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ORGUSS (1983) (anime)

by ThePete 1:45 pm 2008-12-19

It’s Friday once again and that means a review of some random anime I’ve watched recently. This week is the latest in a loooong line of Macross-related series. It’s full title is Super Dimensional Century Orguss and was the second part of the “Super Dimensional” series released back in the early 1980s, which started with Super Dimensional Fortress MacrossSuper Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross.


Sadly, Orguss is not available
on DVD in the US.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Overwhelmingly so! I’ve watched a LOT of anime that has come out of the 1970s and 1980s and Orguss is, by far, the most imaginative and fun of any of the series. In some ways I like it more than my all-time favorite of that time period Gatchaman.

Technically any good? While the animation does look like it came out of the early 1980s, it’s about a thousand times more consistent than it is on Macross and Southern Cross. The character designs are gorgeous and the mecha designs are really great. While I didn’t care for any specific mecha, the sheer number of designs the story required was impressive. What’s even more impressive is that the mecha are so different. You can recognize the style of the design as being from a particular country. It’s really well done.

The acting is fine, though a bit melodramatic in spots. The story is pretty solid and does a nice job of getting you hooked after just the first episode or two. Most importantly, the characters in this story actually evolve. While you may have been rolling your eyes at Minmei’s never-ending selfishness in the original Macross the characters of Orguss grow, change and become new, more interesting characters as the 35 episodes of the series pass by.

The only thing I had trouble with were the cultural issues. Character names and references to gender and sex were a little dated and a little annoying. However, as with most good anime, the series lets men and women occupy interchangeable roles of importance. Orguss doesn’t say women can’t do things. If anything, it says that all humans kind of suck (though the good humans do often do the right thing when it really matters).

How did it leave me feeling? Sadly, the series ends with a semi-classic “What the hell?” ending that is far too common in anime. However, the over all series is an immensely satisfying, well-written, character-driven, scifi epic, space opera set on Earth (sort of).

Final Rating? GSN - Go See Now! Of course, it’s not on DVD. So you can’t. But if you do find a copy, and enjoy great scifi and/or 1980s anime, you really need to see this. It’s really a blast. The sequel series Orguss 02 is available on DVD, but I have yet to watch it. I’d start in order in order since Orguss 02 seems to directly reference events in the original series. :)

SPOILER: Usually I don’t include story descriptions of things I review, in my pocket reviews, but I think since most people have never heard of Orguss before I should. So, if you just don’t want to know what this show is about, don’t read the following:

Premise: On an Earth plagued by spacial and temporal dimensional fractures, Orguss is the god of war in a culture that one of the crew members aboard the Glomar, a caravan of hippie-free-marketeers (!) who take in a human from another reality who may be the key to returning the dimensionally fractured Earth back to normal.

MACROSS 7 (1994)

by ThePete 4:42 pm 2008-10-31

It’s Friday and come politics or high water, I’ve got another anime series to review!

Macross 7 Gameboy Color box art
Sadly, Macross 7 is not available in the US.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely positive, but you have stick with it. A lot of anime series suffer from the “WTF is this?” Syndrome but you can beat it and come to enjoy the crap out of it if you can just get past the cheese.

Technically any good? Well, it’s horribly cheesy, as I’ve mentioned, but the story ultimately got me caring quite a bit for the characters. This series takes place 35 years after the original Macross and features a few characters from that series. It is almost a complete tonal departure from the “space opera” feel of the original show, however. That said, some traditional Macross themes do show up and to great effect: transforming robot planes, music and a love triangle. The music this time out is some seriously dated 80s-style rock that, by the end of the series completely grew on me. I now rock out to “Holy Lonely Night” on my iPhone when ever I’m bored on the subway. The triangle works well, but sadly, the robot planes are secondary (or tertiary, I suppose).

The voice acting, as always, is spot-on. The Japanese take their cartoons very seriously. The story and scripts are generally solid and structurally strong, but the subject matter does take some effort to get used to. Still, it’s this fanboy’s opinion that it’s worth that effort.

How did it leave me feeling? Pretty damn satisfied. Most anime series end with a relapse of “WTF is this?” Syndrome with endings that are either so baffling or so disappointing as to leave the viewer feeling the series ended one episode earlier. I don’t think Macross 7 does this. While there are a couple of weird things that happen, the end is solidly satisfying. Of course, I may have been biased as I watched since I knew there were two more Macross 7-related projects I had yet to watch. I haven’t decided if I will review them as they ultimately weren’t very satisfying.

Final Rating? SIYCF - See If You Can Find - This series has not been licensed for broadcast or release on DVD in the US or in any English speaking country. However, you can get the soundtracks on Amazon.com and copies of the series are floating around. However, if you can find it, does that mean you should definitely watch it? Obviously, this anime isn’t for everyone. I think if you enjoy fun, 80s rock, cheesy plots and/or are a Macross completist, you should definitely check this out. If you think the original Macross is sacrosanct and feel that its serious space opera tone should not be sullied by lighter, more fantastical plots, don’t bother.

Learn more about Maross 7 (complete with spoilers) and learn why this series won’t ever see the light of day in the US, check out the show’s entry on Wikipedia here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross_7

MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE (1984)

by ThePete 1:34 pm 2008-10-17

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely, though it was hard to reconcile this with the series it’s based on. In someways I prefer the series-version of the story and in other ways the movie. Sheesh…

Technically any good? It’s definitely tighter than the series–it covers a lot of the most important ground from the series in just a couple hours. The series needed 26 episodes and meanders at times. However, predictably enough, there are nice subtleties that got lost in this movie–the story does feel stronger in general, though. As a purist, I say watch them both. But on a technical level, I think that Macross: Do You Remember Love is better made and it’s a standalone movie. The animation is also superior–I don’t believe anything was recycled from the series and while the animation isn’t quite Disney-class (even for 1984, when this movie hit theaters in Japan), it sure as hell beats animation on a TV budget! All the original voice actors reprise their roles, so you know the voice acting is great.

How did it leave me feeling? Definitely satisfied. The story goes further into the origins of Protoculture than the series does, so things are more clear in the end. However, I wonder why they didn’t just make a sequel movie to the series and cover that extra ground, rather than retelling everything. The climax also makes more sense than the series.

Final Rating? SIYL - See If You Like. Macross is iconic in Japan. It’s like Snow White or The Lion King only it involves aliens, a love triangle and epic space battles. If you’re interested in Japanese culture or sweeping space operas (or both) then you shouldn’t miss this movie. Of course, if you’re an anime fan it’s worth checking this out.

Sadly, Amazon.com doesn’t carry it, so I don’t know how easy it is to find it on DVD. I’d suggest checking your local mom n’ pop video store and see if they have any old VHSes of this laying around. Maybe you might get lucky and find an old DVD of it.

PS. This is NOT Robotech. Robotech is an Americanized series using the same animation and story elements of the original Macross series this movie was based on. There is an English-dubbed version of this movie floating around but it sucks. There is not Robotech-ized version of this movie, however.

ALL THIS AND WORLD WAR II (1976)

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2007-06-06

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Generally, I’d say yes. Sadly, this is one of those movie that sounds so much better in theory, but finding a person to execute the story who can really make a movie like this that reaches it’s potential is hard, and in this case, it didn’t happen.

Technically any good? This film is simply a long sequence of World War II movies and stock footage cut together with Beatles cover songs slapped on top of it. In only very rare occasions does the movie actually take advantage of its own cinematic structure and make commentary–even silly commentary. It’s a real shame this film wasn’t better because the idea was so strong. However, not only did the director fail to make more than a few real comments on anything, the film ends up being pro-American propaganda. It completely ignores any footage from Dresden and shows a single atomic explosion so we see nothing about Japan.

How did it leave me feeling? VERY disappointed. I can only recommend this film to total cinema/history buffs. Sorry, but it’s really not worth it.

Final Rating? NFI - NetFlix It - Again, only if you’re passionate for movies and/or history. Actually, I’m not even sure it’s on DVD. :(

KILLER OF SHEEP (1977)

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2007-04-17

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely. Most people would take a glance at this movie and not see how amazing it is. It’s hyper-low-budget and was made thirty years ago, but if you actually engage your brain while watching it, Killer of Sheep becomes an incredible reflection of our culture.

Technically any good? While the plot is a little thin, the point of this was to present a slice of life reflecting what life is/was like for black families in Los Angeles. Very little crime, very few drugs, but a whole lot of poverty. Sadly, I saw a lot of parallels with the Los Angeles of 2007. The acting was a little weak among the supporting characters, but the leads were amazing. The cinematography was incredible as was the editing. Watch for the scene early on with the little girl in the dog mask. Slow, but powerful in the way it takes it’s time.

How did it leave me feeling? VERY satisfied. Really good movie. Sure, no explosions, gun fights, drugs or gangstas, but this black movie will entertain and educate you.

Final Rating? GSN - Go See NOW - it’s currently making the art house theater rounds, so look for it in a city near you for the next few months. Hopefully it’ll be on DVD before 2008. It’ll be in my collection soon after it makes it’s digital release.

LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF (2003)

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2007-02-27

Positive Experience/Entertaining? DEFINITELY. Before I sat down to watch this movie I was worried it would be a film only Angelenos would get and while there are a lot of inside LA jokes I think this film is an incredibly valuable work for anyone who is a film buff.

Technically any good? While it’s a “documentary” the same way a Michael Moore film is a “documentary” there are a lot of facts and insight the narration is able to provide. It’s interesting and fascinating and there’s quite a bit of humor. You may not get all the LA jokes, but you’ll still learn a LOT. The narrator’s dry delivery helps the film be that much more entertaining. Remember those old Motel 6 radio commercials with Tom Bodet? It’s sort of like that.

How did it leave me feeling? Satisfied–but only slightly–it made me wish the movie was a series, instead of just a 3 hour stand alone film. The film covers so much but only tip-of-the-icebergs Mexican and African-Angeleno filmmaking which are two genres of film that we hardly ever hear about. I hope the director of this film does a sequel centering around the Hollywood’s “second class” film industries for darker-skinned audiences.

Final Rating? GSN - Go See Now, well, if you’re in Los Angeles, the only city that I’ve known it to play in. It shows up at the Egyptian and the Aero theaters from time-to-time so if you live here or plan on visiting, check out EgyptianTheatre.com for schedules at both theaters (both are run by the American Cinematheque a GREAT group of people that could use a donation). I’m really hoping this film will be out on DVD eventually which will mean it’ll have to have a movie poster, too!

IDIOCRACY (2006)

by Siskita 3:51 pm 2006-12-02

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Oh man is it ever!

Technically any good?While the special effects were uneven, the storytelling is brisk and the editing keeps it moving. The acting is spot-on: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, and Dax Shepard make simple choices and refrain from bogging the story down. Other character actors go the whole nine yards and put their heart and soul into being brainless. Real but over-the-top.

How did it leave me feeling? Okay, here we go: Having just seen a midnight showing of the movie here in Los Angeles (thanks Santa Monica Nuart Theater!) I must say that this will go down in the history books as one of the most interesting, unique, inventive and funny movies of the decades. SHAME ON 20TH CENTURY FOX for not taking the time to advertise and distribute it!!!

But I can understand why they wouldn’t distribute it - the movie takes an unquestioning jab at everything FOX and channels like FOX NEWS stands for. Mike Judge takes a truly satirical look at the future of humankind- a “what if” of extraordinary proportions in which the idiots of the world outpopulate those with higher IQ’s. The corporate mentality, melded with assembly-line automation technology, create a world in which stupidity is basically tube-fed to survive. They’re basically left to their own to do mindless work and then sit at home watching T.V. Sounds familiar? Or do you think that’s a strange premise? Can’t visualize it? Mike Judge made it happen in a wonderfully inventive and frightening way.

The social commentary is incredibly witty and hilarious. Those who actually watch for the details will be stunned by the intelligent nuances mixed in with the “dumb” humor. But even the “dumb” humor is made specifically to comment on our own seeming fascination with fart humor, sex, and jackass entertainment. I don’t quite understand some reviews that call the jokes “bathroom” humor. They don’t get it.

This will soon become a cult classic, under-the-radar fare. I was laughing hysterically at this movie. I wanted them to hit rewind so I could watch it again then and there. It’s coming out on DVD early January, and I’m excited to get it, buy it for my family (all stupid and intelligent members), and hold a screening to introduce it to those who never heard of it or who didn’t get to see it in theaters (ONCE AGAIN SHAME ON YOU 20th CENTURY!!!).

“Welcome to CostCo. I Love You.”

Final Rating? GSN - any way you can!

And here’s a great latimes.com article by Pat Morrison about it!

GAMERA THE BRAVE (2006)

by ThePete 6:00 pm 2006-07-27

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely–Gamera for kids but in a way that doesn’t insult the adults watching. In fact, for a Gamera movie aimed at kids, it’s pretty dark.

Technically any good? Of course–the effects were very solid and the acting was pretty reasonable, too. Even the lead kid was pretty much believable. Oh yeah and the damn cutest turtle you’ve ever seen. Plus a couple wonderful homages to the Gamera films that have come before.

How did it leave me feeling? Good–it definitely left me feeling good. It’s not a sequel to Gamera III (which is my all time favorite kaiju film) but it’s a thousand times better than Super Monster Gamera.

Final Rating? GSN (Go See Now) if you’re a Gamera fan, everyone else can probably just RTV (Rent The Video).

I hope to see this pop up on DVD in the US sometime soon.

GODZILLA FINAL WARS (2004)

by ThePete 3:55 pm 2005-07-04

Positive Experience or Entertaining? HELLS, YEAH!! This Godzilla captures all of the cheesy fun of the classic Godzilla movies from the 70s and before. They even have Minya! It’s a real crowd pleaser in a good way.

Technically any good? While I can’t quite remember what the aliens were trying to do, I was so thoroughly entertained with everything else, I didn’t care so much. I also felt that while generally more character development of the humans is good, I sort of felt that it came in this movie at the expense of shorter fight scenes with each of the 15 montsers Godzilla takes on in this movie. FX were fairly solid, although I think they relied too much on CG.

How did it leave me feeling? Definitely psyched. While I generally prefer the more character driven kaiju films of the 90s (Godzilla Vs. Destroyah, Gamera III) there’s always a place in my heart for silly, fun, shameless cheese. This film has Japan’s answer to Gary Oldman in a hillarious performance from Kazuki Kitamura as the main bad guy and an equally scene-stealing-but-truly-cheesy performance from ex-wrestler/martial artist Don Frye as the commander of the good guy sub/ship/thing. In fact, Frye has what is probably the best line in the movie.

Final Rating? GSN (Hardcore G-fans will love this movie to death while relaxed fans should be able to ignore it’s plot holes and enjoy it for what it is–a good cheesy film!)

WALK ON WATER (2004)

by jen 8:16 pm 2005-03-25

Positive Experience/Entertaining?? Yes, I enjoyed this one. It’s a character-driven movie, which I like, and as it unfolds in Tel Aviv and Berlin it deals with issues of prejudice and the past.

Technically any good? It’s an art-house film without being too self-consciously arty; the direction is workmanlike and the performances solid.

How did it leave me feeling? I felt that I had gotten my money’s worth and had been entertained, but the resolution left me with a lot of questions– not questions having to do with plot, but with the ultimate moral message of the film. I didn’t find this off-putting; rather, I was glad that I had seen a movie that I was still thinking about a few hours after I had left the theater. Only one quibble, if it can be called that. The film deals very sympathetically with the topic of homosexuality (unsurprising, since the director is gay) and the friendship between the two male leads is tenderly well-developed, to the point where the female characters feel almost vestigial. However, since I so rarely see good gay-themed films, I’m willing to forgive the movie for that single flaw.

Final Rating?SIYL

STEAMBOY (2004)

by ThePete 1:53 pm 2005-02-09

Positive Experience/Entertaining?? WAS IT EVER! Great visuals (as you’d expect from the director of Akira) and incredibly imaginative story.
Technically any good? No movie is perfect–the story and characters could have been stronger, but then Japanese storytelling tends to be a bit subtle compared to what Americans are used to. It also doesn’t have a traditional story structure, but hopefully, this new 1866 will be so interesting to you that you won’t care that Sid Field was ignored for this script.
Final Rating? GSN (It’s great for most kids (watch out for some violence) and great for any adult that enjoys having their imagination engaged.)
This movie is not on DVD yet.

QUIET EARTH (1985)

by ThePete 12:09 pm 2005-02-07

Positive Experience/Entertaining?? Definitely! Creepy, cool, low-budget atmosphere made it seem very realistic and possible.
Technically any good? While there were a couple of shots that seemed particularly low budget (one dead body and a model shot) over all the film does a great job of keeping us guessing as to what’s going on and what will happen next. Great acting from the two leads, too.
How did it leave me feeling? In awe–very cool ending and it works perfectly with the rest of the film. I wish more films were made as well as this one.
Final Rating? SIYL (It’s an end of the world story, so it may be a little disturbing and there is nudity (female and male).
Pick this movie up on VHS in the US from Amazon.com or Region 2 DVD from Amazon.co.uk. (They will ship to the US–just make sure you have a multi-region DVD player!)

SKY BLUE (2003)

by ThePete 1:41 am 2005-01-03

Entertaining? On a basic level, yes.
Technically any good? I reeeally wanted to like this movie because it’s the first anime from Korea that I’ve seen, but the voice actors were mostly terrible. I’m a bit of an animation purist so when I see a foreign film, even an animated one, dubbed in English I get annoyed–but the American voices in this were so bad it made watching the movie difficult.
How did I feel as the credits rolled? The film is definitely visually interesting and for that it’s worth seeing–but will this be added to my anime collection or will it go down in history as a great anime? No on both counts. Of course, if I could see a subtitled version in Korean, I might change my mind.
Final Rating? SIYL (for the great animation)
This movie is not yet available on DVD.

THE KEEP (1983)

by ThePete 5:21 am 2004-10-02

Entertaining? Yeah, but only barely.
Technically any good? This movie is about a group of Nazis during WWII who are inexplicably drawn to a strange stone building nestled in the mountains of Romania. Inside is something that begins killing them off, one by one. Sounds like a cool enough premise, but this movie is really poorly executed. Directed by Michael Mann, you’d think this would be a better film. Sadly, he gives it the same treatment he gave his classic MANHUNTER. However, this is not a simple plot, like that movie. This plot requires depth of character and story dynamics. The acting is solid, but everything else is not. Also, the Tangerine Dream score is about as appropriate as a screendoor on a submarine. I love their music, but this movie takes place in 1941. You try watching a movie that takes place in 1941 with electronic keyboards backing up the scenes! It knocked me out of the movie every time.
How did I feel as the credits rolled? Confused and even perplexed. How could Mann make such a crappy movie from such interesting material? I really don’t know how. This film does inspire me to want to read the original novel it was based on. I’d also LOVE to see someone do a better adaption of the novel. I think you’d have to be an idiot to not make a better film than Mann has.
Final Rating? OAF - On At a Friend’s (It’s an interesting spectacle, but if you have ANYTHING better to do, like picking your toes, DO IT.)
This movie is NOT on DVD but may be found on VHS.

GODZILLA Vs. KING GHIDORAH

by ThePete 2:52 pm 2004-07-10

Entertaining? DEFINITELY!! This one’s my second-favorite of the 80s era of G-films for many reasons.
Technically any good? Well, they TOTALLY screw up the time travel aspects of this film, but there’s enough other stuff to completely distract from the HUGE plot hole that stops this movie from making sense. Good acting, effects, and one of the most exciting G-fights ever make this film one not to miss. It’s got extremely cheesy parts, but it casts time-travelling white guys as the threat, so I’m all over that! :)
How did I feel as the credits rolled? Definitely satisfied, but confused as to how the writer and director of this film let such a glaring problem with the time travel survive to the final cut.
Final Rating? SAM

BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959)

by ThePete 2:42 pm 2004-07-10

Entertaining? Um, no, not really.
Technically any good? While not as bad as movies like PRINCE OF SPACE and INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN, BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE is missing the very cheese that makes those earlier films bearable. Cheese is why we see scifi movies from that era of Japanese film making. This is just fairly realistic stuff without much of anything interesting happening.
How did I feel as the credits rolled? Asleep. It’s no fault of the actors, it’s all about the execution of the very slow, boring script. Blaaaaah…
Final Rating? DNS (Rent INVASION OF THE MYSTERIONS, instead!)
This movie is not on DVD–somewhat understandably, in my opinion. :(

GHIDORAH: THE THREE HEADED MONSTER (1964)

by ThePete 2:37 pm 2004-07-10

Entertaining? The first appearance of one of Godzilla’s arch-enemies is definitely a lot of fun.
Technically any good? Even the dubbed version of this movie is fun. Not the greatest dub in the world, but not terrible, either. Good character development, even some with the monsters.
How did I feel as the credits rolled? Definitely satisfied. It’s not one of my favorites, but as the first appearance of the three-headed monster, it’s a must for any true Godzilla fan’s collection.
Final Rating? SAM (Good classic kaiju!)
(For some reason this isn’t on DVD in the US–WHY???)

REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED, THE

by ThePete 4:14 pm 2004-05-05

Entertaining? Yes, but when a documentary is too entertaining, you begin to wonder how accurate it is.
Technically any good? It’s a brilliant piece of propaganda. I say “propaganda” not because it’s full of lies, but because it presents the Chavez side of things very well, but the opposition side is made to look very bad. Regardless of whether the opposition WAS bad or not, the docu came off unbalanced, to me.
How did I feel as the credits rolled? If everything that the docu presents about Chavez is true and if there was nothing bad excluded about Chavez from the docu, then I think Chavez is a great leader. But something tells me that no man can be that flawless and that much “of the people.”
Final Rating? GSN (It’s also a great example of how private corporations can manuipulate the public through the media.)

TAMALA 2010 (2002)

by ThePete 5:33 am 2003-10-04

Entertaining? Holy crap, was it ever! This anime will baffle and entertain you! In that order!
Technically any good? Well, this is definitely an experimental animated movie - it’s truly crazy, so it doesn’t have to work like a traditional movie. However, I think it does satisfy for the most part.
How did I feel as the credits rolled? Fired up - it was such a bizarre film to watch - it’s not really anime, but it is Japanese, but it’s just not like anything… it’s just weird… but in a really great way…
Final Rating? SIYL (It’s very trippy and doesn’t make a whole lot of traditional sense - but SEE IT! It’s great.)

TheBlurb: "The brave deserve their favors." -Saladin (according to Doctor Who)
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