FROM UP ON POPPY HILL - U.S. release poster

Limited theaters starting March 15, 2013

• Written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his son Goro, Poppy Hill is a story of young romance set in 1963 Yokohama. We meet our protagonists at a time when Japan was still recovering from WWII on top of preparing for the 1964 Olympics. Young would-be couple Umi and Shun join together to stop the destruction of a historic, Meiji-era house. Secrets from the past cast a shadow that may consume their efforts and their blooming romance. The English dub cast includes Gillian Anderson, Sarah Bolger, Beau Bridges, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Dern, Jeff Dunham, Isabelle Fuhrman, Christina Hendricks, Ron Howard, Chris Noth, Emily Osment, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Saxton, Alex Wolff and Anton Yelchin. From Up On Poppy Hill hits NY/LA cinemas on March 15, expanding out on March 29.

 

• Set in Yokohama, From Up On Poppy Hill is a high school love story that take place in the year before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. As the country begins to pick itself up from the devastation of the Second World War, the new generation struggles to move towards a prosperous future whilst trying not to lose the essence of their past. The film's rich and vibrant animation captures the entrancing beauty of Yokohama's harbour and lush surrounding hillsides and, with a soundtrack that draws inspiration from the finest music of the time, perfectly captures the thrills of young romance and the hope of a new dawn.

Spike Spencer To Voice Character Takuma Ichijo in Vampire Knight

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 29 - It has been announced that Spike Spencer will be voicing the character Takuma Ichijo from the popular Anime series Vampire Knight

For those unfamiliar with the storyline of the popular graphic novel, Vampire Knight takes place at Cross Academy, which is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

Takuma is the vice-president of the Night Class, he is a noble-class vampire who is almost as powerful as Kaname, whom he is close to and respects, and can be seen reading a manga from time to time. Takuma maintains a close friendship with Senri Shiki, whose great grand-uncle is also a member of the council.

His grandfather asks him to spy on Kaname, but he refuses out of loyalty and attempts to break free of his grandfather's mold. Takuma attempts to protect the possessed Shiki Senri, forced to go against Kaname in order to protect all his friends. Following Shiki's freedom from Rido's possession, Takuma has rejoined Kaname's side, where he appears in time to stop Kaname from killing his grandfather and instead insists on being allowed to handle the issue. It is strongly hinted at that Takuma intends to end his life along with his grandfather, saying "Together, let us put an end to the Ichijo line." But it is revealed that he never got his wish, as he was discovered unconscious afterward by Sara Shirabuki, one of the only known Pureblood vampires, who said that she always wanted "to have" Takuma, as though he were simply a doll or a toy. He is currently in the hands of Sara Shirabuki, who is torturing him to extract information about Kaname. After the one year time-skip, he seems to be living with her and quite healthy.

"Vampire Knight is an important series that demanded skilled actors who could portray these complex characters without sacrificing any of the intensity and emotional drama each one exudes," says William Germain, Director, Programming & Music Sales, VIZ Media. "We also know there are a lot of fans of the manga that have been waiting for this series so we wanted to bring in some very talented people who we know will take Vampire Knight to a whole new level. Look for more news coming soon about the North American debut!"

ABOUT SPIKE SPENCER:   
An accomplished actor, Spike Spencer has worked onscreen with such notable stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Frank Langella, Tia Carrere, and Scott Glenn.

In the realm of voice acting he has voiced hundreds of episodes of Anime including Evangelion, Spriggan, Nadesico, Mar, Pre Tear, Code Geass 2, Buso Renkin  and Bleach as well as numerous video games including World of Warcraft-The Burning Crusades, Tales of Vesperia, Trauma Center, Steambot Chronicles, and Star Ocean 2. Spike has lent his voice to many radio and television commercials and campaigns.

Spike is also an author/screenwriter and is in pre-production on his first feature film that he scripted, "Dwindle Down." Learn more about Spike at:
www.worldospike.com
www.spikespencer.com
www.almostevilminions.com
www.twitter.com/spikespencer

First Official Pic of THOR

Chris Hemsworth in Paramount Pictures' Thor - 2011

Spike Spencer to Voice Characters in Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment

LOS ANGELES, CA - Feb. 9 - It has been announced that actor Spike Spencer is to voice two characters in the Classic RPG Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, recently developed and published by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

Spike will provide the voices for Connor Ganson, (a career criminal since age sixteen; an unrepentant street thief and con artist) and Menicks Rence. “I really enjoyed playing a career criminal, a character so totally unlike me. Wink, wink, nod, nod, say no more...” joked Spike in a recent interview. “It was also nice to play another character, in Manicks, with a deeper voice which a lot of people don’t realize I can do. It was a nice departure from all those effeminate little girly boys who save the world in a biomechanical frickin robot.” Spike jokingly added.

Story:
This time, the action takes place in a time before the first Vandal Hearts story. Konami’s legendary tactical RPG series returns with the all new Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation Network.

On the continent of Sostegaria, two rival kingdoms stand on the brink of war. Caught in the tide of battle is young orphan Tobias Martin. Driven to defend his homeland, and to avenge those already fallen, Tobias enlists with his comrades to fight for peace. But all is not what it seems, and they face a threat far deadlier—and closer—than they know.

It's been a decade since the launch of the first Vandal Hearts game, which appeared on the original PlayStation and made a name for itself as one of the first and more successful tactical role-playing games outside Japan.

Key Features:
-Classic gameplay, expanded and streamlined - Combines the speedy RPG pace of the original Vandal Hearts with improved user mechanics and top-notch representation.

-Strong story - Serving as the prequel to the original Vandal Hearts, Flames of Judgment delivers a rich, focused, and character-driven storyline. Between the action, towns, story sequences, and cinematic cutscenes, a typical play-through can last 8 to 10 hours on average, with additional replay value.

-Multiple Endings - The player’s actions throughout the game determine the ending, Tobias’ future and more.

-Party members adapt: Player characters improve their skills as you see fit, providing a wide range of options.

Spike Spencer is scheduled to appear at several Anime and gaming conventions this year including Anime Evolution in Vancouver, Imagicon in Alabama, and Puerto Rico’s Comic Con.


ABOUT SPIKE SPENCER:
An accomplished actor, Spike Spencer has worked onscreen with such notable stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Frank Langella, Tia Carrere, and Scott Glenn.

In the realm of voice acting he has voiced hundreds of episodes of Anime including Evangelion, Spriggan, Nadesico, Mar, Pre Tear, Code Geass 2, Buso Renkin and Bleach as well as numerous video games including World of Warcraft-The Burning Crusades, Tales of Vesperia, Trauma Center, Steambot Chronicles, and Star Ocean 2. Spike has lent his voice to many radio and television commercials and campaigns.

Spike is also an author/screenwriter and is in pre-production on his first feature film that he scripted, "Dwindle Down." Learn more about Spike at:
www.worldospike.com
www.spikespencer.com
www.almostevilminions.com
www.twitter.com/spikespencer

For more information, photos or to request an interview contact Spike Spencer at spike@worldospike.com