The return of Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart heralds the return of Jeff Bridges. Not that he hasn’t already produced fine work prior to this (his creepy and way too convincing psycho-killer Barney in ‘The Vanishing’ springs to mind). In Crazy Heart however, Jeff Bridges takes control of the role with the ease of a seasoned pro and nails it 110 percent. And don’t be put off… Continue »

The end of the Vampire’s grip on Hollywood?

A new day dawns and so the vampire creeps, creeps, creeps its way slowly back into the shadowy depths of mythology. Or does it? Has Hollywood had its fill of blood-letting and bloodlust? Do we finally bid farewell to Edward Cullen, Angel, Eli and Bill Compton? Or does the vampire continue to dig its nails into the everlasting flesh of… Continue »

Kiwi actors feature in Spartacus

Kiwi actors Lucy Lawless and Craig Parker will be appearing in the upcoming Starz TV series ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’ which looks extremely kick ass, I might add. With executive producer Sam Raimi behind the scenes, I have a good feeling about the show. Checking out the trailer gives me a distinctly ‘300′-cum-’Gladiator’ type feel about it with the grittiness… Continue »

Goya’s Ghosts – DVD Review

If you’ve never heard of the artist Francisco Goya you’re not alone. Goya’s Ghosts is directed by Milos Forman and stars the wonderful Skellan Skarsgard as Goya, Natalie Portman as his muse Ines and Javier Bardem as the manipulative and corrupted Father Lorenzo. It’s a movie told from Goya’s perspective and portrays Goya as a lonely but talented artist who… Continue »

Hyped for… Crazy Heart

I’m looking forward to seeing Crazy Heart. I get to see this next week and it looks very good. I haven’t seen Jeff Bridges in a prominent movie role in quite some time so I’m very excited, especially since Mr. Bridges just bagged the Golden Globe for his performance in this. And even though I’m not really a country/western music fan,… Continue »

North Face – DVD Review

For some, climbing a mountain that you know in your heart of hearts will most probably kill you is a passion and for a few, an obsession. There’s something deep and primal about man going up against nature but you kinda expect that the outcome will rarely be a positive one. Thus is the case for our adventurous mountain climbers… Continue »

Stone of Destiny – DVD Review

I enjoy stories about the underdog taking back what’s his or hers or theirs, in this case. The underdog in Stone of Destiny appears to be Scotland who as a nation in the 1950s, seem to be overwhelmed by the injustices of past historic deeds. Although most of these injustices seem to point at a severe case of identity crisis…. Continue »

The Red Baron flies off the shelves!

I was thrilled to walk into my local video store to find they had The Red Baron advertised on the shelves. Alas, this happiness was short-lived when I discovered every single copy was out! I was eventually able to grab one as it was returned and was pretty hyped to watch this movie all about the infamous “Red Baron” or… Continue »

Paranormal Activity – Movie Review

Distributor: Icon Film Distribution Released: 2009 Genre: Thriller/Horror Credits: Director: Oren Peli Written by: Oren Peli Starring: Katie Featherston (Katie), Micah Sloat (Micah) Rating: M Considering the budget for this movie (only $15,000 USD) and the millions it made at the box office opening weekend (9.1 million USD according to IMDB), Paranormal Activity is by all accounts, a blockbuster. Don’t… Continue »

Avatar – Movie Review

Distributor: Fox Movies NZ Released: 2009 Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci Fi Credits: Director: James Cameron Written by: James Cameron Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang  Rating: TBC Nothing could prepare me for the sensory onslaught that was Avatar in all its 3D magnificence. James Cameron really has done himself proud with this one. Avatar is,… Continue »
The return of Jeff...
The end of the...
Kiwi actors feature...
Goya’s Ghosts...
Hyped for…...
North Face –...
Stone of Destiny...
The Red Baron flies...
Paranormal Activity...
Avatar – Movie...

Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai Resurrection – Bluray Reviews

Distributor: Madman Released: 2006 Genre: Anime/action/martial arts Credits: Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kelly Hu, Ron Perlman, Lucy Liu Rating: R16

Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai Resurrection on blu-ray were kindly supplied by Madman distribution for review.

Anime fans are a loyal bunch. And whilst not all anime is ‘good’ anime, the success of one animated show from another can depend solely on the voice actors alone. That’s where Afro Samurai has depth in spades with Samuel L. Jackson, Kelly Hu and Ron Perlman lending their voices to the cast of Afro Samurai. The anime is based on the manga written by Takashi Okazaki.

If you’re a fan of action or martial arts anime, you’re bound to enjoy Afro Samurai. It’s full of all the great things that make anime so enjoyable – it’s got action, drama and some very cool characters to boot. Samuel L. Jackson voices the main character ‘Afro’ which the story is based on and does a fantastic job.

Afro Samurai’s story is well-written and paced beautifully in the animated version which can often go astray when translating from book to screen. The animation work in both Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai Resurrection is very similar to that shown in other anime such as ‘Samurai Champloo’ which aims to create a sort of modern day ‘fusion’ with characteristics of feudal Japan. This creates a refreshingly unique setting for the adventure to unfold and gives personality to the character of Afro Samurai. One of the problems that seems to plague so many animated creations these days is lack of originality which Afro Samurai does well to eradicate.

The music from rap/hip hop artist ‘The RZA’ (Wu Tang Clan) features prominently throughout the movie and was written specifically for Afro Samurai.

Blu-ray brings a clarity to the screen that is fantastic for animated movies. Fans of Afro Samurai or Samuel L. Jackson would be doing themselves an injustice if they missed out on these blu-ray releases.

Check out the trailer here:

You can buy Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai Resurrection from Madman NZ

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