Anime in the Cinema

[Jiminy]

[cmoon]

[Huscheli]

I thought Earthsee was great. But I just love such stories. (Directionless you said. Most Ghiblis are like that if I think about it.) It had some Angst *me likes* and I liked the "world" they lived in. Okay maybe I loved it so much because I read all those bad reviews and bashings, so I didn't expect anything - and so I was quite surprised.

We had lots of Ghibli Movies in the cinema this year. Nausicaä, Pom Poko and others.
I would like to see Brave Story in the cinema. (Or at elast on DVD in the western world lol) I kinda liked it. Remembered me on the Neverending Story (but with more plot holes).

[Jiminy]

Yeah, "directionless" wasn't the most useful description I could have given.
I guess it seemed like the story had a plot, but then I couldn't actually work out what that was (for instance, I still don't know quite how the villain was destroying the world).

I think the problem may have been that the source was plot-heavy, but as Ghibli films don't tend to rely on technical stories a lot was dropped in the transition. I probably would have preferred it if it had distanced itself more from the typical Ghibli film and kept these details, or if Goro had tried to make something with a less complex mythology behind it.

Now, seeing Nausicaä on the big screen is something I really would have enjoyed.

[deadbeatpete]

[cmoon]

[deadbeatpete]

[Jiminy]

I probably don't need to tell you that I thought both Tekkonkinkreet and Paprika were great. Both were original while still fitting neatly within their bodies of work (of Studio 4C and Satoshi Kon respectively).

For sheer entertainment I thought Tekkon pipped the other with eye-bleeding visuals and (swaying my vote considerably) a minor role for a doctor with iconic facial scarring.

As a bonus the storyline was mostly understandable, and while the progression from symbollic plot to spectacular action (from Cat Soup, to Mind Game, to this) might become worrisome if it continues, so far it has brought nothing but good things.

[cmoon]

I know I could google, but I'm lazy.

What are Tekkokinkreet and Paprika?

Not anime in anyway, but I showed Get Carter (the original) and John Carpenter's 'The Thing' at a local art space last night (most because the scheduled program ended at 9.) Big screen projection and awesome sound! AMAZING!

[Jiminy]

Tekkonkinkreet is the new movie by Studio 4C, who tend to do a lot of shorts and music video type things, but usually with creative drawing styles and lush animation ( for one of their best shorts, "Comedy").

Fairly recently they started longer works; a short movie (30 mins) released in America by CPM as "Cat Soup", then a full length feature called "Mind Game" (fansubbed, although legit Asian releases and whatever weird release Amazon is selling have subtitles, trailer ) and now Tekkonkinkreet.

It's also the first feature anime to be directed by an American (with another American adapting the Japanese manga source material), so make of that what you will.

Paprika on the other hand is by the guy who directed Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and the Paranoia Agent TV series. They tend to focus on the theme of identity and reality, and are mature compared to most anime - not a lot of impossible proportions and some interesting ideas - which is always nice.

----

Those are really good picks for the art space. Get Carter is probably one of the best Michael Caine films out there - for a great actor he sure does some terrible movies...
What was the crowd reaction like?

[cmoon]

[cmoon]

Not quite sure what to say here, in a little bit of 'rapture'.

I own a digital projector that I use for my classroom, plus a 60"x60" screen.

Although I regularly use it for educational purposes, tonight I used it to re-watch Bambi in the large.

Yes, Bambi is one of the greatest animated films of all time.
Yes, like many other animated films, it is greatly served by a large screen presentation.

No, I can't 'analyze' it in any real depth beyond the WW2 analogies because it is the sort of deeply emotional film that animation was meant for--it introduces a world and allows you to become a part of it for a limited period of time; in that regard, we are just privileged spectators.

Part of me says post an announcement about this film next week at school and just play it. If I get 5 people, I have an animation club and I can reach that many more kids. Honestly, in today's culture, films like Bambi actually have a lot to offer.

Well anyway, it remains a great film. Detractors should be forced to watch it on the big screen. Regardless of other Disney films, Bambi is a sort of litmus test--if you don't get this one, it is hard to say what one gets about animation at all.

[Jiminy]

Man I haven't watched Bambi in years. I was just considering watching Snow White again but maybe I should double it up with this - I think I missed the WWII allegories when I was eight.

I'd hope you'd get a bit of interest in playing it at school, although I don't think my interests extended that far when I was a high school student. Still, I think I might have been tempted by the chance to watch movies at school, and from there I might have actually learnt to appreciate something.

Comparing these very early attempts (and also the early Japanese ones that borrowed from them) with the newer films I think the key is that they hadn't worked out the tricks to animate cheaply, or the scripts to blindly entertain. So you get still shots and jerky animation mingled in with some of the most detailed and heart felt scenes you're likely to find - scenes they wouldn't waste the money on now. And you get stories that haven't ironed out the melancholy or the sadness that might turn up alongside the carefree happiness. It's a generalisation of course, but there's a reason everyone remembers Bambi and the effect it had on them.

[Jiminy]

They're showing Castle of Cagliostro (dubbed) across US theatres on the 26th (of September). If anyone can go to this I would highly recommend it.
The website is . For a list of the theatres playing it see .

[cmoon]