It’s easy, through the divorced-from-childhood eyes of adulthood, to assume that cartoons- all bright colours, manic movements and quippy oneliners – are lacking in any kind of real substance. After all, we’ve been trained to see cartoons as childish bits of frippery and live action as suitably adult, a demarcation Continue Reading
Movies
The tonality of it: Actor Domhnall Gleeson and the art of learning accents
SNAPSHOT It’s funny, Southern American is definitely easier than a more general American or something from either coast. The southern thing I don’t know. I think because of the way that the sentences work and the open down of the tonality of it you can hear it you can, grab Continue Reading
Happy pop culture new year everyone!
Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs: Puppet Master reveals the challenges of creating believability
SNAPSHOT It was a huge challenge – a huge challenge and I think probably the most ambitious stop-motion film certainly I’ve ever worked on. There’s always a lot of detail. Stop-motion sort of thrives on that you know. You’re creating miniatures, so when you create miniatures they have to Continue Reading
I need more popcorn and candy stat! My 20 favourite films of 2018
So much was the same and yet so much was different this year when it came to sampling the seemingly endless cinematic delights on offer. While I still made it to a significant number of films in actual cinemas, consuming in the process far more lollies (candy) that is Continue Reading
Movie review: Ralph Breaks the Internet – Wreck-It Ralph 2
The tempting thing with anyone considering a sequel to any successful film, animated or otherwise, is to stay with what worked the first time, build on it just enough to make it seem fresh and new(ish) but not deviate from it so much that it feels too new and too Continue Reading
Take One Small Step … and watch your dreams come true (animated short)
(image via Laughing Squid (c) Taiko Studios) SNAPSHOT In the very touching short animation “One Small Step” by Taiko Studios, a little girl named Luna dreams of becoming an astronaut when she grows up. By Luna’s side is her Continue Reading
Lessons from the Screenplay: The Devil Wears Prada – The First 10 Pages
SNAPSHOT Andy (Anne Hathaway) is a recent college graduate with big dreams. Upon landing a job at prestigious Runway magazine, she finds herself the assistant to diabolical editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Andy questions her ability to survive her grim tour as Miranda’s whipping girl without getting scorched. (official Continue Reading
Movie review: Mary Poppins Returns
Attempting a sequel to any well-loved film is a challenge but after 54 years, when time has rendered it near-iconic and placed it atop a nostalgic pedestal of near-unreachable proportions, it is an almost impossible undertaking you might think. Possibly, but clearly this didn’t faze screenwriter David Magee and director Continue Reading
What’s the best way to react to a bad Christmas gift? Let Benedict Cumberbatch show you how
Ah the joy of getting just the right present at Christmas! But what if, pray tell, you are given a less than stellar gift, and being the lovely, sweet, caring person that you are, don’t want offend the giver of said gift? This is where British actor, and all-around acting Continue Reading