If you happen to be driving through St. Martin, Minnesota you should grab a cup of coffee at the new Betty Boop themed resturant, Dizzy Dishes.

Long before dvd discs and vhs tapes there were home movies - physical celluloid film in 16mm and 8mm widths on reels that you had to run through a portable home movie projector. And those films were sold in camera shops, department stores and through mail order companies. The boxes they were packaged in were, at times, attractive and today some of those boxes are worth more than the films themselves!I’ve posted a few vintage home movie boxes on various pages of my Original Titles website. You can also see a gallery of great ones at Harry McCracken’s Harry-Go-Round website. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

It’s a little too late (or is that too early) to be thinking such deep thoughts, but there’s a fascinating post on Momus’ blog about the “Uncanny Valley” theory. While this is a robotics principle dating from the ’70s, it is extremely relevant today in the world of computer animation and offers an interesting explanation for why CG attempts at human realism in films like FINAL FANTASY are disturbing to our sensibilities. The comments section expands the discussion to encompass Thomas and Johnston’s ILLUSION OF LIFE, Tintin and Hello Kitty providing for some thought-provoking reading.

When Brando died, he left behind an embarassing voice track for an awful looking animated film. Apparently Kal-El is following in Jor-El’s footsteps… According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger:

Christopher Reeve’s last legacy to film will be an animated children’s feature by IDT that is expected to hit theaters in 2006. The 52-year-old actor was in the midst of directing an animated feature tentatively called “Yankee Irving” about a poor boy in the Depression who befriends Babe Ruth and delivers a game-winning hit for the Yankees. Animation was a perfect fit for Reeve because there was no need to go on location. IDT rigged up two large computer screens in Reeve’s home in Connecticut so he could monitor work done in the company’s studios in Newark, Canada and Israel.

The French animated feature FANTASTIC PLANET (1973), directed by Rene Laloux, is slated to be remade in live-action. Emru Townsend puts it best on his fps blog: “Um, why?”

Ken Bautista has started a new all-Pixar blog called LUXO. And if you’re wondering why you can’t find any INCREDIBLES toys at your local Toys R Us, just take a look at the photos of Ken’s office. (via Animated-News.com)

> Archive.org has posted another industrial film worth checking out: MAN ON THE LAND, a 1951 UPA production designed by Bill Hurtz for the American Petroleum Institute. Not UPA’s best industrial work by a longshot, but still plenty of nice graphic work to recommend. (link via Jared Chapman)

> Garth House, ex-production coordinator on MUCHA LUCHA, has relocated to China to take a course in Maya. He’s documenting his experiences abroad in a fascinating on-line journal/blog: SWEET AND SOUR STORIES. (via fwak! blog)

> Couldn’t soak in enough of that Kricfalusi magic when John visited Los Angeles last month? Then you’ll want to head down to the Virgin Megastore (8000 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046) this Tuesday, October 12, where John K will be making a special appearance to sign DVDs of this holiday season’s must-have animation release REN & STIMPY: THE COMPLETE FIRST & SECOND SEASONS — UNCUT. He’ll be signing from 7-9pm.

> Being a member of ASIFA-Hollywood really pays off around this time of year. They’re hosting a bunch of free screeenings in the coming months, including DISNEY’S TEACHER’S PET film (with the filmmakers present), THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE, SHARK TALE (nice try DreamWorks, but not even a free pass will get me in a theater for this one), and Ron Diamond’s annual cartoon extravaganza “The Animation Show of Shows” which is notable this year because it will include a screening of RYAN with director Chris Landreth in person. See the ASIFA-Hollywood site for complete details.

> There’s an animation festival taking place in LA at the end of this month and not a single person I know has heard of it. I only learned about it when Bill Plympton mentioned it to me in Ottawa. It’s called ION INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION GAMES AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL and it takes place October 29-31 at Culver Studios. It’s billed as a “convergence festival” and seems somewhat business-oriented. More details at IONFilmFest.com.

> Disney is claiming that they don’t owe royalties on a new PETER PAN-related book they published because the copyright on the work has expired. The PETER PAN copyright is held by the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which received it as a gift from PAN creator J.M. Barrie before his death in 1937. By withholding royalties, Disney is denying the hospital funds which would go towards helping sick people. There is no small irony that Disney would claim somebody else’s copyright has expired while the company simultaneously lobbies Congress to change existing laws that would extend its own copyrights.

Played a superhero on the screen, became a superhero in real life.
Rest in Peace.