Saturday, March 8, 2025

The Milan Machinima Festival MMXXV

 

Well, the poster was a choice...a choice of human skin overlay. It's for the upcoming Milan Machinima Festival MMXXV "presenting a curated selection of 31 machinima and game videos by 35 artists from 16 countries, including Belarus, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the USA. Spanning nine programs, the festival unfolds online (March 17–23, 2025) and onsite in Los Angeles, California (March 20–21, 2025), showcasing works that challenge storytelling conventions, repurpose game engines as cinematic tools, and interrogate the aesthetics and politics of virtual worlds. "
 
For us in LA, it's specifically taking over Vidiots for two days.

March 20-21
Vidiots
4884 Eagle Rock Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90041
$9.85 for all screenings day of
 
This is one of those utterly weird and engaging gamer-centric art show/film festivals we haven't had in a while, so definitely head out for it, I mean it's less than $10 bucks. 
 
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Friday, March 7, 2025

Anime Hype: Witch Watch: Watch Party & Anime Expo Expansion

 

Woah, GKids is betting on Witch Watch, just like it did with DanDaDan giving the anime a three episode premiere in theaters for one night March 16th. Then, the show starts streaming on multiple services April 6th.

To see the first three episodes in theaters at the dubbed Witch Watch: Watch Party go here.

What's it about? A witch starts high school and wants to fall in love with essentially her bodyguard. It's a romcom with magic to the highest level. And, it's from the guy who did Sket Dance, a fav anime of ours. Check out the trailer and English voice cast below and you';; get the feel for the show.


 

In other big anime news, Anime Expo is seemingly finally realizing it needs to expand or possibly is getting a good deal on more of L.A. Live, which make sense as it's all run by AEG.

In other words, Main Events Hall is going to be at the Peacock Theater, leaving more room in the Entertainment Hall and West Hall. So, a lot more to do.

We're also happy with a theme this year of being a campus, like everyone attending is in a middle/high school anime. We hope cosplay reflects that with robots in sailor uniforms.

Looking back, we're not sure if AX has really done a theme or sold it as much, but we're behind the idea and hope there's a heavily pushed theme every year from now on. 

The AX title for the theme is officially Academia. Study hard, kids!


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Game Hype: Absolum, Breakout Beyond, My Famicase Exhibtion Call For Entries & Kirby's Dream Band New Album Waddle Dookie

 

Absolum, coming out of nowhere is an upcoming beat ‘em up action RPG from co-developers Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge), co-developer Guard Crush Games (Streets of Rage 4, Streets of Fury EX) and co-developer Supamonk. It will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5 (PlayStation 5), and PS4 (PlayStation 4) in 2025.

Breakout Beyond is coming out March 25.
 

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Thursday, March 6, 2025

Jellystone! Crisis On Infinite Mirths Is Out

 

If you've enjoyed any of the old Cartoon Network shows check it out on Max. A huge crossover event with older shows like Dexter's Laboratory, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and The Powerpuff Girls. 

A lot of fun and callbacks to some amazing shows. Sadly, this is the end of Jellystone! which lived and died on Max and didn't even get to shine on Cartoon Network proper.

And. gotta say, Max the streaming service is as abysmal as ever. Finding this episode  or just the show, without just putting in the title to search was awful. This service can't promote it' own new content, what a joke.

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Local Hype: ONE PIECE x Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Festival of Movies April, LA Times has AI-generated Counterpoints Now

 

Short animation from the ONE PIECE x Los Angeles Lakers night.

 

LA Times adds AI-generated counterpoints to opinion pieces

It only took a day for LA Times' new AI tool to sympathize with the KKK

Not doing so great with the new A.I. feature, no one was asking for.

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Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Be Careful With LA's Oldest Enemy: Rain

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Weekly What To Do: March On


Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre 5919 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
$10.00 - $15.00 

A night of improv comedy featuring veteran improvisers Convoy and Hebecky Drysbell.

Convoy was described by Time Out LA as “what can happen when a few players know each other’s brains so well that they function as a very funny one” and was named by LA Weekly as “Best Improv Show” in LA more than once! Collectively, they’ve worked on shows like Reno 911!, Childrens Hospital, Terriers, Key & Peele, Last Week Tonight with Jon Oliver, Drive Share, Billion Dollar Propertie$, The Goldbergs and more. They love squids.
 
Lucha VaVoom de La Liz (LVVDLL)—where world-class professional lucha libre-style wrestling, alluring burlesque goddesses, daring aerialists, comedy, music, and more collide—is returning on Thursday, March 6th with a March Madness show at their historic home venue The Mayan Theatre (1038 S Hill St.) in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets for this 21+ event are on sale now for $62.00‒$109.00 at LuchaVaVoomdeLaLiz.com.
 
 The wrestling lineup for March Madness includes superstar fighters like the bone-crushing Aéreo, terrifying Doble Cara, the celebrated Misterioso Jr., TJ Perkins (former WWE cruiserweight champion), Magno, XTREME Tiger, Mr. Iguana, and many more. Plus, LVVDLL promises to deliver incendiary burlesque goddesses, twisty contortionists, and death-defying aerialists including Emma Vauxdevil (fire eater, sword swallower, and tattooed burlesque queen), Frankie Fictitious (one of burlesque’s most coveted performers, named Miss Exotic World in 2019, and a Burlesque Hall of Fame inductee), Brynn Route (marvelous contortion-trained pole artist), The Poubelle Twins, and making her LVVDLL debut rocking the Cyr wheel is Taylor Krasne.

 
The Autry in Griffith Park
Museum Admission

Maybe you remember playing the Oregon Trail, or recognize the meme, but what does it really mean? Discover the reality of death on the Overland Trail, explore a newly created piece of automata art inspired by the iconic computer game, and (re)play the game itself.
 
 
Friday, March 7, 2025. 5:00 pm–10 pm.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Admission is free for members, $25 for non-members. 
 
First Fridays: AMPLIFIED begins March 7 with an evening focused on “Healing Sounds.” Join us after hours as we explore the science and art of sound healing with topical discussions, signature cocktails, live music, and more.

March 8-9
Los Angeles Chinatown Central Plaza
943 N Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles 90012
REGISTRATION: $28 - $65


March 8-9 are the new dates for the 2025 Firecracker L.A. Year of the Snake Chinatown events with a choice to participate in-person or virtually. Each registered participant receives a commemorative 2025 Firecracker race bib, exclusive collectible finisher’s medal, limited edition t-shirt (even for registered kids and dogs), goody bag, and much more. In addition, participants and their guests will enjoy the Lunar New Year Celebration in the heart of historic Chinatown with an opening ceremony filled with lion dancers and the traditional lighting of 100,000 firecrackers. The Firecracker post events festival is a two-day expo including exhibitors, beer garden, vendors, activities for children, plenty of live entertainment, and free to the public. 

Pony Ma - Sin Sinus
Yasuhito Kawasaki-Beautiful Life
Sr. Papa Chango-This Is Not Sweet
Opening Reception with the Artists:
Saturday, March 8, 2025 6:00-10:00pm
THINKSPACE PROJECTS
4217 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
 
 
Mar 8th - Mar 24th
 
Mar 8 • 10:00 am
KCRW HQ
1660 Stewart St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Free, RSVP
 
 Join KCRW and our partners for a free, fun interactive day at KCRW HQ! Kids and their caregivers are invited to play and learn through music, storytelling, and art. Listen in to storytime with KCRW’s All Things Considered host Steve Chiotakis, learn rhythm with Silverlake Conservatory of Music, groove with Pony Sweat, become a reporter with 826LA, and make art with Craft Contemporary. Plus, we’ll have a food truck, photo opportunities, and more!
 
Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates the return of the popular Butterbeer™ Season, a dedicated, annual tradition that invites guests and fans to enjoy all things Butterbeer within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. Butterbeer Season begins on Saturday, March 1 and continues daily through Saturday, May 31, 2025.

This year’s celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood will introduce an all-new Butterbeer Cream Puff just for the season, available at the Three Broomsticks™, where guests can also savor frozen or cold Butterbeer in a limited-edition Gold Souvenir Stein. Additionally, a Butterbeer-Flavoured Chocolate Bar and Butterbeer Caramel will be available at retail locations and the Ice Lolly frozen dessert makes a delicious return. This tempting ice bar will now be available year-round.

A bespoke Butterbeer themed merchandise collection will also take centerstage as part of Butterbeer Season. The inspiring line is designed to offer wizard, witches and muggles a chance to celebrate Butterbeer during and beyond their visit to the theme parks. Items will include apparel such as a plaid shirt, zipped fleece hoodie and t-shirt as well as accessories from a crossbody bag to caps, socks and more.
Universal Studios Hollywood invites guests and fans of the Fast & Furious franchise to experience “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” one last time before the world-famous Studio Tour attraction closes on March 10, 2025. A thrilling new experience will arrive at Universal Studios Hollywood when “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” launches as the destination’s first-ever, high-speed outdoor roller coaster in 2026.

“Fast & Furious—Supercharged,” inspired by the popular Fast & Furious franchise, launched in 2015 as the grand finale to the Studio Tour and has entertained millions of guests, taking them on an exhilarating, virtual high-speed 3D chase to save one of their own from an international crime cartel.
 
DROP
March 11, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Free, Must RSVP

First dates are nerve-wracking enough. Going on a first date while an unnamed, unseen troll pings you personal memes that escalate from annoying to homicidal? Blood-chilling.

 
 
Extra:
 
Free Hours at the Autry
Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1-4 p.m.
Update: During this Wildfire season, The Autry closes off, please check day of event

Let the Autry cover your next visit with Free Hours at the Autry. Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. will be free to all Autry visitors. Enjoy access to all the Autry's exhibitions including Imagined Wests, Reclaiming El Camino and more by reserving your spot today!
 

Thanks to the generous support of the Autry Foundation, Free Hours at the Autry* are every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1-4 p.m.
 
UCB, a cheapo comedy show almost every night, see comedians before they make podcasts and have
stories about the UCB and before they hit the big time.
 


American Cinematheque-A celebrated independent theater group that brings both the talent and catalog of films to make for some of LA's best movie nights.
 

Street Food Cinema-Outdoor cult or recent hits you'll love.

Check out classics and cult movies just a few stories above street level. Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán.


 New Bev-Tarantino owned independent theater with old school style

Cinelounge - Hollywood based tiny theater, showing off indies you've never heard of
 
Brain Dead Studios-manages to fill its schedule almost every night
611 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
 
Vidiots -A one-of-a-kind hub for film lovers, filmmakers, and everyone curious about cinema. A small theater is more than made-up for with the constant content and special screenings.
4884 Eagle Rock Blvd
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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want to be a Magical Girl

 

 

From Kiana Khansmith a new take on the magical girl. Take a some time to watch this 11-minute animatic about a young girl who just doesn't want to be a magical girl, no more.

Been following Kia on X for a while now and crazy to see how much hype this is getting. I mainly grew fond of her for her online comics of Jessie shaking up with with Ash Ketchum's Mom from Pokemon. Kiana's a storyboard artist in her main grind.

Here's hoping people seeing this and  give her an option to do her own show.

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Monday, March 3, 2025

Movie Hype: Kung Fu Rookie & Secret Mall Apartment

 


Kung Fu Rookie is out for rent online March 14th. A total love letter to Jackie Chan. And, from Kazakhstan of all places.

SYNOPSIS:
Country bumpkin Timuchin comes to the city to enroll in the police academy. There he is pranked by a lovely young woman who eventually cottons to his courtship. When they run afoul of local gangsters his Dudley Do Right persona and studied obsession with martial arts send him on a bare-fisted mission to thwart the baddies on his own and rescue the damsel in distress. This inspired homage to Jackie Chan by way of urban Kazakhstan is a boisterous roller coaster ride of old school action movie thrills, spills and other hilarious antics.

 

Secret Mall Apartment is in select theaters March 21st.

We've been waiting for Secret Mall Apartment to end it's run in the festival circuit. A crazy premise of people living inside a mall in a secret apartment they created. A perfect lazy Sunday Netflix find perhaps? You'll have to see it's theatrical run, before it getting put on on streaming.

- Jesse Eisenberg is the exec producer on it.

-Still no official poster as of writing this. 

Update: They did it

SYNOPSIS
In 2003, eight young Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment in a hidden space inside the Providence Place Mall and lived in it for four years, filming everything along the way.  They snuck in furniture, tapped into the mall’s electricity, and even secretly constructed a brick wall with a locking door, smuggling in over 2 tons of cinderblock.  Far more than just a wild prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all its inhabitants – a personal expression of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and finally, a 750 square foot space that sticks it to the man!
 

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