Armchair Commentary

The Best Movies & TV of 2009: Anime

Amazon contributor Charles Solomon picks his top 10 anime releases of 2009. See more picks in the Best Movies & TV of 2009.

1. Akira [Blu-ray]: Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark Akira (1988) has been remastered for 1080p HD, which showcases Otomo's flamboyant palette and the translucent colors he uses for the flamboyant signage of Neo-Tokyo and the trails left by the speeding motorcycles. Dust, dirt and scratches have been digitally removed, and the state-of-the-art sampling and bit rates reveal previously undetectable elements in the complex soundtrack. The Blu-Ray edition is a must-have not just for otaku, but for anyone interested in animation.
2. Big Windup: Part 1: Although he's a talented pitcher with exceptional control, Ren Mihashi, the insecure hero of Big Windup! (2007), was treated so badly by his middle-school teammates, he's convinced he's an utter failure. It's a sports series that will even appeal to viewers who hate baseball. The fun continues in Big Windup: Part 2, but the series ends after only 26 episodes, leaving the audience wanting more.
3. Bleach Uncut Box Set, Vol. 3: The Rescue: The third season of the hit fantasy-adventure Bleach concludes the first major story arc. Princess Yoruichi--who's been disguised as a talking cat--takes orange-haired, hot-tempered Ichigo to learn to achieve Bankai, the ultimate power over his Zanpak- tô sword, by dueling with Zangetsu, the spirit of the sword.
4. Case Closed: Season Five: Trapped in the puny body of eight-year-old Conan Edogawa, teen sleuth Jimmy Kudo continues to solve crimes, sometimes aided by the kids in the Junior Detective League. Although Case Closed (1996) ran for more than 500 episodes, directors Kenji Kodama and Yasuichiro Yamamoto keep the series fresh and exciting.
5. Dragon Ball: Season One: Dragon Ball (1986) launched one of the most popular franchises in anime history, with its special blend of male bonding, rigorous training, martial arts fighting, and slapstick comedy. For years, the first episodes of Dragon Ball were only available in the U.S. in a heavily edited form: this new release restores all the excised footage, including scenes of the prepubescent Goku and Krillin running around naked.
6. Evangelion: 1.01 You Are (Not) Alone: The eagerly anticipated Evangelion: 1.01 is the first installment in a four-feature retelling of Hideaki Anno's watershed series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995). Anno was able to rehire most of the staff from the original series, but the use of computer graphics enables the filmmakers to amp up the visuals. That and the tighter story-telling will win over even skeptics who doubted whether there was any need for yet another version.
7. Naruto Shippuden, Vol. 1: Although he's learned a lot of new skills, Naruto remains the irrepressible knucklehead audiences know and love. Naruto Shippuden reunites director Hayato Date with many of the artists and voice actors from the first series. The results feel familiar yet new: it's just what legions of Naruto fans have been waiting for.
8. Sword of the Stranger: Dynamically staged and animated, Masahiro Ando's Sword of the Stranger (2007) is a no-holds-barred samurai action film that happens to be animated. It will delight devotees of that genre as well as anime fans.
9. Death Note, Vol. 9: Director Tetsuro Araki pulls out all the stops to bring Death Note to a suspenseful conclusion. Death Note proved so popular, it was remade into three live action features in Japan. In the second film, Death Note Movie II: The Last Name, Shusuke Kaneko brings the story a much more satisfying conclusion by keeping the focus on the intellectual duel between Light and L.

George Feltenstein Blu-ray interview: "The Wizard of Oz," "Gone with the Wind"

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with George Feltenstein, Senior Vice President of Theatrical Catalog Marketing for Warner Home Video. He's well-known on sites like highdefdigest.com for being the guy in charge of what films from the huge Warner catalog get released on DVD and Blu-ray, and the guy who knows what's coming up. He talked to us about the Ultimate Collector's Editions of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, including how they were restored for Blu-ray and the various bonus materials in each set. He also gives us some tips on what to expect in 2010.  --David

Amazon Wish Lists: High-Def Week

Amazon is celebrating its tenth Anniversary of Wish Lists with ten amazing sweepstakes. This week (November 23-29, 2009) is the High-Def Wish List featuring an LG 55-inch LCD HDTV and an LG 1000-Watt Blu-ray Disc Home Theater in a Box, plus tons of great Blu-Ray DVDs from Warner Home Video. Customers can enter weekly at www.amazon.com/wishlist10th by creating, adding an item to, or sharing an Amazon.com Wish List. As the holidays get closer, Amazon Wish Lists are a great way for customers to let friends and family know what they are wishing for this season. Restrictions apply; see official rules.

The Best Movies & TV of 2009: Science Fiction

I must admit that when I volunteered to blog about the top 10 science fiction DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009, I thought it would be a relatively simple task. However, before the day was over, I realized that narrowing it to only 10 would actually prove quite difficult. Then of course, there is the ranking thing, how do you decide the order? I won't bore you with the intricately complicated ranking system I devised to handle my new found conundrum, but I can assure it didn't involve picking names out of a hat. With that said, here are a handful of movies and TV shows that any fan of sci-fi would enjoy. 

District 9 - What would you do if Peter Jackson gave you 30 million to make a movie? Director Neill Blomkamp made the best sci-fi movie of 2009. Deep, enthralling, original, and action-packed, this movie will leave you breathless.   

Dollhouse: Season One - Joss Whedon, need I say more? An underground group of “Actives” who change their personalities for the whims of the rich and powerful, not to mention, Eliza Dushku is very easy to watch. Sure, Fox canceled it, but they also canceled Firefly.

Star Trek – JJ Abrams didn't disappoint. He kept it true enough to the original for the Trekkies (time warps are helpful for re-imagining story lines) yet refreshed it enough to introduce the franchise to a whole new audience.

Franklyn – Could be one of the best sci-fi films Americans haven’t heard of. A temporal twister set in contemporary London and a futuristic Meanwhile City. In the vein of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, bring your thinking cap.

Ben X – A teen with Asperger’s syndrome finds respite from endless bullying at school in video games. A little bit like Donnie Darko, but with subtitles.

Watchmen – great comic book, great movie. Any questions?

The Prisoner: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] – Before there was Lost, there was the Prisoner.  A spy quits his job and wakes up on a mysterious island where people are given numbers instead of names. A constantly changing number two tries various methods to find out why he quit. Now you can revel in all that 1960’s mod high-tech weirdness in high definition since it’s now available on Blu-ray.

Logan’s Run [Blu-ray} – Made in 1976 and still good in 2009. Now on Blu-ray, so you can revisit all the incredible Oscar winning visual effects in stunning 1080p.

Fringe: the Complete First Season – I know, it’s another offering from JJ Abrams, but it’s a fantastic TV show. The FBI, a mad scientist, and his son team up to investigate seemingly related unusual crimes. Great to watch on DVD, because minor clues in one episode become important later in the season, I don’t recommend starting if you have anything pressing to attend to.

Monsters vs Aliens -  This one's for the kids. A young woman grows to an inch under 50 feet after being stuck in the head by a meteorite, gets locked away by the government, and is tasked with leading a team of 1950’s B-movie monsters to save the earth from an alien invasion. Sound like fun, right?   

See the rest of the top 100 DVDs, the top 100 Blu-ray discs, and many other lists at http://www.amazon.com/bestmovies2009. ---Mike

If Luke Skywalker Had Facebook...

I couldn't stop cracking up at this list from Collegehumor.com. If some of the Star Wars gang had the benefit of social networking, their world might look something like this...

 

Click through for the hilarious list in its entirety. --Ellen

"Chuck" returns January 10

Great news: Chuck opens its third season on Sunday, January 10, in a two-hour special before it returns to its slot on Mondays at 8 p.m. starting the very next night, January 11.   Watch the season 3 preview below.  --David

Vampire Cage Match, Round 5: Count Dracula (Lugosi) vs. Count Orlok (Schreck)

In celebration of New Moon's opening, we're exploring your favorite movie & TV vampires and putting them head-to-head (or fang to fang). Feel free to chime in with your thoughts as we match up two different bloodsuckers every day this week. This is the last of our pairings, but feel free to dream up your own cage matches: Dakota Fanning’s Jane (New Moon) vs. Kirsten Dunst’s Claudia (Interview with a Vampire)? Kiefer Sutherland's David (The Lost Boys) vs. James Marster’s Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)? Aaliyah's Queen Akasah (Queen of the Damned) vs. Catherine Deneuve's Miriam (The Hunger)? Sesame Street’s The Count vs. Count Chocula?

ROUND FIVE: COUNT DRACULA (BELA LUGOSI) VS. COUNT ORLOK (MAX SCHRECK)

Two old-time scarers who find black-and-white blood just as tasty as the red stuff. 

WHO?:  This might be our most evenly matched fight yet because it's basically the same character.  Bela Lugosi is the classic Count Dracula, starring in the 1931 Universal movie that launched not only his career but a huge wave of monster and horror-theme movies during the decade.  Max Schreck is not the big green ogre--he plays Count Orlok in F.W. Murnau's 1922 movie Nosferatu, which is Bram Stoker's story but with the characters renamed for legal reasons.

UN-UNDEAD SOULMATE: Mina Harker nee Seward (played by Helen Chandler) for Lugosi; Ellen Hutter (Greta Schroeder) for Schreck

INSTEAD OF HUMANS, THEY DRINK FROM: These guys wrote the book on human sustenance, as in, using humans for sustenance.

PHYSICAL STRENGTHS: Dracula hypnotizes people and transforms into a bat. Interestingly, Orlok kills his victims outright instead of creating undead companions.

PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES: Both guys avoid wooden stakes and sunlight, surely resulting in Vitamin D deficiencies.

WOOING: Dracula bites Mina, but ultimately loses her.  Orlok wins Ellen, but at a high cost.

Which vampire would win this bout? --David

Vampire Cage Match, Round 4: Dracula vs. The Vampire Lestat

In celebration of New Moon's opening we are going to explore your favorite movie & TV vampires and put them head-to-head (or fang to fang). Feel free to chime in with your thoughts as we match up two different bloodsuckers every day this week.

ROUND FOUR: DRACULA VS. LESTAT

Two old-school, control freak vampires with attitude problems and horrible luck in love.

Qualifier: There are many versions of both of these characters. This cage match is between the Lestat from the movie Interview with the Vampire, and not the book version. The Dracula character is from Gary Oldman’s portrayal in the 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

WHO?: Dracula (Gary Oldman), is the most famous of the vampires, and also known as the first vampire.  He is forever searching for the reincarnation of his lost love. People usually just get in the way of his goal, and when they do, he kills or eats them. Lestat (Tom Cruise) is a 6-foot tall, blond vampire with a flair for fashion. He is bold, defiant and conflicted.  He tends toward selfish introspection without much concern for the feelings of others. 

 
UN-UNDEAD SOULMATE:  Mina (for Dracula); Himself? (Lestat)

INSTEAD OF HUMANS, THEY DRINK FROM: Both actually drink from people.

PHYSICAL STRENGTHS: Dracula, once known as Vlad the Impaler, has major battle training. He also puts little to no value on any life, sometimes including his own. That sort of ambivalence could give him an advantage. Lestat’s resourcefulness and resilience lead him to survive fire and dead blood (which apparently can kill him). He’s selfish enough to turn anyone into a vampire in order to keep them as his companions, who on-screen are a Who’s Who of vampire hotness: (Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas).

 
PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES: These two are pretty well-matched physically, but their mental issues could make all the difference. Dracula is so confident in his ability to triumph, he runs the risk of underestimating his opponent. Lestat is extremely self-centered and might worry about getting his clothes dirty.

 
WOOING:  Dracula is only concerned with his Mina. He loves to the point of obsession, even though the original Mina has been dead for many years. Lestat is a charmer. He has well-honed seduction skills, but has no ability to keep a long-term relationship.

Which vampire would win this bout? --Shauna

Vampire Cage Match, Round 3: Underworld's Selene vs. Blade

In celebration of New Moon's opening we are going to explore your favorite movie & TV vampires and put them head-to-head (or fang to fang). Feel free to chime in with your thoughts as we match up two different bloodsuckers every day this week.

ROUND THREE: SELENE VS. BLADE

Two bloodsucking butt-kickers who have serious obsessions with tight leather and new weapon technology. 

WHO?:  Selene (Kate Beckinsale), from the Underworld movies, was turned by the vampire who slayed her family. She is a Death Dealer who fights the Lycan (werewolves) whom she believes are responsible for the death of her family.  Blade (Wesley Snipes), from the Blade Trilogy, is half-vampire, half-human, due to his mother being bitten by a vampire while she was pregnant with him. Referred to as “daywalker,” he doles out vengeance on the vampire community in general for making him what he is.

UN-UNDEAD SOULMATE: Michael (for Selene) ; Whistler & some damsels in distress (for Blade)

INSTEAD OF HUMANS, THEY DRINK FROM: Selene feeds on humans and stolen blood, Blade takes a special antibiotic to keep the vampire in him at bay.

PHYSICAL STRENGTHS: Selene has been trained to fight and kill Lycan, and has wicked skills with guns and crossbows. She is also small and quick. Blade has sheer size on his side and none of the usual vampire weaknesses. (garlic and daylight, for example.)

PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES: Selene’s size could become an issue. She’s quick, but tiny. Blade has a problem paying taxes the advantage of size, but that could make him slow. He is sometimes blinded by his own hatred of vampires and can charge without thinking about strategy.

WOOING: Selene is a hot vampire in skin-tight leather. ‘Nuff said. Blade has no game and doesn’t seem to want any.

Which vampire would win this bout? --Shauna

"Paper Heart": Charlyne Yi vs. Paul Rust Interview

Described as a movie that combines elements of documentary,  traditional storytelling, reality and fantasy - Paper Heart is original, refreshing and just flat-out enjoyable.

Comedian/actress/writer Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up, Semi Pro) sets out across the country with a camera crew in tow to find out about the meaning of love. Along the way, Michael Cera (Arrested Devlopment, Juno) becomes the object of her affection and Charlyne gets an unexpected lesson in L-O-V-E. It's awkward, funny, charming  -  and, um,  it even involves cardboard puppetry. Yes, I will say it - I HEART Paper Heart!

Charlyne has written a blog for Amazon talking about the making of Paper Heart. Read below and also check out the video clip of Charlyne attempting to interview actor Paul Rust. 

And with the holidays coming up, if you find yourself with an opportunity to take out that special someone - take some advice from one of the wise children in Paper Heart. When asked what a perfect date is, she replies "Take Someone to Applebee's and give them hot wings".

Pre-order your copy of Paper Heart on DVD or Blu-ray - perfect for a stocking stuffer if you ask me. -- Lisanne

IMPROV...

We had roughly 5 pages of an outline, and other paper work with ideas of scenes. Which meant we had to improvise A LOT. The reason we did it this way is because I never learned how to read. I got kicked out school in 3rd grade. Seriously. As you read this right now, I am not even the one who is typing this. Someone is transcribing what I am saying. It’s funny that I wouldn’t even be able to read this to verify what they’re writing is correct. They might write that I am a total twit. Or that I like to eat…. I don’t know, something gross. Like.. um…….. food. Bad food. Yeahhhh…. Food that’s gone bad and expired! The rotten kind!

No. I am kidding. I do know how to read and there is no transcriber. I am the one typing these words. Though it’d make a better story if I couldn’t read or write, huh?

My apologies for tricking all of you. Ha, you should’ve seen your faces. SO FUNNY. Anyways, what is some secret tales about the making of Paper Heart that I can share? I’ll break it into chunks for you.

JOKE GONE WRONG...

The first things we shot were without Michael. So we already made friends with the crew and we would always joke-scare the crew, telling them how Michael Cera is a diva who always had to have his raisins before every take or he’ll throw a temper tantrum. None of the crew was dumb enough to believe this. But it was something we talked about that made us laugh. And one day we thought it’d be funny if crew gave raisins would just hand Michael raisins without any explanation throughout the entire shoot.

So we handed raisins to our camera assistant, Clint, a very sweet well-mannered, keeps to his self type of guy. He was so nervous as he approached Michael with a little box of raisins. He handed it to Michael. Michael stopped Clint and said, “Wait, what is this for?” Clint terrified answered with, “It’s sundried.” I was far and behind Michael waving to Clint to walk away. He did…. But Michael stopped him and questioned Clint some more especially since Clint’s answer didn’t really answer Michael’s question. Clint just sort of froze in fear and things got really uncomfortable. Eventually Jake stepped in, and Clint made his exit. Jake explained the entire thing to confused Michael. Michael laughed and said, he wanted to freak Clint out by telling him, “Hey man, thanks so much for the raisins, that was so thoughtful of you. Here, I got you something too.” And Michael would hand Clint and brand new suit. For no reason. But the suit thing didn’t happen. The joke just sort of died after that.

WAR ON THE ROAD...

Before we went on the road to film the documentary portion, Nick, Jake, & I made a pact as friends that the road wouldn’t destroy our friendship because we had heard the great tales how the road would change us and we would lose our minds and eventually want to kill each other…

The night before we went on the road we were sitting in Nick’s living room and Jake quickly leaned his bottom against my leg released the devil onto me. I had never had been farted on – or felt the long vibration of one. I couldn’t believe it. Jake had declared war…

From then on Jake and I would fart on each other in the van, restaurants, interviews – any time – any where. And some how our DP, Jay Hunter, tried to end the war because it was not only hurting us, but everyone else in the van. He gave a huge lengthy speech, explaining how immature we were… at one point Jake and I looked at each and smiled… Now, we didn’t say anything but we understood and were thinking the same exact thing at that moment. As soon as the Van stopped and Jay had stopped talking, we both farted on Jay. The war was no longer between Jake and I… but against a common enemy.

I remember one time Jay was chatting up some ladies at a bar, and I did a drive by and farted right in the middle of them. Some might say that I am disgusting or immature. Well, those people might be right. But Jake & I were soldiers in combat, and we were going win this war. And guess what? We did….

ASIDE FROM ALL THE JOKEY OR GROSS FART STORIES...

It’s crazy. Making this movie wasn’t like any other movie. We were actually out there on the road… on a true adventure. Driving from town to down, meeting strangers, going into biker bars, sleeping scary motels with blood stains. Roughing it up. And I will never forget the adventures we took on to get this film made. We may have not had a lot of money, but everybody who worked on this project had a lot of heart. And without that, we wouldn’t have lasted. I’m really grateful for everybody who believed in our project and was part of it. Cast, crew, strangers who let us into their lives and interview them. Because without them, we wouldn’t have this movie. It really was an incredible experience. And we are lucky. I don’t think many people get to do live through what we did. -- Charlyne