CLIP SHOW: "Star Fleet" by Brian May + Friends

By the early '80s, Japanese comic book legend Go Nagai had become a household name. He had written many famous comic stories across virtually every genre, including horror (Devilman), superhero (Cutie Honey), and erotic comedy (Shameless School); many of which he adapted into highly successful TV cartoons. However, he is probably best known for being one of the most influential figures in shaping giant robot fiction, with his creation of the very first piloted robot, Mazinger Z. It was from there that Nagai tried venturing into more uncharted territory when he created a marionette-animated TV show called X-Bomber. The story focuses on the adventures of a small crew of Earth Defense Force pilots as they fight to protect the Solar System against the evil legions of Commander Makara using the power of their transforming robot, the massive Dai X.

Shortly after X-Bomber's run on Japanese TV, it was imported to the U.K. as Star Fleet, where it was dubbed into English and got an entirely new score. In 1983, Brian May of Queen became inspired to record an EP based on the English language theme song after he was introduced to the show by his son. Star Fleet Project was May's first solo outing, and included several of his peers such as Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar and fellow Queen member Roger Taylor on backing vocals. A music video was made of the "single version" of the title track, which consisted of Star Fleet show footage and clips of May's disembodied head singing and floating through space.

Star Fleet Project was originally not intended to be released, but May gave in when everybody he played it for encouraged him to. Unfortunately, it was only officially released on vinyl, largely forgotten by a world in need of unfaltering heroism. Let's all send that message back to Earth Control!

BraveStarr: The Movie (1988)

"From destruction came creation: A new power... a new hope... a new hero... BraveStarr!"

When I first saw the above poster and read a brief plot synopsis, I went in to BraveStarr expecting a grand sci-fi epic with a strong western influence. Unfortunately, all it really amounted to was Cowboy He-Man in Space. I guess I should've known better after seeing the Filmation logo appear onscreen, but I really wanted this movie to be good. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly meet my expectations.

In the far future, there exists a far-off desert planet called New Texas, which has become home to many explorers of the final frontier. It is now under attack by an evil monster called Stampede and his right-hand man, a gun-slingin' sorcerer named Tex Hex. Luckily, the Galactic Marshall, BraveStarr, has been deployed to tame this town. Guided by mystical powers given to him by a wise Shaman, BraveStarr and his friends will take the fight to Tex Hex and free New Texas from the evil clutches of Stampede once and for all!

As fun as the plot may sound, the way the story is presented can be just brutal to sit through. During the first scene, we get to listen to the Shaman talk out loud to himself about how there's this incredible, omnipotent evil power haunting all of New Texas, and that a then-teenage BraveStarr is the only person who can stop it. The problem with this is that he keeps going on and on about this evil power, and yet the audience is given no clue as to what it is, what it looks like, or what makes it evil. After we finally get to see what Stampede looks like, the rest of the first half is just more dry world-building exposition.

Concerning the animation, if you've ever watched an episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, then you already have a pretty good idea of how it looks. Almost everything produced by Filmation sports an very similar animation style. Considering BraveStarr: The Movie was a feature-length film released in theaters, though, this is unacceptable. The animation quality does steadily improve over the course of the movie, to what I would consider Filmation's best, but it still doesn't stack up well to its contemporaries.

The characters are all completely two-dimensional in personality, and it's easy to predict what will happen to them later on shortly after they're introduced. However, I found myself enjoying every moment that Tex Hex was onscreen. Much like G.I. Joe's Cobra Commander and He-Man's Skeletor, he just had a certain charm about him that stemmed from his flamboyancy, overwhelming passion for what he does, and constant failure to do so. Eighties cartoon villains, gotta love 'em.

Unless you're a diehard fan of Filmation's other works, and I know there are a lot of you out there, then you can probably skip BraveStarr. Despite my wording, it isn't a terrible movie by any means, just an extremely disappointing one. I did enjoy the score (a lot, actually) and Tex Hex was a very entertaining character, so there were parts that I liked. If anything, it taught me to do a little more research about what I watch before I watch it.

BraveStarr: The Movie was directed by Tom Tataranowicz and was based on the syndicated TV series and action figure line of the same name.

CLIP SHOW: "At The Movies" Animated Film Reviews

BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM (1993)

GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995)

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988)

R.I.P. ROGER EBERT

 An outstanding film critic, who viewed animation as a medium instead of a genre.

CLIP SHOW: "Flight of Icarus" by Iron Maiden

While the original music video for "Flight of Icarus" was released in 1983, this alternate version was released alongside it on Iron Maiden's 2003 compilation DVD, Visions of the Beast: The Complete Video History. This edit, along with five others featured on Visions, was animated by the now-defunct flash animation studio, Camp Chaos. It was brought to life by interweaving shots of the band from the original video with newer animation meant to evoke the image of the 1983 EP cover:

VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985)

This story takes place in the distant future. When mutants and demons slither through a world of darkness.

Vampire Hunter D was one of many anime movies to be released in America during the late 80s and early 90s that helped challenge mainstream perceptions of animation at the time. It was dark, violent, scary, and even a little sexy. These are just several reasons why it became a cult favorite during its time, and why it's still treasured by English-speaking fans of horror, sci-fi, and animation.

In the year 12,090 AD, vampires, werewolves, and all sorts of other ghouls roam freely, stalking the night and preying on the weak. One night, a young monster hunter named Doris is attacked and bitten by an ancient vampire, who reveals himself to be the legendary Count Magnus Lee, descendant of Count Dracula.
 
Shortly afterward, Doris comes across a vampire hunter traveling through town, and asks him if he would kill the Count in order to prevent her from turning into a vampire. In exchange for food and a place to stay, the vampire hunter, named D, accepts the job. One of the first things we learn about D is that he is actually a dhampir, a vampire/human half-breed, who isn't very accepting of his vampiric side. Over the course of the story, we learn much more about the stoic vampire hunter, like the code of honor that he binds himself to, as well as his relationship to the House of Lee.

D, himself, looks and acts like the archetypical Western hero. The character's creator, Hideyuki Kikuchi, has even been cited stating that his original image of D was based on that of Phil Collins during the cowboy segment of the music video for "Don't Lose My Number". Much like the Lone Ranger, or even more recent examples like Kenshiro or Kwai Chang Caine, he wanders from town-to-town across a mostly desolate land, righting any wrongs that he comes across, as per his unwritten code of honor. What sets each of these examples apart, though, is their individual motivation for doing what they do, and while D's motivation isn't made crystal clear, it becomes more implied as the story plays out.

The story remains exciting throughout and maintains a good pace, but still somehow manages to feel a little rough around the edges in a way that I can't quite explain. It feels more like an extended episode of a TV show than a theatrical feature. This is understandable, seeing as how director Toyoo Ashida's only prior directorial credit was for the first season of the Fist of the North Star TV show.

Easily the most interesting aspect of Vampire Hunter D is the setting. The world, itself, has a mixture of classic Western and Gothic elements to it, creating a very retro atmosphere. At the same time, the technology that is used in transportation, housing, and weaponry is very reminiscent of  futuristic '80s sci-fi. This particular blend of landscapes and technology really works well in crafting a distinct environment.

While not perfect, Vampire Hunter D is still a really fun movie that managed to set itself apart from the rest of its peers when it was first released.

Vampire Hunter D is based on the first of an ongoing series of novels of the same name, written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano.