Samson & DelilahAnnie Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Animation
The 37th annual Annies, the awards given to excellence in animation by the International Animated Film Society/ASIFA, provided a celebratory if somewhat insular presentation at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Feb. 6. 23 achievement awards from 2009 projects were dispensed for categories including Best Animated Feature Film, for Pixar’s Up, Best Animated Television Production, for Walt... »
A Great Year for Animation
This year has seen a bumper crop of top-notch animated films, making the competition for the Best Animated Feature Oscar particularly interesting. The award, recognizing a genre that was long ignored by the Academy is a relative newcomer, having been instituted only in 2001. “It was certainly a pretty exceptional year for animation,” said Antran Manoogian,... »
The Long, Slow Process of Bringing Coraline to the Screen
“It’s difficult to get funding for stop motion,” says director Henry Selick, of trying to finance his projects. That he was previously the director of modern holiday staple The Nightmare Before Christmas tells just how over-cautious—or non-available—production capital must really be. Selick was talking about raising money for Coraline, his adaptation of the Neil Gaiman... »
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Director Series
Joe Johnston Conjures The WolfmanFebruary 2010 | By Scott Essman
Former Industrial Light and Magic art director Joe Johnston became a feature film director over 20 years ago when he came aboard... »
Danish Director Blends Comedy and Tragedy in An Education
January 2010 | By Mary Ann Skweres
The critically acclaimed film, An Education, which garnered the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, has quietly slipped into Oscar contention. From... »
Exclusive Film Reviews
Up in the AirDecember 2009 | By Len Klady
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) has an amiable disposition that belies the fact that it’s best to stay out of his path. You see he’s... »
The Young Victoria
December 2009 | By Len Klady
The enduring image of Queen Victoria, whose reign dominated the bulk of the 19th century, is of a benevolent, elderly grandmother. Though she was... »