The Pixar Problem

This is a follow-up to what I had written about this week's shocking news... I had posted merely nine or so hours after the news broke that John Lasseter, one of the men who was extremely instrumental in making Pixar into what it is now and their creative overseer, is no different from other terrible …

It’s Time to Stop: An ‘Incredibles 2’ Rant

First thing's first... This is not a rant about the existence of Pixar's Incredibles 2. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel to one of my all-time favorite films. Sorry if the title gave you a near jolt! No, this is more a rant about something that happens almost every time a popular Pixar …

Little Obsessions: Finding a Song

One of my weirder little interests is production music. What is production music? Recordings meant for anyone to use, like stock music. To my understanding, you get to use it for a small fee in whatever it is you're making, be it a TV show, film, what have you. As such, it's very common in …

Pixar Generalizations and Complaints That I Don’t Like!

Loving certain works of entertainment can come with a price. I know that very well as a fan of animation, and especially the legendary Disney animated classics "canon". Back in August of 2015 on my mainline news blog, I ripped five generalizations about the body of work apart. Now, I want to do the same …

Conflicted on Nominations

The time is almost near... The nominations for the 89th Academy Awards ceremony will be out soon... I've talked a great deal about the Best Animated Feature category in the past, but this year - more so than any past year - I'm a bit conflicted about two mainstreamers. Now, before we go any further, …

Why ‘Borrowed Time’ Should Win

The nominating process is underway, and the debates are firing... Now it's my turn. What do I think the Academy should give the little golden men to? Well, I want to talk about short films... Or, a short film to be specific. Borrowed Time. *SPOILERS ahead, for anyone who hasn't seen this film yet* Made …

Is Disney Marketing Going a New Route?

Earlier, I had complained about how Disney mishandled a few of their 2015 and 2016 releases. To me, it seemed like their marketing department couldn't handle so many big, tentpole, "event" pictures at once. For every Avengers: Age of Ultron and Inside Out, there would be a Tomorrowland and a Good Dinosaur. The Good Dinosaur …

Photographic Animation

Nearly three years ago, an animation legend weighed in on the state of mainstream American feature animation. The legend in question was Gene Deitch, known for his work with the UPA in the 1950s, the Tom & Jerry cartoons that he was tasked to make in Czechoslovakia after MGM jettisoned their animation studio, and his …

Dark Cars: The ‘Cars 3’ Teaser and Its Unexpected Reception

I'm seeing it all over social media... "Wow, Cars took a dark turn..." "Lightning McQueen died?" It's no joke, though. The Cars 3 teaser is unlike many of Pixar's previous teasers, and in terms of the lighting and the aesthetic, the film looks unlike any previous Pixar film. Gone are the vibrant colors of the …

A Whole Other Ocean: A Full Review of ‘Finding Dory’

Arriving thirteen years after its magnificent, underwater predecessor, Finding Dory proved to be a worthy sequel and a very good film in its own right. Finding Dory's main strengths are in its development of Dory. I remember the cries and concerns when it was announced that the Finding Nemo sequel would focus heavily on the …