redline ( レッドライン , stylized as redline ) is a 2009 science fiction auto racing anime film produced by madhouse and released in japan on october 9 , 2010 .

the directorial debut feature of takeshi koike , it features the voices of takuya kimura , yū aoi and tadanobu asano , and an original story by katsuhito ishii , who also co-writes and sound directs .

after a total of seven years in production , redline was intended to premiere at the 2009 annecy international animated film festival and follow summer wars , mai mai miracle , and yona yona penguin as the fourth and final feature film madhouse planned to release between summer 2009 and spring 2010 .

redline ( 2009 film )

watch redline ( 2009 ) full movie online free in hd quality on any device . japanese science fiction animated auto racing film first released august 14 , 2009 in locarno international film festival . amazing movie in universe full of aliens where only one can be the best driver .
( 2009 ) as the fourth and final feature film madhouse planned to release between summer 2009 and spring 2010 . however , further delays resulted in the delay of its world premiere , pushed back a few months to august 14 , 2009 , at the locarno international film festival and its japanese release to fall 2010 .
after a total of seven years in production , redline was intended to premiere at the 2009 annecy international animated film festival and follow summer wars , mai mai miracle and yona yona penguin as the fourth and final feature film madhouse planned to release between summer 2009 and spring 2010 . however , further delays resulted in the delay of its world premiere , pushed back a few months to august 14 , 2009 , at the locarno international film festival and its japanese release to fall 2010 .
for anyone looking up information . please note , as op pointed out , that this post is in reference to the 2009 film , not redline ( 2007 ) or red line ( 2013 ) .
gender blender name : mr . minerva hanness , former redline champion and current redline news anchor .
for as many live - action racing movies that have been made over the years , few capture the true adrenaline - fueled thrill of being behind the wheel more than the 2009 japanese anime film redline does .
currently streaming on xfinity ! marked as 2011 instead of 2009 , but it ' s the same . english dub .
redline is a 2009 science fiction film produced by studio madhouse and directed by takeshi koike . we should actually be calling this a 2002 film because that ' s when production began for this film . that ' s right , it took 7 entire years for this anime to be released because unlike most anime today , each and every frame of this movie is hand drawn !
redline [ 2009 ] absolutely amazing animation with stylish and vibrant colors in every scene . science fiction meets auto racing with insanely wild characters . check it out if you haven ' t already .
the sky crawlers is a unique anime film by mamoru oshii . the film was adapted from a hiroshi mori novel of the same name .
redline [ 2009 ] absolutely amazing animation with stylish and vibrant colors in every scene . science fiction meets auto racing with insanely wild characters . check it out if you haven ' t already . : movies
redline wiki contains information about the anime movie redline ( 2009 ) . feel free to edit the articles . when uploading images , be sure to fill out the licensing information . although this wiki will mostly focus on the anime movie , manga and novel information are very welcomed .
for what this film lacks in a story and a cast of characters with depth beyond a puddle , this film makes up for it with energy .
now in when it comes of the plot of redline it is short , sweet and straight to the point . the film follows our main character jp , a driver who wants to race in a tournament called redline which
in terms of the enjoyment of redline , i say be prepared to fall in love with this film . after watching the trailers for this film you get a rough idea as to what you will be watching , however those trailers cannot prepare you for the whole film . as a lot of people know this genre of film has been done before , after all redline is a film about guys , girls and cars . but what redline as film does well is give us a familiar format to work with , but it ' s covered in such an innovative , stylised and charismatic fashion that you will be left in awe after you see it . also throughout all of the chaos and mind - blowing visuals , redline never feels like it ' s heading into unnatural territory , in fact a lot of aspects about redline feel realistic and believable .
took a full seven years to create and used more than 100 , 000 frames in production . when finally complete , it made its debut at the 2009 locarno international film festival , more than a year before it came to japanese theaters .
if tank girl and cowboy bebop had a movie baby that really liked racing , that baby would be redline . this 2009 science fiction anime was yakeshi koike ' s directorial debut . redline took an entire seven years to create and its release was delayed several times , but it was well worth the wait .
mind game saw some success after its release and won best director , best film , and best script at the canadian fantasia festival in late 2005 . regardless of its initial success , the film still remains mostly unknown by anime fans and foreign film buffs alike .
overall redline is an experience that i feel everyone should enjoy . it ' s a like a rush of energy that ' s exhilarating , fast - paced and unforgettable . takeshi koike , redline ' s director should feel very happy about the film that he has crafted and considering his previous work before coming onto this project i ' m not surprised that this film turned out to be a success . again i feel the need to mention madhouse ' s insane skills as an animation studio as they have created a film full of action , charisma and style unlike any other film . there are so many individual things about the film that ' s weird and wonderful and completely unexpected , but overall i say watch this film and experience the epicness that is redline !
i actually like howls moving castle better its my favorite miyazaki film but i was a big fan of the books . with that said those nausicaa is a very good film .
the sky crawlers was an official selection in many film festivals around the world , where it won awards for its original soundtrack and for the film as a whole . reviews were generally good and a video game based on the film was released in 2008 for the wii .
jp and sonoshee ride the shockwave of their own damned exploding engine over the redline .
now , racers taking part in redline are pretty fast . how fast you say ?
mind game isn ' t just unique for its wild storyline . the film features quite a variety of animation styles typically reserved for anthology films . the soundtrack to the film is also fantastic .
( japan 2009 , 23mins ) preview of the new release of full metal alchemist , great opportunity to see it on the big screen . coming soon to blu - ray and dvd .
this 2004 anime science fiction film has one of those rare animation styles that is so chaotic and so entertaining to watch . the film is so fast and so spastic in all the right ways .
the duration of a film . so long the movie goes on and on when you finish it .
redline , takeshi koike’s heady new anime feature , embraces the car culture of the west .
redline made the festival circuit beginning in 2009 , winning the audience official selection award for animation at fantasia and the outstanding achievement in feature filmmaking–animation award at the newport beach film festival , before opening in japan in october 2010 . the movie will receive limited release in los angeles beginning friday and in new york city on jan . 6 before arriving on blu - ray and dvd on jan 17 .
if you love cats and a good fantasy film , the cat returns will definitely be your thing . this 2002 animated film from hiroyuki morita of studio ghibli fame is based on a manga by aoi hiiragi .
( レッドライン , stylized as redline ) is a 2009 science fiction auto racing anime film produced by madhouse and released in japan on october 9 , 2010 . the directorial debut feature of takeshi koike , it features the voices of takuya kimura , yū aoi and tadanobu asano , and an original story by katsuhito ishii , who also co - writes and sound directs . the film is set in the distant future , where a man known as jp takes on great risks for the chance of winning the titular underground race .
redline takes place in the distant future when wheeled vehicles have been replaced with “air cars . ”
above all , redline is a feat of visceral , kinetic animation that captures the feeling of high - speed racing like no other film has . its stretched frames and fast - paced edited–set to a thumping techno soundtrack–really capture the full - speed adrenaline of being behind the wheel . the last 20 minutes of the film , when the redline race is finally run , will have your eyes glued to the screen .
this is the most insanely exciting , visually exhilarating anime film you ' ve seen in decades . incredible fun .
definitely the best looking anime film i ' ve seen , and one of the most fun films i ' ve ever watched . if you ' re interested in animation at all , this is a film to check out .
a race in space is dangerous , baby
is pretty much a big riff on redline .
: jp has one particular moment of ham when he announces his intent to drive in the redline .
however , the art style of redline is certainly acquired . i mean , look at this dog !
redline is a film not to be taken too seriously and anyone doing so has certainly missed the point . needless to say , if you want a realistic racing film then you have come to the wrong place . however , if you want a fast , funny , eye - watering , explosive experience that will suck you into a world which words barely do justice , this is the film you ' re after . but , more than a film , redline is an experience . every element works in melody , bouncing off and complementing one another , ultimately creating a tremendous overall work that is magical to behold , completely unlike any other anime production to date .
redline ( 2009 ) – r : closing night title . the story of jp as he tries to make it into the biggest race in this , or any , galaxy . more than 100 , 000 hand - made drawings and seven years of development are showcased as the racer competes , prepares , and competes some more .
appleseed is a 2004 anime adaptation of the novel of the same name by masamune shirow . directed by shinji aramaki , the film shares only the universe and central characters with the manga . the actual film has a completely different storyline .
most of the film’s dialogue is passive and weak , which would be fine if so much time were not spent on conversations during the second act . the film also lags under heavy exposition and disconnected scene progressions that slow the momentum .
shoutout to over 10 , 000 hand drawn frames such a good looking film . the blu ray had to be bought
english 5 . 1 and 2 . 0 , japanese 5 . 1 and 2 . 0 audio with english subtitled . extras consist of a 2006 trailer for the film and two
making of
features ,
the perfect guide to redline
( on blu - ray only ) and
the quick guide to redline
.
the film brings to light the ugly reality of homelessness and the beauty of human beings helping each other . there are many twists and turns throughout the story , and this film has one of the best endings to an animated film this writer has ever seen . tokyo godfathers is one of those rare films that stays in your heart for a long time .
damn , that looks dope as hell . i loved redline , and just this animation style in general .
reigning redline champion machinehead and the denizens of roboworld plug themselves into and literally become part of their vehicles .
redline ’s release was generally successful , with some reviewers praising koike ' s homage to ' 70s and ' 80s comics as well as his ability to create an animated film that is both different and exhilarating . redline may lack an engaging plot , but its high - energy goofiness and sensory overload animation makes it worthy of the list .
summer wars ( 2009 ) – pg : a story of how technology can effect our world , and how crisis can bring out the best in people . the 2010 animation of the year award winner at the 33rd japan academy prizes in tokyo .
the very underrated director satoshi kon has quite a few films on this list , starting off with the science fiction film paprika .
if you’re a fan of bizarre movies , you’ll probably enjoy masaaki yuasa’s acid trip of an animated film , called mind game .
i ' d give redline a 10 , but i only give those to what i believe to be masterpieces . a masterpiece should be able to appeal to every viewer . the animation in redline , however , doesn ' t .
check out our exclusive clip , featuring jp and sonoshee , below , along with the redline theatrical poster and stills .
it has been mentioned by critics and viewers , that redline lacks a plot or that the story comes across as lackluster and while i can understand that point of the argument i can also argue against it . the film has enough of a plot to work in cohesiveness with the rest of the film and while it ' s not overly complex or thought - provoking it doesn’t have to be . i would like to think of it this way : would your rather watch film with an overly drawn out plot and character development which could be potentially tedious and slow down the fast - paced nature of the film ? or would you want to watch a film with a condensed plot that has enough story and personality to make you care about what you are watching ? personally i prefer the latter .
the five - minute trailer soon appeared on the internet and at successive tokyo international anime festivals . buzz and curiosity swelled . and after six years in development , redline finally had its world premiere this summer at the prestigious locarno international film festival in switzerland .
now onto the storytelling , which is what i believe redline could ' ve improved the most . let me explain why .
the people behind redline did a great job in keeping the personalities of the characters consistent and unique , except for sonoshee .
unfortunately shares its name with a godawful film starring eddie griffin and nathan phillips but one of the most visual films i have ever seen .
as a film about racing , the plot is fairly standard fare , but the larger than life presentation coupled with the sheer imagination and creativity that has gone into redline is second to none . the story - despite cliches - is both exhilarating and incredibly well paced .
a story about the most popular racing event in the galaxy , the redline , and the various racers who compete in it .
a letter to momo is a 2011 drama directed by hiroyuki okiura . the film tackles the experience of grief from the perspective of a child .
the garden of words is a 2013 animated drama that was the brainchild of makoto shinkai , who wrote , edited , and directed the film .
this movie has reminded me why i started watching anime in the first place . i usually decide on how good a film is by it ' s storyline and characters , and while this film does have a decent plot where it really shines is it ' s art , designs and race scenes . the film took 7 years to make and is composed of 100 , 000 hand drawn pictures , no cg . the film uses an experimental art style which looks amazing . because of the long development every scene is great and is full of life . the designs for the characters , locations and vehicles are very creative , the film even has some what - the - heck moments . the middle section of the film is kind of slow moving , the section between the two races , there are some funny scenes and watching the characters interact is very fun . the story , in my opinion is the weakest part of the film , it ' s very predictable and there is little to no character development . now for the races and this is where the film really pays it ' s way , the animation is unbeatable with mind bending chases and physics , each crash , explosion , nirtos speed boost and hair pin turn is executed perfectly . you should defiantly watch this as it is a one of a kind film .
this is an unofficial site . all logos , images , video and audio clips pertaining to actors , characters and related indicia belong to their respective © and ™ owners . all original content © 2009 - 2018 inyxception enterprises , inc . dba behind the voice actors . all rights reserved .
what would happen if the fast and furious alien hunter , space dandy , had a child with super gentleman joseph joestar ? first of all , that ' d be pretty messed up . second of all , you ' d get the main character from the anime film , redline !
throughout the entire film of redline , we refer to our kind racer as jp and never learn his actual real name , unless i ' m being insensitive to jp and a lot of people during their time use simple two letter arrangements as names . gomenasai , jp - san .
redline is excellent proof that you can have too much of a good thing . especially when you neglect everything else in the process .
the dragon : volton is actually this to the roboworld president , being in control of nearly all military operations against the redline racers .
the simple answer is a resounding yes . whatever you might think of madhouse ' s creative and economic risk taking with redline , there ' s no denying that for the film ' s entire 100 - minute runtime you are watching something very special , very different , and insanely exhilarating .
sounds good on paper . but redline goes so overboard with its spectacle that it somehow becomes a bit dull . it’s simply too much .
grave of the fireflies ( 1989 ) – ur : this heart - wrenching tale of two siblings keeping each other alive during world war ii will seriously change you . film critic roger ebert once described the film as “an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation . ” produced by studio ghibli .
director / animator takeshi koike take a bow . the sheer energy popping off koike ' s initial feature film is equaled by the constant eye - candy visuals . with a sleek , exaggerated design and managing to capture an epic sense of speed , i was nearly exhausted by the flick ' s conclusion . the film tells the story of racecar driver
sweet
jp ( he of the pronounced pompadour , which will come into play later in the film ) who is behind the…
a story about the most popular racing event in the galaxy , the redline , and the various racers who compete in it . ( imdb )
space elves : the magical inhabitants of supergrass , who are major backers of the redline race and have submitted their own team , the superboins .
absolutely one of my favorites . so much ridiculous energy . people overemphasize the lack of real plot - i think this film is an example of where style , character , music , atmosphere and even heart come together in a perfect way because of a minimal plot . it ' s basically a perfect film just as it is .
now , redline is about a racer named jp who ' s manager gets involved in the mafia . because of this , he ' s forced to lose every race he enters . however , because of certain circumstances , jp manages to qualify into the largest race in the universe ; the redline .
if you liked howls youd love
nausicaa of the valley of the wind
, most underrated miyazaki film imo , because it reiterated the lorax ' s message well .
redline was awesome . take nascar , pump it full of every drug imaginable and then let wwe ' s vince mcmahon throw it into a steroid volcano .
as it is , redline is a stunningly animated but overlong film with such incompetent storytelling that it cannot reach its full potential . one can only hope that first - time director takashi koike’s next project will be a lot more polished . as it is , the talent is there . it simply needs to be honed and guided properly .
but what is a film without a good soundtrack ? luckily redline happens to have a brilliant soundtrack crafted by james shimoji , which compliments the visuals wonderfully . the soundtrack is mainly composed of techno - based music , but it works well with the action on - screen , its explosive , fast - paced and it sounds so good ! also personally i felt that redline ' s soundtrack really reminded me of the video - games f - zero gx and tatsunoko vs . capcom , both of which have great soundtracks with explosive music that sounds great on the highest volume level . i also have to note that the sound editing in this film is tackled perfectly as well .
badass driver : hell yes ! all redline racers would have to be if they want to take on roboworld ' s racetrack while fighting the military forces there .
car people : what is the average injection dosage for automotive nitrous systems ? i want to design one that uses whipped cream chargers so i can redline irl .
the tagline for redline during its release was ' witness the future of animation ' and it ' s safe to say the studio never doubted the creativity of the team behind the film . madhouse handled the production , with second key animation from gainax - the films full development totaled seven years , with over one hundred thousand hand - made drawings . the amount of action and detail on screen at any one time is so vast the film begs for repeat viewings . the animation - in a word - is mind - blowing . the film is full of colour , detail and beauty like no other , the art style is vigorous and unique , and the character designs are fresh , exuberant and interesting .
( japan 2009 , 101 mins , dir : takeshi koike ) it is the biggest and most dangerous racing game of the universe and it’s only held once every 5 years . over the top action and luscious colour , it is pure adrenaline from start to finish . whenever you think it can’t get any louder or faster , it will prove you wrong .
the long - in - development film , which marks the feature directorial debut of the animatrix and samurai champloo animator takeshi koike , is set in the distant future , where daredevil driver jp risks life and limb for a shot at winning the titular redline , the biggest and deadliest race in the universe . think of it as an intergalactic speed racer .
i firstly avoided this movie for a long time because its odd animation style threw me off , but after hearing great things about the film , i decided to give it a shot .
it’s a real pity seeing as the film is brilliantly animated and incredibly stylish . the film had a production history of 7 long years and you can tell when watching it that all that time was well spent in honing the stunning visuals to perfection . it’s no exaggeration that this is a new benchmark in terms of pure animation . the film’s many characters have detailed , instantly distinguishable models and are fluidly animated , machines roar and rush over surfaces with incredible speed and there’s even the occasional use of deformed animation for stylish effect that’s very effective . the visuals in redline are a labor of love and the best part is that it overwhelms the senses in a way that seems difficult ( perhaps impossible ) to replicate in another medium .
this is redline’s second excess . there is simply too much going on in the third act . a big race alone would have made for a wonderfully thrilling climax but redline throws in an obligatory mafia subplot as well as the aforementioned evil government . what it all leads to ? stuff getting blown up and more stuff getting blown up .
but i feel that the main aspect that makes redline so great is the fluidity of the animation . the quality of the animation in this film is actually insane , with several sequences of high - octane action crafted with some beautiful choreography , nicely placed camera angles and great use of speed . everything moves in such a smooth manner , with no moments of slowdown or inconsistencies whatsoever . the film delivers an experience like no other in the animation department and really conveys on the concept of speed , pushing you to edge of your seat and beyond .
think it ' s a good idea to wake up funky boy , an extremely powerful bioweapon , hoping it ' ll help the redline racers in the fight against volton .
i love redline . i also suggest takeshi koike ' s ( the director ) 4 part series
trava : fist planet
( 2003 ) . it features two minor redline characters , trava and shinkai . trava 1 - 1 trava 1 - 2 trava 2 - 1 trava 2 - 2 trava 3 trava 4 - 1 trava 4 - 2
this film is so so incredible in animation , sound design , music , narrative and viewer engagement . it ' s an experience i recommend to absolutely everyone who likes the feeling of . . .
takeshi koike ' s debut feature ; seven years in the making . redline is an anime about racing , only presented like nothing seen before . produced by madhouse , with second key animation from gainax , music from james shimoji and a cast and crew pumped with everlasting potential , this is certainly one of - if not the - most adrenaline filled anime film to date .
so sweet jp doesn’t win the yellowline race , a contest that would qualify him to race in the ultra - deluxe redline race . but he gets invited to race at the redline anyway because this year , the redline is being hosted near roboworld , a planet populated by belligerent androids with funny hairstyles . the fact that this year ' s redline is being held near roboworld is an act of aggression but by who and for what reasons is unclear . nevertheless , two groups of drivers drop out because they don ' t want to die at the hands of pissed - off robots from outer space . so they ' re out and sweet jp , being too stupid to say no , is in .
badass boast : done by a few of the racers as you might expect , but machinehead has real grounds for it .
i ' m the king of redline .
cool redline stuff on this japanese website , including models of all the cars . really liked the semimaru driven by miki and todoroki , motherfuckers ! gumption ! gumption ! gumption !
i do respect the art behind redline , but art does not make a good movie all by itself . i feel like we all should have learned that lesson from avatar .
isn ' t it ? considering it ' s a japanese film . sure the dialog is dubbed for english but making lyrics follow the rhythm as well as make sense isn ' t an easy task .
this review will be looking at valuable traits that each anime film should have individually . primarily , we ' ll take a look into the animation , music , storytelling , and characters of the anime .
not to be confused with redline ( 2007 ) starring eddie griffin , which is a steaming pile of donkey droppings , unless you ' re 8 and then it ' s incredible .
( japan 2009 , 72mins , dir : mizuho nishikubo ) this is the “anime documentary of swordfighting tactician musashi miyamoto . miyamoto is a legendary swordsman who pioneered the hyōhō niten ichi - ryū style of two - sword fighting and wrote the book of five rings , a book that has been compared to sun tzu’s the art of war for its insight on tactics and strategy . produced by mamoru oshii .
but redline is a unique , hallucinatory experience that demands to be seen on a big screen if only so you can feel the thunderous approach of futuristic race cars as they vie for rank . if you only see one movie this holiday season that makes your brains leak out your ears in drips and drabs while you babble incoherently like a baby , make it redline .
the neon genesis evangelion - era animation ! the hellsing - esque violence ! memories is the 1995 science fiction anthology creation produced by katsuhiro otomo , whose manga short stories series were the basis of the film .
ah redline , what words can i use to describe this epic adrenaline rush ? to be honest words are not enough , this is one of those films that you have to see to fully comprehend its greatness . however i am going to attempt to pass on my thoughts of this film in this review of what feel is one of the best anime films i have ever seen . period .
if you only watch twelve minutes of anime this year , watch the first twelve minutes of redline . then once you ' re finished , do yourself a favour and watch the rest .
: roboworld has one , and they use it twice : the first attempt , targeting the supergrass ship carrying the redline racers , fails thanks to lynchman and johnny - boya sabotaging the cannons .
jp and sonoshee ultimately win the redline race together , and the rest of the racers are quite satisfied with the competition . as an added extra , there ' s a big damn kiss shot .
serial escalation : redline ( and its lesser qualifying round counterparts : blueline and yellowline ) has always been a no - holds barred combat racing competition that operates on the very fringes of legality , but using a mechanized hellhole like roboworld as the venue is most certainly not normal . two yellowline winners actually bow out because having to deal with the other cutthroat racers and environmental hazards is bad enough without an entire planet ' s army gunning for you . from what little can be seen from the previous three redline competitions in machinehead ' s promo , they were far tamer than the one shown at the climax of the film .
narrated by dustin hoffman , visual acoustics celebrates the life and career of julius shulman , the world’s greatest architectural photographer , whose images brought modern architecture to the american mainstream . shulman , who passed away in 2009 , captured the work of nearly every modern and progressive architect since the 1930s including frank lloyd wright , richard neutra , john lautner and frank gehry . his images epitomized the singular beauty of southern california’s modernist movement and brought its iconic structures to the attention of the general public . this unique film is both a testament to the evolution of modern architecture and a joyful portrait of the magnetic , whip - smart gentleman who chronicled it with his unforgettable images .
redline captures the thrill of racing in a way only expert animation can . it’s a fun ride that is worth taking , even if you end up skipping past weaker scenes to watch the race sequences .
the soundtrack of redline is done by some japanese named james shimoji . wait a second , james ! ? ! ? what kind of japanese name is that ? let ' s look into this guy :
this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a reason to care or even some sense of urgency but there isn’t . all the cars race at impossible speeds and run just fine even after taking enough damage to wreck 10 spaceships . the result is that tension is basically nonexistent in this film . nobody of note dies and damage to the vehicle is shrugged off so easily that one gets the feeling the only thing at stake is the film’s running time .
ultimately , because of the disregard for narrative , the movie doesn’t hold much weight . hence i don’t think it will make quite the splash some of the early reviews predicted it would make . but redline is such an incredibly fun film that i find it hard to see how people won’t get sucked in by it’s atmosphere and intentions , grinning like a maniac right the way through the film . are you not entertained ? is this not why you are here ?
serious business : the redline race . justified because the betting and advertising make a ton of money , and according to lynchman ' there ' s enough money riding on this race to buy several planets ! '
ugliness is subjective , of course . to veteran film director , screenwriter and illustrator katsuhito ishii ( the taste of tea ) , koike is ‘simply the best animator alive in japan today , bar none . ’ ishii and koike began collaborating a decade ago on the edgy , underground film , party 7 . ‘i want to work with him every chance i get , ’ ishii says . ‘he’s the only animator who’s able to realize and execute what i want to express . ’
the cat returns was one of very few studio ghibli films to not be directed by hayao miyazaki . the film succeeded immensely in japan and received good reviews in the us for its believable and relatable portrayal of a character that lacks confidence .
i saw redline yesterday and since some jaded people in this forum won ' t watch something they don ' t know unless people are making buzz for it , or declare things that they haven ' t seen as bad and / or overhyped based on the fact that people they don ' t know make buzz for it , i thought i should make this thread . also , this film simply deserves its own thread . unfortunately , you can ' t really get it right now because for some odd reason the publishers are really fucking lazy about getting it out , despite it being such a great movie . it was originally finished in 2009 after 6 - 7 years of development . perhaps it doesn ' t have the appeal for the japanese audience since it is rather western . while it is licensed in the u . s . , even the japanese market only recently got a release on boo - ray and still nothing in sight in either the u . s . or europe for that matter . however , the development time that it had really shows . absolutely gorgeous animation . but perhaps i should say what this film is about : racing crazy cars against aliens in even more insane vehicles on absolutely demented planets , which governments want to kill you . that ' s it . not that deep , but the characters are well made and are being fleshed out during the film . the story isn ' t fantastic , but it serves the purpose and you won ' t really notice anyway since the animation alone should leave you speechless throughout the entire film . awo has a review of it , so if you don ' t want to take my word for it , take theirs . j9fhqvmzlc0
if you ' re addicted to psychological thriller films , your standards are probably pretty high . the 1997 animated film perfect blue from satoshi kon is an old school psychological thriller in a vein similar to neon genesis evangelion and other classic frightening anime films .
not to be confused with the 2007 redline staring eddie griffin , this hand - drawn animated sci - fi thriller took seven years and 100 , 000 drawings to create . redline is the full - length feature debut of takeshi koike , known as the director of the “world record” animatrix segment . it was produced by madhouse inc . studio , which has created some of the best anime ever ( including the work of satoshi kon and mamoru hosoda ) .
manga entertainment has provided spinoff online with an exclusive clip from redline , the acclaimed high - octane racing anime from madhouse , the studio behind paprika , the girl who leapt through time , marvel anime and supernatural : the animation .
when it comes to the visual presentation of redline , words fail me . i mean seriously , no words can truly say how beautiful this film really is . japanese animation studio madhouse have crafted one of the most visually stunning animated films in existence , you really have to see it in action to comprehend its awesomeness . firstly there ' s the character design , from the human - based characters to all of the other alien races and cybernetic beings that reside within redline ' s world , the designs are diverse , unique and interesting . secondly you have the vehicles which are also fabulous , coming in many different shapes and sizes , from simple to completely crazy designs , with individual quirks and weapon arsenals to be admired . and lastly there ' s the locations of the film that vary from the rocky crayons where races are done to spaceships floating above planets , all of which have an incredible amount of detail that draws your eyes in especially on a large cinema screen .
just remember that this film seems to have been made with the express goal of making you feel like you’re high . it’s got serious plot holes . it’s not very clever . but it is novel enough to keep you wondering just what the hell you’re watching .
not that everyone will love this film – it could be that some will be put off by its soundtrack , comprised almost purely of high - octane , scratch - mixed techno . it might not be to everyone ' s taste , but it fits the film ' s visuals beat - perfectly , and it ' s hard to imagine any other style of music doing the job as well . some critics are going to look at the film ' s minimal plot and decry it as ‘style over content’ , but to do so will be to reveal themselves as not even within driving distance of the point . redline is animation not only at its best , but also largely animation for animation ' s sake – not a story that had to be made in anime form to due to budgetary restrictions , but a story that could only exist in this medium . it is experimental , challenging and most importantly exhilarating in its artistic style in ways that most works could not even dream of reaching through script writing or thematic devices .
redline doesn ' t boast much of a high - art story or clever dialogue , but the animation , stylistics and tone are art and visual stimuli at their very best .
- r . l . shaffer ( ign )
shed armor gain speed : the crab sonoshee is upgraded with a modular third turbine for the redline race which helps the vehicle go faster , but can also be detached in case it burns out or if it gets caught on something .
the garden of words focuses on people who don ' t quite have it together and how awkward the process of maturity can be . the film has a ton of stunning visuals that really paint the poetic beauty of rain and japanese gardens well . it has also been heavily praised for its beautiful animation and artwork , yet reviews of the film ' s plot and climax have been very mixed . even if you can ' t get down with the story , the dazzling artwork makes the garden of words well worth a watch .
dead leaves deserves a lot more love than it has . the visuals alone are engaging and bright , with elements similar to flcl or jet set radio . the plot is meant to be goofy and weird . anything more would probably compromise how entertaining this film is .
there are aspects of the film which stumble and detract from the overall production–specifically the main characters and their relationship . jp is overly cocky and unnecessarily rude to everyone he meets , and his romance with sonoshee never feels believable–for as much screen time is devoted to it .
have you ever come across an unknown piece of film or television and absolutely fell in love with it ? anime is no exception . there are some crazy good films out there that few people have ever heard of and unfortunately don ' t get the recognition they deserve .
slated for theatrical release in japan next april , redline is on a growing list of 21st century japanese - produced anime features’like afro samurai and the omnibus collections the animatrix and batman : gotham knight ‘that deliberately target western audiences . ‘we really want non - japanese to see and appreciate this work , ’ says takeshi koike , redline ‘s director and chief animator . ‘we were thinking of people who don’t normally enjoy anime or know anything about it when we came up with the ideas . ’
eames : the architect and the painter is the first film about charles and ray eames since their deaths and the only film to peer inside their collaboration , their marriage and the “renaissance studio” they created in a gritty ware - house in venice , ca . narrated by james franco , the film draws from a trove of archival material , primarily the stunning films and photographs produced in mind - boggling volume by charles , ray , and their staff during the hyper - creative forty years of the eames office . family mem - bers and design historians help guide the story , but it is in interviews with the junior designers swept into the “24 - 7” world of “the eamery , ” that a fascinatingly complex picture of this husband and wife creative team really emerges . slated to screen on pbs’ american masters on dec . 19th .
: the redline mothership ; with its loli princess at the helm , it just warps wherever the fuck it wants and makes a race track . how to achieve this ? well , first you go to your standard heavily defended fascist state and :
finally , onto the characters ! i find only 3 characters in the entire redline movie actually worth talking about . the small amount of trava fans will love the god - amazing cameo of trava and shinkai in both the bar and race though .
the action is , as you would imagine ; fast , fantastic and full of adrenaline . the drama is at times cheesy , but it fits well with the films over - the - top attitude . the crazy antics in redline make it clear the film isn ' t to be taken too seriously ; it isn ' t a production that sets out to challenge our minds , but rather an exhilarating thrill - ride that ' s sole purpose is to entertain . in that respect , the story delivers and then some .
i can ' t remember how i originally came across this film , but i ' m so glad i did . i found the art style so appealing that it influenced my decision to become an animator . plot be damned , this is a beautiful work from an artistic standpoint
as mentioned before , redline took about 7 freaking years to finish the animation for this story . that ' s more than 100 , 000 differently hand drawn frames all compiled into a little under 2 hours . yeah , it ' s pretty good .
this 2001 comedy - drama is another banger from director satoshi kon . the film is somewhat based on the lives of actresses setsuko hara and hideko takamine , who graced the japanese silver screen until their deaths in 2015 and 2010 , respectively . millennium actress is considered a postmodernist piece of art .
all the redline racers manage to make it through the death trap race . in fact , the only casualties in the whole movie are big deyzuna , the mob boss and his two goons , and a bunch of roboworld mooks that get vaporized by funky boy .
every five years , a racing tournament–the redline finals with the blueline and yellowline qualifiers–pits the best racers in the galaxy against each other to determine who is the fastest driver . no rules exist , except to win at all costs , so weapons and cheating abound .
i ' ve had the bluray of redline sitting on my hard drive for over a week now and i haven ' t gotten around to watching it yet . i need to watch the last part of roberta ' s blood trail first . also : manyuu haikenchou .
out of the 40 + songs from the redline soundtrack , these are my two favorites . what some people like to do with their reviews is to observe each and every song from a movie soundtrack and if not all songs are eargasm worthy , they all like :
first off , there are too many characters . the main characters are pretty forgettable and the only contestant who was somewhat cool was the established champion . the film further hurts itself by introducing subplots and characters who aren’t related to the race . a sizable chunk of screentime is reserved for a b - story involving an evil government ( basically space - china ) that’s out to stop the race and dig up some ancient weapons or something . ultimately they’re only there to cause tons of explosions and other kinds of destruction . this in a film that’s already filled to the brim with explosions and spectacular set pieces .
colorful has themes of suicide , reincarnation , and righting wrongs . makoto’s character may be hard to understand to at times , with his violent mood swings and contempt for pretty much everyone , including his family , but his character development throughout the film is something to see . the ending is exceptional too .
the original 1998 version of appleseed received mixed reviews for its plot while the 2004 remake has been generally favored over the original for a more engaging story . however , if you love nostalgic anime and awkward english dubs , you ' ll probably be able to get down with the original film as well .
vehicular combat : when the yellowline race is riddled with racers firing missiles at each other , you know it fits the trope . taken to the next level in the redline race , where the racers are practically fighting an all - out war against a planetary military superpower .
holy fucking shit . redline is a movie where you think it can ' t possibly get better and the movie just punches you in the face and yells
you haven ' t seen anything yet , pussy !
and gets infinitely better and 50000000000 % more badass .
for a start , redline looks like nothing you ' ve seen before . it ' s easy to see that koike is a huge fan of western graphic art , and has been influenced as much by french comic artist jean ‘ moebius ’ giraud ( possibly best known for his design work on the fifth element ) , the us animated film heavy metal , cult uk sci - fi comic 2000 ad , and even the star wars movies as much as he has by the likes of katsuhiro otomo , hiroyuki imaishi or leiji matsumoto . not that redline feels or looks like a mash - up of different styles – somewhere in the visual chaos it unrelentingly throws at its audience it becomes something that is far more than the mere sum of parts , a unique piece of animation that at times doesn ' t even feel like anime in the traditional sense .


paradise lost 2 : revelations is the 2000 sequel to the documentary film paradise lost : the child murders at robin hood hills , about the trial and conviction of three teenagers known as the west memphis three accused of murdering three young boys in a satanic ritual abuse .

paradise lost 2 : revelations

check out everything we ' ve got on
paradise lost : the child murders at robin hood hills
and
paradise lost 2 : revelations .
berlinger and sinofsky aim to finish
paradise lost 3
by the end of 2010 .
doc soup : whatever happened to . . . the subjects of ' paradise lost ' ?
while not quite as objective as the first film , paradise lost 2 does seem to do a better job of raising awareness of the case .
2 . he who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death ( 2 : 11 ) .
when
paradise lost
played on hbo , the film inspired a national movement to free the prisoners - - damien echols , now 24 , under sentence of death , and jessie misskelley , 23 , and jason baldwin , 21 , serving life sentences . now comes
paradise lost 2 : revelations ,
a sequel that involves their appeals , and also features extraordinary footage of mark byers , the father under suspicion , whose wife has died under mysterious circumstances .
berlinger and sinofsky announced plans for
paradise lost 3
in 2004 and figured they ' d have it in theaters within three years .
i guess there ' ll be a ' paradise lost 4 , ' given the glacial pace ,
he said .
in 2000 , they released paradise lost 2 : revelations , which showed the trio in prison and presented theories by several west memphis three advocacy groups , targeting stepfather mark byers as a suspect in the children’s murder . he agreed to take a lie detector test on camera – and passed . “i look at paradise lost 2 sometimes and i cringe , ” berlinger says . “i think we were too hard on mark . ” but by this time , the story gained the support and interest of celebrities such as johnny depp , eddie vedder , peter jackson and henry rollins .
the power to tell a truth — whether it’s revolutionary , unpopular or simply uncool — is what makes documentary such a vital medium . but , incredibly , inexplicably , maddeningly , echols , baldwin , and misskelley are still in prison 14 years after paradise lost made its irrefutable case . and this is also despite berlinger and sinofsky’s 2000 follow - up film , paradise lost 2 : revelations , made the facts even more clear , and despite a wave of support from activists and celebrities ( including johnny depp ) galvanized by the documentaries .
warp films present ' paradise lost 1 & 2 ' on double disc dvd . these classic us documentaries tell the story of one of the most notorious murder cases in us history , featuring a soundtrack by metallica . ntsc region 0 .
1 . to him who overcomes , i will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of god ( 2 : 7 ) .
originally , we had envisioned ' paradise lost 3 ' not being over until the story comes to its conclusion , which hopefully meant exoneration , but obviously could mean execution , which would be tragic ,
he continued .
we don ' t want to make ' paradise lost 4 , ' but it seems like that ' s in the cards now , because we feel like ' paradise lost 3 ' needs to get out and people need to be reminded that this case is still [ ongoing ] .
while revelations suffers from the filmmakers’ frustrating lack of access , as well as a too self - referential bent ( the original paradise lost is evoked multiple times , particularly by members of free the west memphis three ) , it nonetheless proves a compelling piece of advocacy journalism and a disturbing portrait of a man who may or may not have gotten away with murder .
the unanswered questions at the end of
paradise lost
were the kind that could inspire not only a need for a follow - up documentary , but indeed an entire political movement .
though “paradise lost 3” bills itself as a conclusive chapter and exults in freedom for the west memphis three , it feels as though we haven’t yet made our last trip to those haunted woods .
23 five of the seven churches must repent if they are to be counted among those who overcome . see rev 2 : 5 ( ephesus ) ; 2 : 16 ( pergamum ) ; 2 : 21–22 ( thyatira ) ; 3 : 3 ( sardis ) ; 3 : 19 ( laodicea ) .
how ' paradise lost ' laid the groundwork for today ' s true - crime - doc boom – and why , 20 years later , it ' s still as vital and timely as ever .
metallica may contribute music to
paradise lost revisited ,
a sequel to the acclaimed documentary on the trial of three arkansas teenagers convicted of killing three small boys in a so - called satanic ritual .
many filmmakers dream of turning one movie into a sequel - spawning franchise . but the news that there will be not only a third but likely a fourth
paradise lost
documentary is bittersweet to all involved .
10 to five of the seven churches , jesus says , “i know your deeds” ( 2 : 2 , 19 ; 3 : 1 , 8 , 15 ) . to the church of smyrna , jesus says , “i know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich ) and the blasphemy . . . ” ( 2 : 9 ) . to the church of pergamum , jesus says , “i know where you dwell . . . ” ( 2 : 13 ) .
the thin blue line – errol morris’s documentary about randall dale adams , the man wrongly convicted of murdering a dallas policeman in 1976 – may be the only film in history instrumental in freeing an innocent man from death row . but if joe berlinger and bruce sinofsky have their way , it won’t be the last . berlinger and sinofsky are the filmmakers behind the 1996 investigation of the robin hood hills murders , paradise lost . four years later , they return to the scene of the crime for the follow - up , revelations .
the band allowed some of its music to be used in
paradise lost ,
which was a first for the band . one of the convicted young men , damian echols , has a final state appeal in jonesboro , arkansas on june 9 and 10 .
in the years since the last paradise lost installment came out , there has been a proliferation in similarly themed media . in addition to making a murderer , docuseries such as the jinx and the staircase have presented compelling narrative documentaries about reasonable doubt and the criminal - justice system , while dramas such as the night of and conviction have focused on wrongful convictions . “had there been netflix when we made paradise lost , it could have been chopped into a great , eight - part binge - watch series , ” berlinger says .
paradise lost 2 is a brilliant suspenseful documentary with an unbelievable conclusion . the audience is invited to play in the guess work of who is actually telling the truth . the film makers let the evidence unfold in front of the viewer allowing them to draw what seems to be the inevitable conclusion and then throw a complete curve ball when the results of the polygraph test come back . an engrossing and astounding look at the american justice system .
the tree of life was in the garden of eden , the original paradise . it was where adam was supposed to enjoy intimacy with god . adam , in his unfallen state , had access to this tree but when he fell god kept him from it ( gen 1 : 26 - 28 ; 3 : 22 ) . in the future , overcomers will have access to it again ( cf . rev 22 : 14 ) . god is going to provide the overcomers with intimate fellowship with christ in a place called the “paradise of god . ” “paradise” is a persian word meaning “a pleasure park , or garden . ” the greek old testament uses it to translate the garden of eden in genesis 2 : 8 - 10 . to the oriental mind it meant the sum of blessedness . christ , as the “last adam , ” is the restorer of paradise lost ( rev 22 : 1 - 4 , and 14 ) .
but i’ll bet you already know this . the circumstances and bizarre carriage of justice that swirled around the “west memphis three” prisoners became the stuff of outsider outrage when joe berlinger and bruce sinofsky’s first documentary about the murders , “ paradise lost : the child murders at robin hood hills , ” aired on hbo in 1996 .
filmmaker joe berlinger told mtv news that he has uncovered stunning new evidence of the innocence of the
west memphis three ,
which will be included in the 90 - minute film .
paradise lost revisited
won ' t turn up on hbo until late this year , but the original is now available on videocassette .
“paradise lost 3” is perhaps the most interesting and well - made film of the trilogy , not only because of its mixed - blessing epilogue , in which echols , baldwin and misskelley were freed from prison with an alford plea deal last august . agreeing to the plea technically released them , but it left the case unsolved .
14 the false teachers undoubtedly claimed to be functional apostles ( cf . 2 cor 11 : 13 ) rather than official apostles ( acts 1 : 15 - 26 ) .
in their riveting “paradise lost 3 : purgatory , ” premiering thursday night on hbo , berlinger and sinofsky return to west memphis to finish what has undeniably become a life’s work . another decade has passed . the teens have aged in prison , now approaching their 40s , while appeal after appeal was denied by the judge who oversaw their trial .
indeed , the case continues to pique interest ; another documentary from a different director , produced by “ lord of the rings ” director peter jackson , is coming soon , claiming to have details unexplored by “paradise lost . ” the case has become a symbol , resonating with anyone who grew up in a small town and liked to wear black clothing or who felt ostracized .
nevertheless , in the years after its premiere , paradise lost’s story continued to grow , as advocacy groups began looking into the west memphis three case . meanwhile , it won an emmy for outstanding informational programming in 1997 , and it earned nominations for awards at sundance and the independent spirit awards . but something didn’t sit well with the filmmakers – they thought they should do more .
metallica was so moved by the story that they allowed their music to be used in the first film , back in the days before
mission impossible 2
and
old school ,
when they regularly blocked hollywood access to their catalog . the relationship they developed with the filmmakers resulted in the acclaimed
metallica : some kind of monster
film .
metallica is part and parcel to this story ,
berlinger said .
the band is very proud of their association with the ' paradise lost ' movie , and i would certainly expect that to continue .
echols was 18 when he was arrested . he is now in his 30s . and , get this — he’s now married . lorri davis saw paradise lost at moma’s new directors festival in 1996 and was so deeply moved by it , she began writing to echols . eventually , she began talking with him on the phone , and then moved near his prison , to little rock , arkansas .
it is interesting to note that the first four churches in this list of seven dealt with false teachers ( 2 : 2 , 6 , 9 , 14 - 15 , 20 ) . this is why the pastoral epistles ( 1 - 2 timothy and titus ) challenge pastors to “teach” their congregations . ultimately , each one of us must know the truth so that we can protect our family and friends from unbiblical doctrine . how well do you think our church is doing in this area ? as elders , pastors , small group leaders , and sunday school teachers , are we guarding the flock from false teachers ?
satan returns to earth , and enters a serpent . finding eve alone he induces her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree . adam , resigned to join in her fate , eats also . their innocence is lost and they become aware of their nakedness . in shame and despair , they become hostile to each other . the son of god descends to earth to judge the sinners , mercifully delaying their sentence of death . sin and death , sensing satan ' s success , build a highway to earth , their new home . upon his return to hell , instead of a celebration of victory , satan and his crew are turned into serpents as punishment . adam reconciles with eve . god sends michael to expel the pair from paradise , but first to reveal to adam future events resulting from his sin . adam is saddened by these visions , but ultimately revived by revelations of the future coming of the savior of mankind . in sadness , mitigated with hope , adam and eve are sent away from the garden of paradise .
3 other views include ( 1 ) human messengers i . e . , pastor / teachers or elders ; ( 2 ) human delegates ; ( 3 ) a personification of the prevailing spirit of the church .
depp has been making headlines for his pre - taped cbs
48 hours mysteries
interview , which will air sunday during an episode that will discuss new dna evidence and alleged juror misconduct that could theoretically overturn the convictions . berlinger told mtv news that depp actually first reached out to him about the west memphis three in 1996 , just six months after the first
paradise lost
documentary premiered at sundance .
another notable reason why paradise lost struck a chord was that it came out five years after the launch of court tv , and two years after the o . j . simpson trial captivated tv audiences across the nation . by the time the movie had premiered on hbo , the premium - cable channel had become a go - to source for original documentaries . it quickly became the channel’s most - watched doc at the time .
it’s an interesting question . one i’ll save for another post another day . but , for now , i hope to put echols in a “what is going to happen to the subject ? ” series . looking toward that future , we’re all going to have to wait for the third installment of paradise lost , which , i am happy to report , berlinger and sinofsky are working on . let’s hope this one has a happy ending .
paradise lost is about adam and eve—how they came to be created and how they came to lose their place in the garden of eden , also called paradise . it ' s the same story you find in the first pages of genesis , expanded by milton into a very long , detailed , narrative poem . it also includes the story of the origin of satan . originally , he was called lucifer , an angel in heaven who led his followers in a war against god , and was ultimately sent with them to hell . thirst for revenge led him to cause man ' s downfall by turning into a serpent and tempting eve to eat the forbidden fruit .
view # 3 : the overcomer is a title for all believers because of initial faith in christ . according to this view , all believers become overcomers the moment they believe in jesus christ ( 1 john 2 : 13 ; 4 : 4 ; 5 : 4 - 5 ) . faith , not faithfulness is the primary focus point in this position . however , in 1 john 2 : 13 and 4 : 4 , john wrote that his readers had overcome the world , not that all christians are overcomers . in 1 john 5 : 4 - 5 , he wrote that only believers in christ can overcome the world , not that every believer in christ does overcome the world . moreover , the letters in revelation 2 and 3 present very different contexts than that of 1 john 5 . in each of the seven usages , there is a conditional aspect attached to overcoming ( esp . 2 : 26 ) .
after it aired on hbo in june 1996 , paradise lost became one of the most catalytic documentaries ever produced . it presented the story objectively , showing the trial and reactions from the victims’ family members , allowing viewers to make up their own minds about what happened . and it subsequently inspired a movement among viewers who concluded that the accused – who went on to become known as the west memphis three – had , in fact , been wrongly convicted .
the film ruminates in many morose ways on the passage of time and the perniciousness of set minds while acknowledging the first two films’ role in bringing attention to the case . had it not been for “paradise lost , ” the plight of the west memphis three might never have become a celebrity cause , attracting the moral and financial support of johnny depp and pearl jam’s eddie vedder , among others , as well as the determined work of high - priced defense attorneys and legal experts .
nearly everything has changed since 1993 . of the murdered boys’ parents and stepparents , one mother has died . a father whose hatred for the accused was so memorably aflame in the first film has completely changed his mind and now publicly proclaims the men’s innocence . the attention from the documentaries and celebrity influence has soured local perceptions of the facts in the case . though it seeks to right a series of wrongs , “paradise lost” remains a fascinating study in the power of media and suggestion .
one thing he won’t be doing anytime soon , though , is making a fourth paradise lost . the west memphis three deserve their privacy now , he says , but he continues to monitor their story . there is only one situation that would bring him back to west memphis . “the state of arkansas was incredibly cowardly to do an alford plea , ” he says . “i would only make another film if i thought it would result in their exoneration . that’s what they deserve . ”
3 . the commendation ( 2 : 2 - 3 ) . jesus is in the business of appraising his church and jesus always commends his church first , if he can . jesus commends the church in ephesus with the words : “i know” ( oida ) . in each message to the seven churches , jesus states , “i know . ” 10 since this “i know” statement is present in each of jesus’ messages , we should sense the significance of these words . not only does this statement point to jesus’ omniscience , it also shows us his interest in all that we do and experience . he is the great evaluator and one day he will examine our deeds ( 1 cor 3 : 12 - 15 ; 2 cor 5 : 9 - 10 ) . 11
6 . the challenge ( 2 : 7b ) . jesus declares , “to him who overcomes , i will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of god . ” before we go any further we must determine who is this one who “overcomes . ” many assume that the overcomer is a reference to all christians . 28 interpreters who hold this view appeal to 1 john 2 : 13 ; 4 : 4 ; and 5 : 4 - 5 where john referred to his readers as overcomers . however , in 1 john 2 : 13 and 4 : 4 , john said his readers had overcome the world , not that all christians are overcomers . in 1 john 5 : 4 - 5 , he wrote that only believers in christ can overcome the world , not that every believer in christ does overcome the world . in this context , it is clear that john is using this term differently . in each of the seven usages , there is a conditional aspect attached to overcoming .
31 it is probably not just one tree , but a collective term referring to a whole row of trees that exist between the river and the avenue described in rev 22 . this is all a part of the beautiful park or paradise of god .
2 . the character ( 2 : 1b ) . john records the words of “the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand . ” this phrase is a reference to the sovereign authority and control of jesus christ . 9 jesus holds his angels in his right hand ( i . e . , the place of honor and power ) . this phrase about jesus’ character and the others contained in the seven letters are all taken from john’s vision of the glorified christ ( rev 1 : 12 - 20 ) .
during the making of the original paradise lost , mark byers , the father of one of the dead boys , presented the filmmakers with a gift – a pocket knife speckled with dried blood . berlinger and sinofsky turned the knife over to the authorities as possible evidence in the robin hood hills killings . since then , a shroud of doubt has hung over byers’s head . many believe him to be involved in the murder of the three boys , and suspicions were heightened by the mysterious death of his wife in 1996 .
3 . to him who overcomes , to him i will give some of the hidden manna , and i will give him a white stone , and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it ( 2 : 17 ) .
4 . the correction ( 2 : 4 - 5 ) . after praising their strengths , jesus told the ephesians in 2 : 4 , “but i have this against you . ” this is a frightening statement . most of us don’t like when we know someone has something against us . it makes us uncomfortable . it disturbs us . but how would you feel if you knew that jesus christ had something against you ? yikes ! this should prompt us to ask , “jesus , do you have something against me ? have i grieved you ? ”
three steps to return to your first love ( 2 : 5 ) : “therefore remember from where you have fallen , and repent and do the deeds you did at first ; or else i am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent . ”
this particular letter is written “to the angel of the church in ephesus . ” the church in ephesus was founded by the apostle paul , 5 the believers were discipled by aquila and priscilla , taught by apollos , 6 pastored by timothy ( 1 tim 1 : 3 ) , and instructed by the apostle paul . either directly or indirectly , ephesus had been the recipient of eight new testament books : the gospel of john , ephesians , 7 1 and 2 timothy , 1 , 2 , and 3 john , and revelation . 8 ephesus was an influential city in the early church .
the identity of the “overcomer” has troubled bible students throughout church history ( rev 2 : 7 ; 11 , 17 , 26 - 28 ; 3 : 5 , 12 , 21 ) . this has led to four views . view # 1 : the one who fails to overcome loses his / her salvation ( rev 2 : 11 ; 3 : 5 ) . this view must be dismissed because it contradicts the clear teaching of scripture ( e . g . , john 5 : 24 ; 10 : 28 - 29 ; rom 8 : 38 - 39 ; eph 2 : 8 - 9 ) . paul also writes to the believers at thessalonica : “whether we wake or sleep [ i . e . , whether we are morally alert or spiritually slothful ] , we should live together with him” ( 1 thess 5 : 10 ) . this unconditional promise further solidifies the believer’s security .
having already read the book on this terrible crime i just had to obtain the dvd and i just could not stop watching it ( 5 hours long ) . if you are a true crime fan this is a must see , and if you are a believer in the death penalty it ' s a must see , however i will not go into the detail of the case only to say part 3 of lost paradise is due out in the usa on the 14th august but no release date for the uk yet , i will be one of the first to order it when available .
revelations makes no bones about its agenda – clearly , berlinger and sinofsky believe echols and his associates to be innocent ( or at the very least , the victims of an unfair trial ) . as far as the guilt or innocence of mark byers is concerned , the filmmakers prove more than willing to give him enough rope to hang himself . viewers of the film inclined to give byers the benefit of the doubt will find him sabotaging himself at every turn . whether he committed the murders remains an open question by the documentary’s end , but one thing is for sure : if creepiness was a crime , mark byers would be on death row today .
after finding the first one absolutely riviting and cause for thought and discussion , we looked foward to paradise lost 2 with some anticipation . it was too long for the little new information it contained . it spent way too much time on john byers with no payoff . only after reading the urltoken website , we learned that he and his wife had quite a history of crime , drugs and abuse ; this should have been brought much more in the movie instead of his irritable rantings . the end of the movie should have tied up the loose ends better so you could come away with a good understanding of where things stood . i thought the
support group
looked more like groupies for echols which was pretty wierd . they weren ' t much more coherent and logical than byers in many ways . i don ' t think the bite marks ruled out the boys at all ; only that they didn ' t bite ! @
while we know next to nothing about their doctrine , we can be more certain of their practices . 24 the key is the practices linked with balaam ( 2 : 14 - 15 ) and jezebel ( 2 : 20 - 23 ) . the two sins found in both are idolatry and immorality . 25 the nicolaitans were a sect of loose - living believers who had perverted and compromised the faith and were bad witnesses to the truth of the gospel . they probably justified themselves with arguments about being “saved by grace” while they flagrantly lived in sin . the church at ephesus took a stand against these men and their teachings and was commended for doing so .
one person who did not feel so effusively about the film was barry scheck , a cofounder of the innocence project , an organization that seeks to overturn wrongful convictions through dna testing and criminal justice system reform . “at the end of one screening , he stood up and said paradise lost was a dangerous film , ” berlinger says . “he felt that by allowing filmmakers in on the legal process and compromising client - attorney privilege , the film would be very damaging because the footage could be subpoenaed . he and i have since made nice in recent years and have a good relationship . he [ now ] sees the value of the film . ”
in 2 : 3 , jesus again declares , “and you have perseverance and have endured for my names sake , and have not grown weary . ” some 40 years had passed since this church was founded . two generations had risen up in the history of this church . all the while ephesus had remained faithful to jesus christ .
and what of those poor little boys ? ( caution : “paradise lost 3” unflinchingly provides police footage of the crime scene . ) who killed them ? the film turns its attention to claims of dna evidence that links one boy’s stepfather to the crime — a claim repeated at a rally by dixie chicks singer natalie maines . the stepfather , terry hobbs , sued maines for defamation , which may have been a miscalculation on his part : his videotaped deposition by maines’s attorney opens a door from which a forgotten chill blows in , renewing a viewer’s fascination once more . hobbs , who is interviewed in the film , has denied having any part in the killings .
“i’ve done 13 or 14 feature documentaries , and no film has generated more intense and emotionally laden q & a’s after screenings as paradise lost , ” berlinger says . “when it got its screening at new film series at the museum of modern art , a brooklyn architect named lorri davis reluctantly attended at the insistence of her friends . she became so mesmerized that she came up to me after and asked many more questions . then she decided to reach out to damien on death row and they fell in love ; she ended up marrying him . lorri worked tirelessly on his appeal and one of the main reasons echols’ case was not forgotten was because she took up the cause . ”
perhaps the most striking aspect of paradise lost some two decades later is how plainly it presents the story . it opens with the parents of the victims condemning the teens and includes footage of a press conference where the west memphis chief inspector claimed his case against the teens was , on a scale of one to 10 , a solid 11 . one of the mothers says she figured the teens worshipped satan : “just look at the freaks , ” she said . but by the time the accused – baldwin , echols and jessie miskelley , jr . , the last of whom has an iq of 72 and implicated the others in a confession – appear onscreen , every aspect of the case against them seems highly questionable .
step 1 : remember . jesus says , “therefore remember from where you have fallen . ” the word “therefore” refers back to a loss of love for the lord jesus ( 2 : 4 ) . they fell from a deep love for the lord . they fell from fellowship with him . they fell from all heart to all head . they lost warm love for the lord . the greek word translated “fallen” 21 means that they were in a state of spiritual decline . this was more than an occasional slip . jesus exhorts the ephesians to “remember” from where they have fallen . this is critical . if we remember the love we initially had for god’s word , prayer , fellowship , and witnessing , we will be inspired to action .
24 scholars differ on their understanding of this group . some think they were the followers of nicolas according to early church fathers ( cf . acts 6 : 5 ) . since their heresy seems to be associated with the doctrine of balaam in rev 2 : 14 - 15 , some believe this was an antinomian sect that advocated license in matters of christian conduct , including free love .
4 . he who overcomes , and he who keeps my deeds until the end , to him i will give authority over the nations ; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron , as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces , as i also have received authority from my father ; and i will give him the morning star ( 2 : 26 - 28 ) .
2 . the warnings and exhortations given to the above churches apply to us today . though each letter is written to a specific church , all seven letters close with the words , “he who has an ear , let him hear what the spirit says to the churches . ” it is important to note , the word “churches” ( ekklesiais ) is plural . john is writing for all who will listen !
step 3 : redo . jesus urges the ephesians to “do the deeds you did at first . ” the context indicates that by first works jesus wants this church to get back to their “first love” for him , the love they had when they first became christians ( 2 : 4 ) . james 4 : 8 expresses this thought in his epistle when he writes , “draw near to god and he will draw near to you . ”
1 . the commission ( 2 : 1a ) . “to the angel of the church in ephesus write . ” all seven churches are addressed “to the angel of the church in . ” the term “angel” 3 refers to one of god’s angelic creatures . some find it strange that angels are the recipients of these seven letters . yet eph 3 : 10 informs us that what is taking place in the church is for the benefit of teaching the angels . 4
view # 4 : the overcomer refers to faithful believers rewarded for their perseverance . according to this view , the promises of rewards are given to believers to encourage them to overcome trials through faithfulness ( luke 19 : 11 - 26 ; rom 14 : 10 - 12 ; 1 cor 3 : 11 - 15 ; 9 : 27 ; 2 cor 5 : 10 ) . the word translated “overcome” ( nikao ) means “to be victorious in a contest or conflict . ” hence , “overcomers” are conquerors or victors . the context of revelation 2 - 3 restricts the meaning of the overcomer from all believers ( “them” ) to a faithful believer ( “he” ) who overcomes specific conflicts ( see john 16 : 33 ) . the primary weakness with this view is that some of the rewards can be difficult to interpret as something other than salvation . nonetheless , this view is the most convincing and will be presented throughout this series .
what if jesus christ sent you and your church some mail ? would you be excited to read it ? you bet you would ! well , jesus has sent you some mail . in fact , he has written you seven different letters . they are addressed to “he who has an ear , let him hear what the spirit says to the churches . ” 2 the first of these seven letters is written to the church in ephesus . let’s read the contents of this letter .
5 he stayed in ephesus longer than any other city ( acts 20 : 31 ) . paul had evangelized it and used it as a base of operations for at least three years ( acts 18 : 19 - 21 ; 19 ; 1 cor 16 : 8 ) . he was so successful in his ministry there that his ministry turned the city upside down ( acts 19 : 11 - 41 ) . the silversmiths launched a riot because they lost their business of making shrines of artemis .
step 2 : repent . the second step to return to your first love is to “repent . ” the english word “repent” conveys the idea of sorrow or contrition . the greek word does not carry that idea ; it is more a total change of thought and behavior . it conveys both ideas of attitude and behavior depending on the context . “repent” means to change one’s thinking . it is clearly connected with changed behavior , as seen in the following phrase “and do the deeds you did at first . ”
the apostle john wrote seven letters to seven historical churches . each dealt with actual conditions of church life in john’s day . yet , while these letters may be historic , they are nonetheless contemporary commentaries on the state of today’s church . any reader of revelation 2 - 3 immediately notices the prophetic similarities between the church of the first century and the church of the 21 st century . this has led some interpreters to suggest that these seven churches are representative of the whole of church history . the following is an example :
in this context , the one who overcomes by maintaining his first love is able to “eat of the tree of life . ” eating with someone implies fellowship ; the one who overcomes , then , will fellowship with his savior . it refers to experiencing the joy of reward in heaven for overcoming in spiritual battles and remaining intimate with christ through it all . the term “tree of life” is mentioned 11 times in three books of the bible . the first time is in genesis 2 : 9 where we are told that god planted in the garden of eden , the tree of life , next to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . after they sinned by eating from the second tree , adam and eve were banished from the tree of life , lest they live forever in their fallen state . the term is used in a figurative sense in the book of proverbs . 29 but in revelation 22 : 2 , the reference seems to revert to a literal tree , 30 or better , a number of trees , 31 in the new jerusalem , bearing 12 crops of fruit , one each month , bringing healing to the nations .
it would take more than a decade from the premiere of that film , though , before the three would be released . on august 19th , after numerous appeals , echols , baldwin and miskelley agreed to an alford plea , wherein a defendant asserts his or her innocence while pleading guilty . paradise 3 : purgatory traces the path to this moment , showing how byers had become a supporter of the three , as well as presenting speculation that one of the other stepfathers could have been involved in the murders and alleging jury misconduct . it was nominated for an oscar .
30 in the book of rev , the tree of life is literal . it is not just a symbol for eternal life or for the person of christ . in rev 21 : 1 - 22 : 5 , john is describing the eternal state , which includes the new heaven and the new earth with the new jerusalem , a literal place with some 25 verses devoted to its description . it is not a symbol . the tree of life in eden and the tree of life in the new jerusalem ( rev 22 : 2 , 14 , 19 ) appear to be literal trees .
that’s not good enough for jesus either ! he wants a relationship , not a performance . jesus says , “you’ve lost that loving feeling . ” is this serious ? absolutely : jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love god ( matt 22 : 37 - 39 ) . we must love him with all of our heart , soul , mind , and strength . if we fail to love him , we disobey the greatest commandment . it doesn’t matter what else we obey , if we fail to keep the highest commandment . we have struck out ! leaving our first love is the greatest sin !
the ephesians distanced themselves from their first love . they no longer loved the lord jesus as they did when they first came to christ . they not only took their eyes off the lord but they lost fellowship with him . the principle is that regardless of how much of the bible we may know , how much we serve him , or how many past victories we have , we cannot walk with the lord without loving him . it is significant that of all the sins jesus points out in these seven , the first sin he names is the one that grieves him most : a loss of affection for him . our god is a jealous lover .
28 some argue that the seven letters are written to churches that have a mixture of both christians and non - christians . however , in a biblical sense churches never contain unbelievers . churches are not buildings or social gatherings . churches are assemblies of believers . since the lord was writing to churches , he was writing exclusively to believers . the word faith only occurs twice in these letters ( rev 2 : 13 , 19 ) and in both cases it is affirming the fact that the readers already have faith , not calling them to believe . surely if these seven letters were addressed to unbelievers , we would find repeated calls to trust in christ . instead , we find none .
in high school , i used to wear pink shirts . don’t ask me why . i just liked pink at that time . i would often say , “real men can wear pink” ( modestly implying that i was a “real man” ) . over the course of time , i changed my mind regarding my pink preference . this led me to no longer purchase pink shirts . in this case , the meaning of “repent” is clear : change your attitude toward your love for christ ( 2 : 4 ) . reverse your lackluster love into a burning love for the lord jesus . think about the depth of love you have for him . change your apathetic love to an appreciating love for him .
tom roston is a guest columnist for pov ' s documentary blog . he is a former premiere magazine senior editor , who graduated from brown university and started his career in journalism at the nation and then vanity fair . tom ' s freelance work has appeared in the new york times , the guardian , the los angeles times , the hollywood reporter and other publications . he has written several kindle singles , including the bestselling kindle singles interview : ken burns . tom ' s current list of favorite documentaries are : 1 . koyanisqaatsi by godfrey reggio ; 2 . hoop dreams by steve james ; 3 . stories we tell by sarah polley ; 4 . crumb by terry zwigoff ; 5 . montage of heck by brett morgen
what about this church did jesus know ? jesus recognized their “deeds , toil , and perseverance” ( 2 : 2a ) . these three words build upon one another . the word “deeds” ( erga ) refers to any action , task , or service . the word “toil” ( kopos ) is a word that means “to labor to the point of weariness . ” in other words , “deeds done all out” ! this word stresses the depth or degree of their labor for the lord . the final word “perseverance” ( hupomone ) refers to the capacity or ability to endure , to remain under pressure or pain , over the long haul . this word stressed the extent of their labor ( see 1 cor 15 : 58 ) . 12
satan gains entrance into the garden of eden , where he finds adam and eve and becomes jealous of them . he overhears them speak of god ' s commandment that they should not eat the forbidden fruit . uriel warns gabriel and his angels , who are guarding the gate of paradise , of satan ' s presence . satan is apprehended by them and banished from eden . god sends raphael to warn adam and eve about satan . raphael recounts to them how jealousy against the son of god led a once favored angel to wage war against god in heaven , and how the son , messiah , cast him and his followers into hell . he relates how the world was created so mankind could one day replace the fallen angels in heaven .
the ephesian church was an extremely orthodox church . they were strong in both doctrine and the work of the ministry . in 2 : 2b , jesus says , “you cannot endure evil men , and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles , and they are not , and you found them to be false . ” the church at ephesus refused to compromise their moral or doctrinal purity . 13 apostles may be understood here as almost equivalent to our modern term missionaries . the church had “put to the test” ( cf . 1 john 4 : 1 ) these visiting ministers and their doctrinal claims and had found them to be false . 14 they called a spade a spade . they could smell a heretic a mile off because they knew god’s word .
jesus returns with another word of praise : “yet this you do have , that you hate the deeds of the nicolaitans , which i also hate” ( 2 : 6 ) . though they had left their first love they had not left their former hatred for evil . jesus concludes by telling them to remain in the battle against sin . they are to remain true to the faith and resist false teaching . note how sensitive jesus’ heart is toward his church . he guards against deflating them by concluding with a note of praise . “you hate the deeds of the nicolaitans , which i also hate . ” in essence , jesus is saying , “we’re on the same team . we are a lot alike . we both hate the deeds of the nicolatians . keep at it ! ”
the greek word translated “left” ( aphiemi ) means “to depart , leave alone , forsake , and neglect . ” it can also be used of divorce , 18 so the imagery here is very strong . when you lose your car keys , where are they ? when you lose your sun glasses , where are they ? if you think real hard about it , when you lose your car keys or your sunglasses , they’re right where you left them ! and that’s the way it is with your first love for god . if you’ve lost it , guess where it is . it’s wherever you left it . jesus says , go back and find it . wherever it is , it’s still there because god hasn’t moved ! he’s waiting for you to come back .
okay . mark byers is a wing - nut . so what . documentary # 1 : documents a witch hunt . no question . i ' m totally on board . new trial - let ' s go . documentary # 2 : perpetrates a witch hunt . drips with unintentional irony . that people can be put away for life and lethal injection based on no physical evidence or common sense even is chilling . that a documentary ( and the convicted themselves ) can then come along and blithely point fingers , also with no evidence , is no less chilling . and who are these internet activist people ? do they have jobs or what ? they are as asinine and loopy as byers . the filmmakers should have just left it at film # 1 and been done with it . but the awards and following went to their heads and they decided to crusade . ugh .
5 . the call ( 2 : 7a ) . jesus says , “he who has an ear , let him hear what the spirit says to the churches . ” 26 note the change from an appeal to the individual , “he who has an ear , ” to the plural , “what the spirit says to the churches . ” this change broadens the appeal of each message to all the churches because the messages are representative and applicable to all of us . here , the spirit of god , who is the spirit of truth and the author and teacher of scripture , is calling on us to evaluate our openness to respond to the things that need to be learned and applied in these messages . in other words , he is saying , “it is not enough to have good intentions . you must follow through ! ” to “hear what the spirit says” means to really listen and respond to what the spirit says . 27
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' we thought the story was going to come to an end a lot longer ago , ' co - director joe berlinger tells mtv news .
we thought the story was going to come to an end a lot longer ago ,
co - director joe berlinger told mtv news by phone .
damien echols , jason baldwin and jessie misskelley — commonly referred to as the west memphis three — have been in prison for over 16 years , with echols due to die by lethal injection . many activists and several celebrities — including johnny depp , metallica and eddie vedder — believe the trio were wrongly convicted based more on their interest in heavy metal and stephen king books than the actual facts surrounding the case .
he e - mailed me , and we had several lengthy phone conversations . he ' s been a supporter and he ' s spoken with damien . i ' ve gotten an e - mail from johnny probably once or twice a year since ' 96 wanting updates on the case . he was one of the first people to say , ' these guys aren ' t still in prison , are they ? ' he was blown away by the movie when it first came out , and he couldn ' t believe that nothing had changed .