Written by Andy Hayes (Cinema Projectionist)
I like movies. No huge surprises there, I’m sure! From kung-fu movies, no thoughts head empty explosive blockbusters, to schlocky b-movies, and comedy. Lots of comedy. Mix any of these, and I’ll be a happy lad! Basically, if it’s a good time, I’m in. I especially love Anime (and anime movies), which is why I pushed for the cinema to show more of them back in 2019 as I felt that was a portion of the community that we could accommodate more going forward.
I remember as a 90’s teenager, sitting up until ungodly hours of the morning to catch a random, out-of-sequence episode of 3x3 Eyes, Legend of the four kings or one of my cyberpunk favourites Cyber City Oedo 808. The art styles, the stories, they all had something new & different to offer.
Then I watched 1995’s Ghost in The Shell. I was utterly blown away. It took the high adrenaline action and cyberpunk trappings that I’d loved in other anime, and tempered it with themes of transhumanism, personal identity, the definition of life as we know it and the nature of memory. It was a game changer. From that point on I was very much sold on the medium, as anyone who has had to listen to me gush about it will attest!
Coming up next week we have a movie from a series very dear to my heart: Dragon Ball
Like many anime fans of the late 90s Dragon Ball Z was my go-to for regular viewing, the over-the-top exploits of Goku and Co. interspersed with tongue-in-cheek humour of its creator Akira Toriyama meaning that even when the fate of the galaxy was at stake, there was always the odd laugh to be had. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the much anticipated follow on from Dragon Ball Super: Broly the highest grossing anime film of 2018. To say I am a little bit excited would be like saying Goku can be a little peckish!
Going forward I’d like to see more input from the anime & manga loving parts of the community into what we’d like to have showing, as ultimately, it’s for all of us.
See you after the show!