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Posts Tagged “

Speed Racer

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mangobot

The Original Speed Racer

Welcome to MangoBot, a column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. Way before Speed Racer became fodder for one of the season's most highly anticipated blockbusters, it was a simple 60s-style Japanese cartoon. The original Speed Racer was a TV anime series called Mach GoGoGo, aired on Fuji TV—one of Japan's major television networks—in 1967 and 1968. Like many other sources of entertainment in Japan at the time, Go's determination and the superior technology of Mach 5 were symbolic of the country's rapid post-war recovery and the determination that drove it. While you're waiting to head to your multiplex to watch the Hollywood version tonight, let me take you back in time and show you a glimpse of the original. More »

Feature

9:00 AM on Fri May 9 2008
By LISA KATAYAMA
2,585 views, 29 comments

Latest by SayAhh: Speed Racer, or Meteoro if you grew up in South America, was one of the must-see Saturday morning cartoons when I was little, as was Mazinger Z, AKA Tranzor Z. This was WAY before Transformers came out, though. If NBC more »

speed racer review

Speed Racer is Rewardingly Weird, State-of-the-Art CGI Slapstick

The hype about Speed Racer has been fairly negative, and I can only guess that's because people still have a bad taste in their mouths from The Matrix Revolutions, the most recent film directed by Speed Racer helmers the Wachowskis. In addition, I think there's been a lot of skepticism about whether the director pair could really do a kid-friendly movie after their lesbian noir flick Bound and sexy/fetishy scifi fare like the Matrix trilogy. I was dubious too, but after a few minutes of immersion in the clever, color-drenched world of Speed Racer, I was surprised to find myself becoming a believer. No shock that the visuals were brilliant, but honestly I wasn't expecting . . . fun. (Spoilers ahead, my racers.) More »

6:09 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Annalee Newitz
5,366 views, 53 comments

Latest by Stafford: @Dillenger69: Yep just saw it today. I never liked the cartoon, the bulk of anime bores the hell out of me. This movie is A+ fantastic. Had me hook line and sinker the whole time. Plus, seeing it in a more »

speed racer

What Would Make Speed Racer Better Than The Matrix?

I saw Speed Racer last night, and though I can't tell you much about it yet (full review on Thursday!), I can say this: It might actually be better than director/producer pair the Wachowskis previous effort, The Matrix. I know them's fightin' words, but you gotta trust me on this one. Or, better, take our poll below and see if you can guess what makes Speed Racer better than the flashy trilogy that pitted latex-clad hackers against machines who enslave humans in a VR world so they can use our body heat as energy. Honestly, how could a movie be better than that? Take our poll, and I'll tell you Thursday if you got it right. More »

1:30 PM on Wed May 7 2008
By Annalee Newitz
6,506 views, 73 comments

Latest by beelzebuddha: @MrLister: No, I'm simply going off of how the first Matrix ended. The sequels basically canceled out the original and completely stripped it of its meaning and purpose so that they could tell a story that the W Bros didn't more »

morning spoilers

Sex Secrets Of Hancock And Smallville's Clark Kent

Spoiler fiends are the truest afficionados of media SF. We're endlessly curious about everything: we actually care about drunken superhero Hancock's sex life, and exactly what Mulder and Scully's status is in X-Files 2. We pore over toy announcements to decipher the secret of Doctor Who's season finale, and read between the lines to dope out Smallville's next female villain. We scan every bit of new Speed Racer footage, and comb through hints about Heroes season three. We spy on Lost's finale shooting. We even pay attention to the reports about Eureka's next season and news about Star Wars books, that's how omnivorous we are. If it's a spoiler, we're interested. More »

6:00 AM on Mon May 5 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
6,566 views, 34 comments

Latest by ollie: @Log1c: The house on Eureka is indeed called Sarah. But it's not an acronym. When it's first introduced, Fargo explains they were considering it for mass production and would feature the voice of Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar. (It's implied Fargo is more »

speed racer

Speed Racer, Road Runner Beep Beep Their Way Into Advertising

The latest cross-promotional marketing activity for the Wachowskis' Speed Racer, coming out next Friday, is something that can't end without pissing somebody off. The ads feature a race between Speed Racer and the Road Runner to pimp Time Warner's high speed internet service. Somewhere in the afterlife, Chuck Jones and Tatsuo Yoshida are both weeping with shame at this very moment. More »

6:30 AM on Fri May 2 2008
By Graeme McMillan
644 views, 18 comments

Latest by RAHfanboy: And I thought I needed to get a life. C'mon people, it's just a commercial. If it bothers you that much, close your eyes, put your fingers in your ears and go "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA..." more »

morning spoilers

Doctor Who Rumors That Are Too Weird To Be True

We've mixed in scurrilous rumors and dodgy leaks with the bona fide spoilers this morning, but it should be pretty easy to figure out which is which. At the questionable end of the scale is a new X-Files 2 report which someone tried to remove from IMDB. At the more iron-clad end of things is a new Speed Racer video, some new Incredible Hulk photos, and probably the last ever Iron Man spoiler. And then somewhere in the middle, there are new spoilers and speculation for the rest of Doctor Who season four, and a DC Comics leak. Spoilers away! More »

6:00 AM on Thu May 1 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
6,960 views, 28 comments

Latest by Calraigh: @Smeagol92055: @Evil Tortie's Mom: @Rincewind: None of the above.I bet it's some doctor and I hope Mulder is crazy jealous.Although I'd love it to be Skinner. And Frohike, well he was just too, Smeagol-ish... Sorry Smeagol...no offence. more »

speed racer

The Awful Wreckage Of Speed Racer Spinoffs

The Wachowskis' Speed Racer movie isn't the first reinvention of the rubber-burning cartoon since its 1960s heyday. There's been a long line of Racer relaunches, sequels and spin-offs, many of them huge disasters. That doesn't stop people from trying to reinvent the wheel for the franchise, including the new animated series Speed Racer: The Next Generation, which premieres Friday on NickToons, and then comes out on DVD next week. More »

1:30 PM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
3,921 views, 12 comments

speed racer

Four Ways of Looking at Speed Racer

Speed Racer is a simple concept movie about futuristic cars which producer/director team the Wachowskis have managed to make almost as complicated as their Matrix trilogy. New clips from the film released yesterday take us deeper inside the visually bizarre world the Wachowskis built for this film, and what's becoming obvious is that Speed Racer isn't just CGI-for-CGI's-sake. We've got some clips that will make you think about Speed Racer in a whole new way. More »

7:00 AM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Annalee Newitz
7,380 views, 56 comments

Latest by Mario's Pants: I don't really care for canon, and I really didn't have much interest in a live-action Speed Racer, but having seen these clips, I've suddenly changed my mind. "SPEEEEEED!" more »

speed racer

Biggest, Purest, Zoomiest Hit Of Speed Racer Crack Yet

The longest promo video for Speed Racer is also the most coherent — and the most exciting. Somehow all those swooshes of cars flipping over each other look a lot more thrilling when you can place them in some sort of context. Plus some of the coolest bits of this video are either new, or I've missed them in the shorter, more chopped up versions — like the wheel knife duel halfway through. I've been more and more juiced for Speed since I talked to designer Owen Paterson a couple weeks ago, but this video has convinced me to enjoy Speed Racer totally on its own hyper-crack-monkey terms. More »

6:30 AM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
3,422 views, 37 comments

Latest by phoenix: I am ALL ABOUT THIS MOVIE. more »

morning spoilers

The Secret History Behind Iron Man's Origin

Who's the real mastermind behind the terrorists who capture Tony Stark in the Iron Man movie, coming May 2? We have the first clues below, along with a new clip. Another new video gives some hints about what could be coming next on Lost, and a new trailer shows off a lot more of the story in Speed Racer. And we reveal even more secrets of Doctor Who's Christmas special. All this, plus new hints about Hancock, Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible and Battlestar. This morning, we spoiler in Hell! More »

6:00 AM on Tue Apr 15 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
6,293 views, 29 comments

Latest by munkles: @lebaneseblond: I had some playback troubles too, but I doubt it's IO9. They're just streaming it from somewhere else, or somewheres else, or somewheres elses, depending on how much you like the drinky. But yea, smoother playback is ... teh bonus! more »

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Speed Racer To Shorten MTV Viewers' Attention Spans Further

If you're an MTV addict — and, really, who doesn't find themselves glued to My Super Sweet 16 every time it's on? Why didn't my parents rent out NYC and buy me Jay-Z when I turned 16? I feel deprived — then I just want to tell you in advance: Your TiVo isn't broken. It's just been hijacked by the Wachowskis, who plan to fast forward through trailers to give themselves some time to tell you about Speed Racer. More »

3:00 PM on Thu Apr 3 2008
By Graeme McMillan
1,794 views, 8 comments

Latest by GOKOR: @Plague: Sorry, she's been spending a lot of time with me lately, ever since Black Snake Moan. I'm not giving her up, she watches "My Super Sweet Sixteen" with me, among other things. more »

interview

Speed Racer Designer Explains Future City's "Carchitecture"

Owen Paterson designed the bleak cityscapes of the Matrix movies and V For Vendetta, and now he's creating the candy-colored neopolises of Speed Racer. Not to mention concept cars with wheels that can turn a full 180 degrees. We tracked him down in Sydney, Australia and asked him about the visual influences behind Cosmopolis, the city where Speed races, and the cars which Speed and his opponents drive. Along the way, he dropped a surprising amount of backstory about the alternate world of the Wachowski's Speed Racer, coming in May. More »

2:15 PM on Thu Apr 3 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
5,659 views, 18 comments

Latest by tamoko: @Plague: Yeah, I love it too. The depth of backstory and design that goes into a film like this is mindblowing. If there's a "making of" book due out, I'm definitely buying it. Leave it to the Wachowski's to pull more »

morning spoilers

Guess Who's Back On Heroes Next Year!

As usual, we've done the hard stuff for you ahead of time in Morning Spoilers. This time around, that includes sifting out the "April Fools" stuff that people started posting a day early. We've included some of it for Lost and X-Files 2, but it's clearly labeled. And there are genuine spoilers for Wanted, Doctor Who, Smallville, Heroes and the next Superman movie. Plus new promo pics from Speed Racer and Battlestar Galactica. You won't be fooled, but you will be spoiled. More »

6:00 AM on Tue Apr 1 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
7,745 views, 23 comments

Latest by Moneepennee: Where did the Cally suicide spoiler come from? I must have missed that one. more »

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Admiral Adama's Death Race With A Rocket Bike

Battlestar Galactica's post-apocalyptic leader, Edward James Olmos, races his sportscar through a world of flying cars, elevated trains and missile-firing rocket bikes, in this commercial for Farmers Insurance. Olmos has been appearing in Spanish/English Farmers ads for a while now, but this one features CGI world-building by Zach Mandt, who just finished working on Speed Racer. Also, that exploding building Olmos drives up to at the end? According to reader cde, it's the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' Command Center, where Zordon and his cylon-esque robot Alpha-5 hung out. Click through for a side-by-side comparison. More »

6:30 AM on Fri Mar 28 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
3,916 views, 20 comments

Latest by LicenseFarm: This building has shown up all over sci-fi. It was where the lab in The Lawnmower Man was located, and it was Lore's base of operations in the ST:TNG two-parter "Descent." There's probably other places it's appeared, too; more »

morning spoilers

The X-Files Twist David Duchovny Tried To Cover Up

In this morning's spoiler orgy, we reveal how Doctor Who season four ends, and give away an X-Files 2 development that the stars were willing to lie to protect. We also have some hints about Heroes and Smallville. And we unveil new plot details about Speed Racer and the Battlestar prequel Caprica, and reveal which mainstay from the Batman comics will have a major role in the new animated Gotham Knight DVD. We're reveling in spoilers, and you should too. More »

6:00 AM on Thu Mar 20 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
7,086 views, 37 comments

Latest by badflow: @MrLister: One can only wish! more »

morning spoilers

A Surprise Villain Gets Involved In Star Wars: Clone Wars

Fans have been spying on the Doctor Who filming, and gotten a glimpse at a villain that nobody knew was returning... until now. We also have a couple of clips from next week's Lost, which give away a plot twist that you probably did see coming. Plus there are intriguing new details about X-Files 2, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Speed Racer. Set your time-distort to maximum, because we're bringing the future to you. More »

6:00 AM on Fri Mar 14 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
8,565 views, 12 comments

speed racer

Speed Racer Has Actual Characters!

The full-length trailer for the Wachowskis' Speed Racer showcases more character development for Speed and Christina Ricci's Trixie. It also shows off some of the cool weapons and gadgets the Mach 5 will deploy on its way to drag-strip victory and unraveling an evil anti-fairness conspiracy. Most importantly, it gives us our first look at the character we've all been waiting to see... Chim-Chim, Speed's monkey sidekick. In general, the trailer makes Speed Racer look just a hair less manic, and possibly more fun, than earlier versions. More »

6:30 AM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
2,615 views, 31 comments

Latest by Guitaratomik: I'm telling you people. This is going to be bad-ass. more »

poll

What'll Be The Most Surprising Hit Movie Of The Summer?

Out of a dozen or so scifi movies coming out this summer, only four of them are absolutely bulletproof, according to you, our readers. Ten of this summer's science fiction films are in danger of falling into obscure-cult-classic territory — or worse. But there's also an excellent chance that at least one underdog will become a smash hit that nobody could have predicted. Which movie do you think will be the most surprising hit of the summer? More »

12:20 PM on Wed Mar 12 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
10,950 views, 44 comments

Latest by SigmundTheSeaMonster: Hancock got my vote. I mean, what is in a name? :p (Trailer made me laugh...tossing that whale into the sailboat...GOAL!!!) more »