Animated News Weekly Archive
One downside to getting to celebrate another big milestone like our 20th anniversary is that there's not a lot more left to show or tell about our history. However, after some major excavation deep into the embarrassingly cluttered AV archives, we were able to find another dusty bit of long lost content under some old boxes of cease and desist letters and moldy Norm Of The North promotional plush.
From the first week of our launch in October of 2003 and intermittently over the next six years or so, we had an email newsletter. Sure these messages may not be too useful anymore! But they're actually kind of fun as a sort of virtual time capsule. And perhaps some future animation researcher might find the links useful. Either way, they're part of our story and we're happy to be able to move them from the dark, cobwebbed recesses of the AV archives and back into the warm light of our anniversary celebration!
So travel back 20 years with us to see how we covered the top stories of the day!
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Subject: Animated News Weekly 12/21/03 – 12/27/03: Hello, and welcome to a fairly light edition of the Animated News Weekly, due to the festive season. Please copy and paste any split links into your browser for more info on a given subject. ----FEATURE FILMS---- WB family features headed for Imax? With Disney’s abandoning of releasing their films in large-screen format (the choice of a new Black Stallion film to test audience awareness will do nothing to change their current attitude), it seems Warner Brothers, happy with the Imax returns on this year’s two Matrix sequels, will take up the slack. The WB is aiming to have the next HARRY POTTER film open in regular 35mm and Imax screens on the same date, and is eyeing up future releases of THE POLAR EXTPRESS and Tim Burton’s new WILLY WONKA picture to roll out the same way. Coming Soon has a full press release: http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=2762 The Dark Horizons site notes that the Farrelly Brother’s next comedy will be an animated feature based on the book FRISCO PEGEON MAMBO, by CD Payne. Not much more info at present, though the book is available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1882647246/qid=1072196975//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i0_xgl14/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 More European animated features: this Christmas the Italian film TOTO’ FLAVOR AND THE MAGIC STORY OF PIZZA was just released in its native Italy. You’ll find a trailer on the official site: http://www.totosapore.it/ More Italian animation: though not a feature, it seems Bruno Bozzetto is readying his CGI debut short film, KRUTT, for release next summer. CG Networks includes it on their site, linking to a festive teaser, which is already downloadable from Simple Pictures’ official site, and very fun it looks, too! http://kruttmovie.com/kruttmovie/ Upcoming DreamWorks: there’s a chance to see early footage, concepts and artwork from DWs 2004 and more slate at this year’s RUSTYCON event in Seattle. We have the details and the links: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000513.html The SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE has its trailer revealed online in QuickTime format, and makes fun use of a variety of submarine adventure flicks. Spot the famous faces at Apple Trailers: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/spongebobsquarepantsmovie/ ----DVD RELEASES---- Following a showing on UK TV this past week, the UK website Play.com is listing BELLEVILLE RENDEZVOUS for a DVD release on a region 2 disc on January 26th: http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=144695 We have a little more on the disc, and why you may want to hold out for the eventual r1 version: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000498.html The reviewers at DVD Toons have banded together to provide their list of the ten best disc releases of the year. Catch the run-down here: http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/61 LIL’ PIMP, which started as a theatrical film animated with the Flash internet animation program before being directed straight to video, has had its fortunes changed again. The film had been surprisingly turned around earlier this year, and was on course for heading back into the theaters, but this week Sony withdrew the film from their upcoming release schedule, so it looks like it’s back to video for Lil’ Pimp. Arriving sooner than expected, Warners will issue LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION to DVD next March 2nd. DVD Answers has the cover art: http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=2921&n=1&burl= The DVD Empire website lists Rankin/Bass’ 1982 feature THE LAST UNICORN slated for a March 16th release on disc: http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=579871 The film is already available from Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000085ROP/ref=sr_aps_dvd_1_1/202-5939041-0530219 It’s also out, with its rare CD soundtrack, in Germany: http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000071IL/ref=pd_ecs_m_d_a/028-5086475-8657305 http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005MOL0/qid%3D1045512895/sr%3D2-1/ref%3Dsr%5Faps%5Fprod%5F1%5F1/028-5086475-8657305 ----CHARACTERS AND HISTORY---- Animation News Network looks at the current way animated features are represented by the Academy Awards, and asks how the award has affected the industry: http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=1956&page=1 The Big Cartoon Database looks back at what is a Halloween movie to some, and a Christmas classic for others. Tim Burton’s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, ending its tenth anniversary this month, is returned to for The Animated Word: http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view&post=16860 The BCDB remembers two artists recently lost to the animation community: Wah Chang: http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=16992 Les Tremayne: http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=16991 A Very Merry Jim Hill Christmas – the media man offers up some festive stories featuring Uncle Walt, and the story behind the infamous George Lucas Star Wars Christmas Special: http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm Jim’s also been sending Harry Knowles at Ain’t It Cool News a heads up on the current Disney/Eisner situation: http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16707 ----TELEVISION / THEMED / STAGE---- Cartoon Network’s THE VENTURE BROTHERS won the Best Animated Television Series award at this year’s CINEME. Best CG was handed to Sony’s EARLY BLOOMER animated short. We have the links: http://www.animated-news.com/archives/00000504.html Ain’t It Cool News announces the “casting” of the Muppets’ next film, also revealing that it will go straight to TV, airing on the ABC network: http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16715 ----BUSINESS---- The St Petersburg Times Floridian takes a look at the fallout over the closing of Disney’s Florida animation department, as well as a little more on Roy Disney’s feelings towards current CEO Michael Eisner: http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/21/Floridian/Lost_art.shtml The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences has announced which seven films are being considered for the SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS OSCAR. As with the Animated Feature award, only three will go forward for actual nomination purposes: http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2003/03.12.19.a.html Toon Zone reports that the trail between Disney and the US rights holders of the Winnie The Pooh characters is set to continue on February 24th. Reuters has the full details: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=IK43SDWED55YMCRBAE0CFFA?type=industryNews&storyID=4034498 BBC Online reports that a litigation suit has been mounted against Disney/Pixar and the makers of Finding Nemo by a German author of a children’s’ book that features similar characters: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3347067.stm ----WRAP UP---- That’s all for this week, folks! Don’t forget to visit us online at www.animated-news.com and contribute through our forums: http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/ Happy Holidays! The Animated-News Team. ---------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The news shared in this email contains material and links to other non-associated websites. Animated-News.com is not responsible for any consequences arising from the participating and use of these sites, and cannot be held liable for any content that may prove to be untrue, or stories that may later have elements within them changed by the creators of the reported projects. Original content ©2003 Animated-News.com.
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