As the year winds down, and critics and entertainment journalists search for neat blanket tags with which to label the year that was, “the year of animation” is a phrase that is getting increasingly bandied about – some going so far as to declare 2009 the greatest year of all time for animated product. (Certainly, […]
THE LONG SHOT: Cartoon network
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:56 pm · December 9th, 2009
Filed in: The Long Shot
‘Coraline’ leads the field of Annie nominees
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:13 am · December 1st, 2009
“Coraline” and “Up” both received nominations in eight categories. “The Princess and the Frog” showed up in five while “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” showed up in four. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (3), “Monsters vs. Aliens” (3), “9” (2), “Astro Boy” (2) and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2) brought up the rear with […]
Filed in: Daily
We can officially add ‘A Christmas Carol’ to the animated list
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:23 am · October 8th, 2009
Yesterday we covered the animated feature film race and the potential for the category to have five nominees this year, largely dependent on Robert Zemeckis’s “A Christmas Carol” being submitted as animation (a decision completely in his hands). As it turns out, the film will indeed be submitted for consideration. That, along with “Tinker Bell […]
Filed in: Daily
How the animated category could go to five
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:40 pm · October 7th, 2009
Pete Hammond has gone ahead and written the column I was going to write today, but you snooze you lose. Recently there was some discussion about the animated feature film category in our comments section. The number of potential submissions is right on the edge. By my count in the Contenders section, there are 16 […]
Filed in: Daily
Animated feature forecast: could be ‘Cloudy’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:57 pm · October 6th, 2009
Over at The Odds (The Wrap’s new Oscar blog, in case you haven’t been reading), Steve Pond brings up the fierce competition of this year’s animated feature category and brings up an intriguing tidbit worth considering. In looking through Time Out London’s list of the 50 greatest animated films of all time, collected by the […]
Filed in: Daily
‘Ponyo’ saves the world
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:00 pm · October 3rd, 2009
Okay, not quite the world, but a very small part of it. The small, picturesque Japanese fishing port that inspired the setting for Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo” has been spared a drastic redevelopment (a landfill and bridge were on the cards, apparently) thanks to the film itself. Variety reports: Miyazaki conceived the idea for “Ponyo,” which […]
Filed in: Daily
SUNDAY CENTS: ‘District’ shines
Posted by Chad Hartigan · 10:40 am · August 16th, 2009
*All historic figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars. Internet hype doesn’t always translate into box office success, but “District 9” was able to live up to the buzz and debut with a strong $37 million and the top spot this weekend. For a film that cost a reported $30 million to make, this is […]
Filed in: Box Office · Sunday Cents
SUNDAY CENTS: ‘G.I.’ dough
Posted by Chad Hartigan · 10:27 am · August 9th, 2009
*All historical figures are adjusted to today’s dollars Paramount secured what is likely to be the last blockbuster opening of the summer with “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” this weekend. For a film that was plagued with bad buzz a few months ago and was withheld from most critics, a $56.2 million start is […]
Filed in: Box Office · Sunday Cents
7/16 Web Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:32 am · July 16th, 2009
• Emmy nominations unleashed, Denis Leary robbed again. [Emmys.tv] • Xan Brooks and the “Antichrist” debate. One more time around. [The Guardian] • Jonathan Romney, meanwhile, tries to break down the mind of Lars Von Trier. [The Independent] • 25 new faces of independent film. [Filmmaker Magazine]
Filed in: Daily
Could ‘Mr. Fox,’ ‘Carol’ join toon Best Pic hopefuls?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:30 pm · July 10th, 2009
JoBlo has an exclusive first look today at the central character from Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a Scott Rudin-produced animated Roald Dahl adaptation. The film was recently shifted from Fox over to Fox Searchlight for the purposes of distribution, lest a small, niche film such as this be lost in the shuffle. But I […]
Filed in: Daily
Disney sends all-star auteur team to Comic-Con
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:00 am · July 9th, 2009
Well, this is impressive. Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis have all lined up to help represent Walt Disney Studios at Comic-Con in San Diego later this month, in the interests of showcasing a range of new and/or revived Disney features at the geek mecca. This is the first Comic-Con for all […]
Filed in: Daily
McWeeny on Ponyo
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 4:05 pm · June 29th, 2009
Yesterday was confession time as I got into my own disconnect with the cinema of Hayao Miyazaki, a brand well-respected and certainly cherished the world over but somehow lost on me. His work “nevertheless represents an imagination that…is a welcome dose of creativity in a business sorely lacking it year after year,” I wrote. With […]
Filed in: Daily
Miyazaki’s ‘Ponyo’ closes LAFF
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:12 am · June 28th, 2009
I’ve come to the awkward, “I’m the only one” conclusion that, despite my best efforts, the cinema of Hayao Miyazaki just doesn’t paddle my boat. Looking back over the animator’s past works again throughout the week in preparation for this write-up, and having taken in his latest, “Ponyo,” just a few weeks back, I still […]
Filed in: Daily
Miyazaki’s ‘Ponyo’ US trailer
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:34 am · June 24th, 2009
I’ll write more about “Ponyo” when the film closes the LA fest next week. For now, we’ve got a new trailer (that I’ve been rather slow to post). I imagine most Miyazaki devotees will be head-over-heels in love with this thing. I don’t count myself in their ranks, though I have the utmost respect for […]
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*chirp* *chirp*
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:53 pm · June 11th, 2009
Wow, there is quite literally nothing worth discussing today. This has been a pretty eventless two-week spread, actually. I have no interest in writing about the baseless “G.I. Joe” speculation. Nothing to offer the “Taking of Pelham 123” discussion because I’ve yet to make my way to a screening. Nothing to say about the limited […]
Filed in: Daily
Disney’s ‘Ponyo’ gets a poster
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:27 am · May 2nd, 2009
Retitled for domestic release. The animated feature category could be stacked this year: (Courtesy: AICN, via /Film)
Filed in: Daily