Monsters Onward! : Sights & Sounds (Labor Day Weekend 2010)

Things are on full here as the transitional life takes hold once again. But one of the cooler parts of this is the extra time I'll likely have to watching and studying materials for further posts & shows.

And speaking of shows, Combo Attack!!'s take on 1980s video game favorites comes to an at times hysterical conclusion this week. Recorded two weekends ago in Little Tokyo, Welcome To The Pixeldome was easily the closest we've come to an on-location broadcast, where anything goes, and edits were scarce. (And don't miss the musical interludes throughout, featuring the evercool sounds of NVR-NDR! - and...me, having some fun at the expense of a most particular rant.)



This particular weekend was geared more toward recreation than anything, so the roomie and I shot off to various stops in L.A. for Korean BBQ, boba-slushies, and some peeking at pop culture finds! A rare kind of day that will likely be best remembered for the great food, sights and pictures taken. Some know me to not be the most enamored with the facsimile Hollywood fantasy, but to dig deeper, and seek the geeky stuff(especially during a busy holiday weekend) makes it all worthwhile.

Also on the horizon, is an all-new Adventures On Infant Island involving (gasp!) Giant Monsters! Stay tuned for that, and more on the way.

Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010) Review

Leave it to the folks at Warner Bros. Animation to heap on the goods when regarding their DC heroes. Especially when it comes to who is perhaps the enduring answer to the grounded superhero mythos, the Batman. Multiple universes have been explored, several major motion pictures, tv series, and comics renditions have been shared to great acclaim, and yet remains one of the few major tentpoles that can remain potent no matter the number of incarnations. Perhaps it is in the symbolism of Bruce Wayne's alter ego that is most integral to fan's cravings. So even if the world of Gotham City has been reinvented, and reinterpreted countless times, the respect for Bob Kane's classic characters remains at an all-time high. Even as the horrors of very real-world crime, and despair begin to encroach onto what was initially considered to be older children's fare, the ever vigilant Dark Knight detective is the material with which even adults grapple with in extraordinarily trying times.

So when the animators responsible for much of the last 20 years of Batman's adventures on television delve into one of the most controversial events in comic history, the result can either be a rousing success, or a flamebait mess waiting to happen, I'm love to say that it is in most ways the former. The daring Bruce Timm produced, Brandon Vietti directed Under The Red Hood is an adult, bleak, and astonishing new addition to the Batman mythology that helps put to rest wrongs on both sides of the page. In many ways a fascinating look into Batman tales of long past, smashed head on into the harsh realm that is the post-Nolan grit of recent years.

The story begins years prior as Batman is unable to save Jason Todd (aka Robin II) in Sarajevo, Bosnia from the ever monstrous Joker, who has been released reluctantly by none other than  Ra's al Ghul.(A story which many may recall being the backbone of one of DC's most infamous moments, 1988 -89's A Death In The Family, which crushingly allowed fans to call in to decide the fate of Batman's reckless second ward. Naturally, his death was a rare event not long forgotten by fans.) It is in this first, unsubtly brutal scene that establishes an entirely new , unflinching tone for the Batman animated franchise. Flash forward to now as the criminal element is quickly being noosed up by a red hooded vigilante with an ultimatum, to rethink their drug & weapon smuggling ways under threat of death. Gotham is familiar with the Red Hood persona, however the goals here seem to be out to control, and possibly eliminate Gotham's burgeoning new underworld. Even Batman is familiar with various versions of the Red Hood, but none of them were nearly as savage, or as thorough. He doesn't even seem to be a criminal, but rather the very shadow of what Batman has always been. A masked wraith, willing to kill to save the world. To go where even Batman fears to tread.

And as the detective along with the help of the ever reliable Nightwing (Dick Grayson, the original Robin), revelations are surely uncovered that will not only haunt Bruce's waking life, but scorch the city as he is run head on into the very nature of Batman's dogmatic codes of virtue. The pressure runs deeper as Gotham's reigning kingpin, Black Mask with increasing panic begins to consider taking a madman off the leash yet again in a last ditch effort to regain control (which many know is often the worst idea imaginable).

To go any further would be a disservice to another exceptional, yet very grown-up look at a mythological icon amidst a radically changing world. Adding punch to this motif, the newly minted cast while clearly feeling their way into such iconic roles, is rooted firmly into this hybrid mixture of Bat eras, and they are often terrific. Bruce Greenwood now dons the cape and cowl with a more internalized confidence that also nicely implies an aging, pain riddled Wayne. Neil Patrick Harris is a truly fun & grounded Dick Grayson, who offers some of the film's much needed levity to the often grim proceedings. Supernatural's Jensen Ackles' Red Hood is both assured, and appropriately tortured in a surprisingly effective performance where it counts. But the biggest transition award goes to John Dimaggio who's more east coast gangster approach to The Joker is startlingly different than his legendary predecessor. While this may sound like faint praise, there is a hugely menacing presence in this film that is integral to the film's finale, and Dimaggio delivers exactly what this version requires. This is a nasty, horrific take on the character that perhaps requires a little adjusting to but is strong in its own right.

Notable support comes from the voices of Jason Isaacs in the role of guilt-ridden crusader, Ra's al Ghul, as well as a fun turn by Kelly Hu as Black Mask's assistant.

It's been a wild ride for Warner Bros. Animation since Bruce Timm's original Batman:The Animated Series took to the airwaves, and Vietti's direction, featuring a script by Judd Winick attempts to merge multiple variations of the Batman universe into a cohesive whole, which naturally abandons sheer grit, and offers a more lyrical aproach to how dramatically their world has changed over the lifespan of the Dark Knight's endless crusade. From the garish innocence of robbing the local museum of modern art, to the scummy junk joints on the outskirts of town, the film features a look at the junction where the childlike wonder of the hero life soon becomes tainted by the desperation of those resilient to law & order. It's this element that takes on truly dark dimensions near the end of the piece where Batman must confront the very inconsistency that has haunted him from nearly the very beginning. Definitely an end result of the immense success of Christopher Nolan's live action films, Under The Red Hood continues to question the very nature of the self-made superhero, as well as the blurring balance between heroism & vigilanteism with relatively effective results.

The State Of The Kaijyu (August 31st, 2010)

Well it looks like there may be a great deal more happening on these pages than previously for a while. In between occupations is not a bad place to be, and it also offers many a great opportunity to reach deeply for some above caliber material. Not a bad challenge.

But until that happens, there will likely be more than a few brief-shots occurring here than usual. Getting acclimated to this new schedule is going to take a little time. Steam will gather for sure, but just as a calm before the storm, I felt it best to make a note to not only my fellow readers, but myself as well. The events of last week couldn't have been more polar in extremes, so this only makes sense. One moment we're celebrating friends, and expressing in a myriad of method, the next, a major inspiration vanishes from view, and leaves the mediasphere (Fans & creators) in a most uncertain place..Perhaps it is time for a long neglected recharge of battery.

And on the same token, I will also likely have some more goodness happening at Variable Zero (since this is one of the very best places for me to work things out on a less intellectual level). And of course, Anime Diet will remain host to some of my stranger rants. There are still some vivid memories, and concerns to tend to on that front for sure. In a time when High School Of The Dead comes off as the one show not to miss, you know I have to chime in somewhere.

Also looking out for pals, and keeping up the daily on Twitter. Quite often you'll find me up to some mischief there, as well as sharing some of the most unusual findings too tiny for a mere post here. All in all, I'm still very much around, and there is a fun little review coming very soon. And hey....how about some podcasting? The latest episode of Combo Attack!! is the first of two incredible (albeit terribly informal-fair warning) shows featuring some love for seriously old school arcade games, and consoles. (and btw- check out my co-host's new blog for more dives into oceans of geek.)

Oh, heck. Let's just share this unique event right here. 

So yes. Plenty happening, and will accelerate as time allows. But give the other options a spin. I'll do my part to make them worthwhile.

Memories Of Satoshi Kon

Nearly eight hours since I first read the saddening news, and I'm still in a haze. I didn't expect to wake up this morning to fire up the laptop, resume job hunting, as well as preparing new posts, when a trusted news source Tweeted that visionary filmmaker Satoshi Kon had lost a battle with cancer at age 47. Naturally, doubt took hold for a few second, but then why would Takeda from Gainax lie about such a thing? The anime/film industry is not known for pulling such crass stunts, let alone someone from such a reknowned studio. And then things truly shifted moments later, when Studio Mad House's own Masao Maruyama confirmed the news.

Satoshi Kon was in fact gone, and the media world had lost a creative giant.


It feels like only a few years ago, when his name took a special hold in my heart. It was back when his animated adaptation of Yoshikazu Takeuchi's idol-world psychosaga Perfect Blue had begun to make a name for itself in cult film circles via magazines. And it wasn't until catching it at Anime Expo ' 99, did I feel the power of this incredible new voice. By taking the medium of animation, Kon had weaved a rare tapestry of sight and sound that both paid tribute to the best of the gialli, as well as trailblazed a daring new path for film narrative. It was a truly extraordinary experience, made all the more memorable, when the player used in the screening broke down in the middle of the film's reality-warping third act, making the entire crowd visibly troubled.

Upon the film's revival, the crowd broke into the fastest loud cheer I've ever witnessed for a film. The burst was audibly intense, and yet quick, in order to get right back into the thrill of the story. Kon had this crowd in the palm of his hands, no doubt. And I was right there with them.

Years later, I had already heard word of his follow-up which was to explore the life of a famed actress from the early half of the twentieth century, but I had no clue just how much Kon's melancholy drama Millennium Actress would resonate with me. Stretching across not only her life in the movies, but through the trials, and tribulations of a country evolving, the tale of Chiyoko Fujiwara was something that only alchemists of film can truly conjure, proving that the man's talents were far beyond the fare he had tinkered with previously, which was mostly horror & genre fiction (Roujin Z, Memories, World Apartment Horror).

And still, his assault on the mind via transcendent animation, and provocative ideas reached an apex when his career offered a one-two combo in the forms of a unique heartwearming comedy, Tokyo Godfathers, as well as the ultra grim spiritual follow-up to Perfect Blue, the television masterpiece, Paranoia Agent. Handling two seemingly different types of works within a short span of years seems suicidal when considering the high watermark of quality these works engendered, and yet both deliver strong amounts of emotion coupled with a genuine worry for Japan's contemporary spirit, as well as showcasing brilliant looks at the strains of everyday life. Somehow, Kon's characters, and tales have a relation factor that is unusually high in so that it blurs the distinctions between live action and animated material. His works function as neither the atypical Japanese production, nor does it ever cater to the anime otaku market. Somehow, his works exist in a universe all their own, and grant amazing replay value for those looking to immerse themselves in novel-like storytelling, with a penchant for the surreal.

So it must have felt natural, to follow-up the critical international success of these shows with a daring return to the type of mindbending material that brought him to this plateau. When upon first hearing that Kon's next venture was to take on one of Tsutsui's bizarre, and thematically complex novels in the science-fiction satire, Paprika, a bulk of us said, naturally! It only made sense, but perhaps to those who had in fact read the novel, it probably came off as a near impossibility. With such a strange use of language, and the ever iconic blurring of dream & real, it must have been something of a worrisome prospect for some. But alas, when the film was unleashed upon the world stage in 2006, the world embraced the wonder, and mystery of what was essentially the culmination of Kon's work thus far. A more lyrical, psychedelic mystery than the novel's dark satire, Paprika engendered an even more ravenous fan base. My memories of catching this for the first time surrounded by industry friends are as strong as if they had just occurred last night. Such an unapologetically made piece of work must have even been perplexing to many Japanese audiences, but somehow, the human heart of the piece buoys proceedings, and provides some of the most startling hallucinogenic imagery ever committed to film.

While not my favorite Kon film, it is a brilliant way to bow out, and will likely offer years of discussion with new friends as they discover it for themselves.

Which brings me back to what makes his works so special to me, they offered a bold alternative for the mutual worlds of the animated and the live by never adhering to pre-prescribed rules, and yet remaining intellectually and emotionally stimulating. They stand as proof that the visual medium can indeed break free from format and be successful. They also prove that anime can in fact work beyond the quick sell, and offer some much needed soul searching in a media society sometimes deeply neglectful of it. His works are existing proof that the nurturing of talent, as well as the support of it are paramount, despite what the often terrified media congloms would rather have us believe. There are no sure bets, so why bother play the same old table? The works of Satoshi Kon are of a universe not too far from ours, and we see the potential all over, and must'nt ignore the power it not only grants us as viewers, but to the creators who open the world to new forms & feelings.

I'll truly miss anticipating the works of this important voice, but I will also rejoice in the fact that he was actually here, and remains so as a beacon of hope for not only the media industries, but for all voices longing to explore new facets of the human experience.

A giant, lost..Satoshi Kon

Discovered the news inocuously via a trusted Twitter source, and within an hour, the confirmation began culminating like the giant wave. It was true, Satoshi Kon, one of the great visionaries of global cinema, with his startling visions of Japan's socio-psycho concerns has passed away to cancer at age 47.



Outside of this deeply saddening news, there are no real words that come properly at the moment, except to say that not only did we lose one of the japanese animation world's true icons, but film as a whole has lost a giant. I sense a podcast in the making. For now, the sadness is far to close. We'll miss you, Kon-sensei, and thank you for such incredible work.

Cooler Than Box Office (Celebrating Scott Pilgrim @ Giant Robot!)

In a long awaited, long in the action trek taken on a sunny Saturday afternoon, our trip to Sawtelle's ever great Giant Robot (Store Location 2) is something that was both surreal, and heartening to see unfold. The occasion (unless you haven't been reading these pages lately) was in order for fans to stop by, line up, and welcome GR's special guest, Mr. Bryan Lee O'Malley. Fresh from the Scott Pilgrim barrage that has for better or worse scoured the web over the last several weeks in the two-fold celebration of the release of Pilgrim's penultimate volume, as well as Edgar Wright's groundbreaking live action adaptation, the man wa gracious enough to stop by for a book signing, as well as a little surprise at the finale.

Thing was, despite his scheduled signing window of 5 - 7pm, as of 4:30pm, the line looked like this...

Yeah, and with that sun overhead, there was definitely a micro Comic-Con vibe when well over a hundred fans are willing to be out there for as long as they were in order to just say hi, and share appreciation for O' Malley's loveable Torontonians, and their wacky world.

Of course, had I remembered that GR2 was to be that exposed to the rays, I would definitely have brought on the SPF since I'm an ultraviolet lightweight.(Oh, well. I guess I brought the backpack for a reason)

The wait began the moment we arrived, and upon moving with the serpentine line, the enormity of this event, coupled with the sheer love of Scott Pilgrim began to take heartening dimensions as the up to six layers of line that eventually formed behind us. All this, in the sun (even with several younger fans with their parents at their sides) was a great alternate version of what many would consider the atypical fan crowd, as the diversity was more than gobsmacking, adding layers to the comic's impressive crossover appeal.(despite what the box office horserace would rather imply)

It was about 7pm when we finally had the opportunity to make it into the store. With a line remaining as far out(if not further than it had been when we started) giving credence to the thought that in these days of budgetary constraints, and increasing corporate control, the indie comic world seems to have its champion with a flaming sword, and a fistful of pixelated dreams...

The events of the day:

                                     (O'Malley with Buddy & Infant Island Co-Host, Jenny!)

                                       

Another Hiatus ala Anno?

Sorry folks! Been caught up with life such as it is. So in lieu of a barnburning new post regarding a new piece of media that has me helplessly attacking the keyboard, I give to you this well-produced, mildly amusing parody of the classic Shin Seiki Evangelion series, courtesy of Konata Productions (who also remind you to support the original creators, GAINAX, as well as good ol' Funimation!)


Gags ranging from the new scripts, musical, visual, and even unintentional, this is a modestly fun new way of looking at the anime milestone. Yay, internet!

Here are the first few installments:

Episode 02

For more, please follow Konata Pro on Youtube!

Special Thanks to the guys at Anime Diet for pumping the hell out of this.