Memories (1995)

While watching Memories I went to check IMDb.com for some further background information on the short's directors. This film is unique in that it is really three smaller movies blended together to create one of theatre length. I expected them to all be intertwined, and in a way they are, only in substance if not in plot or characters as I had imagined.

Anyway, all I can see is this film is a great watch in that it engages the viewer and forces him/her to think, the plots engage you in such a way that makes the overall experience rewarding to say the least.

I am only commenting due to the fact that the current user reviewer rates it as forgettable. Although I respect that he is entitled to his own opinion, I do not believe that a review entitled "forgettable" should receive top billing for an 8.1 rated movie on IMDb; and yes it is really that good. Your current commenter thinks scripts such as Donnie Darko are "contrived" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/usercomments-1089) and that Halloween: Resurrection is a great piece of cinematography, along with Drumline (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303933/, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220506/usercomments-467). He himself states Drumline is so good because it contains "no surprises." To me a surprise or plot twist is the trademark of good cinema, and any director and/or producer worth his salt would agree. I apologize for picking on fellow reviewer Dan from somewhere in East LA, but really, please give such fine works as Memories the reviews they deserve, at least in terms of the top billed review which appears on the main page of each movie. Thank you.

Fmovies: THis was one of the best animated movies that I've seen in along time . I'm not a big fan of anime ,but I appreciate originality and "Memories " isn't like the Japanese animation that you see on television .

Katsuhiro Otomo , the director of "Akira " directs with other two animators this collection of shorts .

The first "Magnetic Rose " Takes place in the future , it's my favorite .The animation it's splendid ,full of details and a subtle use of CGI .The opera music was very effective to support the dramatic story .

The second "Stink Bomb " ,takes place in the modern Japan ,and works very well like a dark comedy . The animation it's very good ,just like the first .

The third ,"Cannon Fodder " it's the most original ( and the most strange ) first of all ,the animation doesn't look like it were anime ,but it had a stylish and interesting appearance .The story follows the every day life of a family that lives in a society were every activity it's connected with the war . This movie it's a must see for every fan of animation .Even if you don't like anime ,I'm sure that you will find interesting material on this movie ,and proofs that animation could be art .

I first saw Memories in 1997 when I recieved a fansub copy. I had just gotten into Anime at the time. The film is divided into three segments, Magnetic Rose/Stink Bomb/Cannon Fodder. The most impressive segment is Cannon Fodder, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, to my knowledge its the first animated feature done in One-Shot (Meaning it never cuts, the camera just keeps moving around from scene to scene). Anyways, all the segments are based off of old manga shorts written by Otomo. Its an amazing film, with awesome music, storytelling, and animation. Highly recomended.

Memories fmovies. It's a masterpiece.

On 23 December 1995, Otomo Katsuhiro, the creator of Akira, released Memories to Japan's general viewing public. A collection of three stories, this movie brings not only variety, but enjoyment to each. "Magnetic Rose" is the first and longest of the three, followed by "Stink Bomb" and "Cannon Fodder".

The animation of each episode differs, depending on how one views it. While all three episodes are very well done, the style of "Cannon Fodder" is vastly different from "Magnetic Rose" and "Stink Bomb". "Cannon Fodder" uses more computer effects than the other two, integrating them into the perspective of the scenes (like the Sharon Apple concert in Macross Plus), rather than just using them for a computer display. All three episodes are very fluid, never once skipping a few cels per second for the sake of the budget.

Magnetic Rose: "Magnetic Rose" is set in space in the year 2092. Four men -- Heintz, Miguel, Ivanov, and Aoshima -- pilot the mighty spacecraft Corona to new heights in interstellar garbage collecting. Actually, they are one of many ships that collect garbage left over from the expansion of humankind into space. When the crew of the Corona run across a distress call, they discover a huge scrapyard of debris floating about a huge, central piece. Heintz and Miguel go to investigate, discovering living area set aside for an early twenty-first century opera diva who went into space after the death of her husband, Carlo. While there, the pair encounter strangely real and seductive illusions which make one wonder what exactly is going on.

"Magnetic Rose" - the first part of Memories, an artistic masterpiece by Katsuhiro Otomo - is one of the best animes we've ever seen. Despite its length, it's only about 50 minutes, its depth and content is amazing. A fantastic story, excellent graphix and some scary touch. We really love "Magnetic Rose's" message, and the ending is tough. You've gotta see it. 6 out of 5 stars. Hehe.

After seeing Akira it's natural to be curious of what Otomo's produced. This collection of short movies(all more than 20 minutes though) is a fun, action-packed and imaginative reminder why anime is among the best genres, and NOT restricted to kids(or in the case of these shorts, not really for kids at all).

The last short of the three is called Cannon Fodder. It features a very cool style unlike normal anime, some neat "camera" tricks and illusions of 3D, and a heavy but playful mood. It's quirky and good but not great.

The second short is called Stink Bomb, which is a crazy, fast-paced disaster/action story with a healthy dose of black humour. It's very well made, with insanely detailed tanks, helis, airplanes etc, and lots of explosions. The whole thing is funny and bizarre, and easily a classic.

The first of the three shorts, which in my opinion should have been saved to last, is Magnetic Rose. Here the humour of the two others is gone, and we have a very gripping and serious story set in a sci-fi environment. This is more like Otomo's Akira stuff; epic but with great characters. Some scenes are gut-wrenchingly emotional and disturbing. All set to a classic opera score, it is chilling and eerie and grand-scale in a way Hollywood never seems to get right.

If you like to watch the occasional anime, this is a very good choice. Don't know how easy it is to get a hold of, but it seems to be very popular at least in Japan.

Katsuhiro Otomo's "Memories" combines the vision of Otomo's usual "God's revenge for the human race believing too much in science" with two first-time, although far from inexperienced directors. The first of the three films, "Magnetic Rose" is by far the least Otomo-esquire of the three pieces, although based on one of his short mangas. The film centering mainly on the sci-fi side of anime. Space freighters respond to a distress call in a bad sector of space, and become lost in the haunting memories of an intergalactic opera singer. The second piece, "Stink Bomb" shows, if possible, a humorous side to biological warfare, as an unsuspecting pharmaceutical tech accidentally ingests a biological weapon and becomes a walking disaster. The final film, actually directed by Otomo, called "Cannon Fodder" was by far my favorite, and the most disturbing of the three films. The basic story centers around a family living in a town whose citizens devote their entire lives to bombing an unseen enemy in the sky. This story is very politically motivated, very dark, and not at all a "happy little story". The animation is unlike anything I've ever seen from Otomo, and full of sweeping single-cut shots that give you chills. Overall, I highly recommend this movie collection for any anime fan. It most definitely incorporates the vision of three brilliant directors.