The Critic is heading to AnimeNEXT!

Image courtesy of AnimeNEXT.org

Well folks, it's that time of year again, and your favorite critic is off and running to AnimeNEXT in Somerset from June 6-8 in Somerset, NJ. I'll be taking photos, doing some video, and of course reporting back to you right here at the end of it all! If you want to catch me in person, here are the following panels that I'll be participating in, led by Dr. Bill Ellis, Folklore Professor Emeritus at Penn State University and owner of Sensei's Anime Gallery.

You can also read my first impressions of the con all weekend long by following me on Twitter @TheInsatiCritic! 

 

 

 

 

Friday

Collecting Japanese Animation Art
Time: 5:30-6:30 pm 
Location: Panel Room 3 (second floor of the Doubletree Hotel)

Collecting American animation art (Disney, Don Bluth, etc.) has been actively collected for some years, but the same potential lies in cels and sketches used to make important anime series. When a show was wrapped, Japanese studios often released the original art onto the auction market, so cels, original production backgrounds, and original key animators' sketches are much easier to obtain. This panel will survey original animation art that can be found on the market, including those for classic cel-based series and the newer CGI-based anime, and show how collecting these artifacts enhances one’s appreciation of anime as an artform. Strategies for gaining and maintaining animation will be discussed.

 

 Saturday

 

Anime Under the Radar:The Roaring Aughties

Time: 4:30 - 5:30 pm 

Location: Panel 1, Bridgewater

The years 2000-2009 were a booming period for anime, and most fans have a shortlist of favorites made during this era: Fullmetal Alchemist, Ouran High School Host Club, Monster, etc. But many other productions were made that for one reason or another did not make the “Top 50” list of many critics’ retrospectives. This panel will discuss some of the other series or films made during this heady time that received little love yet are well worth another look.

Princess TuTu: A Queered Fairy Tale
Time: 8:30 to 9:30 pm 
Location: Panel Room 3 (second floor of the Doubletree Hotel)

Princess Tutu (Studio Hal, 2002-04) has gained and held a strong fanbase since its release. This series, which describes the rebellion of fairytale characters against the demented undead storyteller who tries to control their destinies, is typical of many series and books that adapt old folktales for a contemporary audience.  This panel will apply concepts from new folkloristics, queer studies, feminism, and Jungian psychoanalysis to deconstruct the multiple narrative layers of Princess Tutu and suggest reasons why its message resonates with so many Eastern and Western viewers.

Photo Contest!!

Contest UPDATE! In celebration of June is Audiobook Month, the winning picture will also receive a copy of Summer Shorts '14, a collection of short stories, poems and essays, in addition to The Insatiable Critic mug! DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 1 AT MIDNIGHT!

My friends Daman and Courtney started a Facebook profile pic trend with "mugshots", a picture of themselves in the act of drinking out of their favorite mug. This gave me an idea, mwhahaha! To get everyone excited about The Insatiable Critic merchandise soon to come, I propose a photo contest! The winner will be the first to get their own Insatiable Critic mug, featuring the site's logo as well as our favorite critic kitty, Sir Toby.

1. Grab your favorite mug.

2. DRINK out of said mug.

3. Take a selfie while doing so.

4. Email the image to lizellis07@gmail.com with subject line: "The Insatiable Critic Photo Contest"

5. See example below.

I moustache you a question - why don't you enter this contest?

Photos submitted will be compiled into a slideshow that will be presented on the blog unless stated otherwise. If you would prefer NOT to have your photo added to the slideshow, please state that in your email along with your photo submission.  Deadline for images is JULY 1. Get snapping!

Spring AudioFile Book Reviews: Shaman and Annihilation

The natural world is coming at us full force with these spring audiobook titles I recently reviewed for AudioFile Magazine! First up, we have the Audio Publishers Association's (APA) Audie-nominated title, Shaman, where the listener dives into the heart of a native, rustic world with the warm tones of Graeme Malcolm taking the lead. In the chilling Annihilation, the narrator of The Hunger Games trilogy Carolyn McCormick takes us neck-deep in terror as the natural world bites back at a dystopian human civilization in a big way.

SHAMAN

Kim Stanley Robinson
Read by Graeme Malcolm

In this sci-fi world, the line between humans and nature is blurred beyond distinction, but narrator Graeme Malcolm's cadence is steady as a heartbeat. His deep bass gives reserved power to a story that glimpses how we lived 30 thousand years ago. For Thorn, the shaman master, Malcolm uses growling, occasionally animalistic, tones, which are particularly effective when Thorn delivers a blistering admonition to younger male tribe members about the power of the female spirit. Malcolm gives Thorn's apprentice a wavering voice that brings the uncertainty of their futures into stark relief. As delivered by Malcolm, this tale of survival is as shocking and coarse as it is sublime and powerful.
E.E. 2014 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

To view this review on AudioFile's Website and listen to an audio sample, click here. 

Image courtesy of Audible, Inc.

ANNIHILATION

Southern Reach Trilogy, Book 1

Jeff VanderMeer
Read by Carolyn McCormick

Area X is a stunning Eden where nature has reclaimed its hold in a crumbling human civilization. The only problem is that humans who attempt to explore it keep dying. Carolyn McCormick narrates increasingly disturbing events with an unwavering calm that makes the listening experience all the more chilling. The latest expedition in the series consists of four women known to us only by their professions; the story is told from the biologist's point of view. McCormick gives a haughty, deep voice to the psychologist, the leader of the group whose intentions may not be what they seem. Her arrogant tone contrasts nicely with the gritty and increasingly anxious tones of the surveyor as the group uncovers deadly secrets better left alone.
E.E. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

To view this review on AudioFile's Website, click here. 

The Hard Goodbye to our Valiant: Remembering Bob Hoskins

A hare-y situation: image courtesy of Cineplex.com

R.K. Maroon: How much do you know about show business, Mr. Valiant?
Eddie Valiant: Only that there is no business like it, no business I know.

I was very distressed to hear news about Bob Hoskin’s passing this morning at the relatively young age of 71 due to pneumonia.Though he announced his retirement from acting in 2012 due to being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, I'm sure many of us hoped we would have the pleasure of his company for awhile longer.

Hoskins singlehandedly revived the film noir genre (one of my favorites) to a whole new audience with his wonderful performance Eddie Valiant, a hardworking/hard boozing flatfoot private eye in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. An unlikely choice for a leading man, barrel-chested and standing 5’6”- but an unconventional film calls for an unconventional hero. I’m hard-pressed to imagine anyone else in the role. Cool World (1992), a similar real world/toon merging trying to ride on the coattails Roger Rabbit’s success, cast the dashing young Brad Pitt for their private eye, but unfortunately due to Pitt’s stilted acting and the horrible quality of the animation, Cool World was destined for the bargain bin. 

Hoskins never rose to the white-hot stardom of the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman (who also passed away earlier this year, also far, far too soon), but he was always AROUND, embellishing films with his gruff voice and cantankerous charm. While Valiant is Hoskins’ best-known role, my very first exposure to Hoskins was as Iago in the 1981 TV Movie of Shakespeare's Othello (featuring, bizarrely, an overly stuffy Anthony Hopkins as Othello in blackface). Hoskins was the easily best part of the whole performance, impish, growling, and devious as all get-out. If it weren’t for Hoskins,1991’s Mermaids would have been nigh unwatchable. As Cher’s boyfriend, Lou Landsky, he adds a reality check to all the sentimental mush and angst being sprayed around liberally, almost choking the film completely. And was there ever a better live-action Smee to compliment the nefarious charm of Dustin Hoffman’s embodiment of Captain Hook in 1991’s Hook? 

Hoskins in 2012. Image courtesy of CNN.com

I'll wrap up this small tribute with an interview Hoskins gave shortly after Roger Rabbit came out (apologies, but the only link I could find to it has subtitles) that shows not only the dedication to his craft, but the wonderfully kind and good-natured person that he was. When asked what it was like acting around a bunch of characters that weren’t actually there, he explains that he had to “hallucinate” the characters to interact with them, and working with his young daughter, who had invisible friends of her own at that time, to achieve this level of believability in the make-believe. Of course, this would be enough to drive anyone a little batty: 

"After doing it for six months, for sixteen hours a day, I sort of, um, lost control of it. I had weasels and rabbits popping out of the wall at me, you know?"

Toby sez: Rest in peace, Mr. Hoskins. The world will never be the same without you. 

Current Reels: Mr. Peabody & Sherman brings wit but lacks bite

"Now don't touch that, Sherman..." Image courtesy of DreamWorks.

Back when I was a wee pup in oversized glasses not unlike Sherman's, I used to relish the time when the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show would come on the Saturday morning cartoons. It was quick-paced and sardonic, filled with political commentary of the time that generally went over my head, except for the Cold War villains embodied in Boris and Natasha. My favorite short was Mr. Peabody & Sherman, about a particularly precocious time-traveling dog who “owned” a little boy.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, Hollywood tried valiantly to bring Rocky & Bullwinkle and their accompanying sketches to the big screen - with limited success, to say the least. (Let’s not talk about Dudley Do-Right, except to say Brendan Frasier definitely put emphasis on the “Dud.”) In the course of making the material more accessible to current kiddies, the knife-sharp wit and sarcasm of the original show got lost on the cutting room floor.

This happens to some extent in the DreamWorks reboot. Mr. Peabody remains his impassive, unruffled self, but in the process of making him more universally kid-friendly, he does lose some of his acerbic wit. Ty Burrell gives Mr. Peabody a warmer, less nasally tone than the original, which smooths off a few of the rough edges that those of us who remember the original show came to know and love. But director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King, The Forbidden Kingdom) manages to succeed in retaining some of the original caustic quality of the show while bringing Mr. Peabody into the 21^st century. Peabody's no pushover, and still gets his jabs in where it counts, particularly when dealing with obnoxious human parents. His early 1960s-style home and decor, straight from the original source, takes on an appealing hipster retro look for today’s audiences. Sherman is also given more dimension as he struggles to make his way in the world having a dog for a father.

Original Mr. Peabody & Sherman, with the Wayback Machine.

The only true weak link in the film is the character of Penny, who plays the female protagonist that ruthlessly picks on Sherman, only to decide that he is actually cool when she finds out that Mr. Peabody owns a time machine called the “Wayback” (best name for a time machine ever - sorry Tardis). That’s where her character development stops. We never grow to love her in the way that the filmmakers clearly want us to, remaining pretty much a pain in the tuckis most of the way through.
 

As the plot winds up and Penny’s ditzy parents are properly disposed of so we can all get to the fun stuff,  the trio of Mr. Peabody, Sherman, and Penny bounce and careen their way through time, successfully rendering the lightning-quick pace of the original show. They are greeted by a variety of  historical characters voiced by an all-star cast, including Patrick Warburton, his booming barritone a perfect match for the thuggish but well-meaning Agamemnon, and a welcome surprise of the inimitable Mel Brooks as Albert Einstein.

One aspect where the film truly shines is how its nuggets of wisdom are subtly brought forth, rather than spoon fed to us, which is so often the case. The one “a-ha” moment for me is when Sherman takes one of Leonardo da Vinci’s flying crafts and sails it through the air with Penny in tow, and is doing just fine until Mr. Peabody says “Sherman, you can’t fly a plane!”whereupon he loses his nerve and goes crashing into a forest.

It wasn't all it could be, but then spinning a 10-minute segment of a larger show into a feature length film is never an easy task, and it succeeds better than most. If it does well enough for a sequel, however, I certainly hope they give more opportunities for Peabody's bite to be worse than his bark.

Toby sez: A successful reboot of dated source material and a good romp for kids, but leaves adult viewers wanting more.

Happy Belated Birthday, Blog!

I realized that as of March 17 of this year, this blog has remained insatiable (despite a few hiccups here and there) for the last four years! If you'd like to see how far we've come, read my VERY first review of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland here.

Toby and I thank you for your continued readership and support, whether you've been reading for all four years or have just stopped in today. Four more years! :D

Toby and I, looking on towards the thrilling future of things to critique!

Current Reels: The A.I. relationships in Her show us what it means to be human

Better bonding through A.I. - Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix.

A friend and fan of my blog Will Siss, who runs his own successful blog at Beer Snob critiquing craft beer (and really, what goes together better than a good movie and some good brews) suggested that I do a comparison with Her and Lars and the Real Girl, which was my movie pick this past Valentine’s Day.

While they are very different films, the heart of both is how successful relationships, no matter how unconventional, help take us out of our solitude and make us evolve into better people. It also tears open the envelope that we tuck all of our secret attractions into – those hidden desires and wants that we can’t talk about in polite company, but are real and vital to us all the same. I firmly believe in the notion The Princess Bride taught me – we are as real as the feelings we feel. 

The film takes place in disturbingly not-too-distant future Los Angeles, centering on the quiet life of Theodore (played by Joaquin Phoenix dressed in his best hipster suits), a writer who composes "personal, handwritten" letters on his work computer for people that don’t have the time or the talent to do so. (Think Cyrano for the digital era.) Indeed, the writing makes Her tick, and why I am pleased it won the Oscar for best original screenplay. Director and writer Spike Jonze seems to have found a happy middle ground between his more pedestrian works such as Jackass and the ultra-meta muddle that was Where the Wild Things Are. For instance, there is a delightful trash-talking A.I. alien that Theodore encounters in a video game he's playing that grounds the film nicely with his pointed reality checks.

A man, the sea, & the love of his life. Photos courtesy of Annapurna Pictures.

There's a lot that Lars and Theodore have in common - Lars is painfully shy and can’t get a girlfriend, so he buys a doll off the Internet. Theodore can’t admit that his marriage has collapsed and refuses to sign the divorce papers, so he develops a romantic relationship with his operating system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson, who continues to be sexy even in voice only.) They take something nonthreatening, something outside themselves, and use it as a security blanket, but in both instances, that step inevitably leads them to rolling out of their comfort zone and facing the hard truth that while romantic relationships are wonderful, they are also a lot of hard work. Amy Adams does backup in a small but important role as Amy, Theodore's human friend who has formed a less intense but still valuable relationship with her OS as well. 

Her demands patience; the story's spool unwinds with slow deliberation that made me realize how fast-paced and action-packed most films nowadays are. It is a slow walk through the park of someone's private life - surprisingly sensual, unexpectedly complex, incredibly deep. I found myself at one point going a bit pink in the dark theatre during a particularly impassioned sequence, even when there was absolutely nothing explicit being shown on the screen. The futuristic atmosphere is enhanced by part of Her being filmed in Shanghai, a great center of otherworldliness. I can recall a very specific evening in that city in 2011, wandering around the half-deconstructed behemoths from the 2010 World Expo underneath arches of fluorescent light, near a sculpture of giant stainless steel dancing bears. Doesn’t get more surreal than that.

The result of Her is a truly unconventional love story that addresses our innate problem with change, and it is a problem because EVERYTHING changes - even operating systems. Technology evolves, people evolve, and life takes couples down different roads and isn’t always kind in making those roads converge in convenient ways. "The past is just a story we tell ourselves," says Samantha at one point. It is appropriate the line is hers, because as an OS, that statement is literally true. But it is true for us as well. Lars and Theodore show us the only "real" we have is what is happening right now, and we need to appreciate each moment that comes to us, and be open to the possibilities ahead.

Toby sez: Sexy, sweet, and thought-provoking. Tried my patience at times, but the good writing and ultimate message won me over. But did anyone think to get lonely Theodore a cat?