“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” nobody would’ve imagined that Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would one day share a family with Iron Man and Chewbacca. Yet in 2012, that’s what happened. Disney approached George Lucas and $4.05B later the rights (and a few lightsabers) transferred hands. This is just the latest […]
On Blackfish and the Understated Influence of Documentaries
“Never capture what you can’t control.” So says the tagline for Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s muckraking new documentary — currently being distributed in select art-house theaters by Magnolia Pictures — which is a stunning indictment of the manner in which SeaWorld has captured and treated wild orca whales over the years. The film could have an enormous impact […]
Summer Box Office Saturated with Explosions
A decorated gladiator steps out into the sun, brandishing two swords while donning finely detailed armor. Around him, hundreds of men and women line the seats of a massive arena, wildly screaming his name. He walks forward to address his opponent, a Roman slave whose character design is the product of meticulous behind-the-scenes scrutiny. After […]
Is Story Still King? An Examination of Pixar’s Future
Among the fabled Pixar legends, which include the “Black Friday” Toy Story reel, the cancelled Newt project, and the reason why Cars 2 exists, there is the story of one quietly life-changing lunch. In 1994, a year before Toy Story came out and birthed the digital animation craze, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and […]
Finding Nemo Is the Saddest Story Ever
When Finding Nemo was released in 2003, a ten-year-old version of me thought it was a wonderfully funny little film. Even back then I was always looking for things to complain about and I remember telling my mother that the movie had suffered because trailers had spoiled many of the best gags. However, I know […]
