Courtesy of Jockohomo, the new Speed Racer movie is set to be released in May 2008. I'm totally hoping that it's going to be campy and colorful and do the original cartoon justice. The previews are breathtaking - visually pop out and have the Japanese manga/anime effects in the trailer (so hopefully, the Matrix guys/gals(?) won't make it some silly, brooding goth fantasy, but embrace the go-go jetset future of Tokyo 60's pop.
I recall Speed Racer fondly because it was the one show we didn't get in Portland, Oregon until much later, but we all knew the jingle (in fact, I've a recording where I'm singing it with childhood friends). I think it was even the first exposure any of us had to Anime. I don't know why we didn't find the original cartoon so strange and jarring at the time (as we had our own pluthera of Space Ghosty weirdness from Hannah Barbara), but it all made perfect kid-logic at the time.
