Shrek is not as green as he used to be."Shrek Forever After," the fourth movie in DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc's (DWA.O) lucrative series about a jolly green giant, took the top spot at the weekend box office in North America, but it fell short of expectations, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The film earned $71.3 million during its first three days of release, far short of industry predictions that it could surpass $100 million.
Of the previous "Shrek" films, "Shrek the Third" opened to $121.6 million in 2007, "Shrek 2" earned $108 million during its first weekend in 2004, and "Shrek" kicked off the franchise with $42 million in 2001.
The new film opened "on the low end" of forecasts, said Anne Globe, the company's head of worldwide marketing and consumer products, but she noted that it still ranks as the fourth-biggest opening of all time among animated films, behind the previous two Shreks and "The Simpsons" ($74 million).
Moreover, it broke new territory for both the company and for animation in general by being the fourth film in a franchise, Globe said. The studio has promised this will be the final film in the series.
Sales from 3D theaters accounted for 61 percent of the total. Such locations charge a premium, and reports surfaced last week that the AMC theater chain had broken the $20 per ticket barrier for the first time. By Saturday, the closely held firm said that was a mistake, and prices for 3D screenings range ranged between $17 and $19.
Globe expected the movie to hold up well over the next few weeks, because the next big family offering, rival animation powerhouse Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) "Toy Story 3," does not open until June 18.
DreamWorks Animation's previous release, "How To Train Your Dragon," was considered a disappointment after it earned a relatively modest $44 million during its first weekend in March, and the studio's share price fell 8 percent the following Monday.
But the movie has displayed strong staying power, with sales to date of $211 million. Still, the stock price closed at $34.87 on Friday, down 18.5 percent since "Dragon" opened. The Nasdaq -- and Disney -- are each off 7 percent in the same period.
"Shrek Forever After," with the voice cast including Michael Myers, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, cost about $135 million to make. Worldwide marketing costs will be about $165 million, Globe said.
The film also earned about $26 million after opening in seven countries. Russia accounted for $20 million -- narrowly beating "Avatar" to claim the country's all-time record. The bulk of the other openings were in Asian markets, such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.
"IRON MAN 2" BREAKS $500 MILLION WORLDWIDE
After leading the North American box office for the previous two weekends, "Iron Man 2" slipped to No. 2 with $26.6 million. The superhero sequel has earned $251.3 million to date, and an additional $268 million internationally. The film was produced by Disney's Marvel Studios. Its 2008 predecessor ended its worldwide run with $585 million.
WB Returns to Basics for The Looney Tunes Show
Looking to re-introduce such classic animated characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Wile E. Coyote to a new generation, Warner Bros. has announced a new 26-episode series called The Looney Tunes Show and new theatrical shorts, reports The New York Times.The half-hour 2D series will debuting in the fall on Cartoon Network and will feature the classic characters living as neighbors and roommates on a modern cul-de-sac. The characters Yosemite Sam, Tweety and Sylvester, Marvin the Martian and Porky Pig will be featured in the series.
The theatrical shorts will feature the return of the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner matchup and will be made with 3D CGI animation. The first of three approved shorts will be attached in front of the July 30 release Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
Other plans the Times reported for reviving the characters include a video game featuring the Tasmanian Devil, new DVD compilations and an expansion of the website LooneyTunes.com.
The revival effort comes as awareness of the characters among younger audiences and sales of Looney Tunes merchandise have diminished, the Times reports.
Other recent attempts to revive interest in the characters have struggled, with the series Baby Looney Tunes, Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Loonatics Unleashed all failing to generate much interest.
The studio is expecting to announce a premiere date for the new series shortly.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Crash! Bang! Wallow? Wins NFB Cannes Contest
The animated short film Crash! Bang! Wallow? has won the National Film Board of Canada’s sixth annual Cannes short film contest.Directed by Jon Dunleavy and Keith Wilson-Singer of the United Kingdom, the film is about a former movie stuntman who fights to find a place in the modern world. The winning directors will receive a digital camera/HD video camera and a laptop computer from the NFB.
The second-place film in the contest, which drew more than 2 million views for the 10 finalist films in 14 days, is Love and Theftm by Andreas Hykade of Germany. Third place went to The Technician, by Simon-Olivier Fecteau of Canada, and fourth place went to The Story of My Life, by Pierre Ferriere of France.
The contest was organized by the NFB and the Short Film Corner in association with YouTube.
The winning film can be viewed until June 20 online at NFB.ca/cannes or youtube.com/NFB.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
SIGGRAPH Presents 22 Emerging Technologies
SIGGRAPH will showcase 22 emerging technologies ranging from robotics, input interfaces and interactive techniques at its 2010 conference.The selections were picked by a jury of experts and SIGGRAPH organizers from more than 107 submissions from around the world. All the selected technologies will be on display for interaction with attendees at the show, which will be held July 25-29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Highlights of the emerging technologies are:
• Acroban the Humanoid: Acroban is the first humanoid robot able to demonstrate playful, compliant, and intuitive physical interaction with children while moving and walking dynamically. Also, it is able to keep its equilibrium when moving even if unpredicted physical interactions are initiated by humans.
• Gesture World Technology: This technology allows people to control devices such as computers, household appliances, and robots by means of everyday gestures without using sensors or controllers, which employs the high-speed and high-accuracy computer vision technology capable of estimating the hand and arm poses captured by a compact high-speed camera.
• 360-degree Autostereoscopic Display: A compact, cylindrical display, which can show full color, high quality, volumetric, 3D images, videos, and interactive animation viewable without glasses from any angle (360 degrees).
A complete listing of all the Emerging Technologies presented this year's program is available in: http://www.siggraph.org/s2010/for_attendees/emerging_technologies.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Tokyopop, Odin’s Eye Team on Dreaming Movie
Los Angeles-based manga publisher Tokyopop has agreed with Sydney-based production company Odin’s Eye to produce a film based on The Dreaming graphic novel series.The live-action 3D production will be produced in Australia and based on the thriller story created by Sydney native Queenie Chan.
Shayne Armstrong and Shane Krause are writing the adaptation. Tokyopop founder Stu Levy and Michael Favelle will produce and Kate Woods is directing.
Emphasis will be placed on the stylization and production design of the stereoscopic 3D cinematography while keeping focus on the characters.
Screen New South Wales is providing the first phase of development finance, and production funding will come from a mix of Australia's producer's offset, private equity, and pre-sales. Production is planned for 2011, working toward a late 2012 release.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Hulk Hogan sues Cocoa Pebbles
It’s Hulk Hogan vs. The Flintstones - for real.
The “Hulkster” is suing Post Cereals, maker of Cocoa Pebbles, accusing the company of appropriating his image in an animated commercial for the cereal. According to Tampa Bay Online:
In the “Cocoa Smashdown” commercial, a character goes by the name “Hulk Boulder,” which Hogan’s lawsuit says is a name he used early in his career until wrestling promoter Vince McMahon decided he should have an Irish name. The wrestler also contends he has been harmed by, among other things, “the unauthorized and degrading depictions in the Cocoa Smashdown advertisements.”
Perhaps Hogan was offended by the shot where the character seemingly pulls a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles out of his trunks? You be the judge:
(Thanks Cartoon Brew)
First look at Blue Sky’s Rio
Moviefone now has a first teaser trailer for Blue Sky Animation's upcoming comedy Rio. The movie is about a rare bird who believes that he's the last of his kind. When he discovers that there's another of his kind in the world who's a female, he leaves the cage that was once his home to go out and look for her. Starring the voices of Neil Patrick Harris and Anne Hathaway, Rio is set to fly into theaters next spring.Gary Oldman joins the voice cast of Kung Fu Panda sequel
Heat Vision reports that Gary Oldman has joined the voice cast for Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom, sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s 2008 hit Kung Fu Panda. Oldman will voice a character named Peacock in the film. Kaboom of Doom is slated to hit theaters on June 3, 2011.
Mary and Max DVD and Blu-ray in June
DVD Active reports that MPI Home Video and IFC Films have announced the release of award winning animated film Mary and Max on DVD and Blu-ray on 15th June. Extras on the disc will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a making-of featurette, alternate scenes, a commentary by director Adam Elliot, and more. Spanning 20 years and 2 continents, Mary and Max follows a pen-pal relationship between two very different people: Mary Dinkle (Toni Collette), a chubby, lonely 8-year-old living in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia; and Max Horovitz (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a severely obese, 44-year-old Jewish man with Asperger’s Syndrome living in the chaos of New York City.Nicktoons announces second season of Iron Man: Armored Adventures
Nicktoons has announced a second season of the network's hit series Iron Man: Armored Adventures, reports Variety. The second season of 26 episodes following main character Tony Stark as a teenager will premiere in 2011. The animated series which bowed in April 2009 helped Nicktoons reach its highest-rated and most-watched year in history with boys 6-11, kids 6-11 and total viewers in 2009.New Megamind poster strikes the internet
A first teaser poster for DreamWorks Animation's upcoming Megamind has just been revealed at the Internet Movie Poster Awards. The animated superhero comedy starring Will Ferrell hits theaters this November.
Fourteen named winners of Student Academy Awards
Thirteen students from 10 United States colleges and universities have been named winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 37th Annual Student Academy Awards competition.
One student filmmaker from the United Kingdom also has been selected to receive this year's Honorary Foreign Film award, making 14 winners in total.
The student filmmakers will be brought to Los Angeles for a week of industry-related activities and social events that will culminate in the awards ceremony Saturday, June 12 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
The 37th Annual Student Academy Awards ceremony on June 12 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets may be obtained online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office, or by mail. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.
The winners are (listed alphabetically by film title within category):
Alternative
Multiply, Emily Henricks, University of Southern California
Surface: Film from Below, Varathit Uthaisri, Parsons The New School for Design, New York
Animation
Departure of Love, Jennifer Bors, Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida
Dried Up, Isaiah Powers and Jeremy Casper, Kansas City Art Institute, Missouri
Lifeline, Andres Salaff, California Institute of the Arts
Documentary
Dreams Awake (Sueña Despierto), Kevin Gordon and Rebekah Meredith, Stanford University, California
Rediscovering Pape, Maria Royo, City College of New York
Yizkor (Remembrance), Ruth Fertig, University of Texas at Austin
Narrative
Down in Number 5, Kim Spurlock, New York University
God of Love, Luke Matheny, New York University
The Lunch Box, Lubomir Kocka, Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia
Honorary Foreign Film
The Confession, Tanel Toom, The National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield, United Kingdom
The $20 Movie Ticket Has Arrived
The Wall Street Journal reports that this weekend, for the first time ever, a movie theater will charge $20 for a regular admission adult movie ticket. The theater: AMC in Manhattans’s Kips Bay neighborhood. The film they’re charging you twenty dollars to see: Shrek Forever After.
UPDATE: The New York Times has a follow-up story that says theaters have backtracked on the $20 ticket and reduced prices. They claim the prices listed were a mistake. The same Kips Bay AMC charged $19.50 per ticket for IMAX showings of DreamWorks’ previous film How to Train Your Dragon.
(Thanks Cartoon Brew)
Silent animation in Red Dead Redemption
In the recently released PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 video game Red Dead Redemption there appears this “silent movie” The Dangers of Doctors and Patent Medicines. In the game, it is seen projected on the wall of an old west theatre. Of course this kind of animation would not have existed until the 1910s - I’m not sure what time frame this western game takes place in, nor do we know who animated this fun little piece at Rockstar San Diego, but perhaps the animators will identify themselves in our comments section below.
(Thanks, John Karel)
(Thanks Cartoon Brew)
Shrek Exposed
Shrek Exposed is a new blog that reveals all of the character’s dirty secrets. It’s run by a group of concerned American citizens who are in NO WAY affiliated with the MacGruber movie which comes out the same weekend as Shrek.
(Thanks Cartoon Brew)
Azureus Rising
Test clip for a feature film by Dave Weinstein.
(Thanks Cartoon Brew)
Trailer for Fantasy Animated short SINTEL
The animation team behind the amazing animated shorts Elephants Dream and Big Buck Bunny are at it again. Blender Foundation has recently unveiled a trailer to its third open film Sintel (codenamed Durian), a fantasy action epic that is expected to run at five-eight minutes in length. There is still two months left before the production is completed.You'll find the trailer embedded below
(Thanks Twitch)
THE PRODIGIES Teaser Poster is In Your Face
Not much to say really except Antoine Charreyron's The Prodigies (french title: La Nuit des enfants rois) has a release date and a teaser poster. It seems the four-eyed fella has a chip on his shoulder.NYC, Central Park, 2010. Five young teenagers are violently assaulted. But they're not your average teenagers... they're prodigies. The trauma of the assault incites them to lash out against the world in a cold and calculating way. The five chillingly brilliant minds come together to concoct a perfect revenge. The only person aware of the pending doom is Jimbo Farrar, a sixth prodigy, who has gathered them. As long as he fights against his five counterparts with all his might, there's hope for the world. But should he turn over to their side, it's only a matter of time before a disaster of apocalyptic proportions ensues...
Warner Bros France plans to release the sci-fi animated film on March 9th, 2011. You'll find a large version of the teaser poster in our gallery below.
(Thanks Twitch)
EVANGELION 2.22: YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE Hits Subtitled BluRay In June.
Fans of iconic anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, rejoice! Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance - the second in the ongoing series of revival films - hits English subtitled DVD and BluRay in Hong Kong June 25th. The DVD is a Region 3 release but the Blu comes in Region A, which makes it playable on standard North American gear. So, if you're a fan of the impatient variety ...Now bring on part three, already.
Order The standard edition DVD
Order the special edition DVD
Order the standard edition BluRay
Order the special edition BluRay
(Thanks Twitch)
Rodriguez To Remake FIRE & ICE As A Live-Action Film...
Color me very intrigued indeed: Robert Rodriguez has just secured the rights to remake Ralph Bakshi's 1983 animation film "Fire & Ice" and (according to an interview he gave AICN) he plans to do exactly that. In live-action, no less.So we can look forward to seeing Troublemaker Studios start producing this film, expanding on the original design sketches by Frank Frazetta and using new available techniques to create the world seen in the animated movie. Which, granted, could use some embellishing as the original's budget did not nearly match the ambitions Bakshi and Frazetta had with this title.
Now we can always ask ourselves if a remake is strictly speaking necessary (or even wanted). But in this case the original film is a very guilty pleasure from my childhood days. And I agree with "Let the Right One In" director Tomas Alfredson that if you DO choose a film to remake, why not take one that (even its creators agree upon) was imperfect?
So... how to feel about a "Fire & Ice" remake? Hot or cold?
(Thanks Twitch)
Go Behind the Scenes of Toy Story 3
Here’s a 3-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that opens up the plot of Toy Story 3 just a little more. The focus is also on Michael Keaton, who voices Ken, Barbie’s “accessory.” The film is in theaters on June 18th.
Howard – Julia Pott’s Gorgeous Student Short
Howard, Julia Pott’s student short from the Royal College of Art takes us on an emotional ride through love’s fickle twists and turns. Each still is a gorgeous illustration unto itself.
Davies Beautiful Blind Date
Blind Date is Nigel Davies’ latest short film for Aardman Animations, where he’s rep’d as a commercial director.
Fly by Alan Short
Fly versus couch potato. This cute little short was funded by Aardman Animation, part of a series to showcase it’s stable of directors.
(Thanks, Al Young)
(Thanks Cartoon Brew)
The Departing Reptile ...
As B.O. Mojo relates:
... With close to $209 million through its eighth week, Dragon has grossed nearly five times what it did on its opening weekend, which is the biggest multiplier of any 2010 nationwide release thus far and, among major animated releases, the biggest multiplier since Finding Nemo. Its average weekend drop-off rate has been a slim 26 percent. ...
Dragon is on pace to replace Kung Fu Panda as DreamWorks Animation's highest-grossing non-Shrek release. Panda generated $215.4 million, though Dragon's unlikely to top Panda's attendance due to its inflated 3D prices. Overall, 3D has accounted for 67 percent of Dragon's total gross. Sift the 3D ticket price premium out and Dragon's $209 million would adjust to the equivalent of less than $170 million.
Word of mouth kept Dragon soaring, but the ad campaign launching the feature didn't quite do the job during its first weekend. I donno, maybe it was the Vikings that were a hard sell. It's been a long time since burly men in spiked helmets commanded big bucks at the box office.
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
10 Disney Characters Who Stirred Up Controversy
Media juggernaut Disney always seems to dredge up a wake of controversy whenever it releases one of their world-renowned animated films. Few will slam their merit from an artistic perspective, but for many people their characterization and storytelling leave plenty to be desired. Blinded by the lens of nostalgia, scads of fans fail to realize that many beloved Disney movies actually entail some pretty blatant racist and sexist overtones. Such lazy adherence to stereotypes, however, does not go entirely unnoticed by the communities they insult. As a result, waves of criticism roll up with the introduction of any new animated film – almost always backed by reasonable evidence, too. Sometimes Disney and media experts counter with interesting perspectives of their own, sometimes not. Far more than 10 examples of controversial characters and characterization devices have cropped up since the studio’s creation in 1939, but the following provides a summary of a few of their more visible offenses.
1. Sunflower from Fantasia (1940)
In a move that would make even Al Jolson blush, Disney’s 1940 animated ode to Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6” – titled The Pastoral Symphony – originally included a horrifyingly offensive African-American “pickaninny” caricature by the name of Sunflower. Subsequent releases rightfully edited out the big-lipped, half-donkey centaur handmaid capitulating to the aesthetic whims of her hedonistic Caucasoid brethren, but Disney faces quite a bit of criticism for the decision. Many find Sunflower’s later exclusions from the film offensive for a number of different reasons, chief among them the fact that for years the studio refused to acknowledge that the character ever even traipsed across the big screen in the first place. Such a denial reeks of an inability to admit mistakes and make earnest efforts to move forward when it comes to racial sensitivity in the media. Others believe that Disney should include Sunflower in any future theatrical or home releases of Fantasia as a means of illustrating the bleak history of racism. After all, if people do not learn from the problematic perspectives of the past, they face the risk of repeating them in the future. Just about the only thing most people can agree upon when it comes to the little centaur is that her depiction stands as a deplorably reductionist portrayal of African-American culture and behavior – unfortunately, one that also reflected common attitudes of the time period. Whether or not she should continue to exist only in the hidden corners of Disney history remains an extremely controversial debate that raises a number of interesting philosophical and ethical questions with solutions in varying shades of grey.2. The Crows from Dumbo (1941)
One of Disney’s most beloved films, Dumbo’s cast sports a murder of crows mostly voiced by African-American actors – and their leader (the only one voiced by a white man) is saddled with the extremely unfortunate moniker of “Jim.” Reactions to the birds come extremely mixed. On one hand, they are lazy, poor, uneducated, cigar-chomping, jive-talkers with a love of jazz music. The crows voiced by African-American actors submit to the leadership of Jim, whose words and singing come courtesy of the only Caucasian in the bunch. On the other, however, they are also some of the only characters in the entire movie to ever offer the eponymous elephant any ounce of compassion or understanding. They accept him for him and ask for no compromises. In spite of their hierarchy, they never once capitulate towards the will of anyone else – they collectively sport much freer spirits than the subservient Sunflower. In reality, the crows’ actions support both positive and negative interpretations, and scans all over the internet reveal that writers of all races are equally capable of taking both stances. However, the film’s “Song of the Roustabouts” leaves far, far less room for open debate than the behavior of the crows. Sung by literally faceless African-American laborers, the lyrics praise the virtues of painstaking work with little to no reward. It doesn’t take a sociologist to figure out the extremely unfortunate overarching message.3. Uncle Remus from Song of the South (1946)
Like Sunflower, the portrayal of African-American literary figure Uncle Remus in Disney’s hybrid of live action and animation, Song of the South, offers up plenty of fodder for debate over censorship and stereotypes. James Baskett (the first live actor ever hired by Disney) played the controversial role in 1946, and even at the time the studio wrung its hands over any potential offenses. Fearing further accusations of racial insensitivity, they have yet to release it for home viewing even to this day. But unlike Sunflower, the ire directed at the movie had less to do about Uncle Remus himself – the hero of the story – and more with his surrounding situation. The NAACP actually recognized the artistry of the film while simultaneously finding its sanitization, perhaps glorification, of slave life on a plantation abhorrent. Though Uncle Remus stands as a thoroughly pleasant and moral man devoid of the physically degrading traits present in the animated Sunflower, he and the other African-American character Toby still happily submit to the will of whites. People of all racial backgrounds remain divided over whether or not Disney should leave Song of the South in its vaults forever or finally release it for home viewing. As with the Fantasia example above, no one definitive solution emerges – the issue swirls with so many different and equally weighted arguments that none of them stand out as the absolute right thing to do.4. The Native Americans from Peter Pan (1953)
Absolutely no alternate, potentially viable interpretations for the appalling depiction of Native Americans in Peter Pan exists to explain or otherwise temper the blatant racism. Lifting the portrayal almost directly from J.M. Barrie’s children’s books, almost any stereotype of the cultures (save for alcoholism and gambling) imaginable pops up in the movie. The sequence for the song “What Makes the Red Man Red?” alone involves a peace pipe, use of the words “paleface,” “Injun,” “squaw,” and “how,” stereotypic accents, clapping of hands to mouths, the reduction of a female value to appearances and servitude, glorification of an underage Native American woman as sexy and exotic, and what sounds like almost an apology for having nonwhite skin. Their characterization pulls entirely from popular perspectives with the reality of the cultures wholly sacrificed in favor of a reductionist song-and-dance of primitivism that perpetuates misconception. Both Native American and white men objectify Princess Tigerlily, who decides to put on a little show of her own in order to arouse her masculine audience – adding an extra, extremely uncomfortable dimension of misogyny into the mix. Note that the older, “ugly,” or white females never partake of the festivities, implying that only a young, conventionally attractive ethnic woman can satiate man’s lust.5. Si and Am from Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Two of Lady and the Tramp’s most destructive villains, the twin Siamese cats oh-so-cleverly dubbed “Si” and “Am,” never prompted Disney to exercise any level of censorship; their embarrassing throwback to the racist concept of “yellow peril” can still be visually ingested by kids even today. Introduced in a sequence where the pair gleefully inflicts grievous property damage, they slink about the house with exaggerated, slanted eyes, gnarly buck teeth, and sporting a ghastly shade of pale. Si and Am’s very first song only solidifies their status as highly offensive Asian caricatures as they spit and slur through poor grammar and frequent switching of the “R” and “L” sounds. At no point does the film imbue them with any sort of redeeming qualities – until the end, the felines remain entirely remorseless, depraved, and manipulative. Most disconcertingly, Disney actually markets products featuring their likenesses, never making any sort of effort to downplay the obviously racist overtones. Young audiences unfamiliar with American history’s attitude towards Asians may perceive Si and Aim’s domestic terrorism and exaggerated physical attributes as simply the popular perception of cats as decidedly odd and cheeky. But older crowds with even a passing knowledge of World War II propaganda will squirm upon viewing the obvious implications.6. The Apes from The Jungle Book (1967)
Though he was no stranger to racial insensitivity and cultural relativism himself, Rudyard Kipling’s original novel The Jungle Book made no explicit parallels between African-Americans and apes; the character of King Louie didn’t even exist in print, instead tossed into the movie as a purely Disney creation. He scats and talks jive with a rather obvious cadence, singing about he wants to be more like the human (and generically American-accented in spite of his Indian heritage) Mowgli. On the surface, this characterization certainly carries the racist overtones of the era that the studio often reflected with insensitivity. Beneath that, however, their intentions for what social beliefs the movie did and did not intend to draw from occupy begin to occupy rather nebulous territory. Many assume that King Louie’s mannerisms drew their inspiration from Louis Armstrong, but the animators actually took cues from the man who lent his speaking and singing voice to the chubby orangutan – Louis Prima, a very white jazz musician and band leader from New Orleans. He did not record his lines or songs mimicking African-American speech patterns of the time; the voice used was actually how the man spoke. As with the crows from Dumbo, compelling evidence both for and against the apes’ intended status as negative African-American caricatures exists. “A little from column A, a little from column B” situation seems to be the most likely case, as the juxtaposition of jazz music and singularly simian behavior during the last heated years of the Civil Rights Movement strikes an exceedingly discordant note that seriously could not have gone unnoticed.7. The Minister from The Little Mermaid (1989)
Jokes about the unnamed minister from The Little Mermaid abound, with many people believing he sports a rather generous erection during the wedding scene between Prince Eric and the enchanted, disguised antagonist Ursula. Unlike the accusations of racism and misogyny backed by extremely reasonable and well-founded evidence, the diminutive officiate who stirred so much controversy that a lawsuit actually cropped up honestly didn’t enjoy the proceedings as much as people believe. In this case, a design flaw is the real culprit. Drawn with skinny, knobby knees that stick out, the little man’s robes bob up and down with his natural movements and blow about in the wind. Occasionally, his clothing obscures his bare legs and certainly gives the appearance of an erection. Whether or not this visual trick exists as an intentional bit of visual trickery on the part of the animators remains completely up for debate, of course, but no solid evidence exists either way. It is hard to believe that the famously thorough Disney animators would completely miss such a glaringly obvious visual, though. At least this incident does no damage to perceptions of race and gender, though, and the possibility elicits far more laughs than rages. Some Christian groups lashed out, but no religious officials appear to have taken any outspoken offense to the situation.Oh, and that lawsuit? Eventually dropped.
8. The Merchant from Aladdin (1992)
There is obviously something wrong when portrayal by Robin Williams is actually the least offensive aspect of a character. Disney angered Arab-American groups when his introductory song to Aladdin spouted off the lyrics, “Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face./It’s barbaric, but hey./It’s home.” in reference to Middle Eastern culture. People of all political affiliations know that human rights atrocities occur in that corner of the globe – as they do EVERYWHERE. But to include them in a song as one of the defining characteristics of the cultures in the region understandably provokes ire, especially when one considers the history-altering contributions that Arabs have made to mathematics and surgical procedures in the past! Home video releases wisely replaced the offending lyrics with a benign discussion of geography and lamentation of the heat instead. Even beyond the merchant who sets up the story, Aladdin’s cast garners a hefty amount of controversy for portraying the features and accents of the protagonists as heavily Americanized, leaving the villains to lean more on exaggerated racial characteristics and Arab accents. Regardless of the one little change Disney made to the original film, it still continues to sport some extremely disconcerting depictions of race and gender that even the infamously politically correct 1990s could not squelch.9. Pocahontas from Pocahontas (1995)
More than 40 years after chipping away at Native American cultural identity with the cringe-worthy scenes from Peter Pan, Disney caused more than a little outrage by taking considerable liberties with the true story of an adolescent – if not preadolescent – Powhatan girl by the name of Matoaka (Pocahontas was actually her nickname). “Considerable,” of course, meaning that almost no bit of historical veracity remained, save for names and locations. Though touted as a princess, Matoaka’s status as the daughter of a chief did not equate to such a title, nor did it mean she earned any sort of favoritism. However, increasing her age from 10-13 from the historical tale to around 18 and romantically pairing her off with John Smith when no such relationship actually occurred provoked the most controversy. Once again, Disney ignored the cultural reality in favor of lazily falling back on racial stereotypes and female exploitation to tell a story. Although they thankfully dismissed the earlier images of red-faced “savages,” the comparatively more contemporary stereotype of the Magical Native American communing intimately with nature flooded the film. The titular character may have palled around with animals in the same manner of other Disney princesses, but unlike her Caucasian counterparts she also talked and sang to the trees, rocks, and wind. Many take this depiction of Native Americans as more positive and acceptable. While a step in the right direction, adhering to such stereotypes still stands as reductionist and displays an unwillingness to actually put forth any research to whip up an accurate portrayal of the societies represented.But this story unsurprisingly has 2 sides, and Native American political leader Russell Means – who actually lent his voice to Chief Powhatan – praised the film for its positive spin on the cultural heritage. He supported Disney’s decision to show how Europeans wrongly accused the tribe of savagery, glad to see that some veracity in the attitudes of the time did not receive the expected glossing over. Shockingly enough, a couple of white Americans actually got offended for reasons other than the questionable portrayal of Native Americans. Rather, they considered the studio a bit TOO sensitive and felt that it should have been more negative!
10. All the Disney Princesses
Because the tales of the various (and very, very lucrative) Disney Princesses drew their inspiration from (in the loosest sense of the phrase) various ancient folk stories from a broad variety of cultures, it probably comes as little surprise that the underlying misogynistic elements remained intact. Ardent feminists from every decade and every medium have relentlessly lambasted the studio for their insulting portrayal of women, whose characters almost always seem more defined by how they relate to the masculine heroes of the story rather than their own inherent virtues and vices. Even so-called “action girls” such as Princess Jasmine, in the end, find themselves judged more on their level of attractiveness and must be rescued by their respective princes in some fashion or another. As the infographic accurately outlines, satisfying singlehood is never an option for any lead female in a Disney movie – she always has to rely on her beauty to snag her man. Particularly egregious examples from the past 2½ decades (eras ostensibly more “progressive” and “enlightened” when it comes to woman’s role in society) include Belle’s submission to an abusive relationship with the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and the fact that her pretty face and undying love saved the day far more than her brains ever could. The Little Mermaid’s Ariel completely alters her appearance and gives up her voice, family, friends, and home for the sake of a man she loves only because of his looks – and he has to fall in “love” with her for no reason other than what he sees. To add insult to injury, the story PRAISES their submission and acquiescence to the concept of women as decorations. Never does the possibility of equality in a relationship crop up as a possibility. All of their respective romances default to the dominant male/submissive female dynamic, sadly influencing their target audience of young women to accept that as normal and idyllic.
Even when accusations of racism and sexism become clouded by the inclusion of more positive character traits, it is hard to deny that to some extent Disney relies quite heavily on ethnic and sexual stereotypes to tell a story rather than putting forth the effort to create depth and dimension. Some parents and teachers may want to use these offensive, controversial decisions as valuable educational tools to teach children about respecting other cultures and genders.
(Thanks Graphic Design Degrees)
Rooftop Films
The 2010 Summer Series of Rooftop Films has begun, and to promote this exciting run, Program Director Dan Nuxoll has generously offered ASIFA members a discount on tickets for the following shows. Look for this code in our next email newsletter blast!______________
From Dan:
Next Friday, May 28, we have a show called Dark Toons with some really great animation from the dark side: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/7-dark-toons
Then on June 26 we have a screening of Brent Green’s Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, with a live score performed by musicians, including members of Fugazi: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/20-gravity-was-everywhere-back-then
Then on Thursday, July 29, we have a program called Capucine and Other Filmmaking Renegades which includes a film by animation renegade Nieto: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/31-capucine-filmmaking-monkeys-and-other-renegades
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These are not the only shows featuring animation so I suggest you check out the site to see the entire festival schedule!
Rooftop Films is a New York based non-profit whose mission is to engage diverse communities by showing independent movies in outdoor locations, producing new films, coordinating youth media education, and renting equipment at low cost to artists.
The Rooftop Films 2010 Summer Series, our 14th year of “Underground Movies Outdoors,” will run every weekend from May 14-August 15.
Programming for the 2010 Summer Series includes feature-length films and programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature films are either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a filmmaker Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction, drama, comedy animation and more.
(Thanks ASIFA East)
Tom Welling Wants Lex Luthor To Return To 'Smallville' For The Tenth And Final Season
Earlier this week, the CW network announced that the upcoming tenth season of "Smallville" will also be its last.
And while there have been hints that the tenth season may focus on Darkseid as the main villain, "Smallville" star Tom Welling told MTV News which character he would like to see Clark Kent take on in the final season.
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