SciFi Japan
    Apocalyptic Prophecy and Frenetic Action Reach a Stunning Climax in 20TH CENTURY BOYS 3: REDEMPTION Source: VIZ Pictures, MediaLab press releases Official Site: 20thboysfilms.com Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji and Erik Jansen VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, concludes the epic sci-fi film trilogy based on Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga, 20th Century Boys, with the release of the final film, 20TH CENTURY BOYS 3: REDEMPTION, on DVD on June 1st. The film, which will be distributed by VIZ Media in North America, will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN. VIZ Pictures celebrates the release with a film screening of 20TH CENTURY BOYS 3: REDEMPTION for one-night-only at VIZ Cinema in San Francisco on Thursday, May 20th at 7:00pm. VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and is located

    Source: Warner Home Video Official Movie Site: Death Note Films It’s a battle of wits. Law student Light is upset with the justice system and when he finds the Death Note dropped by a death god, he vows to rid the world of evil. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies. As criminals all over the world begin to mysteriously die, a world-renowned detective known only as ‘L’ is put on the case to stop this serial killer that the public calls ‘Kira’. The battle between Light and L continues as Light joins the investigation team. L suspects Light of being Kira while Light attempts to learn L’s real name. Time becomes even more crucial with the appearance of a second Kira. Whose name will be the last written in the Death Note? The hit live-action movies DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE II: THE

    25th Anniversary of DRAGON BALL Z Includes HD Remastered Video and Audio Source: FUNimation Entertainment presskit Official Site: dragonballzkai.com Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Manny Alcala The Legendary Z Reborn! In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the hugely popular anime DRAGON BALL Z, FUNimation and Toei Animation Co. are proud to release DRAGON BALL Z KAI on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States. DRAGON BALL Z KAI includes HD re-mastered video and audio, updated opening and closing sequences, plus the return of several key DRAGON BALL Z English-voice cast members! For the first time in history, experience the legendary Z as the master intended: bigger, faster, stronger, and packed with the pulverizing power to blow your puny minds! Beef up your collection with this manga-centric, fresh take on Akira Toriyama’s original vision, featuring more action than you can handle, revitalized

    Newly issued KAMEN RIDER V3 DVD Box Set! Author Bob Johnson Source: JN Productions and Generation Kikaida After going out of print, JN Productions received numerous requests for their KAMEN RIDER V3 DVD box set. So now the motorcycle-riding hero is back for an encore. JN Productions is proud to release a newly issued “Special Edition” 6-disc set, which contains all 52 exciting episodes and bonus features originally found on the “Collector’s Edition” box set. The Special Edition box set is available on May 18 and will be priced at $149.50. Considered, along with the original KAMEN RIDER series, to be the best of the “showa” Kamen Riders, KAMEN RIDER V3 is a series not to be missed. The series hit Japan airwaves in 1973 as a follow-up to the original influential 98-episode KAMEN RIDER. KAMEN RIDER V3 follows the adventures of Shiro Kazami, a bio-chem major

    Source: VIZ Pictures Official Movie Site: k20themovie (US), K-20 (Japanese) Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Thank you to everyone who entered VIZ Pictures and SciFi Japan`s contest for a free K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES DVD Gift Pack. The following randomly drawn entrants correctly answered all contest questions: Christopher Zabawa Jake Burhenn Joseph W Whalen Congratulations to the winners! Each of you has won a Gift Pack containing the K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES DVD and theatrical poster. VIZ Pictures will be shipping the Gift Packs shortly so keep an eye on your mailbox. Contest Answers: 1. K-20 actor Takeshi Kaneshiro co-starred with Jet Li in what historical epic? A: THE WARLORDS 2. Who created the characters of K-20 and detective Kogoro Akechi? A: Rampo Edogawa. We received several entries with the answer "Soh Kitamura", but Kitamura

    Action-Packed Drama Released May 11 from Magnolia Home Entertainment Source: Magnolia Home Entertainment, Bender/Helper Impact Official Movie Site: HAEUNDAE Special Thanks to Kim Song-ho and Frances Kregel Magnet Releasing, the genre division of Magnolia Pictures, has released the Korean disaster movie HAEUNDAE on Blu-ray and Region 1 DVD with the English title TIDAL WAVE. The film topped the Korean box office last year and was given a limited US theatrical run as HAEUNDAE (TSUNAMI). Magnolia is also making TIDAL WAVE available for download for PC, Mac, DVD Player, and PlayStation 3 in North America via Film Fresh, Inc.. The download price is $15.99. The following press release is courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Bender/Helper Impact... THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM NATURE’S WRATH “Whips up a satisfying tempest of visual and special effects.” -The Hollywood Reporter “A disaster film that is grand in scale”

    Source: VIZ Pictures Official Site: 20thboysfilms.com Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji 20TH CENTURY BOYS 3: REDEMPTION (20-Seiki Shonen: Saishusho-Bokura no Hata, 2009), the final chapter of the smash hit sci-fi action trilogy based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa, will be available on Region 1 DVD starting June 1st. VIZ Pictures is celebrating the upcoming DVD release with a special one-night-only film screening event this month at the VIZ Cinema in San Francisco. VIZ Pictures presents a YUKIHIKO TSUTSUMI Film, Based on a manga by NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS 3: REDEMPTION 2009/Japan/35mm/with English subtitles/155 min./Color/16:9 anamorphic Day: Thursday, May 20th Time: 7pm Place: VIZ Cinema (NEW PEOPLE B-Level, 1746 Post St., SF, CA 94115) Ticket: $25 (including movie ticket, DVD, poster & more!) $10 (movie ticket only) No discounts apply Synopsis: It is now 2017, and after the spread of the deadly

    Final Showa Ultraman TV Series To Be Released On DVD Author: Jim M. Ballard Source: Bandai Visual ULTRAMAN 80 (Urutoraman Eitii, 1980), the last live action Ultraman TV series of the Showa era, will be released on DVD for the first time in Japan this year. It is the last of all the primary Ultraman TV series to be released on DVD in Japan. The series will be split into two "Memorial Box" collection sets. Memorial Box I is due for release on June 25th, and will contain the first twenty-eight episodes on seven discs. Memorial Box II will be released three months later on September 24th, containing the final twenty-two episodes on six discs, plus a bonus disc containing special features. Both sets come in deluxe art boxes and will retail for 24,150 yen (approx. US$260). The discs are region coded, and

    Source: Madman Entertainment The Australian distributor Madman Entertainment is releasing the following anime and Asian live action titles this month on Region 4 DVD... MOTHER A girl found murdered. A mother`s handicapped son stands accused, but she will stop at nothing to prove his innocence. From Bong Joon-ho, director of THE HOST comes MOTHER, which stars Kim Hye-ja in the role which won her the Best Actress award at last year`s Asia-Pacific Screen Awards. Hye-ja is a single mum to 27-year-old Do-joon. Though an adult in years, Do-joon is like a child and dependent on his mother, sometimes behaving in ways that are stupid or simply dangerous. One day a young girl is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. An inefficient lawyer and the apathetic police force that close Do-joon`s case too quickly inspire his mother to act on

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment press releases Special Thanks to Jackie Smith FUNimation Entertainment has provided details on several new and upcoming Region 1 anime DVDs... DRAGON BALL SEASON 4 COMPLETE COLLECTION Box Set Available May 4 SRP $49.98 Official Site: dragonball.com Goku`s headed for a showdown with a sinister green fiend! A new breed of evil - more powerful than anything ever experienced - is taking the world`s greatest martial artists down for the count. Goku is quick to join the fight, but he`s about to meet his match in the form of King Piccolo. This menacing monster has the power to pulverize the planet, and his murderous rampage will not stop until he controls the power of the seven magic Dragon Balls. When Krillin is the first hero cut down by the monster`s minion, the stage is set for a brutal grudge match between Goku and

    Source: 4Digital Media, Organic Marketing Special Thanks to Alexandra Beedell SciFi Japan is pleased to present another giveaway contest for Japanese horror fans in the United Kingdom. On April 26th, the two latest films in the hugely successful JU-ON/THE GRUDGE Japanese horror series— JU-ON: WHITE GHOST and JU-ON: BLACK GHOST— will be released together on DVD in the UK by 4Digital Media. The one disk set continues the franchise under the helm of the original JU-ON producer Taka Ichise and creator Takashi Shimizu whose horror filled vision was remade in America as THE GRUDGE (2004). To celebrate the release of these horrifying films 4Digital Media and Organic Marketing have 5 copies of the DVD to give away to SciFi Japan readers in Britain. JU-ON: WHITE GHOST (Ju-On: Shiroi Rojo, 2009) is the story of a son who brutally and methodically murders all five of his family

    Get the K-20 DVD and Poster for Free, Courtesy of VIZ Pictures and SciFi Japan Source: VIZ Pictures Official Movie Site: k20themovie (US), K-20 (Japanese) Special Thanks to Rieko Fuji A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Today, VIZ Pictures is releasing the action film K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES (K-20: Kaijin Nijumenso Den, 2008) on Region 1 DVD. To celebrate the new release, VIZ Pictures is giving SciFi Japan readers in the United States and Canada a chance to win one of three Gift Packs, each with the K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES DVD and poster. K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES Synopsis 1949. In the fictional capital city of "Teito" the aristocrats continue to thrive since the 19th Century, and there is a wide gap between rich and poor. In the city, there are rumors about a mysterious thief, who only steals

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release, Eleven Arts Entertainment Special Thanks to Brian Cleary High school student Mizushima receives Valentines Day chocolates from the new student, Monami Arukado Little did Mizushima know that the chocolates contained traces of Monami’s vampire blood. He gets infected from eating them and Monami confesses that she wants to live with him forever as vampires. Overtaken by jealousy from seeing the two together Mizushima’s girlfriend Keiko Furano teases Monami relentlessly. While attempting to uncover Monami’s greatest weakness, Keiko finds out her true identity as a vampire. Meanwhile, Mizushima decides that he wants to fully become a vampire with Monami’s help. Keiko sees the two on the school rooftop kissing and in a state of hysteria, attempts to throw Monami off the roof but falls off herself instead. Keiko dies but her father, Kenji Furano, the mad scientist, resurrects her as Franken girl.

    Coming to US DVD and Blu-Ray this Summer Source: Media Blasters Special Thanks to Richard York Media Blasters has released the English language trailer for DEATH KAPPA, a new Tokyo Shock original film produced with Fever Dreams Japan. DEATH KAPPA is an "old school" daikaiju movie from the creators of cult favorites THE MACHINE GIRL, DEATH TRANCE and TOKYO GORE POLICE and director Tomoo Haraguchi, the celebrated make-up, creature and effects master whose credits include the last four Gamera films, ASHURA, UZUMAKI, RING 0, Showtime`s MASTERS OF HORROR series. and REIGO: THE DEEP-SEA MONSTER VS THE BATTLESHIP YAMATO. Haraguchi has also directed a handful of films such as MIKADROID, SAKUYA, and KIBAKICHI. The kappa, in Japanese folklore, are water goblins that are closely associated with a certain town in the country. Unfortunately, the area is also home to a militant splinter group of researchers dedicated to developing

    Toho Releases Classic WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS to Blu-Ray. Author: Loren Portillo Official Website: Toho Blu-Ray With the great news of a new Godzilla film in the near future, Toho Studios has been getting into the Blu-ray game with some of the great kaiju classics from the 1950`s and 60`s with such titles as GODZILLA (GOJIRA, 1954), RODAN (SORA NO DAIKAIJU RADON, 1957) MOTHRA (MOSURA, 1962) and the newly released WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (SANDA TAI GAIRA, 1966). Presented in an incredible 2:35:1 Blu-ray transfer, WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS is by far the most pristine print ever of this classic and is superior to the "Toho Master Collection" DVD put out by Classic Media last year. Many fans were disappointed with the Japanese film transfer in that collection, but will be very elated to see a fantastic film transfer here. But unlike the Classic Media DVD

    Suspense And Intrigue Combine With Stunning Visual Effects And Gravity-Defying Stunts For A Riveting Adventure Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Movie Site: k20themovie (US), K-20 (Japanese) Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, will release the action film K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES (K-20: Kaijin Nijumenso Den, 2008) on DVD on April 20th. The film will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN, and will be distributed exclusively across North America by VIZ Media. Director Shimako Sato assembled a strong cast and used cutting edge special effects to bring K-20 to life. The movie is set in the fictional city of Teito in the late 1940s, in a world where World War II never happened and the nobility system established during the Meiji Era still

    Documentary on THE SAMURAI`s Extreme Popularity in Australia Comes to DVD April 21st Source: Madman Entertainment Beginning December 29th, 1964, an extraordinary cross-cultural TV sensation swept through the suburban lounge rooms of Australia. Senkosha Productions` THE SAMURAI (Onmitsu Kenshi, 1962-65) left an indelible impression on the children of the “swinging” sixties. Imported from Japan, dubbed into American-English it was a smash hit, astonishing broadcasters, advertisers, the press and critics alike. Never before, or since, has a show become such a cult hit and caused such controversy as THE SAMURAI. This 2009 documentary interviews prominent Australian SAMURAI lovers - such as comedian Steve Bedwell (FULL FRONTAL), writer/producer Santo Cilauro (The D-Generation) and Roy Slaven (comedian John Doyle) - to discover exactly why THE SAMURAI phenomenon caused such fervor across Australia. SHINTARO! THE SAMURAI SENSATION THAT SWEPT A NATION With the WWII Pacific conflict with Japan

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Manny Alcala FUNimation Entertainment has provided details on three new Region 1 anime DVDs going on sale at the end of March... STRIKE WITCHES: The Complete First Season Box Set Available March 30th SRP $59.98 Official Site: funimation.com/strikewitches Winning the War on Pants! The year is 1944 and the world lives in fear of unidentified flying objects called Neuroi. With the old-boy old guard unable to thwart this deadly menace, humanity turns its desperate eyes to an aerial attack force with much nicer legs. Meet the girls of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, better known as the Strike Witches. These darlings of the great blue yonder may not have standard issue uniforms, but they do have all the right stuff. Where the average flyboy falters, these dolls blast aliens to bits in the bat of

    With Just One Word, You Will Do Anything Source: Madman Entertainment Known as one of the top J-Horror directors, Kiyoshi Kurosawa has made such well-known hits as SEANCE (Kourei: Ushirowo Miruna, 1999), CHARISMA (Karisuma, 2001), PULSE (Kairo, 2001), BRIGHT FUTURE (Akarui Mirai, 2003), DOPPELGANGER (Dopperugengaa, 2003), and LOFT (Rofuto, 2005). One of his most acclaimed works is CURE (Kyua, 1997) which is now coming to Region 4 (Australia) DVD from Madman Entertainment. CURE stars Kurosawa regular Koji Yakusho, who has also appeared in such films as LORELEI: THE WITCH OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN (Lorelei, 2005), RETRIBUTION (Sakebi, 2006), and BABEL (2006). Yakusho`s co-stars include Masato Hagiwara (ONMYOJI, KITARO AND THE MILLENNIUM CURSE), Anna Nakagawa (GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH), and genre fave Yukijiro Hotaru (ZEIRAM, the 90s Gamera trilogy, GMK, MIKAZUKI). Against the backdrop of a decaying Tokyo, Detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) investigates a series of

    vSource: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff The hit anime series CLANNAD is being reissued on DVD by Sentai Filmworks with a brand-new English dub. Originally released in a subtitled only format, CLANNAD is receiving the dub as part of an agreement in which several affiliated groups have come together to create English language versions for five of Sentai’s most popular titles. In appreciation of those who supported the subtitled only release of these shows, Sentai Filmworks and Section23 Films have set up an “Upgrade” program which will allow owners of the subtitled versions to upgrade their DVD’s for the new release containing the English dub. For more about the English dubbed version of CLANNAD please see the earlier report here on SciFi Japan. About Section23 Films Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies,

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