If David Lynch was ever commissioned to direct an anime series he would probably come up with something similar to Serial Experiments Lain. This is not a typical animated mini-series, it is weird, confusing and wonderfully hypnotic. Lain centres on a 13-year-old girl by the name of Lain Iwakura. Lain is a shy and distant girl that has her life turned upside down when she receives an email from a friend that committed suicide only a few days earlier. This…

If David Lynch was ever commissioned to direct an anime series he would probably come up with something similar to Serial Experiments Lain. This is not a typical animated mini-series, it is weird, confusing and wonderfully hypnotic. Lain centres on a 13-year-old girl by the name of Lain Iwakura. Lain is a shy and distant girl that has her life turned upside down when she receives an email from a friend that committed suicide only a few days earlier. This unusual and unexplainable event sends Lain on a journey of discovery as she becomes fascinated by the world of the 'wired'; a sort of Internet v3.0 in which the boundaries between real life communication and digital communication are difficult to distinguish. As she becomes more proficient in the ways of the wired the lines between the two realities become increasingly blurred both for her and the audience.

The series does not try and lead the audience by the hand, as a spectator you are alone, isolated and occasionally disoriented by the images and events on screen. Is the series a cautionary tale of the duality of internet personalities? Is the wired a religious allegory? Is it either? Does it really matter? The answer is a resounding no. Lain provides so many different answers, and poses many more provocative questions, that anybody who has watched the mini-series could probably come up with a completely different summation of the events and still be correct. Lain leaves it up to the audience to decipher the images and to try and come to some sort of coherent understanding of what the last six and a half hours actually meant. It is refreshing to be treated to such an experience and it makes you pay closer attention to every image and to every piece of dialogue in order to gain greater knowledge of what exactly is going on. It is a brave move for a series to take, especially in an age where we are increasingly guided safely through each episode to a conclusion that makes perfect sense. This freedom will however put some people off, it does mean you have to pay full attention and it does mean some things will never make total sense, but if you are willing to put in the effort you will be rewarded with a fantastic and memorable experience that is thematically rich and refreshingly ambiguous.

The narrative structure further compounds the programmes weirdness. Just like Satoshi Kon's classic, Perfect Blue, the distinction between time and space is often vague and transitory as the series jumps about leaving the audience to wonder exactly what they are watching and whether it’s in chronological order or not. It is like tumbling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland and not knowing where the hell you are likely to end up. This sense of disorientation is perfect for setting the mood and puts the spectator in exactly the same position as Lain. Visually Lain is a beautiful patchwork of differing visual styles. There are stark colours and clean lines in the real world which are juxtaposed with the vibrancy and complexity of the wired. As the story progresses these two styles begin to merge with greater regularity which produces some striking visual effects. The novel art direction further accentuate the isolation that Lain, and the audience, face with many of the peripheral characters lacking definition. It is an effective way of focusing attention on Lain and leads the audience into her unique world. Great emphasis is placed on images such as the repetition of cables and wires that surround Lain's house or the occasional religious symbol that multiple viewings are probably necessary to decipher their meaning.

Serial Experiments Lain is an exceptional animated series that will intrigue and confound in equal measure. Its unusual narrative structure and lack of any real closure will put some people off, but for those that are sick of watching identi-kit dramas and want something that will provide you with the opportunity to think then I urge you to seek out a copy.

When discussing favourite Pixar films people tend to focus on the Toy Story trilogy, Wall-E and Up. These are all undoubtedly great films but for me Pixar’s most complete work still remains their 2001 release, Monsters, Inc. Despite the arrival of a prequel later this year it is one of the studio’s most ignored features for reasons I’ve never really been able to fathom as it still possesses the same warmth, humour and great characters that have become synonymous with…

When discussing favourite Pixar films people tend to focus on the Toy Story trilogy, Wall-E and Up. These are all undoubtedly great films but for me Pixar’s most complete work still remains their 2001 release, Monsters, Inc. Despite the arrival of a prequel later this year it is one of the studio’s most ignored features for reasons I’ve never really been able to fathom as it still possesses the same warmth, humour and great characters that have become synonymous with Pixar over the years.

There are many reasons why this is my favourite Pixar film to date. As far as I am concerned it is their most rounded movie that manages to pull on the heart strings and tickle the funny bone without one element overshadowing the other. It is an incredibly economical film where no second of screen time is wasted. Every joke helps inform and develop the characters and every action beat progresses the story forward and because of this it is arguably the studio’s leanest film with no extraneous story flab.

Pixar have repeatedly mined the odd couple dynamic for their stories. From Toy Story right through to the underwhelming Brave, each of their films are driven by a chalk and cheese central relationship. Monsters, Inc. is no different except this particular pairing is one built on an existing and unbreakable friendship. Sulley, the kindhearted superstar scarer, and Mike, his one-eyed highly strung best friend, prove to be one of the studio’s most endearing and charismatic double acts. John Goodman and Billy Crystal have genuine chemistry and the decision to record many of their scenes together, something rarely done in animation, really benefits the film. When the two-year-old human girl, Boo, accidentally comes into their lives it not only tests their longtime friendship but their whole perception of their world. Boo could so easily have been a convenient plot device but it is to the credit of Pete Docter and his co-directors that her involvement, and particularly her relationship with Sulley, is so beautifully realised.

Many people talk about the tear-inducing montage in Up as Pixar’s most emotional scene but for me the sequence that always hits the hardest is the closing shot of Monsters, Inc. The simplicity of the film’s final sequence demonstrates a real confidence in the story and its characters. It would be so easy to expand the epilogue and try to eke out more emotion yet its economy and restraint is what makes it all the more powerful. The audience have become so invested in this simple and unquestioning bond between a giant blue monster and a little girl that simply seeing the reaction of Sulley’s face is enough to melt even the most cynical of hearts. It is quite simply the best sequence Pixar have ever created.

It really should come as little surprise that the three protagonists are such charming and unforgettable creations as Pixar have made a habit out of creating unforgettable lead characters. However, where they sometimes falter is in delivering equally strong antagonists, yet that is not a problem here. Steve Buscemi’s slimy Randall is an excellent contrasting figure with Sulley. He is warped by his need to be number one scarer whilst the reveal of the genuine Big Bad in the film has greater personal ramifications for our heroes than normal. The fact they aren’t mere objects to overcome really helps make Sulley’s journey of discovery that much richer and more engaging and it is a shame that this type of conflicted relationship hasn’t been explored more in their subsequent movies.

The studio have been responsible for creating some of the most imaginative and complete story worlds in cinema over the past twenty years and Monsters, Inc. is no different. Playing on the age old fears of monsters living in children’s closets, the film expands on this indelible image and enduring fear to create a fascinating living and breathing alternate reality where monsters harvest the screams of the young to power their bustling metropolis. It is such a concise and ingenious idea packed with so much potential. What is perhaps most pleasing about this monstrous new world is its attention to detail and rigid internal logic. It’s a world strikingly similar to our own but with an obvious twist. It would have been so easy for this new world to be populated with pop culture gags that date the film quickly but it is free of such intrusive embellishments, instead it is far more interested in creating a rich universe that is alive with unusual characters and relatable details. Its story of energy crises and corporate corruption providing an extra layer for the adults whilst never dominating the film’s main plot or overwhelming younger audience members.

Where the film suffers slightly is in its dated animation. Yet this is purely down to technical advancement rather than the skill of the filmmakers who have breathed life into this larger than life, weird and colourful gallery of characters. Even if the film looks a little crude at times in comparison to the studio’s later efforts (particularly in its use of lighting) it is still packed with wonderful character moments and imaginative and exhilarating action. The film’s key chase sequence involving an ever shifting vault of closet doors is simply stunning. It’s pitch perfect pacing, imaginative use of locations and sense of perilous excitement ranks alongside the studio’s best set pieces.

I’m still unsure how I feel about the upcoming, Monsters University, as this first film was such a complete and singular work, yet if the prequel ends up being half as good as Monsters, Inc. then we’ll be in for a treat and it will hopefully signal Pixar’s return to form.

Although highly regarded by many I'm still not convinced it is appreciated as much as it should be. For me this is one of the finest science fiction films of all time, perhaps not as influential as Metropolis, Blade Runner et al but every bit as brilliant.

It manages to achieve what many sci-fi films do not, it manages to not only deliver a unique dystopic concept but also deliver a rich and moving emotional journey too. Too often genre…

Although highly regarded by many I'm still not convinced it is appreciated as much as it should be. For me this is one of the finest science fiction films of all time, perhaps not as influential as Metropolis, Blade Runner et al but every bit as brilliant.

It manages to achieve what many sci-fi films do not, it manages to not only deliver a unique dystopic concept but also deliver a rich and moving emotional journey too. Too often genre films have a killer hook but are so wrapped up in making sure the idea is water tight or building a compelling world but forget the human story that makes it relatable, powerful and rewarding. Cuarón and his team (particularly cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) have created one of the great future worlds of cinema, you live and breathe it every step of the way but it is the characters (Clive Owen giving by far and away his greatest performance) that make you really feel it. I have seen the film ten times or more and the climax still affects me deeply without it ever resorting to cloying sentimentality. It is philosophical without being bogged down by moralising and it is full of bravura moments whilst never losing sight of the story or characters.

Children of Men is one of this century's great cinematic achievements and a film that will truly stand the test of time.

A thousand words to describe A Thousand Words:

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A thousand words to describe A Thousand Words:

Abhorrent, appalling, atrocious, awe-inspiring, awesomely bad, awful, bad, beastly, bollocks, contemptible, dangerous, desperate, dire, disastrous, disturbing, dread, dreaded, dreadful, extreme, fearful, feckless, frightful, fucked, fucked-up, frightening, ghastly, gruesome, harrowing, hateful, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrifying, inconvenient, loathsome, monstrous, naff, nondescript, nonentity, obnoxious, odious, offensive, petrifying, poor, repulsive, revolting, rotten, serious, severe, shocking, shit, shitty, shitfest, shitstain, smelly, toss, unfortunate, unnerving, unpleasant, unwelcome, vile, wank, abject, abominable, bad, base, beggarly, cheap, crass, currish, degenerate, despisable, detestable, dirty, disgusting, hateful, heel, ignoble, ignominious, inferior, low, low-down, lowest, mean, odious, outcast, paltry, pitiable, pitiful, poor, sad, scummy, scurvy, shabby, sordid, sorry, swinish, unworthy, vile, worthless, wretched, calamitous, bummed, violatory, deplorable, depressed, despicable, disconsolate, distressed, dolorous, down, down-and-out, downcast, faulty, flimsy, forlorn, gloomy, hapless, hopeless, hurting, in the pits, inferior, low, low-down, mean, melancholy, miserable, paltry, pathetic, pitiable, pitiful, poor, shabby, shameful, sordid, sorrowful, sorry, spiritless, tragic, unfortunate, unhappy, vile, weak, woebegone, woeful, worthless, futile, good-for-nothing, ignoble, inconsequential, ineffective, ineffectual, inferior, insignificant, inutile, meaningless, mediocre, miserable, no-account, no-good, nothing, nugatory, paltry, pointless, poor, profitless, sterile, trashy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, arduous, unfunny, unamusing, unhumorous, annoying, difficult, grave, strenuous, bummed in the gob, difficult, laborious, futile, good-for-nothing, ignoble, inconsequential, ineffective, ineffectual, inferior, swinish, unworthy, vile, worthless, wretched, calamitous, bummed, violatory, deplorable, depressed, despicable, disconsolate, distressed, dolorous, down, down-and-out, downcast, faulty, flimsy, forlorn, gloomy, hapless, hopeless, hurting, in the pits, inferior, low, low-down, mean, melancholy, miserable, paltry, pathetic, pitiable, pitiful, poor, shabby, shameful, sordid, sorrowful, sorry, spiritless, tragic, unfortunate, unhappy, vile, weak, woebegone, woeful, worthless, futile, good-for-nothing, ignoble, inconsequential, ineffective, ineffectual, inferior, insignificant, inutile, meaningless, mediocre, miserable, no-account, no-good, nothing, nugatory, paltry, pointless, poor, profitless, sterile, trashy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, arduous, unfunny, unamusing, unhumorous, annoying, difficult, grave, strenuous, bummed in the gob, insignificant, inutile, meaningless, mediocre, miserable, no-account, no-good, nothing, nugatory, paltry, pointless, poor, profitless, sterile, trashy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, crushing, oppressive, excrement, vomit-inducing, gutter-trash, waste of space, blows, bag of balls, sucks donkey dick, headache-inducing, painful, plodding, ponderous, pressing, the cause of suicidal tendencies, rigorous, seriously shit, severe, strenuous, taxing, tiresome, tiring, toilsome, troublesome, vexatious, crap, crappy, crapola, craptacular, crapogeddon, crap-filled-extravaganza, crushing, carking, cancerous, sick-making, nauseating, abominable, awful, beastly, cloying, creepy, detestable, distasteful, foul, frightful, ghastly, grody, gross, gruesome, hateful, hideous, horrid, horrific, icky, loathsome, lousy, macabre, monstrous, nasty, nauseating, nerdy, noisome, objectionable, obnoxious, odious, offensive, outrageous, repellent, repugnant, revolting, rotten, satiating, scandalous, scuzzy, shameless, shocking, sleazeball, sleazy, stinking, surfeiting, vile, vulgar, yecchy, yucky, diseased, deadly, destructive, fatal, internecine, lethal, mortal, pestilential, poisonous, Armageddon , annihilation, cataclysm, catastrophe, decimation, devastation, end of the world, torture, ache, affliction, agony, anguish, cruciation, crucifixion, distress, dolor, excruciation, impalement, laceration, martyrdom, misery, pang, persecution, rack, suffering, third degree, torment, tribulation, twinge, adversity, affliction, blue ruin, cataclysm, catastrophe, collapse, woe, wreck, wretchedness, calamity, trial, Abhorrent, appalling, atrocious, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, bad, beastly, bollocks, contemptible, dangerous, desperate, dire, disastrous, disturbing, dread, dreaded, dreadful, extreme, fearful, feckless, frightful, fucked, fucked-up, frightening, ghastly, gruesome, harrowing, hateful, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrifying, inconvenient, loathsome, monstrous, naff, nondescript, nonentity, obnoxious, odious, offensive, petrifying, poor, repulsive, revolting, rotten, serious, severe, shocking, shit, shitty, shitfest, shitstain, smelly, toss, unfortunate, unnerving, unpleasant, unwelcome, vile, wank, abject, abominable, bad, base, beggarly, cheap, crass, currish, degenerate, despisable, detestable, dirty, disgusting, hateful, heel, ignoble, ignominious, inferior, low, low-down, lowest, mean, odious, outcast, paltry, pitiable, pitiful, poor, sad, scummy, scurvy, shabby, sordid, sorry, swinish, unworthy, vile, worthless, wretched, calamitous, bummed, violatory, deplorable, depressed, despicable, disconsolate, distressed, dolorous, down, down-and-out, downcast, faulty, flimsy, forlorn, gloomy, hapless, hopeless, hurting, in the pits, inferior, low, low-down, mean, melancholy, miserable, paltry, pathetic, pitiable, pitiful, poor, shabby, shameful, sordid, sorrowful, sorry, spiritless, tragic, unfortunate, unhappy, vile, weak, woebegone, woeful, worthless, futile, good-for-nothing, ignoble, inconsequential, ineffective, ineffectual, inferior, insignificant, inutile, meaningless, mediocre, miserable, no-account, no-good, nothing, nugatory, paltry, pointless, poor, profitless, sterile, trashy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, arduous, unfunny, unamusing, unhumorous, annoying, difficult, grave, strenuous, bummed in the gob, difficult, laborious, futile, good-for-nothing, ignoble, inconsequential, ineffective, ineffectual, inferior, swinish, unworthy, vile, worthless, wretched, calamitous, bummed, violatory, deplorable, depressed, despicable, disconsolate, distressed, dolorous, down, down-and-out, downcast, faulty, flimsy, forlorn, gloomy, hapless, hopeless, hurting, in the pits, inferior, low, low-down, mean, melancholy, miserable, paltry, pathetic, pitiable, pitiful, poor, shabby, shameful, sordid, sorrowful, sorry, spiritless, tragic, unfortunate, unhappy, vile, weak, woebegone, woeful, worthless, futile, good-for-nothing, ignoble, inconsequential, ineffective, ineffectual, inferior, insignificant, inutile, meaningless, mediocre, miserable, no-account, no-good, nothing, nugatory, paltry, pointless, poor, profitless, sterile, trashy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, arduous, unfunny, unamusing, unhumorous, annoying, difficult, grave, strenuous, bummed in the gob, insignificant, inutile, meaningless, mediocre, miserable, no-account, no-good, nothing, nugatory, paltry, pointless, poor, profitless, sterile, trashy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, crushing, oppressive, excrement, vomit-inducing, gutter-trash, waste of space, blows, bag of balls, sucks donkey dick, headache-inducing, painful, plodding, ponderous, pressing, the cause of suicidal tendencies, rigorous, seriously shit, severe, strenuous, taxing, tiresome, tiring, toilsome, troublesome, vexatious, crap, crappy, crapola, craptacular, crapogeddon, crap-filled-extravaganza, crushing, carking, cancerous, sick-making, nauseating, abominable, awful, beastly, cloying, creepy, detestable, distasteful, foul, frightful, ghastly, grody, gross, gruesome, hateful, hideous, horrid, horrific, icky, loathsome, lousy, macabre, monstrous, nasty, nauseating, nerdy, noisome, objectionable, obnoxious, odious, offensive, outrageous, repellent, repugnant, revolting, rotten, satiating, scandalous, scuzzy, shameless, shocking, sleazeball, sleazy, stinking, surfeiting, vile, vulgar, yecchy, yucky, diseased, deadly, destructive, fatal, internecine, lethal, mortal, pestilential, poisonous, Armageddon , annihilation, cataclysm, catastrophe, decimation, devastation, end of the world, torture, ache, affliction, agony, anguish, cruciation, crucifixion, distress, dolor, excruciation, impalement, laceration, martyrdom, misery, pang, persecution, rack, suffering, third degree, torment, tribulation, twinge, adversity, affliction, blue ruin, cataclysm, catastrophe, collapse, woe, wreck, wretchedness, calamity, unessential, unimportant, unproductive, unprofitable, unusable, useless, valueless, crushing, oppressive, excrement, vomit-inducing, gutter-trash, waste of space, blows, bag of balls, sucks donkey dick, headache-inducing, painful, plodding, ponderous, pressing, the cause of suicidal tendencies, rigorous, seriously shit, severe, strenuous, taxing, tiresome, tiring, toilsome, troublesome, hateful, ignoble, ignominious, inferior, low, low-down, lowest, odious, paltry, pitiable, pitiful, poor, scummy and WANK!