Part of what made the Looney Tunes and Warner Bros. dynasty so great beyond its characters, was its limitless ability to mock and satirize Hollywood. At a time where Hollywood was adored and enamored by so many, Warner Bros. actually did a great job of taking the piss out of people like Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable. In 1993, Fox Studios and Warner brought back the formula that they’d abandoned for decades with “The Animaniacs.” While the show was primarily a series filled with segments primarily aimed toward children, some of the segments brought back a lot of the classic Warner Bros. traditions, including satirizing modern Hollywood.
Tag Archives: Animation
The 5 Worst Films I Saw in 2021
I didn’t offer up best or worst of lists in 2020, mainly because I spent all of December fighting off COVID. I was sick as a dog but thanks to Phil Hall and Emilie Black for keeping the site chugging along like a well oiled machine!
In either case, 2021 was sadly hard enough to keep up with, what with there now being at least five or six new movies released every week on twelve streaming services (and in theaters) in America. In either case, opting for less cynicism (and because I subconsciously avoided a lot of movies that I thought would stink, sue me) this year, this is five of the worst movies of 2021.
The Bootleg Files: New Year’s Eve
BOOTLEG FILES 790: “New Year’s Eve” (1948 Soviet animated short).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not that I can determine.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe in an anthology collection of Soviet-era cartoons.
Here we are at the end of another year, and to say goodbye to 2021 I decided to lean back into the Cold War era and dig up a wonderful but obscure animated short from the Soviet Union that takes place on New Year’s Eve. The film, not surprisingly, is called “New Year’s Eve” and it is one of the most delightfully odd relics of the house that Lenin built.
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Vivo (2021)
“What difference can one song make?” asks the titular Vivo. The answer is: A huge difference. One song can change the world. It can transport us back in time. It can sadden us, lift us up, and inspire us. “Vivo” is about the value and power of music, and it’s coordinated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, a man who has spent a lot of his career trying to promote the power of music, and how creativity in music can help and shape how we think. “Vivo” is a movie that kids deserve to experience for that fact, alone.
“Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” is the Zenith of the 90’s Most Notorious Duo’s Popularity
I was lucky enough to live through three generations of animated characters that not only drove adults crazy, but caused unnecessary havoc in schools and church for me. First there was Bart Simpson, who I remember listening to my teacher lecture us about him being a bad influence. In the late nineties we met a foursome of foul mouthed boys from “South Park” that also sparked immense hysteria and controversy. In between though there were two products of the 1990’s. They were the slacking, burnt out rocker, bare minimum, anti-establishment pair of losers who did nothing but watch TV and try to get laid.
They were known as “Beavis and Butt Head.”
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) (Digital)
When I was in grade school one of the first books I ever remember reading was “Clifford.” Being a dog lover, the idea of owning a humongous red dog seemed like a lot of fun, and I couldn’t get enough of the books. “Clifford the Big Red Dog” began life as a children’s book series, with author Norman Bridwell bringing to kids the iconic giant red dog who’s managed to endure as a literary figure for years. The long awaited live action movie thankfully doesn’t let down the fan base both new and old.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Complete Series [Blu-Ray]
Hideaki Anno’s “Neon Genesis Evangelion” is one of the most iconic and influential anime series ever created. While it hasn’t endured a long shelf life like, say, “One Piece,” its elements can be found in much of pop culture. Particularly, it can be found in Western pop culture from children’s animated series to right up to cinema. While I’ve never been big on this kind of anime before, sitting through “Neon Genesis Evangelion” was a unique and entertaining experience.