#Disney and Pixar’s Soul- RE-RELEASE

[hsmagazine254]

Mega Cinemas Kisumu Cinema Guide: 26th Jan-1st Feb 2024- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 3D

MEGA CINEMAS KISUMU Nakumatt Mega City, KISUMU KENYA   MOVIE OF THE WEEK Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 3D Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom- After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman forges an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of…

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Estimated $100m second weekend for INSIDE OUT 2... Really out here breaking some records, eh? Rare for a movie, and the first time for an animated movie, should the estimates be on the low end. Very possible the actual is like $98-99m, which is still very impressive, and only an approx. 35% drop.

If it gets over $100m over the three-day, it'll sit with all-timers THE FORCE AWAKENS, ENDGAME, INFINITY WAR, BLACK PANTHER, JURASSIC WORLD, and THE AVENGERS...

Really shows that the original INSIDE OUT is beloved after its blockbuster run in 2015, and it shows that audiences quite like this movie and are back for more. Might even make a play for INCREDIBLES 2's $608m domestic total, unadjusted of course. (The actual total in today's ticket prices is around $720m, per The-Numbers.) That would make it the highest-earning animated movie domestically, but right now, Pixar's Supers hold that title. Adjusted, it will always belong to SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.

But if anybody was gonna beat Pixar, it was gonna be Pixar. I don't see another studio getting a shot at this, maybe except cousin studio Disney Animation and their MOANA 2... Or DreamWorks if SHREK 5 really lands like a meteor in a few years from now.

Worldwide, INSIDE OUT 2 sits at $724m. Again, within two weeks of release. Already circling the original's $857m take. (Before anyone says it, the film saw a small re-release in July 2020 that pushed the take to... $858m. Know that I refer to original release grosses, lol.)

And with this movie doing so well, I see all the Chicken Little-ing... Over the wrong problem.

"We're NEVER getting an original movie from this studio again"

Okay... Let me try to debunk this.

I don't think an animation studio of this size can feasibly ONLY make sequels, because eventually... Wells run dry. Also, the people who yell this often online... Are they aware that ELIO exists and will be released next summer? Are they aware that Domee Shi, director of TURNING RED, has a new movie in the works at Pixar? (It's not ELIO, she is likely just doing story/script on that one.) Are they aware that Pixar has a movie slotted for release in late winter 2026 between ELIO and TOY STORY 5?

I'll tell you something funny... There was a fellow who insisted to me in December 2015 that Pixar was going to be done with original movies after THE GOOD DINOSAUR became the studio's first money-loser. That they'd put COCO on hold, and that would be it... LOL. This person also claimed to be a shareholder... That speaks volumes.

But no, really... You need to keep making untested or original movies in order to have things to make sequels to in the first place. And one of Pixar's recent losses was... A spin-off of TOY STORY featuring a version of one of their most recognizable, practically synonymous-with-their-name characters. Yeah, that epic movie about Lenny the binoculars!

So, please... Never making originals again? That's just a bad business plan and completely not feasible.

When originals/non-sequels don't meet the corporations' expectations (because I refuse to call SOUL, LUCA, TURNING RED and ELEMENTAL "flops" in any way, shape, or form... *Especially* the first three), the studios don't stop making them... They stop making them in a specific way.

Hence, Pete Docter - likely with Bob Iger pointing a gun at his head - saying Pixar won't make "autobiographical" movies anymore. Basically no more TURNING REDs, and more... Well, whatever the early 2026 movie is going to be. (Which is not this "Ducks" thing people keep insisting it is, as far as I know.)

The other studios do that, too. Off the top of my head... DreamWorks had a bunch of these fantasy movie in the works circa 2011. Stuff like THE GRIMM LEGACY, RUMBLEWICK, ALMA, fantastical stories with something of a darker bent to them. They were also considering adapting GIL'S ALL FRIGHT DINER... They had all these really cool movies in the works that would've redefined what a DreamWorks movie could be, post-SHREK. And then after a movie called RISE OF THE GUARDIANS lost money (even though it had good legs and became a cult hit thereafter), all of it never happened. ME AND MY SHADOW, which was in some form of production and was HOTLY anticipated by the animation community, got canceled. They proceeded to finish TURBO and MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN.

Both of which also "flopped"... I remember Jeffrey Katzenberg, when he was still running that place, saying something to the tune of: "Well those failed because we tried to aim at preteens and teenagers." Really? TURBO and PEABODY, which were overpriced to begin with, were aiming for that age group? The plan going forward was "We're going to make movies for kids and their parents." Whatever the hell that meant. Eventually, Comcast bought DreamWorks, a little over a year later. And the flightplan constantly changed after that.

Studios don't give up on movies that aren't sequels, they just re-route them. They find "reasons" for previous movie failures, and usually it's the fault of the filmmakers and the stories they chose to tell. It's never any outside circumstances, which are actually often the case with money-losing movies. The very movies that go on to be big on home video and streaming, and attain cult followings. With today's line of thinking, Walt Disney wouldn't have even gotten past PINOCCHIO's disastrous original release results.

So instead of yelling "we'll never get original movies again", I direct my energy elsewhere... And I say "Well, hopefully the future movies - both original and sequel - don't fall flat because of needless executive interference that attempts to *correct* a perceived problem." That to me is the issue, not the fantasy of Pixar completely stopping making original movies altogether.

[cbmnet]

#Pixar #Soul #Toonado

[thenerdsofcolor]

Disney Gives Proper Theatrical Releases to 'Soul,' 'Turning Red,' and 'Luca'

For the past three years, Soul, Turning Red, and Luca three of Pixar’s biggest films made their way to Disney+ due in large part to the pandemic. While the move took away the theatrical experience, it was imperative for public safety then. Now Disney has plans to re-release all on the big screen for all to see for a limited time. Continue reading Untitled

[galaxy98]

I'll go even further!

I know that I've been fixating on it for months, but Elemental is not only one of my favorite movies, it's also the biggest example of a movie that managed to overcome the odds that were stacked against them by being a sleeper hit.

And it all came down to succeeding the old fashion way: Word of mouth.

Take a look at any article from film analysts that talked about this movie and compare it to now. The consensus surrounding it was skeptical/negative right from the start.

They were predicting that it was going to flop hard on opening day, worse than Pixar's previous outing with Lightyear.

And it's not like the public response was any better.

If it wasn't for the horrible marketing that kept it focused on a gag character--can't even say they're a supporting character because they showed up for these 3 scenes as a set up and punchline--there was this perception that the movie was a "generic hetero romeo and juliet-esque zootopia story" based on the tired old premise of "What if X had feelings". There was also the way how they were showing off the animation in the trailers that made people think it wasn't unique.

Not helped that there were 2 movies that were being released around this time that made people feel that their feelings were proven right: Nimona and Across The Spiderverse.

With Nimona, it was obvious. It was a project that almost got shelved by Disney when BluSky was about to close its doors and it was a story that contained explicitly queer and anti-authoritarian themes. So when they look at that and the company's previous involvement in the Don't Say Gay Bill, Elemental became the unfortunate scapegoat in that regard.

With Spiderverse, it was a case of a movie that managed to show off multiple different art styles and on a lower budget compared to Pixar's. Of course, with hindsight being what it is we can confirm that there was more at play, but the point stands. If you show someone who watched ATSV first and then Elemental, they would rather gravitate towards the former because--to them--all the latter has to show for is the character physics on water, cloud, and fire people. That's it.

Which then leads to overall perception people have about Pixar as a whole. The perception that it's no longer the same creative powerhouse when the likes of Lasseter, Docter, Bird, and Stanton were at the helm. Hell! Some people were going around saying that Lasseter should come back even though he had left Disney in disgrace.

Then there were the practices that Disney was doing that ended up damaging the Pixar brand. Now I should stress that with the pandemic being what it is, there were a lot of reasons why they couldn't just release it in theaters. There was no vaccine and we were still trying to figure out how to mitigate COVID. But in doing so they ended up training their audiences to just wait for streaming. There was this growing fear that Pixar was being relegated to "content" instead of something that was worth going out to see in theaters. It only took a couple of bad circumstances for them to reconsider re-releasing Soul, Luca, and Turning Red in 2024.

Another thing that didn't help. They likely played the movie in the wrong environment with the wrong audience, I.E Cannes Film Festival. Which is ironic given the glowing reception it gotten years prior with Inside Out.

So....when you combine all of that, you're left with a movie that has a somewhat so-so reception and also once hold the record for the lowest opening in Pixar's history.

So what exactly happened afterwards?

Well....it kept going.

And going.

More people started watching it and came out of the theater thinking "You know what, that wasn't too bad"

As such they told their friends. And then their friends told their other friends.

Before you know it, the movie managed to hold its own by the second weekend.

In other words...

Elemental--a movie that had all this negativity surrounding it--had legs.

And every time it kept going, people were going around feeling bewildered that it had this much staying power.

By all accounts, it wasn't really an anomaly. But if you were to come up to someone who had a ton of experience in the industry, they would tell you that this is how movies used to succeed.

There wasn't all this concern about how a movie needed to make its budget back right out of the gate. In fact, that was one of the many things Martin Scorsese lamented about regarding the prioritization of the numbers rather than the art.

Film analysts couldn't predict it, box office couldn't predict it, Rotten Tomatoes couldn't predict it, studios couldn't predict it, and not even the public couldn't predict it.

Maybe in comparison to Nimona and Spiderverse, Elemental doesn't have much to show for.

Maybe in comparison to say...the movie Flee, the latter is more poignant because it's centered on a real life immigrant.

But--regardless of all of that--it spoke to a specific audience.

Myself included.

To me, that is the beauty of art.

@matt0044

Do Rotten Tomatoes and Box Office Scores even matter anymore for film analysis? Like does a general score or low return on money indicate low quality?

After Streaming and CO-VID, I'd surprise that films performing below expectations don't have an asterisk beside the reports with a "Not accounting of the still ongoing PLAGUE affecting theaters turn outs."

Plus, we all know that the whole "failed to meet expectations" stuff is a buuuuuuullshit statement made by cowardly executives who worship shareholders at the altar.

[aion-rsa]

Summer Movie Preview: From Black Widow to The Suicide Squad and Beyond

https://ift.tt/3fnRIQl

The summer movie season has returned. Finally. Once something we all just took for granted, like handshakes and indoor dining, a summertime season stuffed with pricy Hollywood blockbusters and cinematic escapism suddenly feels like a long lost friend. But, rest assured, the summer movie season is genuinely and truly here. It’s maybe a little later than normal, yet it’s still in time for Memorial Day in the States.

This is of course happy news since many of the big screen events of this year have been 12 months or more in the offing. A Quiet Place Part II was supposed to open two Marches ago, and In the Heights is opening almost an exact year to the day from its original release. They’re here now, as is an impressive assortment of new films. There are genre fans’ long lost superhero spectacles, with Black Widow and The Suicide Squad leading the pack (and Shang-Chi closing out the season unusually late in time for Labor Day weekend), and there are also horror movies like The Conjuring 3 and M. Night Shyamalan’s Old, aforementioned musicals, family adventures in Jungle Cruise, psychedelic Arthurian legends via The Green Knight, and a few legitimately original projects like Stillwater and Reminiscence. Imagine that!

So sit back, put your feet in the pool, or up by the grill pit, and toast with us the summer movie’s resurrection.

A Quiet Place Part II

May 28 (June 3 in the UK)

Fourteen months after its original release date, the first movie delayed by the pandemic is finally coming to theaters for Memorial Day weekend. And despite what some critics say (even our own), most of us would argue it’s worth the wait. As a movie about a family enduring after a global crisis that has left their lives in tatters, and marred by personal tragedy, A Quiet Place Part II hits differently in 2021 than it would have a year ago. And it’s undeniably optimistic view of humanity feels like a warm balm now.

But beyond the meta context, writer-director John Krasinski (flying solo as screenwriter this time) has engineered a series of intelligent and highly suspenseful set pieces which puts Millicent Simmonds’ Regan front and center. Also buoyed by subtle and affecting work by Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy, here as a neighbor they knew a few years and a lifetime ago, this is one worth dipping your toe back into cinema for, especially if you liked the first movie.

Cruella

May 28

We’ll admit it, we had the same initial skepticism you’re probably feeling about a Cruella de Vil origin story set in punk rock’s 1970s London. But put your cynicism aside, Disney’s Cruella is a decadent blast and the rarest of things: a live-action Disney remake that both honors its source material and does something creative with it. Neither a soulless scene-by-scene remake of a better animated film, or a lazy Maleficent like re-imagining, Cruella more often than not rocks, thanks in large part to its lead performance by Emma Stone.

Also a producer on the picture, Stone takes on the role of Cruella de Vil like it’ll be on an awards reel and absolutely flaunts the character’s madness and devilish charm. She also finds an excellent sparring partner via Emma Thompson, young Cruella’s very own Miranda Priestly. Once these two start their verbal battle at the end of the first act, the movie is elevated into an electric period comedy (with plenty of heavy handed period music). It’s a pseudo-thriller for all ages, enjoying some very sharp elbows for a kids movie.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

June 4 (May 26 in the UK)

The latest big-screen adventure for real-life ghostbusters Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) sees the two drawn into the unusual case of the first ever U.S. murder trial where the defendant claimed he was innocent because he was possessed by a demon. This is the eighth movie in The Conjuring expanded universe—director Michael Chaves has already made a foray into this supernatural world with The Curse of La Llorona—and as with all the main Conjuring films, the hook is that it’s (very loosely) based on a true case that the Warrens were involved with.

Peter Safran and James Wan are back on board as producers, although with this being the first time Wan isn’t directing one of the main Ed and Lorraine investigations, we’re a little cautious about this return to the haunted museum.

In the Heights

June 11 (June 18 in the UK)

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Tony award winning musical is getting the proper big screen treatment in In the Heights. A full-fledged movie musical—as opposed to a taped series of performances, a la Disney+’s Hamilton—In the Heights is like a sweet summer drink (or Piragua) and love letter to the Latino community of New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood.

Read more

Movies

Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century

By David Crow

Movies

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and the Perils of Taking on a Real Life Murder

By Rosie Fletcher

Closer in spirit to the feel-good summertime joy of Grease than the narratively complex Hamilton, this is perfect multiplex escapism (which will also be on HBO Max if you’re so inclined). Directed by Crazy Rich Asians’ Jon M. Chu, In the Heights has a euphoric sense of movement and dance as it transfers Miranda’s hybrid blend of freestyle rap, salsa rhythm, and Caribbean musical cues to the actual city blocks the show was written about. On one of those corners lives Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), a bodega owner with big dreams. He’s about to have the summer of his life. You might too.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

June 16 (June 21 in the UK)

You know Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a throwback when even its trailer brings back the “trailer voice.” But then the appeal of the 2017 B-action comedy, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, was its very throwback nature: a violent, raunchy R-rated buddy comedy that starred Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, who exchanged quips as much as bullets between some genuinely entertaining stunts.

Hopefully the sequel can also be as much lowbrow fun as it doubles down on the premise, with Reynolds’ Michael Bryce now guarding Samla Hayek’s Sonia, the wife of Jackson’s Darius. All three are on a road trip through Italy as they’re chased by Antonio Banderas in what is sure to be a series of bloody, explosive set pieces. Probably a few “motherf***ers” will be dropped too.

Luca

June 18

Pixar Studios’ hit rate is frankly incredible. With each new film seemingly comes a catchy song, an Oscar nomination, and a flood of tears from anyone with a heart—and there’s no reason to believe that its next offering will be any different. Luca is a coming-of-age tale set on the Italian Riviera about a pair of young lads who become best friends and have a terrific summer getting into adventures in the sun. The slight catch is that they’re both sea monsters.

Read more

Movies

How Luca Became the First Pixar Movie Made at Home

By Don Kaye

Movies

Pixar, Italian Style: Why Luca is Set in 1950s Italy

By Don Kaye

This is the feature directorial debut of Enrico Casarosa, who says the movie is a celebration of friendship with nods to the work of Federico Fellini and Hayao Miyazaki. The writers are Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones—Andrews is new to Pixar but has experience with coming-of-agers, having penned Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, while Jones co-wrote Soul. Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer voice the young boys (sea monsters)—13-year-old Luca and his older teenager friend Alberto—with Maya Rudolph as Luca’s sea monster mom. After a year of lockdown, this could be the summer movie we all need.

F9

June 25

You better start firing up the grill, because the Fast and Furious crew is finally ready to have another summer barbecue. And this time, it’s not only the folks whom Dom Toretto calls “mi familia” in attendance. The big new addition to F9 is 

John Cena as Jakob Toretto. As the long-lost little brother we didn’t know Vin Diesel’s Dom had, Jakob is revealed to be a superspy, assassin, and performance driver working for Dom’s arch-nemesis, Cypher (Charlize Theron). Everything the Family does together, Jakob does alone, as a one-man wrecking crew, and he’s coming in hot.

Fans will probably be happier, though, to see Sung Kang back as Han Seoul-Oh, the wheelman who was murdered in Fast & Furious 6, and then pretty much forgotten in The Fate of the Furious when his killer got invited to the cookout. It’s an injustice that brought veteran series director Justin Lin back to  the franchise to resurrect the dead. So it’s safe to assume he won’t be asking Cypher to bring the potato salad.

The Forever Purge

July 2 (July 16 in the UK)

We know what you’re thinking: Didn’t The Purge: Election Year end the Purge forever? That or “are they really still making these?” The answer to both questions is yes. Nevertheless, here we are with The Forever Purge, a movie which asks what happens if Purgers just, you know, committed extravagant holiday crime on the other 364 days of the year? You get what is hopefully the grand finale of this increasingly tired concept.

The Tomorrow War

July 2

Hear me out: What if it’s like The Terminator but in reverse? That had to be the pitch for this one, right? In The Tomorrow War, instead of evil cyborgs time traveling to the past to kill our future savior, soldiers from the future time travel to the past to enlist our current best warrior and take him to a world on the brink 30 years from now.

It’s a crazy premise, and the kind of high-concept popcorn that one imagines Chris Pratt excels at. Hence Pratt’s casting as Dan, one of the best soldiers of the early 21st century who’ll go into the future to stop an alien invasion. The supporting cast, which includes Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, and Sam Richardson, is also nothing to sneeze at.

Black Widow

July 9

The idea of making a Black Widow movie has been around since long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe first lifted into the sky on Tony Stark’s repulsors. The character has been onscreen for more than a decade now, and Marvel Studios has for too long danced around making a solo Widow, at least in part due to the machinations of Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter.

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Movies

How Black Widow Could Build The MCU’s Future

By Kayti Burt

Movies

Upcoming Marvel Movies Release Dates: MCU Phase 4 Schedule, Cast, and Story Details

By Mike Cecchini and 1 other

But the standalone Black Widow adventure is here at last, and it now serves as a sort-of coda to the story of Natasha Romanoff, since we already know her tragic fate in Avengers: Endgame. Directed by Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome, Lore), the movie will spell out how Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) kept herself busy between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, primarily with a trip home to Russia to clear some of that red from her ledger.

There, she will reunite with figures from her dark past, including fellow Red Room alumnus Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Russian would-be superhero Alexei Shostakov, aka the Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), another survivor of the Black Widow program and a maternal figure to Natasha and Yelena.

It’s a chance to say goodbye to Nat and see Johansson as the beloved Avengers one more time. But this being Marvel, we suspect that the studio has a few tricks up its sleeve and in this movie about the future of Phase 4.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

July 16

In the annals of synergistic branding, Space Jam: A New Legacy might be one for the record books. A sequel to an older millennials’ 1990s touchstones—the thoroughly mediocre Michael Jordan meets Bugs Bunny movie, Space Jam—this sequel sees LeBron James now trapped in Looney Tunes world… but wait, there’s more! Instead of only charmingly interacting with WB’s classic stable of cartoon characters, King James will also be in the larger “WB universe” where the studio will resurrect from the dead every property they own the copyright to, from MGM’s classic 1939 The Wizard of Oz to, uh, the murderous rapists in A Clockwork Orange.

… yay for easter eggs?

Old

July 23

Though he might be accused of being a little bit hit-and-miss in the past, the release of a new M. Night Shyamalan movie should always be cause for celebration. Especially one with such a deeply creepy premise. Based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters, Old sees a family on vacation discover that the beach they are on causes them to age extremely rapidly and live out their entire lives in a day.

This is surely perfect fodder for Shyamalan, who does high-concept horror like no one else. The cast is absolute quality, featuring Gael García Bernal, Hereditary’s Alex Wolff, Jo Jo Rabbit’s Thomasin McKenzie, Phantom Thread’s Vicky Krieps, Little Women’s Eliza Scanlen, and many more. The trailer is pleasingly disturbing too as children become teenagers, a young woman is suddenly full-term pregnant, and adults seem to be decaying in front of their own eyes. Harrowing in the best possible way.

Snake Eyes

July 23 (August 20 in the UK)

Snake Eyes will finally bring us the origin story of the G.I. Joe franchise’s most iconic and beloved member. Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) stars in the title role, with Warrior’s Andrew Koji as his nemesis—conflicted baddie (and similar fan fave) Storm Shadow. Expect a tale heavy on martial arts badassery, especially with The Raid’s Iko Uwais on board as the pair’s ninja master. Samara Weaving will play G.I. Joe staple Scarlett after her breakout a few years ago in Ready or Not, while Úrsula Corberó has been cast as Cobra’s Baroness. Robert Schwentke (The Time Traveler’s Wife, Red) directs.

Jungle Cruise

July 30

Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra is best known for making slightly dodgy actioners starring Liam Neeson (Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night) and half-decent horror movies (Orphan, The Shallows), so exactly which direction this family adventure based on a theme park ride will take remains to be seen.

Borrowing a page and premise from Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen (1951), Jungle Cruise stars the ever-charismatic Dwayne Johnson as a riverboat captain taking Emily Blunt’s scientist and her brother (Jack Whitehall) to visit the fabled Tree of Life in the early 20th century. Like the ride, the gang will have to watch out for wild animals along the way.

Unlike the ride, they’re competing with a German expedition team who are heading for the same goal. A solid supporting cast (Jesse Plemons, Édgar Ramírez, Paul Giamatti, Andy Nyman) and a script with rewrites by Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049) might mean Disney has another hit on its hands. Either way, a lovely boat trip with The Rock should be diverting at worst.

The Green Knight

July 30 (August 6 in the UK)

There have been several major Hollywood reimaginings of Arthurian legends in the 21st century. And every one of them has been thoroughly rotten for one reason or another. Luckily, David Lowery’s The Green Knight looks poised to break the trend with a trippy, but twistedly faithful, interpretation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain, a chivalrous knight in King Arthur’s court who takes up the challenge of the mysterious Green Knight (The Witch’s Ralph Ineson under mountains of makeup): He’ll swing a blow and risk receiving a returning strike in a year’s time. Gawain attempts to cheat the devil by cutting his head clean off, yet when the Green Knight lifts his severed head from Camelot’s floors, things start to get weird. As clearly one of A24’s biggest visual fever dreams to date, this is one we’re highly anticipating.

Stillwater

July 30 (August 6 in the UK)

The Oscar winning-writer director behind Spotlight, Tom McCarthy, returns to the big screen with a fictional story that feels awfully similar to real world events. In this film, Matt Damon plays Bill, a proud father who saw his daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) go abroad to study in France. After she’s accused of murdering her roommate by local authorities, the deeply Southern and deeply Oklahoman father must travel to a foreign land to try and prove his daughter’s innocence.

It obviously has some parallels with the Amanda Knox story but it also looks like a potentially hard hitting original drama with a talented cast. Fingers crossed.

The Suicide Squad

August 6 (July 30 in the UK)

You might have seen a Suicide Squad movie in the past, but you’ve never seen James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. With a liberating R-rating and an old school vision from the Guardians of the Galaxy director—who likens this to 1960s war capers, such as The Dirty Dozen or Where Eagles Dare—this Suicide Squad is absolutely stacked with talented actors wallowing in DC weirdness. One of the key players in this is Polka-Dot Man, another is a walking, talking Great White Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone. The villain is a Godzilla-sized starfish from space!

Read more

Movies

Margot Robbie Wants Poison Ivy to Join Harley Quinn in the DCEU

By Kayti Burt

Movies

What to Expect from the Candyman Reimagining

By David Crow

So like it’s namesake, there’s probably a lot of characters who aren’t going to pull through this one. Even so, we can rest easy knowing that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn will be as winsome than ever, and the likes of Idris Elba and John Cena will add some dynamic gravitas to the eccentric DC Extended Universe.

Free Guy

August 13

Perhaps pitched as The Truman Show for the video game age, Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds as an easygoing, happy-go-lucky “Guy” who discovers… he’s a video game NPC living inside the equivalent of a Grand Theft Auto video game. This might explain why the bank he works at keeps getting robbed all the time. But as a virtual sprite who’s developed sentiency, he just might be able to win over enough gamers to not shoot him, and make love not war.

It’s an amusing premise, and hopefully director Shawn Levy can bring to it the same level of charm he achieved with the very first Night at the Museum movie.

Respect

August 13 (September 10 in the UK)

Before her passing in 2018, Aretha Franklin gave her blessing to Jennifer Hudson to play the Queen of Soul. Now that musical biopic is here with Hudson hitting the same high notes of the legend who sang such standards as “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Think,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and of course “Respect.”

The film comes with a lot of expectation and a lot of pedigree, with Forest Whitaker and Audra McDonald in the cast. Most of all though, it comes with that rich musical library, which will surely take center stage. And if movies like Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman have taught us anything, it’s that moviegoers love when you play the hits.

Reminiscence

August 20 (August 18 in the UK)

Lisa Joy is one of the most exciting voices on television today. One-half of the creative team behind Westworld, Joy steps into her own with her directorial debut (and as the solo writer) in Reminiscence, a science fiction film with a reliably knotty premise.

Hugh Jackman plays Nick Bannister, a man who lives in a dystopian future where the oceans have risen and the cities are crumbling. In a declining Miami, he sells a risky new technology that allows you to relive your past (and possibly change it, at least fancifully?). But when he discovers the lost love of his life (Rebecca Ferguson) is cropping up in other peoples’ memories, which seem to implicate her in a murder, well… things are bound to start getting weird. We don’t know a whole lot more, but we cannot wait to find out more.

Candyman

August 27

Announced back in 2018, this spiritual sequel to Bernard Rose’s 1992 original is one of the most exciting and anticipated movies on the calendar. Produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, the film takes place in the present day and about a decade after Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing projects have been torn down. Watchmen’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays an up-and-coming visual artist who moves to the now-gentrified area with his partner and is inspired by the legend of Candyman, an apparition with a hook for a hand, to create new work about the subject. But in doing so, he risks unleashing a dark history and a new wave of violence.

Tony Todd, the star of the original movie, will also reprise his role in a reboot that aims to inspire fear for only the right reasons.

The Beatles: Get Back

August 27

Director Peter Jackson thinks folks have a poisoned idea about the Beatles in their final days. Often portrayed as divided and antagonistic toward one another during the recordings of their last albums, particularly Let It Be (which was their penultimate studio recording and final release), Jackson insists this misconception is influenced by Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary named after the album.

So, after going through the reams of footage Lindsay-Hogg shot but didn’t use, Jackson has crafted this new documentary about the album’s recording which is intended to paint a fuller (and more feel-good) portrait of the band which changed the world. Plus, the music’s going to be great… 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

September 3

The greatest fighter in Marvel history finally hits the big screen with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Simu Liu (Kim’s Convenience) takes on the title role of a character destined for a bright future in the MCU. Marvel fans might note that the “Ten Rings” of the title is the same organization that first appeared all the way back in Iron Man, and Tony Leung will finally bring their villainous leader, The Mandarin, to life. Awkwafina of The Farewell and Crazy Rich Asians fame also stars. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12), this should deliver martial arts action unlike anything we’ve seen so far in the MCU.

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[kylekozmikdeluxo]

RIP Blue Sky Studios...

Established in February 1987... Iconic commercials, early innovation in CGI, packed to the brim with top talent, a rare East Coast-based house, and one of the first studios in a post-Don Bluth age to really challenge Disney and Pixar in the feature animation field...

Gone.

Once a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company had them since early 2019 after the acquisition of their parent company. It looked as if Disney was going to keep them around, despite already having two powerhouse animation studios making family features for them. I wondered back in the day if Disney could rebrand Blue Sky as a sort-of outre little studio that did more experimental, quirky fare as opposed to the more digestible works of Disney Animation and Pixar.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, signs were rather troubling. Despite a management change, you had the rather ho-hum marketing for SPIES IN DISGUISE. To me, Disney sort-of let that one disappear between FROZEN II and STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. I found SPIES IN DISGUISE to be a fun little movie, with a timely pacifist message and memorable gags. Sadly, it did not make its money back. Even more troubling was the constant delaying of NIMONA, an adaptation of Noelle Stevenson’s webcomic of the same name from FEAST and PEARL director Patrick Osborne. From the rumblings I’ve heard, it looked to be an innovative CG film and a next-level family film in general. Like a next SPIDER-VERSE. It was to be released January 14, 2022. 70% of the film was completed by this point... It is no longer a reality, Blue Sky is done...

450+ animators and staffers out of a job during an awful worldwide crisis...

Why couldn’t The Walt Disney Company just sell off Blue Sky Studios to a distributor looking for more animation to stock up on? If they didn’t need more than two animation studios (see the shuttering of their own Disneytoon Studios in early 2018), why shutter them and wait so long to do so? I know that absorbing competition and killing it is nothing new, but this is **expletive** for a multitude of reasons. Multiple talent out of a job, more movies and work squashed, a nearly-completed film likely dead. (It would be great if it was instead on the market, so that someone could snatch it up and complete it, but we shall see...)

Blue Sky Studios were no slouches. ICE AGE established them, big time. In fact, I’d say they helped show the industry that the features world wasn’t just Disney’s game anymore. Disney had seen rivals in feature animation in the past, notably Don Bluth and Ralph Bakshi, but they continued through the decades while Bluth and Bakshi’s feature opportunities waned. Blue Sky, alongside DreamWorks and a fledgling Sony Pictures Animation, changed that, and they were here to stay. And it’s quite sad that Disney had to acquire this notable studio and shut them down, they would’ve thrived elsewhere because of the success of their previous work and the amount of talent they have/had over the years.

They have a pretty distinct body of work, too. ROBOTS, HORTON HEARS A WHO!, RIO, EPIC, THE PEANUTS MOVIE, FERDINAND, SPIES IN DISGUISE. Some of them, I’d argue, were quite innovative. ICE AGE stabbed at cartoony, Looney Tunes-esque humor and visual design. The work in that movie rung more Warner Bros. than it did Disney or something more naturalistic in design. Their later work embraced that kind of outlook as well, but you started seeing other studios doing this as well: DreamWorks with MADAGASCAR, Sony Animation with OPEN SEASON and CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, and so on. The antithesis to the ever-more-realistic Pixar styles. Then Blue Sky just straight up redefined the computer animated feature with THE PEANUTS MOVIE, which not only kept the comic strip aesthetic of Charles Schulz’s iconic characters and world, but adapted them to a computer animated world while doing something new in the process. PEANUTS MOVIE, along with similar pictures like THE BOOK OF LIFE and CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, are indeed stepping stones to SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE and what lies beyond that feature. In short, Blue Sky played a big part in computer animation showing that it didn’t just have to look like Pixar movies, or most other computer animated works that were out at the time of ICE AGE’s early 2002 release.

Who knows where that could’ve all gone. NIMONA looked to be something new and exciting, something to really push things forward and widen the computer animation canvas. A musical called FOSTER also sounded like it had potential. When TWDC acquired 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), Fox Animation in general had several animated films in development, hoping to branch out beyond their one studio... All of that seemingly died after the Disney acquisition, with only Blue Sky and a couple of Fox primetime TV-showed based movies (i.e. THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE, another - and inevitable - SIMPSONS picture) left. Now Blue Sky is gone. More animation, gutted. And for what? Disney didn’t have to do this...

It’s even more egregious when you consider where Disney was in 1991... As opposed to now, 2021...

Think of this... Under the controversial Michael Eisner, The Walt Disney Company was willing to sink a massive amount of money into a project that had already been cancelled. Said project was given to blockbuster king Steven Spielberg, hit director Robert Zemeckis, and animation mastermind Richard Williams. This was not even a few years after Disney was a quiet establishment being circled by corporate raiders that could’ve ended them for good... And what came of it. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. An innovative animation-live action hybrid movie for a more adult audience. One of the biggest films of 1988, a bonafide blockbuster that Disney hadn’t seen in years, and more than lit the fuse of animation’s 2nd Golden Age.

Then, in 1990, a former animator of theirs turned big-time director realizes that a short story he wrote while at the company was still owned by them. That man was Tim Burton, and he expressed interest in revisiting that poem. A studio was set up, with similarly outre director and former Disney animator Henry Selick taking the helm. The result was an innovative stop-motion film that leaned more towards horror and German expressionism than something like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST did. The result was THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in 1993. A respectable hit then, an iconic classic today. Without NIGHTMARE, would have ever gotten future stop-motion efforts like CHICKEN RUN and everything Laika has made?

Finally, in 1991, Disney makes a three-picture deal with a small computer graphics studio based out of Marin County. One of their main guys was a former Disney animator as well, similarly outed for being too ambitious. Their plan? Make the world’s first all computer-animated movie. That studio was Pixar, their first movie was TOY STORY. Need I say more?

The Disney of today would’ve never in these three instances. Blue Sky could’ve been their chance to really make some kind of a splash in a post-SPIDER-VERSE world. Various shorts made at Disney Animation (including Osborne’s own FEAST) suggested this, and some Pixar shorts as well... But nothing really came of this. In terms of features being put out by Disney Animation and Pixar, only parts of MOANA, INSIDE OUT, and SOUL put this kind of thing in a long-form format. Blue Sky, who operated on smaller budgets, could’ve been their arm for more experimental feature animation. I say this because while Disney doesn’t need to hog up animation, Blue Sky was owned by them, and I felt the best way to go about this was to re-establish them as a more experimental studio. Make the most of it, you know? But no, they had to shut it all down.

When a studio shuts down, I feel a chunk of the animation world is just broken right off... While some of the artists are apparently being welcomed into various Disney houses, it sucks to see a studio with its own identity and output gone. Of course, my hope is that everyone employed there will have somewhere to go by April (when the studio shuts down completely) and that maybe, just maybe a new studio could be formed up from the remains. (Think Don Bluth setting up shop upon his departure from Disney in 1979.) Somebody has to get their happy ending, right? I know it’s moot asking for such a thing in this hellscape business of massive octopus conglomerates engulfing everything into their eight tentacles, but...

I wish everyone involved well, and that they’ll prosper afterwards. I certainly hope the 3/4 completed NIMONA doesn’t remain unfinished. (Netflix? Someone?) I hope to see some good come out of this...

[everydisneymovie]

THE LIST

Post #2

3/1/2020

Let’s get this out of the way: Every theatrically released Disney movie. A [X] near a movie means I have already seen it, but I will still be re-watching it for this project.

A [(number)] near a movie means it has been watched and reviewed so far.

Some movies were added to fit the rules, such as the High school musical movies and the March of the Penguins Movie.

Let’s do this:

1930’s

Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons [11] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [30]

1940’s

Pinocchio [21] Fantasia [25] The Reluctant Dragon [16] Dumbo [27] Bambi [32] Saludos Amigos [19] Victory Through Air Power [20] The Three Caballeros [17] Make Mine Music [17] Song of the South [12] Fun and Fancy Free [14] Melody Time [14] So Dear to My Heart [21] The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad [22]

1950’s

Cinderella [16] Treasure Island Alice in Wonderland [X] The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men Peter Pan [X] The Sword and the Rose The Living Desert Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue The Vanishing Prairie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier Lady and the Tramp [X] The African Lion The Littlest Outlaw The Great Locomotive Chase Davy Crockett and the River Pirates Secrets of Life Westward Ho the Wagons! Johnny Tremain Perri Old Yeller [X] The Light in the Forest White Wilderness Tonka Sleeping Beauty [X] The Shaggy Dog  Darby O'Gill and the Little People Zorro the Avenger Third Man on the Mountain

1960’s

Toby Tyler [X] Kidnapped Pollyanna [X] The Sign of Zorro Jungle Cat Ten Who Dared Swiss Family Robinson [X] One Hundred and One Dalmatians [X] The Absent-Minded Professor The Parent Trap [X] Nikki, Wild Dog of the North Greyfriars Bobby Babes in Toyland Moon Pilot Bon Voyage! Big Red [X] Almost Angels The Legend of Lobo In Search of the Castaways Son of Flubber Miracle of the White Stallions Savage Sam Summer Magic The Incredible Journey The Sword in the Stone [X] A Tiger Walks The Misadventures of Merlin Jones The Three Lives of Thomasina The Moon-Spinners Mary Poppins Emil and the Detectives Those Calloways The Monkey's Uncle That Darn Cat! The Ugly Dachshund Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. The Fighting Prince of Donegal Follow Me, Boys! Monkeys, Go Home! The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin The Gnome-Mobile The Jungle Book [X] Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar The Happiest Millionaire Blackbeard's Ghost The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band Never a Dull Moment The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit The Love Bug Smith! Rascal The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

1970’s

King of the Grizzlies The Boatniks The Wild Country The Aristocats [X] The Barefoot Executive Scandalous John The Million Dollar Duck Bedknobs and Broomsticks The Biscuit Eater Now You See Him, Now You Don't Napoleon and Samantha Run, Cougar, Run Snowball Express The World's Greatest Athlete Charley and the Angel One Little Indian Robin Hood [X] Superdad Herbie Rides Again The Bears and I The Castaway Cowboy The Island at the Top of the World The Strongest Man in the World Escape to Witch Mountain The Apple Dumpling Gang One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures Ride a Wild Pony No Deposit, No Return Treasure of Matecumbe Gus The Shaggy D.A. Freaky Friday The Littlest Horse Thieves The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh A Tale of Two Critters The Rescuers [X] Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo Pete's Dragon Candleshoe Return from Witch Mountain The Cat from Outer Space Hot Lead and Cold Feet The North Avenue Irregulars The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again Unidentified Flying Oddball The Black Hole The London Connection

1980’s

Midnight Madness The Watcher in the Woods Herbie Goes Bananas The Last Flight of Noah's Ark Popeye The Devil and Max Devlin Amy Dragonslayer The Fox and the Hound Condorman Night Crossing Tron Tex Trenchcoat Something Wicked This Way Comes Never Cry Wolf Return to Oz The Black Cauldron [X] The Journey of Natty Gann One Magic Christmas The Great Mouse Detective [X] Flight of the Navigator Benji the Hunted Return to Snowy River Oliver & Company [X] Honey, I Shrunk the Kids [X] Cheetah The Little Mermaid [X]

1990’s

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp The Rescuers Down Under White Fang Shipwrecked Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken The Rocketeer [X] Beauty and the Beast [X] Newsies [X] Honey, I Blew Up the Kid The Mighty Ducks Aladdin [X] The Muppet Christmas Carol [X] Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey A Far Off Place The Adventures of Huck Finn Hocus Pocus Cool Runnings [X] The Three Musketeers Iron Will Blank Check [X] D2: The Mighty Ducks White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf The Lion King [X] Angels in the Outfield Squanto: A Warrior's Tale The Santa Clause [X] The Jungle Book Heavyweights [X] Man of the House Tall Tale A Goofy Movie Pocahontas Operation Dumbo Drop A Kid in King Arthur's Court The Big Green Frank and Ollie Toy Story [X] Tom and Huck Muppet Treasure Island [X] Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco James and the Giant Peach [X] The Hunchback of Notre Dame [X] First Kid D3: The Mighty Ducks 101 Dalmatians [X] That Darn Cat Jungle 2 Jungle Hercules [X] George of the Jungle [X] Air Bud [X] RocketMan Flubber [X] Mr. Magoo Meet the Deedles Mulan [X] The Parent Trap [X] Air Bud: Golden Receiver I'll Be Home for Christmas A Bug's Life [X] Mighty Joe Young My Favorite Martian Doug's 1st Movie [X] Endurance  Tarzan [X] Inspector Gadget [X] The Straight Story Toy Story 2 [X]

2000’s

Fantasia 2000 The Tigger Movie [X] Dinosaur [X] Disney's The Kid Remember the Titans 102 Dalmatians The Emperor's New Groove [X] Recess: School's Out [X] Atlantis: The Lost Empire [X] The Princess Diaries Max Keeble's Big Move Monsters, Inc. [X] Snow Dogs Return to Never Land The Rookie Lilo & Stitch [X] The Country Bears Tuck Everlasting The Santa Clause 2 [X] Treasure Planet [X] The Jungle Book 2  Piglet's Big Movie [X] Ghosts of the Abyss Holes [X] The Lizzie McGuire Movie Finding Nemo [X] Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl [X] Freaky Friday [X] Brother Bear The Haunted Mansion [X] The Young Black Stallion Teacher's Pet [X] Miracle Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Home on the Range [X] Sacred Planet Around the World in 80 Days America's Heart and Soul The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement The Incredibles [X] National Treasure [X] Aliens of the Deep Pooh's Heffalump Movie [X] The Pacifier [X] Ice Princess Herbie: Fully Loaded [X] Sky High [X] Valiant [X] The Greatest Game Ever Played Chicken Little The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [X] Glory Road Roving Mars Eight Below [X] The Shaggy Dog The Wild [X] Cars [X] Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest [X] Invincible The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D [X] The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause [X] Bridge to Terabithia Meet the Robinsons  [X] Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End [X] Ratatouille [X] Underdog [X] The Pixar Story The Game Plan Le Premier Cri Enchanted [X] National Treasure: Book of Secrets [X] Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert College Road Trip The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Dasavathaaram WALL-E [X] Beverly Hills Chihuahua Morning Light (High School Musical) [X] (High School Musical 2) [X] High School Musical 3: Senior Year Bolt [X] Bedtime Stories [X] Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience Race to Witch Mountain Hannah Montana: The Movie Earth Trail of the Panda Up [X] Lilly the Witch: The Dragon and the Magic Book G-Force [X] Walt & El Grupo The Book of Masters Disney's A Christmas Carol Old Dogs The Princess and the Frog [X]

2010’s

Alice in Wonderland [X] Waking Sleeping Beauty Oceans Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Toy Story 3 [X] The Sorcerer's Apprentice The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos Secretariat Do Dooni Chaar Tangled [X] The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story Tron: Legacy Anaganaga O Dheerudu Lilly the Witch: The Journey to Mandolan Mars Needs Moms Zokkomon African Cats Prom Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [X] Cars 2 Winnie the Pooh The Muppets [X] John Carter Chimpanzee Arjun: The Warrior Prince Brave [X] The Odd Life of Timothy Green Frankenweenie Wreck-It Ralph [X] Oz the Great and Powerful Wings of Life Monsters University [X] The Lone Ranger [X] Planes Frozen [X] Saving Mr. Banks [X] Muppets Most Wanted [X] Bears Million Dollar Arm Maleficent Planes: Fire & Rescue Khoobsurat Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Big Hero 6 [X] Into the Woods [X] McFarland, USA Cinderella Monkey Kingdom Tomorrowland Inside Out [X] (ABCD) ABCD 2 The Good Dinosaur The Finest Hours Zootopia [X] The Jungle Book Tini: The Movie Alice Through the Looking Glass Finding Dory The BFG Pete's Dragon Queen of Katwe Moana [X] Growing Up Wild Dangal (March of the Penguins?) [X] L'Empereur - March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step Beauty and the Beast [X] Born in China Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Cars 3 Ghost of the Mountains Jagga Jasoos Coco [X] Expedition China A Wrinkle in Time Incredibles 2 [X] Christopher Robin The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Ralph Breaks the Internet Mary Poppins Returns Dumbo Penguins Aladdin Toy Story 4 [X] The Lion King Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Lady and the Tramp Noelle Frozen II One Day at Disney Togo

2020’s

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

There are about 431 movies on this list and I have seen about 124 of them, for a total of 28.7% of all Disney movies.

This should be a nightmare.

[joyfulprincessdragonlover54]

Do you have a favorite book--one that you could read multiple times? If not, what about a movie or tv show?

Hello again my friend.   Was this meant to exclude How to Train Your Dragon (or Disney/Pixar) so you could hear about what other pieces of fiction I am a massive fan of that don’t appear on my Tumblr?  If so, I still have answers for you.  But being brutually honest though.  The How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is my all time favorite story.  Never could tire of it. If you want I can always send you the link to my “What HTTYD means to Me” post through the pm system.  Even if that one is older and in need of polishing.  That’s up to you.   But back to other options you might be curious to hear about.   

My all time favorite novel (rather in this case it is a novella) is Washiongton Square by Henry James.  A rather simple plot to be spun out about how a plain looking young heiress in mid 1800′s New York comes into conflict between her domineering father and a man she is infatuated with is really a gold digger. This is where I discovered that books are treasures beyond comphrension.  When plots such as this that are considered so simple can in fact be filled with absorbing descriptions and crackling dialogue. Only to later to discover what kind of pungent questions they leave you with in their wake.  It has capitvated me for the past decade.  Henry’s prose is so elegant but his characters speak with such a force I find it addicting to re-visit.  Granted I also admit that the way people spoke in older centuries is fascinating as it is. But there’s something mind boggling as it is delightful to read what Mr. James put into a narrative.  This one in particular of his earlier publications holds my attenition because of his minisucle details to recognzing women’s lack of rights and the instintcual desire to garner freedom without ever going full fledged blunt on this controversial topic at the time is an artistic approach to such a signifcant matter.  Unlike another famous (and infamous) story called The Doll House by Henrik Ibsen who was so direct with this it gave the audience whiplash.  Henry James was so gentle and subtle it needed time to simmer but he was being vocal about the concerns of a woman’s position in society.  The questions I myself still ponder about what would have happened to me if I was born back then and would I have been more like this story’s leading lady. Who starts off the epitome of a damsel in distress who is so meak it makes contempories today feel sick to their stomoach. Only for her arc to forge from that pestering Mary Sue type into a person while deemed a “spinster” in that time period to what many today would call a heroine.  Her transition from stereotypical timid shy girl who blushes into a woman who defies society’s expectations without ever being crass about it is a deeply rewarding story to read in my opinion.  

The film I can re-watch and never tire of now that I think about it shares configurations to Washington Square on a philosphical level.   It’s also considered to be one of the 2000′s biggest film flops and most hated by mainstream audiences.  For good measure, it also infuriated historians.  Needless to say that ever since I saw this film in the cinema back in 2005. It has touched me profoudly.  Even if the screenplay took liberties.  Then again, I still love watching Disney’s Pocahontas and not feel guilty about it. Now you may be asking yourself what does that have to do with anything? Well the film I am referring to is called The New World.  A film that dives into the account of her life on a longer and heavier scale.  Released more then a decade after Disney tackeled their own version. Acclaimed filmmaker and writer Terrance Malick (who actually did enjoy the Disney film much to the suprise of many)   decided he would take his dormant script he started to brainstorm in the late 70′s  and bring into life on his own terms.  Now I’m not sure if you are familiar with any of Mr. Malick’s work.  But he has a very specific form of shooting and editing his movies.  In a nutshell, his films  are considered slow and even dull by the mainstream as there is very little dialogue, action and even his  color scheme is mostly made up of brown and/or grey.  He also likes to hone in on what are seemingly random shots of nature. Leaves blowing in the wind, sunlight coming in through the tree branches and water flowing in creeks. But for me. This presnentation of filmmaking for this story was poetic.  I loved how it evolved with a film score that was essentially a collection of classical music and only occasional narration by it’s lead characters.  The editing of Pocahontas’s journey as a free spirited young teen into a woman as she encounters a life filled with fascinating discovery, sensual desire, agonizing despair, new found love and the resurrgence of joy.  Q’orianka Kilcher who portrays her in the film is outstanding! It was her acting debut but you would never know it with how she carries the weight of the film by her shoulders. It was effortless.  The film features a great ensamble cast spead out by people Pocahontas meets and is surround by over the years. They include Colin Farrel, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, and David Thewlis. All are commendable. Still, this story belongs to Ms. Kilcher’s character and she does an exquiste job of holding the story thread together. I try to keep my opinion from venturing into the “This should have had an Oscar” chatter. Not in this case however.  I saw all of the leading actresses that held the main accolade attention that year.  All were great in their own right but I would be lying if I said I didn’t believe that there were performances that were over-rated. Q’orianka did something so magnificent (and bare in mind she did it while internalizing dialague)  she created a full flesh and blood human being whose story is now legend and gave it 1000% soul.  I can’t say that every woman nominated provided that. There’s also a quote (from the novel Corelli’s Mandolin) that I love to share with people when I like to describe how the screenplay juggled the love triangle in this story.  The maturity and depth of how it unfurled and evolved I find that most romance stories lack.  “Love is like a volcano. It errupts and then subsides. When it subsides you have to make a decision.  You have to decide if your roots are entwinded together that it is inconceivable should ever part. For that is what love is. It is not breathless. It is not excitement. It is not the promulgation of eternal passion. For that is just ‘being in love’ which any of us can convince ourselves we are.  Love itself is what’s left over after ‘being in love’ has burned away. “  This quote matches ideally to this specifc film’s theme of love and how to value it. I really do think this is one of the greatest represenations of love for not only another person.  But for re-discovering one’s self-identity in a world that craves to put constraints on it.  This film may be at times emotionally difficult to watch but seeing it unfold and going through all of these heartaches to come out the other side makes me feel as if I have had a reprieve. I love how Terrance Malick’s off kilter filming and editing depicts this beautiful age old adage.   :)  

[mickeyisprocrastinating]

Comic Books Releases for June 13th 2018

MARVEL COMICS Deadpool Assassin #1 Domino #3 Exiles #4 Hunt For Wolverine Adamantium Agenda #2 Infinity Countdown Darkhawk #2 (Of 4) Marvel Rising Alpha #1 Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 New Mutants Dead Souls #4 (Of 6) Old Man Logan #41 Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #305 Punisher #226 Quicksilver No Surrender #2 (Of 5) S.H.I.E.L.D. By Hickman And Weaver #6 (Of 6) Spider-Man Deadpool #34 Star Wars Darth Vader #17 Star Wars Thrawn #5 (Of 6) Thor #1 True Believers Ant-Man And The Wasp On The Trail Of Spider-Man #1 True Believers Ant-Man And The Wasp 'Til Death Do Us Part #1 Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #33 Venom #2 Weeknd Presents Starboy Volume 1 #1 X-Men Blue #29

DC COMICS Batman Prelude To The Wedding Batgirl Vs The Riddler #1 Detective Comics #982 Eternity Girl #4 (Of 6) Flash #48 Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps #46 Hawkman #1 Immortal Men #3 Man Of Steel #3 Mister Miracle #9 (Of 12) New Super-Man And The Justice League Of China #24 Plastic Man #1 (Of 6) Red Hood And The Outlaws #23 Scooby Apocalypse #26 Sideways #5 Suicide Squad #43 Teen Titans Go Their Greatest Hijinks Titans Special #1 Wildstorm Michael Cray #8 Wonder Woman #48

IDW PUBLISHING 30 Days Of Night #6 (Of 6) Back To The Future Tales From The Time Train #6 My Little Pony The Cutie Re-Mark Tangled #2 (Of 3) Transformers Lost Light #18

IMAGE COMICS Analog #3 Bloodstrike #0 Copperhead #19 Dead Hand #3 Death Of Love #5 (Of 5) Dry County #4 Fix #12 I Hate Fairyland #19 Kick-Ass #5 Mage The Hero Denied #9 (Of 15) Magic Order #1 (Of 6) Monstress #17 Oblivion Song By Kirkman And De Felici #4 Port Of Earth #6 Proxima Centauri #1 (Of 6) Rose #12 Stellar #1 Weatherman #1 Witchblade #6

BOOM! STUDIOS Adventure Time Comics #24 By Night #1 (Of 5) Coda #1 (Of 12) Jim Henson's Labyrinth Coronation #1 (Of 12) Mech Cadet Yu #9 Robocop Citizens Arrest #3

DARK HORSE COMICS B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know #7 Disney Pixar The Incredibles 2 Heroes At Home HC Gantz G Volume 1 Hellboy The Complete Short Stories Volume 1 Neil Gaiman's American Gods My Ainsel #4 Plants Vs Zombies Volume 10 Rumble At Lake Gumbo Resident Alien An Alien In New York #3 (Of 4) Tomb Raider Inferno #1 (Of 4) World Of Tanks Citadel #2 (Of 5)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT Dejah Thoris #5 Nancy Drew #1 Xena #5 (Of 5)

TITAN COMICS Konungar War Of Crowns #1 Sea Of Thieves #4 (Of 4) Season Of The Snake #3 (Of 3)

UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES SpongeBob Comics #81

[hsmagazine254]

Mega Cinemas Kisumu Cinema Guide: 19th-25th Jan 2024- Fighter (Bollywood)

MEGA CINEMAS KISUMU Nakumatt Mega City, KISUMU KENYA   MOVIE OF THE WEEK Fighter (Bollywood) Fighter (Bollywood)- Shamsher Pathania fulfills his lifelong dream and becomes a member of the Indian air force. As he faces rigorous challenges, Patty must rise above his own limitations to become a true hero.       Date Schedule Friday, 19th January 11:40 AM – SOUL – RE-RELEASE (PG) 1:30 PM –…

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Looks like they got something good for waiting...

SOUL, TURNING RED, and LUCA - for some reason, in that order, and not chronological order - come to theaters for the first time in the U.S. in the first quarter of next year.

After all, Disney has *nothing*. Zilch. For that span of time. Nothing blockbuster-y until KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens on Memorial Day weekend. ELIO and SNOW WHITE being taken out of March 2024 left a massive gap in their schedule...

And WISH ain't doing so hot, so might as well take the three Pixar films that went straight to streaming and put them in theaters. Those three movies pulled in big numbers on Disney+, so I wonder how they'll do in theaters. These aren't necessarily re-releases, which puts them in a unique position... These movies will all be each over 2 years old by March 2024, and it's technically their first theatrical releases... Not really re-releases... Unless you want to say "they're re-releases of streaming movies."

Like, say, Netflix giving KLAUS a theatrical release some time in the future. Or Sony putting THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, VIVO, and WISH DRAGON in theaters while we wait for the third SPIDER-VERSE movie. (Hint hint)

Anyways, this is very exciting news. I've seen every Pixar feature in a theater, so I'll definitely see SOUL, LUCA, and TURNING RED the way they were meant to be seen.

Now get some shorts before 'em, and we're golden. Old or new. BURROW was supposed to accompany SOUL in theaters if it had come out in 2020, it debuted on Disney+ the same day. I certainly watched both in order when they came out on Christmas Day... so maybe they'll attach it to SOUL in theaters? Are new shorts in development? We'll see!

Question Answered: There WILL be shorts attached...

Older ones, though.

SOUL will have, as I guessed, BURROW attached.

TURNING RED will have KITBULL attached.

LUCA will go even further back: FOR THE BIRDS, which ran before MONSTERS, INC. waaaaaay back in 2001, will be attached.

Well how 'bout that?

[leam1983]

Yeah, this warrants a TL;DR.

To make a painfully long story short, I believe in paying respects to the creators involved and in consuming and analyzing those works in their own merit. I do not condone any and all abusive practices conducted by The Walt Disney Company or any other such entity, but can recognize the talent which is on offer in the darkened lairs of studio animators pulling some crunch time.

You wouldn't treat a cancer by pulling a trigger. Disney's issues are systemic, and shouldn't be reflected in the works produced.

Full logorrhea below.

Disney's a... difficult topic for anyone with a foot in Modern Fantasy or worldbuilding in general.

For a lot of us, the House of Mouse was the starting point of the concept of bringing worlds into being. From a kid's perspective, an animator or in-betweener's job is to take lifeless drawings and quicken them into shape and action. You watch stuff like Dumbo or 101 Dalmatians or Pluto's Christmas Tree and it really isn't hard to imagine the kid you used to be, unpacking and elaborating on these works and realizing that characters can be diverse entities filling a wide variety of roles.

It's no wonder Disney pushes its all-ages focus heavily towards children: add enough moxie and expressiveness and they'll eat it up like cookie dough. It's when you get older that shit starts hitting the fan and the cracks show. Bobby Driscoll's treatment, John Lasseter's years-long abuse allegations, Abigail Disney being effectively locked out of shareholder meetings because her qualitative and social points of focus run against the corporation's profit mandate - all the smaller scandals in the animation studios that some cursory searches can uncover, the amusement park accidents, the end of the Disney Renaissance matching up to Bob Iger's staid roadmap of sequels, rehashes and re-releases...

That said, I'll never advocate against watching Disney flicks. Why? Behind the stable of characters and the bloated suits parsing out creativity like it can serve as a fungible asset, there's artists that care enough to concert their efforts on a singular vision - sometimes in the face of extreme constraints motivated purely by the desire to sell toys.

Soul is Pixar revelling in its ability to convincingly draw and animate hands, after decades of experimentation. The Princess and the Frog is a team's last stand against a room packed with suits determined to turn CGI into the Hot New Shit. Treasure Planet is two Boys' Lit nerds throwing up decades of pent-up worldbuilding and a lifelong love of Sci-Fi they could never accurately express. Tron is what happens when the old guard realizes the landscape is starting to shift around them - and embraces these new fords and valleys for what they offer. Each and every one of their big tentpole releases is a reaction to something, an attempt at something else - and especially an attempt at expression that goes past the need for a saccharine morals or a plethora of ancillary products.

My favourite movies in the stable are Post-Renaissance underdogs; the product of project leads badgering their higher-ups for decades on end, because they believed in their little unformed worlds. Story goes Disney half-heartedly fought for adaptation rights to The Lord of the Rings, and that some loose concept art was even put into production. That never panned out, of course, but that means someone, somewhere in Irvine, California, got to clench their teeth in out of glee and take to their pencils and paper in the assurance that today, they were going to sketch up Sauron. Not Peg Leg Pete, not Scrooge McDuck, not Cruella DeVil or anyone even remotely close to these rumours' point of origin - but fucking Sauron.

For a few weeks, a small cabal of artists ate, breathed, shat out and snorted Arda and its tales, and you can bet these lucky few were already enthusiastic. As far as creative spaces are concerned, this is what matters about Disney. The rest can be analyzed, dissected, thrown aside, criticized or lit on fire.

As you can imagine, the LOTR project didn't pan out. Decades later, a limping Disney more or less went "Aw, fuck, what the Hell, right?" and greenlit The Black Cauldron, hoping beyond hope that it might turn out into a Tolkien-adjacent hit. It didn't. Post-Renaissance, another slump resulted in the studio clearing the production of both Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Both of these movies featured extensive technical experimentation and a few, surprisingly mature narratological twists that can't have been the product of a Disney in its more "micromanagement-esque" years.

Consider that Atlantis brought on Mike Mignola for initial design concepts and storyboarding, and you'll realize the interest in experimentation is genuine. Watch Milo Thatch's perigrenations well enough, and Hellboy's visual identity bleeds through without a single ounce of self-restraint. It's a gorgeous, almost disturbing thing to behold.

Nowadays, we have a House of Mouse that's largely fine with letting its creatives run for the hills, as long as their projects stick to a few obvious narratological devices and stylistic tropes. It's why Frozen is so aesthetically similar, in terms of character design, to Inside Out. There's an attempt at a unifying style, a kind of post-Millennium Disney visual gestalt that gives a sense of cohesion to these movies (it's the eye proportions, for the most part) and then there's still the occasional oddball like Soul, that features orchestrations by none other than Nine Inch Nails' frontmen.

Wanna hear Trent Reznor display his exacting understanding of luminaries like Herbie Hancock or Brian Eno? Watch Soul.

I'm essentially saying that the creatives behind the megacorp should be supported. If you can't reconcile your personal ethos with buying a ticket or a Blu-Ray, then feel free to pirate their content. Yes, their Legal team will do its job and depict this as content theft - but you're a drop in a bucket. Get a VPN, pirate Disney's content and consume it with an eye for Art History.

Being an oldie, I also advocate Roland Barthes' Death of the Author, by which a work of art can be freely disassociated from its creator. It's a highly reactionary concept in the age of total accountability and careers going up in flames in the Twittersphere, but it allows me to watch Mulan without feeling like I'm advocating for China's repressive measures. I'm watching Mulan because:

1. I enjoy Wuxia movies and can't think of anything else to watch at the moment;

2. I enjoy the artistry that's on display and the sight of a few martial arts luminaries in roles that feel like touching end-points to storied careers;

3. I can separate the lead's public comments and political leanings from her performance and, what's more, can imagine that Liu Yifei is probably much more Liberal and Progressive than her public persona suggests. If my primary employer desperately needed to cling onto seat revenue in the Chinese mainland and could fire me at the drop of a hat, I'd probably cringe, smooth out my features and lie through my teeth.

Not that it matters at this point, Mulan is currently impossible to extricate from China's sociopolitical and medical blunders, from 2019 to 2020 and onwards. This only furthers the need to cleave it away from the context of its creation. Note to the Structuralists and Symbolists out there; works can be interpreted in a multitude of different ways all at once.

My take does not nullify yours, simply, and my enjoyment of these works - and my paying of the artists involved - does not invalidate or reduce your criticisms in any way, shape or form.

The Disney Company has made it’s back-catalog of work the foundation of the corporation since the 90′s. While at the same time, distancing themselves from the ugly realities that plague the companies history. Covering them up in hopes that the public forgets. Racism, animal abuse, and their now-obscure, former-superstar, young Bobby Driscoll. 

The Disney Company, while so-often celebrating their “masterpiece collection” of films, and “Disney Legends” such as Mary Blaire, Annette Funicello and Kathryn Beaumont, the name Bobby Driscoll remains conveniently left out. This is entirely intentional.

Who is Bobby Driscoll?

Discovered in a barber shop at the age of 5, Bobby was the first actor to ever be signed under-contract by Disney Studios. In 1946, his starring role in Song of the South made him an overnight sensation. At one point, he was the highest paid child actor in Hollywood. Soon, he was Disney’s golden-goose, with films like Melody Time, So Dear to My Heart and Treasure Island. He even won an Academy Award for his performance in the film noir, the Window.

Today, he is best remembered as the voice and live-action model of the titular Peter Pan.

What Happened to Bobby Driscoll?

Despite his success, Bobby could never seem to please his parents. They physically abused him, and kept him locked in a closet for hours at a time. Sometimes, all night. When Bobby was around 9, the beatings became so bad Disney temporarily moved the boy in with the family of his co-star, Luana Patten. They could not shoot, after all, if their star was battered and bruised.

When shooting wrapped, he went back home. Child abuse was still extremely normalized during this time, and was also an accepted method of getting a good performance out of a child. Many of Bobby’s contemporaries describe being slapped in the face or being manhandled by adults as every-day occurrences on set.

Around this time, Walt Disney himself became fixated on Driscoll, Marc Elliot stating Walt often referred to Bobby as “the living embodiment of his own youth.” He saw the child as an extension of himself, and ignored Bobby’s own identity. Bobby was susceptible to the attention and latched onto Walt as a father figure. He came to see Disney Studios as a family, and indeed “Uncle Walt” encouraged this idea, especially among his child performers. One former animator described feeling uncomfortable by seeing higher-ups kiss Bobby on the face and mouth.

During Bobby’s pre-teen years, he was signed to a new 7-year contract and given a substantial raise of $1750 per week. Bizarrely, Bobby was now making the most money he ever would, while actually working less than ever before. 

He was cast in the leading role of Peter Pan, as both the voice and visual inspiration for the character. Peter had Bobby’s wide eyes, and upturned nose. If you watch any Bobby Driscoll movie, and then watch Peter Pan in motion, you can easily see the character’s every facial expression and mannerism taken directly from Driscoll. His expressive eyebrows, nose-scrunching, even down to the way he positions his wrists.

As Bobby got older, Walt stopped speaking affectionately of him in meetings. He stated Bobby was no longer likeable enough to play protagonists. Meanwhile, Peter Pan was released, and is a massive hit.

In 1953, Bobby began to hear rumours he would be fired. He tried asking the higher-ups he was formerly friendly with, but none would speak to him. He went to Walt’s secretary, asking to speak to Mr. Disney. She refused to call him, and when Bobby asked again, she abruptly told him he was no longer needed and to get out.

Stunned, Bobby burst into tears. She called security, and had the boy escorted off of Disney property. Disney Studios told the press they had let Bobby go due to an extreme case of acne, which sullied his image with other movie studios. 

Personally, I don’t buy the acne explanation. Acne can be covered, and Disney was focusing heavily on television at this time, which had terrible picture quality compared to film. Not to mention, Walt had already talked about shifting Bobby into playing unlikeable bully characters. But the true reason for the cancellation of Bobby’s seven year contract may never be known.

Unable to find work, Bobby’s parents enrolled him in public school. He was mercilessly bullied for his Disney roles, being beaten up by his classmates constantly. He stated he “became afraid all the time”, and it was at this time he began experimenting with drugs.

After being imprisoned for possession of marijuana, he was eventually sentenced to a “rehab centre”. The so-called first of it’s kind, employed no doctors or nurses, and used abusive psychiatric practices now outlawed.

During this time, Disney was making millions off of the heavy merchandising of Peter Pan. Bobby never saw a dime from this, despite his likeness being used.

Bobby’s life remained difficult, and although he had a few more acting roles, and became a talented artist in the beatnik scene, he just couldn’t make enough money to get by.

He died on March 30th 1968, aged 31, without a penny to his name. Alone, and forgotten. He was found on a dirty cot in an abandoned building. His body was unidentified, and police could not find anyone who recognized him. He was buried in a mass grave, unmarked, on Hart Island. 

Eventually, his mother asked Disney to help find him, and he was finally identified through finger prints. Although, his remains were not moved to a cemetery, which would have been possible at the time.

The public did not learn of Bobby’s death until 1973, when Song of the South was re-released in theatres.  After his death had been reported, actress Jane Wyman insinuated in an interview that Bobby had been sexually abused while working for Disney.

Erasure of Bobby by Disney

As mentioned above, Bobby has never been named an official “Disney Legend”, despite fan petitions and letter-writing campaigns since the start of the program in the late 80′s.

Both the Peter Pan VHS, and DVD making-of featurettes only mention Bobby Driscoll in passing. Compared to the Alice in Wonderland DVD, which features an entire documentary about Alice’s voice actress.

The DVD release of So Dear to My Heart was cancelled without explanation. Years later, it was quietly released as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. Making it rare and difficult to find.

Fan requests for a memorial to Bobby Driscoll in Disney Parks have also gone unanswered. Disney will likely never own up to Bobby Driscoll, or what the company did to him. His story is tragic, and paints the company in an uncomfortable light, going directly against it’s branding of love, family and happy endings. After all, if the average joe-blows and Karens of the world knew what happened to Bobby Driscoll, they might cancel their Disney+ subscription. And Disney certainly doesn’t want that to happen.

[thenatureofnarrative]

Best Films of 2020

The basis of my annual list is simple, these are the films that were, for me, mesmerizing and memorable. These were the cinematic experiences that either provoked a depth of emotion and/or provided a whole lot to talk about. These are the films that I could not forget and I cannot wait to see again. 

After you read this year’s list, you can also find last year’s list here, and if you’d like to watch an epic conversation about the best films of the year I encourage you (or dare you) to watch this video. You can also follow me and my reviews on Letterboxd. 

1. Time

Time is a documentary that doesn’t feel like a documentary, but rather sets itself apart as a transcendent piece of visual poetry about the perseverance and devotion of family in the face of injustice. This film is so many different things, and yet is one cohesive lyrical experience. This is a story about love and commitment. This is a story about parenthood and motherhood. This is a story about the forgotten and the voiceless, those discounted and discarded by an oppressive and racist system of incarceration. And this is a story about repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Time is an 80-minute cinematic experience that beautifully and seamlessly ties all these threads together, through the singular voice and expressions of wife and mother, Fox Rich. I’m telling you, you’ve never seen or heard a film like this before. The way it’s shot, the way it sounds, the way it’s cut together, and the way it lets us linger and just sit with this woman and her family as they wait, but most importantly, as they persevere and fight for the release of their husband and father. Time is a masterpiece, and I can’t wait to watch it again and share it with others. On Amazon Prime.

2. First Cow

First Cow, Kelly Reichardt's masterpiece, was the most unexpected cinematic experience of the year for me, and I'm not even quite sure why. Maybe it was because I had heard such strange things about this film? Maybe it was because I've never actually seen any of Reichardt's previous films (though I am well aware of them)? And maybe it was because I genuinely didn't know what it was about? Whatever the reason(s) may be, I was truly captivated by the charming sincerity of this simple historical tale. In the first half-hour, the cinematography and production design was giving me made-for-TV-Canadian-heritage-moment vibes; and I don't mean that as an insult. I didn't know what to make of this film at first. It was like - - The Oregon Trail: The Movie - - which made me feel nostalgic and all the more intrigued. But this is Kelly Reichardt's genius: an unexpected, perfectly paced and plotted tale. I mean, sincerely, this film is the perfect example of how a story should unfold, of how the pieces of a narrative should be laid, and how the rug can get pulled out from under you at the end. Even though I didn't feel particularly emotional while watching the film, it was the ending - - Good Lord - - that ending! I mean, I was putty in Reichardt's hands. She got me. She totally got me, and I loved it! How foolish of me to think the final act would become something else, how susceptible and satisfied I was when, in the end, the story was pure and true. And that's all I'm going to say about it, because you need to see this film. On Crave-HBO and Rental Services. 

3. Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee’s latest offering of cinematic greatness is less a work of protest and more a re-education. With Da 5 Bloods, history is given a voice, those oppressed and ignored now share the stage and their stories. At this point in his illustrious career it’s almost hard to believe that Spike Lee can still surprise us, but with Da 5 Bloods he masterfully and brilliantly blends together multiple cinematic styles and genres; and deserves an Oscar for it. Through the reunion of four Vietnam vets, who return to Ho Chi Minh in search of the lost remains of their fallen squad leader, an unbelievably heartfelt, exciting, and at times, shocking, story is told. A story that defies convention and summation; a film that genuinely has to be seen to be believed. For its entire two and a half hour runtime, we are never bored, always engaged. Some might accuse this film of trying to be too many things, but two transcendent performances keep us anchored through it all. Unnervingly, Chadwick Boseman plays a small role as the departed squad leader, appearing in flashbacks and as an apparition to one man. This one man is, Paul, played by Delroy Lindo, who portrays this grief-stricken and traumatized protagonist with staggering strength; and deserves an Oscar for it (though some suspect his departed co-star might win posthumously for another film). Nevertheless, Da 5 Bloods is a memorable and meaningful work of art and an essential education. On Netflix.

4. Judas and the Black Messiah

While watching Judas and the Black Messiah, I couldn’t help but draw lines of comparison between it and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). Both films are award-worthy pieces of penmanship. Both films are brimming with award-worthy performances. The distinction is, however, that TTOTC7 is a terrific piece of entertainment, while JATBM is an important work of history. Director Shaka King has carefully crafted, not only a captivating piece of cinema, but a necessary education about the historical efforts of the Black Panthers and the cyclical-social struggle of standing against injustice while resisting the influences of political coercion and moral corruption. And while Daniel Kaluuya, as a true thespian, gives a commanding and courageous performance, I believe the work of both, LaKeith Stanfield and Dominique Fishback, deserve more attention and award consideration. Their performances brought a depth of soul and struggle that was especially agonizing to watch during the film’s conclusion because not a single person in this story is a caricature. These are real people with real motivations living out the truest of conflicts: the preservation of power vs. justice for the oppressed. On Rental Services.

5. The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a terrific piece of entertainment. This true story, adapted and directed by Aaron Sorkin, is expertly written and structured, condensing a complicated six-month trial into a brisk and captivating two hours. For some, the story’s brevity is a cause for concern, but for me, in terms of cinema, I could not escape the momentum all three acts uniquely displayed, effectively intercutting several testimonies so that we would feel the chaos and uncertainty of the proceedings. Across the board the cast is incredible, but I believe it’s John Carroll Lynch, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who are most worthy of award recognition. And yet, we cannot ignore the necessity of a fully-embodied antagonist, performed perfectly here by the great Frank Langella. The truth is, TTOTC7, doesn’t work without Langella’s performance. In the hands of another actor, Judge Hoffman could have come off as cartoonish, because his behaviour and actions seem so unrealistic and unbelievable, but thankfully, due to Langella’s craft and care, we do believe it, and it makes us angry for all the right reasons. Nevertheless, in the end, TTOTC7, isn’t a perfect film, but it is a great one. On Netflix.

6. Possessor 

You probably shouldn’t watch this film. Fair warning. It is extremely graphic and violent, and yet, profound in its artistry and themes. The visuals are both simple and mysterious; clever and confounding. Possessor is a story that forces you to confront the frailty of the human condition, both physically and psychologically, and consider how easily influenced our sense of being and identity can be. While watching this film I couldn’t help but think how aptly equipped filmmaker, Brandon Cronenberg, would be to direct the next Christopher Nolan screenplay. Their themes and skills would be a perfect match. Young Cronenberg (son of David Cronenberg) is a remarkable director and provides us with some of the year’s best cinematography; along with another terrific performance from my favourite “young” actor, Christopher Abbott. On Crave-HBO and Rental Services.

7. Soul

Pixar’s Soul is a masterful, moving, and unpredictable work of art. This may not be a film for the youngest ones, but it is for the young at heart, or more specifically, those whose hearts are in a middling crisis of some sort. On the macro-level, there is absolutely nothing generic about this film. Whether in a spiritual plane or a material one, everything on screen is detailed and nuanced. From the philosophical and ontological, to the cultural and vocational, every audience member is invited to experience a universal narrative through a very specific lens; and there is tremendous power in that. Even though, in the Pixar family, Soul might be a stylistic cousin of Coco or Inside Out, and explore a narrative arc similar to Woody’s experience in the Toy Story films, it still sets itself apart as a work of Ecclesiastes. This is the sort of artistic confrontation one needs when dreams and passions are no longer sufficient, and one’s calling is no longer a pursuit of something unattained but a present embrace of an already unfolding narrative. Soul is a profound and beautiful work of art. On Disney+ and Rental Services.

8. The Climb

The Climb was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me, and the funniest film of 2020. Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin have crafted a hilarious and wildly entertaining portrayal of friendship; fiercely loyal, desperately-co-dependent, backstabbing friendship. And while the story may not explore any great psychological depths, no scene in this brisk roller coaster is wasted. Every sequence is an elaborately choreographed vignette, a clever and creative single-take or “oner.” And even though the visual craftsmanship might strike some as excessive, I found it elevated the excitement and unpredictable nature of the story. From opening sequence to touching conclusion, The Climb, is a surprising and side-splitting comedy about enduring friendship, a story of despicable people doing despicable things in hilarious ways. On Rental Services.

9. Horse Girl

Horse Girl is a surprising film, with a truly stunning and subversive narrative. Alison Brie has always been a strong performer, but her performance in this film is award-worthy, and has sadly been overlooked this year. In the first half-hour we are charmed by Horse Girl. For those of us who love Duplass productions, or quirky films about lonely people, we are easily won over at first, but then this story takes a serious turn and we realize we’re watching a shockingly poignant portrayal of mental illness. Nothing is taken for granted or included without careful consideration in this story. Everything, every scene and every interaction, draws us in and allows us to experience the symptoms and disillusionment of a loved one losing their grip on reality. It’s heart-breaking. It’s harrowing. It’s tenderly rendered. My only wish while watching was for a more intricate or visually complex composition. Nevertheless, Jeff Baena’s Horse Girl is still a terrific achievement and one worth typing into the search bar. On Netflix.

10. The Father

The Father is a stunning achievement in directing and editing, especially when you consider it as a first-time feature, from an artist adapting their own stage play. This is a heartbreaking, harrowing, deeply empathetic portrayal of dementia and mental illness, as we experience it through eyes and mind of the afflicted. In a single apartment, every doorway and room is a different memory or time in one's life, and even though our protagonist appears to be in a familiar space, they cannot grab hold of the present. It’s almost scary how realistic Anthony Hopkins’ performance is. Both he and Olivia Coleman are fully embodied, and it’s devastating to watch. This film is a remarkable achievement. On Rental Services.

 Honourable Mentions (alphabetically):

The Devil All the Time: A masterclass in southern gothic storytelling; it’s bleak, dark and disturbing, and deeply compelling. On Netflix.

Extraction: A truly impeccable piece of action cinema, with just enough heart and soul to keep the story grounded. On Netflix.

Mank: A black and white talky-bio-pic about a Hollywood socialist who’s dependent upon millionaires that manipulate their audiences with familial metaphors and manufactured newsreels. Watch with subtitles. On Netflix.

Minari: A simple and sobering tale about familial struggle and heartache, with a striking deftness to each and every character, across the generations, from children to parents and grandparent. On Rental Services.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always: Every year there is one film, one story, that is so honest, vulnerable and raw, that it’s hard to watch and yet undeniably essential and important. This is that film. On Crave-HBO and Rental Services.

Nomadland: With more focus than a Terrence Malick film, and less obligation than a documentary, Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland is a beautiful and innocent observation of our unknown neighbours. On Disney+.

One Night in Miami: The best ensemble of the year, with carefully crafted, fully embodied, sincere and nuanced performances from every cast member. On Amazon Prime.

Promising Young Woman: A unique and unpredictable thrill. Emerald Fennell’s award-worthy screenplay walks a tight-rope between black-comedy and revenge-thriller. On Rental Services.

Red, White and Blue: Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology of five films is a marvel, but Red, White and Blue is the cornerstone at the center of it all. On Amazon Prime.

Sound of Metal: A deeply affecting story about recovery, discovery and the stages of grief - - all explored through the experiences of our deaf protagonist. I wept through this one. On Rental Services. 

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Bring the Heat

Finally had the opportunity to sit down and check out Raya and the Last Dragon. Disney Animation is kind of hit and miss when it comes to their new flicks and this incredibly transparent push for diversity profits has had mixed results for me. I enjoyed Tangled and Soul for what they were, and Zootopia was an excellent look at prejudice, but Moana was basically just Pacific Islander Pocahontas and the less said about the Frozen franchise, the better. I know all of this focus on diversity coming out of the Mouse House is strictly performative but it’s still dope seeing other cultures represented by the biggest studio in the land, even if that doesn’t translate so well to live action leading roles. Raya is the newest attempt by Disney to cash out by presenting or, as my more cynical self would say, pandering, to the Southeast Asian markets. Let’s see how well they pulled this sh*t off

The Good

This movie is gorgeous. Raya is easily the most beautiful film out of the Mouse House in a while. It definitely gives Soul a run for that tile and kind of sh*ts all over Frozen. That stands to reason considering it’s been a few years since the last Elsa outing, even though Sisu is just Dragon Elsa. Disney got that anime sameface problem.

Kind of an addendum to the previous note, Raya is beautifully animated. The facial movements, that audio sync, the f*cking hair, those action scenes; All of it is exquisite! I'm not going to say it can give Pixar a run for their money when they are a the top of their game, no CG animation company can, but Raya is definitely a contender.

The world of Kumandra is an interesting one with a truly unique feel, even if it’s kind of a homogeneous, Asian, conglomerate. I would have liked to see more of a focus on a specific Asian culture that doesn’t necessarily get the spotlight as often as China or Japan. Something like Thai, Hmong, Filipino, or Vietnamese would have been dope but i guess Kumandra had to hit all the bases to make all of the money. I dunno, it’s fine that there is Asian representation but creating a fictitious catch-all instead of actually building on something comes across as real tone deaf and a little disingenuous.

I like that there’s no singing in this thing. I’m not a fan of musicals so when the rare Disney animation comes through and it's not one, i tend to pay closer attention. That's probably why i love Atlantis so much. Also Maleficent but that's more because I just genuinely love the character of  Maleficent. All that said...

What little music we did get in this thing, was lovely. Like, it felt distinctly ethnic and fit the narrative perfectly. It went a long way to lend a bit of authenticity to a movie that is basically a soulless cash grab

These fight scenes are dope. Wonderfully telegraphed and visibly punishing, they’re great examples of choreography, especially considering how a lot of this is mocap. It’s a fine line between a fight and a dance but Raya traverses that gap with real aplomb.

Solid performances abound. I genuinely enjoy the vast majority of this cast and it's super-dope that it's almost all Asian actors in these parts. Sandra Oh, Izaac Wang, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Lucille Soong: This flicked is stacked with that Eastern excellence. It's a shame this thing didn't get a theatrical release. I'd be curious to see how a mass audience would have received this film if it was properly released into theaters, especially after witnessing how films like Paradise, Crazy Rich Asians, and The Farewell were so well received.

Sisu is adorable. I kind of love this little dragon scamp. She might be one of my favorite Disney characters in their library. Nora Lum does a great job giving Sisu life with her performance. The more I see, and hear, of this chick, the more I love her as an actor. Also, getting Awkwafina to voice the Water Dragon is not lost on me. I See you, Disney.

I really like Namaari, too. Gemma Chan does an exceptional job making her compelling. I don't really agree with her motivations but I understand them. Some of that has to be credited to the writing but Chan's performance goes a long way to making her believable. Seriously, I thought  Namaari was a much better protagonist than Raya and that has everything to do with Chan

The Meh

Kelly Marie Tran was a little dry for me as Raya. Like, she was good, don't misunderstand, but the character of Raya, as written, was kind of an idiot? Tran is excellent in the role as a performer, but Raya, herself, is real hard to identify with. She was scripted as the low energy straight man to Awkwafina's uber-kinetic Sisu, and to that end, Tran captures the character perfectly, she just comes across as kind of a dumbass. Her chemistry with Awkwafina, though, goes a long way to making Raya tolerable.

The Bad

It's kind of ridiculous to me that this entire film can be solved with honest communication. The fact that Sisu blatantly points that out means this movie is aware of it. Sh*t's kind of absurd but that might be the point. This thing is made for kids so I understand it can't be super nuanced with it's themes but I can kind of see this being a sticking point for other people.

The pacing is a little wonky. It feels really start-and-stop. Like, it took me this long to finish this flick because it was so slow in the beginning and then stalls kind of partway through, and then again toward the end. It's definitely a contradictory thing to say because this movie really moves overall. Like, it's totally a brisk watch but, at times, stalls to a near stop.

Now, I found Sisu adorable but I'm a fan of Spider-Man. He's super quippy, just like her, so that was right in my wheelhouse. However, I can totally see people frustrated with her character. She has the potential to be incredibly annoying to some.

Could have done without the extra supporting characters. In a lot of ways, this movie felt like a video game where you traverse several levels, acquiring mcguffins, picking up party members, all for the ultimate goal of defeating a powerful enemy force. And, just like video games, some supporting characters are better than others. I liked Boun, though. He was kind of hilarious.

The Verdict

Finishing Raya and the Last Dragon after, like, six false-starts, felt like an accomplishment. Turns out, it's a pretty good movie. Raya does start a little slower than i would like, and can definitely stumble in pacing at times, but it's still pretty fun to watch. The performances re strong, the characters are endearing, an the world is rich with intrigue. Awkwafina and Gemma Chan turn in some excellent performances and even Kelly Marie Tran does her best with what she was given, which wasn't much. Not going to sit here and claim it to be one of my favorites but it's better than i initially gave it credit for. Raya and the last Dragon has a ton of potential but I think Disney played it too safe and missed out on something great. Still, it's a fun watch that I think kids will enjoy. I mean, don't pay any extra loot for it but, if it's on Disney+ or if you wanna fly that Jolly Roger, it might be worth.

All that said, this sh*t feels a lot like the plot to Breath of the Wild, complete with kind of a Calamity Ganon as the principal conflict. I'm curious if anyone else got that same vibe.

[officialotakudome]

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Soul Review

Pixar finds it’s magic again with latest release Soul. Released exclusively to Disney+ in the West the film follows middle school teacher Joe Gardner who aspires to be a professional jazz musician. Upon meeting lifeless soul 22, Joe learns that personal dreams & desires are only part of what makes us alive.

Soul is a 2020 CG animated comedy film, it is produced by Pixar Animation Studios & Walt Disney Pictures, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios. It is available exclusively on Disney+.

Editor’s Note: Near complete to complete spoilers for Soul may be pesentt within this review.

Tina Fey & Jamie Foxx star as 22 (left) & Joe Gardner (right)

Prior to the fallout with the pandemic Soul was cited as one of the films to watch out for. It’s colorful, eye-catching animation and direction quickly attracted would-be moviegoers who were looking forward to having a theatrical experience with the film. Unfortunately as the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic continued to worsen Soul ended up being one of the many theater release causalities. As WB Pictures announced it’s entire 2021 slate for streaming service HBO Max, Disney may soon be forced to follow suit with Soul being the first film to quickly skip their previous “Premium Access” attempt. Released on Christmas day for the West, those interested in the film are now able to view a film that gives a beautiful take on human existence Disney+ and all you need is your current subscription.

Joe Gardner is an aspiring jazz musician looking to resurge his lost spark.

THE GOOD: In Soul, Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher that’s always in search of his big break. And apparently he’s been at it for awhile as he meets one of his students he taught as a child, (now an adult) named Curley who’s apart of a performing jazz band. Lacking inspiration from his teaching job Joe takes up his former student’s offer to potentially play for the band if he can impress its lead; a saxophonist named Dorothea Williams. Joe’s mother Libba is against Joe chasing his dreams as he now has a stable career as a music teacher. This is mainly due to the fact that Joe’s father (according to Libba), died chasing after the same dream. As Joe celebrates the opportunity at a gig, he suddenly dies after falling through an open manhole. He soon awakes in the “Great Beyond” (stairway to heaven) and attempts to escape, but his efforts land him in the “Great Before” (pre-existence). Here he finds soul counselors who help guide unborn souls to their destined ways of life. Mistaking him as another soul, they have Joe act as a teacher for misguided souls assigning him the literal life challenging 22. 22 is a smart-mouthed know-it-all who always has some kind of sassy comment when it relates to life. 22’s cynicism isn’t exactly her fault, the teachers hired by the soul counselors have been trying to get her ready for birth for millennia, but she always failed to receive her last soul badge. Six soul badges are required for a soul to enter Earth to be born as a human. 

22’s missing badge was for “passion” lacking inspiration for something she loves similarly to Joe. As Joe tries to teach her about human culture 22 continues to refute him until she gains a sudden interest in Joe’s own life. After sharing his memories of what makes him feel alive (or so he thought) in the “Zone”, they meet Moonwind; a sign twirler who can enter the Zone at will and attempts to rescue Lost Souls (soul who become consumed by their passions). Moonwind helps guide Joe’s soul back to Earth having earlier been promised 22’s badge. As Joe returns to his body a mishap ends up having him accidentally possessing a cat with 22 possessing his body. While masquerading as Joe, 22 explores his neighborhood with Joe guiding her. She becomes interested in human life for the first time when one of Joe’s promising students gets inspired to continue his class after considering quitting. 22 begins to slowly appreciate the different aspects of human live now having been able to experience them fully. Moonwind offers to help guide Joe’s soul back to his body, but 22 now obsessed with further exploration of humanity refuses and runs off. Gary from the Great Beyond captures Joe and 22’s souls and return them to the Great Before. After an argument 22 leaves and becomes a lost soul. Joe returns to Earth and is able to successfully perform but still feels unfulfilled. He recalls his time with 22 and her joy from her first experiences as human and goes off to find her. After encountering the lost soul 22 Joe tells her that she’s more than good enough to be human and she returns to her former self and decides to live. Joe is given a second chance at life for his work and vows to live life to the fullest. 

Sarcastic & arrogant, 22 is searching for a reason to live.

While satirical Soul gives a very serious look at what the “meaning of life” is and it ultimately tells us that; the meaning of life, is basically what we make of it more often that not. Sure there are things that go beyond our control, but we do have the power to choose our destinies to a degree we just need to keep on moving forward until we reach the destination we want to get to. It’s a nice, much needed feel good message especially after that abysmal year most of if not all of the world was forced to deal with in 2020. And honestly a week in and 2021 isn’t all that off to a great start either. This message doesn’t really come until around the latter half of the film so it doesn’t get to the point of feeling preachy. Soul is described as a comedy, but there weren’t many jokes in the film which I thought was the right move for its direction. It keeps it from feeling too kiddish and low-brow. While it’s not exactly adult inherently, there is a certain level of maturity with Soul that gives it a proper “all ages” aesthetic. The characters all have fun, explosive personalities that are perfectly executed by the voice cast. It’s an incredibly fast-paced film and it’s over before you know it, but it’s easy enough to follow that you never seem too bottled down with information to keep. Every purpose and character direction just about is summed up purposely, though there are a couple of blunders that I go into details about below.

Soul is a musically charged philosophical look at human life before,& beyond the grave.

THE BAD: Honestly throughout my viewing of Soul I can’t say there was much I didn’t like about the film, but there were a couple. My main grip is that it seems as though the film may have gone through a couple of re-writes throughout it’s development and it becomes a bit obvious during it’s run. Allow me to explain there’s a character named Paul who’s introduced during the barbershop scene. Paul is described as being Joe’s rival, but they only use him for about a maximum of three scenes. 22 even unintentionally insults Paul by stating that he insults Joe because he’s jealous and it hits him deep. I really think Paul originally had a much bigger role in he film, but his story eventually carried over to 22’s. Her turning into a lost soul & Paul’s short interaction with Gary also hints at this possible original story plan. For whatever reason instead of cutting Paul completely they kept him in the film leaving some slight confusion in the process.

Soul wants us to learn that “the meaning of life” is exactly what we make o it.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Soul is a beautifully animated film that brings Pixar back to form not felt since the release of it’s earlier films. Sequels are nice and all, but Soul proves that it doesn’t hurt to experiment more with original projects even if they end up being one offs. The film does have small story issues that may confuse those that pay too close attention, but it’s a complete film well worth a Disney+ sub if even for a month or so. Otaku Dome gives Soul a 95 out of 100.