Geek of Oz

If you're a Pokemon fan, and let's face it who isn't, you'd be glad to know that Pokemon the Movie: Black &  White will be released locally in a special combo pack on Blu Ray! Earlier this year we reviewed Pokemon Black and White Collection 1 and loved it! It was a fantastic foray back into the world of pocket monsters and the perfect jumping on point for new and old fans alike.  Follow on after the jump for all of the release details!

Dragon Age, the best selling RPG from EA and Bioware, was a revelation and gained nearly flawless reviews from the likes of IGN , Gamespot and Capsule Computers . Dragon Age took many of the best elements from Bioware's previous smash hit, Mass Effect, an delivered an epic fantasy franchise full of danger, magic, mystery and mayhem. "In the land of Orlais, a brash young Seeker—Cassandra—fights to stop a blood-soaked conspiracy. Hidden hands seek to tear apart the realm's most powerful religious order, and as the sinister plot unfolds, Cassandra is accused of treason and murder. Hunted by friend and foe alike, the impulsive beauty must clear her name while clashing with corrupt templars and rogue blood mages. Should she fail, the executioner’s blade awaits. Should she overcome her rage and expose the unseen forces threatening the rule of the Divine, Cassandra will take her place in legend."

As long as you like tsundere characters, heavy handed fairy tale references and enough characters to fill two series, then Okami-san & her Seven Companions is for you! "Ryoko Okami, the "wolf," and her BFF Ringo, also known as Little Red Riding Hood, are members of Otogi Bank - a high school club that helps classmates out of grim situations. One day, a meek young man proclaims his love to Ryoko, who does nothing but bite him in return. "You're much too weak for me," she huffs. So the boy joins Otogi Bank to prove he has the stuff to protect his beloved - even if it means taking a blow to the head with a lead pipe. He's no Prince Charming, but will Ryoko allow herself to have her own happily ever after?"

You will have already heard me bang on about how much I loved The Eldritch Kid: Whisky & Hate , but if you didn't, go read an come straight back. Luckily for Emmet O'Cuana and I, Eldritch Kid writer Christian Read spared some time to have a chat about The Eldritch Kid, Unmasked, his work on the MMO game The Secret World and eventually Young Guns and Penrith Panthers - World of Entertainment. Grab the audio after the jump!

Now we all know Matthew McConaughey likes to take his shirt off on screen (and frequently off it too – if the trash mag pics are anything to go by), so it wasn’t a huge suspension of disbelief to watch him in Magic Mike – a film about male strippers. The tone of this film is set from the very first scene where Sheriff McConaughey is standing on a stage appropriately dressed in a leather vest and matching pants, dictating the provocative ‘house rules’ to a room full of ecstatic women. It’s fun, cheeky, shallow and entertaining, but leaves you with a vague sense of discomfort.

SMASH! 2012 was huge. Upon entering the main exhibitor floor it was immediately apparent that, compared to last year, numbers were well and truly up. Perhaps because of the fantastic line up of stars or perhaps because the state of anime fandom in Australia is on the rise. Either way, we had a ball at SMASH! and look forward to 2013. Follow on after the jump to check out a few photos from throughout the day (click to enlarge) and don't forget to check out our coverage of the Madman panel , the Hanabee panel and our interview with the lovely Sakura Tange!

As always, Sly from Madman kept the crowd well and truly entertained at SMASH! On top of a number of acquisition announcements, Sly gave away a Fullmetal Alchemist: Sacred Star of Milos signed by Miki Shin-Ichiro and a Cardcaptor Sakura poster signed by Sakura Tange. Of course, these goods weren't just given away. They were won, or lost, through a mass game of Jan Ken Pon! Sadly, I didn't even attempt to win. Although I would have loved a poster (the Cardcaptor Sakura one looked awesome), my Jedi training would have given me an unfair advantage. Follow on after the jump for a swag of new releases from Australia's number 1 anime company, Madman!

At todays Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!), Hanabee gave the crowd a quick run down of what's to come from Australia's newest anime company. Company President Eric Cherry and Brand Manager Zi Yi Xie took turns in giving a glimpse into where they want the company to go while supporting and encouraging participation from the fans.

Hanabee, Australia's newest anime distributor, have officially announced their very first release to be TORADORA! Based upon the light novel and manga series of the same name, Toradora tells the story of Ryuji, a guy whose life isn't exactly ideal because of his perpetually frightening face. On the first day of Junior High he meets Ryuji, a little pocket rocket with a deep, dark secret. Shenanigans and such follow and so on and so forth... We can only assume that this release will be a transfer of the NIS America release which was subtitle only and didn't receive an English dub which may lead to speculation that the company is planning to go down the "sub only" path. Stay tuned for our coverage of SMASH and more information on their next release announcement. Toradora Volume 1 (eps 1-13) will be available on DVD from October 3rd.

It is finally here! To all of those people who have been asking when the inaugural episode of "Beardy and the Geek" will be up, the answer is now. That said, you should already know this because the only people who asked this question were in my head. Jump on board for a snappy 23 minute chat with the incredibly well read and equally talented Emmet O'Cuana  (Beardy) and the perfectly adequate me (Geek) as we chat about the Australian comic book industry and Australian creators. Stay tuned for more reviews, more recommendations and a whole swag of interviews with some great people in the comic book biz. Check out the podcast after the jump!

Just when you thought that you couldn't be any more jealous of those lucky folks at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment release some all new screen shots and revealed another 2 playable characters, Nightwing and Cyborg. Just to poke the green eyed monster even further, fans at SDCC even get the chance to play the game at the DC Entertainment booth! (jealousy RISIIINNNG!) Check out the all new screen shots after the jump!

Directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Spider-Man) and produced by Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Huntsman), Oz the Great and Powerful is shaping up to be a film of undeniable pedigree. Add to the mix a smattering of todays hottest young actors and you've got yourself what will undoubtedly be an epic fantasy film. Acting as a prequel to Frank L. Baum's original text, Oz the Great and Powerful tells the story of how Oz (James Franco) arrived in a magical land, became known to Glinda (Michelle Williams), Theodora (Mila Kunis) and Evanora (Rachel Weisz) before eventually ruling one the entire land of OZ! Check out the trailer after the jump!

Based upon the smash hit manga series of the same name by Kazue Kato, Blue Exorcist ( 青の祓魔師 ) became the absolute sleeper hit of 2009 and has continued to sell its proverbial socks off. "Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons." - the Exorcists Rin Okumura and his twin brother Yukio have been raised by Shiro Fujimoto, an eminent priest, so it comes as a shock when Rin discovers their biological father is actually Satan! As the border between "Assiah" (the human world) and "Gehenna" (the demon world) is crossed by evil, Rin vows to become the ultimate exorcist and defeat his own father. To hone his raw skills, Rin enters True Cross Academy to train with other exorcist candidates.

The Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!) is Sydney's ultimate day of Japanese pop culture and otaku lunacy. The most obvious and endearing factors into the success of SMASH is that it is a con for fans, by fans - which is probably why it is so much fun!  Today I had the pleasure of speaking to Thomas Munro, the President of SMASH about his geeky habits as well as the past, present and future of SMASH!

It has been an interesting year for cinema. We’ve been treated to the biggest of blockbusters and some truly unique independent films. My top five films for the year so far are; 1 - Melancholia directed by Lars Von Trier 2 - The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius 3 - The Angels Share directed by Ken Loach 4 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy directed by Tomas Alfredson 5 - Salmon Fishing in Yemen directed by Lasse Hallstrom Honourable mentions include The Avengers, The Raid, Woman in Black, The Grey and Ted. Feel free to agree or disagree with the choices and list your top five in the comments section. At this rate though 2012 is shaping up as one of the finer years for the silver screen.

Back in March we reviewed John Carter , a family friendly big budget blockbuster that we likened to a sci-fi version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Now it's time to make your own mind up! Thanks to our friends at Disney, we have 2 copies of John Carter on Blu Ray to give away. John Carter is the perfect film for the Blu Ray treatment, a big budget blockbuster with tonnes of special effects and action out the BARSOOM! Follow on after the jump to find out how to win!

The Amazing Spider-Man (ASM) finds itself swinging between blockbusters The Avengers and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises . An unenviable place to be, to be sure, but thankfully everybody's friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man delivers on almost every front. Much like Christopher Nolan's entry into the Batman universe, director Marc Webb ( 500 Days of Summer) has delivered a reboot that is marginally darker than it's predecessor without stooping to jazz-flute dance numbers and black hair dye. Instead, as with 500 Days, ASM a story that delivers legitimate emotion and character growth while still embracing, and excelling, in its position as a summer blockbuster movie of the comic book variety.

Every once in a while a comic book comes along that knocks your socks off. The kind of book that speaks volumes even through its distinct lack of dialogue. Other times, creators come along that force their way onto your "up and comers list" through their obvious talent and distinctive style. Iron: Or, The War After ticks both of these boxes. Not only is it a beautifully told story but it is a beautiful piece of art which proves that, at present, Archaia can do no wrong. "It is the aftermath of a long war, in a world of constant winter. An intelligence spy from the Resistance—the rabbit, Hardin—steals secret information from a military base of the Regime. His actions set off a chain of events that reverberates through the ranks of both sides, touching everyone from Pavel the crow to Giles the goat, from the highest-ranking officials to the smallest orphaned child. When the snow finally settles, who will be the true patriot and who the true traitor? In this spellbind...