Originally Posted By mawnck Thank goodness … GKids is doing an English dub of "Ernest and Celestine"! (And Lauren Bacall is in it!!) Since they just now announced the cast, I take it it won't be ready in time for the Oscar qualifying run (which I hear is in early December). <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://variety.com/2013/film/news/ernest-celestine-toon-taps-lauren-bacall-paul-giamatti-william-h-macy-exclusive-1200806834/">http://variety.com/2013/film/n...0806834/</a>
Originally Posted By u k fan Ernest and Celestine looks charming!!! Here's the digitalspy review of Frozen - they love it!!! <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/review/a528722/frozen-review-heartfelt-fairytale-musical-is-a-new-disney-classic.html">http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/mo...sic.html</a>
Originally Posted By Yookeroo Would it really be that shocking if Frozen turned out to be good? I mean, we're (mostly) judging the movie based on previews & trailers. I think there's only one of us here who has actually seen the movie, and while it's someone I have a bit of respect for, he's not the final opinion. The early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes or positive. But it's still real early and a lot of critics still have to weigh in. But it can't really be that unbelievable that Frozen turned out to be good.
Originally Posted By u k fan I wouldn't be surprised at all if Frozen turns out well - I hope it does. Disney certainly seem proud of it or they wouldn't be letting people review it and that's what worries me slightly about these glowing reviews. Are people getting sneak peeks in exchange for excellent reviews rather than truthful reviews. They all seem relentlessly positive at the moment. I really do hope that Frozen is a return to form - if Tangled is The Little Mermaid this could be BatB for sure!!!
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Would it really be that shocking if Frozen turned out to be good?<< Nope. Remember all the hate being spewed in Tangled's direction before it was released? That being said, Tangled didn't have the snowman issue. >>Are people getting sneak peeks in exchange for excellent reviews rather than truthful reviews.<< See what happens, Disney, when you don't invite Mawnck to a test screening?
Originally Posted By mawnck (1) I've had it pointed out to me that there's another animated feature conspicuously absent from the list: "Walking with Dinosaurs", which is scheduled for a late December release. (2) "An Oscar Voter's Brutally Honest Ballot", which will give you some idea about how the voters REALLY choose what to vote for. It's not a satirical article, BTW, it's a real movie director/Academy voter filling out his ballot in front of the reporter and describing his reasoning. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscar-voters-brutally-honest-ballot-422546">http://www.hollywoodreporter.c...t-422546</a> The relevant excerpts: >>BEST ANIMATED FEATURE “It’s a tough category because everything is mediocre. I’m definitely not voting for The Pirates. I’m not voting for Frankenweenie. Brave was unimpressive. So I guess it’s between ParaNorman and Wreck-It Ralph. So… " [At this time, he assigned the screen-side of his iPhone to the former and the back-side of it to the latter, and spun it on his desk.] Vote: Wreck-It Ralph<< >>BEST SHORT (ANIMATED) [Had not seen any of the films, but had heard good things about Paperman so he voted for it.] Vote: Paperman<<
Originally Posted By mawnck Ernest and Celestine, and A Letter to Momo, both started today at the Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood. According to their website, both will be in English. (And while you're there you can also catch Dear Mr. Watterson, a documentary about Calvin and Hobbes. I personally do not recommend A Letter to Momo, but many other critics do, so use your own discretion on that one. I unreservedly endorse Ernest and Celestine, so if you're anywhere near the area, hie thee hence. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.laemmle.com/theaters/23">http://www.laemmle.com/theaters/23</a>
Originally Posted By mawnck The AWESOME American trailer for "A Wind Rises". You're gonna want to see it, bad, after this: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/animationscoop/first-look-us-trailer-for-the-wind-rises">http://blogs.indiewire.com/ani...nd-rises</a> BTW, Both E&C and Momo, were subtitled, which means that's how the Academy is gonna get 'em. The theater was distressingly empty ...
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Briefly caught an interview with Miyazaki-san on NPR while driving around town running errands. Apparently, his fellow countrymen are ticked off with him over this film. But he was staunchly defending his views and standing by the film, no matter what. Do you know anything about this controversy, mawnck?
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Do you know anything about this controversy, mawnck?<< Ohhhh yeah. The guy who the movie is ostensibly about, Jiro Horikoshi, was a Japanese aeronautical engineer who designed, among other things, the Japanese Zero Fighter of WWII fame (including Pearl Harbor). The movie essentially excuses the guy for his role in designing killing machines for the Japanese Army, while at the same time throwing around plenty of slams at war and killing and such. The movie is (mostly) brilliant, but it's also a political/ethical quagmire that was guaranteed to make a lot of people terribly unhappy no matter what viewpoint he expressed. Miyazaki made matters worse by publishing a politically charged op-ed in the Ghibli company newsletter in conjunction with the movie's Japanese release. Here's a good article about some of the stinkage that has come about as a result: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/hayao-miyazaki-film-wind-rises">http://www.theguardian.com/wor...nd-rises</a> And an editorial piece from an Anime website that talks about Miyazaki's essay and attempts to defend his viewpoints: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://ani.me/zine/anime/article/4934/">http://ani.me/zine/anime/article/4934/</a> My biggest beef with the movie isn't mentioned in either article. It's the little matter of Jiro Horikoshi's sickly girlfriend, one of the main characters and plotlines in the movie. Miyazaki totally made her up. He never was one for sticking too closely to his source material ...
Originally Posted By mawnck Meanwhile, at the Annie Awards, the nominees are … A Letter to Momo - GKIDS Despicable Me 2 - Universal Pictures Ernest & Celestine - GKIDS Frozen - Walt Disney Animation Studios Monsters University - Pixar Animation Studios The Croods - DreamWorks Animation The Wind Rises - The Walt Disney Studios More nominations here. (The Chipotle Scarecrow?) <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/animationscoop/annie-award-nominations">http://blogs.indiewire.com/ani...inations</a>
Originally Posted By leemac The Wind Rises should win hands-down - by the far the best feature on that list. Frozen is the only one of the commercial releases that should even have a sniff.
Originally Posted By mawnck THE NOMINEES ARE … (Get ready for a big surpriiiiiiiiiiiise!!!!) The Croods Frozen Ernest and Celestine The Wind Rises and ……. DESPICABLE ME 2 ??????????? REALLY, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Animation Committee? Guess they won't be automatically voting for Pixar this year, huh. I'm gobsmacked. Floored. Befuddled. Slightly nauseated. Not that MU deserved to win or anything, but it lost its slot to DM2? That's … that's … silly! ---------- For Best Animated Short: Feral Get a Horse Mr. Hublot Possessions Room on the Broom (Surprise again! No "Subconscious Password".) ---------- By the way … Best Original Song Alone Yet Not Alone (Alone Yet Not Alone) Happy (Despicable Me 2) Let It Go (Frozen) The Moon Song (Her) Ordinary Love (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Originally Posted By mawnck (PS - I told you Ernest and Celestine would get a nomination. Didn't I tell you Ernest and Celestine would get a nomination?)
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA The Chipotle Scarecrow is that commercial for the fast food restaurant Chipotle. Super cool animation. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...nas5ScSE</a>
Originally Posted By mawnck >>The Chipotle Scarecrow is that commercial for the fast food restaurant Chipotle.<< Yeah, I know. Poor sad cow. I sort of kind of slightly ***DESPISED!!!*** that commercial. Talk about art being used for evil. And I *like* Chipotle.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I feel a little sad, I can't help but wonder how Mike and Sulley would be feeling right now. So without MU in the running, does that mean Frozen has a better shot at winning?
Originally Posted By andyll >>DESPICABLE ME 2 ??????????? REALLY, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Animation Committee?<< DM2 was a much better film then MU. Croods was a better film then MU. I thought MU would get in over Croods just because of PIXAR. Hopefully this is a wake-up call for them.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance DM2 was terrible. I couldn't even sit through it a second time. That's how board I was. And I like animated movies!
Originally Posted By mawnck >>So without MU in the running, does that mean Frozen has a better shot at winning?<< Hard to say. I don't think anyone even figured on DM2 being in there. EVERYBODY had the same predicted lineup, including me, and everybody was wrong. I'm going to guess that, if anything, Frozen's chances just got a little *worse*, since the animation nuts are going to go for "The Wind Rises" anyway, and the don't-give-a-damn-about-animation people, I would think, are more likely to go for DM2 than for MU, given the choice, because minions. But I don't think it'll matter much. IMHO, "Ernest and Celestine" and "The Wind Rises" are much bigger threats than DM@ is. They are *clearly* superior movies - like, not really even that close - but I also think "Frozen"'s got it, deserved or not. (1) EVERYBODY'S seen "Frozen", while the average Joe doesn't know what "The Wind Rises" or "Ernest and Celestine" are. (2) "The Wind Rises" comes with political baggage that we're sure to be hearing more about, now that it has the nom. It's also an animated movie for grownups, and as we all know, there's no such thing. (3) "Ernest and Celestine". G-Kids. No promotion budget. Also: It's a kids' movie in French with subtitles. And (4) both "The Wind Rises" and "Frozen" are being promoted by Disney. Hmmm … I wonder which one will get the bigger push? Hard to overcome all that, unless you're "Spirited Away" … and "The Wind Rises" isn't quite on that level.
