Who is the greatest anime director of all time? One name that cinephiles won't let be forgotten (nor should they) is Satoshi Kon. A surrealist who always tied his imagination to a strong character or theme, only Kon could make the movies he chose to in the way he made them.
His "hyper-real" style of animation is the core of his filmmaking philosophy; animation can tell the same stories that live-action movies can, but shouldn't try to emulate how those movies tell them. He also understood how the greatest advantage animation has is editing; since the images are drawn, not blocked and framed, it's all the easier for scene after expressive scene to flow into one another.
Kon's influence on international filmmakers (particularly "Perfect Blue" obsessive Darren Aronofsky) is undeniable. Tragically, Kon died in 2010 at the age of 46, cutting that influence (and his in-development projects like "The Dream Machine") short.
His "hyper-real" style of animation is the core of his filmmaking philosophy; animation can tell the same stories that live-action movies can, but shouldn't try to emulate how those movies tell them. He also understood how the greatest advantage animation has is editing; since the images are drawn, not blocked and framed, it's all the easier for scene after expressive scene to flow into one another.
Kon's influence on international filmmakers (particularly "Perfect Blue" obsessive Darren Aronofsky) is undeniable. Tragically, Kon died in 2010 at the age of 46, cutting that influence (and his in-development projects like "The Dream Machine") short.
- 5/27/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Alice Hirsch/ @h.irsch Jesus Piece combines heavy metal with a love of all things anime and it really shows their work. Aaron Heard spoke with Crunchyroll News about his tattoos, love of the Samurai Champloo sword, and which anime he's been keeping up with. This interview has been edited for clarity. You put out one of the albums of the year last year with “...So Unknown.” Congrats on that and I love seeing how it’s taken the band to new heights! Aaron Heard: Oh, man, it's been awesome. Really just breathed new life into everything. You know, once you've been playing the same songs for a long time, it gets a little redundant, you know? Now that we have some new tracks to play, it’s just like a new fire. Seeing the “Gates of Horn” video is actually what inspired me to reach out. I saw it...
- 5/6/2024
- by Alex Lebl
- Crunchyroll
In an effort to achieve perfection in every sphere of life, humanity has allowed technology to have free reign over basically everything, but in the process, it has lost its soul and created a fragmented, isolated existence where the miseries of the real world can be forgotten in the alluring virtual one. Along with the advent of AI, the combination of two synthesized reality is already dominating the world, which gives rise to the inevitable questioning of identity, reality, and conception of truth. Mangaka Uru Okabe’s masterpiece Good Night World, adapted into a Netflix anime series, meditates on the aforementioned questions and additionally alludes to some profound notions about the nature of humanity itself.
Revolving around a terribly dysfunctional family, the story of Good Night World goes to dangerous lengths while measuring up the ugly skeletal form of reality with the paradise land of simulation dedicated to wish fulfillment.
Revolving around a terribly dysfunctional family, the story of Good Night World goes to dangerous lengths while measuring up the ugly skeletal form of reality with the paradise land of simulation dedicated to wish fulfillment.
- 10/15/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Crunchyroll continues its curation of cinema to its growing catalog this December with a robust schedule of newer and classic films just in time to enjoy during the holiday season, which include Millennium Actress, Liz and the Blue Bird, Penguin Highway, As the Gods Will, and more.
From critically acclaimed director Satoshi Kon, known also for Perfect Blue, Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paranoia Agent, experience the gorgeous new restoration of one of his greatest works, Millennium Actress. Boasting countless awards, including the Grand Prize in the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival, which it shared with Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, the film produced by Madhouse is a must-see for anime fans of all ages.
Based on the Sound! Euphonium novel series written by Ayano Takeda, which also was adapted into an anime series and available on Crunchyroll, Liz and the Blue Bird is a spin-off anime...
From critically acclaimed director Satoshi Kon, known also for Perfect Blue, Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paranoia Agent, experience the gorgeous new restoration of one of his greatest works, Millennium Actress. Boasting countless awards, including the Grand Prize in the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival, which it shared with Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, the film produced by Madhouse is a must-see for anime fans of all ages.
Based on the Sound! Euphonium novel series written by Ayano Takeda, which also was adapted into an anime series and available on Crunchyroll, Liz and the Blue Bird is a spin-off anime...
- 12/11/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
It’s hard to not get overcome with morbid joy every October when streaming services transition over to horror-centric programming to celebrate Halloween in all of its gory glory. It’s becoming more and more common for content providers to curate a full 31 days of scary sights so that audiences don’t have to go a single hour without horror options at their hedonistic disposal. Halloween traditions tend to highlight the live-action mayhem that’s marked this holiday for years, which remain fun, but often have audiences searching for new ways to get scared. Everyone has seen the perennial holiday classics and the endless slew of slasher sequels, but there’s also a rich catalogue of alarming anime that are just as likely to creep out crowds.
There are more options than ever before when it comes to anime streaming services. Multiple channels offer thousands of hours of content that...
There are more options than ever before when it comes to anime streaming services. Multiple channels offer thousands of hours of content that...
- 10/29/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
When we think of the term “auteur” or “auteur theory” we usually include directors such as Alfred Hitchcock or Stanley Kubrick given the diversity in their work, the amount of creative control they had and the recurring themes in their features. Especially the latter is interesting because Kubrick has managed to leave his footprint in the world of film, even though he has only produced a small number of films, in comparison to Hitchcock that is. Given this definition, director Satoshi Kon, although he helmed even a smaller number of features, should deserve the title as well, especially since features like “Paprika” or “Perfect Blue” are considered masterpieces of the genre and remain influential sources for filmmakers all over the world. In his documentary “Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist” French director Pascal-Alex Vincent, who previously made “Miwa, A Japanese Icon” about actor Akihiro Miwa, tells the story of arguably one of...
- 8/14/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.) It’s not hyperbole to say it feels like the world is on fire, and it’s very tempting to want to get away from it all and look for some escapism. Of course, leave it to the […]
The post ‘Paranoia Agent’ is a Funny and Terrifying Anime About Anxiety and Escapism appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Paranoia Agent’ is a Funny and Terrifying Anime About Anxiety and Escapism appeared first on /Film.
- 3/31/2021
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers (2003) is showing December 18, 2017 - January 17, 2018 and Paprika (2006) from December 19 - January 18, 2018 on Mubi in the United Kingdom in the retrospective Satoshi Kon, Anime Maestro. Tokyo GodfathersIt could be said that consistency and eclecticism make up two sides of the auteurist coin, in which the artist's voice can be seen and felt across a body of work that is either noticeably focused in subject matter, thematic concerns, or stylistic approaches (Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut, Wes Anderson) or wildly varied in any or all of those areas (Louis Malle, Steven Soderbergh). In that respect, Satoshi Kon got to have it both ways with the final two completed animated features in his oeuvre, the satisfyingly odd parting pairing of Tokyo Godfathers (2003) and Paprika (2006). Sorely missed these past seven years since his premature death from pancreatic cancer on...
- 12/20/2017
- MUBI
It was always only a matter of time until modern Hollywood resigned itself to remaking anime. Which isn’t to suggest that the uniquely Japanese medium is somehow unworthy of being used as fodder for Western blockbusters — on the contrary, anime has provided some of the most progressive, adventurous, and visionary filmmaking of the last 30 years — but rather to acknowledge the palpable whiff of inevitability with which Paramount is releasing “Ghost in the Shell.”
It’s not like studio executives are obsessive fans of the franchise, it’s not like former Paramount CEO Brad Grey bought every new DVD of “Stand Alone Complex” as it was released in the United States and can walk you through every detail of the Laughing Man case, it’s not like the people in power were just patiently waiting for the entertainment climate to warm up to the idea of a star-studded Major Kusanagi...
It’s not like studio executives are obsessive fans of the franchise, it’s not like former Paramount CEO Brad Grey bought every new DVD of “Stand Alone Complex” as it was released in the United States and can walk you through every detail of the Laughing Man case, it’s not like the people in power were just patiently waiting for the entertainment climate to warm up to the idea of a star-studded Major Kusanagi...
- 3/31/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Ryan Lambie Feb 6, 2017
Beyond Studio Ghibli, a wave of directors and artists ensure that the future’s bright for animation in Japan, Ryan writes...
At its best, anime is diverse, vibrant, unfettered and unpredictable. Look through the history of Japanese animation, and you’ll find stories about baseball, cooking, friendly ghosts, ancient myths, dog detectives and robot cats from the future. You’ll find sci-fi and horror, fantasy and comedy, erotica and historical drama. Just about every country on the planet produces animation of some kind; few broach subjects as varied as the Japanese.
See related Katee Sackhoff interview: Battlestar, Haunting, Statham
In recent years, however, anime has faced threats from multiple angles. First, there’s the threat that will catch up with all of us eventually: time itself. In 2010, Japan lost one of its great storytellers, Satoshi Kon, who made such stunning animated movies as Perfect Blue (one of...
Beyond Studio Ghibli, a wave of directors and artists ensure that the future’s bright for animation in Japan, Ryan writes...
At its best, anime is diverse, vibrant, unfettered and unpredictable. Look through the history of Japanese animation, and you’ll find stories about baseball, cooking, friendly ghosts, ancient myths, dog detectives and robot cats from the future. You’ll find sci-fi and horror, fantasy and comedy, erotica and historical drama. Just about every country on the planet produces animation of some kind; few broach subjects as varied as the Japanese.
See related Katee Sackhoff interview: Battlestar, Haunting, Statham
In recent years, however, anime has faced threats from multiple angles. First, there’s the threat that will catch up with all of us eventually: time itself. In 2010, Japan lost one of its great storytellers, Satoshi Kon, who made such stunning animated movies as Perfect Blue (one of...
- 2/2/2017
- Den of Geek
1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Suzumiya Haruhi, is an intelligent high school girl with a mischievous personality, and very egocentric disposition, and upon enrolment at school she announces:
“I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, beings from the future, or super-humans, come see me. That is all!”
Naturally, this did raise a few eyebrows, but Haruhi is dead serious. Things get awkward when everyone realises just how serious she is about it all and establishes the Sos Brigade. What makes her quite ominous though is her unimaginable power to actually change the world, but she is totally unaware of her own power and so she is also unaware of the affect of her power on the outside world. The cynical Kyon, a friend at the Sos Brigade, is among the few who knows of Haruhi’s power, and is desperately trying to keep the world together.
Suzumiya Haruhi, is an intelligent high school girl with a mischievous personality, and very egocentric disposition, and upon enrolment at school she announces:
“I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, beings from the future, or super-humans, come see me. That is all!”
Naturally, this did raise a few eyebrows, but Haruhi is dead serious. Things get awkward when everyone realises just how serious she is about it all and establishes the Sos Brigade. What makes her quite ominous though is her unimaginable power to actually change the world, but she is totally unaware of her own power and so she is also unaware of the affect of her power on the outside world. The cynical Kyon, a friend at the Sos Brigade, is among the few who knows of Haruhi’s power, and is desperately trying to keep the world together.
- 3/3/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
This week annoyed by a loudmouth blogger of some repute, who declared anime for paedophiles and insulted more or less the whole of Japanese culture, I decided to watch Netflix original anime Knights of Sidonia. His comments have widely been circulated and condemned by many people and he’s just made himself look a fool, and all this just because Gus Van Sant might be directing a Death Note movie. I recognise that anime is not for everyone but still, by dismissing all of it you are missing out on an awful lot of classic work and influential stuff.
Knights of Sidonia has been billed as a Netflix original but it’s quite hard to imagine that they would have been involved in the production of something like this, it’s pretty far out there even for anime and its more likely that Netflix have done what they did with...
Knights of Sidonia has been billed as a Netflix original but it’s quite hard to imagine that they would have been involved in the production of something like this, it’s pretty far out there even for anime and its more likely that Netflix have done what they did with...
- 7/21/2014
- by Chris Holt
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Anime as a sub-genre of nearly every other genre is pretty crazy in and of itself. The fact that there exists an anime somewhere covering just about every genre and subject that you can imagine is the product of a culture perhaps far more understanding and open to experimentation.
In the west we have very specific subjects for our animated films and very specific celebrity voices included in the attempt to include everyone and not offend anyone. In Japan….not so much.
The Anime market has changed a lot since the boom of the early 90s when Manga video was releasing all manner of craziness on to video and ramping up the language and the violence to generate love and word of mouth with teenage boys everywhere. At some point around 1997 however the well ran dry and all the back catalogue of crazy Japanese films from the late 80s and...
In the west we have very specific subjects for our animated films and very specific celebrity voices included in the attempt to include everyone and not offend anyone. In Japan….not so much.
The Anime market has changed a lot since the boom of the early 90s when Manga video was releasing all manner of craziness on to video and ramping up the language and the violence to generate love and word of mouth with teenage boys everywhere. At some point around 1997 however the well ran dry and all the back catalogue of crazy Japanese films from the late 80s and...
- 6/7/2013
- by Chris Holt
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
From the anime series to the video games, Japanese electropop artist Susumu Hirasawa has been the definitive music composer for Berserk and he continues to lend his musical artistry in the animated film trilogy. On his official site, a short version of the opening theme "Aria" from Berserk Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme Ruler soundtrack is available for a listen in a video player. His other animated film/series soundtracks include Paprika, Millennium Actress and Paranoia Agent.You can listen to the track below....
- 2/4/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Cinema Studies Students Union (Cinssu) – Free Films on Campus present Satoshi Kon Night – Paprika & Paranoia Agent
Come out on Friday for a tribute to great Japanese auteur Satoshi Kon:
Paprika (2006): Three scientists at the Foundation for Psychiatric Research fail to secure a device they’ve invented, the D.C. Mini, which allows people to record and watch their dreams. A thief uses the device to enter people’s minds, when awake, and distract them with their own dreams and those of others. Chaos ensues. The trio – Chiba, Tokita, and Shima – assisted by a police inspector and by a sprite named Paprika must try to identify the thief as they ward off the thief’s attacks on their own psyches. Dreams, reality, and the movies merge, while characters question the limits of science and the wisdom of Big Brother.
In addition to Paprika, we will also be playing an...
Come out on Friday for a tribute to great Japanese auteur Satoshi Kon:
Paprika (2006): Three scientists at the Foundation for Psychiatric Research fail to secure a device they’ve invented, the D.C. Mini, which allows people to record and watch their dreams. A thief uses the device to enter people’s minds, when awake, and distract them with their own dreams and those of others. Chaos ensues. The trio – Chiba, Tokita, and Shima – assisted by a police inspector and by a sprite named Paprika must try to identify the thief as they ward off the thief’s attacks on their own psyches. Dreams, reality, and the movies merge, while characters question the limits of science and the wisdom of Big Brother.
In addition to Paprika, we will also be playing an...
- 2/7/2011
- by Dork Shelf
- DorkShelf.com
The Runaways
DVD, Entertainment One
It's virtually impossible for a rock biopic to completely replicate all the trappings of the time in which it's set. For the story of the Runaways, the first major all-female rock band of the 1970s, there wasn't a great deal of money or time to fuss over every little detail. While it does get plenty correct, it completely nails the spirit of the story almost from the get-go – when Dakota Fanning as singer Cherie Currie (complete with Aladdin Sane lightning bolt painted across her face) lip synchs to David Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul to waves of derision from her classmates. From then on it's a colourful, fast-paced tale of a band that burned brightly before dramatically imploding after a few short years. Existing in the netherworld between glam and punk, the band were treated at best like a novelty, at worst like a freak show.
DVD, Entertainment One
It's virtually impossible for a rock biopic to completely replicate all the trappings of the time in which it's set. For the story of the Runaways, the first major all-female rock band of the 1970s, there wasn't a great deal of money or time to fuss over every little detail. While it does get plenty correct, it completely nails the spirit of the story almost from the get-go – when Dakota Fanning as singer Cherie Currie (complete with Aladdin Sane lightning bolt painted across her face) lip synchs to David Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul to waves of derision from her classmates. From then on it's a colourful, fast-paced tale of a band that burned brightly before dramatically imploding after a few short years. Existing in the netherworld between glam and punk, the band were treated at best like a novelty, at worst like a freak show.
- 2/5/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s not been a great week for cinema’s elites as two influential filmmakers sadly pass away. French Director Alain Corneau (67) and Japanese animator Satoshi Kon (46), the latter being described as the “Animator who inspired Inception.”
Alain Corneau
Originally a musician, Alain Corneau started his film career in France in 1976 and has had a very successful career as an international director. His catalogue of seven films was popular among lovers of world cinema but in France he was considered quite the legend. 1991′s “Tous les matins du monde” won seven Cesar awards, the French equivalent of the Academy Awards.
After a long battle with cancer Alain sadly departed but managed to hold on long enough to finish his final film, Love Crimes which hit French Cinemas two weeks ago. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier, it is scheduled to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival next week.
Alain Corneau
Originally a musician, Alain Corneau started his film career in France in 1976 and has had a very successful career as an international director. His catalogue of seven films was popular among lovers of world cinema but in France he was considered quite the legend. 1991′s “Tous les matins du monde” won seven Cesar awards, the French equivalent of the Academy Awards.
After a long battle with cancer Alain sadly departed but managed to hold on long enough to finish his final film, Love Crimes which hit French Cinemas two weeks ago. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier, it is scheduled to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival next week.
- 9/1/2010
- by Michael Brooks
- FilmShaft.com
Japanese director of playful animation combining realistic drama with fantasy
Satoshi Kon, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 46, was one of the boldest and most distinctive film-makers to specialise in animation. His main body of work – four completed feature films and an acclaimed television mini-series – was playful, sophisticated and adult. Tired of the cliches of mass-produced Japanese animation – "robots and beautiful little girls," as he once put it – Kon sought to make animation that used ambitious and often disorientating editing, intercutting and scene-shifting.
"In animation, only what is intended to be communicated is there," he once said. "If I had a chance to edit live-action, it would be too fast for audiences to follow." Kon made only sparing use of CGI in his mostly drawn films, relying on such superb animators as Shinji Otsuka and Toshiyuki Inoue.
Much of Kon's animation combines realistic drama (usually set in present-day Tokyo) with dreams and fantasy.
Satoshi Kon, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 46, was one of the boldest and most distinctive film-makers to specialise in animation. His main body of work – four completed feature films and an acclaimed television mini-series – was playful, sophisticated and adult. Tired of the cliches of mass-produced Japanese animation – "robots and beautiful little girls," as he once put it – Kon sought to make animation that used ambitious and often disorientating editing, intercutting and scene-shifting.
"In animation, only what is intended to be communicated is there," he once said. "If I had a chance to edit live-action, it would be too fast for audiences to follow." Kon made only sparing use of CGI in his mostly drawn films, relying on such superb animators as Shinji Otsuka and Toshiyuki Inoue.
Much of Kon's animation combines realistic drama (usually set in present-day Tokyo) with dreams and fantasy.
- 8/26/2010
- by Andrew Osmond
- The Guardian - Film News
Auteur-illustrator who proved more than anyone that cartoons are not just for kids has died aged 46 from pancreatic cancer
Director Satoshi Kon sadly passed away on Tuesday, succumbing to pancreatic cancer. He was only 46, and his legacy of work is a mere four completed feature films and one television series. So, it's likely many of you have not heard of the man – doubly likely since his films were all animated.
There has long been an argument regarding the validity of animation as a medium for adults. It's easy for many to dismiss animated film as being automatically for kids or, worse, for teenagers. But for myself and others, animation is just another way of telling a story or getting a message across to an audience. This is why I referred to Satoshi Kon as a "director" in the opening paragraph: his films are so involving and cinematic it's easy to...
Director Satoshi Kon sadly passed away on Tuesday, succumbing to pancreatic cancer. He was only 46, and his legacy of work is a mere four completed feature films and one television series. So, it's likely many of you have not heard of the man – doubly likely since his films were all animated.
There has long been an argument regarding the validity of animation as a medium for adults. It's easy for many to dismiss animated film as being automatically for kids or, worse, for teenagers. But for myself and others, animation is just another way of telling a story or getting a message across to an audience. This is why I referred to Satoshi Kon as a "director" in the opening paragraph: his films are so involving and cinematic it's easy to...
- 8/26/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
As the sad passing of Perfect Blue director Satoshi Kon is announced and the La Times reports on the decline of anime, Ryan asks, what next for the Japanese animation industry?
There was a time when Japan's remarkable animation industry was almost unknown in the west. In the 70s and early 80s, quirky shows such as Marine Boy and Battle Of The Planets (a sanitised, heavily edited localisation of the considerably more violent Space Science Team Gatchaman) were the only morsels of the country's vibrant and imaginative anime scene.
As the 1980s drew to a close, however, awareness of Japanese animation steadily grew in western consciousness. As a UK resident, my fascination with anime began with the BBC's airing of The Mysterious Cities Of Gold and Ulysses 31, whose distinctive character designs were immediately distinguishable from the other children's fodder clogging up late-80s television schedules.
Then came Streamline Pictures' video release of Akira,...
There was a time when Japan's remarkable animation industry was almost unknown in the west. In the 70s and early 80s, quirky shows such as Marine Boy and Battle Of The Planets (a sanitised, heavily edited localisation of the considerably more violent Space Science Team Gatchaman) were the only morsels of the country's vibrant and imaginative anime scene.
As the 1980s drew to a close, however, awareness of Japanese animation steadily grew in western consciousness. As a UK resident, my fascination with anime began with the BBC's airing of The Mysterious Cities Of Gold and Ulysses 31, whose distinctive character designs were immediately distinguishable from the other children's fodder clogging up late-80s television schedules.
Then came Streamline Pictures' video release of Akira,...
- 8/25/2010
- Den of Geek
Yesterday afternoon, I heard the news that filmmaker Satoshi Kon had passed away. This information came hard, hitting me on the head like a mischievous little boy's baseball bat. The shocking news spread, at first, through Twitter. Hoped by fans to be nothing but a rumor, it was then confirmed by Kon’s co-workers at his Madhouse animation studio.
After the initial surprise of this news coming out of nowhere (the man was only 47 and was in the middle of completing yet another highly anticipated film), I had to come to terms with what about this news made me so angry: Kon was an amazing talent, not just in his field but in cinema in general, and the sadness of his passing comes not just from the fact that a man’s life has been cut so short—important as that must be to his personal friends and family—but...
After the initial surprise of this news coming out of nowhere (the man was only 47 and was in the middle of completing yet another highly anticipated film), I had to come to terms with what about this news made me so angry: Kon was an amazing talent, not just in his field but in cinema in general, and the sadness of his passing comes not just from the fact that a man’s life has been cut so short—important as that must be to his personal friends and family—but...
- 8/25/2010
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
This is shocking news indeed: mere hours ago people at the Madhouse anime studio confirmed that legendary director Satoshi Kon has died, aged 46.
Satoshi Kon worked on several anime classics under Katsuhiro Otomo and Mamoru Oshii, but is most well-known for his own films released by Madhouse: "Perfect Blue", "Millennium Actress", "Tokyo Godfathers" and of course "Paprika". He also made the brilliant 13-episode series "Paranoia Agent". Currently he was working on his new film "The Dreaming Machine" which was scheduled for release next year.
To say he will be missed is an understatement. I think I will revisit "Paprika" tonight, with the commentary track on...
(Thanks go to the Otakon Web Board for spreading the news, and to Peter van der Lugt for alerting me)...
Satoshi Kon worked on several anime classics under Katsuhiro Otomo and Mamoru Oshii, but is most well-known for his own films released by Madhouse: "Perfect Blue", "Millennium Actress", "Tokyo Godfathers" and of course "Paprika". He also made the brilliant 13-episode series "Paranoia Agent". Currently he was working on his new film "The Dreaming Machine" which was scheduled for release next year.
To say he will be missed is an understatement. I think I will revisit "Paprika" tonight, with the commentary track on...
(Thanks go to the Otakon Web Board for spreading the news, and to Peter van der Lugt for alerting me)...
- 8/24/2010
- Screen Anarchy
One of the most acclaimed animation directors in the world has passed away: Japanese filmmaker Satoshi Kon. Kon made his name in the U.S. as the director of Perfect Blue, a dark psychological thriller about a pop star-turned-actress who's stalked by a fan, as well as what could be her own ghost (Roger Corman described the film as what would have happened if "Alfred Hitchcock partnered with Walt Disney"). Kon was also responsible for the TV series Paranoia Agent, focusing on a mysterious little boy assailant with a golden baseball bat; and Paprika, a Philip K. Dick-style sci-fi thriller about a device that allows people to enter each other's dreams (the film was crafted years before Christopher...
- 8/24/2010
- FEARnet
Downer for anime fans: acclaimed filmmaker Satoshi Kon has reportedly passed away from cancer at age 47. Kon started as a manga artist and graduated to anime features with the drama Perfect Blue, which he followed with the comedy Tokyo Godfathers, the time-spanning memoir Millennium Actress and the TV series "Paranoia Agent". The influential filmmaker had been working on his lastest project The Dream Machine with his regular collaborators at animation company Studio Madhouse. His last completed film was the trippy dream adventure Paprika:...
- 8/24/2010
- by Dave Davis
- JoBlo.com
This is a sad bit of news, I've just learned about the passing of Satoshi Kon - an important Japanese anime filmmaker who gave us Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika (from which was the last time we met with the filmmmaker). In honor of the filmmaker and his fans, we are republishing this sit down with Kon originally published May 24th in 2007. ---- Paprika is the latest feature length work from Japanese anime auteur Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, Millennium Actress), and adapted from a novel by Japan’s most renowned science fiction author Yasutaka Tsutsui. The plot centers around an experimental invention called the DC Mini, that allows its users to enter another person’s dreams. 29 year old Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a brilliant but conservative research psychotherapist working on the DC Mini project, and also uses the device to moonlight as super heroine Paprika, entering into...
- 8/24/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
It’s being reported tonight that director Satoshi Kon has passed away at the age of 47. Official confirmation is expected to follow but various sources are confirming the sad news.
In his short life he wrote, animated and directed some of the most magical, thought provoking and emotionally engaging anime films, which thankfully made their way across the world.
As a staff director at the prolific Madhouse Studio he created works such as Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, the TV series Paranoia Agent, the sublime Tokyo Godfathers and my personal favourite, Paprika.
To be honest there’s nothing more to say other than this is really terrible news. I was late to the Satoshi Kon show, seeing an early trailer for Paprika and falling in love with what I saw, I then devoured every second of his work I could get my hands on.
Like the very best art his work...
In his short life he wrote, animated and directed some of the most magical, thought provoking and emotionally engaging anime films, which thankfully made their way across the world.
As a staff director at the prolific Madhouse Studio he created works such as Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, the TV series Paranoia Agent, the sublime Tokyo Godfathers and my personal favourite, Paprika.
To be honest there’s nothing more to say other than this is really terrible news. I was late to the Satoshi Kon show, seeing an early trailer for Paprika and falling in love with what I saw, I then devoured every second of his work I could get my hands on.
Like the very best art his work...
- 8/24/2010
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
British site UK Anime Network is reporting that director Satoshi Kon passed away yesterday at age 47, apparently due to cancer. This marks the untimely death of the filmmaker second only to Hayao Miyazaki in making inroads for anime films both internationally and as weighty works of cinema worthy of serious critical consideration.
From the 1998 Hitchcockian tale of a menaced pop idol "Perfect Blue" to 2001's look into the life of a aging performer "Millennium Actress" to 2006's saga of shared dreams (out-"Inception"ing "Inception") "Paprika," Kon was fond of exploring and blurring the lines between reality, memory and dreams. These are themes animation is particularly suited to, and ones that can be seen early in his career, in the "Magnetic Rose" segment of omnibus film "Memories," for which he wrote the screenplay, and later in "Paranoia Agent," the series he created.
2003's "Tokyo Godfathers" was his lone linear narrative,...
From the 1998 Hitchcockian tale of a menaced pop idol "Perfect Blue" to 2001's look into the life of a aging performer "Millennium Actress" to 2006's saga of shared dreams (out-"Inception"ing "Inception") "Paprika," Kon was fond of exploring and blurring the lines between reality, memory and dreams. These are themes animation is particularly suited to, and ones that can be seen early in his career, in the "Magnetic Rose" segment of omnibus film "Memories," for which he wrote the screenplay, and later in "Paranoia Agent," the series he created.
2003's "Tokyo Godfathers" was his lone linear narrative,...
- 8/24/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
Satoshi Kon director of such Anime classics as Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent and Paprika has died at the age of 47.
Kon started his career as a manga artist and editor in Young Magazine, and then made his screenwriting debut with 'Magnetic Rose, a section of the anthology film Memories. Kon made his directorial debut film, Perfect Blue, in 1997, followed by Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika and the television series Paranoia Agent. He had been at work on his fifth film, The Dream Machine since 2008.
Kon started his career as a manga artist and editor in Young Magazine, and then made his screenwriting debut with 'Magnetic Rose, a section of the anthology film Memories. Kon made his directorial debut film, Perfect Blue, in 1997, followed by Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika and the television series Paranoia Agent. He had been at work on his fifth film, The Dream Machine since 2008.
- 8/24/2010
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
Details? There aren't many, but Bloody Disgusting are reporting that Takashi Shimizu has signed on to produce a feature film version of Satshi Kon's stellar anime series Paranoia Agent. Writer and director remain up in the air, as does format, though I can't see any point to Ju-On and The Grudge director Shimizu being involved unless this is going to be live action.
- 12/17/2009
- Screen Anarchy
- Paprika is the latest feature length work from Japanese anime auteur Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, Millennium Actress), and adapted from a novel by Japan’s most renowned science fiction author Yasutaka Tsutsui. The plot centers around an experimental invention called the DC Mini, that allows its users to enter another person’s dreams. 29 year old Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a brilliant but conservative research psychotherapist working on the DC Mini project, and also uses the device to moonlight as super heroine Paprika, entering into her patient’s dreams and helping them resolve anxiety and neurosis.When one of the DC Mini prototypes is stolen, Atsuko is forced into the role of a real-world heroine as her colleagues begin to go mad, haunted by terrifying waking-dreams of a doll torn from the mind of a schizophrenic patient. Someone is wielding the device as a weapon, and setting the
- 5/24/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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