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Prepare for Max Reload and the Nether Blasters!

Max Reload and the Nether Blasters Movie Poster — Order it on Amazon USA

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Playing at select theatres & VOD
August 7

DVD/ Blu-Ray Release:
August 11

I never knew the retro Colecovision console could pump out 90’s RPG style games like the one featured in Max Reload and the Nether Blasters. This movie unloads a fair bit of nerd culture–especially in the history of video games–while Max Jenkins (Tom Plumley) attempts to save the world! The backstory is cool enough to hook me: every century or so, a pawn gets selected to play a very cosmic game with a mysterious figure only known as The Harbinger to determine the fate of the world. The first time this happened, destiny was determined at the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Just why the Sumerian culture was said later is beyond me; I know their ziggurats are shaped differently. I can dismiss this oops in a movie written and directed by Scott Conditt and Jeremy Tremp. The film they made together is a hilarious adventure, filled with easter eggs to keep me wanting to rewatch to find them all.

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2016’s Invasion Earth Finally Lands on Home Video Four Years Later…

Not to be confused with Blackout: Invasion Earth, the similarity made work, Invasion Earth, by writer/Director James Twyman originality came out 2016 and is more about the people and their lives than the fate of the planet being saved by freedom fighters.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date:
August 4, 2020

Midnight Releasing
VOD & DVD

Not to be confused with Blackout: Invasion Earth, the similarity made work, Invasion Earth, by writer/Director James Twyman originality came out 2016 and is more about the people and their lives than the fate of the planet being saved by freedom fighters. The juxtaposition is light. Perhaps the actual threat is about them as ne’er-do-wells. Trying to break free from their demons is just as difficult as getting ready to deal with an alien threat.

The official trailer suggests the space invaders are omnipresent throughout, but that’s far from the truth. What’s out there is visualized like The Colour Out of Space—in vivid blues and purples. It’s a good way to contrast between the slow parts (in regular colours) and the high action.

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DIGIMON: Last Evolution Kizuna Comes to North America this Fall!

“Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” takes place five years after the events of “Digimon Adventure tri.” the six-part film series released in 2015.

This fall, Toei Animation and Shout! Factory are bringing this new animated movie to North America for the first time ever as both a digital and home video release. On September 29, “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” will debut first as a digital download available in original Japanese with English subtitles or English dub on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Microsoft and Sony PlayStation Network; followed a week later on October 6 with the retail home video release on DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD from Shout! Factory). To mark today’s announcement, Toei Animation premiered the official English dub trailer on IGN as well as revealed the film’s English dub cast.

A must-own for fans, collectors, and pop culture enthusiasts, the highly collectible DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack editions of “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” boast not only the exciting movie presentation (featuring both sub and dub versions) but also the insightful bonus feature “The Final Evolution: Remembering 20 Years of Digimon Adventure with Joshua Seth and Tom Fahn.” Now available for pre-order on ShoutFactory.com, advance purchases of the “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” Blu-ray Combo Pack also include an exclusive 18”x 24” lithograph of the cover art while supplies last.

“Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” takes place five years after the events of “Digimon Adventure tri.” the six-part film series released in 2015. Now on the cusp of adulthood, Tai and his DigiDestined friends discover that with age their bonds with each of their Digimon will ultimately break. How does it end for Tai, Agumon and the others? Fans must watch “Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna” to find out the answer.

Fans should stay tuned for special news and activities from Toei Animation and Shout! Factory ahead of the movie’s release.

Film Synopsis
Tai is now a university student, living alone, working hard at school, and working every day, but with his future still undecided. Meanwhile, Matt and others continue to work on Digimon incidents and activities that help people with partner Digimon. An unprecedented phenomenon occurs and the DigiDestined discovers that when you grow up, your relationship with your partner Digimon will come closer to an end. As a countdown timer activates on the Digivice, they realize that the more you fight with their Partner Digimon, the faster their bond breaks. Will you fight for others and lose your partner? The time to choose and decide is approaching fast. There is a short time before “chosen children” will become adults. This is the last adventure of Tai and Agumon.

Useless Humans Beams Up to VOD!

Useless Humans Movie Poster By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date:
June 14

Quiver Distribution
Available on iTunes and other VOD platforms

Useless humans wastes no time letting viewers know we’re the thick of an alien incursion. This movie follows not only Brian Skaggs’ (Josh Zuckerman from ˆ) journey from zero to hero, but also those of his friends–Zackery (Joey Kern), Louis (Rushi Kota) and Jessie (Davida Williams)–too. Toss them into a cabin in the woods scenario for good measure, and just don’t expect the Evil Dead to appear here!

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Aliens are Behind The Blackout Invasion Earth in North America!

I was left asking a lot of questions after Blackout Invasion Earth. Whether the next work examines and answers what War (What is it Good For?) will help bridge the cliffhanger like ending.

The Blackout Invasion Earth DVD — Available to order on Amazon USA

Shout! Factory
Available on VOD and Home Video
June 2, 2020

Since the dawn of civilization in the Russian-made film, The Blackout, an alien agency manipulated the future of Earth for their own agenda. For the international release, titled Blackout Invasion Earth, the plan is not about conquering but rather preparing how this planet will fall. An opportunity is missed to make this film distinctly Russian. When this country is vast, a few mysteries like where the Volgogard Discs came from or why those people camping on Dyatlov Pass were found dead could have been explained before the action begins.

Main protagonists Alyona (Lukerya Ilyashenko), Olya (Svetlana Ivanova) and Oleg (Aleksey Chadov) learn about the ancient alien agenda when they subdue Eid (Artyom Tkachenko). He claims to “come in peace.” Thankfully, he sides with the humans.

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Sound! Euphonium It’s A Brand New Day in North America!

You can’t jump in and understand this Sound! Euphonium as easily without either some research or at least seeing the television series.

Available to order on Amazon USA
June 2nd, 2020
Shout! Factory

To anyone who has not heard of Sound! Euphonium, a primer about this series is in order. It was originally a series of novels by Ayano Takeda which was quick to become a franchise. After its initial publication in 2013, a manga soon followed, along with an animation series and now movies. Our Promise: A Brand New Day follows Kumiko in her second year at Kitauji High School. Not only does she have to make the new band of recruits in this high school symphony work in harmony, but also has to deal with a certain romance potentially coming into her life.

Altogether, I could not help but be reminded of the National Film Board of Canada’s documentary, That Higher Level while watching this anime. We are examining what makes these characters unique, and where they will go next when they have graduated from Kitauji High School.

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