Comments on: The Leeds Film Festival 2008: Sword of the Stranger, Mind Game, 20th Century Boys, Detroit Metal City http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/ Get decultured Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:54:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: KRAUZER II http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45993 KRAUZER II Tue, 12 May 2009 20:14:58 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45993 GO! TO! DMC! GO! TO! DMC!! GO! TO! DMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 GO! TO! DMC!
GO! TO! DMC!!
GO! TO! DMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

]]> By: DEBPRATIM GHOSH http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45957 DEBPRATIM GHOSH Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:43:25 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45957 THE END OF THE EARTH IS COMING SOON AS THE BURNING PLANET NIBIRU IS COMING CLOSER TOWARDS US. THE DATE WHEN THIS BURNING PLANET WILL BE NEAREST TO EARTH IS 20 DEC 2012. ON THIS DAY THE BURNING PLANET WILL COME NEAREST TO THE EARTH AND THE EARTH WILL BURN OUT. ALL LIVINGS ON AND INSIDE THE PLANET WILL DIE. debpratim.ghosh@gmail.com THE END OF THE EARTH IS COMING SOON AS THE BURNING PLANET NIBIRU IS COMING CLOSER TOWARDS US. THE DATE WHEN THIS BURNING PLANET WILL BE NEAREST TO EARTH IS 20 DEC 2012. ON THIS DAY THE BURNING PLANET WILL COME NEAREST TO THE EARTH AND THE EARTH WILL BURN OUT. ALL LIVINGS ON AND INSIDE THE PLANET WILL DIE.

debpratim.ghosh@gmail.com

]]> By: A vindication: Where the hell are we? « Lostlink ~ Wrong Way To Japan! http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45820 A vindication: Where the hell are we? « Lostlink ~ Wrong Way To Japan! Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:41:50 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45820 [...] critiques on his animé consumption. I neither had the weekend free nor the funds to attend THAT meet. Maybe he’s an Time traveller? Or an Alien? Probably not an Esper though - that’s [...] [...] critiques on his animé consumption. I neither had the weekend free nor the funds to attend THAT meet. Maybe he’s an Time traveller? Or an Alien? Probably not an Esper though - that’s [...]

]]> By: Absolutely_Steve http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45806 Absolutely_Steve Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:08:15 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45806 I didn't realize you had yet to see Mind Game. Well, I'm glad to know that you have now. Despite it being Yuasa's directorial debut I personally found it to be better than Kemonozume, but not quite as good as Kaiba. Although I think my finding of Kemonozume to be his weakest work to date is mainly because jumping from films to a TV series with such a unique, experimental style is a rough transition. With that out of the way you've clearly grasped what the film is going for as good as anyone else has since if the message isn't carpe diem and that your actions today will lead to what you become tomorrow then who knows what the point really was. Perhaps the deity Nishi meets would know. (That scene of course being a favorite of mine as it's an incredibly interesting portrayal of "God" in an animated setting.) Sword of the Stranger I actually just checked out yesterday since it has had a mountain of praise heaped upon it. Not a bad film, but I agree completely with it being predictable. The entire thing felt really by the book and in all honesty if it wasn't an animated film I probably never would have bothered with it. It does what it sets out to do however, which is give the viewer what they want in abundance. In this day and age where everything has to have a fancy twist or seeks to give the viewer what they want but in a unique way SotS just straight up has Mr. No Name and Super Foreigner fight at the end. On one hand this is great because it couldn't possibly fail by doing this. On the other it comes off as unremarkable and nothing more than a decently satisfying action flick. Quite fun nonetheless. As for 20CB being better than Monster, believe it. I know I couldn't before I read it and a friend of mine who loves Monster couldn't either, but both of us ended up doing so in the end. I keep holding out hope that with the film adaptation they'll make an anime one next, but at the same time I don't know if I could watch 20CB without a soundtrack comprised of tracks by Dylan, CCR, Hendrix, The Doors, etc. I didn’t realize you had yet to see Mind Game. Well, I’m glad to know that you have now. Despite it being Yuasa’s directorial debut I personally found it to be better than Kemonozume, but not quite as good as Kaiba. Although I think my finding of Kemonozume to be his weakest work to date is mainly because jumping from films to a TV series with such a unique, experimental style is a rough transition. With that out of the way you’ve clearly grasped what the film is going for as good as anyone else has since if the message isn’t carpe diem and that your actions today will lead to what you become tomorrow then who knows what the point really was. Perhaps the deity Nishi meets would know. (That scene of course being a favorite of mine as it’s an incredibly interesting portrayal of “God” in an animated setting.)

Sword of the Stranger I actually just checked out yesterday since it has had a mountain of praise heaped upon it. Not a bad film, but I agree completely with it being predictable. The entire thing felt really by the book and in all honesty if it wasn’t an animated film I probably never would have bothered with it. It does what it sets out to do however, which is give the viewer what they want in abundance. In this day and age where everything has to have a fancy twist or seeks to give the viewer what they want but in a unique way SotS just straight up has Mr. No Name and Super Foreigner fight at the end. On one hand this is great because it couldn’t possibly fail by doing this. On the other it comes off as unremarkable and nothing more than a decently satisfying action flick. Quite fun nonetheless.

As for 20CB being better than Monster, believe it. I know I couldn’t before I read it and a friend of mine who loves Monster couldn’t either, but both of us ended up doing so in the end. I keep holding out hope that with the film adaptation they’ll make an anime one next, but at the same time I don’t know if I could watch 20CB without a soundtrack comprised of tracks by Dylan, CCR, Hendrix, The Doors, etc.

]]> By: Martin http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45799 Martin Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:23:47 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45799 @Ghostlightning: I'm sure you'll enjoy Sword of the Stranger. I can pretty much guarantee a DVD release within the next twelve months too; 20th Century Boys will be on my to-read list once Viz are done with Monster. Oh yeah, GO TO DMC! @Emo_Wandering_Bear: it appears you're right. I actually picked it off Danbooru because it's cinema viewing-related, totally unaware it's from an incest manga! 0_o @Owen S: there was a feeling that the film was struggling to fit the scope of the story in, despite it clocking in at over two hours. Urasawa's a fantastic storyteller, but I suspect the budget was mostly saved for the explosions towards the end. It's supposed to be a trilogy or something so fingers crossed on getting a decent adaptation. The idea of it surpassing Monster boggles my mind! @Ghostlightning: I’m sure you’ll enjoy Sword of the Stranger. I can pretty much guarantee a DVD release within the next twelve months too; 20th Century Boys will be on my to-read list once Viz are done with Monster. Oh yeah, GO TO DMC!

@Emo_Wandering_Bear: it appears you’re right. I actually picked it off Danbooru because it’s cinema viewing-related, totally unaware it’s from an incest manga! 0_o

@Owen S: there was a feeling that the film was struggling to fit the scope of the story in, despite it clocking in at over two hours. Urasawa’s a fantastic storyteller, but I suspect the budget was mostly saved for the explosions towards the end. It’s supposed to be a trilogy or something so fingers crossed on getting a decent adaptation. The idea of it surpassing Monster boggles my mind!

]]> By: Owen S http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45798 Owen S Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:42:34 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45798 Oh no, you should have laid off 20th Century Boys. The manga is a true epic and any attempts at bringing its carefully layered exposition and bated sense of horror to the big screen without chopping off the edges would be a tough job, but there's always the music element to fall back on, I guess... It's better than Monster, and that's saying something. <abbr><em><abbr><em>Owen Ss last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cruelangeltheses/~3/450876978/" rel="nofollow">Fate/stay night, Fate Route</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> Oh no, you should have laid off 20th Century Boys. The manga is a true epic and any attempts at bringing its carefully layered exposition and bated sense of horror to the big screen without chopping off the edges would be a tough job, but there’s always the music element to fall back on, I guess…

It’s better than Monster, and that’s saying something.

Owen Ss last blog post..Fate/stay night, Fate Route

]]> By: Emo_Wandering_Bear http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45794 Emo_Wandering_Bear Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:36:32 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45794 First image is from Yuuhi Romance, 'innit? First image is from Yuuhi Romance, ‘innit?

]]> By: ghostlightning http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2008/11/17/the-leeds-film-festival-2008-sword-of-the-stranger-mind-game-20th-century-boys-detroit-metal-city/#comment-45793 ghostlightning Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:05:27 +0000 http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/?p=1239#comment-45793 Wow. I'll be looking for that one with the dog at once. It's been too long since I watched a straight-up samurai anime that I can truly enjoy. I'm afraid to watch 20th Century Boys. I'm so in love with the manga. I cried many times during the course of reading it. It's just so awesome. You should find a way to read it immediately. DMC... Gene Simmons... too incredible. I must see this! Wow. I’ll be looking for that one with the dog at once. It’s been too long since I watched a straight-up samurai anime that I can truly enjoy.

I’m afraid to watch 20th Century Boys. I’m so in love with the manga. I cried many times during the course of reading it. It’s just so awesome. You should find a way to read it immediately.

DMC… Gene Simmons… too incredible. I must see this!

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