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“Star Wars: In Concert” Tour Returns to North America!

Star Wars: In Concert, the unique multi-media event featuring music from all six of John Williams’ epic Star Wars scores has returned to North America! This return kicked off on May 13, 2010 in Ft. Myers, Florida, the start of a 40-city leg of the worldwide tour that will include dates in the United States, Mexico and Canada. This leg concludes in London, Ontario on July 25. Over 350,000 Americans attended Star Wars: In Concert during its three-month inaugural 47-city North American tour last year, which Pollstar rated as the 9th biggest tour of 2009 in January.

Star Wars: In Concert also plays Orlando, Memphis, Baton Rouge, Bossier City (Louisiana), Wichita, El Paso, Tucson, San Diego, Las Vegas, Ontario (California), Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Fresno, Spokane, Nampa (Idaho), Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Regina, Green Bay, Des Moines, Moline, Madison, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Grand Rapids, Ft. Wayne, Washington DC, Raleigh, Uncaseville (Connecticut), and Hamilton (Ontario).

The tour returns to North America following a month in Europe with stops in Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Milan, Antwerp, Hamburg and the O2 Arena in London, where it began one year ago.

With live narration by Anthony Daniels (the actor who portrayed C-3PO in all six films), the production features a full symphony orchestra and choir, accompanied by specially edited footage from the films displayed on a three-story-tall, high-definition LED super-screen — one of the largest ever put on tour. The footage actually runs in sync with the live music to create a full multi-media, one-of-kind Star Wars experience.

“We’ve taken the key themes from the music and cut together all the images that fit with each theme, so you can really get a sense of how the music played into the images,” said George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Saga. “The whole soundtrack is a testament to John Williams’ creativity and his extraordinary ability to enhance the emotional aspects of the films.”

“Creating the music for the Star Wars films has been an exciting and wonderful experience for me, and I therefore have derived particular pleasure in assembling a compendium of themes from all of the films to be presented in Star Wars: In Concert,” said Williams. “The editors at Lucasfilm have created original film montages to accompany each of the musical selections, and in the process, I believe that a singular and unique Star Wars experience has been born.”

“This event has been crafted to present Star Wars from many points of view; for the first time, the full dramatic sweep of Williams’ iconic scores can be heard performed live in one evening,” said Another Planet Touring Producer Spencer Churchill. “The show is a new way of experiencing the epic scope of the saga.”

Accompanying the concert is an exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props, artifacts, production artwork and specially created behind-the-scenes videos from the Lucasfilm Archives. Many of these pieces are leaving Skywalker Ranch for the first time ever. The exhibit features many classic fan favorite artifacts, as well as several new and never-before-seen items, including:

Full costumes for Jedi Masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon will be on display.
For the first time ever, pages from John Williams’ original hand-written sheet music for Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace will be exhibited for the public.
Also on display will be various never-before-seen props from the films, including blasters and helmets from Coruscant, Tatooine and other iconic Star Wars locations.

For more information, please visit StarWarsInConcert.com.

What the critics are saying:

“Star Wars: In Concert is more a multi-media, sensory overload extravaganza, than a mere concert… the crowd was stoked from the get-go. Host Anthony Daniels had the crowd in the palm of his hand.” — Timothy Mangan, The Orange County Register

“Dazzling! It gives the audience a new way of experiencing the story, bringing cheers and a standing ovation from the audience.” — Scott Iwasaki, The Salt Lake City Deseret News

“The biggest revelation was John Williams’ still stirring, romantically inspired, emotionally satisfying, compelling and exciting score — one simple story, well told, elevated by the dynamic symphonic music that revolutionized the way films are scored.” — David Burger, Salt Lake City Tribune

“A 90-minute laser streaked, crashing-cymbals, living color extravaganza, made and approved by its originators.” — John Timpane, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Star Wars: In Concert is produced by Another Planet Touring in association with Lucasfilm Ltd. The production is directed and designed by Steve Cohen. Star Wars: In Concert had its world premiere at the O2 Arena in London on April 10 and 11, 2009.

Weta Product Update: NEW “District 9” Miniature Gun

from Weta:

District 9 Miniature Guns range!
We promised — and we delivered! Awesome, solid metal, incredibly detailed and of course straight from the clutches of the Weta people who made the full size guns for the District 9 movie. First out the the Assault Rifle. The full scale Arc Generator gun sold out in only 4 days, so don’t wait too long before you order. (Did we tell you that you can still put your name on the waiting list for the Arc Generator?) We also have very cool postcards and embroidered patches available. They make great presents for the District 9 fan. Even if it’s you.

US$150 off Weta Legs… but not for long!!
We launched Weta Legs a few weeks ago to a very warm-hearted reception. Now we’re celebrating by offering an Early-bird discount of US$150. If you are a performer, costumer or just want to change into a new creature, then Weta Legs will help you take your creativity to a whole new level (literally!) Order your Weta Legs by 25 May. The YouTube video has already been viewed over 30,000 times in the last 3 weeks. Our good friend Meredith Yayanos will be showing them off at the Bay Area Maker’s Faire on 22-23 May in the US. These are the first digitigrade legs ever made available for the public. Here’s what Coilhouse Magazine had to say about them.

More pendants in stock!
After we announced these last week, we’ve had to order a whole new batch of pendants as they were snuffled up. Choose between the Gandalf Rune, Arwen’s Coronation Crown and The White Tree of Gondor. They make an excellent gift in their soft leather pouches. Get a pendant now.

Comic-Con updates!
San Diego Comic-Con 2010 is approaching fast. Weta will of course be there, cohabiting as usual with our friends at Dark Horse Comics. The planning has already been going on for months in the workshop and there are rumours of BIG things happening. Make sure you read all communications in our email, on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to discuss on the forum on The Shadow and Flame!

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

Check out What’s New for Celebration V This Week

from StarWars.com:

>>INTERCEPTED MESSAGE FROM THE JEDI TEMPLE
>>Begin Encrypted Communication

Special Disney Event
Put on your favorite costume and join your fellow fans for the ultimate Star Wars party, taking place during the ultimate Star Wars party weekend. The “Last Tour to Endor” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a first-of-its-kind entertainment experience so incredible that not even the Rebels’ Bothan spies have been able to steal the top-secret plans! Takes place Saturday, August 14, 2010, 8pm to 1am. The evening culminates with Symphony in the Stars, a Star Wars fireworks spectacular that only Disney can create. BOOK NOW before it sells out, quantities are limited!

New Guests Announced
Actor Jeremy Bulloch, the man behind the infamous mask of Boba Fett, joins the growing list of Celebration V autograph and celebrity guests. Take a look at the latest lineup coming to Star Wars Celebration V and be sure to check back periodically as new announcements are made throughout the next few months! Take a look at the current lineup.

Discounted Travel
Take advantage of discounted hotel and travel deals when you book before July 21 using the Official Star Wars Celebration V Travel Desk! Our priority is to serve you best and provide the lowest possible hotel rates available for your stay, we continually monitor prices offered on other travel websites to get you the best rate. BOOK NOW!

Exclusive T-Shirts On-Sale Now Thru July 25!
Choose from Celebration V Logo T-Shirt (ONLY available for purchase online through July 25 — Don’t wait!) & Boba Fett Jet Ski T-Shirt (available for pre-order and onsite; onsite quantities will be limited). BUY TODAY!

R2-D2 Builders at Celebration V
The Star Wars Celebrations are truly by the fans, for the fans. Few groups are better evidence of this than the R2-D2 Builders’ Group, the worldwide association of fans who build movie-real, fully functioning droids. The Builders are planning another spectacular display at the Orange County Convention Center, featuring countless droids, photo set pieces, and more surprises. They’ll host “How To” panels so fans can learn to construct their own Astromech units. Daily, look for the now-infamous Droid Races in the Celebration Experience Hall.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

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>>900-220.21 Alpha Channel Comm Array Reset

ThinkGeek don’t need no stinkin’ cords, but $10 off is nice

from ThinkGeek:

Dear crazed fanbots,

Yesterday, a bug in Twitter’s system enabled you to force someone to follow you. Thousands of nerds frantically typed “accept feliciaday,” “accept wilw,” “accept neilhimself,” “accept donttrythis,” “accept conanobrien.” Then Twitter turned us all to zeros. We questioned our very worth. Those of you without Twitter questioned our sanity (yet again).

But hey, that’s all behind us now… including our hopes of being followed by Coco. Oh well.

AirVolt Wireless Phone Charger
A ThinkGeek Exclusive!
Introducing our newest exclusive product, the AirVolt Wireless Charger for iPhone. Simply slide your phone into the included receiver case, place it on the power tray, and watch in amazement as your phone charges wirelessly via induction. It works just as quickly as a standard charger and automatically powers off once your phone is completely charged.

Monkey light, monkey bright… first monkey I see tonight…
We know you’ve been wishing for more ThinkGeek stuff, so Timmy is going to make your dream come true! Use the code TORCHPLUS10 to get a free Dr. Timmy’s Micro Hand-Cranked Torch and save $10 off $40 from now through 11:59 pm EDT on Friday, 5/14/10. He’s going to give you a totally steampunk way to convert food to light!

Exclusive Star Wars Goodies Visit Your Galaxy
Just in time for the 30th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back, ThinkGeek has two exclusive Star Wars collectables that will look great next to your Tauntaun Sleeping Bag. Don the C-3PO Bespin Backpack and your friends will think you’ve just rescued an over-talkative droid from the smelter on Cloud City. C-3PO features light-up flickering eyes and has a zippered storage pocket in his torso… plus, if you have an R2 unit and a Wookiee handy, you can even reassemble his parts into a complete robot. Of course if you really hope to impress the Star Wars fangirls you’ll need a roaring fireplace and a Wampa Throw Rug. This abominable snowman from Hoth almost ate Luke for a Jedi snack, but you’ll enjoy cuddling up with him on those damp Dagobah nights. Both of these unique limited-quantity Star Wars goodies ship in late August. Get on the email list now for first availability.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

“Gamera: The Giant Monster” Special Edition Roars onto DVD this May 18

from Shout! Factory:

From Japan — the country that brought us such mythical movie monsters as Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah — storms Gamera, the titanic terrapin feared by adults and loved by children. On May 18, 2010, Shout! Factory will unleash Gamera: The Giant Monster Special Edition on DVD for the first time in its unedited original version, with English subtitles — in anamorphic widescreen from an all-new HD master. The DVD includes a 12-page booklet with an essay by director Noriaki Yuasa, a photo gallery, trailers and more. The collectible Gamera: The Giant Monster Special Edition DVD is priced to own at $19.93.

Like all classic monster movies, it is the folly of man that unleashes a ginormous beast upon the world. This time it is literal fallout from the Cold War — a Soviet bomber is shot down over U.S. airspace in the Arctic Ocean, with the massive radiation from the resultant atomic explosion awakening the ancient, gargantuan Gamera. A long-forgotten legend of the lost continent of Atlantis, the 200-foot-long, fire-eating turtle isn’t in a good mood, and proving impervious to all manmade weapons, the colossal chelonian smashes a cataclysmic swath across the globe. But when he arrives in Tokyo, a small boy forms an odd connection with him, allowing authorities to unleash “Plan Z.”

The classic Gamera was directed by Noriaki Yuasa, who helmed all seven of the original Gamera entries in the Showa era series between 1965 and 1971, and stars Eiji Funakoshi (Fires on the Plain), Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashiko and Jutaro Hojo (Wrath of Daimajin). The subsequent franchise was more kid-friendly (yet ironically bloodier) than Godzilla, who became less menacing and more cuddly himself during the Sixties. The Gamera series was creative in the monstrous nemeses that it pitted against the towering turtle, the most famous being the flying, pointy-headed Gyaos, who was resurrected for the successful trio of movies in the Heisei-era series between 1995 and 1999.

Created by the same company who brought Zatoichi to the screen, Daiei Studios’ titanic terrapin is the only true rival to Toho’s King of the Monsters, able to hold his own at the box office and secure a place in the hearts of kaiju eiga (Japanese monster movie) fans around the world. The original films have woefully been underrepresented on DVD, especially releases featuring the authentic Japanese versions.

Pre-order at Amazon.com:
Gamera: The Giant Monster Special Edition

Or order directly through the Shout! Factory website.

Gamera: The Giant Monster Special Edition is distributed by Shout! Factory.

Weta News!

from Weta:

Come, all ye Satyrs!

Weta wants to see more Centaurs, Satyrs, Demons, Gargoyles, Unicorns, Dragons, Minotaurs and other fantastical creatures roaming the earth! So we just launched Weta Legs with our good friend Kim Graham. If you are a performer, costumer or just want to change into a new creature, then Weta Legs will help you take your creativity to a whole new level (literally!).

The YouTube video has already been viewed 25,000 times in the last 2 weeks. Costume Actor Shane Rangi demonstrated a pair at the Elf Fantasy Fair in Holland on 24-25 April, and our good friend Meredith Yayanos will be showing them off at the Bay Area Maker’s Faire on 22-23 May in the US. These are the first digitigrade legs ever made available for the public. Here’s what Coilhouse Magazine had to say about them.

Now, take advantage of this SPECIAL OFFER! Order your Weta Legs by 25 May and you get an “Early Bird” discount of US$150!

Want to win an all-expenses trip to Weta Workshop in New Zealand?
Join in the digital rendering creativity at Dr. Grordbort’s Raygun Shootout. Entry is free. The challenge for April was to create the most “Futuristic Raygun”. Check out the awesome entries on the Leaderboard. The winners for April will be announced very shortly. There will be new competitions each month up until October. In May, your challenge is to create the finest “Alien Raygun” in the Universe. Get your entries in now. There are monthly prizes and spot prizes from Dr. Grordbort’s. If you are not into rendering you can still vote for your favourite entries. Just register your details, and vote for your favorites on the Leaderboard.

The Lord of the Rings
Middle-earth fans have got a range of new art to choose from:

Keep your own piece of Middle-earth close to your heart with engraved Stone Pendants from the South Island of New Zealand. Their journey began thousands of years ago in the mountains of the Southern Alps. Will they make their way across the globe to your home?

The first 3 of our miniature shields are now shipping from our warehouses in the US, UK and New Zealand. They can be displayed as collectibles or worn as a badge (there is a pin on the back). Stocks in our UK warehouse are already down to very limited numbers, so be quick. A fourth shield is already in production. Which will it be? Have your say on this thread at our fan forum.

Strider’s Sword from the Master Swordsmith’s Collection sold out very quickly. We will be shipping these beautiful works of art out to their 10 lucky owners in May (there are plenty of jealous staff in the Workshop who wish they could afford one!). If you have not yet seen the video on how these blades are crafted, it really is worth taking a look.

The Map of New Zealand as Middle-earth is proving very popular.

Pre-orders for the Bag End Collector’s Edition are racing along. Make sure you don’t miss out before it’s too late.

We will be sending out shipment notices for the Argonath next week. This item has already Sold Out, however you can put your name on the waiting list for cancelled orders by e-mailing us at info@wetaNZ.co.nz.

Please don’t forget if you are ordering 5 or more pieces at once, it pays to send us a note to see if we can reduce your shipping costs by packing them all in one bag.

District 9 fans — Watch Out!
We will be opening pre-orders for an all new D9 collectible in our next newsletter. So get your eyes off the cat food and watch out. The full scale Arc Generator gun sold out in only 4 days, so you don’t want to be late for this one. (You can still put your name on the waiting list for the Arc Generator). The Art of District 9 book is well under away and the design team are doing a terrific job. It’s full of never-seen-before art and tells the story of the design process. We are so excited about launching this book later in the year, we just might have to leak a few glimpses every now and again.

Weta Cave
The Weta Cave in Wellington, New Zealand is nearly 2 years old. We were thrilled to host 100,000 people from all over this world (and a few others) in the last 12 months. It’s a real motivation to all of us at Weta to know that people care enough to travel so far to come and say Hi. Please keep coming and please keep sharing in our obsession for creativity. Recently, we were delighted to host author Robert Rankin from the United Kingdom. We were geeking out about his books and were surprised to find out from his friend “Raygun”, they were both huge Dr. Grordbort’s fans. Huzzah!

We can confirm rumours of Trolls stomping around Wellington airport are true. Weta has a new shopping display at the Discover New Zealand store inside the airport. And yes, of course the trolls do come alive at night time. How else would they stay so well fed?

Dr. Grordbort’s
We are very sorry to advise the Superintendent of Grordborts Industries Misinformation Office has been replaced because of health (death by insect poisoning) reasons. However, on the positive side, we have now discovered where the last remaining live Blue Sacked Pillock was hiding. It has now been skewered through its sack and the new Superintendent is very pleased to announce another Venusian species has officially been made extinct. Our congratulations to the brave gentlemen and literate women at Grordbort Industries for bringing their combined total up to 814 species and counting. There are indications that more bugs are likely to follow in the footsteps of the unfortunate Pillock. Gossip is also rife in the Workshop at the moment. The doors to the paint room have been locked for days on end (luckily — that place stinks of heavy metals and nasty solvents), and the only visitors have been a space man, a well dressed gentleman with over-sized canines and a so called “graffiti artist” with rather loose fitting trouserage covering only the lower halves of his puny buttocks! Could there be more custom painted rayguns on their way? Look out for an imminent propaganda message from Dr. Grordbort’s for more misinformation.

Halo Console Auction
Weta recently created a Halo themed Xbox for our friends at Microsoft, which was auctioned off for charity on eBay. The winning bid was A$10,000. The piece was designed and sculpted by Weta Workshop’s Alex Faulkner. Check out the video! And the full range of Halo collectibles.

Comic-Con is Coming!
San Diego Comic-Con 2010 is only 2 and a half months away. We hope you’ve booked your tickets and will be visiting the Weta team at our booth. More news coming soon…

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

Lucasfilm Ltd. & JibJab Partner to Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of “The Empire Strikes Back”

from StarWars.com:

Available now for the first time ever, people everywhere can cast themselves, family and friends in the classic adventures from “a galaxy far, far away” with playful and irreverent two-minute re-tellings of the original Star Wars films by JibJab. Just visit JibJab.com or StarWars.com/StarringYou to feel the Force as it’s never been possible before — by becoming a part of the Star Wars Saga!

Making a personalized movie with JibJab’s Starring You technology is easy. Users just upload a photo — using a computer, Facebook or a webcam — and use JibJab’s simple tools to insert it into the movies. After watching their movie, users can share the video with friends via email, Facebook and Twitter. Custom versions of the videos are available as Premium Downloads for users who want to save them forever on their computers or watch them on their iPhones.

“What better way to celebrate Empire‘s 30th anniversary than to allow fans to become part of the story,” said Bill Gannon, Director of Digital Media at Lucasfilm Ltd. “JibJab’s inventive technology allows us to experience Star Wars in an all-new way. It’s really a great partnership, and we are thrilled with what they’ve done with the Saga; it’s lots of fun.”

Creating and sharing a personalized version of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is free in commemoration of the fan-favorite installment’s 30th anniversary. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi are available exclusively to JibJab Members. JibJab is a Member-supported company that charges $12 a year for unlimited access to its 1,000+ eCards, Everyday Fun and Starring You videos and pics.

“We aim to deliver a lot more value to our Members than the buck a month it winds up costing them,” said JibJab co-founder Gregg Spiridellis. “Star Wars Starring You is a perfect example of the kinds of amazing, special experiences we’re working hard to bring our Members.”

JibJab was founded in 1999 by brothers Evan and Gregg Spiridellis. In 2004, in a pre-YouTube world, the pair created the smash online hit “This Land” featuring a singing George Bush and John Kerry. Since then, the brothers have built JibJab into a pioneering digital media company powering innovative online entertainment experiences like OfficeMax’s ElfYourself campaign.

Go to StarWars.com/StarringYou to experience the Star Wars Starring You fun for yourself — and share the laughs with your friends!

MAY the 4th Be With You! For 24 Hours Only Take 20% OFF all Star Wars MIMOBOT products!

from Mimoco:

Star Wars MIMOBOT: MAY the 4th Be With You! To commemorate Star Wars Day, take 20% OFF all Star Wars MIMOBOT designer USB flash drives through May 5 at 5PM ET! Order Now!

Introducing “Her Universe”: Fan Goods with a Female Focus

from StarWars.com:

The voices of female Star Wars and science-fiction fans have been heard! Recognizing a need and a desire for merchandise created especially for the female fan, actress Ashley Eckstein — the voice of Ahsoka Tano in the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars — has created Her Universe, a new clothing line featuring fashionable, feminine products for fangirls. Partnering with The Araca Group — a leading production and merchandise company — Eckstein will enter into a multi-year agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-focused Star Wars products, to be made available at conventions throughout the country and via the Her Universe website.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Lucas Licensing to address this dramatically expanding market of Star Wars female fans,” says Eckstein. “After four years of working on The Clone Wars, I have become a huge Star Wars fan and have noticed the rapidly increasing number of women who share my love for George Lucas’ amazing universe. Wanting to give these fans a voice and affirm that they play an important role in the world of Star Wars and science-fiction, we created the Her Universe brand especially for them. As a consumer, I believe that quality and creativity are of the utmost importance and those standards were paramount in my joining forces with The Araca Group.”

“We are thrilled to start Her Universe with Ashley and we look forward to helping bring her vision to life,” said Matthew Rego, principal of The Araca Group. “Moreover, the opportunity to work with Lucas Licensing utilizing the Star Wars catalog of images is thrilling. Our goal is to bring fashion-forward, authentic, quality products to the legion of devoted female Star Wars fans.”

“Ashley is such an enthusiastic emissary of the Star Wars brand, and we are so excited that she’s taken the lead on this exciting new initiative,” said Paul Southern, Lucas Licensing’s Sr. Director of Domestic Licensing and Marketing. “She has her finger on the pulse of what our female fans want to wear.”

Described playfully as “geek chic,” the new Star Wars line from Her Universe will premiere at San Diego Comic-Con’s Star Wars Pavilion in July, and will also be available at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida in August. Fans can also learn more about Her Universe and get updates by going to heruniverse.com and by following Ashley on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

Click here to read an interview with Eckstein about the product line.

Giant Monsters Invade San Francisco

from VIZ Pictures:

NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema welcome the 3rd and latest installment of TokyoScope Talk — War of the Giant Monsters — on Friday, May 7th at 7:00pm. Join Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters author August Ragone, and Japanese film critic Tomohiro Machiyama at the Bay Area’s hottest film venue for a fun and lively discussion on the “kaiju” (monster) movies featuring rare images and clips of Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera and other iconic creatures from classic Japanese sci-fi cinema. General admission tickets are $10.00.

VIZ Cinema invites Bay Area monster fans to a 5-day Kaiju Shakedown: Godzillathon!, running Saturday, May 8th thru Thursday, May 13th. Featured will be rare screenings of the Big G’s 4 most-loved films including Godzilla vs. Hedora (1971), Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). Details and screening times at: vizcinema.com.

Don’t miss a rare chance to see the beauty and enormity of Godzilla in stunning 35mm prints with English subtitles and a premium THX-certified sound system! These events may sell-out. Ticket prices: General Admission: $10.00; Senior & Child: $8.00. Advance tickets on sale at: newpeopleworld.com/films/films-5-2010/#godzillathon.

TokyoScope Talk — War of the Giant Monsters will feature a special raffle giveaway of premium monster collectables including the brand new DVD release from Shout! Factory of Gamera: The Giant Monster (1965). The revered classic features the original Japanese version of the film presented with fresh English subtitles and anamorphic widescreen produced from an all-new HD master created from original vault elements.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass facade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: NewPeopleWorld.com.

“RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!” DVD

RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!

It may seem seasonally inappropriate to be watching a Christmas DVD at this time of year, but RiffTrax has just released RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!, the follow-up to their first live DVD, RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space.

The RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! show was recorded in San Diego, California, on December 16, 2009, and included “Weird Al” Yankovic as its guest riffer. On the DVD case, “Weird Al” and Rifftrax regulars Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy invite you to join them “for a festive night of hilarious holiday comedy that is destined to become traditional Christmas viewing”.

What do ice-skating reindeer, pipe-smoking santas and a parade of aquatic champions have in common? You’ll see them all in the RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 have a sackfull of delightful and demented shorts to riff live onstage. Some of the forgotten gems of Christmases past prove to be the perfect targets for the rapid-fire riffs of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett. And if that wasn’t enough, they’re even joined by comedy legend “Weird Al” Yankovic for a musical short about the wonders of pork! It’s funnier than Ernest Saves Christmas and far less creepy than The Polar Express!

Skipping the host segments, non-RiffTrax-created videos, and musical performances that supplemented RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space‘s movie and pre-feature short film, Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! opens with a brief introduction by Mike, Bill, and Kevin, then jumps directly into its line-up of riffable short films and commercials:

Christmas Toyshop (B&W) — On Christmas Eve, a boy and girl are visited by Santa, who tells them a bizarre story about a toyshop where the merchandise comes to life after the store closes for the night. The toys mindlessly sing and dance until a giant, villainously-dressed “spider-dog” kidnaps one of the dolls, in stereotypical Snidely Whiplash fashion, forcing her friends to take up arms (in the true spirit of holiday peace) to save her. The short begins as live action, switches to animation to tell Santa’s story, then reverts back to live action when the story is revealed to be a dream (or eggnog-fueled nightmare, depending on how you view it).
A Visit to Santa (Colour) — Two children express a desire, in badly dubbed, unintelligible dialogue, to visit Santa on Christmas Eve. The equally garbled Santa has one of his elves whisk the children to his castle, the interior of which looks more like a washed-out, 1970s basement rec room. A narrator then abruptly takes over Santa’s storytelling duties, describing Santa’s travels and activities around the world. After the tedious story, Santa unceremoniously dismisses the children and wishes the viewers a “Merry Christmas”.
Christmas Rhapsody (B&W) — Shot in the style of a nature documentary, this live action short follows the life cycle of a little tree that, after reciting a depressing litany of reasons why it’s so “small and of no account” in comparison to the surrounding trees, is predictably chosen by an undiscerning family as its Charlie Brown-esque Christmas tree. Despite waxing rhapsodic about the honour, the melancholy-voiced tree fails to ever achieve the “rhapsody” of the short’s title.
Three Magic Words (B&W) — Weird Al, a vegetarian, teams up with the RiffTrax guys to riff on an ode to the quality, freshness and flavour of pork. The short stars a trio of musical butchers who praise the virtues of pork in endless song as they attempt to help Mrs. Newlywed, possibly the dumbest housewife who ever lived, prepare a special meal. It’s not clear how this short qualifies as a holiday selection, unless Mrs. Newlywed’s dinner party is supposed to be a Christmas season get-together, but it’s still one of the funniest entries on the DVD.
Gaylord (B&W) — An old TV commercial for a walking toy dog is presented to Kevin as a Christmas gift from Mike and Bill, supposedly because it made them think of Kevin, much to Kevin’s indignation.
The Night Before Christmas (B&W) — The classic poem is retold, in a combination of live action and animation, by Santa, who foists his lame toys and cheesy acting on a pair of children whose father evidently inherited some DNA from the Three Stooges, minus the comedic talent.
Jimmy Jet! (B&W) — Bill receives his gift from Mike and Kevin, an overenthusiastic TV ad for a toy flight simulator.
A Christmas Dream (B&W) — A girl opens her gifts on Christmas morning, then, inexplicably, goes straight back to bed. Santa appears in spirit form to give her a moral-laden dream in which the old ragdoll she discarded comes to creepy life, via stop motion animation, to battle the girl’s new toys for her affection.
Sports (Colour) — It’s a “Parade of Aquatic Champions”, though the swim stars don’t seem to be very champion calibre, and many don’t actually swim on-screen. There’s no Christmas theme, either, other than Bill saying that the short is a holiday viewing tradition in his family. (Bill begins to sing a modified Christmas carol, another family tradition, but is quickly cut off by his co-riffers.)
Ding-A-Lings (Colour) — Mike’s gift from Bill and Kevin, an ad for a line of toy robots, is targeted to children but rife with unintentional innuendo.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Colour) — Rudolph’s screen debut, a poorly animated precursor to the beloved Christmas special that airs on TV every year, gets the biggest laughs of the DVD, particularly a scene between Santa and Rudolph that’s undermined by a naughty double meaning in what Santa says to the young male reindeer.

The performers are presented in small, individual boxes on the right side of the screen while they’re riffing, the same set-up used in the first RiffTrax Live DVD, except that on that DVD they appeared to the left of the screen. As noted in a review of RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space, the boxes only show up intermittently, and it would be preferable if the riffers were always in view. The primary attraction of a live performance is getting to see the entertainers do their thing, and the riffers’ physical reactions to what’s happening in the films really enhance their lines. (As a side note, fans of Doctor Who‘s Fourth Doctor may be distracted by the long, multicoloured striped scarf that Bill wears throughout the show.) A contest winner is announced during Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!, but less intrusively than in the previous DVD. The winner’s two appearances are fairly brief and, rather than simply dropping the contest announcement into the middle of proceedings, it’s fully integrated into the show’s flow, with Kevin teasing the contest winner and making him a part of the act.

Red and green theatre curtains add festive flair to the menus, with Christmas music playing pleasantly on the main screen and part of the Scene Selections sub-menu. The single bonus on this DVD is a behind-the-scenes slideshow of photos set to an instrumental version of the Christmas carol “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”. The images aren’t captioned, like in the other RiffTrax Live slideshow, but text isn’t really necessary for such self-explanatory pictures.

For anyone who enjoys MST3K and Cinematic Titanic‘s riffings of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! is a merry addition to your holiday DVD collection.

Order directly through the RiffTrax website.

RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! and RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space are distributed by RiffTrax and Legend Films.

Boba’s Back! Daniel Logan Speaks

from StarWars.com:

The explosive multi-part finale of the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars kicks off this week on the Cartoon Network, with the airing of “Death Trap,” an episode that introduces young Boba Fett to the series. Daniel Logan, who played Fett in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, returns to the role as the visual inspiration and voice of the character.

“It’s been about 10 years since I last played Boba,” says Logan. “Time flies when you’re in Star Wars. It wasn’t very hard, but I was very nervous the first day going into the studio with [supervising director] Dave Filoni and the rest of the crew. It was kind of like going on the set again. They made me feel very welcome. Dave was such a great director, and he knows exactly what he wants. We worked together really well, and I love how Boba came out in The Clone Wars.”

Fett is slightly older than he was last seen in Episode II, and because he too is a clone of Jango Fett, he physically resembles exactly the clone cadets serving the Republic. “I see Boba as looking at himself as a unique character,” says Logan. “He is Jango Fett’s son. In his heart, he is the only one. And he sees the clones as clones. They may resemble his father, but they will never be him at heart.”

Logan has been a fixture in the fan community since his appearance in Episode II, and can often be found at conventions and events where he interacts directly with Star Wars fans. Keeping tight-lipped about his appearance in The Clone Wars has proven a challenge. “I found out about being in The Clone Wars a little over a year ago, and it was very hard, because I’d go out to conventions, and people would always come up to me and ask, ‘Hey, Daniel! What are you up to?’ I was dying to say, ‘Boba’s back!’ but every time I wanted to, I had to pull myself back. Now that I’m able to say it, I’m very excited, and I probably won’t be able to stop talking about it for a couple of weeks. Or a couple of months, actually!”

Daniel Logan features as Boba Fett in “Death Trap,” airing on April 23rd, and in the two-part season finale airing on April 30th on the Cartoon Network.