CGI, ROBOTS

By BRIAN THOMAS     September 24, 2005

The Prize Closet is throbbing so let's get right to it!

Geneon Entertainment has provided us with 5-packs of their recent releases to give away to five lucky readers. Send an email to psycho@psychotronic.info with your mailing address and "GENEON 5" in the subject line, and you may win TOKYO UNDERGROUND Volume 4, FIGHTING SPIRIT Volume 7, STELLVIA Volume 6, KYO KARA MAOH Volume 3, and PETITE COSSETTE.

But wait there's more! We have 5 copies of ROBOTS for you, too! Yes, you could win a copy of our spotlight item just by emailing your address with "COPPERBOTTOM" as the subject. Good luck, hu-man.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

I know it seems like there's a new CGI animation feature rolling out every month or so now (more if you count direct-to-DVD fare like the Barbie movies), but this one clearly received extra care and craftsmanship:

(O) ROBOTS (Fox) This CGanime adventure comedy set in a world of retro-mecha is simple and funny enough for carefree viewing, while its production design is fascinating and beautiful. Widescreen and fullscreen editions include bonus short, two commentraks, deleted footage, Xbox racing demo, games, featurettes, pilot shorts, Making-Of and more.
(O) ROBOTS (Fox) UMD

NEW DVD RELEASES

Here's a rundown of the constant stream of anime comin' at ya on DVD from around the world:

(O) AGENT AIKA: Naked Missions (Central Park) Episodes 1-4. Sexy secret agent with a bustier full of gadgets from the creators of PROJECT A-KO. Includes music video and DVD-ROM features.
(O) AGENT AIKA: Final Battle (Central Park) Episodes 5-7. Includes music video and DVD-ROM features.
(O) AH! MY GODDESS Volume 1: Always and Forever (Media Blasters) A misdialed phone call delivers the goddess Belldandy to the dorm room of college boy Keiichi. With outtakes and interviews. Also available in collector box.
(O) AKIRA (Geneon) UMD
(O) ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT GIRL: NUKU NUKU DASH Mode 1 (ADV)

(O) ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT GIRL: NUKU NUKU DASH Mode 2 (ADV)
(O) ANGELIC LAYER Complete Collection (ADV) Misaki comes to Tokyo to start high school, but her mother is missing. The disappearance somehow involves a popular game of psychically controlled dolls in a holographic battleground. Entire series in a 5-disc thinpak.
(O) ARK (Ventura) A CGanime epic science fiction feature. CREATURE COMFORTS Complete First Season (Sony) Before WALLACE & GROMIT and CHICKEN RUN came this series of shorts illustrating street interviews with claymation critters. Includes Making-Of.
(O) CREATURE COMFORTS Complete First Season (Sony) UMD
(O) DANNY AND THE DINOSAUR ..AND MORE FRIENDLY MONSTER STORIES (Scholastic) I recall cartoonist Syd Hoff's childrens book as an influential favorite. Also includes ISLAND OF THE SKOG, THE BEAST OF MONSIEUR RACINE, HERE COMES THE CAT and Hoff's STANLEY AND THE DINOSAURS.
(O) DAPHNE IN THE BRILLIANT BLUE Volume 4: Revenge (Geneon) The gals are attacked by triads on a vendetta.
(O) FAMILY GUY PRESENTS STEWIE GRIFFIN: THE UNTOLD STORY (Fox) Evil baby genius Stewie is convinced a man he sees on TV is his real father, leading to a madcap cross-country (and cross-time) quest. This is actually a a three-part arc of shows produced for the series revival that will be broadcast late in the season, but better because they've left in a lot of extra footage and unrated material. Includes unrated audio track, commentrak, Making-Of, animatics and more.
(O) FAMILY GUY PRESENTS STEWIE GRIFFIN: THE UNTOLD STORY (Fox) UMD
(O) GEOBREEDERS (Central Park) Episodes 1-3. Supernatural action comedy, plus DVD-ROM stuff.
(O) GEOBREEDERS: Breakthrough (Central Park) Episodes 4-7. Supernatural action comedy, plus interview, storyboards and DVD-ROM stuff.
(O) GEOBREEDERS DVD COLLECTION (Central Park) Bundles both volumes together in one set.
(O) GOLGO 13: QUEEN BEE (Urban Vision) Super-assassin Golgo 13 goes after a South American rebel leader in this 1998 feature. Includes director/producer commentrak.
(O) HIKARU NO GO Volume 1: The Go Master's Descent (Viz) A boy unleashes the ghost of a Go master from an old board that bonds with his consciousness.
(O) HUGO THE MOVIE STAR (Buena Vista) a cute woodland creature goes to Hollywood.
(O) LAND BEFORE TIME: 2 Dino-Mite Movies (Universal) Bundles the third and fourth features.
(O) NEW GETTER ROBO Volume 4: Crash (Geneon) Getter Robo gets a power boost to fight a quartet of space gods.
(O) ONE PIECE Volume 1: King of the Pirates (Viz) Monkey Luffy in swashbuckling pirate adventure..
(O) PHOTON: The Idiot Adventures (Central Park) Comic space opera with super-strong hero and his bride-to-be. All 6 episodes plus DVD-ROM.
(O) PING PONG CLUB: Make Way for the Ping Pong Club (Central Park) Episodes 1-4. Goofball comedy, plus commentrak and DVD-ROM extras.
(O) PING PONG CLUB: Love & Comedy (Die! Die! Die!) (Central Park) Episodes 5-8. The club's confidence is totally undermined when they face an all-girl team. Plus featurette and DVD-ROM extras.
(O) PING PONG CLUB: Goes Too Far (Central Park) Episodes 9-12. The club is annoyed by their perky new teacher. Plus DVD-ROM extras and more.
(O) PING PONG CLUB: Loser's Club (Central Park) Episodes 13-19. Maeno plots to play doctor with every girl in school!
(O) PING PONG CLUB: Rots In Hell (Central Park) Episodes 20-26. Who stole the club dues? Plus DVD-ROM extras and more.
(O) PING PONG CLUB DVD COLLECTION (Central Park) All 5 volumes.
(O) ROBONIMAL PANDA-Z: THE ROBONIMATION Volume 1 (Bandai) A panda in a giant robot panda battles the Warunimals in this comic action series that mixes inspiration from several old school anime TV series, from HELLO KITTY to MAZINGER Z and back again. Includes super bonus 3-D cartoon. Also available packaged with a damn cute action figure.
(O) RUGRATS: TALES FROM THE CRIB: Snow White (Paramount)
(O) SAKURA DIARIES Volume 1: Secrets & Lies (ADV) To break through a romantic triangle and win the girl of his dreams, slacker Touma takes college classes he's not enrolled in. How far will he go to get the girl? Episodes 1-6.
(O) SALARYMAN KINTARO Part 2 (Artsmagic) Kintaro teams up with a yakuza to fight corruption in his corporation.
(O) SAMURAI CHAMPLOO Volumes 3 & 4 (Geneon) UMD
(O) SAMURAI CHAMPLOO Volume 5 (Geneon) Jin, Mugen & Fuu are reunited, meet an arsonist, and get involved in a graffiti competition.
(O) S-CRY-ED: 3 Volume Edition 1 (Bandai) Episodes 1-10.
(O) SEUSS CELEBRATION (Universal) Seven Dr, Seuss adaptations on one disc: CAT IN THE HAT, THE LORAX, PONTOFFEL POCK & HIS MAGIC PIANO, GREEN EGGS & HAM, GRINCH NIGHT, the apocalyptic THE GRINCH GRINCHES THE CAT IN THE HAT and the mildly erotic HOOBER-BLOOB HIGHWAY.
(O) SHINGU: SECRET OF THE STELLAR WARS Volume 4: Secret Revelations (Right Stuf) Episodes 17-21 of this intriguing space invader soap opera.
(O) SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Complete Third Season (Paramount) 34 spongeworthy episodes, including three double-length shows, plus pop-up annotation, featurette and more.
(O) TETSUJIN 28 Volume 1: Monster Resurrected (Geneon) In the USA, we knew him as Gigantor, and the first giant robot anime series rivaled the popularity of Astro Boy. In 1980, this color revival series was produced in answer to a similar Astro Boy revival. Also available in collector box.
(O) 12 KINGDOMS Premium Box 1 (Media Blasters) Includes volumes 1-5.
(O) WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES Volume 8: Holiday Celebration with Mickey & His Pals (Buena Vista)
(O) WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES Volume 9: Classic Holiday Stories (Buena Vista)
(O) YOU'RE UNDER ARREST: THE MOTION PICTURE (ADV) Feature based on the hit Girls With Guns series.

And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's Anime Avalanche! And check in every Tuesday for the latest DVD Shopping List!

Anime Avalanche (© 2005 Brian Thomas) is our weekly animation column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at DVDShoppingList@cinescape.com.