Vampires on a Plane!

BLOOD RED SKY

Nadja and her ten-year-old son are on an overnight flight from Germany to New York when a group of terrorists violently take control of the plane and threaten the lives of the passengers. Suddenly Nadja faces an impossible choice - should she reveal her dark side and the inner monster she has kept hidden from her son for years in order to save him? The hunters become the hunted in this action-horror from director Peter Thorwarth, starring Peri Baumeister and Dominic Purcell. Now showing on NETFLIX.

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Addams Family Go on Vacation!

ADDAMS FAMILY 2

Hit the road with The Addams Family as they terrorize uncharted territory. Morticia and Gomez are distraught that their children are growing up, skipping family dinners, and overly consumed with "scream time". To reclaim their bond, they decide to cram Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and the crew into their haunted camper and hit the road for one last miserable family vacation. Their adventure across America takes them out of their element and into run-ins with their cousin Itt and other kooky characters.

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AINBO: SPIRIT OF THE AMAZON Official Trailer

AINBO: Spirit of the Amazon

A girl was born and grew up in the deepest jungle of the Amazon, Colonia, that rests on the back of the most powerful Mother Spirit in the Amazon, Turtle Motelo Mama. One day she discovers that her homeland is being threatened and realizes that there are other humans in the world besides her people. As she fights to save her paradise against the greed and exploitation of children, logging, and illegal mining, she begins to struggle to reverse this destruction and impending evil of the Yucuruna, the darkness that lives in the Amazon. Guided by her mother's spirit, Ainbo is determined to save her land and save her people before it's too late.

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Clifford the Big Red Dog = Official Trailer

Clifford The Big Red Dog

When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a giant ten-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom (Sienna Guillory) is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) set out on an adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple. Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big!

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Kid Cosmic Season 2 Trailer

KID COSMIC - Season 2

Jo learns what it means to be a true leader as the Local Heroes embark on a space adventure to find the remaining Stones of Power and save the galaxy. Season 2 of Kid Cosmic is available on NETFLIX September 7!

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Sing 2 - Official Trailer

SING 2

This holiday season, the new chapter in Illumination’s smash animated franchise arrives with big dreams and spectacular hit songs as the ever-optimistic koala, Buster Moon, and his all-star cast of performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage extravaganza yet …all in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There’s just one hitch: They first have to persuade the world’s most reclusive rock star—played by global music icon Bono, in his animated film debut—to join them.

Buster (Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey) has turned the New Moon Theater into a local hit, but Buster has his eyes on a bigger prize: Debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City.

But with no connections, Buster and his cast—including harried mother pig Rosita (Oscar® winner Reese Witherspoon), rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), earnest gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly) and, of course, porcine provocateur Gunter (Nick Kroll)—have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by ruthless mogul wolf Jimmy Crystal (Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale).

In a desperate attempt to get Mr. Crystal’s attention, Gunter spontaneously pitches an outrageous idea that Buster quickly runs with, promising that their new show will star lion rock legend Clay Calloway (Bono). Problem is, Buster has never met Clay, an artist who shut himself away from the world more than a decade ago after the loss of his wife. Even worse, Buster has failed to realize that Mr. Crystal is an egocentric gangster who would rather drop somebody off the roof of a building than be lied to.

As Gunter helps Buster dream up an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece, and the pressure (and sinister threats) from Mr. Crystal mount, Rosita’s leading role in the show gets ripped away and handed to Mr. Crystal’s spoiled daughter, Porsha, played by Grammy-nominated artist Halsey. Desperate to save the show, and his life, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and persuade him to return to the stage.

What begins as a dream of big-time success becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Sing 2 is written and directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Garth Jennings and features additional new characters played by music superstar Pharrell Williams, Black Panther’s Letitia Wright and comedians Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti.

The film is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Janet Healy. Sing 2 combines dozens of classic rock and pop hit songs, electrifying performances, breathtaking artistry and Illumination’s signature humor and heart into the definitive feel-good cinematic event of the year.

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Whatever Happened to TRON Uprising?

The Rise and Fall of TRON Uprising

Can you believe an arcade game spawned a movie which spawned a sequel which spawned one of the best cartoons to ever be made (literally) and then have it be cancelled because people were sleeping on how good this show was?

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Love of Kill: Koroshi Ai - Teaser Trailer

Love of Kill: Koroshi Ai

"Love of Kill" also known as "Koroshi Ai" is a TV anime adaptation based on a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fe (serialized in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Gene / published by KADOKAWA). The anime series is set to premiere in 2022!

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▪ SYNOPSIS
At a certain "workplace," two assassins faced off. Chateau - a cool bounty hunter, and Ryang-Ha, a mysterious and powerful figure. After this encounter, Chateau and Ryang-Ha should have been enemies—at least, they should have—but Ryang-Ha develops a fondness to Chateau and begins following her throughout. Chateau gradually forms a trade agreement with Ryang-Ha, entangling her in the fight against the organizations seeking to tear him down. Furthermore, that conflict is linked to her past. Why Ryang-Ha approached Chateau. What is the background of Chateau? What is Ryang-Ha's true motive?

A complicated "Assassin X Assassin" thriller is woven together by two mismatched assassins. And gears of destiny that links them both starts to turn...

Marvel’s ARMOR WARS

ARMOR WARS

[Source: Nerdist News] In December 2020, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the upcoming Phase 4 slate at the Disney Investors Day. As part of that slate, two projects with links to the late Tony Stark received series orders. Those projects, Iron Heart and Armor Wars, will premiere on Disney+ in 2022.

Marvel is famous for secrecy, and the upcoming Disney+ titles are no exception to the rule. The series will focus on Tony Stark’s best friend, James Rhodes, aka War Machine. Don Cheadle is onboard to continue as Rhodey.

Phil Tippett’s MAD GOD

Phil Tippett’s MAD GOD
Is a Stop-Motion Nightmare 30 Years in the Making

[Source: Yahoo! News] The art of stop-motion animation has largely fallen by the wayside. Unless it’s Laika or Aardman, 3D CGI has become and remains the dominant force in both animated film and special effects. The onset of digital effects hit its first pinnacle with 1993’s Jurassic Park, which rightfully won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Famously, Phil Tippett, one of the four artists who shared that win, came away from the experience knowing CG would be the future; stop-motion was a relic of the past. Through some urging, however, Tippett was compelled to work on his stop-motion opus Mad God over a period of 30+ years. It’s a complete work now, and it’s something of a grotesque masterpiece.

ippett shot the initial pieces of Mad God in the late-80s, but didn’t really pick up steam on it until the mid-2000s when he would launch a Kickstarter to fund the project. Eventually, he released three short pieces of Mad God. These shorts encompass about half of the finished film. That 82-minute feature is making its way around the festival circuit; the 2021 edition of the Fantasia Film Festival is where I gleefully sat down to watch it. The trailer was evocative, but the finished piece is a haunting, gory, episodic journey through one of the most upsetting post-apocalyptic landscapes ever put to film.

The film has no dialogue, save some indistinct muttering, but I think talk would get in the way. The story, as such, follows an “assassin” (their distinction in the festival notes), a figure clad in a steampunk-esque WWI soldier outfit; gasmask, metal helmet, trench coat, jackboots. At the start of the picture, this assassin descends from some other plane via a modified diving bell. He lands into a war-torn dystopia of crumbling skyscrapers, large cannons, and long-decayed bodies. What exactly this character is looking for is never specified. We can assume, via later events, that this is some kind of scouting mission.

The assassin traverses different gorgeous and elaborate vistas and encountering all manner of disgusting beasts and pitiful once-human husks. These husks seem to do the manual labor for whatever mad god is in charge, but lack the wherewithal to get out of the way of steamrollers and flying objects. Eventually, the assassin makes his way up an enormous, spiraling tower where a mad scientist and his nurse do horrifying experiments and create screaming infant abominations that make Eraserhead look tame.

Mad God is a staggering work. You can see the time and effort of Tippett and his team in every frame. You can also see how and where he had to cut corners. While the bulk of the movie is stop-motion, or at least uses standard puppetry, a few of the characters are just human actors. Most notably, filmmaker Alex Cox portrays a sharp-fingered puppet-master of sorts who ultimately sends the assassin on his mission. Given the abrupt change, it’s amazing Tippett was able to make it all work as a cohesive piece.

If there’s any criticism to be levied at Mad God, it’s that the narrative is so slight as to be more a suggestion. While we have the assassin to follow for most of the movie, he’s hardly a hero, allowing through inaction the suffering of various poor monsters. The scenes unfold as vignettes and you can certainly feel the start-stop nature of the production. These are minor, I have to say, given the depth and detail of what we see on screen. And chiefly Tippett isn’t interested in plot; he’s showing us a nightmare come to life, the aftermath of a world which man has destroyed and God has decided to smite.

Mad God is worth watching for fans of real, tactile animation, and those who want to see something like a gruesome mash-up of Jan Švankmajer and Richard Corben. Tippett’s dogged devotion to this project is worthy of merit alone, but that it’s so stunning makes it more than rousing success.

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Memories of AnimeCon '91

MEMORIES of ANIMECON '91

AnimeCon, held in San Jose, California in 1991, was the fourth anime convention created in the United States, the first convention to have major backing from the anime industry, the first anime-specific convention within the state of California (which spawned many similar conventions thereafter), and the first anime-specific convention in the US to break 1,000 attendees. It also formed the genesis of Anime Expo (currently the largest anime-specific convention in North America).

Guests included Jerry Beck, Colleen Doran, Geoff Everets, Carl Macek, Ken Macklin, Johji Manabe, Leiji Matsumoto, Luke Menichelli, Haruhiko Mikimoto, Robert Napton, John O'Donnell, Toshio Okada, Katsuhiro Otomo, David Riddick, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Toren Smith, Kenichi Sonoda, Rick Sternbach, Jeff Thompson, Adam Warren, Robert Woodhead, Trish Ledoux and Toshifumi Yoshida.

AnimeCon '91 was my FIRST real anime convention in the United States, and one of the BEST conventions I have ever been to. Being the first of its kind meant attendance numbers were really low, about 1000 fans showed up. But that meant having more personal time and interaction with the Japanese guests. Imagine walking the halls of the San Jose Red Lion Inn and seeing a Japanese artist sitting alone at a table in the middle of a hallway drawing free sketches for anyone who stopped by. I met with one artist who was drawing random characters on regular 8-1/2" x 11" sheets of paper. He was using a fine tipped Sharpie, and he would sketch anything you wanted. At that time, I really didn't know who each of the Japanese guests were. They had no name tags or signs identifying them. They just drew. The artist asked me in Japanese what I wanted him to draw. I didn't want to be impolite because I didn't recognize him, so I just asked for anything. He gave me a sketch of King the Lion from Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water, which at that time was my favorite anime. It wasn't until later that I found out that his name was Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the character designer for Nadia. That was awesome! I wish I knew who he was before. I would have asked for a sketch of Nadia herself. I went beck to the table some time later, but he wasn't there anymore. Someone else was there. I didn't know who he was either. He gave me a sketch of a chibi-version of Space Battleship Yamato. I found it amusing and he chuckled. I discovered later his name was Hideaki Anno, the creator of Evangelion and Nadia. Best anime convention experience ever!

- anim8trix

Netflix's Live-Action Cowboy Bebop

Netflix's Live-Action Cowboy Bebop
Premieres November 19, 2021

[Source: Anime News Network] Netflix announced on Monday that its live-action adaptation of Sunrise's Cowboy Bebop anime will premiere on November 19. The company posted photos of the cast members as their characters: (seen above from left to right) John Cho as Spike, Mustafa Shakir as Jet, and Daniella Pineda as Faye. 

Netflix describes its Cowboy Bebop series:

Based on the worldwide phenomenon from Sunrise Inc., Cowboy Bebop is the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and Radical Ed: a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts as they hunt down the solar system's most dangerous criminals. They'll even save the world… for the right price.

The series stars John Cho as Spike, Mustafa Shakir as Jet, Daniella Pineda as Faye, Alex Hassell as Vicious, and Elena Satine as Julia.

The cast also includes:

• Geoff Stults as Chalmers, Jet's ex-partner
• Tamara Tunie as Ana, Martian club owner
• Mason Alexander Park as Gren, Ana's right hand person
• Rachel House as Mao, White Tigers Capo
• Ann Truong as Shin, one of Vicious' twin henchmen
• Hoa Xuande as Lin, one of Vicious' twin henchmen

Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop anime's composer) is composing the live-action series. 

Pineda had revealed on Instagram in March that the live-action series had finished filming the first season.

Netflix posted a "Behind the Scenes" video on October 2019 to mark the start of production. The production on the first season was on hold in New Zealand after lead actor John Cho's on-set knee injury in October 2019, followed by a shutdown due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In July 2020, New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment began allowing the series' crew to enter the country for filming in the next six months, even as most countries are still dealing with COVID-19.

Writer and executive producer Jeff Pinkner teased in April 2020 that the show's staff is planning a second season. Pinker said that the project's one-hour episode length allows them to "really tell stories set in that world in a way that hopefully will not only delight the fans of anime but expose a whole bunch of new people to the world of Cowboy Bebop, the awesome work of Yoko Kanno."

The series is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with Netflix handling physical production. Tomorrow Studios is a partnership between producer Marty Adelstein (Prison Break, Teen Wolf, producer for the live-action One Piece project) and ITV Studios. Shinichiro Watanabe, the original anime's director, is serving as consultant for the project. Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio are credited as showrunners and executive producers.

Tomorrow Studios' Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements; Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki, and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise (the studio that animated the original series); and Tetsu Fujimura and Matthew Weinberg are also credited as executive producers. Chris Yost (Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok) is writing the series, and is credited as executive producer.

The original anime series follows the motley crew of the spaceship Bebop as it travels throughout the solar system in search of the next job. The anime inspired Cowboy Bebop: The Movie in 2001. Funimation released the series on Blu-ray and DVD in North America in 2014, and screened the film in the United States in 2018, the 20th anniversary of the original series.

"See you soon, Space Cowboy!"

MAYA and the THREE - Coming to Netflix

MAYA and the THREE

In a mythical world, where magic is real and four kingdoms rule, there lives a brave and rebellious warrior princess named Maya. Maya embarks on a thrilling quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy but can she defeat the gods and save humankind? 

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From creator Jorge R. Gutiérrez (“El Tigre”, “The Book of Life”) MAYA AND THE THREE is an epic Netflix Animated Event told in nine epic chapters. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Gabriel Iglesias, Allen Maldonado, Stephanie Beatriz, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Alfred Molina, Kate del Castillo, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Sandra Equihua, Isabela Merced, Chelsea Rendon, Joaquín Cosío, Carlos Alazraqui, and Rita Moreno.

Only on NETFLIX this fall.

DYNAMO DREAM - Episode 1: Salad Mug

D  Y  N  A  M  O     D  R  E  A  M
Episode 1: Salad Mug

This sci-fi movie is made using the free 3D software known as Blander. Step into a fantastic futuristic dystopia as we follow a young woman as she tries to live her humble life by selling fresh vegetables on the street. Her chance encounter with a would-be assassin propels her to a meeting with some very powerful people who are able to grant her a simple wish...

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Anime Viewing Schedule for August 28, 2021

 

 A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
Saturday, August 28, 2021

Fountaindale Public Library

VIEWING SCHEDULE

          11:15 - 12:05   Jujutsu Kaisen 11-12
          12:05 - 12:30   Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 11

          12:30 - 12:55   Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles 1

          12:55 - 1:30     Club Meeting

          1:30 - 2:20       Kemono Jihen 9-10
          2:20 - 4:50       Evangelion 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time

"Start the Meeting! I'm on my way!"

 
Fountaindale Public Library
300 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440

Meeting Room A, First Floor 

In accordance with the CDC and state of Illinois

guidance, if you are fully vaccinated,

face coverings are optional. 

From 11:15 AM to 5:00 PM

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.

 

Don't miss the exciting anime series: Kemono Jihen and Mushoku Tensei

* ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW *

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME OFFICIAL TRAILER

SPIDER-MAN: No Way Home

Here's the brand new trailer for Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" arriving in theatres December 17, 2021. Following the events of the previous film in which his identity was exposed at the hands of Mysterio, Peter Parker's life and his reputation is turned upside down. Seeking help from Doctor Strange to try and fix everything, things soon become much more dangerous and Parker must find what it really means to be Spider-Man.

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Disney TV Animation: 'Amphibia' & 'Owl House'

Comic-Con covers the Future of
'Amphibia' & 'The Owl House'

The creative teams of Disney Channel's Amphibia and The Owl House share what's coming up and present an exclusive crossover with a table read from stars of each series. Creators/executive producers Matt Braly (Amphibia) and Dana Terrace (The Owl House) and art director Ricky Cometa (The Owl House) will be joined on the panel by Amphibia stars Brenda Song (Anne Boonchuy), Justin Felbinger (Sprig Plantar), Bill Farmer (Hopadiah Plantar–HP), Amanda Leighton (Polly Plantar) and The Owl House stars Wendie Malick (Eda), Sarah-Nicole Robles (Luz), and Mae Whitman (Amity). Moderated by Doug Bensimon, executive director, current series, Disney Television Animation (TVA), TVA will also offer fans a sneak peek of upcoming new series at the top of the panel, so be sure to tune in early!

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Next Club Meeting is August 28, 2021

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K

"We're summoning some really awesome anime!"

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 28, 2021

11:15 AM - 5:00 PM

PLEASE READ

 

We will be in the large MEETING ROOM A on the

First Floor. The maximum number of people

allowed in the room is TEN, so please 

arrive early to claim your seat. 

 

In accordance with the CDC and state of Illinois guidance, if you are fully vaccinated, face coverings are optional.  

 

THANK YOU!

Hope to see everyone there!

 

A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.

 

Hope to see you all there!

(Click below for maps)

ETERNALS - Final Trailer

E  T  E  R  N  A  L  S

Eternals is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Chloé Zhao, who wrote the screenplay with Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo. It stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. In the film, the Eternals, an immortal alien race, emerge from hiding after thousands of years to protect Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. 

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He-Man & Masters of the Universe NEW SERIES

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Yet, Another NEW SERIES only on NETFLIX

September 16, 2021

He-Man and his powerful friends learn what it means to be a hero while battling the evil forces of Skeletor and his minions. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is the second of two series based on the He-Man property in the works from Netflix. The first, announced in August 2020, is the anime series Masters of the Universe: Revelation, helmed by Kevin Smith and animated by Powerhouse Animation. While Revelation serves as a sequel series to the original cartoon, the new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a reboot, featuring familiar characters and themes with new designs. Another contrast is the animation styles of the two series, as Revelation is traditional where He-Man is 3D.

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