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A classic in its own right~
Spearheaded by Otomo (Creator of Akira)
3 Back-to-Back Anime films by 3 different directors. Magnetic Rose, Stink Bomb and Cannon Fodder: all as cohesive as they are stylishly animated. If you’re into Sci-fi and wild worlds with rich characters I highly recommend giving it a watch ✨
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A 1988 anime masterpiece set in cyberpunk Neo-Tokyo. The film follows a group of biker-gang teens as they try to rescue their friend who has been captured by the Japanese government for experimental science. The end of the movie transcends all reason and is better felt than comprehended.
Feb 6, 2024
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I’m including this because it’s a vaguely unapproachable art film and I hope you’re impressed that I liked it. I saw it at Metrograph in January. Dreams consists of eight vignettes, each inspired by real recurring dreams from Kurosawa’s life. It was made late in his career and is described by Metrograph as “the work of a filmmaker with nothing left to prove but a great deal to say.” (I’ve been thinking about that phrasing ever since I read it.) I hate to sound like a frat boy but I was on mushrooms when I saw it and I am going to have to recommend that. I’ve never seen the uncanny nature of dreams captured so well.
Jun 6, 2023
An absolute classic, I do recommend all Satoshi Kon movies, and his serialized anime Paranoia Agent. But I would start with his biggest classic Perfect Blue.
The animation is beautiful, the character designs look very distict and each location feels very specific, specially Mima's room, giving a real sense of personhood to the character.
The story features Kon's critique of not only Japanse mass entertainment, but celebrity culture in general. It feels specially relevant in curret days where the concept of having a persona separate from yourself feels more and more common for most people.
Feb 11, 2025
Top Recs from @ink_j3t
Isolating and mystical, the Red Turtle (La Tortue Rouge) is a film soaked in longing and respite. I liken it to Cast Away but as a more tender love story. It’s quiet moments are bespoke of a greater understanding that things in our lives are underpinned by a changing world and that our proximity to nature is tied to how we care for one another. Not to mention the animation itself is amazing and has sketch-like quality I enjoy. I first watched it during the pandemic when moments of calm were needed and it certainly gave me what I was searching for-
I hope you give it a look, you might start seeing Red Turtles too 🌺
Apr 19, 2024
It’s got a hard edge and is super elegant. Favorite usage of it has been in graff culture as its had a recent resurgence
Apr 17, 2024
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This question has been in the back of my mind for the past few years because when we talk about “getting free“ we have to acknowledge that the bounds of the society we’ve created aren’t free at all. Getting free means breaking from oppressive power structures, having the freedom to collaborate with others without pretense of capital, the freedom to imagine new systems of governance for ourselves with the ability to change with consensus and the ability for us as a peoples to live in the commons (that is this world) as good stewards to ourselves and nature~
I won’t get into it too much but I highly recommend folks read David Graeber and David Wengrow‘s ’How to Change the Course of Human History’ or any of the video essays by @Andrewism🌿 to get a better idea of what I’m talking about ✌🏾
Apr 19, 2024