Next Club Meeting: April 20, 2024, at the Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Animatrix Network is an anime & manga fan club located in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We usually meet on the third Saturday of each month (except when holidays or conventions coincide). The meetings are free and open to the public. Join us for a day filled with anime.

This site provides news, reviews, commentaries, and previews of the world of anime and everything it inspires, such as live-action films, comics, music, art, and other weird things to enjoy and contemplate.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Donald Duck's Trick or Treats


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!
Donald Duck refuses to share his candy with the Trick or Treaters, 
but Witch Hazel (yes, a real witch) takes pity on Donald's nephews 
and helps them get the treats from their stubborn uncle. 
The battle is on!

A true Disney Classic!


Monday, October 30, 2017

The Real Life Haunted House


Winchester Mystery House Documentary
This is the 1963 documentary (narrated by Lillian Gish) of the Winchester Mystery House.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Exclusive First Look at Aquaman


JUSTICE LEAGUE: Aquaman
[Source: Syfy] Half Man, Half Atlantean, all badass! The new Aquaman doesn't just talk to fish, he drinks like one when he isn't smashing through buildings surfing on his fallen enemies.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Exclusive First Look at The Flash


JUSTICE LEAGUE: The Flash
[Source: Syfy] A normal man by the name of Barry Allen gets hit by lightning and doused in chemicals. Everything an old-school hero needs to start mutating into a superhero. Aside from super speed, there are so many other powers the Flash develops in the comics, moving through walls, and time travel for example. It looks as though from this snippet of video we see here that Bruce Wayne is trying to understand Barry's extradimensional abilities.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Just in time for Halloween... next year.

W  I  N  C  H  E  S  T  E  R
Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters…
The House That Ghosts Built

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Exclusive First Look at Cyborg


JUSTICE LEAGUE: Cyborg
Just who is Victor Stone and how did he become Cyborg?

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Donuts Hungry for Flesh!?

ATTACK of the KILLER DONUTS
[Source: Syfy] There are few things more bizarre than taking an inanimate object, giving it teeth, and setting it out into the world on a bloody rampage. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes brought us tomatoes; Rubber gave us a killer car tire; Death Bed: The Bed That Eats gave us, well, a bed that eats human flesh. And now we have killer donuts to contend with.
 
In Attack of the Killer Donuts, there is, somehow, a chemical spill in a donut shop (who is bringing chemicals into a donut shop?!) that causes the donuts to turn into blood-thirsty little pastries with teeth. Who wants to call the police and tell them an "army of killer donuts" is on the loose? The cheesy acting and uninspired trailer aren't much to look at, but the sentient donuts are beautifully created - even kind of adorable - which makes Attack of the Killer Donuts destined to be a weird cult favorite.

The film is the directorial debut from VFX supervisor Scott Wheeler (Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus), so it is no surprise that the donuts look so good. The film stars Justin Ray (Disaster L.A.), Michael Swan (Friday the 13th part VI), and Kayla Compton (Highway to Havasu). It will be released on November 17.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Bright Comes to Netflix

"Bright" Featurette: Ward and Jakoby
Humans, Orcs, Elves... everybody is just trying to get along. Get ready for the world of Bright, a new Netflix Original Film, starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton. Coming to Netflix 22 December. About Bright: Set in an alternate present-day where humans, orcs, elves, and fairies have been co-existing since the beginning of time. Bright is genre-bending action movie that follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward (Will Smith) and Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), embark on a routine patrol night and encounter a darkness that will ultimately alter the future and their world as they know it. Bright is available only on Netflix this December. Bright is directed by David Ayer (Training Day, End of Watch, Suicide Squad) stars Will Smith (Men in Black), Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Lucy Fry (11.22.63), Edgar Ramirez (Hands of Stone, Zero Dark Thirty), Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva), and Ike Barinholtz (Suicide Squad). The movie is written by Max Landis (Chronicle) and produced by Ayer, Eric Newman (Narcos) and Bryan Unkeless (The Hunger Games).

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Sesame Street's Walking Dead Parody


Sesame Street: The Walking Gingerbread
(The Walking Dead Parody)
What fresh hell is this?^^ The Crumbies come from a bad batch of cookies and are eating everyone's cookies! The cookies are only safe if they aren't opened. Will Sheriff Graham learn to control his hunger for everyone's safety? Will the boxes of cookies ever be safe again?

Saturday, October 21, 2017

New VR Experience from Lucasfilm

STAR WARS: Secrets of the Empire
A galaxy far, far away needs your help. In teams of four, be transported with family and friends in a brand new hyper-reality experience from Lucasfilm, ILMxLAB and The VOID.

Under the orders of the budding rebellion, your team will travel to the molten planet of Mustafar. Your mission is to recover Imperial intelligence vital to the rebellion’s survival. Alongside the pragmatic droid K-2S0, your team must navigate through an enemy facility walking into danger at every turn. Disguised as stormtroopers, grab your blaster, solve puzzles, and fight giant lava monsters in an effort to fulfill your team's orders. 

Pushing the boundaries of location-based virtual reality, The VOID and ILMxLAB bring the Star Wars universe to life through a multi-sensory, untethered story. 

See Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire only on location at Disney Springs in Orlando, FL, and Downtown Disney in Anaheim, CA - coming this winter. 

Get ticket information and more at TheVoid.com.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Anime Viewing Schedule for October 21, 2017

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Glen Ellyn Public Library
"Stranger Things are happening in October!" 
New Location This Month!
Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm

10:15 - 11:05    Gamers! 7-8
11:05 - 11:55    Knight's and Magic5-6
11:55 - 12:45    Princess Principal 7-8
12:45 - 1:35      Saga of Tanya the Evil 5-6
1:35 - 2:15        Club Meeting / Announcements
2:15 - 2:40        Little Witch Academia (2017 TV series) ep 13 
2:40 - 3:30        Made in Abyss 5-6

3:30 - 4:40        The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star (OVA's 1-3)

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.
 
Start watching the exciting anime series: Made in Abyss and Princess Principal!
ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

Thursday, October 19, 2017

DC Marvel Get Ready to Rumble!


MARVEL vs DC Epic Dance Battles
Here we are! Epic dance battles between The Avengers and Justice League! Who won?

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

And the title of the new Han Solo Movie is....

SOLO: A Star Wars Story
[Source: TheVerge] Up to this point, we’ve been forced to call Disney’s next standalone Star Wars film the cumbersome “as-of-yet-untitled Han Solo film.” Well, no longer. Today, director Ron Howard announced that the film had finally wrapped production, and that it would simply be called Solo: A Star Wars Story

There have been rumors for a couple of months, after Making Star Wars got their hands on a picture of a crew T-shirt. The production’s working title was Red Cup, which now makes sense given that the real-world Solo company produces, well, red cups. The movie is said to follow the early days of Han Solo, well before he met up with Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a pair of droids in A New Hope. We don’t know much about what that story will entail, although Howard has alluded to locations like Corellia (Solo’s home planet) and Kessel (where he made the infamous Kessel run). The film will also include Tag and Bink, a pair of characters familiar to hardcore fans of Star Wars comics. 

The film follows the mold of 2016’s Rogue One in that it’s a standalone installment of the franchise that tells a self-contained story, rather than tying directly into the larger Skywalker saga. Unlike its predecessor, however, Solo is all about a group of characters who audiences are already well familiar with. 

Solo has hit some significant bumps in the road thus far. In June, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired due to “creative differences” five months into the film’s production. Howard replaced them soon after.
 
Solo: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters on May 25th, 2018.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Official Black Panther Trailer

HERO. LEGEND. KING.
B L A C K   P A N T H E R
After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to Wakanda. He soon finds his sovereignty challenged by factions within his own country. When two enemies conspire to bring down the kingdom, T’Challa must team up, as the Black Panther, with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje—Wakanda's special forces—to prevent a world war.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Hela Unleashes Her Fury


THOR: RAGNAROK
[Source: Syfy] TV spots and clips for Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok have been falling like a furious meteor storm, providing anxious fans with a multitude of peeks at this riotous retro superhero spectacle. 

It's the marketing campaign trying to balance its battle of secrecy vs. overexposure, and it seems like Marvel is tossing caution to the cosmic winds and opening the floodgates to allow everyone to participate in the pre-release revelry. Let's just say subtlety does not seem part of the studio's final ad push.

This latest TV spot, titled "Destiny," has the Sorcerer Supreme warning of a dire destiny that awaits the God of Thunder, Hela whipping out twin death daggers, and Valkyrie performing a gravity-defying hitchhiking trick with a passing hovercraft ship.

“We do a lot to this character in this film. You know, a lot of people have been wanting to see this idea of Ragnarok. A lot of people are excited by the idea of what Ragnarok means,” Waititi told Comic Book. “To me, it means stripping down the establishment of what’s already there and then building it up in a new way. [It] is almost like this cyclic idea of Ragnarok.”

Take a peek at the bits of fresh footage and tell us if you'll be assembling in the long lines when Thor: Ragnarok is unchained in theaters on November 3.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Things get really Strange this October 27


The final trailer for Stranger Things 2 is here. The world turns Upside Down on October 27.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Next Club Meeting is October 21, 2017

 A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
Don't go into conniptions! We're only meeting in a different place!

DIFFERENT LOCATION! 
Just for this month!
 
Glen Ellyn Public Library
400 Duane St.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Meeting Room B
Saturday, October 21, 2017
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
 

Our next club meeting will be at the Glen Ellyn Public Library
Main Meeting Room (on your far right as you enter the front doors), 
from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM 
(until the library closes).

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

 
A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.
 
Hope to see you all there!

(Click below for maps)

Friday, October 13, 2017

The Peace of Pooh

Goodbye Christopher Robin
[Source: TIME] Everyone has a soft spot for Winnie-the-Pooh. Everyone, that is, except Domhnall Gleeson, who had never read a Pooh book until he was cast as the beloved bear’s creator, A.A. Milne, and picked one up for research. “I was happy to find that they were good,” he says cheerfully, sipping a soft drink in a plush London hotel in late September. “Some things are inexplicably popular, but Pooh is not. You really understand why people love it so much.”

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Pacific Rim2 - Official Trailer

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING
It has been ten years since the Battle of the Breach and the oceans are still, but restless. Vindicated by the victory at the Breach, the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. The PPDC now calls upon the best and brightest to rise up and become the next generation of heroes when the Kaiju threat returns. Thrust into this is ex-jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost, son of the late Stacker Pentecost, who is given a chance by his adopted sister, Mako Mori, to unite with the world and fellow Jaeger pilots to prevent humanity's extinction.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Best Cosplay at New York Comic-Con 2017


[Source: Syfy] Let's be honest: everyone's favorite part of conventions is the cosplay. The celebs, the presentations, the parties, the screenings, and the activations are all fun, but people lose their minds over cosplay. We are no different. 
 
While at New York Comic Con this year, we spied a ton of great costumes, and had a hard time narrowing it all down to 'the best.' Enjoy some of our favorite cosplayers from this year, including Predator, Rick (from Rick & Morty), Mr. Nancy (from American Gods), Pennywise the dancing clown, and more.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Abandoned Classic Animated! - Shada Teaser


Dr. Who's "Shada" gets animated
[Source: Syfy] Long-lost Doctor Who story “Shada” is finally coming in its entirety thanks to BBC Worldwide, and we have a first look at the animated version of the classic Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) adventure.
 
Originally meant to close the 17th season of Doctor Who in 1979, the serial, written by legendary author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency), was never finished thanks to a strike at the BBC.

Nearly four decades later, the story has finally been completed by the team behind the animation of that other lost Doctor Who episode, “The Power of the Daleks,” by using original and remastered footage (they had access to almost seven hours of raw footage), as well as color animation to fill in the gaps. Said animation will also feature the newly recorded voices of original stars Baker and Lalla Ward (Romana), reading from the original script.

“'Shada' was one of my favourite Doctor Who stories,” Tom Baker said in a statement. “I have many fond memories of shooting the location scenes in Cambridge, and it was disappointing not to finish the story in studio. I’m so glad that BBC Worldwide have found a way to bring fans a complete visual version.”

“Shada” was previously adapted as a novel titled Doctor Who: Shada: The Lost Adventure by author Gareth Roberts, and as a Big Finish radio play starring Eighth Doctor Paul McGann.

The story sees the Doctor (Baker) working with his companion Romana (Ward) and retired Time Lord Professor Chronotis (Denis Carey) to defeat an evil alien named Skagra (Christopher Neame), a genius hailing from the planet Dronoid who is planning to steal the secrets of the planet Shada, on which the Time Lords have built a high-security prison.

Fans will be able to get their hands on “Shada” when the complete adventure is released via digital download on Nov. 24, and on Blu-ray and DVD on Dec. 4.

Monday, October 9, 2017

The Last Jedi Trailer is Finally Here!


STAR WARS: The Last Jedi
The teaser trailer forStar Wars: The Last Jedi landed with a wallop back in April, blending tantalizing imagery from the upcoming sequel with Luke Skywalker’s ominous pronouncement, “It’s time for the Jedi to end” — a line that launched a thousand speculative blog posts and left members of the cast genuinely stunned.

“I can’t wait to show you more,” director Rian Johnson told Yahoo moments after that first clip premiered. Six months later, on Monday night, he finally delivered on his word, releasing a 2-minute, 24-second preview that ups the stakes and seemingly upends alliances.

Unlike the teaser, which opened with Rey (Daisy Ridley) being trained by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the trailer immediately goes to the dark side, featuring a voiceover by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) as emo villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) perfects his million-mile stare.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

JUSTICE LEAGUE Final Trailer


J U S T I C E   L E A G U E
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

DuckTales Meets Haunted Mansion

DuckTales! Boo-oo!
Remember when we first reported that Disney XD was bringing back DuckTales for the first time since 1990? Remember how happy we all got? How suddenly, everything seemed right with the world? Well, things are getting even righter, because Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby (Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan, and Kate Micucci, respectively) are about to visit the Haunted Mansion.
 
For those who don’t frequent Disney theme parks, the Haunted Mansion is a staple at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland, where “999 happy haunts” happily spook riders in their “Doom Buggies.” So it’s pretty exciting that Disney XD just released this new clip promoting the DuckTales upcoming Halloween special, which shows our fearless heroes seeking out the “Ghost Bride’s wedding ring” in the shadows of the haunted manor, then shaking in their tails at the site of residents, Baby Boo and Hatbox Ghost.

With the DuckTales reboot already flying high, you may have noticed that this promo short doesn’t look much like the show it’s promoting. There’s a reason for that, this stop-motion vid represents the combined work of Disney XD, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the folks behind Robot Chicken and SuperMansion.

Want even more world-righting news? This isn’t the only short they created. According to Mashable, we’ll be seeing these promos all month leading up to the Halloween special, with various Haunted Mansion Easter Eggs hidden throughout, “including original music, sound effects and production design from the ride.”

Friday, October 6, 2017

New York Comic Con is this Weekend!


NEW YORK COMIC CON
Join host, Lorraine Cink, for what to look out for at New York Comic Con 2017!

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Stranger Things 1984 Promo is Weird

STRANGER THINGS RETURNS
And you thought 1983 was strange...

As if Netflix's Stranger Things can't get any more awesomely bizarre, ingest this latest promo, which attempts to dismiss the surreal supernatural events in Hawkins, Indiana, as some sort of global hoax or conspiracy, linking Will Byers' freaky abduction to other equally odd occurrences like New Coke, Joe Dante's Gremlins, sunspots, ghosts, and the Russian boycott of the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Check out the crazy upside-down teaser for Stranger Things Season 2 and see if you'll be right-side up when the celebrated sci-fi series returns to Netflix on October 27.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

REBELS are talking about a Revolution

STAR WARS: REBELS
[Source: Syfy] The rebellion starts here! Prepare to get all kinds of excited, because Disney XD has released a new one-minute trailer for season four of the CGI animated series, Star Wars Rebels.
 
In just 60 seconds of the trailer, we learn how the rebellion of the Ghost crew first got started, with a small group of them willing to stand together. This final season will see a number of storylines finally get resolved, as well as how it will all link into Rogue One and A New Hope.

The past three seasons of the series have followed the events that occurred after the demise of the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Something tells us that in this final season, we'll get to see one almighty battle between the Rebellion and the Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Galactic Empire.

Star Wars Rebels will be hitting our screens again October 16.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Rick & Morty Resurrect Szechuan Sauce

RICK & MORTY
[Source: ToonZone] Have we just witnessed the first-ever successful campaign by a cartoon to bring back a fast food product? When is McDonalds Szechuan Sauce coming back, and for how long?

As revealed during the Rick & Morty Season 3 premiere on April Fool’s Day, Rick is apathetic toward most things and existence in general. But if there’s one thing within this cold universe he’s passionate about, it’s the Szechuan sauce that came with McNuggets to promote the movie Mulan in the summer of 1998.

Just as Season 3 of Rick & Morty wrapped up, McDonalds finally announced the return of Szechuan Sauce — sort of. The promotion is being couched inside another promotion for a new kind of chicken tenders with buttermilk batter, and Szechuan is just one of nine sauces from the past McD’s is resurrecting for one day.

Yup….just one day. The promotion will begin at 2 PM nationwide at selected branches and continue until supplies run out. It is likely they Szechuan will run out first and the employees will have to keep telling people “no, but we have these other eight sauces” endlessly until their shifts end. So if you’re curious why this kind of sauce would make Rick drool so much, be sure to get there early.

McDonalds seems be going out of its way to pretend Rick Sanchez had nothing to do with this, but it’s pretty obvious. Last month, the company sent out three jars of Szechuan to fans who won a special contest — said contest took place the night Rick & Morty started running new episodes. A tub was also sent to R&M co-creator Justin Roiland.

To find out which McDs outlets are taking part in the promotion, use this website. The site is for the entire chicken campaign, but they know what you came for. The restaurants that have Szechuan have been specifically marked, and no other sauce was given the privilege.

Monday, October 2, 2017

The Emperor Lives On In Star Wars: Battlefront 2

STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II
[Source: ScreenRant] A new Star Wars: Battlefront II cut scene has been revealed featuring the Emperor detailing his contingency plan to finally eradicate the Rebellion. As the release of the video game nears, we get a short glimpse of what the much-anticipated canonical campaign mode of the game will be all about in this new clip which features protagonist Iden Versio – the commander of the Inferno Squadron commando team. Born and raised in an Imperial family, her father is an admiral in the fleet, which makes her very loyal to the Empire.

The addition of the story mode to Battlefront II is considered a result of fan clamor after many weren’t happy when it was not included in the first Battlefront game. Instead of just simply adding a single-player campaign mode, EA Dice went a little bit further to satiate gamers’ wants and crafted not only a fresh narrative – with the story centering on the Empire’s forces instead of the usual Rebellion – they also made it in a way that it is canon. Those two alone are intriguing enough to hype people up for the release of the video game.

Now, we get a bit more of context regarding the much-anticipated story mode as Playstation posted a snippet from the start of the game. In it, the Empire is at a loss after their devastating defeat in Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine. But the ever master tactician Darth Sidious, apparently, has one last trick up his sleeve to make sure that the Rebellion will be taken care of. He has a recorded message played via one of his praetorian guards for Iden and the remaining Imperial troops.
“Admiral Versio, Operation: Cinder is to begin at once. Resistance, Rebellion, Defiance; these are concepts that cannot be allowed to persist. You are but one of many tools by which these ideas shall be burned away. Heed my messenger. He shall relay you to your target.”
At this point, it is unknown just how intricate Operation: Cinder is but we can expect it to have several stages to ensure that the Empire will still have the last laugh in this long-running battle against the Rebellion and it is up to Iden to make it happen. How it pans out, however, still remains to be seen, but it would be cool to see her go through a significant character arc throughout executing the Emperor’s orders. Who knows, she might even switch sides by the end of it ala Finn (John Boyega) or maybe Star Wars Rebels‘ Agent Kallus?

Aside from the highly interesting single-player mode, fans can also look forward to a new and improved multiplayer feature. Those who want to score first dibs on the game can partake in the scheduled Star Wars Battlefront II beta testing which will start on Wednesday, October 4 for those who preordered the game and then everyone else can join in on October 6. The whole event will last until October 9.