Naruto Viz-sion

Last night, we took part in an event that would have been nearly impossible before the advent of digital projection. Viz Entertainment released its American version of the first NARUTO movie --NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW -- in theaters across America for one night only, before the company releases it on DVD. Had the company struck that many prints of the 35mm film, it would have spent umpteen amounts of moolah for a single showing. But with digital projection, the movie just had to be downloaded (or perhaps DVD'd) to theaters nationwide.

Before-and-after promo pieces featured both the Japanese voice actors and the American ones. We could see that several of the younger Naruto fans were startled to see that the title character, a rambunctious 13-year-old boy, is played by a woman in Japan; and by Maile Flanagan, another woman, in the US of A. Believe it!