Gru, the girls, and the Minions are back in this blockbuster sequel. Is it worth its nigh one billion dollar worldwide gross? Well, let’s take a look at it! Continue reading “My Thoughts: DESPICABLE ME 2 (2013)”
Author: The Animation Commendation
Actor James Avery Dies at 65!
I regret to inform you all that we start the year with some sad news. Actor James Avery has died! Mr. Avery (1948-2013) was an actor most famous for playing the role o“f Philip “Uncle Phil” Banks on the sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, also featuring Will Smith.
Mr. Avery was also quite adept in the field of animation providing voices for various animated series and films including “The Prince of Egypt”, “Spider-Man”, “Iron Man”, “Aladdin”, and “The Legend of Prince Valiant”. His most famous animated role was probably that of Shredder in the series, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”.
He also provided the voices of Br’er Frog and Br’er Bear in the Disneyland/Magic Kingdom ride, “Splash Mountain”.
Whether you loved him as Uncle Phil or Shredder or any of his other voice and live roles, he will definitely be missed!
2013 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 43,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 16 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Upcoming Animated Films in 2014
Well, 2013 is about to come to an end, so you know what that means!
No, it means that I’m going on vacation!
Yep, I’m gonna be gone for about a week, so I thought that I should leave you all with something before I go. And what better thing to leave you with than a preview of what next year has to offer in animated films!
So sit back and relax while we take a look at the animated full-length theatrical films that shall be released next year complete with synopses (if available), trailers/posters (if available), and American release dates (if available). I hope you all enjoy! Continue reading “Upcoming Animated Films in 2014”
Actor Peter O’Toole Dies at 81!
Actor Peter O’Toole has died at the age of 81! Peter O’Toole (1932-2013) was an amazing actor who sadly held the record for most Academy Award acting nominations without a win. His most famous role was that of T.E. Lawrence in the epic, “Lawrence of Arabia”.
Animation fans will also know him as the voice of Anton Ego in Pixar’s “Ratatouille”
as well as the voice of Sherlock Holmes in a few animated adaptations of the “Sherlock Holmes” stories.
He shall be missed.
Annie Awards Nominees Announced!
The Annie Awards, often seen as the animated equivalent of the Academy Award, is due to have its 41st ceremony on February 1, 2014. With that deadline coming soon, the full list of nominees have been released today. You can find them here:
http://annieawards.org/nominees/
But as of now, I just want to look at my two favorite categories: “Best Animated Feature” and “Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production”. Continue reading “Annie Awards Nominees Announced!”
“Frozen” Heats Up Box Office With $93 Million Weekend Debut
Disney’s much-anticipated and critically acclaimed entry in its animated Canon, “Frozen”, has proven that it DOES have the potential to be a modern classic. Opening in the 2nd place slot of the U.S./Canada box office, “Frozen” amassed a whopper $93 million, breaking the record for biggest Thanksgiving weekend debut!
Have you seen it? If so, what did you think? Do you agree with the statement that it’s this generation’s “Beauty and the Beast”? If you haven’t seen it, do you plan on seeing it and when?
I haven’t seen it yet, but I do really want to see it soon.
My Thoughts: PLANES (2013)
With the financial success of the “Cars” series, it was only a matter of time before Disney tried to cash in on other venues of the same universe. That’s where “Planes” comes in. Continue reading “My Thoughts: PLANES (2013)”
Walt Disney’s Daughter, Diane Disney Miller, Dies at 79!
Sigh…we’ve lost a connection to the man himself, his daughter, to be precise. Diane Disney Miller (1933-2013) has passed away at the age of 79! She was instrumental in bringing to life the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. She leaves behind her husband Ron W. Miller (an ex-NFL star who was actually the CEO of The Walt Disney Company for some time) as well as 7 children, 13 grandchildren, and 1 great-grand child. We shall miss her very much indeed!
http://blogs.disney.com/insider/articles/2013/11/19/remembering-diane-disney-miller/
My Thoughts: TURBO (2013)
I don’t even know how to start talking about this film.
That’s a good idea! Ok, so “Turbo” is Dreamworks Animation’s 2nd animated film of 2013 (after “The Croods”). It’s about a snail who races in the Indy 500.
Sigh…this is going to be harder than I thought, let’s try again! Continue reading “My Thoughts: TURBO (2013)”
The Animation Commendation 