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Wildly unpredictable, visually gorgeous, and occasionally gruesome, the German animated feature Felidae is a surreal amalgam of gothic horror and noir-tinged mystery that’s definitely not for the kiddies. The film is rife with delirious dream imagery and unrestrained depictions of sadistic medical experiments, murder, and mutilation. Not to mention that, per its feline-centric title, all the central characters are cats. Felidae is the result of what might happen if a giallo director like Dario Argento took a whack at directing The Secret of Nimh.

No sooner has the urbane Francis (Ulrich Tukur), accompanied by his feckless human “can opener,” a romance writer named Gustav Löbel (Manfred Steffen), moved into new digs in a new part of town, than he meets the grizzled Bluebeard (Mario Adorf), who supplies the profanely wise-cracking buddy component for the twisty mystery that follows. Bluebeard’s idea of a housewarming present turns out to be...

Feature films have not been kind to the Looney Tunes. There was a time when the wacky adventures of Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny and their animated pals were the best and funniest shorts on the silver screen, an era that lasted decades. But most of their longer movies were repackaged classic skits, thinly strung together by new bookend material based on whatever movie or TV show was hot at the time, like “Fantasy Island” or “Ghostbusters.” Then of course there were the “Space Jam” films, two of the most creatively bankrupt and shamelessly tacky brand exploitations in the history of [checks notes] everything.

Until now the only great “Looney Tunes” feature was the one that completely flopped, Joe Dante’s inspired and hilarious “Back in Action,” which smartly skewered the callow capitalism that made the “Space Jam” movies a cinematic crime. The new film, “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,...

The fantasy genre has come a long way in recent years, but the classic movies of the 1980s bring an unparalleled sense of magic and wonder. Of course, these films can't compete with modern Hollywood in the way of special effects. On-screen battle scenes didn't look as realistic as they do in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, and animatronic dragons of the 1980s are nowhere near as convincing as Game of Thrones. Still, these campy and cheesy 1980s fantasy movies possess a certain flavor that modern technology could never duplicate.

Of course, nostalgia has a lot to do with why these fantasy movies of yore are still so appealing. Kids of the '80s and '90s didn't care that films like The NeverEnding Story or The Labyrinth used puppets to bring magical beasts to life or that The Secret of Nimh depended on cell animation. Now that...

For a feature animation that comes complete with talking mice and tight-knit families, The Secret of Nimh is surprisingly dark. But, its safe to say thats what makes it unforgettable. Hitting the screen in 1982, the animated classic is a brainchild of the legendary Don Bluth, a former Disney animator who set out to push the boundaries of what childrens films could be and push them he did. Bluth took the warm, fuzzy world of animated animals and turned it into something a lot more intense. The result was a gripping story filled with danger, mystery, and some straight-up creepy moments.

Anyone who grew up in the 1980s or 1990s and spent more time watching VHS tapes than they did experiencing fresh air and direct sunlight is likely familiar with the name Don Bluth. The animation legend gave us iconic films like An American Tale, The Secret of Nimh and The Land Before Time, which were chock-full of delightful visuals, heartwarming characters and pure uncut trauma fuel. Because it’s never too early to teach kids that life is a terrifying nightmare place full of disappointment and dead dinosaur moms.

One of Bluth’s most memorable works was 1989’s All Dogs Go to Heaven. Sounds pleasant enough, right? Well, it’s about a lovable German Shepherd scoundrel named Charlie, who gets sloppy drunk, then promptly murdered by a mobster like 10 minutes into the movie.

Despite the title, after Charlie dies and visits Heaven, he escapes back to Earth and spends much...

Animated feature films are hard to make. Incredibly expensive and time-consuming, the financial risk of making a full-length animated film has scared away investors since the 30s, and many a studio has bankrupted itself trying to achieve the near impossible. While some have tried and failed, like Upa (owners of the Mr. Magoo IP) and the famed Fleischer Studios, only the Walt Disney Company saw anything that could be considered maintained, widespread success in the field for almost 50 years. It wasn't until Ralph Bakshi's adult, counterculture-influenced films of the 70s and the gradual exposure of the rest of the world to Japan's anime features that non-Disney, feature-length animation found any real, continued the success. However, it took until one Disney animator left the company in frustration on his 42nd birthday in 1979 and founded a studio for a major competitor to Disney's long dominance to emerge.

That animator was none...

"Owls eat mice!" "Um, only after dark!" Eureka Video has unveiled a brand new trailer for their upcoming restored Blu-ray release of The Secret of Nimh, the animation classic that first opened in 1982. In 1979, legendary animator Don Bluth made the decision to leave Walt Disney Productions and establish his own animation studio with several former Disney employees. The newly established Don Bluth Productions first made a short – Banjo the Woodpile Cat – and then its first feature: The Secret of Nimh, based on Robert C. O'Brien's popular children's book. The Secret of Nimh, the heartwarming and beautifully crafted cartoon fantasy from legendary animator Don Bluth, will be released on Blu-ray in December 2024 as part of "The Masters of Cinema Series", in a Limited edition of 2000 copies exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase. To save her ill son, a field mouse named Mrs Brisby must seek the aid of a colony of rats,...

The best fantasy movies rated G are great for children but still demonstrate impressive visuals and storytelling. According to a more conservative vision of cinema, a lot of fantasy and animated movies are going to be rated G because they are made for children. Fantasy and animation are both genres that have blown up in movies and TV, giving rise to more serious, adult-aimed properties in both categories. However, despite today's tastes, some fantasy movies still achieve G ratings, while older titles are also noteworthy.

Some of these so-called kids' movies with scenes that are nightmare fuel are great because they push the boundaries of their G rating, making the most of their thrilling and spooky elements. However, dark family movies are not all there is. Some G-rated movies, including some of the best animated Disney movies, tell happy, child-friendly stories that still convey profound themes that will amaze the...

The 1980s were a boom time for genre films, and no genre had more of a golden 80s than the fantasy film. It was a true trend that produced some of the most famous fantasy films of all time, from the sword and sorcery of Willow and The Princess Bride, to the weirdo almost art-film stylings of Legend and Labyrinth to the puppet-heavy work of The Dark Crystal and The NeverEnding Story. Even animation went heavily into hard fantasy with The Secret of Nimh, The Last Unicorn, Fire and Ice and more; the fantasy genre truly was everywhere in a way that wasn't replicated again until the fantasy TV boom that's been going strong since the 2010s and Game of Thrones.

With that TV trend still going strong, fantasy is at a height not seen since those halcyon 80s days, but while shows like House of the Dragon continue to...

Shannen Doherty's best movies and TV shows showed the great range of the actress, as she became a massive television star in three different decades while also turning in some quality film roles along the way. Doherty started her career as a child actor, getting early roles in shows like Father Murphy and Voyagers before she got her first major TV role in Little House on the Prairie. After making her name in that show as a pre-teen, she also voiced a role in The Secret of Nimh before her career skyrocketed.

Most fans know Doherty from her television career. As a teen, she appeared in Our House, where she garnered award recognition, before she took on a starring role in one of the most popular television shows of the 1990s, Beverly Hills, 90210, as Brenda Walsh. While that remains the role she remained best known for throughout the rest of her career,...

Stand By Me is an undeniable 80s classic, and many of its young actors would go on to have impressive careers. Based on the Steven King novella The Body, the film unfolds the dramatic story of four young boys who set out to discover the dead body of a missing boy. Despite its dark premise, Stand By Me is really a touching tale about youth and friendship. Its enduring influence has earned it a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rob Reiner's coming-of-age story has appealed to each generation with its timeless themes and remains one of the best movies about childhood. Set in 1950s Oregon, the film banked on its adult audience's nostalgia for an era of baseball cards and drive-in movie theaters. Revisiting the film today produces another kind of nostalgia for those who grew up in the era it was released, though. The young cast of Stand By Me...

The Dark Age of American Animation For close to a century now, Disney has been synonymous with American animation at large. If you go back and watch a Disney animated feature from the 1940s or ‘50s, you’ll notice just how fluid and lushly drawn the animation itself often is and how it manages to hold up to the test of time. Even a more modest production from that period proved magnificent, like ‘Lady and the Tramp’, which was so lavishly produced that it was shot in ultra-wide CinemaScope. Contrast the Disney output of this period, basically up to the time of Walt Disney’s death in 1966, with the animated Disney ventures that came afterward. While movies like ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘The Rescuers’ are not exactly bad per se, the jump from hand-drawn animation to computer animation is noticeable. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel,...

What’s new on Amazon’s Prime Video in February 2024?

In light of Valentine’s Day, Prime Video nailed it. This February, the platform is bringing a variety of new shows and movies for you and yours. There is something for everyone — from the latest releases to classic romantic comedies to thrillers and more.

Rom-com “Upgraded,” starring Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux, hits the streamer on Friday, while a series adaptation of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s steamy spy thriller “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” is already taking the world by storm since its Feb. 2 debut with stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.

The platform will also debut 2015’s “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” with Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson, last year’s animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and the well-liked 2014 indie “St.Vincent” with Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts and Chris O’Dowd.

And don’t forget about...

Steven Spielberg requested some scenes from Don Bluth's The Land Before Time be removal for being too scary for children. Many classic children's movies, including Disney's The Black Cauldron and Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal, have included dark and scary elements to balance out the fun. Don Bluth believes that a good children's story should have a good villain and a scare moment.

Don Bluth is an icon in the world of animated feature films of the 1980s and beyond. From The Secret of Nimh and An American Tail to Anastasia and Titan Ae, the filmmaker and animator has been instrumental in Hollywood across his career – even if that sometimes meant him going against the grain. One of those occasions led to Steven Spielberg stepping in to remove some scenes from the classic movie The Land Before Time, which were subsequently destroyed for being “too scary for children.

As DreamWorks Animation shifts to a new production-sharing model with Sony Pictures Imageworks (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), we get a taste of the studio’s indie vibe at its best with “Orion and the Dark” (co-produced with Netflix and currently streaming). It’s an imaginative fantasy-adventure about confronting adolescent fears, thanks to the mind-bending script by Charlie Kaufman (“Anomalisa“).

“I think Kaufman’s whimsy and humor are brilliant for this family film space,” producer Peter McCown told IndieWire. “I think it’s a great match and I hope that he continues in this space.”

Kaufman spent about a year adapting Emma Yarlett’s 2014 children’s picture book about a fear-conquering adventure involving the titular adolescent and Dark, his nemesis, setting it in ’90s Philadelphia and making Orion (Jacob Tremblay) a neurotic, artistic fifth grader and Dark (Paul Walker Hauser) a hulking, insecure figure with an existential crisis. Dark invites Orion...

Prime Video’s big February drop is Mr. & Mrs. Smith! No, not the 2005 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie action movie, but a new TV series kinda based on it starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. The set up for the show version? Glover and Erskine are two strangers who both get jobs at a shady spy agency and are asked to get married so that they can pretend to be a couple undercover, but things get more complicated when they start falling in love for real. Uh oh!

If you’re in the mood for a movie or two this month, you can also check out the Prime debuts of Strays, Bottoms, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. In the meantime, here’s everything coming to Amazon Prime Video and Freevee this month. Amazon Originals are accompanied by an asterisk!

New on Amazon Prime Video – February 2024

February 1

12 Angry Men...

Love is in the air this February at Prime Video! From the long-awaited espionage comedy series “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” to Jennifer Lopez’s new album companion film “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story,” the streamer is days away from adding dozens of classic and fresh titles to its seemingly endless catalog, including the premieres of many more Amazon Originals like “The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy,” “Five Blind Dates,” and “The Silent Service.”

Check out The Streamable’s top picks for February on Prime Video, and find out everything coming to the platform this coming month!

30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in February 2024? “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” | Friday, Feb. 2

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in the long-awaited spy comedy series about two lonely strangers who land a job working for a mysterious spy agency...

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(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

Until "The Little Mermaid" arrived in 1989 and ushered in another golden age for Disney animation, the '80s were not an otherwise great period for the storied studio. That opened the door for other studios and creators to swoop in and steal some of Disney's glory. Enter Don Bluth, one of animation's most heralded creators, who cut his teeth at Disney before going out on his own. Bluth, with the backing of Universal Pictures, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, directed "The Land Before Time," one of the most beloved '80s animated films around.

Bluth helped fill the void after Walt Disney passed away, directing movies like "The Rescuers" and "Pete's Dragon.

Burrow's End is the twentieth season of Dimension 20 and is building towards a shocking finale for the stoat family. Aabria Iyengar returns as the Game Master, bringing a darker tone to this season inspired by The Secret of Nimh and Watership Down. Erika Ishii's character, Ava, experiences a big hero moment and then unexpectedly leaves the table, but later returns with a significant change.

The twentieth season of Dimension 20, Burrow's End, is barreling towards what is sure to be a shocking finale for the family of stoats at the center of the story. When their home was ravaged by poison, they traversed the dangerous Blue Forest looking for a new one when they found the Last Bast. Although it seemed like a safe haven at first, as they learned more about the secrets of this stoat society, they began to question the leadership and the prophecies they...

Rashawn Nadine Scott is a long-time Dimension 20 fan and cried when she first sat at the table in the Dome. Viola's pregnancy adds a layer of complexity to her character and the relationships within the family, allowing for further exploration of personal and intimate dynamics. The seventh episode of Burrow's End includes shocking revelations that seem to change everything for the characters moving forward.

Dimension 20 is heating up with huge twists in the seventh episode of Burrow's End, including potential deaths and huge battles. This season follows a family of stoats who have been searching for a new home after their own was destroyed by poisonous gas. When they find the Last Bast after traveling through the Blue Forest, they find one in the Last Bast. However, things are not as they seem, and with secret and impending dangers on the horizon, their suspicions lead to even darker secrets.

Jaysohn's near-death experience in the latest episode of Dimension 20 was intense, but he didn't seem to fully grasp the concept of his own mortality. Siobhan Thompson, the actor who plays Jaysohn, trusts the Gm and goes with the flow, not making any specific plans during dangerous moments. Jaysohn's character has grown and made friends throughout the season, but he still maintains his high self-esteem and doesn't worry too much about the sociopolitical implications of their new society.

The current season of Dimension 20, Burrow's End, follows a family of stoats as they find a new home after their warren is wiped out by poisonous gas. As they travel through the Blue Forest, they face new dangers and gain new abilities from further exposure to the mysterious Blue. Although their new home seems safe, they are suspicious of the society they have built and their plans to fight the monsters that are destined to return,...

Burrow's End is the twentieth season of Dimension 20, featuring Aabria Iyengar as Game Master and follows a family of stoats surviving in the Blue Forest. The Stupendous Stoats include regulars Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Siobhan Thompson, and Isabella Roland, with new recruits Jasper William Cartwright and Rashawn Nadine Scott. Mulligan's character, Tula, is the mother of two young children and an adult daughter, creating interesting dynamics within the family. Tula's relationship with her mother and her role as a parent are explored.

The new adventure, Burrow's End, is the twentieth season of Dimension 20. This side quest, which features Aabria Iyengar as Game Master, follows a family of stoats trying to survive in the mysterious Blue Forest. When the rest of their burrow is killed, they must leave their home in search of somewhere safe, but as they travel deeper into the forest, new dangers emerge that will test them.

Welcome to Cardboard Cinema, an ongoing series where we look at board games inspired by or connected to our favorite media.

It's spooky season, so what better way to celebrate Halloween than with a handful of spooky board game adaptations for your 2024 wishlist? This month's standouts include a competitive "Saw" game and the much-anticipated adaptation of DC Comics's "DCeased" series. We also look at a few pieces of big news in the tabletop community. Did you know that Zack Snyder was sort-of secretly working on a tabletop adaptation of "Rebel Moon"? You'll have to read on to find out how that went sideways!

Read more: Here's Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult To Understand (And Three Ways To Fix It)

Dimension 20 Leans Into Our Saddest Cartoons

After recently celebrating its five-year anniversary, internet streaming service Dropout has proven itself a mover and shaker in the tabletop space.

Burrow's End is a new season of Dimension 20 inspired by fantasy stories like The Secret of Nimh and Watership Down, following a family of stoats in the Blue Forest. Aabria Iyengar has assembled a fantastic cast for this season, including Dimension 20 veterans and newcomers to the show. Iyengar's storytelling style is cinematic and takes into account both the players and the audience, creating a unique and immersive experience.

Dimension 20 is celebrating its twentieth season with a new side quest, GMed by Aabria Iyengar, Burrow's End. The new season takes inspiration from fantasy stories, including The Secret of Nimh and Watership Down, and follows a family of stoats who live in the Blue Forest. The family has lived a relatively peaceful existence, but that is threatened when they must leave their burrow and work together to survive the dangers of the forest, be they natural or something beyond.

There’s a common misconception that art directed towards children is automatically less dignified than art aimed at other demographics. And with so many people mistakenly believing that animation is exclusively meant to entertain kids, it makes sense that audiences and critics often dismiss animated films as if it were impossible for them to contain anything of substance. Of course, the simplest stories are often the hardest ones to tell, and having your film be marketed towards kids doesn’t mean that it should feel like it was written by them.

One of my personal favorite examples of an animated movie that delves into much deeper (and darker) subject matter than your average cartoon is Don Bluth’s directorial debut, The Secret of Nimh. A dark fantasy fable about talking mice, this 1982 adaptation of Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh takes fascinating liberties with the...

The start of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was a difficult and tempestuous time. Many Trekkies will be able to tell you the series of events: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" wasn't the enormous hit that Paramount wanted when the film was released in 1979, and "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry was uninvited from participating in any further sequels. Smarting from the rejection, Roddenberry eventually turned back to TV, developing an all-new "Star Trek" show at the studio's behest. This show was to be the purer version of "Star Trek," complete with Roddenberry's infamous "no infighting between the characters" mandate that so frustrated his writing staff. Roddenberry was also determined to retain as much control as possible over "Next Generation," causing him to butt heads with, well, just about everyone around him.

In brief, in the show's first two years, there was a lot of chaos. One of the show's main cast -- Denise Crosby,...

Nearly a decade ago, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill traipsed along to Redbone across an alien world, and relative to all the previous MCU entries, there was something initially fresh about the encounter until the shine wore off, and other blockbuster fare picked up all the wrong lessons. Subsequent outings have retread the blend of screwball antics, pew pew lasers, and a retro soundtrack to bring us Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It’s a Marvel entry surprisingly free of any ties to broader property outside of the first two volumes, but mired in the same bag of tricks with a bit more slime on it.

After a brief but alarming cold open depicting Rocket Raccoon’s surgical transformation from cute trash panda to wisecracking tech wiz, Vol. 3 brings us up to date with our ne’er do well heroes, finding Quill lovelorn over a version of Gamora who doesn’t remember him.

For those who didn’t know the Marvel catalog inside-out, when James Gunn first unleashed “Guardians of the Galaxy” back in 2014, it felt like the company was suddenly calling in the B-team. Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor. Those guys were household names who deserved standalone movies. But Star-Lord? Drax the Destroyer? Lethal green-skinned Gamora, grunting tree-thing Groot and a sarcastic raccoon named Rocket? They felt like parodies of the better-known Marvel characters — not so much superheroes as a ragged crew of sci-fi scoundrels roaming the cosmos in search of trouble.

The surprising thing was, “Guardians” turned out to be the most entertaining Marvel movie yet. The characters had chemistry and didn’t take themselves seriously. This crew genuinely seemed to enjoy saving the galaxy. In a way, they were an improvement on the Avengers, and much more fun than any of the misfired Fantastic Four movies — not quite as irreverent...

The artist behind beloved smash hits like “Don’t Smurf the Music,” “Rude Smurf,” “Smurf Better Have My Money,” and “Only Smurf (in the World)” will finally step into the role she was destined to play: Smurfette. The producers of what’s still being called Untitled Smurfs Animated Film (officially italicized as such, so maybe that will be the title) announced Thursday that Rihanna will step into the role.

“This is a delight,” Rihanna said of playing the “blue badass” at CinemaCon, where she was on hand for the announcement...

The "dinosaur phase" is pretty much a rite of passage for every child. If you're a man-child like me, your "dinosaur phase" has gone well into adulthood (no shame). Personally, I've never outgrown my sense of wonder and awe at prehistoric beasts. They're like fantasy creatures that you only read about in books — except they were real! Nowhere is my passion for paleontology more profound than when it comes to dinosaur movies. A milestone movie for me and millions of other millennial moviegoers was the "Jurassic Park" franchise, especially the original.

While the "Jurassic Park" franchise may be the king of dinosaur movies, it's not the only time prehistoric beasts have stomped on the big screen; they've entertained us for decades. Some dinosaur movies are genuinely great films, while some are so bad they're good, but all of them are awesome. I'm going to share some of my favorite dinosaur movies,...

Anastasia is an outlier in the world of fairytale films. For starters, there's the fact that it's based on actual history rather than any fairytale. Second, despite sharing some similarities with the then-current house style of Disney's animated films, animator Don Bluth had left the House of Mouse to pursue his own animated projects, including The Secret of Nimh and All Dogs Go To Heaven. But what really makes the film stand out is the love story between the titular princess Anastasia (Meg Ryan) and con artist Dimitri (John Cusack).

From an early age, animator Don Bluth was a great admirer of Disney and has said in interviews that as a child, he would practice drawing by copying old Disney comic books. This childhood activity led to him being hired by Disney to work on their feature film version of "Sleeping Beauty" in the mid-1950s. After a stint doing missionary work and animating for various TV shows, Bluth returned to Disney in the mid-'70s to work on the company's version of "Robin Hood." Bluth worked on various animated features for Disney, eventually rising to the role of animation director for the 1977 film "Pete's Dragon." Over the course of working for Disney, however, Bluth became kind of disillusioned with the way the company owned all of their animators' work, and how animators were all trained to draw and animate the same way. Bluth left Disney in 1979 to form his own production company.

Don Bluth is one of those directors whose films I find inseparable from my memories of childhood. Just as Disney Animation was hitting a low point in the 1980s, Bluth was churning out animated classics like "The Secret of Nimh," "An American Tail," and "The Land Before Time." These are daring movies full of darkness and whimsy, marrying gorgeous hand-drawn imagery with stories about animal abuse, the plight of Russian-Jewish immigrants traveling to 19th-century America, and the beginning of the end of the age of dinosaurs. His next film after those three, 1989's "All Dogs Go to Heaven," is a parable about no less a topic than the meaning of existence.

Bluth's output mellowed as he struggled to compete with Disney's animation renaissance, yet he held onto his underlying weirdness for as long as he could. He started off the '90s directing strange animated musicals like "Rock-a-Doodle" (a movie...

There's nothing like a Don Bluth animated film. From the wide-eyed whimsy of his characters to his confusing, dreamlike sequences, the work of this animation icon has delighted (and terrified) audiences since the release of "The Secret of Nimh." Some 40 years later, Bluth's filmography has grown to contain some of the most fascinating hand-drawn animated projects Hollywood has ever seen. From nostalgic classics like "An American Tail" and "The Land Before Time" to truly odd flops like "A Troll in Central Park" and "Rock-a-Doodle," the list goes on and on. That begs the question, which films rank as the best examples of Bluth's talents?

From the not-so-great to the ones that continue to make us smile, we'll dive deep into Don Bluth's theatrically released feature films. Sure, there are projects he worked on outside of that specific medium (including direct-to-video projects and video games) To correctly examine this filmmaker, it's...

There is still a very sad and very wrong stigma that animation is just for kids. Though animation is a medium, not a genre, and it includes stories of every kind and for every kind of audience, the vast majority of mainstream studio animated movies in the U.S. tend to cater to all-audiences and take more comedic tones in order to be accessible for children.

Still, even within family-friendly boundaries, plenty of animated films manage to include more mature topics, characters, or jokes that go over kids' heads. This includes the nightmare-inducing horrors of "The Secret of Nimh" and "Watership Down," or heartbreaking movies like...

The post Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Has Some Surprisingly Dark Inspiration appeared first on /Film.

Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Robyn Bahr, and Bill Graham discuss The Secret of Nimh and the films of Don Bluth on a special Classic episode.

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Director Don Bluth began his career working on several productions for Disney's animation department, notably as animation director on "The Rescuers" and on "Pete's Dragon," but also as a character animator on films like "Robin Hood" (1973) and "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too." It was when he was working on the 1981 flick "The Fox and the Hound" that Bluth's career at Disney began to sour. Arguing with the Disney brass as to how to train new animators, and who should retain artistic control on a project, Bluth ended up quitting the studio...

The post How Disney Successfully Prevented Anastasia's Success appeared first on /Film.

, Morgan Galen King and Philip Gelatt’s “The Spine of Night” is nothing less than an orgiastic ode to Ralph Bakshi, Gerald Potterton, and the other god-kings of rotoscope animation whose adult cartoons glistened from behind the beaded doorways of America’s video stores like forbidden relics that would melt the faces of anyone who dared to gaze upon their taboo wonders. It’s nothing more than that, either, but there’s only so much you can ask of a movie in which Lucy Lawless voices a naked swamp witch who wears a human skull as a headdress and shouts things like “tremble before the immensity of the night!”

Even if “The Spine of Night” struggles to align its overarching story with the anthology-like shape that it takes, it’s still rare and rewarding to watch a film that makes so few bones about what it wants to be — all...

Opening this illustriously designed tome, Planet Wax instantly transports one back to a bygone era in grand sci-fi scores, as the best soundtracks of the genre are poured over with incredible detail. These pages are filled with gorgeous art work that span decades. And no stone is left unturned, from the biggest interplanetary thrillers to obscure oddities alike. Everything is given an equal spotlight. This is the music that makes dreams possible, and it has laid the foundation for imaginations to grow for decades to come.

The book itself is eons in the making, and a fun page turner that will be irresistible to ignore once laid upon any coffee table in the universe. Its grand design pulls you in, and within a few moments of perusing its content, you'll be hurrying to your turntable to see if any of these gems are hidden away in your own vinyl collection.

Don Bluth made waves in the 1980s and 1990s as an animation alternative to what was being made by Walt Disney Animation Studios. With titles like The Secret of Nimh, The Land Before Time, An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Rock-a-Doodle, and Anastasia, Don Bluth Productions carved out a nice niche for themselves […]

The post Animation Legend Don Bluth, Creator of ‘The Land Before Time’ and More, Has Formed a New Animation Studio appeared first on /Film.

The Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis has been going strong for almost 30 years now and just keeps getting bigger and better! The fun takes place at The Machinists Hall 12365 St Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Mo 63044. There are over 120 vendors at the Toyman Toy Show spread out over 220 tables. all selling vintage toys, comics, dolls, diecast cars, movie memorabilia, and more as well as cosplayers and artists. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun for only $5!

The next Toyman Show is this Sunday, July 12th from 9:00a to 3:00p and artist and animator Philo Barnhart, best known for known for his work on The Little Mermaid (1989), The Secret of Nimh(1982) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990) will be there! Other guests include Charles D. Moisant – Writer, Artist for Silver Phoenix Ent).

All attendees will be Required to wear face masks/coverings. This is per St.Louis County Health Dept Guidelines.

The Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis has been going strong for almost 30 years now and just keeps getting bigger and better! The fun now takes place nine times a year at The Machinists Hall 12365 St Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Mo 63044. There are over 120 vendors at the Toyman Toy Show spread out over 220 tables. all selling vintage toys, comics, dolls, diecast cars, movie memorabilia, and more as well as cosplayers and artists. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun for only $5!

The next Toyman Show is this Sunday, August 4th from 9:00a to 3:00p and artist and animator Philo Barnhart, best known for known for his work on The Little Mermaid (1989), The Secret of Nimh(1982) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990) will be there! Other guests include Cartoonist Guy Gilchrist –, Charles D. Moisant – Writer, Artist for Silver Phoenix Ent), and Artist Timothy Chiasson – (Official artist for Robotech)

And...

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled everything coming to the streaming service in May, and highlights include new series “Good Omens” on May 31 and the second and final season of “Fleabag” coming May 17.

“Sneaky Pete,” a Prime original series about a con man who pretends to be a family’s long-lost grandson, arrives for its third season on May 10. Prime subscribers can also watch the horrors of 2018’s “Suspiria” unfold in their own home. The Prime original film starring Dakota Johnson comes to the streaming service May 3.

Other highlights include existing films like “Reservoir Dogs,” seven installments of the “Friday the 13th” franchise, and the first “Mission: Impossible” movie. Licensed TV series coming to the streamer include Season 3 of ITV’s British comedy “The Durrells,” and Season 4 of the BBC’s drama “Poldark.”

Also Read: 'Fleabag' Season 2: Phoebe Waller-Bridge Goes to Battle With God in New Trailer (Video...

MGM is in the process of remaking its iconic catalogue of movies. And now, in an inventive new deal, Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo have been brought into godfather the whole enterprise. The two brothers are being described as 'spiritual creative architects' as MGM sets out to rebuild its cinematic empire with titles that are familiar to most movie fans and film buffs.

MGM has made a multi-movie deal with the Russo's Agbo Films, one that is non-exclusive. The two partners will co-develop, co-produce and co-finance a slate of upcoming projects that currently includes a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair and Rats of Nimh, both of which have long been in development.

The Thomas Crown Affair will be the first movie going forward in this deal, which has had Black Panther and Creed star Michael B. Jordan attached for quite some time. He will be producing...

The Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis has been going strong for almost 30 years now and just keeps getting bigger and better! The fun now takes place nine times a year at The Machinists Hall 12365 St Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Mo 63044. There are over 120 vendors at the Toyman Toy Show spread out over 220 tables. all selling vintage toys, comics, dolls, diecast cars, movie memorabilia, and more as well as cosplayers and artists. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun for only $5!

The next Toyman Show is this Sunday, July 8th from 9:00a to 3:00p and artist and animator Philo Barnhart, best known for known for his work on The Little Mermaid (1989), The Secret of Nimh(1982) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990) will be there!

Also, Comic Book Creator, Artist & Actor Charles D. Moisant will be on hand as well.

And I’ll be there handing out Free movie Swag!

David Crow Mike Cecchini Dec 11, 2018

We have seen the pop culture glory that is Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One. Repeatedly. So we're ready to dissect every geeky gem in it!

This article contains more Ready Player One spoilers than a Nintendo Player’s Guide walkthrough.

Ready Player One is now out on Blu-ray and HBO, and fans are basking in all of its easter egg glory. While Steven Spielberg was able to infuse a creative spark into the film that allowed it to stand on more than only pure nostalgia, there is no denying that the immediate hook of Ernest Cline’s novel and the subsequent Spielberg blockbuster is its cornucopia of movie references, video game easter eggs, and pop culture homages to all things ‘80s. The film might be set in 2045, but it’s good to know that the future is just as obsessed with Gen-x and Millennial culture as we are today!

Bud Luckey, the man behind Toy Story's Sheriff Woody, has passed away at the age of 83. Lucey was a man of many extraordinary talents. In addition to his work with Pixar, which began in 1990, Lucey is responsible for a lot of Sesame Street's classic animated pieces, including Ladybug Picnic, The Alligator King, and Martian Beauty. Luckey provided the animation in addition to writing the songs and providing the vocals and other voice work. Bud's son, Andy Luckey, announced the news of his death on social media.

Andy Luckey, who is best known as an executive producer on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon took to social media to pay tribute to his father, who friends and family simply referred to as Bud. Bud Luckey was reportedly saw easy-going that Pixar dubbed him "Bud Low-Key." Andy talked about his dad's passion for his work but highlighted that he preferred...

Fans of “All Dogs Go to Heaven” might not recall a scene in which one of the gone-too-soon pooches descends into the fiery belly of hell and narrowly escapes taking up permanent residence among the other condemned souls. And that’s apparently for good reason, as the full sequence in question was cut. It’s made its way online, as all such things eventually do, and is now available to retroactively ruin your childhood on YouTube. Watch the entire uncut scene below if you dare.

Read MoreDon Bluth Goes Kickstarter for “Dragon’s Lair: The Movie”

The film was directed by the underrated Don Bluth, who provided a darker alternative to Disney fare throughout the 1980s and ’90s: “The Secret of Nimh,” “An American Tail,” “The Land Before Time,” “Rock-a-Doodle,” “Anastasia.” This chthonic sequence, although found in low quality, finds canine hero Charlie B. Barkin (voiced by Burt Reynolds) sucked...

The Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis has been going strong for over 25 years now and just keeps getting bigger and better! The fun takes place seven times a year at The Machinists Hall 12365 St Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Mo 63044. There are over 120 vendors at the Toyman Toy Show spread out over 220 tables. all selling vintage toys, comics, dolls, diecast cars, movie memorabilia, and more as well as cosplayers and artists. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun for only $5!

The next Toyman Show is March 12th from 9:00a to 3:00p and artist and animator Philo Barnhart, best known for known for his work on The Little Mermaid (1989), The Secret of Nimh(1982) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990) will be there!

Also, Comic Book Creator, Artist & Actor Charles D. Moisant will be on hand as well.

And I’ll be there handing out Free movie Swag!

Come to...

(Welcome to Nostalgia Bomb, a series where we take a look back on beloved childhood favorites and discern whether or not they’re actually any good. In this edition, we revisit Don Bluth’s The Secret of Nimh.) I got the worst sunburn of my life the summer before first grade. Growing up fair-skinned on the beach gave […]

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