Star Wars Celebration V is coming to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida August 12-15, 2010. Don’t miss out on what could be one of the biggest and best celebrations of Star Wars ever!
Gather with your fellow fans to enjoy live entertainment, events, celebrity appearances, exclusive shopping and exhibits, and four days of all Star Wars, all the time. We’ll be commemorating the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, as well as looking to what is new and cool in The Clone Wars animated television series. You’ll see what is on the horizon for the future of the Saga, too.
Four-Day Passes are $120, Saturday Passes are $50, and Thursday, Friday, and Sunday Passes are each $45. Full details, ticket mailing information, and youngling prices are all on the website, too, so click over to starwarscelebration.com to order your Celebration tickets now! Ticket prices will be higher at the show, so save and start planning now.
As the event date nears, get all the Celebration V updates on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on starwarscelebration.com.
So it is that time of year again, when the most prestigious Web Series awards come around and it’s up to YOU to choose who gets nominated. Wouldn’t it be great if a Zelda parody with a bounty of Masturbation jokes won Best Comedy Series? I think so too. So, get nominating and spread the word. Here is our official ballot (please take the time to get to the individual awards especially for Art Design, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Music) because we have the coolest looking/sounding web show on the planet thanks to the hard work of those talented crew members.
LEGEND OF NEIL — OFFICIAL BALLOT
Click the categories to vote (you’ll have to pick the right category from the drop down menu)
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, kicks off 2010 with the release on January 19th of Natsume Ono’s manga, not simple. The story, contained in a single volume, is rated “T+” for Older Teens, will be published by the VIZ Signature imprint and carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN.
To celebrate this launch, a preview of the prologue of not simple will be available on SigIKKI.com, VIZ Media’s premiere website for presenting a diverse collection of titles which include the most inventive, bold, and compelling titles in the world of contemporary manga.
not simple follows Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, as he travels from Australia to England and on to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian’s experiences in a novel titled not simple.
This new release will captivate readers with its unconventional story and artwork,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Natsume Ono’s art blends manga aesthetics with a graphic style reminiscent of many western indie and alternative comics, and fans of both genres will enjoy this title. We also welcome not simple as the newest addition to SigIKKI.com, the hottest outlet for online manga. Fans can check out the prologue chapter after December 17th at SigIKKI.com!”
Another of Ono’s manga series, House of Five Leaves, is an action drama about samurai during the height of the shogun’s rule in Edo-era Japan and is also currently serialized on SigIKKI.com.
Natsume Ono is one of today’s top creators of seinen manga — designed for adult readers of mature and more sophisticated stories. She made her professional debut in 2003 with the web comic La Quinta Camera and subsequent works not simple, Ristorante Paradiso, and Gente (a continuation of Ristorante Paradiso) have met with both critical and popular acclaim. In 2009 Ristorante Paradiso was adapted into an animated TV series. Her manga drama House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou) is currently published in Japan in IKKI magazine.
For more information on this title please visit SigIKKI. For information on all other VIZ Media titles please visit VIZ.com.
I am wondering, would people enjoy more a bulletin-board-like social experience (such as the Scroll of Colors is) on the new EQ site, or a more Facebook-ish social experience?
Please post your thoughts and reactions and suggestions in the new topic on the Scroll or by PM or email if you wish. Thanks!
The hit $15,000 thriller Paranormal Activity has grown from its midnight-only showings in a handful of college towns to become this year’s biggest movie phenomenon, and will cross $100 million at the box office after only five weekends of national release as of Friday. In so doing, the movie has become the top grossing R-Rated thriller of the past decade.
Paranormal Activity began its theatrical life with midnight-only screenings in 12 college towns across the U.S. and quickly developed into a national wide hit, with fans visiting the ParanormalMovie.com website and demanding the film be brought to their city. After more than 1 million such requests, Paramount expanded the film nationally where it has been playing to packed theaters ever since.
“What is truly amazing about Paranormal Activity is the depth of commitment from fans who demanded to see it,” said Paramount Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brad Grey. “Adam Goodman, our head of production, believed in the film and championed it from the very first screening. This box-office milestone is also a testament to Oren Peli’s considerable talents as a filmmaker. All of us at Paramount are proud to have been involved with his revolutionary project.”
In Paranormal Activity, after a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban “starter” tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic, but is certainly most active in the middle of the night.
Especially when they sleep. Or try to.
Directed, written and produced by Oren Peli, the innovative thriller stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat. The film was produced by Jason Blum. Steven Schneider served as executive producer
Follow Paranormal Activity on Twitter at Twitter.com/TweetYourScream, where you can find fan reactions, press reviews and theater information.
VIZ Media announced today the release of the final volume of the mega hit food manga by Tetsu Kariya, Oishinbo, due out on January 19th. Volume 7, Izayaya-Pub Food is rated “T” for Teens and carries an estimated retail price of $12.99 US and $16.99 CAN.
Izakaya occupies the same vital space in the Japanese culinary landscape as tapas bars in Spain or tavernas in Greece. Unpretentious and frequently boisterous, they’re places to meet with friends or business partners to unwind over drinks and small dishes that range from hearty standards to refined innovations. In this volume of Oishinbo, Yamaoka and Kurita investigate classic Izakaya foods such as edamame and yakitori, devise new dishes to add to the menu of an old shop, and discover how the concept of “play” is essential to the enjoyment of food.
Oishinbo creator Tetsu Kariya, writer and essayist extraordinaire graduated from prestigious Tokyo University. Kariya was employed with a major advertising agency before making his debut as a manga writer in 1974 when he teamed up with legendary manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami to create Otoko Gumi (Male Gang). The worlds of food and manga were forever changed in 1983 when Kariya, together with artist Akira Hanasaki, created the immensely popular and critically acclaimed Oishinbo.
“Fans of Japanese cuisine and culture have been delighted with every volume of the critically acclaimed Oishinbo series and we are excited to bring them this final volume that covers the excitement of izakaya,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Senior Director of Public Relations, VIZ Media.
Oishinbo (or The Gourmet) depicts the adventures of journalist Shiro Yamaoka, who writes for the fictional newspaper Tozai News. When the paper’s top executives decide to create “The Ultimate Menu” to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary, Yamaoka, known for his reputation as a foodie with culinary skills to match, is given the daunting assignment. With the help of his coworker Kurita, Yamaoka begins an epic saga to find unique and tasty dishes that will compose this ultimate bill of fare. Each volume of Oishinbo focuses on specific foods and culinary trends such as sake, sushi, vegetables, rice dishes, ramen, and Izakaya (pub food). VIZ Media has served up selected highlights from this epic 100+ volume series and compiled them into seven a la carte editions that can be enjoyed individually or as a series. Oishinbo has further inspired a 136-episode anime series, a live-action film and TV dramas, video games, recipe collections, and TV shows in Japan.
For more information on Oishinbo and other VIZ Media titles please visit Viz.com.
Everyone has a compulsion, most of us fight them, repress them, and keep them hidden. Compulsions tells the story of three seemingly normal people who instead of repressing their dark desires, act on them as emotional outlets.
Compulsions is a serialized dramatic thriller focusing on the internal dark sides of the leads juxtaposed with their “daily lives”.
Compulsions is the new web series from creator Bernie Su. Launched on November 30th at the popular Cinaspace night club in Hollywood and then online the following day, it’s been a whirlwind week for the creative team behind Compulsions. Unlike the typical web series where you get a new episode sometimes several weeks apart, Compulsions has launched an episode a day with the Season 1 finale, Episode 8, launching tomorrow. The release schedule isn’t the only thing different about this series. It’s not a fantasy, sci-fi or comedy trying to reach an audience that’s already seeking out more of the same content, but a drama seeking a new audience — the horror, drama and thriller fans. A high-quality dramatic thriller, Compulsions explores the lives of seemingly average people with a serious dark side that they juggle with their “normal” daily lives.
Mark is a submissive office worker by day and sadistic torturer by night. With his partner Justine, he kidnaps and interrogates people with very brutal and effective methods. Cassandra repairs computers, something that feeds her voyeuristic nature as she installs spyware that allows her to watch her clients’ personal lives. When Mark brings his work laptop in for her to fix, she discovers more then she bargained for when she takes a peek into his life.
Starring Craig Frank of The Crew and Craig and the Werewolf fame, Compulsions is a departure from the lighthearted and comedic fare that made him a familiar face online. Frank’s understated and natural performance that makes him so funny in his comedic roles translates well to the thriller format. I, for one, have always felt that the over-the-top bad-guy roles were much less effective than the quietly disturbed baddies. Frank plays quietly disturbed extremely well and can make the description of a fashion accessory sound frightening. His calm demeanor as he interrogates his victims is much more intimidating than any screaming, spittle-in-your-face villain would be, and his narrative at some points reminds me of Denzel Washington’s in Fallen.
As voyeuristic Cassandra, Annemarie Pazmino (Sorority Forever, Shoot the Hero, Edges of Darkness) has a Summer Glau-like cuteness and quirkiness. While you should immediately find yourself repulsed by her intrusion into others’ lives, you find yourself empathetic towards her instead. Several of her scenes rely solely on her expressions and non-verbal communication, and she proves to be just as vocal with her expressions as she is with her voice.
Janna Bossier (Skate or Die, The Pros and Cons of Breathing) is Mark’s partner, Justine. While Season 1 is focusing mainly on Mark and Cassandra, we get a pretty grim insight into Justine’s character as she kidnaps unsuspecting victim Sara Flannery (Taryn O’Neill of After Judgment, The Crew and The Office). Her dark side hovers right beneath the surface. She’s got a nonchalance that seems unchanged whether she’s pistol-whipping a victim or sipping wine with her boyfriend.
While Compulsions maintains its mystery (it looks like we’ll have to wait for Season 2 to find out what Mark and Justine are after), it’s a well-acted and compelling story that flows smoothly in its 3 to 5 minute run time and gives just enough information away to keep you coming back for more.
Compulsions also features newcomers Seth Caskey (the upcoming End Result), RC Ormond, Andrew Celmons and Elizabeth Tsing.
>>INTERCEPTED MESSAGE FROM THE JEDI TEMPLE
>>Begin Encrypted Communication
Fellow Jedi Knights, today is a good day. Since the announcement of Star Wars Celebration V, we’ve seen a tremendous outpouring from all worlds within the Republic. From Alderaan to Yavin, both Jedi and general citizens are abuzz and have already begun planning their August 12-15, 2010 visit to Orlando, Florida. (For those in the outer rim, Orlando’s on Planet Earth in the Sol System. It’s not the most technologically advanced world, but at least they have high-speed internet and indoor plumbing.)
Four-Day Passes are $120, Saturday Passes are $50, and Thursday, Friday, and Sunday Passes are each $45. Full details, ticket mailing information, and youngling prices are all on the website, too, so click over to starwarscelebration.com to order your Celebration tickets now!
We ask all our Knights to converge together at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida. We also recommend Jedi follow Celebration on Twitter and Facebook to stay informed and meet their brethren (whether Jedi, Clone, or Droid) in the lead up to Celebration. Let us assemble as never before!
May The Force Be With You!
>>END MESSAGE
>>900-220.21 Alpha Channel Comm Array Reset
Timmy’s rescued!
We’re happy to report that Picard and his crew were able to take down the evil Kirk and rescue Timmy from the Claw Game machine in our lobby. And it’s a good thing too, since Timmy is coming with us to New York City for our Wired Store field trip and geektacular tweetup at Barcade Brooklyn this weekend. Will you be there? The only acceptable answers are: “YES!” or “No, because I’ll be at home cooking my favorite Asian dishes and awaiting the arrival of my Star Wars Chop Sabers.” Choose wisely, geek friends.
Time for Timmy to save you!
One crisis averted! Share our post-Kirk holiday joy and use code TIMMYSAVED for $10 off your $40 order, good now through 12/12 11:59pm EST. But… what’s that? You don’t know what to buy? Now that Timmy’s saved, he can come to your rescue with the ThinkGeek Holiday Gift Finder. It’s a magical system: put in the gift type, price range, and flavor of the targeted geek, and we’ll deliver the best matches from our treasure trove of gifts.