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Reviews
The Animation Show (2003)
Brilliant and original!
In a year of regurgitated ideas and mindless sequels, The Animation Show proves that there are still value left in the art of moving pictures. Don Hertzfeldt's simple yet excruciatingly genius segments hurdle you through a gaggle of shorts produced with love and thought. I was a bit surprised to see Mike Judge's contributions were small, but they are still welcome.
The excerpt from Ward Kimball's "Mars and Beyond" animated film proves how the Disney company could once produce, in just a few minutes, something that contained more ingenuity than an entire 2 hour animated Disney film today. I still haven't mentioned the thought provoking shorts Mt. Head or Ident. And I'm sure this doesn't give justice to some of the other animated segments that deserve credit in this wonderful anthology.
I beg of you all to see this collection while it is still in theaters so we may be blessed with a second volume come next year. Enjoy it while you can!
Labyrinth (1986)
Well, yet another great fantasy film that almost disappeared forever.
Thank goodness for DVD, I have been trying to get a good copy of this for years.
I still cannot believe how many people do not know that this movie exists. I wonder if this film would have ever been released if it was not for the current trend in cult releases on DVD and tape. It may not be the best movie ever made, but it is definitely one of the best fantasy films of modern cinema. Sure, maybe some of the effects may be dated by today's standards or the film may have been marketed for children, but ... who cares? The work on the design of this production alone should have won it several awards, David Bowie's performance still stands out as incredible, and the story itself is a lot deeper than most will admit. But hey, at least that fact has not hurt the film's popularity. Only something as well done as this could withstand the tests of time in a film industry like ours.
Regardless of anyone who might disagree as to how good or bad Labyrinth is, no one can deny it's power to generate a fan base that could survive without any means to purchase a copy for so long. Only something that can touch people's hearts and minds could do something like that. The eighties heralded so many well done fantasy productions that I wish it would become a filmmaking trend again someday. Labyrinth, The Never Ending Story, The Princess Bride, Return to Oz, and Legend were truly some of the most painstakingly detailed, amazingly directed, and beautifully scored films that I can think of. I may have originally viewed them as a young child, but over the years not one of them has disappeared from my memories. As one grows older one forgets the unmemorable, but not works of art like these. After just viewing Labyrinth again, I can see that even though I've grown and I've learned many things about filmmaking itself, this movie still amazes me. Even if some have a problem with the pace or are avid haters of muppets, they should sit down and give this film a chance. At times it almost seems as if the characters in the film are just walking through a wonderfully done canvas of colors, and I am not talking about the matte paintings. There are points where the viewer just forgets that they are even viewing a film and become mesmerized by the music, visuals, and feel of Labyrinth. One might think that Bowie's music, having been a fad of the eighties, would have also been awkward after a decade or so, but that is not the case either. The music just seems to fit as if it were never part of the real world at all but just more of what one would expect from mischievous goblins out to have fun or Jareth's attempts at wooing the heroine. If I had to pick one thing about this film that will truly leave anyone in awe, it is the ballroom sequence. I have not seen many films in my life that have given a feel of a hypnotizing dream like Frank Oz and Jim Henson did in that scene. The symbolism equally matched with a romanticized score, perfectly timed dance choreography and unbelievable costume designing make for one of the grandest scenes I have ever viewed.
I'm very happy that now after more than a decade, this film has been restored and given a chance at new life. Maybe now more will learn of it and give it the appreciation it deserves.