News

It's not hyperbole to say that The Matrixchanged blockbuster filmmaking forever upon its release in 1999. The Wachowskis' sci-fi epic introduced new ideas and techniques to the world of science-fiction cinema, spawning countless parodies and imitations that tried to recapture some of its magic. Not only did it make more than seven times its initial budget, it became a bona fide cultural sensation whose influence continues to be felt to this day.

With the first film being so successful, it was inevitable that Hollywood would want more Matrix. Its two sequels, 2003's The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, did good business but saw some diminishing creative returns, as the Wachowskis labored to turn a standalone film into a three-part epic. But beyond its mainline sequels, the saga also took a side trip into animation, and the result was probably the most satisfying Matrix property outside the original film: 2003's The Animatrix.

Anime boasts an extensive catalog of films, offering something for everyone. Whether it’s a spin-off of a beloved shonen anime series, or a Studio Ghibli film, there’s always a film worth watching. Anime films showcase the brilliance of animation, allowing creators to express themselves in unique and powerful ways.

For those exploring Crunchyroll’s library, the platform offers a vast selection of anime films. From nostalgic classics that bring back childhood memories to gripping emotional thrillers that highlight the true impact of animation, there’s a perfect pick for any fan seeking a short yet unforgettable experience.

Black Jack: The Movie Is A Great Film for Fans of Medical Dramas Streaming on CrunchyrollImage Via Tezuka Productions

Black Jack: The Movie tells the adventures of the unlicensed but genius surgeon Black Jack from the anime series of the same name. Black Jack's design is immediately iconic, with the...

Anime distributor AnimEigo announces the upcoming home media Blu-ray release of the Megazone 23 Ova on November 12th.

Making its debut in 1985, Megazone 23 ignited the Japanese Original Video Animation (Ova) boom. It proved there was a market for direct-to-video anime films and paved the way for anime to become not just a niche genre, but a world-wide phenomenon. It was soon joined by a visually mind-blowing sequel, and a 2-part spinoff that takes place centuries later.

The new release from AnimEigo compiles the complete Megazone 23 trilogy along with an array of bonus features that includes the original Adv Films commentary track, Adv Films English dub tracks for all 3 parts (4 episodes), UK dubs for Megazone 23 Part III, an English subtitled Japanese commentary track with illustrator Gaku Miyao and producer Hiroki Sato, line art galleries, liner notes by noted anime author Giles Poitras, and more.

Pre-oders are available now at: https://www.

The latest re-release from AnimEigo is Megazone 23: The Complete Trilogy , and it officially has a date set. The trilogy that started with 1985's landmark Megazone 23 Ova will be available in a set full of bonus content—including a bunch from the earlier Adv Films release—starting on November 12, 2024. The collection is currently available to pre-order at the Crunchyroll Store . If you want to get it with an exclusive slipcover, you'll need to order directly from the MediaOCD store while supplies last. Megazone 23: The Complete Trilogy Release Date: November 12, 2024 Features: Contains the following bonus features: Complete Adv Films dub for all 3 parts (4 episodes) Streamline Pictures dub (Part 1) International Version (Part 2) UK Dub (Part 3) Original Adv Films historical commentary track Japanese commentary with Gaku Miyao & Hiroki Sato Original Japanese promos (now soft-subtitled) Original US and UK Promos Color and line art galleries Liner notes by Giles Poitras AnimEigo describes...

Anime producer Kazumasa Narita has defended Hideaki Anno, the creator of the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, against allegations of abusive and violent behavior.

Narita spoke to ITMedia News about his experiences working on Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (Shin Eva), in which he remarked on accusations that Anno was irrational, controlling on set, and did things like flipping tables over in anger. "Mr. Anno doesn't make changes that are irrational," Narita said. "When you're flipping tables because you dislike something, people won’t follow you. It might seem like he does that. Perhaps it was something that existed in the distant past before I joined. However, in reality, when you want to change something or give instructions, it’s simple: if there’s a possibility to improve the existing image or create something better, that’s the judgment criterion. It’s always rational."

Related Official Evangelion Store Releases New...

While the platform is not immediately associated with the medium, Amazon Prime Video has available to stream some of the best anime ever made. Though its selection isn’t as extensive as other streaming services such as Crunchyroll or Funimation, it shouldn’t be discounted, and it makes up in terms of quality.

Amazon Prime is streaming some of the most enjoyable anime out there. From old classics to new hits, Amazon Prime’s anime library is extremely varied. It includes both full-length television shows and feature films. The best thing is that, with any Prime account, you can get started right away exploring every anime from A to Z.

Vinland Saga

As a child, Thorfinn watches his Viking father Thors killed by the mercenary Askeladd. He grows up training under and fighting beside Askeladd and his warriors, burning to one day avenge his father in an honorable duel. But...

The haunted house featured in The Matrix's appendix film The Animatrix continues to be one of the franchise's greatest mysteries to this day. The Matrix is a series that's no stranger to having open-ended mysteries in its narrative. These unanswered questions have left fans puzzled for years regarding not just the overall story but the role of certain characters as well. The Architect in particular from The Matrix Reloaded is still being analyzed in terms of what he told Neo and why he was there in the first place. However, the supplemental animated anthology The Animatrix left a mystery so big that it's still being questioned today.

In the Animatrix story "Beyond," Kōji Morimoto's short features a girl named Yoko looking for her missing cat. On her hunt, she discovers kids visiting what they consider a haunted house where strange things are occurring. Time is looping, gravity isn't...

Fans of mangaka and director, Katsuhiro Otomo, known for Akira (1988), won't want to miss a 90s sci-fi anime anthology. Memories (1995) is now streaming and it includes a must-see story as its introductory feature. Severely underrated, it was released on home video in North America in recent years but can now be streamed by anime fans.

Originally released in 1995 in Japan, then in the U.S. two years later, Memories is an anthology film comprising three separate features: Magnetic Rose, Stink Bomb, and Cannon Fodder. Each is based on manga short stories written by Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo. With a screenplay by Satoshi Kon, Magnetic Rose is directed by Kōji Morimoto. Stink Bomb is directed Tensai Okamura with a screenplay by Otomo. Cannon Fodder is directed and written by Otomo. While there are three short films, the highlight of the grouping is definitely Magnetic Rose.

Related: Demon Slayer, Spy x Family,...

Prolific animator and manga-ka Satoshi Kon had a sustained interest in exploring the nature of reality, particularly the way in which humans interact with their perception of what's real. This thematic fascination encapsulates Kon's body of work, which deal with characters oscillating between objective reality and constructed ones, with the line between the two getting increasingly blurred as the narrative progresses.

Kon's most famous work, "Perfect Blue," which is considered his magnum opus, exclusively revolves around a J-pop star-turned-actor losing their grip on reality while crumbling under the weight of worldly perception, voyeurism, and fractured identity. Similar themes are also peppered throughout "Paprika" and "Millennium Actress" — films that further hone Kon's vision of crafting realistic worlds that harbor something sinister beneath a pretty facade. However, Kon first forayed into these themes as early as 1995, when he collaborated with "Akira" animator Kōji Morimoto on "Magnetic Rose."

Kon's "Magnetic Rose" still...

The BFI today announce full details of a hotly anticipated two-month season dedicated to Anime, running at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from 28 March – 31 May. Originally planned for summer 2020 as part of the BFI’s major survey of Japanese cinema BFI Japan, the season arrives, at long last, to entertain and delight anime fans and novices alike.

The programme will include:

· A broad mixture of classic films such as Akira, Ghost In The Shell, Belladonna Of Sadness, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie and Tekkonkinkreet, as well as an early shorts programme spotlighting work from 1917-1946· Previews of new releases including the thrillingly original Inu-oh, high-octane urban fairy tale Bubble and the powerful and thought-provoking short Summer Ghost (2021) followed by a Q&a with director loundraw· Much-loved recent work by major auteurs Mamoru Hosoda, Makoto Shinkai (Your Name) and the late great Satoshi Kon· A spotlight on emerging female talent Naoko Yamada...

For those of you who aren't hip to the anime scene, Koji Morimoto is the director behind Akira  and The Animatrix. Recently, he was commissioned by Lexus to do a conceptual short featuring one of their vehicles. Their final product? Kids driving a car through a bizarre future in which they get devoured by a panda, almost kidnapped, and peed on by a giant tree. That last part is only half true, but you'll know the scene I'm talking about when you see it. My one question after viewing this is how exactly does this convince anyone to buy a car?! For better or worse, this is "A  Better Tomorrow."

 ...

Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 24 Oct 2013 - 06:46

Another 25 unsung greats come under the spotlight, as we provide our pick of the underappreciated films of 1995...

The year covered in this week's underrated movie rundown was significant for a number of reasons. It was the year that saw the release of Toy Story - the groundbreaking movie that would cement Pixar's reputation as an animation studio, and set the tempo for CG family movies for the next 18 years and counting. It was the year that saw James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan for the first time) emerge for GoldenEye after a six-year break. It was also the year of Michael Mann's Heat, Dogme 95, and the moment where Terry Gilliam scored a much-deserved hit with 12 Monkeys.

As ever, we're focusing on a few of the lesser-known films from this particular year, and we've had to think carefully about what's made the cut and what hasn't.

For 10 long years Memories was Studio 4°C's best kept secret. It took the film almost a decade to appear in the West and by that time it just wasn't the technical bombshell it was supposed to be. When it appeared over here Memories was still able to competed with the best animes out there, but now the aging process is starting to take its toll on the film. That said, it's still one of the most superb anime anthology projects to date and one that begs to be seen.Studio 4°C is without a doubt Japan's most interesting animation studio. They've been producing mind-blowing animation projects (Genius Party, Genius Party Beyond, Tekon Kinkurito) ever since they were co-founded by Koji Morimoto, constantly pushing technical and...

The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia announces its complete program. There are still a few surprises to be confirmed, like the closing gala, but they have already put together the final list of films that will be screened at Sitges 09. Below you’ll find the titles of each film and their sections as well as links for the films that we have already reviewed here on Sound On Sight. Opening Film [Rec]2. Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró. 2009. Official FANTÀSTIC In Competition Section Accident. Soi Cheang. 2009. Accidents Happen. Andrew Lancaster. 2009. The Children. Tom Shankland. 2008. [1] Cold Souls. Sophie Bartes. 2009. The Countess. Julie Delpy. 2009. Les Derniers Jours Du Monde. Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu. 2009. Dogtooth (Kynodontas). Yorgos Lanthimos. 2009. Dorian Gray. Oliver Parker. 2009. Enter The Void. Gaspar Noé. 2009. Grace. Paul Solet. 2009. [2] Heartless. Philip Ridley. 2009. Hierro. Gabe Ibáñez. 2009. La Horde. Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher. 2009. Ingrid. Eduard Cortés. 2009. Kinatay. Brillante Mendoza. 2009. Metropia. Tarik Saleh. 2009. Moon.

The full lineup has been announced, and among the load of genre fare that's been running the fest circuit are the world premiers of:

Vincenzo Natali's latest, Splice, which we're all excited about.

Simon Fellows twisted adaptation Malice in Wonderland (trailer)

Along some of our personal favorites:

Black Dynamite (friggin awesome)

Swiss scifi flick Cargo (trailer)

Pater Sparrow's incredible Stanislaw Lem adaptation 1 (review)

The Mo Brothers Indonesian slasher Macabre (review)

Atm (get it?) horror-comedy The Human Centipede (review)

Full list after the break.

Opening Film

[Rec]2. Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró. 2009.

Official FANTÀSTIC In Competition Section

Accident. Soi Cheang. 2009.

Accidents Happen. Andrew Lancaster. 2009.

The Children. Tom Shankland. 2008.

Cold Souls. Sophie Bartes. 2009.

The Countess. Julie Delpy. 2009.

Les Derniers Jours Du Monde. Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu. 2009.

Dogtooth (Kynodontas). Yorgos Lanthimos. 2009.

Dorian Gray. Oliver Parker. 2009.

Enter The Void. Gaspar Noé. 2009.

Grace. Paul Solet. 2009.

Heartless. Philip Ridley. 2009.

Hierro. Gabe Ibáñez. 2009.

La Horde. Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher.

The 2009 edition of Montreal’s Fantasia Festival has announced their complete list of Audience Awards winners, a list that includes a whole lot of Twitch faves and more than a few films that will soon be screening here in Toronto as part of Toronto After Dark. Here’s the complete list.

Best Asian Film

Gold: Love Exposure (Japan) – Sion Sono

Silver: IP Man (Hong Kong) – Wilson Yip

Bronze: Thirst (South Korea) – Park Chan-wook

Best International Film

Gold: 8th Wonderland (France) – Nicolas Alberny, Jean Mach

Silver: Ex-aequo

Embodiment Of Evil (Brazil) – Jose Mojica Marins

Must Love Death (Germany) – Andreas Schaap

Bronze: Black (France) – Pierre Laffargue

Best Quebec Film

Gold: Sans Dessein – Caroline Labrèche, Steeve Léonard

Silver: The Ante – Max Perrier

Bronze: Crawler – Sv Bell

Best Animated Film

Hells (Japan) – Yoshiki Yamakawa

Guru Prize for Most Energetic Film of the Festival

Gold: Yatterman (Japan) – Takashi Miike

Silver: IP Man (Hk) – Wilson Yip...

The 13th edition of Montreal’s Fantasia film festival wrapped up its frighteningly successful run this week, with movie highlights aplenty and 40 percent of the screenings selling out. Now the jury and the public have spoken on their favorites, and the fest has revealed their award winners in all categories. Check ’em out below!

Jury Prizes: Feature Films

Best Feature Film: Breathless (Yang Ik-june) Jury Special Prize: Love Exposure (Sion Sono) Best Male Performance: Yang Ik-Jun, Breathless Best Female Performance: Hikari Mitsushima, Love Exposure Best Director: David Russo, The Immaculate Conception Of Little Dizzle Best Screenplay: Nicolas Alberny and Jean Mach, 8th Wonderland Best Cinematography: Hideho Urata, The Clone Returns Home Technical Prize: IP Man Special Mention for Best Direction of Child Actors: Tom Shankland, The Children

Jury Prizes: First Features

Best First Feature: White Lightnin’ (Dominic Murphy) Special Mention: Debut performance of actress Eline Kuppins, Left Bank Jury Prizes:...

Fantasia [1] is one of the largest (if not the largest) genre film festival in North America. It takes place every summer in Montreal, Canada, and features all kinds of horror, sci-fi, and action films from all over the world, often with an emphasis on Asian cinema. This year is no different, with two of the biggest films being Takashi Miikie's Yatterman and Chan-wook Park's Thirst. Other fairly high profile selections include Michael Dougherty's long-delayed Trick'r'Treat, Uwe Boll's Stoic and Jaume Collet-Serra's Orphan. This year's festival takes place between July 9th and 29th. The full program schedule will be available online by the end of the week. Check out an extensive list of titles playing after the jump. Yatterman (Dir. Takashi Miike) The Eclipse (Dir. David Morley) Possibility of An Island (Dir. Michel Houellebecq) Thirst (Dir. Chan-wook Park) Trick'r'Treat (Dir. Michael Dougherty) Neighbor (Dir. Robert Masciantonio) Cryptic (Dir.

From April 15th to 19th, Frankfurt transforms into the center of the Japanese film world when the Nippon Connection 2009 opens its doors once again. After giving us a first look at the highlights of the largest festival for Japanese film worldwide, the official site has now been updated with the full program that includes more than 150 feature and short films.

Nippon Cinema 20th Century Boys (Niju seiki shonen), R: Yukihiko Tsutsumi, J 2008

www.20thboys.com All Around Us (Gururi no koto), R: Ryosuke Hashiguchi, J 2008

www.gururinokoto.jp Detroit Metal City, R: Toshio Lee, J 2008

www.go-to-dmc.jp Genius Party Beyond, R: Masahiro Maeda, Koji Morimoto, Kazuto Nakazawa, Shinya Ohira, Tatsuyuki Tanaka, J 2008

www.genius-party.jp/beyond Genius Party, R: Atsuko Fukushima, Shoji Kawamori, Shinji Kimura, Yoji Fukuyama, Hideki Futamura, Masaaki Yuasa, Shinichiro Watanabe, J 2007

www.genius-party.jp/genius01 Gs Wonderland, R: Ryuichi Honda, J 2008

www.gs-w.jp Hells Angels,...

• Michael Arias has been working in Hollywood for a while. He started out doing special effects for films such as The Abyss, later he would develop software that would help turn Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke into an international success. It was this plus producing The Animatrix that landed Michael in a position to be the first western director of a Japanese anime. Michael is no stranger to Japan, in fact, he’s lived there since he was 24 and speaks fluent Japanese. He currently lives in Tokyo with his wife and two children. Tekkonkinkreet is based Taiyo Matsumoto’s manga published in the United Stated under the title Black and White (the names of the two lead characters). It takes place in an alternate universe in the colorful city known as Treasure Town, where gangs of flying children protect their slum from cooperate corruption. The film blends a unique mix

...