Rating: 
Summary: Memories
Review: The Anime "Memories" is a great film that everyone should see. It is 3 stories within the movie. The first involving an "Alien" type setting. The second story is about a chemist who ingests a chemical weapon and becomes one himself. The third displays a fictional country with a fanatical obsession to firing cannons at an imaginary country.
Rating:
Summary: Three films in one-- all very well done.
Review: "Memories" is a 3-part science fiction/anime collection marketed as one film.
The first episode, Magnetic Rose", is an emotional but stirring SF story of love and regret; the second, "Stink Bomb", is a humorous look at environmental disaster; the third, "Cannon Fodder", examines warfare and the dehumanization that goes with it.
Each film has a definite stylistic individuality. "Magnetic Rose" reminds me of parts of The Animatrix; "Stink Bomb" looks like it could have come from the artists who created the original, classic Heavy Metal movie; and, best (and undoubtedly strangest) of all, "Cannon Fodder" bears more than passing resemblance to the surreal animation of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Don't let the jarring differences put you off from seeing this film. Each has its own merits, with few drawbacks.
The one disadvantage I encountered when viewing this DVD was the lack of an English soundtrack; I don't speak Japanese, and the subs whiz by so fast (keeping up with the speech rate of the characters) that if I want to read them, I must frequently pause the film to read it.
Other than that teeny nit, this is a definite PLUS in my collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Light On Substance But Big On Style
Review: * MEMORIES is a collection of three relatively short Japanese
animation pieces by Katsuhiro Otomo, of AKIRA fame. In the first
piece, MAGNETIC ROSE, a space salvage crew hears a rescue call from a
dangerous space sargasso, with the rescue signal broadcasting
Puccini's MADAME BUTTERFLY. In the second, STINK BOMB (which I think
might have been better rendered as STINK BUG) a bumbling biotechnology
worker with a cold takes the wrong pill, with apocalyptic results.
The third, CANNON FODDER, is a portrait of a fairy-tale society
dedicated totally to war, sort of like Imperial Germany on acid.As far as the scriptwriting goes, these stories are fairly
lightweight. I read a much shorter manga (comic) version of MAGNETIC
ROSE, and all the elaborations of the video version didn't really add
much to the story, which is strictly an OUTER LIMITS sort of thing.
STINK BOMB is just a bit of deliberate silliness, and CANNON FODDER
really doesn't have a story at all -- it's just a "day in the life"
narrative, much along the lines of traditional "experimental"
animation. The entire video runs about 114 minutes and drags a bit; I
think it would have been more effective if it had been cut to about
90 or even 75, and it would have lost nothing. However, the production values for MEMORIES are outstanding. Even
STINK BOMB, the most conventional of the three, is meticulously
detailed, and MAGNETIC ROSE is technically outstanding and lushly
drawn from beginning to end. The quirky CANNON FODDER is a particular
exercise in mad ingenuity and I thought it the most interesting of the
set. I suspect that it might have been done with some "message" in
mind, but I found it instead to be something like an elaborate
clockwork toy. So, in sum, if you're after a great story, you won't like MEMORIES,
but if you're taken in with artwork and design this is a good buy.
Probably not a good choice for younger watchers, though -- there's
nothing much objectionable in it, but the stories will likely bore
them.
Rating:
Summary: Facinating
Review: 3 very different stories told in very different styles and very much at the top of their form.
Rating:
Summary: What's not to love?
Review: From Katsuhiro Otomo (and others) comes three completely different stories. Each of them interesting and original in itself.
MAGNETIC ROSE is about a couple of astronauts who investigate an old space station. It has the atmospheric mood of a traditional ghost story but is set in a science fiction like reality. This one immeadiately became one of my favorite pieces of animation that I have ever seen. Glorious hand drawn traditional animation with minimal but beatifully incorporated cgi elements where necesary.
STINK BOMB is more of a funny story but definately a good one. A boy accidentaly swallows a pill that turns him into a biochemical weapon. As he unwillingly and unknowingly goes on a path of destruction through Tokyo the army deplores increasingly aggresive and desperate means to stop him, and as the story gradually grows in scope the viewer doesn't know wether to laugh at the silliness of it all or shudder at the realistic horror of biochemical warfare and it's consequences. CANNON FODDER the final entry is probably my least favorite, although it does have a unique look and a refreshingly original story flow as the entire movie unfolds with very few and almost seemless cuts. The camera simply travels around from place to place never stopping, as we follow the lives of a family in a weird alternative reality (or possibly a grim future) where the inhabitans of a city full of giant cannons spend their entire existance firing shells at an unseen enemy.
These are sort of like the short animations from projects such as "Animatrix" and "Heavy Metal" from the 80'ies only better. Each of them adds something new and brings a fresh idea forwards and it is a gem in any collection of anime. Here's hoping more projects like this one will see the light of day in the near future.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic animated anthology from Japan!
Review: From the makers behind " Metropolis", " Akira", " Steamboy" and " Perfect Blue" Katsuhiro Otomo, Koji Morimoto and Tensai Okamura comes a stunning collection of three fantasy tales beyond your imagination. The first tale deals with space travelers who discover a spaceship inhabited by a former Opera singer and is controlled by a super computer. The second deals with a pharmaceutical company who accidently takes pills that give him the most retretched stench in the whole world causing people to drop like flies and the last tale is WWII inspired on cannon makers. Beautifully animated and visionary anime tales with twists in the ends and originallity. Although the one Powerpuff Girl episode where Buttercup is stinking up a town is probably inspired by the second tale in the movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys anime, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Robot Carnival, Metropolis, Fantasia, Heavy Metal, and Cowboy Bebop.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic animated anthology from Japan!
Review: From the makers behind " Metropolis", " Akira", " Steamboy" and " Perfect Blue" Katsuhiro Otomo, Koji Morimoto and Tensai Okamura comes a stunning collection of three fantasy tales beyond your imagination. The first tale deals with space travelers who discover a spaceship inhabited by a former Opera singer and is controlled by a super computer. The second deals with a pharmaceutical company who accidently takes pills that give him the most retretched stench in the whole world causing people to drop like flies and the last tale is WWII inspired on cannon makers. Beautifully animated and visionary anime tales with twists in the ends and originallity. Although the one Powerpuff Girl episode where Buttercup is stinking up a town is probably inspired by the second tale in the movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys anime, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Robot Carnival, Metropolis, Fantasia, Heavy Metal, and Cowboy Bebop.
Rating:
Summary: finally! memories for the masses!
Review: i first saw 'memories' in 1996 and i am still blown away by it everytime i watch it. and i watch it a lot. my fansub copy from way back when should soon be replaced by this dvd edition. the first segment, 'magnetic rose' is my favorite anime of all time. how could it not be? although the story is based on the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo, 'magnetic rose' was directed by my all time favorite anime director Koji Morimoto. Not only that, but it was created and produced at one of my favorite anime studios of all time, Studio 4C. on a side note, my 2nd favorite anime is 'Porco Rosso' by Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli. 'magnetic rose' features lush visuals, high quality animation, top notch production and art design, and an intruiging story concept. very atmospheric and lyrical, the film is set to snippets of puccini's 'madame butterfly'. Characters moving in weightlessness are animated more convincingly than Gundam 0083 (ok, so it's a tv series, but it's still done pretty well), and concept design for space vehicles and ships are both functional and believable. backgrounds are beautifully painted as well. what many people may not realize is that quite a bit of cg is used in this film also. from the spaceships and flying pods to the rose itself, it is so well done that one may not quite realize it until a second viewing. the worlds of reality and illusion are cleverly blended in this film, and will keep you watching until the breathtakingly poetic ending. if i was stranded on a desert island, all i would need would be wi-fi access to the net and this film. the other two films in this series bear mentioning too.
'stink bomb' is entertaining in its outrageous situations. if you like a lot of explosions in your anime, this is it. although i am not too fond of the character designs, the production values are still pretty good. while 'magnetic rose' could look like it was made yesterday, 'stink bomb' seems to show it's age in terms of art, line quality and design. 'canon fodder' reminds me very much of the films that came out of eastern europe during the height of their oppression. overall, much darker than the previous two films, 'cannon fodder' is a very interesting exercise in sweeping camera views and warped perspective background layouts. a bit of 3d cg is also used in this film and the character and concept designs are quite interesting. i highly recommend it for animation buffs. now keep in mind that this anthology of films was released in 1996. now watch it, be blown away, then watch it again. now go out and buy the 'art of' book, "the memory of memories" and be blown away yet again. and if you are interested in seeing more, i highly recommend looking up "koji morimoto" on the net and checking out his other works. one of his more recent being "beyond" on the 'animatrix' dvd (many of the better shorts in 'animatrix' were produced by studio 4C). i highly recommend his music videos as well, 'survival' and '4 day weekend' come to mind. and if you're looking for something really bizarre, don't pass up 'noiseman insect' there are only 2 names you need to remember from this review: Koji Morimoto & Studio 4C.
Now, go out and buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended for anime as well as sci-fi fans
Review: I first saw a trailer for "Memories" in 1996 while watching "Sabrina" at a theater in Nagasaki. I thought the bits of animation shown, along with the music were amazing and I was back in a theater when it came out. I've seen it several times since and I still regard it as one of the better anime films out there. Top rate animation, a fantastic score - I highly recommend trying to find the Victor Japan 1 1/2 disc original soundtrack (comprised of one full sized CD and a CD single sized disc 2, in some really cool packaging) - and great stories. The animation style of the three, like the different stories, are all different. Magnetic Rose is my favorite, and some of the imagery, paired with the haunting music (combining electronic music with Puccini arias and choral works), have had a lasting effect. Stink Bomb, touching on biological/chemical warefare as well as the military, is pretty damned funny, and even more relevant in today's current global climate. The final installment, Cannon Fodder, by Otomo-san, is the most original, both in terms of the animation style/character design and in the narrative. There is a weird "child's story" feel mixed with a Pink Floyd's "The Wall" vibe. I am just really excited that this is finally out on Region 1 DVD. This is a work of anime that is definitely more accessible to mainstream audiences (especially those who dislike the big, "saucer-eyed" style of anime). I am glad that I resisted buying the much more expensive Region 2 set. And did I mention how great the music is? Utte kimasu!
Rating: 
Summary: A Review of the Video Quality !
Review: I think many people have written about the virtues of the films,
I would like to comment on the digital mastering,This has been a favourite movie of mine for some time and I have been waiting for a R1 release the Japanese version was far too expensive.I was expecting a remastering job of the Quality that was done on Akira,
and I expected the result to be breathtaking,(especially on Magnetic Rose)I opened the package put the disc in ,and to my disdain ,the video looks like a rather clean laserdisc print, there is no evidence of 720\480 resolution of dvd it looked more like 352/480
of half d1 resolution.most of the time the lines on the characters facial detail , in mid shots are all smudgy ,overall it has a washed out look ,no deep blacks either,I am appalled ,one of the most beautiful films had to get a shoddy transfer like this.I have seen it on a 36 inch widescreen hdtv in 480p mode through a progressive scan player.this confirms my suspicion that the japanese directors are not approving the final transfers for the r1 discs, A similiar case was the movie Jin-roh, Another case of a beautiful film done to death by a smudgy low res transfer.
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