Autodesk University: Day 2 - 20 Stunning Minutes of Avatar
Day 2 of Autodesk University brought the worldwide premier of the 20 fantastic minutes of James Cameron's new film, Avatar. Buzz aside, it was great!
AWN Blogs
Autodesk University: Day 1 - More than 5,500 Attendees Take Over Mandalay Bay
Autodesk University took over the Mandalay Bay hotel with more than 5,000 attendees, 500 scheduled classes and more than 20,000 people world-wide joining in virtually. Here's a look at some Day 1 highlights.
TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) (****)
How Orson Welles got involved in this production is up for debate. However, in all the stories, Welles was trying to make a Hollywood comeback after finding little success making films in Europe. But things didn't quite work out the way he wanted. Universal took the film from him and re-edited it. Welles wrote a 58-page memo on how to restore the film, but it was ignored. Even in the butchered version, many critics hailed it as a masterpiece upon its original release. In 1998, the film was restored as best as it could to the desire of Welles.
The film begins with a tour de force, long tracking shot where the audience follows a bomb placed in the trunk of a car. Along the way we meet Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston, BEN-HUR), a Mexican drug enforcement officer, and his new wife Susie (Janet Leigh, PSYCHO), an American blonde. At the end of the shot, the car explodes on the U.S. side of the border and Mike is pulled into the investigation.
UNMADE IN CHINA: The 2nd Xiamen International Animation Festival
When I received my invitation to the 2nd Xiamen International Animation Festival (October 30 to November 3, 2009) I looked forward to my second visit to Xiamen. The first edition of the festival had been a positive experience even though the quality of the animation that I saw was sadly lacking in quality. The members of ASIFA China who organized the event showed every sign of trying to follow ASIFA festival guidelines.
The e-mail that invited me said that my formal invitation, which is necessary to get my visa to visit China, would follow. Then I waited, and waited, and waited. Months passed. It finally arrived on October 13th, barely two weeks before I was due to leave for China. I had assumed that I was being invited for the entire festival, so I was very surprised to see that I would arrive on the 1st of November and leave again on the 4th. I would only have two full days there and be in the air or in airports for almost as many hours as I would be at the Festival.
I later found out that four other ASIFA Board Members had similar problems receiving their invitations. It turned out that the local government had taken control of the festival away from last year’s organizers. Although ASIFA was still listed as a co-organizer, ASIFA’s policies regarding treatment of films and filmmakers was being woefully ignored. Apparently the new government organizers decided to “uninvite” three ASIFA Board Members to save money but we were not informed about this. What I did not find out until later was that we were not reinvited until ASIFA made it plain that either the entire Board be invited or none of us would attend the festival.
On October 29th I was preparing to leave for China on the 31st when an e-mail arrived from Oscar winning animator Gene Deitch who had been invited to the festival as a special guest and key note speaker. He had gone to the Chinese Embassy in Prague, where he lives, and was denied a visa. Deitch thought that they took one look at his age and decided that they didn’t want to risk having to ship a guest back home in a body bag. Gene is 85 years young and shows no signs of slowing down either mentally or physically. The festival staff was very apologetic and asked Gene to videotape a message to be played at the festival. He duly did that and his controversial message can be seen on over a dozen web sites (Google “Gene Deitch, Xiamen").
That evening I also received an e-mail from my ASIFA Board colleague Mohamed Ghazala from Egypt who had received his invitation to give a presentation in Xiamen several months before. He had been anxiously awaiting his plane ticket which had finally arrived that day. The festival had arranged for him to fly out the next day (October 30th). He would arrive on the 31st, give his presentation on the 2nd and then depart for the airport 15 minutes after he finished delivering his paper. He would be in China one full day, which was even more absurd than my two day visit. A very frustrated Mohamed decided not to attend the festival at all.
I was beginning to ask myself “Why am I going?” but I was very curious to see for myself exactly what was going on so I forged ahead. I had a 4 hour delay in Beijing due to an unexpected heavy snow storm, which I later learned was also a great surprise to the local residents. The government had seeded the clouds for snow as an experiment without announcing it to the public. Unfortunately I arrived too late on Sunday to visit the Animation Products and Technology Exhibition and Exchange or to see the 2 days of Cosplay Competition.
Monday dawned very early with an 8:15 meeting time to take the bus to the Forum. After welcoming speeches from the Director of the Xiamen Municipal Information Industry and Nelson Shin from ASIFA, the General Manager of the Application and Multi-Media Center of China Mobil, Fujian Branch, delivered the keynote speech “Mobil Phone Animation, the Next Stage for Animation.”
'Life Without Gabriella Ferri' takes the Grand Prize
The grand prize went to "Life Without Gabriella Ferri" by Priit and Olga Parn. This is a complex, sensual, poetic film. "Wallace & Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death" by Nick Park took the special jury prize. Even though they are masters of the art, these filmmakers were pleased and genuinely touched by the recognition.
Nabari: The Complete Series, Part 2
By far, Nabari is one of the best anime series released in 2009.
It’s hard to make a good film
First of all I want to say that it's really hard to make an excellent film. I'm just completing my fifth film, and believe me it's very easy to fall in love with your work, not so easy to see it with some objectivity.
TENEBRE (1982) (***1/2)
At his best Dario Argento weaves thrillers that not only keep us guessing with ingenious twists, they end leaving the audience thinking about the ramifications of what transpired. The director takes the signature ultra-violent death scenes of the Italian giallos and gives them artistic flare. In this outing, Argento comments on how art and reality collide.
Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa, DEATH WISH II) is an American writer who is very popular in Europe. Upon a tour promoting his latest book, he gets a letter from a killer inspired by his work. With his dedicated assistants Anne (Daria Nicolodi, DEEP RED) and Gianni (Christiano Borromeo, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK), Paul starts his own investigation into the murders. This worries his literary agent Bullmer (John Saxon, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET). He must also deal with the likes of his bitter ex-wife Jane (Veronica Lario); Tilde (Mirella D’Angelo, THE POPE MUST DIE), a lesbian journalist, who questions the sexist undertones of his novels; and TV interviewer Christiano Berti (John Steiner, MARAT/SADE), who is a huge fan of his work.
A celebration of people and animation
So what is it about I Castelli Animati that makes it one of the most loved animation festivals in the world? The answer is simple... and evident from the first moments of arrival. It's the people.
MISERY (1990) (****)
Rob Reiner took on his second Stephen King story with this film, having made STAND BY ME, based on THE BODY, four years earlier. Unlike the previous coming of age tale, this one feels like a King story. Adapted brilliantly by legendary screenwriter William Goldman, the story is one that relies on its central performances. James Caan gave one of his career best performances and Kathy Bates made her star-making turn.
Paul Sheldon (Caan, THE GODFATHER) is a romance novelist who has ended his long-running "Misery" series and is finishing up a new novel. A man of ritual he checks into the same mountain hotel to finish his writing. Promptly checking out when he's done, he ventures out into a snow storm and runs off the road. He's saved from freezing to death by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Bates, PRIMARY COLORS), who happens to be his biggest fan.
Ghost in The Shell 2.0
Groundbreaking, seminal, visionary: these are the necessary adjectives to be predicated upon Ghost in The Shell.
Ikkitousen Returns
As I’ve said before, this series is a masculine-fueled guilty pleasure. Yuji Shiozaki, creator of the original manga, had the seductive foresight to merge Tekken with schoolgirl outfits and maid uniforms. Pure genius.
Genzano, near Rome. What better setting for an animation festival?
I Castelli Animati takes place about an hours drive from Rome, in the large and bustling ancient Roman town of Genzano on Lake Nemi. Narrow cobbled streets, ancient stucco buildings with red tile roofs, black iron gates, shuttered windows...this area has been a busy center since before the birth of Jesus.
Thoughts en route to I Castelli Animati in Rome
I'm sitting here in the KLM lounge in Toronto waiting for my flight to Paris so I can make my connection to Rome where I'm on the jury of this year's I Castelli Animati.
JULIA (2009) (****)
Each act of this unique thriller is like a different movie. It starts as a portrait of an alcoholic then becomes a kidnap drama and closes by flipping roles and dripping with dark irony. At 144 minutes long, the film doesn't move at the fast clip of a typical thriller, but director Erick Zonca's patient measured pace, matching the slow and skewed perspective of a drunk, is perfect for its antihero, brought to life selflessly by Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. A performance that in a just world would earn her another Oscar.
Swinton (MICHAEL CLAYTON) plays Julia, a party girl who isn't really fazed when she wakes up in strange places. Her AA sponsor Mitch (Saul Rubinek, BAADASSSSS!) has a nuanced relationship with her. He's certainly attracted to her, but he doesn't want to sleep with her because he knows that she needs a friend right now not a lover. Julia can't understand his feelings because for her sex is a weapon and love is a myth. She's not a very sophisticated woman and the booze just makes her dumb.
This Weekend’s Film Festival – Disney Essentials
With Disney's THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG opening in LA and NYC this Thanksgiving weekend, This Weekend's Film Festival turns its spotlight on essential Disney animated features. The lineup features vintage classics and a modern masterpiece. It doesn't matter if you love Disney animation or haven't seen the films in years or ever, this week's fest is a cinematic lesson in the power and magic of animation.
It makes sense to start the festival where Disney started. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES was viewed before its release as Walt Disney's folly. Skeptics believed animation couldn't work at feature length. Disney knew that the frenetic pace of animated shorts couldn't be sustained for 80+ minutes. So he went to fairy tales and made it a musical, a formula that would serve the studio very well over the years. Upon its release, the skeptics were quieted and the film was hailed as a masterpiece. As I said in my original review, "The story is a simple tale of good versus evil, but on a grand scale." Snow White is pure good and the Queen is pure evil. When the Queen sends the huntsman into the forest to cut out Snow White's heart, he can't kill such innocence, so he lets her go. In the woods, she meets the dwarves, a group of untidy tiny men who she brings grace and civilization to. The dwarves quickly fall for the charms of the beautiful princess — even Grumpy warms up to her. In the end, true love is all that can save the pure Snow White. Combining beautiful imagery with a simple theme, SNOW WHITE still holds up today as proof that adults can enjoy entertainment made for children when great characters are at the center.
FUNimation News
New streaming and downloads available on the FUNimation website!
Bamboo Blade Part 1
Let’s face it. This kendo team is the underdog we love to root for!
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009) (****)
This thoughtful, joyous production has brought class back to Disney feature animation whether it's hand-drawn or CG. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker (THE LITTLE MERMAID) have gone back and captured the essence of the studio's past and made a new film that moves them into the future as well.
Tiana (Anika Noni Rose, DREAMGIRLS) has dreamed of owning her own restaurant her whole life. However, as a poor girl from New Orleans, she has to work multiple jobs to save up the money. She is the polar opposite of her friend Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), a pampered "Southern princess" who just wishes on a star for her prince to come. Then one day her prince does arrive. Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos, TV's NIP/TUCK) is a charming jazz lover who has been cut off by his parents. In comes Dr. Facilier (Keith David, PLATOON), the voodoo doctor. He sees Naveen and his disgruntled manservant Lawrence (Peter Bartlett, TV's ONE LIFE TO LIVE) as the perfect opportunity to steal Charlotte's money and take over New Orleans.
KOBE DOIN' WORK (2009) (***)
This sports documentary is like watching the commentary track on a DVD, but for an NBA game. Director Spike Lee, a bona fide basketball nut, put 30 cameras on star Kobe Bryant for a key game against Lakers' rivals the San Antonio, Spurs at the end of the 2008 season. The player was miked and then comments in voice over to get a unique look into the game from his point of view.
Lee follows the league MVP from when he arrives at the Staple Center until he leaves after the game. The film is really geared toward basketball fans. Kobe talks strategy and players like the audience is already in the know. For fans, the film shows how much preparation goes into winning basketball games. Kobe is a scholar of the game and constantly talks to his teammates about how to run plays and defend against the Spurs' offense. In watching him throughout the course of the game, you get a strong sense of how mental skills are just as important, maybe even more so, than physical ability.
THE ROAD (2009) (****)
Many have been divided about the screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's award-winning novel. As a two hour production, the film doesn't capture the epic despair of the novel, but the film does capture the existential poetry of a parent's fear for their children. No film can capture the power of McCarthy's uniquely powerful sparse writing style. There isn't a filmic equivalent. All films based on complex novels have to focus on the main themes, and John Hillcoat's THE ROAD does this movingly.
The world has been destroyed by an undisclosed disaster. All animals and planets have died. The few humans that remain roam the land searching for food. Some have banded together and turned to cannibalism. A man (Viggo Mortensen, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) and his wife (Charlize Theron, MONSTER) have a boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee, THE KING) in this world. The father promises to do anything to protect the child, but the woman has lost all faith in this cruel world.
CTN Animation Expo: The Saturday Experience
The CTN Animation Expo is a new animation event based at the Burbank Convention Center in California. The Expo is mixed with traditional artist, computer artists, schools, software companies, book publishers, Women in Animation and ASIFA, recruiters from well established companies, and several other animation related companies.
CTN-X: A Real Animation Conference in the U.S.
CTN-X kicked off its first edition on Friday. Nov. 20th, bringing a new animation conference to Los Angeles. In it's first year, the event had quickly outgrown its home at the Burbank Convention Center with attendees lined up to attend various standing-room only panels.
FUNimation News
FUNimation Entertainment officially announced the acquisition of four new titles: Tetsuwan Birdy Decode, Sekirei, Full Metal Panic!, and Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU.
BAMBI (1942) (****)
In many ways, BAMBI is a redo of the themes Disney tackled in PINOCCHIO. At its simplest level this is a grand coming-of-age tale. It's also bold like PINOCCHIO in that it wasn't afraid to take its premise to emotionally challenging and deep levels.
Bambi (Hardie Albright), as a newborn, is a complete innocent. Bambi's mother (Paula Winslowe) must teach him about the joys and dangers of the world. Bambi must make his first friends, first meeting the energetic rabbit Thumper (Peter Behn). When he meets his first skunk, he names him Flower (Stan Alexander). Pure innocence. But Bambi is shy when he meets his friend female, the pretty doe Faline (Cammie King). Through the course of the story, Bambi learns to get his feet under the icy paths of life.
