Movies
Batman: Gotham Knight
I'm not a big Batman fan, but its anime incarnations are pretty cool. This Madhouse anthology offers a nice collection of shorts that combines Madhouse's traditional animation style with more experimental art styles. Each short is clearly "Batman", but it feels very different from its US counterparts (which is why I cheated and watched it with the Japanese dub). There are no weak entries here, and at least two standouts, which is crucial for any anthology film. Not sure if core Batman fans would appreciate Gotham Knight, but anime (and Madhouse fans in particular) should give it a shot.
Another typical Studio 4°C anthology. Though I have to say this feels a bit like a collection of B-sides. The first and third short are up to 4°C's standard (though still a fair ways from their top tier output), the second and fourth one feel a bit unfinished. It's clearly not one of their tent pole projects, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go. Each of the shorts is heavily tied to its soundtrack. They aren't 100% music videos, but they come awfully close. That means the traditional narrative is often pushed backwards, but for experimental animation shorts like these that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just let yourself be swept away by their atmosphere. Cool art styles, slick editing and CG experimentation are the main ingredients here. The first short felt a bit like Dead Leaves light, the third one was definitely more inspired by Morimoto's work, while the fourth one stumbles in its attempts to go full CG. The tampered live action footage of the second film wasn't entirely successful either. Still, there are moments of genius here, just don't expect another Genius Party or Memories.Read all