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The Rabbit Hole Just Got a Whole Lot Deeper
<img src="http://www.reel-review.net/matrixanime.jpg">
from Coming Soon:
by Kevin Rubio
The revolution will be televised, and downloaded, and taped and up-linked, and purchased, and worn, and anything else you can imagine, because, the revolution is here, in the form of what will probably be the biggest multi-media marketing blitz for a film this decade has ever seen. (And that's saying a lot when you count LOTR, AOTC, and Spider-Man among the films we've seen so far.)
Last night in Burbank CA. Warner Bros, Joel Silver's Village Roadshow Pictures, and ATARIŽ, kicked off the Matrix ad campaign with the debut of two unique Movie tie-ins: The Premiere of the first "Animatrix" movie, "The Final Flight of the Osiris," and the computer game set in the world of the Matrix - "Enter The Matrix".
For the uninitiated (though if you're on this website a lot, I doubt there are many of you) "The Animatrix," is a collection of nine original short films conceived by the Wachowski Brothers, creators of the Matrix trilogy. These visual shorts will delve deeper into the mind-bending world of the Matrix and the characters who inhabit it. Created in the anime style (on which the original Matrix drew its inspiration) pioneered by Japanese animation artists and helmed by world-renowned animae directors, "The Animatrix" also features the voices of actors Keanu Reeves (Neo) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) in two of the shorts.
"The Final Flight of the Osris," will accompany the world wide release of the supernatural thriller Dreamcatcher when it debuts in theaters on March 21. (smart move on Warner marketing's part) Writern by Larry and Andy Wachowski, and directed by Andy Jones, (Final Fantasy, Titanic, Godzilla) this nine-minute computer-generated short serves as a prelude to The Matrix Reloaded, and I can tell you personally that it really kicks ass, and is well worth the price of admission!
It's "Final Fantasy," only good. I'm told this was the last film that Square USA produced before they were handed their walking papers and pushed out the door. Which is a real shame because given the response that the film generated tonight, it would have been nice to see them do another one of these. At any rate, look for this film to be nominated for Best Animated Short, along with any other Animatrix film that Warner decides to release theatrically, come Oscar time in 2004.
Also premiering last night on the Animatrix website was another Wachoski Brothers, opus: "The Second Renaissance - Part 1," chronicling the genesis of the Matrix and humanity's downfall.
All of the films that comprise "The Animatrix," will be released as a DVD and VHS on June 3, between the release of the next two film, as well as being streamed on the "Animatrix" website. Head to the website to check out pt. 1 of The Second Renaissance, as well as download photos, desktops, and info on the upcoming shorts. What follows is a brief synopses of all nine shorts:
The Final Flight of the Osiris
Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski; Directed by Andy Jones
Animation and production design by Square USA, Inc.
The crew of the hovercraft Osiris must get a message back to Zion, a message of vital importance. Easy to do, but for the armada of Sentinels between them and their destination.
The Second Renaissance - Parts 1 and 2
Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski; Directed by Mahiro Maeda
Animation and production design by Studio4 °C, Tokyo.
The genesis of the Matrix: the last cities of mankind, the war with the machines, and humanity's ultimate downfall. An epic guided tour of the Zion archives and the history of the Matrix (take notes, there may be a test)
Kid's Story
Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski; Directed by Shinchiro Watanabe
Animation and production design by Studio4 °C, Tokyo.
Sitting in his high school classroom, THE KID gets a personalized invitation from Neo (voiced by Keanu Reeves) to escape the Matrix. But finding an exit proves more difficult than he ever imagined.
Program
Written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Animation and production design by Madhouse Studios, Tokyo
In the simulated world of a Samurai training program, CIS, a soldier of Zion, is forced to choose between love and her comrades in the real world.
World Record
Written and Yoshiaki Kawajiri; Directed by Takeshi Koike
Animation and production design by Madhouse Studios, Tokyo
Through an incredible combination of will power and physical strength, DAN a world-record-holding sprinter, breaks out of the Matrix and gets an all-too-brief glimpse of the real world beyond.
Beyond
Written and directed by Koji Morimoto
Animation and production design by Studio4 °C, Tokyo.
In a quiet town where all is not what it seems, YOKO finds a bug in the system: an abandoned mansion in which anything seems possible. And then the exterminators arrive to "de-bug".
Detective Story
Written and directed by Shinchiro Watanabe
Animation and production design by Studio4 °C, Tokyo.
Hard-boiled private investigator ASH track cyber-criminal TRINITY (voiced by Carrie-Anne Moss) though the looking glass.
Matriculated
Written and directed by Peter Chung
Animation and production design by DNA, Seoul
A small group of rebels have captured a sentient robot and proceed to program it to act as an ally for their cause. They succeed too well in teaching the robot to prefer their "human Matrix" to machine reality. And the robot's appetite for the "human Matrix" may exceed the humans' ability to supply it.
If these first two shorts are even a small indication of what's to come, we are in for one hell of a ride this summer. It's going be the summer of 1982, all over again!
Tomorrow, find out about the game - "Enter The Matrix," why it does live up to the hype, and why it may very well change video gaming as we know it. Also, comments from Joel Silver, Will Smith, and the game designers.Last edited by Shrubz; 02-05-2003 at 06:11 PM.
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