Search Results for: blog miyazaki master of animation pt 1

Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 2

“Each cell of (Miyazaki’s) movies is a painting you’d want to hang on the wall.” –Kathleen Kennedy, Executive Producer, “Ponyo” English language version Today I’ll conclude my look at Miyazaki’s films, and consider what makes him such a great animator. Whisper of the Heart (1995; adapted by Miyazaki). Based on a comic by Aoi Hiragi, “Whisper of the Heart” is unique for Miyazaki in that it’s set in modern-day Tokyo and is not a fantasy. This is another coming of age story with some Germanic influences and a gorgeous violin soundtrack. It follows teens Shizuku and Seiji as they determine … Continue reading →

Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 1

“It’s just a wonderful world that (Miyazaki) creates that’s just so different from anything you see out there today.” – Frank Marshall, Executive Producer, “Ponyo” English language version In my review of “Ponyo” earlier this week I mentioned that Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, though excellent, might be a little off-putting to those who haven’t seen any of the Japanese animation master’s other films. I decided to compile a list, complete with descriptions/recommendations, of all of Miyazaki’s films (available Stateside on Disney DVD) and his involvement in them, which almost always includes him being a main animator. At the end of … Continue reading →

Bonding With the In-Laws: The Youngest Sibling

One of the weirdest things about marrying into a large family was that I’ve been around for almost the entire life of my littlest brother-in-law.  When Jon and I first started dating, and I met the family for the first time, his youngest brother was only a bit over a year old.  While he knows most of Jon’s other siblings very well, because they all lived at home with him for years (and some still do), Jon wasn’t around much when he was growing up.  So Jon, his own brother, isn’t really that much more of a presence in his … Continue reading →

Exploring The Secret World of Arrietty

Studio Ghibli’s latest animated feature, “The Secret World of Arrietty,” was released in American theaters by Disney earlier this year and on DVD/Blu-Ray on May 22. Now that I’ve bought and seen it, I can review this latest Japanese masterpiece brought to us by Disney. Well, no matter how much I love Ghibli’s work I think masterpiece might be pushing it a little far. However, “Arrietty” is a fun movie for all ages and definitely deserves a view by any fans of Miyazaki’s work. The renowned animator didn’t direct the film but he did write the screenplay, based on the … Continue reading →

Art Show Coming to Downtown Disney

One thing that never comes to mind when I think of the Disney Parks is art. I know that isn’t entirely fair; I’ve pointed out in the past how members of the Disney Animation team had a hand in designing the parks. But I can’t help it; when I think of “art” and “Disney” my mind immediately goes to the movies and doesn’t stray. I’d only be interested in purchasing Disney-themed art if it was a still from one of the movies (though the movie stills I really want come from films by Hayao Miyazaki, most of which Disney distributes … Continue reading →

“Spirit Beasts” at Epcot

Coming from a literary background, I love examining the interconnectivity between stories. I am especially addicted to studies on how stories function and overlap in different forms, be it literature, film, television, art, or anything else. For example, Disney’s now-defunct “Dreams Come True” exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art, which explored the connection between Disney’s movies and their fairy-tale sources. I’ve lamented a few times the fact that the exhibition only appeared in New Orleans for five months, and Disney has no plans at the moment to run it anywhere else. Now Disney’s teasing me again. The official … Continue reading →

Disappointed in Disney’s Summer Offerings

Why doesn’t Disney have me excited this summer? That’s the question I keep asking myself, and one to which I just can’t find the answer. My first major shock of the summer is that I’m not interested in seeing Pixar’s newest film. For the past three or four years, one of the few trips I actually take to the movie theater is to see Pixar’s latest. As soon as I found out that 2010 meant “Toy Story 3” my enthusiasm waned. What surprises me even more is that I still feel the same after hearing and reading the film’s rave … Continue reading →

Intro from a Lifelong Animal Lover

As the new pet blogger at families.com, I thought I’d take a post to introduce myself. My name is Angela Shambeda, and I’ve been with families.com since November 2009. You can also find me over at the Disney blog. I thought I’d tell a story from my childhood as part of my introduction. When I was in fourth grade I wrote my very first research paper on harp seals. While working on the paper I learned that conservationists would often spray stripes of bright paint over the coats of harp seals, particularly the babies. They would do so to protect … Continue reading →

Snow White’s Secret Green Streak

For my wrap-up to environmental week, I’m going to explore whether or not Walt Disney was, in part, responsible for the modern environmental movement. According to a book by a Cambridge University scholar, Disney films, particularly those produced between 1937 and 1967 and 1984 and 2005, are responsible for making viewers respond to and care more for the natural world. “The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation” by Dr. David Whitley, an English literature professor, argues that the eras of Walt Disney and Michael Eisner produced films which made young viewers in particular aware of nature and the issues surrounding … Continue reading →

Women’s History at Disney

In recent years more credit and accolades have gone to those behind the birth of animation, through the many acknowledgments (including a 2005 documentary) to Disney’s famous “Nine Old Men,” the main animators responsible for Disney’s golden age. But these Nine Old Men were backed by more than their mostly-male animation department. For the glory years of Disney’s early animation, from the first cartoon shorts to the feature films leading up to World War II, the department in charge of all the inking and painting of the drawings was staffed almost exclusively by women. In honor of Women’s History Month, … Continue reading →