★★★ Netflix plus animation is turning out to be quite the colorful combination. Against all odds, Back to the Outback is another addition to the charming ouvre of Netflix originals, a cute-as-a-button flick that lovingly wears its heart on its sleeve. A kooky cast of characters trying to escape and essentially go back to nature … Continue reading Film Review: Back to the Outback
TV Review: Trolls Holiday in Harmony
Fan of the Trolls movies? Boy, have I got a treat for you… the series, which birthed one of the catchiest songs of the last decade, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” comes back with a vengeance! An adorable holiday special the whole family can enjoy, Trolls Holiday in Harmony is brimming with the trademark humor and … Continue reading TV Review: Trolls Holiday in Harmony
Film Review: Clifford the Big Red Dog
★★★ Covering Toronto International Film Festival, I was shocked earlier this year to see Clifford the Big Red Dog among the lineup. Before being unceremoniously pulled from release (then subsequently rescheduled to November 10th), I was looking forward to Clifford thanks in large part to a bonkers first trailer. Based on the Scholastic Book Series … Continue reading Film Review: Clifford the Big Red Dog
Animation is Film 2021: Poupelle of Chimney Town
★★★★ Poupelle of Chimney Town is an absolutely delightful story of a young introverted chimney sweep named Lubicchi and the magical pile of garbage that becomes his new best friend. Set in Chimney Town—“a world of day and night wrapped in smoke”—where the sky is completely covered, the prospect of ‘stars’ is simply a fairytale. … Continue reading Animation is Film 2021: Poupelle of Chimney Town
Film Review: Night of the Animated Dead
★★★★ Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own. What would a gory, 2D-animated version of the George Romero classic look like? Night of the Animated Dead is here with all the answers! A voice cast built from recognizable names fills the … Continue reading Film Review: Night of the Animated Dead
VIFF 2021: Lamya’s Poem
★★★★ Lamya’s Poem is an animated treasure inspired by the works of 13th century poet, Jalaladin Muhammad Rumi. This cleverly scripted classic 2D-animation weaves together the story of a modern Syrian child fleering war against Rumi’s personal tale of his hometown being overrun by the Mongols. The two storylines flow harmoniously together, complimenting each tale … Continue reading VIFF 2021: Lamya’s Poem
Film Review: The Addams Family 2
★★★★ While I can confidently say nothing can ever match the energy and excellence of the two 90s Addams Family films, this CGI-animated sequel does right by its timeless characters. Following 2019’s very fun reboot of the series, The Addams Family 2 is the road trip sequel you never knew you needed. Returning cast is … Continue reading Film Review: The Addams Family 2
TIFF 2021 Wrap-Up
The Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF for short, is one of the biggest film festivals in the world. This year, we covered the fest entirely virtually, save a few in-person NYC screenings. Even though we missed out on some big movies due to being inaccessible to United States press (including Award-winning Belfast, Dune, The … Continue reading TIFF 2021 Wrap-Up
TIFF 2021: Flee
★★★★★ Emotionally compelling, satisfying, and incredibly raw—Flee is all three of these things, which surprised me even more being that its very concept is unconventional and risky. Flee blends the worlds of animation and documentary into a film unlike any I have ever seen before. Amin’s story being told in this fashion makes for some … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Flee
Fantasia International Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
2021's edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival collects genre cinema of the highest order and eclectic filmmakers with a unique vision. It also happened to have quite a few films I had seen at previous festivals. This wrap-up acts as the cherry-topper for an unconventional fest; included beyond the jump is our entire festival … Continue reading Fantasia International Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up