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by David Andrews
Dead Leaves... yes... I’m not sure what exactly to say about this show. To be honest, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t drunk enough to watch this; maybe it would have made more sense had I been. But nonetheless, this is what I was able to gather from the show regarding its plot.
Though the movie starts out in a random conglomerate of insane scenes of city violence following the main characters, Retro and Pandy, waking up with what appears to be amnesia, any hope of understanding the plot is dashed until the very end. They find themselves arrested after a huge battle with police and other law enforcement and are sentenced to Dead Leaves, a penal colony on the moon that harvests their excrement each day. All the criminals are bound in full-body straightjackets and have pretty well adapted to their routine in the prison; the routine of waking up, being moved to massive feeding and harvesting rooms, and being returned to their cells to await the next harvest cycle.
I think the most memorable line in this movie comes from the harvest scene when the warden is screaming at an inmate: “You crap too much!” This line summates the whole plot, as far as I’m concerned, and could be directed at the creators. In any case, Retro and Pandy discover abilities they have always possessed that allow them to escape and lead a revolt of the inmates against the warden involving more pointless violence and sex. Oh yes, is there ever sex.
Not too long after the inmates escape, Pandy discovers that she is pregnant despite the fact that the responsible act occurred not ten minutes prior. Odd, yes, until you hear the first part of actual plot exposition from an inmate that used to be a doctor. He explains to Retro and Pandy why they don’t remember who they are, the genetic experimentation and mutations that evolved as a result of these experiments and why Pandy’s pregnancy is progressing so rapidly. The story unfolds revealing more genetic experimentation and criminal pasts that amount to a 10 minute roller coaster ride of insanity before the end. Not that I plan to tell you how it ends, this is really something you need to find out on your own.
Don’t get me wrong, the show was very memorable, though I think that one needs to be taking whatever hallucinogen that the creators were on when this brick of an idea crashed into their heads from the nether space. It’s wildly fun but definitely something you need to experience for yourself. Credit has to be given to the unique and special combination of Jan Scott-Frazier, Amanda Winn-Lee, and Jaxon Lee for this challenging project, but I can’t think of anyone better suited for the job. Personally, I’ll end up buying it because I love insane weirdness, and if you want a riotous ride of insane innuendo and nearly incomprehensible plot, this show is for you.
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Title
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Dead Leaves |
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Copyright
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Imaitoonz, Production I.G., Manga Entertainment |
Distributed by
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Manga Entertainment |
Release Info
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Volume 1
Bilingual DVD
Dolby Digital 5.1 Eng./Jap.
Run Time: 50 min
MSRP: $24.98
Street Date: Sept 28, 2004
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