Ain't It Cool News (www.aintitcool.com)
Review

Holy Shit - Harry is gonna review a new Anime from Fantastic Fest called REDLINE!!!

Hey folks, Harry here with my last review before turning in for the night. Written upon my Macbook Pro - which I do believe I'm going to be taking with me from here on out. It is just better at doing what I need it to do. The iPad needs a couple of upgrades to its operating system before I can feel safe with composing pieces in it. The lack of multiple windows had me using my phone for IMDB and the iPad for the writing. It worked, but man... having two windows next to each other is just so much better. And ARROW KEYS are real important. Ok - enough of that. REDLINE. The other day on Twitter - somebody tweeted in my general direction that I should check out REDLINE. About 4 minutes later, AICN ANIME guru, Scott Green retweeted it back at me to get my attention. And so I decided at the last minute to see REDLINE instead of CORRIDOR (which I'm dying to see). Now - confession time here. I'm not the biggest modern anime geek. I love pretty much all the high profile stuff that gets my attention, I love the stuff that I saw as a kid and in college, but since running AICN for the last 14 years - I have had just such a massive amount of material - that I frankly let Scott Green handle ANIME and when the rare quality item grabs my attention, it really does feel like a revelation. After my soul was crushed by ONG BAK 3, I almost quit my own festival for the day. I decided to head over to the HIGH BALL - but with the Paramount still filled for the Grand Opening Ceremonies with LET ME IN and BURIED - the HIGH BALL, while hopping, was not the debauched scene we were seeking - that is in HIGH GEAR RIGHT NOW BTW - but I am home. We were going to just head home, but I had just taken a 5 hour energy drink - and had an energy rush going - and so was YOKO - when I ran into the great Rodney Perkins (one of our great programmers at FANTASTIC FEST) he mentioned he was heading over to introduce REDLINE - and having looked at the trailer - I thought - well, if it is high energy and fun, I should go. Rodney described it as Jack Kirby Meth Anime. We were no longer going home. After Brian Behm's inappropriate bumper played - we settled down for REDLINE - which was just sublimely wonderful. Much of the music reminded me of the pulse pounding beats I heard from Edgar Wright's SPACED whenever the crew went clubbing. Or the mail guy showed up. But you know - that hopping happy jump on a bed in your PJs with a girl slamming pillows at each other music. That music that gets you bopping your head and smiling. The Animation style is crazy. Bolder lines than you get from the animated HEAVY METAL - but actually - if you know the Captain Stern / Hanover Fist sequence - it's a more graphically intense take on that. The screen was so insanely psychedelically colorful, that when i went to drink my ice water, the surface of the water looked like either soap or oil was on the surface - when I blocked the light from the screen with my hand it went away and didn't have that look - but it did concern me for about 20 seconds of the film. This was written by the writer/director of FUNKY FOREST - a live action film - which is actually in the running for weirdest fucking awesome I don't know what it is MOVIE around. Track down FUNKY FOREST if you have friends you watch the truly weird shit with. It is awesome. Well, that guy wrote this - and it shows. Like the guy that becomes super strong when he is crying. GENIUS. Or the two girls in the car that transforms into a... Yeah, nah, not gonna say. OH - I haven't even told you the most basic basics of the film. This is an intergalactic story about land racing in the galaxy. Think... COOLEST SPEED RACER EVER... and that counts the Wachowski film. Think AEON FLUX from the best days of MTV with insane science fiction car action! This is such a pretty, crazy, hyper-fucking good time. Fuck FAST & THE FURIOUS - this is what it should be. This would be the most insane live-action petal-to-the-metal flick ever made. I nominate Robert Rodriguez. REDLINE should not be missed, everyone came out smiling and happy. FANTASTIC!





Readers Talkback
comments powered by Disqus
    + Expand All
  • September 24, 2010 2:10 AM CST

    HOLY SHIT!

    by Shermdawg

  • September 24, 2010 2:27 AM CST

    second

    by torpedoboy

    second

  • September 24, 2010 3:06 AM CST

    Looks crazy cool.

    by CodeName

  • September 24, 2010 3:44 AM CST

    Too Manic

    by Media Messiah

    Lots of visuals, and no real point?

  • September 24, 2010 3:45 AM CST

    Cool

    by biscuithead

    My local art cinema's screening this soon. Can't wait.

  • September 24, 2010 3:58 AM CST

    Speaking of Wachowski

    by cmjcool

    The style looked familiar so I looked it up. Turns out Takeshi Koike, the director, also directed the short World Record for The Animatrix.

  • September 24, 2010 4:02 AM CST

    WTF!?!?

    by professionalPlus1

    um, yeah, that looks amazing. Although that guy in the black car reminded me of the mad midnight bomber what bombs at midnight from The Tick. if only he said "YEAH BABY" then i would have been sold

  • September 24, 2010 4:06 AM CST

    Looks like Dead Leaves.

    by Clumzor

    That had a crazy look to it like his.

  • September 24, 2010 7:50 AM CST

    Harry.....

    by benlinus

    The first 5-6 paragraphs virtually have nothing to do with anything. By the time you actually get to your "review" people have lost interest. You might want to work on that or maybe take a basic writing course.....

  • September 24, 2010 8:57 AM CST

    What the...

    by spiritual28

    Looks like a waste of perfectly amazing animation. Just gorgeous but ultimately boring. Couldn't even finish the trailer.

  • September 24, 2010 9:07 AM CST

    Screw this mess. Make a Magus XLR movie... LOL!

    by impossibledreamers

  • September 24, 2010 9:15 AM CST

    Seriously?

    by stupidfatginger

    So this whole thing's your festival now? And it owes nothing to the fine folks at the Alamo and the I'm sure dozens of support staff that actually work while you sit on your fat ass? God Harry, you are such an arrogant prick.

  • September 24, 2010 9:27 AM CST

    Anything that acknowleges Jack Kirby..

    by Stalkeye

    ..has caught my intrests. besides, I'm a semi fan of studio madhouse.(although, i wasnt too crazy about that ironman/wolverine anime trailer i saw a while back.)

  • September 24, 2010 9:29 AM CST

    I'm not impressed

    by Bileranter

    Liked the red line bit at the start but looks like more of that overworked anime that I - personally- dislike. I'll give this a miss based on that alone.

  • September 24, 2010 9:32 AM CST

    I have been a pretty vocal critic of Japanese Animation...

    by Ironhelix

    ...but that DOES look really cool. The animation is actually, you know, ANIMATED. None of it looked like a slide show. Reminds me a little of Ninja Scroll.

  • September 24, 2010 9:43 AM CST

    ♪ "OK. 3...2...1... Let's jam!" ♫

    by Mr. Nice Gaius

    Have to admit, that looks like a ton of fun. Based on the energy alone, it's definitely something that would go over well at an animation festival.

  • September 24, 2010 10:09 AM CST

    black lightning

    by shalom82

    he was an ordinary boy, living an ordinary life now. he's on a mission to save the world.

  • September 24, 2010 10:19 AM CST

    lame overkill

    by SirBiatchReturns

  • September 24, 2010 10:54 AM CST

    I am now officially an epileptic...

    by FeralAngel

    After viewing (most of) that trailer. What a mess. Pass.

  • September 24, 2010 11:34 AM CST

    stunning

    by old_man_and_the_sea

    as in - I am stunned. Not sure I could take much more than 5 minutes before following FeralAngel and passing out.

  • September 24, 2010 11:40 AM CST

    Dude, I love anime, but this sucks.

    by ClaireRedfield

    I appreciate avant garde animations and frenetic action. But this is too much. I didn't really care for the style in the Animatrix segment, and I like it even less now. And I'm not one of those people being a dick just because it's anime. I hate it for the same reason I hate flash cut fight scenes in action movies. It's like, hey, I think something cool is happening, so why the fuck won't they let me see it?

  • September 24, 2010 1:02 PM CST

    Wasn't this a carsploitation flick with Eddie Griffin?

    by Anything But Tangerines

    And didn't he crash an Enzo filming it or something?

  • September 24, 2010 1:13 PM CST

    I believe that was actually a concept pitch trailer.

    by Johnno

    There are other trailers that show more of the actual movie. Just check out Scott's Anime column on this site. Takeshi Koike is amazing! Let's see all you bitches saying the Japanese can't animate now. I want my blu-ray immediately Manga Ent!!!

  • September 24, 2010 3:23 PM CST

    Remember Redline when we were kids?

    by magnetoelectric

    The electronic "toy"? It just made car sounds but really didnt do anything... Ahh youth. The games sucked then too...

  • September 24, 2010 3:45 PM CST

    Eddie Griffin did do Redline - crappy Cannonball Run

    by impossibledreamers

    And THAT'S CRAPPY when the Cannonball Run is better.

  • September 24, 2010 4:19 PM CST

    Riley Martin

    by Godzookys_Dead

    Couldn't agree more... The ONLY people that write and/or refer to themselves in the 3rd Person are generally EGO starved ass pods.

  • September 24, 2010 5:26 PM CST

    Animation reminds me

    by AmbroseChaseWillRise

    of Karas, and dead leaves. Alot of detail and action. I'm sure there is a story involved.

  • September 24, 2010 5:32 PM CST

    I WANT THIS ON BLU-RAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    by HollywoodHellraiser

    FUCK YEAH! This would look gorgeous!

  • September 24, 2010 10:17 PM CST

    pod racing: the motion picture

    by jameskpolk

    Overdone action with characters you don't give a whit about. Looks like a swing and a miss.

  • September 24, 2010 10:19 PM CST

    shit

    by jameskpolk

    Not whit. Damn these word-anticipating cell phone whatzits

  • September 25, 2010 9:47 PM CST

    two window

    by Brn7

    Hey Harry, maybe for the two windows you can use an app like slingnote

  • September 28, 2010 8:40 AM CST

    i love it

    by susankq1111

    Life is so beautiful. Maybe you want to check out ==== BlackWhite Cupid – c 0 /m ==== It’s the largest and best c lub for seeking interracial singles, black athletes, doctors, lawyers, investors, entrepreneurs, beauty white queens, fitness models, and Hollywood celebrities. It also features certified singles and verified beautiful women. What’s the most important is: you can meet the one who you’re looking for!!! GO and have a try….. ;)

  • October 2, 2010 1:48 AM CST

    I kied it . . . even though thr revving sounds were too......

    by Mundungus

    much at the top. Neat and freaky Stlye,Like there was a death race coliseum somewhere in Paprika's world. This would stand out from my diet of Bleach, Naruto, & One Piece.

    The is the a one shout film or a series?

  • October 2, 2010 1:48 AM CST

    I Liked it too

    by Mundungus

  • November 5, 2010 7:30 AM CST

    I guess no one will see this now...

    by AndoSoundsLikeAMong

    But I checked the film out in the cinema here, and it was fantastic. Wasn't sold on the style or the story but it was fantastic, with loads of non-foreshadowed yet organic plot points and really upbeat and cool ending. If you like anime then this is a no-brainer; something of a throwback to an era when the medium was far better than it is today.

    And if you don't, or don't think you do, you might still want to give this try; Harry seems to have enjoyed some of th fairly typical anime elements more than what this actually does which is new or original!

  • November 14, 2010 2:35 PM CST

    5 Hour Energy Drinks V Diabetes...

    by gabbygall

    Still looking after yourself then Harry? Hopefully whoever takes over this site once you have eaten yourself into an early grave will implement an edit button.