Category: Multimedia

VIZ Media Animates the Holidays with a Special iTunes Promotion

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media celebrates the season with a special Download-to-Own promotion on the iTunes Store in the U.S. (iTunes.com), perfect to round out digital holiday gift lists to delight audiences young & old.

Just in time for the holidays, from now until February 1st, download for FREE the full first episodes for Vampire Knight, Bleach, Kekkaishi, and Naruto: Shippuden. All subsequent episodes are available to rent for only $0.99 each, or to own for only $1.99 each.

Please visit itunes.com/anime for complete details.

Bleach (rated TV-14) follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 15-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul — Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

Kekkaishi (rated TV-PG) is the story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi” — barrier masters — to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night. Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy. Following in the tradition that’s been passed down through generations, he is the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are feuding over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting people from danger while growing stronger himself, Yoshimori will battle the forces of evil again tonight!

In Naruto: Shippuden (rated TV-14), Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja in training, wants to be the best ninja in the land. He’s done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. Naruto: Shippuden begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks — except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi… well, he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily about becoming a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

In Vampire Knight (rated TV-14), Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorms, they cross paths with the mysterious Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! Yuki Cross has no memory of her past prior to the moment she was saved from a vampire attack ten years ago. She was adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and now works alongside Zero to guard the Academy’s secret. Yuki believes that vampires and humans can coexist peacefully, but her partner has different ideas…

Legend of NOEL! X-mas Merch Deals

from The Legend of Neil:

Neil lovers,

Christmas is almost upon us. Can you imagine the disappointment on your loved one’s face when he/she DOESN’T receive a Neil T-shirt or poster from our official Legend of Neil store? To motivate you, we’re offering a limited time buy 1 get 1 free deal with the posters! Buy any poster, get another one of equal or lesser value for absolutely FREE!!! It’s a perfect stocking stuffer. All you’ve got to do is purchase the poster you want and then email legendofneilstore@gmail.com with your Transaction ID and which other poster you want for FREE. And that’s not ALL (hell yeah, we’re going all infomercial on you) the first 10 to take advantage of this offer, will get their posters signed by Neil creator Sandeep Parikh.

This offer expires on Sunday the 19th, and really the earlier you do it the higher the liklihood you’ll get it in time for the big ho-ho-holiday.

Oh, and buy some T-shirts too, we have a really limited supply and these will be the LAST RUN of these T-shirts, so snatch em up before someone else does. We’re already running out of sizes for the Heart and This Crap is Free shirts, and running low on Fog shirts, so move, baby, move! Fog T-shirts are only $14.95! Here’s the LINK to the store one more time. Pun intended. Thanks for supporting the show you love!

ThinkGeek finally joins the Dark Side

from ThinkGeek:

We’re holly dazed (save ends).

Someone pass us a d20 — we gotta roll to save before we get run over by a reindeer (5d8+12 trampling damage). It seems just yesterday we were donning our costumes for Halloween, and now we’re a dozen days from Christmas. Timmy has some big plans for Monkey Day tomorrow (frankly, we’re a bit worried) and we’re all excited about TRON opening on Friday.

Somewhere in between all that fun, we’ll remember someone we left off our shopping list. Oops. Good thing for gift certificates and express delivery!

Star Wars Vader’s Dark Side Roast Coffee
Sample the Dark Lord’s Brew. Get a taste of the Dark Side with this rich hand-roasted coffee. Three diverse coffees and two different roasts create a full-bodied, sharp cup with spicy undertones and smoky, dark-roasted complexity. Vader’s Dark Roast Coffee is commonly enjoyed by Dark Lords of the Sith while planning new Death Star construction, but give into your anger — sample a steaming cup and you will be rewarded with power beyond your imagination.

Darth Vader Bread Imprinting Toaster!
Enjoy your toast on the Dark Side. If there’s something every Sith Lord knows how to do, it’s how to make a balanced breakfast! While the Jedi have to live off of Jawa juice and fried nerfsteak, the Dark Lord of the Sith prefers to have a reminder of his fiery Mustafar defeat at his breakfast table. Every morning he burns that moment into a slice of bread with the Darth Vader Toaster. This black, ominous kitchen appliance easily leaves the mark of Vader’s helmet in every yummy piece of toast. Slather some Bantha butter on top, or make two pieces for an extra-Sithy BLT. Force power not required to operate toaster!

Free shipping on $40+ orders — 12 days until Christmas!
You’ve got twelve Plush Microbes, eleven sets of Chop Sabers, ten cans of unicorn, nine Monkey Slingshots, eight Whiskey Stones, seven Sun Jars, six Kitty Coin Banks, FIVE GOLDEN POOS, four Guitar Shirts, three Titanium Sporks, and two FX Lightsabers. Now you just need a partridge in a USB Christmas Tree! Use code SHIP2010 for free economy shipping on $40+ orders until 11:59pm ET tonight, 12/13/2010.

Shipping Deadlines Coming Up — Unless you’re a time traveler
Got a TARDIS or a DeLorean? Then skip over this paragraph. If you’re stuck in this timeline and need Christmas gifts to arrive in time, here’s what you need to know. For international deliveries (everywhere but Canada), order by 12/13 11:59pm ET; for Canada (eh?) ground shipping, order by 12/15 11:59pm ET; for West Coast ground shipping, order by 12/17 11:59pm ET. For more shipping deadlines, gift ideas, and downloadable PDF greeting cards, hit up our Holiday Gift Center.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Action-Packed “Gantz” Hits Big Screens Nationwide in One-Night World Premiere

from VIZ Media:

Gantz, a live-action Japanese feature event, is making its world premiere in 325 movie theaters in an exclusive one-night Fathom event on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. PT (tape delayed). Following the feature, Gantz’s two leading actors, Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City) will participate in an exclusive live interview that can only be seen at this event.

Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the web site (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Presented by NCM Fathom and NEW PEOPLE, in association with Dark Horse Comics, Gantz (English dubbed) tells the story of childhood friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato who are accidentally killed while trying to save another man’s life. Rather than find themselves in the hereafter, however, they awaken in a strange apartment in which they find a mysterious black orb they come to know as “Gantz.” Along with similar abductees, they are provided with equipment and weaponry and manipulated into playing a kind of game in which they are sent back out to the greater world to do battle with alien beings, all while never quite knowing whether this game is an illusion or their new reality.

Ninomiya and Matsuyama are two of Japan’s biggest stars. Ninomiya, best known in America for his role in Clint Eastwood’s 2006 blockbuster, Letters from Iwo Jima, is both an actor and a singer. He is world-renowned as a member of the Japanese boy band “Arashi,” which topped Japan’s music charts in 2009 with the three best-selling singles. Matsuyama has been one of the most sought-after actors in Japanese film and has won several awards including Japanese Academy Awards Best New Actor (2007) and Most Popular Actor (2009). Matsuyama is recognized for his part as L in Death Note (2006), Death Note II: the Last Name (2006) and Death Note: L, change the WorLd (2008).

“Gantz is the kind of kinetic action film that pushes the boundaries of the sci-fi genre,” said Seiji Horibuchi, founder of NEW PEOPLE. “We’re very excited to work with NCM Fathom and Dark Horse Comics to organize this special event and look forward to the property’s domestic popularity growing even more following this new release.”

Gantz will appear in 325 theaters, including AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements, Rave Motion Pictures, R/C Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as The Beacon Cinema (Pittsfield, MA), The Carolina Theatre (Asheville, NC) and Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network — North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.

“Gantz offers a thrilling world that nobody has ever seen in live-action,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “Incredibly popular in Japan as well as among American manga and anime enthusiasts, this new Gantz rendition is sure to thrill audiences in local movie theaters around the country.”

“Mister French Taste” – The Newest Project from “Lumina” Creator Jennifer Thym

Since independent filmmaker Jennifer Thym first wowed viewers globally with her dark, modern-day fairy tale Lumina, she’s been busy winning awards on the festival circuit and producing short films and web series. While most of her productions have a dark element in them, such as Lumina and her upcoming films Bloodtraffik (a vigilante and an ex-cop in the middle of a vampires vs. angels holy war) and Jasmine (a widower decides to take justice into his own hands after his wife is murdered), this time out, she tries her hand at something different. Thym spent this summer directing what she calls a “quirky comedy” and a romantic fish-out-of-water story, Mister French Taste.

Mister French Taste is an etiquette coach who is faced with the challenge of a lifetime: transforming the unruly Leon, the only son of a conservative Hong Kong family, and a constant source of scandals and shame, into a perfectly groomed gentleman, while at the same time trying to steal the heart of Lily, the beautiful young heiress to a Hong Kong fashion empire who’s educated and smart, and fluent in the art of shopping. Watch Hong Kong and France collide in this hilarious comedy of manners!

Watch the trailer above and then check out the official website at misterfrenchtaste.com.

You can also check out Bloodtraffik (download some cool wallpapers) and Jasmine at Jennifer Thym’s website: rockginger.com.

You can watch (or rewatch) Lumina at luminaseries.com.

Adult Swim Hatches “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III”

from Adult Swim:

Robot Chicken returns to that galaxy far, far away for a brand-new Star Wars-themed special premiering December 19 at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Adult Swim. This third installment in the Robot Chicken: Star Wars trilogy follows the two previous specials, which resulted in multiple awards nominations and numerous Annie Awards for both specials and the writers Ahmed Best and Seth Green. Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III, to be directed by Chris McKay, marries the satirical sensibilities of Green and Matthew Senreich’s (Stoopid Monkey Productions) Emmy-winning Robot Chicken with characters of the Star Wars universe. The specials and the Robot Chicken series, the highest-rated original program on Adult Swim, are created in conjunction with ShadowMachine Films’ Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico.

“We tell more of a linear story this time that covers the series from start to finish,” says Green. Senreich says, “We wanted to take the Star Wars universe and see if through the eyes of our Robot Chicken: Star Wars Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Gary the Stormtrooper. We still flip around the universe but we get a unique perspective from the bad guy side, from people who just want to rule the universe.”

In the hour-long special, four very different characters — Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Gary the Stormtrooper — reveal untold stories that weave and interconnect throughout all six Star Wars films. Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III also features Zac Efron as Anakin Skywalker, Anthony Daniels (from the original Star Wars films) as C3PO, Mike Henry (The Cleveland Show) and Donald Glover (Community), all making their first appearance in RCSW. Also returning from the previous specials are Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks along with returning favorites Green, Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Seth MacFarlane, Dan Milano, Abe Benrubi, Donald Faison, Rachael Leigh Cook, Adrianne Pallicki, Eden Espinosa, Hugh Davidson, Bob Bergen, Keith Ferguson, Tom Kane and Zeb Wells.

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III is created and executive produced by Green and Senreich under their own Stoopid Monkey Productions. The duo also write and, with McKay, direct the series, and Green provides many of the voices in the special and the series. The special is written by series head writers/executive producers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root, series scribes Mike Fasolo, Wells, Green, Senreich, frequent RC actor/writer Breckin Meyer (TNT’s Franklin & Bash), and Hugh Sterbakov with Matthew Beans, RC guest writers Davidson, Geoff Johns, Milano and Kevin Shinick. Green has starred in films for over two decades — next March he’s the lead in Disney’s Mars Needs Moms! He’s also on Fox’s Family Guy. Senreich and Green are creative consultants on Lucasfilm’s upcoming animated comedic Star Wars series and with Root, are creators/executive producers/writers of an animated pilot for Fox.

Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network, home to the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families, and is seen in 99 million U.S. homes. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III Heist Trailer
Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III Techno Trailer
Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III Sitcom Trailer

Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence

Geeks sure do love their online kittehs, the reigning feline of the moment being the star of Simon’s Cat, an award-winning series of short animated films that launched in 2008 and instantly became a YouTube phenomenon. Simon’s Cat made the leap to print last year with the publication of the bestselling Simon’s Cat book, and this season sees the release of its much-anticipated sequel, Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence.

The first Simon’s Cat book focused on the homelife of Simon’s Cat, giving readers a peek into his daily routine: exasperating his owner Simon with mischievous antics, hatching plans with his garden gnome friend, playing with a family of hedgehogs that live in the yard, and trying (mostly without success) to get one over on the birds who invade his territory. Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence offers up another, bigger helping of Simon’s Cat’s charming, signature style of black-and-white line drawings, but instead of being a fairly random collection of sketches, this book’s illustrations string together to form a loose story. After an encounter with the vacuum cleaner, and being subjected to the indignity of a bath, Simon’s Cat decides to hit the road in search of greener pastures. Along the way, he makes new friends and experiences things that he never imagined as a sheltered housecat, but ultimately realizes, as he eventually tires of his wild adventures, that he had it pretty good back home with the doting Simon. On his return trek — during which he reveals how cats are connected to crop circles! — he’s followed by everyone that he’s met on his journey, resulting in quite a reunion with his old friends… and an even bigger surprise for the poor, unsuspecting Simon.

Publisher Canongate Books says on their website — referring to volume one of Simon’s Cat — that “Simon Tofield’s beautiful drawings and warm humour come alive on the page in the first of a series of irresistible stocking-filler humour books”, hinting that readers can look forward to several more books to paw through between film releases. To that tease, fans of the ever-hungry Simon’s Cat can only respond with a demanding “Meow!”, while pointing expectantly to their mouths.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Simon’s Cat (Canada)
Simon’s Cat (US)
Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence (Canada)
Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence (US)

In addition to the books, a line of Simon’s Cat merchandise, such as mugs, calendars, and plush, is available at the Simon’s Cat Official Web Shop. The brand manager of the Simon’s Cat online store promises that “T-shirts will come eventually. We’re working on getting them into the web-shop.”

Simon’s Cat and Simon’s Cat: Beyond the Fence are distributed by Canongate Books and its international affiliates, including Penguin Group (Canada) and Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. For more information about Simon’s Cat, please visit The Official Simon’s Cat Website. Simon’s Cat may also be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

“When I Grow Up” by “Weird Al” Yankovic

Billy’s classmates may have never considered careers in snail training or sumo wrestling before, but by the time the exuberant eight-year-old is done cataloging his dream jobs, they just might share his belief in unlimited potential!

Virtuoso wordplay, irresistible rhythm, and laugh-out-loud humor abound in the first picture book by the one and only “Weird Al” Yankovic. This unbridled celebration of creativity and possibility invites readers of all ages to consider afresh what they want to be when they grow up.

Browse and buy the book.

OMG, ThinkGeek is full of stars!

from ThinkGeek:

Greetings, zombie-loving snowbots,

Now that The Walking Dead season is over, we’re feeling an ache in our hearts. It might be that “special” eggnog we’ve been drinking nonstop, but we’re pretty sure it’s the lack of zombies. It just doesn’t feel like the holidays without some post-apocalyptic action. After all, it shows the true nature of humanity, much like dinner at our in-laws’ house.

We’ll distract ourselves with happy things! Wear your rebel scum finest on December 10 in honor of Katie, a Star Wars water bottle-toting geekling, who stood up to school bullies when they said girls couldn’t like Star Wars.

Space Monolith Action Figure!
2010… The year toys make contact. The Monolith Action Figures were left by some ancient, extra-galactic, action figure intelligence. We believe, based on our tests (including pH, electromagnetic, and taste) these Monolith Action Figures will eventually cause other action figures to evolve. We’re not sure if that means gaining better accessories and articulation, or becoming sentient. Either one is cool in our book. The Monolith Action Figure looks great on your desk, wall, or shelf, and will definitely be the most talked about toy in your collection.

Last call for Economy Shipping rates!
The first shipping deadline is fast approaching. Want your gifts to arrive by Christmas using economy shipping? Place your order before 11:59pm ET on 12/10/10. For more shipping deadlines, gift ideas, and printable PDF greeting cards, hit up our Holiday Gift Center. (Pro tip: click the little rocket at the bottom of the page. It’s worth the scroll.)

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

ProtoHoodies return! 2 For 1 Grab ‘Bot MIMOBOTs! 20% Off MIMOBOTs + 10% more Off Hello Kitty!

from Mimoco:

Spacesuit ProtoHoodie
They’re BaaAaack! and they’re in black! Keep your MIMOBOT warm, protected and accessible with a ProtoHoodie keychain!

20% OFF ALL MIMOBOTs* (for a limited time only!) *Offer cannot be combined with other discounts. Save Now!

Weekly Special: Sanrio X MIMOBOT Series! This week we’re featuring our Sanrio X MIMOBOTs Series Special! Take an extra 10% off all Sanrio and Hello Kitty X MIMOBOT drives for ONE WEEK ONLY, thru December 15, 11:59PM PST! Shop Now!

Video Premiere:
mimoZine’s first look from the Red Carpet at Sanrio’s 50th Anniversary Party in LA! Stay tuned for more Kitty video-fun soon!

LAST CHANCE Weekly Special! Take an extra 10% off all Star Wars MIMOBOT drives for ONE WEEK ONLY, thru December 8, 11:59PM PST! Shop Now!

Stuff We Like — Take 30% OFF ALL iPhone Skins! Shop Now!

FREE domestic shipping on ALL MIMOBOT orders over $40! (EXCLUDES HAWAII, ALASKA)

Our Holiday Shipping Guide — View Now!

WoW… A Cataclysm!

from GeekChicDaily:

As anyone currently playing World Of Warcraft knows, the expansion World of Warcraft: Cataclysm goes on sale tonight at midnight. To say Cataclysm is so addictive that gamers will dream about it is an insult. That implies they might actually stop playing long enough to sleep.

For anyone who has strayed from WoW or is wondering if now is the right time to jump in, here’s what you need to know:

The Story — A particularly nasty dragon named Deathwing has escaped from the fiery depths to trash Azeroth, leaving a path of unprecedented destruction in his wake. Here’s the cinematic of Deathwing’s getaway. His voice sounds very raspy. Maybe he’d be in a better mood if someone just got him a people-flavored lozenge.

The Build-up — Over the past few weeks, everyone who plays WoW — regardless of whether they’ve bought Cataclysm — has watched their land get ravaged by Deathwing. That’s the new reality. If you ever played WoW in the past, every place you visited is pretty much gone now, never to return. Hope you took screenshots!

The Expansion — Even WoW players who don’t buy Cataclysm have this reshaped world to explore. Those who pop for the expansion can take full advantage of a host of new features. Most excitingly players can now become two new races: Goblins, and the werewolf-like strain of humans known as Worgen.

The Implications — They are far-ranging, but the most basic one is this: in the following weeks, WoW gamers will probably see very, very little sunlight.

Mike, Kevin and Bill don their best flannel shirts in their riff of “Twilight: Eclipse”!

from RiffTrax:

Every now and then a sequel comes along that is arguably superior to the original film. The Godfather II. The Empire Strikes Back. 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. But the makers of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse cleverly avoided such comparisons by just making the exact same movie a third time. You want a slack-jawed girl who can’t choose between some squinty, mopey fellows? We got it! You want a red-headed vampire lady running around causing some sort of unspecified trouble? We got it! You want a consistent mythology, or a story that builds tension and develops in any way over the course of three films? We got… uh… hey look, werewolf nipples!

Only $3.99!

Get it here.