Ghost in the Shell: Arise: Pyrophoric Cult (2015)

Ghost in the Shell: Arise: Pyrophoric Cult (2015)

Dirs. Kazuchika Kise / Masaki Tachibana | Length: 46 mins (approx)

Pyrophoric Cult serves a dual purpose: it's a continuation of the Arise version of GitS that picks up a few of the loose ends that were left after Border 4, and it leads into GitS: The New Movie. That means it's a bridge narrative, a situation that's very apparent, given that it has no proper ending. It's an enjoyable adventure for the most part, but it feels like half a story.

The 'Fire-Starter' virus that was mentioned a few times in the previous one-hour features but never fully explored is the central threat. It gets pushed to the fore when a group of cyber-brain engineers are murdered. The question of why the killings happened, and more specifically why it was those individuals that were targeted, starts a chain of events that the team must solve. But the operation is to be a joint venture with a foreign power.

Voices of a Distant Star (2003)

Voices of a Distant Star (2003)

Dir. Makoto Shinkai

A short OVA (25 mins) that was for many people an introduction to the magic of Makoto Shinkai. What it lacks in length it more than makes up for in content, specifically emotional content. It squeezes more lyrical beauty into its short running time than many full-length features can manage. And while it's sad to see it end so suddenly, I believe its brevity is part of the reason it works so well - like a flower it exists for a short time and is all the more beautiful because of it.

It's the story of two Japanese high-school students, Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao, distanced from each other but never far from one another's thoughts.

The gulf between them isn't just geographical, it's also temporal. The pair communicate via the only means they have, but it's a process that has limitations, the least of which is that it's text-based only.

The Complete Future Shocks: Volume 01 (2018)

The Complete Future Shocks: Vol 01 (2018)

Authors + Illustrators: Various - see end of post for full list | Page Count: 320

'The 'Shocks' are the sudden twist endings that up-end the narrative, that can unnerve even as they excite and astonish.'

The first volume, in what I suspect will be a fairly long-running series, collects all of Tharg's Future Shocks from the weekly 2000 AD magazine.

Some of the stories included have been reprinted previously, in various collections over the years, but for many of the others it's the first time they've received such an honour. Crucially, the works are presented in the same order in which they appeared in the weekly magazine. Volume 01, therefore, opens with the very first self-contained Shock from August 1977, and goes all the way up to July 1981.

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Dir. Fred M. Wilcox

If you've any interest in the history and/or evolution of science fiction on film, then Forbidden Planet is a must-see, considering how influential it was on the genre. It was a direct influence on Star Trek: TOS, so fans of Kirk and Co. should be making a beeline to the front of the queue if they haven't already.

Of course, not everyone likes it. Some folks balk at the old school FX and criticise the music. I'm not just referring to kids weaned on CGI. Adults that ought to know better, that ought to be able to place something in its time and judge it accordingly, are just as dismissive. I feel genuinely sorry for them; they're missing out on so much. The FX are amazing; the miniatures and matte paintings are a thing of real beauty, filmed and presented in stunning Eastman Colour.

The Sandman: Volume VIII (1994)

Worlds' End (1994)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Alec Stevens / Bryan Talbot / John Watkiss / Michael Zulli / Michael Allred / Shea Anton Pensa / Gary Amaro | Page Count: 168

"Is there any person in the world who does not dream? Who does not contain within them worlds unimagined?"

Volume VIII of X in the Sandman saga. Gaiman had referenced and paid homage to Shakespeare, Spenser and Milton previously, so it was only a matter of time before he turned his attentions to Geoffrey Chaucer.

He uses the frame narrative style that the 'father of English literature' used in Canterbury Tales (late 14th Century) to tie together a number of standalone episodes in a Mise en abyme that's both hit and miss.

He doesn't stop at just one layer, he crafts a story within a story within a story within a story within a story, but it remains easy to follow. The titles of the individual tales give their own extra nods to classic literature: A Tale of Two Cities, Cluracan's Tale, Hob's Leviathan, The Golden Boy, etc. The Chaucerian pilgrimage pervades them all.

Wrathchild America: Climbin' the Walls (1989)

Wrathchild America: Climbin' the Walls (1989)

It saddens me to admit it but there's nothing spectacular about Wrathchild America's début album. That might seem a strange thing to write, but it's because the release is one of a small number of records that connects me to a place and era that really defined me as a person, even though I wasn't aware of it happening at the time.

So, while the album is an important one in my life, I know that in reality it's merely a decent late-80s Metal album with solid drumming, some respectable Iron Maiden moments, and Thrash elements that serve their purpose but never manage to drag the songs out of the mediocre pit.

Despite its failings, and my own sentimental reasons for remembering and every few years rediscovering its limited charms, I still genuinely enjoy Climbin' the Walls as a musical piece. There's a faithful (if uninspired) cover of Pink Floyd's 'Time' on side two, which is what first brought it to my attention a long, long time ago. When last I checked it was available on YouTube, if you're interested in hearing any of it.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 7 (1998–99)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 7 (1998–99)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The religious aspects that are a defining feature of DS9's scripted world play a major role in the series closing season. As before, the pairing is arguably as damaging to the whole as it is beneficial. There's a weighty revelation centred around such that I'm sure will divide viewers. Unfortunately for me, I'm one of the folks that feels it was too convenient - but I acknowledge it may have been planned from day one, it's not something that's completely left field.

A new primary character is introduced; it might seem a little late in the day to be doing such a thing, but that shakeup makes sense when put into context. I won't go into further detail because it's spoilery.

The holographic Vic Fontaine (James Darren) character that made his début in S6 gets a lot more screen time, functioning as a kind of advice-giver to the crew. It's a silly idea that sometimes works.