What Emmanuelle Movie Did You Just Watch?

[Captain Russ]

I think it is more to do with the style taking precedence over everything else.

Everything is a set type, model sheets are disgustingly incestuous in terms of character reference/outright theft, and the storytelling is always pushed to ludicrous speed and just becomes either an avenue for POWER BATTLES or AMBIGUOUS HALLUCINATION INTERPRETATIONS (also featuring robots and bullshit).

And the voice acting is uniformly terrible. English or in the original Japanese.

The only things that I can think of that transcend the juvenile trash found in the thousands of MANGA!/VIZ films is Studio Ghibli's output. A lazy comparison can be made between this and the "PIXAR vs. Everyone else with a aminashun studio" sliding scale of quality.

[Bobby Bear]

I'm far from an expert on or great exponent of anime. I got into it quite heavily around my mid-teens through Ghost in the Shell (the original, not the seemingly endless line of sequels or spin-offs that followed), Patlabor, Patlabor II, and - yes - Akira. None of those feel to me like the sort of juvenile hokum you're talking about, and I know there's a lot of it out there.

These were the sort of films that would be epic sci-fi adventures if they were live action, and they often experimented in ways mainstream movies never would. Moreover, the animation was absolutely off-the-hook. Nothing like the animation I'd seen before.

I started delving deeper into anime, although I soon got sick of wading through the tripe to get to the classic stuff; it's basically the same problem I find with comics today and have done for some years now. It seemed to me then like the good-to-rubbish anime ratio was tipped awfully in favour of the latter, and it was a bit expensive to try finding the next gem at like 15 or 20 quid a pop for a VHS! Oh, how I loved the hunt though. Many a fond school day was spent extolling the wonders of anime to my mates, many of whom had never seen a single title before. I felt like an explorer glimpsing into a new world, then reporting back to my chums about what I'd seen.

"...and yous should see the huge big mecha robots their police use They're so class! Think an even more massive version of the Power Loader from Aliens, only you sit down in the cockpit of it. It's the ticket so it is!

You've got to sift through a lot of bad conversations to get to the action, but when you see one of them things rip another one apart, it's all worth it...."

[Captain Russ]

I remember the hunt as well.

It's why if I had a time machine, I'd go back to the Anime Exchange and kick young me in the balls.

[Bobby Bear]

I'd want to go back and get the current us's to high five our earlier selves simultaneously. Then, it would hold on us smiling, in mid-high five like in that animated Clerks episode.

Unless it's like Timecop, in which case I would pull you away from Pre-Russ and we could go ask if they have a copy of Ninja Scroll or something.

[Captain Russ]

Never stop being an optimist, Bobby.

The odd thing is that I admire the cartoonists and their work on the page. I appreciate Otomo's amazing background details and his sense of pacing.

I still own all of my Blade of the Immortal trades.

But those are in print, and I can take as long as I want with the images without feeling like I was raped in the ocular cavities (I bet there's already a manga or an anime devoted to this).

And I forgot to mention the editing is also pretty bad in anime (shots will linger to almost comedic lengths or cut at such a rapid clip that it feels like Michael Bay had somehow found a way to retroactively insert his aesthetic into Japan's quivering brainvagina). But there it is.

[Bobby Bear]

See, that is so strange. I don't find that at all with anime, yet the last Transformers literally made me feel lethargic. I genuinely left the cinema feeling like I'd been whacked over the head with something. The pain had gone, but the initial haziness remained.

[Abraham Smashington]

Haha, Transformers raped Bobby.

[Abraham Smashington]

I think it is more to do with the style taking precedence over everything else.

Everything is a set type, model sheets are disgustingly incestuous in terms of character reference/outright theft, and the storytelling is always pushed to ludicrous speed and just becomes either an avenue for POWER BATTLES or AMBIGUOUS HALLUCINATION INTERPRETATIONS (also featuring robots and bullshit).

And the voice acting is uniformly terrible. English or in the original Japanese.

The only things that I can think of that transcend the juvenile trash found in the thousands of MANGA!/VIZ films is Studio Ghibli's output. A lazy comparison can be made between this and the "PIXAR vs. Everyone else with a aminashun studio" sliding scale of quality.

All of this. Also, RE: Akira. Everyone in it is a piece of shit. Every character is an annoying asshole or worse. The only good parts are the goddamn backgrounds (which are amazing) and the first bike fight. Everything else is an exercise in excess.

[Abraham Smashington]

I remember the hunt as well.

It's why if I had a time machine, I'd go back to the Anime Exchange and kick young me in the balls.

Not I. If it wasn't for the hunt for the RED STICKER OF AWESOMENESS I never would have found Urotosokidoji.

[Martin]

haha. Akira has heart and Transformers is hollow?

Yeah, I'm getting off of this crazy train.

I'm off too!

And Akira fails in that respect. Transformers wins in that respect.

TF 1, AKIRA 0

DAT.

And honestly Bobby, Ghost in the Shell IS a masterpiece. Especially compared to Akira.

Now, Redline.....

nnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggggg

[Abraham Smashington]

I hate that I have to watch Redline due to you, Anderson and others saying it's the best goddamn thing on the planet. If it sucks I shall hunt you down and require you to make me poutine.

[BillyG]

I almost bought Redline the other day because of them as well. I felt too dirty.

[Matt]

GET SHORTY

Still holds up. Just a fun little movie with some great characters doing their thing. This just may be my favorite Travolta performance...the casual ease which he brings to Chili Palmer is just amazing. Charming, charismatic, and funny without being overdone. The supporting cast all delivers the goods as well, but Dennis Farina is top fucking notch. The guy needs more work.

[Abraham Smashington]

All about DeVito in that flick, especially when he first meets Chili. Love that movie, it's a shame the sequel was rancid (even the Rock couldn't save it).

[Matt]

DeVito was great. Rene Russo was, once again, smoking fucking hot.