Author Archives: Jerry Beck

Otomo to attend LA’s Platform Animation Festival

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Anime and manga superstar Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy) will be appearing in person at the PLATFORM International Animation Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27th at 9:30pm – and I’m happy to announce I will be moderating a Q & A session with him at the event. Festival director Irene Kotlarz will be presenting him with a Lifetime Achievement Award and we will also be screening his new short, Combustible. Please read the complete press release about this event, here.

Otomo’s appearance is his first public one in the U.S. since 1990. Or at least since the last time I’ve seen him. Here are some vintage snapshots (below) of Otomo and I appearing at screenings of AKIRA at New York’s Film Forum (bottom) – and at an Asifa meeting at the New School (top) in 1990. It’ll be fun to see him again. Akira has gone on to become a classic example of science fiction and a game-changing work of anime – inspiring many modern day Hollywood filmmakers such as Sam Raimi, Chris Nolan and the Wachowski siblings.

The PLATFORM International Animation Festival is a three-day event taking place in Los Angeles on October 26th-28th, 2012. In addition to the Otomo appearance and screening, there will be a retrospective of films by stop motion pioneer Ladsislaw Starewicz, A Best of Annecy shorts program, A special screening from PES, a presentation on the making of Disney’s new short Paperman and a CalArts student film retrospective. If you are in L.A. I urge you not miss this event. Seriously – buy tickets NOW.

Click the thumbnails below to see images from Otomo’s new short, Combustible:

Blue Sky to produce Charlie Brown feature

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Deadline Hollywood broke the news this morning that 20th Century-Fox and Blue Sky Studios will produce a new feature length movie starring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. The film is targeted for release on November 25th, 2015, a date that commemorates the 65th anniversary of the comic strip by Charles Schulz (which began Oct. 2nd 1950), and the 50th anniversary of the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas (which first aired December 9th, 1965). It’ll also be 35 years since the release of the last theatrical Peanuts animated feature, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don’t Come Back!), from Paramount in 1980.

Steve Martino (Horton Hears A Who!, Ice Age: Continental Drift) will direct from a screenplay is by Craig Schulz and the writing team of Bryan Schulz & Cornelius Uliano. Craig Schulz and Bryan Schulz, who are Schulz’s son and grandson, will produce with Uliano.

Since Schulz death in 2000, I’ve been impressed how well the Schulz family has managed the Peanuts characters and brand. Unlike the Dr. Seuss estate, the Schulz team has produced a wonderful direct-to-video film, a new comic book (from KaBoom) and merchandising that honors Charles Schulz and his legacy. Let us hope that this move into CG territory is handled with the same good taste.

UMIGO – Wild Brain’s New Educational Videos

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I wish I could have seen stuff like this when I was in school. Check out this sample of Wild Brain’s new series of animated videos, aimed at kids, which teach math basics. Called UMIGO (“yoU Make It GO”), they were directed by Dave “Pez” Hoffman (The Ricky Gervais Show), with an animation team that includes Jim Smith, Mike Bell, Carey Yost, Miles Thompson, Adam Rosette and Art Director Rae McCarson (Billy and Mandy) among others. A government grant is paying for production (“your tax dollars at work!“) so every aspect of this Flash animation production was done in-house at W!LDBRAIN in Sherman Oaks, CA. Eleven music videos and one eight-minute short were produced. The first three are online now, available on You Tube and iTunes. They’re lively, good looking and I suspect will be very effective in their goal to teach.

“Frankenweenie” talkback

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I’ll be seeing Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie on Saturday afternoon with my ASIFA-Hollywood peeps at a screening on the Disney lot. Looking forward to it – especially as Betsy Sharkey in The Los Angeles Times says “the artistry reaches absolute perfection… and Burton has never done it better” (though she notes, “it’s the story that poses some problems”). A.O. Scott in The New York Times simply calls it “a sweet and creepy homage to classic monster movies”.

It’s out today and you can see it yourself. How does it compare to The Corpse Bride or Nightmare Before Christmas? Where does it stack on the list next to ParaNorman and Hotel Transylvania? Give your opinions here (and, as usual, this discussion is only open to those who have actually seen the film).

Mad Monster Parties in LA

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A couple of cool Halloween happenings in Los Angeles next weekend I thought you should know about. Both related to Rankin-Bass’ classic stop motion animated feature Mad Monster Party. First up, a gallery show and book signing at Van Eaton Gallery in Sherman Oaks. 70 artists interpret the classic film, including animation people like Alan Bodner, Bill Morrison, Eric Pigors, Harry Sabin, Kali Fontecchio, Pascal Campion, Pete Oswald, Shane Prigmore, Spike Brandt and many many more. For a full list of participating artists, please visit the Van Eaton website. Opening night party on Saturday night October 13th, 6pm-10pm, includes a book signing by Rick Goldschmidt, who wrote the cool behind the scenes book on the Rankin-Bass feature. Costumes are not required, but are always strongly encouraged!

The next day, Sunday Oct. 14th at 3:30pm is the Haunted Hullaballoo. This program, taking place downtown at the historic Bob Baker Marionette Theater (1345 W. 1st St.), is hosted by Screen Novelties (one of LA’s premiere stop-motion studios) in conjunction with The Cinefamily is a goofy, ghoulish mix of creepy cartoons, vintage scary safety films and madcap musical shorts — along with Halloween puppet performances from the legendary Baker troupe, a kooky monster-making workshop, and an actual screening of the Mad Monster Party? itself. It promises to be a blast… more info over here.

“Randy Cunningham” titles by Kevin Dart and Stéphane Coëdel

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I haven’t checked out Disney XD’s new series Randy Cunningham, 9th Grade Ninja, but I’ve just caught up with the incredible opening title sequence directed by Kevin Dart and Stéphane Coëdel. It was created in Flash and After FX, produced out of Passion Pictures in London. The series, created by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, began airing last month and is about… oh, just watch the opening to find out:

What’s Next for Genndy Tartakovsky?

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I spotted this poster on the wall during a visit to Sony Animation last week:

With Hotel Transylvannia number #1 at the US box office, I’m particularly delighted that Genndy Tartakovsky’s next project will be Popeye for Sony Animation and producers Avi and Ari Arad. No one (not even my hero, Gene Deitch) has been able to top the classic Fleischer version of this iconic comic strip hero. I’m betting that Genndy has the vision to be true to the characters comic strip and cartoon roots, yet bring him up to date for modern audiences with all the appeal and action-packed humor the character is famous for.

After that? Samurai Jack? Something new? Who knows? But I trust this guy – and wish him all the luck in the world. Here’s a great little half-hour interview he recently did with Movie City News:

“The Ancestor” by Keith Boynton

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The Ancestor is Brooklyn-based Keith Boynton and Mike Lavoie’s Crazy Lake Pictures second video for NY band Darlingside and its first in collaboration with San Francisco-based Chinese Takeout. Chinese Takeout reps Timothy Hahn, Pixar employee by day, producer/editor by night – and Abraham Dieckman, writer-director who recently made a splash on the festival circuit with the animated short film Cadaver, featuring the voices of Christopher Lloyd, Kathy Bates and Tavi Gevinson.

CREDITS
Music by: Darlingside
Director: Keith Boynton
Producer: Mike Lavoie
Producer/editor: Timothy Hahn
Lead animator: Abraham Dieckman
Lead artist: Pamela Goodman

Academy to screen 3D Digital Restoration of China’s “Uproar In Heaven”

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the west coast premiere of the classic Chinese animated feature Uproar In Heaven on Wednesday October 17th. The screening is part of a city-wide China Onscreen Biennial which will include showings of rare mainland Chinese shorts and feature films at various venues including UCLA, REDCAT, and the UCLA Film and Television Archives. Now known as The Monkey King: Uproar In Heaven, this landmark feature by directors Wan Lai-Ming and Tang Cheng was originally released in two parts – the first in 1961, the second in 1965. I first saw it in New York in the 1970s (I even saved the ad from the newspaper (at left) all these years). It’s an incredible visual feast that is a must-see on the big screen – with crazy-wonderful art direction and animation (see trailer below). It’s based on the Chinese myth of the Monkey King set to a Beijing opera-orchestral soundtrack. The film has been digitally restored and converted to 3D – and will be screened in its original language with English subtitles.

The screening will be at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theatre on Vine Street in Hollywood – and it will sell-out. Tickets go on sale today. Preceding the feature will be a presentation on its digital restoration and 3D conversion by Tom Burton and Pierre Routhier of Technicolor. I highly recommend this film. For more information, check the Academy’s website.

Jerry’s October Event Schedule

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If you don’t see me somewhere me in October, you aren’t looking hard enough. I have an insane schedule of screenings, shows and public appearances (mainly in Southern California) coming up this month – here’s a pocket checklist of the ones I can think of off the top of my head:

October 4th Janet Klein – Yes, I still do this once a month. I haven’t plugged these in a long time because I haven’t had to – the shows regularly attract full houses. But for the record, the first Thursday of each month I open this program of live, late twenties/early 30s jazz music performed by Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys with a selection of classic short films and cartoons projected on 16mm film. It’s a blast. 8pm at the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood. Ticket info here.

October 7th Margaret Kerry – Next Sunday at 3pm I’ll be appearing at the Walt Disney’s Barn in Griffith Park to interview in person Margaret Kerry – she who was the original model for Tinkerbell, provided the live action lips for Clutch Cargo, Space Angel and Captain Fathom, and appeared in movies and TV with The Lone Ranger, The Three Stooges, Andy Griffith, Eddie Cantor and Our Gang. I can’t wait! This is part of the Once Upon A Classic Disney Collectors Club, but I think it’s open to the general public. Come!

October 19th LACMA – I’m curating and introducing a screening of surreal animated films at the Los Angeles Musum of Art on Wilshire Blvd. The program, Animating The Subconcious, is still being firmed up, but so far we can confirm 35mm prints of Disney’s Destino and Lullaby Land, Fleischer’s Snow White, Chuck Jones’ Duck Amuck and Emile Cohl’s Fantasmagorie. Tickets on sale now for this unique 7:30pm show. More info to come at LACMA’s website.

October 20th The San Diego Comic Fest – I’ll be heading down to this old fashioned Comic Book convention brought to you by some of the same folks who produced the original San Diego Comic-Con back in the ’70s. I’ll be presenting a tribute to Daffy Duck sometime on Saturday afternoon. The con is so small, it is limited to 1000 attendees, so get a ticket now. San Diego Comic Fest website for more details.

October 21st Classic Cartoons on TCM – The BIG night! Yours truly Jerry Beck will co-host with TCM’s Robert Osborne this unique program block – six hours total – which will include restored UPA cartoons, Max Fleischer’s two feature length films, a selection of silent era cartoons from the collection of Thomas Stathes and Lotte Reiniger’s 1926 masterpiece, The Adventures of Prince Achmed. Starts at 8pm on the East Coast – 5pm on the West Coast. Complete TCM Schedule here.

October 22 – Cartoon Dump – Frank Conniff has announced his plans to move back to New York to write and perform on camera for John Fugelsang’s new show on Current TV. Will this be Frank’s last appearance at Cartoon Dump in LA? Come to the show and find out. One thing’s for certain – it’s going to be one one of the wildest live comedy events of the year – and yeah, we’ll be showing Mighty Mr. Titan and a bunch of crappy cartoons, too. 8pm at the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood.

October 26-28 – Platform International Animation Festival – The REDCAT theatre in downtown LA will be hosting this incredible three-day animation festival. Programming will include a Best of Annecy shorts program, an archival screening of films by stop-motion pioneer Ladislas Starewitch; a special advance presentation of Walt Disney Studios new short film Paperman, a special screening from PES and a very special guest (to be announced). I will also be moderating a panel or two to be announced. More info to come… check the Platform Festival website.

October 29 – Halloween Spooktacular – I’m renewing my membership at The Cinefamily (aka The Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax Ave in Hollywood), and starting things off my annual Halloween cartoon show featuring 16mm and 35mm prints of classic Hollywood cartoons with a spooky/scary/Halloween theme. Yes, I promise at least one Technicolor Casper The Friendly Ghost cartoon in 35mm with all its original titles… that oughta scare you… but beyond that… More info here.