November 2021 | Otaku No Culture

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop: The Return of a Classic

Cowboy Bebop, the new sci-fi series streaming on Netflix, follows the exploits of Jet Black and Spike Spiegel, a pair of bounty hunters travelling the solar system while trying to make ends meet.

Netflix Debuts a Cowboy Bebop Trailer and a New Poster Now Available on Netflix

Cowboy Bebop, the new sci-fi series streaming on Netflix, follows the exploits of Jet Black and Spike Spiegel, a pair of bounty hunters travelling the solar system while trying to make ends meet. In their line of work, they have to deal with everything the solar system sends their way from drug dealing nut jobs to ridiculous fuel costs and everything in between.

Cowboy Bebop is also based off the classic anime of the same name from 1998 with the same characters and premise. Currently rated nearly 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, many consider it to be legendary, and I’m one of them. So when Netflix announced a live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop, I was excited. Though the fandom immediately split on whether or not this reboot was going to be good or if it should have been made at all. Remakes and reboots rarely have a very good track record, but I’m not against them at all, so I decided to be cautiously optimistic.

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Afterthoughts on Ghostbusters Afterlife

Not everyone from the original films returned to appear in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. One is Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) and the other is the titular Slimer.

Want to catch up on everything Ghostbusters? All three films can be picked up on Amazon USA!

Heavy Spoiler Alert

Not everyone from the original films returned to appear in Ghostbusters Afterlife. Two characters we didn’t get to see Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) and the other is the titular Slimer. The former is understandable as the actor retired a long time ago, to take care of his kids when his wife sadly passed. Though they’re older now, and Moranis has done a few voice-over roles, to convince him to appear on screen requires more than being friends with Ryan Reynolds or what Sony / Columbia Pictures can offer.

Regarding why he declined to appear in the 2016 film, “I hope it’s terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?” he said to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. His reasoning can apply to this 2020/21 film (delayed due to the pandemic).

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It’s A Bold New Ghostbusters Afterlife

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009) is an unofficial third film that’s fun to play and perhaps was a massive influence to the events occuring in Ghostbusters Afterlife

Spoiler Alert

The first Ghostbusters film is a beloved introduction to a ragtag group of scientists kicked out of university for their questionable belief in ghosts. And when they gathered enough spectral data to realize its possible to contain these spirits, this gang turn their idea into a business since they are considered ‘pests.’ With Ghostbusters Afterlife, that story continues.

To recap the first film, the lovely Dana Barrett hired this team to figure out why her apartment is spook central, and the god they prevented from appearing closed off the movie. Paranormal activity still took place throughout New York State, but it wouldn’t really pick up again until five years have passed.

It wasn’t until Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore had to deal with the spirit of a mad despot trapped in a painting when things truly quieted down. Spengler wasn’t ready to rest and even after this case, he knew there was a grande scheme happening while his teammates believed it was over. Flash forward to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, not everyone remembers the events from decades ago and we see him out on his own, dealing with a huge supernatural threat.

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Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong with Cho Tokimeki♡Sendenbu’s Suki! ~Cho ver~

Yoshikawa Hiyori represented the group’s feelings by saying, “Let’s make the word ‘Suki!’ a universal language! I hope that more and more people around Japan and the rest of the world can get to know Cho Tokimeki♡Sendenbu.

‘Suki! ~Cho ver~’, the J-pop hit from Japanese idol group Cho Tokimeki♡Sendenbu is sweeping the world! This bouncy number is everything one would expect from a kawaii group of performers. This all-girl band of merry performers from Japan is making waves as their song is charting everywhere. On Apple Music’s country by country charts, it’s hit No. 2 in Azerbaijan, No. 10 in Portugal, No. 15 in Norway, and remains in the top 50 from Ecuador to Sweden (as of November 18).

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Future Boy Conan is Swingin on Home Video!

Conan lives the jungle life and is very much a Tarzan boy. But when a mysterious girl washes up on a beach and he rescues her, trouble is coming! In this home video release of Future Boy Conan, fans can enjoy this classic!

Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Not everyone will recall Hayao Miyazaki worked on various animated television shows before transitioning to making feature-length films. He provided key animation to films like Puss in Boots and Animal Treasure Island. Those haven’t received a Blu-ray upgrade yet, but with the release of Future Boy Conan, it’s safe to assume they will one day come. In the meantime, this product is a must to give to any collector of this filmmaker’s works. Christmas is coming.

GKIDS & Shout! Factory’s release of this whimsical post-apocalyptic style adventure can see how this first-time director whetted his feet as an up-and-coming director. Although he changed a lot of the story–it was supposed to be an adaptation of The Incredible Tide by Alexander Key–the problems that later arose meant that for a time, no North American release was possible despite having having an English dub stuck in storage for decades (it was redone for this release).

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A Filthy Lot, From Startup to Vancouver’s Variety Channel for Gamers and Nerds Alike

Gemma knows that A Filthy Lot is walking into this with their eyes wide open. “You hope for big success out of the gate–of course you do–but, I know it’s going to take five years,” he realistically said.

(Top to Bottom): Nadav Sacha-Santo, Trevor Gemma, Billie Taylor and Chris Livingston.

2023 Update: This company has rebranded post-pandemic to QuestCoast Studios

A Filthy Lot Entertainment is a relatively new North Vancouver based company who encourages content creators to just do it. A Filthy Questline is one of their three channels (the others are the main, an anything goes, and comedy channel) where talents can show off their love for pop culture. Whether that’d be with comic book movies, board games, video games or role-playing, there’s a lot more to this company than meets the eye.

Christopher Livingston is the CEO and Trevor Gemma is the CCO of this company. Before creating this company, they both had careers in the local film/television scene. The former was a lighting technician but he wanted to produce. Part of his credits include The Killing, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl and Pirates of the Caribbean 5. The latter was an actor with the desire to craft his own productions. From a local cult hit Gutterballs to The Little Mermaid, a horror film, to Riese the Series (web) his success was as varied as the wind that guides him. The two met during production of Riese.

“It was a magical little web series everyone became friends on, which doesn’t happen very often in the film. I’ve made a lot of long-term friends there, including Chris, Nadav, and Mischa, who were with us when we started the company,” said Gemma.

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