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All Shaw Brothers All The Time! Volume 5 Quick Thoughts

Fans of the works from Shaw Brothers Studios will be happy to learn volume 5 is out now, and there’s a sixth too!

Shout! Studios

Just when fans thought they couldn’t get enough of the movies from The Shaw Brothers, one of two new collections is here! Volume Six is slated for, and I’ll have a separate article outlining what’s coming in that set. I really appreciate the fact Shout! Studios is keeping the love for wuxia alive.

Volume 5 is now available for purchase on their website (or on Amazon). While I have yet to process this volume myself (I’m still working through the last two volumes before committing to this year’s offerings), this release continues to offer titles from the 60s and 70s.

There’s a bit of a sword theme going on in this release and when I can pick up this set, I’m looking forward to seeing Mission Impossible over all others! You’ll have to visit this entry to see the reason why. Another work is Rape of the Sword, that’s based on the novel of the same name. This book supposedly inspired Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Also, when this studio rarely does sequels, A Taste of Cold Steel is one of those rare titles I have to check out. And when this collection includes all new content to go with each title, it’s a must have for any committed nostalgia enthusiast. Also included are some personal thoughts on a few films.

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Celebrating An Anime X-mas with GKIDS and Shout! Studios In This Look Back of 2024 Releases

We got more to mention since also checking out the GKIDS & Shout! Studios’ website for the latest info on what else to expect early in 2025.

Shout! Studios and GKIDS have certainly kept busy with releasing some top hits this year, and in this roundup is a list of our favourites to consider for the gift-giving season. While some folks opt for an anime X-mas, others have their own traditions. Also, we got news about one wintery treat for next year.

We have also included reviews where possible, since they released earlier this year.

THE BOY AND THE HERON (4K) & REVIEW

The Boy and the Heron 4K Studio Ghibli’s latest release is Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal film to date! We’ve seen it on the big screen and to watch it again on the small screen with all the bonus material made me appreciate this movie more. For my original review, please check it out here.

There’s details that aren’t as well known, and what’s revealed here are featurettes to truly understand what went on.

This new release offers a 4K transfer with a superior color palette compared to previous works (which lacked an ultra-HD release), and it’s almost tempting for collectors like me to upgrade to the latest video format rather than keep them all. I began with region 2 DVDs, which I still own, and then blu-ray happened.

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[Interview] Steve Kostanski on Frankie Freako and The Love for Makeup FX!

“As much as I wanted to have way more elaborate stuff in Frankie Freako, puppet wise, the bottom line is it needed to be janky…” said Steve Kostanski.

Steve Kostanski and Frankie — **Frankie Freako is available to purchase on Amazon USA.**

Steve Kostanski always loved the magic that film offered at an early age, and when he was creating stop motion films in the garage, little would he know it would lead to a career in the special effects industry. While some people think of him as part of the Astron-6 collective, where they create 80s-centric, no-budget, mixed-genre movies, they have done independent works too, like this filmmaker has with Freddie Freako, to realise they’re a tight group says it all. His name is also there in The Void and Manborg, where he has co-director credit.

His efforts are to be commended since he loves the medium; he watched shows like Mega Movie Magic (1997-2004) on Discovery Channel to learn how film effects were created back then. And on that fateful day where he and his buddies saw Army of Darkness, he knew what he would do for the rest of his life!

“That was when it really clicked,” said Kostanski, as I interviewed him via Zoom. “For me, it seemed like they were normal guys having fun goofing around; except somehow it became accessible. What they made stopped being this nebulous idea from Hollywood and that led to me to seriously want to make it in the film industry.

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Steven Kostanski’s Frankie Freako Wants to Party, and We Know How to Find This Crazy Dude!

Frankie Freako is the type of guy who means well, even though at first glance, he’s all punk all the way.

Coming to VOD beginning on October 25
(iTunes and Amazon Prime)

Although four years seems long in between projects, the team of Astron-6 deserves all the credit in a Steven Kostanski led movie, simply titled Frankie Freako. This movie shows just how wonderful puppet gore movies are. As much as I like to use the word puppetcore, that’s the name of a company who produce just as equally wacked out films. Also, they make mostly all puppet productions

When this film includes live-action as part of the equation, what’s presented is very Muppet-like, especially in how they move around the screen. But in this case, instead of revelling in slapstick, the concept delivers the horrific and humour in droves. The last film I saw was Frank and Zed.

That’s because somewhere in space, hobbit-sized characters who want to be like DC Comics’ Lobo insist that they bring their party anywhere in the cosmos. There’s a broadcast where the title character (voiced by Matthew Kennedy) offers to livin up anyone’s doldrum life. When Conor (Conor Sweeny) is an office employee with no gumption to succeed, not even his fellow workers seem to be fighting for inter-office promotions to get a better job. I suspect that before becoming such a Stephen Fry (from Futurama) he had not much of a social life. As for what his wife, Kristina (Kelly Wordsworth) saw in him back when they first dated, not even her sexual advances can stir him up.

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Breezing onto VOD this Week: Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds

One of the reasons why Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds is taking its time to arrive on home media is that it should celebrate the season too, and Autumn feels just right.

GKIDS & Shout! Studios
Now available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds is one of those wonderful and whimsical films I’ll gladly see time and time again, and it’s now available on demand! One reason is that it’s wildly colourful. When two kids get dropped off for a weekend with their babysitter, who is a well established writer of children’s fiction, little do they know that her words have power. One day, an illustration comes to life, and this mysterious rabbit (technically he isn’t one) says there’s trouble in the magical realm, it’s up to Juliette and her sister to venture into the Kingdom of the Winds instead of visiting Oz to do what’s right.

In a move considered very Studio Ghibli, they transform into anthropomorphic cats and do what they can to find the mysterious Sirocco, and save another woman as well. But when this person Selma has a connection to this strange magician, things aren’t as what they seem. To note, the real world connection is important, and that’s a detail I won’t spoil.

A more detailed review about this movie can be read here. I’m glad to view this movie again since this animation is one of two features acquired by GKIDS to be featured either theatrically or play at film festivals this year. I wanted to see this work again since it had a lot of magical moments to adore, and hoped to find it again. As for the eventual home video release, I don’t expect to find bonus features to be included and that’s okay.

The other work I’m anxious to see Ghost Cat Anzu, and I hope this feature will “haunt” cinemas this Autumn or be delivered to digital!

Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds Trailer

In Dragonkeeper, Why Is There Only One Protector?

Part of the charm in Dragonkeeper is because of Ping. She’s a character whom some may associate with Ray from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Dragonkeeper DVD Case — Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Shout! Studios

Ping (Lucía Pérez) is the Dragonkeeper, and if she’s to help Danzi (Mario Gas), an elder oriental dragon, she better learn how to train the next generation too! That’s because someone asked her to deliver an egg to a magical pool so it can hatch. As for whether this baby will bond to the human, that’d be saying too much.

Although the choice to have mostly European voices instead of Chinese for this production is very unusual, all I had to do was imagine Michelle Yeoh and James Hong’s voice over what’s heard. Technically, the British/Australian casting isn’t out of place when considering who wrote the book. Carole Wilkinson is an Australian whose series did quite well when it was released down under. I suspect the producers wanted to keep this flavour.

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