In the Aftermath: Angels Never Sleep (1988) YTS

Reviewed by DanTheMan 2 6 / 10

A unique mash-up of 1980s B-movie nuclear paranoia

A unique mash-up of 1980s B-movie nuclear paranoia and hauntingly lyrical animation, In The Aftermath is a quietly haunting experience, one seemingly fuelled by Cold War dread and a sense that everything might end badly at any moment. This probably wasn't the most ideal way to experience Mamoru Oshii's Angel Egg for the first time but I do love how director Carl Colpaert and producer Tom Dugan essentially didn’t understand the film, so shot a load of live action footage in order to explain what they thought it was about. It helps that Colpaert's direction has a real low-fi artistry to it, lots of muted colours, grainy visual design and stark compositions; it genuinely looks rather wonderful. The performances are earnest, if uneven while the music by Anthony Moore is effective. The hybrid of Oshii's visionary genius and Colpaert's low-budget ingenuity feels as if it should be a visual and narrative disaster, yet with a little understanding it becomes a rather entertaining curiosity.

Reviewed by DanTheMan2150AD 6 / 10

Wonderfully unique DIY cinema

A unique mash-up of 1980s B-movie nuclear paranoia and hauntingly lyrical animation, In The Aftermath is a quietly haunting experience, one seemingly fuelled by Cold War dread, weak coffee and an unshakable sense that everything might end badly at any moment. This probably wasn't the most ideal way to experience Mamoru Oshii's Angel Egg for the first time, but I do love how director Carl Colpaert and producer Tom Dugan essentially didn't understand the film, so they shot a load of live action footage in order to explain what they thought it was about. Hence, this weird Frankenstein creation, in a way, I do respect the hustle, plus a rather endearing attempt at consistency with the look of Oshii's world. Rather than revelling in explosions or radioactive monsters, the film settles for unsettling. A slow, grey meditation on what's left when civilisation has packed up and quietly left the room, focusing on the emotional and ethical debris scattered afterwards; guilt, power struggles and the creeping realisation that surviving may not be all it's cracked up to be. Ironically, the footage from Angel Egg is well integrated into the narrative with cross-fades and inserted art, not just cutting between formats but actually mixing them together from one key moment to another. It helps that Colpaert's direction has a real low-fi artistry to it, lots of muted colours, grainy visual design and stark compositions; it genuinely looks rather wonderful. The performances are earnest, if uneven, while the music by Anthony Moore is effective. While Angel Egg is effectively obliterated as a discrete work in the process, it is brought with remarkable alacrity to boost and develop In The Aftermath. The hybrid of Oshii's visionary genius and Colpaert's low-budget ingenuity feels as if it should be a visual and narrative disaster, yet with a little understanding, it becomes a rather entertaining curiosity.

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In the Aftermath: Angels Never Sleep

1988

Action / Animation / Drama / Fantasy / Sci-Fi

In the Aftermath: Angels Never Sleep

1988

Action / Animation / Drama / Fantasy / Sci-Fi

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A unique mash-up of 1980s B-movie nuclear paranoia

Wonderfully unique DIY cinema

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