 | PARIS 36 (Faubourg 36) (a J!-ENT DVD Review) |
July 31, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“Absolutely fantastic! ‘Paris 36′ is well-produced, well-acted and absolutely irresistible! You will be drawn by the film’s beautiful music! Wonderful performances by the talent, especially newcomer Nora Arnezeder, who is definitely an actress to watch for in the near future! This DVD is highly recommended!”
DVD TITLE: PARIS 36 (aka Faubourg 36)
YEAR OF FILM RELEASE: 2008
DURATION: 120 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: French 5.1 Dolby Digital, 2:40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English Subtitles
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Classics/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
RATED: PG-13 (For some sexuality, nudity, violence and brief language)
RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2009
Directed by Christophe Barratier
Written by Christophe Barratier and Julien Rappenau
Dialogue by Pierre Philippe
Produced by Nicolas Mauvernay and Jacques Perrin
Associate Produced by Romain Le Grand
Music by Reinhardt Wagner
Director of Photography: Tom Stern
Editing by Annette Davey, Danny Rafic
Casting by Sylvie Brochere
Editing by Yves Deschamps
Production Design by Jean Rabasse
Art Direction by Jean-Yves Rabier
Starring:
Gerard Jugnot as Pigoil
Clovis Cornillac as Milou
Kad Merad as Jacky
Nora Arnezeder as Douce
Pierre Richard as Monsieur TSF
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu as Galapiat
Maxence Perrin as Jojo
Francois Morel as Celestin
Elisabeth Vitali as Viviane
Christophe Kourotchkine as Lebeaupin
Eric Naggar as Grevoul
Eric Prat as Comissaire Tortil
The musical film from France that has received critical acclaim worldwide.
“Paris 36″ (Faubourg 36) is a wonderful and enchanting film directed and written by Christophe Barratier (Producer of “Winged Migration” and “As Life Goes By”). The film is co-written by Julien Rappeneau (“Have Mercy on Us All” and “A Ticket to Space”) and Pierre Phillippe (“We Forget Everything!” and “A Rare Bird”). Joining Christophe with the film is cinematographer Tom Stern (“Gran Torino”, “Changeling”, “Things We Lost in the Fire”, “Million Dollar Baby” and “Letters from Iwo Jima”) and composer Reinhardt Wagner (“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, “Towards Zero” etc.).
The film would feature an outstanding soundtrack but also would introduce the world to a new star named Nora Arnezeder who can act and sing and just shines along with her castmates in this irresistible film.
“Paris 36″ begins in the Paris suburb, Faubourg in 1936. A man named Pigoil (Gerard Jugnot) is being questioned by the police for something tragic that had happen that night. Pigoil then begins his story.
Pigoil is the stage manager for the theater known as Chansonia. His life was thought to be OK while working with hard in the theater with lighting operator Milou (Clovis Cornillac) and performer/worker Jacky (Kad Merad) until his wife became unfaithful (with several men) and has left him. Also, the fascist and ruthless businessman Galapiat (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) wants his payment for the theater but the owner of the theater is not making enough money to pay right away. As the actors at the Chansonia try to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the owner of the Chansonia knowing that he doesn’t have the money to keep the theater afloat, commits suicide.
Fast forward four months later, Pigoil is left to take care of his son Jojo (Maxence Perrin) after his wife has run out on him with another man and to make things worse, France is in political turmoil and people are broke and all hell has broken lose. The Chansonia has been bought and shut down by Galapiat and everyone seems to be unemployed and Milou seems to have joined the Red Army. But things continue to get worse with Pigoil when his son is caught peddling on the street with his friend (playing the accordion for money) and ends up losing his son, who now moves in with his mother.
Pigoil has hit bottom. With nothing to lose, he approaches his former staff to occupy and re-open the Chansonia and through hiring new talent, finding a way to keep the theater open but also for people to get paid. Immediately, all the former workers at the theater decide to help Pigoil, including Jacky and Milou and they work hard to restore the theater, hire new talent and hopes to get a loan to keep the theater afloat.
Meanwhile, Douce (Nora Arnezeder) comes to Faubourg in search of the former owner of the Chansonia. She meets up with Galapiat who starts to fance the beautiful young woman who is trying to start her singing career. He then has her audition at the Chansonia. Of course, because it’s a woman sent by Galapiat, the three men – Pigoil, Jacky and Milou are a bit standoffish of hiring her. But Douce is not only beautiful but she has a wonderful voice and body that Pigoil knows will attract the audience.
The story of “Paris 36″ starts to focus on these characters as Pigoil tries to restart the Chansonia but missing his son so much, he does what he can to contact him to no avail. Jacky wants to become a theater star but his comedy is quite terrible but he is hired by Galapiat to relay any information about Douce and what is going on with the Chansonia (and thus betraying his comrades) while Milou shows disdain towards Douce because of her association with Galapiat, but for Douce…she thinks that Milou behaves that way towards her because he is attracted to her.
The show must go on to bring the Chansonia back but will the talent be enough for the audience to come daily and pay? Will Pigoil succeed in bringing the theater back to becoming financially successful but most of all, getting in touch with his son? Will Jacky’s comrades find out that he’s spying on them? What of Milou and Douce?
Needless to say that this is only a summary of just a small part of “Paris 36″. There is more to the story of these individuals but also the magic of their performances which the company must go through imaginable rough spots before success but for that success, why is Pigoil being questioned by the police at the beginning of the film? What tragedy awaits for any of these individuals?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
I was quite impressed by the look of “Paris 36″. The film is presented in 2:40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and this suburb captures the city around the Chansonia. Everything looks so real but you often wonder if its a real studio set, CG-based or what? There is a lot of grit and grime on the buildings, details from the handwritten letters on the buildings. I thought that a lot of the film (around the Chansonia) was shot in Paris and had utilization of CG but what was more surprising was to find out that a village was actually created in an open field (there is a wonderful featurette that goes into detail about this). Very impressive.
This is one of the films that I really wish would get a Blu-ray release because there are so many details within the buildings and interiors, especially the vibrant colors that would benefit from High Definition but for the DVD, picture quality is fine. One scene includes a wonderful Busby Berkeley style of performance that is just vibrant and beautiful to watch. For France, this type of filmmaking is rare to see but Christophe Barratier and Tom Stern capture the look and beauty of the theater performances quite extraordinarily well. This is a beautiful film to watch!
As for the audio, the film is presented in French 5.1 (Dolby Digital) and for the most part, the film is driven by its dialogue and music. Once Nora Arnezeder took the stage, just hearing her vocals just captured my attention. And from that point, her character brings life into the other characters and the music turns from campy and humorous to a wonderful and beautiful music. Suffice to say, immediately after watching this film, I started looking for the movie soundtrack. That is how much I loved the music of this film.
As for the subtitles, optional English subtitles are provided.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“PARIS 36″ comes with the following special features:
I absolutely loved “Paris 36″.
After watching this film, I wanted the soundtrack and I wanted to know more about the talent and also know who this actress Nora Arnezeder was. Needless to say, this film was beautiful to watch. At first, finding out this film was about the political and economic turmoil of the 1930′s, I was wondering if it would be similar to the 1980 Francois Truffaut film “Le Dernier Metro” (The Last Metro).
But this film is a hybrid film that it manages to feature a romantic drama and a musical all in one. Unlike “The Last Metro” in which the political turmoil and German invasion was a big part of the film, “Paris 36″ captured the initial feeling of division amongst the French but focus on the primary characters who wanted the show to go on and despite not making any money at first, really believed in their theater and their hopes and dreams in making sure that they give the best performance they can but overcoming difficult challenges during the darkest era for the people in France.
The pacing of the film is wonderful and as challenging as I can imagine of balancing the dramatic segments of the film with its musical segments, everything works from beginning to end.
I know that I’m gushing about the film and how beautiful, how well-produced and well-acted the film is but if I had to find one nitpicky situation, it’s how the film ends with one ending. As the film does focus on a variety of characters, you wonder what happens to each of the characters at the end. And I was hoping for that. But director Christophe Barratier does explain in the commentary that scenes were shot for the other characters but during the testing with the additional scenes with the audience, French viewers felt it was too heavy and thus he limited it to one subtle ending. Overall, the ending does work quite fine and so, for those who wonder what happens to other characters, it’s definitely worth listening to the commentary.
“PARIS 36″ is such a wonderful film, even though many of us who do not understand French may not understand what the lyrics of the songs are about, it’s no different from listening to opera or international music. You can hear the passion in the vocals and the music does reach your soul. It’s that effective, it’s that addictive and most of all, the whole entire film is just irresistible!
“PARIS 36″ is highly recommended!
 | Cate Blanchett attends Vogue Australia’s 50th Anniversary |
July 31, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Cate Blanchett attended Vogue Australia’s 50th Anniversary. It celebrated with a celebrity studded blacktie party at Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, Ausralia where the commemorative September 2009 issue covers and cover girl were unveiled. Pictured: Cate Blanchett Picture by: TitoMedia.com.au / Splash News. Content © 2009 Splash News . All rights reserved.
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| On Surfari Movie Night in Encinitas This Friday |
July 30, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
This Friday, July 31, Quiksilver Waterman and Hansens Surf Shop will host a special On Surfari Movie Night event with professional surfer and TV host Shayne McIntyre. Shayne will be showing two episodes of On Surfari and sharing stories from his experiences traveling the world and discovering new surf spots.
Friday night’s event is free and open to the public. The screening starts at 7:00pm. The first 100 guests will receive a free raffle ticket for tons of swag from Shayne’s sponsors including Quiksilver, Rusty Surfboards, Dakine, Futures Fins, Maui Jim, Sanuk and Head Hunters. Additional tickets will be on sale for $1 per ticket. All proceeds from the raffle will go to The Strongheart House and Trinity Dental in Liberia, West Africa.
On Surfari is a travel surf show by Shayne and Shannon McIntyre airing on Fuel TV and National Geographic International. From Russia to Nicaragua and Indonesia to India, watch as Shayne and Shannon search for surf in unexpected coastal towns and hang with the locals.
Earlier on Sunday, Shayne will be at Baby Beach in Dana Point Harbor for an open Stand-Up Paddle Session. All are welcome to attend.
For more information, check out www.onsurfari.com or www.quiksilver.com
Hansens Surf Shop is located at 1105 So Coast Highway 101 Encinitas, CA 92024
Call (760) 753-6595 for directions, questions and more information.
About Quiksilver
Quiksilver is committed to providing tools for uncovering, expressing and expanding your personal style. Our aim is to foster the sense of individual expression and excitement – the stoke that is the essence of boardriding*. We’re also here to spread the word because the only thing better than finding stoke is sharing it.
*Boardriding is about timing and style. It’s youthful, active, casual, and free flowing. There is no wrong way to ride a board. The goal is simply to learn, progress, improve, and give it your own interpretation.
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| Penelope Cruz attends the UK premiere of “Broken Embraces” |
July 30, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Penelope Cruz attends the UK premiere of ‘Broken Embraces’ held at Somerset House on July 30, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images . All rights reserved.
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| Ciara at the “Express Celebrates TXT L8TR Campaign” in Hollywood |
July 30, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Recording Artist Ciara arrives at the Express Celebrates TXT L8TR Campaign at Nobu on July 29, 2009 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images . All rights reserved.
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| Dragonball Evolution: Z Edition (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review) |
July 30, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment
“The good news is that the Blu-ray release features awesome picture and audio quality. The bad news is that ‘Dragonball Evolution’ misses its true potential.”
TITLE: Dragonball Evolution: Z Edition
DURATION: 85 minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish, French and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, AVC@33.5MBPS, Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Mandarin
COMPANY: Twentieth Century Fox
RATED: PG (Intense Sequences of Action, Violence and Brief Mild Language)
Release Date: July 28, 2009
Directed by James Wong
Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama
Screenplay by Ben Ramsey
Executive Produced by Tim Van Rellim
Produced by Stephen Chow
Co-Produced by Rodney Liber, Rich Thorne
Line Producer: Mexico: Jose Ludlow
Music by Brian Tyler
Director of Photography: Robert McLachlan
Edited by Matt Friedman, Chris G. Willingham
Casting by Carla Hool, John Papsidera
Art Direction by Bruce Crone, Patricio M. Farrell, Marco Niro
Set Decoration by Roberto Boneli
Costume Design by Mayes C. Rubeo
Starring:
Justin Chatwin as Goku
Chow Yun-Fat as Master Roshi
Emmy Rossum as Bulma
Jamie Chung as Chi Chi
James Marsters as Lord Piccolo
Joon Park as Yamcha
Eriko Tamura as Mai
Randall Duk Kim as Grandpa Gohan
Ernie Hudson as Sifu Norris
Based on one of the most popular Japanese manga series of all time, Dragonball: Evolution follows a young warrior on an epic adventure to discover his destiny…and save the world from the forces of darkness. For his eighteenth birthday, mild-mannered Goku is given a mystical Dragonball, one of only seven in existence, which combine to grant a perfect wish to whoever possesses them. But an ancient warlord named Piccolo has escaped eternal imprisonment and is on his own quest to gather the Dragonballs. Goku must enlist the help of his friends—and the power of his evolving martial arts skills—to defeat Piccolo before it’s too late! Packed with spectacular visual effects, high-flying action, and over an hour of hard-hitting extras, Dragonball: Evolution Z-Edition brings the legend to life as never before!
“Dragon Ball”, a series that many fans in Japan and all over the world have looked at the manga (Japanese comic books), anime (Japanese animation) and its characters as passionately as those who have grown up with iconic superheroes as Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and the X-Men.
Needless, to say that “Dragonball”, may it be the original, “Dragonball Z” or even “Dragonball GT” are still series that no matter how many years have passed since the manga/anime/video games were released in Japan and even worldwide, continues to make money and its fandom continues to grow.
Whenever a passionate series is discussed about being brought over to a live action film, this is where directors, screenwriters and casting need to be fully aware of the rabid fandom out there. Granted, no one is expecting a 100% complete translation from series to live-action film but most often at times, the producers and the director try to listen to fans as best as they can (ie. films like “Transformers”, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”).
Here we are with “Dragonball Evolution”, produced by popular HK filmmaker and star Stephen Chow (“Shaolin Soccer”, “Kung Fu Hustle”, “CJ7″, “A Chinese Odyssey”, etc.) a film directed by James Wong (“Final Destination”, “The Others”, “The One” and episodes of “The X-Files” and “Millenium”), a screenplay by Ben Ramsey (“The Big Hit” and “Love and Bullet”), music by Brian Tyler (“Eagle Eye”, “Fast & Furious”, “Bangkok Dangerous”, etc.) and cinematography by Robert McLachlan (“Final Destination”, “Bionic Woman”, “Harper’s Island”, etc.).
The film would star Justin Chatwin (“War of the Worlds” and “Traffic”), Chow Yun-Fat (“Hard Boiled”, “The Killer”, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Emmy Rossum (“Mystic River”, “Poseidon” and “The Day After Tomorrow”), Jamie Chung (“Princess Protection Program”, “Samurai Girl” and “Greek”), James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel” and “Smallville”), Eriko Tamura (“Heroes” and “Reaper”) and Randall Duk Kim (“The Lost Empire”, “The Matrix: Reloaded” and “The Replacement Killers”).
The film revolves around a teenager named Goku (Justin Chatwin) who has been trained by his grandfather Gohan in martial arts. Not knowing what happened to his real parents, his father plans to reveal everything to him on his upcoming birthday.
As for training, Goku seems to exhibit lighting quick reflexes, strength but in no way is he better than his grandfather and he is still trying to learn how to utilize his “ki” (body’s energy) which he doesn’t have good control over just yet.
On the day of his (and his grandfather’s) birthday, Grandpa Gohan gives Goku a Dragonball. We learn about the story of how seven people saved the planet by fighting the evil Piccolo and an ape like creature named Oozaru. They were able to seal Piccolo using seven dragon balls. Grandpa Gohan has one of them and is giving it to Goku for his birthday and having him promise not to let it out of his sight and to defend it. Meanwhile, we learn that Piccolo has escaped and he and his minion Mai are scouring throughout the planet and finding the dragon balls and slaying anyone in their way.
Goku is a teenager who is constantly picked on by the jocks at school. He is not allowed to use his strength and thus, must bare with the bullying. He also has a fascination with Chi Chi (Jamie Chung), who discovers that Gohan knows how to use his “ki” and becomes curious about him.
Chi Chi invites Gohan to her birthday and instead of spending his birthday with his grandfather, Goku sneaks out to go to Chi Chi’s birthday party. Upon arriving, Goku is bullied and is attacked by the jocks and by using his quick defensive skills and dodging every attack, without having to fight, he is able to defeat the guys and further gain Chi Chi’s attention. But immediately he senses something wrong and believes his grandfather is in trouble.
Mai has been to Grandpa Gohan’s home to retrieve a dragon ball which she is unable to find. But in the process defeating him and blowing up the house while he is in it. As Goku quickly gets home, his grandfather asks him to seek out Master Roshi and tells him a poem about the dragon balls and dies.
The day after his grandfather’s death and looking through the home to bring with him, he discovers an orange uniform that belonged to his grandfather and notices someone has sneaked into the broken home. The woman tries to attack Goku but he is able to quickly defend himself. The attacker is Bulma Briefs, a scientist at Capsule Corporation who’s father owned a dragon ball but someone went into their facility, killed the guards and have stolen it. She has created a dragon ball detector which led her to Goku’s home and believed he may be the person who stole it from her. Goku informs her that there are seven dragon balls and he has one of them and they need to team up with each other and seek out Master Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat).
This begins the mission for the search of the dragon balls as Goku, Bulma, Master Roshi and Yamcha (Joon Park) have only a few days to find all dragon balls before Piccolo destroys the world.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
This is the area where Twentieth Century Fox has been on top when it comes to Blu-ray releases. Near perfect picture and audio quality. How does “Dragonball Evolution: Z Edition” fare?
The film features a 1080p (2:40:1) High Definition transfer with AVC @ 33.5 MBPS. There is a creative approach in the type of look that Robert McLachlan brought to film. For one, the colors are quite vibrant and the film features a lot of detail. But there are some scenes that are given a bright, dreamy look at times. There are scenes that just look very impressive in high definition and the effects such as the Dragon Ball glowing, the detail on the rocks, clothing and also skin of the characters.
The transfer reveals above-average levels of detail in almost nearly every shot. Eye popping colors, details on textures… the picture quality of “Dragonball Evolution” is actually fantastic. There are some scenes where CG and stuntwork, seem a bit out of place. For example, there is a scene where Goku has to hop during a lava sequence that just didn’t seem right. Also, Goku’s transformation to the ape… it just seemed off. And it would have been nice to see some added height, I know they can’t go too big on the ape like in the manga/anime series but the visual effects for the ape seemed off for me. But that’s my personal opinion.
As for audio, audio is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (Spanish, French and Portuguese are offered in 5.1 Dolby Digital). The audio for this film is also very well done. Dialog is crisp and clear. Although I found myself rewinding dialogue by Yamcha (Joon Park) and having to turn on English subtitles to figure out what he is saying at times. Bass is heavy and deep and the action sequences, in which there are many, and audio just fills up the soundstage. From blasts to countless destruction, your home theater system from all channels will be put to work. In fact, I felt immersed with audio around me that it was so constant that my wife who is usually tolerable to my audio tests, felt that I was overdoing it. I wasn’t overdoing it, this is how the film’s audio was. There are scenes with constant sound effects that was balanced with a pretty good musical score by Brian Tyler.
So, needless to say, two highlights of this Blu-ray release is the audio and picture quality.
Subtitles are featured in English, English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese and Mandarin.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Dragonball Evolution: Z Edition” comes with the following special features:
The Blu-ray release includes two discs. The second disc includes a digital copy of “Dragonball Evolution”.
I am a passionate fan of the series and the video games. When I was younger, I would buy Japanese “Shonen Jump” and use it as a way to study Japanese and would save up to buy the import SNES video game when it came out and rent Japanese VHS from the Japanese rental store (which was quite far) to pick up the latest episodes of the “Dragon Ball Z” in Japan. Needless to say, I’m a fan but at the same time, I know that I had to leave my passion out the door and look at this film as something fresh and new. To see how much of the original series or its characters were incorporated into the film.
Having seen the Chinese version of “Dragon Ball Z” which was horrible, I figured that this film couldn’t get any horrible as that film and most importantly, I was more curious how a big budget can lend itself to the feel of the “Dragon Ball” universe and its characters. How much from the original they can incorporate to this film. Because simply, films like “Transformers”, “X-Men”, “Batman”, “Spider-Man”, series based on a comic or animated-series that have been made to a live-action film, there are always going to be changes.
I’ll start off what I liked about the film. I enjoyed Emmy Rossum’s Bulma. Spunky, talkative and cute. Chow Yun-Fat is a big name that brings people out to the theater’s and his Master Roshi managed to capture some of that perverseness of the old man. James Marsters as Piccolo was also fine (although he is missing his antenna’s) and Joon Park’s Yamcha, a bit more surfer dude but in a way, resembled the FUNimation Entertainment English dub character quite a bit. Were these the right people cast for the film? If you wanted manga or anime faithfulness, fans will definitely cry fowl. But there were parts from the manga and anime series in the film and it was enjoyable to see those parts.
Justin Chatwin as Goku was a bit difficult for me to accept. Fans know Goku to be a small character in the manga, the fact that this film features Gohan as a teenager (which is more in line with Gohan ala DBZ and Goten ala DBGT), needless to say that fans have cried fowl. Even Asians had online protest of why the character is not Asian.
But other problems that I had with the film such as acting, pacing, visual effects and its screenplay. Justin Chatwin used samurai’s as reference for Dragon Ball especially in the special features in regards to the clothing and preparing for the role. And I was asking myself why? There was also the over utilization of the term “air bending” in the film which I can understand for those who know ki and bending of air for energy in Asia but for those who watched a “Dragon Ball” film, “air bending” is not a term typically used. People are used to hearing more of “kamehameha” or even “Kaio-ken for Gohan. And instead of focusing on the “Dragon Ball” dynamics, we somehow we got “Avatar: The Last Airbender” in the film.
And speaking of special moves, let’s discuss the final battle. Goku and Piccolo are like Rocky vs. Apollo, Annakin vs. Obi Wan, Superman vs. General Zod and Wolverine vs. Sabretooth. There has to be a good build up. A show of rivalry and a believable fighting scene between both characters. “Dragon Ball” is known for its fighting sequences and I felt that ending battle was just too short and so unsatisfying that if the final battle was done well, it could have made a difference. The Dragon Ball mystique of Goku is the hero who seems as if he’s getting beaten and looks as if he is losing in battle until he finds the opponents weakness and takes advantage of that weakness, comes back and beats the hell out of opponent. Needless to say, the ending battle to the film was poorly done, I was disappointed.
As for the Blu-ray release, this is a perfect example of a film that has awesome picture quality and audio quality and has received a wonderful Blu-ray transfer but the film is unable to match that quality.
In the end, if there is plans for a sequel, there has to be significant changes to win the fans over again. It’s one thing of wanting to incorporate teenage life, romance and fighting (“Karate Kid” is a great example of a film that manages to capture that and also include a satisfying ending fight scene) but somehow this film never reached its full potential of being a good film that would satisfy the fans or the non-fans.
By no means is this a terrible movie, but even having to leave my appreciation and passion for “Dragon Ball” out the door and knowing that the film would be quite different, I just felt the film missed its ultimate potential.
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| FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review) |
July 29, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION” is a fun, enjoyable and satisfying collection of shorts plus an interactive story that originally was only seen by those who took part in the Universal Studios Japan ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ ride. If you are a big fan of the anime series, this DVD deserves to be part of your “Fullmetal Alchemist” collection!”
DVD TITLE: FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION
DURATION: 35 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: English 5.1 Surround Sound, Japanese Stereo, English subtitles, 4:3
COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment
RATED: TV PG
Release Date: August 4, 2009
Directed by Seiji Mizushima
Character Design: Ito Yoshiyuki
Main Animatior: Sugiura Kouji
Production Design: Aramaki Shinji
Art Design: Narita Hideyasu
Music by Michiru Oshima
Animation by BONES
Produced by ANIPLEX
Featuring the following voice talent:
Rie Kugimiya/Aaron Dismuke as Alphonse Elric
Romi Paku/Vic Mignogna as Edward Elric
Hidekatsu Shibata/Christopher R. Sabat as Fuhrer King Bradrey
Junichi Suwave/Chris Patton as Greed
Kenji Utsumi/Christopher R. Sabat as Alex Louis Armstrong
Mayumi Yamaguchi/Wendy Powell as Envy
Megumi Toyoguchi/Caitlin Glass as Winry Rockbell
Ryotaro Okiayu as Scar
Toru Ohkawa/Travis Willingham as Roy Mustang
Yasuhiro Takato/Chris Cason as Gluttony
Yoshino Takamori as Juliet Douglas/Sloth
Yuuko Satou/Laura Bailey as Lust
Houko Kuwashima/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Rose Thomas
Michiko Neya/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Riza Hawkeye
Nana Mizuki/Luci Christian as Wrath
The Fullmetal Alchemist universe expands with new stories that reunite the original U.S. cast in four eye-opening tales available for the first time outside of Japan.
In the Interactive Experience, you’re on the front line against the Homonculus scourge. In the Live Action Featurette, the search for truth continues in modern Japan. Kids offers proof that innocence lost can be found again. Finally, your invited to the Chibi Wrap Party, but don’t arrive late. With Gluttony on the guest list, the finger foods-and fingers-probably won’t last long.
As the latest “Fullmetal Alchemist” series (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) is currently airing in Japan and is being streamed online courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment, the company has finally released the long awaited “FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION” on DVD. The DVD would include the Interactive Experience plus one live and two animated shorts.
At Universal Studios Japan, back in 2005, those who took part in the “Fullmetal Alchemist Premiere Tour” ride were treated with an animation (specifically made for the ride) that puts a person on the ride to take on a role as the new member of the State Alchemists. As a rookie, you are introduced to certain key characters from the anime series but then immediately taking part in a battle between the State Alchemists versus the Homunculus. These shorts include a Preshow, Zone 1-4 and a Postshow and the duration is about 18 minutes long.
For the short collection (Duration: 16:48), the viewer is treated with the following shorts (spoiler-less summary):
- Live Action Featurette – This takes place after the television series with Alphonse Eric in his armor form in live/real Japan searching for Ed.
- Chibi Party – This is a humorous animated short in which the characters are in super deformed mode (chibi-small character mode) and celebrating after the filming of “Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa”.
- Kids – We watch three children who look so similar to the Elric brothers and Winry Rockbell. But who are they?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
For the most part, there is of course animation differences with one being used for a Universal Studios Japan ride in Japan, one that is super deformed format and another that actually looks quite cool with its beautiful backgrounds and vibrant colors. The video is featured in 4:3 standard definition.
The audio is featured in English 5.1 Surround Sound and Japanese Stereo. The majority of the action sequences can be heard in the interactive story but dialogue and music comes quite clear through your front channel speakers and center channel.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The special features featured on the “FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION” DVD include the following:
- Original Japanese TV commercial (with English subtitles) - (:41) The Japanese TV commercial for “Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa”.
- Textless ending theme - (4:03) The ending theme for the anime shorts and video clips of Universal Studios Japan. Also, optional romanized and translated subtitles for the ending theme song.
- Trailers - Trailers for upcoming FUNimation Entertainment releases
When it comes to a popular series such as “Fullmetal Alchemist” and other popular long-running series, these OVA’s are typically for the fans of the animated series and/or the voice talent. You either get a solid half hour of a storyline (that may or may not relate to the anime series) or an OVA that puts your favorite characters in a unique situation that may be full of humor and all-out fun! The latter is indeed the case for the “FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION”.
For the interactive segment, it may be hard to imagine a ride with video (for those who never experienced it) but with my experience of riding a few in Japan, I can say it’s comparable for those who have attended such ride at Disneyland or Disney World, where you are shifted around through a ride (that is not like a rollercoaster but its constantly moving) while watching a storyline progress.
I could imagine after watching the Interactive Experience of how cool this ride may have been. For the most part, the interactive experience was quite fun to watch and see everyone together in battle. Not being part of the ride and watching it on DVD is still fun and enjoyable but I could only imagine how the interactive ride could have been during the action sequences.
For the animated shorts, fans of the anime series and film will definitely find these three shorts quite enjoyable and amusing. They are short in duration but for the most part, my favorite would have to be “Kids” which has an ending that may surprise fans.
Overall, “FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: PREMIUM OVA COLLECTION” is a fun, enjoyable and satisfying collection of shorts. It’s also much more enjoyable knowing that retail stores are selling this for $10-$14, so it is quite affordable. If you are a big fan of the anime series, this DVD deserves to be part of your “Fullmetal Alchemist” collection!
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| CAPCOM’S LONG-AWAITED MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2 AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH XBOX LIVE ARCADE |
July 29, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Continue the Battle Online as 56 of Marvel and Capcom’s Iconic Characters Duke It Out in the Legendary Fighting Game
SAN MATEO, Calif. — July 29, 2008 – Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today launched the long-awaited Marvel VS. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes for Xbox LIVE® Arcade.
Marvel VS. Capcom 2 features the biggest roster of challengers to ever square off in a Capcom fighting game, a total of 56 combined brawlers from both the Capcom and Marvel universes. From the world of Capcom comes characters such as Ryu from the Street Fighter® series, Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil® games and unofficial company mascot Mega Man®. Marvel is represented by some of its biggest names, including the Invincible Iron Man, Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty, and War Machine, Weapon of S.H.I.E.L.D. Players can mix and match from both worlds in order to create their own ideal three man/woman/robot/monster team-up.
Due to the amazing combination of Marvel and Capcom characters and the game’s celebrated fighting system and graphics, Marvel VS. Capcom 2 has been a hotly sought-after title on the game collector’s circuit. Previously owned copies for older game consoles have been demanding more than $100 in auctions and at specialty video game outlets. Now players who have been desperately searching out used copies of the game will be able to go hands-on and play online with the same great online experience from Super Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix. Additionally, Capcom has added an optional advanced visual filter that improves the overall appearance of the game and added online modes, including Ranked Matches and the popular Player “Quarter” Match, that allows up to four people to watch and chat while two others are battling it out.
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| Jennifer Aniston on the set of “The Bounty” |
July 29, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Jennifer Aniston hangs onto her hat as she heads to The Bounty set in central Manhattan. Jen is shooting the new flick with rumoured love interest Gerard Butler. Photograph: PacificCoastNews.com
Content © 2009 Pacific Coast News . All rights reserved.
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| SeaVenture Resort Hosts Soldiers Attending The 4th Annual Operation Comfort Amputee Surf Clinic |
July 29, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
For the fourth consecutive year, SeaVenture Resort and Pismo Beach welcome a group of fifteen amputee surfers brought to the area by Operation Comfort. This San Antonio, Texas based non-profit group rehabilitates wounded servicemen receiving treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center, by introducing them to adaptive sports.
Local acclaimed amputee surf champion and global prosthetic company Ossurs’ Ambassador, Rodney Roller is the Lead Surf Camp Instructor for Van Curaza Surf School and will be donating his time for this clinic. Several other local and national companies will be sponsoring their time and effort, to include; Pancho’s Surf Shop, Billabong and Van Curaza Surf School. SeaVenture Resort is located directly on the beach, making it the perfect location for the grand opening ceremonies and the hub for all the activities. The soldiers will participate in numerous other Central Coast activities during their visit.
The soldiers will be checking into the SeaVenture Resort on September 3rd, with a welcome reception for the soldiers and media being held that same evening.
** Special Points of Interest for Media/Photo Opportunities:
* Thursday (9/3) 4 pm.: Welcoming Party at SeaVenture Resort
* Friday (9/4) 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Grand Opening Event Kick Off with 21 Gun Salute followed by Surfing Clinic on beach in front of SeaVenture
* Saturday (9/5) 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. : Surfing Clinic at Pismo Pier
* Sunday (9/6) 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. : Surfing Clinic at Pismo Pier
