Robot Carnival...
Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Robot Carnival...
The original US release (Streamline circa 1991) slightly alters the running order of the segments. Robot Carnival is a collection of stories by different animators with a robot theme. Most stories are good, but, there are some that are a bit dull (Clouds comes to mind). I used to have the dubbed VHS version. After many years, without a DVD release, I've finally been able to repurchase Robot Carnival on DVD. I gave Robot Carnival a 3 out of 5. The Robot Carnival soundtrack CD has 27 tracks and I liked 10 tracks for a total of 37% which works out to a rating of 2 out of 4.
Note: The director commentary for each segment came from the liner notes included with the soundtrack CD JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
Nine Animators - One Vision. Showcasing the work of nine world-class animators, ROBOT CARNIVAL is an animation lover's dream. Producer Kazafumi Nomura has gathered a group of artists with their own unique styles.
Opening and Closing
By Katsuhiro Otomo and Atsuko Fukushima: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
The title logo of this film conveys an image very similar to the movie 'Ben Hur'... bold, perhaps even a little too flashy. Originally, we attempted to create the image of a robot appearing in a deserted playground...Breathtaking sequences that set the stage for the film. A giant machine thunders across a barren landscape. As it nears pockets of civilization, the mechanical behemoth transforms into a dazzling high-tech light show. Stunning and original.
Franken's Gear
By Kouji Morimoto: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
The running time of this film is quite short. Therefore we concentrated on the central theme and the backgrounds. We attempted to keep the story simple - treating the film like a silent movie packed with movement...Atmospheric variation on the mad scientist creates artificial life story. Only this time Dr. Franken opted for gears and servo motors over flesh and blood. Wickedly witty and magnificently realized, this gem stands as a perfect parable to those who dream of controlling destiny.
Starlight Angel
By Hiroyuki Kitazume: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
The overall effect of this film is fascinating. It should not be looked as a total story but more to delight the senses. I like to think of robots having human characteristics. The mood that I tried to create in this film takes its influence from the song 'Take On Me' by A-HA. I liked the Fantasia-like atmosphere of their music video...Set amid the backdrop of a futuristic theme park, a touching, bittersweet romance is played out between a young, impressionable co-ed and an android entertainer. The film drives to a powerful conclusion as young lovers must join forces to battle a monstrous mechanical demon.
Deprive
By Hideotoshi Ohmori: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
I wanted to do a heroic story. The robot appearing in this sequence is more like an android than a cyborg. I feel an android is capable of reconstructing its own body. The tempo was accelerated and, production-wise, I know that we were influenced by the camera work from foreign films...A classic tale of good versus evil - the epitome of Japanese adventure animation. Bold, colorful and exotic, this sequence distills the essence of nearly two generations of Japanese animation history into one powerful science fiction collage. Enhanced by a strong rock/jazz score.
Clouds
By Mao Lamdo: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
My inspiration for this project came while I was watching a sunset... a drifting mass of clouds, the slowly blowing breeze, the still brilliance of the setting sun - it was as if nature had wrapped me in her gentle arms and sent me back to my childhood. It was then that I realized the memories and reality are worlds apart... as different as wisps of clouds and the hard steel of robotics. Ideas merged and these mental pictures became real.Inspired by his illustration book Snow and the Young Boy, Mao Lamdo combines new age sensibilities and delicately detailed drawings in this subtle fable. Transforming the Young Boy of his story into a quiet, reflective robot, Lamdo's film has a strange, almost hypnotic cosmic appeal.
Presence
By Yasuomi Umetsu: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
This idea evolved suddenly while I was glancing through a batch of photographs. I made a concious effort to steer away from the routine cliche of robots. I wanted to make this story as a complete series, while keenly aware that it was a single section of a compilation film...A beautifully produced and thought-provoking tale of missed opportunities and unrequited love. Umetsu's story deals with a sensitive inventor's dilemma after creating a beautiful android with a mind of her own. Haunting and sophisticated. Clearly shows animation as a serious storytelling medium.
A Tale of Two Robots
By Hiroyuki Kitakubo: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
The proper use of the 'head' and the 'hands' is not only essential for this production... but in any type of production. At times, it becomes necessary to borrow from the many films that I have seen. But outright imitation will only result in a farce. One must learn to absorb and digest the multitude of images received over a lifetime. One must learn to draw new concepts from these ideas...A satirical tale set in a fictional 19th-century Japan. The story revolves around the efforts of the world's greatest genius to conquer a mysterious, treasure-laden nation - aka Japan - with his diabolical invention. His plans are foiled by a gang of local kids.
Nightmare
By Takashi Nakamura: Soundtrack CD liner notes. JVC/Streamline # JMI-1002...
It would be wonderful to single-handedly produce an entire animated film... projecting one's innermost ideas and feelings instead of being a mere 'cog' in the overall process. ...During the production I felt heavily influenced by Disney, gaining more respect for his mastery of fundamentals...Blend the Night on Bald Mountain sequence from Fantasia with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow section of Icabod and Mr. Toad and the result would end up being quite close to Nakamura's high energy delerium as offered in this outrageous animated film. Wild, unpredictable and captivating.
The original US release (Streamline circa 1991) slightly alters the running order of the segments. Robot Carnival is a collection of stories by different animators with a robot theme. Most stories are good, but, there are some that are a bit dull (Clouds comes to mind). I used to have the dubbed VHS version. After many years, without a DVD release, I've finally been able to repurchase Robot Carnival on DVD. I gave Robot Carnival a 3 out of 5. The Robot Carnival soundtrack CD has 27 tracks and I liked 10 tracks for a total of 37% which works out to a rating of 2 out of 4.
