Pete Docter has long been a fixture of Pixar, and like he said in his commentary on 2009’s Up (he also reiterates it here as well), “when something is a success, it perpetuates the myth that it came fully formed out of someone’s head“. He wants everyone to know, that is so not the case. In a meta way, Inside Out is a filmic representation of how the studio tries to find the story through experiences, rather than create it. At the animation powerhouse, there’s no genius locked away in an ivory tower who comes up with all three acts of the story perfectly. Nor does the production team go on auto pilot…
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Off the Shelf…’Tomorrowland’
Brad Bird has an affinity for telling heartfelt stories and infusing them with incredible amounts of whimsy and delight, charm and inventiveness. The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and now Tomorrowland, Bird is proficient in spinning yarns that are as nostalgia-fueled as they are forward-thinking. Tomorrowland presents itself as a duality, which is to say Bird shows us the best we as a society might hope for in a distant future, but also offers a cautionary tale about not taking action while we have the chance. Now it’s not doom and gloom. In fact, it’s fun and fanciful and more so because of the characters, not just the inventions. We are thrown…
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Off the Shelf…’Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection’
Walt Disney Animation has always been at the forefront of the animation curve, and nothing says that more than a casual glance at their vast catalog of beloved and award-winning pictures. But while people will forever remember the accomplishments of the Mouse House, and the subsequent laurels and praise, there are many times where the feature is the end product of a lot of trial and error. To make things more clear, many films are the direct result of techniques and methods tested in a variety of the studio’s short films. Furthermore, some now famous directors and luminaries got their start with a trial run – once they showed competency and…
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Strange and Wondrous Times: Six Years on the Web and A New Baby At Home
A few weeks ago, Brad Bird’s latest film, Tomorrowland, hit theaters. It’s had a mixed reception but we can’t really weigh in on the consensus. Why? We haven’t seen it yet. How did we not see one of the most anticipated films of the year? Well there’s a reason for that (that little nugget I’m holding in the header image has something to do with it), and, truth be told, I’ve missed a few other very notable films this year as well. I lead off with mention of Brad Bird specifically to bring up a line from his 1999 film which has been going through my head for many months…
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G-S-T Review…Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
In 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes was an unexpected hit, that’s for sure. Rupert Wyatt made a film more about the human connection than the Apes and therefore was able to showcase sympathy and compassion ultimately downplaying the gruesome fall of man. It was a great film and now, in 2014, Matt Reeves puts his stamp on the series with an equally impressive follow up. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes perfectly compliments Wyatt’s efforts with a story that is a contrast in many ways but he continues in an equally engaging and fulfilling way. It’s an astounding film which this time focuses less on humans…
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Interview…Film Composer Matthew Llewellyn On the New Age Old School Horror Formula
In his latest endeavor emerging film composer Matthew Llewellyn crafts a rich, thematic orchestral score for the Chiller Network original feature film Deep In the Darkness. His sweeping, ominous score evokes classic drama reminiscent of the old school style of horror scores. That combined with Llewellyn’s contemporary yet traditional orchestral textures make him a composer to watch. In the words of director Colin Theys, “Llewellyn found a delicate balance that feels original and intense at the same time, taking the film through some dramatic twists and turns.” Theys continues, “Matthew is delivering world-class scores that elevate the films they help to drive.” Llewellyn’s musical repertoire is grounded in the traditions…
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FourScore Match-Up #20: “The Colossus of Clout”
This year, on the 60th anniversary of Ishiro Honda’s landmark film, we’ll get to see Gareth Edwards’ reinvention of the world-famous Toho monster. In the subsequent decades since Godzilla first lumbered out of the water we’ve see other mightily impressive creatures (with some equally impressive firepower) blaze across the screen yet of the biggest and baddest Gojira reigns supreme. Over the years he’s retained the title of “King of the Monsters” but he didn’t earn his moniker easily – there are some memorable, and equally gargantuan, baddies who can and have gone toe-to-toe with Toho’s big screen icon. Today we look up, way up, like into the clouds up to see…
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Sweet (International) Trailer…’Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’
This Summer, Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) will unleash the Simian uprising better known as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Actually, as far as the timeline of the time goes, the apes have pretty much won due largely in part to the “Simian Flu” outbreak that has decimated the human population. This sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes begins a decade after the events of the 2011 film and tells how the apes have continued to grow in number and intelligence. The next installment of the Apes franchise puts humanity on the brink of extinction and all-out war to decide who will now rule the planet…but we…
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Interview…Film Composer Christopher Lennertz Rewrites the Rules for Comic Soundscapes with ‘Ride Along’
Christopher Lennertz is a composer, producer, conductor, and arranger whose adeptness for a multitude of genres has put him on the map time and time again. You many not recognize his name but if you’ve seen Horrible Bosses, Think Like A Man, shows like Supernatural or played games like Mass Effect 3 and Starhawk then you know Chris’ work. A veritable encyclopedia of musical styles and theories Chris currently writes the music for the hit J.J. Abrams series Revolution on NBC. He’s also celebrated for his video game scores like Steven Spielberg’s Medal of Honor series and he just completed the score for the most recent installment of the iconic…
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FourScore Match-Up #19: “It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got Them Strings”
This week Kenneth Branagh’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit hits theaters and marks the 11th time he and that smiling Scottsman composer Patrick Doyle have worked together in the last 25 years. The film features an amazing arrangement of strings with such diversity and complexity it’s easily some of the best pensive spy music since David Arnold’s work scoring the Bond series. And seriously, no matter what country you’re from the stellar track “Ryan, Mr. President” may be the most swellingly patriotic theme you’ll ever hear. Doyle’s works have such dense richness that they give each film an almost mythical atmosphere. One thing is for sure, he just knows how to…
