Customer Reviews

MTV's Æon Flux [VHS]

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

None so far have really commented on exactly what episodes are on which tapes, so here's a rundown on what's where. These do indeed have all televised material from season 1, 2 and 3.

Tape 1, "Aeon Flux" (also on DVD) has four episodes from season 3, each preceded by a short from season 2, and concluding with a combined collection of the original 6 Liquid TV shorts as one 12min episode. Long shows: Thanatophobia, a Last Time for Everything, the Purge, Isthmus Crypticus. Shorts: Gravity, Leisure, Tide, War, and the combined LTV shorts.

Tape 2 "Mission Infinite" has three long episodes: Reraizure, Chronophasia, End Sinister.

Tape 3 "Operative Terminus" has the remaining three long episodes, and one season 2 short at the end. Long: Utopia or Deutoronopia, the Demiurge, Etherdrift Theory. Short: Night.

Those recalling the original broadcasts may note that these tapes do not have the episodes in the same order as originally televised.... as to whether this makes a difference to the experience is, of course, a mater of opinion. Look for fan sites with complete episode guides to get the original order, then see what you think.

Ah, the weirdness found in snips and snaps from the old "MTV Liquid Television" days..."Aeon Flux" was easily the most inspired efforts from those brilliantly twisted pseudo-underground types back in the day...and thanks to Peter Chung's latter day successes with the "Matriculated" episode from "The Animatrix" and the "Reign: The Conqueror" series, maybe those who weren't on board during the era when grunge was king will give these earlier made-for-basic-cable exercises in sex (such as it was) and violence (as it always is) another look.

This was my informal introduction to anime, and although it lacks most of the essential elements of the genre, I still feel "Aeon Flux" better captures its finest qualities, so much so that more often than not I find myself drawn away from the round-faced, big watery-eyed (and dog-whistley high-pitched female voices) of most anime artists even now.

Most anime purists for some reason don't rate this at all (for what anyone else's opinions are worth), but I've never understood WHY...it's got the elements of every decent adult-oriented anime I've ever seen...scantily-clad women, gratuitous violence, and a detached sense of things which seemingly happen for no clearly defined reason (this is especially the case in the shorts taken from the "Liquid Television" series as opposed to the half-hour episodes selected from the "Aeon Flux" series...though even those don't seem to have begun from a specific point). This is a good collection of episodic animation that you won't need to buy an additional 5-10 DVD's to complete; the artwork does look a bit dated and possibly could have used better production values...but keep in mind that this was never supposed to be more than a warm-up act for "120 Minutes" on Sunday nights. I think all things considered, it holds up well and does serve notice that Peter Chung was definitely and up-and-comer in the animation world. Well-recommended (if you can find it, of course)...good luck!

Aeon Flux, the animation, breaks down the boundaries not only of animation, but of cinematic experience as well. Non-linear, often dialogue-free, storytelling makes the viewer work very hard to derive meaning, but for the hard-working viewer the payoff is a big one.

The hardcore science fiction sensibility of Aeon Flux takes sado-masochistic imagery, Cronenbergian 'New Flesh' concepts and a Japanese-style adult approach and combines all these elements into a dreamlike narrative that at once enthralls and alienates you.

There is something simultaneously appealing and repugnant about the world and its characters, just as the viewer alternately identifies with, and then despises, the character of Aeon Flux - and similarly cannot bring themselves to hate her nemesis (and lover) Trevor Goodchild completely.

If light, escapist entertainment is what you're after, look elsewhere, but Aeon Flux will grab you by the seat of your cerebrum and keep you guessing and marveling right to the end.

This 2 hour disc contains 4 original episodes from the TV series, 4 shorts seen on Liquid Television and 1 lengthy never-before-seen short. The episodes seem to be centered around Trevor Goodchild's controlled city. Episodes: The first episode deals with two sides of the city seperated. When a girl doesn't make it over with her husband, she ends up damaging her spine. This leads to an affair with Trevor and Aeon getting a little two involved with her husband. In the end, the girl ends up losing more than she had. In the second episode, Trevor begins a plan for mass clones. Aeon's close girlfriend gets caught by Trevor for these purposes and Aeon eventually gets a clone as well. However, Aeon ends up losing two people to Trevor. Her friend and herself leaving Trevor to cry. The third episode is a little tricky. In order to make mankind better, Trevor injects people with "custodians" that give them a kinder mind. Not the best episode on the disc. The last episode is the best. Aeon's close student trys to help Aeon capture a dying species that is somehow connected to Aeon's friend. Shorts: All of these shorts can be seen on the Best of Liquid Television video except for two. One called Leisure where Aeon try to experiment with a species and a lengthy short at the end of the disc dealing with a virus that kills most of Trevor's men. Overall, some of the episodes may not be the best, but this is definetly worth picking up and watching. You won't regret it.

Hmm, noone has really explained what this box contains...

This is a box of 3 videos: AE: Operative Treminus. AE: Mission Infinite, and Aeon Flux. The last one, Aeon Flux is the same one that's on DVD, and you have other ones out separately, so if you have them, there's no need to buy this one. But if you don't, get this, and you'll never have to worry about missing out on anything.

I really liked the original MTV Liquid Television series, but one charm of the series was that so much was left unexplained. AE never says a word, and just acts like a machine, which was another great point. In these full featured series, I must say that Aeon Flux... talks too much, even becomes too humane. But even then, the series leaves this strange atmosphere. I suggest you start from the MTV series to drag people in, gradually acclimatizing them to this world.

Aeon Flux is truly the creation of genius. Excellent Humour combined with exquisite characters and a healthy portion of Amorality. Aeon Flux is a terrorist/spy/seductress who is intent on making love/war to a crazy/genius dictator named Trevor Goodchild. This sets up all manner of surreal and often disturbing situations. The Animation and voice-overs are Lush, and the display of imagination is breath-taking. Truly Classic

How many of us can remember watching short little 1 minutes clips about the leather clad spy shooting everything in site and then dying abruptly? Then came the FULL episode's on MTV. Yes! The first video in the collection, (aptly titled: Aeon Flux) is by far the best, showing the Liquid Television shorts, and the best full length episodes (Thantophobia, Isthmus Crypticus, etc.), I have watched that tapes at least 10 times. The other two tapes show Peter Chung's experiments with general weirdness. The combination of Heavy Metal/Japanime graphics and techo soundtrack give this fact paced cartoon a DEFINITE thumbs up from me. I recommend this highly... even if you're not a die hard fan, this is worth testing. :-)

Aeon Flux. It exists within its own genre and nearly is its own genre. It is what I like to term "American Anime." That is, that there is an obvious inspiration taken from Japanese style animation. However, this is not Japanese. This interesting hybrid is the brainchild of one Peter Chung.

Being American, this animation is more realistic looking, the characters looking less like anime and more like animated real people. The style strikes me as American too, all clean lines and sleek though utilitarian functionality.

Aeon Flux is a complex, quirky, and very weird animation that tells the tale of two nations, Bregnia and Monica. At some point, these nations became estranged from one another and a border wall armed with automatic guns now clearly seperates them. It is vaguely like East and West Germany during the cold war. Matters were made worse when Bregnia is forced under the control of a new and strange leader, Trevor Goodchild. The motives and desires of Trevor are unusual in the extreme.

Aeon herself, being the title character, is an agent in the service of the Monican government. She is a self-styled anarchist who fights for the ideals of her country and herself, while, at the same time, being the lover of Trevor Goodchild.

This show was something rare and something very different. It still amazes me that this even got onto TV. It is a show that is at once very philosophical while being also very surreal. Each episode explores some new twisted dimension of thought.

I would hesitate to show this to small children as there is some violence and mild sexual innuendo. The deeper story of each episode would also elude a small child.

That is what it says on the box and I go along with it 100%. This is weirdland with a capital WEIRD! A whole bunch of long and short cartoons bring all the characters and the place they live to life. A dangerous, unfriendly place where the wrong move can end up in an amputation and where your conscience comes from a sizzling robot. The outfits are incredible: if this is the future it is all wasp waists and long legs. Clever, humourous and with a dream-like quality this is a must see for manga fans. Although four years old, it holds up with the best of them today.

If you like good science fiction... you'll have to see Aeon Flux. Each episode has so many cool ideas in it that you could probably fill a whole season of "regular" style sci-fi with them. You could describe it as what you'd get if David Lynch would do a cyberpunk series, but it's certainly more than that.

Aeon Flux is weird, ultra cool, it requires you to think about what you see, and it was obviously not mainstream enough for MTV. If that sounds like your cup of beverage, you can't go wrong.