It’s not every day I get to review a documentary about a subject I feel personally close to, so let me put my bias right out there. “Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World” is a movie about one of my favorite New York restaurants — and, in fact, countless New Yorkers feel the same way. When you walk into Veselka, the legendary Ukrainian restaurant/diner on the corner of 2nd Ave. and E. 9th St., a vibe of warmth envelops you. I’ve spent endless hours hanging out there, nursing a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, writing on my laptop, chowing down on the magically tasty dishes that the purveyors call Ukrainian soul food: the pierogis that melt in your mouth, the potato pancakes that are crisp salty heaven, the succulent meatballs and rolled cabbage, the high-octane borscht, not to mention all the sublime American fare,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The Criterion Channel’s February Lineup Includes Melvin Van Peebles, Douglas Sirk, Laura Dern & More
Another month, another Criterion Channel lineup. In accordance with Black History Month their selections are especially refreshing: seven by Melvin Van Peebles, five from Kevin Jerome Everson, and Criterion editions of The Harder They Come and The Learning Tree.
Regarding individual features I’m quite happy to see Abderrahmane Sissako’s fantastic Bamako, last year’s big Sundance winner (and Kosovo’s Oscar entry) Hive, and the remarkably beautiful Portuguese feature The Metamorphosis of Birds. Add a three-film Laura Dern collection (including the recently canonized Smooth Talk) and Pasolini’s rarely shown documentary Love Meetings to make this a fine smorgasboard.
See the full list of February titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
Alan & Naomi, Sterling Van Wagenen, 1992
All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk, 1955
The Angel Levine, Ján Kadár, 1970
Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
Babymother, Julian Henriques, 1998
Bamako, Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006
Beat Street, Stan Lathan, 1984
Blacks Britannica, David Koff, 1978
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,...
Regarding individual features I’m quite happy to see Abderrahmane Sissako’s fantastic Bamako, last year’s big Sundance winner (and Kosovo’s Oscar entry) Hive, and the remarkably beautiful Portuguese feature The Metamorphosis of Birds. Add a three-film Laura Dern collection (including the recently canonized Smooth Talk) and Pasolini’s rarely shown documentary Love Meetings to make this a fine smorgasboard.
See the full list of February titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
Alan & Naomi, Sterling Van Wagenen, 1992
All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk, 1955
The Angel Levine, Ján Kadár, 1970
Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
Babymother, Julian Henriques, 1998
Bamako, Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006
Beat Street, Stan Lathan, 1984
Blacks Britannica, David Koff, 1978
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,...
- 1/24/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Legendary animator Floyd Norman talks about his all time favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (2016)
Vertigo (1958)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Rope (1948)
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Song of the South (1946)
The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)
The Third Man (1950)
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Jungle Book (2016)
The Lion King (2019)
Pinocchio (1940)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The Old Mill (1937)
Casablanca (1942)
Cinderella (1950)
Singin’ In The Rain (1953)
Paths of Glory (1957)
1917 (2019)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Star Wars (1977)
American Graffiti (1973)
Sorcerer (1977)
Other Notable Items
Michael Fiore
The Watts riots
The LAPD’s cruel mistreatment of Rodney King
The George Floyd protests
Move in Philadelphia
Walt Disney Pictures
Tfh Guru Roger Corman
Erik Sharkey
The Three Stooges
I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali TV series (1977)
Muhammad Ali
Fred Calvert
Alfred Hitchcock
Bernard Herrman’s Vertigo score
Robert Burks
The latest...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (2016)
Vertigo (1958)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Rope (1948)
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Song of the South (1946)
The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)
The Third Man (1950)
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Jungle Book (2016)
The Lion King (2019)
Pinocchio (1940)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The Old Mill (1937)
Casablanca (1942)
Cinderella (1950)
Singin’ In The Rain (1953)
Paths of Glory (1957)
1917 (2019)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Star Wars (1977)
American Graffiti (1973)
Sorcerer (1977)
Other Notable Items
Michael Fiore
The Watts riots
The LAPD’s cruel mistreatment of Rodney King
The George Floyd protests
Move in Philadelphia
Walt Disney Pictures
Tfh Guru Roger Corman
Erik Sharkey
The Three Stooges
I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali TV series (1977)
Muhammad Ali
Fred Calvert
Alfred Hitchcock
Bernard Herrman’s Vertigo score
Robert Burks
The latest...
- 6/9/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
As Carl, we've seen Chandler Riggs encounter living dead threats in the backwoods many times on The Walking Dead, but he faces a technologically enabled threat in the suburbs in Sean Carter's Keep Watching. With the new horror film out now on digital platforms and DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, we've been provided with an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers.
Press Release: Bella Thorne (Amityville: The Awakening, “Famous in Love”), Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”), Natalie Martinez (End of Watch), and Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four franchise) headline the terrifying thriller Keep Watching, keeping people on the edge of their seats on digital and DVD February 6 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In the film, intruders imprison a family in their home and force them to play a life-and-death game where the mysterious rules become clear as the night unfolds.
Synopsis:
A family imprisoned by intruders is...
Press Release: Bella Thorne (Amityville: The Awakening, “Famous in Love”), Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”), Natalie Martinez (End of Watch), and Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four franchise) headline the terrifying thriller Keep Watching, keeping people on the edge of their seats on digital and DVD February 6 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In the film, intruders imprison a family in their home and force them to play a life-and-death game where the mysterious rules become clear as the night unfolds.
Synopsis:
A family imprisoned by intruders is...
- 2/6/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Thanks to “Persepolis,” “Waltz with Bashir” and “Chicago 10,” the blending of animation with documentaries has become a successful sub-genre. This year, it’s pushed further both thematically and stylistically with great impact.
In “Life, Animated,” the autistic Owen Suskind learned to communicate by watching classic Disney animation; in “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” Disney’s first African-American animator gets long overdue recognition; and in “Tower,” the use of rotoscope animation helps recreate a 50-year-old mass shooting at the University of Texas Tower.
Read More: How ‘The Red Turtle’ Became an Animated, Cycle of Life Oscar Contender
“Owen was able to have a communication breakthrough when he was a child as a result of watching Disney classics…he used them as a guide to decipher life and to connect to other people,” director Roger Ross Williams told IndieWire. He’s the first African-American director to win an Oscar for the documentary short,...
In “Life, Animated,” the autistic Owen Suskind learned to communicate by watching classic Disney animation; in “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” Disney’s first African-American animator gets long overdue recognition; and in “Tower,” the use of rotoscope animation helps recreate a 50-year-old mass shooting at the University of Texas Tower.
Read More: How ‘The Red Turtle’ Became an Animated, Cycle of Life Oscar Contender
“Owen was able to have a communication breakthrough when he was a child as a result of watching Disney classics…he used them as a guide to decipher life and to connect to other people,” director Roger Ross Williams told IndieWire. He’s the first African-American director to win an Oscar for the documentary short,...
- 12/1/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The filmmakers behind the new documentary “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life” credit a chance encounter with Disney’s first African-American animator for sparking the project. “I met Floyd at San Diego Comic-Con, which as you can see is like this Woodstock for nerds,” co-director Erik Sharkey told TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman at a Q&A Tuesday as part of TheWrap Screening Series. “I was there promoting a documentary about a poster artist named Drew Struzan, who did a lot of the ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ posters. He actually did this poster right here for our film.” Sharkey and his co-director,...
- 11/2/2016
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
He’s a charming character, a fascinating player in cinema history. Absolutely essential viewing for Disney fans and those interested in animated filmmaking. I’m “biast” (pro): big animation fan
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Did you know that Comic-Con awards prizes to movies? I had no idea. But it sounds like pretty much the biggest no-brainer ever that Floyd Norman: An Animated Life won Best Documentary there this year. Anyone who was a kid in the 20th century knows Norman’s work, whether they know it or not: he was an animator and/or a story creator on so many cool things that you won’t believe one man could have spread himself around so much. A very incomplete list of where you have seen Norman’s work and felt his influence: Disney’s animated features Sleeping Beauty,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Did you know that Comic-Con awards prizes to movies? I had no idea. But it sounds like pretty much the biggest no-brainer ever that Floyd Norman: An Animated Life won Best Documentary there this year. Anyone who was a kid in the 20th century knows Norman’s work, whether they know it or not: he was an animator and/or a story creator on so many cool things that you won’t believe one man could have spread himself around so much. A very incomplete list of where you have seen Norman’s work and felt his influence: Disney’s animated features Sleeping Beauty,...
- 8/26/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
So, in the mood for another feature-length doc on the “mouse house”? I’m referring to Mickey’s home base, the cartoon factory that is the Walt Disney Studios. It’s comprehensive archives have provided terrific stories in recent years, all informative and very entertaining. Let’s see, there’s Walt & El Grupo, about the Ww II South American trip. And The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story spotlighting that song-writing duo. Oh, and Waking Sleeping Beauty, which focuses on the late 1980’s revitalization of the feature animation department, is a must see. Only a few weeks ago, audiences were moved by the story of the Suskind family in Life, Animated. Now, here’s another terrific addition to that revered roster. The talented directing team of Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkley introduce us to a fascinating man well known to the world of cartooning, but now the general public will meet...
- 8/26/2016
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A wonderful trailer has been released for an upcoming documentary that revolves around Disney animator Floyd Norman. The doc is called Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, and it offers viewers an intimate journey through the life and career of Norman, who is described as the Forrest Gump of the animation industry and is a Disney legend.
The doc comes from filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey, and it seems to be one of those feel good documentaries. If you have any interest in animation and want a candid, behind the scenes look at what the animation industry is like, then this seems like a doc that you’ll want to check out.
Hired as the first African-American at Disney in 1956, Floyd worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians, to name a few. In 1967, he was hand-picked by Walt Disney to join the story team on The Jungle Book.
The doc comes from filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey, and it seems to be one of those feel good documentaries. If you have any interest in animation and want a candid, behind the scenes look at what the animation industry is like, then this seems like a doc that you’ll want to check out.
Hired as the first African-American at Disney in 1956, Floyd worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians, to name a few. In 1967, he was hand-picked by Walt Disney to join the story team on The Jungle Book.
- 7/31/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
A new trailer has been released for Floyd Norman: An Animated Life.
From filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey, the feel good documentary is an intimate journey through the celebrated life and career of the ‘Forrest Gump’ of the animation industry – Disney Legend, Floyd Norman.
In Theaters, On Demand and Digital HD August 26, 2016
Comic-Con Screening & Panel July 22nd tomorrow Friday, (July 22nd at 3:10pm) followed by a Q&A with Floyd, the filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey and composer Ryan Shore – a separate panel will be held that evening at 9pm.
Hired as the first African-American at Disney in 1956, Floyd worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians, to name a few. In 1967, he was hand-picked by Walt Disney to join the story team on The Jungle Book. He would later work at Hanna Barbera on many classic cartoons, including Scooby Doo. His talents would later take...
From filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey, the feel good documentary is an intimate journey through the celebrated life and career of the ‘Forrest Gump’ of the animation industry – Disney Legend, Floyd Norman.
In Theaters, On Demand and Digital HD August 26, 2016
Comic-Con Screening & Panel July 22nd tomorrow Friday, (July 22nd at 3:10pm) followed by a Q&A with Floyd, the filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey and composer Ryan Shore – a separate panel will be held that evening at 9pm.
Hired as the first African-American at Disney in 1956, Floyd worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians, to name a few. In 1967, he was hand-picked by Walt Disney to join the story team on The Jungle Book. He would later work at Hanna Barbera on many classic cartoons, including Scooby Doo. His talents would later take...
- 7/21/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Oscilloscope Laboratories will open Rosemary Myers’ subversive debut feature, “Girl Asleep,” preceded by Amy Nicholson’s delightful, award-winning documentary short, “Pickle,” at Landmark NuArt in Los Angeles on September 23 and at Landmark Sunshine in New York on September 30, with a nationwide rollout to follow. Billed as “a vibrant portrayal of Australian adolescence” the film follows what happens when “Greta Driscoll’s bubble of obscure loserdom is burst [and] her parents throw her a surprise 15th birthday party and invite the whole school! Perfectly content being a wallflower, suddenly Greta’s flung far from her comfort zone into a distant, parallel place.”
– NYC-based film production and theatrical distribution company 26 Aries will release their first theatrical release, Kurt Vincent’s...
– Oscilloscope Laboratories will open Rosemary Myers’ subversive debut feature, “Girl Asleep,” preceded by Amy Nicholson’s delightful, award-winning documentary short, “Pickle,” at Landmark NuArt in Los Angeles on September 23 and at Landmark Sunshine in New York on September 30, with a nationwide rollout to follow. Billed as “a vibrant portrayal of Australian adolescence” the film follows what happens when “Greta Driscoll’s bubble of obscure loserdom is burst [and] her parents throw her a surprise 15th birthday party and invite the whole school! Perfectly content being a wallflower, suddenly Greta’s flung far from her comfort zone into a distant, parallel place.”
– NYC-based film production and theatrical distribution company 26 Aries will release their first theatrical release, Kurt Vincent’s...
- 7/15/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The documentary from Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey will get a limited theatrical release day-and-date with digital and VOD on August 26.
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life received its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February and won the audience award at the Bentonville Film Festival
It will next screen at the San Diego Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival on July 22.
The film follows the life of the animator, who became the first African-American animator to work at Disney and achieved credits such as The Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.
After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Norman left and founded Vignette Films, where he developed the original Fat Albert TV special and produced segments for Sesame Street.
He went on to work at Hanna-Barbera on classic cartoons like Scooby Doo before joining Pixar and working on Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. Now 81, he continues to work at Disney Publishing as a freelancer...
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life received its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February and won the audience award at the Bentonville Film Festival
It will next screen at the San Diego Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival on July 22.
The film follows the life of the animator, who became the first African-American animator to work at Disney and achieved credits such as The Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.
After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Norman left and founded Vignette Films, where he developed the original Fat Albert TV special and produced segments for Sesame Street.
He went on to work at Hanna-Barbera on classic cartoons like Scooby Doo before joining Pixar and working on Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. Now 81, he continues to work at Disney Publishing as a freelancer...
- 7/14/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Drew Struzan’s art has given us the iconic posters for Back to the Future, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, The Muppet Movie, and so many other beloved films. He also recently did some pro-bono poster artwork for the documentary Batkid Begins, and now his art is on the poster for another documentary, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, about the Disney animator, the first African-American artist to work at the studio long-term. Earlier this week, news broke of the next opportunity you’ll have to see Floyd Norman: It will screen at Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival, in Bentonville, Ar next month. The festival created by the Thelma & Louise actress champions women and diverse voices in media. But if you don’t live in Arkansas, you can hope to see the feature-length doc in a few months. Michael Fiore, who made the film with Erik Sharkey, told HitFix...
- 4/9/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
The first bit of casting news for Sean Carter's upcoming thriller Home Invasion has busted in, and it involves a Disney Channel ingenue who's ready to dabble once again in the horror genre.
Per Deadline, "Shake It Up" star Bella Thorne has scored a lead role in Home Invasion, Carter's debut feature about a family imprisoned by intruders who play a life-and-death game in which the mysterious rules become clear as the night unfolds. Thorne (who previously appeared in horror films Forget Me Not, Craw Lake, and The Seer) will play Jamie, a disillusioned teenager intensely guarding a personal secret.
Voltage Pictures is financing the project, written by first-time scribe and co-producer Joseph Dembner, and producing with Silver Pictures’ low-budget label Zinc Entertainment. Silver Pictures’ Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman will produce with Voltage’s Nicolas Chartier and Craig Flores. Joel Silver, Steve Richards, and Michael Fiore will exec produce.
Per Deadline, "Shake It Up" star Bella Thorne has scored a lead role in Home Invasion, Carter's debut feature about a family imprisoned by intruders who play a life-and-death game in which the mysterious rules become clear as the night unfolds. Thorne (who previously appeared in horror films Forget Me Not, Craw Lake, and The Seer) will play Jamie, a disillusioned teenager intensely guarding a personal secret.
Voltage Pictures is financing the project, written by first-time scribe and co-producer Joseph Dembner, and producing with Silver Pictures’ low-budget label Zinc Entertainment. Silver Pictures’ Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman will produce with Voltage’s Nicolas Chartier and Craig Flores. Joel Silver, Steve Richards, and Michael Fiore will exec produce.
- 7/25/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Exclusive: Voltage Pictures has committed to finance Home Invasion, a thriller developed by Silver Pictures’ low budget label Zinc entertainment. The plot is being kept under wraps, but the title offers clues aplenty. I’m told the story involves a family imprisoned in their own home by intruders who play a life-and-death game in which the mysterious rules become clear as the night unfolds. The script was written by neophyte Joseph Dembner and will be directed by first-timer Sean Carter. After hatching the concept with Silver Pictures’ Alex Heineman, Dembner wrote the screenplay on spec. Joel Silver, Andrew Rona and Heineman will produce. After the Home Invasion script was turned in, those producers shot a test scene which Carter directed and then shopped it. Voltage’s Nicolas Chartier and Craig Flores sparked to it, and they also will be producers. Dembner is co-producer, and Silver’s Steve Richards will be exec producer with Michael Fiore.
- 4/24/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
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