The title may be a mouthful, but Tekkonkinkreet is a feast for the eyes that anime fans will be able to enjoy on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD and PSP next month. The action-packed animated feature was given a very limited theatrical release earlier this summer but will find its largest audience when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases it to retail on Sept. 25.
Tekkonkinkreet is being promoted as the first feature-length anime film written and directed by American filmmakers. Animatrix producer Michael Arias directed the film from a screenplay by Anthony Weintraub. The story, adapted from a popular Japanese manga written by Taiyo Matsumoto, centers on two young boys who rule the streets of Treasure Town and are forced to deal with a newcomer who threatens to destroy the only way of life they know. Times are changing and a greedy developer named Snake has moved into town with a plan to build a new city. The Yakuza are easily bought out, but young hoodlums Black and White prove to be a problem that needs to be eliminated. The action and tension escalate to a bloody conclusion when Snake sends in powerful alien assassins to take care of them.
Bonus features on the DVD release will include a 40-minute making-of featurette and commentary by Arias. There will also be interviews with the director and British band Plaid, which provided the original soundtrack for the movie.
