July 2023 | Otaku No Culture

Shin Kamen Rider or Masked, He’s still A Ronin At Heart

Instead of turning the franchise into a cinematic blockbuster Shin Kamen Rider is still very much a 70s superhero film about a lonely soldier boy.

Fantasia Film Festival 2023 and Available to Stream on Amazon Prime as Shin Masked Rider
Spoiler Alert

Hidiki Anno’s Shin Kamen Rider is his latest entry to a self-contained universe, and it doesn’t change the story of Takeshi Hongo (Sôsuke Ikematsu) becoming the bug-like superhero by much. Although he isn’t ready to identify himself as Kamen, what he discloses is that he’s a Masked Rider.

By tacking the word “Shin” on front, this filmmaker isn’t making this film to bring in new fans. Instead, what he adds is a Frankenstein element to appease those in the know. The internal conflict this hero must be feeling has been explored before, and when Anno is involved, it’s sure to be good! This change to an kids television show to an adult one is a tonal shift I’m liking. Continue reading “Shin Kamen Rider or Masked, He’s still A Ronin At Heart”

Just How Hard Can Catching Hundreds of Beavers Be at Fantasia 2023?

When it comes to crazy narratives about man versus nature, or even man versus beast, Hundreds of Beavers is off the top!

Screening on July 28, 2023 9:20 PM
and July 31, 2023 11:45 AM at the Salle J.A. De Sève
Please click here to buy tickets.

Ryland B. Cole Tews and Mike Cheslik certainly made a name for themselves with the craziness that is Lake Michigan Monster (2018). It’s known amongst B-movie aficionados as Cthulhu meets Monty Python, and their latest, Hundreds of Beavers, is slightly different. This time, this duo brings the love for Silent Films (especially Mack Sennett’s work), early Looney Tunes, Benny Hill and Tex Avery to the fore. However, the list doesn’t end there. I’m sure this duo wanted to toss in everything including the kitchen sink to this madcap romp.

Now to keep that going in a full length 108-min film is tough. I was left wondering when it’ll end and fortunately there are moments to take breathers to process all that’s gone on before the next set piece goes all out bonkers.

In this tale, a drunk applejack salesman Jean Kayak (played by Tews) finds his home and business destroyed. I guess it’s because of those darn beavers, but to deal with them is the least of his worries. There’s also a rascally rabbit that torments this hunter. Although he doesn’t have a shotgun, what he does to deal with this threat is classic.

Continue reading “Just How Hard Can Catching Hundreds of Beavers Be at Fantasia 2023?”

Fantasia’s All Abuzz with David Allen’s The Primevals, A Love Letter to More Than The Land of the Lost

The love for all those classic adventure films and the passion put behind bringing The Primevals to life is the only reason why you should go see this film!

The Primevals is more than a love letter to the pulps of yesteryears. Here, the long production history must be noted before I can go into the review. Back in the late 60s, David Allen (who did the animation in Young Sherlock Holmes and Ghostbusters II) came up with the idea, and this stop-motion animator turned filmmaker had a lot of wonderful ideas which were ahead of its time. It’s tough to say if he knew of Erich von Däniken’s Chariots of the Gods and the theories he posed as it was published in 68, with translations not necessarily emerging until a year or two later.

It probably doesn’t matter. Sadly, to get this movie made back then was tough. That was partially due to how the studio system worked and other politics that held this project back.

While much of this story was filmed back in the late 80s, the project was shelved and this individual’s untimely passing meant it’d never get finished. Thankfully, his work with Chris Endicott, Charles Band and Full Moon Studios meant that everything that was done got carefully warehoused. It wasn’t until 2018 that the team sought crowdfunding in order to finish this project. Other talents volunteered their time as this idea shouldn’t be lost to history too.

Continue reading “Fantasia’s All Abuzz with David Allen’s The Primevals, A Love Letter to More Than The Land of the Lost”

[Fantasia 2023] Who’s The Devil in Raging Grace?

There’s a lot of disturbing layers to find at Raging Grace. This multilayered film deals with a lot of topics, and how it unfolds will leave many second-guessing!

Encore Performance
Aug 01, 4:35 PM Salle J.A. De Sève
For tickets, please visit this link.

It’s tough to decide which movie title is better. Both Raging Grace or Raising Grace works in a this Filipino movie about Joy (Max Eigenmann) and her eponymous daughter (Jaeden Paige Boadilla), which this work focuses on. This work written and directed by Paris Zarcilla, transcends what we know as a mixed genre movie. I wasn’t sure where the story was going until in the middle of the second act.

Here, this woman from the Philippines is simply struggling to make ends meet. She doesn’t have her green card and her child can’t assist unless her employers look the other way. In her latest job, she’s hired by Katherine (Leanne Best) to be a caregiver. And while she claims she’s the niece of the homeowner, Mr. Garrett (nicely played by David Hayman), and what she’s not telling is cause for suspicion for the employee.

Continue reading “[Fantasia 2023] Who’s The Devil in Raging Grace?”

Look Out! Space Invaders: World Defense is Taking Over the Skies!

I can’t help but be reminded of the climatic moment from Independence Day in the fancier levels in Space Invaders: World Defense.

Released July 20th, 2023
Atari and TAITO

Available on Android and iOS

Space Invaders: World Defense has the feel that players should don AR glasses while shooting down the titular pixel aliens in the real world. That’s because, to spin around and search for them means they’re after you rather than to destroy a city! Fortunately, this game limits the area where you can move around in, so you’re not running around the block in search of their entry point to our realm.

Although this game isn’t fully designed to have you witness monsters and UFOs blasting away at city buildings, I have to wonder when digital reality will replace our own. That’s assuming that we are not living in The Matrix; the more structures that are around means more work for the game to internally weave these invaders around. It’s a novel concept that will have most gamers loving this product’s mechanic as a lot of the animation and interaction is truly seamless.

Continue reading “Look Out! Space Invaders: World Defense is Taking Over the Skies!”

Star Wars: Rebels is set for TV Fall 2014

With luck, Star Wars: Rebels may well bridge the gap between Episode III and IV without Darth Vader taking center stage.

Coming in Fall 2014 will be a new animated television series set in the universe as first conceived by George Lucas and wonderfully illustrated by Ralph McQuarrie. This series is said to be inspired by this illustrator’s works and that can be particularly exciting for Generation One fans.

With luck, Star Wars: Rebels may well bridge the gap between Episode III and IV without Darth Vader taking center stage. Well, one can only hope. The premise is set in an era where the Empire is firming its grip upon the galaxy, and the Jedi Knights are nearly extinct.

If the news from StarWars.com is any indication of the potential this series has to win new fans, screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class), Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Greg Weisman (Young Justice) are serving as executive producers.

For Weisman, it will moreorless be a return to working with Disney. He quickly rose to become a fan favorite for having produced Gargoyles back in the 90’s. With luck, and if Star Wars: Rebels takes off, he may be able to return to bringing these creatures of stone back to life for a new generation of fans. Or Disney can finally consider releasing the last volume of the Gargoyles series to DVD. Many fans have been patient.