Tag Archives: Movies

Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer | Easter Eggs & Cameos That You Might’ve Missed

Leave a reply
Advertisements

Dr. Robotnik & Grounder

Those who watched Saturday morning cartoons (aka SatAM) in the ’90s may remember Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Underground. Garry Chalk was one of many voice actors from these shows, voicing Grounder in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr.Robotnik in Sonic Underground, a dystopian version of the Sonic the Hedgehog TV universe.

Garry can be seen among the government officials sitting down during a meeting discussing the ‘anomaly‘ detected. It is unclear if Garry Chalk’s character in the film is more than just a minor cameo, or if there’s more than meets the eye.

Hill Top Zone

A road sign with ‘Hill Top Zone‘ can be seen seconds into the trailer. Hill Top Zone is the fifth Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The level is most notable for its geographical location, amidst the high peaks of West Side Island, which makes one wonder of its location within the film.

Green Hill Zone

This one’s pretty in your face. Right at the beginning of the trailer, Green Hill Zone can be seen right before Sonic travels into our world. It is unclear if the film will explore more of this zone (or any other) as a setting.

Sonic The Hedgehog Title Screen Emblem

The title screen emblem from Sonic The Hedgehog can be seen on Sonic’s headband. The game was originally released in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive (Japan) and quickly became one of the most recognizable logos among hardcore Sonic fans.

Warp Rings

Many who played Sonic The Hedgehog may remember the giant ring that would appear at the end of a level and teleport the player to special stages. The film drew inspiration from this, having sonic apparently teleport from one part of the world to another. Variations of this ability have been shown throughout the games and TV series.

Misa Amane (Death Note) and Fabiola Iglesias (Black Lagoon)

Among voice actor cameos is Shannon Chan-Kent, a Canadian based voice actress, who has voiced numerous notable characters such as Misa Amane from the hit anime series, Death Note and Fabiola Iglesias from Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail.

She is also the singing voice of Pinkie pie, Sonata Dusk and speaking voice of Silver Spoon in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Jeff Fowler’s Gopher Broke cameo

This film will feature the theatrical, directorial debut of Jeff Fowler, who previously worked on Gopher Broke, a 2004 short, animated film written and directed by Jeff Fowler.

The short film follows a hungry gopher who hatches a clever plan to get a quick snack but discovers that even the best-laid plans can go udderly awry. The opening title can be seen during Sonic’s exploration of the motel room.

Egg-O-Matic

A more modern and more ‘realistic‘ version of the Egg-O-Matic can be seen through half of the trailer. Although it has not been confirmed that this is, in fact, a representation of the Egg-O-Matic, it does share some similarities.

Blur Studio

Blur Studio, although its name is not a direct reference to Sonic’s nickname “The Blue Blur“, the studio has had ties to the Sonic The Hedgehog games before the film. Blur Studios produced several CGI animated cutscenes for Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2006.

According to an interview, by Di-O-Matic, Inc, with then Animation supervisor Leo Santos, “One particular challenge we had on the Sonic opening cinematic (and the Shadow the Hedgehog cinematics) is the fact that Sonic’s mouth is sometimes on the side, sometimes on the middle.” With Blur Studio’s experience with animating Sonic in the past, why was there a need to redesign?

Doctor Ovi Kintobor or Dr. Ivo Kintobor

This one is probably a long stretch but, Jim Carrey’s portrayal of a ‘thin‘ Robotnik is similar in appearance (somewhat) to that of Doctor Ovi Kintobor, a character that appears in the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions in the UK. The character served as a background origin story to the present day Eggman. In other comic series published by Archie Comics, Carrey’s portrayal is similar to that of, alternate universe Robotnik, Dr. Ivo Kintobor, who is kind, generous and friendly.

Needless to say, there will probably be more hidden gems within the movie. Be on the lookout and mark your calendars for February 14th, 2020! Watch the newly released trailer here:


Sonic X Complete Series Blu-ray

Spot more easter eggs? Let us know by emailing us at, Contact@TheKitsunetwork.net.

Dante Basco’s From Rufio to Zuko

Leave a reply
Advertisements

You may recognize him as Zuko from the hit animated series Avatar The Last Air Bender or maybe even recognize him from Steven Spielberg’s Hook featuring the late, Robbin Williams.

Dante Basco is an actor, voice actor, poet and now an author, releasing his first book, From Rufio to Zuko, a journey into Basco’s personal acting career from an American-Filipino perspective living in the small, industrial town of Pittsburg, California. The book not only covers his career but also, some of his poetry skills as well.

During a book tour event at Barnes and Nobel at The Grove, Basco spoke about his experience being part of the Avatar cast,

“When I originally auditioned for Zuko, I asked them, ‘is this like Danny Zuko or something?‘ I have no clue where the name [Zuko] comes from. The funny thing about Avatar is, [. . .] I go there [Nickelodeon Studios] they give you this script that’s like an anime inspired, epic tail of like martial arts, four-elements — and you’re like, ‘this ain’t Nickelodeon‘, you’re like reading the script and you’re like, ‘is this some Disney XD movie, what is this?’

He goes on,

[. . .] Who’s is this dude? He has a ponytail, he got a scar on his face, chasing this Avatar dude, always yellin’. The whole first season, he’s like ‘honor, honor, honor‘ I’m like, what am I doing? and then all of a sudden, it changed. When I read the script and find out how he got the scared, it was like ‘Who IS this dude?‘.

Crazy things started happening; I remember we were at Sundance [Film Feastival], and I ran into Jason Issac, who plays Genernal Zhao in the show and the older Malfoy in the Hary Potter movies [Refering to Lucius Malfoy] and he was like “Dante! That cartoon we did, WT-f??” you know? because it started to become this phenomenal thing, a CARTOON we did, you know? And this was before comic cons started popping up.”

Basco also went back in time to relive his experience with Robbin Williams on the set of Hook,

“He was like everyone’s favorite uncle, you know, I have a lot of great memories with Robin. Like poetry actually, the Poetry lounge I always, to me in my heart, I’m always connecting it to Robin Williams. [. . .] I grew up a fan like everyone else, [. . .] When I watch Dead Poet Society it was like; It blew my mind. [. . .] We would be able to sit in the make up room, I’m getting my hair done, he’s getting his hair done and we would talk about poetry because he knew how much I love poetry. He’d tell me about his favorite poets and I’d tell about my favorite poets; He was big supporter of me being a poet.”

Remembering Williams, Basco explains,

“When I got to work with him, He’s great! Like, Everything you think Robin is gonna be, the fastest, wittiest, craziest dude in the world, he is! Running 10,00000 miles an hour, so amazing, he’s a god. He IS the Genie from Aladdin, THAT’S who he is. He comes in the room and magic is going to happen just because he’s there and it always does.”

Basco also holds the title of voicing the very first Asian-American (Chinese-American) hero, Jake Long in Disney’s animated series, American Dragon: Jake Long.

Pick a copy of Dante Basco’s newest book, From Ruifo to Zuko now available at your local bookstore, or…

GIVEAWAY

Basco fans now have the opportunity to win this SIGNED copy of Dante Basco’s book, From Rufio to Zuko! All you have to do is share this post on ANY social media platform using #FromRufioToZukoTKN. The winner will be announced on Dec 1st on our FACEBOOK page.

HBO Max Acquires US Streaming Rights to Studio Ghibli Films

Leave a reply
Advertisements

HBO Max will be the US streaming home to the entire Studio Ghibli film library, one of the world’s most coveted and revered animation catalogues.

HBO Max will be the US streaming home to the entire Studio Ghibli film library, one of the world’s most coveted and revered animation catalogues. The landmark deal with North American distributor GKIDS for the twenty-one Studio Ghibli feature films marks the first time these beloved films have been licensed to a streaming platform.

“We are excited to be working with HBO Max to bring the complete collection of Studio Ghibli films to streaming audiences in the US. As a premium content brand, HBO Max is an ideal home for our films,” said Koji Hoshino, Chairman of Studio Ghibli. “Upon launch of the service this spring, existing Ghibli fans will be able enjoy their favorites and delve deeper into the library, while whole new audiences will be able to discover our films for the first time.”

Studio Ghibli is one of the most acclaimed and influential animation studios in the world, inspiring filmmakers and audiences alike over the last 30 years with beloved stories and breathtaking visuals. Under the brilliance of visionary animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, the studio’s films have won countless international awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away, as well as four additional Academy Award® nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, and When Marnie Was There.

A 2014 Japanese anime drama film written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, produced by Studio Ghibli. It is based on Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 novel of the same name.

Director and studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was separately given an Honorary Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards in 2014, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will pay tribute to his artwork with a special exhibit when the Museum opens in 2020.*

HBO Max is debuting in spring 2020, with over 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from Warner Media’s rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com.

Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed catalogue of films include:

Castle in the Sky
The Cat Returns
From Up On Poppy Hill
Howl’s Moving Castle
Kiki’s Delivery Service
My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbors the Yamadas
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Ocean Waves
Only Yesterday
Pom Poko
Ponyo
Porco Rosso
Princess Mononoke
The Secret World of Arrietty
Spirited Away
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Tales From Earthsea
When Marnie Was There
Whisper of the Heart
The Wind Rises (launching Fall 2020)

*The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a museum currently under construction by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, California. Set to open in early 2020, the Academy Museum will be the nation’s first large-scale museum entirely dedicated to the art, science, craft, business, and history of film. For more information visit The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures website.

Ronin Expo 2019 Interviews | Hiroshi Nagahama & Reuben Langdon

Leave a reply
Advertisements

Cosplayer waiting in line at Ronin Expo 2019
Cosplayers at Ronin Expo 2019

We had the honor of interviewing actor Reuben Langdon and famed anime director, Hiroshi Nagahama during Ronin Expo 2019 in Little Tokyo, California. Ronin Expo is an annual anime festival located in the heart of the Los Angeles Japanese community, Little Tokyo!

Nagahama sketching for fans
Reuben Langdon signs a slice of pizza for a fan

Hiroshi Nagahama, began his career at Madhouse Studio as a mechanical designer for ‘The Cockpit’, after leaving Madhouse, he became a freelancer. He later went on to direct the highly acclaimed anime series, Mushishi. In recent news, Nagahama was working alongside writer Stan Lee to co-create, The Reflection an anime series surrounding individuals who have superpowers after coming in contact with a mysterious light. More on this in our interview with Hiroshi Nagahama below:

Reuben Langdon is known for voicing Dante (Devil May Cry series), Ken Masters beginning with Street Fighter IV various others. Aside from voicing characters, he’s also a well-known motion capture actor, doing motion capture for Chris Redfield in Resident Evil Code Veronica, 5 & 6. In addition, Langdon is also a stuntman, filmmaker and on-camera actor, working on well-known film titles such as,  The Medallion, Spider-Man 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Night at the Museum 2, Ant-Man, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Avatar. In recent news, Langdon was involved in a life-threating armed assault, earlier this year, while filming a documentary in Guatemala, Mexico. This and more in our interview:

We would like to thank Ronin Expo staff for providing the services we needed to execute these interviews. Special thanks to Lisle Wilkerson for interpreting our interview with Nagahama.

We’ll see you at Ronin Expo 2020!

For our 2018 Ronin Expo coverage click here. For updates on Ronin Expo please visit, https://www.ronin-expo.org/

 

Zootopia’s ‘The Big Donut’ in Real life?

Leave a reply
Advertisements

That’s right! This past weekend, as you may have heard, Zootopia won ‘ANIMATED FEATURE FILM’ at the 2017 Oscars!

How did Disney celebrate? By making ‘The Big Donut’ come to life!

CR&A Custom, Inc, Disney & Randy’s Donuts all collaborated in making ‘The Big Donut’ a reality. The fantastic graphic was made and printed by CR&A Custom, Inc and was displayed at famous Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood, California near LAX.

‘The Big Donut’ came to life!

During this ‘event’ Disney also celebrated of the one-year anniversary of Zootopia & had a FACEBOOK LIVE Q&A with Nate Torrance (Clawhauser) and  Oscar®-winning director Rich Moore at Randy’s!

(Nate Torrence & Rich Moore) Watch the FULL Q&A on the OFFICIAL ZOOTOPIA FACEBOOK PAGE

Although we did not personally cover the Q&A session, we did decide to go down there and cover this fantastic anniversary. Naturally, I cosplayed none other than…

JUDY HOPPS! 

Huge Zootopia donut, LIVE Q&A; What else was there, you ask? How about:
The Big Donut’s Donut!

The donut reads “The Big Donut”
There were two different types: Glaced & Sprinkled

Here’s a close up: its like it popped out from the movie!

For those who don’t know, “The Big Donut” was actually inspired by Randy’s Donuts. Over the past decades, Randy’s Donuts has been known as a famous landmark & film location. its known to have been featured (On location/cameo) in various famous scenes from several successful Hollywood movies/TV Shows such as:

Californication, Iron Man 2, Mars Attacks!, Earth Girls Are Easy & Zootopia

© Disney – Zootopia Concept Art of The Big Donut

The ‘The Big Donut’ banner is, unfortunately, no longer up for display. We unsure if they will ever put it back up, however If you didn’t get a chance to see it, take a look here:

Maybe when ZOOTOPIA 2 comes out, it’ll go back up again…

Check out our awesome video on this fantastic event!

Next time you’re in Cali or live nearby, hop on by Randy’s Donuts, you won’t be disappointed. …er squished by a huge donut.

Randy’s Donuts is located at:

805 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301

 

 

 

Broken Spirits – Producer Stephen Weese (Interview)

Leave a reply
Advertisements

Have you heard of BROKEN SPIRITS? A new SyFy film produced by voice actor, Stephen Weese! Featuring voice actor stars:

Vic Mignogna, Richard Epcar, Spike Spencer and Cristina Vee!

This film came to our attention in March of this year, during our interview with Cristina Vee, since then, we’ve interviewed film producer, Stephen Weese, where he gave us some insight on the film and its wonderful cast! Check out the interview:

RED CARPET PREMIERE!

 BROKEN SPIRITS, will have a red carpet premiere at Anime Los Angeles 2017 at the Ontario Convention Center!

  • Red carpet (2pm)
  • Full feature screening (2:30-4pm)
  • Q&A with cast members including Richard Epcar and Cristina Vee (4-5)
  • Special giveaway of unique items and props (4pm)
  • ALA special event Broken Spirits poster and signing (5-6pm)
  • After party with cast (late night)

Come and join the fun!

Check out http://www.brokenspiritsfilm.com/ for more information on the film, updates and its release date! 

Psycho Pass Movie Tickets Now on SALE!

3 Replies
Advertisements

the wait is finally over!

 

You can now purchase the movie tickets here! Use the theater locator to find the closest theater playing PYCHO PASS!

Here’s the cast:

Akane                                     Kate Oxley

Kogami                                  Robert McCollum

Ginoza                                   Josh Grelle

Shimotsuki                          Cherami Leigh

Kunizuka                              Lindsay Seidel

Hinakawa                             Z Charles Bolton

Shion                                     Lydia Mackay

Sugo                                       Mike McFarland

Saiga                                      Michael Federico

Dominator                           Stephanie Young

Nicholas Wong                   Jason Liebrecht

Desmond Rutaganda        Major Attaway

 

Author’s note:

For those in the East Los Angeles area, I’ll be attending the WHITTIER VILLAGE CINEMAS [7038 GREENLEAF AVE. WHITTIER, CA 90602] on Tuseday March 15th, see you there! (May or may not be in Cosplay)