Wednesday, August 22, 2012

PUPPETS, MICE, MERMAIDS AND MONSTERS

Last week my wife, daughter and I popped some popcorn on the stove and watched Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.  We hadn’t seen it since it came out in 2005, but I remembered the film as a gem of a move, a perfect little work of art.  I was happy to discover that, more than five years later, the movie held up:  a truly haunting blend of horror and heart, disturbing and moving in equal parts.  The design, the lighting, the one-of-a-kind textures created by stop motion photography—and, of course, the wonderful characters and story—all merge to create one of Burton’s best films.

This got me thinking about my all-time animated favorites (and, yes, they’re all Disney or Pixar.  Doesn’t mean I haven’t embraced others—as Corpse Bride proves—just that Disney’s universe grabbed me at a young age and never let go)—and thus this list, beginning with the masterpiece every other animated film must be measured against:    

Pinocchio
Snow White brilliantly set the stage, but Pinocchio was where Disney really proved his artistry.  Few other movies—animated or otherwise—have transported me the way Pinocchio has.  From Jiminy Cricket singing “When You Wish Upon A Star”—one of the greatest songs ever written—to the wonders of Gepetto’s workshop, the nightmares of Pleasure Island, the sublime beauty of the Blue Fairy and the jaw-dropping terror of Monstro the whale, every frame, every word, is perfection.  Gorgeous design, memorable characters, a fantasy both deeply intimate and deeply epic.  In the end, it’s the metaphor that makes it:  We’re all Pinocchio—wooden puppets, desperate to be free of our strings and become truly, fully human.  There are so many wonderful films from the era when Walt Disney was at the helm of his company and the truth is I could add almost any of them to this list and the choice would be justified—but Pinocchio is in a class by itself.

Cinderella
After spending some years in the wilderness, Disney animation came roaring back with this letter-perfect adaptation of the classic fairy tale.  Once again, the central metaphor is what sells it—we think we’re small and powerless, but our dreams can lead us to transcend our limitations—but it’s the artistry of Disney and his animators that creates the magic.  Cinderella herself may seem a little too passive and submissive to contemporary audiences—and she is—but she’s also genuinely compassionate and loving, decent and honest almost to a fault.  In the character of the wicked stepmother —voiced by Eleanor Audley, who also voiced Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent—Cinderella has one of the most frightening villains in movies:  Lady Tremaine isn’t some spell-chanting witch with supernatural powers, she’s a frightening example of all-too believable human cruelty.  My daughter had a friend who could watch just about any movie—no matter how dark or violently graphic—without batting an eye, but Cinderella’s stepmother terrified him to the bottom of his soul.  With good reason.

Peter Pan
If I had to pick my two or three favorite scenes in movie history, the scene of Peter, Wendy, Michael and John flying over London en route to Neverland in the first section of Disney’s Peter Pan would absolutely be one of them:  It’s a dizzying, breathtaking sequence.  The magic of the Pan story is that this grinning figure of myth can appear at your window, any time, anywhere—and carry you off to a world, equal parts magic and danger, that transcends this one.  Peter is the personification of the urge in all of us to go flying out the inner window and seek the transcendent.  (“Second star to the right and straight on till morning” is my destination every time I sit down to write.)  When you add the inimitable Hans Conreid as Captain Hook and a pirate ship, covered in pixie dust, sailing like a UFO across the skies...well, it doesn’t get much better than that.  (If only the heartbreaking final scenes of the Mary Martin Pan—done for television in the 1950’s—could have been grafted on to this. The moment when Peter returns to find Wendy grown old, “ever so more than twenty” shocked and moved me as a child and still does today.)  Pan isn’t perfect:  as with every other version of the story, Neverland never quite lives up to its hype (in some ways, it’s more fun to set out on the journey than to actually arrive at the destination) and the portrayal of the Indians leans too heavily on racial caricature—but the heart of the story beats louder than its limitations and makes Disney’s Pan a genuine classic.  (If you’ve never seen the sequel, Return to Neverland, you’re missing out on a charming little film.)


Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Disney animation had been in the doldrums for years—and then Jeffrey Katzenberg and Company delivered up the back-to-back-to-back wonderment of these three films and completely rejuvenated the Mouse House.  If you weren’t around in 1989, you may not be able to understand just how thrilling it was to watch Disney return to form with Little Mermaid—the elegant animation, the memorable characters, the wonderful songs:  Walt Redux.  Then they followed that with the Broadway majesty of Beauty and the Beast and added some Bugs Bunny-style mayhem with Robin Williams’ genie in Aladdin.  An astonishing triple play:   three classics in a row.  People claim that The Lion King is the masterpiece of 90’s Disney, but, for all the skill that went into it, that movie never implanted in my heart the way this magical trilogy did.  

Toy Story Trilogy
And then came Pixar.  The original Toy Story was as revolutionary as Al Jolson’s
“You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” in
The Jazz Singer:  it changed the game for animated films—and all films, really—by ushering in the digital revolution.  But the shift from 2D to computer animation wouldn’t have meant anything if the story hadn’t worked—and what a story it is.  Buzz, Woody, and Company remain as unforgettable (and, I suspect, they’ll be as lasting) as Peter Pan, Dorothy Gale, Winnie-the-Pooh, Alice and other great characters from children’s literature.  Each subsequent film in the franchise has been of equal excellence—with the final installment being, perhaps, the best.  When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, I was sitting in a South Carolina movie theater, crying my eyes out as Andy went off to college and the toys began their new life with Bonnie.  Somewhere, I suspect Walt Disney was crying, too.  And smiling through his tears.

Monsters, Inc.
The Toy Story movies are the gold standard for Pixar films, but Monsters, Inc. is the Pixar I love most.  Love?  I adore it.  Why?  Could be the memorable characters (Mike and Sully are one of the screen’s great comedy teams), the underlying mythology of intersecting universes, the fully realized world of Monstropolis itself—or that extraordinary sequence at the end, where Sully and Mike, pursued by the malevolent Randall, leap from door to door to door (Charlie Chaplain couldn’t have engineered a better slapstick chase).  Most of all it’s the heart, embodied by Sully’s dedication to Boo and his willingness to risk everything for a human child.  Or maybe it’s that indefinable...Something that escapes analysis.  After all, love (whether for a person or a movie) can’t really be explained.  There’s a Monsters, Inc. prequel in the works:  a part of me wants them to leave well enough alone; another part wants them to create a follow-up equal to, or better, than the first.

Up 
In Steven Spielberg’s underrated
Amistad, there’s a sequence that follows a group of slaves from their capture in Africa, through their tortured journey across the ocean and on to their arrival in America:  it’s one of the most brilliant, horrifying sequences I’ve ever seen in a movie and it’s enough to raise Amistad (which is otherwise a little bumpy in its storytelling) up to the level of unforgettable art.  The opening sequence of Up, which follows Carl and Ellie Fredricksen through their lives together, from childhood to marriage to old age and, ultimately, Ellie’s passing, is equally unforgettable.  You could have cut out everything that followed and still had a classic.  Lucky for us, the rest of the movie—an old man’s fanciful journey from despair to a heart-expanding reaffirmation of life—is almost as good.  Add in two wonderful voice performances from Edward Asner and Christopher Plummer and a memorable score from Michael Giacchino (one of the best composers working in film and television today) and Pixar adds another classic to the ranks.

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
No, it’s not a feature in and of itself, but I couldn’t complete this list without Mickey, the mouse who single-handedly built the Disney empire.  Back in the 30’s, when he made his debut (okay, technically it was 1929), Mickey Mouse was a pop-culture phenomenon:  the animated equivalent of Sinatra, Elvis or the Beatles.  By the 1950’s, the Mouse had become more staid, less rebellious, but that can’t take away from the explosive creative energy of the early Mickey shorts.  I’m especially fond of Thru the Mirror, The Brave Little Tailor and “Mickey and the Beanstalk” from 1947’s Fun and Fancy Free—but my absolute favorite Mickey is the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment from 1940’s Fantasia, an admirable film that, frankly, never appealed to me:  it’s the one Disney movie that takes itself too seriously.  “The Sorcerer's Apprentice,” happily, doesn’t suffer from that disease:  it’s a celebration, a volcanic eruption, of unbridled imagination.  And that, to me, is what Mickey Mouse has always stood for:  he’s the avatar of imagination, an ancient god of dreams, creativity and joy descended from the astral in the form of a cartoon mouse.  Now if someone—hello, Pixar...?–would please come up with The Great Mickey Cartoon of the twenty-first century, I’d be a very happy man.

Before I end, I have to mention a movie that delighted me from first frame to last, 2010’s Tangled:  a reinvention of the Rapunzel fairy tale and the best non-Pixar Disney film since Aladdin.  Not quite sure if it’s ready to be dubbed an all-time classic, but I have a suspicion that, if I update this list in a few years, Tangled will be on it. 

©copyright 2012 J.M. DeMatteis

43 comments:

  1. Nice write up JMD, I share your love for Tangled. It was very well done, the romantic scene in the middle of the lake was unforgettable.

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    1. TANGLED was one of those movies that captured my heart from the very first shot, Quique.
      Saw it again recently and it had the same effect.

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  2. According to my copy of Amazing Spider-Man #400, Peter Pan is one of Peter Parker and Aunt May's favorite stories. :)

    I really loved that opening sequence in Up. I just hate it when a movie makes me cry.

    One of my favorites is Wall-E. The wordless sequences throughout a huge chunk of the movie were pretty ballsy for a modern animation. The way Pixar crafted that actually reminded me of old-school cartoons that were all about storytelling through the "acting" and music.

    I'm of the generation that grew up watching Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Toy Story. However, I think the animated movie that had the biggest impact on me as a child was The Transformers: The Movie (1986). I think the death of Optimus Prime was one of those watershed moments that traumatized an entire generation of boys. I watched this movie so many times that it's one of only two movies (the other being The Empire Strikes Back) where I can practically recite the lines as the movie plays. I can even sing along to the dated '80s metal soundtrack. The animation is really impressive for its time, as well - it was all completely hand drawn, even the special effects. I've got nothing but love for The Transformers: The Movie (1986).

    Transformers also taught me the s-word, so there's that.

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    1. I'm a little too old to have been impacted by the animated TRANSFORMERS, Dru (that's the one where Orson Welles was a planet, right?), but I did see it in the movies with my son when it came out and I'm pretty sure he'd agree with your sentiments.

      WALL-E is one of Pixar's best. And you're right, they made some very ballsy choices.

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  3. Most of the ones you list are near and dear to me, as well. I haven't seen "Tangled" yet, however; non-Pixar Disney movies aren't automatically must-sees for me these days. I've heard enough good about it that it's on the "to-watch" list, so I'll get to it one of these days.
    I also loved "Sleeping Beauty" when I was little, mainly for Maleficent. (I always tended to dig the villains!) The ending always annoyed the hell out of me, though; the nominal "hero" does basically nothing, and Maleficent is pretty much deaus ex machina'd to death. To this day, when I watch it, I tend to stop before the ending.
    I always loved "pinocchio, " and I remember seeking out the source novel when I was 5 or 6. It was a pretty shocking departure from the Disney film, for sure!

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    1. SLEEPING BEAUTY is a gorgeous film, Waylon, but you're right: the Prince is bland and is just there to fulfill a function. In many ways, the three fairies and Maleficent are the heart and soul of the story. Beauty and the Prince are almost window dressing.

      Maleficent turning into a dragon is one of those moments that burns into your brain when you're a kid. It's such a beautifully designed film.

      Hope you enjoy TANGLED when you get around to seeing it. It's wonderful.

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  4. This is off-topic, but I was wondering if you had seen this: http://twitpic.com/amjkm6
    NASA turned Curiosity's landing site into a nice tribute to Ray Bradbury. :)

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    1. That's great, Waylon. And today's Ray B's birthday!

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  5. Favorite animated films, eh? Well here it goes...

    "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm"- Not only one of my favorite animated but also my favorite Batman film. Timm-Dini's animated universe was great, brilliant even, and batman was the first and maybe most well expressed and unique of all. This Movie just proves it. A true Year One feel. Improving elements of Year Two. A great cast, beautiful animation, engaging pathos, outstanding charter development, and a good mystery and plot on top of it all. And of course a bitter-sweet ending that Batman is so good at, but rarely gets on the silver screen. Maybe the unique opportunities animation gives a certain amount of ease to a comic book creation.

    "The Simpsons Movie"- this feels like cheating somehow. I know it's just one long episode, but what did you really expect. The Simpsons is probably one of the most important works in the past 50 years of fiction. The show is a magnate for sentiment, as well as humor, and great at pointing out just how stupid we all are. The Movie did not skip a beat.everything that made the Simpsons great was right there for the world. Few movies can make you genuinely feel compassion for a complete jerk, or laugh out load for minutes, or give a tale of a family who is down and out and convincing both loves and hates each other. The Simpsons movie did all of this.

    "The Incredibles"- I know, another super hero movie. I always wondered, does the 40's look of the film's beginning, and the jet-age early 60's feel of the rest of the film act as a link to superheroes lack of popularity in the 50's and then Stan and Jack's resurrection of them in the 60's? But really, as cool as this F.F.-would-be's superheroing is, and how groov the man and bond-"Man from U.N.C.L.E." vibe was, the dealing with modern angst and feelings of depression and worthlessness Bob feels holds the film together. And of course the the fact that it is family not the past that leads to his ultimate happiness.

    A Bug's Life- a reworking of a classic tale (The 7 Samurai). great.

    "The Iron Giant"- I missed this when it came out, but this love letter to 50's sci-fi really tugs at the heart. It's hard to believe that it was so overlooked at the time. It walks a fine line of sentimentality and drama, without ever being TOO sappy. any fan of Atomic Age Sci-fi movies a or b type, will enjoy this.

    "Titan A.E."- alright I admit it, this is just right place right time. I mean it's a perfectly solid film, but it is only a favorite because of the point in time I saw it. Though it is nice to see a kids film (especially a kid's Sci-fi film) that doesn't sugar coat anything.

    I'm sure I am forgetting a few, I'll get back to you.

    oddly, I never cared for Tim burton at all, except for Peewee's big adventure.

    wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,

    Jack.

    P.S. I liked Up, a lot. I did honest, but after I saw it I wondered why they just didn't adopt if they wanted a kid so bad. still a far out film.

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    1. An interesting list, Jack. (But I'd expect nothing less!) Never saw the PHANTASM movie. Guess I'll have to add it to my Netflix queue. THE SIMPSONS are, in their way, as much a pop culture phenomenon as Mickey Mouse was back in the day. The rest of the choices are equally interesting...although I have to say that BUG'S LIFE is (along with CARS) my least favorite Pixar. But, hey, that's what makes horse racing!

      If you remember more, you know where to find me!

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    2. Oddly, enough I did remember two classic animated films that I had forgotten.

      "The Hobbit"- I can't believe I forgot this one.Many people view the "Lord of the Rings" films of a live-action style, to be the best interpretation of Tolkien. To be fair, I do prefer the Hobbit book to the also amazing Lord of the Rings.I say it was this classic of 70's animation. Sure a few parts were taken out, but the rest is incredibly faithful. pop this film in on a chilly November night, and I guarantee you will find yourself completely lost in it.

      "Charlotte's Web"- unlike the Hobbit, I have never read this book, but the cartoon really gets to me. Plus who could ask for anything more in a film than a rat voiced by the master himself Paul Lynde?

      Monster's Inc.- I know, you already covered this one. And I agree with it all, but you forgot something... I think. This movie, despite being filled with monsters, seems real for the same reason Spider-man does, because before all the chaos starts the lives of Mike and Sully are so mundane. Sure Sully is big man on the block, but the city is so average, the apartment so usual. I think that this goes a long way towards establishing why this child invader is both feared and why she shouldn't be. Also, on a personal note, I believe that this was the first movie I saw with my oldest brother after he moved to Chicago.

      Also, to comment on your "Up" statements, only sat and watched it because the opening montage got such rave reviews. Don't worry, I was glad I watched on past that.

      The Simpson's cultural impact to me is like Bugs bunny fused together with "All in the Family."

      As far as Phantasm goes, if ever you saw Batman: TAS, or any other cartoon in that series (Superman: TAS, Batman Beyond, Justice League, JLU), which I believe you probably did at least see the episodes you wrote, this is worth seeing. If ever you enjoyed a Batman comic it is worth seeing. here is a link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wv2FitL0Aw

      Oh, and I wasn't too fond of Cars.

      wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,

      Jack.

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    3. We watched CHARLOTE'S WEB over and over when my son was little, Jack. What a wonderful movie (I actually thought of including it on my list). True to the source and yet with a life, and identity, of its own. "Some pig!"

      I have a vague memory of seeing THE HOBBIT...but, unfortunately, I can't remember much beyond that fact!

      PHANTASM is going in the queue!

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    4. So, I've convinced J.M. Dematteis to look into sometrhing, eh? Far out! The plan is that much closer to fruition.

      As for ol' Bilbo's tale... like I hinted, a perfect mid-fall film, in case I've peaked your curiosity as to just what you have forgotten.


      Finally, one last Animated film:

      "Rikki Tikki Tavi" - a 30 minute short ripped from the pages of The Jungle book. An oddly more seroius take than the other cartoon Jungle book story. This is not only the earliest concept of an epic struggle, and still one of the best. A gripping cartoon thriller for kids, and adults played out with animals. edge of the seat thrills.

      wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    5. I have a dim racial memory of that one, Jack. And a suspicion that it was directed by the great Chuck Jones. I'll have to poke around the web and see if I'm right.

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    6. Let me know if there is any luck, I haven't seen it in years.

      If you enjoy Phantasm, then "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" is probably a step to take after that. Also a great movie, but not quite enough to crack "best."

      Though, if you don't mind, I have a question for you. WEhat stories do you think should become animated movies? Your work or someone others. Comic or prose , or myth, tall tale, or fairy tale. I have some views on this, but I'll hold most for now. I will say this though, I think the natural inclination is Moonshadow on this site, but I don't see it working. As much as I dig the story, and the art I don't see it jiving in animated form. However this lack of possiblity may just be because I am picturing Muth's breathtaking watercolors moving, and that seem at best off and at worst creepy. Too real looking. And if you choose to answer this, please do not feel a need to be limited in the number.

      wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    7. Of my own work, I think BATMAN: GOING SANE would be a fantastic animated film; and so would KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT. (I can't see them doing the latter in live-action, because no highly-paid actor would put up with being off-screen and buried alive for a third of the movie!) BROOKLYN DREAMS would be a natural: Glenn Barr's art would translate beautifully to the screen.

      As for MOONSHADOW: the other day someone said, "Wouldn't it be cool if Pixar did their first animation for grown-ups and it was MOONSHADOW?" I'd never thought of that, but, once it was offered up, I loved the idea. That said, I always saw MOON as live-action, with a director like Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton at the helm.

      And the most natural fit for animation is the Giffen-DeMatteis JLI. Having written JLI in several BRAVE AND THE BOLD episodes, I saw first-hand how well they worked. There was even talk of a JLI spin-off for a time; but, sadly, that never came to pass.

      As for other comics-to-animation: the original Wein-Wrightson SWAMP THING run would be great; and, for that matter, so would the Gerber MAN-THING. I think an animated film based on the Thomas-Smith CONAN, THE BARBARIAN would be better than any live-action CONAN ever done. The Wolfman-Colan TOMB OF DRACULA would also be amazing. And I'm still working my way through the 70's!

      So many great comic book runs would work in the form; and, as we've seen with various TV incarnations, the animation is often far truer to the characters than the live-action interpretations. A show like JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED stands as one of the best interpretations of the League ever, in any medium.

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    8. If, DC did do a Going Sane movie would you want to keep Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil, or is a recasting in order? Either way it may be in the cards, what with all of the DC animated movies that have come out. In fact, at least one was provided by the actual writer of the comic. Either way the point is I would groove on it too.
      To be perfectly honest, Kraven's Last Hunt was on my list too. However not Going Sane, of which I hold in equal regard. don't know why. I think it is because the dreamy images in Kraven's tale seem to just draw an animation type of mind. I hope Marvel tries to burst back into animation with this,l even though I know it won't.
      JLI animated movie? that might interfere with my future petitioning for a JLI prime time ongoing T.V. show. Well, I suppose you know the industry better than I. I concede to you.
      As far as Tomb of Dracula goes, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but... it already exists. Released in Japan under the name "Tomb of Dracula," then released in english to years later under the name "Dracula, Sovereign of the Damned" see, check it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1_t0y7tTFo
      Though oddly, I have not seen it, so I can't vouch.

      As for me, Starlin's run on Warlock is certainly on the list. Those mind blowing images, just beg to be animated... Hell, they practically are! Maybe broken into two films. The Sentry live action movie would bomb and be picked apart by Hollywood, but an animated film could really draw in new fans and satisfy old. A saga of 10 or so animated films based off of the Fourth world would be very groovy indeed. The Death of Gwen Stacey over three films(one goblin returns after an absence, Two Gwen dies, three peter either deals with jackal cloning gwen after turning a corner or a new MJ relationship as Harry becomes Goblin) would certainly float a boat or two. maybe Captain america and the Secret empire, and really a good portion of the Marvel Graphic Novels from the early 80's would translate well. Seekers into mystery's art always looked good, and Savior 28's cartoon style of art combined with the story would be great Just as long as none have the time limit for each movie, it is really killing the quality of some of DC's animated movies.

      If I could go off for a moment, I also think that an adult oriented cartoon show starring Daredevil, Moon Knight (as long as Moench is involved heavily), or Green Arrow would be truly far out. And of course as previously stated a J.L.I prime time animated sitcom.

      As far as Man-thing, I could definitely get on board if they adapted Gerber's work. And used Vignettes instead if one big attempt that would truly be a groove worth being hip to. I always personally wanted to see Gerber's man-thing as a live action summer replacement show on T.V.

      and, to add to your JLU thought, Spider-man: the Animated series's Peter Parker always seemed both more accurate and real than Toby Mcguire, and in my mind Kevin Conroy is the "real Batman".

      wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    9. Also, on a non-comic side, I think that cosmic puppets would make a cool animated movie if done right.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    10. I love the idea of Starlin's WARLOCK as an animated film, Jack: it's perfect for the medium. As for GOING SANE, it would be great to have those classic voice actors playing the parts.

      Re: KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT. Someone recently suggested Liam Neeson as Kraven and I thought it was a brilliant idea. So when we get that one going, he's in. (Isn't fantasy wonderful?)

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    11. COSMIC PUPPETS, eh? Maybe...but I think it would make an incredible live-action film. Sort of the ultimate TWILIGHT ZONE episode.

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    12. to be honest, I'd prefer Cosmic puppets to be live action, I just think that a live action version is a harder sell. I know, that reality wasn't the point of this exercise, but since either could work (live action is just the better choice) I thought I'd through it in. It's a shame that movie studios don't ever seem to be a fan of sci-fi films that aren't big ol' explosion orgies. Well, there have been some exceptions in recent years I suppose, two of which were PKD films (A Scanner Darkly and The Adjustment Bureau).

      Speaking of PKD films, does A Scanner Darkly count as an animated film. I feel tjhat it shouldn't, but if it does, then that belongs on my list too. Best PKD adaption ever?

      Now for Kraven. The shame superhero movies is constantly wanting to do the origin as a story, and the need to reboot when they get a new cast. How many decades did they go without rebooting James Bond? Nobody questioned it, we all just said, fine James is in a collapsed sliding time line and this is him. oddly not that different from a comic book. What does this have to do with Kraven? Well, like a lot of great comic stories the baggage brought with the big K. is what made the story great, even what made it work in the first place. As long as this is the case superhero movies can never REALLY reach their full potential. So animated is the only way to go.

      Well, Judd Winnick adapted his own comic story, "Under the Red Hood," into it's animated version on his own and pitched it to DC. So, maybe the power to make "going Sane" a reality is in your hands. I know you're a busy man, still, a man can dream, a man can dream...

      Is it just me, or between the two of us have you gotten enough ideas so that you could be running Hollywood, if you weren't busy? When that happens just remember to send the royalty checks to me, otherwise the well of ideas that is me may mysteriously go dry.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

      P.S. I don't know if I ever said this her, but as much as I loved all of "Going SAne," the scene that shows why Bruce left the valley, and his lady friend convinces him to continue based off of her experiences in Gotham, that scene was my favorite. It really was a great show heroism, depicting not only why Batman is needed, but also what kind of man he is. I never thought of Batman as a tale of vengeance, but rather of compassion, That once upon a time something terrible happened to Bruce Wayne, and he wanted to make sure that some random faces in the night, people he probably never met, never has to feel that way. Congratulations on a great scene

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    13. As soon as I'm officially running all of Hollywood, Jack, feel free to apply for a job!

      Re: GOING SANE. I've written several interpretations of Batman—including the grim vengeance-seeker—but the one that I resonate with the most is the GS version: he's not crazy (no crazier than any other person who puts on a costume and chases bad guys). He's sane and compassionate and, in his own way, as much a healer as his father.

      SCANNER DARKLY is an animated film. And it's not at the same time. It's a between-realities hybrid—and that's why it's an excellent interpretation of Dick's work and vision. Me? I'm waiting for the movie version of UBIK. Maybe with live actors and hand puppets and animation and tap-dancing penguins. : )

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    14. For some reason I got the notion to look for Rikki Tikki Tavi online, and it was indeed a Chuck Jones venture, and narrated by the late great Orson Welles.


      Jack

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    15. Directed by Chuck Jones and narrated by my cinematic hero, Orson Welles?! Now THAT I've GOT to see! Thanks, Jack!

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    16. And don't forget , it takes place in India, which you seem to have an affinity for based off of this site. And it stars a mongoose, ehich is your favorite cobra-hunting mammal... I'm assuming at least, based off of the fact that I can't name another.


      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CrEX4MxAzA



      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    17. Thanks for the link, Jack! As a mongoose fan, I'm looking forward to watching this! : )

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  6. I still have vivid memories of seeing The Jungle Book as a very young child. I mean, who doesn't want friends like Baloo & Bagheera? And I just fell apart at the end when Mowgli left them to rejoin the village, turning a tear-streaked face to my mother & begging to know why. But there is a happy coda - many years later I met Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston, two of the Nine Old Men, & got to tell them in person how much their work had meant to me. To this day (*cough* 53 *cough*) I have a deep & abiding love for animation in all its forms, much to the embarassment of my teenage son. :)

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    1. How wonderful that you got to meet Thomas and Johnson: face to face with living history!

      THE JUNGLE BOOK is one I remember seeing in theaters and then watching over and over with my kids. Absolutely a favorite of mine. And both my kids—who were raised on Old Time Radio, especially THE JACK BENNY SHOW—loved the fact that Benny's bandleader, the great Phil Harris, was the voice of Baloo the Bear.

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  7. While on the subject of animation, one of the single best, most moving scenes in animation, was npt in a movie. Rather, the scene was in an episode of futurama, the classic last scene of "Jurassic Bark." Anyone who has ever owned a dog has to at least get a tad choked up. I know, I know the subject was animated FILMs, but with all the talk of heart and pathos, this montage of Fry's dog Seymour waiting for him to return season after season, year after year set to the song "I will wait for you" really should be mentioned.


    wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    Jack.

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    1. I've seen random episodes of FUTURAMA and enjoyed them, but I never followed the show regularly. (I watched SIMPSONS religiously for the first five or six years.) Is that episode out there on the web?

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    2. Yes, I believe it is possible to stream it off of Netflix. It is once again called "Jurassic Bark," and if that last scene doesn't stir something in the old blood pump, I'm sorry, but you may be a robot. or senimental about differant things, I don't know.

      And watching the simpsons, well, that just seems like an all around great idea.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    3. hey, glad I could help. Hope you enjoy the episode... and that I didn't over hype.


      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    4. It might take me a while to get to it, Jack, but I'll do my best. (I still haven't read the new Gerber MAN-THING!) And your recommendations are ALWAYS welcome!

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    5. Very understandable, but that doesn't diminish my good wishes.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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  8. My most favourite non-Pixar Disney animated movie would have to be Robin Hood because that movie is downright funny especially the bad guys, the fight scene at the archery tournament and that "oswhale song" which woke up the Sheriff of Nottingham at 3am!

    I haven't watched Toy Story 3 yet, but I have to say Toy Story 2 is one of my most favourite Pixar movies, though I also liked Monsters Inc and The Incredibles.

    It's a real shame though that Pixar isn't making another Buzz Lightyear of Star Command movie.

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    1. ROBIN HOOD is one I've only seen a couple of times, Nelson. Maybe it's time for a re-watch. Any movie featuring the voice of Phil "Baloo" Harris is fine with me!

      You must watch TOY STORY 3. I know you'll love it. And, yes, it would be great to see more Buzz Lightyear. A few shorts would be nice.

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  9. Hey J.M, Jack,

    Guys, you both mentioned some great films, favorites of mine and of my kids. Monsters Inc is an excellent movie, even watched 10 times like I had to do. I say the same about Up ( there is a dirigible in this film wow: I love them. The Brazilian version has Chico Anisio- probably the biggest Brazilian comedian ever- as the voice for Mr Friedrich ), Ratatouille ( it is a film about life choices and family issues besides the food art ) and I really really love The Incredibles, probably my favorite animated film ever made almost beaten by The Iron Giant ( both by Brad Bird ). Titan AE is superb as well as the first Atlantis, I watched like 3 or 4 times always amazed by the visuals and plot.

    I do recommend Coralline, based on Neil Gaiman's book, and The Nightmare before Christmas, both by the amazing director Henry Selik. The Simpsons is probably my all time animated tv show. Speaking of that I really like J.M adaptions of Alan Moore's For the Man that Has Everything episode. I was just checking J.M's credits and he has written scripts for episodes of some of my favorite animated shows, I am thinking to compile everything for the sake of making a homage!

    J.M a side note: MAN, Brooklyn Dreams is one the best things I read in my life, I am reading it slow because I don't want it to end! There is so many things on there that look familiar and yet it is a biography! Supern stuff!

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    1. I love Henry Selik's work. I have so much respect for the artists still working in the stop-action field. It's such a unique form with a distinct flavor all its own.

      You mention lots of wonderful films. RATATOUILLE is another Pixar bulls-eye. Don't think I ever saw TITAN AE.

      Glad you're enjoying BROOKLYN DREAMS. Makes me very happy!

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    2. Itan A.E.'s plot is that, the Earth was destroyed, and there maybe a way to build a new planet. The inventor of this device's son has to find it and possibly restart it. Actually, with all of this talk about it, maybe I have it on my list for more than just "right place, right timee..."

      Also, to Daniel, thanks for the kind words on my choices.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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    3. Hmmm. That stirs a dim memory, Jack. Maybe I DID see it after all!

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    4. Or the trailer.

      Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
      Jack

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