weekend watchlist: two tales for Pride Month that cry out for simple human acceptance
Plus grounded human experiences, from escaping a cult to — yes — doing an espionage. (First published June 3rd, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
Ratatouille
Onward movie review: the Pixar road goes ever on
Don’t let the Pixar curve throw you: familiar this quest may be, but it’s full of magic and wonder and humor and melancholy, and set in a fully realized fantasy world. Not a masterpiece but very good.
Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts (87th Academy Awards) review
In the deeply moving “The Bigger Picture,” Daisy Jacobs uses a fresh and unique animation style to tell a story that is full of humanity.
Grand Unified Pixar: insane… and kind of brilliant, too
It all begins with the witch from Brave… and then it gets really crazy…
question of the day: Are Pixar movies released too close together for each of them to get classic status?
Is Pixar working too fast? Is its talent stretched too thin? Or is Pixar doing just fine?
question of the day: What filmmakers have improved like a fine wine?
Meaning not Have their older films improved with age? but Have they improved as artists with age?
Toy Story 3 (review)
It seemed like a good thing not to get one’s hopes up too much, because how long can Pixar’s streak of genius and spirit and wonder last? But this is a finale that brings the overarching story to its satisfying conclusion.
July 24: DVD alternatives to this weekend’s multiplex offerings
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but have you seen the price of a ticket these days? That’s the real “ugly truth” at the multiplex. But you can have a multiplex-like experience at home with a collection of the right DVDs. And when someone asks you on … more…
June 26: DVD alternatives to this weekend’s multiplex offerings
We all know how it is. You’d like to get out to see a new movie this weekend, but those pesky mental messages from the Allspark filling your head are compelling you to take a mysterious trip around the world. But you can have something close to that blockbuster experience on the road with the … more…
Ratatouille (review)
Oh, but there is joy in this movie… It fills you up, this wonderful, wonderful movie, with just the simple yet profound connection it’s possible to make with another creature, even if that creature is merely a cartoon rat.
