My friend and sometimes Ink and Pixel Club contributor Nick Nadel has a new article up on Premiere.com about animated title sequences from live-action movies. Animated opening credits are always a fun surprise when they show up and can set the tone for the movie to come or even surpass the film itself. Many of my personal favorites are among those listed, including the brilliant titles to Catch Me If You Can.
Archive for the ‘great sites’ Category
Nick Nadel on Animated Movie Openings
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Toy Story 3 on NPR
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010National Public Radio’s arts program Fresh Air just did an interview with director Lee Unkrich and screenwriter Michael Arndt of Toy Story 3. Go listen to it, watch some clips, and then check out the various related stories about other Pixar people. You won’t be disappointed.
Guest Post at A TV and A Girl
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010I did a guest review of Scott Pilgrim vs the Animation for the television blog A TV and A Girl. The review went up a few days ago, but I’ve been insanely busy moving, so this is the first chance I’ve had to post about it. Be sure to check out the rest of the site for all the latest news and commentary from the world of television.
Great Sites – The Nostalgia Critic’s Animaniacs Tribute
Saturday, August 14th, 2010I know I’m a little late in mentioning this, but if you haven’t seen it already, drop everything you’re doing and watch the Nostalgia Critic’s fantastic three-part tribute to Animaniacs
Nick Nadel Reviews “When the Wind Blows”
Friday, July 9th, 2010My friend and fellow writer Nick Nadel has written a review of the obscure British film When the Wind Blows. I’ve never seen the film and it has yet to recieve a DVD release in the U.S., so I was interested to learn about this grim tale of an elderly couple faced with the aftermath of a nuclear bomb attack. Nick gives a good overview of the movie’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as it’s place in the pantheon of horribly depressing animated movies.
Great Sites – Nick Nadel on Animation from the Comics
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010My friend Nick Nadel just wrote an article for AMC’s FilmCritic.com about some of the best animated movies inspired by comics. He covers some of the big names in this category, but also a couple of films you may have never heard of. Check it out, then let both of us know what your favorite animated comic book movies are.
Great Sites – Duke University’s AdViews Archive
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010I’m a little strapped for time this week, but I did want to share this amazing new site with you. Amid Amidi at Cartoon Brew recently posted a link to Duke University’s recently digitized collection of vintage television ads. Animation has long been a key tool in the advertising game, helping a commercial to stand out from the crowd with a unique style and visual that live-action can’t match. The AdViews archive has plenty of nostalgic goodies for animation fans. While it doesn’t have everything, the archive does collect and impressive number and rage of ads dating from the 1950s all the way to the 1980s. Simply click on the company or product you’re interested in and you’ll be taken to the iTunes store page where you can download any or all of the ads for that product or company, all for free. If you want to learn more, the website also includes interviews with experts in television advertising about the archive and a quiz to test your TV ad knowledge.
If you don’t know where to start, here’s a search I did for the term “animated. You can explore the evolution of Sugar Bear and other spokescharacters for Post Sugar Crisp cereal, or check out the Flintstones hawking Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles, back before all the ads with transparent references to popular movies. Meet the Johnson’s Wax angels, listen the tales of Elsie the creepy looking Borden dairy cow, or rock out with the Beech-Nut Hot Shots, seen above. (Yes, I know it’s the same video Cartoon Brew posted, but it’s such a great ad.)
My one complaint is that there aren’t any descriptions of the individual ads, so you can’t tell exactly what ad you’re getting until you download it. But with so much content and a price that can’t be beat, the AdViews archive is a great way to explore the history of TV advertising. Check it out and post your favorites here.
Alcott Does Disney
Friday, February 19th, 2010Bambi to be precise. I’m very pleased to see Todd Alcott tackling an animated film. If you enjoy my writing, you’ll almost certainly enjoy Todd’s discussion of this classic Disney film.
Help the Hodges Continued
Thursday, January 28th, 2010Just a quick reminder that the Help the Hodges charity auction is still going on. The items that went up previously will be ending in three days and a whole new round of amazing one-of-a-kind items goes up today. Check out the auction page to see what’s available.
Help the Hodges
Thursday, January 21st, 2010Starting today, a tremendous amount of one-of-a-kind artwork will be going up for auction on eBay, and for a very good cause. Animation artist Tim Hodge’s son Matthew was in a car accident that left him in a coma. The Hodges’ insurance policy isn’t covering all of their medical bills. Moved by the family’s plight, the National Cartoonists Society Foundation has organized a benefit auction with talented artists contributing all sorts of signed artwork, posters, and other goodies. So if you want to help out a family in need and possibly pick up a unique piece of animation or comics memorabilia for yourself, check out the items going up for auction at HelpTheHodges.com. You can also make a tax deductible donation through the PayPal link on the site.
