Category Archives: Family

11.09.12
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Paperman

My rating:

This 7-minute black-and-white short film is theatrical with Wreck-It Ralph, and it is a combination of hand-drawn animation and computer animation. I really liked this technique. In this short film, a man tries to send a paper airplane to his love. The director of the short is John Kahrs and the producer is John Lasseter (director of Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Cars and Cars 2).The technique they used that blends hand-drawn animation and computer animation, called “final line advection”, gives the artists and animators a lot more influence and control over the final product as everything is done within the same department; the artists quoted, “In Paperman, we didn’t have a cloth department and we didn’t have a hair department. Here, folds in the fabric, hair silhouettes and the like come from of the commited design decision-making that comes with the 2D drawn process. Our animators can change things, actually erase away the CG underlayer if they want, and change the profile of the arm. And they can design all the fabric in that Milt Kahl kind-of way, if they want to.”

Also, here are some videos from the short.

11.09.12
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Wreck-It Ralph

My rating:

I saw this movie on Monday with my dad and brothers. We all enjoyed the movie. It stars John C. Reily, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer. In this film, Ralph (Reily) is the villan of an arcade game called Fix-It Felix, Jr., in which the hero of the game, Felix (McBrayer), must fix a building that Ralph destroys. Ralph has been the villan for 30 years now, and he is tired of being the bad guy. So one day, he leaves his game to prove he can be a hero and enters another arcade game, a first-person shooter called Hero’s Duty, in which the game’s leader, Sergeant Calhoun (Lynch) and her army must battle Cy-Bugs, the game’s villans, and get to the top of a building. Ralph later crash-lands in Sugar Rush, a kart-racing game set in tracks made of candy, where he meets one of the game’s characters, Vanellope von Schweetz, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade.

I would recommend this movie to children all ages, and I think everyone will think it’s funny. Especially video game lovers will enjoy this movie.While those moments are great, most of the humor is much more broad-based, and the touching story will win over everyone, regardless of their ability to put a name to M. Bison’s face.From a homeless Q-Bert to Oreo guards at the candy palace, every minute of “Wreck-It Ralph” comes with a smile and a laugh. It’s worth plunking down some quarters.

Also, here is the website and the trailer of this movie.

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10.17.12
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Frankenweenie

My rating:

Frankenweenie is the first 3D animated black and white film, and it is directed by Tim Burton. It is a parody of the 1931 film Frankenstein, which is based on Mary Shelley’s book of the same name. It is also a remake of Tim Burton’s own 1984 short film, also titled Frankenweenie. Burton offered it to Disney, but they thought it was too strange. How ironic it is that 30 years later they asked him to make it into a feature film!

This film is about a boy named Victor Frankenstein, who’s best friend is his dog, Sparky. His parents want him to make friends with the neighbors, but Victor has no interest in making friends with the kids who live nearby, who include Nassor, a weird kid with a flat head inspired by Frankenstein’s monster, Edgar, a deformed, igor-like kid, Bob, an obese kid, Toshiaki, a Japanese classmate of Victor’s, and a weird, unnamed girl, who owns a cat named Mr. Whiskers. The only kid who really cares for Victor is Elsa, his next-door neighbor and the mayor’s niece, who owns a dog named Persephone. One day Sparky is killed by a car while pursuing a ball, and Victor is heartbroken. Persephone and Elsa are miserable, too. But one day in school Victor learns that the muscles of a dead frog still react to electricity. Victor tries this experiment on Sparky, which succeeds and Victor is really happy. But when Victor’s classmates find out, they plan to win the science fair using Victor’s creation, and they create monsters of their own, including a mummy hamster, a were-rat, a Gamera-like monster turtle, sea monkeys, and worst of all… a vampire cat!

This movie would be way too scary for kids younger than my age (10), but some parts are not as scary as others. This movie was OK, but not as good as Hotel Transylvania. I heard that Tim Burton was inspired to make this movie from his experience of losing his own dog when he was a child, and now, after watching this movie, I know how he felt when he lost his dog.

Also, here is the trailer of the movie.

10.13.12
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Hotel Transylvania

My rating: 

Hotel Transylvania is a hilarious, animated film starring Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James and Fran Drescher. In this film, Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) owns a resort named Hotel Transylvania, where monsters and their families can rest in peace, away from the danger of humans. On one special weekend, Dracula invites the world’s most famous monsters, including Frankenstein’s monster (voiced by Kevin James), his bride (voiced by Fran Drescher), a family of werewolves (the parents, Wayne and Wanda, are voiced by Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon), Murray the Mummy (voiced by Cee Lo Green), Griffin the Invisible Man (voiced by David Spade), Bigfoot, the Blob, and many other famous monsters to celebrate his daughter, Mavis(voiced by Selena Gomez)’s 118th birthday. But an ordinary 21-year-old human traveler named Jonathan (voiced by Andy Samberg) accidentally enters the hotel and falls in love with Mavis.

I really enjoyed this film and I thought it was hilarious. I would recommend this movie for children of all ages. Even adults will enjoy this movie. My brother and my dad also really enjoyed it. It is now one of my favorite animated movies of all time!

Also, here is the website and the trailer of the movie.

10.09.12
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Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest

My rating:    

This is a 6-minute short film made by Perry Chen, an 11-year-old animator and movie blogger (like me), directed by Kevin Sean Michaels and produced by Bill Plympton. It is a true story about a girl named Ingoushka Petrov (later known as Ingrid Pitt), who survived the Holocaust in 1945, when she was only eight years old. She narrated the film herself and it was her last project before she passed away. Like Anne Frank, it was her childhood dream to become an actress and she eventually lived her dream and was a movie star for over 40 years before her death in late 2010.

This short film describes the Holocaust experience through Ingrid Pitt’s eyes in very simple, hand-drawn animation. I was very impressed by the movie’s ability to express Ingrid Pitt’s fear of being imprisoned in the concentration camp with her mother, constantly fearing for her life, experiencing hunger, diseases and sadness. I really liked how Perry Chen made Ingrid’s bad memories in black and white and her good memory (of the moment she learned the war was over) in color – almost like she was becoming alive again.

As a Jewish boy I was personally moved by this film. It made me feel that I can now better understand what my great grandmother’s family went through in Poland. They, too, were taken to concentration camps and killed in horrific ways (my great grandmother was the only survivor from a big family). She still lives in Israel (she’s 98 years old now) and frequently shares her family stories and pictures with us.

This film will be featured at the Transbay Festival, kicking off this Friday, October 12 in San Francisco.

Also, here is a preview video of the movie.

10.06.12
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Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

My rating:   

I saw this movie last week on Youtube and I thought it was a great movie. It stars Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Bailee Madison, Robert Patrick and Zooey Deschanel. It is based on the award-winning novel by Katherine Paterson, which I also read, and it is the story of Jess Aarons (played by Josh Hutcherson)who meets a girl named Leslie Burke (played by AnnaSophia Robb). Together, they create the imaginary land of Terabithia and rule as king and queen. This friendship helps Jess cope with the tragedy that makes him realize what Leslie had taught him. I would recommend this touching film for the whole family.

Also, here is the trailer of the movie.

10.04.12
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Renga

My rating:  

Renga is an interactive, cinematic game in which the audience gets a laser pointer, and using it, they must build their ship, defend it, and battle “the Boss”- Renga. Renga won Best New Platform at the Palo Alto International Film Festival (PAIFF), and I was lucky to attend it at the film festival. I enjoyed this experience, especially taking part of the plot, and  even being encouraged to be loud and share ideas with others in the audience. At the end of the movie there was a Q&A session with the two filmmakers – both from England – and I asked a question about the inspiration behind the making of Renga. “People were already making social games” they answered, “and we thought there must be a way of making a social game that includes many people together in a room, in a way that makes the theatrical experience still necessary and relevant”.

I was excited to meet the filmmakers and take part in such a unique cinematic experience! This photo features me with Adam Russell, one of the two movie directors (the other director is named John Sear).  

The PAIFF also offered a youth filmmaking workshop, which I attended. I enjoyed learning about the history of filmmaking, and exeprience production-making with some other young movie lovers.

09.26.12
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Partysaurus Rex

My rating:

Those who will see Finding Nemo 3D this fall will also see the third short film in the “Toy Story Toons” short film series, Partysaurus Rex. The first two short films, Hawaiian Vacation and Small Fry, were as hilarious as this one, which involves Rex (voiced by Wallace Shawn) getting left out at the bathroom and making friends with bath toys. I think everyone will enjoy this hilarious short film.

Also, here is a 40-second clip from Partysaurus Rex.

09.22.12
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Finding Nemo 3D

My rating:  

A touching Pixar film, Finding Nemo, was re-released in theaters in 3D, and I recently saw it with my brothers. It stars Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGenres, and Alexander Gould. It is a movie about friendship, and is the story of a clownfish named Marlin (played by Albert Brooks) who searches for his son (played by Alexander Gould), who was captured by divers. The 3D of the film is amazing I think everyone will enjoy it, including adults.

Also, here is the website and the trailer of the movie.

09.15.12
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

My rating: 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is the third installment to the film saga based on the graphic novel series written by Jeff Kinney (this film is based on the third and fourth books in the series, The Last Straw and Dog Days). I found the film very hilarious and touching. It stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Peyton List, Melissa Roxburgh, Steve Zahn, Rachel Harris and Karan Brar. It is the story of Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Gordon), who intends to play video games all summer, but when his parents (played by Steve Zahn and Rachel Harris) ban television and video games for the whole summer, Greg ends up doing other fun things like going to country clubs, boardwalks, parties, fishing, pools, camping trips and many other fun things. I would reccomend this movie for everyone, including adults. This film is still in theaters, but if you don’t watch it in theaters, don’t worry because it will be available on DVD starting December 18!

Also, here is the website of the movie. It includes fun games, videos, and more!

Also, here is the trailer of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.