Saturday, October 31, 2009

Revised Otaku 5-0 Audio Commentary Lineup

Aloha everybody!

After some degree of thought, I have decided to revise the lineup for our future Otaku 5-0 audio commentaries:

November - Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters 2
December - Big Trouble In Little China
January - Monty Python & The Holy Grail
February - My Neighbor Totoro
March - Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets
May - Airplane!
June - The Seven Samurai

Future possibilities include: Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Transformers, Akira, Back To The Future, A Night At The Opera

As you can see, we have quite an interesting mix of movies coming your way (I just hope that we can pull this off.)

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)

Friday, October 30, 2009

Otaku 5-0 Audio Commentary: Ghostbusters

Aloha everybody!

With Halloween fast approaching, we decided to get into the spirit by recording an audio commentary for Ghostbusters, the classic 1984 action/sci-fi/comedy that has become one of our favorite films!

Now, we have decided to do something different than with previous audio commentary tracks we recorded. I am aware that most fan-made audio commentary tracks, while entertaining in their own way, are hard to sync up with the DVD version of the film. In an effort to solve this problem, we have structured this commentary in a slightly different manner (just see the directions below.)

With that being said, please enjoy the fruit of our labors. We hope that you, as always, have as much fun listening to this commentary as we did recording it.

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)

Show Notes
Otaku 5-0 Audio Commentary: Ghostbusters

Recording Date: October 29, 2009
Running Time: 109 minutes

Panelists
Totoro (Executive Producer)
Mr. A (Executive Producer)
Jupiter (Executive Producer)

Click here to download commentary track.

To better sync our commentary with your DVD version of the film, just follow the instructions below:

FIRST AND FOREMOST, download our audio commentary track to your computer or favorite mp3 player.

1) Load up your DVD, and proceed to the main menu:

This is the DVD menu for our version of the movie.
Yours might be slightly different.


2) Move the cursor, highlighting and selecting "Scene Selections".

3) Scroll through the corresponding menu, and highlight the 1st Scene with the cursor.

4) Play our audio commentary track, and pause it when prompted to do so (in this case, when I say, "pause.")

5) Start the movie, and resume our commentary track when you see the Columbia Pictures logo appear on screen. A short interstitial music clip will play at the start of our commentary.

Musical Notes
- Interstitial Music Clip: "Eyecatch" from Full Metal Panic!

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

Coming soon...
The next Otaku 5-0 audio podcast episode!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Mr. A's review of...Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom)


Mr. A returns to BLOW YOUR MIND!!!

The Story
After Earth's demise, one of the only safe havens left is the floating island of Metro City. Dr. Tenma, head of the Ministry of Science, loses his son Toby (Tobio in the original story) when a prototype war machine he created goes on a rampage. Insane with grief, Tenma enlists the aid of his old friend Dr. Elefun (Ochanomizu-hakase) in the creation of a boy robot made in the image of Toby. This new "Toby" is nothing like the original and is discarded by Tenma. "Toby", after being chased by the military who is after his experimental power source, ends up on the Earth's surface where he is given the name Astro (Atom)...and the real character development begins.

The Review
Astro Boy isn't something you should go into without knowing the original story. A lot is going to get "lost in translation" and the fun little tidbits will fall through the cracks. Acting is alright, not incredible, but it gets the job done. The story was okay for the amount of time they had to tell it, although I would've liked to have seen the supporting characters further developed. Something that was a major bother for me is that the robot designs (save for Astro/Atom himself) are rather uninspired and Tezuka's unique art style is almost nowhere to be seen.

The Verdict
Flashing lights and bright colors will keep the little ones glued to the screen, but the emotional content might not entertain a fair amount of the parents (it was enough to keep me interested though). However, if you are an Astro Boy fan or an Osamu Tezuka fan in general, it's well worth the matinee ticket price.

8/10

So that's it. There's not much to say about this film that I haven't already said in Episode 11. Stay tuned, I might do some tweaks to this review.

Jaa matta,
Mr. A (executive producer)

Otaku 5-0 Season 3: Episode 11

Aloha everybody!

I would like to clear up some confusion that you (our audience) may have right now as you peruse the format notes for this week's episode. Last week, I had announced the creation of Project: Green Harvest, which was intended to be the video production arm of Otaku 5-0. You may also recall that we had recorded a large amount of video footage (a small portion of which can be found on our YouTube channel.)

I will now reveal to you that the video footage we recorded was intended to be the 11th episode of our podcast! However, due to the resulting technical difficulties, a large portion of the footage was deemed unusable. So in an effort to correct this mistake, we will record (and later release in its entirety) an audio episode of our podcast, using the same format for the failed video episode.

Due to staffing concerns (Zell was unable to attend last night's recording session), we will be uploading the replacement episode at a later date. Instead, we present to you this new audio episode, with content originally slated for Episode 3.12

In closing, I would like to thank you (our audience) for putting up with these recent difficulties, and please continue to tune in as Project: Green Harvest continues to evolve.

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)



Click here to download episode.

Show Notes
Otaku 5-0: Episode 3.11

Recording Date: October 26, 2009
Running Time: 64 minutes

Moderator
Mr. A (Executive Producer)

Panelists
Totoro (Executive Producer)
Jupiter (Executive Producer)
Neko-X (Videogame & Blu-ray Contributor)
Gears (Contributor-at-Large)

Format
1. Totally Random Statement (Neko-X)

2. Lead-in (Mr. A)

3. Film & Book Report (Totoro)

4. The Top 3... Romance Movies

5. Please Produce This...

6. The Gauntlet - Neko-X

Questions
A. Describe yourself in haiku.

B. Who would you put money on in a fight: Ryu (Street Fighter) or Terry Bogard (King of Fighters)?

C. What is your favorite Resident Evil game?

D. If you could have the powers of any one superhero, which hero would you pick?

E. What is your definition of the word, "fun"?

F. If you could have only one wish granted, what would you wish for?

G. If you could only play one genre of video game for the rest of your life, what genre would you play?

H. If you were in the midst of a zombie outbreak, and could pick only three weapons (with infinite ammo) to carry with you, which weapons would you pick?

I. What is your favorite Smash Bros. character?

J. What's your opinion on Jupiter's use of the Internet to look up questions to ask for The Gauntlet?

K. If you could have your brain implanted into any mechanical creation (with the exception of a giant mecha), what creation would you pick?

L. If you had the opportunity to go back in time to any historical period, where would you go?

7. Lead-out (Mr. A)

Musical Notes
- Post-Disclaimer Theme: "Catch (cheen)" from Ah! My Goddess
- Opening Theme: "Absolute Destiny Apocalypse" from Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Interstitial Clips: "Afternoon of Konoha" from Naruto, "I'll Do It Right!" from Naruto, "Subtitle" from Full Metal Panic!, "Frog's Theme" from Chrono Trigger
- Ending Theme: "Opening" from Astro Boy

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

Coming Soon...
Otaku 5-0's Ghostbusters audio commentary & our next podcast episode!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Re: Project Green Harvest

Aloha everybody!

After some conversations with our technical staff, I am saddened to announce that we will not be able to upload the remaining footage from our first Otaku 5-0 video episode at this time.

However, this DOES NOT mean that Project Green Harvest is dead. Far from it.

In fact, during this post-production process, the minor difficulties we encountered have already been addressed, and so I continue to remain confident that we will be able to include more video episodes of Otaku 5-0 as we continue into our 4th season.

Stay tuned!

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

10 Movies I Must See Before I Die, Part 1

Aloha everybody!

It gives me great pleasure to present to you my first feature article for Otaku 5-0!

But first, a little backstory....

Following the departure of Star (Film & Book Contributor) from the podcast staff, I stepped in and assumed her responsibilities until a suitable replacement can be found (the search is still ongoing at this point), including both her podcast contributor reports and any feature articles that were assigned to her.

Which brings me to six weeks ago, when I actually decided to write this thing. I started by searching online for similar articles, but found most of them unhelpful. To start, most articles listed 100-1000 movies, and while I could agree with SOME of the choices, they were personal impressions by the authors themselves. However, I can understand that since I am bringing a personal touch to this article. But still, the question of how to approach this topic continued to elude me, until I settled on a literal approach by asking myself this question:

Suppose I was diagnosed with a terminal disease. Knowing that I don't have much time, which ten movies would I want to see before my death?

Thus inspired, my work began... And here I present to you the first half of my list. Enjoy!

I first saw the penultimate act of George Lucas' Star Wars saga (and one the best sequel films in movie history) on TV as a child, and I quickly found myself glued to the screen from start to finish, drawn in by its dark, unsettling atmosphere. However, it was not until years later that I would truly appreciate its greatness. In many conversations I've had with friends and family, I have stated three reasons why I prefer this film over its siblings: 1) The Imperial March, the now-famous leitmotif for Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire; 2) Master Yoda, the diminutive Jedi Master who would become one of the most beloved characters in cinematic history (and if you listened to my "Gauntlet" interview a few episodes back, he is STILL my favorite Star Wars character); 3) The unhappy ending, which turned out to be a gamble on the part of the filmmakers (but one that paid off well, since everybody ended up wanting to see what happens next.) Even now, as an aspiring screenwriter, I look to this film as a valuable teaching tool in terms of characterization, pace and story.

I have never had so much enjoyment over so simple a film. Its premise: 12 individuals from different backgrounds serve jury duty and decide the fate of a young boy accused of murder. Seeing this film for the first time in my 8th-Grade English class, I learned that a great cast (in this case headlined by the legendary Henry Fonda as Juror #8) could make a decent film good and a good film great. After watching it, I was amazed by how one person, through INTENSE discussion and debate, can persuade eleven other people to his point of view (of course, it's also important that we agree with Juror #8's doubts as to the defendant's guilt.) It also showed me that if in order to discover the truth, we must deal with our own prejudices. This film would also serve as an important example of how movies are as much about the period in history they're made as the period of history they show (case in point: every single single juror is a male Caucasian, which might offend today's audiences.) But, I have always found it helpful to avoid putting modern sensibilities on anything that isn't aware of them.

After first seeing this film back in 7th grade (my parents purchased the VHS version), I liked it so much I ended up wearing out the tape. More than anything else, this film helped bring out an appreciation of music and its affect on an individual. Ironic, when you consider that although I was born into a family with strong musical roots (my grandfather played for The Royal Hawaiian Band and my father is a Hawaiian music legend in his own right), I remained profoundly ignorant of music. From start to finish, I rejoiced in seeing pieces of classical music interpreted visually via live-action cinematography (particularly in the opening piece, Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor) and stunning 2-D animation (there's a reason Disney was THE animation studio for the 20th Century. This film contains some of their most evocative work.) While I was quite entertained, I was shocked to later learn that it was unappreciated in Walt Disney's lifetime, even though it was one of his most personal films (For the record, my favorite sequences are the Toccata and Fugue, Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite & Beethoven's Sixth Symphony.)

If I had to pick a film that served as a starting point for my interest in History, foreign cultures and Shakespeare, this would be it (and to keep the metaphor going, this is also my first Akira Kurosawa film.) I saw this film back in my 8th grade year while browsing the video store, and I had just learned about Samurai-era Japan in my history class (and also of my own samurai heritage - my maternal great-grandmother is a descendant of the Nakano line.) One of the first things I appreciated was in how Kurosawa used color to contextualize the actions and intents of the various factions in the film, which proved helpful during the film's rich battle sequences (for example, the "bad son" wore red as his color, and the "good son" wore blue.) In high school (and after I had found an interest in acting and theatre) I learned of this film's basis on Shakespeare's King Lear, and with that the lesson of telling conventional stories in an unconventional way, whether it be through a change of setting, character gender or plot. This lesson would be reaffirmed after seeing movies produced by Pixar (Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., WALL-E, etc.)

For some time, I have called Pixar THE animation studio of the 21st Century, and surely I am not alone. Even the studio's most vehement critics cannot deny its profound effect on the entertainment industry. Toy Story (their first full-length feature) served as an important milestone for 3D-animation's growth into a storytelling medium, and each subsequent film has showcased the studio's skill in telling old stories in new ways. So, it seemed appropriate that I include their, "Robot Story" on this list. I saw this film during its first week in theaters (a tradition I've kept with every Pixar film since A Bug's Life) and I was amazed not only at how the film had turned a riveting story out of its simple premise (What if mankind had left Earth, and someone had forgotten to turn off the last robot?) but at how it pays homage to different genres of fiction/film - The plot has elements from Robinson Crusoe, the first hour of the movie is essentially a silent film and it features songs from a movie musical (Hello Dolly!). Top it off with a poignant blend of romance and slapstick, and you've got a masterpiece of cinema. Bravo!

Well, that's all I have to say for now. Stay tuned to this site for the remaining five films on this list.

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Project: Green Harvest

Aloha everybody!

Over the past few months you've probably heard me mention something on our audio podcast episodes called, "Project: Green Harvest." I apologize for keeping everyone in the dark about it, but I am pleased one of its objectives has become a reality - we have recorded our first full-length VIDEO episode of Otaku 5-0!

While we all applaud finally stepping into the 21st Century, I would like to specify that with every first attempt, there can be any number of glitches. So, I would like to send a heartfelt mahalo to all Otaku 5-0 staffers who were present at last night's recording session for their patience. Particularly, I would like to thank Maka (Technical Director) and Titus (Technical Director) for their hard work in keeping whatever glitches we had to a minimum.

Now, because of time restrictions (a YouTube clip must be a maximum of 10 minutes long), only a small portion of last night's footage can be uploaded. Though at some point we will bring you the entire format of that episode in its entirety, please enjoy the clip below:


This clip features our Opening Bit with myself & Maka and a Least Favorite... Computer Game topic.

Please stay tuned to our YouTube channel for more video episodes in the coming weeks!

Coming soon...
Our audio commentary for X-Men: The Last Stand & the next podcast episode!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Otaku 5-0 Season 3: Episode 10

Aloha everybody!

In our latest episode of Otaku 5-0, we preview TWO topics that we'll be doing for our 4th Season!

1) Moviematic 5-0
Leave it to Mr. A (Executive Producer) to come up with something both quirky and entertaining at the same time. His latest effort is a two-part topic that begins and ends in the same episode. The first part (which we have called "The Pitch") involves me, at the beginning of an episode, announcing a word to the other contributors. They now have until the end of that episode (which sets up the second part, named, "The Return") to create a plotline for a movie with the announced word in the title.

2) Topic From The Past
When writing the format for each episode of Otaku 5-0, my most difficult job is to NOT re-tread over any ideas that we've done in the past (a rare exception being that we did two topics involving comedians in Seasons 1 and 2 respectively.) As such, I keep an updated database of every single topic that we've done since our premiere episode. However, I also understand that our staff has changed since then (the departure of Cetic & Star, and the addition of Maka & Zell) so I determined that we will go back and revisit topics from our previous episodes of a particular season (in this case, Season 1.)

And finally, we are joined on the panel by Zell's friend (and newest member of our podcast team) Ross, which we have nicknamed Gears. (Although originally named "Gear" by Mr. A, I mistakenly added the "s", and after that the name stuck) Also, in an effort to get to know him a bit better, we actually took him through a shortened version of "The Gauntlet" at the end of the episode. We look forward to working with him as a panelist on future episodes.

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)

WARNING! Portions of this podcast contain mature language and adult content. Listener discretion is advised.



Click here to download episode.


Show Notes
Otaku 5-0: Episode 3.10

Recording Date: October 12, 2009
Running Time: 65 minutes

Moderator
Totoro (Executive Producer)

Panelists
Mr. A (Executive Producer)
Jupiter (Executive Producer)
Maka (Otaku 5-0 Technical Director)
Zell (Contributor-at-Large)
Gears (Contributor-at-Large)

Format
1. A Word From Our Sponsor (Mr. A)

2. Lead-in (Totoro)

3. Moviematic 5-0 I: The Pitch - "Chainsaw"

4. DVD Grab Bag III, Part 1

Jupiter selected A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash
Zell selected Casshern
Totoro selected Drunken Master
Maka selected Kodocha, Vol. 3
Mr A selected ??? <-- The DVD had no label, and its owner (Zell) was mum on details...

5. Favorite... Fictional Detective

6. Topic From The Past - Casting Couch: The "Four" Musketeers (Episode 1.2)

7. Moviematic 5-0 I: The Return

8. Lead-out (Totoro)

9. Mini-Gauntlet - Gears

Musical Notes

- Post-Disclaimer Theme: "Eyecatch 2" from Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Opening Theme: "Kefka's Theme" from Final Fantasy VI
- Interstitial Clips: "Subtitle" from Full Metal Panic!, "Frog's Theme" from Chrono Trigger, "I'll Do It Right!" from Naruto, "Pre-Title" from His & Her Circumstances, "Scarlet of the Campus" from Revolutionary Girl Utena
- Ending Theme: "Breach of Contract" from Ah! My Goddess

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

Coming Soon...
Our next podcast episode!

More Pictures!

Neko-X
Otaku 5-0 Videogame & Blu-ray Contributor

Kira
Otaku 5-0 Anime & Manga Contributor

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Mr. A's review of...ZOMBIELAND


Exodia, everyone! It's time for a totally awesome movie review!!!
After seeing this film for the second time I figured that I had enough info to pull together a decent review...

The Story
Thanks to an infected hamburger from a Gas 'n Gulp, a zombie plague sweeps across the North American continent. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a typical nerd with numerous phobias is journeying from Austin back to his home town (Columbus, hence his nickname) to see if his family is still alive. He meets up with Tallahassee (guess where he's from?), an over-the-top Yosemite Sam (Woody Harrelson) struggling not only to stay alive in a country full of Zombies but to find and consume a Twinkie. The pair are soon joined by Wichita (super-hottie Emma Stone) and Little Rock (the ever-immaculate Abigail Breslin), con-artist siblings who give our heroes a warm welcome by stealing their truck as well as all their weapons (Noooooo! Not the Puma Model 92 lever-action rifle!) in order to make it to Pacific Playland, a Disney World knock-off on the edge of Los Angeles.

The Review
Overall this is a good movie. There is some gore scattered throughout the film, but for the most part this is a comedy. The acting is pretty good and the dialogue drives our heroes through this bruised and battered world. As for story...there isn't much of one. But in it's defense, if there ever was a REAL zombie outbreak it would be all helter-skelter anyway and a storyline would be the last thing you'd be worrying about.

The Verdict
I wouldn't say this is the greatest film on Earth, but it does have it's moments (did I mention how hot Emma Stone was?). Maybe not worth watching twice in the theaters like I did, but worth the price of a matinee ticket anyway. 7/10

So that's it. Short, sweet, and to the point. I'll be posting more reviews in the future so keep a sharp eye out!

Jaa matta,
Mr. A (Executive Zombie-Killer)

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Otaku 5-0 Season 3: Episode 9

Aloha everybody!

On this episode of Otaku 5-0, the "Big Three" (i.e. Totoro, Mr. A & Jupiter) are joined by Anime/Manga Contributor Kira (who presents his 3rd contributor report for this season) and Videogame/Blu-ray Contributor Neko-X (who had nothing else better to do. LOL)

On a scheduling note, I announced a few weeks ago that our next audio commentary will be for The Rocketeer, but that choice may have to be reconsidered, because I am having trouble finding people to sit on the commentary panel. Stay tuned though, because I am still trying to make it happen.

In the meantime, please enjoy the fruit of our labors!

Mahalo,
~Totoro (Executive Producer)



Click here to download episode.

Show Notes
Otaku 5-0: Episode 3.9

Recording Date: October 5, 2009
Running Time: 74 minutes

Moderator
Jupiter (Executive Producer)

Panelists
Totoro (Executive Producer)
Mr. A (Executive Producer)
Kira (Anime & Manga Contributor)
Neko-X (Videogame & Blu-ray Contributor)

Format
1. Bad Joke of the Day (Mr. A)

2. Lead-in (Jupiter)

3. Anime & Manga Report (Kira)

4. Great Debate: Tenchi Muyo! or Love Hina

5. X Reasons Why... Final Fantasy Is The Best RPG Game Franchise

6. Good Sequel, Bad Sequel

7. Lead-out (Jupiter)

Musical Notes
- Opening Theme: "Kefka's Theme" from Final Fantasy VI
- Interstitial Clips: "Afternoon of Konoha" from Naruto, "Subtitle" from Full Metal Panic!, "Eyecatch" from Revolutionary Girl Utena, "Frog's Theme" from Chrono Trigger
- Ending Theme: "Opening Theme" from Tenchi Muyo!

Feedback is always accepted here at Otaku 5-0. It can be either posted on this site as a comment or sent via e-mail to Otaku50podcast@gmail.com

Coming Soon...
Our next podcast episode!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Pictures!

Totoro in baby jail!

Mr. A
Otaku 5-0 Executive Producer

Zell
Otaku 5-0 Contributor-At-Large

Maka
Otaku 5-0 Technical Director

Totoro
Otaku 5-0 Creator/Executive Producer

From center clockwise, Jupiter, Mr. A, Totoro, Zell, Maka