DVD Release Archives | Otaku No Culture

Transformers Earthspark, A Brand New Era and Next Season News

Anyone enjoying Transformers Earthspark will be glad to hear more episodes are being made, and in the meantime, we offer a full series review now that the entire series is available on home video.

Spoiler Alert

Transformers Earthspark is like Rescue Bots at times, because of how everyone treats each other like a tight family. Just when I thought the home release might offer material to explain the similarity, this bare-bones release doesn’t delve into the development. I’m curious about why Quintus Prime finds it vital to seed other planets with Emberstone. This artifact can create new life, and while this Primus allowed this planet to run its natural course, why would this artfact remain? Since it was placed on a pedestal, there’s a lingering question of who worshipped it?

Maybe one day, I can meet the creators and ask about this new direction for the franchise. Aside from seeing Nicole Dubuc‘s name–who has helped produce the series for a long time–the others involved in the development are not as familiar. As long as she’s leading the charge, I’m okay with this update.

Continue reading “Transformers Earthspark, A Brand New Era and Next Season News”

Want to Feast on Some Cold and Cheesey Tales From the Other Side?

Halloween is early with today’s release of Tales From the Other Side. This horror anthology has both light and devil-may-care B movie style frights.

Available on DVD and VOD

Halloween is early with today’s release of Tales From the Other Side. This horror anthology has both light and devil-may-care B movie style frights where three kids are left on their own to go trick or treating. Just who they meet isn’t necessarily a friendly old grandma.

This film created by committee is an idea that has its moments. And although the title sounds like the makings of a new franchise ala Tales from the Darkside, there’s significant differences. Alternatively, maybe it’s more like an EC Comics publication.

Neither does it bear any semblance with the audiobooks by Raymond Singclare Cobb or Heather Christie’s play of the same name. The only similarity is with how each independent work seeks to enthral and entertain fans of horror with tales of the supernatural.

Continue reading “Want to Feast on Some Cold and Cheesey Tales From the Other Side?”

When A Horse’s “Spirit” Goes from “Untamed” to Trained

But there’s something to be said about the lead–the horse, of course. It’s unclear if he’s the same throughout the different tales, but I’d venture to say they share the same DNA (is the son of) rather than being one and the same.

DreamWorks Entertainment
Available to Purchase on Amazon

DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit has a sequel, and viewers don’t need to know the Netflix series or past iterations to enjoy the latest release. The CGI animated update certainly reveals how this franchise has evolved with the times. It’s a different beast when compared to Stallion of the Cimarron (2002). They are all set in the Wild West–even though many years have passed between story to story. This latest focuses on the girl attempting to tame a horse, who conveniently shows his independence, and establishes a relationship with.

Continue reading “When A Horse’s “Spirit” Goes from “Untamed” to Trained”

Jesters or Trickster Spirits? These “Game Changers” Play with History!

Ultimately, the story is about The Six Matryred Ministers whom the recently annotated King Sejo wants forgotten.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Played at Fantasia Festival 2020.
Region 3 DVD is available to order on YesAsia USA and International.

SPOILER ALERT

Newly anointed King Sejo (Hee-soon Park) is quite the pickle in Jesters: The Game Changers. He’s dethroned the former prince, his nephew Danjong, in his rise to power and in order to sully a good reputation, he recruits Deok-ho (Jin-woong Cho) and his gang of talented con artists (Jesters, in this translation) to spotlight all the good he can do.

They use strangely modern techniques to make their special effects. Honestly, it’s these moments which make this film shine. Viewers may scratch their heads at how 15th century Korea has access to electric lights but I figure what they used are smoke and mirrors inside different types of containers to make their illusions. With creative thinking, anything is possible, including projecting Buddha on a cliff side or seeing Deok-ho on an ancient treadmill.

Continue reading “Jesters or Trickster Spirits? These “Game Changers” Play with History!”

Parasite lands Everywhere Following the Academy Awards!

Parasite DVD Slip Cover — Available to purchase on Amazon USA

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Congratulations to Bong Joon-ho for taking home four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards! This dark comedy deserves all the wins. The use of classical background music gives more than a change of atmosphere to the South Korean character drama. Ultimately, I feel it’s a Shakespearean play that constantly shifts genres. Just how this film ends, it’s tough not to feel for the main protagonist.

The scholars rock is a macguffin which kept me curious about when it becomes important to driving this tale forward. It can mean anything. For a moment I wondered if it’s a philosopher’s stone, a transformative device. When the last film I saw from this director includes Snowpiercer and Okja, I knew he’s not going to make this change come easy. When this story is about the lower class infiltrating the home of a wealthier clan and watching how they feed off each other, the importance is with who holds the power instead.

The Kim clan is led by Ki-taek Kim (Song Kang-ho). Nobody is really doing well, not even Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), Ki-jung (Park So-dam) and Ki-woo (Choi Woo-Shik). When Ki-woo’s wealthy friend Min-hyuk gifts them a this stone, supposedly imbued with magical properties, just what happens next is with how they pretend to be skilled workers when they are not–just so they can work at the Park home.

Continue reading “Parasite lands Everywhere Following the Academy Awards!”

That Ain’t No Mummy Rebirth (2019)

Release Date: August 13, 2019.
DVD & Digital
Uncork’d Entertainment

When writer Justin Price teams up with director with a wicked name as Khu, good things can come from this pairing wanting to look at the legends of Ancient Egypt. Mummy Rising and Pharaohs (presumedly the sequel currently in production) may well the beginnings of a direct to DVD franchise along the lines of how the Scorpion King continued. My interest in both films simply lays with the undead coming back to life in modern times and doing what they do best: destroy all life.

Continue reading “That Ain’t No Mummy Rebirth (2019)”