“The Paintings of Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo in Movement”

Dances of Mexico with the collaborative artistry of Ballet!

Some purist say traditional folkloric dances shouldn’t be changed because it changes the theme of originality. That’s fine, but as time moves on, dances take on new meaning in context to moments in one’s life and this is exactly what Ensambles Ballet Folklorico de San Francisco has done for their piece, “Las Pinturas de Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo en Movimiento”, that will be showcasing this Saturday! – July 27, 2013 2PM & 8PM at the Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater in San Jose, CA.

For tickets click here www.cityboxoffice.com

I attended last year’s performance and I’m thankful that I did! I was amazed by the elaborate and vibrant colors of costumes, traditional dances and the interjected dramatic collaboration of ballet pieces into the show to tell you the story of Diego y Frida through dance.

ensambles postcard

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ANIME EXPO 2013 : In line to see Alodia and we meet Kirito & Asuna Cosplayers

RETRENDERS Jessica Nigri & Alodia Gosiengfiao iphoneWe get in line with Host “The Eddie” in hopes to get an exclusive interview with Alodia Gosiengfiao as Co-Host Reyson Sioson introduces us to Casey Cabuco and Kim Caboom, who bring us a real live re-enactment of cosplaying their characters “Kirito kissing Asuna“!RETRENDERS Casey Cabuco & Kim Caboom

ANIME EXPO 2013 Masquerade: Thomas Depetrillo’s EVA-01

RETRENDERS Kyle HebertRETRENDERS Thomas Depetrillo - Eva Unit-01 Evangelion CosplayDragon Ball Z narrator Kyle Hebert promotes Ramen and a Half at Retrenders as we get to see Thomas Depetrillo in his EVA 01 TEST literally put to the test as he performs on stage at Anime Expo’s 2013 Masquerade. This is probably the most wildly entertaining-rock out skit done in a 10 foot tall life size replica of an Evangelion!

Jessica Nigri : Part 2 of 3

RETRENDERS Jessica NigriIt could be the air, it could be ANIME EXPO, or it can simply be she’s Jessica Nigri. Yes, we’ve certainly established our ground and we definitely got Jessica Nigri’s word for an interview in so many words including her friend’s word. You can see for yourself as our host “The Eddie” approaches Jessica for our interview date in this episode!RETRENDERS Kelsie Lahti
This is also a split story package, because we also introduce you to Kelsie Lahti, a local of the greater Los Angeles area in her unique Spyro the Dragon costume.  She’s one of the many on the grounds of Anime Expo enjoying the art of cosplay.

ANIME EXPO 2013 Masquerade : Ornament Tree Wings

RETRENDERS Cristina VeeCristina Vee promotes Ramen and a Half at Retrenders and we get to see a one of the few pieces that the Ramen Crew was able to catch at the Masquerade Show at Anime Expo 2013. We call this one “Ornament Tree Wings”.
It’s amazing at just how cosplayers risk their backs to put on a show and display their articulate and detailed costumes that in real-life, it’s shape and balance is just not gravity conformed.


This is one of our editor’s (Johnny Moreno) favorite, because the costume artist almost loses her balance holding up her tree trunk-bullhorn shaped wings. We didn’t get a chance to find out who the artists were, but if anyone knows, please send us their facebook so we can link and address them in this article.

Hey Hey Alodia from ANIME EXPO!

Our Ramen and a Half host “The Eddie” sings the popular song Hey Hey Alodia by Segatron from the Philippines which is dedicated to cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao.

I call this our one take wonder even though it wasn’t our first take, but because Alodia by coincidence came up from behind Eddie and does a surprise cameo. I just managed to keep the camera recording as Eddie kept playing. It was a wonderful moment… some may even say magical!

The people in the background are actually waiting in line for Alodia Gosiengfiao’s panel discussion at ANIME EXPO 2013

Here’s the original music video “Hey Hey Alodia” by Segatron. Click here to visit Segatron’s facebook page.

Jessica Nigri : Part 1 of 3

Okay, this first take is just a tease, but you really get to experience what it’s like to approach cosplayers of celebrity status at conventions.
Here we have Jessica Nigri who just so happens to be one of three cosplayers on our list to talk to at ANIME EXPO, including Alodia Gosiengfiao from the Philippines and Vampy from San Francisco’s Bay Area.
Again, I apologize if this video is a bit of a tease, but it’s interesting! You get to see “The Eddie” maneuver his way up to Jessica Nigiri’s booth like a fan and wait to be acknowledged in order to ask – “Jessica can we can possibly get an interview with you?”

Check back with us at http://www.retrenders.com because the next take, we actually have a conversation with her as she happens to be in her Lollipop Chainsaw outfit?

The Sexiest Wonder Woman and X-Men’s Storm tell us about Big Wow ComicFest!

Retrenders - Valerie Perez & Diana OliveraWe get to hear how it’s like to be a part of Big Wow ComicFest from one of their helpful staff members and then we get two personal views about Big Wow ComicFest from Valerie Perez, who’s the perfect looking cosplay Wonder Woman I’ve ever seen at comic events, and Diana Olivares, who won 2nd place at Big Wow’s costume contest as X-Men’s Storm. And this is the first time she dressed up to cosplay!

Images of characters in the video: Valerie Perez, Diana Olivares, Kelly Mark Delcambre (Kelly Bean), Anthony Misiano

Comic Artist Daniel Parada draws up a dynamic duo of Mayan heroes!

zotz headerDaniel Parada’s comic, ZOTZ: Serpent and Shield, is about the mystical world of Maya. The comic is cultural influenced from Parada’s research of Mayan ancient history where he has plotted themes without the impacts of the Spanish yet?

The tale of Zotz: Serpent and Shield awaits anyone willing to open the mysteries of the comic and walk into a past before Maya was discovered and unravel an adventure with two heroic characters, Pakal and Kaan, who lead us into a world much more phenomenal than we think.

Other than an adventurous story drawn up from historical elements, the comic is full of fantastic art!

Indigo Mood – A film about life in motion even when there is tragedy.

Mood Indigo 01Michel Gondry’s latest film Indigo Mood is a romantic fantasy love story that takes place in the contemporary 1950s with a bit of Salvador Dali’s melting of time dilemma surrounding the protagonist character played by Audrey Tatou. If one’s life is slipping away, the only answer is the mystical aura of life itself! With hints of everyday artistic gadgetry to everyday defying signs of gravity in the film– how can we not find a way to make this relationship work?

Here are 5 stated details about the film that I have come across the web.

1. It’s a love fable in a dream.

2. It’s the next “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind“, a past film of Michel Gondry’s

3. There’s some Duke Ellington jazz

4. Contemporary Paris of the 1950s with a Retro vibe

5. This film was impossible to do until Michel Gondry came along.

The film is based on a 1947 French novel called L’écume des jours by Boris Vian. Yes,  a fantasy love story written over 60 years ago.Indigo Mood MONTAGE - Retrenders

The film has been released in France. A US release should be within this year.

The Fastest Comic Illustrator in the Country quick-draws the Green Lantern!

Bordin (Mark) Marsinkul, also known as Hyperbooster, astonishingly produces up to 50 commission drawings in a day at a comic or anime convention.Johnny Moreno - Retrenders - Bordin Marsinkul HyperboosterHis hybrid technique of calligraphy and Japanese style manga brush strokes creates his uniquely textured drawings with anything he can get his hands on from paint, pencil to marker! He works intensely fast and he’s amazing if you get a chance to watch him. His drawings begin with abstract scribbles, marks and accents, but then it begins to reveal itself before your eyes with every scribble, mark and accent of intention. The image becomes animated, three dimensional and before you know it – it magically appears! Watch the video and you’ll experience what I’m talking about as he quickly draws a fantastic image of the Green Lantern!

For more information about Bordin (Mark) Marsinkul and where to catch him at his next convention visit www.facebook.com/hyperboosterJohnny Moreno - Retrenders - Bordin Markinsul 2

The FLASH – Hardcover bounded comics from Herring and Robinson Bookbinders!

Johnny Moreno - Retrenders - Sheldon Cooper Big Bang Theory FLASH BookAs the Ramen crew weaved their way through Big Wow’s ComicFest, we found something that FLASH fan, Sheldon Cooper, from the popular television hit series The Big Bang Theory would wonderfully appreciate. And that’s having your collected comic books bounded into a single volume for that utmost presentation. I would also like to mention that the longevity of a professionally bound hardcover will also help preserve and protect your favorite comics for future readings and sharing. However, if you can’t bare the fact of having your comics punctured and sewn together, they also have other wonderful alternatives!

Johnny Moreno - Retrenders - Bound Comic Books

For information about Herring and Robinson Bookbinders, and how to get your comics bound, go to their website:

www.herringandrobinsonbookbinders.com

The Youngest Spider-man Comic Artist – Ethan Castillo!

The Ramen crew may have not been the first to stumble upon the fascinating eight year old Spidey-artist, but we still stumbled!

Ethan Castillo 01

This kid was amazing and we felt this is one of the things that Big Wow Comicfest’s opens up to, and that’s passion and talent from everywhere under the umbrella of comics. On the floor at Big Wow Comicfest, you can’t help but feel inspired by all the people that are there introducing new stories, new artists, new genres, new characters, and it becomes an absolute gift when you run into someone as young as Ethan Castillo drawing Spider-man or Marvel Comic characters because he loves to! You actually start to feel the kid in yourself while watching him draw! “It’s just fun!” – He says.

We also recognized the extent of love and support that Ethan’s parents give him and we can’t help but strongly say, great talent can come from self-ambition, but it also comes from parents that nurture and encourage it!

RETRENDERS highlight trailer for Big Wow Comicfest & FanimeCon

Continue to check back with RETRENDERS for upcoming segments from Big Wow ComicFest and FanimeCon!

Ramen at FanimeCon 2013

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Ramen and a Half was video recorded before a live convention audience for their podcast as they talked about what FanimeCon is all about and discussed a serious topic on how some Cosplayers can be uncomfortably handled by costume admirers and sometimes get perverse images taken of them without one’s consent – then get posted on the internet.

The Art of a Video Store

levideo

Most of us have probably moved on from stepping into a video store to using Netflix by mail if not by digital cable at the push of a menu button, but the truth be told is that we lose a great deal of social interaction, adventure and discovery about films  first hand, because where else could you find unusual categories, collections, to even never before seen films that went nowhere but into a video store that exists for the interest of a cinephile, and of course operated by people who love the art of cinema and have made the video store their business to provide that missing, if not, hard to find film you’ve been searching for.

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Pacific Rim Trailer – SWEDED

A SWEDED version of the Pacific Rim trailer, a style obviously admired and mimicked from Michel Gondry’s 2008 film “Be Kind Rewind”. It’s hilarious!

Future Flicks: Pedro Almodóvar’s “I’m So Excited”

Is this a follow up to “Women on a Verge of a Nervous Breakdown?”Pedro Almodóvar & Blanca Suárez

Probably not, but Pedro Almodóvar is finishing up a new comedy with a twist! Whether it be dark, far-fetched, somewhat trivial, a situation that references Spanish culture, politics or everyday life, he just manages to bring out something fresh and creative in his films and in his actors. You don’t even have to understand the language, you just have to understand character: their layers of issues, their actions, and the circumstances that would inherently push them to react in a certain way in a given time, place and situation.

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Future Flicks: Guillermo del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM update!

I think Guillermo del Toro is about to crush the Transformers franchise with a single Pacific Rim blow!

Pacific Rim 2013 Poster

The fact is, Pacific Rim touches on all popular elements of a fantastic science fiction in the near future which includes sleek but robust militarized technology armor suits, giant manned battle robots as tanks and a fight for humanity in a war against gargantuan beasts unleashed from the sea as it appears from the trailer. And from the trailer, I would have to say Pacific Rim is much more layered than a Transformer flick and promises to give us the equivalent of what Star Wars gave to audiences in 1980s – a jaw dropping awe. Watch out George Lucas!

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Warhol Campbell’s Soup

Warhol used Campbell’s Soup, so why not Campbell’s Soup use Warhol?

50 years after Warhol was inspired by the Campbell’s Soup can, Campbell’s is finally using the his art for a limited edition soup can design.

Square Up – Free card reader

Need help running a small “mom and pops” shop by accepting credit card charges at your finger tips, or just simply to make things easier to sell some of your personal art on the spot…  actually, selling anything on the spot!

Well Square Up  just made it easier through their temporary promotion of offering a free card reader to accept credit cards with your iPhone, Driod or iPad.  Visit their website : squareup.com  Don’t forget to read the details and the fine print.

Women’s Fashion: “Tis now the season for a Cape”

You can consider this to be a bit of a belated fall fashion awareness, but really, “Tis now the season for a Cape!”  As a guy, I wear a wool coat, but I noticed women wearing some of the most fashionable capes and it’s not because it’s Halloween, it’s because winter is now kicking up, and the cold candle lit holidays are just around the corner.

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Future Flicks: CLOUD ATLAS

Life, passion and humanity would be the key words that summarize Cloud Atlas. The film grows with possibilities as it interweaves the lives of its characters and is the most creatively made film this year!

In Cloud Atlas, we begin with a series of unfinished business:  a journal needs to reworked for clarity, there’s a quest for a masterpiece, an investigation to resolve, one must break their path for a better life, and lives must be saved, which sets up its characters to take action for an end, for clarity, for completion and for a better being.

The protagonists of Cloud Atlas pursue change as they pursue their lives, and we eventually see the connecting theme across time from the mid 1850s to the distant future as one larger than life story to resolve. The six protagonists’ physical looks and gender change as they live different lives, but are given a birth mark so we can identify them.

As complex and interconnected the film may be, the simple thing I love about Cloud Atlas is that it artfully tells us about our continuing existence through time. We are born, cultured with a life, and proven to learn through our existence. If given another opportunity to change for the better, we would.

In theaters this Friday, October 26th 2012

Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant

 

JDM Girls “OUT-TAKES”

Long forgotten, this is a “Video from the Vault”, a Retrenders car show video so to speak. Here we tried to conjure up and choreograph an introduction, on the spot, with limited time, and not to mention dealing with all the noise that takes place at a car show. As producers for Retrenders, we want to make things entertaining – So we pulled this video from the vault, slapped some music onto it, and hope that it adds some personality to entertain you.

In this Out-Take video, Lena Love teases me about our set-up and tries to help at the same time; Claim Ho (off camera) was just entertained by watching our mini choreography, and one other JDM Girl of FIRM400 in the video couldn’t make out what we wanted. Oh well, but that’s what happens when you’re at a fabulous car show with tons of noise in the background. To be honest, it was fun just trying to do something.

FYI: This took place at Hot Import Nights (HIN) in Pomona, California back in March 2012.

French-Chilean Hip Hop Artist – Ana Tijoux

The French-Chilean musician, Ana Tijoux has been one of the most prominent independent MC hip-hop artists and has recently seen her popularity rise.  She built her reputation from the ground up in the independent music scene with her group Makiza, in Chile, in the 1990s.  Then in 2001, through some unforeseen moments in life, she decided to break apart from the band and the music scene all together, and went back to France.

It wasn’t until 2004 that she returned to Chile and connected with funk Chilean band Aluzinati, where she then became a featured artist in Control Machete’s album, Uno Dos Bandera, and worked on a soundtrack with Julieta Venegas. She even reunited with Makiza for a short time, but realized she really wanted to pursue a solo career.

In 2007, she released her solo album, Kaos, and she was nominated in Latin America’s version of the MTV Video Music Awards as Best New Artist.

In 2009, she released her 2nd solo album titled, 1977, which was a return to her rap roots and a homage to hip hop. The album was autobiographical and dealt with the complications she endured in life.

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