Tag: animation

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Bowl Of Noses

Recommended Viewing #2: Pom Poko

The greatest animation company ever, Studio Ghibli, produced this fantastic movie in 1992.  You can tell the makers of OVER THE HEDGE watched it but, boy, does their movie stink in comparison!  They missed all of the fun, ideas, and greatness of POM POKO.  Being a Racoon was never so much fun — nor was pranking the humans.  It’s a great tale of resistance and rebellion.  There’s a couple of spooky sequences and you can see the creatures’ private parts, but still we think it’s appropriate for age 6+.

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Bowl Of Noses

Recommended Viewing #1: My Beautiful Girl Mari


Lee Seong-kang’s MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL MARI (2002) was one of our great film discoveries this year.  The animation is beautiful and inventive.  It’s the story of a young boy who seems to have everyone around him always leaving him.  He seems to find a solution by entering a dream world, where he meets Mari.  Seeing it’s set during his summer vacation there’s no better time to watch it than right now.  We’d say appropriate for age 7+.

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These Are Those Things

A Truly Pleasurable Experience: "Love And War"

I got a link today to check out a short film at the YouTube Screening Room.  I did not yet know about this new feature at YouTube.  It’s High Definition.  You can watch full screen without the image getting fuzzy.  The sound was good.  And they have award winning films from around the world.  I felt like I was getting closer to that elusive promise of the internet…

Maybe it was because it was early in the morning and my brain hadn’t yet woken up.  Or maybe it’s because the film was good.  Check out Love And War, “probably the world’s first animated opera”.  The puppets are good, the shots great, the music absorbing.  It’s a great way to start your day.  
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These Are Those Things

Music Videos For Airports

I travelled again last week, and although I wasn’t stuck on the tarmac for 4.5 hours this time, I did have a cancelled flight and several hours delay.  Brian Eno’s music needs an update.  Life in airports has changed.  It does feel like a bit like this great video though.  Somehow I found the ending quite sad.  

There’s also a good little interview with Cornelius at the Mangobot blog.

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Bowl Of Noses

The Fifty Greatest Cartoons Ever!


The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals is a 1994 book by animation historian Jerry Beck.  Five of the top fifteen are up on the internet for you viewing pleasure, including one of our faves Duck Amuck.  Porky In Wackyland is so great (and not available on line).  If you don’t have the Looney Tunes Collection, we recommend a netflix order or purchase.  Vol. 1 has Duck Amuck.  Vol. 2 has Porky In Wackyland.  No life is complete without having seen Wackyland.  Seriously.  You have our word.  Check these out online.

2. Duck Amuck (1953)
6. Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)
9. Gerald McBoing-Boing (1951)
13. Steamboat Willie (1928)
15. Bad Luck Blackie (1949)
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Bowl Of Noses

Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Brick

LEGO continues to be one of the most creative toys and companies out there. This movie is almost as good as the first Indie, and definitely tops the other three. Plus it’s only five minutes!

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Bowl Of Noses

You Are Never Too Young For Indie Rock!

We don’t have TV in our house.  No cable.  No broadcast.  But we do have a DVD player and we do have the internet.   Got keep a toe in pop culture somehow…
As a result though I only know Yo Gabba Gabba via YouTube, but I have to say I love this marriage of Indie Rock and Animation.  Both these songs, by Red House Painters and Dean & Britta are great, and the animation is lovely.