“Ghost in the Shell” helped cement my love of cyberpunk and sparked my interest in how the web can serve as a manifestation of our collective subconscious. I have an original pencil-sketch from the movie that greets me every time I come home. So when I came across the following news, I gagged a little.
According to this article on Anime News Network, DreamWorks has optioned “Ghost in the Shell” and will be turning it into a live-action film. This was something I joked about when I heard that “Akira” would be getting a similar makeover. It seems that as Hollywood runs out of comic book plots to maim they are turning to seminal anime films.
DreamWorks, I implore you, please do not make this another “Ultra Violet”. Do this film justice. Restore my faith in mankind. Seriously.
The trailer for the new Batman animated project I have written about previously has hit the web. This project is a direct-to-video release that features a series of short films that fill in the story gaps between “Batman Begins” and this summer’s “Dark Knight”. I can’t wait to pick this one up on Blu-Ray and see what happens when premiere anime directors tackle the american comic icon.
Sorry Eva fans, there is no secret governmental organization working to protect Tokyo-3. Instead, NERV is Cisco’s “Networked Emergency Response Vehicle.” This specialized vehicle serves as a mobile command center to aide during disaster relief.
“Wolf’s Rain” takes place in a dystopian world ravaged by war where the last remnants of the human race are scattered about the globe in city-states. These cities are the last safe enclaves for mankind, and are ruled by a near-mythical echelon known as “The Nobles”. Intermingled with these city-dwellers are the final descendents of the thought-to-be-extinct race of wolves. The wolves possess the ability to shift their shape between their animal form and that of a person, and it is through this device that they are able to remain undetected as they too scrounge through life trying to make ends meet.
The story revolves around a pack of wolves that come across each other and are led by a mysterious new-comer to the city, Kiba. Kiba is on a quest for the mythical “paradise”, and is driven by his determination that there is this heaven-on-earth that holds the secret to salvation for all wolves. Others join him in this search, and the plot that unfolds details the adventures of the pack as they go out in search of their promised land.
Last week I wrote about the new Batman animated project. Today I present the first teaser for this project. It really seems like it will be an interesting and exciting exploration of the character, and I am pretty thrilled about the prospect of seeing Batman back in his animated glory.
So Batman is coming back, but not just in the live-action feature films. We are going to a get a return to the Dark Knight’s golden years as Bruce Timm, co-creator of the seminal “Batman: The Animated Series”, helms a new collaboration. Much like the “Animatrix” which tied together the original “Matrix” and its sequel, this animated project will embellish upon the upcoming Batman film.
The project, a collection of six short films, is called “Batman: Gotham Knight” and some of the premiere Japanese animation houses will be involved: Production I.G., Madhouse, and Studio 4C. Rumor has it that Kevin Conroy, the voice from the animated series, will be reprising his role in some capacity for the Direct-to-DVD (and Blu-Ray) release. This definitely is a project to follow, and if the previous series is any indicator, it stands to be a thoughtful, gripping, exciting, and thoroughly bad-ass take on our favorite caped-crusader.
Last night I put myself through the psychological trauma that is Hideaki Anno’s re-imagining of the ending of the anime classic, “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” This is the second time I have watched this film. The first was 4 years ago after a non-stop binge with college friends where we watched the whole series without interruption in a marathon session.
While on the surface this series may seems like yet another mecha story, it really is the manifestation of Anno’s own bout with depression that delves into heavily philosophical questions around the nature of the ego. It asks what do we do to prove our own existence to ourselves versus how we gain our sense of reality through others. Shinji is challenged to choose between giving up his individuality in order to find solace through becoming one with others, or to live selflessly and accept that life has pain, and in that altruism gain a sense of individuality. The former is route of complacency and emotional stasis, while the latter will bring about inevitable personal pain, but also the potential for great joy. Shinji’s choice will literarily determine the fate of the world.
The key to the film’s ideology lies in the line: “the beginning and the end are one and the same”.
Four years later, the iconography and imagery still struck me. It continually pushes you with poignant commentary, and it reminded me why it was such a formative viewing in my development as an anime fan. The only downside to this film is that you really should watch the preceeding 26 episodes to truly appreciate this masterpiece. A third take on the series will hit DVD in Japan this April.
So I was sitting at my friends’ watching the Oscars last night, and was shocked to see cosplay at the ceremony. When they announced best supporting-actress and panned over to the recipient, Tilda Swinton, it struck me. Her awards show attire made her have an uncanny resemblance to a certain video game attorney: Phoenix Wright. Is Ms. Swinton secretly a fan of the series and who sought to pay homage to our favorite “ace attorney” on the global stage? They certainly share a hair-style and a predisposition to emphatic pointing gestures…
The word on the street is that Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Brothers are teaming up to make a live-action version of “Akira”. They will take the manga story arc and split it into two films; the first one will be released in 2009. The setting will be changed from “Neo-Tokyo” to “New Manhattan”.
Really? Really? Does this really need to be done? Are there no “Titanic” sequel scripts lying around that LeoDio can lend his creative energies to?
This is now the second anime film near and dear to my heart to be getting the live-action treatment. “Neon Genesis Evangelion” is also in production, with WETA at the effects helm. Are anime remakes the next script-factory that Hollywood will be turning to once we run out of comic books? How long until Mila Jovovich is cast as Major Kusanagi in a new “Ghost in the Shell” film?
In light of the recent announcements swirling about Blu-Ray’s defeat of HD-DVD, I decided to go out and buy my first Blu-Ray discs. i swung by Amoeba Music and picked up “Paprika” and “Tekkonkinkreet”, since I figured that animation would really pop in HD. I made the plunge into hi-def viewing by inaugurating my PS3 with “Tekkonkinkreet”.
As I sat absorbing this gritty tale of orphans taking on gangsters, I was amazed at how the cripsness and brilliance helped immerse me in the film. The film centers on two codependent children, Black and White, who challenge rival street urchins as well as the Yakuza in a territorial battle over “Treasure Town”. The film deals heavily with the question of finding balance: in the development of city, in the control of the town, in the power of friendship, and within one’s own psyche. The ethereal tone of the film highlights animation’s power to forge fantastic worlds.
There is no better way to celebrate the imminent demise of HD-DVD and the end of the “Format Wars” than by enjoying some hi-def goodness. Will I repurchase my entire movie collection? No. Is having a single format better for consumers? Certainly. Is direct-download going to replace physical media? Eventually. Is there a better way to handle this migration as well as a more convenient model for content ownership in the digital age? That is a whole other blog post…
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