ACen is over 9000

Squealing fans and loud noises of awe flooded the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center during the weekend of April 27-29, as anime lovers gathered to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Anime Central, one of the biggest Japanese animation (anime) conventions in the country. Since the turn of the millennium, the convention has spread from a love of all things anime into the realms of science fiction, comic books and video games, allowing all types of fans to come and embrace their inner nerd.

Cameras flashed at every corner as fans snagged pictures of people dressed up as their favorite characters. “Oh my God!” and “Did you see that?” could be heard within feet of the entrance to the convention. “Cosplaying” is not mandatory at ACen, but it is difficult to walk two feet without bumping into a giant wing or ducking under a huge sword. Fans could also purchase merchandise from independent artists in the artist alley, cleverly located just before the featured dealers in the convention, where fans could easily support and marvel at the talent from fellow anime fans. 

Like many other conventions, ACen offers panels and autograph signings as well. Panels are created by the convention itself (for the guests of honor) but fans are able to create random panels about anything, anime-based or otherwise. Panels were scheduled throughout the weekend, and many piqued enough interest to fill an entire conference room with fans. Autograph and photo opportunities with fan favorites such as Vic Mignogna (Edward Elric in “FullmetalAlchemist”) and Chris Sabat (Piccolo and Vegeta in “Dragon ball Z”) created huge lines wrapping along the walls of the convention center. Sabat’s autographing session did not start until 2 p.m., and some fans had already been waiting in line for two hours just to get a decent spot.

Big anime companies were also spotted on the floor of ACen this year. Bandai, the producers of some of the most popular anime franchises in the world, including “Gundam”, had a huge showcase of various models from the series. A giant near-12-foot model graced the front of the showcase and drew tons of picture snapping fans.

The crazy yet sweet Harley Quinn makes a quick visit to ACen.

During an exclusive press panel, Mignogna was asked if he missed walking around conventions without being bothered, to which he replied, “I am so overwhelmed with gratitude with what this industry has given me. I love interacting with and meeting the fans.”

In another press panel, Todd Haberkorn, who voices Ling Yao from“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” expressed his enjoyment of his many recent projects, “If you’re a voice actor and you’re on vacation, that’s not good.”

In addition to autographs and panels, fans were able to enjoy arcade, console and tabletop games, as well as view anime screenings that took place all weekend. More activities available at ACen were dances such as the Soap Bubble, The Crystal Ball and Hardcore Synergy. Costume contests like the Masquerade and Hall Contest allowed fans to show off their creative skills. The Soap Bubble, a rave that takes place on Saturday between 9 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., is one of the longest running anime convention dance parties in the United States.   

With many popular anime and manga production companies closing down and stopping production in America, it is amazingly overwhelming to still see such a giant turn out for anime conventions. ACen itself had at least 23,000 in attendance.

The huge crowds and long lines were especially worth braving for Todd Richter, a “Dragon Ball Z” fan who traveled all the way from Iowa to meet Chris Sabat. “I just got to meet the voice actor for the guy that says, ‘It’s over 9,000!’ How cool is that?!”

For more information on Anime Central, visit www.acen.org and check them out next year from May 17-19 for their “Sweet 16th.”

“The Raid: Redemption” goes the distance

Extreme violence, intense suspense and killer fight scenes hit the screen in the Indonesian smash hit “The Raid: Redemption.” With less than 30 minutes of dialogue in this action-packed film, viewers settle in for a powerful display of human strength, stamina and determination. 

Rama, played by Iko Uwais, fights for his life in "The Raid: Redemption."

The film opens with a rookie SWAT officer training and getting ready for his mission for the day. This rookie goes by the name of Rama (Iko Uwais) and is a father-to-be. As he kisses his wife goodbye, he embarks on a life-or-death mission to take over an apartment complex run by a ruthless drug lord, who goes by the name of TamaRiyadi. Along with Rama, 19 other SWAT officers set up to take over the building. As they bum rush the apartment, they take down the criminals associated with Riyadi all too easily, and before they know it they are in way over their heads. From here on out, the team battles for mere survival and will get lucky if they can get anywhere close to Riyadi.

The casting directors must be having a celebration somewhere after picking the perfect lead actor for this film. Uwaisis phenomenal in his role, as not only is he absolutely amazing in action sequences, but his portrayal of Rama is flawless and completely believable. Rama finds himself in numerous near-death situations, and, whether it is a flying fist or a gun preparing to pistol whip him to death, he pushes through and keeps trying to reach Riyadi. Uwais’ training in the Indonesian martial art of Silat paid off in this movie. The particular martial art form of Silat in this film is a combination of bladed weaponry, joint manipulation and physical strikes. Uwais moves so effortlessly during his fighting sequences that it proves his mastery of this fighting style. 

This film utilizes every cent of its meager $1 million budget to startling affect. The stunts performed are extremely gruesome and must have taken days to shoot. They are perfect with fight sequences, including characters getting slammed on tables, hit with chairs, thrown through doors, slammed into walls and thrown from balconies. The director, Gareth Evans, really knows how to manage his budget. While action movies such as “Mission Impossible -- Ghost Protocol” ($145 million budget) or “The Avengers” ($220 million) pour a ton of money into explosions, car chases and CGI,  Evans pulls back the reigns. He slams this movie into a close-quartered area and pushes the action to the same heights as these other movies for less than 1 percent of the cost.

In addition to the action and acting, suspense runs high throughout the film. Rama could be killed at any moment, and anyone could be out to get him. The SWAT officers could have an informant for the enemy, or vice versa. Enemies are hiding around corners, behind doors, in the rooms above and the rooms below. Scenes are sometimes cut short before the fate of a character is known so this leaves the audience wondering and waiting to see if characters are still alive.

Subtitles are not a hindrance in this movie. Since there is such a small amount of dialogue, it is easy to forget that a different language is spoken. Fighting for a family, for a life or for survival is universal.  Suspense and action are also universal, and all of these things put together make actual conversation mostly unnecessary.

With talks of a Hollywood remake and a sequel in the works already, this film is definitely a must-see. It is on fire and shows no signs of stopping. Suit up for nonstop action and prepare for gut-wrenching yet entrancing fight sequences in “The Raid: Redemption.”

“The Raid: Redemption” receives 5 out of 5 stars.

"Cabin in the Woods" is more than it appears

In an industry filled with guts and gore, when a movie like “The Cabin in the Woods” rolls along it may seem to just slide right into the grooves. This movie throws audiences a curve-ball not only by being self-aware, but also by throwing in subtle nods to well-known horror movies from before its time. With the combination of cheeky humor and gore-filled scenes, this film is perfect for the casual movie-goer and the horror fanatic alike.  

”The Cabin in the Woods” begins with five college friends going on a casual weekend out.  Dana (Kristen Connolly) has just gotten out of a rocky relationship and is persuaded by her best friend Jules (Anna Hutchison) to go out with Jules’ boyfriend Curt (played by ChrisHemsworth, “Thor”), his new friend Holden (Jesse Williams), and their drugged-out buddy Marty (Fran Kranz). After ignoring an ominous warning from a strange old man, the group quickly heads out to their getaway cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. Everything soon goes haywire as unexpected guests arrive at the door, but, unknown to the vacationers, all of this night’s events are going just as planned.

With the exception of Hemsworth, most of the actors in this movie have not been in many big-budget films, which plays to this movie’s advantage. These young actors’ faces have not been flooding the movie industry like those of Joseph-Gordon Levitt (“Inception”), ShiaLabeouf (“Transformers”), Megan Fox (“Transformers”) or Jessica Alba (“Fantastic Four”), so there is no stigma or set performance quality the audience expects out of them. Though this movie does not call for extreme dramatic or comedic performances, they all deliver their lines in a believable manner, which speaks wonders. Many actors of this generation simply look good but could not deliver a line if it was read to them word by word, especially when it comes to horror movies. Usually horror movies are where the worst actors end up these days, so it is a nice change of pace to see talented actors in the genre.

In addition to the acting, the writing of “The Cabin in the Woods” is above par compared to recent horror movies. The film is similar to the “Scream” franchise in its ode to horror movies of the past, and the clever way it plays with current “rules” when it comes to horror films. Small gestures such as a shot showing the cabin for the first time in the film, give a subtle ode to “Evil Dead.”  Other gestures are a bit more obvious, such as a creepy old man telling the group not to go to their destination, which gives a tribute to any horror movie this could have happened in, such as the original “Friday the 13^th.” The laws and rules of the slasher genre have been plainly laid out in the “Scream” films, which means that every movie before and after usually follow them. Splitting up, sleeping around, lacking common sense and being a slow-mover usually leads to a character’s death. This pattern falls into place in ”The Cabin in the Woods,” but another twist is added as equations from other movies are thrown in. Since the entire night is orchestrated by an organization, there is far more to this simplistic game of cat and mouse than most movies of the genre care to delve into.

In the last 30 minutes of the movie, the film does a complete 180, which causes a major genre switch. Although there are hints of comedic relief and quick-witted jokes, these dissipate in those last 30 minutes. “The Cabin in the Woods” could have lost all control and caught flame, but it quietly collected all of its parts into a cohesive and entertaining movie.

“The Cabin in the Woods” receives 3 out of 5 stars. 

Originally posted HERE