ANIMAL COLLECTIVE COMING SOON

I am a big Animal Collective fan. The new album is coming soon, tour is starting up now. All fans get ready!!

here is some rad peaks at new tracks!

PRO/CON REVIEW: DORORO

This is a PRO/CON movie review from Mark Miyake(CON) and Isaac Ramos(PRO). Take what you want from this review, but know that we saw the movie at the same time under the same circumstances.

DORORO http://www.dororo.jp/

CON REVIEW:

A single word that describes the live-action Dororo: uneven. From every aspect of story, visuals and even music this is a film that doesn’t know quite what it should be or how it should do it. Based on a TEZUKA Osamu manga from the 1960s, at least the core concept it lifts is cool. The protagonist Hyakkimaru’s father, years earlier, makes a deal with demons giving them 48 body parts of his then unborn son in exchange for the power to unite the country. Hyakkimaru, as you can imagine, was born looking like a freak of nature; some may recall seeing Denboku’s vinyl rendition from that other board , a wormy looking thing with a baby’s head that has no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. So next thing you know, baby Hyakkimaru is sent down a river in a basket, but is luckily saved by a genius doctor who ends up adopting him and creates a bunch of prosthetics to make up for his lack of appendages and internal organs. He later learns that if he kills each of the 48 demons that have received his body parts, each part is returned to him. He is thus on a mission to reclaim his humanity, physical and otherwise.

I don’t think the original manga was that long, being only four volumes long, though it did spawn an anime series 26 episodes in length (which I think is fairly close to the number of chapters in the manga). Currently Dororo is set to be a trilogy, but you wouldn’t think it from how they tried to cram so much into just the first film (it could be that they weren’t sure at the time whether or not the next two films would even be made). You’ve got the obligatory origin story, next a very manga chapter like section involving the story of a human and demon family, and then a musical interlude of multiple demon slayings with probably the most questionable musical choice playing in the background – something sounding like Andean music complete with pan flute. It finally ends with Hyakkimaru finding out more about his past then maybe he wanted to. It all makes for an incredible mess of a story that un-deftly undulates from small to epic.

And as for the effects, on one hand you’ve got trying to be slick CG and on the other old school rubber suit action creating an incoherent visual language. Further, I’m not sure how a US audience will find certain creature designs. I’m reminded of the Death Gods in the live-action version of Death Note, where they basically look as they do in the manga just plopped in with no want of trying to make them blend in with a live-action environment at all. I have no problem with this, but I can imagine some will.

At least after watching Dororo, I want to read the manga that much more. And luckily for non-Japanese readers, Vertical will be publishing an English-language version sometime next year. Finally, seeing a guy with swords for arms killing demons isn’t entirely all bad either.

PRO REVIEW:

This story is great. I feel like any visual representation will be a little strange so I have to cut this movie a lot of slack. Like Mark said it makes you want to read the manga, but lets call this movie Dororo 101 an intro course to the story. I feel like this story should have been told at campfires and not really for movies. As a movie I did enjoy the style of the authentic clothing and locations. The weird featureless baby looked nuts. for sure worthy of a rewind and pause. Reminded me of film Basket Case. Now that is a strange movie about separated conjoined brothers, one who is telepathic and only really a head. the other is healthy and normal and just wants to help get revenge on the doctors that separated his little bro. Sure Dororo happens in ancient Japan and Basket Case went down in 80s NYC but they are very similar and I like them for the same weird movie reasons. Maybe an english dub will hit the states with an added laugh track! It could be a cult classic.

WHERE WERE YOU IN 97

I am packing up some books today and I pulled out this copy of SPORTSWEAR INTERNATIONAL.

Who would have thought when this came out that Kaws would be making the clothing people die for in 2007? An interesting side note on this article is The ALIFE founding members were editor and graphic designers of SI at this time. ALIFE is always thinking ahead and this is evidence of their vision even back then when working for other people. RESPECT!