Tag Archives: tv

Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 2

“Each cell of (Miyazaki’s) movies is a painting you’d want to hang on the wall.” –Kathleen Kennedy, Executive Producer, “Ponyo” English language version Today I’ll conclude my look at Miyazaki’s films, and consider what makes him such a great animator. Whisper of the Heart (1995; adapted by Miyazaki). Based on a comic by Aoi Hiragi, “Whisper of the Heart” is unique for Miyazaki in that it’s set in modern-day Tokyo and is not a fantasy. This is another coming of age story with some Germanic influences and a gorgeous violin soundtrack. It follows teens Shizuku and Seiji as they determine … Continue reading →

Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 1

“It’s just a wonderful world that (Miyazaki) creates that’s just so different from anything you see out there today.” – Frank Marshall, Executive Producer, “Ponyo” English language version In my review of “Ponyo” earlier this week I mentioned that Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, though excellent, might be a little off-putting to those who haven’t seen any of the Japanese animation master’s other films. I decided to compile a list, complete with descriptions/recommendations, of all of Miyazaki’s films (available Stateside on Disney DVD) and his involvement in them, which almost always includes him being a main animator. At the end of … Continue reading →

Ponyo Makes a Splash on DVD

This week a DVD came out that I’ve been waiting on for years. It’s the latest from animation master Hayao Miyazaki and his company Studio Ghibli: “Ponyo,” with American distribution by Disney. “Ponyo” is Miyazaki’s take on the fairytale of “The Little Mermaid.” But it’s better that you put any assumptions or knowledge that you have of the story aside in order to watch the film, which puts its own very unique, and at times bizarre, spin on the story. Ponyo is the eldest daughter of sea wizard Fujimoto and the ethereal spirit of the sea. While in her natural … Continue reading →

“Alice” in Turmoil

Today Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” adaptation hits the screen, but not all the buzz surrounding the film is positive. Disney executives recently stirred up controversy over the film when they announced that they’ll release it on DVD only 12 weeks after its debut in theaters. The short, unprecedented gap between the cinema and home release of “Alice in Wonderland” begs the question whether many fans will bother to see the movie in theaters. Why fight crowds and pay exorbitant ticket prices when one can buy or rent the film after a small wait? That’s exactly what has many theater … Continue reading →

Liberty or Guinea Pigs?

Next week, we are going to visit some friends. These friends live a ferry ride away, in the capital of our province. We will drive to the ferry after work and preschool and visit our friends for a couple of days before heading back home. In June, my daughter and I are flying to New York to visit my brother and his fiancée. I’ve been saving for this trip for a year, and on my daughter’s birthday I’m going to take her to Stomp – she loves percussion and I got discount tickets. While I love seeing our friends, I … Continue reading →

Underappreciated Disney Films: Lilo & Stitch

Lilo: “We’re a broken family, aren’t we?” Nani: “No. Maybe a little. Maybe a lot. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Lilo: “We’re sisters, it’s our job. I like you better as a sister than as a mom. And you like me better as a sister than a rabbit, right?” Whenever I bring up 2002’s “Lilo & Stitch,” most people in the room immediately exclaim “I love that movie!” But despite that it doesn’t seem to get the same sort of attention as other beloved Disney films. Due to its relatively recent release, it’s not a movie most people grew … Continue reading →

Waking Sleeping Beauty

“The real heartbeat of this company was, is, and will always be, the film business.” – Roy E. Disney A few months ago I caught wind of a Disney project that’s excited me more than I can remember in years, more so even than hearing that Disney was to return to its hand-drawn fairy tales with “Princess and the Frog.” Any of my anticipation for upcoming Disney projects is always tempered by wariness; I know that due to nostalgia it’s unlikely that I will ever feel the same way about new Disney films as the ones with which I grew … Continue reading →

Would You Let Your Preschooler Watch Violent Television?

A couple of weeks ago, we went downtown to see the Chinese New Year parade. It was great fun, especially since this year it was not sleeting. After the parade, we picked up some steamed buns, ate some chocolate lucky money, and perused some of the stores. I got my daughter a backpack for kindergarten this fall. It’s covered with anime nature characters and little smiley faces. As we took the bus home we examined the backpack and discovered that one of the little smiling cartoon characters was carrying a gun. Discussion ensued, and we decided that taking a picture … Continue reading →

A Tribute to Alan Menken

When the Academy Award nominations were announced a few weeks ago, I discovered some surprises in the “Best Original Song” category. Two songs from “Princess and the Frog” made the list. I didn’t hide my lack of enthusiasm for Randy Newman’s work on Disney’s latest animated feature. I found nothing particularly repellant about the songs in the movie, but almost more importantly, I especially didn’t find anything memorable about them. As I said before, I couldn’t recall a single song from the movie even as I walked out of the theater minutes after the credits rolled. Do I just have … Continue reading →

Inside the Disney Limbo

After previewing “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” last week, I began wondering about the status of many other upcoming Disney films. While researching the movies Disney’s got on its production line, I discovered many promising titles (and some not so promising) that are currently in a state of limbo. A number of interesting projects are in various stages of halted production over at Disney right now. For today’s blog I thought I’d highlight some of these projects. “Enchanted 2” – All right, I’m cheating some here. The House of Mouse just announced that they plan to make a … Continue reading →