Rankin/Bass’ 1982 fantasy animated feature The Last Unicorn has appeared as a pre-order on the {{link http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=579871 DVD Empire}} website, listing a March 16th release date, for under $10. No specs yet, but the title is already available in region 2 countries, in its original letterboxed aspect ratio, particularly {{link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000085ROP/ref=sr_aps_dvd_1_1/202-5939041-0530219 the UK}} and {{link […]

The Muppet Wizard Of Oz, the next film in the on-going almost-animated Muppet film series, has had the “casting” of the principal roles announced, according to {{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16715 AICN}}. Kermit is the Scarecrow, while the rumor is that Natalie Portman is being eyed for the lead part of Dorothy. In not so good news, it’s […]

‘MusicFan’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=662#post662 Animated News Forum}} lets us know that DreamWorks have secured the web domain names ‘abeemovie.com’, ‘beemovie.net’ and ‘thebeemovie.com’, which can only be a sign of confirmation that the studio is going with Bee Movie as the actual title of their next CG animated comedy, described as “Antz with bees” (Beez, […]

Although we’ve mentioned it on a couple of past occasions, this really is my last chance to highlight the UK TV showing of the Oscar-worthy {{link http://www.bellevillerendezvous.com Belleville Rendezvouz}} (The Triplets Of Belleville) on the BBC 2 channel. Sylvain Chomet’s astonishing film (the best I have seen produced outside of the main studio system) is […]

The always enjoyable {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm Jim Hill Media}} shuts down today until the 29th, with a final three posts. {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/guest/wsampson.12242003.1.htm Walt Disney Christmas Stories}} has Wade Sampson recounting “a series of Christmas-related tales that feature the old Mousetro himself and the Studio’s resident genius, Ward Kimball, while Matt Springer’s {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/guest/mspringer.12242003.1.htm The Essential Geek}} […]

The end of the year gives us cause for celebration, but it’s also a chance to look back and remember those who have passed away. Recently, the animation community lost two such artists: stop-motion animator Wah Chang (Oscar winner for special effects on George Pal’s The Time Machine and contributor to animated sequences in other […]

Halloween movie or Christmas classic? However you think of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, there’s no denying that it’s a holiday favorite and a technical marvel. Just as its tenth year celebrations come to a close, Alex Weitzman at The Big Cartoon Database’s {{link http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view&post=16860 The Animated Word}} takes a look back at the […]

‘Bobbie’ on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=651#post651 AN Forum}} posts a press release from the upcoming 21st {{link http://www.rustycon.com/ Rustycon}} convention (running January 16th through January 18th in Seattle) that announces that DreamWorks will preview their upcoming animation slate at the event. “DreamWorks will be hosting a booth featuring art from the animated films Shrek 2, Shark […]

{{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=97838 Toon Zone}} reports that the ongoing dispute between the owners and licensors of A.A. Milne’s Winnie The Pooh characters is set to continue on February 24th, when the Disney Company will argue that “its opponents stole documents”, in the trial’s first major hearing in more than a year – though it’s just another […]

{{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031222g.php Dark Horizons}}, among a list of other (live-action) news bites, mentions that the next Farrelly Brothers comedy “(the animated one) will be based on the novel {{link 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 Frisco Pigeon Mambo}} by C.D. Payne”.

Following our own {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000405.html Picks Of The Year}} feature, which ranged from books to DVDs, Rand Cyrenne sticks to just the discs, compiling the best editions from 2003, based on a shortlist made up from the reviewers, including myself, at {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/ DVD Toons}}. The list (also featuring further links to full reviews) brings […]

Following Jim Hill’s feature last week that reveals that Disney’s Aladdin is not quite yet headed for the Imax screen (though Disney’s reasons to replace it with a new Black Stallion film is unlikely to change the company’s current attitude to large format releases) comes news that another family studio, Warner Brothers, is taking up […]

‘2099net’ posts on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127 AN Forum}} that Sylvain Chomet’s Belleville Rendezvouz (The Triplets Of Belleville) is headed for DVD on January 26th. The disc site {{link http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=144695 Play.com}} is showing the film available in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and DTS sound, with several bonus features including audio commentary on three scenes, music video, making […]

‘Baloo’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=131 Animated News Forum}} shows us the UK artwork for the upcoming Lion King 1½ 2-disc DVD, known internationally as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata. It’s listed as a pre-order on the {{link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000163X1G/qid%3D1071844217/202-5939041-0530219 Amazon.co.uk}} site for £13.99, and will be released on February 16th 2004.

Fantasy writer Ed McCray, who “moonlights” as a reviewer for DVD Toons, has published a new book, with an eye for an animated feature to follow. Jill Chill And The Baron Of Glacier Mountain is “a brand new holiday story that explores the possibility of Jack Frost having a female counterpart”. The book, just on […]

The {{link http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ Ultimate Disney}} DVD fansite posted their “Most Popular DVDs on the Site” for December, which places Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl at number one, and the upcoming Brother Bear as the most requested pre-roder. Also today is a look at early specs for Disney’s catalogue release slate […]

After debuting at Yahoo earlier this week, the teaser for Spider-Man 2 is now available in much better {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/spider-man_2/ QuickTime}} from Apple’s site. Also new today is a teaser for the not-so-anticipated sequel to the animation-referencing Jim Carrey comedy The Mask, available through {{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031218c.php Dark Horizons}}. Son Of The Mask (AKA The Mask […]

Visit any effects or movie-related website today and you’re sure of one thing – a mention of the latest and last film in Peter Jackosn’s epic Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Return Of The King, which opens worldwide today and has already been voted as possibly the best film of the year. {{link http://www.imdb.com/StudioBrief/#1 […]

When is an animated character not a cartoon? Perhaps, as Randall Cyrenne points out in his article over at DVD Toons, when it is a “Pixoon”. On the eve of the release of Peter Jackson’s The Return Of The King, which features the animated Gollum, Rand’s new My Toon Cents feature, {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/60 Cartoon Or […]

Michael Barrier’s {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/index.html Funnyworld}} site updates this week with a number of {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/links.htm new added links}} to some great animation-related websites (including us – thanks Michael)! There’s also a wonderful {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Funnyworld/Clampett/interview_bob_clampett.htm archive interview}} with Bob Clampett from a 1970 print edition of Funnyworld, which, as is pointed out on the site, “is […]

{{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/12162003.1.htm Jim Hill}} returns with his almost daily take on the next step in the Roy/Michael situation at Disney. Today, he wonders what Roy Disney and Stanley Gold might be up to next…

‘Nicolas’ on the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=610#post610 Animated News Forum}} lets us know that Les Triplettes De Belleville “will be released in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the 19th of December. The film’s release is a limited one, only playing in its original version at ‘Le Parisien’. The english version will probably soon follow for us non-French Canadians. […]

It’s December 16th, and for animation and effects fans, there’s a number of great releases out today, including {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000CABL2/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&s=dvd South Park: The Complete Third Season}}, the franchise colliding {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CABKY/002-1902555-2863210 Rugrats Go Wild}}, the old-style effects-packed and actually very good fun {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005JM5B/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&s=dvd The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen}}, and Disney’s remake of their own […]

Though it is not a “special anniversary”, today is the date that Walt Disney passed away at St. Jospeh’s Hospital, in Burbank (right across the street from the Studio he founded). He died 37 years ago, in 1966, from “acute circulatory failure”, which was a result of complications arising from lung cancer, ten days after […]

{{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031215e.php Dark Horizons}} posts the updated weekend box office results from {{link http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2003&wknd=42&p=.htm Box Office Mojo}}. The current top ten doesn’t feature any wholly animated films, but plenty of CG effects pop up in: 5. The Haunted Mansion, with $6.3m for a $53.9m total after 3 weeks 7. Elf, adding another $6.2m to bring […]

As we reported last week, Yahoo Webevents has landed the rights to bring you the first look at the teaser for next summer’s {{link http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/sony/spiderman2/ Spider-Man 2}}. Though the clip is only available in Java mode, it’s well worth checking out (the effects look as “passable” as before, though Danny Elfman’s score shines), and a […]

The ever popular (and ever probing!) {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm Jim Hill Media}} is back this morning with another insightful story. To put it in his words, “as more stories leak out about Michael Eisner’s bizarre behavior over the past two weeks, {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/12152003.1.htm Jim Hill asks}}: when is Disney’s Big Cheese actually going to admit that […]

Online joke paper {{link http://www.watleyreview.com/EditorsDesk.html The Watley Review}}, “dedicated to the production of articles completely without journalistic merit or factual basis”, has posted a fun story on {{link http://www.watleyreview.com/2003/120903-3.html Mickey Mouse’s resignation}} from the Disney Studio. Although primarily for amusement, the piece does have serious undertones and makes for fascinating “between the lines” reading – […]

Amid Amidi’s {{link http://www.animationblast.com/ Animation Blast}} points us toward the “second edition of Doing Their Bit: Wartme American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945 [which] is being published soon and it sounds like a solid read for anybody interested in understanding the now-controversial animated shorts produced by the major Hollywood cartoon studios during World War II”. Michael […]

{{link http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=News&action=page&obj_id=40401&type_id=270284&cat_id=272956&sub_id=0 Cinescape}} is back with another bunch of premiere pics – this time for the recent El Capitan theater showing of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy.