Nelson Boles is a young American animator; in fact, he’s still a CalArts student. In this animated short, the main character is a titular little boat and we watch it through its journey through different places, different situations, and interacting with different characters. Though the little boat is not anthropomorphic, meaning it doesn’t have human features like eyes and a mouth, and the entire thing doesn’t have dialogue, the short is still poignant and visceral. It’s amazing how an inanimate object can be imbued with so much character.
Feels a little bit like something that came out of Pixar, doesn’t it? Anyway, let’s just get on with the video, click play below.
Remember the old Johnny Quest cartoons? The series was originally shown back in 1964-1965, about an 11-year-old boy who accompanies his father Dr. Benton Quest around the world. This being a cartoon, Johnny gets a lot of adventure. The cast includes a small white bulldog named Bandit, a special agent named Race Banner, and Dr. Quest’s adopted son, Hadji.
So anyway, it was popular in its day – popular enough to the spawn two more animated series, two television films, and a video game to boot. As an homage to the original sci-fi series, Jonny Quest fan Roger D. Evans made a stop motion version of the intro.
Here’s the original intro for The Adventures of Jonny Quest:
The holidays are fast approaching , and the folks at the Taiwan-based Next Media Animation have released a carol in the spirit of the season. As the title suggests, the carol involves the TSA’s (Transportation Security Administration) new policies that veers dangerously close to, uhm, groping. The video and the song isn’t one for the kiddies, folks (and is bound cause some of the PC police to blow a few whistles). Check out the chorus:
TSA, TSA,
groping all the way
Oh what fun it is to fly,
But first we’ll get our way.
Oh, TSA, TSA
groping all the way
we’re happy to touch you anywhere
whether you’re straight or gay.
You have to admit though that it is catchy. Anyway, those who’ve experienced the TSA pat down will probably sing along, and you will too if you’re planning to do any flying this Christmas.
Remember Enchanted? That hilariously magical film from Disney released in 2007 that mashed up a lot of fairy tales when we were younger? If you’ve seen the film, you know it’s a combination of Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty all rolled into one truly enchanting film about true love.
This year, Disney is bringing us yet another brilliant mash-up of epic proportions. Unlikely but interesting, Disney has created a film that brings together the fearless Robin Hood and quirky Rapunzel in a funny film aptly titled Tangled. It features the voices of Chuck star Zachary Levi as Flynn, the kingdom’s most wanted thief, and singer/actress Mandy Moore as Rapunzel. Check out the promo clip below as a teaser for the real trailer, which comes out on June 18th.
Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature films transcend cultural boundaries. A Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Studio Ghibli which is a popular film animation studio, Miyazaki makes animated films that have recurring themes and styles which are easily identified with him. Most of his films contain themes like love, environmentalism, pacifism, politics, feminism, and children or childhood.
His feature films are also notable for not having traditional antagonists. The seemingly sinister characters in his animations are shown as capable of change and have redeeming features. Two other recurring elements in Miyazaki’s works are flight or flying and water or fluidity. In his films, flying is a form of liberation from gravity while water represents the contradiction of freedom and entrapment, and life and death.
Hayao Miyazaki has been part of several animated films as an artist, storyboard writer, scriptwriter or director since 1965, but it was only in 1997 that he became known outside of Japan with Miramax’s release of Princess Mononoke. His later animated feature film, Spirited Away, became the first ever anime film to win an Academy Award.
Because Hayao Miyazaki tries to take the lead in each film he and Studio Ghibli create, his films are surely exceptional. His most notable films are Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Porco Rosso and Grave of the Fireflies.
