...ort & SuperficialSlobber) are all done on the weekends. For those of you whom don’t know, the weekend is like the death nail for most websites. I’m really speaking fact when most “industry” related websites don’t s...
Quite a bit of news going on in the world of Celebrities this week. Joe Francis continues to piss off the law even while in jail. Snoop Dogg is barred from yet another country for being Snoop Dogg. Kissing is worth an arrest warrant in India for some ...
Early last October, dismembered body parts were found in a park in Brussels, Belgium. Notes reading "Watashi wa Kira desu"--"I am Kira"--were discovered near the scene. Kira, of course, is the name of the serial killer from Death Note ...
What They SayMizuki is a popular male fashion model with a promising future. When the mysterious Haruno sees him, she wants to make him the centerpiece for her company\'s latest promotion. To lure Mizuki in, she calls on the talents of her twin brother,...
What They SayEverything about him is shrouded in mystery: the mask he can\'t remove, a past he can\'t unravel and the very survival of the people who have chosen them as their leader. But what Hakuoro doesn\'t know is this: he was gravely injured in the f...
What They SayRui, Hitomi and Ai are three beautiful sisters who spend their days running their cute cafe - but when night falls, the claws come out! The trio transforms into Cat\'s Eye, the super and sexy art thieves! But there\'s more than meets the eye:...
What They Say12 years ago, the gateway to another world suddenly appeared and two mysterious beasts of astonishing power awoke! The beasts appeared to destroy each other, leaving behind only a myriad of unanswered questions and the inexplicable Pillar of...
We have to talk about V FOR VENDETTA. We can't ignore it. There's no way we can pretend this controversial Molotov cocktail of a comic book adaptation hasn't landed in theaters. Of course, I will run your e-mails on the subject next week, but I have to cl...
What They SayBlack Jack is an underground surgeon who, although he has no licence, has God-like skills which enable him to perform operations that are impossible for even the finest surgeons. Charging millions for secret operations, he is a man who is alo...
What They SayThe Review!This is a promo only disc with no box or insert.
The review
Well, here we are again, with another Studio Ghibli (hops from foot to foot in anticipation).
Audio:
This release comes with 5.1 DD on both Japanese and English tracks. ...
In an era when studio marketing departments seem to be in an ongoing competition to devise the most convoluted, multi-sectioned, all-bases-covering titles for their franchise pictures (try saying LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE three times fast...
FRITZ THE CAT by ANDREW HERSHBERGER (Sat 12-29-2001)
Popcorn, sleeping bags, coca-cola - the big all-nighter was a go. Me and my fellow eight-year-old buddies were gathered round the television set watching cartoons and looking forward to the comical antics of grandpa’s favorite cartoon character, FELIX THE...
Director John McTiernan's hard-rocking, helmet-cracking update of ROLLERBALL wants to turn movie storytelling into an extreme sport. The results are extreme, all right but not extremely engaging. Set in the present-day ruins of the old Soviet empire in C...
You'd think that getting slimed by rapidly evolving alien creatures would make a performer a bit apprehensive. Well, that's just not the case for David Duchovny. The actor who has made a name for himself investigating aliens for the past eight years on TV...
This television season, Rudolf Martin has offered two distinct takes on a single `character`, essaying the role of Count Dracula as well as Bram Stoker`s real-life inspiration for the fictional count, Vlad the Impaler. Let`s face it, the man simply can`t ...
Yeah, I`m old enough to remember Goblin, the Italian progressive rock group whose work helped define a certain sound and style of film scoring back in the 1970s and 1980s. But age really has little to do with it, since few people from that era remember th...
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL's original theatrical run in 1982 set a new standard for blockbuster success in Hollywood, outdoing even STAR WARS with a record domestic box-office haul that would remain the highest-ever for an amazing decade and a half (until...
After expending his energies on a pair of generic, effects-laden studio thrill rides (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and MISSION TO MARS) and an only slightly more effective suspense thriller (SNAKE EYES) in recent years, Brian De Palma was long overdue to return to...
OPINION: Yes, you heard me right: "Part One." The response to my question about why there aren't enough female superheroes in their own books and what should be done about that problem was tremendous - and I finally got a goodly number of responses from f...
When the first Disciples appeared towards the end of 1999, it didn't do too well on the market, but it did manage to win the hearts of many fantasy-strategy fans. Age of Wonders, and another sequel to the HoMM serial appeared about the same time, and ...
What They SayThe DC uprising continues, this time targeting Izu Base. Ryusei races into action, but when he has to face off against Tenzan Nakajima, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. The Review!The focus shifts to that of the new crew of the H...
Greetings Cinescapers! How was your weekend? Fingers still broken? Must be cause I didn't receive a letter from you all week. What's a matter? Don't have time to send your favorite TV commentator a little love note, a letter of compliment, a dead rat?! Gu...
LOST makes a triumphant return to the airwaves with an episode titled after what must be the most quoted verse of religious scripture in film and television. The script for "The 23rd Psalm" aims high with rich thematic underpinnings of brotherhood and s...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Anno MoyocoTranslated by:Yuji OnikiAdapted by:What They SayYamada's inexplicably attracted girlfriend Miwa gets stolen away - by World of Beautiful Men's bad-ass beauticians Kiyoko and Harumi, who demand to know what a cutie l...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Jaryu DokuroTranslated by:Matthew JohnsonAdapted by:N/AWhat They Say\"For as long as we could remember, we had always been together. So it seemed only natural to assume it would last forever... But it might actually be by my f...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Baek Hye-KyoungTranslated by:Ji-Eun ParkAdapted by:Jamie RichWhat They SayThey say beauty is only skin deep, and here\'s a book that proves it. But not necessarily the in the way it was trying to.
The ReviewPackaging:
As you m...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Shirow MasamuneTranslated by:Dana Lewis & Toren Smith [with Duane Johnson]Adapted by:Dana Lewis & Toren Smith [with Duane Johnson]What They SayWorld War III is over, and nomad soldier Duenan Knute and her cyborg partner Briare...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Kim Young-OhTranslated by:Taesoon Kang & Derek Kirk KimAdapted by:Taesoon Kang & Derek Kirk KimWhat They SayThe cunning and intrepid Banya faces his greatest challenge yet! The unstoppable delivery man finds himself in the mid...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist: Park JaeSung/Kim JuRiTranslated by:Je-wa JeongAdapted by:Je-wa JeongWhat They SayLooks? Average... Grades? Average.... Personality? Average?!
But one day, an all around average guy is bombarded by advances by the prettiest gi...
Reprinted with permission by the author
Double Your Market
N'Sync. Britney Spears. The Backstreet Boys. What do they have that comic retailers don't? One audience and two words: girl fans.
Girls are the other half. Dainty. Mysterious. Fickle. Who needs...
Yes, there is such a thing. Now I'm usually one to write about why I love anime in the capacity that I do, but I've found the more I watch anime, or engage in anything for that matter, the more I realize where anime is lacking. I'm going to try to look...
Thanks to my unique positioning with the elite cadre of
Comics2Film
specialists, I had the opportunity to watch a fan-made independent comic-based
film, and I'm ready to share. Batman Beyond: Year One is an indie film
project from young direc...
Note: This review is entirely free of major spoilers, though some very minor story details may be mentioned.
It seemed nearly impossible that Sam Raimi would be able to outdo the first Spider-Man film, a summer blockbuster that outdid every other mov...
The world of the future faces its darkest enemy as the demons in the shadows come out to play.
What They Say:
In the future a massive earthquake has devastated Tokyo, leaving this barren city to suffer the ravages of the world about it. Despite phenome...
Every now and then, a show comes along that attracts attention due to its sheer audacity. They dare to attempt what other shows don't. That can take many forms. Often enough it's the shock value of graphic violence or outrageous fanservice. But every so o...
Hello! Once again we find ourselves in the strange and mysterious world of English dubbed anime. Today I'd like to take a look at a show released by ADV Films, SuperGALS! volume one. This was certainly one show that caught me by surprise. Bursting at the ...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Suzuki TanakaTranslated by:N/AAdapted by:What They SayKotori is an average high school boy burdened with an exceptional older sibling. Being brought up under the same roof as his legendary drop-dead-gorgeous brother, Kujaku (a...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Tachibana YukataTranslated by:Adrienne BeckAdapted by:What They SayYuki has a big crush on Yabe, but Yabe has decided the only girl he will ever seriously date is Motoko. So what\'s the problem? Yuri and Mokoto are friends, an...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Suh Gwong-hyun / Park Sung-wooTranslated by:Je-wa JeongAdapted by:What They SayThe fight to protect the Statue of Liberty has started! After piecing together clues about a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty, a team of P...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:MeimuTranslated by:Naomi Kokubo and Stephen HoffmanAdapted by:What They SayThe fabulously creepy story of The Ring takes a side step from the plot of the original Japanese film, taking the reader into life after all of that tr...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Morinaga AiTranslated by:Laura Jackson & Yoko KobayashiAdapted by:What They SaySwan's Dilemma
Inside every ugly ducking is a handsome prince... isn't there?
Reiichi Swan thought that looks were everything. But now that he is ...
The Internet has become an amazing source of information on past, current and upcoming films, but, the net’s very nature has also made it a breeding ground for gossip and misinformation, particularly for actors and filmmakers with strong cult followings. ...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Yoshida AkimiTranslated by:Matt ThornAdapted by:What They SayVice City: New York in the 80's...
Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of c...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Yoshihiro TogashiTranslated by:N/AAdapted by:What They SayHunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other men. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundr...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Anno MoyocoTranslated by:N/AAdapted by:What They SayHe's been seduced by a housewife, dissed in a love hotel, and molested with a rubber novelty. He's been tutored in the ways of romance by a pair of sadomasochistic beautician...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Sakurano MineneTranslated by:N/AAdapted by:What They SayWhat would you do if you were blessed with a cute and magical guardian angel?
According to a 4000-year-old legend, there is a miraculous angelic ring known as the Shiten...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Inoue KazurouTranslated by:JN ProductionsAdapted by:What They SayWhen freaky otaku Shuichi finds out that Midori is no ordinary doll, his obsession for her increases! Then, an innocent motorcycle drive into the country turns u...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Ogawa YayoiTranslated by:Tomoko KamimotoAdapted by:What They SaySumire is off on trip to a romantic hot springs getaway - with Momo! She's there as a journalist, but is completely unprepared for the story she uncovers. Then it...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Oshima TowaTranslated by:Michiko NakayamaAdapted by:What They SayMemories! Take a walk back in time to Kouda and Eriko's different junior high schools. We learn how each set of friends grew close together and a few of the bad-...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:EmuraTranslated by:William FlanaganAdapted by:What They SayMakoto Amano wants to become an actor, but his stern father has dictated that the only way Makoto can achieve his goal is to spend the last two years of high school as...
With the introduction of the pipe fox recently, it’s become plainly apparent that this is the character that can steal the show, even from Mokona.What They Say\"From the day you were born, you have always been different from those around you......
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Shirow MasamuneTranslated by:Frederik L. SchodtAdapted by:What They SayDeep into the 21st century, the line between man and machine has been inexorably blurred as humans rely on the enhancement of mechanical implants and robot...
Not long before baby Kal-El came to Earth, UFOs were spotted in the skies over Smallville, and at least one woman was abducted, at which time she lost her young son to the aliens. Now, over thirty years later, UFO researcher Alicia Berenson thinks she's u...
PREVIEW/INTERVIEW: Next month, David Yurkovich and Top Shelf Productions will be turning the superhero genre on its ear with LESS THAN HEROES, a collection of his stories from the hard-to-find THRESHOLD series that it's impossible to describe without usin...
This low budget comedy chiller – obviously made by horror fans – HOLLYWOOD MORTUARY is sort of a combination GODS & MONSTERS and HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER.Prima donna Pierce Jackson Dawn (Randal Malone) is a legendary Hollywood makeup man famous for his 1930s...
Out now is a new edition of the bloated, non-informative BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF FILM by David Thomson. Thomson, an accomplished and respected critic, has made the revolutionary decision to create a reference work without the need to rely on actual fac...
I wanted a robot—always have. My girlfriend wanted a dog—has for years. And living in New York City, where space is at almost as much of a premium as time, it made perfect sense: why not buy one of those newfangled robot dogs? No need to walk it, no need ...
The latest album from Dutch metal band Within Temptation has just come out in Germany, and is one of the most triumphant progressive rock/gothic/metal CDs of the year (A British release on BMG is due on January 10th; the band has yet to crack the US marke...
You probably noticed that my colleague of questionable esteem, Al Brown, wrote last week's column. I had to return to New Orleans for a few days to help my parents with their house (hurricane, flooding), so I called Al and told him I'd turn over more evid...
Hello, you Maniacs. Welcome to the first edition of SuperficialSlobber! I know what you’re thinking…
What the hell is this?!
I’ll come right out and tell you. Here at Mania.com, we can be a pretty serious bunch of gen...
Yahoo! Movies is offering the trailer for the upcoming THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT.The story centers on an outsider who attempts to define himself as a hot-headed, underdog street racer. Although racing provides a temporary escape from an unhapp...
Director Brian De Palma spent a good portion of his early career being compared to Alfred Hitchcock, and such associations were certainly warranted since De Palma did his best to both mimic and pay homage to the old master in films like SISTERS and OBSESS...
Jonathan LaPaglia plays chrononaut Frank Parker, who travels back a week in time during every episode of Seven Days to save the world from some cataclysmic event. Seven Days is now in its third season on UPN, and LaPaglia has been very busy, appearing in ...
Mixing a number of genres together to produce something highly commercial, Afro Samurai succeeds in being just that, a commercial success.What They SayAfro Samurai (Samuel L. Jackson) is the tale of a black samurai\'s hunt for Justice (Ron Pearlman), who ...
I'll say this first: for next week, send in your responses to this column and your rants about other comic-to-film changes. If you still hate Spider-Man's organic web-shooters or find yourself incensed that Mystique wasn't Rogue's mom, e-mail me here or ...
What They SayHer name is Mikura, and she’s all about service with a smile.
So what if that service is cracking skulls and the smile happens to be on the other end of a loaded gun? With a killer body, vicious skills and an attitude to match, Mikura...
Greetings, Maniacs, and welcome to another serving of Comicscape calamity, where we rise above the fray and endorse insight over insults, and wisdom over whining. Once again, thanks to everyone for your praise and criticism in the comments secti...
The many effects shots in Jason and the Argonauts were refinements and elaborations on those Ray Harryhausen had created for previous films. As with the novelty of 7th Voyage of Sinbad, no one had ever paired the techniques of stop-motion animation to th...
What They SayAfro Samurai (Samuel L. Jackson) is the tale of a black samurai\'s hunt for Justice (Ron Pearlman), who murdered his father. Afro Samurai blends traditional Japanese culture, funky technology and hip hop to create a brutally fresh entertainme...
James Bond has become such a cinematic icon that, like when you first fall in love, it`s difficult to remember a time that the character wasn`t in your life, a point driven home by the 19th film in the series, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. And yet there WAS su...
Most kids don`t know what they want to be when they grow up: not so Richard Laymon. `While I was still in elementary school, I had dreams of being a writer,` Laymon begins. `My first piece of fiction, I guess, was a report on a non-existent book I wrote f...
Independence Day is the kind of movie where you politely remove your thinking cap and check your brain at the door. Which is to say that it`s a huge amount of preposterous fun, not to be taken too seriously, and not to be questioned too deeply. Movies lik...
Moore says that he recognized VOYAGER’s biggest problem by the end of the first episode. `By the end of the pilot, you have the Maquis in those Starfleet uniforms, and— boom—we’ve begun the grand homogenization. Now they are any other ship. I don’t know w...
Let’s go back to the beginning for Moore, to get a history lesson as well as an idea about what about VOYAGER upset him so much. He remembers, `When I came aboard in the third season, NEXT GEN was very much the new kid on the block. There was a lot of sta...
I’ve been grousing here for several weeks about the paucity of new fantastic genre video releases and, while the future release schedule shows that this drought will pass, this week is the worst yet. While there are a few titles for special interest fans...
Doktor Sleepless occurs in a world much like our own, where communications technology has advanced radically. The residents of Heavenside can access an instant messaging service called Clatter through a lens implanted in their eyes. A new subcul...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Fujima TakuyaTranslated by:Kumiko YuasaAdapted by:What They SayIn the year 2068, the Brain computer - built by humans to be the core of a machine-driven earth - created selenoids, androids with abilities far superior to man. T...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Fujii MihonaTranslated by:Sheldon DrzkaAdapted by:What They SayFearless Kotobuki Ran strolls through the streets of trendy Shibuya with her Gal Pals on a quest for designer goods... at the same time dispensing her own brand of...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Anno MoyocoTranslated by:Yuji OnikiAdapted by:What They SayBEACH BLANKET BINGO?
KomatsuÕs devotion to his new love leaves him desperate to please her, so he goes above and beyond (and below, and around, and between) to locate...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Katsura MasakazuTranslated by:Yuji OnikiAdapted by:What They Say"DATELESS" MOTEUCHI AND THE VIDEO GIRL
High school student Yota Moteuchi is nicknamed "Dateless." When the love of his life confesses she is in love with his best...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Nishimori HiroyukiTranslated by:Joe YamazakiAdapted by:What They SayKicking butt and taking names has garnered Megumi a steady stream of fans, admirers, self-appointed bodyguards, and wannabe suitors, but Ichimonji Kobayashi i...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Marukawa TomohiroTranslated by:Ikoi HiroeAdapted by:What They SayKazuto thinks this will be the best Christmas ever, because he’s found the perfect gift for his girlfriend Narue. But the gift is stolen by a hyper-intelli...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Anno MoyocoTranslated by:Yuji OnikiAdapted by:What They SayCruel story of youth!
Komatsu's daring quest to be the "21st Century Akira Kobayashi" ends with his dramatic rejection of a system, and a society, that makes men comp...
Naked loli vampire. If said phrase perks the ears, Nozomu Tamaki’s deliciously drawn tale of a modern-day vampire princess and her loyal werewolf bodyguard could well slake your thirst for some wanton horror escapades.Creative TalentWriter/Art...
Newsarama sat down with Mark Millar to talk in depth about the experience of making 'Kick-Ass' (the comic and the film) thus far. The article is rife with interesting anecdotes and quotes from Millar. Here are a sampling.
On whether or not the movie will...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Satol YuigaTranslated by:Satsuki YamashitaAdapted by:Elizabeth HanelWhat They SayKai wakes up from his ordeal in an underground labyrinth, and is led by a mysterious voice to a place where young psychics are being held captive...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Ryo SaenagiTranslated by:Monica SeyaAdapted by:Marc GoldsmithWhat They SayAs a school punishment, Kanata has to ring a bell in a deserted church. But when the floor collapses, he falls into a room where he discovers a coffin-...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Tamakoshi HiroyukiTranslated by:David UryAdapted by:What They SayTHE SECRET'S OUT
Kouhei's childhood friend Kurara returns from her vacation in Hawaii with more than just a tan. It turns out that something went terribly wrong...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Anno MoyocoTranslated by:Yuji OnikiAdapted by:What They SayKomatsu manages to escape from indentured servitude at the construction site - his own personal churning hell of rebar, cement dust, and stinking middle-aged men! With...
Creative TalentWriter/Artist:Anno MoyocoTranslated by:Yuji OnikiAdapted by:What They SayStripped, blindfolded and bound to a chair by cruel dominatrices/salon proprietors Kiyoko and Harumi, helpless teen Komsatsu is told that he is to be transformed into ...
What They SayExcitement runs high at Mahora Academy as the girls of Class 2-A prepare for their annual school trip. But poor Negi Springfield has more than Kyoto fun on his plate, for one of his students appears to be missing! Sniffing a newsworthy story,...
What They SaySynopsis Pakistan: Episodes 1-6
A hostage has been taken in Pakistan; the chances of his survival are slim to none. Yugo Beppu, the world’s leading private negotiator, is called to the scene by the hostage’s daug...
What They SayHigh school, archery club, and boys were the things that filled Juna\'s daily life. But when an accident leaves her clinging tenuously between life and death, fate intervenes as she becomes the sole witness to scenes of Earth\'s destruction a...
What They SayIt should have been a routine voyage, but as the starship XeBeC entered the warp-ring, an explosion in the engine room sent the starship hurtling out of control. Once the smoke cleared, the crew found themselves in a remote corner of the gala...
It's been a while since I did a Superficial update here but in the past week, two stars have been sentenced or took plea deals for jail time, time which could have affected their genre related projects. Both cases are on the opposite end of the spectrum. ...
What They SayIt\'s been a decade since the sacred war between humans and vampires. The rise of the Kowloon Bloodline, a new breed of monsters bearing an infectious bite, set the streets ablaze under the reign of their king. Humanity had never witnessed su...
What They SayExcitement runs high at Mahora Academy as the girls of Class 2-A prepare for their annual school trip. But poor Negi Springfield has more than Kyoto fun on his plate, for one of his students appears to be missing! Sniffing a newsworthy story,...
The Review!One problem often encountered by romantic comedies is that they get accused of being superficial and simplistic. While arguments can be made both for and against the point it's pretty obvious that a number of people would enjoy a greater amount...
The Review!AUDIO
I\'m not really qualified to comment on higher-end audio due to the low-end nature of my setup; however, it sounded good to me. I listened to the English and Japanese versions for the review.
VIDEO
Here we have a clear case of \"The ...
The Review!Ayashi no Ceres, or Ceres: Celestial Legend as it's billed in America, is another series by Yuu Watase, the writer of the extremely well-known Fushigi Yuugi series. Love Fushigi Yuugi or hate it, Watase Yuu has written another shoujo story, and...
Everything races to an epic scale conclusion with a cast of seemingly hundreds of Otome’s.What They SayThe operation to liberate Windbloom is in full effect! While the united Otome begin their assault, Sergay makes an attempt to free Nina from the b...
Warning! Spoilers ahead!This week my Source Who Is Often Though Not Always Right said he`d heard intimations of some of the rumors I reported a few weeks ago from the Voyager`s Delights web page, which I had dismissed as outrageous. I still find them hard...