Spy x Family (2022-)

 

Series Name/Year: Spy x Family (2022-)

Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy

Average Episode Length:  24 min

Rating: TV-14

Directors: Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Norihito Takahashi, Takahiro Harada, Kazuki Horiguchi, Yukiko Imai, Takashi Katagiri, Teruyuki Omine, Yôsuke Yamamoto, Toshifumi Akai, Hidekazu Hara, Osamu Honma, Tomoya Kitagawa, Yusuke Kubo, Kodama Makoto, Kento Matsui, Tsurumi Mukoyama, Haruka Tsuzuki

Writers: Tatsuya Endo, Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Tomomi Kawaguchi, Rino Yamazaki

Actors:

Japanese Cast -

Takuya Eguchi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Saori Hayami, Ken'ichirô Matsuda, Emiri Kato, Noucky Andriansyah, Natsumi Fujiwara, Yûko Kaida, Kenshô Ono, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Ayane Sakura, Haruka Okamura, Hana Sato, Shôhei Kajikawa, Taisuke Nakano, Satsumi Matsuda, Yôji Ueda, Yûichi Nakamura

 

English Dub Cast -

Alex Organ, Megan Shipman, Natalie Van Sistine, Dani Chambers, Caitlin Glass, Stephanie Young, Dallas Reid, Barry Yandell, Anthony Bowling, Lindsay Seidel, Michelle Rojas, Macy Anne Johnson, Jordan Dash Cruz, Aaron Campbell, Kelsey Maher, Kent Williams, Ben Phillips, David Matranga

 

IMDb Blurb: A spy on an undercover mission gets married and adopts a child as part of his cover. His wife and daughter have secrets of their own, and all three must strive to keep together.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

A good friend recently reminded me that an anime series I adore is about to have its 2^nd season released this year. Better than that, when I looked into it, I found that there’s even going to be a movie coming out this December. Spy x Family is the series I speak of and its related movie is Spy x Family Code: White. (Look for it on platforms such as Crunchyroll in December 2023.)

 

I was also transported back to a fun lunch I had during Geek’d Con this year which included Kent Williams (One Piece Film: Red, My Hero Academia, Vinland Saga) and his agent. This wasn’t any sort of interview, however. I unfortunately don’t have any scoop for you in that regard. We were just chatting and enjoying the same space at the hotel’s bar/café which was attached to the convention center. (I knew my daughter was going to be over the moon to meet him. Williams is the voice of Mr. Compress for My Hero Academia (2016-), afterall. That will be a review for another time, though.) Before I digress too far, I can assure you that he relates to Spy x Family, as he has a role in that series as well! 

 

 

Spy x Family has the intrigue and action of a spy thriller and a balanced blend of wit and slapstick humor of excellent comedy. The series is thoroughly entertaining and worth every minute of the watch-through. Further, with episodes just under 30 minutes each, it’s a series that’s easy to binge through without taking up a significant amount of time.

 

There’s also a humanizing layer to the story. This hard-core spy master and a top assassin are paired together for the sake of their respective missions – unknown to each other. In the middle of this is an orphan adopted as part of the cover story as well as a pawn to accomplish the mission. Aside from the child’s special abilities and ability to find (if not incite) chaos, you can’t help but root for her to win over her new “parents” and become a family for real.

 

 

The big question throughout is whether or not “playing family” will ultimately spark actual feelings within the adults involved. Will they ever figure out each other’s secrets? Sometimes it had me on the edge of my seat talking to the screen encouraging them to just come clean and they could accomplish their goals so much easier.

 

I can’t wait to find out what Season 2 has to offer, much less the upcoming Code White movie. There’s bound to be plenty of shenanigans, heart, and laughter.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 100%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 90%

Metascore –None

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – 8.4/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

 

P.S. - You can find more information about this series on their website: spy-family.net

 

Series Trailer:

The SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike continues, and it’s tragic that this is has gone on so long. Writers and actors simply want fair pay for their work. The guerilla tactics of some studios and general foot-dragging to reach an equitable resolution is simply shameful on the part of the AMPTP.

Black Butler: One Hell of a Series Return

 

 

I just ran across some exciting news for anime fans of the series Black Butler (2008-2011). It’s coming back! It’s been a decade since we’ve had new Black Butler content outside of the manga series it was based on. I’m jazzed that this interesting dark fantasy/comedy blend will reach new audiences as well as give long-time fans something new. That’s right. I said new. 

Every source I’ve found regarding this announcement indicates that this will be a continuation of the original series story - not a reboot.

Alas, there’s still a little bit of waiting still involved - but what’s a year or so in comparison to a decade, right? The new Black Butler season has been tentatively slated for 2024 release, but no further details regarding more specific dates have yet been disclosed. 

There are some tidbits of information available, however. So far, we know that Black Butler’s creator and author of the manga series Yana Toboso is on board. She even helped break the news with a tweet while the CrunchyRoll panel at LA’s Anime Expo (July 1-4, 2023) dropped the announcement to fans in attendance.

 

 

The new series will have several key players returning for this new production. Hiroyuki Yoshino (Izetta: The Last Witch, Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic, Strike the Blood) was announced as the new head writer. He worked on some of the original series and has written for the OVAs that were released several years after the original seasons ended. Daisuke Ono (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Attack on Titan, Welcome to Demon-School Iruma-kun) is returning to once more voice the hellaciously excellent butler, Sebastian. Maaya Sakamoto (Kaina of the Great Snow Sea, Trigun Stampede, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) is also returning to reprise her role as Ciel Phantomhive. 

As of now, I haven’t found any information regarding the cast for any alternate language dubs beyond the original Japanese, but I’m sure it will eventually become available. The series will likely drop with subtitles available with Japanese audio only. 

The new trailer for this eventful announcement doesn’t really tell us much about what will take place during the upcoming new season, but it does give us a peek at the sleek new animation brought to us by the new studio CloverWorks. I appreciated that they seem to be keeping the essence of the original animation style while giving the series a bit more polish. 

 

Now if you’ve gotten this far and are thinking to yourself, “what in the world is this Black Butler show about?” I can only urge you to take advantage of the time between now and the 2024 release to get caught up! I’ve found a nifty resource here that provides a rundown of the seasons and the order to watch everything that’s come out so far (and where you can find them). Just keep in mind that there might be some spoilers involved in the descriptions so tread carefully if you decide to peruse that article’s list. 

While sites like RottenTomatoes and Metacritic don’t have a listing for the Black Butler series to give you a range of ratings, I can advise that IMDb has this anime listed as a 7.7/10 rating. I’d wholeheartedly agree with that assessment as well. (There’s a live-action Black Butler movie that you can find on those sites, but I haven’t seen it and we all know how dicey live-action adaptations can be. Just keep that in mind.)

I will be eagerly anticipating this new release next year, and I know my 19.9yr old is also fairly chomping at the bit to jump on the upcoming season as well. If you’re already a fan of Black Butler, and are happy about this news, let us know in the comments below who your favorite character is or which was your favorite episode. 

 

Series Name/Year: Black Butler (2008-2011)

Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy

Length:  24 minutes per episode

Rating: TV-14

Production/Distribution: A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV), FUNimation Entertainment, Sanyo Broadcasting Co., Square Enix Company, CrunchyRoll

Directors: Ian Sinclair, Hirofumi Ogura, Toshiya Shinohara

Writers: Yana Toboso, Mari Okada, Yuka Yamada, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Bonny Clinkenbeard

Actors:

• Japanese Language Cast: Daisuke Ono, Maaya Sakamoto, Yukari Tamura, Emiri Kato, Jun Fukuyama, Kôji Yusa

• English Dub Cast: J. Michael Tatum, Brina Palencia, Gloria Ansell, Michael C. Pizzuto, Monica Rial,  Jerry Jewell, Daniel Fredrick, Cherami Leigh

 

IMDb Blurb: Ciel Phantomhive takes care of the many unsettling events in Victorian England. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye?

 

In support of the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, we want to bring you a slate of content that is a little different than our ordinary review schedule. Our desire is to highlight work that is not affiliated with the AMPTP. If you would like to learn about ways you can show your support for the strike, you can visit the official SAG-AFTRA strike's FAQ.

Falling for Christmas (2016) - 'Tis the Season

Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, DirecTV, Hallmark
Movie Name/Year: Falling for Christmas (2016) – [aka Snowcapped Christmas]
Genre: Romance
Length: 87 minutes
Rating: TV-G
Production/Distribution: Annuit Coeptis Entertainment II, Johnson Production Group, Snowing Productions, Corus Entertainment, UPtv
Director: Christie Will Wolf
Writer: Barbara Kymlicka
Actors: Leah Renee, Niall Matter, Lisa Whelchel, Michael Teigen, Lochlyn Munro, Jocelyne Loewen, Gracyn Shinyei, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, Blaine Anderson, Howard Storey, Natasha Woods
 
Blurb from IMDb: An injured figure skater is sent to the mountains to recover from an injury. Once there, she meets an ex-hockey player and his young daughter and begins to realize that something is missing from her life.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
When someone says they’re going to stay in and watch Christmas movies, it’s rare that they’re talking about the Die Hard (1988) variety. This tends to be closer to what they are envisioning. In fact, it’s exactly what I would picture.
 
Falling for Christmas is corny, saccharine sweet, and exactly the kind of heart-warming nonsense I want from a typical Christmas film. Would I be feening for it the rest of the year? No. Chances are, I wouldn’t even see it as good if it was set during any other time.
 
That’s the thing. Christmas flicks like this are fine, because the time of year makes us crave miracles. We want the happy ending. We need to see the stories that tell us taking time off work is ok, making time for family is ok, because the rest of the year we’re told it’s not. We’re made to believe that following our dreams is irresponsible – even if we can afford it, and not everyone can.
 

So, yeah, this kind of film is predictable and mostly unrealistic, but we allow ourselves to believe in its premise during the season of miracles.
 
There’s nothing wrong with that. Movies like this feel like a spa for the soul. They’re not life-changing, but they’re a great break from the stress and pessimism of a much darker real world.
 
Falling for Christmas was cute. It wasn’t better or worse than expected, and it left me feeling like I want to feel on a cold December morning with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
Falling for Christmas was not a movie that was previously on my radar. If it weren’t a made-for-TV movie, I’d be shocked at this – considering it combines two things I really love: figure skating and Christmas. I will admit that it’s been harder for me to keep up with skating in recent years, but I used to watch competitions religiously.
 
Needless to say, when I realized what this movie was going to entail, I was super excited to see what it had to offer.  Was it the best figure skating movie I’ve ever seen? No, but I’d say that would have been asking a lot from this production. Was it any good? I don’t really have any complaints on substance. It was solid. The only thing I could really poke at would be the legitimacy of the medical information – but, hey, this wasn’t a procedural. We’re not watching for that sort of thing, right? It’s a holiday TV rom-com.
 
This Christmas ice-capade follows the predictable rom-com recipe to the letter. While originality and defying expectations are things we like to see in movies, it’s not a make-or-break requirement to enjoy something.
 

Watching this film made me feel like curling up in a warm blanket with some hot cocoa. It was familiar enough to be comforting because I already knew where it was going. It also got bonus points for some nice examples of figure skating. It felt a little bit like if The Cutting Edge (1992) was remade as a Hallmark movie and without the extra competition. The plots are really only superficially similar, but it was nostalgic enough for me.
 
The only thing I’m frustrated about, really, has nothing to do with the film itself. I am dying to know if Leah Renee (Blue Mountain State, My Babysitter's a Vampire, Sailing Into Love) really did all of her own figure skating. Alas, IMDb’s trivia only mentions the locations where the movie was filmed.
 
In a nutshell, I believed the dynamics between characters, nothing felt forced, and it was a cute wholesome experience that explored some life lessons. It would even be appropriate for the whole family.
 
If you’re in the mood for a feel-good story with gorgeous scenery and a side of figure skating, this could be just the movie you’re looking for.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.2/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Into the Dark: A Nasty Piece of Work (2019) - 'Tis the Season

Streaming Services: Hulu
Movie Name/Year: Into the Dark: A Nasty Piece of Work (2019)
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 78 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Hulu, Horrify
Director: Charles Hood
Writer: Paul Soter
Actors: Molly Hagan, Natalie Hall, Kyle Howard, Dustin Milligan, Julian Sands, Angela Sarafyan, Nico Greetham
 
Blurb from IMDb: The boss of a private equity company invites a couple of his employees over to a Christmas party that turns out to be an intense competition for a promotion.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Into the Dark has been very inconsistent for me, but that’s to be expected with an anthology series that utilizes different creative teams. No two stories are going to look, or feel, the same. It means that hating one episode doesn’t mean you won’t love the next.
 
That’s what I’m seeing here.
 
I wasn’t overly fond of our last look Into the Dark. This one, however, was phenomenal.
 
I loved A Nasty Piece of Work. The plot was intriguing from the beginning.
 

The story had a chance to turn into something very predictable. In fact, I thought it would wind up being a straight-forward revenge-type plot. It morphed, within the first 10 minutes, into something that felt completely new and fresh.
 
It had some really dark, fucked-up, moments mixed in – but a lot of it comes to a head in a way that makes it feel less awkward.
 
I did expect a couple of the twists, but not nearly all of them.
 
In a month where rom-coms reign supreme, I’m thrilled that I got to see a really well-made horror-comedy in the mix.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.6/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Take Me to Paradise City - A Look at the Upcoming Series

(by Cat)

Promo banner source: americansatanmovie.com

Back in May, I learned some really exciting news. Fans of the movie American Satan (2017) will be happy to hear (if you haven’t already) that the film is getting a sequel – by way of a series. That’s right, instead of a couple hours to whet your thirst for details and more of The Relentless, we’re going to get roughly 8 hours.

Before I get too far into what we know about this story continuation, let me touch on the movie for a moment. For some reason, I had thought we had reviewed American Satan already when, in fact, we hadn’t. For that reason, I will attempt to give as few spoilers as possible and go over the film with you briefly so there’s a little background behind why I’m doing my geeky squee-clap-of-joy at this sequel news.

American Satan was my #20 pick on my Top 20 list for movies releasing in October 2017. The placement wasn’t a reflection of my opinion of the film, but rather the controversy that titles along these lines generate. It was getting a limited release for only a handful of screens outside the film festival circuit. I think I wrote one of my longest blurbs ever, in hopes that this movie would get a fair shake. (If you’re interested, you can read the article here.)

For those who want a TL;DR version, let me sum it up. The movie is a modern-day retelling of the centuries-old folk tale of Faust put in a setting of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. It’s a story of a young band, The Relentless, trying to make it big in L.A., and the price of cutting corners and taking too-good-to-be-true shortcuts. The film explores what selling your soul to get ahead becomes, and how important it is to value self-integrity, friends, and family. All of this is carried out by a phenomenal cast and also put to an epic soundtrack.

Among the cast are members of actual bands. Johnny Faust is played by Andy Biersack (Legion of the Black, Average Joe, American Satan) of Black Veil Brides and Leo Donovan is played by Ben Bruce (Asking Alexandria: Live from Brixton and Beyond, American Satan, What Now) of Asking Alexandria.

Although Biersack and Bruce are both musicians in their own right, and the other cast members equally talented, the movie was unable to use Biersack’s voice due to contract stipulations with his record label at that time. The vocals for The Relentless are provided by the front-man of Palaye Royale, Remington Leith (American Satan, Palaye Royale: Mr. Doctor Man). 

Image courtesy Paradise City Facebook

Part of the good news to be shared about the series is that this dynamic will continue. Although Biersack is now under the Sumerian Records label, run by writer/director Ash Avildsen (The Warrior Show, What Now, Palaye Royale: Mr. Doctor Man), everyone is on the same page that Johnny Faust’s singing voice is already well established and there’s no reason to change it.

There have been some re-casts among the existing American Satan characters. Three are particularly of note. Band member Dylan James, formerly played by Sebastian Gregory (Accidents Happen, A Heartbeat Away, Shooting in Vain), will now be represented by Bruce’s real-world band-mate James Cassells (Asking Alexandria: Through Sin and Self-Destruction, At Hell's Door: Behind the Scenes at Hellfest, Asking Alexandria: Live from Brixton and Beyond).

Interestingly, the role of ‘Capricorn’ within the series will give us a bit of a twist with Brooke Lyons (The Inner Circle, 2 Broke Girls, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector) instead of the movie’s 'Mr. Capricorn' played by Malcolm McDowell (Death Race 2050, Walk of Fame, Abnormal Attraction). Of course, this shouldn’t be a terrible shock if you’ve seen the movie.

Image courtesy Paradise City Facebook

I think I’m the most excited about the new version of Lily Mayflower. I’m not sure if it’s known why Jesse Sullivan (Enigma of Being Awake, American Satan, Don't Stop Don't Speak) couldn’t carry forward her performance of the character to this series, but I’m really amped up to see the role in the hands of Bella Thorne (Ratchet & Clank, Amityville: The Awakening, Midnight Sun). I think she’s going to take the character to the next level. So far, the stills and what snippets are offered in the teaser are simply fire.

That’s not all of the casting news. This series really just keeps getting better, the more layers I’ve peeled back surrounding it. Fans of Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) will be happy to hear that Mark Boone Junior (30 Days of Night, The Birth of a Nation, Ghost House) is returning to reprise his role from the film. He’ll be joined in the series by two of his former SoA castmates, Drea de Matteo (Desperate Housewives, Shades of Blue, A Million Little Things) and Ryan Hurst (Rango, CBGB, The Walking Dead).

Image courtesy Paradise City Facebook

The one sad note that makes this series a little bittersweet for me is that this production captured the final role of Cameron Boyce (Descendants, Mrs. Fletcher, Runt). The former Disney star is greatly missed and had an unquestionable talent for both acting and music. If you’re a fan, maybe keep some tissues handy while watching Paradise City. You may need them. Boyce plays a central character in this first season, and thankfully had completed all of his filming at the point of his untimely passing. Following the tragic news, the show’s Instagram shared that a portion of the show’s proceeds would be going to The Cameron Boyce Foundation to honor the late humanitarian actor.

View this post on Instagram

Cameron Boyce stars as a leading character “Simon” in all eight episodes of the first season of Paradise City. The series was filmed just months before his tragic passing. He gave us an incredible performance as a young musician, band leader and aspiring DIY executive in the music business. Cameron was a truly one of a kind spectacular talent. ❤️💙💜 Every scene he was written in was shot and completed in the first season. We will be donating a portion of the tv show’s profits to @thecameronboycefoundation #cameronboyce #paradisecityshow

A post shared by Paradise City (@paradisecity) on Apr 25, 2020 at 2:58pm PDT

I could keep going about this star-studded cast, but there’s even more to unpack about what’s known regarding the series so far.

It’s been said that you don’t have to watch American Satan first to understand this series, but fans of the film will certainly get a lot more out of the experience while they learn more about The Relentless band members on a more detailed level. The series looks to go into some of the characters’ backgrounds and give us a look at what makes them tick.

Image courtesy Paradise City Facebook

I know I’m excited to see the interplay between Biersack and Boyce’s characters as they take on the themes of seasoned pro mentor and idolizing rookie. Further, who knows what’s up Capricorn’s sleeve following the shocking events within the movie?! There’s bound to be some amazing new music underlying everything, as well.  

I have so many questions that I’m hoping the series answers – and I have faith that it will. The show’s Instagram gave us another tease in late June, promising that the release date and network home for the series would be released ‘soon.’ I know I can’t wait, and I’m on pins and needles in anticipation. In the meantime, if you haven’t seen the movie yet – there’s some time still before Paradise City drops. Give it a whirl! If you're not sure where to find the movie to stream, give JustWatch a click and you'll see all of the currently available options.

Without further ado, you can watch the Season One teaser for Paradise City below. 

P.S.  - For a little lagniappe, below you'll find the YouTube interview of Ash Avildsen, Andy Biersack, and Ben Bruce by hard-hitting rock journalist Matt Pinfield. (Runtime approx 30 min.) WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS