My name is Phil and I'm addicted to Anime

The Early Years.




I've loved anime since around 1994-95. During my early teens Channel 4 went through a period of showing anime late at night. During one of my late-night channel surfing sessions I found myself transfixed by the super deformed styling of the characters animation and the swear words that came from their mouths. It was a WTF moment that changed everything. My attention was caught long enough to take in the preceding ultra-violence and nudity, and from there on I was hooked! I was 13, seeing a cartoon with guns, gore and titties was possibly the coolest thing imaginable at the time.




I was aware of Japanese animation prior to this, but it was these Channel 4 late-night sessions that really exposed me to the whole phenomenon. I'm glad I got into it when I did, before it become oversaturated. With that first wave of films and OVA distributed by Manga Entertainment it achieved a cult status in the West that made it cool. There was the obvious legendary titles such as Akira and Fist of the North Star, but the ones I remember most fondly from this time squander in near obscurity now...


Cyber City Oedo 808



This sealed the deal. A 3 part mini-series (it’s a massive crime only 3 episodes were ever made!), about 3 convicted criminals in the future who are employed as part of a 'Cyber Police' unit to reduce their life sentences. They have to follow orders and keep in check thanks to an explosive collar around their neck! I’ve only seen it once since watching it back then on TV (a borrowed VHS from a friend years ago), and I’ve only seen it in the English dub (bah!). But from what I can remember this was the most kick-ass awesome action anime I can recall.

If you’ve not seen it and like your old-skool action stuff like Guyver, Crying Freeman and Ninja Scroll I highly recommend this forgotten little gem. Although, I think it’s quite hard to get a none import DVD and even harder to get a version with both the original subs and the English Dub on one disc.


Legend of the Four Kings





Hardly anyone remembers this one, but the few that do always get excited when you mention it. It follows 4 brothers who are the descendants of the divine Dragon Kings, trying to live normal lives on Earth with their supernatural powers and ability to transform into dragons. Obviously this being Japanese animation evil forces come to ruin their precious little lives and all hell breaks loose. I would love to re-watch this series on DVD, but unfortunately it goes for ridiculous money on import.


3x3 Eyes




This series follows Pai, a 3 eyed Sanjiyan Ankara (powerful mystical being) who is the last remaining of her kind and her immortal companion and protector Yakumo. Another I haven’t seen since it was shown on TV that isn’t easily available or affordable on DVD. I remember it having viciously brutal action sequences, taking full advantage of Yakumo’s immortal power of resurrecting from any wound, no matter how severe. He even had the ability to grow his limbs back; so he would get cut up, mutilated and severely beaten and just keep coming back!


A Pop Culture Phenomenon

The first wave of anime to hit our shores during the late 80’s and early 90’s boom caused controversy in the press, newspapers protested at the ‘ultra-violence’, depraved nudity and sexual violence seen in films like ‘Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend’. This notoriety cemented its cult status in the West.



It became more and more readily available on VHS, the local video store even had some Manga videos and I was introduced to the awesome bio-mech action of Guyver and the zany madness of Dominion Tank Police. Kids at school thought I was weird and immature watching these ‘strange cartoons’.



When I started college a friend there was selling his entire collection and I bought them all. I couldn’t get enough. But I wasn't alone in my habit and with commercial shows like 'Naruto' anime was no longer as cult cool as it once was, but my addiction continues with some of the newer generation, revisiting old favourites for nostalgic reasons and catching up on the classics I should have watched.


Going To Tokyo

During my 2 week Tokyo honeymoon I don’t think I could have geeked-out better anywhere else. All the comic and toy shops and arcades were EVERYWHERE! You couldn’t escape the anime goodness in Tokyo. All that culture, my heart was finally home. 'Mandarake' was the place to be; ‘one of Tokyo's largest vendors of used anime and manga-related products. The store stocks collectibles, VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs and used manga, toys’...



(me at the entrance to Mandarake)






I might have come home with a few little mementos from Tokyo (possibly a suitcase full).


Studio Ghibli and the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo



Studio Ghibli continues to push the envelope on 2D animation, from classics 'Princess Mononoke' and 'My Neighbour Totoro' to the stunning 'Spirited Away'. Animated film really doesn’t get any better than Ghibli! I knew one place I needed to visit was the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka.

It’s charming and quaint, but unfortunately photography was forbidden inside this enchanting building. Although…


(the robot from Laputa! This statue is on the roof of the museum)


Of the new generation of anime?

One of my favourites is Elfen Lied



The animation is technically excellent, colourful and fluid. A fascinating story following a new strain of the human race knows as the Diclonius, held captive and experimented on in a facility. Lucy a dangerous Diclonius girl escapes the facility and kills all that get in her way. But she is injured in the process and develops a childlike split-personality in the outside world, only reverting back to her true self when in violent situations. The attempts to recapture Lucy by various characters is where the anime becomes really entertaining and often harshly brutal. The violence is exceptionally gory; limbs fly around the screen, body parts are cut into segments, heads are decapitated, blood paints the scenery and the violence is treated almost like an art form, which some find overly gratuitous. In my opinion it’s a fine example of modern anime.




There’s so many great films and OVA I could go on and on forever, but I wont…

so yeah, crack is cheaper and probably better for your social life than a nerdy anime obsession.

Film Treats To Be Excited About In 2010

We’re more than halfway through the year and still revelling over an early display of awesome from 'Kick-Ass'. Here’s my top 5 most anticipated films of the remaining year…


1. Toy Story 3



Toy Story is probably the best CG animation ever made, Toy Story 2 was a good sequel and Pixar have continued to release groundbreaking films that adults enjoy as much as children year after year. This is my most anticipated film of the year. Can't wait!


2. Inception



This is possibly gonna be the biggest film of the year that isn't a sequel to a rubbish vampire film. From director Christopher Nolan, expectation is high after the success of 'The Dark Knight' and with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead and a reported budget of $170 million. I'm a big fan of Nolan's Memento and The Prestige. I'm hoping this will live up to the hype.


3. Predators



What makes this so anticipated for me is that it completely ignores the terrible Alien Vs Predator films and the not so good Predator sequel (starring Danny Glover). And Robert Rodriguez is onboard to produce, with creative control and to watch over director Nimród (yes, 'Nimrod') Antal, director of Armoured (2009). We deserve a good Predator film!


4. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World



From director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and based on a comic book series. Scott must battle the seven evil ex-boyfriends/girlfriend of the girl of his dreams, before they kill him. It could be stylish, cheesy fun. I have faith in Edgar Wright.


5. Tron: Legacy



Released at the end of the year, this is a sequel to the 1982 cult classic. Jeff Bridges is back and the teaser trailer showed off some pretty slick special effects. The original was a flop, but gained a huge cult following and it’s one I remember fondly from my childhood. Roll on December!

Top 10 Film and TV Geeks

The best nerdy nerd nerds on the big and small screen.


1. Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters 1 and 2).



"Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light"


2. Doc Brown (Back to the Future Trilogy).



"Let me show you my plan for sending you home. Please excuse the crudity of this model, I didn't have the time to build it to scale or to paint it. [reveals intricate tabletop model of the town square]"


3. Seth Brundle (The Fly).



Genius physicist, inventor, twitchy, tweed jackets...


4. Steve Wiebe (The King Of Kong).



Devoting your life to beating the Donkey Kong world record is pretty nerdy.


5. Comic Book Guy (The Simpsons).



"I've spent my entire life doing nothing but collecting comic books...and now there's only time to say...Life well spent!"


6. Mulder and Scully (X-Files).



They spend their days investigating extra-terrestrial and paranormal activity…


7. Moss (IT Crowd).



"You see the driver hooks a function by patching the system call table, so it's not safe to unload it unless another thread's about to jump in there and do its stuff, and you don't want to end up in the middle of invalid memory...hello?"


8. Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).



Nuff said.


9. Doctor Sam Beckett (Quantum Leap).



"Oh boy"


10. Sheldon (The Big Bang Theory).



"You have about as much chance of going out with Penny as the Hubble Telescope has of finding that at the center of each black holes there's a little man with a flashlight trying to find the circuit breaker"

Cult Classic Reviews #2: Scanners

An early film from David Cronenberg, from his first wave of b-movie horror films. Scanners was made the year I was born (1981), I remember seeing it when I was pretty young and finding it a disturbing watch. There was something unsettling about the tone of the film and the idea of someone being able to get inside my head and kill me with just the power of their mind.




Watching it now it’s aged, but still manages to be pretty disturbing all the same. Yeah, most of the acting is wooden, it’s badly dubbed in parts, laughably corny in a few places and the effects might be dated, but they still have a charm and the infamous exploding head is as good today as it was back in 1981.





It’s Cronenberg's intense direction, ideas, and use of audio and visuals that make it effective and these basic elements continue to serve him well today, only with bigger budgets and better casts. The films strongest card is Michael Ironside, who makes for a formidable villain, he seems to be channelling a bit of a angry Jack Nicholson in his performance, snarling and chewing scenery as he epitomises pure evil. It's a solid piece of acting in the midst of the b-grade support. He doesn't seem to get the credit he deserves, but he’ll always have fans in the cult film world for his roles in Scanners, Total Recall and the cult sci-fi series V.





It’s not the best of Cronenberg's films, it's not even the best of his early works, but it’s a memorable piece of b-movie history nonetheless and a movie that always comes up in conversations about cult film. 7/10

Quick Film Review Round-up

Catching up on some of the films I've seen recently;

Raging Phoenix



Firstly, I have to say; I absolutely love Jija Yanin's debut martial arts flick, ‘Chocolate’. It was fresh and original and the unique lead character really gave Jija room to showcase her amazing talents. As soon as I saw this was available, I had to see it! It was good to see her in a film playing a more standard role and how she’d handle it, and I think Jija's got enough charisma to command the screen. She starts out as a regular dysfunctional teen with ‘issues’, and everything seems to be going wrong in her life. When things turn for the worse and she's kidnapped by a gang, she’s fortunately rescued by a skilled martial artist and taken in by a group of drunken, life-loving misfits. These likeable oddballs see her potential and train her.

The first half of the film is pure, quirky fun and the rescue sequence and training montage are highly entertaining. The martial arts used in the film mixes Thai kickboxing, with a kind of hybrid drunken style, hip-hop break dancing, which is really enjoyable to watch. However the film seems to lose its way towards the end and the tone change becomes severely dramatic, yet too ridiculous to take seriously. The main issue for me is Jija doesn't get enough screen time to display her skills, it’s not until the finale where she really gets room to breathe, and it’s a little too late. It’s not really the vehicle for her to truly shine, but it’s fun and does have some moments of flare. 7/10

Natural City



I decided to give this a watch because of all the talk of it being the ‘Korean Blade Runner’. Being a massive fan of Ridley Scott’s futuristic dystopian masterpiece, and with Korea churning out some excellent cinema in recent years, I was pretty excited at the prospect. The influences from Blade Runner are pretty clear; cyborgs living among people, rouge cyborgs rebelling at their short lifespan, and a military cop (or MP) who has fallen in love with a artificial dancer close to expiring. The films focus is the struggle to extend her existence and go against his profession. Visually the film is great for the most part, some nice cinematography and subtle special effects complement some pleasing static shots.

But, the film fails to deliver in the action department. There are some good sequences hidden in there, but the way the action is shot, ruins any impact; too much slow-motion, muffled audio, and clumsy editing that’s trying to be flashy, but doesn't work. The film works better in the quiet scenes, but the pacing is too slow and I didn't really feel any empathy towards the lead characters plight. The acting is solid enough and I don't think the actors are to blame, Ji-tae Yu is good in the lead role (more known for playing the villain in Oldboy). It's just the general direction, pacing and script don’t do the story or actors any justice. 5/10

Ip Man



Biopic about the Chinese icon, who shaped Wing Chun Kung-fu, rebelled against Japanese dictators during World War 2 and later in life (after the credits) went on to train Bruce Lee. The film obviously takes artistic merit with the story and fabricates events for a more entertaining film experience, but it’s more about capturing the essence of the man and his legend. The film looks stunning, with first-rate production values giving the film a rich vibrancy, but the film never becomes overly grand, telling its marvellous tale in a rather quiet, intimate manner and I think this reflects the kind, gentleman character of Ip Man brilliantly.

The drama balances the action perfectly and Donnie Yen’s charm and effortless authority lights the screen on fire. The action really is outstanding, with choreography by legend Sammo Hung, one particular scene where Ip takes on a group of Japanese martial artists is breathtaking and you believe every limb snapping brutal moment of it. The Chinese Kung Fu versus Japanese Karate is a sight to behold. Absolutely captivating! 9/10

Dance of the Dead



‘Zom-Com’ involving a high school prom night. I know this is supposed to be a harmless, cheap and cheerful little flick, but I found it lacked the fun and charm that made films like ‘Brain Dead’ and ‘Shaun of the Dead’ good movies. It’s more like Idle Hands, which on a recent re-watch I also found lacking. Overall tiresome and I can’t think of anything to be complimentary about. It’s got some pretty good ideas that could have been the ingredients for a entertaining ride, but doesn't deliver them effectively enough. 4/10

Cult Classic Reviews #1: Repo Man

This forgotten gem is the epitome of a cult classic; a film adored and worshiped by a small number of devoted fans. For some unknown reason, I only recently watched this. After the strength of a friends recommendation and reading reviews online, I decided to make the purchase. As soon as I saw the cover box, I recognised it from my early ventures to the local video shop in my youth and it brought back fond memories.




It launched the career of Emilio Estevez, who is actually really good here playing the lead character Otto, a young suburban punk that unknowingly becomes a repo man. The plot revolves around the search for a Malibu Chevy carrying a mysterious cargo. The film is b-movie grade trash, but it’s well made trash and the bad special effects, quirky plot (UFO's and punks) and absurd characters all add to its charm and it captures the anything goes attitude of the 80’s perfectly. The punk ethics of the film are accompanied by a fitting punk rock soundtrack featuring tracks by Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Iggy Pop and Suicidal Tendencies.




Everything in the film works, it wouldn't benefit from a bigger budget, and with the bad FX aside it doesn't feel like a cheap film. It kinda feels like the exploitation films of the 70s, and I can definitely see some influences from it in Tarantino's early work. The acting is good for this kind of film, it’s a tad dodgy in places but never in a bad way and with a great supporting cast of familiar faces. Of the cast I really liked Harry Dean Stanton, he’s always been a great character actor and his portfolio of roles speaks for itself (Alien, Escape From New York, Inland Empire etc). He’s perfect as the grouchy, veteran Repo Man and Otto’s mentor.




Repo Man, is a fun slice of weird, unique cinema with plenty of balls! And there’s ample bizarre goings-on, whacky humour and stabs of violence to satisfy any cult film fan. Highly recommended, if like me, you missed it first time around. 8/10

Top 10 Weird, Deranged and/or Utterly Bonkers Films

1. Eraserhead



What list of weird films would be complete without Mr Lynch? The king of weird films and master of surreal cinema. They say if you ask 100 people what Eraserhead is actually about you’ll get 100 different answers. For me, it’s a nightmare and the anxieties of everyday life contorting it. One of my all time favourite films, Eraserhead is a work of art that you experience. It gets under your skin, it’s like nothing else you’ll ever see. And the benchmark for all other strange films.


2. Visitor Q



You know with a Takashi Miike film it’s not going to be your every day ‘normal’ flick, and this is probably his most extreme film. Breaking pretty much every taboo, it crams in so much fetish imagery it’s too much for most. It’s about as completely batshit crazy as it gets.


3. Tetsuo



Industrial body-horror from genius Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto about man fusing with machine. A hyper-kinetic assault on the senses! On a technical merit it's worth watching just for the stunning editing alone.

4. Begotten




The plot synopsis pretty much says it all; ‘God disembowels himself with a straight razor. The spirit-like Mother Earth emerges, venturing into a bleak, barren landscape. Twitching and cowering, the Son Of Earth is set upon by faceless cannibals’. I found this a hard watch, and it’s full of unsettling, grainy imagery.


5. Inland Empire




Probably Lynch’s ‘hardest’ film, think Mulholland Drive X 10! With Laura Dern on great form.


6. Gozu





Miike again, I could have probably listed 10 of his films and had a decent weird films list. Gozu reminded me of Miike doing a comedy version of a David Lynch film. In a good way.


7. Gummo



It’s surreal, yet it’s very real. Shows how weird real life can be.


8. Meet the Feebles



Way before Peter Jackson got knee-deep in orc and elve shit he was making some pretty mental films, this might be his craziest.


9. Save the Green Planet



Manages to be simultaneously funny and heart wrenching, not to mention completely mad.


10. Naked Lunch



Cronenberg’s gone a bit straight-laced lately with his crime thrillers (History of Violence, Eastern Promises), not that they’re bad films, I really like them! But he used to make pretty demented schlock, this is probably his weirdest.