With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
A Pigeon Say On A Branch Reflecting on Existence (Roy Andersson)
The third installment in Roy Andersson’s trilogy looks and operates quite a bit like the two that precede it, thus making A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence an easy sell to the already-converted. But rather than preach to his choir, the Swedish helmer makes enough approaches to constitute an evolution, most notably in its remarkably grim,...
A Pigeon Say On A Branch Reflecting on Existence (Roy Andersson)
The third installment in Roy Andersson’s trilogy looks and operates quite a bit like the two that precede it, thus making A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence an easy sell to the already-converted. But rather than preach to his choir, the Swedish helmer makes enough approaches to constitute an evolution, most notably in its remarkably grim,...
- 10/9/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Independent filmmaking is not only a labor of love, is one of tireless perseverance, devoted collaborations, and unshakable faith on a project that may or may not remunerate anyone involved. Failure is not a vague possibility but a really possible outcome. Now let's take those incredibly challenging stakes and double them when speaking about independent animation. Indoctrinated by a lifetime of impeccably fairy tales and magical adventures, it's difficult for both American audiences and investors to see animation as an art form that shouldn't be bound to easily digestible, children-oriented themes.
Europe and Asia -Japan, in a particular - have a more sophisticated relationship with the medium. They understand its power, beauty and possibilities beyond the happy-ending artificiality we are used to. In the U.S. few voices in animation make waves while working outside of the studios grip, among them Bill Plympton is by far the most celebrated and prolific. His irreverent artistry has refuse to a align with the status quo both stylistically and thematically for the past 30 years.
In Plympton's films the artist is ever-present in the visible handcraft of every frame. Colorful, ironic, sometimes twisted, and others endearing, his characters, even with all the surrealism that coats them, are more human than those which are smoothly crafted digitally. His work feels alive and delves into a wondrous array of emotions, concerns, and tragedies that others avoid. To call it daring and one-of-a-kind would be an understatement.
His latest feature "Cheatin'," is a spellbinding tale that translate all the irrationality of love into an exhilarating animated experience. A man and a woman fall hopelessly in love for each other, but when they suspect the other is being unfaithful, hatred kicks in with the same force as their passion once did. Delightfully racy and visually stunning, this is the most audacious and intelligent animated film you will see this year.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Plympton about "Cheatin'" and the challenges and privileges associated with being an independent animator in a profit-driven world.
Aguilar: Your films, both shorts and features, often take us into extraordinarily imaginative trips, but they also seem to come from everyday issues we can all relate to. Tell me about the origins of “Cheatin’” and about transforming the familiar premise of a relationship in trouble into an animated wonder.
Bill Plympton : It’s taken from a real relationship I had that went very bad and we decided to break up because we were so bad together. I thought this would be a good idea for a film because there would a lot of humor in it. There is always a lot of humor in conflict and there was a lot of conflict in our relationship. Around 2009 I made a list of all the scenes I wanted to include. Once I got that down I started doing a storyboard. This was a tiny storyboard it wasn’t a big one. When I had that figured out then I went and did the finished storyboard, and this is where all the real problems are answered. This is where I design the characters, I design the editing, I design the story, I design the backgrounds. Everything was resolved in that major storyboard. I liked it, I thought it was a great idea and had good potential. Then I went right into animation.
Aguilar: The surreal, dream-like sequences are a highlight of the film. They are inventive metaphors that really showcase a refreshing and uncompromising use of the medium.
Bill Plympton: That’s the magic of animation, you can go on these crazy surreal dream-like sequences. They are really fun to draw and fun to watch. My favorite is the one where Ella is sitting on a park bench and she discovers her heart. She discovers romance. You realize she’s been hiding her love deep inside of her soul. She wants to go inside and discover her heart, bring it out, and revive it. That’s when she falls in love with this guy named Jake. I think that was a very poetic sequence and it was done without dialogue, it’s all visual storytelling. It’s one of my favorite parts.
Aguilar: As you mentioned, the film doesn’t have any dialogue. It’s completely cinematic, yet you are able to convey rather complex ideas. Why did you feel this was the best approach for a film like “Cheatin’”?
Bill Plympton: You use the word cinematic and that’s one of my favorite words. It really is about storytelling with images. I’ve done that before even when I was doing illustration. I would do cartoon strips, sequential comic strips with 10 or 12 panels and not use any dialogue. I always felt that was a very powerful and poetic way to tell a story. Then when I started doing animation I did some of my shorts without dialogue such as all the Guard Dog films. They had no dialogue and they were very successful. Therefore, with “Idiots and Angels” I decided to try to make a feature film without dialogue. Nobody had any problem with it, nobody complaint about it having no dialogue, so I felt pretty sure that I could make “Cheatin’” also without words. Sure enough everybody likes the idea that there’s no dialogue, no one’s complaint about it. But you know, I’m not a very good writer of dialogue [Laughs], so it made sense for me to use this way to tell a story. It’s often times more powerful that way.
Aguilar: Would you say it’s more difficult to devise visual sequences that express what you want to say rather than having the characters say it?
Bill Plympton: Occasionally there might be some places where I wish I could put dialogue, but eventually I’ll find a solution to tell it visually and it’s actually more successful that way. I find it easier to make a film without dialogue simply because doing all the lip-sync, the recording, and the editing of words is really time-consuming and work-intensive, so for me it’s easier to draw without the words.
Aguilar: Tell me about the visual style and how you draw your characters. They have a very peculiar aesthetic with a certain entrancing fluidity. I also love the fact that you can see the handcraft in the lines throughout the film.
Bill Plympton: I started out as an illustrator so I love the act of drawing, and I love drawing people, to me that’s the pleasure. But with this film I really wanted to exaggerate. For example, Jake’s body, his physique with the real tight abdominal muscles, was fun to do. I wanted to really stretch the anatomy, to really push the deformations of muscles in the arms, and the crazy positions a lot more because I just felt that this film needed to be more exaggerated. It’s a very stylized film and it’s kind of an opera in fact. Their passions are so over-the-top that it felt like an opera, so I wanted to stretch the characterization a lot more. That’s why I used Nicole Renaud’s music, because she writes very European, operatic kind of music and I felt that worked really well with the story and with the characters.
Aguilar: Nicole Renaud’s music definitely gives the film a unique feel that is retro but also timeless. However, there are many other elements in the film that make us wonder about where and when it takes place. It all blends beautifully.
Bill Plympton: I love that retro feel. It’s a real mélange of different techniques, styles, and eras. The cars are kind of like 30s or 40s cars, which I think are really fun to draw. The clothes are also from that era. The soul machine is kind of retro from old showbiz - vaudeville kind of shows. The music is European, and the architecture is kind of Southern border town with lots of overhanging balconies, shadows and shade. For me shadows are really a part of the drawing, and I love drawing shadows because it realty fills out the dimensions of the characters, it gives them weight. I love doing shadows, and that’s why I set the story in a desert town, but you’ll see a couple palm tress in there. It’s really a mixture of different eras and locations.
Aguilar: Unfortunately, we, as audiences, have been trained to think of animation as a medium that’s exclusively for children’s content, but your films take a different direction and use the medium to tell stories involving more adult subjects. Films like yours prove that this is much broader storytelling medium.
Bill Plympton: That’s a really important point that you are talking about, and I really appreciate that. I think animation can be a full spectrum of different storytelling techniques and different genres. I think it’s sad that there is only one audience that the studios are aiming for and that’s the kid audience. It’s really tragic that they don’t’ make films for older people. People like me. I know a lot of the Pixar artists and they all have real lives where they have affairs, and they have jealousies, they have divorces, and these are real adult themes that they’ve lived through, but they are not allowed to make films using these themes simply because that would ruin their kiddy market. I feel that I can’t complete with them doing kids films, but I do want to make films that deal with issues that I think about everyday like romance, sex, and serious stuff. I’m not competing with them, I’m showing an alternative, and I’m showing a different road that they can take. I want to make films that are different, films that are unique, I don’t want to make the same old children’s’ fairy tale, I want to make something that’s real and that’s about our dreams, our thoughts, and out passions. That to me is what “Cheatin’” is all about.
Aguilar: In the U.S. 2D animation is scarce. For many years now CG has become the norm, but there is still something incredibly special about hand-drawn projects. Why do you prefer this technique in particular?
Bill Plympton: That’s one of the reasons I couldn’t get distribution, of course one was that it wasn’t a kiddy film, and the other was that it wasn’t computer animation. I like the idea of seeing a film that has the artist’s hand in there,a film where you can see his strokes, you can see his working patterns. It's like going to a museum and seeing a Renoir drawing. You want to see their work and you want to see how they put it together. For me to see that in animation is really fresh, it’s really exciting, it’s really original. That’s why I hope people will come see the film, because it’s a very unique film and it has a very special style and look.
Aguilar: Tell me about financing ”Cheatin’” through Kickstarter and finding a way to make your film when the big studios are not supportive of your ideas.
Bill Plympton: Kickstarter and platforms like it are going to chance the way people make movies in the U.S and all over the world. In the past I’ve had to go begging to the big studios, show my stories, and do a dog and pony show to kind of pitch, and pitch and pitch. This is very frustrating because there is so much rejection involved. But now, I don’t need to go to the studios. If I need money for a project I got to my fans, who are really the people that I should go to anyway. The studios don’t understand what I’m trying to do, they don’t care about what I’m trying to do, but the fans do, the fans love what I do, and the fans support me. They want to see more films from me, so it makes sense that I go straight to them rather than the studios.
Aguilar: You are such a prolific artist, besides “Cheatin’” you also recently released the short “Footprints,” which was shortlisted by the Academy. Where do you search for new ideas that can work as animated films and how do you choose what project to do next?
Bill Plympton: When I was doing illustrations for magazines I built up an “idea file,” which had folders of ideas that I wanted to develop. The file has gotten so big now that I have too many ideas, but not enough time or money to make all the films. I like to draw them all myself, so it’s very important that I select the right film to make next. I select them based on whatever film would give me the most pleasure. The good thing about being independent is that no one is going to say I can’t do that. I don’t have to wait for a big producer to say “Here is your green light go ahead on it.” I can greenlight it myself, and that’s a real luxury that is worth the price of being an independent artist. I have three or four features that I want to do next. They are all lined up. I also have two or three shorts that are ready to go too. They are all storyboarded and ready but I have to use my time wisely.
Aguilar: Which of these projects you are developing are you focused on now? Where can we expect to see them?
Bill Plympton: There are two feature films I’m working on now. One is a mockumentary about Adolf Hitler. It’s crazy. Hitler was a big fan of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and I thought it would be very funny to create an alternative reality where Hitler became the Walt Disney of Europe. The other one is called “Revengeance” and it’s written by Jim Lujan, who is also an animator. He wrote the story, deigned the characters and did the voices. That one is about a third of the way done, so that’ll be about probably next year.
Aguilar: “Cheatin’” is finally opening this week theatrically. Where can people see it? I understand you will be present at some of the screening.
Bill Plympton: Yes, “Cheatin’” opens April 3rd at the Village East in New York. I will be there every night to sign autographs for everybody and to introduce the film. It also opens across the country after April 12th. I’ll be touring for about two weeks making special appearances throughout the U.S. Then it will be available on Vimeo on Demand starting April 21st. Also on iTunes, through Shorts International, you will be able to get all my backlog of shorts. There is almost 15 hours of cartoons that I’ve doing for the last 30 years. People can find out more about where “Cheatin’” is playing and more about the film at http://cheatinmovie.com/...
Europe and Asia -Japan, in a particular - have a more sophisticated relationship with the medium. They understand its power, beauty and possibilities beyond the happy-ending artificiality we are used to. In the U.S. few voices in animation make waves while working outside of the studios grip, among them Bill Plympton is by far the most celebrated and prolific. His irreverent artistry has refuse to a align with the status quo both stylistically and thematically for the past 30 years.
In Plympton's films the artist is ever-present in the visible handcraft of every frame. Colorful, ironic, sometimes twisted, and others endearing, his characters, even with all the surrealism that coats them, are more human than those which are smoothly crafted digitally. His work feels alive and delves into a wondrous array of emotions, concerns, and tragedies that others avoid. To call it daring and one-of-a-kind would be an understatement.
His latest feature "Cheatin'," is a spellbinding tale that translate all the irrationality of love into an exhilarating animated experience. A man and a woman fall hopelessly in love for each other, but when they suspect the other is being unfaithful, hatred kicks in with the same force as their passion once did. Delightfully racy and visually stunning, this is the most audacious and intelligent animated film you will see this year.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Plympton about "Cheatin'" and the challenges and privileges associated with being an independent animator in a profit-driven world.
Aguilar: Your films, both shorts and features, often take us into extraordinarily imaginative trips, but they also seem to come from everyday issues we can all relate to. Tell me about the origins of “Cheatin’” and about transforming the familiar premise of a relationship in trouble into an animated wonder.
Bill Plympton : It’s taken from a real relationship I had that went very bad and we decided to break up because we were so bad together. I thought this would be a good idea for a film because there would a lot of humor in it. There is always a lot of humor in conflict and there was a lot of conflict in our relationship. Around 2009 I made a list of all the scenes I wanted to include. Once I got that down I started doing a storyboard. This was a tiny storyboard it wasn’t a big one. When I had that figured out then I went and did the finished storyboard, and this is where all the real problems are answered. This is where I design the characters, I design the editing, I design the story, I design the backgrounds. Everything was resolved in that major storyboard. I liked it, I thought it was a great idea and had good potential. Then I went right into animation.
Aguilar: The surreal, dream-like sequences are a highlight of the film. They are inventive metaphors that really showcase a refreshing and uncompromising use of the medium.
Bill Plympton: That’s the magic of animation, you can go on these crazy surreal dream-like sequences. They are really fun to draw and fun to watch. My favorite is the one where Ella is sitting on a park bench and she discovers her heart. She discovers romance. You realize she’s been hiding her love deep inside of her soul. She wants to go inside and discover her heart, bring it out, and revive it. That’s when she falls in love with this guy named Jake. I think that was a very poetic sequence and it was done without dialogue, it’s all visual storytelling. It’s one of my favorite parts.
Aguilar: As you mentioned, the film doesn’t have any dialogue. It’s completely cinematic, yet you are able to convey rather complex ideas. Why did you feel this was the best approach for a film like “Cheatin’”?
Bill Plympton: You use the word cinematic and that’s one of my favorite words. It really is about storytelling with images. I’ve done that before even when I was doing illustration. I would do cartoon strips, sequential comic strips with 10 or 12 panels and not use any dialogue. I always felt that was a very powerful and poetic way to tell a story. Then when I started doing animation I did some of my shorts without dialogue such as all the Guard Dog films. They had no dialogue and they were very successful. Therefore, with “Idiots and Angels” I decided to try to make a feature film without dialogue. Nobody had any problem with it, nobody complaint about it having no dialogue, so I felt pretty sure that I could make “Cheatin’” also without words. Sure enough everybody likes the idea that there’s no dialogue, no one’s complaint about it. But you know, I’m not a very good writer of dialogue [Laughs], so it made sense for me to use this way to tell a story. It’s often times more powerful that way.
Aguilar: Would you say it’s more difficult to devise visual sequences that express what you want to say rather than having the characters say it?
Bill Plympton: Occasionally there might be some places where I wish I could put dialogue, but eventually I’ll find a solution to tell it visually and it’s actually more successful that way. I find it easier to make a film without dialogue simply because doing all the lip-sync, the recording, and the editing of words is really time-consuming and work-intensive, so for me it’s easier to draw without the words.
Aguilar: Tell me about the visual style and how you draw your characters. They have a very peculiar aesthetic with a certain entrancing fluidity. I also love the fact that you can see the handcraft in the lines throughout the film.
Bill Plympton: I started out as an illustrator so I love the act of drawing, and I love drawing people, to me that’s the pleasure. But with this film I really wanted to exaggerate. For example, Jake’s body, his physique with the real tight abdominal muscles, was fun to do. I wanted to really stretch the anatomy, to really push the deformations of muscles in the arms, and the crazy positions a lot more because I just felt that this film needed to be more exaggerated. It’s a very stylized film and it’s kind of an opera in fact. Their passions are so over-the-top that it felt like an opera, so I wanted to stretch the characterization a lot more. That’s why I used Nicole Renaud’s music, because she writes very European, operatic kind of music and I felt that worked really well with the story and with the characters.
Aguilar: Nicole Renaud’s music definitely gives the film a unique feel that is retro but also timeless. However, there are many other elements in the film that make us wonder about where and when it takes place. It all blends beautifully.
Bill Plympton: I love that retro feel. It’s a real mélange of different techniques, styles, and eras. The cars are kind of like 30s or 40s cars, which I think are really fun to draw. The clothes are also from that era. The soul machine is kind of retro from old showbiz - vaudeville kind of shows. The music is European, and the architecture is kind of Southern border town with lots of overhanging balconies, shadows and shade. For me shadows are really a part of the drawing, and I love drawing shadows because it realty fills out the dimensions of the characters, it gives them weight. I love doing shadows, and that’s why I set the story in a desert town, but you’ll see a couple palm tress in there. It’s really a mixture of different eras and locations.
Aguilar: Unfortunately, we, as audiences, have been trained to think of animation as a medium that’s exclusively for children’s content, but your films take a different direction and use the medium to tell stories involving more adult subjects. Films like yours prove that this is much broader storytelling medium.
Bill Plympton: That’s a really important point that you are talking about, and I really appreciate that. I think animation can be a full spectrum of different storytelling techniques and different genres. I think it’s sad that there is only one audience that the studios are aiming for and that’s the kid audience. It’s really tragic that they don’t’ make films for older people. People like me. I know a lot of the Pixar artists and they all have real lives where they have affairs, and they have jealousies, they have divorces, and these are real adult themes that they’ve lived through, but they are not allowed to make films using these themes simply because that would ruin their kiddy market. I feel that I can’t complete with them doing kids films, but I do want to make films that deal with issues that I think about everyday like romance, sex, and serious stuff. I’m not competing with them, I’m showing an alternative, and I’m showing a different road that they can take. I want to make films that are different, films that are unique, I don’t want to make the same old children’s’ fairy tale, I want to make something that’s real and that’s about our dreams, our thoughts, and out passions. That to me is what “Cheatin’” is all about.
Aguilar: In the U.S. 2D animation is scarce. For many years now CG has become the norm, but there is still something incredibly special about hand-drawn projects. Why do you prefer this technique in particular?
Bill Plympton: That’s one of the reasons I couldn’t get distribution, of course one was that it wasn’t a kiddy film, and the other was that it wasn’t computer animation. I like the idea of seeing a film that has the artist’s hand in there,a film where you can see his strokes, you can see his working patterns. It's like going to a museum and seeing a Renoir drawing. You want to see their work and you want to see how they put it together. For me to see that in animation is really fresh, it’s really exciting, it’s really original. That’s why I hope people will come see the film, because it’s a very unique film and it has a very special style and look.
Aguilar: Tell me about financing ”Cheatin’” through Kickstarter and finding a way to make your film when the big studios are not supportive of your ideas.
Bill Plympton: Kickstarter and platforms like it are going to chance the way people make movies in the U.S and all over the world. In the past I’ve had to go begging to the big studios, show my stories, and do a dog and pony show to kind of pitch, and pitch and pitch. This is very frustrating because there is so much rejection involved. But now, I don’t need to go to the studios. If I need money for a project I got to my fans, who are really the people that I should go to anyway. The studios don’t understand what I’m trying to do, they don’t care about what I’m trying to do, but the fans do, the fans love what I do, and the fans support me. They want to see more films from me, so it makes sense that I go straight to them rather than the studios.
Aguilar: You are such a prolific artist, besides “Cheatin’” you also recently released the short “Footprints,” which was shortlisted by the Academy. Where do you search for new ideas that can work as animated films and how do you choose what project to do next?
Bill Plympton: When I was doing illustrations for magazines I built up an “idea file,” which had folders of ideas that I wanted to develop. The file has gotten so big now that I have too many ideas, but not enough time or money to make all the films. I like to draw them all myself, so it’s very important that I select the right film to make next. I select them based on whatever film would give me the most pleasure. The good thing about being independent is that no one is going to say I can’t do that. I don’t have to wait for a big producer to say “Here is your green light go ahead on it.” I can greenlight it myself, and that’s a real luxury that is worth the price of being an independent artist. I have three or four features that I want to do next. They are all lined up. I also have two or three shorts that are ready to go too. They are all storyboarded and ready but I have to use my time wisely.
Aguilar: Which of these projects you are developing are you focused on now? Where can we expect to see them?
Bill Plympton: There are two feature films I’m working on now. One is a mockumentary about Adolf Hitler. It’s crazy. Hitler was a big fan of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and I thought it would be very funny to create an alternative reality where Hitler became the Walt Disney of Europe. The other one is called “Revengeance” and it’s written by Jim Lujan, who is also an animator. He wrote the story, deigned the characters and did the voices. That one is about a third of the way done, so that’ll be about probably next year.
Aguilar: “Cheatin’” is finally opening this week theatrically. Where can people see it? I understand you will be present at some of the screening.
Bill Plympton: Yes, “Cheatin’” opens April 3rd at the Village East in New York. I will be there every night to sign autographs for everybody and to introduce the film. It also opens across the country after April 12th. I’ll be touring for about two weeks making special appearances throughout the U.S. Then it will be available on Vimeo on Demand starting April 21st. Also on iTunes, through Shorts International, you will be able to get all my backlog of shorts. There is almost 15 hours of cartoons that I’ve doing for the last 30 years. People can find out more about where “Cheatin’” is playing and more about the film at http://cheatinmovie.com/...
- 4/2/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 114 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2014 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 87th Oscars®. The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title: “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs,” Vivek Maddala, composer “Anita,” Lili Haydn, composer “Annabelle,” Joseph Bishara, composer “At Middleton,” Arturo Sandoval, composer “Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?,” Elia Cmiral, composer “Bears,” George Fenton, composer “Belle,” Rachel Portman, composer “Big Eyes,” Danny Elfman, composer “Big Hero 6,” Henry Jackman, composer “The Book of Life,” Gustavo Santaolalla and Tim Davies, composers “The Boxtrolls,” Dario Marianelli, composer “Brick Mansions,” Trevor Morris, composer “Cake,” Christophe Beck, composer “Calvary,” Patrick Cassidy, composer “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Henry Jackman, composer “The Case against 8,” Blake Neely, composer “Cheatin’,” Nicole Renaud, composer “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,...
- 12/13/2014
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Three hundred twenty-three feature films are eligible for the 2014 Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.
To be eligible for 87th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.
Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 87th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced that 114 scores...
To be eligible for 87th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.
Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 87th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced that 114 scores...
- 12/13/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Original scores from The Boxtrolls, Divergent, Exodus: Gods And Kings and The Grand Budapest Hotel are among 114 scores eligible for nominations in the Original Score category for the 87th Oscars. The noms will be announced on January 15. The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs,” Vivek Maddala, composer
“Anita,” Lili Haydn, composer
“Annabelle,” Joseph Bishara, composer
“At Middleton,” Arturo Sandoval, composer
“Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?,” Elia Cmiral, composer
“Bears,” George Fenton, composer
“Belle,” Rachel Portman, composer
“Big Eyes,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Big Hero 6,” Henry Jackman, composer
“The Book of Life,” Gustavo Santaolalla and Tim Davies, composers
“The Boxtrolls,” Dario Marianelli, composer
“Brick Mansions,” Trevor Morris, composer
“Cake,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Calvary,” Patrick Cassidy, composer
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Henry Jackman, composer
“The Case against 8,” Blake Neely, composer
“Cheatin’,” Nicole Renaud,...
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs,” Vivek Maddala, composer
“Anita,” Lili Haydn, composer
“Annabelle,” Joseph Bishara, composer
“At Middleton,” Arturo Sandoval, composer
“Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?,” Elia Cmiral, composer
“Bears,” George Fenton, composer
“Belle,” Rachel Portman, composer
“Big Eyes,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Big Hero 6,” Henry Jackman, composer
“The Book of Life,” Gustavo Santaolalla and Tim Davies, composers
“The Boxtrolls,” Dario Marianelli, composer
“Brick Mansions,” Trevor Morris, composer
“Cake,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Calvary,” Patrick Cassidy, composer
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Henry Jackman, composer
“The Case against 8,” Blake Neely, composer
“Cheatin’,” Nicole Renaud,...
- 12/13/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
Yay! One of my favorite animated films of 2014 topped the recently announced 2014 Annie Awards honoring excellence in the field of animation. Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi's "The Boxtrolls" received 12 nominations including Best Animated Feature. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at UCLA.s Royce Hall. For more information on the Annie Awards, click here.
Here's the full list of nominees for the 2015 Annie Awards
Production Categories
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6 - Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cheatin' - Plymptoons Studio
How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
Song of the Sea - Gkids/Cartoon Saloon
The Book of Life - Reel FX
The Boxtrolls - Focus Features/Laika
The Lego Movie -Warner Bros. Pictures
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya - Gkids/Studio Ghibli
Best Animated Special Production
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey - Voyager Pictures LLC
Dawn of the...
Here's the full list of nominees for the 2015 Annie Awards
Production Categories
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6 - Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cheatin' - Plymptoons Studio
How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
Song of the Sea - Gkids/Cartoon Saloon
The Book of Life - Reel FX
The Boxtrolls - Focus Features/Laika
The Lego Movie -Warner Bros. Pictures
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya - Gkids/Studio Ghibli
Best Animated Special Production
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey - Voyager Pictures LLC
Dawn of the...
- 12/1/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Monday morning, the International Animated Film Society, Asifa-Hollywood, announced nominations today for its 42nd Annual Annie Awards, recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. Leading the pack with 13 nominations, including a nod for Best Animated Feature, is Laika Animation's "The Boxtrolls." Dreamworks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon 2" followed with 10 nominations, joining "Boxtrolls" in the Character Animation, Animation Effects, and Best Feature categories. Rounding out the organization's big prize are "Big Hero 6" (seven nominations), "Cheatin'" (three), "Song of the Sea" (seven), "The Book of Life" (five), "The Lego Movie" (six), and "The Tale of Kaguya" (three). The Annie Awards also announced nominations in TV, video game and short subject categories. “We had a steady increase in submissions this year and I am excited to say it’s going to be a great awards ceremony,” remarked Asifa-Hollywood Executive Director, Frank Gladstone. “We added a new category...
- 12/1/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Big Hero 6, Cheatin’, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Song Of The Sea, The Book Of Life, The Boxtrolls, The Lego Movie and The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya have been nominated in the top category for the International Animated Film Society, Asifa-Hollywood’s 42nd annual Annie Awards. The Annies cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The winners will be announced January 31 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Here’s the full list of noms:
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cheatin’
Plymptoons Studio
How to Train Your Dragon 2
DreamWorks Animation
Song of the Sea
Gkids/Cartoon Saloon
The Book of Life
Reel FX
The Boxtrolls
Focus Features/Laika
The Lego Movie
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Gkids/Studio Ghibli
Best Animated Special Production
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Voyager...
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cheatin’
Plymptoons Studio
How to Train Your Dragon 2
DreamWorks Animation
Song of the Sea
Gkids/Cartoon Saloon
The Book of Life
Reel FX
The Boxtrolls
Focus Features/Laika
The Lego Movie
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Gkids/Studio Ghibli
Best Animated Special Production
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Voyager...
- 12/1/2014
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline
We are only two months away from the Oscars, and members of the Academy are hard at work trying to decide who best deserves one of those five nomination slots.
Today, they released their shortlist for Best Original Song which tops out at an impressive 41 songs.
But we can already make an educated guess as to which five will be competition on Oscar night based on who the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards favored, and none of them involve Justin Bieber or Debbie Gibson.
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” earned a Best Song nod from both, as did “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” and “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque.” Randy Newman’s “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ also seems a lock, since all of Newman’s songs for Disney/Pixar have scored nominations over the years.
But, there are a...
Today, they released their shortlist for Best Original Song which tops out at an impressive 41 songs.
But we can already make an educated guess as to which five will be competition on Oscar night based on who the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards favored, and none of them involve Justin Bieber or Debbie Gibson.
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” earned a Best Song nod from both, as did “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” and “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque.” Randy Newman’s “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ also seems a lock, since all of Newman’s songs for Disney/Pixar have scored nominations over the years.
But, there are a...
- 12/15/2010
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- NextMovie
Bill Plympton is pure unadulterated evil, and I love him to death for it. In a world of cute pandas and talking automobiles, he's still making animation for a decidedly more deviant audience. And most of the time, he conveys his message without any dialogue. Idiots & Angels is a brutal and cruel noir about a rotten gunrunner who gets dragged kicking and screaming into becoming a hero. There's hardly a single redeeming character in the film, and the world itself is a hellish dystopia of liquor swilling savages and smoke belching automobiles. No one speaks - the only vocalizations are occasional painful screams or mocking laughter. The soundtrack moans and spits with the haunting melodies of Tom Waits and Nicole Renaud, creating a hopeless world of misery and moral decay. It's a violent and sexual film -- but like everything else about the piece done with a sense of artistry rather than for controversy's sake.
- 11/4/2010
- by Brian Prisco
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