ABC Family kicks off its big 3-night live-action presentation of “Samurai Girl” on September 5 at 8/7C. Show revolves around a girl named Heaven, given that name after being the sole survivor of a plane crash with she was a baby. Adopted after the crash, now all grown up and a young lady, Heaven’s world is turned upside down when a band of Ninjas attack her and all the guests at her wedding killing her brother. Tracking down the killers she learns about her real family past and the fact that she is a true Samurai with the power to save those around her. “Samurai Girl” stars Jamie Chung (”I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,” “Dragonball”), Saige Thompson, Kyle Labine, Steven Brand and Anthony Wong.

Universal Pictures plans a big Blu-ray push for its upcoming October releases which will include “The Incredible Hulk,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” and “Mamma Mia!” The Hulk releases begin on October 13 on the international market and October 21 in the United States. The other titles will follow a few weeks later.

The Liv Tyler horror/thriller “The Strangers” will be getting a sequel from Rogue Pictures after the first film proved to be a bigger box office draw than expected. The film only cost the company $9 million to produce and garnered $54 million during its U.S. theatrical run. It begins its international circuit this week starting in the U.K. and is now expected to do well in those markets too.

The BBC is reporting that a plague of mosquitoes in Laos and Cambodia can kill their victims with a Malaria type disease, then once the people are dead, restart their heart for up to two-hours after their initial demise. The victim then acts violently until final death ensues. No reports if they also have an appetite for human brains.

Scientists in Israel are taking digital photographs of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the aim of making the 2,000-year-old documents available to the public and researchers on the Internet, according to Reuters. Israel Antiquities Authority, the custodian of the scrolls that shed light on the life of Jews and early Christians at the time of Jesus, said on Wednesday it would take more than two years to complete the project.

It looks like rumors of Dragonball’s cancellation were untrue. Fox has responded to news that plans were set in motion to scrap the picture as hogwash. We get the scoop from superheroflix:

The film was completed a while ago, and the reasons for moving the film’s release date from this summer to next spring was to insure that all of the needed special effects were completed. We have a source that is very close to the film. And he/she says that the first edit is done, and that it has been shown to those “higher ups” at Fox. And that they love the finished film. Our studio contact, who we aren’t allowed to name at the moment, worked on the production, and has seen the completed movie. Everyone involved seems to think they have a hit on their hands, and he even went on to say that it was “pretty darn awesome. There is certainly talk about a sequel. I have no doubt that it will happen. I’m sure that it will be a trilogy.”

There you have it folks, Dragonball is still a go. For those of you that are fans of the franchise and looking forward to the film, I hope I made your day as the bearer of good news. I thought this news may be too good to be true when I heard it, even if the film sucks studios usually have no problem throwing shit at us in order to make their money back.

As far as the rebuttal goes, it seems overly positive. The quality of the film can only be determined once the gates have been opened and the fans are able to share their thoughts. Avi Arad also killed any hope of me ever believing a studio news release ever again when he said “Galactus will not be a storm cloud.”

• Andre Soares over at The Alternative Film Guide comments on Turner Classic Movies' focus on Janet Leigh.

• Is 20th Century Fox about to shut down production on "Dragonball"? Read about it at Movieweb right here.

• Read late film critic's Manny Farber's obit in The New York Times.

• Clive Barker, author of the short story behind "The Midnight Meat Train," complains about Lionsgate over at MTV News.

It seems the much talked about Dragonball Movie might just be getting more than questionable looks from the big wigs at Fox. They might can it!

FilmJunk tips us off:

According to our tipster, the higher-ups at Fox are not too impressed the footage that has been shot thus far, and are seriously debating shutting the whole thing down. Now I have no idea if this is a real possibility or if the studio is just putting pressure on director James Wong to deliver, but the movie supposedly has a budget of over $100 million and I can understand them wanting to cut some losses while they still can.

With no presence at Comic Con, the fans were REALLY starting to wonder what was happening with this film.

Some really wanted to see it happen. Others were determined to hate it no matter what you said about it. But it seems it wasn’t the fans at all that are making Fox reconsider. Early footage just doesn’t look good.

I personally don’t think Dragonball has THAT big of a fanbase that it would break the bank if the hardcore fans didn’t go see it. If anything if the promotional material made it look good they would draw in some Dragonball fans to see this non-canon adaptation, but more importantly they would hook much of the audience that just likes to see a good action flick with some supernatural martial arts in it.

But when the guys on the inside are not happy and are willing to consider throwing away their initial investment on it you KNOW it has to be bad. Or at very least this is the message people are going to get.

But remember, this is rumour. We will have to see if there ever will be a Dragonball movie after all.

Having said that… damn I’d take “Mal” to dinner anywhere she wanted to go and whenever she’d agree to be seen in public with me (which probably means never). Thanks to Jarred for the pics. There is a water mark on the images, but I can’t find a corresponding site. If you know where they came from, please drop me a note and let me know.

Goku

Chi-Chi

Mal