Tag: Home Video

Capping off the Lunar New Year with White Snake

White Snake on DVD Angle
Available to preorder on Amazon USA

Light Chaser Animation Studios
Warner Bros. Far East

Released by:
Shout! Factory & GKIDS
Feb 4, 2019

Arriving just in time to cap off the Lunar New Year is the home video release of the Chinese computer animated movie, White Snake. While the world is waiting for the release of Jiang Ziya, the intended release for 2020 to celebrate the Year of the Rat, thankfully, the romantic action comedy does something different to think of this year differently: we have a tale of romance, perseverance and true love.

This release also works with Valentine’s Day coming up next! Here, we have more than a simple tale about two star-crossed lovers. They come from two distinct worlds. One is a mortal and the other a spirit. It’s far different from but has connections to Chinese Ghost Story from decades ago. How can you control fate? Destiny is a key theme in this work. For a full review, please click here.

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Donten: Laughing Under the Clouds Rains Home Feb 4th!

Donten Laughing Under The Clouds Movie PosterShout! Factory
Release Date: Feb 4, 2019

All three films of Donten: Laughing Under The Clouds – Gaiden (曇天に笑う) are coming to home video! Based on the manga Laughing Under the Clouds by Karakara-Kemuri, these movies differ somewhat from the television series broadcast back in 2014. The latest chapter, Laughing in Limbo is ongoing, and I’m curious in when this will get animated.

The series is a medieval fantasy, set during the time of the Meiji Restoration. The Samurai are no longer needed and many see the future is with a competent military presence. With the old ways disappearing fast, some have turned ronin and others are simply no longer doing their job….

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Every Breath You Take with Funan, on Home Video Dec 3rd!

Every Breath You Take
Available to Pre-order on AmazonEvery Breath You Take

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date:
Dec 3rd, 2019

GKIDS & Shout! Factory

Funan is a deeply personal look into the life and times of Chou (voiced by Bérénice Bejo) when she faces more than a life separated from her family. Her story is based on writer/director Denis Do’s own experiences. It’s mostly about the stories his mother passed down. Her trials of wanting to reunite with her loved ones following the Cambodian uprising of the Khmer Rouge regime was difficult. This switch of power took place in April 1975 and lasted till 79.

Do hits a home run with the screenplay. The dialogue about how this new political party supposedly can do good seems brash. I see it as a conflict of one man’s ideals versus another’s in a matter of national pride. The English dub is reasonably well done, even though I switched to watching the French language version; translations can only go far and I wanted to see this work as it was originally intended. As I watched this heartbreaking movie, I can’t help but think the lyrics to The Police’s song, “Every Breath You Take” take on new meaning here. The story of love, loss and hope is every bit as powerful as the song because, quite literally, the new regime’s eyes are everywhere and ready to strike (for all the wrong reasons).

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The Power of Grayskull Hits Home Video Sept 3rd! & Other News

Image result for the power of grayskullAvailable on Netflix
Coming to home video, DVD on Sept 3
High Octane Pictures

When Masters of the Universe is looking like the reboot movie to keep an eye on, perhaps it’s time to revisit the merchandise that inspired it. Mattel once lamented over the missed opportunity when an offer crossed the desk of then CEO Roy Wagner to produce Star Wars toys. After seeing how successful that went, they missed the boat. The race was on by many toy manufacturers to produce the next big thing. Sadly, that meant licensing nearly every fantasy or sci-fi movies made under the sun in that quest to find El Dorado. Thankfully, a few creative minds got the right idea, but to maintain the fan base has been a struggle.

The conflict has always been with having associated media to keep interest alive. Randall Lobb and Robert McCallum‘s documentary, THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe explores the hurdles involved over the years in why this franchise is still reverent. According to a few chiefs at Toys r Us back then, 5-year-olds don’t read comic books. Mattel’s answer was to make a TV show.

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[Fantasia 2019] Master Z is the Bee’s Knees with the IP Man Legacy

Zhang’s acrobatics puts Jackie Chan’s early work to shame and in, Master Z: IP Man Legacy, I feel he is an action star on the rise.

Master Z The IP Man Movie PosterRelease Date: July 23, 2019
Well GO USA

Master Z: IP Man Legacy is a fast-paced, hard-hitting spinoff from the films about the legendary Wing Chun master Yip Man. Instead of this master of martial arts, we have another sifu whose style (wushu) can rival that of the other; this time, it’s the life of Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang) that we follow. This rival from Ip Man 3 gets his own film. He is trying to escape his life as a trainer.

Despite having lost to Yip, Chi believes his time in the arena is over. He’d rather pursue a simpler life with his son in an unassuming part of late 50s Hong Kong. However, trouble always comes up, and he has to serve up vengeance, Batman-style.

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There’s No Need to Be Afraid of The Big Bad Fox

Every Breath You Take
Available to purchase on Amazon

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date: July 16, 2019
GKIDS and Shout! Factory

The Big Bad Fox (Le Grand Méchant Renard et autres contes…) is a delightful, hilarious children’s book by Benjamin Renner and it’s animated counterpart is just as whimsical. The breezy watercolours featured in this hand-drawn work was very meditative. The poke at simple life was just as illustrious to the work I also recall in the printed Winnie the Pooh books.

The film released two years after the publication (2015) and what it offers are three shorts within a variety show format featuring Pig (Justin Edwards), Rabbit (Adrian Edmonson), Duck (Bill Bailey) and the titular Fox (Giles New, Pirates of the Carribean movies). More barnyard creatures pepper the background and this parable has a lot to offer to keep the kid in me entertained for years to come. This work is all ages friendly!

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