Streaming Review: Over the Moon

By Abe Friedtanzer

Many religions and cultures find meaning in inanimate objects and physical locations, teaching mythical stories about their significance. As children grow up, they may assume a more metaphorical and symbolic understanding of what they heard from their parents and grandparents, no longer convinced that something magic could indeed be real. That can erode the sense of wonder that they once felt and cause them to believe in something less fervently because they believe it couldn’t possibly be true.

Not giving up that childlike hope may be unrealistic, but it does serve as the premise for some of the most heartwarming animated films.

In Over the Moon, streaming on Netflix on October 23rd, we’re introduced to Fei Fei, who, as a young girl, helps her parents make and sell mooncakes, eagerly running all over the city describing their delicious taste. She is always sure to emphasize their connection to the moon itself and to Chang’e, the moon goddess...

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April Foolish Predix Pt 1: The Toons!

by Nathaniel R

Last year's animation race proved, just as we predicted, that the Academy's animated branch will only put up with a couple of sequels in any given year. For 2020 that wasn't going to be an issue as the scheduling wasn't sequel heavy. But then COVID-19 happened and the release schedules of everything got pushed back -- the latest calendar move is Disney/Pixar's Soul power-walking to Thanksgiving week where it will replace Disney's Raya and the Dragon, now pushed to 2021...

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12 Days till Oscar - What will win Best Animated Feature?

by Nathaniel R

With just 12 days till Oscar most of the big ticket races are feeling quite locked up apart from arguably Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature. The latter is particularly volatile...

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Best Animated Feature Contenders: "Ne Zha"

by Tim

Thus far in this round-up of 2019's animated features, we've been focusing on Oscar hopefuls and the more artsy side of animation. This week's subject, Ne Zha, is neither of those things, but in its own way, this is still as significant as any other film we've looked at. This is a blockbuster of the first order: the second-highest-grossing Chinese film in history (and the second-highest-grossing film made in a language other than English), with the highest single-territory gross for any animated film ever made. And even though stories about the Chinese box office always have to come with an asterisk attached (those numbers are often cooked a bit, especially when records are in play), that is by any means enough of a big deal that it's more than a little frustrating that essentially nobody in the United States has heard about any of this.

Ne Zha is a film the Chinese animation industry has been working towards for a long time. Along with the rest of Chinese cinema, animation has spent most of the last decade looking to beat Hollywood at its own game, providing the kind of opulent spectacle that for a long time was the exclusive domain of big-budget American filmmaking...

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LAST CALL - Do you want a copy of "The Art of Missing Link"?

by Nathaniel R

When Missing Link suffered an ignoble fate at the box office this past spring we worried a bit about its Oscar chances. Not too much mind you, since it's still a welcome visual respite from the all sequels / all CGI world of the major studios. So naturally we've been delighted to share our interview with the director and to see the movie blossom again during precursor season with nominations and citations left and right as it aims for a Best Animated Feature nomination (as well it should).

To celebrate, A CONTEST! Laika has gifted us with some copies of "The Art of Missing Link" and we're passing them out to those lucky souls among you who win. To enter email us with the following...

1. SUBJECT LINE: "Missing Link" 
2. BODY: Your own very short "Dear Sir" letter telling us anything you want to about why you love Laika or Missing Link or coffee table books or anything really.  
3. FROM: Don't forget to include your name and mailing address so we can send you the book if you win! 

Enter by tomorrow morning - actually do it now. Winners will be announced very soon.