Watched for the Weekly Animation Challenge 2019
Week 2 - Fantasy Films
There were so many lands used in early animation, from Balloonland to Mother Goose Land, to Lullaby Land. Take a concept, and then turn all the plants and buildings and people and animals into versions of that concept, and for the most part, they all work. Yes, it's a formula, but they're all pretty clever, and usually they are still able to get a bit of danger involved.…
Watched for the Weekly Animation Challenge 2019
Week 13 - Fleischer Brothers Week
The formula is down, and it really works. There's not even a need for Bluto, just some things for Popeye to hit after he gets his spinach on.
Mae Questal really made Olive Oyl into the character she is, and she really hasn't been improved on, at least not until Shelley Duvall. The backgrounds of the ghost ship are spectacular, and those, along with the music cues, lend a right creepy air to the cartoon. This should be part of any Halloween animations list.
Watched for the Weekly Animation Challenge 2019
Week 45 - Hayao Miyazaki
Absolutely stunning visuals, that were probably a little lost on my oh so tired brain. It was great seeing this for the first time in the theater, but those midnight screenings can be rough, especially for lyrical movies like Miyazaki's. I also had dreams of turning into a giant insect afterward, so it clearly got into my head. I am very interested in the original manga to see…
Watched for the Weekly Animation Challenge 2019
Week 36 - Jan Švankmajer
Oddly erotic and appetizing at the same time. I saw a puppeteer speak once about how anything can come to life, and you will invest it with emotions, and watching this, I definitely understand what he means. A little stop-motion, and suddenly a few slices of steak are able to have a romance, and you actually believe they have a future beyond the dinner plate. But alas, a roll in the flour, and like so many sexual encounters in the movies, it's into the frying pan.
