Posted by Skrud at Wednesday, July 21st 2004 at 12:13am
Delving into Japanese independent cinema today at Fantasia, Harley and I saw The Bottled Fool (Gusher no Binds me). The 25 year old director, Hiroki Yamaguchi as well as three actors Luchino Fujisaki, Masato Tsujioka and Ikuma Saisyo were on hand to present the film and participate in a Question and Answer period. In addition to the feature, we were treated to a 13-minute short film by the director, called “Shuen”, that was at once interesting, artistic, and funny. The stage was set for “The Bottled Fool.”
<p>Taking place in a seemingly post-apocalyptic underground society, “The Bottled Fool” takes place mostly in a subterranean elevator. An explosion occurs and trapped in the elevator are Luchino, a smoking post-psychotic telepathic schoolgirl, two convicts, a mother and a baby carriage, a microbiologist, a kid with headphones, and the elevator operator herself. These events are all sumperimposed on top of an interrogation surrounding an explosion that took out an entire level and killed many people. The movie is artistic in its own twisted way, and the characters are eccentric, extreme, yet acted out flawlessly. It kind of borders on Jean-Paul Sartre’s <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/2070368076/qid=1090382834/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/701-6122817-4453122">Huis Clos</a> with a distinctively Japanese flavour, and the kind of twisted paranoid outlook that follows in style something like <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=166">Serial Experiments Lain</a> (of course, the similiarity in style may be entirely in my head). All in all I was quite a impressed and timidly approached the director following the performance to say “この映画はぜんぜんおもしろいです。ありがとうございます。” and asked about the construction of the elevator’s components (lots of very cool gear/technical imagery – but I did that in English. Luckily there was a translator handy). I think they caught me on videotape too… if they shove that onto some “Gusher no Binds me” <span class="caps">DVD</span> then Japanese people will be laughing hysterically at my horrible accent. Either way, I was quite impressed with what I saw. So far this is turning out to be a really successful Fantasia. :)</p>
Tags: 2004, fantasia | no comments
Posted by Skrud at Monday, July 19th 2004 at 3:41am
So today was the big day. We’d finally be seeing Cutie Honey which I’ve been looking most forward to ever since I managed to get my hands on the first episode of the original 1973 anime by Go Nagai. The series was never officially licensed in North American and can only be found on really old SVHS fansubs. Luckily some of these have managed to make it onto the internet in DivX format but even then it’s rare and I’ve only managed to find one episode. Anyway, Cutie Honey is often considered to be the “original” magical girl, and is able to transform to any appearance using the “I-System” developed by her father. She is a warrior of love, and fights with the power of love. And as if that’s not cheesy enough… they made a live action remake and Fantasia picked it up.
It’s amazing what filmmakers can do when they use modern technology to make purposefully uber-cheesy effects, and the result is the most over-the-top hilarious and ridiculous thing since the 1960’s Batman TV series and the subsequent movie (remember the “Bat Shark Repellant”?). In the movie, the ditsy Honey has to battle four supervillains from the infamous Panther Claw criminal gang to save her uncle who has been kidnapped. She teams up with Aki Natsuko (“Nat-chan”), the seemingly cold (but still cute) police girl and “Journalist” Seiji who always strikes cheesy poses as he talks. So does Honey. Natsuko refuses to. It’s hilarious. On top of all that I’ve had the movie’s re-working of the theme song (by Koda Kumi) stuck in my head all week (I have the music video too – I love JPop) as well as the awesomely heavy and solo-laden Animetal verison. (The lyrics are great) :). I now have an uncontrollable desire to see this movie again. Hopefully it will get North American distribution. (I also want to see more of the original series – I’ll have to scour the city for it). It’s cheesy, it’s campy, and it even pokes fun satirically at movies like Ju-On. I have to see Cutie Honey again! “もと。。。ほしいい！”
A few hours later, Harley and I moved on to a screening of the first three episodes of Satoshi Kon’s Paranoia Agent. (Satoshi Kon is most famous for his psychological thiller Perfect Blue). Paranoia Agent is in the same thrilling vain and we were hooked by the end of the first episode and subsequently disappointed that they only showed us three. I must see more. Apparently the series has been licensed by Geneon Entertainment but only in the last couple of weeks, meaning that we probably won’t see it around here for another few months still. Why do they bother dubbing it in the first place, I wonder? The kind of people who would be interested in buying something like Paranoia Agent are the same kind that would prefer to watch the series in Japanese with English subtitles. IMO, dubbing is a useless waste of time (especially since it’s usually so bad). Anyway, now I’m really looking forward to seeing more.
Tags: 2004, anime, fantasia | no comments
Posted by Skrud at Monday, July 19th 2004 at 3:22am
So it’s been a full week since my last post and I figured I should give an update on my Fantasia viewing. :) There are six movies to talk about so bear with me…
First “Sword in the Moon”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/film_detail.php?id=1097, a Korean medieval samurai-like movie. Amazing martial arts direction and some stunning scenery as well as a pretty compelling storyline, now that I’ve had the time to digest and decipher it.
The next day was “Ping, Pong”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/film_detail.php?id=1035 for which I have more to say. This movie, while being hilarious, didn’t pre-empt story for hilarity. I have to hand it to the cast and staff for creating a really good movie and making Ping Pong into a serious sport. (I don’t know if it really is so serious, but I’m convinced). It’s over the top at times, but subtly clever the next. The dialogue was witty at times and yet sincere at others. At heart is a clever take on humility and victory. Pretty cool.
Following up Ping Pong was the completely awful “A Journey into Bliss”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/film_detail.php?id=1049. Interesting to note that the crowd changed drastically from an appreciating anime/Asian-cinema-fan audience to what I will refer to as the “Art Fag Crowd”. And by this I mean the pretentious bullshit kind of people who can stare at a blank canvas and discuss how it represents “emptiness”. That’s not art, it’s just stupid. Anyway…. we could tell it was the wrong crowd when no one applauded or cheered for Daniel the “Fantasia Roadie” as he moved microphones and shut off the lights, as per Fantasia tradition. Before the feature, however, was an animated short which can only be described as “fucking shit”. Or, “shit”. Or “fecal matter”. (Pun intended x 3 – and yes, these are puns). And as if watching a cartoonist’s depiction of one man’s descension into excremental fetishes was not bad enough, we had to see the fucking most retarded movie ever made. I’ve given rise to the possibility that it was just too “artsy” and I didn’t “get it”. But then I remember what it was I saw. There’s nothing to get. While apparently this movie has been praised in the underground all over the place, I can attribute this praise to what I will call the “Emperor’s New Clothes Theory”. That is, no one wants to admit that it sucks and wrist being ostracized by the “Art Fag Crowd”, and so instead will assume that the movie is “too smart” for them and praise it as such. Either way, I hated it. (A lot of people walked out, actually, we were considering it but sitting in the middle of the row it would’ve been too much trouble to trample over a bunch of people). We’re considering making a law: Never see a non-Asian movie at Fantasia. Luckily, Immortel was good.
Then onto “Immortel”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/film_detail.php?id=1084 which is a French movie, with all the dialog in English. One thing that truly impressed me in this movie was the blending of live action and CG graphics. The merge was seamless. Some characters were entirely CG. Human characters at that, meanwhile they managed to interact with the live action cast flawlessly and at first I didn’t even realize they were CG. The scenery too was perfect. The entire movie had this Fifth Element gone really, really, dark to it. The storyline was weird, having to do with the Egyptian god Horus coming to Earth to mate with a special kind of superhuman woman to preserve his immortality. I’m still not entirely sure what to make of the movie as a whole. I think I need to see it again. But damn. It was cool.
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Posted by Skrud at Monday, July 12th 2004 at 4:12am
More from the “Fantasia”:http://www.fantasiafest.com front! On Saturday I saw two more movies. First, the original 1954 Japanese “Godzilla”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/filmdetail.php?id=1078 (aka ゴジラ). And then “Azumi”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/filmdetail.php?id=1009 (あずみ) featuring the gorgeous “Aya Ueto”:http://www.uetoaya.tv.
Godzilla was totally incredible despite its age. If it weren’t for Godzilla I doubt any of the movies or even anime and science fiction that I enjoy today would have been made. The special effects were certainly cheesy and see through (was that supposed to be a toy helicopter?) but for the most part it was very convincing. The acting, of course, was over the top. One also must wonder about the scientific flaws (given that in 1954 you could protect yourself from a nuclear bomb by cowering under a desk right?) which include an “Oxygen destroyer” that removes the Oxygen from water, “liquifying” the sea life. Either way now I’m very interested in seeing more of the Godzilla movies. I think I’ve only seen bits and pieces here and there of Godzilla vs. Mothra and some others, but Fantasia this year has “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/filmdetail.php?id=1079 and “Godzilla Tokyo SOS”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/filmdetail.php?id=1080 that I’d like to see. I guess I’ll end up renting them from “Marche Clandestin”:http://www.mcanime.com.
Then on to “あずみ”:http://www.azumi-movie.jp. Azumi is a Samurai flick based out of a comic book, and thus has a very comic-booky feel to it. Yet one realizes quickly (as with Battlefield Baseball) that the live-action medium was well chosen. There is a lot of spraying blood, and sword fights, and cool action scenes. The young but talented cast certainly provides a good serious-but-still-comic-book-cheesy feel about the movie that makes it a lot of fun to watch. I was also pretty damn impressed with the action scenes including what I will call the “jet-engine camera effect”. To understand, you must see the movie. The story however was pretty much your typical warriors-raised-from-youth-have-to-kill-their-friends-so-that-they-can-be-assassins tale (kind of like “Naked Weapon”:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0341495, except good). I’m really looking forward to the sequel which will have Aya Ueto as Azumi facing off with “Chiaki Kuriyama”:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0475752/ (Gogo in “Kill Bill Vol. 1”:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697).
Tags: 2004, fantasia | 1 comment
Posted by Skrud at Saturday, July 10th 2004 at 3:21am
More on the “Fantasia”:http://www.fantasiafest.com front. Today I saw two more movies, “8th Diagram Pole Fighter”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/filmdetail.php?id=1003 starring Gordon Liu, and “Battlefield Baseball”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/filmdetail.php?id=1010. 8th Diagram Pole Fighter is easily one of the most amazing Kung Fu movies I’ve seen. Despite the fact that it’s from 1983, the movie had incredible action sequences as well as a relatively well developed and superbly executed storyline. While it was over the top a lot of times (of course, it’s an early 80’s Hong Kong Kung Fu movie), it can easily stand up and rival such awesome films as “Fong Sai Yuk”:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106936/. I’m now looking forward even more to when I get to see “Executioners From Shaolin”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/film_detail.php?id=1017 which is by the same director (Chia-Liang Liu).
As for Battlefield Baseball… well, “ridiculous” doesn’t even begin to describe this movie. “Flesh Gordon”:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068595/ was ridiculous. Battlefield Baseball is beyond description. I will describe the intro sequence: a baseball game is being played. A ball goes flying towards the outfield. The outfielder leaps to catch the ball, and it explodes. This movie was …. unbelievably hilarious. With random bits from impromptu musical sequences, completely over-the-top acting, and (not to mention) zombies playing baseball. The movie plays off of well established clichés and is like a live-action anime, and is even funnier because of it. Now I can’t wait to see “Calamari Wrestler”:http://www.fantasiafest.com/en/films/film_detail.php?id=1057 hoping it will come close to the awesome hilarity of Battlefield Baseball.
Tags: 2004, fantasia | no comments
