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 […]
KAMEN RIDER KUUGA: THE COMPLETE SERIES Coming to Blu-Ray
Fans asked; Shout! Factory, as usual, delivered! Fan favorite and classic Heisei-era tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Kuuga will be making it’s way to blu-ray as a further celebration of the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Originally premiered in Japan in 2000, Kuuga began the Heisei-era with a new spin on the original Kamen Rider formula, and to this day remains a must watch for new fans of tokusatsu and veterans alike. After the success of the Kamen Rider Zero-One release by Shout!, many thought this would follow, and on September 20, Kuuga finally has it’s moment in the spotlight! When a group of archaeologists uncovers the tomb of a legendary warrior, they unearth Kuuga’s belt, accidentally releasing an ancient race of monsters called the Grongi, bent on destroying humanity. Enter Yusuke Godai, a modern-day guy-next-door, who learns he is telepathically linked to the mysterious stone belt. With its power, he transforms into the legendary warrior known as Kuuga, humanity’s only defense against […]
Action Team for POWER RANGERS Shares Behind the Scenes, Pre-Viz Footage
It’s undeniable that Power Rangers, as a franchise, is responsible for not only many kids’ first experience with tokusatsu, but with action films as a whole. It’s long running formula of adapting Toei’s Super Sentai has paid dividends, with the franchise seeing much success on TV and in merchandise sales. However, who steps in when the source footage from Super Sentai isn’t enough, and the scene demands new footage? Enter the Power Rangers Action Unit, part of Alpha Stunts! Team member Yuji has recently opened social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram, and has not only interacted with cast and crew from the current show, but fans as well! Yuta has been uploading behind the scenes footage and photos, including pre-viz breakdowns of two scenes from Dino Fury. As described by Yuji, Pre-viz is an acronym for pre-visualization, which is a video made for presentation or self-checking,etc. We follow the […]
KAMEN RIDER REVICE: A Primer For The Next Installment Of The Tokusatsu Saga
The 50th Anniversary of the legendary tokusatsu series Kamen Rider is well underway, and the upcoming show already has started to excite. What do we know about the new Rider, his powers, allies, and villains, so far? Read on to find out more before the show premieres on September 5th! The Story As translated by Tokusatsu Network, the official synopsis is as follows: Deadmans is an organization that worships demons. Through the use of mysterious Vistamps, monsters called Deadman are born from within humans. Fighting to protect his family from Deadmans’ clutches is Ikki Igarashi. He himself has a contract with Vice, a demon that lives within Ikki’s body. Together, they transform into two Kamen Riders: Ikki as Kamen Rider Revi, and Vice as Kamen Rider Vice. Together, they are Kamen Rider Revice! The show notably features a first for the series, with Revi and Vice’s powers both coming from […]
THE RETURN OF KESAI Review: A Hero From The Past To Save The Future
A chinese Tokusatsu film that pays homage to a classic tokusatsu from the 70´s, “Dinosaur Sentai Koseidon”, an endearing TV show, that was really popular in China back in the day, in which our protagonists traveled through time to prehistory, coexisting with dinosaurs, and fighting different kind of villains. A typical japanese tokusatsu show from that era, full of models and precarious special effects but with so much charming. The plot of the film takes place in a distant hopeless future, in which a lethal virus (Cinema again resembling to real world) has turned mankind into zombies, in that moment of crisis in which nobody remembers cinema or TV shows, a hero from the past is our only hope. Taking advantage of the zombies revival that we are living recently in cinema and television, the director John Moo (don´t confuse with John Woo) delivers a thrilling action film, in which […]
Watch The Fantastic New Trailer For Garo Spin-Off, BIKI: YAMIGIRINOCHI!
Director Amemiya Keita‘s latest induction to the Garo cineverse, Biku: Yamgirinochi is arriving in stellar fashion for the Tokusatsu fanbase. With the 10th anniversary of the series looming in October, Biku: Yamigirinochi will follow a month after with a select release planned for November 14, spun-off from the recent Makai no Hana series with actress and J-idol Akimoto Sayaka front and center. This week, a new trailer is now circlating following an earlier teaser this summer, and it speaks of sheer energy for its fitting leading actress, with special effects and amazing fight action that fully showcase Akimoto in her element as the heroine of the film. via Tokyo Otaku Mode: The film follows Makai Priestess Biku who hunts down fallen Makai Knights and Priests to dispel their dead bodies of any darkness. Biku is ordered by a member of the Senate, Dachi, to confirm if a Makai Priest named Usami has fallen into […]
Toei Announces New KAMEN RIDER Anniversary Blu-Ray Box Set
Oh boy, this is pretty exciting for a Toku fan like me.If you guys don’t know what Toku is, it’s short for Tokusatsu; a very popular genre of TV (and movie, kinda) in Japan, which is primarily live-action drama with special effects. This houses a lot of the sci-fi stuff from Godzilla to my all time favorite, Kamen Rider. With the 45th anniversary of the original Kamen Rider series next year, Toei will be releasing a 4-box set Bluray for it. It will include all 98 episodes since Kamen Rider Niigo comes in halfway through the series though the character has been a protagonist from the start. The thing is, this is a deluxe pack and with its deluxe status comes deluxe price tag. Supposedly, the first 3 box sets are priced at 34,560 yen ($278.24 US), while the 4th boxed sets costs 27,000 yen ($217.37 US). Yikes. So I […]
Shortfilm Review: ZORDON OF ELTAR (2015)
It’s hard to say exactly when it happened, but at some point the world called out for gritty Power Rangers….. and, by god, those calls are being answered in spades. From the ultra-dark Power/Rangers, to the MMPR webseries, to Saban’s own theatrical reboot, the world is getting all the Gritty Rangers it can handle. Zordon of Eltar sets itself apart from the others, with its focus on rebooted origins and massive scocurrently ilm feels huge, spanning an entire galaxy with multiple planets along with a healthy dose of fan service; but is it actually a good film? Zordon of Eltar is director Cisco Davis Jr’s follow up to Teenagers With Attitude, a re-envisioning of the original Power Rangers. ZoE serves as an origin story for Cisco’s “reboot” that borrows heavily from original Power Rangers lore. The film is littered with references to characters, planets and events of the original series; […]
CONtv Launches, Fans Rejoice!
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’)); Post by CONtv. Well, the wait is over and comic-con fans and moviegoers now have another venue to vent their fandom with. Wizard World and Cinedigm’s CONtv officially launched on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 with an annoucement on the same day. There are definitely some perks to this venture and surely you’ll be able to benefit with programming having already lined-up since late last year with more content to follow. Watch the video above and then read the details just below! LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A revolution in fandom begins! Today marks the preview release of CONtv, the multi-platform digital streaming network available on iOS, Android and the web. CONtv gives Comic Con fans the immediate power to view thousands of hours of premium, fan-centric programming […]
Go Behind The Scenes Of Vietnamese Tokusatsu Comedy, SIEU NHAN X
The Lady Assassin (2013) helmer Nguyễn Quang Dũng‘s newest foray into action now comes in the form of his latest film, Siêu Nhân X (Superman X). A teaser arrived earlier this month introducing lead actor Ngo Kien Huy in the title role in a story of a Nam, a weakling who stumbles upon a glowing object in a nearby river that grants him not just a more muscular physique, but a new set of abilities he’s never had before. From there, the story takes a life with our lead hero now going full Tokusatsu, and what ensues are some pretty balls-to-the-wall sequences with a good share of comedy and slapstick suitable for Vietnamese movie goers alike. The teaser itself presents some outstanding qualities that could make it a noteworthy spectacle for those interested, especially for the Tokusatsu community worldwide. At any rate, the film is out in domestic cinemas on […]
Asuka Kirara Returns In IRON GIRL: ULTIMATE WEAPON. Watch The New NSFW Trailer!
Tokusatsu and science fiction are making quite a sexy comeback this week with AV idol and actress Asuka Kirara reprising her role in the new film, Iron Girl: Ultimate Weapon. Female Prisoner 701 – Sasori helmer Fujiwara Kenichi is in the director’s chair with Asuka back once more to take on futuristic bandits with her highly advanced skillset while trying to recover from memory loss. The most recent poster has been making the rounds for a few months. Thankfully, we now have a new NSFW trailer courtesy of the film’s Facebook page with a foreword by Asuka herself. SYNOPSIS: In the distant future where social order has collapsed, people are living under the constant fear of the ruthless bandits. However, there are also those who hunt them to make a living. Amongest those bounty hunters, there is a beautiful woman who is thought to be the best and strongest of them all. […]
GUN CALIBER Reloads To Shoot Evil In The Dick Starting Friday!!
Independent filmmaker Bueno is getting ready for an encore presentation for his newest Tokusatsu action comedy spectacle, Gun Caliber. Previous screenings this year have warned the film a handful of upworthy responses from many critics and fans for its gun-toting, tongue-in-cheek, unapologetic, uberviolent and hypersexualized approach to a usually kid-friendly genre. And this year, fans who love Toku and follow the film’s official Facebook page can expect a special announcement in the not-too-distant future. In 2014, get ready to shoot evil in the dick. Soma Kusanagi may be your average miserable Smartball Parlor employee in Tokyo’s Old Town, but when evil rears its ugly ass on the Japanese Metropolis, he transforms into the Gunslinging Superhero, Gun Caliber and fights against the evil organization known as “Skulldier”. A group hell-bent on taking over Japan right after they finish their lunch break. Gun Caliber will relaunch this week with a special three-day […]
GUNBLADE Kicks Ass And Blows Things Up In New Footage!
Following last week’s announcement of Tokusatsu auteur Koichi Sakamoto‘s latest project, Gunblade, the folks at Ranger Crew have forwarded new footage released online from the upcoming series set for Korean households next year, with air dates to be announced for other parts of Asia, as well as Europe and North America. The footage comprises of the pitch video, the teaser and a behind-the-scenes featurette for the pitch which presents another promising venture into the genre that fans can look forward to, assuring followers of Toku lore that the world will never run out of heroes. A new detailed press release was issued with the unveiling of the new series which you can read below as well. Take a look and keep your fingers crossed. LAS VEGAS, June 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Gunblade Industry SPC, a subsidiary of A mate Inc., a South Korean-based production company, unveiled their newest action drama, […]
Koichi Sakamoto's GUNBLADE Settles On Korea In 2015, Europe And U.S. To Follow
Tokusatsu action filmmaker and Power Rangers veteran director Koichi Sakamoto is full of surprises…at least for me anyway. It turns out the director of Travelers, 009-1, Red X Pink and Innocent Lillies has been busy in Korea for a while making it happen with a brand new TV show on the horizon titled Gunblade. Sadly, it will be airing first in Korean households, with a waiting period for the U.S. from now through the next two-and-a-half years. But, at least it’s coming. At any rate, check out the press release below from last week, in addition to the new artwork! From the executive producer and director who brought adoring fans the hit popular series, “Power Rangers,” Koichi Sakamoto will bring to life the next generation of superheroes with a new action drama, “GUNBLADE.” The highly-anticipated show will be unveiled during the 2014 Licensing Expo at Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Tuesday, […]
GUN CALIBER Gets An Online Re-Release This August!
Independent filmmaker and actor Bueno‘s latest feature-length, uber-violent, adult-oriented contribution to Tokusatsu lore, Gun Caliber, is still a work in progress as it is currently adding a fresh new soundtrack, among other things, for its forthcoming DVD and hopeful Blu-Ray release. However, the film still carries a substantive weight of positive feedback from critics and fans of Japanese superhero suit action following the film’s limited “bootleg” release of the film online back in April via the official YouTube channel. Well, get ready for another round! The film will be making its encore presentation of the film which will kick off the week of August 15, featuring Bueno once again as the titular gun-toting, shamelessly perverted, alcohol-addicted, anti-hero as he chews his way through evil two-guns at a time, while struggling to blend in a society where suit heroes are accosted and unappreciated. Executive produced by Paul Sullivan, the film is […]
Get Your Old-School Chop Socky On With IRON FIST TV!
With the popularity of sites like Crackle and Netflix providing online streaming services with a variety of quality TV and film content, what better way to tap into those consumers than launch an online network targeted specifically to a certain niche? Well, the guys at Mill Creek Entertainment may have an answer to that, reaching out to 35mm Kung Fu and Tokusatsu cinephiles everywhere with the latest in online martial arts cinema entertainment, Iron Fist TV. Knock yourself out with our colossal assortment of martial arts genre films and TV shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Full of high-flyin’ fun and hard-kickin’ humor, IronFistTV offers a massive variety of the strangest evildoers, coolest champions and out-of-this-world mutants on one fiercely awesome streaming channel! The channel is also available on Roku, and you can sign-up for an ad-supported free membership, or subscribe ad-free for $4.99 per month. To learn […]
Growing Pains Pack A Punch In The New Indiegogo Promo For Webseries, FIGHTER'S HIGH
Nearly ten years in the making, independent filmmaker Chris Ryons is about to apply a fresh new vision to a webseries concept he has been developing since his his early years in film. That series earned its first application by 2007 in the form of Fighter’s High, an action comedy project that centers on a generation of teenagers that thrive in martial arts as a preamble to entering high school. The series is taking a different creative direction since 2007, but its origins come collectively on behalf of Ryons‘s influences over the years, namely his 20-year long love for martial arts in all its aspects, filmmakers like Chang Cheh and Yudai Yamaguchi, and the kung fu and Tokusatsu genres, and tournament fighting video games in general. “I always kicked around this joke about the original Power Rangers and how it seemed being a martial artist was a pre-requisite to get […]
Sound The Drums For Battle In A New Behind-The-Scenes Video For KIKAIDER REBOOT
One of the biggest and most important qualities shared by any action movie is how important the score is, as is the case for the post-production of Kikaider Reboot. And this week, fans are getting a kickass earful of Kiyoshi Yoshikawa‘s amazing score, along with musical director Donald Barrett and his drummers over at Hollywood’s own Captiol Studios. Of course the trick is to watch the video long enough so you won’t miss any footage from the film accompanied by some truly badass percussion work. I used to play drums when I was younger, so this was a gem to come across and share with you folks, and I look forward to seeing how this film performs with its score upon release. Produced by Shinichiro Shinakura, Kikaider Reboot is based on Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic TV Asashi series, and releases in Japan on May 24, 2014. If you missed the first […]
Weekend Review: GUN CALIBER (2014)
SYNOPSIS: In 2014, get ready to shoot evil in the dick. Soma Kusanagi may be your average miserable Smartball Parlor employee in Tokyo’s Old Town, but when evil rears its ugly ass on the Japanese Metropolis, he transforms into the Gunslinging Superhero, Gun Caliber and fights against the evil organization known as “Skulldier”. A group hell-bent on taking over Japan right after they finish their lunch break. REVIEW: Normally when watching anything Tokusatsu-related, I usually expect it to be a family-oriented type of genre as anyone would. You see popular TV shows like Kamen Rider and Power Rangers and you already know that you are not going to see anything more than kid-friendly, fun and spectacular costume entertainment. However, this is not television, and actor and independent filmmaker Bueno is here to remind you of exactly that, so by all means, feel free to remove the kids from the room. […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.