PP Guru: NEW 2007 DVD HABITS DIE HARD!!

What is a PP Guru to do nowadays when he's still a estranged PP Guru jumping from one Hollywood industry gig after another? Within a nearly year a half period, the PP Guru has graced the multi-million dollar movie blockbuster halls of Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks, Laser Pacific, and Fox Cable Networks. You would think, that after accumlating some impressive pocket change, the PP Guru would be able to afford his own million dollar mansion or some purple gold fillings for his wisdom teeth- but no, the PP Guru is still scimping and saving only because Hollywood is not what it's cracked up to be.

Not to fret- because there are still some low priced animation dvds that are coming out or are out now at the time of this writing.

To boot - they are all original full lengthed movies never seen anywhere else - unless you count the wee hours of Cartoon Network where all Tivos fear to tread.

First up is....the Invincible Iron Man movie from Lion's Gate. The third in the series of original animated movies based on Marvel Comics characters following the sucess of it's two previous releases, Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers II: The Rise of the Panther - the sales for this one should warrant more movies to swing into production. The PP Guru's guess will be that as soon as the Doctor Strange one comes out in late spring- we should hear what plans are in the making, if any, for more.

Right here is a description of the plot taken from Amazon.com:

Past and present collide in this epic adventure that reveals the origin of Iron Man. While raising the ruins of a long buried Chinese kingdom, billionaire inventor Tony Stark digs up far more than he bargained for. He unleashes an age-old prophecy that foretells the resurrection of the Mandarin, the emperor of China's darkest and most violent dynasty. In order to confront the destructive force, Tony creates an armored suit infused with high-tech weaponry. To stop the evil that he himself has raised form the earth, Tony must become his greatest invention everâ€"Iron Man! The newly born champion must travel to the four corners of the earth to battle the Mandarin's henchmen, the Elementalsâ€"four magical warriors who harness the power of the elementsâ€"earth, water, wind, and fireâ€"with deadly chemistry. But is the Iron Knight, as he his known in the prophecy, strong enough to defy fate and turn back the malevolent forces hell-bent on earth's destruction?

The dvd also features a alternative/rejected opening and other neat surprises like games, trailers, storyboards, and a look at the upcoming Dr. Strange direct to dvd.

The reason why the PP Guru is so uppity on these dvds is because a few of the alumni who have worked on the Batman: The Animated Series went on to work on the Film Roman produced X-Men Evolution series are the ones primarily responsible for the look and design of these movies.

Plus - the PP Guru really dug Iron Man comic books when he was a stalwart young PP Guru. Also, this should serve as a appetizer for the forthcoming live action movie starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Terrence Howard to be directed by Jon Favreau will be released by Paramount Pictures in May of 2008.

Next up is Stan Lee's Mosaic, from Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment group. Mosaic is a new creation of Stan's focusing on a super-heroine with chameleon type of powers who goes on a Indiana Jones-like quest to retrieve some alien type of artifacts. Lead voices are by Anna Paquin (the babe who played Rogue in all the X-Men movies) and Gary Clark from the Transformers cartoon.

A double barrel of animated shot guns comes out on February 7th. The next two were already broadcast on the Cartoon Network, but the PP Guru's TIVO must have had a labor dispute, the day that they both aired.

The Teen Titans in Tokyo. (Even Sparky is creaming in his kimono over this one)

When a high-tech ninja from the Far East attacks Titans Tower, ROBIN, STARFIRE, CYBORG, RAVEN, and BEAST BOY spring into action and bring him down. But when Robin finds out the ninja was sent by a mysterious and menacing Japanese criminal known as BRUSHOGUN ... our heroes realize that the action isn't over -- it's just getting started. So the Titans pack their bags, hop in the T-Ship, and take off for Tokyo on mission to track down Brushogun -- and bring him to justice. But can our teenage heroes stay out of trouble in the City That Never Blinks? And can Robin solve the mystery of Brushogun before our villain takes down the Titans -- and destroys everything Robin is?

The PP Guru is sure that the DVD will come chockful of bonus features - just like they shitpack the rest of their direct to dvd movies. Personally, the PP Guru is looking forward to Bruce Timm's return to the WB animated fold (yeah, as if he really left in the first place with Legion of Super Heroes being the Saturday morning shitfest that it is ) with a animated movie version of the Death of Superman storyline. And damn, did Paul Dini ever get around to finishing writing those coveted scripts to a series of Brave & the Bold movies featuring Batman team ups with Plastic Man, Green Arrow, or the Question?

The PP Guru also wants to remind you devoted DVD devotees that WB Home Video will be shipping the final seasons of Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited on March 20th. Third seasons of the Teen Titans and The Batman (sic!) will be coming out on April 10th. Hopefully by that time, the PP Guru will be gainfully employed by a major motion picture company rather than making ends meet by soliciting for transgender handjobs on Santa Monica Blvd between the blocks of Highland and Vine.

Hellboy - Sword of Storms
The first of the Hellboy animated features, the Sword of Storms also arrives on February 7th.

Here's the scoop from Amazon.com:

In this first animated feature from Director Tad Stones (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command), and Creative Producers Mike Mignola (creator of HELLBOY comics) and Guillermo del Toro (writer/director of the HELLBOY movie), a folklore professor becomes unwittingly possessed by the ancient Japanese demons of Thunder and Lightning. But when The Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense dispatches a team of agents to investigate, a cursed samurai sword sends Hellboy (Ron Perlman) to a supernatural dimension of ghosts, monsters and feudal mayhem.Now while pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and fishboy Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) battle one very pissed-off dragon, a lost and cranky Hellboy must find his way home. Even if he can survive the perilous journey, how much crap does a guy have to put up with from the two most vengeful and ferocious spirits of Japanese legend?

Features:
Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Teaser Trailer

Still Galleries

Original Production Art

A New Breed: Creating - The New Hellboy

A VIEW FROM THE TOP - The "Heads" sequence

Also on DVD

Audio Commentary Featuring Hellboy Creator Mike Mignola, Supervising Producer/Director Tad Stones and Director Phil Weinstein

Conquering Hellboy - The Actor's Role

DVD Rom - Live Transcript; Live Transcript Search; Synced Storyboards; Enhanced Script to Screen; Documentary Sync; Kill count - which keeps track of each of the major characters' kills; Character sync; A ""Key Moments"" list; Weblinks

Hellboy Goes East: A Revealing look at many of the inspirations, backstories and secrets of Hellboy: Sword of Storms. This includes: Tale Spin - A deconstruction of the ""Spider Lady"" sequence; Prop Perfecture - A look at how ordinary objects animate to life; Origins - The filmmakers are inspired by Japanese mythology; Samurai Songs - Hellboy's music to live and fight by

Keepers of Hellboy: A Comic Con 2006 Panel Discussion

Motion Menus

To Hell And Back - How Mike Mignola Created Hellboy (Part I)

The PP Guru is excited that Selma Blair is back - although her voice is back in the role of Liz Sherman- and rather not on her back as the PP Guru would like her position to be when all spread out on his queen sized mattress in the PP Guru Sanctum Santorium. But more dubily excited is that the PP Guru has heard that this is the first in a series of animated films based on the Mike Mignola created series. So it will be like a Dark Horse comic book come to animated life.....

...duh.

Anyway, all are easily affordable, even on a PP Guru handjob coffier collecting budget. Some can be found as low as $12.99 at most Best Buy or Circuit City outlet. About time that we got a slew of Disney films for adults. No the PP Guru doesn't count subtitled anime as a excuse, although Sparky would digress.

Anyway, back to pounding the meat on the pavement...all along Santa Moncia Boulevard...

As told in heated fits of friction to...

~

Coat

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FYI: Fixed your typos and Sparky got The Tick: Full Season One yesterday with a buy one get one box set deal at B&N.