Just as I thought it would, last night’s episode of South Park lampooned this week’s unexpected election results while keeping to its season-long story arc.
Review: South Park, “Oh, Jeez”
Category: Sack-o-analysis
Sack-o-analysis: fully-formed articles that will focus on trends in the entertainment industry.
Slight changes for Sack, Animated
I started this blog back in September with the mission statement of reviewing and celebrating animated movies. As you can tell from three of my previous articles, which cover TV shows like South Park and the recently-revived Young Justice, that statement has changed ever so slightly. I am now expanding my blog to cover animation in all of its forms, from films to television shows to all other kinds of animation. The reason for this is that I love seeing where people can take animation with different mediums, and I can’t limit myself to movies for that animation fix. So, be on the lookout for further articles from Sack, Animated, now on a wider range of topics. The Circle of Life continues to move us all, even my blog.
Young Justice Set to Return for Third Season
DC Comics has a history of producing some of the best animated superhero TV shows that audiences have ever seen, from 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series and other shows in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) to more recent shows like Teen Titans and Green Lantern: The Animated Series.
One of the most popular DC Animated shows of recent memory, one that was pulled from the air far too soon, was Young Justice, which aired from 2010 until 2013 on Cartoon Network, before being cancelled after two excellent seasons. But after three years of fan petitions, pleas from both producers and voice actors, as well as fans binge watching the first two seasons on Netflix, Warner Brothers announced this past Monday that a third season of Young Justice is starting production.
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Everything the Light Touches is a Remake: Disney Animated Classics Getting Live Action Makeovers
People go to the movies for many reasons: to see a work of cinematic art, to turn their brains off for a couple of hours, or to see things unlike anything they could experience in their everyday lives or unlike anything they have ever witnessed on the silver screen.
But according to some people, the movie industry is in trouble, not only because of controversies surrounding diversity, representation, or other such considerations, but also because of a lack of originality. And when people make the argument that Hollywood is running out of ideas, many direct their attention to the slew of reboots, remakes, and long-delayed sequels as proof. Robo-Cop (2014), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Terminator Genisys, the upcoming Bladerunner 2049, and the list goes on.
But it’s not just classic live-action properties that are being remade for a new generation: some of the best animated movies of all time, mostly from Walt Disney Studios, are in the process of receiving a modern day facelift. We’ve already seen a good chunk of them, from this year’s successful remake of 1967’s The Jungle Book, to 2014’s Maleficent, the retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the main villain, and there are more such remakes on the way from the House of Mouse. And despite a few duds, many of these movies are big financial, and even sometimes critical, successes. Continue reading “Everything the Light Touches is a Remake: Disney Animated Classics Getting Live Action Makeovers”
Sausage Party: Oscar Contender?
Sausage Party. The moment I heard about this movie, I thought to myself, “well, there goes all the good press that Anomalisa brought to R-rated animated films; now they’re going to have to start all over again.” The first trailer for this Toy Story with food products certainly didn’t help my perception; I thought, despite an all-star voice cast and an interesting concept, that this stinker would be looked down on by everyone except 13-year-old boys, who would find it hilarious.
But despite its provocative title, occasionally childish humor, and problems behind the scenes that are still being figured out, Sausage Party was actually well received by critics and audiences, currently holding an 82 percent “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It has also grossed $95 million against its $19 million budget as of September 22nd, making it an unqualified success financially.
Now that the Emmys are over, and Oscar season has officially/unofficially begun, I have found myself thinking an almost unthinkable thought: could Sausage Party receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature for the upcoming 89th Academy Awards this February?
Disney and DreamWorks: The Constant Struggle
Disney Animation has been a part of many people’s early lives for over 75 years. Very few people believed that Walt Disney would succeed with his first feature length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but he did, and his company created a new way of thinking about animated movies. For decades after, the animation department at The Walt Disney Company kept big hit after big hit coming, with a decline in success in the mid-70s. But starting with The Little Mermaid in 1989, the Disney Renaissance brought us some of the greatest animated movies (and arguably best movies in general) ever. And now, with successes like Tangled, Frozen, and Big Hero 6, Disney animation has arguably entered a second Renaissance, creating movies that can please old and new Disney fans alike.
But in the late 90s, a new animation studio started to challenge Disney’s reign as the undisputed king of animated films: DreamWorks. It took a little while, but now some people will argue that DreamWorks has reached the same caliber as Disney animated films. Movies like Antz, Shrek (and its sequels), the How to Train Your Dragon films, the Madagascar movies, and others, are receiving much of the same praise as Disney animated films.
This, of course, begs an obvious question. Which studio is better: DreamWorks Animation or Disney Animation?
Continue reading “Disney and DreamWorks: The Constant Struggle”