Author Archives: Jerry Beck

The Nutty Professor in CG

By
on
19

Hey Laaady…

We usually have a problem when Hollywood takes a classic animated property and creates a CG update. I’m not sure what to make of The Weinstein Company’s new Nutty Professor direct-to-DVD CG animated feature (on sale November 25th from Genius Products) but it features the voice and participation of Jerry Lewis himself, recreating his iconic role as Julius Kelp!

Drake Bell (Nickelodeon’s Drake and Josh) is cast as his grandson Harold. The plot goes like this:

When Harold gets his hands on the recipe for his grandfather’s secret elixir, he creates a potion that drastically transforms his personality to be more confident and suave. Unfortunately his alter ego is also obnoxious and destructive. Much like his grandfather before him, Harold must face his insecurities and fears while learning to believe in himself without the help of any special concoctions.

I love Jerry Lewis (heck, I even enjoy Drake Bell) so I’m hoping its a decent film. Maybe they’ll send me a review copy (hint, hint)?

Good Morning New Orleans!

By
on
16

This morning, I appeared with film critic Dave Dubos on Good Morning New Orleans to hype Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 6. We taped a fifteen minute interview yesterday at KTLA studios in Hollywood. The KTLA newsroom is in the exact building on Sunset and Van Ness which was home to Leon Schlesinger Productions in the 1930s and 40s (as as seen in the 1940 short You Ought To Be In Pictures). Dubos says the whole interview will appear later today on the WGNO website as a podcast – but you can check out my one minute broadcast appearance on the ABC26 website now.

UPDATE: I just got the link. Click Here to watch the full 15 minute interview.

Alice’s Birthday

By
on
20

The footage in this promo reel looks like a lot of fun to me.

All I know about this Russian Flash animated feature is what’s published on Wikipedia:

Alice’s Birthday, is an upcoming 2009 Russian flash-animated feature film directed by Sergey Seryogin and being made by the studio “MASTER-FILM”. It is based on one of a series of stories by well-known writer Kir Bulychyov about Alisa (Alice) Seleznyova, a young girl living in the second half of the 21st century.

I just hope it garners a U.S. release.

(Thanks, Tim Tweidelman)

Jerry’s Tuesday Triple Header

By
on
5

Take your pick: yours truly, Jerry Beck, will appear on stage, on screen and in print tomorrow, Tuesday October 21st.

In Print: Tuesday is the official publication date for my latest book – a tie-in to Dreamworks latest box office blockbuster, The Art of MADAGASCAR: Back 2 Africa. As usual with these books, the behind the scenes art – pre-viz material in pencil, ink, and conceptual paintings – is incredibly gorgeous. Craig Kellman was the chief character designer and the book is loaded with his sketches and paintings. Whatever your opinion of the Madagascar films, this art is worthy of collecting and keeping in book form – and I’m proud to have been a part of it.

On Screen: I appear both on screen and in voice-over on the indispensable Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 6. Over 60 restored, digitally remastered Warner Bros. cartoons from the golden age of animation. A Mel Blanc documentary, Christmas Party blooper reels, and uncut World War Two era cartoons including Russian Rhapsody, The Ducktators and Herr Meets Mare. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, The Three Bears, The Goofy Gophers, Tweety, Sylvester, The Road Runner and Coyote. Here are 28 reasons to buy it today!

On Stage: Live and in person Tuesday night at 8pm I’ll be screening a selection of strange and creepy Halloween related animated cartoons at the Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. The vintage prints will be in 16mm and 35mm and special guest animators will show their films and discuss their ghastly influences. To buy tickets for this Animated Spook-tacular – click here.

New plans for Disney’s California Adventure

By
on
58

The L.A. Times reported yesterday on Disney’s new plans for the California Adventure theme park. The idea now is to redo the park so it’s themed literally around Walt Disney’s personal California adventure. For example, the entrance will resemble Hollywood in the 1920s and, as you make your way through the park, you’ll encounter rides and attractions themed around milestones in Disney’s life: The Mickey Mouse “Fun Wheel”; the “Silly Symphony Swings”; a re-creation of the Carthay Circle Theatre where Snow White premiered; a Wonderful World of Color water show, and so on.

How Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and the rest of the Pixar-themed attractions will fit in with the Disney nostalgia remains to be seen. If it’s not too late I’d like to offer several suggestions of my own:

I’d love to see some reference to the Alice Comedies and Oswald The Lucky Rabbit in the 1920s shopping plaza.

Maybe a ride based on Victory Through Air Power?

How about a a place to play polo?

I always thought they should turn California Adventure into a Retro-Disneyland, recreating the retired rides and attractions from the 1950s and 60s: The Carousel of Progress; The Mickey Mouse Club Theatre showing 3-D Jamboree; The Flying Saucers, and the Monsanto House of the Future. Wouldn’t that be cool?

SSSR

By
on
5

Hey, I really like these guys. Their work is strange – but fun.

Back in August Amid linked to a United Airlines spot by the Norwegian/Japanese animation collective SSSR. Above is their music video The Mercury Craze for Subtle. Check out their other videos F.K.O. and Swan Meat.

Now, SSSR directors Marc Reisbig and Hanne Berkaak have a new video for indie band Of Montreal for their song Id Engager. Neat stuff.

(Thanks, Jeff Kuykendall)

Corny Cole loses home in California wild fires

By
on
68

Legendary animator and CalArts faculty Corny Cole has lost his home and everything in it during the recent fires in Southern California. Corny evacuated before the fire hit and is unharmed, but his home, pets, and all of his artwork, save for what he has in his office at CalArts, are gone. LA’s KTTV has posted a story about him on their website.

Update #1: The Creative Talent Network held an online fundraiser. The CTN fundraiser has closed and on Oct 24th at midnight the total was $12,168.00 donated. CTN will be handing a cashiers check to Corny for $12,168.00 before Nov. 1st along with the list of donors (See the Comments below for the list of donors).

Update #2: Jeff Pidgeon has informed us that you can make a check payable to Cornelius Cole and mail it to:

California Institute of the Arts
ATT: Trish Patryla, Office of the Provost
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355

Update #3: CalArts is providing housing for Corny, so he’s being well cared for. They’ve even stocked the place up with food for him. One of his cats has been found alive and well, and Jackie at Cal Arts is checking area animal shelters for more. So keep your fingers crossed.

(Thanks, Nathan Strum & Jeff Pidgeon)

A Bob Hope Auction

By
on
4

This Saturday and Sunday, Julian’s Auctions is having a Bob Hope estate sale in Beverly Hills, California.

A friend of mine who once interviewed Hope asked him if he’d ever seen DC’s Bob Hope comic books. Hope replied he had — and that he saved every issue. It was in his contract to have copies of each issue sent to him as published. (I wonder what he thought of Super Hip?). Alas, those rare personal copies are not among the voluminous material being offered. Can you imagine owning Hope’s personal bound volumes of those beauties?

The only “cartoon” stuff in the catalogue (which can be viewed completely online) are some caricatures by Mort Walker, Milton Caniff, Russell Patterson and others (click on thumbnail below to see this lot). No Techincolor prints of any of the Paramount cartoons he was parodied in (like Popeye’s 20th Anniversary, pictured above), nor any autographed Frank Tashlin scripts. Oh well… thanks for the memories, Bob.

Caroline Attia’s Sarah

By
on
21

This beautiful anti-gun violence TV spot was directed by French animator, designer and illustrator Caroline Attia. This is her first commercial for a U.S. client, Citizens for a Safer Minnesota and Martin/Williams Advertising in Minneapolis. The dialogue was originally conceived and recorded for a radio campaign. Peter Barg of Z Animation exec produced, and Attia designed and animated the entire spot in traditional 2D from her Paris studio (with color done in Photoshop CS3 and compositing/editing in After Effects CS3). Click here for a high rez version.

Canterbury Anifest

By
on
3

The Canterbury Animation Festival ’08 has several seminars and exhibitions running now through the end of the month. Run Wrake (Rabbit) will speak on October 30th. On November 1st, the festival has a full day of activities including lectures by Barry Purves and Aardman Animation, as well as a competition screening and a Bob Godfrey retrospective. An exhibition on the birth of cartoons for British television will run through December 13th at the Sidney Cooper Gallery. If you are in the UK, check it out.

(Thanks, Jim Walker)