Monday Movie [Parte 6]

Light Years (1988) / dir. René Laloux

Excellent psychedelic animation from the French team who brought you Fantastic Planet. Originally titled Gandahar, the Weinsteins ported this gem across the pond and grabbed an bunch of American actors (Glenn Close, Jennifer Grey, Christopher Plummer) for a proper re-dubbing, which is actually a little flat, but renders the whole thing more watchable and lets you concentrate on the amazing imagery and bizarre time-bending story.

One young Gandaharian, Sylvain - looking much like David Sylvian from the cover of Quiet Life - is sent to investigate a strange mechanoid force who is running around turning peaceful countryfolk to stone. Aided by a band of genetically deformed outcasts who dwell in deep forests and underground caverns, he eventually discovers the source is a science project gone wrong that has come back to haunt his people. A giant synthetic brain they once devised and now operating from 1000 years in the future, has created the time traveling robot army to replace his decaying neural mass with the petrified people. I would say more but that would be giving away too much of the plot. Rest assured, the French have no problem with their animation being more strange, intellectual and adult-oriented than a dozen Disneys combined.

Also, the score is fucking sick. '88 still had just enough cheese mentality and soundtrack composers were willing to fool around with electronic gear and synthesizers way more than happens today.