Satoshi Kon


Episode 73

Satoshi Kon

Satoshi Kon was a truly legendary film maker who left behind an incredible legacy. His work has influenced some of the biggest names in Hollywood, demonstrating to the world that anime can truly be considered an art form in and of itself. For this long overdue episode, we're joined by Alexei Toliopoulos for his esteemed film critique. Alexei lives and breathes film, producing his own work and hosting a number of successful film related podcasts.

FEATURING

Sam

Charlie

Alexei Toliopoulos

ANIME REFERENCES

Perfect Blue

Mima Kirigoe, a member of a pop-idol group called "CHAM!", decides to quit singing to pursue a career as an actress. Some of her fans are displeased with this decision though, particularly a stalker named Me-Mania. As Mima progresses into her new career, those close to her are violently murdered one by one, and Mima begins to lose the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy.

Paprika

Prepare to enter the realm of fantasy and imagination where reality and dreams collide in a kaleidoscopic mindscape of sheer visual genius. The magical tale centers on a revolutionary machine that allows scientists to enter and record a subject's dream. After being stolen, a fearless detective and brilliant therapist join forces to recover the device before it falls into the hands of a dream terrorist. (Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Note: The film received an early premiere at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2006.

Tokyo Godfathers

In modern-day Tokyo, three homeless people’s lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fast approaches, these three forgotten members of society band together to solve the mystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way, encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together. (Source: Shout! Factory) Note: The film received an early premiere at the Big Apple Anime Fest on August 30, 2003.

Millennium Actress

Millennium Actress blurs the lines between the past and the present, and truth and fiction, when a documentary filmmaker fulfills his quest to find the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, and learn why she mysteriously vanished at the height of her brilliant career. When Chiyoko grants the filmmaker’s request, he, in turn, presents her with a token – a key she had lost and thought was gone forever. The filmmaker could not have imagined that the key would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life, but also his own. (Source: Dreamworks) Note: The film received an early premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 28, 2001.

Memories

Memories is a compilation of three standalone short films encompassing different genres. Magnetic Rose — a science fiction tale that tells a chilling story of love, loss, and the unwillingness to forget. Stink Bomb — a tongue-in-cheek story of a chemical researcher who is just looking for a way to get rid of his cold... so why is everybody around him dying? Cannon Fodder — an introspective tale about modern wars and simply following orders.

EPISODE NOTES

Hear more from Alexei:

Special Features' podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m29HsL... Sunburnt Screens: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YPGMPl... Finding Yeezus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZiJn...

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