Cowboy
Bebop - The Movie (2001)
Originally titled "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", the movie
takes place somewhere before the final
episodes (obviously), and places the crew of the Bebop into one
of their greatest adventures. The production itself reunites the
team responsible
for the series, so everything you expect
from Bebop is in there.
With the higher budget for a 90-minute episode, the art and camerawork
are much more polished than the tv episodes, and the fight scenes
(which would make Jackie
Chan envious) are more kinetic and smoothly animated. When Spike
goes up against his female equal (and she is hot), the movie reaches
it's crescendo. Bebop exudes cool, and this movie makes that statement
in spades.
The
Venus Wars
This excellent flick deposits a motley collection of characters into
the middle of a civil war on a terraformed Venus. Created by YAS
(Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, character designer of Gundam),
the art is crisp and the backgrounds are awesome (some of the best
-- ever). Featuring a good blend of character development and action,
this anime film is an often-overlooked
classic.
The monowheel racers make us wonder if this isn't where Phantom
Menace "borrowed" the pod-race sequence from. And Yas
did it 10 years earlier!
Dirty
Pair - Girls With Guns
The original "Girls-with-Guns-action-adventure-comedy-series" out
on another exciting adventure. Created from an offshoot of the Crusher
Joe movie (they were the subject of a "drive-in movie"),
the YAS concept
of Kei and Yuri got their own TV series which led to a few films.
The American fan base exploded when Adam Warren put together a comic
book series based on the Lovely Angels.
This is essentially the original "two girls wearing bikinis
and toting machine guns" anime. If you've even heard of this
type of stuff, this is the series you MUST watch. Often copied, never
duplicated, Dirty Pair was always the best.
Spawn
- The Animated Series Todd
McFarlane's SPAWN Comic
Book was a grotesque, gothic, violent, bloody, gruesome tale
that rocked our world. It's awesome and brilliant. The live-action movie
just didn't do it justice. But the animated series, produced by
HBO, stayed true to the roots of the comic and was dark, violent,
and had a twisted sense of humor.
This is definitely NOT FOR KIDS, with foul language, nudity, and
enough action to satisfy any fan of the comics. However this may
be the best "anime" series ever produced on this side of
the Pacific, and certainly gives you the impression that this is
the kind of stuff the Japanese
SHOULD be making. If you want something that'll really blow you
away – then this is it.
PaRappa
the Rapper 2 - for PS2
A big thumbs-up to Rodney Alan Greenblat, who created these memorable
characters for the game! A sequel to the original PaRappa the Rapper
(which was a tremendous hit in Japan, and certainly one of the most
unique and clever games created for the Playstation), this re-unites
some familiar faces with some new and exciting adventures while also
bringing the fantastic music and addictive gameplay that you would
expect from a PaRappa game.
As we're big fans of Rodney's work, we're already salivating at the
prospect of a PaRappa 3! Great art, great music and a great game.
What more do you need to while away those dog days of summer? Hang
out by the A/C and jive!
Persepolis:
The Story of a Childhood If you remember
the brilliant breakthrough comic MAUS,
this is the version for our generation. This is the
autobiography of a spunky, smart girl growing up in
Iran, during the time of the fall of the Shah to
the fundamentalist reign of Khomeini.
With each page you will become more and more afraid
for the high spirited girl and her sophisticated, educated
parents. Her questions and tastes for Western music
and clothes are dangerous. How long before the secret
police come knocking at the door?
Persepolis is her testament to the crimes committed first by
the Shah and then the thousandfold worse crimes created by
a revolution which was supposed to address those problems.
It's also a very accurate image of those years. It makes you
laugh, and it brings tears to your eyes at the same time. No
matter what your interests and tastes, you will enjoy if not
love Persepolis.
A
Hundred Years of Japanese Film Donald
Richie is one of the foremost authorities
on Japanese cinema. After serving as Curator
of Film at MOMA, Richie moved to Japan, where
he immersed himself in the Japanese film
world, eventually producing several classic
works, including books on the world-renowned
directors Kurosawa and Ozu.
In this book, Richie offers a highly-readable insider's look
at the achievements of Japanese filmmakers. He begins in the
late 1800s when the incipient industry took its inspiration
from the traditional stories of Kabuki
and Noh theater, and finishes with the latest award-winning
dramas showcased at Cannes.
For the movie-going reader, a selective guide in Part Two provides
capsule reviews of the major Japanese films available in VHS
and DVD formats, as well as those televised on standard and
cable channels.
Stereo
Type A
[Cibo Matto]
Okay, this album's a few years old, but what a masterpiece! "Sci-Fi
Wasbi" (track 6) alone justifies the purchase of this
CD. But don't be fooled, because the very next track (Clouds)
proves the duo of Miho Hatori (who also is behind Gorillaz)
and Yuka Honda can sing better than just about anybody.
Stereo Type A is a mature, instrumentally rich album that sees
the group break the novelty mold and achieve recognition for
compelling songwriting and interesting arrangements. Quite
a change from the hilarious "Know
Your Chicken".
Stylistically, this album's all over the map, no two tracks
seem to draw on the same influences, which is a refreshingly
good thing, particularly if you're tired of groups whose songs
all sound alike.