Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

Yes, I was chosen to watch a battery of movies in a few days, deliberate with fellow judges, and pick the winners. You’d think it’s an easy task, just to sit and watch movies, but staying objective, realizing that a movie that might not be your style, still might be the best film, and there’s more to it. I judged at the SFIAFF, Cinevegas, and there was a couple more… I’m glad to help out. 15k for the champ is a pretty hefty prize considering the prize is usually zero at the smaller fests, but you do get to place those cute grape leaves on your movie poster. Thankfully, the films take place at night and they show 3 times each!

“The narrative jury consists of director Lynn Shelton (Humpday, My Effortless Brilliance), Head/Founder of Giant Robot Eric Nakamura, and screenwriter Daniel Waters (Heathers, BatmanReturns).” … “Unrestricted cash awards are given out in the following categories: Jury Award for Best NarrativeFeature ($15,000),…”

Very long press release after the jump.

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[youtube]PdnnC43Cotw[/youtube]   In our age of Green Lantern, X Men, and the upcoming Avenger series, Japan has their own super hero redo, and it’s Zaborgar, a 70s kids superhero known as “Denjin Zaboga” which was a motorcycle that transformed into a robot to fight enemies using the commands by his helmet wearing “master”, Yutaka Daimon. But unlike the superhero movies produced by Hollywood that are now focusing on perfect CG and reality, this film is sort of an Austen Powers version that spends a good deal of time poking fun at the fiction and glorifying the groovy 70s. Some of the jokes are loud but some are so subtle, they challenge you to find more.   The beginning half puts the character in it’s heyday it’s the 70s, where the technology is throw back future. Lit up buttons, rivets, and stainless steel paneling made for the right look. The lead good guy, Daimon is the product of a crappy upbringing. When the enemies, led by Dr. Akunomiya and the testicle bag of a ship invade Earth along with the heroine Miss Borg. She’s clad in a metal bra and is often fighting but also crushing on Daimon. The movie takes a comedic turn when it beams forward 25 years and the stars are now of a different generation. Daimon now is a driver, the secret police force are out of work, and the diabolical Dr Akunomiya is still up to no good. The results of the 25 year leap quickly turn into focus. Love children, robots, children turning into robots, cell phone babbling, and more. Noboru Iguchi, known for his low budget girl exploitation movies, adds a little bit of his boob funk to the henshin redux. See this at Los Angeles Film Festival. Sponsored by us (Giant Robot)   *It was a live action show that’s been long forgotten and put away. It did air in Hawaii, and I’m pretty sure it aired in the mainland, as I recall seeing it.
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“The animations and St. Amand’s statements served as probable cause to find the aforementioned images, which were photographs of real children.” We freely admit this isn’t the most pleasant story Giant Robot news has brought you in the last couple of weeks. But it does touch on important issues about the gray areas in which animated or virtual pornography exists, and how some people give legal adult entertainment a bad name. Seems the wife of a 24-year-old man in Slidell, Louisiana caught him looking at anime porn, which is legal in that state, on a shared family computer. After the wife alerted local police, who were able to use the anime porn as probable cause for a prosecutable crime, authorities found a damning compilation of pornographic images of real female children between the ages of four and five. The man was immediately arrested, and may be prosecuted further on actual child molestation charges. Clearly, the Slidell man’s possession of anime porn is peripheral to his actual sick interests, but we can’t help being concerned that legal adult anime entertainment will continue to have negative associations because of stories like this. (Anime News Network – Louisiana Anime Porn)
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At the end of last week, and technically, part of the weekend as well, I was part of a group called Rise 50. It’s a name given to “us” by the marketing groups associated with Rise of the Planet of the Apes movie. Obviously “Rise” is part of the movie title, but perhaps there were 50 of us bloggers and YouTubers invited to find more about this upcoming film. I haven’t seen the “Influencer” tag in a while, and I thought it was nearly extinct, but here it is again. I’ll admit I had skepticism as did most everyone else. Our last recollection of Planet of the Apes was the 2001 flop film starring Mark Wahlberg. It was easy to figure out that we were there to tell you about this film, and how it’s nothing like the 2001 version. It’s something entirely new and maybe even great – which will remain to be seen. We didn’t get to see a finished product. We did hear from Fox Chairman, Tom Rothman, Director Rupert Wyatt, and many others including a marketing exec, and a special effects rep from Weta Digital. We also saw X-Men before most everyone did, by a couple of hours. I’ll post a bit more later about the film and hopefully with a few details.

 

There was  lot of this. When YouTubers are around, so are their cameras. It’s amazing how compact they can do everything. Often it’s a FlipCam, or just a point and shoot.

I thought this was funny. Simpsons and a dumpster.

Blogging From Korea!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – the Cinefamily and Giant Robot Present: Japanese Director Sion Sono in Person at Cinefamily
Four Sion Sono films showing at the Cinefamily. June 10 and June 11, 2011 611 N Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036 323 655 2510 cinefamily.org Giant Robot and the Cinefamily is proud to host four Sion Sono films, with director Sion Sono in person to do a Q and A after the first screening on each day. Sono is scheduled to introduce the second screenings if time permits. Sion Sono is among the hottest filmmakers from Japan and is a film festival favorite worldwide. June 10th Cold Fish 8pm *free, Hair Extensions 12 Midnight $10. June 11th Love Exposure 2:30pm $10, Noriko’s Dinner Table 8pm $10. the Cinefamily screenings are free for members. In addition: Giant Robot Friends will be showing their wares, art, and more, before and after the screenings. Pick up some zines, prints, and artwork. Friday: James Chong + Jesse Fillingham Saturday: Mari Inukai + Albert Reyes For your hunger, we’re bringing in some great GR approved food trucks. Friday: Lomo Arigato (Peruvian Japanese) Saturday 2nd screening: Mandoline Grill (Real Vietnamese) Eric Nakamura Giant Robot Owner/Publisher eric@giantrobot.com (310) 479-7311
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