a media blog.
This feature was originally published on October 15, 2020, on a different platform and has been taken down, so I’m republishing it here so it doesn’t get lost in time, like tears in rain. Thanks! Shock Treatment is set after Rocky Horror. Brad and Janet, now married and often squabbling, return to the small town of Denton, Ohio. The entire town is an enclosed TV station, DTV. Town residents are…
Would you believe it’s been 16 years since the last Rupesh Cartel album? When I did the math for this review, I had to do a double-take. It s true: their last album, Anchor Baby, was released all the way back in 2009. It’s not like there’s been complete silence from the band since then. They released two excellent EPs more recently, Lodestar in 2020 and then Embers in 2021. They’ve also released…
The Tenchi Muyo! franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary this month! Believe it or not, since its original debut in 1992, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki has spawned over 20 subsequent OVAs, TV series, and movies. To celebrate, I put together a video looking back at all the anime entries in and around the Tenchi franchise. You ll find the video right below, with the complete transcript after the break.…
Rupesh Cartel just released their Embers EP. Spoiler: It’s lit. Rupesh Cartel has been a sleeper synthpop powerhouse since 2005. They released three spectacular albums up through 2009 before promptly falling off the face of the Earth. Their blend of (really) catchy, (and also really) depressive dance music have kept them on my shortlist of criminally underrated neo-synthpop bands for years.…
Nozomi have announced that they’re rescuing the El-Hazard franchise from licensing limbo. While they had already rescued El-Hazard The Wanderers series years ago, they’re bringing over El-Hazard: The Magnificent World, El Hazard 2: The Magnificent World, and El-Hazard: The Alternative World to DVD and Blu-ray in 2020. All of these were originally localized by Geneon/Pioneer decades ago. The…
Discotek Media has announced that they have licensed Kodomo no Omocha, also known as Kodocha. Based on the manga by Miho Obana, the Kodocha TV series was directed by Akitaroh Daich and spans 102 episodes. The show follows the life of eleven-year old actress and sixth-grader, Sana Kurata. The whole series will be released on SD Blu-ray in two sets. The first half will include the dub Funimation did…
Victor Plank Harms is a supervising producer based in New York City, but his work has brought him to the most remote areas of the globe. He is passionate about producing bold programming that explores foreign territories while educating the public about taboo topics. Harms chose a career in television because he is passionate about creating public service programming that makes an impact on a…
You never quite know what to expect with Apoptygma Berzerk. Starting in the industrial/EBM-ish genres in the early ‘90s, they went on to help create the futurepop sound in the early aughts, before heading in a synth-rock direction. Their latest output has focused on more ambient and experimental instrumental electronica. So what’s the new EP like from the genre’s foremost electro-chameleon? Nein…
Kino Lorber and Re:Voir have partnered to release The Maya Deren Collection on DVD and Blu-ray. Maya (the mother of us all) Deren is one of the most prominent figures in American avant-garde cinema. Does this collection do her career justice? How’s the 2K restoration? Can we finally toss those Mystic Fire Video DVDs in the trash? The Films All of Deren’s completed films are included in this…
All Aboard The Galaxy Express 999 TV Series Collection 1 Blu-ray Review The Galaxy Express 999 TV series has already had a full digital release in the US, as well as a partial DVD release in 2012 when S’more Entertainment released the first 38 episodes in a single set. Unfortunately, reviews of the first set said the video quality was awful and they never put out the rest of the series. It took…
When I sat down to write a “best of the year” list, I realized it would have to be my top five albums of 2019. This year hit me especially hard, and I wasn’t able to catch a ton of new releases in other mediums. For better or for worse, streaming means all the new music I want for the same amount of money each month. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the top five albums of 2019! 5…