Ep. 028 - Marky Mark & The 30 Bunch!

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Rurushu Ranperuji
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Is there some sort of cult following of this movies soundtrack or some such? I ask because when I went to buy this movie from amazon, I found it for around $8. However, I noticed that the soundtrack is on sale for $72, now having seen the movie I don't recall the sound to be particularly amazing, so is someone just out of there mind? The movie wasn't "good" by any stretch of the imagination, but I didn't hate it. In fact my biggest complaint is that it was somewhat boring, I admit I did get a little excited when I first was the gundam, but it's sluggish movements and overall lack of color quickly moved me back to a state of "meh". I don't understand why they would make the G-Saviour that plain blue color..when I think UC, I think of the RX-78-2, and the Zeta all very colorful suits. Maybe it was just me. The entire time I was watching this movie I felt like I was watching one of those movies you catch on the sci-fi channel, it amazes me that they had a $8.6 million budget. Where did all of that money go?
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hawk of endymion
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Wow, that much for the soundtrack? The soundtrack of the movie wasn't bad, just nothing that memorable.
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thanatos
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hawk of endymion wrote:Wow, that much for the soundtrack? The soundtrack of the movie wasn't bad, just nothing that memorable.
Amazon can be weird with rare stuff like this. Last Christmas I was looking for an old christmas special cartoon that hasn't been on TV in years. A brand new VHS tape of it was listed on Amazon for $85! I then proceeded to ebay and bought a perfectly fine used copy for $3. :D
They must think that they can charge a ridiculous price for something if they have only one left in stock. They might be assuming that there's at least one single person who MUST own it.
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Kavik Ryx
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It probably has more to do with rarity at best.
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Kenji
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Nice show, guys. Appreciated the large Round-Up on G-Saviour. I got the movie out of a small-time anime convention along with Call of Cthulu. It was... ehh... and that's really all I can come up with. It wasn't the face-melting horror that people said it was, but I really couldn't find much in the way of redeeming qualities, even though that fight on the colony mirror was kinda cool.

Can't wait until "Chris's Counterattack," though... only, what, two or three more episodes? :D
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VITO
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Rurushu Ranperuji wrote:Is there some sort of cult following of this movies soundtrack or some such? I ask because when I went to buy this movie from amazon, I found it for around $8. However, I noticed that the soundtrack is on sale for $72, now having seen the movie I don't recall the sound to be particularly amazing, so is someone just out of there mind? The movie wasn't "good" by any stretch of the imagination, but I didn't hate it. In fact my biggest complaint is that it was somewhat boring, I admit I did get a little excited when I first was the gundam, but it's sluggish movements and overall lack of color quickly moved me back to a state of "meh". I don't understand why they would make the G-Saviour that plain blue color..when I think UC, I think of the RX-78-2, and the Zeta all very colorful suits. Maybe it was just me. The entire time I was watching this movie I felt like I was watching one of those movies you catch on the sci-fi channel, it amazes me that they had a $8.6 million budget. Where did all of that money go?
I think there is a cult following to the soundtrack, because overall it's a beautiful piece of work. Much better than some other Gundam soundtracks (F91, that things music just...Star wars anybody?). There are places were you can get the soundtrack for like $10 bucks, and I think I've seen it on youtube.

The lack of color most likely comes from the different mentality that American animation groups have compared to the Japanese. Digital Muse (now Eden FX) Looked at them as weapons of war (like most of them are) witch means a few things; no/dark color (easy to blend in (I-Saviour)), No/low shine (wouldn't want to be detected now would we?). and camouflage.

Most suits in G-Saviour had color schemes defined by where there normal working environment was. The freedom (whos' line art is blue) was turned green because it was in an agricultural settlement. Also rust was added to show its 30 year old age, but some people I know hate that they made a 30 year old model look 30 years old :roll:. I-saviour was Navy blue (lineart is white/grey, with some yellow) because its a space only suit that can easily blend in with stuff in space.

Its all about who does the animation, the Japanese model and the game model of the G-Saviour is in standard Gundam colors. In fact all of the game models have the standard Japanese bright colors, for better (when?) or worse (...all).

While bright and flashy colors work well with most of gundam, and anime physics, in terms of the more realistic G-Saviour flashy could only mean a quick death.

In fact that's what G-saviour did right, it brought Gundam into the final frontier of what it created (real robot shows), the real world and answered the question of how they would act in physics. However that is also its biggest flaw, because some things just don't work in real life. They might have been able to pull newtypes off, but I think it would just add more fuel to the hate fire.


I would bet most of the budget went to Digital Muse, They were not a cheap company, with some of the most experienced (most from Star Trek, and Seaquest DSV) in the business. Even now Eden FX(same people just new name) are nominated for some award, some where every year or two.

The new Settlements (that are OVERLY well done, with a insane amount of small details) did cost a lot, especially with render time (that alone costs money).


I would post my thoughts of G-saviour's thought out design but that's for another day.

But I have to ask one question.. Soul Bro, I respect you, but how in the heck did you think this movie from 1999 had a 2 million budget..... :shock:

Also I think I heard you say "that doesn't make sense" when they were talking about why they used starship trooper uniforms. Its because it saves money, heck even transformers with its 500 mill budget used a tank from another movie. Why would I spend X amount designing a uniform when I could spend the same renting one or more already made?
Heck, Stargate would later use some the cockpits from G-saviour. Why? because it saves money and they production thinks it fits what there going for.
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Seraphic
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VITO wrote:Also rust was added to show its 30 year old age, but some people I know hate that they made a 30 year old model look 30 years old :roll:.
I think there ought to be a difference between 30 year old technology and a mobile suit that is literally 30 years old. You'd think they would take better care of it in either case. =p
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doctorx0079
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Okay, I was surprised that no one really discussed in the Gundam Roundup, what I think are the main problems with G-Savior.

I haven't seen it in years but this is what I seem to remember. My biggest beef with G-Savior, is that 90% of it is, people standing around in rectangular rooms talking. It's SOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOOORRRING. Most of the story points you don't even see, someone just talks about it. What's the point?? Reading it in a book would be more exciting, let alone a manga. The whole point of a movie is you SEE it happen. The people standing around talking forever, not even moving, about bored me to death.

Then there's the 5-10 minutes of CG. In a 90 minute movie that is ostensibly about Gundam, there's almost no mobile suits in it. The CG we do get is really grainy for some reason, grainy and fuzzy. It looks terrible. It doesn't fit visually with the rest of the movie at all. And everything looks gray, nothing like the brighly-colored cartoon Gundams we're used to. (Yeah, I know it's supposed to be more realistic or something. Maybe just cheaper.) Also any time they try to put the live actors into the CG, it looks completely fake and crummy. The AVGN does a better job with his PC, throwing yellow cubes at the Cowardly Lion.

The acting is almost uniformly bad. I'm going to single out Mimi the girlfriend here. She looks great, I'll admit, she's pretty hot, but she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. Most everybody seems bored and like they are just collecting a paycheck, just phoning it in. The one bright spot is Enuka "Lady Une" Okuma as Cynthia Graves. She actually seems to be trying. She was okay. The guy playing the hero was kind of alright, but really bland. He should have been the best performer to anchor the show. Also, we are expected to believe that Mark basically falls in love with Cynthia because she's so hot. Ms. Okuma might kill me for saying this, but I just can't believe Mark would leave Mimi and fall for Cynthia. She looks very plain and ordinary. I don't buy it. Oh well.

So, to sum up, basically what's wrong with this movie is, it's BORING. It's one of the most BOOOOOORRRRRRRIIIINNNNNGGGG things I've ever sat through. That is the number one cardinal sin of a movie, being boring. I wish somebody would have, like, shot someone in the face - at least that would be kind of exciting. It's worked in Gundam before. This is like one of those grade-Z Sci-Fi Channel movies, or Lifetime movies, the ones where everyone just stands around and talks and you can't remember it afterward. If it's your TV you probably just change the channel or play video games instead. It's a pointless waste of a DVD. It's not even cheesy enough to make fun of. I mean even "Manos - The Hands of Fate" was hilariously stupid. There's just nothing here to evoke much interest or even keep you awake. I mean just thinking about it makes meZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . .

BTW I'm pretty sure Sunrise disowned this piece of crap.
animalia
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What were the names of those worst mecha animes again?
doctorx0079
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animalia wrote:What were the names of those worst mecha animes again?
I don't know if MD Geist counts as a mecha anime, so I'm going to say they are G-Savior, G-Savior, G-Savior, and G-Savior. And Starturds, I mean Starbirds, AKA Daimos The Movie, which I got on DVD for a dollar, to laugh at.

BTW you have to be insane to get any enjoyment out of G-Savior because it's so BORING. I mean BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING.
doctorx0079
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Did I mention how G-Savior is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I think you get the picture now.
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TheGoose
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Re: Ep. 028 - Marky Mark & The 30 Bunch!

I agree with Chris and Neo that Evangelion isn't as revoltionary as many people think. An example being that people might see that the Evas being the first hybrid of super and real robot, but Aura Battler Dubine did the same thing before Eva. However, I would say the main thing that makes Evangelion different and interesting from other mecha shows is how the show treats the mechas and the pilots who use them. In most shows, the mechas are used to fight against something and make the world a better place. Also, the pilots who use the mechas fight for some personal reason. For example, Kouji Kabuto uses Mazinger Z to fight against the villian, Dr. Hell. By using Maiznger Z, the world will be a better place and Kouji will have gotten his revenge against Dr. Hell for the killing of his father. Evangelion does something different with this. The Evas are used to fight the Angels and they will make the world a better place. But, instead, the Evas bring pain, suffering, and, ultimately, the end of the world in the show. The pilots in Eva are also different because they think that, by using the Evas, they will get what they want. Shinji thinks that if he pilots the Eva he'll get his father to love him, Asuka thinks that by using the Eva she'll be noticed by others, and Rei thinks that by piloting the Eva she'll have completed her purpose and get to die. Instead, Shinji and the other pilots are brought pain because of piloting the Evas. They don't get what they want out of piloting them. Shinji's father doesn't grow closer to him, Shinji is left isolated by piloting the mecha when all his school friends leave him at the end, Shinji's friend, Touji, is hurt by the Eva. The same thing happens with Asuka and Rei. The pilots are left in a worse condition from when they decided to pilot them. This is where Evangelion is different from other mecha shows. The mechas don't make the world a better place and don't bring the pilots inner peace.
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Kavik Ryx
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Re: Ep. 028 - Marky Mark & The 30 Bunch!

What Eva has that's so unique (taking from the previous post) is that it is thematically polar to pretty much every single giant robot series out there. Yes, character study, and a sense of despair are not uncommon in mecha shows. But where most series have a genuine sense of hope, every single Gundam and Macross for instance, Evangelion has none of that, and thus, is built on a foundation that is not Tetsujin 28.
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Sume Gai
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Re: Ep. 028 - Marky Mark & The 30 Bunch!

lacking a "sense of hope" wasn't that new. Look at Ideon or Zambot 3; both got pretty damn hopeless near the end. Sure they both ended on relatively hopeful notes but so did Eva (if you can sort out the endings)
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TheGoose
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Re: Ep. 028 - Marky Mark & The 30 Bunch!

In some ways Eva is different from other mecha shows thematically, but in some ways its simply a new spin on things. I some-what agree with Kavik that Evangelion is different, but not in the way that Evangelion is the first darkly-themed mecha show or the first mecha show with a dark ending. Another example of Evangelion being truly thematically different is how the coming of age message is done. Most mecha shows usually have a coming of age message in the show and its usually done through the mecha itself. Amuro Ray grows up by being in the war and using the Gundam to fight against it. The pliot uses the mecha as a tool to grow up. Shinji Ikari's coming of age, however, comes from not using the Eva to grow up, but from learning to let it go. At one point in the show, Shinji thinks to himself how relaxed and safe he feels in the Eva. Considering how the entry plug looks like a womb, its safe to say that Shinji feels safe because the Eva is like a mother. It gives him purpose and protection. But, as people grow older, we start to look about ourselves to find our own purpose and protection. Shinji's coming of age comes from learning that no matter how many Angels he kills, he'll never get his father's love and that he has to find his own sense of purpose instead of following what his father wants him to do. He, also, must fend for himself instead of letting the Eva protect him.
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Re: Ep. 028 - Marky Mark & The 30 Bunch!

im surprised that, listening to this podcast (first time listener) that no one saied final fantasy: the sprits within, you can draw a comparison on how disappointed the fans were when both people watched these films.
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