Ninja Scroll (1993)

Ninja Scroll (1993)

Dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri

I don't understand why Ninja Scroll is so named. It has a ninja — actually, it has lots of ninjas — but what's the scroll part about? Fuctifino. But what I know for certain is that when it comes to 90s era anime movies, NS is a classic. I've watched it a dozen times over the years and it impresses me every time. It isn't packed with plot like, for example, Akira (1988) or Ghost in the Shell (1995) are, but it has a visceral quality that many of its genre imitators failed to capture. [1]

Somehow, the historical setting enhances the fantastical elements, even though logic says they ought to be at odds with each other. A similar kind of complementary contrariety surrounds the two main characters: a skilled swordsman named Jubei, and a female Kōga ninja named Kagero, who has a special, hidden, devastating talent.

The villains, known as the Eight Devils of Kimon, are a peculiar bunch of freaks with unusual powers, and are all the more memorable for it.

Batman: The Animated Series: Movies (1993-03)

Batman: TAS: Movies (1993-03)

inc. The New Batman Adventures

01. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993, Dirs. Eric Radomski + Bruce Timm) was the first film in the DC Animated Universe (TAS).

Its Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) isn't just an angry orphan fighting against a world that he feels took something irreplaceable from him, he's a flawed dark avenger, suffering emotional conflicts as he weighs the lure of a normal, loving relationship against an earnest vow to protect others from the pain he weathers. He's fully aware of why he does what he does, but finds reasons to justify it.

The emotional twists and turns in the story are supported by a number of flashbacks that, among other things, tell the story of his first few forays into night-time vigilantism.

The Wind of Amnesia (1993)

aka A Wind Named Amnesia (1993)

Dir. Kazuo Yamazaki

A peculiar wind blows across the world, erasing mankind's memories. It's like nature hit a reset switch: people forget how to speak; parents forget their children, and vice versa; drivers forget how to drive; doctors forget how to heal, etc. The knowledge in books remains, but no one knows how to read. With even basic life skills lost, how will humanity survive? And more to the point, do they even deserve to?

But like every post-apocalyptic scenario in fiction, not everyone is affected. A memory-wiped youth named Wataru meets one such individual and learns from him. Thereafter, Wataru journeys across America looking for something that honours his mentor / friend.

I'm a big fan of stories that encourage us to question what makes cultures tick, and by extension examine humanity's true worth. E.g., with a clean slate, can we do things better? With religion dead, will our unconscious fears cause us to invent it again? Post-apoc settings are a tremendous framework for that kind of thing.

Sonatine (1993)

Sonatine (1993)

Dir. Takeshi Kitano

Another great Takeshi Kitano film, again written, directed, edited by, and starring the Japanese auteur. He plays a mid-level Yakuza member named Murakawa who isn't afraid to speak out against his peers, when he speaks at all, that is. He communicates only when he feels it necessary, distanced from the bravado and bluster associated with the role.

Under orders from his superior, he dutifully but begrudgingly joins a small group that's sent to Okinawa to aid a dispute between clan allies. Whilst there, they end up with some free time on their hands. What do city Yakuza do at a beach town when they get bored?  Not what you'd expect, perhaps.

Violence and absurd hilarity trade places in some typically Kitano moments and the emotional heart of the film surfaces and hits hard. It's not a comedy, don't misunderstand, but there are some subjectively piss-inducing funny events. Music is again by Joe Hisaishi and does an equally fine job at characterising.

Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95)

Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95)

Dirs. Various | 85 Episodes (65 in S1 + 20 in S2), approx 22 mins each. [1]

Quintessential - that's what The Animated Series version of Batman is for me, outside of the printed page. Whether it be live action or animation, TAS is superior to every other onscreen interpretation of the iconic character that I've encountered thus far.

That same adjective applies to two of its most notable voice actors. Firstly, Kevin Conroy, who provides the voice of both billionaire Bruce Wayne and his pointy-eared and black-caped nighttime alter ego. [2]

The other, mentioned second but no less memorable than the first is Mark Hamill, who brings maniacal life to The Joker. I've not enjoyed Hamill's work outside of TAS, but as the clown prince of crime he's a master.

Bad Influence! (1992-96)

Bad Influence! (1992-96)

4 Series | 57 episodes total, approx 20 minutes each.

Ocean Waves (1993)

Ocean Waves (1993)

aka I Can Hear the Sea

Dir. Tomomi Mochizuki

Originally, I considered writing something for each of the Studio Ghibli feature films and presenting them in chronological order, but I'm not a completist and I don't like all of the films, so I'm skipping the ones that I don't want to watch again. Of the selection that remains, the next is the lesser-known Ocean Waves.

Produced by Studio Ghibli but made-for-television, it's a story about youth and maturity, set in a competitive Japanese high school environment and in the wider world.

The three main characters are friends Tako and Yutaka and the girl who turns both their heads, a transfer student named Rikako. She's self-centred and takes advantage of Tako's good nature, but that doesn't stop him pursuing her.

Stephen King's The Tommyknockers (1993)

The Tommyknockers (1993)

Dir. John Power | 2 episodes, approx 90 mins each

(There's also a heavily cut 120 mins edition)

A TV miniseries based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. It's a little unusual for the author because it's science fiction, not horror.

More accurately it's a throwback to the kind of stories that were plentiful in the 1950s, with some additional ideas from the 1970s, both of which were eras when science fiction had something important to say. The main difference is that this version of King's story has very little to say about anything, as far as I could tell. If there was some deep, hidden message, then I missed it.

The set-up is why I continually return to these cheap TV adaptations, even though they rarely ever work out. The potential that exists as the story opens and the ways in which King builds drama, by drip-feeding the viewer just enough interesting content to keep them in their seat, is always the best part. In The Tommyknockers' case, when it focuses on the effects more than the cause, it's enjoyable. That enjoyment is both heightened and tainted by the most prevalent unknown factor: when exactly is it all going to turn to shit?

Godzilla: Heisei Era Films (1984-95)

16. The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Dir. Koji Hashimoto

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Shōwa Era. For simplicity's sake I've used English language titles for each of my Godzilla reviews, but it's always the original Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

The Heisei Era is almost exclusively a case of Godzilla vs [ANOTHER] kaijū; the exception is the first film, which is a reboot of sorts, being a sequel to the original 1954 film that ignores the other fifteen Shōwa films. It was a deliberate attempt to return the series to its origins. It successfully made Godzilla scary again. No longer something to be mocked, Godzilla is total fucking destruction.

The first proper reveal of the rejuvenated beast is impressive, with newly added facial animatronics that enabled it to have nuances like never before.

RoboCop: Film Trilogy (1987-93)

RoboCop (1987)

Dir. Paul Verhoeven

I don't know how it was in the rest of the movie-watching world, but in my small corner of it the RoboCop poster was an almost permanent fixture in VHS rental stores in the early 1990s, and consequently I'd an image burned into my brain of how I thought the film's protagonist would be onscreen long before I saw the actual film.

As it turned out, despite the B-Movie-esque title and violent and gimmicky exterior it exceeded my youthful imagination, mostly because lurking beneath the imagery is a semi-sophisticated drama staged by Dir. Paul Verhoeven and brought to onscreen life by a perfectly cast Peter Weller in the title role.

I use the term 'semi-sophisticated' because parts of it haven't aged well, particularly the OTT comic book villains, but the scathing script and emotional heart of the work more often than not make up for any failings elsewhere.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: TV Movies (1987-94)

Star Trek: TNG: The Complete TV Movies

Dirs. Various / 10 feature-length TV Movies / 835 mins (approx total)

I've covered the individual seasons of The Next Generation elsewhere on The 7th and Last blog, but in order to keep those posts at an acceptable length I didn't dwell too much on the two-parters; aka the TV 'movies'. This post indulges my desire to give them a little more attention.

There are ten in all, and because there's some TNG moments in Deep Space 9's pilot episode I'll add it, too. Naturally, given the number, it'll be longer than my usual post length.

The Almighty: Studio Albums (1989-93)

Blood, Fire and Love (1989)

I discovered Blood, Fire and Love, the band's début album, when I was about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't that age when the record was released, just that age when I discovered it. But that's not important. What's important is that after half a dozen playthroughs I began to think it was great, believing it could be the sound that would ultimately destroy pop-tinged Hair Metal.

I thought it was a Rock album for the ages, the perfect soundtrack to a night of cheap cider and trying (mostly in vain) to get one's leg over.

Hearing it again after so many years have passed made me smile guiltily and a little shamefully.

Batman / Judge Dredd (1991-98)

Judgement on Gotham (1991)

Authors: John Wagner / Alan Grant | Artist: Simon Bisley | Page Count: 61

"I'm goin' into an uncontrollable butt frenzy!"

Picking Judgement on Gotham off a shelf in '91 was the most excited I've ever been for a ridiculous comic crossover event. Joe Dredd and Batman! Whoa!

I imagined the personality clash to be like two worlds colliding. Okay, it's not quite that good, but it's still pretty awesome and revisiting it again despite being twenty+ years older gave me a similar kind of joy.

In previous years Batman had faced some twisted minds in his own world, but he'd never encountered anything quite like Judge Death before. When the superfiend D-Jumps from Mega-City One to Gotham it's going to take more than a glimpse of a winged mammal suit to save the city from being Judddgggged.

You'll need to be a fan of both characters to get the most from it. Authors Wagner and Grant had more experience writing for Joe, and it shows. They don't do Batman an injustice, they capture his personality well and don't compromise his integrity, but when weighed out it's mostly Dredd's story. I'm perfectly okay with that, but it's worth mentioning in case you're here solely for Batsy.

The Sandman: Volume VI (1993)

Fables and Reflections (1993)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Kent Williams / Shawn McManus / Stan Woch / Duncan Eagleson / Bryan Talbot / John Watkiss / Jill Thompson / P.Craig Russell | Page Count: 259 

"Death was a little older than Dream. Things had the potential to die before they had the potential to dream."

Volume VI of X in the Sandman saga is another collection of standalone stories. It's about twice as long as the previous such collection, Volume III: Dream Country, but arguably only half as good. In fact, overall, I feel it's the worst TPB of the ten original volumes.

There are nine stories in all, four of which are known collectively as Distant Mirrors, and three of which are known collectively as Convergence.

The Distant Mirrors section, featuring historical figures, offers little of interest for the average reader. Except perhaps Ramadan, the 50th issue of the series - the lingering revelations after the last page is turned and P. Craig Russell's beautiful art help raise it above average.

The Convergence section is mostly uninteresting, except for the lengthy Orpheus tale, which is essential to the overall arc of the series.

The Sandman: Volume V (1993)

A Game of You (1993)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Shawn McManus / Colleen Doran / Bryan Talbot | Page Count: 189 

"We will all die, and the land will die, and the world will die, and the Cuckoo will reign in bleak dominion over all."

Volume V of X in the Sandman saga. For the folks that feel Gaiman too often sacrificed character development so that he could focus on fantastical and whimsical situations, this one is for you; it'll prove that he once did characterisation as well as the best of them in comics.

It picks up the story of someone last seen in Volume II: The Doll's House (1991) and treats readers to the details of how her life has changed since then. Lives may begin and end in Sandman, but the stories go on.

All the characters are beautifully crafted; each has a perfect part to play in the tale within a tale - and out of it, becoming a critique of the genre as a whole.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 2 (1993–94)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 2 (1993–94)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The second season kicks off with a single story stretched over three full episodes. It's a Bajorian themed tale, which means Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) plays a key role. I'm not a fan of the character. Her quick to anger attitude grates me, and how she jumps all over every opportunity to remind everyone within earshot that she was a member of the resistance, carrying out guerrilla attacks against Cardassian military from age twelve... yadda yadada.

It's the fault of the producers/writers, not the actress; proof of which comes later in the season when, without going into details, Nana gets to show a very different side of the character. And, to be fair, when the regular Kira is allowed to smile, to experience joy (of the non-religious kind), then she is somewhat likeable; if only it wasn't such a rare occurance.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 1 (1993)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 1 (1993)

19 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

When DS9 launched it ran concurrently with TNG for a couple of years, but differentiated itself from the other show in a number of ways, the most obvious being that it wasn't set aboard a spacefaring vessel.

With a premise that was perhaps (i.e. likely) inspired from an idea that Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski pitched to the studio, the action was situated on a space station positioned near a planet. The self-contained environment served as a stop-off point for diplomats, traders, rogues and all sorts of nasty characters intent on doing harm to one another.

The location of the station is both a profitable and tactical one for Starfleet, enabling them to keep a cautious (and controlling) eye on both a newly discovered wormhole and on the aforementioned planet, Bajor, a war-ravaged place recently liberated from an aggressive occupation by the Cardassians.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 7 (1993-94)

Star Trek: TNG: Season 7 (1993-94)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Longtime fans of TNG will get the most from what the seventh and last season offers. There's a lot of looking back, while also moving forward. A number of significant events from previous years are referenced or recalled, right back even to the Farpoint mission, the very first episode of Season 1 (1987-88).

Family plays an important role; mothers and sons mostly, but also fathers, brothers and the extended family you create for yourself from people who become closer than just friends, who earn respect a thousand times over just by being who they are at heart, free from any kind of ingratiating agenda.

And while strange new worlds are indeed explored, new life and new civilisations thoroughly sought out, there's also a dangerous limitation to be considered, one that has consequences for more than just the crew of the Federation's flagship. It's something that doesn't get forgotten by the next episode, which does sometimes happen in these kinds of episodic shows, and I'll be looking out for it as I progress through TNG's successor, the Deep Space Nine series, which takes place in the same time period.

Knightmare (1987–94)

Knightmare (1987–94)

8 Seasons, 112 episodes, approx 25 mins each.

As a young Faustus I loved all things fantasy and supernatural: HeroQuest gaming sessions; Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy books; the many Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels; etc, so it's no surprise that Knightmare fit perfectly into my life.

Four adventurers (kids under sixteen) entered the Castle of Confusion in the hope of conquering its dungeon. One wore the Helmet of Justice, which limited what he/she could see, and entered the dungeon proper. The remaining three stayed behind to act as guides, able to see on a screen where their Dungeoneer friend was, to direct and attempt to keep them from falling into imaginary pits of doom and suchlike.

The rules of the game were overseen by a Dungeon Master named Treguard of Dunshelm (pictured right), a noble(ish) born Saxon knight, he would give occasional clues and hints to either encourage a train of thought, help solve a puzzle or feed the team's nervousness. Among Knightmare fans, Treguard rocks!

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 6 (1992-93)

Star Trek: TNG: Season 6 (1992-93)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Something I noted in a previous TNG post rings true again here: that a common theme serves as the basis for a number of different episodes throughout the entire season. This time it's 'transformation'. There's the emotional growth kind, of course, but there's also social, temporal changes (such as ageing), and even a number of actual species transformations!

It begins by concluding the Season 5 cliffhanger, Times Arrow. Thereafter, things progress steadily.

Overall, it's not the most memorable season for fans of TNG, but there are some notable episodes that need to be watched. I don't feel that any of them are actually the best the season has to offer, but they each have lasting consequences. Some examples are:

Ep. 20: The Chase, an episode that explores a question that a great many observant Trek fans have been asking themselves since the TOS days.