8. The Mind’s Eye (1990)
The Mind’s Eye shows various computer animated short films that are paired with classical music.
There’s pretty much no actual plot to this film- or an overall theme that connects them. The Computer animated sequences, while fairly groundbreaking for the 1990’s, are a bit dated by today’s standards- especially the humanistic figures. The soundtrack is pretty nice though, and is almost worth finding by itself.
The best sequence has to be Breaking the Ice, as it involves a love story between a fish and a bird, as the two passionately look into each other’s eyes while smooth jazz plays in the background. It’s simplistic but very touching.
The Mind’s Eye might seem a bit dated- and might not offer visually detailed CGI like we have today- but it’s fantastic for what it is and certainly worth viewing; especially seeing how it’s 25 minutes long.
9. Saviors of the Earth aka Korean Tron (1983)
Three scientists are thrust into a computer program where an evil scientist is trying to control the world. These three scientists must fight for their lives in order to survive the computer world, and must stop the evil scientists from ruling the world.
Savior of the Earth, a.k.a. Korean Tron, was made in 1983- almost a year after Tron was released- and it’s very apparent that this movie ripped off Tron; due to the fact that the plot, the characters, and even some scenes are completely lifted from Tron.
This movie was distributed and dubbed by the legendarily bad Joseph Lai, a director who made quite possibly the worst animated movie ever made, Space Thunder Kids- which even re-used animation from this movie!
This movie is very, very bad- and is hilarious because of it. The voice acting sounds like it was made by about three people, the story is completely unoriginal, and the animation is very low budget- but the entertainment value is undeniable. For bad movie lovers that want something a bit more obscure, but can still provides enough laughs, then check this movie out- as it will make for an amazingly hilarious experience.
10. Felix the Cat: The Movie (1988)
The classic cartoon character, Felix the Cat, is going on an adventure to save the princess of a far off land known as Oriana.
This movie is not good- the script is bad; it’s has bad voice acting, and the characters, especially Felix the Cat, are obnoxious and annoying. However, the animation is probably the worst, as well as the best, part about this film. The animation looks fairly washed out and cheap looking, but looks very bright, colorful and weird- and makes for a completely surreal experience; despite the fact that it’s a kids film.
Felix the Cat: the Movie just feels like a fever dream that’s filled with creepy looking animation and bright backgrounds. The movie is pretty bad, but it’s enjoyable because of how weird it is.
11. Short Peace (2013)
A Japanese animated feature that includes four different short films. Short film one: This film features a man who encounters a group of sprits in a shrine when he takes shelter there one night. Short film two: A great fire occurs one night in a Japanese village. Short film three: A polar bear fights a demon while protecting a young child. Finally, short film four: This short film is about a group of men fighting a robot.
These four films make up Short Peace, and all four of these films are beautifully animated and well made. Short films one and three are probably the best out of the four. However, short film four probably has the most action; and is probably the most entertaining.
Short Peace is an unusual anthology, and is fantastic because you get four different animated features in one film.
12. It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2011)
Bill is a strange man, who has a strange family and life. He often thinks to himself and his mental health is beginning to deteriorate.
This is a very unusual animated film, as it is primarily animated using stick figures, and features a narrator to tell the story. The film was written, directed, animated, and narrated by Don Hertzfeldt. His animation might be simplistic but his writing and directing makes up for it.
It’s such a Beautiful Day details Bill’s mental health as it deteriorates, and you see so much of Bill’s life in a rather darkly comedic way. This movie is definitely worth watching due it’s charmingly surreal nature, and it doesn’t help that it has a run time of 60 minutes- so by all means, check it out if you have the chance.
13. Kanashimi no Beradonna aka Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
A woman is accused of being a witch and begins to align herself with the devil. This movie’s plot takes it’s inspired from the book Satanism and Witchcraft, by Jules Michelet.
Belladonna of Sadness is definitely the most obscure movie on this list, so much so that it’s becoming increasingly more and more difficult to obtain/ watch it. The reason for this is because the movie has never been released outside of Japan and Europe. Because of this the movie has no English subtitles. The movie is told pretty much through its animation, and the animation is very good looking- although mainly consisting of animated panels.
Midway through the movie there’s an acid freak-out that rivals western animated films like Yellow Submarine because of how surreal it is. This part is definitely the most creative part of the film, as it looks completely trippy.
Belladonna of Sadness is a very creative film, and really needs to be more acknowledged; especially seeing how it’s been falling into obscurity lately.
14. Journey to Agartha aka Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
Asuna is a young girl who is in possession of a mysterious crystal. This leads her on a strange and heartbreaking journey to the mysterious land of Agartha- a legendary hidden city. Asuna is joined by her teacher, as he ventures to Agartha for something a bit more personal.
Journey to Agartha is a deeply powerful film about regret, death and letting go. Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, his story is so deep and so personal that completely makes for an experience. The animation and visuals are completely breathtaking, and really showcases the beauty that animated films have. The world of Agartha is wondrous and beautiful compared to the real world.
Journey to Agartha is deeper than most animated film, and that is because of the very realistic characters- as you see their pain and heartache throughout the movie. For something completely different check this film out, because you will not forget it.
15. Gandahar (1988)
Evil forces from the future are destroying the utopian society of Gandahar. The people in this utopia are trying to figure out how to stop these forces, so the council of Gandahar send Sylvain on a mission to figure out how to stop these evil forces.
Gandahar is a French science fiction animated film that looks quite a bit like other adult animated films like Heavy Metal or Fantastic Planet. The plot is actually very unique in the way it’s structured, such as having a slight emphasis on time travel and prophesies – and really gives a unique science fiction feel to it.
The film is fantastic and very underrated, especially when compared to other adult animated films. Fans of science fiction or Ralph Bakshi will definitely appreciate this film. Either way, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Author Bio: Antony Copsey is an up and coming writer, who is studying communications at Rowan University at Glassboro, New Jersey. He is a huge fan of watching movies and writing about them, as well as writing his own material