It all started with the nose of Sir Lionel Frost, the puffed-up investigator voiced by Hugh Jackman in Laika’s stop-motion feature “Missing Link.” Director of rapid prototyping Brian McLean was looking at the concept art for the then-upcoming feature and saw that helmer Chris Butler envisioned something so pointy for this character’s nose that he didn’t think Laika’s current system could make it happen.
But Laika has long been in the make-it-happen business, from the very beginning when its stop-motion films distinguished the Portland-based studio from the pack. McLean also didn’t want to ask Butler if he could “reimagine” Lionel and the other characters so that they’d be easier to create.
“The goal was to get to the point where we would not be limited at all, to not have the technology limit us, and create the director’s vision for the film in...
But Laika has long been in the make-it-happen business, from the very beginning when its stop-motion films distinguished the Portland-based studio from the pack. McLean also didn’t want to ask Butler if he could “reimagine” Lionel and the other characters so that they’d be easier to create.
“The goal was to get to the point where we would not be limited at all, to not have the technology limit us, and create the director’s vision for the film in...
- 12/4/2019
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
Though it might seem like just any other puppet you’d find at the Laika stop-motion animation studio, its hardest challenge yet was creating the furry, plump and bright orange monster that became the title character of their latest film “Missing Link.”
The team of stop motion animators had to determine how to make Link’s belly jiggle as it walked, how to stretch its arms, and how its fur should move in the wind. And like any troublesome actor, that often meant this diva of a puppet frequently showed up late to set.
“This little avocado with a face is the most complicated thing we’ve ever created at the studio,” Brian McLean, Laika’s director of rapid prototyping told TheWrap’s Steve Pond following a screening of “Missing Link” at the Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles. “His simple shape and silhouette was really difficult to figure out how...
The team of stop motion animators had to determine how to make Link’s belly jiggle as it walked, how to stretch its arms, and how its fur should move in the wind. And like any troublesome actor, that often meant this diva of a puppet frequently showed up late to set.
“This little avocado with a face is the most complicated thing we’ve ever created at the studio,” Brian McLean, Laika’s director of rapid prototyping told TheWrap’s Steve Pond following a screening of “Missing Link” at the Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles. “His simple shape and silhouette was really difficult to figure out how...
- 10/20/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Stop-motion studio Laika pushes design boundaries in every film it makes, and the lead character in “Missing Link” is no exception.
“It became pretty apparent that [the character] Link was going to be the cornerstone,” says director and writer Chris Butler. “I did this rough drawing many years ago, and it was basically like a hairy avocado. Everyone loved it.”
That hairy avocado became one of Laika’s toughest challenges. Usually characters have a neck, and the neck can be moved to communicate different things. Puppet designers realized they would need to give Link a different skeleton so the area where his neck would be could appear more pliable. And they’d need to move his hair as animators created his facial expressions with thousands of different 3D printed masks.
“Link’s face was closely tied to his fur,” says Brian McLean, director of rapid prototyping. “So what we came up with,...
“It became pretty apparent that [the character] Link was going to be the cornerstone,” says director and writer Chris Butler. “I did this rough drawing many years ago, and it was basically like a hairy avocado. Everyone loved it.”
That hairy avocado became one of Laika’s toughest challenges. Usually characters have a neck, and the neck can be moved to communicate different things. Puppet designers realized they would need to give Link a different skeleton so the area where his neck would be could appear more pliable. And they’d need to move his hair as animators created his facial expressions with thousands of different 3D printed masks.
“Link’s face was closely tied to his fur,” says Brian McLean, director of rapid prototyping. “So what we came up with,...
- 3/20/2019
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
For the upcoming animated comedy adventure “Missing Link,” stop-motion studio Laika set the bar very high. To execute the designs created by director and writer Chris Butler, artists would have to speed up their 3D printing of character faces — and those faces would have to be the most complex they’d ever created.
“Missing Link” centers on Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman), a self-styled investigator of myths and monsters whose skill is not acknowledged by his small-minded high-society peers. So Frost travels to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of the legendary Missing Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis). Other voice actors include Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant and Emma Thompson.
Laika, based in Portland, Ore., brought to “Link” its signature handcrafted stop-motion animation, which it couldn’t have developed without the speed of 3D-printing technology. While the concepts of hand crafting and digital printing may seem at odds with each other,...
“Missing Link” centers on Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman), a self-styled investigator of myths and monsters whose skill is not acknowledged by his small-minded high-society peers. So Frost travels to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of the legendary Missing Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis). Other voice actors include Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant and Emma Thompson.
Laika, based in Portland, Ore., brought to “Link” its signature handcrafted stop-motion animation, which it couldn’t have developed without the speed of 3D-printing technology. While the concepts of hand crafting and digital printing may seem at odds with each other,...
- 3/20/2019
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
Laika, the revered Oregon stop-motion studio run by Travis Knight, gets more epic with its fifth feature, “Missing Link,” a globetrotting, “Indiana Jones” style adventure comedy. It’s a buddy movie about explorer Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) and a Sasquatch named Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis), who embark on a quest from the Pacific Northwest in search of the legendary Shangri-La, home of Link’s ancestry. They team up with adventurer Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana), who possesses the only known map to their secret destination.
Once again, Laika embraces inclusion in its first movie not starring a child hero, written and directed by Chris Butler (“ParaNorman”), who said: “Link embodies a child-like innocence and the kids in ‘ParaNorman’ acted more adult than the adults in this movie.” True to Laika’s mandate to push stop-motion and storytelling in new areas of exploration, “Missing Link” moves in a completely different direction from its four Oscar-nominated predecessors.
Once again, Laika embraces inclusion in its first movie not starring a child hero, written and directed by Chris Butler (“ParaNorman”), who said: “Link embodies a child-like innocence and the kids in ‘ParaNorman’ acted more adult than the adults in this movie.” True to Laika’s mandate to push stop-motion and storytelling in new areas of exploration, “Missing Link” moves in a completely different direction from its four Oscar-nominated predecessors.
- 3/18/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Visual Effects (VFX) artists are spectacular. Their intense discipline for creating seamless digital worlds tricks viewers into believing that what they’re seeing is real. Last night at the 89th Academy Awards, the Oscar for Best Visual Effects went to Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon the VFX team behind “The Jungle Book.”
Read More: 2017 Oscars: Full Winners List
Funny or Die, always with great wit and swift action, wanted to pay “tribute” to a film that got snubbed for a VFX nomination. This year, Funny or Die recognized Kenneth Lonergan’s Best Original Screenplay– and Best Actor–winning “Manchester By the Sea” for its fantastical visual effects. The team was able to craft the world of Manchester so beautifully, it actually looks as if Casey Affleck is there. If you really think about it, the VFX are so good, it’s like there aren’t any at all.
Read More: 2017 Oscars: Full Winners List
Funny or Die, always with great wit and swift action, wanted to pay “tribute” to a film that got snubbed for a VFX nomination. This year, Funny or Die recognized Kenneth Lonergan’s Best Original Screenplay– and Best Actor–winning “Manchester By the Sea” for its fantastical visual effects. The team was able to craft the world of Manchester so beautifully, it actually looks as if Casey Affleck is there. If you really think about it, the VFX are so good, it’s like there aren’t any at all.
- 2/27/2017
- by Kerry Levielle
- Indiewire
Update:
Winners are now indicated. I correctly guessed 11 out of the 24 categories, which is slightly better than last year, when I guessed 10 out of 24.
Previous 02.26.17:
I’ve now seen as many of the nominated films as I will be able to before tonight’s ceremony, and here finally are my educated guesses about who will take home each award — projected winners are Xed at the lefthand side. Keep in mind: those Xes don’t represent whom I think should win Oscars but whom I think will win, based on what little I can grasp about how the Academy thinks. I’ve also noted which nominees I think should win. Kindly note that this is not necessarily my take on who did the best performance/writing/FX/whatever of the year, but whom I think is best among the nominees.
I have not noted a “should win” for the feature documentary category,...
Winners are now indicated. I correctly guessed 11 out of the 24 categories, which is slightly better than last year, when I guessed 10 out of 24.
Previous 02.26.17:
I’ve now seen as many of the nominated films as I will be able to before tonight’s ceremony, and here finally are my educated guesses about who will take home each award — projected winners are Xed at the lefthand side. Keep in mind: those Xes don’t represent whom I think should win Oscars but whom I think will win, based on what little I can grasp about how the Academy thinks. I’ve also noted which nominees I think should win. Kindly note that this is not necessarily my take on who did the best performance/writing/FX/whatever of the year, but whom I think is best among the nominees.
I have not noted a “should win” for the feature documentary category,...
- 2/27/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Moonlight claimed the top prize at Sunday’s 89th Academy Awards in a dramatic finale.Full list of winnersBEST Motion Picture Of The YEARArrivalFencesHacksaw RidgeHell Or High WaterHidden FiguresLionLa La LandManchester By The SeaMoonlightPERFORMANCE By An Actress In A Leading ROLEIsabelle Huppert, ElleRuth Negga, LovingNatalie Portman, JackieEmma Stone, La La LandMeryl Streep, Florence Foster JenkinsPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Leading ROLECasey Affleck, Manchester By The SeaDenzel Washington, FencesRyan Gosling, La La LandAndrew Garfield, Hacksaw RidgeViggo Mortensen, Captain FantasticBEST DIRECTORDamien Chazelle, La La LandBarry Jenkins, MoonlightKenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The SeaDenis Villeneuve, ArrivalMel Gibson, Hacksaw RidgeADAPTED SCREENPLAYArrival, Eric HeissererFences, August WilsonHidden Figures, Allison Schroeder and Theodore MelfiLion, Luke DaviesMoonlight, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraneyORIGINAL SCREENPLAYHell Or High Water, Taylor SheridanLa La Land, Damien ChazelleThe Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis FilippouManchester By The Sea, Kenneth Lonergan20th Century Women, Mike MillsACHIEVEMENT In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Song)‘Audition (The Fools Who Dream)’ from...
- 2/26/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sunday’s 89th Academy Awards are underway at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in a popular adapted screenplay win for Moonlight as the drama earned its second win of the night.
Moments earlier Kenneth Lonergan accepted the original screenplay award for Manchester By The Sea in the film’s first prize. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon – winners of this award for Good Will Hunting 19 years ago – presented the honour to Lonergan. Damon was a producer on the film.
Meryl Streep used her Oscar show platform to pay subtle homage to the unifying power of film when she joined Javier Bardem on stage at the Dolby Theatre to present the cinematography award.
“Truth is hard to reveal,” Streep said, “but when it happens on the movie screen filmgoers no matter where they are from, feel their hearts soar.”
Sweden’s [link...
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in a popular adapted screenplay win for Moonlight as the drama earned its second win of the night.
Moments earlier Kenneth Lonergan accepted the original screenplay award for Manchester By The Sea in the film’s first prize. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon – winners of this award for Good Will Hunting 19 years ago – presented the honour to Lonergan. Damon was a producer on the film.
Meryl Streep used her Oscar show platform to pay subtle homage to the unifying power of film when she joined Javier Bardem on stage at the Dolby Theatre to present the cinematography award.
“Truth is hard to reveal,” Streep said, “but when it happens on the movie screen filmgoers no matter where they are from, feel their hearts soar.”
Sweden’s [link...
- 2/26/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The nominations for the 89th Academy Awards are in and La La Land leads the pack with 14 nominations! I knew La La Land was going to explode at this event, and it's probably going to end up taking home many of the awards is was nominated for. The 14 nominations ties the record with 1997's Titanic and 1950's All About Eve.
Arrival ended up with eight nominations as did Moonlight, while Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, and Manchester by the Sea all got six. Deadpool ended up with zero nominations. I was hoping to see it somewhere on the list, but it looks like all that hype didn't work.
Every film and actor who was nominated for their work deserves to be on this list, so congratulations to them all! There are so many great films and actors to root for, but there can be only one winner in each category.
Jimmy Kimmel...
Arrival ended up with eight nominations as did Moonlight, while Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, and Manchester by the Sea all got six. Deadpool ended up with zero nominations. I was hoping to see it somewhere on the list, but it looks like all that hype didn't work.
Every film and actor who was nominated for their work deserves to be on this list, so congratulations to them all! There are so many great films and actors to root for, but there can be only one winner in each category.
Jimmy Kimmel...
- 1/24/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
La La Land scores a record-equalling 14 nominations.
The nominations for the 89th annual Academy Awards have been revealed.
The 2017 Academy Awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday, February 26.
Read: Oscars 2017: ‘La La Land’ equals record with 14 nominations
Best Motion Picture of the yearArrivalFencesHacksaw RidgeHell Or High WaterHidden FiguresLionLa La LandManchester By The SeaMoonlightBest DirectorDamien Chazelle, La La LandBarry Jenkins, MoonlightKenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The SeaDenis Villeneuve, ArrivalMel Gibson, Hacksaw RidgePerformance by an actress in a leading roleIsabelle Huppert, ElleRuth Negga, LovingNatalie Portman, JackieEmma Stone, La La LandMeryl Streep, Florence Foster JenkinsPerformance by an actor in a leading roleCasey Affleck, Manchester By The SeaDenzel Washington, FencesRyan Gosling, La La LandAndrew Garfield, Hacksaw RidgeViggo Mortensen, Captain FantasticPerformance by an actress in a supporting roleViola Davis, FencesMichelle Williams, Manchester By the SeaNaomie Harris, MoonlightNicole Kidman, LionOctavia Spencer, Hidden FiguresPerformance by an actor in a supporting roleMahershala Ali, MoonlightJeff Bridges, Hell Or High WaterDev Patel, LionLucas Hedges...
The nominations for the 89th annual Academy Awards have been revealed.
The 2017 Academy Awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday, February 26.
Read: Oscars 2017: ‘La La Land’ equals record with 14 nominations
Best Motion Picture of the yearArrivalFencesHacksaw RidgeHell Or High WaterHidden FiguresLionLa La LandManchester By The SeaMoonlightBest DirectorDamien Chazelle, La La LandBarry Jenkins, MoonlightKenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The SeaDenis Villeneuve, ArrivalMel Gibson, Hacksaw RidgePerformance by an actress in a leading roleIsabelle Huppert, ElleRuth Negga, LovingNatalie Portman, JackieEmma Stone, La La LandMeryl Streep, Florence Foster JenkinsPerformance by an actor in a leading roleCasey Affleck, Manchester By The SeaDenzel Washington, FencesRyan Gosling, La La LandAndrew Garfield, Hacksaw RidgeViggo Mortensen, Captain FantasticPerformance by an actress in a supporting roleViola Davis, FencesMichelle Williams, Manchester By the SeaNaomie Harris, MoonlightNicole Kidman, LionOctavia Spencer, Hidden FiguresPerformance by an actor in a supporting roleMahershala Ali, MoonlightJeff Bridges, Hell Or High WaterDev Patel, LionLucas Hedges...
- 1/24/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
When it came to conjuring the badass Moon Beast for the climactic battle in “Kubo and the Two Strings” (now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Universal), Laika designed an exotic combination of Japanese dragon, bioluminescent sea creature and creepy prehistoric fish.
“It’s as if Smaug was made of the raging firmament,” Laika president and “Kubo” director Travis Knight told IndieWire.
Read More: ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Clip: Inside The Costume Design of Laika’s Stop-Motion Animated Film
The hard part, though, was making all of these elements coalesce, so Laika experimented with its first all-3D printed puppet. This breakthrough was achieved through greater collaboration between Rapid Prototyping, Rigging, and VFX departments.
“The 3½ foot-long creature is made up of nearly 900 individual parts, with a gooseneck armature inside, like you’d find in a table lamp or a microphone stand,” said Knight, who earned a best director Annie nomination for “Kubo.
“It’s as if Smaug was made of the raging firmament,” Laika president and “Kubo” director Travis Knight told IndieWire.
Read More: ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Clip: Inside The Costume Design of Laika’s Stop-Motion Animated Film
The hard part, though, was making all of these elements coalesce, so Laika experimented with its first all-3D printed puppet. This breakthrough was achieved through greater collaboration between Rapid Prototyping, Rigging, and VFX departments.
“The 3½ foot-long creature is made up of nearly 900 individual parts, with a gooseneck armature inside, like you’d find in a table lamp or a microphone stand,” said Knight, who earned a best director Annie nomination for “Kubo.
- 11/30/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
In anticipation of its fourth stop-motion movie, “Kubo and the Two Strings,” Laika has mounted the first public exhibition of its hand-crafted puppets and sets at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Globe Theater (thru Sunday). “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical Laika Experience” brings us closer to the tactile wonders that have been produced at the Portland studio for the last 10 years.
“You can see how the company’s grown and evolved as a community with all the artistic and technological innovations, but I also think that you see the evolution of an art form,” said Travis Knight, Laika CEO and lead artist who makes his directorial debut with “Kubo.”
Read More: ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Interactive Featurette: Explore the Vastlands of Laika’s Animated Adventure
“‘Coraline,’ which is where we began, was something of a seismic shift for stop-motion,” said Knight. “And as you go through, you can see...
“You can see how the company’s grown and evolved as a community with all the artistic and technological innovations, but I also think that you see the evolution of an art form,” said Travis Knight, Laika CEO and lead artist who makes his directorial debut with “Kubo.”
Read More: ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Interactive Featurette: Explore the Vastlands of Laika’s Animated Adventure
“‘Coraline,’ which is where we began, was something of a seismic shift for stop-motion,” said Knight. “And as you go through, you can see...
- 8/11/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Laika’s fascination with folktales gets more sweeping and exotic with the samurai adventure, “Kubo and the Two Strings,” expanding yet again the boundaries of stop-motion.
“Every Laika movie has its own aesthetic, but this one’s more open and expansive— there are areas where the eyes can rest,” explained Laika’s lead artist/CEO Travis Knight, who makes his directorial debut with “Kubo.”
Citing an epic, fantasy quality reminiscent of David Lean, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Knight couldn’t resist helming “Kubo” (shepherded by Shannon Tindle, who recently made the “On Ice” Google Spotlight Vr short and retains story and character design credits).
Read More: Watch: Laika Delivers Yet Another Spectacular Trailer for ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’“What really got me excited about this film was at its emotional core about this boy and his family and what would ultimately become his surrogate family. And that resonated personally.
“Every Laika movie has its own aesthetic, but this one’s more open and expansive— there are areas where the eyes can rest,” explained Laika’s lead artist/CEO Travis Knight, who makes his directorial debut with “Kubo.”
Citing an epic, fantasy quality reminiscent of David Lean, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Knight couldn’t resist helming “Kubo” (shepherded by Shannon Tindle, who recently made the “On Ice” Google Spotlight Vr short and retains story and character design credits).
Read More: Watch: Laika Delivers Yet Another Spectacular Trailer for ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’“What really got me excited about this film was at its emotional core about this boy and his family and what would ultimately become his surrogate family. And that resonated personally.
- 6/30/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
82nd Academy Awards, Telecast
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 33 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 13, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. In addition, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (Smpte) will receive a special award recognizing a century of fundamental contributions to the advancement of motion picture standards and technology.
“This year’s honorees represent a wide range of new tech, including a modular inflatable airwall system for composited visual effects, a ubiquitous 3D digital paint system and a 3D printing technique for animation,” said Richard Edlund, Academy Award-winning visual effects artist and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. “With their outstanding, innovative work, these technologists, engineers and inventors have further expanded filmmakers’ creative opportunities on the big screen.”
Unlike other Academy...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 33 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 13, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. In addition, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (Smpte) will receive a special award recognizing a century of fundamental contributions to the advancement of motion picture standards and technology.
“This year’s honorees represent a wide range of new tech, including a modular inflatable airwall system for composited visual effects, a ubiquitous 3D digital paint system and a 3D printing technique for animation,” said Richard Edlund, Academy Award-winning visual effects artist and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. “With their outstanding, innovative work, these technologists, engineers and inventors have further expanded filmmakers’ creative opportunities on the big screen.”
Unlike other Academy...
- 1/9/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes in the family event movie The Boxtrolls. Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), andElle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio Laika, the makers of the Academy Award®-nominated Coraline andParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!
Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls voice cast also includes Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette, Jared Harris (Mad Men), Nick Frost (The...
Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!
Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls voice cast also includes Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette, Jared Harris (Mad Men), Nick Frost (The...
- 1/19/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“It won’t change who you are. Cheese, hats, boxes-they don’t make you who you are. You make you!”
Get ready to enjoy a masterfully crafted Dickensian world with stunningly well animated-characters and witty dialog. If you’re familiar with Coraline and Paranorman, Laika Animation Studio’s previous works, The Boxtrolls will come as no surprise. As before, the visuals are worth the price of admission and as before, I was left hungry for more.
The Boxtrolls itself is a well-told fantasy full of silliness and whimsy, but there’s depth and meaning as well. It could be argued that this is a kids film about ethnic cleansing and genocide(!), but it’s all handled in the best possible taste. Somehow they managed to pull this off without ever being too heavy-handed, scary, or inappropriate. An example of this would be the villain’s henchmen, who spend much of...
Get ready to enjoy a masterfully crafted Dickensian world with stunningly well animated-characters and witty dialog. If you’re familiar with Coraline and Paranorman, Laika Animation Studio’s previous works, The Boxtrolls will come as no surprise. As before, the visuals are worth the price of admission and as before, I was left hungry for more.
The Boxtrolls itself is a well-told fantasy full of silliness and whimsy, but there’s depth and meaning as well. It could be argued that this is a kids film about ethnic cleansing and genocide(!), but it’s all handled in the best possible taste. Somehow they managed to pull this off without ever being too heavy-handed, scary, or inappropriate. An example of this would be the villain’s henchmen, who spend much of...
- 1/8/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes in the family event movie The Boxtrolls.
Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), and Elle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio Laika, the makers of the Academy Award-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Boxtrolls will also be available on Digital HD December 23, 2014, just in time for the holidays.
Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!
Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls...
Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), and Elle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio Laika, the makers of the Academy Award-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Boxtrolls will also be available on Digital HD December 23, 2014, just in time for the holidays.
Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!
Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls...
- 11/18/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Up" from Disney/Pixar won the top honor at the 37th Annual Annie Awards. The fantastic film received the Best Animated Feature Award beating out "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "The Princess and the Frog," and "The Secret of Kells."
(Check my interview with Annie Award-winner Pete Docter for "Up" held at Pixar Animation Studios right here)
Walt Disney Animation took home six other Annies including three for "The Princess and the Frog" and three for its television production "Prep and Landing."
Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards is considered the highest and most prestigious honor given in animation by the animation industry.
The Annie Awards is also a great predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. So yes, "Up" will win that category at the Oscars!
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of...
(Check my interview with Annie Award-winner Pete Docter for "Up" held at Pixar Animation Studios right here)
Walt Disney Animation took home six other Annies including three for "The Princess and the Frog" and three for its television production "Prep and Landing."
Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards is considered the highest and most prestigious honor given in animation by the animation industry.
The Annie Awards is also a great predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. So yes, "Up" will win that category at the Oscars!
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of...
- 2/7/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Pixar Animation Studio's "Up" was named best animated feature, and its helmer Pete Docter was honored for direction, at the 37th annual Annie Awards for animation, Saturday at UCLA's Royce Hall.
Other big winners in the Annie feature competition included Laika's "Coraline" and Disney's "The Princess and the Frog," which won three trophies each.
Nominated for five Academy Awards, "Up" is the odds-on favorite to win the Oscar for animated feature, and is only the second animated film to earn a nomination in the best picture category. It is also nominated for best screenplay, music and sound editing Oscars.
"We always look at these as films; we take them as seriously as anyone else does in this industry," Docter -- wearing an Ellie badge on his lapel -- said of the best picture nod. "The fact that our peers are looking at this film in the same way is just fantastic.
Other big winners in the Annie feature competition included Laika's "Coraline" and Disney's "The Princess and the Frog," which won three trophies each.
Nominated for five Academy Awards, "Up" is the odds-on favorite to win the Oscar for animated feature, and is only the second animated film to earn a nomination in the best picture category. It is also nominated for best screenplay, music and sound editing Oscars.
"We always look at these as films; we take them as seriously as anyone else does in this industry," Docter -- wearing an Ellie badge on his lapel -- said of the best picture nod. "The fact that our peers are looking at this film in the same way is just fantastic.
- 2/7/2010
- by By Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The International Animated Film Society has announced the 2009 Annie Award nominations! "Up" and "Coraline" led the pack in the film categories.
Award recipients will claim their trophies at the 37th Annual Annie Awards scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2010 at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.
Here's the list of nominees of the 37th Annual Annie Awards:
Production Categories
Best Animated Feature
* Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs . Sony Pictures Animation
* Coraline . Laika
* Fantastic Mr. Fox . 20th Century Fox
* The Princess and the Frog . Walt Disney Animation Studios
* The Secret of Kells . Cartoon Saloon
* Up . Pixar Animation Studios
Best Home Entertainment Production
* Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas . Universal Animation Studios
* Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder . The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
* Green Latern: First Flight . Warner Bros. Animation
* Open Season 2 . Sony Pictures Animation
* SpongeBob vs. The Big One . Nickelodeon
Best Animated Short Subject...
Award recipients will claim their trophies at the 37th Annual Annie Awards scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2010 at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.
Here's the list of nominees of the 37th Annual Annie Awards:
Production Categories
Best Animated Feature
* Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs . Sony Pictures Animation
* Coraline . Laika
* Fantastic Mr. Fox . 20th Century Fox
* The Princess and the Frog . Walt Disney Animation Studios
* The Secret of Kells . Cartoon Saloon
* Up . Pixar Animation Studios
Best Home Entertainment Production
* Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas . Universal Animation Studios
* Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder . The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
* Green Latern: First Flight . Warner Bros. Animation
* Open Season 2 . Sony Pictures Animation
* SpongeBob vs. The Big One . Nickelodeon
Best Animated Short Subject...
- 12/1/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
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