There was once a time, not all that long ago, when grief was treated as a linear, open-and-shut case, something that struck you, affected you and then left you alone to rebuild your life. That view of grief was simplistic at best, and as we’ve grown in our understanding of Continue Reading
Animation
Up, up and festively away! Shaun the Sheep – the Flight Before Christmas
Who’s going to save Christmas? It’s a pretty big question at the moment with COVID once again laying waste to the best laid festive plans of elves and men, and one that can be answered quite simply, and for some, unexpectedly – Shaun the Sheep (Justin Fletcher). Yes, that Shaun Continue Reading
Winnie the Pooh gets festive in A Very Merry Pooh New Year (incl. Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too)
If you had the choice of all kinds of fictional characters to spend Christmas with, and yes, there are an awful lot of them – although, to be fair, avoiding the xenomorphs from Alien or Pennywise from IT may keep a lot more festive – picking the residents of the Continue Reading
Movie review: Ron’s Gone Wrong
Modern animation often sets out with three distinct goals – to be riotously funny, visually striking and to have a beating heart of humanity at its core that also imparts a meaningful message. It’s a tricky trio of things to keep in balance and not every animated features well, or Continue Reading
Hotdog eggnog! Ted Lasso gets stop-motion festive in The Missing Christmas Mustache
SNAPSHOTEmmy® winner Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team — despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination — and biscuits. The widely acclaimed series also stars Emmy® winner Hannah Waddingham, Continue Reading
On 8th day of Christmas … I watched Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
It would not be a stretch to assert that A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the most important, iconic and thus, most adapted piece of writing in modern Christmas history. A morality tale for those who want a heartwarming story of darkness and redemption but without all the religious Continue Reading
On 7th day of Christmas … I put 15 more pop culture ornaments on my tree incl. Paddington, View-Master, Goofy, Smurfette, Olaf (Frozen) + Blondie
Is there such a thing as too many new Christmas ornaments. I say NO, although my boyfriend likely thinks there is as the tubs of ornaments threaten to overwhelm our apartment (for the record he loves Christmas and my love of the season), which is why I went crazy this Continue Reading
On 1st day of Christmas … I put 15 pop culture ornaments on my tree incl. The Rescuers, UP, Toy Story, Ahsoka Tano, Peanuts, Dr Seuss + Scooby-Doo
We all know history repeats itself thanks to the ongoing presence of human being in the process who alas have shown a freakish propensity for making the same mistakes over and over and over again, but did 2021 really have to ape 2020 so completely and absolutely? I think we Continue Reading
Christmas classic review: Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
There is no doubting the universal appeal of Charles Dickens’ 1843 A Christmas Carol. Interpreted by just about franchise going, including the Muppets, and even run in reverse by the likes of Blackadder and Scrooged, A Christmas Carol appeals because it maintains with exuberant moral certainty that the hopes and Continue Reading
Sneaking into #Christmas with Robin Robin: All warm mousey feelings, family and magic shiny wishing stars(review)
It honestly seems like Aardman Animation can do no wrong. Whether it’s the cheese-saturated domestic adventures of Wallace and Gromit or the hilarious mischievous of Shaun the Sheep, Aardman, known chiefly for their inspired stop-motion animation storytelling, have a gift, like Pixar, their spiritual narrative-shapers across the Atlantic, have a Continue Reading