Why Do the Warboys Spray Their Mouths in Mad Max: Fury Road? - Main Image
With Furiosa coming to theaters soon, it’s a great time to look back at the previous Mad Max film, especially as there are still many mysteries about that film’s characters and world. One such mystery is why the warboys spray their mouths during the various Mad Max: Fury Road chase sequences.
As Fury Road is not an exposition-heavy movie, a lot of its world-building is done visually, meaning the chrome-spraying of the warboys isn’t exactly explained.
Based on what we can glean from the film though, the color of the spray may hold the key to understanding this ritual.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Mad Max: Fury Road, so proceed with caution.
The Significance of Chrome in the World of Mad Max
George Miller’s Mad Max is an iconic...
With Furiosa coming to theaters soon, it’s a great time to look back at the previous Mad Max film, especially as there are still many mysteries about that film’s characters and world. One such mystery is why the warboys spray their mouths during the various Mad Max: Fury Road chase sequences.
As Fury Road is not an exposition-heavy movie, a lot of its world-building is done visually, meaning the chrome-spraying of the warboys isn’t exactly explained.
Based on what we can glean from the film though, the color of the spray may hold the key to understanding this ritual.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Mad Max: Fury Road, so proceed with caution.
The Significance of Chrome in the World of Mad Max
George Miller’s Mad Max is an iconic...
- 5/16/2024
- EpicStream
Fist of the North Star Illustrator Creates Furiosa Crossover Art - Main Image
With the new Mad Max movie coming to theaters soon, the film got a surprise crossover in Japan. Warner Bros Japan recently shared an official art of Furiosa by Fist of the North Star illustrator Tetsuo Hara.
While it doesn’t feature Kenshiro or the other characters from the series, the illustration features Hara’s unmistakable style that is sure to delight Fist of the North Star fans.
Hara being tapped to draw a special illustration for the upcoming film is a full-circle moment, especially given the connection between the two franchises.
Exploring Fist of the North Star and Mad Max’s Surprising Connection
Fist of the North Star is one of Shonen Jump’s most popular properties as it was an icon of the 80s thanks to its action and style.
While the manga has become hugely influential,...
With the new Mad Max movie coming to theaters soon, the film got a surprise crossover in Japan. Warner Bros Japan recently shared an official art of Furiosa by Fist of the North Star illustrator Tetsuo Hara.
While it doesn’t feature Kenshiro or the other characters from the series, the illustration features Hara’s unmistakable style that is sure to delight Fist of the North Star fans.
Hara being tapped to draw a special illustration for the upcoming film is a full-circle moment, especially given the connection between the two franchises.
Exploring Fist of the North Star and Mad Max’s Surprising Connection
Fist of the North Star is one of Shonen Jump’s most popular properties as it was an icon of the 80s thanks to its action and style.
While the manga has become hugely influential,...
- 5/16/2024
- EpicStream
The upcoming July 2024 issue of the Japanese movie magazine Eiga Hiho (literally meaning Movie Treasures ) will feature an illustration of the protagonist Furiosa from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on its cover. The illustration was newly drawn by Tetsuo Hara , best known as the illustrator of the Fist of the North Star manga series. The Fist of the North Star manga's post-apocalyptic world setting and characters' looks were heavily inspired by the Mad Max series . So, this collaboration was probably inevitable! Eiga Hiho July 2024 issue cover Related : New Fist of the North Star: Hokuto no Ken Anime Announced for 40th Anniversary The issue will also include a conversation between Tetsuo Hara and George Miller, the original creator of the Mad Max series and the director of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga . The two discuss the true meaning of their portrayal of a world of catastrophe and violence. The Eiga...
- 5/16/2024
- by Mikikazu Komatsu
- Crunchyroll
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is raising the anticipation level of the fans day by day. The upcoming game is going to feature some of the most popular Dragon Ball Z characters with various power levels. The game looks forward to resurrecting the renowned Budokai Tenkaichi series. Everything that has been reported about the game so far has been impressive, and fans are looking forward to reliving the best moments from Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus.
Kakarot in Ssj Blue form in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Even though the roster looks quite robust with a plethora of playable characters from across the Dragon Ball universe, none of the Dragon Ball games are complete without Son-Goku. Kazuhiko Torishima wanted to work on a three-dimensional story to make a massive difference in the game’s series, which now makes it stand out in the sea of fighting games.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Paid...
Kakarot in Ssj Blue form in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Even though the roster looks quite robust with a plethora of playable characters from across the Dragon Ball universe, none of the Dragon Ball games are complete without Son-Goku. Kazuhiko Torishima wanted to work on a three-dimensional story to make a massive difference in the game’s series, which now makes it stand out in the sea of fighting games.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Paid...
- 5/5/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
Before passing away, Kentarou Miura gifted the fans one of the best manga ever. He created a masterpiece with one of the most iconic rivalries ever. His presence of mind and creativity were very well depicted in his magnum opus. Guts’ journey to put an end to his former friend has kept the anime fans busy for more than three decades.
Berserk has one of the most beautiful drawings, and the minute details were done so well. But the mangaka said that he was not good at drawing manga panels. It may sound surprising, but during an old interview, he confirmed that he had a problem drawing manga panels. Kentarou Miura really went from being bad at creating manga panels to becoming one of the best mangakas.
Kentarou Miura’s Manga Panels Were Not up To the Mark Berserk (Credit: Nippon TV)
Kentarou Miura had a knack for drawing during his childhood.
Berserk has one of the most beautiful drawings, and the minute details were done so well. But the mangaka said that he was not good at drawing manga panels. It may sound surprising, but during an old interview, he confirmed that he had a problem drawing manga panels. Kentarou Miura really went from being bad at creating manga panels to becoming one of the best mangakas.
Kentarou Miura’s Manga Panels Were Not up To the Mark Berserk (Credit: Nippon TV)
Kentarou Miura had a knack for drawing during his childhood.
- 4/22/2024
- by Priyanko Chakraborty
- FandomWire
The annual Anime! Anime! General Election has unveiled the winners of the “Most Recommended Male Voice Actor” of 2023 on Dec 29, 2023.
The survey period spanned from Nov 15, 2023, to Dec 15, 2023, during which over 3,000 anime fans participated. With a majority of female respondents, accounting for approximately 65%, with 35% being male, the survey captured the sentiments of a diverse audience ranging from those under 19 to individuals in their 40s.
Participants were asked to identify the voice actors who left a lasting impression, whether through their roles in various anime or their appearances in other forms of entertainment. The criteria ranged from the most active and impactful voice actor of the year to the one fans found themselves recommending the most.
Checkout the top 20 most recommended male voice actors of 2023 below:
20. Takahiro Sakurai
Notable roles: Kenjaku / Suguru Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen, Giyu Tomioka in Demon Slayer, Reigen Arataka in Mob Psycho
19. Akira Kamiya
Notable roles: Ryo Saeba in City Hunter,...
The survey period spanned from Nov 15, 2023, to Dec 15, 2023, during which over 3,000 anime fans participated. With a majority of female respondents, accounting for approximately 65%, with 35% being male, the survey captured the sentiments of a diverse audience ranging from those under 19 to individuals in their 40s.
Participants were asked to identify the voice actors who left a lasting impression, whether through their roles in various anime or their appearances in other forms of entertainment. The criteria ranged from the most active and impactful voice actor of the year to the one fans found themselves recommending the most.
Checkout the top 20 most recommended male voice actors of 2023 below:
20. Takahiro Sakurai
Notable roles: Kenjaku / Suguru Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen, Giyu Tomioka in Demon Slayer, Reigen Arataka in Mob Psycho
19. Akira Kamiya
Notable roles: Ryo Saeba in City Hunter,...
- 12/30/2023
- by Ami Nazru
- AnimeHunch
The official website of Tokyo Anime Award Festival, or Taaf in short, announced the winners of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement awards on Dec 14, 2023. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of animation industry and culture.
The following members have won the Taaf 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award;
1. Shunzo Kato
A renowned producer behind numerous works of Tms Entertainment and Telecom Animation. Anpanman, Akira, Space Cobra are some of his well known anime.
2. Akira Toriyama
Mangaka, who is known for Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump – Arale-chan, Sandland, among others.
3. Sukehiro Tomita
He is a scriptwriter, known for his work on Space Runaway Ideon, Macross II, Digimon Frontier, Gall Force, etc.
4. Ryousuke Takahashi
A director, who is known for original works such as Armored Trooper Votoms, Fang of the Sun Dougram, Cyborg 009, Phoenix, and others. Taaf describes him as “a rare creator who has consistently unfolded his unique worlds across a wide range of genres,...
The following members have won the Taaf 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award;
1. Shunzo Kato
A renowned producer behind numerous works of Tms Entertainment and Telecom Animation. Anpanman, Akira, Space Cobra are some of his well known anime.
2. Akira Toriyama
Mangaka, who is known for Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump – Arale-chan, Sandland, among others.
3. Sukehiro Tomita
He is a scriptwriter, known for his work on Space Runaway Ideon, Macross II, Digimon Frontier, Gall Force, etc.
4. Ryousuke Takahashi
A director, who is known for original works such as Armored Trooper Votoms, Fang of the Sun Dougram, Cyborg 009, Phoenix, and others. Taaf describes him as “a rare creator who has consistently unfolded his unique worlds across a wide range of genres,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Ami Nazru
- AnimeHunch
Watching Santastein as part of this year's Popcorn Frights Film Festival felt like unwrapping a Christmas gift extra early this past summer, so I'm especially excited that Manuel Camilion and Benjamin Edelman's new holiday horror film is coming to Screambox on December 19th as part of their streaming lineup this month!
Below, you can check out the previous Santastein trailer and details on Screambox's December streaming lineup (which also includes Rare Exports), and in case you missed it, feel free to read my Popcorn Frights review of Santastein, which brings Santa Claus back to life with a blood-splattered vengeance!
Santastein synopsis: Max was only six years old when he accidentally burned Santa to a crisp on Christmas Eve. 12 years later, Max attempts to raise Santa from the dead in order to fix his past mistakes and restore the Christmas spirit. But he soon realizes that the creature he has...
Below, you can check out the previous Santastein trailer and details on Screambox's December streaming lineup (which also includes Rare Exports), and in case you missed it, feel free to read my Popcorn Frights review of Santastein, which brings Santa Claus back to life with a blood-splattered vengeance!
Santastein synopsis: Max was only six years old when he accidentally burned Santa to a crisp on Christmas Eve. 12 years later, Max attempts to raise Santa from the dead in order to fix his past mistakes and restore the Christmas spirit. But he soon realizes that the creature he has...
- 12/4/2023
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
An animated high-school sports movie, The First Slam Dunk is also an adaptation of a long-running and beloved manga franchise. Running in Weekly Shonen Jump, an anthology comic whose closest UK analogue is probably still 2000Ad, the collected work was printed in 31 volumes. Several titles have made the crossover from those pages, just as Dredd did. Slam Dunk is kin to works like Fist Of The North Star, Kimagure Orange Road, One Piece, Death Note, and Dragon Ball. There's good odds that if you've heard of all of those you'll know Slam Dunk, and if you've only heard of one you won't.
The film is focused on Ryota Miyagi. Seen in a subtitled version, the distinctions between the -kun, -chan, and other suffixes are left as an exercise to the tutored ear. Other translation issues come from the basketball focus. 'regular member' might be the term of...
The film is focused on Ryota Miyagi. Seen in a subtitled version, the distinctions between the -kun, -chan, and other suffixes are left as an exercise to the tutored ear. Other translation issues come from the basketball focus. 'regular member' might be the term of...
- 7/31/2023
- by Andrew Robertson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
As part of the press tour for his new film "Creed III" -- whose fight scenes bring the franchise into anime territory -- Michael B. Jordan listed his five favorite anime series on BBC Radio 1: "'One Piece,'" "Dragon Ball," "Naruto," "Bleach," and "Hunter x Hunter." These are all worthy picks, even though it "would take the average person over 957 hours ... to complete Jordan's top five anime recommendations," as Isaiah Colbert said at Kotaku. "One Piece" has lasted for over a thousand episodes. "Dragon Ball" remains one of the most popular anime ever. "Naruto" featured some of the wildest fight scenes in anime history, while "Bleach" at its best was just cool. "Hunter x Hunter" is messier, spanning two adaptations and a source comic that has yet to finish. But its creator Yoshiharu Togashi has over 3 million followers on Twitter, and his dedicated fans haven't given up on him yet.
- 3/20/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
Violence in cinema has always been a polarizing element, with film buffs frequently fighting about the dilemma of beauty versus violence, with the question essentially separating two of the larger groups of audiences, the art-house and the cult ones. The truth remains that violence has been used in different ways throughout the history of cinema, both to entertain in its simplest form (torture porn is one terms associated with this approach) and to present intricate comments by shocking. In this list, we have included movies that include both, while also highlighting that artfulness can also be found within violence, as much as mindless action. Considering that violence does not always equal action and with an effort to include as much diversity in its presentation as in the selection of the filmmakers included here (we failed miserably with Miike though), here are 40 of the most violent Asian movies ever to be shot.
- 2/17/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
As a child I was fascinated by “Manimal” an old TV series where a man could transform into various creatures. Also, by “Braveheart” a cartoon sheriff with the powers of hawk, wolf, puma, and bear (currently singing that as I write this). So, the concept of a guy revived with martial animal powers caught my attention. With one of the executive producers (Prachya Pinkaew) being the man who brought us Tony Jaa it looked like there could be some potential here. I mean what martial arts movie fan doesn’t mind a bit of Tiger or Monkey Style? Can’t be too bad right???
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Told in flashback to Detective Russells (Layton Matthews), An Voaen (D.Y. Sao) takes a watchman job at a mental institute. Here Mephisto and the Four Horsemen are abducting children for a sacrificial ritual to bring about the end of times,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Told in flashback to Detective Russells (Layton Matthews), An Voaen (D.Y. Sao) takes a watchman job at a mental institute. Here Mephisto and the Four Horsemen are abducting children for a sacrificial ritual to bring about the end of times,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
As the Covid-19 pandemic, Oval Office hysteria and racial tumult raged outside his studio walls, Flying Lotus spent 2020 with a laser focus on, of all things, anime. The acclaimed musician/producer, whose real name is Steven Ellison, created more than 200 tracks for the score of Netflix’s new anime series “Yasuke,” which premiered April 30 on the streamer; an accompanying soundtrack is out now via Warp Records. Beyond its stellar animation, “Yasuke” has drawn attention for its title character, a real-life 16th century samurai of African descent — a truly rare showing in anime. In much the same way, Flying Lotus has spent his career breaking down barriers between genres, from his jazz-influenced work with Kendrick Lamar to strategically dropping the “Twin Peaks” theme song into his psychedelic DJ sets. Variety spoke to the artist about his creative process for “Yasuke,” his recent Grammy win as co-producer of his friend Thundercat’s...
- 5/4/2021
- by Jonathan Cohen
- Variety Film + TV
Based on Hideyuki Kikuchi’s novel series of the same, “Vampire Hunter D” was released straight to video in 1985. Directed by Toyoo Ashida, who would later take the reins on “Fist of the North Star”, the film was produced on a limited budget by the studio Ashi Productions. Now considered an anime classic, the feature still has plenty to offer in terms of careful world-building and enticing visuals. It’s worth noting that this review is for the 1992 Streamline Pictures English dub.
In the post-apocalyptic future of 12,090 Ad, Doris Lang (Barbara Goodson) is out hunting one night when she stumbles into the territory of the imposing vampire Count Magnus Lee (Jeff Winkless). Left bitten by the count and now the object of his desire, she hires the formidable vampire hunter, D (Michael McConnohie); a half-human, half-vampire hybrid known as a dhampir. With the count’s minions on the prowl for Doris,...
In the post-apocalyptic future of 12,090 Ad, Doris Lang (Barbara Goodson) is out hunting one night when she stumbles into the territory of the imposing vampire Count Magnus Lee (Jeff Winkless). Left bitten by the count and now the object of his desire, she hires the formidable vampire hunter, D (Michael McConnohie); a half-human, half-vampire hybrid known as a dhampir. With the count’s minions on the prowl for Doris,...
- 1/13/2021
- by Tom Wilmot
- AsianMoviePulse
Ryan Lambie Jan 19, 2018
Fist Of The North Star? Dragon Ball Z? These 80s and 90s games looked very different by the time they appeared in the west...
Thanks to the internet and the growth of gaming as a general cultural phenomenon, audiences are now more familiar with the concept of localisation: the process of altering a videogame for a specific marketplace. Sometimes, these changes can be as subtle as altering lines of dialogue so they make sense in a given country - an everyday phrase in Japan would likely mean nothing to UK gamers if translated literally, for example - to fairly drastic changes to a game’s graphics.
See related Hard Sun episode 2 review Hard Sun episode 1 review 28 British TV dramas to watch in 2018
One of the most famous examples is, perhaps, Bionic Commando on the Nintendo Entertainment System. In Japan, the game roughly translated to Top Secret: Hitler’s Revival,...
Fist Of The North Star? Dragon Ball Z? These 80s and 90s games looked very different by the time they appeared in the west...
Thanks to the internet and the growth of gaming as a general cultural phenomenon, audiences are now more familiar with the concept of localisation: the process of altering a videogame for a specific marketplace. Sometimes, these changes can be as subtle as altering lines of dialogue so they make sense in a given country - an everyday phrase in Japan would likely mean nothing to UK gamers if translated literally, for example - to fairly drastic changes to a game’s graphics.
See related Hard Sun episode 2 review Hard Sun episode 1 review 28 British TV dramas to watch in 2018
One of the most famous examples is, perhaps, Bionic Commando on the Nintendo Entertainment System. In Japan, the game roughly translated to Top Secret: Hitler’s Revival,...
- 1/17/2018
- Den of Geek
You know what doesn’t get enough love in the horror community? Weird, gory anime. Sure, everyone digs Akira, and it’s possible to find a few discussions about the brilliant dark fantasy series Berserk in some circles, but I’ve always been interested in the little guys, the weird, unloved Ova (original video animation) schlock of the ’80s and ’90s—the Future War 198Xs and Black Magic M-66s of the world, unsung and unloved pieces of vibrant genre fiction that never get their dues. Naturally, I plan to fix that on the Crypt of Curiosities, starting with an off-the-wall duology of cinematic carnage that I adore and despise in equal measure: M.D. Geist.
M.D. Geist is the story of, well, M.D. Geist (voiced by the legendary Norio Wakamoto), a maverick M.D.S. (Most Dangerous Soldier) who was literally launched into space after his superior officers found it impossible to control his violent nature. Years later, he finally crash lands on the planet Jerra, a devastated wasteland plagued by violent marauders and warring armies. Now, back on the ground and with a lust for blood, he has one mission and one mission only: kill as much as he can, as violently as he can, until there’s nothing left to fight, living or otherwise.
As you can probably guess, M.D. Geist isn’t exactly what one would call a ‘nuanced’ story. Geist himself doesn’t have a single semblance of personality outside of his love of violence, and in a way, this single-minded nature creates a very distinct character in and of itself. Even when Vaiya (Fumi Hirano, voice of the iconic Lum from Urusei Yatsura), the lovely queen of a wasteland-roaming mercenary company names him their leader and throws herself at him in bed, Geist does little more than swat her body away. He isn’t looking for romance, or forging a relationship of any sort with anybody alive. He is one hundred percent devoted to killing and nothing else, making him less man and more of a flesh and blood avatar of death—destruction taking the form of a six-foot-something with golden hair and cool shades.
Of course, Geist’s one-track rage wouldn’t be notable if the rest of the cast were equally as driven by animalistic ID. While none of them are very well fleshed out, most of the supporting cast is at least recognizably human and sympathetic in their own ways, and all of them pay the price for it. While plenty of action films love killing off a good chunk of their cast, M.D. Geist turns it into a spectacle, inviting audiences to cheer rather than cry as every mildly sympathetic character around gets shot, stabbed, or mutilated at every turn. It almost feels like particularly cruel irony at times, with Vaiya falling madly in love with Geist and soldiers throwing themselves to die on the front lines.
As if the violence wasn’t brutal enough on paper, it appears the entire animation budget went into making the carnage as horrifying as possible, creating some of the most beautiful, absurd gore in anime history. However, when people aren’t bursting into various shades of reds and pinks, the animation is more than a little rough, with character movements lacking the fluidity found in the likes of contemporaries such as Angel’s Egg, Riding Bean, or Dominion: Tank Police, and every character design sans Geist’s magnificent suit of pitch-black power armor does look a bit like rejected Fist of the North Star characters, but the look of the characters clearly isn’t what M.D. Geist’s art is focused on.
No, that’s all devoted to the future tech: the tanks, the aircraft, the towering mecha, the big-ass guns. It’s clear that series co-director and mechanical designer Kôichi Ôhata prefers designer robots to human characters, and nowhere is that more apparent than the finale, when Geist briefly teams up with his former supporting officer, Colonel Krutes (Unshô Ishizuka), and his young, naïve troops to go raid the Brain Palace, a massive structure containing a ticking doomsday device known as the Death Force. The Death Force is, for lack of a better comparison, Skynet on steroids, indiscriminate hunter-killer bots that don’t think and don’t feel—their only purpose is to kill and kill and kill until there’s nothing left living on Jerra. Sound familiar?
This link between Geist and the apocalypse is particularly prevalent in the last five minutes—and yes, I will be discussing the ending of M.D. Geist, because to be honest, it’s the ending that really makes the whole movie such a fascinating example of pessimistic genre films. Colonel Krutes leaves Geist for dead at the hands of an ultra-powerful security robot, and uses this opportunity to shut off the Death Force once and for all. Unfortunately for him, Geist isn’t as dead as he hoped—the M.D.S. strides into the room, grabs him by his head, and squeezes until it explodes, sending red goop and stray eyeballs flying across the room. And then Geist does the unthinkable. He turns the Death Force back on.
This is, without a doubt, the single most defining moment of M.D. Geist. Not only does it solidify every monstrous take the viewer may have had of the anti-hero, it solidifies where the film’s priorities lie. Not with humanity. Not with the people of Jerra. Not with concepts like “taste” or “satisfying narratives.” M.D. Geist is the sort of film that exists for one reason and one reason only: to give you as much wanton death, violence, and desolation as you can stand and then some—standards be damned. Naturally, this sort of film got a sequel.
M.D. Geist II: Death Force may take place less than a year after the insane ending to M.D. Geist, but in the real world, fans(?) didn’t get M.D. Geist II until 1996, ten years after the release of the first film. As the title suggests, Death Force follows Jerra after the activation of the Death Force, and as promised, they’ve almost entirely exterminated the planet’s human population. The remnants of humanity live under the iron grip of Krauser (Takumi Yamazaki), who just so happens to be an M.D.S. himself. Geist, naturally, is still roaming the wastelands, but a choice encounter puts him on the warpath against Krauser, and, along with him, the remnants of humanity.
If you thought M.D. Geist was grim (it was), M.D. Geist II: Death Force is an apocalyptically bleak movie. While the first film was more of a gory rollercoaster ride, M.D. Geist II: Death Force tries to put more focus on its honestly terrible villain (he has all of the presence of a plastic bag), which really drags the whole thing down. Thankfully, Geist is even more imposing than ever, and he even picks up a killer set of metal wings for Death Force’s explosive finale.
Unfortunately, the combat in M.D. Geist II: Death Force is far more infrequent than the first title, with only the opening, ending, and a brief sequence in the middle delivering the same high-octane thrills seen in M.D. Geist. The lack of fun action isn’t helped by the new art style, which gives the cast a new angular design that doesn’t quite suit the world.
On the plus side, M.D. Geist II actually shows the titular death force in full, and as expected, all of the detail goes into making the killer robots look as equally awesome and creepy as possible. While it’s unfortunate that they get sidelined in favor of human conflict, all of their appearances are among the best-drawn sequences in the movie, only second to an amazing hallucination of a massive skeleton in Geist’s armor (which may as well be the single coolest image from anything ever).
While M.D. Geist II can’t quite stack up to the crazed majesty of its predecessor, it still has its fair share of highlights. While the aforementioned battle sequences are great, the final showdown with Krauser is among the best moments in the duology—it’s a chance for Geist to finally go toe to toe with someone on his level, and the results are as brutal and messy as possible. And, much like M.D. Geist, the movie ends on a real shocker, this time climaxing with Krauser’s downfall coming in the form of him murdering a kid, and Geist using his brief moment of hesitation to take him out.
It’s an utterly terrifying ending for multiple reasons, the most important being that the thing that brings the villain down is that he’s only a sliver more human than the “hero,” who by the end of M.D. Geist II: Death Force, has successfully exterminated the human race with his driven lust for blood. It’s a truly crude, monstrous ending for the series—but then again, how else could something like M.D. Geist end? In almost any other film, the crushing consequences of Geist’s rampage could be read as a critique of the “collateral damage be damned” attitude of many action films, but it’s clear that the Geist franchise isn’t condemning it at all. It’s the cinematic equivalent of an edgy 14-year-old’s violent drawings in notebook margins—carnage for the sake of fun.
And that brings us to the core of M.D. Geist as a whole. If there’s one thing anyone can take from the story (ha) of the M.D. Geist duology, it’s that, much like its villainous protagonist, it hates people. From the brutal set piece on an airship that kicks off M.D. Geist to the horrific child murder that punctuates M.D. Geist II: Death Force, both films show a blatant disregard and even dislike for human life, using everyone from the most fiendish of villains to the most innocent of children as another excuse to portray increasingly nasty violence. In many ways, the Geist films feel like a rough preview of things to come, a sneak peak at the hedonistic carnage seen in the films of Michael Bay and Robert Rodriguez (well, Machete-era Rodriguez), where the plot is little more than an excuse to show countless bodies meeting a grisly end. It is animated violence at its most exuberant, pumped with enough guts, gore, and gunfire to be constantly kinetic, to the point of overwhelming the average viewer within minutes of its unhinged combat sequences.
But the fact of the matter is that the M.D. Geist duology doesn’t care what viewers think. It doesn’t care what basic storytelling standards think. It’s an unhinged work of vulgar art that actively spits in the face of structure, consistency, character, and taste with an unbridled ferocity rarely seen this side of ’80s Italian schlock. Unrelentingly unpleasant from start to finish, it’s a duology that cannot decide between being off-the-wall fun or horrifically unwatchable, with only white-hot misanthropy tying it together. You’ll either love them or you’ll hate them (and to be honest, I often fluctuate between both at the drop of a hat), but either way, there’s no denying that they’re worth a watch.
[Note: Select images courtesy of aniSearch.]
The post Crypt of Curiosities: The Cinematic Carnage of the M.D. Geist Anime Duology appeared first on Daily Dead.
M.D. Geist is the story of, well, M.D. Geist (voiced by the legendary Norio Wakamoto), a maverick M.D.S. (Most Dangerous Soldier) who was literally launched into space after his superior officers found it impossible to control his violent nature. Years later, he finally crash lands on the planet Jerra, a devastated wasteland plagued by violent marauders and warring armies. Now, back on the ground and with a lust for blood, he has one mission and one mission only: kill as much as he can, as violently as he can, until there’s nothing left to fight, living or otherwise.
As you can probably guess, M.D. Geist isn’t exactly what one would call a ‘nuanced’ story. Geist himself doesn’t have a single semblance of personality outside of his love of violence, and in a way, this single-minded nature creates a very distinct character in and of itself. Even when Vaiya (Fumi Hirano, voice of the iconic Lum from Urusei Yatsura), the lovely queen of a wasteland-roaming mercenary company names him their leader and throws herself at him in bed, Geist does little more than swat her body away. He isn’t looking for romance, or forging a relationship of any sort with anybody alive. He is one hundred percent devoted to killing and nothing else, making him less man and more of a flesh and blood avatar of death—destruction taking the form of a six-foot-something with golden hair and cool shades.
Of course, Geist’s one-track rage wouldn’t be notable if the rest of the cast were equally as driven by animalistic ID. While none of them are very well fleshed out, most of the supporting cast is at least recognizably human and sympathetic in their own ways, and all of them pay the price for it. While plenty of action films love killing off a good chunk of their cast, M.D. Geist turns it into a spectacle, inviting audiences to cheer rather than cry as every mildly sympathetic character around gets shot, stabbed, or mutilated at every turn. It almost feels like particularly cruel irony at times, with Vaiya falling madly in love with Geist and soldiers throwing themselves to die on the front lines.
As if the violence wasn’t brutal enough on paper, it appears the entire animation budget went into making the carnage as horrifying as possible, creating some of the most beautiful, absurd gore in anime history. However, when people aren’t bursting into various shades of reds and pinks, the animation is more than a little rough, with character movements lacking the fluidity found in the likes of contemporaries such as Angel’s Egg, Riding Bean, or Dominion: Tank Police, and every character design sans Geist’s magnificent suit of pitch-black power armor does look a bit like rejected Fist of the North Star characters, but the look of the characters clearly isn’t what M.D. Geist’s art is focused on.
No, that’s all devoted to the future tech: the tanks, the aircraft, the towering mecha, the big-ass guns. It’s clear that series co-director and mechanical designer Kôichi Ôhata prefers designer robots to human characters, and nowhere is that more apparent than the finale, when Geist briefly teams up with his former supporting officer, Colonel Krutes (Unshô Ishizuka), and his young, naïve troops to go raid the Brain Palace, a massive structure containing a ticking doomsday device known as the Death Force. The Death Force is, for lack of a better comparison, Skynet on steroids, indiscriminate hunter-killer bots that don’t think and don’t feel—their only purpose is to kill and kill and kill until there’s nothing left living on Jerra. Sound familiar?
This link between Geist and the apocalypse is particularly prevalent in the last five minutes—and yes, I will be discussing the ending of M.D. Geist, because to be honest, it’s the ending that really makes the whole movie such a fascinating example of pessimistic genre films. Colonel Krutes leaves Geist for dead at the hands of an ultra-powerful security robot, and uses this opportunity to shut off the Death Force once and for all. Unfortunately for him, Geist isn’t as dead as he hoped—the M.D.S. strides into the room, grabs him by his head, and squeezes until it explodes, sending red goop and stray eyeballs flying across the room. And then Geist does the unthinkable. He turns the Death Force back on.
This is, without a doubt, the single most defining moment of M.D. Geist. Not only does it solidify every monstrous take the viewer may have had of the anti-hero, it solidifies where the film’s priorities lie. Not with humanity. Not with the people of Jerra. Not with concepts like “taste” or “satisfying narratives.” M.D. Geist is the sort of film that exists for one reason and one reason only: to give you as much wanton death, violence, and desolation as you can stand and then some—standards be damned. Naturally, this sort of film got a sequel.
M.D. Geist II: Death Force may take place less than a year after the insane ending to M.D. Geist, but in the real world, fans(?) didn’t get M.D. Geist II until 1996, ten years after the release of the first film. As the title suggests, Death Force follows Jerra after the activation of the Death Force, and as promised, they’ve almost entirely exterminated the planet’s human population. The remnants of humanity live under the iron grip of Krauser (Takumi Yamazaki), who just so happens to be an M.D.S. himself. Geist, naturally, is still roaming the wastelands, but a choice encounter puts him on the warpath against Krauser, and, along with him, the remnants of humanity.
If you thought M.D. Geist was grim (it was), M.D. Geist II: Death Force is an apocalyptically bleak movie. While the first film was more of a gory rollercoaster ride, M.D. Geist II: Death Force tries to put more focus on its honestly terrible villain (he has all of the presence of a plastic bag), which really drags the whole thing down. Thankfully, Geist is even more imposing than ever, and he even picks up a killer set of metal wings for Death Force’s explosive finale.
Unfortunately, the combat in M.D. Geist II: Death Force is far more infrequent than the first title, with only the opening, ending, and a brief sequence in the middle delivering the same high-octane thrills seen in M.D. Geist. The lack of fun action isn’t helped by the new art style, which gives the cast a new angular design that doesn’t quite suit the world.
On the plus side, M.D. Geist II actually shows the titular death force in full, and as expected, all of the detail goes into making the killer robots look as equally awesome and creepy as possible. While it’s unfortunate that they get sidelined in favor of human conflict, all of their appearances are among the best-drawn sequences in the movie, only second to an amazing hallucination of a massive skeleton in Geist’s armor (which may as well be the single coolest image from anything ever).
While M.D. Geist II can’t quite stack up to the crazed majesty of its predecessor, it still has its fair share of highlights. While the aforementioned battle sequences are great, the final showdown with Krauser is among the best moments in the duology—it’s a chance for Geist to finally go toe to toe with someone on his level, and the results are as brutal and messy as possible. And, much like M.D. Geist, the movie ends on a real shocker, this time climaxing with Krauser’s downfall coming in the form of him murdering a kid, and Geist using his brief moment of hesitation to take him out.
It’s an utterly terrifying ending for multiple reasons, the most important being that the thing that brings the villain down is that he’s only a sliver more human than the “hero,” who by the end of M.D. Geist II: Death Force, has successfully exterminated the human race with his driven lust for blood. It’s a truly crude, monstrous ending for the series—but then again, how else could something like M.D. Geist end? In almost any other film, the crushing consequences of Geist’s rampage could be read as a critique of the “collateral damage be damned” attitude of many action films, but it’s clear that the Geist franchise isn’t condemning it at all. It’s the cinematic equivalent of an edgy 14-year-old’s violent drawings in notebook margins—carnage for the sake of fun.
And that brings us to the core of M.D. Geist as a whole. If there’s one thing anyone can take from the story (ha) of the M.D. Geist duology, it’s that, much like its villainous protagonist, it hates people. From the brutal set piece on an airship that kicks off M.D. Geist to the horrific child murder that punctuates M.D. Geist II: Death Force, both films show a blatant disregard and even dislike for human life, using everyone from the most fiendish of villains to the most innocent of children as another excuse to portray increasingly nasty violence. In many ways, the Geist films feel like a rough preview of things to come, a sneak peak at the hedonistic carnage seen in the films of Michael Bay and Robert Rodriguez (well, Machete-era Rodriguez), where the plot is little more than an excuse to show countless bodies meeting a grisly end. It is animated violence at its most exuberant, pumped with enough guts, gore, and gunfire to be constantly kinetic, to the point of overwhelming the average viewer within minutes of its unhinged combat sequences.
But the fact of the matter is that the M.D. Geist duology doesn’t care what viewers think. It doesn’t care what basic storytelling standards think. It’s an unhinged work of vulgar art that actively spits in the face of structure, consistency, character, and taste with an unbridled ferocity rarely seen this side of ’80s Italian schlock. Unrelentingly unpleasant from start to finish, it’s a duology that cannot decide between being off-the-wall fun or horrifically unwatchable, with only white-hot misanthropy tying it together. You’ll either love them or you’ll hate them (and to be honest, I often fluctuate between both at the drop of a hat), but either way, there’s no denying that they’re worth a watch.
[Note: Select images courtesy of aniSearch.]
The post Crypt of Curiosities: The Cinematic Carnage of the M.D. Geist Anime Duology appeared first on Daily Dead.
- 6/23/2017
- by Perry Ruhland
- DailyDead
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