If Tim Burton Directed Disney Movies

Video Shows Japan is the Coolest Place on Earth

J A P A N   I S   A W E S O M E

[Source: Gizmodo] Vincent Urban filmed this totally bad ass video of Japan that captures so many sides of the country that it makes me want to immediately drop everything and book a ticket to experience what looks like the coolest place on Earth. From the frenetic city streets to the stillness of nature, Japan just does it better and seems much more interesting than the rest of the world.

Urban writes:

This film is a collection of audiovisual moments and memories of a 3-week railway journey through Japan in 2015. We were whizzing through the country with the Shinkansen visiting Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kyoto as well as lots of wonderful little places along the way, meeting the most friendly people and experiencing a culture that somehow balances its rich tradition with a very futuristic present. 

Luc Besson's stylish new space opera, Valerian

Luc Besson's  V A L E R I A N

[Source: blastr.com] Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets doesn't open in theaters until the summer of 2017 but it's never too early to start the Hollywood hype machine hurtling across the galaxy.  Earlier today we showed you the first look at Dane DeHane and Cara Delevingne in their slick spacesuits alongside director Luc Besson, and now feast your eyes on these newly-released images from EW teasing DeHane aiming his laser pistol, a gleaming enforcer robot, K-Tron, the intrepid pair on the run in an elaborate James Bond-style pre-story mission and the crew filming in a purple-tinted spaceship corridor. 

It's hard to expect anything less from the French director who delivered the Euro-chic space spectacle, The Fifth Element, and these new shots begin to show us the glossy visuals and cool color choices being used by the production design department and cinematographer.

Based on the 1967 French comic book by Jean-Claude Mézieres, Valerian and Laureline, it chronicles the adventures of a pair of intergalactic space agents.  Besson is halfway through filming at this point and expects to insert over 2,400 effects shots before the film wraps in May.

Dane DeHaan & Cara Delevingne

Here's the official synopsis:

Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Valerian has more in mind than a professional relationship with his partner- blatantly chasing after her with propositions of romance. But his extensive history with women, and her traditional values, drive Laureline to continuously rebuff him.

Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time, uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger.

Check out these four flashy new photos below for a taste of Besson's creative sci-fi cocktail .  For the complete interview with Besson head over to Entertainment Weekly here.

 

Meet the Amazons of Themyscira

*** W O N D E R   W O M A N ***

[Source: blastr.com] A new image for director Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman has been released, featuring the mighty Amazons of the Island of Themyscira.

In the DC Comics, Themyscira is an island hidden from the eyes of men where the Amazons (the ones from the Greek myths) have thrived in harmony for centuries. Sometimes called Paradise Island, it's also the birthplace of one Princess Diana of Themyscira (Gal Gadot), daughter of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). About the island, producer Charles Roven said:

“Themyscira is influenced by the Greek but it’s clearly more than that. It’s a place that has the ‘you’ve never been to’ kind of feel. But once you’re there you’re not so sure you really want to leave so fast.”

The image released by Entertainment Weekly features the trio of immortal female warriors who have trained Diana. On Wonder Woman’s immediate left is her mother, Queen Hippolyta, who’s flanked by General Antiope (Robin Wright). On WW’s right is Antiope’s lieutenant, Menalippe (Lisa Loven Kongsli). Both Antiope and Menalippe are characters from the comics.

It’s Diana’s mom and her two aunts who make our warrior princess into the 5,000-year-old badass fighter we’ll meet in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, before she headlines her first solo movie alongside Chris Pine as her long-time love interest, Steve Trevor. As you guys may already know, Wonder Woman will take place during World War I,  a whole century before the events of Batman v Superman.

Director Patty Jenkins says the trio of women don’t always see eye to eye. Where Hippolyta wants to shelter her daughter from the outside world, Antiope (the one responsible for Diana’s training) wants to prepare her for the world of man as Diana Prince.

“She is the only child they raised together. And their love for her manifests in a different way for each of them.”

About the look of the Amazons in the movie, she told EW, “To me, they shouldn’t be dressed in armor like men. It should be different. It should be authentic and real—and appealing to women.” But what about those totally unrealistic high heels (like, seriously?):

“It’s total wish-fulfillment,” she says, adding that the warriors have flats for heavy fighting. “I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be hot as hell, fight badass, and look great at the same time—the same way men want Superman to have huge pecs and an impractically big body. That makes them feel like the hero they want to be. And my hero, in my head, has really long legs.”

Wonder Woman will open in theaters on June 23, 2017.

First Look at New Voltron

Voltron: Legendary Defender

[Source: USA Today] News that DreamWorks Animation would be partnering with the Netflix streaming service to produce a new animated series inspired by the cult-classic anime Voltron: Defender of The Universe was met with hope and caution by longtime fans of the franchise, who’ve been through multiple lackluster reboots, false starts and stalled movie productions by now to get their expectations up easily. The new series, titled Voltron: Legendary Defender, may have an impressive pedigree and a crew with its heart in the right place, but Voltron fans have more reason than most to be skeptical of modern reinterpretations.

Originally adapted via a (very) loose re-dubbing and translation by World Events Productions of the single-season “mecha” anime series Beast King GoLion, Voltron captured the imaginations of a generation of 1980s cartoon fans with its unusual mythos, serialized storytelling and sci-fi action that was well beyond anything else Western animation was offering at the time. Subsequent series have attempted to recapture that spark in the intervening decades, but only to varying degrees of success.

Voltron: Legendary Defender, from the production team of Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos, is looking to replicate the feel of the original series for a new audience, with an increased focus on the serialized story and an emphasis on more well-developed versions of the classic characters fans remember. Once again, the story will focus on a team of space-exploring teenagers who team up with an alien princess to protect her home planet from invaders by piloting five robotic lions which can merge together into the giant humanoid robot Voltron. Montgomery (a big name among animation fans from her work on Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Young Justice and The Legend of Korra) offered the following to USA Today, regarding the creative approach on Legendary Defender:

“We’re trying to keep as much of that classic feel to it as we can, because ultimately we have huge amounts of nostalgia for (the original) show.”

You can check out the first trailer for Voltron: Legendary Defender, below:

Based on the preview image, one thing that’s immediately apparent is that Voltron himself has been rendered (at least in this shot) using cel-shaded 3D animation; a technique often employed to merge the specific look of classic traditional animation with the dynamic staging expected of a modern cartoon series. What’s not immediately apparent is whether or the non-mechanical characters and backgrounds will be animated in this style as well, or use a fusion aesthetic where cel-shading is used to render mechanical objects only. The overall design, though, is highly reminiscent of the brightly-colored fantasy-esque feel of the original, which Dos Santos says was their intent:

“[One version considered was] really military and really serious, everything had chainsaws on it and was really bro’d out, and we just didn’t want that.”

Voltron: Legendary Defender is expected to debut its first season (composed of 13 22-minute episodes) on Netflix later this year, but attendees at the 2016 WonderCon in Anaheim California will be able to catch some sneak preview footage significantly sooner. The series joins a growing list of cult-classic anime shows getting unexpected revivals thanks largely to Western fans, including Cartoon Network’s recent announcement of 2 new seasons of FLCL.

Overwatch Animated Short: "Recall"

O  V  E  R  W  A  T  C  H

Delve deeper into the world of Overwatch, Blizzard’s upcoming team-based shooter, with its new animated short: Recall. Then play FREE during the Open Beta May 5-9: xbox.com/overwatch

"Recall" tells the story of Winston—a genetically engineered gorilla and brilliant scientist who longs for the days of heroism to return. In this episode, we explore Winston's thoughts and memories as he wrestles with the decision to recall the agents of Overwatch, all while the forces of Talon stage an attack on his laboratory in the abandoned Watchpoint: Gibraltar.

Can’t get enough of Winston? Pre-order now at xbox.com/overwatch to unlock early access to the Overwatch Open Beta for you and a friend starting May 3!

Anime Viewing Schedule for March 26, 2016

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Wood Dale Public Library

Easter Greetings to One and All!

"Squeeze in! Plenty of room!"

Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm

10:15 - 11:05    One Punch Man 9-10
11:05 - 12:20    Charlotte 11-13 (End)
12:20 - 12:45    Noragami Aragoto 5
12:45 - 1:20      Club Meeting / Announcements
1:20 - 2:10        Lupin the Third (2015) eps 8-9
2:10 - 2:45        Gundam Thunderbolt 1-2
2:45 - 4:45        The Boy and the Beast (Movie)

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.

 

Start watching the exciting new anime series: Noragami Aragoto and Gundam Thunderbolt!

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

Impending Clash of Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader

Star Wars Rebels featurette explores

Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader’s history

As we await the big showdown between the former master and apprentice, a new featurette for Star Wars Rebels has arrived online entitled ‘Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader: The Rise and Fall of a Friendship’, which explores the history of the two characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, through to their impending confrontation in Rebels.

Visit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable motion picture experience. When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.

Next Club Meeting is March 26, 2016

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K

Leap into new worlds of imagination!

"I Picachu, too! ^^"

Wood Dale Public Library

520 N. Wood Dale Road

Wood Dale, IL  60191

Main Meeting Room

Saturday, March 26, 2016

10:15 AM - 5:00 PM
 

Map
Public Transit Options

Our next club meeting will be at the Wood Dale Public Library, 
Main Meeting Room (on your far right as you enter the front doors), 
from 10:15 AM to 5:00 PM 
(until the library closes).

There is public transportation available. 
A Metra train-stop is located within walking distance. 

Please note: If you are driving, please park your car 
on the south side of the building (not the front) in order to 
make room for other library patrons.

 

A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.

 

Hope to see you all there!

(Click below for maps) 

More Cosplay at C2E2 2016

All photos by [anim8trix]

Click below to see lots more!

Awesome Cosplay at C2E2 2016

All photos by [anim8trix]

Click below for a ton of pics!

Pixar's Growing Competition

Zootopia Confirms That Pixar Is No Longer the Undisputed Champ of Feature Animation

[Source: Vulture] In many ways, 2015 might’ve seemed to solidify Pixar’s place as the kings of animation. Inside Out, its first feature based on a new property since 2012’s Brave, made $850 million worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture, plus tallied a nod for Best Original Screenplay. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 98 percent, Inside Out received nearly universal praise from critics, many of whom argued that it should’ve been nominated for Best Picture as well. That success helpfully diverted attention away from the studio's ill-fated second release of 2015, The Good Dinosaur, seemingly keeping Pixar atop the animation-outfit pecking order.

But as we've been reminded over the last two weeks, the battle for supremacy in the world of feature animation is more crowded than most people realize. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia made a strong $73.7 million opening domestically, the second-highest bow of 2016 so far, and another $50 million on its second weekend, topping the box office again — as of March 15, it has made a formidable $475 million worldwide. Meanwhile, its Tomatometer of 99 percent and "A" CinemaScore both put it firmly in the realm of Inside Out.

And Zootopia is only the tip of the iceberg. When you look back at the last five years, it turns out that two other studios are challenging Pixar for its place as the gold standard of animated filmmaking, both commercially and artistically — and beyond them, various smaller outfits have been responsible for one, or a few, hits, including companies like Illumination Entertainment, which made the billion-dollar-grossing Minions in tandem with Universal, and Nickelodeon, which produced The SpongeBob Movie with Paramount. Blue Sky Studios makes films with Fox, including the Ice Age and Rio series and last year’s Peanuts Movie; Bagdasarian Productions has the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise with Fox as well. And Sony is becoming a strong player, with recent hits like the Hotel Transylvania and Smurfs series.

But the three dominant forces, by far, are Pixar, Walt Disney, and DreamWorks. The latter studio is the most prolific. From 2006 through 2015, they released 20 films, many either establishing or prolonging multiple huge franchises: Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda. The staying power of those titles hints at how long DreamWorks has been in the game — it might make you feel old, sad, or confused to realize that next month is the 15th anniversary of Shrek — and the name-brand recognition of its catalogue is impressive.

Walt Disney isn’t nearly as productive as DreamWorks, with only eight films in that same span, but they’re on a wild hot streak. Zootopia comes on the heels of Big Hero 6, which made just over $650 million worldwide, and Frozen, which topped $1.25 billion. The film before that, Wreck-It Ralph, didn’t do quite the same numbers, with $471 million worldwide, but it received terrific reviews and marked the beginning of Disney’s return to the animation mountaintop.

Over the ten-year period since 2006, Pixar — which, it should be noted, is also owned by the Walt Disney Company — has a huge edge in per-film box-office: Pixar’s worldwide average is $641 million per movie, an astonishing number, with an 83.2 percent mean Tomatometer. DreamWorks comes in at $479 million, though its 71.65 percent is the worst of the three. (With its considerably larger output, it does trump the other two studios in gross earnings.) Walt Disney trails slightly in receipts, with $472 million, but its 85.38 percent actually tops Pixar’s.

Walt Disney's small advantage in critical reception is the first indication that Pixar might not be quite as all-powerful as you’d expect. The second is recent performance. If you shrink the window to five years, from 2011 through 2015, the results change considerably: Disney becomes the leader in terms of reviews, with an average rating of 88.5 percent, and box-office performance, at a $609 million average worldwide. Pixar is nearly there commercially, with $602 million, but isolated to the last half-decade, its oeuvre looks far less impressive: aside from Inside Out, there’s just Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University, and The Good Dinosaur. DreamWorks is in a clear third, with 74.4 percent and $480 million, but it has put out ten movies in that frame, compared with Pixar’s five and Disney’s four.

Those numbers also don’t include Zootopia’s reviews or receipts, which are only just beginning to come in (and will eventually boost both the five-year and ten-year box office and critical numbers for Walt Disney), though, to be fair, they also don’t factor in the same from Kung Fu Panda 3, a well-reviewed and widely seen DreamWorks picture released in late January that will up that studio's averages. Nor are they anything approaching the last word: a Rotten Tomatoes composite of positive and negative reviews hardly does justice to a work of art as complex and intelligent as Inside Out or as lovable as Big Hero 6, and it certainly doesn’t quantify the number of parents who have listened to their children sing along to Frozen, over and over and over and over.

But they do suggest that Disney has emerged as a worthy competitor for Pixar, with both studios making movies both impressive and impressively profitable. Pixar will have to get used to a new reality: Though they've spent much of the past two decades as the computer-generated face of feature animation, the picture's getting much more crowded.

C2E2 is This Weekend!

Don't miss C2E2 2016 - The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo this March 18-20 at McCormick Place! Tickets on sale now!

New explosive trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse

X - M E N :  A P O C A L Y P S E

The final movie in Singer's new X-Men trilogy (the one begun with X-Men: First Class) also introduces Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler), Lana Condor (Jubilee), Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse), Ben Hardy (Angel) and Olivia Munn (Psylocke).

The exciting new trailer offers a peek at the mystical origins of the first mutant, En Sabah Nur, aka Apocalypse (Isaac), and we also have a look at Angel’s feathered wings, before Apocalypse got his hands on him and turned them into those lethal razor-blade thingies. From the looks of things, the stakes have never been higher for the X-Men (and the world). Check it out:

Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

X-Men: Apocalypse will blast into movie theaters on May 27, 2016.

Marvel's Civil War Animated in 4 Minutes

Marvel's sprawling Civil War comic-book storyline, written back in 2006, is a lot more confusing than a simple Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man clash. It encompasses mass quantities of team-ups, secret unions, imprisoned mutants and caped crimefighters spread out across the entire territory of the Marvel Universe.

To make sense of the intricacies and issues presented before the new Captain America movie unfurls in May, Noah Sterling's Bite-Size Comics has created this animated educational tool, which sifts through the clogging collection of characters featured in the vast Civil War arc.

If knowledge is power, then you should be feeling mighty strong after ingesting this funny four-minute Civil War primer. Once more unto the breach, dear friends!

GOLIATH

A brave woman attacks a machine and saves her land.

Top Upcoming Anime of Spring 2016

All New Anime This SPRING 2016

Check out the complete list here.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS - New Trailer

Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Daredevil Season 2

DAREDEVIL RETURNS

Just when Matt thinks he is bringing order back to the city, new forces are rising in Hell’s Kitchen. Now the Man Without Fear must take on a new adversary in Frank Castle and face an old flame – Elektra Natchios. Bigger problems emerge when Frank Castle, a man looking for vengeance, is reborn as The Punisher, a man who takes justice into his own hands in Matt’s neighborhood. Meanwhile, Matt must balance his duty to his community as a lawyer and his dangerous life as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, facing a life-altering choice that forces him to truly understand what it means to be a hero.

The Marvel and Netflix series stars Matt Murdock, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Élodie Yung, Rosario Dawson and Jon Bernthal, and will begin streaming on March 18.

Marvel's Captain America: Civil War - Trailer 2

The conflict ignites in a brand-new trailer for Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War," hitting theaters May 6!

Manga 'Juror 13' coming to the Big Screen

J U R O R   1 3

[Source: blastr] Good news, manga fans. TokyoPop graphic novel Juror 13 is heading to the big screen, with Terminator screenwriter Mike Ferris tapped to pen the adaptation.

Ferris has some legit geek cred, since he previously wrote for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation. He also wrote the scripts for the upcoming Dead Rising: Endgame and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, starring Vin Diesel. However, he’s also the guy who wrote the screenplay for that dreadful Catwoman movie starring Halle Berry as Selina Kyle Patience Phillips/Catwoman.

An American manga comic written by D.J. Milky and illustrated by Japanese manga artist Makoto Nakatsuka, Juror 13 was published as a one-shot by TokyoPop back in 2006. Here's how The Hollywood Reporter describes the story:

Juror 13 is a sci-fi thriller that centers on an ordinary young man who is unwillingly exposed to an experimental brain scanning technology, driving him to madness and murder while he wonders if his world's unraveling is just a figment of his imagination. 

TokyoPop’s parent company Pop Media Group, which was founded by filmmaker and entrepreneur Stu Levy, will produce the movie in association with China’s Artention Films.

Since it's super early days, there’s no one attached to the film yet (as in no director or actors), but Levy hopes to begin production on the movie in early 2017. He also aims for a late 2017/early 2018 release date in China and worldwide.

New X-men Apocalypse Poster

X - M E N :   A P O C A L Y P S E

Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

In Theaters - May 27, 2016

New Trailer for 'HARDCORE HENRY'

H A R D C O R E   H E N RY

Strap in. HARDCORE HENRY is one of the most unflinchingly original wild-rides to hit the big screen in a long time: You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry. Five minutes later, you are being shot at, your wife has been kidnapped, and you should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan (Danila Kozlovsky); he’s a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination. You’re also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants you dead. Everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). He may be on your side, but you aren’t sure. If you can survive the insanity, and solve the mystery, you might just discover your purpose and the truth behind your identity. Good luck, Henry. You’re likely going to need it…
 

In Theaters April 8, 2016

Evolution of the Disney Princess

[Source: PopSugar] Disney has come a long way since Walt first released Snow White in 1937, but the magic has stayed just as real throughout the decades. To illustrate how much the Disney princesses in particular have evolved over the years, YouTube musician Evynne Hollens created a gorgeous mashup of each princess singing her own iconic song . . .  in The Brady Bunch opening sequence style, of course! You won't regret giving the video a watch — Evynne's take on "Once Upon a Dream" is definitely "wow"-worthy.

A New Harry Potter Fan Film

Severus Snape and the Marauders

[Source: PopSugar] One of the most common desires in Harry Potter fan circles is for J.K. Rowling to write a series of books about the Marauders (aka Harry's father, James Potter, and his best friends from Hogwarts, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew). While Rowling has, sadly, shot down ideas about a Marauders prequel in the past, that doesn't mean that fans can't take things into their own hands! Enter: Severus Snape and the Marauders, a high-budget Harry Potter fan film, paid for and created entirely by diehard Potterheads. 

The 25-minute film centers on Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and the Half-Blood Prince as they bid Hogwarts goodbye and enter the real wizarding world — and trust us, if you're a fan, you need to set aside time to watch the entire thing. The casting of Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew is particularly excellent, and the fan film is so high quality that you'll feel as if you're watching a brand-new Harry Potter movie. 

Still not convinced that it's worth your time? Just read the creators' description of the plot:

Set in 1978, Severus Snape, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Lily Evans have just graduated from Hogwarts School. As James and his friends, known only to each other as the Marauders, drink at a bar, Snape enters as well, hoping to find Lily. Knowing their dark future, and the part Snape might play in the First Wizarding War, James decides to do something about his long-time rival once and for all.

This isn't your average fan film . . . press "play" to experience the magic for yourself!

GHOSTBUSTERS

Ghostbusters makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a cast of hilarious new characters. Thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm, director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. This summer, they’re here to save the world!

Loving Vincent

L  O  V  I  N  G     V  I  N  C  E  N  T

A team of Oscar-winning producers are working on a film about the life and controversial death of Vincent Van Gogh. Called “Loving Vincent”, the film will be a feature-length hand-painted animation. According to reports, it is a technique that no one has ever tried. 12 oil paintings per second, all done by over 100 painters trained in the same style.

The film will star the voices of Saoirse Ronan, Aidan Turner, and Chris O'Dowd among others. It doesn't sport distribution in the U.S. yet, but one cannot help but be seriously intrigued by this one!