Reviews by:
@the_owlseyes
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If you think that animation has always been about kid's cartoons and disney, think again. Animation has been used, since its birth, as a way to spread ideas. It has been used for propaganda and more. Like this movie which, like most 80's animated movies, puts nudity and gore at its core and builds stories on it. At the time, and for some people today, it seemed preposterous but this style has returned recently in shows like Rick & Morty, Archer, Bojack Horseman, Animes,...
Maybe it's because it's more comfortable to accept animated nudity rather than live action, because we undermine it by saying that it's just animated.
Or it's just because this kind of language subvert the rules and makes us feel free.
PLOT
"A glowing green orb - which embodies ultimate evil - terrorizes a young girl with an anthology of bizarre and fantastic stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror" or "A bold anthology ahead of its time".
SCRIPT
It's an anthology so it's hard to talk about characters because there're too many. Nonetheless there's an overarching plot about good and evil. I like it but it isn't impressive. Some stories are more interesting than others but overall it's hard to talk about all of them. I think that this movie should have been a miniseries because the movie drags a lot and it's difficult to get invested in the characters. Beside the good-evil theme, there's also corruption, exploitation, capitalism, greed, religion and more. All of them allows the movie to create juicy stories but there're a lot and it's hard to give each one enough time to leave an impression.
Honestly I think that this movie tried too much to be edgy and gory by showing, a lot of time unnecessary, nudity and blood.
There's also an aspect which makes this movie pretty old: hypermasculine men and hyperfeminine women who just want to have sex. In the end the woman is used only as an object. Luckily the movie redeems itself, partly, in the end.
Overall...I need to think about it. This flick is clever and dumb at the same time. Seriously.
Script: 6/10
ACTING
The narrator delivers a good performance but the other voice actors aren't on his level, unfortunately. This is a bit off putting and most of the time ruins the movie's flow.
Acting: 5/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
This movie manages well lights and shadows. Colours are particularly bright and symbolic, especially green. There're a lot of good looking scenes, some of them breathtaking. My only complaint is that sometimes the animation isn't fluid enough and photography results a bit weaker. Overall this is pretty good.
Photography: 6/10
EDITING
Some transitions are a bit sloppy but overall it's mediocre. There's a lack of particular shooting techniques but it doesn't hurt the experience. There isn't much to say, honestly.
Editing: 6/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Considering the period, the animation is gorgeous and original. I like the fact that some sequences are made of a blend of photography, coloured water and handrawn animation. The landscapes are amazing thanks to the quirky and psychedelic background, which is dynamic and beautifully coloured. All of it without cgi. It's just amazing.
Special Effects: 8/10
SOUNDTRACK
If you like 80's music, you'll love it. If you hate this kind of music, the movie will be hard to get through. This show has a highy noticeable style and the score is what defines it. Sometimes it fits the story and sometimes it's a bit out of place and campy. I consider it a bold choice but it's poorly executed and the soundtrack result obnoxious. It's one of the reason why this flick drags a lot.
Soundtrack: 5/10
COSTUMES
This animated movie is particularly edgy and clothes aren't relevants because it's all about the flesh. This anthology takes us off balance by presenting an highly sexualized animation. Nonetheless it isn't a reason to consider this aspect remarkable. It's mediocre because the characters have fitting costumes, nothing more.
Costumes: 6/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 6/10
Acting: 5/10
Photography: 6/10
Editing: 6/10
Special Effects: 8/10
Soundtrack: 5/10
Costumes: 6/10
AVERAGE: 6
A mediocre movie with some good ideas which paved the way for interesting projects like Love, Death and Robots.
Director: Gerald Potterton
Screenplay: Daniel Goldberg, Len Blum
Cast: Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks, Martin Lavut, Marilyn Lightstone, Eugene Levy, Alice Playten, Harold Ramis, Susan Roman, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, Zal Yanovsky
Soundtrack: Elmer Bernstein
Running Time: 90 minutes
Budget: $9,3 million
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