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Weblog | I don't like the word blog, it's ugly. Anyway, new content happens here. (Swedish dito)

About me and the site | Twenty-something male who likes text. Obsessed with things such as books, reality, communication, and one or two tv-shows.

Archives | Things written here since... well, 2001. Some of it is good, some is utter shait.

Books | Books read, not books written. So far I've struggled to maintain unpublished.

Photo | I like my camera and it likes me.

Links | Outwards, away, flee.

e-mail | J. Nicklas Andersson

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2001-08-19

When I saw Ninja Scroll last night — Manga not really being my forte and all — I realised something that I’ve missed a long time. Nobody uses parallax scroll in conventional media these days. Sure, there where some hints in new mixed cgi/hand drawn-animation such as Titan AE.

But I want to see it used properly such as in the old computer game Obitus — or for that matter, it was even widely used in other Psygnosis classics. It gives the visuals a artificial depth that it otherwise lacks. And this is something it usually does lack, as it makes it look more like an adventure game with an always static background than a motion picture.

This is my major beef with the animated movies these days. They simply don’t use the techniques they have at hand to produce a movie that works properly. Instead they go the fashionable way; ignore what they’ve learnt in the past and go for better cleaner images. Not everything must be done with computers, not everything done with a computer needs a lens flare and animated movies most definitively do not need a cute little animal.

There are things animators and the scriptwriters could learn from more back-to-basic comic book writers such as Jhonen Vasques. Or of it must be cute, look at the magic created by Roman Dirge. But most of all that can be learnt from these two fellows is that gritty and rough images works just as well. It does not need to be perfect.

The final dark ages movie is finally hitting the dvd-scene in an appropriate way. The movie as such has been available before, but without any extras. Now, it does and what extras that is. It might be the definite dvd to buy and own ever. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see the 2nd disc version where the Pythons search for the Holy Grail, dubbed to Japanese? Or watch the educational How to Use Your Coconuts and all the other “load of rubbish”? October 23rd, mark that date down in your calendars right this instant.

-- Eh. You are indeed brave, Sir Knight, but the fight is mine.
-- Oh, had enough, eh?
-- Look, you stupid bastard. You’ve got no arms left.
-- Yes, I have.
-- Look!
-- Just a flesh wound.
-- Look, stop that.
-- Chicken! Chickennn!
-- Look, I’ll have your leg. Right!
-- Right. I’ll do you for that!
-- You’ll what?
-- Come here!
-- What are you going to do, bleed on me?
-- I’m invincible!
-- You’re a looney.