THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 13 Kwaidan (1964)

Original US release poster as distributed by Continental International.

On the thirteenth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199: CHAPTER 4 Theaters January 12 & BD/DVD February 22!

『宇宙戦艦ヤマト2199』Vol. 4 BD/DVD 2月22日発売！


Kato and Yamamoto grace the package art by Nobuteru Yuuki.

With the third installment of the SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 saga, "The Endless Voyage", opening in twelve select cinemas across Japan this weekend (two additional from the previous releases), the official YAMATO: 2199 website has announced the release of the fourth film, "Defense of the Galactic March", featuring Episodes 11-14, opening January 12, 2013. The Blu-ray and DVD release will follow on February 22nd.


Slipcase art for Volume 4 by Yamato veteran, Naoyuki Kato.

The home video release of Volume 4 will contain a total of four half-hour episodes (11-14), plus a selection of special features, clocking in at 130 minutes of content for ¥8,190 for the Blu-ray (BCXA-0488, Region-free) and ¥7,190 for the DVD (BCBA-4319, Region 2). The DVD will be presented in 16:9 Anamorphic, Dual Layer, and Dolby Digital Stereo. Conversely, the Blu-ray will be presented in AVCHD, BD50G, 1080p, 16:9 Anamorphic, and Linear PCM Stereo.



Special Features will include a conversation between director Yutaka Izubuchi and anime legend Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, an Audio Commentary with voice actors Cho (Analyzer, Yabu, Gantz), Aya Uchida (Yuria Misaki), and director Izubuchi, Clean Opening ("Normal Full Version"), Chapter 2 Digest, CM & PV Collection 1 (featuring commercials and promotional videos), and a special insert booklet. Both releases will feature the same jacket art by character designer Nobuteru Yuuki, and a slipcase sleeve by legendary Yamato illustrator, Naoyuki Kato. While the DVD contains all of the same extras, only the Blu-ray boasts the most special feature of all: English Subtitles.



Venturing into unknown deep space, the Yamato continues on it's voyage to Iscandar. With a prisoner aboard, they are unknowingly being hunted by one of Gamilas' greatest military minds, General Domel! Will the Yamato be able to defend themselves when Captain Okita succumbs to his illness? These new episodes will be expanding beyond the original 1974 story, so we can all look forward to this fresh and fully-realized remake of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO!

The episodes on Volume 4 will include:



Episode 11. TO SEE A WORLD GONE BY (いつか見た世界): The crew argues over the fate of the captured Gamilas Pilot, Melda Dietz, being held aboard the Yamato. During the ruckus, both Melda's fighter and a Cosmo Falcon are launched. But, who are the pilots!?



Episode 12. WHAT LIES AT THE END OF THE ROAD (その果てにあるもの): First Contact with made with the Gamilas leaves Kodai and Shima full of angst. Okita confides in Yamazaki about the nature of his illness... Meanwhile on the Gamilas homeworld, Dessler orders the renown General Domel to pursue and destroy the Yamato.



Episode 13. THE WOLF OF SUBSPACE (異次元の狼): An unseen enemy attacks the Yamato. It is a Subspace Submarine, commanded by Captain Frakken, under the directive of Domel. While at the mercy of their torpedo attacks, Okita's emergency surgery is put in jeopardy. Making a desperate gamble, Kodai violates direct orders to save the Yamato.



Episode 14. THE SORCERESS WHISPERS (魔女はささやく): As Kodai and Yuki return from a recon mission in the Type 100, they see a drifting Yamato floating in the void. Aboard, the ship seems abandoned, until Kodai sees his dead parents. Where has Yuki gone...? The apparitions extend them an invitation from the sorceress' shadow. Can Kodai and Yuki save the Yamato?



You can pre-order your copy of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 Volume 4, by clicking here to visit Amazon Japan (with English language support)! Stay tuned to this blog and the official Star Blazers website for more news and information on SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 as they develop — and soon, we'll be off to outer space, on shiny discs of blue!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 12 The Ghoul's Vault of Golden Garbage!

Legendary horror host, The Ghoul, grumbling at Camera 4, ove'dey!

On the twelfth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 11 The Skull (1965)

Adapted from Bloch's short story "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade."

On the eleventh day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 10 Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)

Also known as THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE.

On the tenth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 9 Lycanthopus (1961)

Released Stateside in 1962 as WEREWOLF IN A GIRL'S DORMITORY.

On the ninth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 8 Santo Contra Las Momias (1972)

Original Spanish poster for LAS MOMIAS DE GUANAJUATO (1972).

On the eighth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 7 Young Hannah, Queen of the Vampires (1972)

Alternate version of Julio Salvador's CRYPT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

On the seventh day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

"MAZINGER Z" & "CUTEY HONEY" ON U.S. DVD! Go Nagai's Classic Anime Series from Discotek

『マジンガーZ』と『キューティーハニー』は米国DVDがもうすぐ！

Japanese DVD release package art for MAZINGER Z! ©Toei Video

Hell has officially frozen over. I thought this would never happen...

Discotek Media, which had specialized in a number of Asian film releases on DVD for the US market, including several significant releases of Japanese live action and anime titles, such as Jun Fukuda's THE WAR IN SPACE (1977) and Rin Taro's GALAXY EXPRESS 999 (1979), recently announced that they had signed a deal with Toei Animation to issue the original 1978 anime series, SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK. And before we knew it, they actually released a complete box set for the Hayao Miyazaki/Yasuo Otsuka-helmed LUPIN THE 3RD series from 1971 (my personal favorite of the long-running franchise). Then, their balls got a whole lot bigger.

Japanese DVD release package art for CUTEY HONEY! ©Toei Video

This past Saturday, Discotek dropped a proverbial Photon Bomb when it was announced that they had secured the rights to not one, but two, classic anime titles created by the manga bad boy himself, Go Nagai: MAZINGER Z and CUTEY HONEY! The epoch-making series that launched the Super Robot genre, MAZINGER Z (1972-74), became a legend around the world (localized for the US market as "Tranzor Z" in the 1980s), and now all 92 episodes are to be issued in two box sets! Meanwhile, all 25 episodes of the original CUTEY HONEY (1973-74) will be issued in a single complete series box set. Both titles, in Japanese with English Subtitles, will drop in 2013.

With all of the other upcoming DVD/Blu-rays of Japanese genre titles which have recently hit the North American market, and those still to come in 2013, it looks like a banner year for U.S. fans, and Discotek isn't pulling any Rocket Punches, either. What's next? GETTER ROBO? GREAT MAZINGER? JEEG OF STEEL? UFO ROBO: GRENDIZER? As a hardcore Old Skool and Go Nagai fan, I can't wait — bring it on, Discotek Media, you magnificent bastards!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 6 The Creatures (1974)

Alternate US release poster for FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1974).

On the sixth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 5 Zacherley For President (1960)

Cover of the Cool Ghoul's infamous (and rare) 1960 Campaign Book!

On the fifth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

"ULTRAMAN SAGA" GOES HAWAIIAN! 3D Film Makes 2D US Debut at the 32nd HIFF

Original Japanese promotional handbill for ULTRAMAN SAGA (2012)

The most recent feature film in the Ultra Series franchise, Hideki Oka's ULTRAMAN SAGA, the first to be shot in 3D, hit Japanese Cinemas this past March 24th (in both 3D and 2D versions). Usually, Stateside fans must wait for a DVD or Blu-ray release, or the rare screening at industry events — or film festivals such as FanTasia.

But, this year, Ultraman was suspiciously absent from the world-famous Montreal-based film festival, and so the 32nd Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is picking up the slack — it's no surprise that the Honolulu-based event would include a heavy dose of Japanese Cinema, but hosting ULTRAMAN SAGA was a definite surprise.

An English Subtitled, 2D version of ULTRAMAN SAGA. will be screened only once during this year's HIFF, at the Royal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theaters & IMAX, in Dole Cannery C, Saturday, October 13th at 11:30 am. The 32nd TIFF runs from October 11-21, and is also screening the tokusatsu-themed feature, Yuihiko Tsutsumi's EIGHT RANGERS (2012).

From the HIFF's Program Guide: ULTRAMAN SAGA opens with a powerful apocalyptic vision of Tokyo, buildings destroyed and the city seemingly devoid of life. We are soon introduced to the Earth Defense Force (EDF), Team U, played by members of the female idol group AKB48. They and a group of young children are the last survivors on planet Earth.

In another universe, Ultraman Zero receives a distress call and proceeds toward the Earth in aid. From yet another universe, a young defense team pilot named Taiga is trapped in the ship of an invading alien force, who quickly disappear to another dimension.

Taiga soon finds himself in the apocalyptic version of Tokyo, as Ultraman Zero battles a huge fleet of alien spaceships. As Taiga notices a crashing ship heading straight towards a young boy, he pilots his ship directly into its path in an act of self-sacrifice. Witnessing his brave actions, Ultraman Zero rescues Taiga and joins with him.

Taiga soon encounters Ultraman Cosmos and his human host Musashi, along with Team U and the children. It is now up to Taiga and Musashi to protect the survivors. However, Taiga is not so happy to be joined with Ultraman Zero, and has no intention of fighting…

For more information, please visit the official Hawaii International Film Festival website.

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 4 Asylum (1972)

Original poster for Amicus Productions' memorable Horror Anthology

On the fourth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 3 Shrunken Heads (1994)

Tongue-in-cheek advertising for this forgotten horror-comedy.

On the third day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney.