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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Update: The last of Disney’s lead animators dies
As I scanned the headlines of the various news sites I frequent this morning, I could find many references to Ashlee Simpson’s alleged pregnancy and to Marilyn Monroe’s sex film, but as of 11 AM no regular news site - not a single one - referenced the fact that the last of the great lead animators of Walt Disney’s era, Ollie Johnston, had passed away.
Predictable - but lamentable all the same.
You may not know Ollie Johnston’s name, but you surely know his work. He was one of the “nine old men” of Walt Disney’s animators, that great crew that, in one form or another, worked on everything from Snow White to The Fox and the Hound. Some of Johnston’s specific work includes Thumper in Bambi, Smee in Peter Pan, and the fairies in Sleeping Beauty, among many others. Rufus, the cat in The Rescuers, was a caricature of Johnston.
And if you’ve seen The Iron Giant or The Incredibles, you’ve heard Ollie too, in cameos with the animator with whom Johnston was synonymous, the late Frank Thomas. Frank and Ollie are the railroad engineers in The Iron Giant, and they’re the two guys who talk about “old school” at the end of The Incredibles.
Roy Disney, nephew of Walt, said of Johnston: “Ollie was part of an amazing generation of artists, one of the real pioneers of our art, one of the major participants in the blossoming of animation into the art form we know today. One of Ollie’s strongest beliefs was that his characters should think first, then act…and they all did … We will miss him greatly, but we were all enormously enriched by him.”
John Lasseter, the creative chief of Pixar and Disney animation, said: “Ollie had such a huge heart and it came through in all of his animation, which is why his work is some of the best ever done. … He taught me to always be aware of what a character is thinking, and we continue to make sure that every character we create at Pixar and Disney has a thought process and emotion that makes them come alive.”
I cannot recommend highly enough that anyone who cares about animation should seek out Frank and Ollie, the wondrously charming documentary about these two greats. For a great compilation of tributes, see animation historian Jerry Beck’s site, Cartoon Brew. Here’s Ollie’s Disney Legends page, and Frank and Ollie’s official site. That site lists the specific characters the two animated so well.
Yes, I know, the salacious stuff like the Ashlee and Marilyn stories is what sells - but I also know the work of Ollie Johnston will endure long after people have forgotten about Simpson or that Marilyn sex film we’ll never get to see.
Ollie, I’d tell you to say hi to Frank for us, but I’m sure you guys are busy riding a train somewhere. Have fun. We’ll miss you.
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Today’s DVDs: Juno and lotsa teeth
It’s a solid DVD week on both the new and the old release shelves, ranging everywhere from everybody’s favorite snarky pregnant teen to everybody’s favorite enigmatic desert leader. Then there’s a not-so-solid release consisting mostly of teeth and slime.
Juno: The success of the teen pregnancy comedy surprised even its most fervent admirers - and people who though it was overrated. I see the detractors’ point that the movie was trying too hard to be hip, but I would argue that attitude was necessary. It’s that too-cool barrier that needs to break down for the more emotional second half to work. Ellen Page deserved all the kudos she got, and Jennifer Garner deserved more kudos than she did get as the adoptive mom-to-be. GRADE: A-
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead: Sidney Lumet’s latest film got raves that say it’s the best thing he’s done in years, which is true, although I can’t quite elevate it to “best of the year” level. I couldn’t shake a slight but nagging “been there, done that” air of yet another “perfect crime gone wrong with jumbled chronology” film. Even so, it’s still very powerful thanks to taut direction by Lumet, and a stellar cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney. GRADE: A-
Lars and the Real Girl: This story of an unbalanced man who takes to having a romantic relationship with a sex doll might be hard for some to take, but for those who can, the movie is very rewarding, particularly for an incredibly controlled performance by Ryan Gosling. GRADE: A-
From the catalog
David Lean epics: In honor of the great director’s 100th birthday, new DVDs of some of his best works are out today. The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, are, I believe, repackagings, but his last film, A Passage to India, gets a new deluxe treatment. Buy them or at least rent them and play them on the biggest screen available.
Also out today Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem: Whatever.
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale: Uwe Boll’s latest? Ditto.
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