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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 10, 2020 17:58:06 GMT -5
That will work, thanks babclayman.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 10, 2020 9:33:59 GMT -5
I am going out of town for Christmas and will likely be back next week sometime. Anyway, now for the good stuff: Alrighty then, after putting some thought into it, here is my form: Willing to give: Art Willing to receive: Art Anything that feels holiday-minded/festive is good. Ideas? How about: -Roxy is hoping for Jeremy Renner's autograph -While in a hot cocoa binge, Roxy is tempting Lucky with an under-the-mistletoe kiss, while Two-Tone is about to grab her tail -Orville is tying a scarf around Snowy while she's already wearing a Santa Hat -A sledding pic -Diana is tempting Rob with her mistletoe -If you can come up with something you think I'd like, go ahead (no quirks though) The canon characters are good and also my OCs are too. If you have a character of yours to include be my guest. Canon characters: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/20-years-of-101-Dalmatians-the-Series-705284750Jewel: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Happy-Belated-Birthday-brunamf-271158187Roxy: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Roxy-reference-sheet-480971087Sanka: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Sanka-Shot-the-Sheriff-95518088Diana: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Diana-reference-sheet-465879525Dakota: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Grudge-Match-Sanka-vs-Dakota-461204088Ophelia: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Grudge-Match-LeAnn-vs-Ophelia-461205410Tammy: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Babclayman-birthday-2010-165911270Reck: babclayman.deviantart.com/art/Taming-Of-A-Reck-599494807Snowy: www.deviantart.com/trey-vore/art/Snowy-778011771Most of my OCs together: trey-vore.deviantart.com/art/Group-Hug-my-OCs-268991073Some pointers I want to include for my OCs: -Roxy, Sanka, Yuri, Orville and LeAnn are heroes and friendly with the canon characters. -Roxy is a vixen, Yuri and LeAnn are Dalmatians, Sanka is a Black Lab and Orville is a skunk. -Diana, Dakota, Ophelia and Reck are villains. -Diana and Dakota are siblings. -Ophelia is an Irish Setter and like the Starscream to Diana's Megatron. -Reck is a warped version of Roxy from another dimension/timeline and she has two forms: assassin Reck is Roxy's size and brute Reck is about Yuri's size. -Tammy is a reformed villain. -Snowy is the most feral of my OCs. Remember I am also a junkie for video games, Disney, cartoons, superheroes, action and the 1980s. Humor is also welcome. How's that, babclayman? |
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 9, 2020 6:16:21 GMT -5
I'm amazed you like this at all.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 8, 2020 13:40:47 GMT -5
Oh... d**n...
Honestly he's done the job for so long I honestly don't know who can replace him.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 8, 2020 12:58:51 GMT -5
Hey my peeps, thanks to my local Marcus Ampthitheater, I was able to make another animated movie review. I have a good one for you!
Toy Story (1995)
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar
Director: John Lasseter
Cast: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head), Wallace Shawn (Rex), Jim Varney (Slinky Dog), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), John Morris (Andy Davis), Erik Von Detten (Sid Phillips)
Runtime: 81 min.
MPAA Rating: G (all ages admitted)
This movie is about a pull-string cowboy doll named Woody who enjoys his life as his owner Andy’s favorite toy. When Andy’s birthday comes along, he finds his role has been usurped by a space ranger toy named Buzz Lightyear, who is under the delusion he’s the real deal hero. Riddled with jealousy, Woody now takes it upon himself to try to remind Andy of his original favorite toy. But when a plan to get rid of Buzz goes awry, a fight results in them soon becoming lost toys. Needing to take responsibility for his actions, Woody now needs to swallow his pride and must help rescue his foe or be an outcast forever. Plus, with Andy’s family moving in a few days, and a threat imposed by Sid, a destructive neighbor boy who tears toys apart for fun, can Woody and Buzz safely find their way back to Andy?
This movie, while I’m sure needs no introduction, was a revolutionary film; it was the very first all-CGI animated movie. Coming from Pixar, a then little-known animation studio who made animated shorts in the 80s, would soon find themselves as the pioneers of all digital animation. This little movie would be a major game changer for the world of animation.
I won’t lie to you, when this movie was brand new, chances are it was one movie that would find its way into my VHS tape player time and time again. I’ve seen this movie so many times and I just don’t outgrow it. The movie finds its appeal in the idea of life from a toy’s perspective. As kids, we all knew our favorite toy(s) were always there for us, but secretly they had a life and would go on adventures when we weren’t looking. In a way, the toys could very well be extensions on Andy, the human boy. Sure, they might be more mature than advertised, but Andy’s tastes must have played a role.
I’m also going to say there is not even one bad character in the whole she-bang. Woody, our hero, is the central star of a jealousy story to tell kids that envy is not your way to getting what you want. His buddy, Buzz Lightyear, thinks he’s the real deal hero and believes he’s only got a limited time to rendez-vous with Star Command and save the universe, but when what Woody tells him turns out to be true, that causes him to cross into the Despair Event Horizon—he’s left a, pardon the expression, broken toy. Their strong chemistry is the centerpiece and despite being two toys o very different worlds, need to come to understand each other. Andy’s other toys all have unique personalities and are highly memorable as well; Bo Peep is a kinda-sorta love interest, Slinky Dog is his most reliable friend, Mr. Potato Head is a hot-tempered prop comic, Rex is a timid Tyrannosaurus and Hamm is a smartass piggy bank. There are other toys in Andy’s room but their general role is to give Andy’s playthings a sense of society. This creates the idea that Andy’s playroom is, like many of your other favorite animated films, not just the movie’s setting but a world in which, in your mindset, you could actually live. The movie’s writing definitely helps with that atmosphere.
The movie’s villain is Sid, the toy-torturing kid next door. This kid, as far as we know, has nothing to do with Andy, but you could argue that he’s everything Andy is not—while Andy clearly never abuses his toys, Sid does nothing but wreck them. The other toys that Sid mutilates into these weird hybrid toys are not monsters as Woody assumes, but they simply want to be cared for; I take this as telling kids that it’s important to care for your belongings.
Then there is the all-CGI animation. Formerly just used for novelty purposes in older shows and movies, this movie suddenly pushed digital animation to dominate the field. While it stopped being guaranteed money-in-the-bank by 2006 and it certainly looks more crude and less polished than it would soon become (in the mid-90s things like hair and liquids proved the medium was still evolving), it still works. Later movies of course improve but this movie started the trend.
And of course it’s still worth watching today. The story, themes, characters, and ideologies still mean something right now and it’s still fresh as a daisy. The only things that really suggest the time in which it was made are the random faux-advertisements for Binford Tools (because Tim Allen was best known as playing Tim Taylor on Home Improvement at the time) and there was a short 3-second moment inside Andy’s mother’s car where the radio is clearly having Timon and Pumbaa singing “Hakuna Matata”. That is not a complaint as the fact The Lion King is a classic film (not to mention, one of my favorites), but one would imagine if this movie was released in say, 2015, we’d probably have heard Elsa singing “Let It Go”.
The only other real problem I tend to have is I felt the movie could have used a stronger ending—at the end it’s supposed to be Christmas and Andy’s surprised that he gets a brand new puppy to Woody and Buzz’s concern. That just seems a little weak and not really as funny as they probably wanted it to be.
Those little flaws are just minor quibbles though—Toy Story is an amazing movie that you have to see at some point in time. Did you wonder why Pixar would become the animation powerhouse that would continue to delight and even twice have their movies be nominated for Best Picture? Sure that would change beginning in 2011 but they left their mark; this movie is their flagship franchise for a reason. Just go watch the movie already!
Toy Story (1995)
TreyVore rates it: A+
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 7, 2020 11:58:30 GMT -5
Hey guys, I got another review for you. Just like last one, this is about a seasonal movie:
Free Birds (2013)
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, Reel FX Studios, Relativity Media
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Cast: Owen Wilson (Reggie), Woody Harrelson (Jake), Amy Poehler (Jenny), George Takei (S.T.E.V.E.), Keith David (Chief Broadbeak), Colm Meaney (Myles Standish), Dan Fogler (Gov. William Bradford), Jimmy Hayward (President, Ranger, Leatherbeak, Hazmat #2, additional voices)
Runtime: 91 min.
MPAA Rating: PG (some action/peril, rude humor)
This movie is about a competent turkey named Reggie who has always feared Thanksgiving because he’s afraid he’s going to be killed and then eaten. The other turkeys are too stupid to take him seriously but to Reggie’s surprise, the President of the U.S.A. picks him as the “pardoned turkey” and he gets to spend his days enjoying delivery pizza and watching Mexican telenovelas. But when he’s kidnapped by Jake, a ripped turkey who’s on a mission thanks to the “Great Turkey” and now is out to time travel back to the first Thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu. Hijacking a time machine from deep inside a government research facility, Reggie and Jake go back to 1621 where they are rescued by a tribe of wild turkeys led by Chief Broadbeak. With the first Thanksgiving quickly approaching, and Reggie falling for the Chief’s daughter Jenny, can Reggie and Jake find a way to stop their species from becoming an annual feast?
I’m going to start by saying 2013 was not a good year for animated films. Barring Frozen and Despicable Me 2, the quality of virtually each and every single animated film ranged from “alright”, to “awful”. This movie was definitely unique from most other animated films out there though: for one thing we see plenty of animated movies where the characters are humans, dogs, cats, mice, monkeys, farm animals, but you don’t see too many mainstream animated films where the main characters are turkeys. Not only that, but we see so many animated films that are about Christmas or Halloween, but this one was going to be about the holiday trapped in the middle of those two: Thanksgiving. So, we had reason to be anticipating this one.
Unfortunately, those qualities couldn’t save it from a bunch of serious problems.
For one, the movie begins with a monologue meant to be sarcastic as it allows the movie to have its way with established history. They are aware no one is going to take this seriously, but there’s a few problems with this; for one, it deflates a lot of dramatic tension, especially considering the story is about Reggie and Jake trying to stop their species from slaughter. You can have it one way or the other but you can’t have both guys.
But surely it’s funny, right? The premise of time-traveling turkeys is ridiculous enough so that you know this isn’t meant to be a serious affair, but the movie only goes for cheap laughs and broad slapstick. The chemistry between the leading characters is that we have Reggie, who’s supposed to be the sensible turkey in a flock of idiots, and Jake, the aspiring hero who claims he’s got a greater purpose, out to be buddies in a comedy. The fact we have Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, two funny guys, in animated roles should be comedy gold, but the writing isn't smart enough to generate comedy and the material they are given is completely witless. Woody and Buzz Lightyear they are not.
The wildly inconsistent tone is a major problem; it starts goofy and jokey but during the climax it becomes serious and dramatic. That disclaimer at the beginning then starts to feel like a weird defense mechanism rather than one that means we are supposed to take this movie with even a shred of dignity. At the same time, it’s hard to really connect with any of the characters—I guess I’m supposed to identify with Reggie being the outcast amongst a bunch of idiots, but his goal is just not really relatable; I don’t recall ever being afraid of the fact someone was going to come along and start sprinkling salt on my arm before digging in for their dinner. I’m going to add that Reggie's romance angle with Jenny is ultimately pointless and the running gag with her stressed out wonky eye is not funny either.
For the humans, we have Myles Standish, is an okay villain and he’s just ugly; he looks like he could pose as Nasty Canasta from the old Looney Tunes cartoons. And Gov. Bradford… I’m surprised Disney didn’t complain about this guy, considering he’s basically Governor Radcliffe from Pocahontas all over again.
I guess in the end, failure was its only option. It’s taking some grave subject matter and trying to put a wacky spin on it, in a movie meant to appeal to kids. Probably why I chose to put my money on “no, this is not going to work”. Sure the movie does get a happy ending but remember what’s at stake: let's say Reggie and Jake failed and what happens next? They got killed and then eaten. Do you really think kids are going to like that? That’ll get them looking forward to Thanksgiving. But the biggest problem is the fact that commercialism is what saves Thanksgiving; the movie almost comes off as a 90 minute advertisement for Chuck E. Cheese’s.
The movie got some really bad reviews, and it just barely made back its budget. That might be a bit of a reason why when it comes to seasonal movies filmmakers tend to target Halloween and Christmas but ignore Thanksgiving; the holiday definitely carries weight to the Americans but that’s really about it—it’s not like it really means much of anything in Europe, Australia or Japan.
Despite all these complaints though, this movie is not absolutely terrible. The movie is certainly watchable and does no harm; I guess it’s worth watching at least once. Beyond that, you’ll probably go ahead and put this movie on during Thanksgiving. Not because it’s really a good movie, but because it will do its job as a distraction for the kids when you need something longer than A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
A shame really, as this is one of the few animated Thanksgiving movies.
Free Birds (2013)
TreyVore rates it: D
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 3, 2020 17:01:14 GMT -5
Thank you babclayman.
I will put thought into my request and hit you up then. Is this weekend good?
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 2, 2020 12:29:02 GMT -5
I'm game, but I am going to need an extension this year in order to take part.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 31, 2020 10:13:37 GMT -5
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 31, 2020 8:38:25 GMT -5
ParaNorman (2012)
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Laika
Director: Sam Fell and Chris Butler
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee (Norman Babcock), Jodelle Ferland (Aggie Prenderghast), Tucker Albrizzi (Neil), Anna Kendrick (Courtney), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Alvin), Casey Affleck (Mitch), John Goodman (Uncle Prenderghast), Bernard Hill (Judge Hopkins), Elaine Stritch (Grandma Babcock)
Runtime: 92 min.
MPAA rating: PG (scary action and images, thematic elements, some rude humor and language)
For the uninitiated, I studied animation in school so I do have an idea of what I’m looking at.
In the town of Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts, Norman Babcock is a pre-teen boy with a bizarre gift: he sees dead people. Because of this, he’s not a popular kid as everyone including his own family, especially his father, thinks he’s incredibly weird. One day, he gets a warning from his fellow ghost whisperer of a bum of an uncle that the town’s urban legend of a witch’s curse is real and is about to come to fruition 300 years after her death; he’s the only one who can stop it. So, having to band together with his older sister Courtney, his fellow bullied friend Neil, Neil’s older brother Mitch and the school thug Alvin, can these heroes find a way
to end the curse and save the town from certain doom?
I will start by saying this movie originally came out in 2012 and at first, I didn’t think very much of it. It may have had something to do with the fact that I had not heard of the animation studio Laika or their first movie Coraline due to my old job being seemingly ‘on call’ and I had little time for myself, but there were some initial good reviews coming, so my mind changed and I felt I should see it. Plus a year earlier, I remember taking in more scary movies than I probably did in my whole life (I used to absolutely hate horror movies, but thanks to Wizard World that changed), so I gave ParaNorman a chance.
I would say I’m glad I did.
When the movie starts off we are introduced to Norman, who’s something of an outcast and everyone feels he’s a weird kid. This is supposed to be the character we are emotionally attached to being that in some manner we all probably feel like an outsider because we have some bizarre gift. Whatever that bizarre gift might be it just feels like something that would make you feel like you have a blessing/curse and no one understands you. Norman is that character.
That also extends to some advice that his departed grandmother gives as she tells him not to be afraid of your gifts as long as it doesn’t change who you are. I take that as meaning as long as you are a good person, you should be A-OK with accepting yourself. He’s the one who needs to just ignore all everyone else is telling him as everything boils down to him being able to do something to save his town from annihilation, while telling parents that it’s important to listen to your child if something is wrong rather than dismiss it as ‘kid stuff’. At the same time the zombies don’t turn out to be monsters as they are merely trying to help the townsfolk against the witch’s curse.
There is also the factor of the master craftsmanship of Laika—everything is in stop motion and it looks great. There’s a sense of Halloween Eve on this sleepy little town and everything is done to look like a low-key horror film. The characters are not supposed to be cute commercial items for toys but they are made for the purpose of art.
For the characters themselves, I did tell you a bit about Norman, which is our protagonist, but now for something about the others. His friend Neil is a funny character as a fellow outcast due to various he has; probably the best way to judge this character is if you were to take Bart Simpson’s friend Milhouse Van Houten and his doofus friend Ralph Wiggum and merge them to be one character. Alvin, the school thug, is everything that Norman is not; he’s big, a douche and clearly popular with the inner crowd; he provides a good contrast to Norman. Norman’s sister Courtney is a popular cheerleader who’s blonde, shapely and always in a tracksuit and clearly supposed to be shallow; the way she constantly flirts with Mitch is a good idea of her character and needs to help her brother look below a surface. Neil’s older brother Mitch is a riot on his own; he’s got credit as being the first example of an openly gay character in a mainstream animated film. This may lead to some questions from children and parents may need to provide some answers.
The biggest reason why I won’t give this film an immediate recommendation is if you have little kids, squeamish teens or just don’t like scary movies yourself, this movie is going to prove scary. The opening sequence features Norman watching a scary movie where a curvy babe inadvertently steps on a human brain with her high heel shoe, there is a sequence where Norman sees a slug crawl out of a mannequin’s nose and a teddy bear explodes in a flurry of moths. Then there is also the zombies and the idea of witchcraft, which while not evil, are not immediate child favorites. The movie’s villain is a vengeful witch who it turns out was simply misjudged and needs to remember happier days. While I do like the message, it still may prove scary for some people.
The movie got good reviews, but while it definitely made its budget back, it didn’t make as much as the directors thought. The fact it’s probably a bit scary for the aforementioned reasons is what stops it from making lots of money initially; it’s not a Disney Princess musical by any stretch. You ultimately just need to use some of your own best judgement as to whether or not it’s appropriate for your kids. That didn’t stop me from enjoying and recommending it for you, just it may not be for everyone.
Still in any case I am glad I took the time to see ParaNorman. It’s still fun, witty and still holds up. This movie was the first of three Halloween movies from 2012 (the other two are Hotel Transylvania and Frankenweenie) and it's easily the best of the three. I won’t say it is the best of 2012 (that nod still goes to Wreck-It Ralph) but it’s definitely more of a Halloween treat than a trick.
ParaNorman (2012)
TreyVore rates it: B+
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 31, 2020 8:25:29 GMT -5
 Now THAT is scary. RIP to Sir Sean Connery, you've done your service as 007 well.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 29, 2020 15:07:17 GMT -5
I'm excited for this news, but there will be something that I am going to report: There is one character that is not coming back. Which character is that you ask? ... ... ...Elmyra. comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/tiny-toons-reboot-wont-bring-back-elmyra-according-to-original-a/Sources suggest it probably has something to do with the fact that: #1: As a character she is supposed to be the counterpart to Elmer Fudd, who's been going through his own series of updates #2: The source thinks it's because she's a human and not an anthropomorphic animal, but that doesn't explain Montana Max #3: There might be a legal/rights issue due to her ties to Pinky and the Brain which is at odds with the new Animaniacs...well I'll be d**ned. Something good actually came from Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain! |
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 29, 2020 10:08:05 GMT -5
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 29, 2020 8:40:46 GMT -5
Now that Prime Week is over I'm finally able to get back into my 80s groove!
And thanks to the fact Halloween is coming, how about this?
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Post by Trey_Vore on Oct 27, 2020 18:10:42 GMT -5
Oh yeah, that time of year is coming closer yet again.
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How you holding up?