Super tie-ins abound

By: Brian Thomas
Date: Saturday, June 17, 2006

For those of you that haven't had enough of the fat, surly, gluttonous pussy in comic strips, books, cards, wrapping paper and GARFIELD THE MOVIE, the new feature GARFIELD'S A TALE OF TWO KITTIES opened Friday. Jon and Garfield go to England and the cat is mistaken for look-alike royalty. Something to bore the kids while you sneak in to see TOKYO DRIFT. In more unwanted sequels news, Disney is at work on CINDERELLA 3. In this one, Cindy goes to Japan and learns a new style of underground street racing.


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Now we turn from the has-been, oh-so-'90s cat to a really popular cartoon character. For the past 50 years, an industrious little mole named Krtek has been the most popular cartoon character in Czechoslovakia. Cartoonist Zdenek Miler's creation beats anything coming overseas from Disney or Warner Bros. hands down. Ktek was the first anime character to appear on DVD in Europe. Some of Miler's books have been translated into English, but what about the movies? The USA is poised for Krtek-mania to strike! Ivan Lendl could be the English voice of Krtek, and a movie should be made in which Krtek comes to the USA and is mistaken for an identical US government official perhaps the Vice President.


SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

It's got wheels.

(O) CARS (Buena Vista) The number one box office draw took in 60 million dollars last week, three times what #2 (THE BREAK-UP) earned.


NEW DVD RELEASES

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

(O) DESERT PUNK Volume 4: Desert Dung (Funimation) When Desert Punk's life is saved by an honest man, he is taught a valuable lesson in decency; a lesson he quickly forgets. But decency has no part in his next job, which is easily his crappiest task yet...literally!
(O) GATCHAMAN Volume 13: Ghost Water and the Jungle of Death (ADV) Episodes 73-78, plus commentrak, karaoke and more.
(O) GATCHAMAN Volume 14: Iron Spiders and Delerium Beams (ADV) Episodes 79-84, plus commentrak and more.
(O) GATCHAMAN Collection 7 (ADV) Includes Volumes 13 and 14.
(O) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Season 2 (Warner Bros.) All 26 episodes on 4 discs, plus commentraks, behind-the-scenes and more.
(O) KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG Volume 1: Cosmic Canine (Warner Bros.) Before sending his only son into space to escape the planey Krypton, scientist Jor-El tested his design on a puppy, who ended up crash landing on the planet Earth, where he was adopted by a boy named Kevin. First five episodes. Also available with movie cash to see SUPERMAN RETURNS.
(O) LADY & THE TRAMP 2: SCAMP'S ADVENTURE (Buena Vista) Back after a two year absence. The son of Lady and the Tramp takes after his old man and runs away from the restrictions of home to join a gang of junkyard dogs. And he lives happily ever after. No, he learns some kind of lesson and returns home don't be so gullible. Includes Making-Of, games and more.
(O) THE LITTLE CARS: The Big Race (Inspired) A Taxi decides to enter a car race in this featurettes that looks darn familiar for some reason.
(O) LOOK, UP IN THE SKY!: THE AMAZING STORY OF SUPERMAN (Warner Bros.) Promo documentary feature on the Man of Steel through comics, radio, cartoons and movies.
(O) MAGIC WOMAN M 2 (Central Park) Sorceress Meru and friends defend themselves from lust-crazed demons. An Anime18 release.
(O) SISTER PRINCESS Complete Collection (ADV) Based on a popular Jpanese dating sim. Wataru, a college dropout, suddenly finds himself on a remote island inhabited by 12 nymphs all claiming to be his "little sister." At least one could be right, but which one? Wataru can't hook up with any of them, despite the temptation, until he's sure. Five discs.
(O) STRAWBERRY MARSHMALLOW Volume 1: Cute Is As Cute Does (Geneon) The misadventures of a quartet of cuuuute little schoolgirls. Four episodes.
(O) SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES Volume 3 (Warner Bros.) Superman battles the invasion of Darkseid. With commentraks, hidden deleted scene and behind-the-scenes. 18 episodes on 2 discs. Also available bundled with the first two volumes.
(O) SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC ATTACKS (Warner Bros.) An original movie misfire in which Braniac retrieves a rare form of Kryptonite from a distant sector of space and, teaming up with Lex Luthor, uses it to defeat Superman. Then our hero goes to the Phantom Zone to get some kind of cure to help injured Lois Lane. Can Supes escape in time to save Luthor not to mention the all of mankind from Brainiac's evil plans?

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 (© 2006 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.