Spirited Away needs no introduction. A hand-drawn animation masterpiece, the film broke so many records, shattered so many glass ceilings for animation as a category, and, to this day, remains a personal favorite and sets the bar for new-age animated films. But 30 years before Studio Ghibli left a permanent…
Reading between frames
When domestic violence and therapy found their way into children’s animation
When 15-year-old Princess Ellian says her parents are monsters, a child might imagine fantastical ones, while an adult might think differently. A feature-length musical fantasy by Skydance Animation, Spellbound tells a princess story with a twist. It’s been a while since animation studios abandoned the search for an appropriate prince…
Reading between frames
René Laloux’s The Snail and the Tool’s Pot Are Still Relevant Today
René Laloux’s Fantastic Planet needs no introduction. Every animation movie nerd knows about it and will happily discuss why humans deserve the treatment they got. My introduction to his 1966 short film, Les Escargots (The Snail), wasn’t through any popular OTT channels or because a friend told me about it….
Reading between frames
God is Shy and the emotional human’s layered existential crisis
Fear or fright? If I ask you to illustrate your fear, what will you draw? And how will you ascertain that it distinguishes itself from fright? Paul answers that while fear is often needless anticipation rather than something terrifying, fright is a response we feel in our bones, often in…
Opinion
We Need More Female Villains, Context: Kung Fu Panda
Villains are made, not born. The first three villains in the Kung-fu Panda series are all male. They have well-defined arcs that trace their troubled childhoods, abuse, or harm, which add to the story of how they become villains. Tai Lung was filled with pride and a sense of entitlement…