It’s an extra special episode of The Goods as Dan and Brian celebrate Dan’s birthday with an in-person private screening and episode recording. Join as they revisit the 1999 animated classic, The Iron Giant, directed and co-written by Brad Bird. Dan discusses his long-thriving fascination (borderline obsession) with animation, and Brian notes the film’s connections…
Holiday specials bring out cherished memories in this week’s episode of The Goods. Join Brian and Dan as they unpack Linus’s undying devotion to The Great Pumpkin, praise the Guaraldi score, and debate whether Peanuts specials live up to their cachet. Dan spends a few minutes reflecting on his grandfather and the annual Pumpkin Hunt…
It’s mid-fall, which means it’s time for Brian’s annual viewing of the instant classic animated miniseries Over the Garden Wall, with Dan joining for the first time. Join as they ponder sibling relationships, admire old-timey aesthetic, and revel in Jason Funderburker’s frog voice. Ephemera: A look at vintage Halloween postcards which inspired the art in…
Download link (you may have to right click and “Save As”) Dan and Kevin of Taestful Reviews check in on the latest animated hit, Zootopia, praising its themes and evaluating its place in recent animated canon. Notes/corrections: We couldn’t remember the name of the studio behind the upcoming The Secret Life of Pets — it’s Illumination…
I don’t wanna hear it–animated characters are hot. Let’s talk about the ones I’d like to date. Oh, here’s some clarifying rules for the list. 1. Disney does not equal Pixar 2. Only 2D-animated characters allowed 3. No animals or otherwise non-human characters allowed 4. Must be of at least teenager age 5. Must star in…
I like Pixar movies. Shocking, right? Pixar falls in the same category as John Green, elevating to a higher plane a genre that I adore but that is often dismissed as immature fun (animated films and YA lit, respectively). Simply, if you’re interested in well-told, mature, compelling stories and you’re interested in animation, then Pixar…
To celebrate our fifth birthday, each Earn This contributor is selecting his five favorite things from the past five years. Here are Kevin’s picks (all related to trends in animated movies). 5. Charming Comic-Relief Characters My list will be all things animated, and something that has impressed me over the past five years is all the…
Download link (you may have to right click and “Save As”) The ETCast is back! Kevin and I caught up on Skype and debated to movies we disagree about: Shrek and The Lion King. As you know if you’ve been following our Animation Evaluation project, you know that I’m a big fan of both Shrek and The Lion King, while Kevin believes…
Antz (1998) Kevin: Is it even possible to talk about DreamWorks’ first animated film without also talking about A Bug’s Life which was released that same year? Some part of me wants to say Antz is overrated, considering it got a fresh 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience reviews were not nearly as favorable, though,…
Toy Story (1995) Kevin: Whenever one great civilization falls, another one rises up in its place. It’s no different in cinema history. The Disney studio released their 33rd animated feature, Pocahontas, in 1995. Pixar released their 1st. Toy Story was heralded at the time for innovation and novelty. It is remembered today for giving us…