God has given him extraordinary luck, Tony is a big, bad, bisexual barrio boy turned "tin-pot fascist," with a sultry mistress (Rosa Blasi), a witch doctor, loyal second in command Roberto (Tony Plana), who "knows too much," and, last but not least, a jealous wife (Denise Blasor).
After the Spadafora affair, Noriega drives Panamanian President Nicky Balretta (Luis Avalos) to resign and also banishes Roberto, while making a big show of holding elections. As the forces of betrayed drug lords, American intelligence and military and his own internal critics close in, Noriega brutally overturns the results of the election and stops a coup by Roberto's replacement (Nestor Carbonell) in its tracks with a well-placed phone call and his own fierce personality -- a tremendous sequence that Hoskins pulls off spectacularly.
With an excellent soundtrack of Latin-flavored songs and instrumentals, the well-paced, entirely absorbing scenario concludes with Noriega and a savvy papal nuncio (Jeffrey Demunn) enduring the U.S. military's barrage of hard-rock music in a bizarre standoff.
And Tony's story is not over yet, we learn in the finale. Convicted of racketeering and drug trafficking and serving a 30-year sentence in federal prison in Miami, Noriega is eligible for parole this year.
Filmed in the Philippines, the production is first-rate in all regards. Pierre Mignot's cinematography, Owen Paterson's production design and Florence-Isabelle Megginson's costumes work together magically to help fully realize the perceptive, at times playful, cinematic ministerings of Spottiswoode ("Tomorrow Never Dies", Showtime's "Hiroshima").
NORIEGA: GOD'S FAVORITE
Showtime Networks
Showtime and Regency Enterprises present
A Nancy Hardin/Industry
Entertainment production
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Screenwriter: Lawrence Wright
Producer: Nancy Hardin
Executive producers: Arnon Milchan,
Nick Wechsler, Roger Spottiswoode
Director of photography: Pierre Mignot
Production designer: Owen Paterson
Editor: Mark Conte
Costume designer: Florence-Isabelle Megginson
Casting: Judith Holstra
Color/stereo
Cast:
Manuel "Tony" Noriega: Bob Hoskins
Papal nuncio: Jeffrey Demunn
Roberto: Tony Plana
Maj. Giroldi: Nestor Carbonell
Vicky: Rosa Blasi
Felicidad: Denise Blasor
President Nicky Barletta: Luis Avalos
Running time -- 120 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 3/10/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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