Thompson on Hollywood

Immersed in Movies: Talking Disney Animated Short Oscar Nominee 'Paperman,' See Full Video

Reviews

Is Disney's hand-drawn animated legacy dead? Let's hope not. The new "Paperman" short may provide the answer for its survival. (See trailer below.) "Paperman," which just premiered at the Annecy Film Festival and debuts locally this week at the Los Angeles Film Fest (in 3-D), will play in theaters alongside Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" on November 2.

By Bill Desowitz
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January 30, 2013 3:56 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Revisiting 'Frankenweenie' with Tim Burton

Features

If "Frankenweenie" has an edge in the Oscar race for best animated feature, it's because of the Tim Burton factor. He's long overdue for an Academy Award and if it weren't for the continued popularity of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", there likely wouldn't be three stop-motion movies competing for the Oscar this year.

By Bill Desowitz
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January 30, 2013 2:29 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Exploring 'ParaNorman' VFX

Features

In addition to its best animated feature Oscar nomination, the stop-motion "ParaNorman" has also distinguished itself with a few VFX noms from the Visual Effects Society. It's a testament to both "ParaNorman's" individual accomplishment in pushing verisimilitude and Laika's commitment to transcending the limitations of stop-motion...

By Bill Desowitz
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January 25, 2013 2:57 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Revisiting 'Wreck-It Ralph' with Director Rich Moore

Features

"Wreck-It Ralph" has quickly gone from Oscar dark horse to front runner since the nominations: an acknowledgment that it not only thwarts our expectations of what a Disney movie should be but also that it's much more than a nostalgic video game romp.

By Bill Desowitz
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January 21, 2013 2:00 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Revisiting 'Brave' with Director Mark Andrews

Features

Pixar isn't used to playing the dark horse, but that's where the animation powerhouse currently finds itself in this year's Oscar race with "Brave." But last night the Scottish mother/daughter adventure/comedy won the Golden Globe and seized some momentum over its two Disney rivals, "Frankenweenie" and "Wreck-It Ralph."

By Bill Desowitz
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January 14, 2013 3:56 PM
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Watch: Umbrellas Need Love Too in Pixar's Rainy Short Film, 'The Blue Umbrella'

Video

Pixar's animated short film "The Blue Umbrella" will debut in front of "Monsters University" when it hits theaters June 21.

By Sophia Savage
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January 9, 2013 3:53 PM
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Oscar Talk: 'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'Wreck-It Ralph,' Animation Race, and Oscar Campaigning

Awards

On this week's Oscar talk podcast, In Contention's Kris Tapley and I examine the "Zero Dark Thirty" smear campaign, and wonder if "Wreck-It Ralph" and "ParaNorman" have the right stuff to win the animation race. Here's the podcast, which is also on iTunes. We're also celebrating our 100th episode and four years. We'll be back after the holidays!

By Anne Thompson
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December 21, 2012 12:22 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Composer Alexandre Desplat Talks 'Rise of the Guardians'

Features

There is no movie composer today more prolific than four-time Oscar nominee Alexandre Desplat. Why, this year alone he has "Zero Dark Thirty," "Argo," "Moonrise Kingdom," and "Rust and Bone" in Oscar contention along with "Rise of the Guardians"...

By Bill Desowitz
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December 7, 2012 4:28 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Talking More Stop-Motion with the 'ParaNorman' Directors

Features

Laika's "ParaNorman" not only outpaced its two stop-motion rivals, "Frankenweenie" and "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," at the box office with a respectable $55.8 million, but it also pushed the boundaries of a family movie with its theme of intolerance...

By Bill Desowitz
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December 3, 2012 2:26 PM
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Disney Leads Annie Award Best Picture Nominees with 'Brave,' 'Frankenweenie' & 'Wreck-It Ralph'

Awards

Nominees for the 40th Annie Awards, recognizing the best in animation, have been announced. Between Pixar and the Walt Disney Studio branches, Disney secured three Best Picture nods for "Brave," "Frankenweenie" and "Wreck-It Ralph." Full list below.