Memories

Amazing anime trilogy from AKIRA's Katsuhiro Otomo, who presents three unrelated sci fi stories directed by different directors (he did the last one, writers/first-time directors Tensai Okamura and Koji Morimoto did the other two). They are amazing vignettes with some stupendous animation in three different styles. Otomo's is especially unique in that there are no cuts – the "camera" moves fluidly through every scene without a jump or a stop. Morimoto's 40-min "Magnetic Rose" is stunningly animated, the most amazing of the two, telling of a space ship's investigation of a distress signal discovering a magnificent world created by a woman's memories – the music takes advantage of the operatic aria, Madame Butterfly, arranged by Yoko Kanno, who also supplies an excellent original score. "Stink Bomb," the middle segment, is clever and funny and fast-paced; Otomo's anti-war statement in "Cannon Fodder" closes out the film with a subtle bit of thought-provocation about a city whose entire purpose is the firing of cannons at an unknown enemy.

Memories (3/3) - Cannon Fodder - 6.5/10

The most visually unusual of the three, Cannon Fodder also stands out because it runs for 20-something minutes, while the other two shorts are both approximately 40-45 minutes each. As much as I can gather, it's about the meaningless of war, all done with a futuristic slant that bleakly suggests the human race will never change, and firing increasingly advanced cannons will always just be a thing.

It feels satirical, but not in a truly funny way. It's kind of feel-bad and has a vibe that feels off, but that feels intentional, and I think it makes for an offbeat and sort of fitting end to the overall anthology movie that is Memories.

Magnetic Rose has the air of a science fiction classic about it. The plot starts out simple : a space waste collection crew receive a mysterious SOS signal, and set out to attempt a rescue mission. But what they discover exceeds their wildest expectations, and the operation spirals out of control.

The short's ambiance is allegedly inspired by Ridley Scott's Alien, and the story by Katsuhiro Ohtomo is reminiscent of other SF classics when it approaches the psychology of dreams (Solyaris) and the dangers of AI (2001), but it also approaches the subject of virtual reality in a unique and interesting way. This might seem like an odd mish-mash, but in the end it all fits together perfectly.

The thick and menacing ambiance in this short is helped by beautiful, fluid animation of a rare caliber and an excellent soundtrack that deftly combines Madame Butterfly (a story element) with electronic ambiances and its own instrumental score. Once again, Yoko Kanno delivers a masterful composition.

I'm normally not a fan of Japanese animation, but this soars above the anime landscape in terms of quality and attention to detail. In fact, after having re-watched it, it's become a favorite of mine in the realm of SF. Magnetic Rose is published as part of the compilation "Memories", but I preferred to review it by itself.

"Memories" (1995) is a pretty good movie, and if you want to get as much out of it as possible, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before watching:

Memories is a three-episode anime including three separate stories: "Magnetic Rose", "Stink Bomb" and "Cannon Fodder". There is no cohesion between the stories, so don't spend time looking for similar plot elements. There are none.

The first episode, Magnetic Rose, is a sci-fi anime that occasionally borderlines horror, similar to "Alien" but in a more psychological way. This part is rich with great visuals and superb sound, so get close to the screen and turn all the lights out. If possible, use a pair of headphones to get really submersed.

Stink Bomb is a light, bioterrorism comedy. It provides a few shocking frames in the first third of the movie which can be a bit intense, but it lightens up afterwards and provides a hilarious ride which shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Cannon Fodder is the more artistic and rawer episode out of the three. Pay attention to the smooth flows between the sceneries and get ready for some 1984-like vistas and philosophies.

My personal grade: a solid 7/10. If you found this helpful, check my profile for more reviews.

I am usually not a big fan of anime, in fact for the most part I am generally adverse to it. I ended up seeing clips of this video during a music remix on youtube and decided to check it out because it seemed to have common themes I like. The setting is a abandoned space craft drifting aimlessly that has been detected by a salvage crew. We follow two of the primary characters as they explore a very haunted house like landscape that constantly morphs from decrepit and aging to beautiful and scenic as they follow a mysterious woman in red. The story/plot was rather good for a short film being executed at a good pace and not over stuffing itself or falling short. The artwork and animation was very well done creating a wonderfully spooky atmosphere with the music supplementing it perfectly. If you are not a huge fan of anime, but enjoy horror films and good artwork this might be worth looking at. If you are a anime horror junkie you should really not pass this one up.