list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Speed Racer [Anime Series] on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Speed_Racer_Anime_Series/32330/default.aspx Title: Speed Racer [Anime Series]
Year: 1967
Plot: One of the first Japanese anime series to enjoy significant success in the United States, Speed Racer first drew life as Mach Go Go Go, a cartoon strip (manga) created by cartoonist Tatsuo Yoshida. Per its title, the star of Mach Go Go Go was a high-tech racing car, driven by fearless young Go Mifune on behalf of his father Daisuke's auto manufacturing firm. The supporting cast included Go's kid brother/mascot Kuo, his girlfriend Michi, his mechanic Sabu, and his pet monkey Senpei. Whenever Go and his amazing car were threatened by villains (who ranged from dishonest racers to international spies), our hero could count on the aid of the mysterious Masked Racer, who unbeknownst to everybody, was Go's fugitive older brother Kenichi. Using the enormous profits from the comic book version ofMach Go Go Go, Tatsuo Yoshida set up an animated cartoon firm, Tatsunoko, for the express purpose of producing cartoon shows for television -- including a series version of his most successful manga property. Debuting on Japanese television in 1967, Mach Go Go Go was soon thereafter picked up for American play under the title Speed Racer. In the inevitable English-dubbing process, all the characters' names were changed: Go Mifune became Speed Racer ("He's a demon on wheels!"), Michi became Trixie, Daisuke became Pops Racer, Kuo became Spridal, Sabu became Sparky, Senpei became Chim Chim, and even The Masked Racer was re-christened as Racer X. The focal point of the series remained, as ever, Speed Racer's marvelous jet-propelled car, now known as the "Special Formula Mach 5," which, with the aid of the seven specially equipped buttons on its control panel, was able not only to go faster than any other racing car in existence, but also to cut through forests with retractable saws, deflect bullets and other missiles, travel underwater (with periscope!) and deliver vital messages via a tiny birdlike robot. The 52 half-hour episodes of Speed Racer have never stopped playing since their initial appearance on America TV in September 23, 1967. As a bonus, the property has spawned two "upgraded" versions, 1993's The New Adventures of Speed Racer and 1997's Speed Racer X. Alas, a long-promised live-action feature film version of the series has yet to materialize. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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]]>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:20:43 GMTSpeed Racer [Anime Series]1967One of the first Japanese anime series to enjoy significant success in the United States, Speed Racer first drew life as Mach Go Go Go, a cartoon strip (manga) created by cartoonist Tatsuo Yoshida. Per its title, the star of Mach Go Go Go was a high-tech racing car, driven by fearless young Go Mifune on behalf of his father Daisuke's auto manufacturing firm. The supporting cast included Go's kid brother/mascot Kuo, his girlfriend Michi, his mechanic Sabu, and his pet monkey Senpei. Whenever Go and his amazing car were threatened by villains (who ranged from dishonest racers to international spies), our hero could count on the aid of the mysterious Masked Racer, who unbeknownst to everybody, was Go's fugitive older brother Kenichi. Using the enormous profits from the comic book version ofMach Go Go Go, Tatsuo Yoshida set up an animated cartoon firm, Tatsunoko, for the express purpose of producing cartoon shows for television -- including a series version of his most successful manga property. Debuting on Japanese television in 1967, Mach Go Go Go was soon thereafter picked up for American play under the title Speed Racer. In the inevitable English-dubbing process, all the characters' names were changed: Go Mifune became Speed Racer ("He's a demon on wheels!"), Michi became Trixie, Daisuke became Pops Racer, Kuo became Spridal, Sabu became Sparky, Senpei became Chim Chim, and even The Masked Racer was re-christened as Racer X. The focal point of the series remained, as ever, Speed Racer's marvelous jet-propelled car, now known as the "Special Formula Mach 5," which, with the aid of the seven specially equipped buttons on its control panel, was able not only to go faster than any other racing car in existence, but also to cut through forests with retractable saws, deflect bullets and other missiles, travel underwater (with periscope!) and deliver vital messages via a tiny birdlike robot. The 52 half-hour episodes of Speed Racer have never stopped playing since their initial appearance on America TV in September 23, 1967. As a bonus, the property has spawned two "upgraded" versions, 1993's The New Adventures of Speed Racer and 1997's Speed Racer X. Alas, a long-promised live-action feature film version of the series has yet to materialize. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide1113http://www.spout.com/images/no_image.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Speed_Racer_Anime_Series/32330/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/23/31570.aspxPost By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/23/2008 6:00:41 PM
Body: When I first saw the trailer for Wanted, I figured it was just another Matrix ripoff. And I’m sure there are many other people who thought the same thing. Of course, some Matrix ripoffs aren’t bad — I absolutely love Kurt Wimmer’s Equilibrium, for example — but most are. Even worse, though, are the parodies of the Matrix’s “bullet time” sequences. Do we really need to see another movie character bend over backwards to avoid a bullet (or milk)? Or another movie character suspended in motion while the camera tracks around him or her? It’s no wonder that until yesterday, I had pretty much dismissed Wanted, because of that Matrix-like bullet time sequence in which Morgan Freeman shoots around a slab of meat to hit an unseen target. Yet as of yesterday, the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes rating was 100% (Anthony Lane’s New Yorker review, posted today, is the first “rotten” one, taking it down to 92%). Now I’m more intrigued. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that that bullet time sequence is there, reminding me of the worst that The Matrix has inspired in the past decade. To remind you, too, I’ve compiled a bunch of clips that should provide you with similar doubt. The Gap “Khaki Swing” Ads - Soon after The Matrix came out and blew our minds with the effect, Gap had to ruin its cool factor real quick by showing just how easily it could be redone and exploited. These commercials also began ruining Louis Prima and the neo-swing movement in general, so it’s especially evil in my mind. Ultraviolet - OK, not so much a parody, but it’s so blatantly a Matrix ripoff that it should be considered such. The buildup of this sequence is so excessively stylized that after watching it I never wanted to see another bullet time sequence ever again. Wing Commander - I never saw this movie, so I don’t know what’s happening in the bullet time sequence with the milk frozen in air (seen in the trailer, above), but any movie featuring a bullet time sequence involving milk is a sure sign of a bad movie (see Kung Pow! Way of the Fist, below) Michael Jordan - Is this an ad? Or is it just another excuse just to use this effect? The Simpsons “New Kids on the Blecch” - This episode featured a very minor Matrix parody with guest stars NSYNC displaying a dance move called “The Matrix”. It would have been just another simple imitation if not for the one guy falling out of place, which is a little funny. (I apologize for making you watch most of this behind-the-scenes feature to get to the sequence) Scary Movie - This one isn’t too bad, either. At first it merely seems like it’s just an imitation, but then the killer throws his back out. Good one. Unfortunately, the Wayans take it a little further and mess up the scene with that lame jig gag. Karate Dog - I’ve already recently shared this awful (or awfully funny?) clip of Jon Voight fighting a talking dog skilled in Kung Fu, and I think it speaks for itself anyway, so just watch. It’s OK if you stop after the first “baby carriage time” gag and don’t get to the other Matrix reference. Nobody ever needs to be subjected to “super lick.” Kung Pow! Enter the Fist - I’m so glad that this clip is presented in widescreen. All the better an homage to a movie that helped popularize the letterbox format of the DVD. Actually that’s about where the respect ends. There are just some things you don’t need to see done with the bullet time effect, and milk blasted out of udders is one of those things. Welcome to Dongmakgol - Is this really bullet time, or just a lot of slow motion and blue screen made to make us think we’re watching bullet time? It’s so ridiculously overdone, I can’t tell. And I don’t care. In a way it looks more like a ripoff of Kung Pow! than The Matrix anyway. Shrek - This one doesn’t even have any additional joke. It’s just an imitative reference and one of the many reasons I find the Shrek movies to be creatively vapid works. Plus, it’s not even as cool as the Matrix’s bullet time sequences because it’s a completely computer-rendered film. This scene could have existed even before The Matrix’s advances with the effect, which technically can be credited to much earlier animated works, including the original Speed Racer TV series. In fact, it now seems as if the Wachowskis were always just trying to make a live-action version of that last shot from the Speed Racer opening. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:41 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/23/2008 6:00:41 PM When I first saw the trailer for Wanted, I figured it was just another Matrix ripoff. And I’m sure there are many other people who thought the same thing. Of course, some Matrix ripoffs aren’t bad — I absolutely love Kurt Wimmer’s Equilibrium, for example — but most are. Even worse, though, are the parodies of the Matrix’s “bullet time” sequences. Do we really need to see another movie character bend over backwards to avoid a bullet (or milk)? Or another movie character suspended in motion while the camera tracks around him or her? It’s no wonder that until yesterday, I had pretty much dismissed Wanted, because of that Matrix-like bullet time sequence in which Morgan Freeman shoots around a slab of meat to hit an unseen target. Yet as of yesterday, the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes rating was 100% (Anthony Lane’s New Yorker review, posted today, is the first “rotten” one, taking it down to 92%). Now I’m more intrigued. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that that bullet time sequence is there, reminding me of the worst that The Matrix has inspired in the past decade. To remind you, too, I’ve compiled a bunch of clips that should provide you with similar doubt. The Gap “Khaki Swing” Ads - Soon after The Matrix came out and blew our minds with the effect, Gap had to ruin its cool factor real quick by showing just how easily it could be redone and exploited. These commercials also began ruining Louis Prima and the neo-swing movement in general, so it’s especially evil in my mind. Ultraviolet - OK, not so much a parody, but it’s so blatantly a Matrix ripoff that it should be considered such. The buildup of this sequence is so excessively stylized that after watching it I never wanted to see another bullet time sequence ever again. Wing Commander - I never saw this movie, so I don’t know what’s happening in the bullet time sequence with the milk frozen in air (seen in the trailer, above), but any movie featuring a bullet time sequence involving milk is a sure sign of a bad movie (see Kung Pow! Way of the Fist, below) Michael Jordan - Is this an ad? Or is it just another excuse just to use this effect? The Simpsons “New Kids on the Blecch” - This episode featured a very minor Matrix parody with guest stars NSYNC displaying a dance move called “The Matrix”. It would have been just another simple imitation if not for the one guy falling out of place, which is a little funny. (I apologize for making you watch most of this behind-the-scenes feature to get to the sequence) Scary Movie - This one isn’t too bad, either. At first it merely seems like it’s just an imitation, but then the killer throws his back out. Good one. Unfortunately, the Wayans take it a little further and mess up the scene with that lame jig gag. Karate Dog - I’ve already recently shared this awful (or awfully funny?) clip of Jon Voight fighting a talking dog skilled in Kung Fu, and I think it speaks for itself anyway, so just watch. It’s OK if you stop after the first “baby carriage time” gag and don’t get to the other Matrix reference. Nobody ever needs to be subjected to “super lick.” Kung Pow! Enter the Fist - I’m so glad that this clip is presented in widescreen. All the better an homage to a movie that helped popularize the letterbox format of the DVD. Actually that’s about where the respect ends. There are just some things you don’t need to see done with the bullet time effect, and milk blasted out of udders is one of those things. Welcome to Dongmakgol - Is this really bullet time, or just a lot of slow motion and blue screen made to make us think we’re watching bullet time? It’s so ridiculously overdone, I can’t tell. And I don’t care. In a way it looks more like a ripoff of Kung Pow! than The Matrix anyway. Shrek - This one doesn’t even have any additional joke. It’s just an imitative reference and one of the many reasons I find the Shrek movies to be creatively vapid works. Plus, it’s not even as cool as the Matrix’s bullet time sequences because it’s a completely computer-rendered film. This scene could have existed even before The Matrix’s advances with the effect, which technically can be credited to much earlier animated works, including the original Speed Racer TV series. In fact, it now seems as if the Wachowskis were always just trying to make a live-action version of that last shot from the Speed Racer opening. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/FRESH/Re_Not_exactly_fresh_but_fresh_for_me/75/9220/1/ShowPost.aspxPost By: Jymkata
Post To: FRESH
Post Date: 5/23/2007 9:34:51 AM
Body: I have tried but I can't get into anime either. I heard how Grave of the Fireflies was the greatest movie ever but I found it to be typical anime - lots of cheesy music, closeups of giant-eyed innocents, and voice acting that includes a lot of breathless ooohs and aahs but very little real emotion behind the voices. Everybody also falls all over themselves with Miyazaki, but I almost feel like his imagination needs some restraint. I don't know that much about the references to Japanese culture that he makes and it just feels like I'm watching a world where the plot can go in any direction at anytime. Now that makes for a very visually exciting cartoon, but there needs to be an established logic within the films universe and I just don't get it.The only anime I have really liked are two that transcend their cartoon origins - Akira and Ghost in the Shell (I also liked some of Ninja Scroll). Admittedly these are both action anime and maybe my biggest problem with other anime is it all seems to have a feminine feel to it.I also grew up on Speed Racer, but I think some of the comedic elements of this series fall really flat when I try to catch a rerun and that takes away from my enjoyment.
]]>Wed, 23 May 2007 13:34:51 GMTJymkataFRESH5/23/2007 9:34:51 AMI have tried but I can't get into anime either. I heard how Grave of the Fireflies was the greatest movie ever but I found it to be typical anime - lots of cheesy music, closeups of giant-eyed innocents, and voice acting that includes a lot of breathless ooohs and aahs but very little real emotion behind the voices. Everybody also falls all over themselves with Miyazaki, but I almost feel like his imagination needs some restraint. I don't know that much about the references to Japanese culture that he makes and it just feels like I'm watching a world where the plot can go in any direction at anytime. Now that makes for a very visually exciting cartoon, but there needs to be an established logic within the films universe and I just don't get it.The only anime I have really liked are two that transcend their cartoon origins - Akira and Ghost in the Shell (I also liked some of Ninja Scroll). Admittedly these are both action anime and maybe my biggest problem with other anime is it all seems to have a feminine feel to it.I also grew up on Speed Racer, but I think some of the comedic elements of this series fall really flat when I try to catch a rerun and that takes away from my enjoyment. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/speed/MemberTagFilms.aspxspeed
Number of films tagged: 115

Number of people who tagged: 13

Number of times used: 13

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Number of films tagged: 526

Number of people who tagged: 3

Number of times used: 4

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