Have you ever had a dream in which you've been cleaning a bathroom while filmmaker Henry Jaglom (Venice/Venice) talks over the phone about movie sex? Well, now you can have that experience vicariously via Rainier Judd's brief, weird introductions to each chapter in this short film anthology on the theme of seduction (of one or another kind). The section called "Marquee" offers Seth Edelste…
Viewers who acknowledge The Simpsons as one of the best shows ever to hit television are doubtless already proud owners of The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family. But since the show is still in production, that guide is no longer complete. And can you really live a second longer without a full list of last season's blackboard inscriptions? Simpsons creator Matt Groening and edito…
Nearly a decade into their run, it's clear that The Simpsons is one of the best-loved and most influential television shows to come down the pike in a long while. If the show's attitude was a little less pervasive, this encyclopedic book would be aimed solely at Simpsons addicts. But that's not entirely true--Matt Groening and Ray Richmond have created a book that is essential for anyone intere…
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disneys Classic Animated Film
Stop-motion puppet animation is one of the most unusual and demanding art forms in the world. It uses a variety of skills, including design, sculpting, metal work, mold making and casting, taxidermy, filmmaking, storytelling and acting, and can be seen in the simplest commercial spots on television to more complex animated shorts and science fiction and fantasy feature films. This work, with ov…
Stop-motion animation has long been perceived as a technical practice rather than a creative, demanding art. Though stop-motion requires considerable technical knowledge, it also involves aesthetics and artistry that go beyond the technician's realm. Just as important as puppet mechanics are lighting, filters, lenses, camera angle and placement, and dramatic pose and movement. This manual is a …
This live-action version of E.B. White's novel doesn't have quite the magic of, say, Toy Story. Instead of entertainment the whole family can be enthralled with, Stuart Little is squarely aimed, and successfully so, at the 4- to 10-year-old watcher. Does this make it a bad family film? Not in the slightest. The gee-whiz visual effects (created by original Star Wars wizard John Dykstra) and the …