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https://blacknerdproblems.com/studio-ghibli-fest-returns-to-theatres-2024/

Studio Ghibli Fest is back in theaters in its biggest year yet! Now, coming off the triumphant Oscar® win for Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature The Boy and the Heron, celebrate this iconic studio with an all-new selection of fan favorites and iconic titles alike.

This year’s lineup highlights the works of studio co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, as well as directors Yoshifumi Kondo, Hiroyuki Morita, and Hiromasa Yonebayashi. In celebration of Hayao Miyazaki’s recent Oscar win, Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 kicks off with the acclaimed director’s previous Academy Award-winning feature, Spirited Away, which took home the Oscar in 2001.

The lineup also includes special celebrations for the Howl’s Moving Castle 20^th Anniversary, Kiki’s Delivery Service 25^th Anniversary, and Pom Poko 30^th Anniversary.

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Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 Full Schedule

Spirited Away

• Saturday, April 27 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
• Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Monday, April 29 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 40^th Anniversary

• Sunday, May 19 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Tuesday, May 21 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Castle in the Sky

• Monday, May 20 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

The Secret World of Arrietty

• Sunday, June 9 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Tuesday, June 11 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

When Marnie Was There 10^th Anniversary

• Monday, June 10 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Princess Mononoke

• Saturday, July 13 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
• Sunday, July 14 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Monday, July 15 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Tuesday, July 16 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, July 17 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Ponyo

• Saturday, August 3 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
• Sunday, August 4 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Monday, August 5 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Tuesday, August 6 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, August 7 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Whisper of the Heart

• Sunday, August 25 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Tuesday, August 27 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

The Cat Returns

• Monday, August 26 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, August 28 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Howl’s Moving Castle 20^th Anniversary

• Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Friday, September 27 at 7:00 (DUB)
• Saturday, September 28 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Sunday, September 29 at 3:00 and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Monday, September 30 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, October 2 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Thursday, October 3 at 7:00 PM (DUB)

Kiki’s Delivery Service 35^th Anniversary

• Saturday, October 26 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
• Sunday, October 27 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Monday, October 28 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Tuesday, October 29 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, October 30 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

Pom Poko 30^th Anniversary

• Sunday, November 24 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Tuesday, November 26 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

• Monday, November 25 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Wednesday, November 27 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

My Neighbor Totoro

• Saturday, December 7 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
• Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
• Monday, December 9 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
• Tuesday, December 10 at 7:00 (DUB)
• Wednesday, December 11 at 7:00 PM (SUB)

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In related news, The Boy and the Heron will return to North American theatres starting March 22, 2024 and include exclusive bonus content!

This was a film that I reviewed for the site and wrote that “The Boy and the Heron is a film that I want to revisit and rewatch. It is clear that it is from the house of Ghibli, and yet it is uniquely its own creation. I believe that it should be watched by fans of animation and Ghibli purists, alike.”

If you missed watching the film before it won its Oscar, you can catch it this time on the big screen!

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See more about Ghibli Fest here on the GKIDS website. Follow the conversation online on Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Love anime? So do we! See what else we have to offer on the site via anime here!

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The post Studio Ghibli Fest Returns to Theatres 2024 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/ghostbusters-frozen-empire-review/

When Ghostbusters: Afterlife came back to give the franchise new life, there’s a worry if a sequel could keep the baton in the running or drop it. It’s safe to say the follow up, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is keeping this franchise in the running. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has a hurricane of easter eggs and nods of nostalgia but the stand out factors of this film are the pacing and the theme of a family’s legacy. More specifically, the Spengler family legacy. We saw Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) in the last film take the reigns to embrace the Ghostbusting life of her grandfather and now we see what it’s like when her mother, Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), brother, Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard) and Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) do the same. However, trouble arises for Phoebe when she’s put on the bench.

The film starts off with a prologue giving us a hint of what lies ahead with the film’s big bad. We then cut to current day New York as the Spenglers and Mr. Grooberson are chasing a sewer dragon ghost through New York. They Spenglers have traded in the cornfields of Summerville, Oklahoma for the concrete Jungle in the Big Apple. We get a good sense of the family dynamic between the Spenglers as well as Mr. Grooberson trying to know his place between being seen as the unofficial step-dad or mom’s “friend”. The team is doing a good job chasing down the ghost but once Phoebe pops out of the gunner seat and starts letting the proton pack unpack that beam, trouble arises. The damage caused in capturing the ghost gets Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton) leeway in getting the Ghostbusters all the way outta here. Since Phoebe is a minor shooting a nuclear powered weapon on the streets of New York, she’s then sidelined by the mayor. Phoebe then has to watch the rest of her family be Ghostbusters even tho she is the one that got them all in the ghost busting game in the first place.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Has A Chilly Villain & Vibe

What I truly enjoyed about this film is the pacing. Kudos to Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan for really setting a story that is allowed to take it’s time on screen. The big bad boss that we are waiting for, Garraka (puppeted by Ian Whyte), has a steady build of terror as we learn more of his story and see his influence taking effect. What I enjoyed most about this villain is the lore behind him. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire truly did a great job of building this character up. Garraka spanning back multiple years and having few sightings added to the mystery and danger of the villain. However, seeing Phoebe dealing with feeling left behind by her family plays just a big a part as the major villain. Here we are seeing how life not being fair can be hard for a young teen to learn. Ghostbusting is what Phoebe excels at but she can’t do it now just because she is a minor. A great juxtaposition to Phoebe’s dilemma is seeing the just how large the next generation of ghostbusters has become.

Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) has been a very busy philanthropist. We see how he is not only keeping the Ghostbusters’ firehouse afloat but expanding the team and the possibilities. I don’t want to spoil what he’s been up to but it’s a great detail to give Winston more stake in the series and a larger role in the lore. We see the familiar faces of Podcast (Logan Kim) and Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) becoming apart of the crew as well as newcomers like Lars Pinfield (James Acaster) and Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani). Nadeem plays a very important part in the movie that came as a complete shock to me. Again, I won’t spoil anything but Nadeem part in the movie opens the doors for Ghostbusters to move even deeper into matters of the occult instead of just ghosts.

Cause (Ghost)busting Makes Me Feel Good… to a Degree

While there’s a lot of good the movie does. Introducing a new cast and bringing in the old guard with Peter Venkman (Billy Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Akroyd), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) appearing again. There are some things I couldn’t help but think about for the sequel. There may just be little things but… I’m sorry fam, the fact that the Ectomobile hasn’t been updated to at least have power windows is crazy to me. i’m just saying, it’s 2024 and Winston is bankrolling the Ghostbusters, so why the proton backs still looking so DIY? Wires all visible looking like mad usb plugs charing devices. We saw some upgrades but I’m just saying shouldn’t things be a bit less heavy looking and shouldn’t the jumpsuits get an update too?

Visuals aside, there’s a lot of similarities we see between this film and the last in regards to family and everyone coming together. We get more of an index of types of ghosts which is new and exciting but there are certain beats and moments that feel as if we have already done this before. There so much potential for this Ghostbusters as a franchise to take off into different and new territory. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a step in the right direction that leaves us waiting for a leap in that same direction.

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The post ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Keeps the Franchise Warm appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://nerdist.com/article/a-dragon-ball-theme-park-a-star-wars-thrawn-collection-dd-converse-and-more-news-odds-ends/

From many villainous Star Wars excitement to a Dragon Ball theme coming soon, here are some of our favorite odds and ends from the entertainment world.

• Star Wars: Thrawn Collection From Heroes & Villains Has Arrived
• A Dragon Ball Theme Park Is On the Way
• Strange Way of Life Is Heading to Netflix
• Godzilla Became Police Chief for a day in Tokyo
• Michael Rosenbaum Is Still Thinking About That Smallville Animated Series
• D&D Converse Are Coming
• David Schwimmer Will Star in Season Two of the Goosebumps Anthology Series
• Star Wars Lit Up the Empire State Building

Star Wars: Thrawn Collection From Heroes & Villains Has Arrived

Heroes & Villains are always outfitting us in the latest and greatest in nerdy-wear. And their recent Star Wars: Thrawn collection is no different. Star Wars‘ villains are having a huge moment, and the Admiral deserves some love. Check out what’s on offer below, and then head over to Heroes & Villains’ site for more.

Check out some cool watches to go with this Thrawn collection.

Citizen’s Dark Side STAR WARS Watches Keep You Marching on Time

A Dragon Ball Theme Park Is On the Way

One of the most beloved anime and manga series ever is now getting a theme park. The official Dragon Ball website announced that the theme park would be coming to Saudi Arabia. A release shares more about the park, noting:

The Dragon Ball theme park will boast a whopping size of over 500,000 square meters and feature seven different areas that recreate various iconic locales from the original series, such as Kame House, Capsule Corporation, and Beerus’s Planet. At the park, visitors will be able to join an adventure with Goku and pals as they enjoy the world of Dragon Ball, from the very beginning of the anime all the way up through Dragon Ball Super!”

This theme park will feature five state-of-the-art rides as part of a lineup of 30+ attractions! And if that wasn’t already exciting enough, construction of a 70 meter-high Shenron is also planned, with this landmark containing a large-scale roller coaster inside!

Dragon Ball‘s legacy is unparalleled.

An Ode to Akira Toriyama and the Enduring Global Legacy of DRAGON BALL

Strange Way of Life Is Heading to Netflix

Want to see Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawk in their queer, western short directed by Pedro Almodóvar? Well, get excited; it’s coming to Netflix on April 12.

Take a look a the trailer here.

Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke Are in Love in Queer Cowboy Movie STRANGE WAY OF LIFE

Godzilla Became Police Chief for a day in Tokyo

@7newsaustralia

Godzilla was appointed Tokyo’s police chief for a day, the mega reptile promoting a message of street safety after years of being hell bent on street destruction. #godzilla #japan #police #7NEWS

♬ original sound – 7NEWS Australia – 7NEWS Australia

Godzilla is known for crushing Tokyo, but recently, he recanted his ways and became the protector of Tokyo’s traffic. As Police Chief for a day, Godzilla set out to promote street safety.

It’s a good time to be Godzilla.

A Big Threat Emerges in Latest GODZILLA x KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE Trailer

Michael Rosenbaum Is Still Thinking About That Smallville Animated Series

The Smallville animated series isn’t dead yet. Michael Rosenbaum recently revealed the following to Screen Rant:

All I could share is that it’s a great idea. We have Al and Miles, the creators of Smallville backing us up. When it’s the right time, we’d like to go and do this; pitch to Warner Bros. It has to be the right time, and right now is not the right time. We had the strike, we had a change of executives at DC — one being one of my best friends in the world, James Gunn. When the time’s right, I think it’s something that’s a no brainer, unless they have other ideas. We’d like to do it — the whole cast would like to do it. They would voice their own character from the show, and we have a concept of what the show is.

Fingers crossed!

Rosenbaum also recently spoke to the DCU’s newest Lex Luthor, Nicholas Hoult.

PUMA X ONE PIECE Collection, A Meeting of Lex Luthors and More News Odds & Ends

D&D Converse Are Coming

Get ready to roll for extra cool kicks. Converse is teaming up with Dungeons & Dragons for a line of sneakers and more to celebrate D&D‘s 50th anniversary. The color scheme is pretty cool, and we love the designs. With these on our feet, we’ll have all the initiative we need. Take a look at what’s on offer below. These Dungeons & Dragons Converse will go on sale on April 11.

We’re also big fans of these nerdy One Piece PUMAs.

PUMA X ONE PIECE Collection, A Meeting of Lex Luthors and More News Odds & Ends

David Schwimmer Will Star in Season Two of the Goosebumps Anthology Series

The second season of the Goosebumps anthology will see a friendly face arrive (or perhaps not so friendly). David Schwimmer is set to star in the second season of the Disney+ show. According to Deadline, “Schwimmer will portray Anthony, a former botany professor and divorced parent of teenage twins whose world takes a tumultuous turn as he juggles the responsibilities of overseeing an aging parent while having his kids for the summer.”

Check out what the first season looked like:

GOOSEBUMPS Trailer Brings R.L. Stine’s Frights and Delights to Life

Star Wars Lit Up the Empire State Building

What’s that, the Empire on the Empire? Star Wars recently lit up the Empire State building with a light show showcasing its many iconic villains. This is a part of its “March to May 4th” initiative. And we’re excited to march along.

Blue Milk is also involved.

STAR WARS Blue Milk Is Coming to Grocery Store Shelves on Earth

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The post A DRAGON BALL Theme Park, a STAR WARS Thrawn Collection, D&D Converse, and More News Odds & Ends appeared first on Nerdist.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/a-pastel-colored-time-capsule-returning-to-the-new-horizons-archipelago/

After the workday wrapped up, I collected all of my things in my bag. Fishing rod, net, ax, shovel, slingshot, watering can, outfit wand, diving suit, and vaulting stick. Standard tools for island life. I wasn’t planning on doing anything when I got to the island, but it didn’t feel right to go back after all these years without the usual suspects. 

For the better part of the early pandemic back in 2020, I worked remote from the island. Nothing quite says isolated community bubble quite like a random island that needed to be cultivated. They asked me to name the place, which was weird, but who was I to say no to the honor. Named it Bicolano, after the same region of the Philippines that my mom was from. Ended up doing a lot more than naming it. For whatever reason I was also responsible for all urban development and even some terraforming.

I tried to keep the general layout of the island the same. Didn’t mess with the existing elevation too much. There was an existing island within the island though, and I did clean that up a little bit so my house would have a nice little plot of land. I tended to place for about year and then one day, I went back stateside and then… just never went back. It’s not like I didn’t like it, I just… didn’t feel like I needed it as much as those early days of isolation.

But after a few years, it’s hard not to be curious about the places you used to live. So, I booked a flight to the coast and called Redd to sneak me into the island.

I sheepishly met him at the docks little after midnight and went to the guest quarters and passed out. Few hours later, the gentle jousting of the boat woke me, and I stumbled to the surface.

“Hey cousin,” the sly fox greets as I emerged from the lower decks, “still a bit out.”

“Already awake cousin, might as well see the islands off in the distance.”

It’s hard to say exactly how many islands are contained in the New Horizons Archipelago. The higher range of estimates is somewhere around 44 million, and I stopped trying to make sense how that works out logistically a long time ago.

“It would have been much faster to take Dodo Airlines y’know.”

“And wake up everyone with their all-island announcement of an arrival? I just wanna check on a few things that’s all. No fuss, no nothing.”

“They miss you, y’know,” Redd retorted.

“Still not coming back to stay, cousin.”

The fox nodded and parked the boat on the north cove of the island. I gathered my things and under the cover of twilight made the way back to my house and once again fell asleep.

I woke up a little after 5 on a lazy Saturday afternoon. My hair was a mess as I stumbled out the front door to get terrible seasonal allergies and the like, but something about the flowers on the island didn’t trigger my hay fever. The bright colors were disorienting, so I went back into the house for a spell and saw it in proper lighting.

Despite not attending to the place in years, there is a surprising lack of cockroaches. I grabbed breakfast in the kitchen and went into my listening room and vibed to some good ole K.K. Slider. Used the restroom real quick and got a better look at the pastel-colored time capsule I re-entered. There were flowers. I don’t typically do flowers. Quickly ducked upstairs to check my emails and ducked down to make sure all my stuff was ready for when I left.

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Afterwards, I checked the campsite out of habit. Who knows how many campers came by and left in my absence? Went to the unmarked tomb in the Northeast Corner of the island which may or may not have something to do with the Bicolano Spike Pit that I made.

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The very clearly intended for a very different time and universe landmark was inspired by an episode of Castlevania, but I then wondered if Bicolano did actually have an aswang or manananggal problem that I had just forgotten. 

I quickly put the thought aside and worked down the west coast and saw the outdoor theater and pop-up restaurant still up and running. Walked down to the Malachite Littoral and saw that my tribute to the other game that got me through the pandemic was still standing.

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The south beach carnival was still up and running. Made me remember the days of island hopping to my friends in the Archipelago and doing exchanges and yard sales. Finding the highest hill and making wishes on shooting stars. Tracking down Sahara and Celeste across the realms. Looked at my art exhibit that every traveler sees over the flyover and was still oddly proud at the sight.

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Over on the east in the industrial district, Mabel’s was still standing, and the Museum kept my weird monument in the back. I purposely avoided the residential districts. As I looked at the current island map, I realized I didn’t even recognize all of the names of the residents, but I did figure I had to see one person.

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Made my way, and there Puck was. Pink Penguin was still wearing his iconic blue hockey helmet and the jacket I got him ages ago. We talked for a while. I caught him up on things going on stateside, and he gladly proclaimed that things hadn’t really changed. He still played beach volleyball and travels to a nearby island for a hockey league. We both have our routes, our routines, our rituals.

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“We worked hard to make sure we have a boring life,” we both uttered and laughed.

Puck looked at me with a knowingness in his eyes, “I’m glad you had this space when you needed it. And I’m glad you found a better space.”

I felt tears swell up, and Puck did me the favor and headed back into his house. He also let me know that the townsfolk still were doing upkeep on the mini-fun museum I constructed after the island had been rated five stars and my first house was rated S, just to have the space be a little fuller.

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I headed back to my island within the island and made one last set of rounds. It was built like a home, but it was sparsely decorated. An exercise in simplicity. One last bit of self-expression. I lingered for a bit before calling Redd to take me back stateside, making a note to make a proper return to the pastel time capsule and thank folks properly for getting me through 2020 and some change. It’s tough to fit everything into a weekend trip, but at least I shook off the shock. 

The post A Pastel Colored Time Capsule: Returning to the ‘New Horizons’ Archipelago appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.