Edward Orndorff
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ULTRAMAN OMEGA – Arise! New Series Unveiled!
On an Earth with no kaiju, and no heroes, an amnesiac alien arrives, bearing a red boomerang. Disguising himself as a human being named Sorato, he’ll soon realize his giant-sized destiny as ULTRAMAN OMEGA! The long rumored new tokusatsu drama from the venerable Tsuburaya Productions will soon begin, and with a newly expanded list of dubs for fans all over the world. Ultraman is back! Tsuburaya recently shared a lengthy press release, detailing a story synopsis, lead actor, and heads of production, as well as information about availability in new languages versus previous series ULTRAMAN ARC. Beginning it’s run in July on TV Tokyo’s Network Six, the show will also launch with dubs in English and, a notable first, a Korean dub running alongside the Japanese airing. Ten total dubs, and fourteen subtitled versions, will be available at “almost the same time”. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS ©ULTRAMAN OMEGA PRODUCTION CONSORTIUM・TV TOKYO On […]
Live Out Your Henshin Hero Fantasies with TOJIMA WANTS TO BE A KAMEN RIDER, Coming 2025
What fan of tokusatsu drama hasn’t caught themselves daydreaming about just how cool being a masked hero would be? Especially in today’s climate, kicking fascists so hard that they explode is quite appealing.Enter Tojima Tanzaburo, the 40 year old, toku-loving lead of the soon to be manga turned anime TOJIMA WANTS TO BE A KAMEN RIDER. All his life, he has dreamed of donning the mask of Kamen Rider himself and becoming a hero, but in his adult age, he is nearly ready to give up on his dreams. That is, until a group disguised as SHOCKER appears, attempting to rip off a local konbini! Leaping into action, Tojima disguises himself with a toy mask of Kamen Rider Ichigo and fights off the burglars. Expecting praise and congratulations, he is quickly made into a laughing stock on the internet. Unfazed, he continues to take to the streets to counter the fake […]
Rumble into theatres for ATTACK ON TITAN: THE LAST ATTACK
The long running hit anime series ATTACK ON TITAN has reached it’s climactic ending, and fans have a unique experience heading to theatres to celebrate. ATTACK ON TITAN: THE LAST ATTACK is a new omnibus film, capturing the epic conclusion of the saga began on-screen in 2013. Originally releasing in November 2024 in Japan, the film will be available with an English language dub in the US, starting February 10th!
ULTRAMAN TAIGA: THE COMPLETE SERIES Out Now! Includes Film!
As your resident tokusatsu fanboy, the work that the stewards of the Ultraman brand have been doing in the US has been fantastic. The heroes over at Tokushoutsu and Mill Creek, for sure, have been carrying the torch, making the show easily accessible for western audiences in both digital and physical format. The latest? A blu-ray pack for 2019’s ULTRAMAN TAIGA, featuring not only the complete series, but the accompanying film, NEW GENERATION CLIMAX. Courtesy of Mill Creek, the blu-ray is in hand, so what does the first Ultra of the Reiwa era have to offer?
NINJA SCROLL Returns to Theatres to Celebrate 30th Anniversary
The legendary film NINJA SCROLL is returning to the cinema for a special engagement, celebrating 30 years of the iconic film. Originally released in 1993, the film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (director, Wicked City, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) has stood the test of time as an all time action anime classic, and this writer is excited to see it on the big screen in September! The surprise announcement comes courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing in partnership with HIDIVE, and will roll out as part of the AX Cinema Nights Series, showing in over 500 theatres. Showings are currently set for September 11, 12, and 15, presented both with English dub, and Japanese Audio/English Sub options. (Go see both!) The AX Cinema Nights events represents a chance to see these films as they were originally intended – on massive screens with booming sound systems! The year round series provides […]
ULTRAMAN TAIGA Coming to Blu-Ray! Mill Creek expands Tsuburaya Deal
The first Ultra hero of the Reiwa era is taking the trip across the Pacific, and Mill Creek is driving the boat! ULTRAMAN TAIGA, the 31st Ultra Series production, has been announced for a four disc Blu-Ray package, as well as a digital release. This release also will feature the film ULTRAMAN TAIGA THE MOVIE: NEW GENERATION CLIMAX to make this drop an all-in-one TAIGA experience that’s sure to please neophytes and veterans alike. Just as exciting to this writer as the announcement of this collection is Mill Creek’s expanded partnership with Tsuburaya, which includes “…digital and physical rights for a full slate of episodic series and feature films from the international powerhouse brand, ULTRAMAN, including many that have not been available in the US previously,” per the press release. Mill Creek has absolutely dominated the tokusatsu space in the west, in this writer’s opinion, with their steady release of […]
SHIN KAMEN RIDER Set For Worldwide Release on Amazon Prime!
In a move that almost completely caught this writer off guard, it’s been announced that Hideaki Anno’s absolute gem of a film in SHIN KAMEN RIDER will be coming to the Amazon Prime streaming service. The massively underrated (in my humble opinion) film was a surprise bit of a news, but a pleasant one as plans for the film have been largely under wraps after it’s theatrical run scored over $16 million USD in it’s Japanese domestic run and a seven week stint in the top 10 Japanese films. With the Fathom Events showings still within memory, I’m excited to revisit the film starting July 21st on Amazon Prime. Hongo Takeshi awakens to discover he has been transformed into a grasshopper-hybrid cyborg. Becoming the Masked Rider, he must fight the mysterious evil organization SHOCKER to protect all of mankind. “SHIN KAMEN RIDER” is Anno Hideaki’s ode to the legendary Tokusatsu […]
SHIN KAMEN RIDER Screening Dates Spotted for US Theatres!
While oddly not yet officially announced by Fathom Events (as of writing), screenings for a one-day only showing of SHIN KAMEN RIDER, the latest in the Shin Japan Heroes Universe by Hideaki Anno, have started to appear! While not all areas have had showings booked yet, fans in the United States should start checking their local cinemas and Fandango for listings for a one day showing for May 31st! An updated re-interpretation of the original, legendary story by mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori, director and writer Anno ( Evangelion series, Shin Godzilla) has apparently succeeded in his creative vision for SHIN KAMEN RIDER, grossing ¥1.5 billion ($11.66 million) as of April 10, and loads of critical praise. It even got a few tweets recently from one of the only film reviewers this writer follows – Hideo Kojima. In the film, a man is kidnapped by a cult, known by the abbreviated name SHOCKER (Sustainable […]
CHIBI GODZILLA Brings Bite-Size Fun with Legendary Kaiju!
Kids in Japan will soon have brand new adventures with the popular Chibi Godzilla and friends! Coming to TV Tokyo’s children’s anime block, CHIBI GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN is launching April 1st, 2023, as a series of almost three minute animations. Chibi Godzilla made his debut in 2018 as part of the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Godzilla franchise. First appearing as part of a picture book, Chibi Godzilla, as well as versions of other popular characters such as Mothra and King Ghidorah, have appeared on all sorts of merchandise and short animations. He was designed by Chiharu Sakazaki, known in Japan as an illustrator and children’s book author. Watch the trailer below on Toho Animation’s Youtube page!
RETURN TO SILENT HILL With Stars Irvine and Anderson in Live Action Sequel
In news that is still shocking to write, the revival of the Survival Horror classic Silent Hill continues to trudge down the hallway of nostalgia, taking a moment to stop at the silver screen. Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of The Wolf) is returning to the director chair, with newly announced stars Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) and Hanna Emily Anderson (Jigsaw, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) for a sequel to the rebooted Silent Hill film franchise: RETURN TO SILENT HILL. Said to be based on fan favorite Silent Hill 2, the film is set to launch in conjunction with the upcoming video game reboot. Silent Hill, long thought abandoned to pachinko hell by it’s fans, made a shocking return to the scene in October 2022. Konami, the franchise’s owners since it’s inception, announced several new Silent Hill projects were in the works, including amongst them three games; one of these was a long rumored […]
POKEMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU Sequel Bolts Ahead with Jonathan Krisel Directing
The shockingly successful Detective Pikachu, a live action / CG crossover featuring the fantastic Justice Smith and the legendary Ryan Reynolds (who at this point seems to be doing the side quests), is steadily chugging forward with sequel talks, much to this writer’s pleasure. The latest from Deadline says talks have begun with Jonathan Krisel, co-creator of Portlandia to direct the sequel, which seems like a good fit based on the tone of the first film. The original film released in 2019 did more than $430 million at the box office, and was directed by Rob Letterman. It features lead Smith (no relation to any Holywood royalty, though Justice himself is certifiably Fresh in my opinion) as protagonist Tim Goodman, a young man who once dreamed of becoming a Pokemon Trainer. After the death of his mother and separation from his father, a police detective, he is contacted by his father’s […]
DEAD BY DAYLIGHT Sure to Bring Screams in Theatres!
Behavior Interactive’s surprise success with their asymmetric horror title DEAD BY DAYLIGHT is the latest hit game to make the jump from the small to the silver screen! Teaming up Blumhouse and Atomic Monster production companies, both familiar with the Horror genre, is sure to be a great formula to bring the love letter to the genre that is DBD to greater heights. We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Jason Blum and James Wan, two giants of the horror film industry, to further expand the Dead by Daylight universe. At Behaviour, our motto is to create unique moments, together, forever. Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are the ideal partners to craft Dead by Daylight’s killer entrance onto the big screen. – Stephen Mulrooney, Executive Vice President at Behaviour Interactive In Dead by Daylight the Behaviour team has created a love letter to the world of horror, building […]
GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS Stomps Into Theatres for Special One Night Screening
Fathom Events is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS in a big way! Never screened in U.S. theatres, the film will be hitting the big screen for a one night special showing, and even includes a bonus short film as part of the screening. A sequel to 2002’s Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, TOKYO SOS was the 28th film in the franchise, and featured Godzilla, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla, called Kiryu in the film. A modest box office and critical success, while it has been available on physical media several times over, the film has never been released to U.S. theatres. Fathom is rectifying that with a special showing of the film nationwide on March 22, 2023. As a special bonus, the screening will include a showing of Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex, a short which debuted at the Japan Godzilla Festival in 2022 as a special showing, and never before been shown […]
RESIDENT EVIL: DEATH ISLAND Comes to Life in 2023!
As a Resident Evil apologist, I always get excited for new official films and shows. While the results have been hit and miss, to put it lightly, there’s something fun about playing in the sandbox that the brilliant Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara created in the original Biohazard. The sequel to the Resident Evil: Vendetta film, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a trailer for the next film in the R.E. Universe, RESIDENT EVIL: DEATH ISLAND. The trailer features familiar protagonists, stunning visuals, and plenty of Bio-Organic Weapons to tear apart with a little heroic gunplay! In the new film, we follow the veteran BOW blasters Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy, leads of the original Resident Evil and it’s acclaimed fourth entry, soon to have a fresh remake in the vein of the hit Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes from the previous console generation. Chris, now a grizzled international agent, is sent to San […]
GAMERA -REBIRTH- Heading to Netflix for Six Episode Anime Series!
The world of classic Kaiju films has more than one big G, and one of them is stomping in to streaming! Gamera -Rebirth – project, first announced in 2022, will be a six episode anime series, exclusive to Netflix worldwide. Five kaiju, plus Gamera, will appear and he’ll have his hands full with taking them down in this new series. Debuting in the ’65 film, Gamera, the Giant Monster, Gamera was created in the wake of the success of Gojira, intended as a competitor. The turtle kaiju would find moderate international success with his 12 films, and while not reaching the same heights as Godzilla, enjoys a sizable cult following to this day and is considered commercially successful in it’s native Japan. Only one film, the original Daikaiju Gamera has made it to stateside theatres, and only as a heavily edited version of the film. However, through DVD/BluRay sales, as well […]
GOD OF WAR Live-Action Series Announced for Prime Video
Where does one begin when discussing a legendary gaming series such as God of War? It’s the epic tale of Kratos, a tortured Spartan warrior, hell-bent on revenge against the Greek deities that used and wronged him. Over the course of several games, he would eventually topple Mount Olympus’ pantheon and himself claim the title of God of War. The series would receive a universally acclaimed sequel/reboot in 2018 that would find it’s hero exiling himself to the Norse realm of Midgard. This game was recently followed up by the runaway success of God of War Ragnarok, winning Best Narrative, Best Action/Adventure and more at the Game Awards 2022, and selling over 5 million units in it’s launch week; the fastest selling first-party game in Playstation history. Naturally, Playstation Productions would follow this up with a bombshell announcement: they’ll be teaming up with Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios to […]
Makoto Shinkai’s SUZUME to Release Worldwide in 2023!
The director behind international smash hit films Your Name and Weathering with You is returning to the screen with another gorgeous looking film, sure to be an international smash. Makoto Shinkai’s latest film, Suzume, has been confirmed by Crunchyroll for a worldwide release, starting April 12, 2023! Suzume released in Japan on November 11th, quickly hitting the top 100 of the Japanese box office and raking in 7.6 billion yen at the box office, with over 5.6 million tickets sold as of December 4th. Previous Shinkai films Your Name and Weathering with You are also on this list, with Your Name at 5th and Weathering at 14th. On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety— “Suzume no Tojimari” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation. Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern […]
THE FIRST SLAM DUNK Trailer Shoots for Three Dimensions
If you like sports anime, you owe a bit of gratitude to one of the GOATs. Often credited for helping the sport of basketball explode in popularity in Japan, Slam Dunk is the classic 90’s manga that told the story of a high school basketball team and a delinquent turned baller who plays for it. Adapted into video games, anime, and winning loads of awards has cemented it’s place in history books, and a new film adaption called The First Slam Dunk is poised to take the series into 3D with a striking new art style. Slam Dunk, written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, launched October 1990 in Weekly Shonen Jump and went on to be collected into 31 volumes. The anime adaption launched in 1993, running for three years and airing worldwide. Crunchyroll streams the series, and describes it – Hanamichi Sakuragi is a delinquent with a long history of […]
GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA Finally Slated for First Theatre Run
Fathom Events is responsible for some of the most impressive, niche cinema runs in the United States, and they continue this trend with a first for Godzilla Day 2022! Never before seen in US theatres, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is heading to the big screen, 20 years after it’s release! Decades after Godzilla’s first attack on Japan, a team of scientists create a cyborg from Godzilla’s remains, giving it the moniker “Kiryu”. Now inducted into the Japan Self-Defense Forces, along with it’s pilot Akane Yashiro, a former maser-cannon technician who was demoted when she accidentally causes the death of her colleagues during a previous Godzilla attack, and a team of scientists, forming the Kiryu Squadron. Suddenly, Akane and Kiryu are thrust in to action when Godzilla returns, but not all is as it seems, and a strange malfunction drives Kiryu to rampage and destroy the city. Why is Kiryu rampaging? How […]
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