movie recommendation: Ghost in the Shell 1&2
Correspondent:: "nu-monet v7.0"
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 21:21:46 -0700
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I'm not a big fan of manga, but I liked Ghost
in the Shell 1 and 2 on several levels. The
first being that whoever did it is so obviously
a fan of Blade Runner that they just *had* to do
a Japanese version of a future like that.
So a good approach to these movies is to look at
them as sequels, in a way, to Blade Runner. The
same future, maybe somewhat later, and in Japan.
Replicants and cyborgs are totally integrated
into society, however. Notably, no non-humanoid
robots are evident.
The second aspect is that the movies only share
some of the same characters and basic setup, not
plot, otherwise they are completely different from
each other. The first one is introductory in
character, and simpler in its appeal, more
interesting from the "what percentage of human
is human?" point of view.
The second movie is more like Blade Runner, with
special cops chasing murderous humanoid robots
through astoundingly good backgrounds and city-
scapes. It is leaps and bounds artistically
above the first movie, which is not bad at all.
They also embraced Ridley Scott's willingness to
integrate some slow, "mood" scenes that really
help in character development, along with some
heady literary references in their dialogue to
such things as Milton's Paradise Lost. And *then*
they added in some Japanese cultural festivals in
backdrop, but not obnoxiously.
Even got me thinking about Asimov's Elijah Baley
and R. Daneel Olivaw, and how Caves of Steel
should someday be made.
Hella good.
--
Give me thank or kill me.
--nu-monet
Correspondent:: nikolai kingsley
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 18:13:32 +1100
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>
> Hella good.
>
ah concur with thuh honorable senator from wherever the hell he's from.
i would like someone to explain why the Fuchikomas are now called
Tachikomas, though.
Correspondent:: HellPope Huey
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 17:42:08 GMT
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In article <42141BDA.545F@succeeds.com>,
"nu-monet v7.0" wrote:
> I'm not a big fan of manga, but I liked Ghost
> in the Shell 1 and 2 on several levels. The
> first being that whoever did it is so obviously
> a fan of Blade Runner that they just *had* to do
> a Japanese version of a future like that.
I could go along with all of that; its classy stuff, well worth seeing.
However, I feel an increasing tedium with the fascination with
dystopias. Too much tension, too little release, too plausible three
steps down the societal road.
Although it veered too far from Fritz Lang and too close to Pokemon in
a spot or two, I was far more enamored of Tezuka's "Metropolis." By
turns, its achingly beautiful and horrific to LOOK at and there is a
tangible element of humanity to it that keeps it from being merely
another swim in a cesspool of cyberpunk. Its rather abstract up to a
point, but somehow, the synergy just plain works better than the usual
fare.
--
HellPope Huey
Go the the pet store and buy a box of white mice,
such as people feed their pet snakes
and drive around throwing them at people from your car.
That should clear your head a bit.
That best portion of a good man's life:
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
of kindness and of love.
- William Wordsworth
"Cool! I'm vomit!"
- Bart Simpson
Correspondent:: "Rev. Ivan Stang"
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:20:23 -0500
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In article <42141BDA.545F@succeeds.com>, nu-monet v7.0
wrote:
> I'm not a big fan of manga, but I liked Ghost
> in the Shell 1 and 2 on several levels. The
Was that on divX? I recall seeing it out there somewhere but I
disremember whether it was at the divx or the svcd place. I thought
about copping it because I seem to recall The Onion had good things to
say about it, and The Onion reviewers usually steer me pretty rightly.
I have been editing instead of posting but pretty soon I'll have more
shit to post.
And I do mean shit!
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