The Story of Pixar’s Up Presentation at OIAF

By E. Corrado

I was waiting until I got a moment to write what I thought about the Up event that I attended on October 17th, 2009 in Ottawa. One week ago, I wrote about the Making of 9 event, and posted a short interview with Kevin Adams, art director at Starz Animation. Now I have the pleasure of sharing with you a report from The Story of Pixar’s Up, (including a bit about Dug’s Special Mission), as well as a two part interview with Ronnie del Carmen and Peter Sohn. The first part of the interview will be coming soon.

About the presentation: The Story of Pixar’s Up was held at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, just across the Ontario border from Ottawa as part of the OIAF. The presentation took place in their theatre there from 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm. The theatre used was very big and nice, and I would look forward to attending more events at this venue.

The event itself started with the Up trailer played on the theatre screen, and then Ronnie del Carmen, story artist at Pixar and presenter for the event, came out on stage to begin the actual presentation.

He started with two questions that are frequently asked of him: 1. Where do you get your ideas, and 2. How do you know if there’re good or not. The answers are endless and varying as you may well imagine, so much so, that to try to re-cap everything here, would be ridiculously long. Mostly though, he talked about ideas in general. They often come when you least expect them, or from a drawing, such as the picture that Pete Docter drew of a grumpy old man carrying a bunch of happy, colourful balloons. To those Pete Docter showed the picture, they wanted to know more... Was the thing that was intriguing about the picture the contrast? What was the story behind this character? What made him interesting? Because ideas have to be developed before you know if they are going to go anywhere.

The thing about being a story artist, is that you have to be a great storyteller. Not only do you have to be able to write a good story, you have to be able to communicate it to others, be it through speech, actions, or, as storyboarding artists do, drawing. If you want to be a storyteller, not only do you want to be able to communicate what you want, (or others want), through the drawings, you have to learn the art of pitching, or ‘telling’ the story that goes with the pictures. These skills are only really learned through practice - in front of an audience. Essentially, you improve on the job.

Think you want to be a story artist though? Well, as spoken about in the panel, you have to learn how to take constructive criticism well. You may work for hours, days, even weeks getting your storyboards pitch perfect, (perfect for pitching), only once you present them, everyone has ideas how to improve your, as you see it, ‘perfect’ idea. This is an inspiring lesson for all artists of any medium. Often, it is when others really like your work, that is when they want to help you make it even better. When many people believe in your project, they will want to help you. When you are getting constructive criticism, take it as a compliment to your work, everyone wants to help, and often, your idea will become better than you ever imagined because of it. You can’t really make a film that will touch a wide audience of people without letting a wide breadth of people help you develop the project to it’s full potential.

I found the whole presentation so inspiring. To finish his presentation, Ronnie del Carmen showed the way that even storyboards can touchingly convey a story, by showing a little short based on his childhood in the Philippines, in storyboards. Then to top the whole thing off, those of us who were there were treated to a sneak preview of Dug’s Special Mission! That’s the five minute short film that will be available on the Up DVD next month. I won’t spoil anything for you, although I will say that it is very funny, and you are in for a real treat when you get the DVD/BluRay. The short itself is done in the same style as Jack-Jack-Attack, and BURN•E, in the sense that it shows what takes place to a certain [group of] character[s] during the film, while we were watching something else.

To end, I will say this. Next year, those of you going to the OIAF, Pixar presentations are definitely worth it. I had a great time at this presentation. It was funny, smart, well put together, and didn’t feel even close to 2 hours long. I guess great story artists make great presenters. They have a way of keeping your attention.

UP NEXT: An interview with Ronnie del Carmen and Peter Sohn - Part 1...

...and while you're waiting, you can read a couple of reviews of The Art of Up here.

Interview with Kevin Adams, Art Director for 9

By E. Corrado

So, first off, when did start working at Starz Animation? 4 1/2 years ago I think. I was called in to fix problems on Everyone's Hero, which was a project that was done there. I was just about finished, just about to leave, and another project came along, and I helped them fix that one, and another project came along, so I kept thinking I was going to leave, because the studio didn't work the way that I wanted it to. I ended up thinking I'd stay around until we fixed things and it was finally the way I wanted it. But now it's fine, now I like it there.

What exactly do you do on the films? It depends on the film. I was the art director on some of the films, and on others I was the art director and director of cinematography. So I run the art department for the studio so I oversee the art for one whole picture, and then with cinematography, I oversee layout and the camera work as well.

Do you do any animation? I don't really touch animation except in how it affects all the other departments, but I do oversee design, the painting, the colour keys, planning, final lighting, the set dressing, any artistic elements that are put into the show. There'll be a department head for each individual department but I'll oversee all of them.

So, when did you know that you wanted to go into film and animation? When I was in the 9th grade. It was when I saw the Abyss, and I thought 'I want to do computer animation'. So I started then, when I was in grade 9, and I decided I was going to do that, so I looked around and found out that people who did classical animation where the best at the time, so I went through Sheridan's classical animation program and somewhere along the way, I got sucked into Disney. I never actually got to do 3D films, so I was at Disney for about 11 years and then eventually I got back into it through video games.

...and you're originally from Canada? Yes.

About the movie 9. How early did you come onto the project? As soon as it came to Starz? A little bit before it came to Starz, because you know, they were having trouble getting the film done and there were people that were going around with them saying 'oh we want to go find out where you are going to do it next, to make sure that you can do it so that you don't waste our money'. So they're coming in, even before it came to the studio, and decided the place they wanted to go, and I had to tell them how I thought they could do the film and prove to them they could actually do it.

So did you meet with Shane Acker at that point? Yeah, he came in, as did some focus executives, and Jinko Gotoh, who is one of the producers, she came as well. They came very early on.

Was there anything that really stood out, as one big challenge on 9? Just the time. Trying to get it done in the amount of time, and not have the quality suffer. That was the constant thing that kept happening over and over.

How long exactly was the film at Starz? I think 12 months? I may be wrong if you're going to quote this, but it was around 12 months, and then we did that pass, where we asked 'these are the things we would like do', and then we came around a little bit later and did '9 plus', which is the extra material to put into the show. So they give a little bit of extra money and we added to it. So I think it came out around 14 months all together.

Is there anything else you'd like to add today? I think that covers it... Thanks for coming.

One Movie, Five Views thanks Kevin Adams for taking the time to for an interview this past weekend.

UP NEXT: The Story of Pixar's Up - coverage of the masterfully put together presentation with Ronnie del Carmen...

The Making of 9 Presentation at OIAF

By E. Corrado

The event, titled The Making of 9, happened at 3:00 pm Saturday, October 17th, at the OIAF. The event itself was held in the Ottawa Arts Court Theatre, although I must say the Arts Court is not my favourite place for events. I found it too crowded...

Now, about the presentation: Before talking about the film in-depth, presenter Kevin Adams, art director from Starz Animation, tried to show a short clip from the original short film, (which unfortunatly wouldn’t stream properly), and then showed parts of the theatrical trailer from the film. For fans of the movie 9, there were some interesting bits of information here about the hidden aspects of the world they created. Showing concept art, it really made you realize that this film needs to be examined more closely the second time around...

One interesting thing that he talked about was the fact that many of the set pieces for 9, as complicated as they were, had to be built in copied sections, much the way you would a real set. In the scene at the scientists house for example, the set painters were told exactly were the camera would be, and how close-up the shot would be. In this way, they were able to only put real detail into the actual shot, (e.g. not the ‘fourth wall’), and use only minimal detail unless there was going to be a close up shot. Also, in the scenes with piles of junk, or piles of books, they just made a small pile that could be copied several times over and modified with paint to save time. These kinds of things helped them meet their tight time constraints, as well as cut down on rendering times.

He also talked a bit about how the movie didn’t start out at Starz, and how by the time it came to them, they had to get it done in just over a year. While it may not seem that hard, considering that the film was already in development elsewhere, they had to start practically from scratch in order to make the models work with them, as well as the sets.

Overall, it was an informative presentation. The whole thing was about an hour long.

UP NEXT: A short interview with Kevin Adams...

Happy Canada Day 2009!

One Movie, Five Views would like to extend our Canada Day greetings to all our Canadian readers. In honour of the special occasion, here is a list of some recent Canadian films that we have reviewed. Hope you all have a great day!

Here is a list of Canadian movies we reviewed over the past year:

De Nouvelles Du Nord (Northern Greetings)

Passchendaele

À L’Ouest de Pluton

One Week

Saint Ralph (Overlooked Film)

Hank and Mike

Toronto Stories

Adoration

C'est Pas Moi, Je Le Jure! (It’s Not Me, I Swear!)

Ce qu’il Faut Pour Vivre (The Necessities of Life)

One Week DVD Review

Victoria Day

Liberty, USA

Interview with actor Scott Beaudin on "Victoria Day"

I recently had the chance to interview actor Scott Beaudin, on his role as Noah in Victoria Day. Here is the interview, which happened via email. Please be warned that we do discuss the film, so there are spoilers. Check back tomorrow for my interview with Mark Rendall and John Mavro, who play Ben and Sammy in the film.

-John C.

I noticed in your bio that you used to provide the voice of Peep on the children’s TV show Peep and the Big Wide World. Someone I know (John McGrath) used to voice a fish and a crow on that show. Do you remember working with him (directly or indirectly)?

90% of the time I was working in the room by myself and the other 10% of the time I would work with Jamie Watson (Quack) and Amanda Soha (Chirp). I never actually had the pleasure of working with Mr. McGrath personally, but I would love to, he certainly has an impressive resume.

How were you cast for the role of Noah in Victoria Day?

I originally auditioned for the role of Ben. I also received a call back for the role. After the call back, I was asked to come in a third time, but reading for the role of Noah. The rest is history.

How does Victoria Day compare to your previous work?

A trend that has appeared with much of my work is that of a large, young ensemble and Victoria Day kept to that. Working with other teens or young actors is a very enjoyable experience. You can relate to the other actors, and it is helpful to learn from your peers.

What was the hardest scene to film?

I am an atrocious hacky-sackerist. My hardest “acting” moment came not from facial expression, or body language, but simply just trying to keep a rally of more than two going when playing outside of the school with John (Sammy) and Mark (Ben). The shot of me doing a fancy kick seen in the film was the only shot available. I thank our editor Roderick for choosing to make me good at hacky-sack. Ah, the magic of film making.

What was your favorite scene to film?

Without a doubt my favourite scene was the fireworks scene. I’ve always been one to simply observe the fireworks, not have them whiz past my ear as I run full tilt into a patch of mud. I’m sure audience will be dazzled at how real the fight looks. That’s because we were all actually hitting each other with them. I guess that’s what a 17 year old finds fun.

I know they filmedVictoria Day in 21 days, but for how much of that time were you actually on set?

12-14 of the 21 days

What was it like working with director David Bezmozgis?

As the writer/director, this was David's baby, and he had a crystal clear vision of what he wanted from his performers. However, unlike most directors I’ve worked with, he rarely told me how to say my lines, which although it was different, was still effective as he trusted me to make my own decisions, which was a breath of fresh air.

How did you feel your character, Noah, was central to the story?

Noah and Sammy are supporting characters for Ben’s storyline. We help the audience see what Ben’s life is like prior to the accident and helps his character develop during the rising action of the story. Noah is also a good representation of society in a tragic scene such as this. Noah tells Ben what he wants to hear when he is down, but at the end of the day he isn’t losing any sleep over the incident. He only showed up to the search because Ben told him to, and comforts him in the car because he’s nice.

What did you think about filming the fireworks “fight” scene?

The fireworks scene was shot over 2 days. The first night of shooting was torture. The temperatures were around freezing and the ground was wet. After about an hour the three of us were quite tired of all the sliding we had to do. Luckily for John Mavro and myself, we were able to sneak away to a costume trailer heat our shoes up with hair driers. Mark wasn’t so lucky, but that’s what he gets for being the leading man, I suppose. Night 2 was a much better environment. The ground was all clear and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We were also given a little more freedom with the fireworks. Our clothes were flame-retardant, we were wearing hoodies, had professionals standing by, and weren’t carrying any live fireworks in our bags. We figured we could have a little fun with the scene.

What is the maximum number of takes you did for a single scene, and what is the least number of takes?

Well they don’t call me Scotty “One-Take” for nothing. I kid, of course. Most scenes (for me) would take 2-3 takes per camera angle. The amount of angles can vary depending on the amount of action in the scene, and I would get more and more comfortable with it as the filming progressed. There have been times when I blinked and a scene was over and there have been other times that I have nearly been in tears, begging for food, pleading for only one more take.

What do you personally think happens to Jordon at the end of the movie?

I personally think that if Jordan doesn’t get himself killed (which is quite probable), he’ll end up in a life-threatening situation which would get him hospitalized.

What are your thoughts on the finished film?

I think the final product is a great example of the quality of film that Canadian film makers have to offer. It’s a great piece of entertainment that can reach out to many different demographics with balanced performances from all the actors.

I’ve seen the film and I loved it, but how have audiences been reacting to the film and how do you think audiences are going to react when they see the film?

I have not seen a screening of the film that hasn’t been a cast/crew screening, but I hear that the unbiased audiences really enjoyed it, and that it was very well-received at the Sundance Film Festival.

Are there any upcoming projects that you can tell us about?

To all casting directors: I’m not working! I haven’t been working! Call me! Although there hasn’t been much going on film-wise, I have been performing frequently in a post-punk/indie band called “The Italics” as the lead singer. Other than that, it’s just baseball and school to worry about.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today.

Interview with the director of “Victoria Day” David Bezmozgis

I recently had the chance to talk with David Bezmozgis, Director of the upcoming film Victoria Day, in Toronto at the Metropolitan Hotel. Here is my interview. Please be aware that we did discuss some plot elements, so there are minor spoilers for the film in the interview.

-John C.

How does Victoria Day compare to your previous work?

My previous work, I guess is a collection of stories about a family of Soviet Jews, so it also touches on the same kind of community in the same place, set in Toronto and North York, and the point was to make it feel like real life, like “what’s it really feel like to go through this”.

What was the hardest scene to film?

I think the concert scene was probably the hardest scene to film, because we didn’t know if we were going to get all those extras in the back - we didn't pay for those people.

Was it historically accurate - was there actually a Bob Dylan concert on, like, May 15th, 1988 in Toronto?

Not to that extent, but there was a Bob Dylan show in 1988...

...at Ontario Place.

Yeah, it was like Exhibition Stadium, but it was close enough.

And what was your favorite scene to film?

That’s a tough question. I guess the scene where - the hospital scene - where the parents show up and the father sees him with the broken arm. To me, I always look forward to seeing that scene.

How long was the filming process?

We shot for 21 days

...and then the pre-production and the post-production?

Pre-production... what did we have... I think we had 4 weeks of pre-production, and we posted it in 3 months - which is fast.

Now one of my questions for John and Mark was, “what was it like working with you”, but obviously I’m not going to ask you that...

You want to know what it was like working with me? I thought I was ok. I got along with myself for the most part.

Did you use a clapboard?

oh, a clapper?

Yeah.

We do, but it’s all digital.

You don’t get the little chalkboard?

You don’t get the chalkboard, you get digital figures that are running all the time... But you still clap it - it’s called market, so it’s like “market” (clap) marker.

And could you understand the Russian when the actors were speaking Russian?

I speak fluent Russian. I directed the Russian actors in Russian.

Yeah, that’s what I thought. And did you write those parts of the screenplay in Russian?

I wrote it in English, and then for the Russian parts, the actors and I kind of worked together to translate it into Russian.

What did you think about filming the fireworks scene?

It was a lot of fun.

Because I know that you like filmed for three days, and through the night...

Yeah, we filmed it over a couple of nights, but it’s challenging because you would have stuff flying around, and you have to be safe.

And you had to get permits...

Oh, yeah, you have to get permits for everything.

...and insurance obviously for the actors.

Yeah, everybody was insured, even me.

That’s good.

What is the maximum number of takes you did for a single scene?

That’s a good question. You know that scene at the hospital, that I was talking about? Where the father says, “You think that’s your arm? Well it’s my arm.”, we probably did 15 takes of that. That’s probably the most of anything we did.

What was the least number of takes?

I think there are any number of times when we only had one or two takes. We’re pretty quick.

Was this filmed digital?

On RED.

4K?

Yeah, 4K. It was good - I like the RED. My cinematographer? Not so much. He prefers film, but I think the look we got is filmed really, really good compared to any other digital form.

It must really help in the editing...

Yeah it does,

Because you didn’t have a ton of film to go through, but obviously they said that you had to keep changing the harddrive.

Yeah, we had to keep swapping out, but it’s an interesting technology for sure. I’d want to do more of it.

Was this all edited in Apple’s Final Cut?

Yes, it was edited in Final Cut.

Did you do all the editing yourself?

No, no, there’s an editor.

How long would the “Director’s cut” of the film be?

Same. I’m very happy with exactly what we have there.

So there’s not much deleted content? What would you put on the DVD?

There’ll be some background stuff, there’ll be some auditions, I think there’s some behind the scenes that will be there... And there’ll be some other cool stuff that will be on there too.

Good, I look forward to it.

Is it true that you wanted Mark (Ben) to keep eating bananas in that scene?

I needed him to eat the bananas when he was on camera, he had to have something in his mouth, so yes, he had to eat the bananas.

Yeah, because Mark was saying he kept telling you he didn’t want to eat anymore f---ing bananas...

Yes, he needed to eat the f---ing bananas.

What are your thoughts on the finished film?

I am very proud of the movie - I’m really pleased with it.

How do you think it’s going to connect with audiences?

Well we’ve shown it before. We showed it at Sundance, we showed it here at a film festival, and I’ve gone to high schools and shown parts of the film to students, and they really... they get it - they’re thrilled by it.

Obviously it’s a very different film from Adventureland, but have you seen Adventureland, and how do you feel it’s similar to another coming of age story that takes place in 1987, (or ‘88)?

I haven’t seen Adventureland, but I’m aware of it...

Yeah, ‘cause it was also at Sundance...

It was also at Sundance - in fact we played them back to back - but I couldn’t see it because there was something else going on. But there’s a little movie called The Squid and The Whale, which is also set in the ‘80’s - do you know this movie?

Yes - never seen it, but I know of it.

I saw that one, and I liked it a lot, but it also, I think, had a similar style and a similar tone.

Are you working on any more movies?

I have a few things in mind, nothing that’s starting anytime soon, but I hope so.

Would you want to cast some of the same actors again?

Yeah, I would love to work with most of them again - probably all of them.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today...

It was my pleasure.

...and I hope you check out the reviews.

I will.

This Month’s Overlooked Film

Chosen by: John C.

The Astronaut Farmer

Release Date Febuary 23 2007

Rated PG for thematic material, peril and language

Running Time: 104 min.

Michael Polish (dir.)

Mark Polish (writter)

Michael Polish (writter)

Stuart Matthewman (music)

Billy Bob Thornton as Charles Farmer

Virginia Madsen as Audrey 'Audie' Farmer

Max Thieriot as Shepard Farmer

Jasper Polish as Stanley Farmer

Logan Polish as Sunshine Farmer

Bruce Dern as Hal

Mark Polish as FBI Agent Mathis

Jon Gries as FBI Agent Killbourne

_____________________________________________

The Astronaut Farmer

Review By James P.

The Polish Brothers' fourth film, after Twin Falls Idaho, Jackpot and one of my personal favorites, Northfork, The Astronaut Farmer is their first film that could reach a more mainstream audience. It’s the story of Charles Farmer, a dreamer who’s building a rocket ship in his shed. His dream is to have a trip in space. But, government agents stand in his way when they get suspicious of the large amounts of rocket fuel he has been purchasing. This is also a family film for older kids and adults, another Polish Brothers' first. This is a great little film with the perfect mix of fantasy, humor and most importantly, heart. Go out and watch it if you haven’t already, I highly recommend it.

Is there a film that you think is overlooked? Send the name of the movie to onemoviefiveviews@hotmail.com, or leave us a comment below.

This Month’s Overlooked Film

Chosen by: John C.

Release Date January 19 2007

Rated G

Running Time: 93 min.

Chriss Nonnan (dir.)

Renée Zellweger as Beatrix Potter

Ewan McGregor as Norman Warne

Emily Watson as Millie Warne

Barbara Flynn as Helen Potter

Bill Paterson as Rupert Potter

Matyelok Gibbs as Miss Wiggin

_____________________________________________

Miss Potter

Review By John C.

Often forgotten amidst the many other biopics, Miss Potter is a worthy adaptation of the life of children’s author Beatrix Potter. With solid acting and an entertaining way of telling the story, Miss Potter is sweet, but saved from falling into the realm of unbearably sappy. The film shares some similarities with Finding Neverland (the Best Picture nominated biopic about J.M. Barrie), but Miss Potter is never as emotional as that film. Around this time when we see all kinds of stuff with Peter Rabbit, I recommend you check this out so you can see his origins. This is pretty innocent, so it would be the perfect film for families to watch around Easter.

Is there a film that you think is overlooked? Send the name of the movie to onemoviefiveviews@hotmail.com, or leave us a comment below.

This Month’s Overlooked Film

Chosen by: John C.

Overlooked films will no longer be rated out of stars.

The Visitor

Release Date April 18 2008

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Running Time: 104 min.

Thomas McCarthy (dir.)

Richard Jenkins as Professor Robert Vale

Haaz Sleiman as Tarek Khalil

Danai Jekesai Guria as Zainab

Hiam Abbass as Mouna Khalil

_____________________________________________

The Visitor

Review By John C.

When Professor Robert Vale, (Richard Jenkins), returns to his apartment in New York City he finds a young couple living there. It turns out that they are illegal immigrants, trying to avoid deportation. The story plays out as a human drama, about how people's lives can be changed by those around them. The acting is excellent, and has earned Richard Jenkins an Oscar nomination for his work in the film. The film is at times heartbreaking, being grounded in reality rather than sentimentality. The last few scenes are simple, yet still emotional, moving and beautiful. The Visitor is a wonderful movie, and a film that everyone should see.

Is there a film that you think is overlooked? Send the name of the movie to onemoviefiveviews@hotmail.com

Groundhog Day

Release Date February 12 1993

Rated PG

Running Time: 101 min.

Harold Ramis (dir.)

Bill Murray as Phil Connors

Andie MacDowell as Rita

Chris Elliott as Larry

Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson

_____________________________________________

Groundhog Day

Review By John C.

What if you could relive the same day over again? That’s the premise used to perfection in Harold Ramis’ classic comedy Groundhog Day. Except for weatherman Phil Connors, (Bill Murray), he is forced to relive his least favorite day of the year, Groundhog Day, again and again. The film is intriguing and intelligent and deserves to be watched at least once a year on the 2nd day of the 2nd month.

Groundhog Day is hands-down the best movie ever made about February 2nd and a movie that I am more than happy to get to repeat again and again and again and...

This Month’s Overlooked Film

Chosen by: John C.

Stranger Than Fiction

Release Date November 10 2006

Rated PG-13 (for some disturbing images, sexuality, brief language and nudity)

Running Time: 113 min.

Marc Forster (dir.)

Will Ferrell as Harold Crick

Dustin Hoffman as Prof. Hilbert

Emma Thompson as Kay Eiffel

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Ana Pascal

Queen Latifah as Penny Escher

Linda Hunt as Dr. Mittag-Leffler

_____________________________________________

Stranger Than Fiction review by John C.

**** (out of 4)

Will Ferrell proved with Stranger Than Fiction that he has no trouble acting in a more serious role. It could by definition be called a comedy, but not really one where you laugh out loud at what's going on, but are more amused by the absurdity of it all. Even with great leading work by Ferrell, excellent supporting work by Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal, and one of the greatest movie endings I have ever seen, Stranger Than Fiction was sadly forgotten for any awards, even though it would have been worthy of at least a nomination for Best Picture. Stranger Than Fiction is an overlooked and underrated masterpiece, that could easily have been called the best film of 2006, or of any other year. I love this movie.

1 Day to Christmas

The Polar Express

Release Date November 10th, 2004

Rated G

Running Time: 100 min.

Robert Zemeckis (dir.)

Tom Hanks as Hero Boy/Father/Conductor/Hobo/Scrooge/Santa Claus

Leslie Zemeckis as Sister Sarah / Mother

Eddie Deezen as Know-It-All

Nona Gaye as Hero Girl

Peter Scolari as Lonely Boy

Michael Jeter as Smokey/Steamer

Daryl Sabara as Hero Boy (voice)

André Sogliuzzo as Smokey & Steamer (voice)

Jimmy Bennett as Lonely Boy (voice)

Isabella Peregrina as Sister Sarah (voice)

Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchak as Know-It-All (voice)

____________________________________________

The Polar Express

Review By John C.

Christmas Past

When The Polar Express opened on November 10, 2004, it changed the way everyone looked at movies. Not only was it in IMAX 3-D, but it also starred Tom Hanks in 6 very different roles, and providing the voices for five of them. This was made possible with the technique of Motion Capture, where an actors motions are recorded, and act as a wire frame for the animation. While it was a break through for the future of filmmaking, the movie met with mixed reviews, only reaching a disappointing rating of 57% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alot of people found the animation creepy, because the eyes are not quite realistic, but four years later, I don’t think I would change a thing. The animation is perfect, being a little creepy, but also appearing like a dream.

Christmas Present

Since 2005, a Christmas has not gone by when I haven’t watched The Polar Express, and it is probably my favorite Christmas movie. What makes it so special is the way it has a little bit of everything, mixing in elements of all the greatest Christmas stories, while still being totally original. The movie almost seems like a dream, with the hobo and the scene with the dead toys being the nightmare parts that you want to get out of, Smokey and Steamer being the strange parts that you don’t quite understand and Santa’s workshop being the magical part that you wish would come true.

Another thing that makes the film so beautiful is the music. The score and songs by Alan Slivestri, including a duet between Hero Girl and Lonely Boy and the spectacular Hot Chocolate sequence, capture the mood of the film perfectly, being both uplifting and melancholic, it once again proves that movie music is an essential part of filmmaking. People of any age can relate to this truly magical film about the power of believing.

Christmas Yet to Come

Fans of The Polar Express (myself included) are excited to see Robert Zemeckis’ Mo-Cap adaptation of A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge, both young and old and playing the parts of all the ghosts of Christmas. The movie will be released in IMAX 3-D on November 6, 2009, and Robert Zemeckis described it as A Christmas Carol exactly how Charles Dickens envisioned it. As of this time, no footage has been released, but a 3-D trailer will likely be released on May 29, with Pixar’s Up.

2 Days to Christmas

It’s a Wonderful Life

Release Date December 20th 1946

Rated PG

Running Time: 130 min.

Frank Capra (dir.)

James Stewart as George Bailey

Donna Reed as Mary Hatch Bailey

Lionel Barrymore as Henry F. Potter

Thomas Mitchell as Uncle Billy Baile

Henry Travers as Clarence

Beulah Bondi as Ma Bailey

Frank Faylen as Ernie Bishop

Ward Bond as Officer Bert

Gloria Grahame as Violet Bick

H.B. Warner as Mr. Emil Gower

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It’s a Wonderful life

Review By John C.

When you think of Christmas movies, It’s a Wonderful Life is usually the first one that comes to mind. Whether you like to watch it at the beginning of the season, or right at the end, almost everyone can agree it’s a Christmas classic. Following a depressed man who is led on a journey by his guardian angel showing him what it would be like if he wasn’t there, is a touching story that bares some resemblance to A Christmas Carol. It is impossible not to be moved by the film, which makes it a definitive Christmas classic. If you have never had a copy of the film, now would be a perfect time to add the 2-disc special edition DVD to your collection, so you can watch it for many years to come.

3 Days to Christmas

A Christmas Carol (Scrooge)

Release Date November 28th 1951

Rated PG

Running Time: 86 min.

Brian Desmond Hurst (dir.)

Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge

Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchit

Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Cratchit

Michael Hordern as Jacob Marley / Marley's Ghost

George Cole as Young Ebenezer Scrooge

John Charlesworth as Peter Cratchit

Francis De Wolff as Spirit of Christmas Present (as Francis de Wolff)

Ernest Thesiger as The Undertaker

Glyn Dearman as Tiny Tim

Michael Dolan as Spirit of Christmas Past

Roddy Hughes as Fezziwig

Hattie Jacquesas Mrs. Fezziwig

C. Konarskias Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come

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A Christmas Carol (Scrooge)

Review By John C.

A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim, is arguably the best adaptation of Charles Dickens’ masterpiece ever put to screen. It stays close to the book, and 57 years later, it is still being watched. There are so many different versions of the story, some good and some not, and next year a new version is coming, (more on that later), but the best ones are the one from 1938 with Reginald Owen, this one from 1951, and, yes, the Muppets. A Christmas tradition every year, based on one of the best Christmas stories ever written, go out and watch this movie.

4 Days to Christmas

Elf

Release Date November 7th 2003

Rated PG

Running Time: 97 min.

Jon Favreau (dir.)

Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf

James Caan as Walter

Mary Steenburgen as Emily

Zooey Deschanel as Jovie

Daniel Tay as Michael

Bob Newhart as Papa Elf

Edward Asner as Santa Claus

Leon Redbone as Leon the Snowman (voice)

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Elf

Review By John C.

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Elf. The premise could have made for an unfunny, stupid Christmas comedy, but the results are far from that. Will Ferrell could have easily played the character of Buddy, a human, who was raised by elves, in a crude and stupid manner, but he creates a character who is both charming and innocent. When he goes to New York to find his human father, he also falls in love with a department store worker (Zooey Deschanel) who is dressed as an elf, and he’s thrilled to have found another human, who shares his love for elf culture. If you have seen the movie than you know what happens, and if you haven’t, go watch it now. Elf is completely enjoyable from beginning to end, making it a modern Christmas classic, that will hopefully be watched and enjoyed for many more years to come.

5 Days to Christmas

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Release Date December 11th 1992

Rated G

Running Time: 89 min.

Brian Henson (dir.)

Micheal Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge

The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens

Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit

Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit

Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim Cratchit

Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig

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The Muppet Christmas Carol

Review By John C.

Surprisingly this version of A Christmas Carol with a mostly Muppet cast, starring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and narrated by Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat, is actually an excellent adaptation of the Dickens classic. Michael Caine is amazing as Scrooge, playing him in all seriousness, even though he is surround mostly by a non-human cast. While it would work as an introduction to the story for kids, (maybe eight and up), it sticks close to the book, so adults will not be disappointed, and might actually enjoy it more than kids. Through and through a Christmas classic, right up there with other classic adaptations of the book.

6 Days to Christmas

A Christmas Story

Release Date November 11th 1983

Rated PG

Running Time: 93 min.

Bob Clark (dir.)

Melinda Dillon as Mrs. Parker

Darren McGavin as The Old Man - Mr. Parker

Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker

Ian Petrella as Randy Parker

Scott Schwartz as Flick

R.D. Robb as Schwartz

Tedde Moore as Miss Shields

Yano Anaya as Grover Dill

Zack Ward as Scut Farkus

Jeff Gillen as Santa Claus

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A Christmas Story

Review By John C.

“You’ll shoot your eye out”, is perhaps one of the most quotable Christmas movie lines, referring to young Ralphie who wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, but is given that retort every time he asks an adult for his most wished about present. The writing of Jean Shepard, who narrates the movie and wrote the source book, In God we trust, all others pay cash, has a storytelling style that could be compared to Toronto writer Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe stories. Very simple, yet so simply funny, being able to find humor in little things, and the perfect deliverance of a line, that will make the whole audience crack up. There is so much to say about A Christmas Story, that to put it simply it’s a Christmas classic, that should not be missed from year to year.

7 Days to Christmas

The Santa Clause

Release Date November 11th 1994

Rated PG

Running Time: 95 min.

John Pasquin (dir.)

Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus

Judge Reinhold as Dr. Neil Miller

Wendy Crewson as Laura Calvin Miller

Eric Lloyd as Charlie Calvin

David Krumholtz as Bernard the Elf

Paige Tamada as Judy the Elf

Jayne Eastwood as Judy the Waitress

Larry Brandenburg as Det. Nunzio

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The Santa Clause

Review By John C.

Before the movie was lampooned with two needless and not very good sequels, The Santa Clause had an interesting and original premise, what would happen if Santa fell off a roof and died? Who would be the new Santa? The idea the movie has, is it would have to be whoever found him and put on his suit. What the original has, that the sequels don’t, is a good heart, likable characters and some moments of real humor. Although it is not up there with movies like Elf, it still stands up as a charming and enjoyable Christmas film, that people of any age can enjoy. Go out and watch this feel good Christmas comedy, and I doubt you will be disappointed.

8 Days to Christmas

Christmas with the Kranks

Release Date November 24th 2004

Rated PG

Running Time: 99 min.

Joe Roth (dir.)

Tim Allen as Luther Krank

Jamie Lee Curtis as Nora Krank

Julie Gonzalo as Blair Krank

Dan Akroyd as Vic Frohmeyer

Erik Per Sullivan as Spike Frohmeyer

Cheech Marin as Officer Salino

Jake Busey as Officer Treen

M. Emmet Walsh as Walt Scheel

Elizabeth Franz as Bev Scheel

René Lavan as Enrique Decardenal

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Christmas with the Kranks

Review By John C.

Christmas with the Kranks is probably one of the most underrated Christmas movies I have ever seen. Scoring a surprisingly low rating of only 5% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s to bad more people wouldn’t give it a chance. Having read the original book, Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, I decided to watch the movie a few years back, and have watched it every year since. Though the beginning and middle include a lot of funny physical humor, the ending is charming, sweet and full of heart, making it a Christmas comedy that mirrors the great John Hughes. Despite what you’ve heard, give it a chance, and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

9 Days to Christmas

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Release Date December 1st 1989

Rated PG-13

Running Time: 97 min.

Jeremiah S. Chechik (dir.)

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold

Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold

Johnny Galecki as Rusty

Juliette Lewis as Audrey

Randy Quaid as Eddie

William Hickey as Uncle Lewis

Mae Questel as Aunt Bethany

E.G. Marshall as Art

Doris Roberts as Francis

John Randolph as Clark Sr.

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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Review By John C.

From the exploding turkey, to the squirrel in the Christmas tree, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a Holiday classic. Clark Griswald is trying to be good, but things just never work out for him, from trying to staple thousands of Christmas lights to his roof, or being trapped in his attic, hilarious mishaps ensue. Part of what makes it so funny is the comedic timing of Chevy Chase, perfectly executing every pratfall, stunt and physical gag that the movie has to offer. The various family members that pretty much invite themselves over are also very funny, including his wife’s rude and dimwitted, but very kind cousin, Eddie, who is hilariously played by Randy Quaid. Off-the-wall humor, hilarious sight gags and pratfalls make this an extremely funny Christmas classic. Go watch it if you haven’t already, and you will not be disappointed.