Paprika
Author: Ockshun Jockson
One of the things I absolutely love about my Xbox 360 is being able to stream movies from my PC over to my TV. A while back I downloaded "Paprika" after someone suggested it, and I just got around to watching it...Wow...I had no idea what the movie was about or who made it or anything.
To my delight, it's a movie by Madhouse; one of the world's leading edge animation studios (and a personal fav). The last thing I saw from them was Paranoia Agent in 2005 which was a television series. It's absolutely brilliant. Up until this year, it was the last-best anime series I have seen (since surpassed by the likes of GITS: 2nd Gig, Samurai 7 and Gurren Lagann.
Madhouse specializes in these alternate/reality-bending dramas. Be it as far back as 1997's Perfect Blue (a must see. "reminiscent of the works of Alfred Hitchcock and Philip K. Dick; reality and fantasy spiral out of control." as the Wikipedia entry states it), or 2001's "Millennium Actress"; another title that skews the line between reality and disassociation.
Paprika is no different. There were a few scenes that recalled a Ketamine-powered trip, or a disassosiated PCP experience. This is what Madhouse movies are known for: this skimming between reality, and in Parika's case, Dreams.
Part Ghost in the Shell, part Philip K Dick, part Freudian psycho-drama. Rent it. Or download it. Just check it out. If simply for the animation alone. It's a very realistic -- "natural" -- looking anime: no big-eyes, blonde heair nonsense. Between this and the previously suggested Tekkon Kinkreet, there has been a lot of quality anime coming out recently (mature anime). Don't sleep.
while i am interested in seeing as much anime as possible, i am clueless as to what's what... so thanks for dropping some clues. now if i can just get a mail slot here so i can get netflix goddamn it. anyone got a saw that can cut through metal?
Yeah wow, Paprika WAS a total mindfuck... Saw it, loved it... Have no frikken idea what it was about! Definitely need a need a second viewing, but man -- what a gorgeous movie.
Thanks for the connective recommendations though. I'm aware of a lot of those flicks/shows, but didn't know about the studio connection. I have to admit to being somewhat anime-stoopid as well (pretty much stopped at Akira/Ghost in da Shell/Mononoke, but will definitely seek out this stuff.