Movies
Heavy Metal
Interesting animation anthology. Only one director and there is a common element that connects the different stories together, but different animation styles and completely separate settings and characters make that it feels like an anthology. It's pretty dated, but in a charming and fun way.
A little cult favorite. It's easy to see where this film got its reputation from, but it didn't entirely work for me. While the film has a pretty powerful message and the execution is interesting (to say the least), it relies a little too much on plain repetition to warrant its 80+ minute runtime. We follow an older couple living in the British countryside. When news breaks that the UK is on the verge of war once again, the man start to prepare for nuclear warfare, while his wife goes on with everyday life. Their bickering seems a little futile, until the day a nuclear bomb actually drops nearby. The mix of animation and live action is interesting, but the animation itself is pretty outdated and the art style isn't all that appealing. The bigger problem is that even though the world for these two people changes from peaceful retirement to dire nuclear warfare in the blink of an eye, the characters themselves are very much stuck in their ways. Whatever happens around them, their reaction is always the same. Though the film has some poignant scenes, it's just not enough to make a big impression.Read all
Pretty kitsch, pretty cheap, but good fun. Battle Beyond the Stars is the kind of film that doesn't really care that it has a low budget. It has a story to tell, involving aliens, spaceships, and faraway planets, and it commits to that the best it can. What it lacks in skill and budget, it tries to make up with passion. A peaceful planet is under attack. Aggressive aliens are trying to take over the planet, the peaceful aliens find no better solution than to hire a band of fighters. Under the command of Cowboy, the leader of the pack, the gang will do their best to stop the alien invasion, which is easier said than done. The plot is loosely based on Seven Samurai, but who cares? This is a cheesy space opera with shoddy effects but made with lots of dedication. The designs are rather creative, the pacing is slick and the entertainment value is high throughout. It's far from the best sci-fi I've seen, but it sure was entertaining from start to finish.Read all