That motorcycle slide: It was the first image from a Japanese animated feature that became an internationally and immediately recognizable scene, drawing audiences into a terrifying cyberpunk world of government experiments on children and ruthless teen biker gangs. Director Katsuhiro Otomo adapted his own manga, pulling off the seemingly impossible task of synthesizing all six massive volumes into one of the tightest, most terrifying depictions of an amoral universe committed to celluloid. – Richard Whittaker
