Tag: Documentary

Howard 9/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

PG, 94m, 2018

Directed by Don Hahn. Produced by Lori Korngiebel and Jonathan Polenz, Screenplay by Don Hahn. Music by Alan Menken and Chris Bacon.

“To our friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful.” These words appear at the end of Beauty and the Beast, during the end credits as a dedication to the great late Howard Ashman. Howard Ashman was a songwriter and lyrist, who played a major part in igniting the Disney Renaissance. During the production of The Little Mermaid, Ashman would hold story meetings, because he believed that a song in a movie should move the story forward, and he believed that animation and musicals were made for each other. I first learned of Howard Ashman while watching a fourteen-part documentary series called Animation Lookback: Walt Disney Animation Studios, created by Mat Brunet. Upon doing some additional research, and after watching Waking Sleeping Beauty, I came to be fascinated by Howard Ashman and I found it to be a great tragedy that he died in the middle of his prime. I also thought that the story of Howard Ashman could make a great movie or a great documentary, and I wondered why this project wasn’t being made. The people that knew Howard Ashman were mostly still alive, and many of them are still creating content to this day. Fast forward to several years later, I hear that a documentary based on the life of Howard Ashman was in the works. I was ecstatic, since I knew and respected the work of the people involved. Don Hahn was set to direct the film, and as the director of Waking Sleeping Beauty, which is my favorite documentary on the subject of animation, I felt the film was in safe hands. He was also close to Howard, so I knew that would add a more personal touch that made Waking Sleeping Beauty as good as it was. Soon after it launched on Disney+ I sat down and watched it, and for the most part the film met and at times exceeded my expectations.

Howard documents the life and career of songwriter Howard Ashman, who wrote the lyrics for the songs in The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, as well as the songs in the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors. Howard Ashman would continue to write musical lyrics until his death in March 1991, due to complications from AIDS at the age of 40.

The driving force behind the enjoyability of biographical documentaries is how interesting the person being discussed is, and how the filmmakers tell their life story. I have seen quite a few biographical documentaries where the subject leads an interesting life, but the filmmakers made the film into a borefest. To the point where an event that, should evoke great interest or wonder, left me staving off falling asleep. This documentary, as well as the man Howard Ashman suffers none of these setbacks. Throughout Howard, Howard Ashman could be viewed as a proverbial Walt Disney. After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, the Disney Company entered into a downward spiral that almost cost the company its independence, as several companies were attempting to buy out the Disney Studio during this turbulent time. During the late 1980s, there was a revitalization in the Disney Studio that would eventually lead to the Disney Renaissance. One of the people at the forefront of leading Disney’s animation department into the Disney Renaissance was Howard Ashman. Howard Ashman helped create the Disney song formula that dominated the Disney Renaissance. The intro song, the I want song, the villain song, the love song that can double as a pop song and the big number, are all musical staples that can be found in most of the films released during the Disney Renaissance. Howard Ashman had a background in musical theater, so he knew the importance of progressing the story through music. This is a lesson that Howard drilled into the people who worked on the films of the early Disney Renaissance. This lesson would pay off the songs of the Disney Renaissance either progress the story along, reveal something about a character or introduce the audience to the world in which the characters inhabit.

The final part of the documentary covers Howard Ashman’s struggles with aids behind the scenes of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. This sequence initially had me a little worried, as it could easily come off as melodramatic or it could drag the documentary down. Instead, what we got was a very touching tribute to a man, made by people who loved him tremendously. Several times throughout the documentary, you can see the lumps in people’s throats forming, and they pause for a bit to conduct themselves, this makes the events being discussed seem all the more real. When Alan Menken recounted the story of learning about Howard’s illness, the day after they both won Oscars for their work on The Little Mermaid, a lump formed in my throat for a minute, which is a rare occurrence for me as I rarely tear up during movies. Part of the tragedy of Howard’s death is due to the abruptness of his death. Howard knew when he started writing the lyrics for the songs of Beauty and the Beast, that he was not going to live to see the completed film. Instead of moping about and feeling sorry for himself, like so many of us might do, Howard gathered the rest of his strength and set out to make Beauty and the Beast as good as he possibly could. He succeeded in this endeavor, which makes it all the more tragic that he never got to see the completed film.

Similarly, to Waking Sleeping Beauty,the film utilizes archival videos and stock photos, rather than modern interviews. However, unlike Waking Sleeping Beauty, Howard does something new. Throughout the documentary, whenever a song plays that was written by Howard Ashman, lyrics appear on the screen, and I feel this is a nice little touch, that lets the audience bask in the witty lyrics of songs that many people in my generation brew up singing. When I first sat down to watch this movie, I was a bit concerned that it would just be a repeat of Waking Sleeping Beauty, instead Howard acts more like a companion piece to Waking Sleeping Beauty. Now this doesn’t mean that one has to watch Waking Sleeping Beauty (although I’d certainly recommend it from an entertainment perspective) in order appreciate Howard. A person could go into Howard, having never heard of the principal characters, or Waking Sleeping Beauty. It would certainly help if the viewer knew a bit about the principal characters or had seen Waking Sleeping Beauty as the initiated viewer would receive a deep understanding of the events and people being portrayed on screen.

For me, this documentary succeeds at everything a documentary should set out to do. It was entertaining, I learned something new while watching it and I felt something while watching. I majored in history in college, and as such I have seen some documentaries that were not only boring, but were generic with their presentation of the facts, this documentary suffers from none of these flaws. While I still prefer Waking Sleeping Beauty to this film, Howard is still a highly enjoyable film that fans of music, animation and Disney should all watch. If these things don’t excite you, I’d still recommend the film, as the film is highly enjoyable, and it focuses on an interesting individual who pursed his passions and gave the world some of the most memorable songs to grace the silver screen.

Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony 7/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

TV-14, 90m, 2012

Directed by Laurent Malaquais. Produced by Anglie Brown, Morgan Peterson, Michael Brockhoff, Tara Strong, Lauren Faust and John de Lancie. Screenplay by Nat Segaloff. Music by David O., The Living Tombstone and Gabriel Brown.

            I was born in the mid-nineties, in the southern part of the United States. As a result, I’ve always had certain beliefs thrust onto me. One of these beliefs was that the show My Little Pony is for girls. As a kid, I never watched any of the previous three generations of My Little Pony, but I certainly knew girls who at some point or another loved the show. So, when the fourth generation of My Little Pony, or as it’s more commonly known as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, was released the show flew completely under my radar. When I was in high school, and as I was just begining to get into fandoms such as the anime fandom, I heard of another fandom that confused me. The fandom was for the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and a large number of the fans were guys. They called themselves bronies, or in some cases, a girl would refer to herself as a pegasister, and at first, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. I eventually decided to think to each their own and go about my business. I quite possibly would have never watched the show if it hadn’t had been for my then girlfriend at the time. Like me, she was a massive animation and anime fan and we used to have long talks about our favorite animated shows and movies. One show she kept insisting I watch was My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but I still had my doubts about how good this show could possibly be. One day we were hanging out at her place, while her brother was there. She was flipping through the channels, and she put on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I jokingly replied “really?” to which she replied that it was one of her favorite shows and even her brother liked it. So, I relented and watched it with them, and I found myself enjoying the show. We watched a few episodes before I had to leave to go to a college class. Fast forward a few years, to when I was a Junior in college. I had not watched a single episode of the show since that day. I was bored and trying to familiarize myself with as many aspects of animation history as I possible could, because at the time I had aspirations of becoming an Animation Historian. Remembering the show, I justified watching it so I can learn what the fuss was truly all about and so I can have some insight in the show if I was to ever talk about the sociology of animation fandoms. Once again, I found myself enjoying the show, only this time I didn’t stop at one or two episodes. I watched all of the available seasons and I continued to watch the show until its completion in 2019. Admittedly I kept the information of me being a brony, a secret from most people, as I knew the social stigma. Naturally, my friends teased me a bit on occasion, but I didn’t care. I like what I like and that’s alright. 

            The documentary is split into several sections, primarily featuring the mid-2012 BronyCon, GalaCon, and B.U.C.K. conventions. The documentary introduces various segments that include original animation that offers a brief history of the previous My Little Pony generations, as well as key terms and artistic contributions that bronies have made to the fandom. Other segments feature interviews from the cast and crew of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, as well as interviews from bronies from all walks of life that explores how they got into the show and how it has had an impact on their lives.

            The documentary is certainly aware of the social stigma surrounding the brony fandom and it goes to great lengths to break the stereotype of the show being just for girls. The documentary features fans from various parts of the world, and they talk about how they go into the show as well as their experiences as a brony. At the beginning of the documentary several interviews of people who had never seen the show are shown and words such as creepy, flamboyant, pedo and weird are thrown around. It’s a fate of cruel irony that fans of a show, whose driving message is that of tolerance and friendship, receive a tremendous backlash with such venomous tenacity. It’s true that there are a few bad apples amongst the fandom, but to be fair every group or organization has a certain group of people that give the group a bad name, and the normal people of said group hate to be associated with the deviant group.  This documentary never explicitly mentions such deviant people, but the feelings of negativity towards bronies are featured at times. In the documentary Alex, who resides in North Carolina was harassed one night, because on his car had Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on his rear windshield. The hoodlums encircled the guy and brandished tire irons and baseball bats and proceeded to bash in his rear windshield. One guy went to his truck and came back with a rifle, that he waved around while telling Alex that he needs to “stop this little gay pony girly shit”. Fortunately, no harm came to Alex that night, but it did understandingly shake him up. I know that there will always be people who look down on people who have hobbies or interests that while harmless, are a deviation from the norm, and I actually pity these types of people a little bit. These people will miss out on some truly wonderful content as their close mindedness will prevent them from experiencing something great. I know plenty of people who view animation as a children’s medium, and as a result, I know they’re going to miss out on some of the best creative content that television and movies have to offer.

            While this documentary does feature some of the down sides of being a brony, the documentary also covers some of the more joyous and positive effects of the show. Through his watching the show and attending cons, Daniel, a man with the mental affliction of Asperger’s Syndrome, was able to truly come out of his shell and accomplish things that were previously thought to be impossible for him. He was able to do this by relating to certain characters, and by watching them deal with difficult situations, he was able to overcome obstacles in his own life. Multiple people featured in the documentary go into great detail about how much of a positive effect that the show has had in their life. I get this on an umber of levels. While there are certainly darker elements to the show, whenever I watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic I always get a happy feeling and I get more relaxed. The show especially helps me wind down if I’d been having a challenging day, or if I just need a bit more cheerfulness in my life. I find it rather beautiful that a show that tries to promote friendship has created friendships in the real world.

            Rewatching this documentary brought back some pleasant memories from the show, and I was left with a tingling sense of nostalgia, which I thought was a bit odd as it hadn’t been that long since I saw the show. This documentary is near perfect for fans and non-fans of the show. Fans will get to see people who enjoy the show take their love for the series and create some impressive content and in one case even find love through a fan meet-up. I highly recommend this documentary for those who are curious about the brony phenomenon, and I feel that this documentary as well as Saberspark’s The Brony Chronicles, perfectly encapsulates what people enjoy about the show.

Frank and Ollie 8/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

PG, 89m, 1995

Starring Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Jeanette A. Thomas, Marie E. Johnston, John Canemaker, John Culhane, Glen Keane and Andy Gaskill. Directed by Theodore Thomas. Produced by Theodore Thomas and Kuniko Okubo. Screenplay by Theodore Thomas. Music by John Reynolds.

            Throughout the history of the Walt Disney Studio, many great filmmakers, musicians and artists have combined their talents to make some of the most beloved films in the history of cinema. This is especially true of their animated films. However, there are some animators that stand out more than others. Perhaps the most well-known group of Disney animators are the Nine Old Men. The Nine Old Men consists of nine animators that started working for Disney in the early to mid- 1930s, with the exception of Les Clark, who started working for Disney in 1927. Their work helped shape the face of Disney animation and the group would work on the animated films of Disney from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Fox and the Hound. The Nine Old Men are Les Clark, Marc Davis, Woolie Reitherman, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Perhaps the most widely known are Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, who are sometimes referred to as Frank and Ollie.

            The film covers the careers, friendship and daily lives of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. The film even has the two act out some of the most iconic scenes they worked on. For anybody familiar with the animation process this is a real treat to see two of the greatest masters of animation recreate those iconic scenes. For those not initiated in the process of animation, when a person is animating anthropomorphic, the animator will often use filmed reference material, or they’ll act out the scene in front of a mirror. When I dabbled in animation, I often would have my friend do little movements such as walking or doing simple movements. I’d also keep a little mirror by my desk so I could portray facial expressions accurately. I was teased for a bit, until the instructor said I was doing what real animators do, pretty soon most of the class was using the same techniques they had previously mocked.

            I appreciate how the film gives an insider’s view of the Disney Studio. Frank and Ollie talk about their impressions and memories of famous Disney animators like Freddie Moore, Bill Tytla, Norm Ferguson and Ham Luske. Back in the 1930s these guys were the top animators working at Disney and they were the ones who actually trained the guys that would become the nine old men. These guys would go on to work on and even direct some of the greatest film produced at the Disney Studio such as Pinocchio, Dumbo and Fantasia. The film also features some of the caricatures the two made of each other or other people at the Disney Studio. The drawings of caricatures was and still is an encouraged practice at the Disney Studio as it gives the artists a bit of a release and it helps sharpen the artists skill of communication, because in order for the joke to work the artist has to properly show what makes the certain element that they decided to focus on humorous.

            I appreciate how the film goes into some of the more human elements of the pair. Frank and Ollie both admit that during the 1920s, they’d sometimes go to speakeasies. For those unfamiliar with a speakeasy, it was a place that served alcohol during probation, which was illegal at the time. This little tidbit of information is largely glossed over, but it does add a little but of a human element to the duo by showing that they weren’t always the pure and saintly type that the Disney Studio is known for. Both Frank and Ollie’s wives share little anecdotes about something their husband did or said, and I just find the interaction between the husbands and wives to be absolutely adorable.

            The core theme of this film is the friendship between Frank and Ollie. These two men met at Stanford University, when they were in their early twenties. Their friendship was transferred into the characters they animated such as Captain Hook and Mr. Smee from Peter Pan, Wart and Merlin from The Sword in the Stone and Baloo and Mowgli from The Jungle Book. The pair even co-authored a few books on animation, including Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life in 1981, which is commonly referred to as “the bible of animation”. The film features the spiritual song “Just a Little While to Stay Here” played by Frank Thomas on the piano and I fell the song truly captures the essence of the film which is about life, friendship and art.

            I find this film to be the perfect film to study if one wants to go into animation. Some may find this statement to be a bit odd, as the main theme of this film is about friendship. The film offers a little insight on the Disney Studio while Frank and Ollie worked there, but it never goes as in-depth as other documentaries like Waking Sleeping Beauty, The Pixar Story or The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story. So, you may be asking yourself “what does he mean this film is a perfect film to study if one wants to go into animation?”, my reasoning is simple. Although out the film, both men talk about personality in character animation and the need to make the characters as believable as possible. This topic and many animation topics are covered extensively in Frank and Ollie’s seminal book The Illusion of Life. These lessons that I learned from these two men have actually helped me in my own life, as I try to become a better critic and maybe someday a filmmaker. Whenever I sit down to sketch out a story, I always ask myself questions like “What was this character’s childhood like?” “Why do they act the way they do?” “What do they want out of life?” “What’s their biggest fear?”. I learned to ask these questions from people like Frank and Ollie, who helped me learn the subtleties of personality in animation. The documentary also discusses the importance of planning a sequence out in one’s head before one starts to animate, since the animator is the one who brings life to an animated character they have to take on the role as an actor, by acting out the scenes they’re bringing to life.

            When it comes to many animated films, the only thing a lot of people remember about the real-life people behind the films are the voice actors and maybe a famous director or producer. I find this to be a real shame as animators like Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston helped revolutionize the animation industry. The pair would even be caricatured and voice characters in The Iron Giant, where they were the train conductors, and The Incredibles, where they were the two elderly men who comment on the return of the supers.” Hey, you see that?” “Eh?” “That’s the way to do it. That’s old school.” “Yeah, no school like the old school.” “Right”. Both films were directed by Brad Bird, who had worked with the legendary duo. I remember watching this documentary as a kid and liking it, to the point where I wanted to meet Frank and Ollie, as they had created some of my favorite animated characters. Unfortunately, this would never come to pass as Frank Thomas passed away on September 8, 2004, and Ollie Johnston passed away on April 14, 2008. These men helped create some of the most beloved animated films of all time, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful for helping spark my interest in animation and the medium of film as art.

Waking Sleeping Beauty 9/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

PG, 86m, 2009

Starring Don Hahn, Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Roy E. Disney, Frank Wells, Peter Schneider, John Musker, Ron Clements, John Lasseter, Glen Keane, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Rob Minkoff, Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Directed by Don Hahn. Produced by Don Hahn and Peter Schneider. Screenplay by Patrick Pacheco. Music by Chris P. Bacon.

Peter Schneider, Roy E. Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg

            For my entire life I’ve been a massive animation fan. As a kid I watched a lot of films released by the Wald Disney Animation Studios, on VHS. Sure, I had other animated and live-action films I enjoyed that weren’t Disney such as Babe, The Land Before Time and the Pokémon films, but the films by Disney and Pixar were by far, my go-tos for entertainment. I consumed so much Disney knowledge, that I was an ace at Disney trivia games. One source where I used to get some of my Disney knowledge was from the documentaries that some Disney VHS tapes had. I was born in 1996, so I remember a time when bonus content was rarely released on home video, since DVDs, weren’t super popular yet. These documentaries weren’t particularly long but, I enjoyed watching them because I liked learning more about my favorite movies. There was only one problem, these documentaries only came with films that were released way before I was born. Sure, I liked learning about the making of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Fun and Fancy Free and The Jungle Book, but I wanted to learn about newer animated films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. I’d eventually get my wish when DVDs and Blu-rays offered tons of content about my favorite animated movies, but by then my taste and changed a little. I’ve retained my love for learning about films into adulthood and this is part of the reason I became a film critic. As I got older, and as I actually started studying the history of the Walt Disney Animation Studio, I learned of a time period known as the Disney Renaissance. The Disney Renaissance lasted from 1989 to 1999, The films released during this time were The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan and Tarzan. As I learned more about the Walt Disney Studio during the Disney Renaissance, I found out that there was a documentary called Waking Sleeping Beauty. It’d be several years before I obtained a copy of the film, but when I did, I was reminded why I fell in love with studying animation in the first place.

            During Walt Disney’s lifetime (1901-1966), the Disney Studio had its ups and downs. However Following Walt’s and later his brother Roy O. Disney, the studio started to decline in quality. This is most notable in their animated features. Compare films like The Rescuers, Robin Hood and The Aristocats, to films like Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi, and you’re going to notice a major difference in quality. The time period from the death of Walt Disney in 1966, to the release of The Little Mermaid in 1989, is sometimes known as the “Disney Dark Age”. It’s during this time that the film begins. The film covers the events from 1984, a year prior to the release of The Black Cauldron, to 1994, with the release of The Lion King. This time period was a tumultuous time in the Disney Studio. The animators who had worked with Walt Disney since the 1930s, and who had worked on some of the most iconic films in animation history were retiring, leaving the animation department to a group of younger people, who would go on to change animation forever.

            This film utilizes mostly stock footage filmed inside the Disney Studio, so as a result the film makes its audience feel like they’re actually at the story meetings and inside the recording booth. The director of this film is Don Hahn, who was a producer for films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. He along with Peter Schneider were working at the Disney Studio at the time and as a result, they’re able to bring in a personal insight that would have been lost, had somebody not involved with the Disney Studio during the time of the Disney Renaissance, created this film. This makes the events going on in the film, seem that much more personal and at times, even touching When the film uses clips from outside the Disney Studio such as news reports or programing from other television shows, it’s to serve a point. When the documentary is focusing on the name change for The Great Mouse Detective, they talk about the decision and the impact it had inside the studio. This incident became so well known that it was even a category on the game show Jeopardy. The filmmakers were actually able to find the clip of that question being asked on Jeopardy and include it in the film. It may seem inconsequential to some people, but when you know how much work and effort had to go into finding this clip and putting it into your movie, it just makes it even more astounding.

            A lot of people seem to think that most documentaries are dry and boring, and if they’re not about a tragic event, the documentary isn’t going to have any real emotional depth to it. Waking Sleeping Beauty suffers from none of these things. It shows everything exactly how it was back then, and it doesn’t hold back. This documentary clearly shows that the people working on these films had to sacrifice a lot in order to get these projects done. Towards the end of the documentary Jeffrey Katzenberg, the then Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, has a conversation with the animators, and he asks them what it’s like to work at Disney. They reveal while they love what they are doing, many of them had to make sacrifices in their personal lives, which sometimes caused strains on their relationships with their families. This shows the sacrifices the people who worked on the films of the early Disney Renaissance had to endure. There are two people who are featured throughout the documentary, that died during the time period this documentary is discussing, and when they die it’s almost heart wrenching because you get to feel like you knew the person who died, and you got to hear humorous stories about them and what they were like while working. When a documentary can make you react emotionally to events or people that you never knew, that’s when you know you’ve got a good product on your hands.

            I only have a few problems with this documentary. At the start of the film they mention Don Bluth, who was an animator at the studio before he left in 1979, during the production of The Fox and the Hound. Bluth also took several other animators with him, and together they made their own animated films including The Secret of Nimh, The Land Before Time and An American Tail. For a time, the films made by Don Bluth were outgrossing the Disney animated films and was were even given more praise than the films produced at Disney. This competition with Bluth helped spark the Disney Renaissance and I would have liked to see some more scenes dedicated to the battle between Bluth and Disney, and who it ultimately ended. It also would have been nice to have the people on the competitors side like Don Bluth, featured in interviews as I believe that a few outside sources would have proved beneficial to getting a better look at the world of animation while all of this was going on. This could have also allowed for people who worked in other animation studios, to talk about how this affected their work and what kind of inspiration did it bring, I realize this is a documentary about the Disney Studio but, I would have liked to see how their work was impacting the world of animation.

            There’s actually a bit of irony at the timing of this film’s release. This film was released in 2009, and at the time the Disney Animation Studio wasn’t producing the great material they once were. However, later that year The Princess and the Frog was released and that ushered in a new period known as the Disney Revival, which is still ongoing as of the time I’m writing this review. The time period of when this film went into production and was released, in some ways mirrors the events of the documentary, and I just find that to be simply interesting.

            Foe people who love learning about how movies are made or the Disney Studio, Waking Sleeping Beauty is a must watch. It provides vast amounts of information on the Walt Disney Animation Studio, from 1984 to 1994. Several critics have referred to this film as “One of the best comeback stories in show business history.”, and I completely agree. The film not only touches on the production of some of the films released during this time, but the driving political forces by Disney executives to “reawaken” the Disney Studio. I normally don’t like inspirational films, but films such as this one touch me on a personal level and instills in me a desire to create new and better content.