Tag: New York

Mamoru Oshii at the Metrograph. A Cinematic Tribute to a Master

Metrograph honours Mamoru Oshii with restorations of Angel’s Egg and The Red Spectacles, plus influences from Tarkovsky to Yamatoya. It’s a must see for fans of this master auteur!

Mamoru OshiiVenue: Metrograph, 7 Ludlow St, New York
Dates: November 15–23

Among anime fans, Mamoru Oshii stands apart for his singular art-house aesthetic. Though most know him as a director, understanding the depth of his writing means looking closely at his filmography. Angel’s Egg remains his first truly original work, while Urusei Yatsura: Only You (1983) and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984) were where his unique voice first began to shine. From there, his contributions to some of the most influential anime of the 90s cemented his reputation as a visionary.

With Avalon (2001), Oshii explored the harmful effects of virtual reality long before it became a plaything of today, and parts of that story (written by Kazunori Itō) resonate. Through its existential themes, he explored what it means to live and dream inside a machine—ideas that would echo throughout science-fiction cinema for decades.
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Catch the Hype! BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy Returns!

Unlike Ash in Pokémon who travels the world to show his passion, hopefully BALLS, a Fringe-theatre like production, will do the same!

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical ComédyPokémon is not the only beloved franchise that concerns training pets to engage in gladiatorial duels for their masters. Although that sounds bad, that’s because of how that society developed, and there are other games like Yu-gi-oh and Digimon that are variations on a theme. To see that passion for this world in live-action, fans should check out BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comedy.

It’s back by popular demand for a summer residency at Caveat. This theatre house in lower Manhattan is the hub for many home brew shows! However, it should be noted that they are better known for hosting independently produced acts. This show is called “equal parts satire, chaos, and heart, starring Broadway talent and Pokémon legend Stuart Zagnit (Professor Oak!), with 8-bit bops, improvised battles, surprise guests, and a splash of interactive madness. Think Pokémon meets UCB meets a very weird fever dream!” 

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From Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret to The Sacred Cave, NYC’s Animation First is Headed to a Weekend of Cinematic Wonder

In addition to what’s reviewed and put on the spotlight at NYC’s Animation First Film Festival, there’s also Robot Dreams and The Siren–these adult themed works look worth checking out.

As Animation First in NYC winds down its week long celebration, there’s still plenty to see as the weekend approaches. Not only will there be a spotlight on the National Film Board of Canada‘s French made works, but also there’ll be more feature films making their debut. Regarding the former, there’s eleven shorts (list can be read here) to take pleasure in checking out, and as for what was made available for me to screen in advance, I offer reviews of the following:

Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret

Nina and the Hedgehog's Secret Movie Poster - Animation First
Jan 27, 12pm at the FIAF Florence Gould Hall

This movie pays tribute not only to the early days of Disney animation but also becomes its own entity. That’s because the Hedgehog (voiced by Guillaume Bats) is drawn and animated much like how Mickey Mouse once looked, as created back in the Steamboat Willie days. While his interactions with the real world may well be a product of the title character’s imagination, what I got out of it is in how the two manage to help each other. The manifestation is right out of a storybook that Nina’s father would read to her every night.

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Mars Express Ready to Debut at Animation First 2024’s Film Festival!

If you love hard boiled sci-fi detective fiction, then you’re in luck! Mars Express is playing at this NYC based film festival and hopefully continue touring in 2024.

Animation First 2024 Poster
Films are playing at various venues operated by the French Institute Alliance.

Animation First is a film festival dedicated to showcasing why Francophone animation is awesome. As a result, it’s expanded from a three-day event to six! On opening night will be Mars Express, and it’s the perfect way to get this show started! This party runs from Jan 23 to 28th in New York, playing at various venues down Lower Manhattan Island.

What’s offered has come a long way since the days of what I saw on CBC‘s French channel. In regards to the limited options I saw growing up, what’s produced these days is vastly different from those television shows and the few films I saw long ago. My early introduction came from watching what was off television with works like Inspector Hound and Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea. It wasn’t until after watching Michael Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle (2016) that my interest was elevated to new levels.

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Judy Lei’s “The World’s Greatest” Evokes Love and Heartache

Lei crafted a well-meaning slice of life tale in her debut, The World’s Greatest. It’ll leave people thinking.

The World's GreatestPlaying at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum @ JANM May 13, 2022 (Buy Tickets)

Judy Lei is a young filmmaker based out of New York City, and her debut work serves more than one purpose. The World’s Greatest is a powerful story about a Chinese-American family struggling with life. I find the title has two meanings:

Call it Fresh Prince of Bel Air or something else, but I firmly believe this film cautiously and intimately examines that relationship between parent and teen (played by Lei). There’s also getting to understand the mindset in the lead and what she wants to do to achieve that dream. These two ideas combined makes for a compelling tale. I found it’s a very personal and relatable piece.

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The Waterman is Riding High Near You

Director/documentarian Isaac Halasima is excellent at showing just how Duke is an embodiment of the Polynesian spirit, too.

Duke Kahanamoku doc 'Waterman' coming to Waimea Theater - The Garden IslandDuke Paoa Kahanamoku is the Waterman, a hero unlike any other. He not only represented Hawaii‘s spirit in sports competitions, but also became something more. At the height of his career, he became a five-time Olympic medalist. Like Aquaman, part of his family’s heritage comes from noble blood and viewers will be pleased Jason Momoa is one of many voices to offer insight to this athlete’s world.

Kahanamoku grew up enjoying life along the warm beaches around Waikiki. He honed his many oceanic skills here, and that also included mastering the waves on an alaia–a waterboard. When he introduced this sport to the world (starting in Australia) the love for it was only starting. Duke didn’t get the recognition for it right away, and what this documentary perfectly explores are all the problems he faced before being hailed the king of the sea.

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