Not surprisingly most cyberpunk animations I have seen are dark, gloomy and deeply depressed – which is reasonable when you consider the underlying ideas of the Gothic movement that cyberpunk seems to have arisen from to a degree.
This teaser for a festival of cyberpunk films gives a good idea of the atmosphere that seems to pervade all the films I have come across. See what you feel.
To be honest, it is really more about Sci-Fi than what I believe cyberpunk is all about, though most cyberpunk writing (see William Gibson for example) is to a greater or lesser degree centered on Sci-Fi I suppose
All well and good I feel, but a bit of humour now and then might be pleasant I reckon. As with many such movements, cyberpunk seems to take itself dreadfully seriously.
Also it seems that most of these films are all centred on some computer game. There is an endless stream of references to “level 3” or “level 5” and so on. I know it is my ignorance at play here, all true cyberpunks will know exactly what these “levels” refer to. I simply can’t be bothered to look into it.
Anyhow, the films themselves are interesting I found, in their total immersion in the depressing world of cyberpunk.. all gloom, doom and violence, both cyber and old fashioned physical.
Here is another dip into the murky mindset of the cyberpunk world – Grab your Valium.
Actually I enjoyed this film…. It is beautifully made, the visual side of the story is gripping and the cyborg is amazingly beautiful in a haunting sort of a way. Here is what the guy who made this film had to say about it.
“ROSE is an epic sci-fi short film that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where all natural life has disappeared. From the destruction awakes Rose, a cyborg deployed from the Kernel project, mankind’s last attempt to restore the earth’s ecosystem. Rose will soon learn that she is not the only entity that has awakened and must fight for her survival.
The short-film was created entirely by young comic-artist Jesús Orellana with no budget during a single year. Since it’s world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival, ROSE has been an official selection at film festivals around the world such as Screamfest, Toronto After Dark, Anima Mundi or Los Angeles Shorts Film Festival. In October ROSE was screened at the opening night of the Sitges International Film Festival, considered the world’s best festival specialized in genre films.”
The atmosphere of this film is very typical of cyberpunk….. It is all very slow, nothing happens for a long time, and then suddenly it explodes into violent action, but remains in a sort of hypnotic trance as it does so. All very odd.
Here is yet another example of this odd and introverted art form. This time it is a live action film, not an animation, but the effect is the same…. Loads of enigmatic gauges in the foreground and weird and wonderful, and mostly horrid, creatures and people in the background. And of course, the normal cyberpunk spooky and depressing atmosphere – why are cyberpunks so depressed I wonder?
So, here it is for your pleasure….
And here is what the maker of this film has to say about it… Not sure it enlightens much, but for what it is worth, here are his words……
2045 A.D. Cybernetically enhanced beings are in control of society. A new genetic disease is making humans reject their own organs, forcing one man to steal cybernetic implants from others to survive. By director Nguyen-Anh Nguyen.
Temple is a concept for a feature film project, produced by the team of the Akira Project.
And as the last cyberpunk film for you today, here is yet another similar example….
The maker of this film has this to say about it… makes it all very clear I think you will agree…
When you have access to information, it’s wise not to have “Loose Lips”. more http://www.scififunk.com
Inside a downtown night club our hero, Steve Malore learns more about his current predicament.
This 3D Animation is set in a Cyberpunk Dystopian world. In the future, if you want to live away from the cameras, you have to learn to survive outside the city walls.
Join our hapless hero, Steve Malore as he tries to “fit in” with the rejects of this future world he never imagined he’d be part of.
So, there you have it, the world of cyberpunk films.. all equally gruesome, depressing and generally rather pointless I feel – Not my favourite sort of film I have to confess, so to lighten the mood before I go, here is a happy and innocent little film to amuse you.
I like positive films….. And this is certainly that!
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Any thoughts on any of these films? Do share them with us if you do, always good to hear other people’s views on things.
OZTHOUGHTS 