Only on Netflix: “Knights of Sidonia,” Based on the Popular Manga Series

Netflix, Inc. announced recently it will make available the complete first 12 episode season of Polygon Pictures’ hotly anticipated  anime series “Knights of Sidonia”  in all Netflix territories in Summer of 2014.

Based on the best-selling manga series by Tsutomu Nihei, published in Japan by Kodansha and in English by Vertical, “Knights of Sidonia” follows the struggle of humans to survive against the monstrous alien “Gauna” using mecha weapons called ”Garde” (Guardian Robots). 

The story focuses on the ship Sidonia and young Garde pilot Nagate Tanikaze as he uses his amazing combat skills to protect what remains of human civilization.

“Netflix has a huge base of anime fans and we are thrilled to be bringing exclusively for the first time them a first-run anime series, especially one as well-plotted, humorous and beautifully animated as Knights of Sidonia,” said Erik Barmack, VP, Independent Content at Netflix.

 “We are ecstatic at the opportunity to run 'Knights of Sidonia' firstly and exclusively on Netflix.  This is an epochal deal, as we are able to deliver our beloved anime property to a wider audience in direct and timely fashion, than ever before,” said Shuzo John Shiota, CEO of Polygon.

“Knights of Sidonia”  is produced by Tokyo-based Polygon Pictures, winner of multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for Hasbro’s television series “Transformers Prime” and the animators behind “Tron: Uprising” and several episodes of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” The series is directed by Kobun Shizuno, who worked on “GI Joe,” the animated series and co-directed by Hiroyuki Seshita, a veteran of the “Final Fantasy” video game series.

“Knights of Sidonia” will be available on Netflix in Japanese with the choice of subtitles or dubbed local language dialogue.

James Avery, dead at 68, will always be remembered.

James Avery passed away on New Year's Eve 2013, that marks a huge loss from my childhood.

Most will remember as “Uncle Phil,” from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” which is where Will Smith got his start as an actor. I however remember him also as the voice of The Shredder on the animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle,” cartoon show from the mid 1980's.

I've always been a fan of voice actors, so from an early age I pieced the two of them together as the same person.

When news of his passing came to my attention today, it saddened me greatly. Avery was 68-years-old, and had a very successful career.

I'm not going to write much on it though, instead I'm going to remember my favorite piece of his acting, from the “Fresh Prince,” finale.

It's near the end of the episode, when Will (Smith) asks Phil (Avery) if he would call on Sunday's like he was going to do with his actual children. Phil responds that Will is his son and that he would.

It was quite the powerful moment for a sitcom, and I was about 11-or 12-years-old when it aired.

Think I'm going to find that episode and watch it before I head off to bed, may I'll even get out my old Shredder action figure to set on the nightstand while I watch.

Dynamite Announces March Release of MAGNUS: ROBOT FIGHTER #1

 Dynamite proudly announces that the new ongoing Magnus: Robot Fighter comic book series, written by Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies) and illustrated by Cory Smith (Fathom), will launch its first issue on March 12, 2014.

Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 marks the second highly-anticipated title release in Dynamite's "Gold Key" line of comic books, which also includes Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (debuting in February 2014), Solar: Man of the Atom, and Doctor Spektor, a revival of beloved comic book heroes courtesy of Dynamite's new licensing agreement with DreamWorks Classics.

Fred Van Lente, the New York Times bestselling author at the helm of the new Magnus series, presents the premise for upcoming series. "Russell Magnus is a seemingly normal guy, a schoolteacher in a small mountain town, who awakens in a vast, far-future megalopolis, NorthAm, where robots have taken over humanity for what they claim in humanity's benefit.  He's known as a ‘Robot Fighter', believed to be a liberator by those who want to throw off the machine yoke, a terrorist to those who likes the status quo the way it is - but really, he's just a guy who wants to get back home, if that's even possible."

Van Lente is one of the modern comic industry's most prolific writers, celebrated for his work on Marvel Zombies, Deadpool, Archer & Armstrong, The Incredible Hulk, The Mocking Dead, Wolverine: First Class, and more.  He's joined on the Magnus: Robot Fighter series by rising star Cory Smith, whose artistic contributions have included such action-packed fare as Fathom, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, andLegend of the Shadow Clan.

Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 will feature a wide selection of cover variants, presented by some of comics' most talented artists.  The Main Cover will be supplied by Gabriel Hardman (Hulk, Agents of Atlas), and a Subscription-Only Variant Cover, intended as a reward for dedicated fans who preorder with their local comic shop retailers, will feature the art of Joe Bennett (Iron Man, Thor).  A Blank Authentix Cover will be created, featuring blank white space on the cover perfect for convention artist commissions or the creative whims of the do-it-yourself fan.

Thor vs. Malekith! ‘The Accursed’ Concludes in THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #17

 This January, Malekith meets his match in THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #17 – the grand finale of ‘The Accursed’! From critically acclaimed creators Jason Aaron and Ron Garney – Thor and the League of Realms desperate chase across the Nine Realms has finally come to an end. Malekith and his Dark Elves prepare to make their final stand against the forces of good. Prepare for the knock-down, drag-out fight you’ve been waiting for as Thor and Malekith battle to the finish as Earth hangs in the balance! Thor and his companions stand ready to defend Midgard – except for the traitor among them! But even as the final battle begins – has Malekith already won? All will be revealed in the climactic THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #17 this January!

THE PURGE: Redditt reported list of movies being dropped by Netflix.

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The Amazing Spider-Man Swings into Times Square for New Year’s Eve Celebration as the Official Super Hero of Times Square 2014

Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, co-organizers of Times Square New Year’s Eve, announced today that Spider-Man, New York’s very own super hero, will be named the Official Super Hero of Times Square 2014. He will take part in the Ball Drop celebration, and events leading up to the big night in a partnership with the upcoming movie The Amazing Spider-Man 2™.

 

Across the globe, Spider-Man fans will get a preview of the excitement awaiting them at the box office in 2014. On New Year’s Eve, an exclusive clip featuring a sneak peek of the film’s Times Square sequence will debut on the district’s iconic video screens, as well as in the evening’s broadcast pool feed and live webcast.

 

“We welcome Spider-Man, an international icon who has always embodied the spirit of New York, to Times Square this New Year’s Eve,” said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance. “He will be an amazing addition to the program.”

 

“We’re thrilled that Spider-Man will be joining the Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration,” added Jeff Straus, President of Countdown Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to everything being Amazing in 2014.”

 

“There’s no celebration like New Year’s Eve in Times Square,” said Marc Webb, Director of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. “There’s the sense of energy and excitement that you can only get in New York and we certainly felt that energy and excitement as we shot the entire film here. The people of New York City truly embraced our production, and it’s a wonderful feeling to be returning to Times Square to ring in the New Year.”

 

Fans wishing to meet Spider-Man on New Year’s Eve this year may have a chance. Qualifying entrants living in New York City, NY or one of the following surrounding New York Counties (Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Rockland), Connecticut Counties (Fairfield and Litchfield), and New Jersey Counties (Bergen and Hudson) can enter the #BEAMAZING Tweetstakes by following @SpiderManMovie and tweeting #BeAmazingNYE daily from December 6th through December 16th to enter.

With a background in dance, theater and gymnastics, Jessica Krueger never imagined one of her biggest roles would be a horse.

But the Canton native’s turn as one of three puppeteers controlling Joey, the equine star of “War Horse” at the Fisher Theater through Jan. 5, turned out to be among her most gratifying.

“In addition to being demanding, I’d also say it’s one of the most incredibly rewarding roles I’ve ever had,” Krueger said.

The World War I epic tells the story of Joey, a horse that forms a bond with a young boy named Albert (Michael Wyatt Cox) but is taken to fight for the British cavalry in World War I France, “War Horse” premiered in 2007 in London.

A Broadway production that followed in 2011 won five Tony awards, including Best Play.

The South Africa-based Handspring Puppet Company, which designed all of the show’s animal puppets, won a special Tony for its work.

A big screen version helmed by Steven Spielberg came out in 2011.

When buzz began building about the West End show, Krueger’s ears perked up.

“I heard that it had these giant horse puppets and was supposed to be amazing,” she said. “I had done some puppetry for the Metropolitan Opera as well as some acrobatics, so when I heard it was coming to Broadway, I thought, ‘I can do that.’”

After a handful of grueling workshop auditions, she was cast to operate the hind end of the towering horse. A three-person team controls “the head, the heart and the hind” of the large horses.

Before the tour kicked off, puppeteers plunged into a two-week boot camp to learn the necessary skills that included visiting stables and listening to horse sounds.

“The biggest challenge … is that you are one of three, and it’s a lot of practice and hard work with your teammates in terms of developing a full personality of sorts for this animal,” Krueger said.

Krueger grew up in Canton and began dancing at age 4. She started competing in gymnastics at 12 and attended Indiana University, where she majored in anthropology and theater.

After college, she studied at Circle in the Square Theater School in New York. At STREB Lab for Action Mechanics, she trained and performed as an acrobat.

“I always wanted to be an actress since I was about 4 … and I’m happy to have this special skill,” she said.

When it comes to becoming Joey, Krueger said the other big challenge lies reacting and thinking like a horse, not a human.

“This is the first commercial production that revolves around an animal as the main character that doesn’t sing and dance,” she said. “There was a discussion with the team about how certain stimulus would make us react and how we feel about certain things happening on stage.

“We have to be a little more instinctual. We’re miked so we can’t tell our teammates to go right or left; we have to learn to read each other.”

Joey’s head and hind are conducted through the horse’s body with Krueger and her teammates in harness backpacks going over their shoulders. Chest and waist clips connect them to the cage’s aluminum frame.

“When I start to move forward, he can feel me and the same with him,” she said. “It’s very much like dancing. We can both make offers to maybe try this or go this way. You have to trust your teammates.”

While the puppeteers have a certain amount of choreography to follow, how to get from point A to point B is up to them.

“It’s a pretty physically demanding job,” Krueger said. “That’s why we have four teams rotating.”

The Joey puppet weighs about 120 pounds with the person at the hind and the heart carrying about 60 pounds apiece. Add to that the weight of the person riding the horse and the fact that the puppeteers are walking in a squatted position during all their time on stage.

“We have to take care of our bodies and treat ourselves like athletes to maintain the integrity of the show,” she said.

Technical aspects aside, Krueger said the show is filled with breathtaking moments.

“There’s a fantastic moment where baby Joey grows up into big Joey that’s my favorite moment in the show,” she said. “The big horse is so much bigger and so alive in a different way that it elicits huge applause.”

Krueger said the show does an incredible job of teaching the audience how to watch the unique puppets at the heart of the production.

“The first moment you see Joey, he’s a foal and the lights come up and all you see is a tiny puppet on a huge stage,” she said. “You see him breathing, then you see an ear twitch, then a tail flick and immediately the audience knows how to watch them. We call it micro-movement.”

Unlike some other shows, “War Horse” requires the cast to ditch any diva attitudes at the stage door.

“It’s a very ensemble show,” she said. “Actors are seldom asked to take away their ego, but this isn’t about the person; you have to give everything to the puppet.”

Being hidden under the puppet’s large metal frame makes for an anonymity that most shows don’t afford, Krueger added.

“I’m completely hidden on stage,” she said. “When I walk out the stage door, nobody knows who I am — it’s a completely egoless thing.”

Coming home to Detroit during the holidays is an added bonus, Krueger said.

“I’m super excited to be performing at the Fisher,” she said. “I’ve seen so many shows there. It’s such a childhood dream coming true.”

In addition to proudly showing her family her work in the show, Krueger also is anxious to show the city off to her cast mates.

“A lot of people have this specific perception of the city and I’m excited to prove them wrong,” she said.

“War Horse” saddles up through Jan. 5 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit.

Tickets start at $30 and are on sale at Ticketmaster locations, the Fisher Theatre box office, ticketmaster.com and broadwayindetroit.com and by calling 1-800-982-2787.

This post was written by Andrea Blum for Digital First Media. Reprinted with permission.