1988
Noah’s Barks pages covering things relating to the year 1988.
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Akira
A brief post where I bemoan people’s inability to comprehend the plot of ‘Akira,’ a movie I consider fairly simple and easy to follow. It’s also quite good! (read more)
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The Vanishing (Spoorloos)
Unforgettable ending, but what makes a truly great twist-film is when the scenes before it are strong enough to distract from the surprise and hold up on their own. The Vanishing is always engaging, but it’s mostly because of the momentum of its mystery, not for the scenes it takes to get there. I could… (read more)
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The Blob
“The Blob” could also be used to describe the quality of its screenplay. Grotesque practical effects, and some terrible green screening. A slow start with too much focus on plot and characters, but a lightly likable cast. A solid premise with genuinely tense potential, yet limited by frequent dips into B-movie self-parody. This movie never… (read more)
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Demon City Shinjuku
Pulp horror auteur Yoshiaki Kawajiri bats under par in Demon City Shinjuku, which fails to shock its way into being memorable. (read more)
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Appleseed (1988)
An ’80s sci-fi OVA about a police officer and her cyborg boyfriend and partner, ‘Appleseed’ adapts one of the earliest works of ‘Ghost in the Shell’ creator, Masamune Shirow. (read more)
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Hades Project Zeorymer
While not the most eloquently-written story, ‘Hades Project Zeorymer’ is just weird enough to be a memorable watch that ought to captivate mecha and ’80s OVA fans. (read more)
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Mobile Police Patlabor
The first adaptation of the manga franchise created in part by industry icon Mamoru Oshii, this OVA is a mostly comedic slice-of-life series with an added mecha flavor. (read more)
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes
‘Legend of the Galactic Heroes’ is a 110-episode dramatic space epic with some of the greatest moments you’ll ever see in anime—and a lot of lesser material. (read more)
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A Short Film About Killing
A Short Film About Killing (ASFAK) has Kieslowski blossom into the ethereal directing style that would define his beautiful humanism. For the first time we see a distinct focus on color and music. ASFAK chooses bronze, as a dystopian, somber, golden sunset is cast over the final days of its characters. Though made with an… (read more)
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They Live
The capitalist invaders in They Live aren’t exactly subtle, but they sure are funny. Camp even by John Carpenter standards, They Live is more for the converted: some great action, and even more comedic trope-poking than usual. Carpenter has made more fun movies however, mostly due to the sizable stretches of They Live where Roddy… (read more)