For this week's Thursday Movie Picks, run by Wandering through the Shelves, we’ve been asked to list three to five films that have taken home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. As usual I have based my selection from films I've watched. Shrek (2001) The Shrek series is one of DreamWorks Animation's most successful... Continue Reading →
My Neighbor Totoro review – An enchanting story that’s a snapshot of Japanese culture through a child’s eyes
In a landscape dominated by multi-picture franchises, CGI effects and multimillion-dollar budgets, watching a standalone film with no real plot or defined character roles can be a lovely way to give your mind a break and relax. Set in post-war rural Japan, My Neighbor Totoro explores a few weeks in the lives of sisters Satuski... Continue Reading →
Interview with veteran Hollywood animator Gene Hamm
"Working on Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings was my Woodstock," explains Gene Hamm, an animator now living in San Francisco who cut his teeth on the ambitious 1978 animation of JRR Tolkien's classic novel. "Everybody working on the production was just totally nuts. I'm amazed we got anything done because we'd have entire conversations just... Continue Reading →
Cinematic Delights 