Spoiled By No-Choice?

A few hours ago, running across twitter was another hashtag under the name #inthe90s in which a fellow tweeter remarked about the questionable quality of japanese animation that had been available in the VHS era. While there is some truth to me mined from such a statement, it was also clearly geared towards many (myself included) who have often gleamed highly about those days of brick and mortar stores & the lamented thrill of the hunt. But there is also something to be said about where we are currently, and how that may distort much of what folks like myself are attempting to convey. While it may on the surface seem to be another case of one generation bemoaning the existence of the other (while it often devolves into this), it also stands to reason that the current landscape, as well as many who have grown within it, are lacking in the context of what it means, not to only have required a little additional legwork in order to find hidden treasure, but that the lack of instant access to a world of media beyond the localized few was the proverbial sequence of hurdle necessary to tackle before even finding anything worth reporting about loudly.


Which perhaps leads this into one of the core reasons behind I'm sure not only my infinitesimal crumb on the internet, but of many fellow bloggers covering cult films and/or anime; the ability to share thoughts regarding the lesser known, the unusual, or even just articulating on the current and ever changing landscape of popular culture. And with bandwidth speeds now at a wilder clip than ever before, as well as the inevitable complete cross-generation of visual media & marketing, we are now within the most accessible era of entertainment choice to date, with providers popping up, vanishing, and at times intermingling, one might also easily quip like old curmudgeony folks about how the current crop are so spoiled. And while to a degree, this couldn't be more true, there is also the creeping inevitability that in a realm so inundated with choice, much like wandering an olde tyme video store, after all is considered, there rarely is ever as much quality within quantity. A truism, sure, but a truism that at times must be kept in mind.

So when one gets down to it, despite these amazing advances, it can still be said that a need for articulate discussion regarding works such as these is as great as it ever was. Even if there was less stuff being brought over here from places like Japan, what was often brought here were the thoroughbreds of a medium, followed by the expected carrion. And while many more of the lesser titles were never snatched up by US licensors, we are now in a time where streaming services can serve as a virtual dumping ground. It isn't that a medium became "better" or worse (though that can definitely be debated), but rather that we are now privy to the whole instead of the proud sum.

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.

Combo Attack Vs. The MCP!

With editing finally complete, and upload eventually taken care of, our latest edition of Combo Attack!! has a ball discussing the significance of Steve Lisberger's great gamble at Disney. Still hard to believe the Mouse ever had the gall to make this landmark happen. Ah, 1982.

And dare I say, this is a damn fine episode. Much fun was had by all. Check it out here, won't you?

Scott Pilgrim's International Trailer Hits All Notes

The more and more I see, the more excited I get.

Edgar Wright has gone ahead and released an International Trailer for his wild adaptation of Bryan Lee O' Malley's cult comic sensation, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. And even if I have yet to make any noise about it here on the Kaijyu, it must be said that I've been following the project fervently since 2008. The new trailer gives us some more great visual gaggery, not to mention something I wnted to see more of from the books, the role of Knives Chau...Scott's ex, and hopeless stalker! There's a lot of what we've seen before in other teasers, but the spirit of the books looks as close to intact as one could hope from a movie version.

But don't take my word for it..

Hong Kong Elegy Part I

The thought has often occurred to me that since I can be such an internal apocalpyse at times, that many of my interests tend to be applied in a fashion that is more in tune with the immediate rather than the meticulous. On one hand it can be considered lazy, while on the other, it is within the moment, filled with a grand love for unpredictability without restraint. It's just hard to place into words exactly it is that draws me into works that embrace this. Which is why when these thoughts occur, it is almost certain that a Wong Kar Wai marathon is somewhere, formulating in my mind and near imminent.

The Hong Kong auteur is no secret among my favorite film spinners. Particularly his works in the 90s, where he began to fins his own particular voice, and became infamous for extended, unprecedentedly long shoots without scripts, and sometimes merely a notion of plot. But within these particular works reside a soul longing for things intangible, a fundamental need to explore the world around him, without underlining his points with a bold black marker. Particularly his urban-centric pieces that seem to elliptically venture into feelings of both love and nostalgia within the seemingly cold doldrums of city life. Everyone is connected despite their lack of knowing each other directly. The romance comes not from merely declaring unrequited feelings, but from the small impressions left by others. And as so many lives intersect, the dweller knows within themselves a transformation has been sparked. Whether it be the inimitable Days Of Being Wild (1990), or the international darling Chungking Express(1994), Kar Wai's explorations into not only the Hong Kong experience, but of the ephemeral nature of the heart, are staggering even now.



And let's not skimp on the other element that has made the man's works so popular, few directors have the ability to simply make their lead actors look so amazing. What is likely obsessiveness, or plain visual saavy, his films create a framing that is wonderful for his actors. Even at their most anti-glamour moments in each film, his work with the ever terrific Christopher Doyle makes each star iconic in ways that few filmmakers can. Significant examples to me includes the imagery of a young Maggie Cheung working isolated shifts at the snack shop in Days. Or even the less than flattering, more disheveled looks Leslie Cheung & Tony Leung share in Happy Together(1997). And this extends well beyond the kind of looks we grew accustomed to with magazine shoots, and fashion ads. The looks are infused with feeling, often longing. Despite what some may imagine at the offset, the internal worlds of his characters carry great resonance through their facial expressions and body language - and it's something that isn't terribly easy to achieve.

On through 1995's Fallen Angels, the journeys of these intersecting lives continue to blur lines of individual realities, often opening doors into the surreal. No doubt compounded by budgetary limitations, the reuse of familiar locations also assists is in giving the films a sort of singular universal feel that implies more than any mere sequel can. The world continues to expand, adding layers to what often feels like a stream-of-consciousness visual poem.


(to be continued..)