Avalon (Mamoru Oshii)

IN REVIEWS OF THE LATEST VHS AND DVD RELEASES I just finished watching Avalon. It’s a really fascinating look at how video games can impact people in love—or maybe more accurately, how they affect addicts. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What did you make of it?

That was quite an interesting watch. I actually saw it a year or two ago, so some of the finer details have started to fade from my memory... though I can still vividly recall the incredible cinematography—that interplay between the sepia/black-and-white tones and the color—and the score.
When you're dealing with films that dance on the line between reality and fantasy, trying to summarize the plot becomes such a messy endeavor, doesn't it? There are always these layers where things can be interpreted in half a dozen different ways, which, if you ask me, is usually a strength because it allows the viewer to step in and fill those intentional gaps left by the director.

Oh, and I have to admit, I was a bit puzzled at first by why Mamoru Oshii decided to go with a Polish crew for this production, but I eventually stumbled upon the fact that it actually made his life much easier when it came to handling the digital facial expression processing during post-production (!?)

I think there are really just two ways to look at this:

- they can take advantage of much cheaper labor costs
- the facial features of a Polish person are actually quite simple to render digitally

😁😁😁

Richard Hernandez13 said:Is it even worth discussing anymore, or have we all just collectively decided to look the other way while corporations hunt for the cheapest possible labor on the planet? It’s the same old story, isn't it? They chase after low-cost workers like they're hunting for gold, ignoring the fact that they're essentially gutting the middle class just to shave a few cents off their bottom line. Does anyone actually believe this "efficiency" argument holds water when you consider the sheer human cost involved? It’s nothing more than a race to the bottom, driven by greed and a complete lack of regard for anyone who isn't a shareholder!

It’s 100% Mamoru Oshii all the way. 😁
I’ve been scrolling through the internet lately, stumbling upon all these so-called "critics" offering their deep interpretations, claiming they see all these little nods and tributes everywhere... They’re out here trying to link everything back to Tarkovsky or Vajda, as if that’s the only way to make sense of it! Honestly, does anyone actually believe this stuff?
Alright, fine, I can actually wrap my head around those comparisons to Cronenberg.

Honestly, I walked away feeling pretty disappointed.

It’s one of those movies where the premise is actually quite intriguing, but the execution is just amateurish.

At its best, it feels like a low-budget production you might catch on a local public access channel, and at its worst, it looks like a cheap music video from Colony.
I think I knew exactly what I was getting into right from the start—as soon as I saw that blatant, tacky CGI and that outdated Red Army gear trying way too hard to pass for some epic spectacle.
The most awkward part, though, was watching Oshii lean into his usual anime tropes... he just has this knack for brilliantly managing to mess things up every single time.

It seems like in this bizarre mashup of Japanese and Polish influences, everything that could have been lost was lost.

Richard Hernandez13 said:Honestly? It’s a massive letdown.

The premise is interesting, sure, but the execution is just amateur hour.

At its best, it feels like some low-budget local news special you'd see on ABC, and at its worst, it looks like a cheap music video from Colony.
I figured out what I was in for pretty early on—once I saw that blatant, tacky CGI and that outdated Red Army junk trying way too hard to look like a "spectacle."
But the real cringe factor was watching Oshii pull those typical anime tropes… he manages to mess things up spectacularly every single time.

It’s obvious that in this weird mix of Japanese and Polish influences, everything that mattered just got lost in translation.

You also forgot to mention how incredibly boring it is. About twenty minutes in, I found myself mentally planning my entire work schedule for tomorrow (WORK, people!!! I never think about work while I'm watching movies)

Then there's that forced intellectualism, using opera as a motif throughout the whole thing, which eventually peaks with what felt like a full concert broadcast.

I mean, the concept isn't bad, but the delivery is just terrible...

Richard Hernandez13 said:The biggest pain was watching Oshii pull those classic anime stunts… he just manages to mess it all up perfectly every single time.

Honestly, you hit the nail on the head with that one...👍

Betty Walker said:you also forgot to mention how incredibly boring the movie actually is

Well, I did kind of hint at that when I mentioned it looked like something produced for one of those low-budget drama slots over on ABC
😬

kozz said:Look, I just said it "looks like something produced for a low-budget PBS drama."
😬

Honestly, don't even get me started before you end up claiming Matrix is better than Avalon (which, btw, barely scraped a passing grade for me)