Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl

Sign outside the Hollywood Bowl. Photo by Joey Sack
Sign outside the Hollywood Bowl. Photo by Joey Sack

One of my fondest memories when it comes to a concert-going experience was back in 2011, when my family and I went to Star Wars: Live in Concert at the TD Garden in Boston. The music, being by John Williams and from his iconic score for the first six Star Wars films, was excellent, the audience was filled with fans both young and old, the announcer was a pre-recorded James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader), and the whole event was hosted by C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels.

Admittedly, though, I have to imagine that I was the only member of my family that felt in place at this venue; my parents didn’t grow up with Star Wars and neither did my siblings (or me, for that matter, but that’s a whole other story), so they probably felt the most out of place with all the orchestral music played against the sounds and sights of the Star Wars universe.

The audience at The Hollywood Bowl. Photo by Joey Sack
The audience at The Hollywood Bowl. Photo by Joey Sack

Well, after all these years, I now know how my family felt, because it’s more or less how I felt seeing the wonderful Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl this past Friday. Don’t get me wrong. I really like The Nightmare Before Christmas; I’d probably go on record saying that I love it. But I didn’t grow up watching this movie every Halloween, and only saw the film for the first time last year. With all of that in mind, you can imagine how amazed I was this past Friday to see the Hollywood Bowl, with its capacity to hold 17,500 people, filled pretty much to the brim with people singing along while the movie played, the orchestra played along, and many of the original singers (including Danny Elfman himself) reprised their roles for the songs. Continue reading “Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with Danny Elfman at the Hollywood Bowl”

Everything the Light Touches is a Remake: Disney Animated Classics Getting Live Action Makeovers

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom." Mufasa and Simba in 1994's The Lion King. Copyright Walt Disney Studios
“Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” Mufasa and Simba in 1994’s The Lion King. Copyright Walt Disney Studios.

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”

Worth the price of admission: is it? A discussion regarding increased movie ticket prices

It’s a common enough sentiment: you talk with your friends about a movie that you loved every minute of, or a film that was mostly mediocre, and you have to point out that one scene that was “worth the price of admission.” I said this regarding the lightsaber vision scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (as well as several other scenes), the battle between Monkey and the Sister in Kubo and the Two Strings, and the moment in 2014’s Godzilla where the kaiju’s atomic breath made a triumphant appearance.

But while I still love to go to the movie theater and see films on the big screen, I spent $14.75 to go see Kubo and the Two Strings at a theatre in Hollywood. While I’m glad I did it, I can also remember a time when it cost much less to catch a flick in theaters.

So, the question becomes this: when ticket prices are as ludicrous as they are today, is going to the movies in theaters really worth the price of admission? Continue reading “Worth the price of admission: is it? A discussion regarding increased movie ticket prices”

How far should South Park go in covering the news of the week?

*Author’s Note: While this article is about an animated TV show, South Park has been a powerhouse in the realm of social commentary for the past few years in particular, so I feel like an exception can be made while talking about it here. Also, South Park did have a theatrical movie come out back in 1999, so I say it counts; plus, it’s my site, so moving on*

Many of the characters from South Park. Copyright Comedy Central
Many of the characters from South Park. Copyright Comedy Central

South Park of recent years has become some of the best social commentary masked in the form of adult animation to ever hit television. The main reason for that is the time table co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone use to make each episode: the episode for a given week is often not finished until a few hours before it’s scheduled to air. This may be stressful for the team behind the show, but it allows them to draw from the most current events on people’s minds, from the wildly popular to the wildly controversial. Continue reading “How far should South Park go in covering the news of the week?”

Kubo and the Two Strings Review: Music to my Eyes and Ears

Logo for Kubo and the Two Strings. Copyright Laika Entertainment LLC and Focus Features.
Logo for Kubo and the Two Strings. Copyright Laika Entertainment LLC and Focus Features.

Too often a film is hailed as a masterpiece, whether it’s a classic piece of cinema like The Godfather or a catchy-song-filled animated adventure like Frozen; that kind of acclaim can raise one’s expectations for a film too high, resulting in backlash when a movie is not as good as one would have thought. And while the story of Kubo and the Two Strings may feel familiar at times, its animation style, sound design, characters, and the world it creates more than make up for a somewhat typical story. In short, Kubo and the Two Strings is nearly a masterpiece, and a delight to watch. Continue reading “Kubo and the Two Strings Review: Music to my Eyes and Ears”

Sausage Party: Oscar Contender?

Promotional poster for Sausage Party. Copyright Columbia Pictures
Promotional poster for Sausage Party. Copyright Columbia Pictures

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?

Continue reading “Sausage Party: Oscar Contender?”

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”