Every week, Kristopher Pollard from Milwaukee Film and Radio Milwaukee’s Dori Zori talk about movies — because that’s what you do when you’re Cinebuds.
A public service announcement from your friends at Cinebuds: “Animated movies” and “Anime” are NOT the same thing. It’s a good time to point this out because throughout this month, Milwaukee Film will turn its lens on the magic of both categories as part of its “Ani-May” movie series.
Yes, the more general moviegoing public will notice familiar titles like The Iron Giant, Ferngully and Smashmouth-adjacent delight-turned-sequel-factory Shrek (and Shrek 2). That does NOT mean families with young children should descend on the Oriental Theatre willy-nilly for any selection in the series.
A prime case in point is the film that earns our focus in this episode, the punctuation-laden Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Leave the kiddies at home for this high-octane, high-violence tale that might just lure you in via a slow-burn 40 minutes that seem to be more about teenage dating than the title would suggest.
Then … it earns that title.
But while Dori and Kpolly spend time exploring the mythology of devils and hunters, compare Chainsaw Man to Blade and wonder whether they’re getting too old for this s***, there’s more than chainsaws in this episode! Our duo also touch on the full lineup for “Ani-May” — from Shrek’s swampy nostalgia to the Fantasia-indebted Allegro Non Troppo.
Lend an ear to their chat using the player at the top of the page, and use any of the links below to get more information about Milwaukee Film’s “Ani-May” series.
Milwaukee Film ‘Ani-May’ schedule
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
May 7-8 | 9:30 p.m
In a brutal war between devils, hunters and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into Denji's world, and he faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
Allegro Non Troppo
May 9 | Noon
May 10 | 3:30 p.m.
An enterprising producer believes he has hit upon a winning concept: a program of original animated shorts set to classical music. Undeterred by warnings this has already been done by an American named “Prisney,” he rallies an orchestra of geriatric women, a bullish conductor and an animator he keeps locked in the dungeon. What could go wrong?
Shrek
May 15-21 | Various Times
It ain't easy bein' green especially if you're a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot: a wisecracking donkey.
The Iron Giant
May 16-17 | Noon
In the small Maine town of Rockwell in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a 9-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.
Angel’s Egg (Dubbed)
May 21, 23 | 9 p.m.
Angel’s Egg (Subtitled)
May 22 | 9 p.m.
In the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms and eventually bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.
Shrek 2
May 23-24 | Noon
Happily ever after never seemed so far far away when a trip to meet the in-laws turns into a hilariously twisted adventure for Shrek and Fiona. With the help of his faithful Donkey, Shrek takes on a potion-brewing Fairy Godmother, the pompous Prince Charming and ogre-killer Puss In Boots.
Ghost in the Shell (On 35mm!)
May 28 | 7 p.m.
In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, which brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly wanted hacker known as “The Puppetmaster” begins involving them in politics, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops are called in to investigate.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Dubbed)
May 28, 30 | 9 p.m.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Subtitled)
May 29 | 9 p.m.
Cyborg detective Batou is assigned to investigate a series of murders committed by gynoids — doll-like cyborgs that malfunctioned, killed and self-destructed. The brains of the gynoids initialize to protect their manufacturer's software, but in one gynoid that Batou himself neutralized, one file remains: a voice speaking the phrase, “Help me.”
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
May 30-31 | Noon
When a sprite named Crysta shrinks a human boy named Zak down to her size, he vows to help the magical fairy folk stop defend FernGully from lumberjacks — and the vengeful spirit they accidentally unleash after chopping down a magic tree.
