Next Club Meeting:May 25, 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.
In a wild, inhabited desert, a team of rangers is in charge of rescuing people who get lost and defragged. One of them, Jean-Mi, walks away from the group to repair a dysfunctioning beacon and meets an unexpected character who says he has found a way to survive the defragging curse.
After being on the road for months, Rapunzel returns to Corona where she assumes the role of temporary queen and must deal with the looming threat of her friend-turned-enemy, Cassandra.
In the year 2045, the world has entered a systematic “Sustainable War.” Hired as a mercenary unit, the former members of Japan’s elite Section 9 are faced with the sudden appearance of “Post-Human,” a being with tremendous intelligence and physical capabilities.
Netflix Original Anime Series “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” Streaming worldwide in April 2020, only on Netflix.
From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Devilman Crybaby) comes a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery.
IN THEATERS ONE NIGHT ONLY - FEBRUARY 19
Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea.
Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer even look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water. From then on, she can summon him in any watery surface as soon as she sings their song, but can the two really remain together forever? And what is the real reason for Minato’s sudden reappearance?
Sol Bianca is a two-volume Japanese OVA series released in 1990 and 1991. It was directed by Katsuhito Akiyama and Hiroki Hayashi in association with AIC.
Tech Designs were quite visionary for the '90s
The name of the OVA is also the name of the ship that serves as both the home and the interstellar headquarters for an all-female band of notorious pirates. Thanks to a stowaway who hides aboard their ship following one of their raids, they learn of the ultimate treasure: the Gnosis (pronounced "G'Nohsis" in dialogue), an artifact reputedly from old Earth itself.
Music and characters were cutting edge
Unfortunately for them, the Gnosis happens to be in the hands of Emperor Batros, the brutal ruler of the planet Tres (pronounced "trez" in dialogue) who is executing great numbers of enemies, real or speculated, as a result of his military occupation of the neighboring planet Uno. Armed with a little luck, a sniper gun that can shoot from orbit, and a technologically advanced ship, the crew of the Sol Bianca are about to make a run for the greatest prize of all.
[Source: JapanTimes] It has been nearly 10 years since anime director Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 46.
Posthumous award: Satoshi Kon has been celebrated with an award for distinguished lifetime contribution to the art of animation by ASIFA-Hollywood. | FRANK GLADSTONE/ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD
Despite the relatively young age at which he died in August 2010, Kon is one of the most-lauded creators of Japanese animation, a director who is often mentioned in the same breath as Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo. His influence extends beyond Japan: His films have been cited as inspiration for Hollywood hits such as “Black Swan” and “Inception.”
A decade after his untimely death, Kon is set to be posthumously celebrated by the Annie Awards, an annual ceremony in Los Angeles, dedicated to animation. Kon is one of the recipients of this year’s Winsor McCay Award, described as “one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation.” Previous recipients include Mamoru Oshii, Osamu Tezuka, Ralph Bakshi and Walt Disney, to name a few. The award was set to be presented on Jan. 25.
These guys wanted to re-create the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back where Luke Skywalker destroys an AT-AT walker. Using foam board, hot glue, and airbrushing they've created a pony-sized replica AT-AT. They then take a Tiny Whoop and turn it into a Snowspeeder so they can pretend to use their tow cables to harpoon the AT-AT and tie its legs up to trip it.
Ahsoka Tano returns to join Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and the other Jedi Knights to lead the Grand Army of the Republic against Darth Maul and the droid army of the Separatists.
21 of Studio Ghibli’s films are coming to Netflix, starting on February 1, 2020. Get spirited away into the visionary animation studio’s charming, whimsical world.
The official trailer and footage for the new Disney+ tv show Star Wars Clone Wars Season 7, was revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2019. It features Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, and many of the Clones.
If the CW's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover left you a little confused, don't worry. You're not alone. The good news is that we're here to sort out a few of its more convoluted aspects and explain just what was going on, and why.
Who exactly is the guy who shows up in Purgatory and bestows seemingly unfathomable cosmic powers on Oliver Queen? He identifies himself as Jim Corrigan, the Spectre, but if you haven't had your nose buried in DC Comics for the better part of your life, that probably didn't answer any questions.
Despite being a relatively obscure character, the Spectre is a favorite for this kind of world-shattering event, because he's the literal embodiment of the Wrath of God. He's less of a person and more of a force of nature, a vessel for divine fury with cosmic power even Superman could only imagine. Unfortunately, it turned out that turning God's vengeance into a person without any mitigating force could lead to some abuses of power.
To temper his vengeance and create a new superhero in 1940 the Presence bound the Spectre to Jim Corrigan, a cop who had been killed by criminals, returning him to life as a ghostly superhero. Eventually, Corrigan worked off enough of his sins that he was allowed to move on to his final reward, and the "Spectre Force" was passed down to others. After his death, Green Lantern Hal Jordan was the Spectre for a while, and then Gotham City detective Cris Allen was drafted into the job. It's never been handed off to Oliver Queen in the comics, but the fact that both characters wear costumes built around green hoods makes the shift in wardrobe an easy one.
Most heroes only get one chance to sacrifice their lives to save the world. Oliver Queen got two: once as Green Arrow, fighting to the death against the Anti-Monitor's army of shadows, and then again as the Spectre, seemingly sacrificing his life to end the threat to the multiverse. The Anti-Monitor's death didn't really stick, though, so is Oliver really dead? Keep watching the video to see all the confusing Crisis on Infinite Earths moments explained!
Based on the bestselling comic book, Vin Diesel stars as Ray Garrison, a soldier recently killed in action and brought back to life as the superhero Bloodshot by the RST corporation. With an army of nanotechnology in his veins, he’s an unstoppable force –stronger than ever and able to heal instantly. But in controlling his body, the company has sway over his mind and memories, too. Now, Ray doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not – but he’s on a mission to find out.
The son of JRR Tolkien and Keeper of his father's legacy
(Source: Variety) Christopher Tolkien, son of legendary “The Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien, has died, the Tolkien Society reports. He was 95.
“Christopher Tolkien has died at the age of 95,” the org tweeted. “The Tolkien Society sends its deepest condolences to Baillie, Simon, Adam, Rachel and the whole Tolkien family.”
Christopher was Tolkien’s third son and was well known among his father’s fans. As he grew up, Christopher showed a great interest in his father’s work, eventually going on to edit and publish his unpublished material, including “The Silmarillion” in 1977 and “The Fall of Gondolin” in 2018. He was best known for publishing his father’s historical record of Middle-earth after his death in 1973.
Born in Leeds, United Kingdom, Tolkien served in the military, joining the Royal Air Force during World War II. After the war, he returned home to finish his studies in English at Trinity College in Oxford, later lecturing on Old English, Middle English and Old Icelandic at that same school.
Shaun Gunner, the chair of Tolkien Society, mourned Tolkien’s death on Twitter.
“As chair of @TolkienSociety this must surely be the very saddest day for me and all of us,” he wrote. “Christopher Tolkien was a titan of fantasy and his legacy will live on forever. Namárië #Tolkien.”
The Twitter account for Amazon’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series also paid tribute.
“Christopher Tolkien’s contributions to the world and to Middle-earth are incalculable. We are so grateful for his passion. He will be dearly missed,” they tweeted.
The Tolkien Estate has been overseen by his wife, Baillie Tolkien, and Tolkien’s grandson Michael George Reuel Tolkien.
Hell’s armies have invaded Earth. Become the Slayer in an epic single-player campaign to conquer demons across dimensions and stop the final destruction of humanity. The only thing they fear... is you.
DOOM Eternal will be available March 20, 2020, on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia, with Nintendo Switch releasing at a later date.
Catch up on the latest adventures of the DC Super Hero Girls in this super bumper compilation of Season 5! A new era of DC Super Hero Girls begins in DC Super Hero Girls: At Metropolis High!
At Super Hero High, iconic super heroes of the DC Comics universe, like Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy, and Katana navigate all the twists and turns of high school. United by friendship, the DC Super Hero Girls empower kids to shine with confidence and courage, especially while they combat those overwhelming, exciting, and awesomely awkward moments of growing up.
One of Marvel’s most compelling and conflicted characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero, Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease.
Galkina is a drone operator sergeant on duty when she gets an alarm. As part of a secret military program hidden from the public, her work uses nuclear-powered drones to lure alien objects into orbit and then immobilizes and captures them.
But when one such object is lured to earth and takes the bait -- and Galkina loses her connection to her commanding officer -- she is forced to make decisions quickly, and questions just what is real and what is not.
Director Hugo Keijzer, along with writer Phil M. Howe and producer Maurice Schutte, has created a superbly crafted, dynamic and suspenseful sci-fi thriller whose storytelling grabs viewers from the first moment and holds their attention with expertly calibrated suspense and drama.
Though there are references to "alien objects," the short doesn't lean on any VFX work or explore deep philosophical territory, like many sci-fi films. It's really a propulsive piece of cinema, combining muscular camerawork, an effective score, and precise performances to put us in the moment of Galkina's crisis, navigating her dilemma right alongside with her.
Essentially the story is one suspenseful sequence, but it centers around one split-second decision that must be made in the most perilous of circumstances. The writing gives us just enough information to understand what Galkina is facing, but like her, we're only privy to what we've been told. When she loses her connection to her commanding officer -- and another voice enters the fray, one that contradicts her understanding and training -- she must decide quickly what to do, and essentially whether or not she can trust what she is seeing. Her decision treads the line between safety and possible catastrophe, but it's not an easy one to make.
The ending moments of "The Occupant" give rise to a mystery and concern that clearly is designed to intrigue viewers and pique their ongoing interest. The title, of course, gives away that this is the opening salvo of a much larger story, and the ambition and scale of the production clearly are feature-level, beginning with the opening wide-view shots of a foggy, mysterious landscape. But as a self-contained piece, it also does its job well: it portrays one narrative dilemma with panache. But solving one problem opens up a whole other realm -- and draws viewers expertly into a whole world of danger and intrigue that they will likely want more of.
20th Century Fox in association with Marvel Entertainment presents “The New Mutants,” an original horror thriller set in an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive.
