Forum - View topicThe Anime Backlog - Robot Carnival
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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1355 |
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An excellent anthology, with "Presence" also being the standout for me. Not much more to say that others before me haven't said already. <3
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mdo7
 Posts: 6912 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Thank you for giving Robot Carnival a little retro publicity. If anyone on ANN have friends and relatives that watched or loved Netflix's Love, Death & Robots, then please recommend Robot Carnival to them (I'm kind of surprised that Discotek and has not made this film available on Netflix to help recommend viewers of Love, Death & Robots to watch this film).
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lemurs
Posts: 112 |
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This is the film that got me back into anime watching again after the Robotech days of the mid-80s. The Sci-Fi channel ran a triple feature of Robot Carnival, Lensman and Vampire Hunter D one evening in the mid-90s and I was hooked all over again. The aforementioned "Presence" segment is a dramatic standount, but it also provides the action-packed "Deprive", comedic "Meiji Machine Culture", and mood piece "Cloud". There's a little something for everybody in there, and it stands out as a wondrous little snapshot of late 80s anime.
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1532 |
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Thanks for the reminder, Lynzee. I don’t think i’ve seen this since it was in the theaters.
Other anthologies worth checking out, in addition to Memories, which you mentioned: Genius Party, Heavy Metal (not Japanese), Neo Tokyo, Short Program. They’re all great, |
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Cho_Desu
 Posts: 250 |
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I watched this a few years back and found it a nice watch. Like most anthologies, I really dug some, and didn't care as much for others. (I recall enjoying one that was like an 80s shoujo-themed music video in a robot amusement park, very cute.) But even if a segment doesn't click for you, the animation is still fantastic throughout. I want to check out more of these classic anime anthology films, but unfortunately most aren't officially available anywhere.
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Covnam
 Posts: 3902 |
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This is a good reminder for me that I haven't gotten around to watching my copy from discotek yet. It's been quite some time since I've seen it, so I really should get on that
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lemurs
Posts: 112 |
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Oh, and for those that do have it on disc, note that the BD and UHD have different feature sets! The BD offers the option to view the shorts in three different orders corresponding to how it had been released on home video in the past, while the UHD provides both fullscreen and widescreen presentations.
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14911 |
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This was also shown in the early 90s on the US cable network TNT or TBS (one of those Turner channels) as part of some Japan film marathon celebration
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mdo7
Posts: 6912 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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It was also shown on Cartoon Network back in January 1995 as part of the Night of the Vampire Robots marathon (which also had broadcasted Vampire Hunter D, and Twilight of the Cockroaches on that same marathon), I remembered seeing that commercial a lot when I was 7 years old (this was before I knew what anime was, and 11 years before I became and joined the anime/manga fandom), there's a retrospective video that talked about that marathon block. Many believe that the CN's Night of the Vampire Robot marathon may have led to the creation of Toonami 2 years later. Beside Cartoon Network, Syfy/Sci-Fi Channel also broadcasted Robot Carnival back in 1994 (in it's mostly uncut state). |
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Dumas1
Posts: 95 |
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This column inspired me to open up my copy and watch some of the trailers and things. The mini-documentary about the creation and distribution of Robot Carnival was fascinating. Never realised how this OVA was connected to Project A-Ko and several of my other favourite 80s/90s anime. It was also interesting to learn that the multiple arrangements stemmed from trying to fit the anthology onto physical media, film reels and laserdiscs. Now I understand why a lot of movies have runtimes like 88 or 132 minutes instead of an even 90 or 120: Gotta fill out those reels.
I have to say, I like the alternate poster with the two dancers surrounded by a theatre-style "cast" ring more than the regular title with a pile of robots. It gives off more of a circus or theatre feel that suits the anthology format. |
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BadNewsBlues
Posts: 6455 |
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I remember that but only remember watching VHD and TOTC. First exposure to anime too. |
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Emerje
 Posts: 7434 Location: Maine |
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This was my first real introduction to anime in '93. Of course having been born in '80 I was a big fan of Voltron and was aware of things like Robotech, Speed Racer and Astro Boy. Sci-Fi would later have the "Cartoon Quest" block and air Gigantor, including being the original US broadcaster for the New Adventures of Gigantor. SciFi gets a lot of credit for being my crash course in anime back in the day along side a rather extensive selection at the local rental chains. The rest is history! Emerje |
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nobahn
 Subscriber Posts: 5189 |
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Robotech blew me away. PERIOD. I could never again watch cartoons like the Flintstones, the Jetsons, and G.I. Joe the same way again. Link. |
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mdo7
Posts: 6912 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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I think we can all agree that both Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi Channel (now called Syfy, ugh) both deserve a big credit for creating a new generation of anime fans with their block like Sci-Fi's Anime Saturday block, and CN's Toonami and Adult Swim (although the Night of the Vampire Robots marathon are probably the reason why CN has Adult Swim in the 1st place). Interestingly enough, both channel came out in 1992 and they both debut within days of each other: Sci-Fi Channel's date: Sept 24 Cartoon Network's date: Oct 1 So both Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi Channel are created 32 years ago!!! You know a bit off topic but tangent when it comes to TV channel, last year (or 2 years ago, I forgot when) I watched this documentary film about Z Channel (it's called Z Channel: a Magnificent Obsession), has anyone heard of this defunct obscure TV channel? Well, the reason I brought up this particular TV channel is because it broadcasted a lot of B-films, and arthouse films. It also broadcasted foreign films with English subtitles (that channel broadcasted Akira Kurosawa's titles, and probably other Japanese films on there too). It was the channel that was responsible for the popularizing and uses of letterboxing on television (when other TV channels at that time/era used the pan & scan thing when broadcasting feature-length film), and showing the director's cut of film (Heaven's Gate for example, the director's cut debuted/premiered on that channel). Now as far as I know, Z Channel has never broadcasted any anime (or any animated films, not even Disney's titles). But after seeing how the channel broadcast subtitled foreign films (that no other mainstream TV channel at that time would), it does make me wonder what would've happen if Jerry Harvey, the brain behind Z Channel had picked up animated films from Disney's, and WB's, and other animation film, would that have led to Jerry Harvey picking up foreign animation including Japanese animation. If Jerry Harvey had pick up anime films for Channel Z from 1974 (when the channel was first launched) to 1989 (when the channel faced it's demise), I wonder how that would've impacted anime fandom in the US had Channel Z pick up anime film at that era? Sorry for the off topic tangent, I mean it would've been kind of cool to see Nausicaa in it's uncut subtitled format back in the mid to late 80's instead of the hacked up Warriors of the Wind version had Jerry got it for Channel Z. Also maybe Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki's works that came out at that era could've benefitted had Channel Z had broadcasted anime, and Lupin the 3rd's films like Mystery of Mamo, and Castle of Cagliostro could've found a big audiences on there given the Cliff Hangar game. That makes me wonder if in an alternate timeline where Channel Z broadcast uncut subtitled anime films like Ghibli/Miyazaki, Lupin the Third, Arion, Dallos, Megazone 23 Part 1, Project A-Ko, and maybe early Dragonball films like Curse of the Blood Rubies, Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle, & Mystical Adventure could've probably done well on Channel Z. I could see majority of the Urusei Yatsura films (I could imagine Only You, Beautiful Dreamer, Remember My Love, Lum The Forever, and probably The Final Chapter) that came out in the 80's could've strongly benefitted from Channel Z's broadcast if they had broadcasted anime films in an alternate timeline. Man, how would the anime fandom in the US would look different in the 90's and probably today had Jerry Harvey and Channel Z was given an opportunity to broadcast anime films in their uncut subtitlted format. |
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Greg Aubry
 Posts: 225 Location: Detroit, MI |
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I recorded that very broadcast on a VHS tape that I wish I still had, even though I did so on the dreaded SLP/EP speed to fit it all on one tape (the oldheads know). That triple feature was formative for me and Robot Carnival and Vampire Hunter D have stayed in my collection in various forms over the years ever since. (Sounds like I need to triple dip for that UHD!) I still get something new out of Robot Carnival every time I watch it. |
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