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Contains The Following

Genius Party (Introduction)
"The moment when images are born" is how director Atsuko Fukushima describes her introductory segment Genius Party. An abstract, five-minute exploration of a spiritual ecosystem in a fantasy world, the boundless, playful visuals and lateral approach to plot and story effectively set the scene for the segments that follow, a pure interpretation of the producers' simple brief to the filmmakers to create works with a central theme of "imagination".

Shanghai Dragon
One of the undisputed legends of Anime, Macross creator Kawamori brings all of his sci-fi and action trademarks to the table here, but nevertheless surprises with an unorthodox - and amusingly touching - story of a snot-nosed boy, a pencil from space that brings his thoughts to life, and the battling armies of killer robots who descend from the sky in search of this truly unlikely hero.

Deathtic 4
With unexpected 3D and CG flourishes - and characters who speak a bizarre form of pidgin Swedish! - Deathtic 4, the directorial debut of accomplished background animator Shinji Kimura, is a slapstick boys' tale of (mis-)adventure, not unlike an episode of "The Little Rascals", in a universe where the gang were undead with superpowers. Having accidentally crossed over to the underworld with a forbidden live frog, a boy must enlist the help of three friends to evade the Zombie Police and help get the amphibian safely back to the world of the living.

Doorbell
Mange artist Fukuyama turns director here with DOORBELL, in which he utilises the shojo manga (girls' comic) style to create an unsettling, suspenseful tale in which a boy is forced to play a cat-and-mouse game with his own doppelganger. Whenever a friend or loved one sees either the boy or his double, the other becomes invisible, locking the two in a frantic race across the city, two beings fighting for a single existence.

Limit Cycle
Hypnotic and breathtaking, this psycho-sexual-spiritual meditation on God's work both within and outside of the machine of modern life - and the modern mind - is a fitting centrepiece for the first Genius Party. collection. Futamura has created a challenging-yet-rewarding fusion of virtuosic animation, conceptual prowess, and multimedia sensibilities. Not soon forgotten.

Happy Machine
Is it a dream? A metaphor? Childhood fantasy or adult contemplation? A wordless, universally poignant, wildly expansive fable, HAPPY MACHINE is yet another revelation from revered Mindgame creator Yuasa. A toddler is forced from the security of his nursery and his mother's breast, and sets out to wander in a dangerous-yet-compelling alien landscape. Like all the best fairytales, a slight undercurrent of the melancholy and the sinister lurks beneath the surface of a joyful & kinetic Childhood Adventure.

Baby Blue
Closing out the first Genius Party. collection may well be the biggest revelation of the series, in which revered stylist Watanabe, creator of COWBOY BEBOP, astounds with a straightforward, touching and masterfully executed seishun eiga ("youth film"), the story of a one day adventure of two high school students, childhood friends who have since grown apart. Hopes, secrets, and a long-treasured bond are explored over the course of 24 hours

Director:

Shinichiro Watanabe [24], Shoji Kawamori [14], Atsuko Fukushima [6], Shinji Kimura [6], Yoji Fukuyama [6], Hideki Futamura [6], Masaaki Yuasa [6],

Starring:

Screen Formats:

Widescreen

Subtitles:

English

Language and Sound:

Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Japanese Dolby Digital Stereo

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