FYE closed and my Wallet Empty

Well, FYE in Hagerstown, MD last day of operation was yesterday. The good news is Suncoast (part of FYE) is still open and I have someplace to get my anime stuff.

Here is the breakdown of what we all got from there over the days we went shopping over 5 trips:

17 CD's (1 for me and 16 for my wife)
17 DVD's (10 for me and 7 for my son) - some box sets
6 Blu-rays (all me, but for family times)
5 T-Shirts
1 Kingdom Hearts Bathrobe (son)
10- 4pks of Energizer Lithium batteries (for Wii and Camera)
5 packs of Anime Pin sets
1 Naruto necklace
1 Gurren Lagann Wristband
1 Gurren Lagan keychain
4 bottles of Ramune
2 Large Snickers
2 backs of Japanese Jelly Candies
2 boxes of Panda Candy (Japan)
6 Patches for my Sons jeans
8 pks of Pirate Cards (build pirate ships and game - son)
1 large pack of Yu-GiOh! cards

It was a family affair that took much of our wallet, but less than it really would of been. The last weekend was the biggest savings as stuff really dropped on the food and anime related stuff. If I really had the cash, it would of been ugly around here. I wanted all of it, but had to breakdown what I really wanted instead of the nice to have, but not really need stuff. Honestly for 75% it was hard not to grab it all.


I now own a couple hentai animes - F3 (Frantic, Frustrated & Female) and Xtra Credit - Debauchery 101. For a little ecchi, I went with Mouse v2 and Kekko Kamen. It was funny as my wife actually picked out Xtra Credit as she wanted to see it. I am such a dirty boy - lol

Here is the final cost of everything that we bought and saved:

Total Spent: $434.67 (includes tax)
Total Saved: $640.41

This could of been higher if I went for more CD's as well as DVD's and they had more anime related stuff as well.

Have you had any store close and you went all out on stuff?

Gantz - Live Action Movie

Looks like they are doing a One Night World Premiere of Gantz Live Action movie this week (01/20).

I actually stated watching this Anime, but kind of dropped it as was not that much into it. Having all the characters in black skin tight suits did have a draw for me in the beginning though.

It is a bizarre tale of dead people playing a "game" to save humanity from an alien invasion. It is an intriguing idea that seems to continue to expand into a even more bizarre set of circumstances. In the end, they are given their humanity back as the aliens drop in for a little world domination.

Not really my cup of tea, but seeing hot chicks in full body latex suits adds a bit of fetish to the series that will draw in the masses. There is also a nude scene that I know was in the Manga that will be duplicated in the movie.

I was able to find that it is playing in my area but still a bit of a drive. Not sure I am going to head out to watch this as I am not sure it is something I am interested in by myself. The prices were about the norm at $12.50/person. Since you can order online, it makes it that much easier to do. I would actually hate to drive somewhere to find the show I wanted to see was sold out.

Anyone going to see this movie in their part of the world?

Now for the humorous side of Gantz thanks to Pokemon

Movie Review: Silver Hawk

Movie: Silver Hawk
Run Time: 1 hrs 39 mins
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action / Martial Arts
Directed by: Jingle Ma
Location: Filmed in Hong Kong and was originally released in China

Now I actually caught this on TV a couple days ago while channel surfing. It actually stopped me in my tracks and made me place the remote down. Now I did not catch this at the start, so I do not have the full history, but they did jump back enough for me to understand it.

From what I gathered, Silver Hawk, who is played by Michelle Yeoh, is a crime fighter. She rides a cool BMW Motorcycle and has special weapons made to look like Silver Hawks. I loved her costume and it got better when she started to wear hot pants. A couple of the villains in this movie I also recognized were Michael Jai White (Mortal Combat:Rebirth)and Luke Goss ( Hellboy II). There is also the boyhood interest played by Richie Ren who is a cop that is out to arrest the Silver Hawk.Gotta to love the simple plot twists.

The city scenes and sets are well designed and could be any modern city. The technology is quite on board with what is happening in the not to near future. This does add a bit of reality to the show. But the whole world domination thing starts running amok at the end of the movie - gosh darn Mom, why now?

Now I can't say this is a great movie, but if you have a spare couple of hours, it is not a bad one. The outfits are great and the costumes are very hot on the girls in this. The fight scenes are a bit wacky at times and do lent themselves to be comic book-ish. Anytime you have villains on bungee cords, you know you are in for some fun. I will have to see if I can get this on DVD so I can watch the whole thing.

If you want to read the full plot, check out Wikipedia as there is no need for me to repeat it all here :)

I thought I add in the preview from YouTube for your viewing enjoyment as well.

Movie Preview

Overall: C ~ just a good fun movie to laugh with

Tron Legacy - Cool Upgrade!

Now I remember watching the original in the theaters and getting wigged out by the cool tech and special effects. Now to see that they are re-doing the movie and including some of the original cast is exciting. They have also kept with the original style of the suits and Mechas which I am happy about. These remakes are sometimes too quick to forget about the original movie and totally revamp everything.

Coming out December of this year and to be shown in IMAX 3D - Whoot!, but not rated yet??

You can check out Disney for more.

Nice Suits

Mechs

Hot Babes

Movie Trailer


Is this on your Movie watch list?

Update on Ghost in the Shell Live Action

There has been movement about the live action movie of Ghost in the Shell. It looks like they will be adapting the movie using the original Manga version by Masamune Shirow. They are using Laeta Kalogridis to write the script and here is an excerpt:

Q: Is that a remake of the 1995 film or is that an adaptation of the earlier manga?

Lk: “Ghost in the Shell” was originally the manga. The anime came from the original graphic novel and then — and that anime, as you know, is a relatively famous, groundbreaking piece of material — also generated two seasons of an animated television show as well. And this is an adaptation of the original manga, the original comic book that sort of began everything.

I know the Tachikoma's will in all probability be CGI, but this is something I am really looking forward to seeing how they are shown. Lets hope that Spielberg does this justice.

Source: IMDb | First Showing

Movie Review: Gamer

Movie: Gamer
Run Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
Rated: R
Genre: Action / Adventure
Directed by: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Story by: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor

Now this has been out for a while and on video, so I am not going to write anything big about. I will say that this is a modern version of The Running Man (which I used to own on VHS) and Death Race (2008 version - also own on DVD).

The premise is that you are a criminal that is controlled by an outside person during a Real-Time, Real Fighting game. Pretty much the Gamer uses the criminal (known as an Avatar) to fight their way through the layout to a safe base. If you make it through 30 "sessions" successfully, you are granted your release. This all actually started by Ken Castle who created a game called "Society". Think of Sims, but you use a real person as your avatar - literally.

I am a big fan of both Gerald Butler (plays Kable) and Michael C Hall (plays Ken Castle). They play off each other quite well in this. Michael C Hall (Castle) brings his flare for being a demented and all powerful psycho-path to the next level in this movie. I am not sure why he picks these roles, but it suits him just fine. Gerald (Kable) of course is the otherside of this coin - strong, independent and a huge will to survive

I need Brains!

Ludacris also plays a key role in this movie as the leader of the Humanz. Hackers who want to free those that are in these games. He helps both Simon and Kable connect in ways not availble otherwise. This allows Kable to free himself from the confines of the game to look for his wife and daughter.

Hackers

The surprise for me was Logan Lerman (plays Simon) on this. His character is well portrayed and though we have a limited understanding on who he is, I found myself liking him. From reviewing his other movies, he seems to be a new up and comer that we should be keeping an eye on.

Gamer and Avatar

My wife actually loved this as it had one of her favorite things - bloody violence. I like how the story unfolded and how it all came together. They even wrapped it up in the end quickly and quietly.

This is a must have to own for any gamers list. It really shows what is possible in the near future. For the rest of us Noobies - it is a great action flick that should be in your collection as well.

Overall: A

Movie Review: Avatar

Movie: Avatar
Run Time: 2 hrs 41 mins
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action / Adventure
Directed by: James Cameron
Story by: James Cameron

I went out with a friend to see this movie as the hype was just too damn crazy. We went to a 3:30pm show and was surprised by the okay turn out. I was figuring the place would be packed, but it was okay. We had gotten there a 1/2 hour before the show, so we had our choice of seats. Did I forget to mention that this is a 3D movie? They give you some glasses before the show which were of good quality - had a cool Blues Brother charm as well.

Enough about that, I bet you want to know about the movie?

> > > SPOILERS AHEAD < < <

Well the start is a little slow and not that much going for it. I know it was an introduction to why Sam Worthington's character (Jake Sully) was in the movie and why he was one of the Na'vi people. It is interesting how they do this as they make it a mind transfer from a Human to a Human/Na'vi hybrid grown in a lab. Sigourney Weaver plays Dr. Grace Augustine, the head Botanist on site. I liked her hard edge character and the way she despises Jake as he is a Marine, not a scientist. We see Jake Sully as a Na'vi and he falls for one of the natives named Neytiri which is played by Zoe Saldana.


We have several simple themes with this movie that we see in so many others. Guy comes with a certain mindset, then partway through the movie, his eyes are opened and tries to save everything. Oh, and he falls in love with one of the "natives" and has to save her and her tribe. There is also the theme that big business will destroy nature to get what it needs due to greed of the almighty dollar. Save Nature Dude and Dudettes!

This is over-shadowed by the CGI of the planet of Pandora that seem to use a lot of bioluminescence in the plants and structure of the planet. We find that the plants are linked together like on big live network. The creatures are also way cool with a huge rhino-type animal with a hammerhead, 4 winged pterosaurs and dog-like creatures. The Na'vi are blue and a much larger humanoids that us. They use primitive weapons, but are in tune with nature to the point that a tree-hugger would blush.

I was getting a little antsy while watching the movie. I had no idea that it was going to run so damn long. We got there at 3pm and the movie didn't end until 6:15pm. Make sure you eat and hit the bathroom before you come.

I found myself totally taken by the movie as it started to come together. As the story unloaded and the CGI kicked in, this became a great movie. The landscapes were awesome, the creatures were stunning and the characters in this movie really did a great job. I also want the computer displays they had in this movie as they were beyond cool!

Overall, this will be in my collection when it comes out. The visual aspects of this movie are over the top and in 3D is just that much more real!

YouTube Movie Trailer

To know more about the planet Pandora in Avatar, you have to check out Pandorapedia.

Overall: B

Movie Review: Ninja Assassin

Movie: Ninja Assassin
Run Time: 1hr 39 min
Rated: R
Genre: Action / Adventure
Directed by: James McTeigue
Story by: Matthew Sand
Screenplay by: Matthew Sand & J. Michael Straczynski

Please note that there are SPOILERS ahead.

I was excited to go see this as the trailers were awesome. There was some expectation of a lot of bloodshed and that was true in every fight scene there was.

This was one cool affect

The beginning of the movie did not disappoint at all. Seeing the head sliced off at the mouth and then the head land on the floor was stunning. After this however, the story went down hill.

They kept jumping from present to past to fill in the story direction throughout the entire movie. We see Raizo as a child growing up in the Ninja family that is run by Ozunu. We find that the Ninjas recruited orphans to be part of the "family" and train to be great assassins.

Young Raizo and Ozunu

We jump to the present seeing a Government researcher in the FBI (I think) - Mika Coretti discovering that Ninjas were responsible for some of the assassinations that happened in history. She reports this to he boss Maslow and here starts the other side of the story. They do give a semi-detailed history lesson on the Ninja clans.

Mika and Maslow

We jump to see that Raizo had a girlfriend that was killed because she tried to "leave" the Clan. Poor Raizo has emotions that will affect his judgment which is bad as a Ninja. He does end up leaving the clan after a great blood battle where he actually cuts Ozunu. Now as an outcast, he will be hunted down and killed by the other members of the Clan.

There is no love for Ninjas

I was taken back by how the Ninjas pretty much took out everyone no matter what guns or armor they had. They did a great job showing how stealthy they are and the weapons they used were lightning fast (swords & throwing stars). When you got to the fight scenes, they were a mixed bag as it was done in the darkness most of the time as the Ninja hide in the shadows.

Training Battle with Hanging Orbs of Fire

The ending was stupid in my opinion. Raizo ends up swallowing a tracking capsule before he is finally captured. He then throws it up at the right time that the government storm the Clans Dojo - which just happens to be on a mountain side and large enough for Hummer and transport vehicles to travel to?

How in the fuck did the Ninjas not hear the vehicles or the helicopter coming to "storm the castle". After this, it is pretty much a massacre for the Ninjas as bullets and grenades are flying around. This is also the big fight scene to end all fights as Raizo goes up against Ozunu.

You can cut me - but I can still fight you

Overall I was disappointed in the how the story was defined and brought to the screen. For such great people directing and doing the screen play, I would of expected more from them. I feel the story development could of been better. I think this would of been a better movie without the Government involvement part of the story.

If we had the history of Raizo growth inside the Clan and then his defection from the and then them trying to kill him - this would of been better. The Ninja Assassin story would have been better if it was like this, but we have all seen these type of shows before. So the government part was added to make it feel different (?) - it just ruined it for me.

Honestly, a para-military assault on a Ninja Clans hideout in the middle of no where on the side of a mountain. Seriously - what were you thinking???

Overall: C <>

Happy Birthday !

Well another year and more grey hair. Since my wife and son are up North, it will be a quiet night. I never really have anything planned anyway as when you hit this age, it is another day. I will probably stop over at Tate's Comics on the way home to see if anything new arrived in as yet for this week.

I Love Yoko!

I will probably watch Dragonaut the Resonance on the computer as I am up episode 8. I am enjoying this series as it has 2 things that I very much enjoy > Dragons and Boobies < childish, I know, but oh well I am a guy. I hope to have a review maybe this Friday.

Some of the Dragonaut Beauties

I may also decide differently and watch Blood - The Last Vampire that I just rented from Blockbuster yesterday. For a review of that movie, check out JapanCinema.net < got a D+, but I think it is better that watching Dragonball Z - live action movie - LOL.

I have already gotten some Happy B-days from friends at Tsuki-board and from sites Anime Online, Anime-Planet and MangaShare which is pretty darn cool! I even have a group date on Saturday night with some of my wife's friends to go out and have fun.

mmmmmm - Cake!

Vacation Update

I wasn't sure I would be able to blog while on vacation, so it is nice to keep this rolling along.

I finished my Manga shopping last night with picking up Fairy Tail #8 and WagWag #2. Since my son was helping me get the leaves picked up and taken to the back garden, I got him the Bakugan Maxus Dragonoid. Not like he already doesn't have like 50 or 60 of these things. I have yet to give it to him as I like to torture him.

Maxus Dragonoid

I am also going to treat him to Astro Boy this afternoon. I really hope he actually sits through the entire movie. He has a bad habit of wanting to leave 1/2 way through the movie. I know he may get a little scared with some of the action. He keeps telling me that "Astro Boy has machine guns in his butt". Can't wait to see that if it's true.

Astro Boy the Movie

Has anyone gotten out to see this yet?

Targets Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen DVD Set

Just when you think you have seen it all with DVD cases. Target has gotten my attention and $26.99 for this little Collector Special Edition. This is also in Blu-ray if you have the player.

I saw this in the Sunday paper and know I had to have it. I love the Transformers and would of gotten the movie anyway. I guess you can say this is a "Figure" post as well.I was trying to figure out how the DVD's were in the case, but this was a smart design with the disc holder on the back.

There are a couple inserts as well. One is by Chevy about the entering a chance to win 2 cars. The other is about an on-line interactive games and to see a Holographic 3D rendition of Optimus Prime (?).

I know that this has gotten some mixed review, but it was still an awesome move to me. OK - honestly I got it just to see Megan Fox in a leather biker outfit - meowwwwww kitten!

Have you seen the movie and what were your thoughts?

For you viewing pleasure, here are some shots for you of mine (and probably be taken by my son).

In the Box

Inside contents of the Box

DVD Case Front

DVD Case Back

DVD Case Back Open Showing DVD's

Fully Folded Out Figure

Source: Target

Anime & Movie Releases for 09/15

Here are the releases for today (09/15) at your local Video, Book Stores or the infamous Amazon website in the US. I only review Movies and Box Sets that are coming out as this will get the most bang for your buck. I did "borrow" the summaries from various sites so you can get a brief review of the story.

Okay - I have way too many favorites in this week. It really seems like they are dumping a ton of stuff out and it is not even the holidays yet. I cannot see where you could go wrong on getting any of this weeks collections (maybe DBZ > it is just getting retarded with the number of re-master releases).

Movies

Mortal Kombat I/Mortal Kombat II
MORTAL KOMBAT: Three warriors, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and Lui Kang, battle the servants of the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung to determine the fate of the world. MORTAL KOMBAT II: The Outworld villains, refusing to accept the outcome of the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, try their hand at the direct approach--storming Earth instead, amidst the same synthetic fog, computer morphing, and pounding techno score cues as the first film


Anime

009-1 Complete Series (Viridian Collection)
In a world where the Cold War never ended, East and West continue to battle for technological and political supremacy. Mylene Hoffman, field commander of the elite Double Zero intelligence division, exists in this world with her eyes open and her body always ready to do battle.





Case Closed Season 2 (Viridian Collection)
The criminal mind is a twisted place, and Jimmy Kudo knows the shady corridors of humanity better than any detective in the game. There ain't a bad guy in town who can outsmart him, so they try to put the super sleuth down for a dirt nap. But instead of ending up in a shallow grave, Jimmy wakes up to find himself turned back into a kid. Utilizing his unlikely new persona and the latest in crime-fighting gadgetry, he tracks down his assailants as boy detective Conan Edogawa.



Dragon Ball Season 1 Collection
Goku may be small, but this fearless warrior packs a punch as powerful as any on the planet. Left alone after his grandfather's death, this unusual boy is happy to spend his days hunting and eating and eating some more. But everything changes on the day he meets Bulma - a bossy, blue-haired beauty with boys on the brain. Together, they set out to track down the seven magic Dragon Balls and make the wish that will change their lives forever.




Ghost Hunt Complete Collection
The appeal of the unknown is undeniable and freshman Mai Taniyama is hooked. This fact, coupled with her burgeoning psychic powers, leads Mai to join the ranks of the Shibuya Psychic Research team. Led by enigmatic Kazuya "Naru" Shibuya, she works alongside a spirit medium and a shrine maiden, an exorcist and a monk to uncover the darkest mysteries of the unseen. Using state-of-the-art technology and their respective spiritual gifts, evil is confronted and vanquished time and again.



Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Set (Anime Legends)
The year is 2030 and six years have passed since the end of World War IV. Influxes of refugees are allowed into Japan to fill the labor gaps of the growing economy. Terrorist cells identifying themselves as the Individual Eleven have begun a series of ultranationalist attacks targeting refugee camps, foreign consulates and even the Prime Minister.




Legends of the Dark Kings: A Fist of the North Star Story
In the wastelands following the great nuclear war, a legend grew of a man. "Hokuto No Ken," the Fist of the North Star, master of a legendary fighting technique. A man of impossible strength and endurance. Yet before Ken claimed the title of the Fist, there was another master, trained in the art of Hokuto Shinken, the King of the Fist, the Divine Fist of Heaven. Raoh: the ultimate assassin, the ultimate warrior.




Magikano Complete Collection (2009 Edition)
Haruo Yoshikawa always thought he was your average run-of-the-mill middle school student: great attendance record, no real plans for the future, and three adorable, loving sisters, Maika, Chiaki and Fuyuno. Perfectly normal, right?






Petite Princess Yucie: Complete Collection (2009 Edition)
Yucie wants to be a Platinum Princess, and the only way to do that is to attend the Princess Academy-but that’s not as easy as it sounds! Under the guidance of Queen Ercell, Yucie must complete a epic quest for the fabled Tiara of Eternity!






Shakugan no Shana Complete Series (2009 Edition)
Yuji Sakai is about to learn that there is more to the world than going to school and finding a girl friend when he meets a sword-wielding girl with fiery red eyes and flame colored hair. Denizens of the Crimson Realm are invading our world and it's up to the Flame Haze, Shana, to slay them. However, when Yuji gets in the way of her sword, he learns that death is much more different than he imagined it would be.



Gigantor: The Collection - Volume 2
When terrorist groups, evil criminals and hostile aliens become too powerful for Earth's armed forces, the virtually-indestructible robot Gigantor is built to combat them. Commanded by Jimmy Sparks through a remote control, Gigantor must battle to save the world from a never-ending assault by ruthless villains.





Source: Mania