Despite a lengthy history in Japan, tokusatsu's not taken seriously in the States. The man on the street's knowledge doesn't extend More

Despite a lengthy history in Japan, tokusatsu's not taken seriously in the States. The man on the street's knowledge doesn't extend beyond "Power Rangers," and if you try to strike up a conversation comparing and contrasting "Kamen Rider Ryuki" and "Kamen Rider Agito" on the bus, the most solvent point you'll encounter is a punch in the face. While American cinema and television is embracing the style and look of Japanese Animation, no one's so much as giving a glance to anime's spandex-clad brother. Thailand's produced a big-budget toku-inspired film, "Garuda"; however, there's an absence of any such projects in the US. If one looks into this vacuum, though, one'll find a few independent pioneers like "Homemade Hero," "Alien vs. Hero," and "French Five." (Fine, that last one's made in France.) Experimental Amateur Hero Productions -- founded by Peter Tatara and a radical cabal within the Anime Society of Ithaca College -- is another group like the above, but their huge ego paired with a devastating lack of confidence sets them apart. Following the smashing success of their first series, "Johnny Robo," Experimental Amateur Hero Productions hopes to cash in (or break even) with a quick sequel. Picking up some twenty years after the first "Johnny Robo," "Johnny Robo 2" is a story of young love and heartache (and somehow manages to work in duct tape). The cast and crew having learned from their first outing, they return older and wiser. With better acting, better editing, a better camera, and double the budget of the original -- two whole dollars -- "Johnny Robo 2" is sure to shatter your low, low, low, low expectations.
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Actual Bomb Robot in Manitou Springs, CO. Before being evacuated, I pointed my dv camera out of my kitchen window to record in my absence. The More

Actual Bomb Robot in Manitou Springs, CO. Before being evacuated, I pointed my dv camera out of my kitchen window to record in my absence. The placement of 2 fake bombs on the other side of the garage on the right in the video prevented me from accessing my house for 8 hours. After returning home, the footage revealed that Johnny 5 is alive! Music: Short Circuit theme song by El Debarge from Debarge: Ultimate Collection.
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