Movie of the Moment: Akira

So it took me a long time to finally get around to seeing this movie which is one of the coolest movies I’ve seen in a while.  That isn’t saying much since I think a lot of the movies I’ve recently seen are pretty cool, but the point is, this has been around for almost as long as I’ve been alive and it’s taken me this long to finally see it, I wish I had seen it sooner.

But alas, better late than never, right?  Akira which, according to the English dub I watched is pronounced like A-kee-da, is about 2 best friends who are in a motorcycle gang in the future in Neo-Tokyo.  Well one of the friends has an accident and is taken to a hospital because of a condition he doesn’t know of.  The other friend eventually tries to get him out while also trying to go out with a revolutionary girl he meets in jail.  Meanwhile his friend in the hospital develops psycho-kinetic powers, which is why he was kept in the hospital in the first place.  His powers get stronger and out of control, and his best friend becomes him enemy because he tries to stop him…  or was he an enemy all along?

This movie finally became of interest to me once I realized it was the inspiration for Kanye West’s “Stronger” video, which is personally, one of my favorite videos (I dig Hype Williams and his use of colors).  Now after seeing the movie, it sort’ve gives the song another meaning… especially after watching the video another time.  Now I’m sure this song was overplayed…  Again, I don’t listen to the radio often, but I found a video that actually mashed both Kanye’s video and the movie together.  I had a lot to choose from but I liked this one best.  By all means, watch this movie if you ever get the chance.  Rumor has it that in 2009, we’ll get to see a live version of Akira and I don’t like to get hyped up… but I am.

WOLFGANG PUCK: RAISING THE BAR ON TREATING FARM ANIMALS WELL

A conversation between Wolfgang Puck and Wayne Pacelle, CEO, Humane Society Of The United States.