The Long Way North (Tout en haut du monde) is latest entry in the recent string of smaller, hand-drawn animated films from France. It’s not as polished in its look or storytelling as some of its predecessors, but it’s a promising debut for first time director Rémi Chayé, Sacha (voice by Chloé Dunn), the daughter […]
Archive for September, 2016
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Blue Ribbon Content Announces Development Of New Series Featuring J-Pop Group “BabyMetal”
September 28th, 2016 
Jerry Beck Fresh off the finale to their 2016 world tour in front of more than 110,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, Japanese pop-metal sensation Babymetal will embark on a new adventure with an original shortform series from Warner Bros.’ digital studio Blue Ribbon Content and Japanese powerhouse Amuse Inc’s subsidiary, Amuse USA. Manager and creator of […]
ANIME REVIEWS: Two Based on The Works of Nagaru Tanigawa
September 22nd, 2016 Charles Solomon The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Funimation: $64.98, 5 discs, (4 Blu-ray and one DVD) Despite the series title, Haruhi Suzumiya (Wendee Lee) is hardly melancholy. She’s one of the prettiest girls in her high school, but also the strangest and the loudest. Haruhi dismisses normal people as “boring” (“What kind of fun does a ‘normal’ […]
See Sony Classics U.S. Trailer For “The Red Turtle” Here
September 22nd, 2016 Jerry Beck Sony Pictures Classics has released their official US trailer for The Red Turtle – the highly anticipated first feature from animator Michaël Dudok de Wit. Co-produced by Studio Ghibli, the film won a special jury prize at Annecy – and will get a one week award qualifying run in LA (at the NuArt) and in […]
FIRST OFFICIAL TEASER: Sony’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village”
September 21st, 2016 Jerry Beck Opening on April 7th, 2017, Smurfs: The Lost Village is an all-new, all-animated take on the Smurfs. No live action. Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2) directs – with a cast including Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson (as Gargamel), Jack McBrayer and Many Patinkin (as Papa Smurf). A very cool production blog for the film is located here. […]
TONIGHT: Disney XD Goes “Kapow!”
September 19th, 2016 Greg Ehrbar Warner Brothers animation irreverence makes itself at home on Disney XD tonight with the premiere of Right Now, Kapow, a lightning-paced animated sketch comedy series blending the eclectic, throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks approach of TV blackout sketch comedy and the limitless canvas of animation. Like Saturday Night Live, Laugh-In, All That and Key and Peele, the new series […]
The Voice of Beauty, PAIGE O’HARA: On 25 years of being Belle
September 19th, 2016 Leslie Combemale This Tuesday, September 20th, the 25th anniversary edition of the classic from the new golden age of animation Beauty and the Beast is being released anew on blu-ray. Many know it won two Academy Awards, one for best song, the other for best original score, and was also the first animated feature to get nominated […]
Loyola Marymount Presents “Woody Woodpecker & The Avant-Garde”
September 17th, 2016 Jerry Beck A unique classic animation exhibit, Woody Woodpecker & The Avant-Garde, opens Sept. 22nd at Loyola Marymount University’s Laband Art Gallery, reflecting the unlikely collision of people, art forms, political beliefs and wartime efforts. Varied elements of animator Shamus Culhane’s creative inspiration and productions will be explored in the exhibition. Paintings and watercolors by artists Jules […]
Mondo Media and Six Point Harness Finalize Merger
September 15th, 2016 Jerry Beck The companies behind such massively popular digital animated series as Happy Tree Friends, Deep Space 69 and Dick Figures have officially joined forces, announcing today that the merger of Mondo Media and Six Point Harness has been finalized. The newly formed company, Mondo Media, will be known simply as “Mondo” for all of its consumer-facing […]
Trailer For Disney’s “Moana”
September 15th, 2016 Jerry Beck Here it is – the brand new trailer for Disney’s Moana. The film, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, with usic composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i, starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson & Auli’i Cravalho, opens in theatres in 3D this Thanksgiving.
Neil Patrick Harris to MC Gala for The Walt Disney Family Museum
September 15th, 2016 Jerry Beck The Walt Disney Family Museum has announced its second annual fundraising gala benefiting the Museum’s ongoing initiatives to support the next generation of creative talent. The event will honor Marty Sklar, Disney Legend and Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador, who, in addition to working directly with Walt Disney, has been a leading Disney creative force contributing […]
David Daniels Strata Cuts New York
September 14th, 2016 Tristian Goik “Well, if they don’t want you as an animator, you can always be a camera man.” And with this bit of encouragement, David Daniels started his NY career at the Broadcast Arts animation studio. Daniels had just screened Buzz Box as part of his interview, and it was met with mixed results. Buzz Box (Daniels, […]
FiveThirtyEight Oversimplifies the Animation Industry
September 9th, 2016 Charles Kenny Data-centric website FiveThirtyEight thinks it’s nailed down the Seven Ways to Become an Animation Powerhouse. Their analysis is incomplete though, and misses a few large factors that make animated movies successful. For starters, their title is misleading; there are no seven ways listed in the article. Instead writer Walt Hickey merely analyses the performance of […]
Charles Solomon Reviews “The Wild Life”
September 9th, 2016 Charles Solomon Although 2016 brought us Norm of the North and Ratchet and Clank, The Wild Life is the odds-on favorite for the Worst Animated Film of the Year trophy. Despite the title, it’s an uninspired, overly tame movie that would once would have been consigned to the direct-to-video bin. The story, credited to Lee Christopher, Domonic […]
LA EVENT: “An Afternoon With Henry Selick” Encore Added
September 9th, 2016 Jerry Beck In October, The LA-based GLAS Animation Festival is featuring the work of an animator and director whose films have delighted and inspired a new generation of cinematic creators: Henry Selick. The filmmaker will appear for an intimate encore conversation on Sunday October 2nd at the Downtown Independent, in Downtown L.A., in which he will screen […]
