Next Club Meeting:December 14, 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.
[Source: Midnight's Edge] On June 28th, a challenge of sorts was put up on Twitter: Say a genuinely nice thing about the Star Wars prequels.You wouldn’t think something as innocent as this could spiral out of control, but Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi, found a way.
In this editorial @AndreEinherhar will look into Johnson’s compliment that was so backhanded it actually trashes Lucas, and what might be his reason for tweeting such snide remarks at the expense of the creator of Star Wars in the first place.
"Kill the Past. Destroy Star Wars! Remake it into our Woke image" - R. Johnson
THE BOYS is an irreverent take on what happens when superheroes, who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians and as revered as Gods, abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It's the powerless against the super powerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about "The Seven," and their formiddable Vought backing.
Meet Stormfront
The Boys (2019) is the new action movie starring Karl Urban, Elisabeth Shue and Erin Moriarty.
In 2065, the first manned mission to Mars is launched from Glenn Field in the form of the spacecraft Zero-X. Unknown to Captain Travers and his four-man crew, master criminal the Hood has stowed away on board to photograph Zero-X's
wing mechanism. Shortly after lift-off, the Hood inadvertently traps
his foot in the craft's hydraulics, jamming them and causing Zero-X to go out of control. As the astronauts eject in the escape pod, the Hood extracts his crushed foot and parachutes to safety from the undercarriage. Zero-X crashes into the ocean and explodes.
In 2067,the Inquiry Board of the Space Exploration Center concludes that Zero-X was sabotaged. Meanwhile, a second Zero-X
has been built and another mission to Mars planned. International
Rescue agrees to provide security at the launch given the possibility of
further sabotage. Jeff Tracy dispatches Scott to Glenn Field in Thunderbird 1 to monitor the situation from the ground, while Virgil and Alan are assigned to escort Zero-X through the atmosphere in Thunderbirds 2 in 3. Posing as a reporter at the pre-launch press conference, Lady Penelope arranges for each member of the crew to wear a St Christopher brooch with a concealed homing device. On launch day, Dr Grant's device is no longer registering, even though Grant is on board Zero-X awaiting lift-off. Scott unmasks "Grant" as the Hood in disguise. The Hood flees Glenn Field in a car, pursued by Penelope and Parker in FAB 1.
Reaching the coast, he transfers to a speedboat and then a helicopter.
Parker shoots down the helicopter with FAB 1's machine gun. Meanwhile, the kidnapped Grant is found and returned to Zero-X and the spacecraft is launched without further incident.
Mission complete, Penelope invites Scott and Virgil to join her
at popular nightclub The Swinging Star. Returning to Tracy Island, Alan
feels unappreciated when Jeff insists that he stay at base while the
others spend the night partying. Asleep in bed, Alan has a surreal dream
in which he and Penelope travel to another Swinging Star located in
space. Appearing at the nightclub are Cliff Richard Jr and The Shadows, who perform a song called "Shooting Star" and an instrumental
called "Lady Penelope". The dream ends when Alan falls out of The
Swinging Star and back to Earth, waking to discover that he has merely
fallen out of bed.
After a six-week flight, Zero-X reaches Mars on 22 July and all of the astronauts except Space Navigator Newman touch down the planet in their lander,
the Martian Exploration Vehicle. Investigating the surface, the men are
puzzled to find strange, coil-like rock formations. Space Captain
Martin destroys one of the structures with the MEV's gun and Dr Pierce
prepares to go outside to collect samples. The other structures come to
life, revealing themselves to be one-eyed rock snakes. The aliens
bombard the MEV with fireballs from their mouths, forcing the astronauts
to take off prematurely. Docking with Newman in orbit, they start back
to Earth.
As Zero-X re-enters Earth's atmosphere on 2 September, a lifting body
fails to connect with the spacecraft and damages various systems,
including flight control and the escape pod circuit. With the astronauts
unable to eject and Zero-X set to impact Craigsville, Florida, Jeff launches Scott and Brains in Thunderbird 1 and Virgil, Alan and Gordon in Thunderbird 2. Craigsville is evacuated. Lifted into Zero-X's
undercarriage, Alan repairs the escape circuit under Brains' guidance.
Seconds before impact, Alan completes his task and jumps out as the
astronauts eject. The empty Zero-X crashes into Craigsville.
Picked up by Penelope and Parker in FAB1, Alan is driven to the real
Swinging Star where Penelope, joined by the Tracy family, Brains and Tin-Tin, toast Alan as a hero.
The Anime Embargo is coming to an End! Rejoice! Rejoice!
M O N T H L Y M E E T I N G
Fountaindale Public Library
300 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Meeting Room A (1st Floor)
Saturday, August 15, 2020
11:15 AM - 5:00 PM
PLEASE READ
After more than FIVE MONTHS, we are finally returning to our normal operating schedule, with, of course, social distancing rules. At this time, masks will be required. There can be only one person per desk (in order to keep that 6 foot distance from each other).
We will be meeting in a DIFFERENT ROOM than usual. Instead of Upstairs in the Board Room, we will be in the large MEETING ROOM A on the First Floor. The maximum number of people allowed in the room is FIFTEEN, so please arrive early to claim your seat.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again!
So what's your REACTION to this good news?
Mine TOO!
Our next club meeting will be at the Fountaindale Public Library, Board Room (Second Floor), from 11:15 AM to 5:00 PM.
Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire: https://apple.co/_Foundation
Foundation stars SAG Award-winner and Emmy-nominee Jared Harris as Hari Seldon; Lee Pace as Brother Day; Lou Llobell as Gaal; Leah Harvey as Salvor; Laura Birn as Demerzel; Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk; and Cassian Bilton as play Brother Dawn.
Foundation is executive produced by Robyn Asimov, David S. Goyer, Josh Friedman, Cameron Welsh, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross. The series is produced for Apple by Skydance Television.
Pre-order STAR WARS™: Squadrons to get the New Republic Recruit and Imperial Ace cosmetic items! Feel the adrenaline of first-person multiplayer space dogfights alongside your squadron, and buckle up in a thrilling STAR WARS™ campaign.
Coming October 2, 2020
Master the art of starfighter combat in the authentic piloting experience Star Wars™: Squadrons. Buckle up and feel the adrenaline of first-person multiplayer space dogfights alongside your squadron. Pilots who enlist will step into the cockpits of starfighters from both the New Republic and Imperial fleets and fight in strategic 5 vs. 5 space battles. Modify your starfighter and adjust the composition of your squadron to suit varying playstyles and crush the opposition. Pilots will triumph as a team and complete tactical objectives across known and never-before-seen battlefields, including the gas giant of Yavin Prime and the shattered moon of Galitan.
Take control of starfighters such as the X-wing and TIE fighter. Customize loadouts and cosmetics, divert power between weapons, shields, and engines, while immersing yourself in the cockpit. In addition, players will have the option to play the entirety of the game in virtual reality (VR) on PC!
Learn what it means to be a pilot in a thrilling Star Wars single-player story set after the events of Return of the Jedi. Seen from alternating perspectives between two factions, iconic and emerging leaders on both sides are battling for the galaxy. The New Republic fights for freedom. The Empire demands order. We need you to join the galaxy’s finest.
KEY FEATURES
All Wings Report In – Plan skirmishes with your squadron in the briefing room before taking off to the evolving battlefields across the galaxy. Compete in intense 5 vs. 5 multiplayer dogfights or unite with your squadron to tip the scales in monumental fleet battles. Together, you’re the galaxy’s finest.
Master Legendary Starfighters – Take control of different classes of starfighters from both the New Republic and Imperial fleets – including the agile A-wing and the devastating TIE bomber. Modify your ship, divert the power between its systems, and destroy your opponents in strategic space dogfights.
Live Your Star Wars Pilot Fantasy – The cockpit is your home. Use its dashboards to your advantage and – with just a thin hull of metal and glass between you and the perils of space – feel the intensity of combat from a first-person perspective. Take off in thrilling multiplayer modes and a unique single-player Star Wars story, which covers a key campaign near the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War. Immerse yourself in the pilot’s seat completely with the option to play the entirety of Star Wars: Squadrons in VR.
The Mission is Clear – Star Wars: Squadrons is a fully self-contained experience from day one, where you earn rewards through play. Climb the ranks and unlock new components like weapons, hulls, engines, shields, and cosmetic items in a clear path for progression that keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an upcoming role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. It is scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 19, 2020, and Stadia at the end of the year. Adapted from the Cyberpunk franchise, it takes place in dystopian Night City, an open world with six distinct regions. Players assume the role of V, a customizable mercenary, in a first-person perspective, acquiring skills in hacking and machinery, an arsenal of ranged weapons, and options for melee combat. Both lethal and non-lethal play-throughs are possible.
Cyberpunk 2077 is being developed using the REDengine 4 by a team of 500, exceeding the number that worked on the studio's previous game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CD Projekt launched a new division in Wrocław, Poland and partnered with Digital Scapes, Nvidia, and QLOC to assist with production. Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith is a consultant, and actor Keanu Reeves has a starring role. The soundtrack features music by Marcin Przybyłowicz, P. T. Adamczyk, Paul Leonard-Morgan, and numerous pop artists.
Cyberpunk 2077 is played in a first-person perspective as V, a mercenary whose voice, face, hairstyles, body type and modifications, background, and clothing are customizable. Stat categories—Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical, and Cool—are influenced by the character classes that players assume, which are NetRunner (hacking), Techie (machinery), and Solo (combat). The perk tree branches into melee, blades, handguns, shotguns, rifles, sniper rifles, hacking, two-handed combat, assassination, "cold blood", engineering, and athletics. V must consult a "ripperdoc" to upgrade and purchase cyber-ware implants; black markets offer military-grade abilities.
The rarity of any given equipment is shown by a colored tier system. V can take cover, aim, run on the ground and walls, jump, double jump, and slide. With arm blades, V may climb walls and, like with other close-combat weapons, deal melee strikes. There are three types of ranged weapons, all of which can be customized and modified—Power (standard), Tech (which penetrate walls and enemies), and Smart (with homing bullets). Ranged weapons are equipped to ricochet bullets in a target's direction and slow them down in bullet time. Four types of damage can be inflicted and resisted—Physical, Thermal, EMP, and Chemical. Weapon use increases accuracy and reloading speed, which are manifested in character animations. Gunsmiths repair and upgrade weapons. The game can be completed without taking a life, with non-lethal options for weapons and cyber-ware.
The open world metropolis Night City, California consists of six regions—the corporate City Center, immigrant-inhabited Watson, luxurious Westbrook, suburban Heywood, gang-infested Pacifica, and industrial Santo Domingo. Its surrounding area, the Badlands, can also be explored. V navigates these locations on foot and in vehicles, which are customizable and subject to either a first or third-person view. In autonomous cars, V can more easily engage in gunplay. Pedestrians are vulnerable to vehicular collisions. Depending on the location, law enforcement may be alerted if V commits a crime. Radio stations are available to listen to. The full day-night cycle and dynamic weather affect the way non-player characters (NPCs) behave. V owns an apartment—in which to fetch weapons, get dressed, use a computer, bring NPCs for sexual activity—and a garage.
Night City features non-English-speaking characters, whose languages can be translated with special implants. "Braindance" is a device that allows V to undergo other people's experiences. Branching dialogues enable interaction with NPCs and actions in quests. Experience points are obtained from main quests and fuel the stats, while side quests yield "street cred", unlocking skills, vendors, places, and additional quests. Quests are acquired from characters known as Fixers. Throughout the game, V is aided by various companions. Consumables, like soft drinks, are used for healing, and objects can be inspected in V's inventory. Minigames include hacking, boxing, auto racing, martial arts, and shooting ranges. "Game over" messages only appear at the point of death; if a quest is failed, the game moves on all the same. Player choice leads to different endings.
Alba Baptista will play Ava, the lead role in Netflix's upcoming series,
'Warrior Nun.' The series is based on the comic 'Warrior Nun Areala,'
which San Antonio-based Antarctic Press first published in 1994.
✞ W A R R I ㊉ R N U N ✞
Caught in the middle of an ancient war between good and evil, a young girl wakes up in a morgue with inexplicable powers. Her search for answers brings her to The Order of the Cruciform Sword, a secret society of warrior nuns sworn to protect the world from evil. While juggling her responsibilities as the chosen one with the normal obstacles of a teenage girl, this mysterious fantasy drama is full of mystery, action, adventure, and teenage romance, proving our main character might fight in the name of good, but she’s no angel.
‘Warrior Nun Areala’ creator Ben Dunn will see his comic creation come
to life in a new Netflix sci-fi series. Dunn debuted the character in
1994 in a miniseries by San Antonio-based publisher, Antarctic Press,
which Dunn founded in 1984.
[Source: SFGate] Now we know who will don the habit for Netflix’s “Warrior Nun,” the
upcoming series based on the comic book first published by San Antonio’s
Antarctic Press.
Portuguese actress Alba Baptista will lead as Ava, the
19-year-old title hero who wakes up in a morgue with a holy artifact
embedded in her back and a holy mission to kick demon butt, as both
heaven and hell vie for her abilities.
According to Deadline Hollywood,
the “Warrior Nun” cast also includes Toya Turner as Shotgun Mary, a
loyal but rebellious member of the sisterhood; Tristan Ulloa as Father
Vincent, the flawed leader of the Order of the Cruciform Sword; and
Thekla Reuten as Jillian Salvius, a tech CEO challenging the Vatican’s
power.
Rounding out the cast are Kristina Tonteri-Young as Young Sister
Beatrice, a quiet Sister Warrior; Lorena Andrea as Sister Lilith, a
legacy nun from an elite family; and Emilio Sakraya as JC, the ambitious
leader of some petty crooks.
Antarctic Press founder Ben Dunn created the super sister with a sword, which he brought to life in 1994 with the limited series “Warrior Nun Areala.”
Dunn wrote and illustrated the comic about Sister Shannon Masters, a noble nun who assumes the mantle of a powerful Valkyrie who launched a hard-fighting holy order. Dunn later sold the rights to the “Warrior Nun” name and character to Avatar Press.
Netflix has announced a release date for “Warrior Nun.” The series will have 10 episodes available on July 2, 2020. Simon Berry is the series creator, showrunner and executive producer, with Dunn as a story consultant.
Famous for their beautiful and detailed 2D animations – such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro – Studio Ghibli are venturing into CG animation for the first time. Aya to Majo (Earwig and the Witch) is an adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle author Diana Wynne Jones’ novel Earwig and the Witch. Comic Natalie has shared our first look at what the movie will look like.
The movie follows Aya, a young orphan unaware that she’s the daughter of a witch. The legendary Hayao Miyazaki will be overseeing the production, while his son Goro is set to direct. Goro has already proved his directing chops in the delightful From Up On Poppy Hill, so we have no doubt he can handle this exciting new chapter in Ghibli's longstanding cinematic reign.
Goro said in a statement: "Today, in our country, only adults are abundant, and children are few and far between. It must be tough on our children to have to face all these adults in such small numbers. It was while thinking about this that I encountered Aya." Check out all of the images revealed so far below.
Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert CBE, known as Ian Holm, was an English actor on stage and in film. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear. Sir Ian Holm, perhaps best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, has passed away aged 88.
The Oscar-nominated actor also had starring roles in Alien and Chariots of Fire, and his death was confirmed today (June 19) by his agent.
"It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88," they said (via The Guardian).
"He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer," they added, noting that his illness was Parkinson's related. "Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely."
Holm began his career at RADA before becoming part of the Royal Shakespeare Company during its foundation in 1960, going on to star in a number of notable roles on stage.
However, he focused more on a screen career after getting stage fright in 1976, and gained international attention for playing evil cyborg Ash in 1979's Alien.
Holm earned an Oscar nomination for portraying Sam Mussabini in 1981's Chariots of Fire, and also won a BAFTA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the same movie.
He went on to star in films such as Time Bandits, Brazil, The Madness of King George and The Fifth Element, and voiced Chef Skinner in Pixar's Ratatouille.
Holm appeared as hobbit Bilbo in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy between 2001 and 2003, having previously voiced the role of Frodo Baggins in a 1981 radio adaptation. He reprised the part a decade later for The Hobbit trilogy.
Recommended Binge-watching during this pandemic Lockdown... [NSFW]
Tenchi Muyo!War on Geminar
Kenshi Masaki is a 15-year-old boy that has unwillingly traveled from his home on Earth to the alternate world of Geminar (ジェミナー, Jeminā). On Geminar, the countries wage wars using Sacred Mechanoids, humanoid exoskeletal weapons that were originally discovered within ancient ruins and developed over centuries. After being tricked by a mysterious organization into participating in an attempt to assassinate Lashara Earth XXVIII, the young ruler of the Shtrayu Empire, he ends up captured after he chooses not to kill her. Deducing enough about Kenshi to interest her and because his abilities make him an extremely valuable property, Lashara decides to take Kenshi under her protection.
Disguised as her attendant, Kenshi travels with her and her bodyguard Chiaia Flann to the Holy Land, a virtually impregnable fortress that serves as an academy to train Sacred Mechanoid pilots, most of whom are female. With his kindness, tenacity, and skills that vary from carpentry and cooking to advanced survival techniques, Kenshi eventually becomes a celebrity in the academy, becoming the object of affection of many female students and making some of the male students envious. However, the same organization who deceived Kenshi is secretly working inside and against the academy, and a worldwide conflict is about to begin.
[Source: Variety] Gkids, the U.S.-based producer and specialty distributor, has acquired North American rights to Japanese animated film “On-Gaku: Our Sound.” The film, which plays in the Contrechamp competition section of the Annecy International Animation Festival, is being lined up for a release later in 2020.
Directed by Kenji Iwaisawa, and adapted from a manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi, “Our Sound” is the tale of a high school kid who tries to start a band in order to impress a girl. When he teams up with his pals, they discover that none of them can play an instrument. Discouragement lurks around every corner.
The film is composed of over 40,000 hand drawn frames, using the rotoscoping animation technique. It features a lead performance by Japanese alt-rock legend Shintaro Sakamoto.
Rodney Uhler, Gkids’ director of special projects, and Emico Kawai of sales agent Nikkatsu Corporation negotiated the deal for North American rights. The film was earlier licensed by Nikkatsu to China’s streaming giant Bilibili; and to conventional distributors Anime Limited, for the U.K. and Ireland; Eurozoom for French-speaking territories, and to Media Castle for Korea.
The film premiered last year at the Ottawa International Animation Festival where it won the top prize and earned plaudits. It added to its haul at the London Animation Festival and moved into commercial release in Japan in January this year.
“ ‘On-Gaku: Our Sound’ reminds us of our favorite indie comedies while remaining a wholly unique film. Kenji Iwaisawa’s remarkable hand-drawn work has created a film full of quotable lines, distinctive characters and infectious style. It remains one of the most fun viewing experiences we’ve had all year,” said Uhler. Previously, the Ottawa jury hailed it as “a triumph of economic storytelling without sacrificing the richness of its characters.” They said they were “particularly impressed with the perfect timing, the simplicity of design, and the joyous celebration of the medium of animation.”
'Nebula-75' is a new puppet lockdown drama made entirely during confinement in 2020 using only existing puppets and materials. Filmed in Supermarionation, it follows in the tradition of 'Thunderbirds', 'Stingray' and 'Fireball XL5' while at the same time also being filmed in SuperIsolation and Lo-Budget!
'Nebula-75' charts the exploits of Commander Ray Neptune and the crew of the spaceship NEBULA-75 as they make their way across the stars, encountering strange worlds and forms of life hitherto unknown by mankind. It has been created and produced by a small group of filmmakers during the British lockdown of 2020. Although team members from around the world contributed remotely to pre- and post-production, the entirety of the filming for NEBULA-75 was undertaken by a crew of three who happened to already live together in a small flat in London. Their living room was transformed into a makeshift movie studio – with bookshelves, cardboard boxes and other household objects becoming the interior of the show's hero spacecraft. This flat was also fortunately home to many of the puppets, props, and costumes that have been accumulated over the course of different productions.
Disney’s “Artemis Fowl,” based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he seeks to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his loyal protector Butler, Artemis sets out to find him, and in doing so uncovers an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies. Deducing that his father’s disappearance is somehow connected to the secretive, reclusive fairy world, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.
“Artemis Fowl” is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel, Adrian Scarborough and Miranda Raison, with Colin Farrell and Judi Dench. Kenneth Branagh, p.g.a. and Judy Hofflund, p.g.a. are producing with Angus More Gordon and Matthew Jenkins serving as executive producers. Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl wrote the screenplay.
