Live-Action Woody Woodpecker Official Trailer

WOODY WOODPECKER

The hyperactive red-headed bird enters a turf war with a big city lawyer wanting to tear down his home in an effort to build a house to flip.

Trailer for 'Deep Blue Sea 2'

D E E P   B L U E   S E A   2

In Deep Blue Sea 2, shark conservationist Dr. Misty Calhoun (Danielle Savre) is invited to consult on a new, top secret project run by pharmaceutical billionaire Carl Durant (Michael Beach). When science meddles with the time-tested process of nature and nurture, the outcome can be deadly.

Live-Action GINTAMA Movie

G  I  N  T  A  M  A

Set in a parallel universe around the Edo period. Alien species Amanto attack planet Earth. The people on Earth fight back against the aliens for more than 10 years. The Shogunate sees the power of Amanto and decide accept their conquest. The Shogunate builds a puppet government for Amanto and carry out the Sword Abolishment Edict. Due to these actions, samurai, that fought against the Amanto for their country and their lord, fall into a decline. Gintoki Sakata (Oguri Shun) is a samurai and happens to meet some very interesting people as his adventures take him through extraordinary events.

Chris Claremont's Visionary Take on the X-Men

Documentary on Chris Claremont's X-Men

Chris Claremont came to Marvel as a young man, and was assigned a book that no one else wanted, a book on the brink of cancellation: X-Men. Over the next 17 years, his work on the title turned it into the biggest franchise in comic book history. Forty years later, his work has been adapted into ten films, three TV series, countless video games and become a part of our cultural mythology. But, it all started with one writer and his commitment to emotionally honest storytelling and real character building.

First Look at Brie Larson as Captain Marvel

CAPTAIN MARVEL

Set photos reveal our first look at Brie Larson suited up as CAPTAIN MARVEL!

The CAPTAIN MARVEL suit revealed in the new set photos has quite a changed color scheme from the suit previewed in concept art at last year's Comic-Con:

'I Kill Giants' Trailer

I   K I L L   G I A N T S

The award-winning IMAGE comic book series, I KILL GIANTS, tells the story of a young, fantasy-obsessed girl who believes that the creatures of her favorite RPG are real, some of them are dangerous, and they need to be stopped.

The series, created by writer Joe Kelly and artist J. M. Ken Niimura, was a critical darling in 2008. It was only a matter of time before it was scooped up and made into a live action project.

I KILL GIANTS is the feature film debut of Academy Award winning short film director Anders Walter (HELIUM). The script is by Joe Kelly, himself and the film stars Zoe Saldana (AVATAR), Imogen Poots (GREEN ROOM), and Madison Wolfe (THE CONJURING 2).

Trailer for 'Please Stand By"

Fanning, Oswalt Speak Klingon in

PLEASE STAND BY

Wendy, a young autistic woman and major Star Trek fan, runs away from her caregiver in order to boldly go and deliver her 500-page Trek script to a writing competition in Hollywood. Such is the plot of Please Stand By, a new big-screen dramedy with the talented Dakota Fanning in the role of Wendy.

Here is a clip from the film, which also stars Alice Eve (from Star Trek Into Darkness), Patton Oswalt and Toni Collette.

Please Stand By will open January 26 in theaters and be available on demand and via iTunes and Amazon that same day.

Suicide Squad Returns in Animated Film

SUICIDE SQUAD: Hell to Pay

Amanda Waller forms the Suicide Squad with Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang, Killer Frost, and Copperhead. They are sent to retrieve a powerful mystical object that is targeted by other villains. The film is scheduled to be released digitally on March 27, 2018 and on DVD and Blu-ray on April 10, 2018.

Ursula K. Le Guin Passes Away at Age 88

Ursula K. Le Guin

Reknown Science Fiction Author

(October 21, 1929 - January 22, 2018) 

[Source: Syfy] Noted feminist author of science fiction and speculative fiction Ursula Le Guin, died on Jan. 22 at her home in Portland, Oregon. She was 88. Her son, Theo Downes-Le Guin, told the New York Times she had been in poor health for several months.

 

Born in 1929, the daughter of two anthropologists, Le Guin showed an early interest in science fiction but put it aside to attend college, where she ended up getting a master's degree in romance literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. She wrote five unpublished novels, which were deemed "too inaccessible" to publish. She then turned to genre.

Her first science fiction novel, Rocannon's World was published in 1966, and blended technology and traditional heroic fantasy elements. It was the first book in the Hainish cycle, and gave birth to the term "ansible," a fictional device for instant communication. It has since been used in the works of dozens of other authors, including Orson Scott Card. Over the course of her career, Le Guin would publish over 20 novels; 12 books of poetry; over 100 short stories; seven collections of essays; 13 children's books; and a guide for writers.

Le Guin's best-known work was The Left Hand of Darkness, a novel set on the planet Gethen, whose population has no fixed sex. The novel focuses on themes about the way sex and gender play roles in culture and society, and is noted as one of the first examples of feminist science fiction literature. It won both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award for best novel.

Other notable works in Le Guin's library include the Earthsea series, which consists of six novels and eight short stories; The Lathe of Heaven, in which a character's dreams alter past and present reality; The Dispossessed, which goes into the mathematical theory used to create an ansible; and Lavinia, a book that focuses on a minor character in Virgil's Aeneid.
 

Despite her large catalog, very few of Le Guin's works have been turned into films or TV series. An adaptation of The Lathe of Heaven was made for WNET in New York in 1979. Made with Le Guin's involvement, she considered this to be the only good adaptation of her work. In 2002, A&E also did a version of the same book. 2004 saw an adaptation of Earthsea done for Sci Fi that Le Guin thought "whitewashed" many of her diverse characters. Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro, created an animated version of the Earthsea books that became 2006's Tales from Earthsea.

Le Guin is survived by her husband, Charles Le Guin, her son Theo, and daughters Caroline and Elisabeth, two brothers, and four grandchildren.

The Final Season of Star Wars: Rebels

STAR WARS: REBELS

The end begins when Star Wars Rebels returns with its final episodes. Monday, February 19 at 9pm EDT on Disney XD.

With its story beginning fourteen years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and five years before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Rebels takes place during an era when the Galactic Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy. Imperial forces are hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights while a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking form...

Star Wars Rebels is currently in its 4th season and LAST season. Here's everything you need to know in 2 minutes!

Tomb Raider - Official Trailer #2

T O M B   R A I D E R

Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. 

Leaving everything she knows behind, Lara goes in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.

Goalkeeper of the Galaxy Trailer

Goalkeeper of the Galaxy

2019 Russian Sci-Fi Movie

Goalkeeper of the Galaxy (Russian: Вратарь Галактики) is an upcoming Russian Science fiction film directed by Dzhanik Fayziev.
 

About Vratar Galaktiki - Goalkeeper of the Galaxy What will Moscow look like if you cut off the power grid, shut down all manufacturing, and the whole world watches an interplanetary game? In an aftermath of a galactic war, which took place in proximity to Earth, the Moon was destroyed and the planet’s poles shifted. An enormous spaceship hovers over Earth—this is a stadium, which hosts sports events that resemble soccer but at mind-boggling speeds. The name of the game is cosmoball. When the game is on, the whole world stops in its tracks to watch it. The players are called Athletes. To regular people they are demigods, for the results of each match determine the fate of the planet.

Gameplay Trailer For Masters of Anima

M A S T E R S  of  A N I M A

Follow Otto in his quest against the forces of evil in strategic, action-packed battles, where your ability to make tactical decisions quickly is vital. Summon and control large armies of up to 100 Guardians, who obey your commands with intuitive and innovative gameplay! 

You play as Otto, an apprentice of Anima, able to wield incredible powers that are the source of all life in the world of Spark. You covet the rank of Master so you can finally marry your beloved fiancée Ana - who is now a captive of the terrible Zahr and his fearsome Golems! 

Learn to control new types of Guardians on your adventure, each with their own unique talents and abilities useful to explore the vast world of Spark and reveal its secrets, as well as to take down the formidable bosses that stand in your way. 

Save your fiancée and maybe even the world while you’re at it, when Masters of Anima releases on PlayStation®4 in Spring 2018!

Anime Viewing Schedule for January 20, 2018

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
Saturday, January 20, 2018

Wood Dale Public Library

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

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

10:15 - 11:05   Gamers! 11-12 (End)
11:05 - 11:55   Knight's and Magic 9-10
11:55 - 12:45   Saga of Tanya the Evil 11-12 (End)
12:45 - 2:00     Made in Abyss 11-13 (End)
2:00 - 2:40       Club Meeting / Announcements
2:40 - 4:35       Napping Princess: The Story of the Unknown Me [Movie]

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.

 

Don't miss the exciting anime series: Made in Abyss and Princess Principal!

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

First Club Meeting of 2018 is January 20

 A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K

Our First Meeting of the Year! Don't let it fly by!

Wood Dale Public Library

520 N. Wood Dale Road

Wood Dale, IL  60191

Main Meeting Room

Saturday, January 20, 2018

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) 

Voldemort: Origins Of The Heir

Fantastic Fan-made Film about the

early days of Harry Potter's Nemesis

In 2016, after reading through “Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince,” a few filmmakers began crowdfunding the fan film “Voldemort: Origins Of The Heir,” which follows Voldemort’s path to evil. Word quickly reached Warner Bros. and the kickstarter was shut down due to copyright laws.

But then, something surprising happened. The creators Gianmaria Pezzato and Stefano Prestia had a private meeting with Warner Bros. and ― after some discussion on restrictions, we’re guessing ― the studio agreed to let them go forward with the film.

“The only thing we can say is that they let us proceed with the film, in a nonprofit way, obviously,” director Gianmaria Pezzato told Polygon.

The film follows Grisha McLaggen (a noncanonical character played by Maddalena Orcali), the heir of Gryffindor and an auror trying to stop the rise of Tom Marvolo Riddle aka Voldemort (played by Stefano Rossi), whom she was close with at Hogwarts.

McLaggen is captured trying to steal back Tom Riddle’s diary from Russian aurors. Through McLaggen’s interrogation, we flashback through Riddle’s life as he lies, manipulates and murders to acquire some very familiar heirlooms: Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup, Salazar Slytherin’s Locket and Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem. Fans will recognize these as the items later to become Voldemort’s horcruxes, objects containing a piece of his soul.

While not quite reaching the quality level of the official “Harry Potter” films, “Voldemort: Origins Of The Heir” is very impressive for a low budget, fan production filmed at various Italian locations. The set design, costumes and visual effects are particularly striking.

The 52-minute film produced by Tryangle Films is free to view above and on YouTube. It’s worth checking out for hardcore and casual fans alike.

Voldemort: Origins of the Heir

Aech's Garage VR Experience Ready Player One

READY PLAYER ONE

"V R   E X P E R I E N C E"

Explore Aech's Garage VR Experience from Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One using the Oculus Rift...

Marvel's Spider-man on Disney XD

MARVEL's  S P I D E R - M A N

Peter is accepted into Horizon High: a school for geniuses, where his best friend Harry Osborn was just suspended. Peter makes his debut as Spider-man and must battle the Vulture.

Woman Plays Cantina Theme Using Just a Pencil

[Source: Yahoo!] When Danielle found herself with a bit too much time on her hands, she decided to get creative. Using only a pencil and some paper, she managed to recreate the Star Wars Cantina Theme to the rhythm of a tricky math equation.

New TV Spot for Black Panther

Long Live the King!

FINAL SPACE comes to TBS

F I N A L   S P A C E

Final Space is an animated science fiction television series created by indie internet filmmaker Olan Rogers with David Sacks serving as showrunner. It will be broadcast on TBS in early 2018. The series involves an astronaut named Gary Space and his alien friend, Mooncake, and focuses on their adventures as they try to solve the mystery of “Final Space”, where the universe actually ends and if it actually does exist.

Superman Prequel Comes to Syfy

From David S. Goyer, the writer of Man of Steel and The Dark Knight, comes a new story that will change a legend and forge a destiny. Premieres March 21 on SYFY. 

K  R  Y  P  T  O  N

[Source: Yahoo!] When Krypton was first formally announced all the way back in 2014, even the most devoted among us Superman fans questioned if such a series was entirely necessary. After all, the ten-year journey to becoming the Man of Steel that was Smallville (and the epilogue comics that followed) are still fresh in our memories, so why continue milking the prequel cow for all it’s worth when there are many other fine DC properties that are ripe for adaptation?

But when impressive footage such as what was shown last summer at San Diego Comic-Con finds its way online, you can’t help but start to become more willing to see whatever it is that David S. Goyer and company are cooking up. By boasting feature film quality visuals and promising that we’ll see familiar villains such as Brainiac and Doomsday, it’s hard for us not to become the least bit intrigued.

And while we’ve had other stellar DC TV shows to help occupy our time, we’ve been looking at the clock waiting for the series to premiere, especially now that we know it’ll arrive in a couple of months. As such, the time for more promotional material to trickle online is now, this time with what may very well be the best trailer to date.

In it, audiences become familiar with the Terminator-like premise of this series: That it’s not just about Superman’s ancestors, but a plot hatched by a villain from the present to wipe Big Blue from the timeline altogether. Suffice it to say, this show now has our attention.

Exclusive Opening Scene from "Witch's Flower"

MARY and the WITCH'S FLOWER

For a limited time only, don't miss the breathtaking opening scene from MARY AND THE WITCH'S FLOWER, the dazzling new adventure from Academy Award-nominated Hiromasa Yonebayashi, animator on Spirited Away and director of When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty! The film opens in select cinemas nationwide on January 19, with a special premiere event on January 18 in select locations with exclusive filmmaker interview. Many premiere shows are already selling out. Get your tickets now at www.fathomevents.com/events/mary-and-the-witchs-flower 

Theater listing for the full run will be available shortly at: 

www.maryandthewitchsflower.com

Mary is an ordinary young girl stuck in the country with her Great-Aunt Charlotte and seemingly no adventures or friends in sight. She follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest, where she discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower, a rare plant that blossoms only once every seven years and only in that forest. Together the flower and the broomstick whisk Mary above the clouds, and far away to Endor College – a school of magic run by headmistress Madam Mumblechook and the brilliant Doctor Dee. But there are terrible things happening at the school, and when Mary tells a lie, she must risk her life to try to set things right. 

Based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 classic children’s book The Little Broomstick, MARY AND THE WITCH'S FLOWER is an action-packed film full of jaw-dropping imaginative worlds, ingenious characters, and the and the stirring, heartfelt story of a young girl trying to find a place in the world. Featuring the voices of Ruby Barnhill and Academy Award®-winners Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent.

New Anime in 2018

There's been a lot of doom and gloom in the anime community over the past few years, with many insiders suggesting that the industry is in a state of decline. Even living legend Hayao Miyazaki has also complained about the state of the industry. But that doesn't mean there aren't any talented up-and-coming creators out there right now. Sure, there'll be a lot of anime you can pass on this coming year, but here are the ones you can't afford to miss in 2018...

Haunted Mansion Intro Reel By Shannon Tindle

"Welcome, foolish mortals, 

to the Haunted Mansion. 

It's going to be a bumpy ride."

[Source: Syfy] Over the weekend, Kubo and the Two Strings co-creator Shannon Tindle shared a brief pitch video for The Haunted Mansion, a potential animated series that he developed during his time at Disney Television Animation. In the clip currently making the rounds online, Black-ish star Marsai Martain's lead character provides the narration as she appears to crawl out of a ghost ship painting. And while this particular incarnation of The Haunted Mansion isn't going forward — Tindle is no longer with Disney.

Tindle's first exposure to the Haunted Mansion came when he was just 5 years old, but it "made an immediate impression." He went on to say that he immediately attempted to develop the property as a series as soon as he joined Disney's animation team.

"The Haunted Mansion has a such a specific tone, mixing funny and scary, and I wanted to echo that tone in the series," he said. "So I began with a character who would be invited to the Haunted Mansion (just like the ride) but needed to engage with the ghosts in order to deal with a very personal conflict. I love fantasy and feel that the most successful fantasy stories engage the audience with very relatable situations."

According to Tindle, Martain's character was named Annie, and the proposed show was about her emotional journey. "I don't want to get too specific, but I really wanted to show how someone deals with grief after the loss of a loved one. The main character NEEDS the Haunted Mansion in order to move on."

And what about the other "999 happy haunts" living in the mansion? Tindle and his collaborators had plenty of plans for them as well. "It was still very early, but I was very interested in the Hitchhiking Ghosts and the Hatbox Ghost," he said. "Everybody is interested in the Hatbox Ghost, because he was taken out of the ride for several years. I believe Guillermo del Toro's version featured him prominently."

He added that Disney Imagineering "was made up of an incredible team of storytellers and artists" who "gave backstories to virtually every character inside the mansion."

As part of the initial pitch, The Haunted Mansion animated series was also envisioned as a potential limited series. "I wanted the show to deal with several generations, ghosts, the living, coming into each other's lives than fading into time, like real life," recalled Tindle. "We hadn't dived deep enough to dig into the obscure characters, but we definitely would have. I was also interested in bringing in other Disney characters. Their vault is HUGE!!!"

The impressive animated pitch utilized Tindle's character design, and it was animated by Matt Williames, Sunmin Inn, and Daniel Hashimoto, with color styling by Rachelle Reyes. Tindle said that the project was in development for a little over a year, then it was carried on for a bit longer by Dave Thomas after Tindle left to write and direct another project.

Sadly, there is no completed version of the pilot episode hiding in the Disney vault. However, Tindle was quick to say that he would return "in a heartbeat!" if the renewed attention to the project sparks new life in the Haunted Mansion.

The Wingfeather Saga Short Film

The Wingfeather Saga

Based on the best-selling novels. For twelve-year-old Janner Igiby, life in Glipwood is anything but adventurous. His only escape is the stories he reads at Books and Crannies. Janner’s dream of adventure becomes a perilous reality when his sister, Leeli, stumbles into a Fang of Dang and his little brother, Kalmar, finds a mysterious map that may lead to the powerful Jewels of Anniera. Thousands of Kickstarter backers helped us get this far. You can help us make the whole series by sharing this everywhere! With the humor and heart of The Princess Bride and the epic scope of The Lord of the Rings, The Wingfeather Saga is the story of one family on the run from a terrible evil — and the making of a hero. Produced in Nashville, TN with an innovative CG/2D paint textured technique that we can't wait to make more of!

The Little Mermaid - Short Horror Film

THE LITTLE MERMAID

An ominous ringmaster forces his prized act, a real live mermaid to perform for spectators. The mermaid, though frightening, is but a lovesick, caged animal praying for release from her endless torture. Unwilling to surrender his meal ticket, the ringmaster rejects her pleas for compassion and continues to confine the mermaid to her stagnant holding tank. With nowhere to escape to, the mermaid must make the choice between holding on to the hope of freedom and putting an end to her abuse.

Trailer for BILAL

Bilal: A New Breed Of Hero

1,400 years ago, Bilal, a seven-year-old boy, with a dream of becoming a great warrior, is abducted into slavery with his sister and taken to a land far away from his home and thrown into a world where corruption and injustice rule all. Throughout his life he undergoes many hardships, through which he discovers an inner strength he did not realize he possessed. Through these experiences, Bilal comes to realize that if he is brave enough to raise his voice and choose his own path - everything becomes possible. It is through his courage, that he frees himself and ultimately his community; It is through the power of his voice and faith that his lifelong dream of freedom comes true. Bilal grows into a man who will inspire the world.

Sci-Fi Films Coming in 2018

Sci fi Movies That Will Completely Blow You Away In 2018

In Memoriam 2017: The Characters We Lost

We lost a lot of good (and bad) characters from the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror in 2017. Here are some of them. Rest in peace.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

@-}- Best Wishes to All in 2018-{-@