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It was probably one of the most entertaining summer films with a comic book hero in quite awhile. Well, at least for me, not a lot compared to RDJr’s undeniable charm as Tony Stark. We saw the film, we were ecstatic for the teaser trailer of the sequel and everyone is pleased as punch that the movie is coming out today.

Let’s ask the video game community though how excited they are about the tandem-released title and you won’t find many even remotely muttering about it let alone excited. Why is that? The Iron Man franchise had the beauty and brains of a cheerleader with a promise ring from her jock boyfriend when it came to film — but when it came to the video game title? Well, that was the slow kid under the bleachers that everyone felt bad for, but nobody wanted to talk about. It was wretched. This video-game ate it’s own boogers and started secret clubs where everyone dressed up as superheroes. It was just that bad. Why? A lot of people can speculate what happened with the title and many of them accuse the short release time to make sure they were kept in sync with the production of the film. Games are widely known to take longer than films to perfect and the best games out there have been in production for years where the average production for a film is a year from pre-production to post. What does this mean?

It means that usually film ports of films are terrible. Awful. Absolute trash and nobody wants to touch them. When Iron Man 2 was announced, Sega had the depressing task of being the team that had to fix the flaws of the Father and make the Son all that more charming. Could they do it? I listened in with Dean Martinetti and Mike McHale as they explained to all of us that they knew the title went viciously wrong the first time around. They made their excuses and swore that Iron Man 2 would repent for Iron Man and what happened? Most of us sat there with our eyebrow perpetually raised in questioning.

What happens if it’s NOT any good? Iron Man 2 has already promised us absolutely nothing in terms of online multiplayer, absolutely no co-op, local or online and unspoken DLC. While they introduce War Machine, which SHOULD mean Co-Op — there’s nothing. We’ve got no reasons why either, because Dean and Mike were stating that the game was meant to tell a story and that’s that.

I’m not ready to cast Iron Man 2 to the shadows, but from the details included there are few things I’m even interested in seeing. While they know we’re interested in customizing our own suits and we can’t wait to be involved in Tony Stark’s day to day — will that be enough to keep us? A summer blockbuster film is meant to enjoy with your friends but then after the film, we sit and play alone with our matching game? A ton of questions that I doubt even JARVIS could explain, but I’m certainly willing to wait and find out.

Charles Roven and Richard Suckle will produce for Atlas, and Brad Copeland will write the screenplay. The original show producer Sherwood Schwartz is actually willing to executive produce along with his son, Lloyd.

Since it’s not exactly 1964 anymore, they plan to make it contemporary, and are hoping to start production next year. Once the script is complete, they’ll start searching for a director and new cast.

As someone who never really watched the show in reruns, I think this could be a good way to introduce the series to a brand-new set of potential fans. Also, as far as the new cast goes, maybe they could turn it into a reality television series. Well, as long as it doesn’t turn out like The Real Gilligan’s Island. How do you think this will turn out? More importantly, are you a Ginger, or a Mary Ann?

As we should all know, the Academy Award nominees were announced this week. Among the nominees are some films which you can find in the collection of Australian owned company Madman Entertainment, and they’ve let us know exactly what they are!

The Secret of Kells © Les Armateurs, The Cartoon Saloon Limited, Vivi Film. All rights reserved

Nominated in the “Best Animated Film” category is THE SECRET OF KELLS, which introduces us to 12 year old Brendan. He must battle Vikings and a Celtic serpent (as well as his own personal fears) to save the enchanted forest in which his new-found friend Aisling (a fairy/white wolf/girl) lives and complete the Book of Kells. Madman will release the film on DVD on March 10th, 2010 for $29.95.

For “Best Documentary” THE COVE is up for an award. The documentary exposes the current problems facing the dolphin population in Taiji, Japan – where they harvest dolphins within a hidden cove which allows for the operation to be carried out in secrecy, and thousands of dolphins lose their lives. While this documentary doesn’t appear to have affected those performing this “harvest”, animal lovers will be deeply affected. The DVD is available for purchase now, and will cost $34.95.

The “Writing – Adapted Screenplay” film IN THE LOOP stars James Gandolfini and Peter Capaldi, and is a satirical film about the US President and the UK Prime Minister who are in the mood for a war. Unfortunately for them, not everyone likes this idea. The film is set for release on DVD & Blu-Ray in June 2010.

Nominated in 2 categories, “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” and “Writing – Original Screenplay”, is the film THE MESSENGER. The film stars Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson – which earned Woody a nomination in the “Best Supporting Actor” category. The story follows 2 US Army Officers who return home from Iraq, tasked with having to tell families of fallen soldiers the bad news. When one of them delivers the news to a widow named Olivia (Samantha Morton), his life begins to change. The film is set to show in cinemas soon, but Madman have managed to acquire distribution rights when it comes out on DVD.

The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on March 7th, and is going to be hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Keep your fingers crossed for the above nominees – I know I will be!

When we sent Renochan to see the 3^rd installment of the 20^th Century Boys films, she became a fan in a big way – evident by her recommendation in the Turning Japanese Holiday Guide this year! Renochan (and fellow 20^th Century Boys otaku), your Christmas wishlist just expanded! The 1^st film will be here on the 15^th of December – just 10 days before Christmas!

The films are based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa, and are directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi (who also directed the live-action movie HAPPILY EVER AFTER – also available from VIZ Pictures).

So what’s the story?:

It all begins in 1969 when a young boy named Kenji and his friends write “The Book of Prophecy” in which they write about a future where they fight against an evil organization trying to takeover the world and bring about doomsday. Years later in 1997, a mysterious cult being lead by a man only known as “Friend” emerges and begins to gain strong influence over society. A series of catastrophic events begin to occur mirroring the prophecies made up by the young Kenji and the greatest fear is the climax of “The Book” becoming a reality; December 31st, 2000, a terrifying giant virus-spreading robot will attack the entire city of Tokyo leading to the end of mankind. The only people who know about “The Book” are Kenji and his childhood friends. Who is “Friend”? Will Kenji and his friends be able to save mankind and live to see the 21st Century?

Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures:

“20th CENTURY BOYS mesmerized audiences at its U.S. theatrical premiere in San Francisco this past summer and we’re very proud to announce its North American debut on DVD,” says Seiji. “Naoki Urasawa’s multi-layered story of childhood mystical prophecy, government conspiracies and alien invasion is given a lavish production treatment and the film’s ending is a real cliffhanger that’s also very different from the original manga series. We look forward to introducing audiences to this exciting 3-part science fiction saga!”

As if that weren’t enough, VIZ Cinema in San Francisco are holding screenings of the new release through December. On the 10^th specifically, there will be a special event that starts at 7:30pm to mark the DVD release. The tickets cost $25, and it includes an entry pass to the screening, the brand new DVD, a poster, and more! If you’re not sure where to find VIZ Cinema, head for the heart of Japantown. Ticket purchases can be made online or at the theatre’s box-office, and any information on the event can be found at either www.vizcinema.com or www.viz-pictures.com.

News from our friends at Madman is that Australians can expect a release of the film on DVD, just after Christmas on the 29^th December 2009. The DVD will feature the Disney Pixar produced English language dub and Japanese language (with subtitles) audio, as well as creator interviews, ‘The Five Geniuses Who Created Ponyo’ featurette, Japanese TV Spots and Trailers, Textless Songs and more. The English voice cast includes the voices of Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Frankie Jonas, Cloris Leachman, Betty White, Lily Tomlin and Noah Cyrus as Ponyo.

If you aren’t clear on the story behind PONYO, here’s the synopsis:

In a small town by the sea, high on a cliff, lives 5-year-old Sosuke. One morning, while playing on the rocky beach below his house, he discovers a goldfish named Ponyo, her head stuck in a jam jar. Sosuke rescues Ponyo and keeps her in a green plastic bucket. Both Ponyo and Sosuke are fascinated by each other and promise to stay firm friends until Ponyo’s father, a sorcerer who lives deep under the sea, forces her to return with him to the ocean depths. What follows is an amazing underwater adventure for all ages.

Need more fPONYO? Maybe you would like to read The Art of Ponyo, Ponyo Picture Book and Ponyo Film Comics that are available now from Madman Manga. Or perhaps you need to complete your Studio Ghibli collection by getting some of the other DVD releases you may have missed, by purchasing their Studio Ghibli-related books such as The Art of Spirited Away, The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle and Hayao Miyazaki’s autobiography Starting Point 1979 – 1996? All of those are available at www.madman.com.au/studioghibli.

PONYO will be available on DVD in Australia from December 29^th 2009, and can be expected to cost $34.95.

Anyway, it appears that Ben 10 has gotten a second live-action film titled “Ben 10: Alien Swarm”. It is directed by Alex Winters who most of us would know as Bill from the “Bill and Ted” movies. Way.

The cast is different from the first live-action film and is lead by 4 young people (below), with Ryan Kelley in the role of Ben Tennyson.

The story of the movie sees Ben break ranks of the Plumbers (the secret group he is in that battles alien forces) to assist Elena (a mysterious young woman, played by Alyssa Diaz) whose search for her father leads to a discovery of an alien threat to our world, for which she seeks Ben’s help. Joining him are Gwen Tennyson (Ben’s cousin, played by Galadriel Stineman) and Kevin Levin (played by Nathan Keyes). Ben decides to put on the OMNITRIX once more, and finds out that it has reconfigured his DNA so that he can transform into 10 brand-new aliens. Sounds like things will get pretty.

The official site has a trailer here, and is due for release on TV in the US this Fall. Australians will get the movie on DVD thanks to Madman Entertainment on December 2nd 2009, so mums and dads should probably keep that in mind for Christmas. The DVD release will have a Behind the Scenes featurette and music video included in its extra features, and can be expected to cost around $29.95AUD.

And those Australians that are after any of the animated series of Ben 10 or the first live-action film RACE AGAINST TIME, look no further than Madman for the essential information. And if that wasn’t enough, you should also be aware that Funtastic will be releasing an Alien Swarm toy line soon as well.

I not only had the pleasure to check out the new VIZ Cinema in San Francisco’s New People complex, I got to see the world premier of 20th Century Boys 3. The New People complex is located in Japan Town, right across from the plaza with the peace pagoda. The building itself is amazing. It has stores like Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, a clothing store, and a bookstore.

For those of you that don’t know, 20th Century Boys is a trilogy of movies based on the popular manga of the same title. If you haven’t read the books or seen the other movies, then don’t fear! Neither had I. One of the great things about the third movie is there is a 10-minute introduction that is mainly a summary of the prior two films.

This movie is the conclusion of the trilogy. Now I don’t want to give away too much, but some big things are discovered, like the real identity of Tomodachi. There are a few things like background on characters and locations that are a little confusing, but it’s still a really good movie. Some things seemed really ridiculous because, well, there are some subtle differences in humor and the like that are different in Japanese films than they are in American-made movies.

If you get a chance, definitely find this and the other two and watch them. They are in Japanese, but there are subtitles. The manga is also available to read and enjoy.