FIENDISH THOUGHTS: REMEMBERING SATOSHI KON

I realize that in my time here I have somehow managed to not discuss animation at all. This may have been because so few of the new animated films out there have been appealing to me lately. The one feature I was truly looking forward to was the Dreaming Machine by writer/director Satoshi Kon. Sadly Kon passed away this week from pancreatic cancer while still in production on the film.

Kon left a legacy of some of the greatest animated films ever made. He was always exploring genres and storytelling techniques and left a group of films that most American audiences would find unusual to the animated form. He always trusted his audience's intelligence and created challenging work.

I can honestly say that I never felt cheated by a Kon film and that I thoroughly enjoyed all of his work. Only 46 years old at the time of his death, he did not leave a large body of work behind, but what he did leave are truly spectacular examples of all that animation can and should be.

Here then is a brief look at the work of Satoshi Kon:

Memories (1995) - Kon wrote the short film Magnetic Rose (directed by Koji Morimoto) that opens this showcase of three science fiction short stories. The story is the strongest of the three, featuring astronauts who encounter a world created by a woman's memories aboard an abandoned spaceship.

Perfect Blue (1998) - A psychological thriller set in the world of Japanese pop-stars, this is the film that began Kon's career as a director. it plays with the nature of delusions and reality.

Millennium Actress (2001) - This is a film that would get my vote for one of the best films ever made. It is a poignant look back at the career of an actress whose career spanned the Golden Age of the Japanese film industry.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) - This is probably the most fun to watch of all of Kon's films. Three homeless people find a baby and attempt to find the baby's parents. It's an action-adventure, buddy comedy that explores the nature of friendship and what it means to be homeless.

Paranoia Agent (2004) - This was a 13-episode series done for Japanese television. It is an exploration of crime and the human psyche which takes the viewer on a journey through the lives of diverse characters.

Paprika (2006) - A science fiction film about the nature of dreams. When scientists build a machine that lets people watch their dreams, someone steals the device and uses it to enter people's minds.

All of the above films are available on DVD and receive my highest recommendation. While Satoshi Kon is no longer with us his films will endure the test of time.