GHOST IN THE SHELL REVIEW!!! (ANIME EXPO CINEMA NIGHTS 11/8 AND 11/9)
- Matt Palmer
- Nov 6, 2023
- 4 min read
The Anime Expo Cinema Nights (AXCN) invites you to return to the visually
stunning anime classic Ghost in the Shell. The 1995 anime classic will be showing Wed. November 9 (subtitled version) and Thurs. 11/10 (dubbed version) at 7 pm!
Tagline: It found a voice ... now it needs a body.
Plot: In this Japanese anime, cyborg federal agent Major Motoko Kusangi trails "The Puppet Master," who illegally hacks into the computerized minds of cyborg-human hybrids. Her pursuit of a man who can modify the identity of strangers leaves Motoko pondering her own makeup and what life might be like if she had more human traits. With her partner, she corners the hacker, but her curiosity about her identity sends the case in an unforeseen direction.
Writer: Kazunori Ito
Shirow Masamune (based on the manga by)
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Not Rated (83 minutes)
Before watching the popular Japanese anime, Ghost in the Shell, I'll admit I never really heard much about this one. I'm not really big on the anime genre and the only time I knew about Ghost in the Shell was the 2017 remake (that I haven't seen as well) which ended up bombing in theaters. A few nights ago, I saw that this anime was streaming on Tubi and decided to give it a look so I can have my take ready to go before it shows at the Dietrich.
And, even though I'm not a huge fan of anime, I was impressed with this one. Ghost in the Shell has some very tense action-packed moments that are visually incredible. The story of this anime is rather unique and is very compelling from start to finish.
The animation is really awesome and the science fiction aspect of the film helps keep it really intriguing. I watched the dubbed version and not the original Japanese version (which from what I've read is the preferred version). But, I'm sure the experience of this film could be different depending on which version you watch.
After watching this, I can see why the original Ghost in the Shell is rather iconic. I saw that numerous anime fans really enjoy this 1995 feature. I may give this another watch sometime soon when I have the time. Maybe the Japanese version just to see which version is better.
The Anime Expo Cinema Nights (AXCN) invites you to return to the visually
stunning anime classic Ghost in the Shell. The 1995 anime classic will be showing Wed. November 9 (subtitled version) and Thurs. 11/10 (dubbed version) at 7 pm!
Here are some fun tidbits for Ghost in the Shell!!
In ordinary anime, characters would at least blink to create the feeling of "being animated," but in this movie, Motoko's eyes intentionally stayed unblinking many times. Director Mamoru Oshii's intention was to portray her as a "doll."
The writer, Shirow Masamune, named his manga Ghost in the Shell to pay homage to a book about philosophical psychology by Arthur Koestler, The Ghost in the Machine.
First anime film to be released at the same time in Japan, Britain and the US. It's intended goal to bring anime to a more mainstream audience in the UK and the US. It didn't but it did become a sleeper hit on video and DVD.
Oshii was so obsessed with realistic movement in every frame, especially the shooting scenes in the movie that he took the production to Guam to shoot guns into different materials to see how they reacted.
The film takes place in 2029.
Winner of the "Best Animation Film Award" at the first Animation Kobe in 1996.
Mamoru Oshii originally wanted to direct Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade after he finished the 1993 anime Patlabor 2: The Movie. He proposed the project to Bandai Visual but was asked to direct an adaptation of the 1989 manga, Ghost in the Shell, instead.
Hiroyuki Okiura, the character designer and key animation supervisor, designed Motoko to be more mature and serious than the manga's original portrayal of the character. Okiura chose to depict a physically mature person to match Motoko's mental age, instead of her youthful 20-something appearance in the manga.
Oshii based the setting for Ghost in the Shell on Hong Kong, commenting that his first thought to find an image of the future setting was an Asian setting, but finding a suitable setting would be impossible, and so he chose to use the real streets of Hong Kong as his model. He also said that Hong Kong was the perfect subject and theme for the film with its countless signs and the cacophony of sounds.
The film had its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 1995 before its general release in November. It was originally rated R by the MPAA due to full nudity and violence when it was initially released in the US.
The film grossed $10 million in global box office revenue, but this fell short of the film's budget, thus failing to recoup production costs. However, the film grew a cult following on home video, with the film grossing approximately $43 million in total box office and home video sales revenue.
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