greg-glen

"Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland" is a joy and a wonder, just like the original Winsor McCay cartoons. For those ignorant of the history of American cartoons, McCay's "Little Nemo" series was a classic of naive pop surrealism exploring the adventures of a boy in the dream-world. McCay was sometimes deficient in spelling, but he was never deficient in drawing or imagination. Of course, the movie has to elide or telescope things a bit. After all, the original cartoon was a serial running episodically in newspapers. I find no serious fault with this. I took particular delight in how some scenes here meticulously mirrored the original cartoon. The animation is at various points dreamy, beautiful, dark, menacing and, of course, surreal. I think it is a mistake to view this film purely as a product of the anime industry - the film is instead a meeting of the Japanese culture with American culture. The merger of sensibilities here is quite wonderful. I loved the squirrel's petulant irritation at being called a "rat." And I loved the nightmare monster-heel. And, of course,the trickster figure, Pip. The whole thing has the quality of a twisting dream, sometimes good, sometimes bad, just like real dreams. Don't hesitate to buy and watch this. Greg Cameron, Surrey, B.C., Canada

Simply put, T.M. Revolution's "Crush" double-DVD is one of the great films to capture a rock act in all its immediacy. T.M. Revolution's command of a crowd is amazing and, indeed, frightening. If for no other reason, watch this for the crowd scenes here. Leni Riefenstahl herself could not have choreographed what goes on here. Takanori Nishikawa plays the crowd like a yo-yo. He sings, he bolts about the stage(he is absolutely tireless),he plays guitar(well, I might add) and he even literally reduces some of the women in the audience to tears. Seeing all those people waving glow-sticks in unison is an eerie sight at times. Takanori is a hard-working and likable entertainer. One wonders what he could do if he turned his talents to (if I might use an old-fashioned word here)evil. Takanori is amazing here, but the crowds are equally amazing. His backing band is just ace. The guitarist, the bassist, and the drummer are all stupendous. One suspects a little 'sweetening' here and there(one hears backup vocals, but no one appears to be singing them - also some keyboards and synths). Still, the immediacy of this is just shattering. Some of the special effects look a little dangerous(some might be banned at this point for all one knows). Takanori also shows off his taste for outlandish attire throughout the concert sequences. There are interesting behind-the-scenes shots here and there on the first disc and a lot more on the second disc. On the second disc, be sure to hang around for the full song "Vital Burner." This, ladies and gentlemen, is rock-and-roll. Takanori tears the house down and the camera captures him in all his, well, vitality. The hooks in this song will sink into your memory and never let go. This is a bolt of sheer electric energy. The crowd shot at the very end of the second disc is awe-inspiring and a little intimidating. This is what Takanori faces from the stage every night. It'll take your breath away. If you're new to Japanese rock music, this will serve as a fine introduction. And if you're a T.M. Revolution fan, this is a must. Great performances captured greatly. You'll come away from this with respect for the creativity and the sheer physical energy of the man. And it's one of the great rock documentaries, period. Case closed. Greg Cameron, Surrey, B.C., Canada

When I was a Ph.D. candidate at Queen's University and I worked out on the weekends, I would often tune the t.v. to cartoons. And I never missed an episode of the cartoon "Beetlejuice." It was - and remains to me - a charming and quirky cartoon with a lively sense of invention and a decidedly offbeat sense of humour. Some people compare this cartoon negatively to the movie "Beetlejuice." I don't think this is fair. Michael Keaton gave a positively volcanic performance in that movie and I continue to find the movie a classic of humour. Indeed, I often wondered why there wasn't a sequel - probably just as well given Hollywood's record with such things, but I think there was more comic potential waiting to be tapped. Questions of synergy aside(the Americans have nothing on the Japanese in this department), the cartoon is not just a ripoff of the movie. It's its own eccentric, squirmy little beast. It really was a lot better than it needed to be, so to speak. As with the movie, there's some romantic 'tension' between Beetlejuice and the goth girl, but the cartoon subdues this somewhat for the kiddies. It's a helluva lot better than some current cartoons aimed at the 'Goth' mindset, I can tell ya. I really loved this cartoon and miss it on t.v. Greg Cameron, Surrey, B.C., Canada