'TECH returns

By: Brian Thomas
Date: Saturday, September 30, 2006

At the 2006 International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, ROBOTECH: SHADOW CHRONICLES won Best Animated Sci-Fi feature. Many ROBOTECH fans have felt disappointment for 20 years that there hasn't been a continuation of the series. The internationally produced feature picks up where the unresolved ending of the original 1985 TV series (aka MACROSS) left off, as Scott Bernard joins the Robotech Expedition Force to find out what happened to the SDF-3 and their alien enemies Invid. ROBOTECH: SHADOW CHRONICLES is screening today(!) in Chicago as part of the Asian Animation Film Festival, at the Los Angeles Koean Intl. Film Festival on October 5, at the Connecticut Film Festival October 7, the Hawaii Intl. Film Festival and the St. Louis Intl. Film Festival. Funimation will release the DVD early next year.

I MUST DESTROY YOU won Best Science Fiction Animated Short.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Probably as much animation has been done for ephemeral films advertising, industrial and educational shorts as has been created for entertainment shorts, TV series and features.

(O) HISTORY OF ADVERTISING: Animation 1930-1940 (Tapeworm) Rare vintage commercial shorts that ran in movie theaters way before your time. This vintage collection of Black & White as well as Color Advertising films are classic animation cartoons by legendary producers like Handy (Jam) Organization, Fleischer Studios. You will find films advertising a wide range of products like Rice Krispies, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet & Esso.

(O) HISTORY OF ADVERTISING: Animation 1940-1950 (Tapeworm)
Included here among other you will find a Lucky Strike cigarette commercial with stop-motion animation of square-dancing cigarettes & a delinquent raindrop explaining the need for good watershed management.
(O) HISTORY OF ADVERTISING: Animation 1950-1960 (Tapeworm) Some of the best cold war propaganda animated advertisements ever created.

NEW DVD RELEASES


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

(O) ANIMUSIC 2 (Alpha) Eight shorts mixing computer animation and music, plus commentrak.
(O) BASILISK Volume 2: The Spoils of War (Funimation) Episodes 5-8. The passions of the past quickly reignite as one scroll seeks to undo two powerful tribes. Includes behind-the-scenes and more. Also available in a limited edition box.
(O) CAPTAIN SABERTOOTH (Indican) Pirate adventure from Norway.
(O) CARTOON NETWORK CHRISTMAS Volume 3 (Warner Bros.) Too early.
(O) CASE CLOSED MOVIE: THE TIME BOMBED SKYSCRAPER (Funimation) Boy Detective Conan in a race against time battling a mad bomber in this feature adventure.
(O) THE COMPLETE HARVEYTOONS COLLECTION (Classic Media) 4-disc set presents cartoon shorts with Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audrey, Baby Huey, and other Harvey characters.
(O) CORNEIL & BERNIE Season 1 Volume 1 (First National)
(O) CORNEIL & BERNIE Season 1 Volume 2 (First National)
(O) CORNEIL & BERNIE Season 1 Volume 3 (First National) The adventures of a genius dog and his looney dog-sitter. Eight episodes each.
(O) G.I. JOE: SIGMA SIX First Strike (Paramount) 5 episodes of the latest Joe series.
(O) THE LITTLE MERMAID (Buena Vista) 2-disc special limited-time edition of this Oscar winning 1989 Disney feature about a mermaid that falls in love with a human. Includes Making-Of featurettes, deleted footage, games and more.
(O) LITTLE POLAR BEAR: The Dream of Flying (Warner Bros.) Animal rescue adventure.
(O) MY LITTLE PONY Pack (Paramount) Includes "Princess Promenade", "Runaway Rainbow" and "A Very Minty Christmas". Also available in a gift set with a Pinkie Pie Tote Bag.
(O) PAPUWA Volume 2: Zombie Samba (ADV) Zombies, samurai and towering bearded women threaten the island. 5 episodes.
(O) RETURN TO THE PLANET OF THE APES Complete Animated Series (Fox) Three astronauts in their space ship get caught in a time vortex and return to Earth in the year A.D. 3979 and discover that intelligent apes are now the highest form of life.
(O) SOUTH PARK: The Hits Volume 1 (Comedy Central/Paramount) Favorite episodes from each season of the toon classic. Plus four other non-favorites and the original "Spirit of Christmas" short.
(O) STRAWBERRY MARSHMALLOW Volume 3: Winter Adventures (Geneon) Our young heroines become concerned with various things in their life such as dieting, hypnotism, and Santa Claus. Also available in a limited edition box.
(O) STREET FIGHTER 3-pack (Anchor Bay) Includes STREET FIGHTER ALPHA and STREET FIGHTER 2 V Volumes 1 & 2.
(O) STUART LITTLE Movie Collection (Sony)
(O) THOMAS & FRIENDS: Sing-Along Stories (Anchor Bay)
(O) THOMAS & FRIENDS: Thomas Gets Bumped (Anchor Bay) Both include toy train.
(O) TRIGUN: REMIX Volume 3 (Geneon) Vash reveals more of his secrets.
(O) VIEWTIFUL JOE Volume 5 (Geneon) Joe and Junior are lost in the mountain searching for a wild cheeseburger when they meet a mystery man.
(O) X: REMIX Volume 4 (Geneon) The second "Kamui," joins the Dragons of Earth.
(O) YU YU HAKUSHO: Second Wind (Funimation) The trails and tribulations of Yosuke Urameshi and his band of odd and powerful friends continue, as they cross paths with monsters and warriors from every dimension. Episodes 15-28 uncut on two discs. Also available in a limited edition with keychain.


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!

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