'Harpy Gee' - A Nick Animated Short

Harpy and her pet goblin cat Pumpkin are enjoying a peaceful day in the forest, until a couple of baby monsters have a spat! Created by Brianne Drouhard. This short is based on Brianne’s webcomic, Harpy Gee. For those who are interested in reading it, here it is: http://www.harpygee.com/comic/cover

Mutants Rule the Earth Coming Soon to PS4

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a tactical adventure game combining the turn-based combat of XCOM with story, exploration, stealth, and strategy. Take control of a team of Mutants navigating a post-human Earth. Created by a team including former HITMAN leads and the designer of PAYDAY. Coming to PS4 in 2018.

Oh, joy... Just in time for the Holidays.^^

The Grinch

For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism. Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Who-ville when he runs out of food. Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. To do so, he decides he will pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, even going so far as to trap a lackadaisical misfit reindeer to pull his sleigh. Meanwhile, down in Who-ville, Cindy-Lou Who—a young girl overflowing with holiday cheer—plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one. Will Cindy-Lou achieve her goal of finally meeting Santa Claus? Will the Grinch succeed in silencing the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all?

READY PLAYER ONE - Clark Kent Trailer

READY PLAYER ONE

When the creator of an MMO called the Oasis dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all Oasis users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg.

Save The Dinosaurs!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

After the demise of the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nublar, the dinosaurs roam freely on the island for four years until an impending volcanic eruption threatens to end them. Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the former park manager, has now founded the Dinosaur Protection Group, an organization dedicated to saving the dinosaurs. She recruits Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a former dinosaur trainer who worked at the park, to help her rescue the remaining dinosaurs from the island. Owen also tries to find Blue, the last remaining of the four raptors he trained, but he and Claire learn about a conspiracy that could result in dinosaurs becoming the Earth's dominant animals once again.

"Let's Save the Dinosaurs!"

'Final Space' Finds its Beginning at the End...

"Highly Recommended!"

F I N A L   S P A C E

In the midst of working off a prison sentence, an astronaut named Gary meets mysterious, planet-destroying alien Mooncake, with whom he immediately bonds. But Gary doesn't realize that his new sidekick is actually in demand by the sinister Lord Commander, who will do all he can to secure Mooncake's untapped evil powers. This animated intergalactic comedy follows Gary and Mooncake's adventures to unlock the mystery of "Final Space," where the universe ends.

Japan Weekend 2018 COSPLAY VIDEO

Madrid Japan Weekend February 2018 Cosplay

The 2018 Academy Award Winners are...

The Academy Award for 
Best Animated Feature Film
Goes to...
Coco

 Best Animated Short Film  
Goes to...  
Dear Basketball

Final Fantasy VII Gets Remade!

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

At the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exhibition, we've had concept art for the FF7 Remake shown. Here, it was learned that during a fan-only event, they revealed new in-game screenshots and that character models have been changed.

Face Your Fears...

WITHIN, WITHOUT

In a barren and cold world, a lone knight travels toward a sole beacon of hope; a beautiful, golden city. When the knight’s way is blocked by an infallible monster, the knight must fight to reach his goal; but can they defeat the monster from within the heavy armour without facing the memories that haunt? WITHIN, WITHOUT was made by a team of 3rd year Character Animation and CG Art students at The Animation Workshop/VIA University College in Viborg, Denmark.

Nintendo is at it again!

[ NINTENDO LABO ]

Get ready to Make, Play, and Discover with Nintendo Labo! Nintendo Labo is a new line of interactive build-and-play experiences that combine DIY creations with the magic of Nintendo Switch. Available on April 20, 2018!

Sequel to Wreck-it Ralph has kittens!

Wreck-It Ralph 2

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet—which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet—the netizens—to help navigate their way, including a webite entrepreneur named Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site “BuzzzTube.” Directed by Rich Moore (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) and Phil Johnston (co-writer “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Cedar Rapids,” co-writer “Zootopia,”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Bolt”), “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-Ralph 2” hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2018.

It's Never Game Over!

THE LION'S BLAZE

Three humans trapped in a video game, must collect all of the gems of the Lion's Blaze in order to wish themselves out. But after years of adventuring, the rules have changed... and the humans are now hunting down the game maker.

New 'Lost in Space' TV series

Lost  in  Space

The Robinson family, part of a highly trained mission to establish a new colony in space, is unexpectedly pulled off course forcing them to crash land on a lost planet. Lost in Space premieres on Netflix, April 13, 2018.

Live-Action BLEACH Movie

In the midst of the success of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (which was just uploaded onto Netflix a few days ago) and ATTACK ON TITAN live-action adaptations, it’s no surprise that a BLEACH adaptation isn’t far behind.

Here's the plot summary for BLEACH:

“High school student Kurosaki Ichigo is unlike any ordinary kid. Why? Because he can see ghosts. Ever since a young age, he's been able to see spirits from the afterlife. Ichigo's life completely changes one day when he and his two sisters are attacked by an evil, hungry and tormented spirit known as a Hollow. Right in the nick of time, Ichigo and his siblings are aided by a Shinigami (Death God) named Kuchiki Rukia, whose responsibility it is to send good spirits (Pluses) to the afterlife known as Soul Society, and to purify Hollows and send them up to Soul Society. But during the fight against the Hollow, Rukia is injured and must transfer her powers to Ichigo. With this newly acquired power, so begins Kurosaki Ichigo's training and duty as a Shinigami to maintain the balance between the world of the living and the world of the dead…”

Han Solo Anime Trailer

HAN SOLO ANIME

Here is a fan made anime Han Solo trailer, brought to us by Daz Tibbles who you can follow @daztibbles. Daz completed this anime tribute to the upcoming "Solo: A Star Wars Story" in only four days! That is true geek love and talent! Daz has said he will continue to make more anime "Solo" tributes as more footage becomes available.

New Trailers for 'Ready Player One'

"Come with me to a world of pure Imagination..."

READY PLAYER ONE

From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. 

The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger. 

Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. The film was produced by Donald De Line, Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Dan Farah; with Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris deFaria and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. 

“Ready Player One” stars Tye Sheridan (“X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Mud”), Olivia Cooke (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Bates Motel”), Ben Mendelsohn (“Rogue One – A Star Wars Story,” “Bloodline”) and T.J. Miller (“Deadpool,” “Silicon Valley”), with Simon Pegg (the “Star Trek” movies, the “Mission: Impossible” movies) and Oscar winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Dunkirk”). 

Behind the scenes, three-time Oscar winner Spielberg (“Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”) reunited his creative team from “Bridge of Spies,” including Oscar-winning director of photography Janusz Kaminski (“Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”), Oscar-winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), Oscar-winning editor Michael Kahn (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) and Sarah Broshar (“The Post”), and costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone (“Moonrise Kingdom”). The music is by Oscar-nominated composer Alan Silvestri (the “Back to the Future” films, “Forrest Gump”). 

Slated for release on March 29, 2018, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Netflix's 'Sword Art Online' Live-Action TV Show

Will Asian Characters be "Whitewashed"?

[Source: GameSpot] The issue of whitewashing is one that's plagued TV and film for years, and yet it never seems to stop. Whether it's Tilda Swinton being cast as the Ancient One--typically portrayed as an Asian man in the comics--in Doctor Strange or Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games--despite the books describing the character as having olive skin and black hair, it's something that's all too common.

However, Altered Carbon executive producer Laeta Kalogridis is preemptively shutting down any notion of whitewashing on her next project. Kalogridis is currently working on a live-action adaptation of the Japanese light novel series Sword Art Online, which will be available via Netflix, and she's planning to cast the series appropriately.

Speaking to Collider, she clears the air immediately. "Well, let's get the obvious bit out of the way, right away. SAO is an essentially Japanese property, in which Kirito and Asuna, who are the two leads, are Japanese. In the television show, Kirito and Asuna will be played by Asian actors," she says. "When I sold it to Netflix, we were all on the same page. They are not interested in whitewashing it, and I am not interested in whitewashing it."

That said, the adaptation will have a global feel, thanks in part to the property it's based on. The original light novels are set in a near future, with most of the story taking place in a virtual reality MMORPG.

"In terms of the secondary characters, because the game is meant to be global, the way it's presented in the anime and in the light novels, there are secondary characters that clearly are from other parts of the world, like Klein and Agil," Kalogridis says. "To me, it's very obvious when you watch it that you're meant to take that this game spans the globe, but Kirito and Asuna are very clearly located as kids from Japan, and Tokyo, if I'm not mistaken. That is what we will be doing because that is the story."

At this point, there is no announced release date for Netflix's take on Sword Art Online. If you want to familiarize yourself with the series, though, in addition to the light novels, there are manga and anime adaptations you can check out. In fact, you can stream the anime on Netflix.

Anime Viewing Schedule for February 24, 2018

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
Saturday, February 24, 2018

Wood Dale Public Library

"Next stop... Animatrix!"

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

10:15 - 11:05   Houseki no Kuni 1-2
11:05 - 12:20   Knight's and Magic 11-13 (End)
12:20 - 1:10     Violet Evergarden 1-2
1:10 - 2:00       Inuyashiki 1-2
2:00 - 2:25       Club Meeting / Announcements
2:25 - 4:35       Full Metal Alchemist [ Live-Action Movie]

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.

 

Don't miss the exciting anime series: Houseki no Kuni and Inuyashiki!

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

Character Posters for 'READY PLAYER ONE'

READY PLAYER ONE

Ernest Cline and Spielberg's upcoming film "Ready Player One" recently released character posters and they are awesome. Each character has a different color, attitude, and bad ass version of their avatars from the Oasis. If you haven't read the book yet, be warned, these posters reveal spoilers.