Next Club Meeting: April 20, 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.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

STORKS the Animated Movie

S  T  O  R  K  S
Storks deliver babies… or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for global internet giant Cornerstore.com. Junior, the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

J.K. Rowling's American School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Origins of Ilvermorny School of Magic
[Source: blastr] Ahead of the premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in November, J.K. Rowling has released a short story revealing the origins of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry featured in the Harry Potter movie prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, set in the Roaring '20s, decades before the story of the Boy Who Lived.

The new tale is also accompanied by a quiz that will sort out Harry Potter fans into the school’s houses (Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Tunderbird and Wampus -- such fun!) and by this gorgeous animated trailer that tells the tale of Ilvermorny’s founding by a young Irish woman named Isolt Sayre back in the 17th century.

Following the death of her parents, and after much suffering at the hands of her evil aunt, Isolt stole her magic wand and fled to the New World aboard the Mayflower disguised as a Muggle boy named Elias Story. While there, she discovers a whole new magical world and fantastical creatures.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The Girl With All The Gifts

 
The new trailer for The Girl With All The Gifts, directed by Colm McCarthy and starring Sennia Nanua, Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Paddy Considine. Coming soon.

The near future; humanity has been all but destroyed by a mutated fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns its victims into flesh-eating “hungries”. Only a small group of children seem immune to its effects.

At an army base in rural England, this group of unique children are being studied, subjected to cruel experiments by biologist Dr. Caldwell. Despite having been infected with the zombie pathogen that has decimated the world, these children retain normal thoughts and emotions. And while still being subject to the craving for human flesh that marks the disease these second- generation “hungries” are able to think and feel making them a vital resource in the search for a cure.

The children attend school lessons daily, guarded by the ever watchful Sergeant Parks. But one little girl, Melanie, stands out from the rest. Melanie is special. She excels in the classroom, is inquisitive, imaginative and loves her favourite teacher Miss Justineau.

When the base falls, Melanie escapes along with Miss Justineau, Sergeant Parks and Dr. Caldwell. Against the backdrop of a blighted Britain, Melanie must discover what she is and ultimately decide both her own future and that of the human race.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Transformers: Combiner Wars Animated Series

TRANSFORMERS: COMBINER WARS
[Source: ScreenRant] The universe of the Transformers franchise can be hard for even the most devoted fan to keep track of since it contains multiple animated series, comics and now feature films – each with multiple canons and continuities – spanning several decades where characters exchange names, bodies and personalities as often as new toys can be produced… and sometimes more than that. Case in point: Hasbro’s most recent big Transformers toy line, the nostalgia-focused “Combiner Wars,” features a new spin on the “gestalt-robot” characters from the original 80s series in an entirely new context.

Now, a new online animated series has been announced, which will give the Combiner Wars robots a new story of their own.

ComicBook.com is reporting the new series will be produced by Hasbro and Machinima and will debut online, reportedly aimed at older collectors and fans as opposed to the youth-focused Transformers cartoons that have recently appeared on broadcast television. Much of the storyline is being held for broadcast, early looks have indicated a retro cell-shaded art style similar to the recent Transformers: Devastation video games and a potentially prominent role for Windblade, a female Autobot “fan built” by a series of Hasbro online polls in 2013.

Take a look at the first images from Transformers: Combiner Wars via Collider:
Launched in 2015 to much fanfare from the Transformers collector-community, the Combiner Wars line is focused on “team” characters like The Constructicons, Aerialbots, Terracons and others. These were typically “themed” sets of vehicles (construction equipment, military, police/medical) that combined to form a larger robot Voltron-style. Along with featuring more detailed, sturdier models than the original variations, the Combiner Wars figures also allow for the mixing and matching of parts between different gestalt-mode combinations.

Though the series is expected to follow the same “Generation 1″-callback aesthetic as the toy line (early screenshots show Starscream looking essentially identical to a cell-shaded version of his 1980s cartoon self), the storyline is not explicitly connected to a specific prior continuity – instead it’s being framed as a pseudo-sequel to a hypothetical alternate G1 setup with the Autobots and Decepticons returning to Cybertron following the “Great Earth War.” Optimus Prime and Megatron are (thus far) referred to in the past-tense, with the main plot involving an “uneasy peace” being threatened by the emergence of a new breed of Transformer – presumably the Combiners themselves.

A four-part prequel series, “Prelude to Combiner Wars,” will air on YouTube beginning June 28th, which will be followed by Transformers: Combiner Wars hitting August 2nd. The live-action Transformers: The Last Knight remains scheduled for theaters June 23rd, 2017.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

New trailer for director Tim Burton’s next opus

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable motion picture experience. When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.
In movie theaters September 30, 2016

Saturday, June 25, 2016

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Step into a world of discovery, exploration and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning open-air adventure.

Friday, June 24, 2016

New Images of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

R O G U E   O N E
Earlier this week, we got character info on most of the cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story along with confirmation that Darth Vader would be returning to the Star Wars series. Today, EW has released several images from the film, which provide a closeup on the new characters.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Hideo Kojima's new video game: Death Stranding

D E A T H   S T R A N D I N G
[Source: blastr] After his very public split from Konami, and the death of his high-profile Guillermo del Toro collaboration Silent Hills, Hideo Kojima is back in action with one of the strangest projects to hit E3.
 
The Metal Gear Solid creator chatted with Wired about his new project Death Stranding, which stars Walking Dead alum Norman Reedus. The actor was originally supposed to star in Silent Hills, and Kojima said he was attracted to using Reedus in this project because he became comfortable with the beloved zombie killer.
 
As for Death Stranding, the trailer showed a naked Reedus on a beach, along with a disappearing oil slick baby and some freaky crabs and whales. Apart from that … nothing really made all that much sense. Kojima told Wired he’s trying to break genres with the project, looking at the things that tie people together and push them apart.
 
Here’s an excerpt from his comments:
 
“You can see the crabs, the whales, all things, they all have these umbilical cables. Norman, as he stands up. It’s a very important part, this connection. That’s the keyword. What people are playing today in open-world action games, or linear action games, it will compare naturally to them. It will feel familiar. But after an hour or two of playing, you will start to feel something different, something new that you haven’t played. The story is about connections, what you call ‘strands’ in psychology—how people are connected...
 
There’s an author that I’m a huge fan of named Kōbō Abe. Among his work is a novel called The Rope. He mentions that the first tool that humanity invented was the stick, to keep away bad things. Right now, looking at today’s online games, you see a lot of sticks—pistols, weapons, things that are the equivalent of the first tool. Abe, in his novel, mentions that after the stick, mankind invented something that keeps things that are important close to you—the rope. In Death Stranding, there will be the equivalent of sticks. But also, I want to tie people together with the equivalent of ropes.”
 
The game looks to be one of the strangest tentpole releases in years, and it's great to see someone like Kojima take advantage of his success to try something truly unique.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Future STAR WARS Games Revealed at E3

STAR WARS: A Look Ahead
Take a look at what’s going on with some of the amazing Star Wars projects our teams at EA are working on now, including DICE, BioWare, Motive, Visceral Games, Capital Games and our partners at Respawn Entertainment. These experiences will explore different Star Wars eras in different gaming genres on different platforms. Star Wars™ Battlefront™ is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Batman VS Joker Stop Motion


B A T M A N   vs   J O K E R
By Counter656. My new stop motion video with SHF Batman vs Joker, after a short fight, there will be a new friend joining the battle;this video took me 20 days of production time and nearly 3500 pictures.

Monday, June 20, 2016

New MOANA Trailer

Disney's   M @ A N A
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why.

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Titanfall 2 Official Single Player Gameplay Trailer


T I T A N F A L L   2
Pilot and Titan unite as never before in Respawn Entertainment’s highly anticipated Titanfall® 2. Featuring a crafted single player campaign that explores the unique bond between man and machine, players will step on to The Frontier as a Militia rifleman with aspirations of becoming a Pilot. Stranded behind IMC enemy lines, and against overwhelming odds, you must team up with a veteran Vanguard-class Titan and uphold a mission you were never meant to carry out.

In multiplayer, Titanfall 2 delivers best-in-class shooter gameplay backed by more depth and variety including new Titans – each with their own unique abilities, a deeper set of Pilot abilities, an expanded arsenal of weapons, more customization options, and a robust progression system.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Godzilla: Resurgence Will Be A Reboot

Japan will get their first taste of the
King of Monsters in Godzilla Resurgence
Toho has made it official: Godzilla: Resurgence will be a reboot. It will not be a sequel to any previous Godzilla films. The upcoming film will tell “…a story in which Godzilla appears in Japan for the first time.“ That means the actors can’t reference old Godzilla movies, like the 1954 classic that started it all.

This will be the third time in the Godzilla franchise that the creature has attacked Japan “for the first time.” The monster had an origin story in Godzilla 2000.

Shin-Gojira, as the iconic creature’s film will be titled in Japan, is going to be the largest Godzilla in record.

The cast includes Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Rando Yaguchi, and Ren Osugi. 
Godzilla: Resurgence will hit theaters in Japan on July 29th. 

"Japan vs. Godzilla," round one. The official theatrical trailer for Godzilla Resurgence shows a nation preparing for attack, as the strings of the soundtrack swell into an emotional theme that evokes the national pride and mourning of recent all-too-real terroristic attacks.

Godzilla Resurgence, which will be called Shin Gojira in Japan, is directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi.

The Godzilla design was created by Mahiro Maeda (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Animatrix) and Takayuki Takeya (Kamen Rider Drive, Attack on Titan). The based the designs on the concepts by Maeda and Anno.
 
Godzilla Resurgance stars Hiroki Hasegawa (Attack on Titan), Yutaka Takenouchi (Hoshi no Kinka) and Satomi Ishihara (Attack on Titan, Pokémon the Movie).

Godzilla isn’t quite ready for his close-up, but he’s showing off a toothy grin in the latest leaked photos from the set of Toho’s upcoming Godzilla Resurgence movie.

Low resolution images of private photos that were taken at Toho Studios were uploaded to Twitter and Facebook this morning. The shots feature the "monster suit" at the center of the new Godzilla movie. 
Toho released their first teaser trailer for Godzilla: Resurgence in October.

Don’t panic. Tokyo id experiencing Godzilla-related turbulence. News footage shows the population running for their lives. But this is not a terror attack and it is not a drill. It is the new trailer for the upcoming film Godzilla: Resurgence from Toho. The new trailer doesn't show the oversized kimono dragon, but we hear it.

The upcoming Godzilla: Resurgence will be the first Godzilla film by Toho since 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars. That movie wasn’t final enough. What started as a science fiction allegory of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has become an unstoppable cinematic force.
Toho also released the first poster for the upcoming thriller.
Besides the teaser trailer and the poster, Japanese rock band Katokutai also uploaded what looks like an offiical music video for the new Godzilla movie to their YouTube page. The poster imagines Katokutai as oversized mutant rockers treating the city like their own personal concert stage. 

Godzilla Resurgence is co-directed by the screenwriter, Hideaki Anno, who made Evangelion, and Shinji Higuchi, who brought us Attack on Titan, who helmed the special effects.

Production on the 29th Godzilla movie took place over the summer.

Toho will unleash Godzilla: Resurgence on theaters on July 29, 2016.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Anime Viewing Schedule for June 18, 2016

Saturday, June 18, 2016
Wood Dale Public Library
"Power up! And find your way to the anime club!"
Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm

10:15 - 11:05    Flying Witch eps 4-5
11:05 - 11:55    Macross Delta ep 2-3
11:55 - 12:45    Noragami Aragoto 10-11
12:45 - 1:35      Joker Game 1-2
1:35 - 2:15        Club Meeting / Announcements
2:15 - 3:05        Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress 5-6
3:05 - 3:55        Bungo Stray Dogs 1-2
3:55 - 4:45        Kiznaiver 1-2

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.
 
Start watching the exciting new anime series: Noragami Aragoto and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress!
ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Destiny's next expansion campaign

DESTINY: RISE OF IRON
Destiny: Rise of Iron is the next expansion to the Destiny universe. It features an all new cinematic story campaign set within The Plaguelands, a brand new location on Earth along with new weapons, armor, gear along and a six-player cooperative raid.

Destiny: Rise of Iron launches September 20th, 2016. Requires Destiny game and The Taken King (includes Expansions I & II). Sold separately.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Voice of Judy Jetson dies at age 96

JANET MARIE WALDO
(February 4, 1920 – June 12, 2016)
Voice actress Janet Waldo, best known for playing The Jetsons‘ far-out daughter Judy from 1962 to 1987, had died. She was 96.

Waldo’s daughter tells ABC News that her mother was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor five years ago.

Though Waldo is best-recognized as the voice of Judy, she brought dozens of cartoon characters to life during her career, which spanned from 1938 to 2000. Waldo also provided the voices of Josie and the Pussycats‘ Josie (1970-1972), Wacky Races‘ Penelope Pitstop (1968–1970), The Addams Family‘s Morticia (1973) and The Smurfs‘ Hogatha (1981–1989), to name just a few.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Sunday, June 12, 2016

New Berserk TV Anime's Teaser Video

B  E  R  S  E  R  K
The official website of the new Berserk television anime series began streaming the anime's teaser promotional video on Friday. The video previews 9mm Parabellum Bullet's opening theme song "Inferno."

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Next Club Meeting is June 18, 2016

 A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
"Don't let it sneak up on you..."
"The countdown is on... to the next club meeting!"

Wood Dale Public Library
520 N. Wood Dale Road
Wood Dale, IL  60191
Main Meeting Room
Saturday, June 18, 2016
10:15 AM - 5:00 PM
 

Our next club meeting will be at the Wood Dale Public Library
Main Meeting Room (on your far right as you enter the front doors), 
from 10:15 AM to 5:00 PM 
(until the library closes).

There is public transportation available. 
A Metra train-stop is located within walking distance. 

Please note: If you are driving, please park your car 
on the south side of the building (not the front) in order to 
make room for other library patrons.
 
A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.
 
Hope to see you all there!

(Click below for maps