Tag: Shout! Studios

Supernatural Mayhem Unleashed: DAN DA DAN: Evil Eye Delivers An Excellent Intro of Season 2!

Dan da Dan Movie Poster Evil EyePlease check local listings for screenings near you

DAN DA DAN: Evil Eye is a movie version of the first three episodes of season two of the television series and not every theatre chain advertised this. Thankfully, I knew and it helps define what I knew is coming. Overall, it’s a welcome continuation for those craving that continuation following last episode’s cliffhanger. The wait was not long for me, as I just finished watching the home video release of season one from Shout! Studios.

Had this release targeted a theatrical run, I’m sure more effort would have gone into creating a better experience. Otherwise, what I knew from the broadcast version might have been amped up a lot more. Here, Momo Ayase (Shion Wakayama) continues to be the girl in charge as she and Ken “Okarun” Takakura (Natsuki Hanae) deal with aliens, ghosts, and other strange goings-on in town.

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When Venturing Into the Wonderwoods, The Dangers Are Real!

Come join Angelo Into the Wonderwoods where imagination and reality intertwines. This coming of age fantasy is certainly different than visiting Wonderland!

Into the Wonderwoods Movie PosterShout! Studios
Coming to Digital This Week

After a long run at various film festivals, Into the Wonderwoods, is headed to streaming and the coming of age story about Angelo (Dario Hardouin Spurio in the original and Kristen McGuire for the dub) is rather wild. After getting “accidentally” left behind at a rest stop, this kid has to find his way to grandmother’s house and I definitely had a certain “Over the River and Through the Woods” song stuck in my head afterwards.

Fortunately, the family is on the last leg of their long road trip, so he can probably find his own way there. However, when they do not notice he’s not in the car, in the real world, to know what the parents are like is very unsettling.

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When A Tooth Fairy Tale Concerns Renegade Teens From Folklore

When A Tooth Fairy Tales stands out in the small list of movies in this subgenre, some folks may well ask why? The thought put behind world-building provides the answer….

A Tooth Fairy Tale Movie PosterShout! Studio & Automatic Entertainment
Available on VOD
Spoiler Alert

Van (Booboo Stewart) isn’t your typical teenage boy, and in A Tooth Fairy Tale, he’s more than just the odd kid out. I like to describe him as a punk-rock version of Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. The parallels are certainly there, especially when considering DreamWorks’ adaptation: Van has issues with his father, who expects him to one day take over the family business. And, unsurprisingly, he has to prove himself by being the next in line to retrieve a loose molar from a human child.

When Van discovers that goblins are also on a similar mission, his curiosity about the wider world begins to grow. Each species in this realm—trolls, spiders, goblins—has a specific role to play, and just who counts as friend or foe is largely a matter of perspective. In this story, it’s the arachnoids that pose the real threat. I appreciated how they were portrayed as silent, creeping dangers rather than loud, chaotic villains.

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When Coping With Loss, Ghost Cat Anzu is Here to Save the Day!

Although available on digital last month, the movie Ghost Cat Anzu is finally available on home video. That way, this feline won’t get away at all, since he’s like a welcome member of the family. There’s no added features in this release, and that’s just fine.

Ghost Cat Anzu Bluray Cover
Available to order on Amazon USA

GKIDS & Shout! Studios

Ghost Cat Anzu is a rather strange spirit, and he’s ready to manifest for folks who want a little help in their lives! With the home video release, fans can hit the pause button if they want to compare this cinematic adaptation with the manga. When the print edition is ongoing, that need find out what he’s been up to since has my curiousity maxed out! I’m sure to read about what else this bakeneko is up to won’t kill me.

People adore this big giant cat (voiced by Mirai Moriyama) because he’s like Norm from Cheers. In the dub, Jason Simon sounds like George Wendt too! Everyone in the town knows his name. And when he acts more like a human than that of an oversized feline, I suspect there’s more to him than meets the eye. Although he’s a little rough around the edges, that’s okay.

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To Put A “Panda Bear in Africa” May Be Hazardous For This Cub’s Health

Although Panda Bear in Africa is not one of Richard Claus’ finest, this movie is worth the watch for its messages.

Panda Bear in AfricaShout! Studios and Shout! Kids
Digital Release Date: Jan 28, 2025

Richard Claus’s love for all things little is front and centre in Panda Bear in Africa. It’s a Spanish-animated film that’s now seeing distribution outside its country. When it purposely borrows from Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and Lion King, I’m hoping this filmmaker has not run out of ideas.

After delivering well-meaning tales like The Little Vampire (2017) and Ainbo, Spirit of the Amazon (2021; movie review), this latest work isn’t all that original. Even then, I still enjoyed the overall message about how Pang (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing), a young panda, loves to play with others outside his species. While others are not as kind, his behaviour is worth learning from. No one should be judged because they are from another species. Even when his pal gets kidnapped, he doesn’t listen to the advice of his elders and is determined to rescue his bestie.

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The Deets on The Shaw Brothers Classics, Volume 6 and Why This Release Is A Must-See

The love for Shaw Brothers continues as I offer thoughts in the next Shaw Brothers Classics release!

Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 6
Pre-order now on Amazon USA

What’s next for Shout! Studio‘s continued release of films from China is Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 6. Fans can now pre-order this upcoming March release, and according to the marketing, this package will focus on the really hard to find films to watch. Since then, a quick check online shows that some of them are available on Amazon Prime (select countries) as individual works or on YouTube.

This week, the distributor also revealed all the new featurettes included in this set. The titles I’m excited to see are Finger of Doom, Na Cha And The Seven Devils, and The Young Avenger. The primary reason is that I haven’t watched these particular films yet. IUn a few entries will be some added notes (or an included trailer)

SWORDSWOMEN THREE
(1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual Mono / 100 min.)

SWORDSWOMEN THREE Movie PosterAlthough this title may seem misleading, that is because it’s not really about these three ladies. Instead, it’s concerned about Lo Lieh, who will stop at nothing to claim victory at a tournament between clans. And by the time these ladies are dealing out the hurt, the question of who is the best is hardly the plot.

Although these sisters–played by Essie Lin Chia, Shen Yi and Violet Pan Ying-Zi–do their best, the question is when will they challenge the patriarchy?

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