One never knows the gems they’ll find at film festivals. Sometimes they’ll be greeted by low-stakes lo-fi supernatural chillers that don’t match your vibe, other times you get to know an action comedy that delights all the same on subsequent… Read More ›
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory’s “Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 2 (1983-1993)” covers the gauntlet of Chan’s transitional period.
My first true introduction to Jackie Chan was in the summer of 1995. 15-year-old me witnessed Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) give an enthusiastic speech about the infectious manner Jackie’s films had in the theater. Before presenting him with his lifetime… Read More ›
“New Gods: Yang Jian,” the fourth film in Light Chaser Animation’s Investiture of the Gods Universe, comes home via Shout! Factory and GKids Films.
The New Gods series from Light Chaser is a refreshing approach to cultural stories. Each one of their films, even if not listed with the New Gods label (White Snake and Green Snake) allows the audience to engage with the… Read More ›
Despite the beautiful music, video game adaptation “DEEMO Memorial Keys” strikes as off-key, overlong, and uninspiring.
For those not in the know, the video game subgenre “rhythm” is of a music-oriented or music-centric design, the intent being to get the player to engage with music in some way. This could be by using one’s feet to… Read More ›
The lesser-known aftermath of World War II is brought into the light thanks to director Mizuho Nishikubo’s “Giovanni’s Island,” now available from GKids Films and Shout! Factory.
Acts of aggression always come with unintended consequences. On the smaller scale, as when my children fight, it could be that the toy they’re fighting over takes a break for a bit and neither gets to use it. On the… Read More ›
If you must blink, do it now as you’ll want to take in all the details in the first-time 4K UHD edition of “Kubo and the Two Strings,” available from Shout! Factory and LAIKA Studios.
In February of 2021, it was announced that LAIKA Studios and boutique home media distributor Shout! Factory made a deal to bring LAIKA’s incredible stop-motion films to U.S. audiences’ homes. Toward the end of 2021, Shout! Factory released Blu-ray/DVD combo… Read More ›
Shout! Factory and LAIKA Studios invite you to revisit the world of Cheesebridge in the first-time 4K UHD edition of “The Boxtrolls”
In February of 2021, it was announced that LAIKA Studios and boutique home media distributor Shout! Factory made a deal to bring LAIKA’s incredible stop-motion films to U.S. audiences’ homes. Toward the end of 2021, Shout! Factory released Blu-ray/DVD combo… Read More ›
Shout! Factory’s “Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 1 (1976-1982)” showcases some of Chan’s early works.
When it comes to martial arts films, there are many great current actors who can pull off the action, but uncommon is the actor who can do so without the aid of a stunt double. Conversely, there are great martial… Read More ›
Director Masaaki Yuasa’s “Inu-Oh” is more than an anachronistic jam session, it’s an exploration of the enduring power of stories.
Every story ever told really happened. Stories are where memories go when they’re forgotten. – Doctor Who, Season 9 Episode “Hell Bent” Adapted from novelist Hideo Furukawa’s “The Tale of the Heike: The Inu-Oh Chapters,” Inu-Oh is a tale of… Read More ›
Shout! Factory and LAIKA Studios re-release “Coraline” for the first-time in a stunning 4K UHD edition.
In February of 2021, it was announced that LAIKA Studios and boutique home media distributor Shout! Factory made a deal to bring LAIKA’s incredible stop-motion films to U.S. audiences’ homes. Toward the end of 2021, Shout! Factory released Blu-ray/DVD combo… Read More ›
Animator Masashi Ando’s directorial debut, “The Deer King,” is available on home video from Shout! Factory.
Adaptations, in live action or animation, are the lifeblood of storytelling. We, as audiences, like to think that the magic comes from original stories, but, more often than not, that thing you love is an adaptation of a story originating… Read More ›
Illustrator-turned-director loundraw impresses with short film “Summer Ghost,” available from Shout! Factory and GKids Films.
One of the greater mysteries in life is whether or not there’s something after the living world. It’s a question that’s been explored through faith, philosophy, and art. Depending on the community or culture you come up within, the afterlife… Read More ›
Just in time for Shaun the Sheep’s 25 anniversary, Shout! Factory releases “Farmageddon” on shelves for the first-time in North America.
Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit characters first appeared in 1989’s A Grand Day Out and have gone on to spawn and spin-off other productions. One such character, Shaun the Sheep, was a central part of 1995’s A Close Shave and… Read More ›
Revisit the wild landscape of “Cool World” in a brand-new collector’s edition from Shout! Factory.
There’s a romantic notion that “there’s someone for everyone,” and it isn’t just for the lovesick or lovelorn. This very much applies to the arts where something you create may not be for a wide audience, but that doesn’t mean… Read More ›
Get the full experience of Mamoru Hosoda’s “BELLE” through the 4K UHD collector’s edition from Shout! Factory and GKids Films.
After hitting the festival circuit in 2021, writer/director Mamoru Hosoda’s musical drama BELLE landed in select U.S. theaters in January of 2022 and then shelves the following April. Both times, my reviews of the film lauded the look and sound… Read More ›
Good news! “Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko” arrives on home video with our two-hours of bonus materials.
The latest GKids Films release, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, is set to arrive on home video from Shout! Factory with a host of special features that celebrate the last adaptation of author Kanako Nishi’s work. In this case, the adaptation… Read More ›
Turn down the lights, pop some corn, and snag your favorite candy to celebrate the home release of “Pompo: The Cinéphile” with a well-deserved movie night.
It all begins with three words: Lights. Camera. Action! Sure, with the changing of technology, the specific terms have changed, but they all go back to these three. Three words which, while not large, immediately call to mind tales of… Read More ›
Let the gales of song guide you to director Mamoru Hosoda’s “BELLE,” coming to home video from Shout! Factory and GKids Films.
One can never really predict what we’ll discover with art — what emotions, what memories, what reactions will be triggered through an artist’s work. When I first learned of writer/director Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE, I presumed, like most, that it would… Read More ›
Shout! Factory and Eleven Arts present a limited-edition steelbook of Satoshi Kon’s “Millennium Actress.”
Generally speaking, each of director Satoshi Kon’s films are beloved by critical and general audiences. Each one is revered for its ability to entertain whether evoking thrills, drama, or laughter; each one considered for more mature audiences, despite being constructed… Read More ›
Shout! Factory presents Cartoon Saloon’s stunning “Irish Folklore Trilogy” in a single, lovely package.
Across four films, Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon has earned four Academy Award nominations, each time for Best Animated Feature. If you’ve seen even one of their films — The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2017), The… Read More ›