California Crisis: Gun Salvo

I love the style, but there's that one weird scene, and the story also just feels unfinished

I love the style, but there's that one weird scene, and the story also just feels unfinished

What if Hiroshi Nagai, Patrick Nagel and Michael Mann circa Thief made The X-Files? I think you'd probably end up with something like this. The most aggressively '80s neon-lit synthwave production to actually come out of the '80s. Not much in the way of a story but its visuals more than make up for any lapse in narrative. City Pop personified.

What if Hiroshi Nagai, Patrick Nagel and Michael Mann circa Thief made The X-Files? I think you'd probably end up with something like this. The most aggressively '80s neon-lit synthwave production to actually come out of the '80s. Not much in the way of a story but its visuals more than make up for any lapse in narrative. City Pop personified.

This movie is an aesthetic. I think it knows it too. Unlike other movies with a throwaway story, this one doesn't seem to even try to justify it. These two characters find an alien tech orb and take it to Death Valley in pursuit of the "American Dream." That's it. And the score is so vibey, there's no conclusion other than that's what they set out to make.

Another achievement is the matching quality between poster and movie. In my obscure anime journey, I've learned how frequently the power of an anime lies in its poster. This manages to sustain the feel of the poster throughout its runtime, which is the perfect length.

I recently lamented the recently popular Flow felt like a nice looking screensaver to me. Here, I might say the same thing, but in a good way. I personally love the art, invoking an even more stylized Western through-the-eyes-of-anime experience.

This movie is an aesthetic. I think it knows it too. Unlike other movies with a throwaway story, this one doesn't seem to even try to justify it. These two characters find an alien tech orb and take it to Death Valley in pursuit of the "American Dream." That's it. And the score is so vibey, there's no conclusion other than that's what they set out to make.

Another achievement is the matching quality between poster and movie. In my obscure anime journey, I've learned how frequently the power of an anime lies in its poster. This manages to sustain the feel of the poster throughout its runtime, which is the perfect length.

I recently lamented the recently popular Flow felt like a nice looking screensaver to me. Here, I might say the same thing, but in a good way. I personally love the art, invoking an even more stylized Western through-the-eyes-of-anime experience.