SciFi Japan

    Packaging for the Korean Region 3 Limited Editon Special Pack DVD of D-WAR. © 2008 Younggu Art Entertainment Co., Ltd.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    The Korean monster film on DVD in its native country Author: Kim Song-ho (Loomis) Source: KD Media Following the U.S DVD debut on January 8, DRAGON WARS (a.k.a. D-WAR) finally reaches its native country... again. On February 1(*), a South Korean company called KD Media will release DRAGON WARS in two separate Region 3 DVD versions – the Limited Editon Special Pack, limited to 5,000 sets, and a Standard Edition. The difference between the two versions are not that remarkable. The former will have two storyboard books and five postcards with never-before-seen poster artworks in the package. The latter will have only a booklet. Both versions are 2-disc sets with disc 1 includes the feature in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, original English Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 and Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks. Added are English and Korean subtitles. Supplements will be featured on disc 2. Among them are

    DVD cover art for the South Korean horror film RED EYE. Photo courtesy of Media Blasters. © 2005 Tae Chang Entertainment

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    New Info, Cover Art, and Release Dates for Asian DVDs on the `Tokyo Shock` and `Exploitation Digital` Labels Source: Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Richard York Media Blasters has provided new cover art and information on their upcoming Tokyo Shock and Exploitation Digital releases. Look for the following Region 1 DVDs in the first quarter of 2008. January 15, 2008: RED EYE (Redeu-ai, 2005) It`s Mi-sun`s first day as a railroad attendant. Her first assignment is an overnight trip through Korea and she`s understandably nervous. But it`s not the motley group of passengers that has her feeling uneasy. It`s the train itself. It turns out that some of the cars on the train were involved in a devastating crash 16 years earlier in which 100 people died. Rumor has it those cars are haunted and it`s not long before Mi-sun starts to experience eerie visions. The

    Cover art for the Sony DVD, Blu-ray, and UMD versions of DRAGON WARS. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. © 2007 Younggu Art Entertainment Co., Ltd.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Official Site: DRAGON WARS.com Meet Buraki, the vicious, 200-meter long Imoogi serpent from ancient Korea. His army includes giant lizards with missile launchers, flying dragons, soldiers bred for evil and mega-intelligent dinosaurs. Together, they will destroy Los Angeles and possibly the world unless reincarnated warriors Ethan and Sarah can outrun them and resurrect the Good Imoogi, Buraki’s ancient nemesis. DRAGON WARS reveals every last detail of Earth’s greatest battle – a war you’ll only believe when you see it for yourself. On January 8, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the action-adventure film DRAGON WARS on DVD, Blu-ray Hi-Def and PSP. Directed and written by popular Korean filmmaker Hyung Rae Shim, DRAGON WARS has taken in more $65 million combined at the US and Korean box office. The film has a run time of approximately 90 minutes and

    Sales sheet for the APPLESEED: EX MACHINA DVDs. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. © 2007 Shirow Masumune/Seishinsha- Ex Machina Film Partners. © 2007 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Theatrical Premiere in December, Region 1 DVDs Scheduled for March Source: Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., Jules Verne Adventure Films Festival Official US Site: Appleseed Ex Machina DVD Official Japanese Site: APPLESEED SAGA: EX MACHINA In 2004, director Shinji Aramaki and the production company Digital Frontiers Inc. created APPLESEED (Appurushido), a CG animated feature film based on the popular manga of the same name by reknowned creator Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell). APPLESEED was a box office success in Japan, and a top-selling DVD in the US the following year. Now Shinji Aramaki and Digital Frontiers have reunited with Micott & Basara, Lion Rock Production and Axis Entertainment for the sequel APPLESEED: EX MACHINA (Appurushido Ex Machina). The new film is produced by the legendary Hong Kong film director John Woo (HARD BOILED, THE KILLER), who also supervised the story and action sequences. APPLESEED: EX MACHINA is being distributed in

    Packaging art for Classic Media`s GODZILLA COLLECTION box and the ALL MONSTERS ATTACK and TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA DVDS. The two films are packaged in the same slim cases as the earlier Classic Media Godzilla DVDs. Photos courtesy of Classic Media. © 2007 Classic Media, Inc./© 1969, 1975 Toho Co., Ltd.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Images from the THE GODZILLA COLLECTION and the next two Godzilla DVDs Author: Keith Aiken Source: Classic Media, Inc. Official site: Godzilla on DVD Next Tuesday, November 20th, Classic Media will release THE GODZILLA COLLECTION— a DVD box set with 8 classic Godzilla movies. The collection features over 20 hours of content remastered direct from the Toho vaults, including the original Japanese version of GOJIRA (1954). The box set features all of the Godzilla DVDs in Classic Media’s “Toho Master Collection”, individually shrinkwrapped in their original cases: • GOJIRA (winner of “Best DVD Classic Film Release”, 2007 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films “Saturn Awards”) • GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS (the edited US version of GOJIRA starring Raymond Burr) • GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (Japanese and US versions) • MOTHRA VS GODZILLA (Japanese version plus US version known as GODZILLA VS

    Covers for Mebius, Tiga, Dyna and Gaia Climax Stories ©2007 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. / Bandai Visual

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Direct-to-DVD digests of the Heisei Ultraman series Author: James Ballard Beginning next month in Japan, Tsuburaya Productions and Bandai Visual will be releasing re-edited, direct-to-DVD episodes of the Heisei Ultraman TV series; ULTRAMAN TIGA (Urutoraman Tiga, 1996), ULTRAMAN DYNA (Urutoraman Daina, 1997), ULTRAMAN GAIA (Urutoraman Gaia, 1998), ULTRAMAN COSMOS (Urutoraman Kosumosu, 2001), ULTRAMAN NEXUS (Urutoraman Nekusasu, 2004), ULTRAMAN MAX (Urutoraman Makkusu, 2005) and ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Urutoraman Mebiusu, 2006). Being released under the banner of "Climax Stories", these one-hour specials re-tell the highlights of each series, each carefully guided by veteran Ultraman directors. While the Climax Stories will contain no new footage, the intent is to introduce new fans to each series, showing the first and last appearance of the Ultra heroes, and all their adventures along the way. As the initial description for the ULTRAMAN MEBIUS release reads, "even for beginners, if you see this you will

    Media Blasters has acquired rights to three films from Kadokawa Pictures. GAMERA THE BRAVE © 2006 Chiisaki Yusha-tachi Gamera/Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. ONE MISSED CALL: FINAL © 2006 Chakushin-Ari Film Partners. THE BLACK HOUSE © 2007 CJ Entertainment Inc.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Author: Keith Aiken Source: Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Richard York Media Blasters has announced that they have acquired North American rights to a trio of films from Kadokawa Pictures; ONE MISSED CALL: FINAL, THE BLACK HOUSE, and GAMERA THE BRAVE. Few details are available at this time, but the three movies are expected to be released on Region 1 DVD in 2008. GAMERA THE BRAVE (Chiisaki Yusha-tachi Gamera, 2006) is the latest Gamera film and the first in the long-running series to be produced by Kadokawa. The monstrous flying turtle was introduced in the Daiei Motion Picture Company’s 1965 hit GAMERA (Daikaiju Gamera, U.S. title GAMMERA THE INVINCIBLE) and starred in ten more films up to 1999’s GAMERA: REVENGE OF IRIS (Gamera 3: Irisu Kakusei). Daiei was later sold to the Kadokawa Publishing Company, and in November 2002 the studio was absorbed into the company’s

    The packaging for Toho`s GODZILLA DVD COLLECTION I box set features a beautiful GODZILLA (1954) painting by Noriyoshi Ohrai. © Toho Co., Ltd.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Author: Loomis (Kim Song-ho) Toho DVD will re-release their Godzilla DVDs in Japan beginning in January 2008. There will also be several collection box sets with exclusive bonus discs. While contents for the DVDs are identical to previous releases, the discs will now be packaged in the standard size keep cases instead of the smaller jewel cases. The box sets will feature illustrations by Noriyoshi Ohrai, artist for many of the Godzilla movie theatrical posters. GODZILLA DVD COLLECTION I Release Date: January 25, 2008 Includes: GODZILLA (1954) GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN KING KONG VS. GODZILLA MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA Bonus Disc: International version of MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (presumably the US edit, which has been previously released on home video in Japan) Price: 16,800 yen (approximately $147.00 US) On the same day, the four films in this box set will also be released separately at 4,725 yen per disc

    Meet the heroic Autobot Bummblebee this week in Los Angeles! Photo courtesy of DreamWorks LLC/Paramount. © 2007 DreamWorks LLC and Paramount Pictures. TRANSFORMERS are © 2007 Hasbro.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment celebrates the DVD debut of the worldwide smash hit TRANSFORMERS with a special guest appearance by one of the film’s biggest stars—Bumblebee,the brave Autobot who turns into a Camaro! A full-size, 18-foot tall, 8,200 pound traffic-stopping robot will greet passers-by in the courtyard of the West Hollywood Gateway shopping center on the corner of La Brea and Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles. This actual prop from the blockbuster film requires a forklift and 10 ton crane to assemble and set up and he will make for an extraordinary visual. Bumblebee will be on display from Tuesday, October 16th starting at 7:00 a.m., through Sunday, October 21st. Don`t miss an incredible photo opportunity with a life-size star of TRANSFORMERS.

    DVD cover art for GUYVER: THE BIOBOOSTED ARMOR Vol 7- ARMOR OF THE GODS. Photo courtesy of ADV Films. © 2005 Guyver The Bioboosted Armor Film Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: ADV Films The hit series GUYVER: THE BIOBOOSTED ARMOR concludes November 6 with volume seven, ARMOR OF THE GODS. The Guyver has been a cult-classic for over 20 years, spawning over 150 manga chapters, two live-action movies, an OVA, and a short series. Now, Director Katsuhito Akiyama (BUBBLEGUM CRISIS) breathes new life into the dark masterpiece, treating us to the most complete and captivating story to date. Synopsis: The Relic has been destroyed and Sho is presumed dead. Apparently, the world now belongs to Chronos. A year has passed, and with both Guyvers missing in action, Chronos’ grip on society grows tighter. Fugitives Tetsuro and Mizuki are forced into hiding, scrounging desperately for any news that Sho is still alive. When Chronos agents close in, they’re forced to rely on Aptom to protect them from their Zoanoid adversaries. But what is his motive? Now, Makishima

    Front and back cover art for DreamWorks` CASSHERN DVD. Photo courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. © 2005 CASSHERN PARTNERS

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Region 1 Disc Features Never-Before-Seen Director’s Cut Source: Paramount Home Entertainment Official Site: Casshern.Com The 2004 Japanese science fiction film CASSHERN makes its long-awaited North American DVD debut on October 16, 2007 from Paramount/DreamWorks Home Entertainment. Based on the 1973 Tatsunoko Productions anime series, CASSHERN was written and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya and produced by Shochiku Co., Ltd. The live-action film was shot entirely on a digital backlot, using green screens much like the box office hits SIN CITY and 300 to achieve eye-popping, other-worldly images. CASSHERN is set in a dystopian future in which the planet has been ravaged by a catastrophic Third World War. With the future of the human race in jeopardy, geneticist Dr. Azuma (Akira Terao of AKIRA KUROSAWA’S DREAMS and AEGIS) develops a new technology called “neo-cells” that can repair damaged or diseased tissue, but a lab accident

    DVD cover art for the latest volume of GODZILLA: THE ORIGINAL ANIMATED SERIES, now on sale. Photo courtesy of Classic Media. © 1978 Toho Co., Ltd./2006 Classic Media, Inc.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Classic Media Completes Season 1 of the Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Show Author: Keith Aiken Source: Classic Media In 1978, Hanna-Barbera Productions created the first cartoon series based on Toho Co., Ltd.’s character Godzilla. The GODZILLA show followed the adventures of the research vessel Calico; Captain Carl Majors (voiced by Jeff David), scientist Dr. Quinn Darian (Brenda Thompson), her young nephew Pete (Al Eisenmann), first mate Brock (Hilly Hicks), and Godzooky, the “comical, cowardly cousin” of Godzilla. Each week the crew of the Calico would find themselves in one predicament after another, only to be rescued in the nick of time by Godzilla, King of the Monsters. GODZILLA premiered on the NBC television network on September 9, 1978. It ran for two seasons of 13 episodes each and a third season of reruns with the final NBC broadcast on September 5, 1981. Rights to the series reverted

    EVA-01 returns to DVD in the deluxe NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: PLATINUM PERFECT COLLECTION from ADV Films. © 1996 GAINAX/Project Eva, TV Tokyo

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Collectible Tin Commemorates 20 Years of GAINAX Source: ADV Films ADV Films presents the NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: PLATINUM PERFECT COLLECTION, compiling the popular anime series in a collectible tin. This commemorative collection also includes all the extras from the original individual disc releases. This limited edition release will hit store shelves November 27, in plenty of time for the holiday gift-giving season. EVANGELION is widely regarded as the most popular anime show ever, and it was recently named by both Anime Insider and Newtype USA as the top series of all time. Now with EVANGELION beginning its broadcast run on [adult swim] October 20, hundreds of thousands of new viewers will soon discover this modern classic for themselves. First broadcast on TV Tokyo in 1995, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION marks a watershed in the history of anime. Not only did EVANGELION raise the bar

    The giant monster Yongary advances on Seoul`s historical landmark the Great South Gate (Namdaemun) in YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP, now on DVD from MGM. © 1967 Keukdong Entertainment Company

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    A Look Back at Korea’s First Giant Monster Movie as It Finally Gets an Official Region 1 Release Author: Keith Aiken with Loomis (Kim Song-ho) Source: MGM Home Entertainment, Fox Home Entertainment, Talking about Korean Movies: The Korean Movie Renaissance 1, Korean Film Archive Special Thanks to James Owsley, Gary Teetzel, Shinichi Wakasa, and Callie Jernigan Contents: BRINGING YONGARY TO DVD: INTERVIEW WITH JAMES OWSLEY For several decades, Japan has been the chief producer of giant monster movies in Asia. But with Godzilla and Gamera currently in retirement, South Korean film studios have taken up the slack and so far been tremendously successful with their own creations. Last year’s THE HOST (Gwoemul) became the highest-grossing domestic release in Korean history and was named Best Picture at the Korean Film Awards, sold in more than 30 countries, and

    Popular actress Chiaki Kuriyama stars in SCRAP HEAVEN. DVD cover art courtesy of Media Blasters. © 2005 Scrap Heaven Film Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    New Info, Cover Art, and Release Dates for Asian DVDs on the `Tokyo Shock` and `Exploitation Digital` Labels Author: Keith Aiken Source: Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Richard York Media Blasters has provided new cover art and information on their upcoming Tokyo Shock and Exploitation Digital releases. Look for the following Region 1 DVDs through year`s end... October 23, 2007: SCRAP HEAVEN (2005) Writer-director Lee Sang-il`s (69 SIXTY-NINE) drama about disaffected youth in Japan stars Ryo Kase (GMK, CUTIE HONEY), Jo Odagiri (MASKED RIDER KUGA, AZUMI), and Chiaki Kuriyama (BATTLE ROYALE, KILL BILL VOL.1, THE GREAT YOKAI WAR). Unhappy with his day job, a police department clerk named Kasuya (Kase) partners with an anarchist janitor named Tetsu (Odagiri) to open a murder for hire business out of bathroom stall. They befriend Saki (Kuriyama), a blind pharmacist who is trying to make a liquid bomb. SCRAP

    Optimus Prime leads the Autobots in their war against the Decepticons in TRANSFORMERS. Photo courtesy of DreamWorks LLC/Paramount. © 2007 DreamWorks LLC and Paramount Pictures. TRANSFORMERS are © 2007 Hasbro.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: DreamWorks LLC/Paramount From the Studio Press Release: $650+ Million Smash Hit From DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures Rolls Out on DVD and HD DVD October 16 in Two-Disc Sets Bursting with a Universe of Bonus Features to Immerse Fans of All Ages in the World of the Legendary ROBOTS IN DISGUISE HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – (September 5, 2007) The armies of CYBERTRON invaded theaters with a juggernaut fury that shook the summer of 2007, but on October 16, 2007 fans of all ages will discover that there is far “More Than Meets The Eye” to the massive mechanical behemoths when TRANSFORMERS arrives on Earth in spectacular DVD and HD DVD two-disc Special Edition sets as well as on a single disc from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures; distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment. Earning over $650 million at the global box office to date,

    Ryuk the Shinigami death god overlooks the land of the dead in the anime series DEATH NOTE. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: VIZ Media Official Site: DEATH NOTE Anime Site The first DVD volume of the highly anticipated anime series DEATH NOTE makes its debut in stores on November 20, 2007. DEATH NOTE is the latest addition to VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Home Video line. The DVD is rated T+ for Older Teens, and features four original and uncut episodes with English dub and Japanese with English subtitles for $24.98. DEATH NOTE, based on the Shueisha manga series of the same name, is currently one of the hottest properties in Japan. Published in North America by VIZ Media, the manga consistently ranks as one of the top performing graphic novels on BookScan, and depicts the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Magnolia Home Entertainment Official Site: The Host Movie Official Press Release: About Magnolia Home Entertainment Magnolia Home Entertainment is the home video division of Magnolia Pictures. Launched in November 2005, the company is releasing a diversified slate of films, including Alex Gibney’s Academy Award nominated documentary ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM, Steven Soderbergh’s BUBBLE, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Academy Award nominated documentary JESUS CAMP and Roger Donaldson`s THE WORLD`S FASTEST INDIAN. Magnolia Home Entertainment is part of a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that includes distributor Magnolia Pictures, the Landmark Theatres chain, production companies HDNet Films and 2929 Productions, high-definition cable networks HDNet and HDNet Movies. For more information visit http://www.magpictures.com. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For more on THE HOST, please see the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan:

    DVD cover art for GHOST TRAIN. Photo courtesy of ADV Films. © 2006 Ghost Train Film Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Get on. Get dead. Source: ADV Films Nana thought her life was scary enough. Her high school graduation is looming, her mother is in the hospital and her sister Noriko is in a constant need of attention. But, the train ride between all her responsibilities will prove to be the most horrifying part of her day. Somewhere, deep underground in the tunnel near Mizunahsi Station, a dark spirit yearns for revenge. One by one, people begin to mysteriously disappear. Eventually, Nana`s own sister falls prey to the wicked tracks. The only clue Noriko has left is the commuter pass that she had picked up on the train before disappearing, and the dark shadow that followed her in the surveillance camera. Together with her friend Kanae, Nana must now take one more trip into the darkness and confront the sinister force haunting below the depths. -Plot synopsis

    Classic Media may have to clear some shelf space: their GOJIRA release has won another

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    The original GODZILLA wins a 2007 Saturn Award Source: The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films On May 10, Classic Media`s GOJIRA won “Best DVD Classic Film Release” at the 33rd Annual Saturn Awards in Universal City, CA. Created by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in Los Angeles, the Saturn Awards are the major award show for genre releases. SUPERMAN RETURNS was the event`s big winner, taking home "Best Fantasy Film", "Best Actor" for Brandon Routh, and a "Best Director" award for Bryan Singer. Other major awards went to CHILDREN OF MEN, CARS, PAN`S LABYRINTH, THE DESCENT, and CASINO ROYALE. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN`S CHEST won for "Best Special Effects". Other DVD winners include the documentary THE SCI FI BOYS ("Best DVD Release"), SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT ("Best DVD Special Edition Release"), and JAMES BOND ULTIMATE

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