Surreal x-rated 70s anime making its U.S. debut

[Koko Ricky]

Known as "Belladonna of Sadness," I discovered a trailer for this frighteningly alluring film last year, and have been absolutely giddy that it's about to be released on video for the first time, at least for U.S. audiences. It's playing at a local theater next week, so I'm super stoked. The funny thing is, I'm not into anime at all, typically. But I loved "Akira," I liked the "Ghost in the Shell" film and I adore "Aeon Flux," although I imagine that doesn't really count. Check out the trailer. It's haunting!

[Guest DILDOMASTER666]

X-rated 70's anime

GoatLord said:

I'm giddy

yeah ok

[Mr. Freeze]

anime sucks, manga for life

[HavoX]

meh
I stopped watching anime after moving into the new house. I prefer old-school cartoons now

[kuchitsu]

Cool. I've heard about it many years ago but still haven't watched for some reason. Old anime films are cool: in many ways they are a lot more imaginative and "free form" than the modern stuff, where often everything is drawn in a very photorealistic way, almost as if the authors forgot that they're creating a cartoon. Which is a frightening trend. Cartoons shouldn't strive for these hyper realistic visuals I think. Maybe once in a while they are fine, but in general animation should be about expressing yourself in ways that are impossible with a camera and live actors.

[Pencil of Doom]

Interesting, but i prefer the original japanese version, because the American dubs of some anime movies are atrocious and hilarious too.

[Clonehunter]

Anime tends to have accurately drawn guns. Er... What now? Oh, yah. Trailer looks trippy, I guess. Some kind of overtly artsy thing.

[RUSH]

Well that was trippy.

HavoX said:

I prefer old-school cartoons now

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog!

Ba ha ha haaa! (Who else remembers this bastard?)

[HorrorMovieRei]

Looks like the type of surreal/artsy shit I would love to watch. Last time I watched an anime like this was a movie called Midori, which was fucked up, with rape scenes and puppies being killed, but it as interesting either way.

[Devalaous]

*sees X-rated*

*thumbnail looks like a...fluid...explosion*

Okay.

[Tracer]

RUSH said:

Well that was trippy.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog!

Ba ha ha haaa! (Who else remembers this bastard?)

I see your sonic the hedgehog and raise you Earthworm Jim.

[Jaxxoon R]

♪Through soil he did crawl♪

[Koko Ricky]

kuchitsu said:

Cool. I've heard about it many years ago but still haven't watched for some reason. Old anime films are cool: in many ways they are a lot more imaginative and "free form" than the modern stuff, where often everything is drawn in a very photorealistic way, almost as if the authors forgot that they're creating a cartoon. Which is a frightening trend. Cartoons shouldn't strive for these hyper realistic visuals I think. Maybe once in a while they are fine, but in general animation should be about expressing yourself in ways that are impossible with a camera and live actors.

This is a a realistic but heavily stylized cartoon. It reminds me of French adverts from the early 1900s. I only really enjoy anime that is a bit more in this direction, something where the idiosyncrasies that typify the genre (giant eyes, vein popping, vampire teeth, flailing limbs, screaming schoolgirls, gravity defying blue hair) are absent. I'm particularly excited because the visuals are dripping with psychedelic motifs. That's what I'm so "giddy" about, Fisk! :-p

[Tracer]

Jaxxoon R said:

♪Through soil he did crawl♪

GASP.

[Cacockcansukmycok]

Anime is dead.

[Koko Ricky]

Made the mistake of ingesting certain plants before going to see the film last night. My intent was to fully absorb the content of the film. I got about half way, maybe 2/3 of the way through the film, and the visuals became so intense (it is truly a masterful and stunningly beautiful work of art, just look at the trailer!) that I had to leave. Reality became covered in H. R. Giger-esque tendrils, light nodes, shimmering mechanical transforming carnival entities and inky fractals that bled into different hues. Walking back to the car, reality took on a snaking, elongated, tentacle-like appearance, with everything trailing and generating intricate (once again, Giger-esque) motfis that wrapped around everything. I was reminded of a song by The Residents in which the singer remarks on dying and, before being reborn, being surrounded by eels. I looked quite loony, walking lopsided with one hand on my hip and the other tugging on my hair. This was the first time I had been in a major public space in that particular mental state, and while it was fascinating, it was too much of a good thing. I'll have to be more sober when I get "Belladonna" on Blu-Ray.

[SYS]

The film looks like it's inspired by hallucinations from Belladonna poisoning.
I don't know anything about it first hand but when practically every trip report in erowid ends with "woke up strapped to a hospital bed - never do this drug!", you get the impression the shits dangerous. Hallucinations indistinguishable from reality, yeah no thanks.
In Soviet Russia, anime absorbs you.

[Tritnew]

I've seen The Wall, and It was Intense and I was just amazed by It. And this looks like It'd be the case with this.

Might check It out later on or whenever I feel like It, at least. But surely It won't beat my love for The Wall.

EDIT: And then I find out It was released In the US on my BIRTHDAY. Well Shit.

[Koko Ricky]

Much as I love "The Wall," I couldn't help but agree with a critic who suggested the entire thing be animated, since those segments (which comprise about 1/5 of the film) are the strongest. However, it's very lovingly directed and shot, so it's a great film overall.

[pablogener]

TraceOfSpades said:

I see your sonic the hedgehog and raise you Earthworm Jim.

I see your Earthworm Jim and raise you Heatcliff.

[Tritnew]

GoatLord said:

Much as I love "The Wall," I couldn't help but agree with a critic who suggested the entire thing be animated, since those segments (which comprise about 1/5 of the film) are the strongest. However, it's very lovingly directed and shot, so it's a great film overall.

Heh, It WAS going to be entirely animated while they showed footage of "The Wall" '81 and '82 concert. Hell, at one point even Gerald Scarfe was going to direct It. Plus I saw that Roger Waters thought It was too depressing? Maybe It was false but I saw that It was the reason he didn't really like It.

If this movie Is going for that surreal and Intense feeling that "The Wall" had, but up to 100% on shit just got real, then this Is my movie.