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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 14 days

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SHREK 2, approaching its 20th anniversary, took in around $1.3 million this past weekend... In its first theatrical run since its original release.

I have a movie theater job, and I worked this past Friday. Spring break for many schools was this past week, and this week too. Those screenings on Friday at my cinema were often packed, and a lot of them were packed with kids. As in, kids who were born well after this movie originally hit theaters. And *after* SHREK FOREVER AFTER was released, at that.

Yeah, there's some multi-generational appeal there with SHREK and SHREK 2.

Some animation fans jeered at the SHREK movies back in the day, feeling that their early 2000s attitude and pop culture references-aplenty scripts would date them, ditto their art direction and design... But no, nostalgia is very strong, especially when it's passed down. These movies appeal to little kids today. The second PUSS IN BOOTS movie being more recent also helps.

It goes to show that at the end of the day, the characters and what the movie does with them can make something a long-lasting flavor.

And I'm saying this, as someone who is not the biggest fan of those movies myself. As a kid, I did *love* SHREK and SHREK 2. I was the perfect age for them, you could argue - I was 8 1/2 when SHREK came out, 11 1/2 when SHREK 2 hit. I could probably quote whole sections of them verbatim. I know it's sacrilege to say these things, but to me, the SHREK movies are basically the animated equivalent of late '90s/early '00s live-action comedies that were usually made for adults, but in PG-rated form. Set in a fractured fairy tale world with ogres and talking donkeys and dragons and such. If not for those fantastical elements, these movies could've been some '00s live-action comedies with hot stars. They just have that vibe to them, right down to their contemporary soundtracks.

I don't see the first two SHREK movies as the high-water marks of the animation medium that they were sometimes made out to be by critics who didn't see animation as anything other than babysitter fluff. In addition to feeling that MONSTERS, INC. deserved the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar over this film, I also never bought that the first two SHREKs were these "revolutionary" "adult" alternatives to whatever Disney had out at the time. There's a roughly 2-second scene in Ralph Bakshi's X-rated FRITZ THE CAT - from 1972 - that's a way better satire of Disney than this movie is said to be, haha. I know at least one person who doesn't really like animation, but they will admit that they liked SHREK. That tells me a lot... SHREK was an animated movie that managed to appeal to just about everybody, including folks who would otherwise not bother with cartoons. It just has that zazz to it... Their core appeal, well specifically, SHREK 1 & 2, is undeniable. How many other relatively chill, less formal comedies like this did you see in mainstream feature animation at the time? It's not zany like, say, Disney's similarly irreverent buddy comedy THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE from five months earlier, nor is it like Pixar's clever, tightly-plotted movies.

The first SHREK movie hit a sweet spot with a lot of American audiences at the right time. Adult audiences who were burnt out on Disney's Renaissance formula being repeated for each movie after THE LION KING, and especially all the movies made at other studios following their lead. Like ANASTASIA and QUEST FOR CAMELOT. Even DreamWorks' own THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, for that matter. These big, grandiose musical pictures... Certain young film fans nowadays will say "those movies went SO HARD", but back in the late '90s/early '00s, the attitude towards them was "Okay, enough of that already." They were often called things like "politically correct", that era's version of "woke". Audiences wanted an animated film that they could just laugh and have a fun time with, without the moral messaged in a specific way.

Adults had also avoided the slew of edgy action-adventure animated movies aimed at a demographic that would never be there, films like DreamWorks' THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, along with Disney's ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE and Fox's TITAN A.E.

So you have this particular landscape of animated features, circa early 2001... Big grandiose family-friendly musicals that have become rather traditional, and these action-adventures for preteen boys that few were interested in seeing in theaters. Few exceptions are in-between, like THE IRON GIANT, but those were ignored because of other circumstances. IRON GIANT by all means should've been a small respectable success back in 1999 at the very least, if not a sleeper hit/blockbuster, but distributor Warner Bros. didn't believe in it. That's the animated movie landscape of early 2001... and then this chill comedy with dick jokes and a gross-out factor to it comes along... Right place, right time, planets aligned... One person put it this way: SHREK was an animated movie that "you could have a beer with."

And to think that SHREK was at one point shaping up to be a cursed, troubled production. Something that animators were punished with. An impending bomberoo, a film that was stopped and restarted, that lurched through a tumultuous 5-year journey...

Then the sequel went on to break records in the spring/summer of 2004, a high that the later films in the franchise couldn't rekindle.

SHREK THE THIRD certainly made a lot of money back in 2007, it was the highest-grossing animated movie of that calendar year, beating out the likes of THE SIMPSONS MOVIE and RATATOUILLE... but I don't remember it landing the way SHREK 2 did. I remember seeing it opening weekend with my dad, my good friend, and his family... and... largely forgetting about it afterwards! I was in high school at the time, and had mentioned one day that a fourth one was coming. This was around late 2007, by the time SHREK 3 was out of theaters and close to DVD release. (And HD-DVD as well, remember that?) One of my classmates responded, "Ugh, they're making another one?" A new SHREK movie wasn't as novel and fresh by then, and when SHREK FOREVER AFTER came out in the spring of 2010, I remember everyone being hyped about TOY STORY 3 - opening less than a month later... Not a word on the fourth green ogre movie. SHREK 4 still made plenty of dough though, it was bigger worldwide than here. Then DreamWorks pumped the breaks on the green ogre, as FOREVER AFTER was billed as "The Final Chapter".

It's interesting to note that DreamWorks' original plan was to make five SHREK movies, and PUSS IN BOOTS would be a direct-to-video movie with the subtitle THE STORY OF AN OGRE KILLER. The fifth SHREK movie would've been a prequel, interestingly enough. But over time, as PUSS IN BOOTS graduated to theatrical feature film and was given to SHREK 3 director Chris Miller, the plans slightly changed...

PUSS IN BOOTS had a rather blah opening in fall 2011, no doubt fueled by franchise fatigue and arriving just a little over a year after SHREK 4... but the cat legged it up something fierce. Because it was pretty good, and for some, a return to form after two lackluster SHREK sequels. It was right for the time, too. An old-school swashbuckling adventure for the family, featuring a fan favorite character from the SHREK sequels. I'm not sure a Donkey or Gingy spin-off would've landed the same way, lol. I remember the early 2010s being a time of more sincere animated movies, a country mile from the ironic early 2000s attitude of the first SHREK movie and all of its imitators. PUSS IN BOOTS Uno was more in line with those kinds of movies, and some of the classic-style adventure movies that DreamWorks had out at the time, like HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and the first two KUNG FU PANDA films. Their then-recent comedies, like MONSTERS VS. ALIENS and THE CROODS, leaned in a more cartoony and wacky direction. The early 2010s, to reiterate, were way different from the early 2000s in terms of animated movie output. What goes on in the world moves the needle as much as the pop culture does, indeed.

So then, some 11 years and at least one period in limbo later, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH comes out. An exciting reinvention of the whole franchise, and arriving after a decade-long void where SHREK became something of a meme. Add in nostalgia, word-of-mouth, THE LAST WISH was a gradual trip back into the world of SHREK for many audiences. A big hit in the end, and a beloved movie. It's certainly my favorite movie in this series, for sure. I still find it neat how they didn't just do the safe thing and simply make a SHREK 5 after Comcast acquired them, no. They stuck to that long-gestating PUSS IN BOOTS sequel and saw it through first, as a sort-of lead in to new SHREK movies... And still did something amazing with it, when it could've just been another typical-style SHREK universe movie. It could've also been the movie that it was initially planned to be.

I have no doubt that SHREK PLEADS THE FIFTH, when it hits in a few years, probably makes a good run at highest-grossing animated movie of all-time. SHREK 2 was just that for six years. $919m back in 2004 - without 3D, IMAX, and other such premium formats - was **massive**. TOY STORY 3 took the crown thereafter, and held onto that for three years. SHREK 5's target to beat is the 2019 CG remake of THE LION KING, $1.6 billion. If you don't count that, FROZEN II with $1.4 billion.

I wonder if this re-release of SHREK 2 sparks Universal and DreamWorks to re-release other older films of theirs. Maybe even one that didn't do so hot back in the day? This year also happens to be SHARK TALE's 20th, and MONSTERS VS. ALIENS' 15th. 2014 saw the release of three movies: MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, and PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR. 2019 saw the arrival of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD and ABOMINABLE.

Who knows...

I think they should re-release animated movies more often, no matter the studio. The SHREK 2 re-release opened wider than the three recent Pixar first-time ever theatrical runs of movies that went straight to Disney+, and people turned out for it. It also helps that the movie is that old, whereas those three Pixars aren't that old. SOUL, the oldest of that trio, came out Christmas 2020. Not even four years ago.

Now, if Disney re-released a Pixar film wide like - say - THE INCREDIBLES this year, I'd imagine it'd get *some* traction like this SHREK 2 re-release did. Or if Disney did the same to an animated feature like LILO & STITCH. Remember those 3D re-releases of various Disney Animation and Pixar films? THE LION KING did quite well in 2011, while everything else barely made half of that... But still quite a bit nonetheless. $40m+ for, say, FINDING NEMO in 2012 is something a new animated feature would fight for today.

Every year, my cinema does the Studio Ghibli fest. Most of the beloved movies... Ya know, little tiny unheard-of movies like SPIRITED AWAY and PRINCESS MONONOKE? Always sold out to the front row.

The original KUNG FU PANDA ran for a few weeks earlier this year in the lead-up to KUNG FU PANDA 4, and a few people showed up for those screenings.

Yeah... More re-release of animated movies, please. Plus, they're great to experience on the big screen again.

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stupid-sloot-headcanons · 11 months

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Yooooo unironically LOVE the trolls movie. The second one was okay too, I can't remember it as well as the first but the first is a whole ass comfort movie for me and my best friend when he visits. It's just so. Nice. And, yknow, singing killed my grandma helps too

Casual animation-fan rant beloe

Like I love the decision to take the 60s-70s as a major design influence since that's when Trolls exploded in popularity. The Trolls themselves are in this world composed entirely of felt, wool, and other textiles in these bright psychedelic colors inspired by hippie clothes and patterns. Meanwhile the Bergens' town is based of 70s slums, wear clothes based off the ugly ass polyester suits of the same time period, grey and/or white belts, and Bridget's disguise bridges the gap (no pun intended) with a 70s Disco queen outfit and hairstyle.

Also Walt Dohrn is one of the co-directors of the first film (and the VA for Cloud Guy) and the dude was a writer and producer on SpongeBob Season 2 and multiple early seasons of Dexter's Lab, and the first film has his writing fingerprints over it. I think that's why there's that nice blend of dark humor and fucked-upedness with the colorful happy optimism of the Trolls. Obviously it isn't all him, but you know what I mean.

And this film's hair and textile animation is legit phenomenal. Like the rigging they had to do must have been difficult as hell and I'm not surprised they used quite a bit of "cheating" to make things look good; the final scene where Poppy hugs Branch actually has her model clipping into his, so to solve the problem they just have the camera on the other side so that isn't visible to the audience.

Anyway DreamWorks still makes some good shit and I honestly have always respected their work from the 90s onwards more than Disney, ESPECIALLY regarding their 3d animation department. I like a lot of CG Disney films but...okay, CG films always have to find a way to translate their 2D character and art designs/concepts to whatever software they're working with. I think DreamWorks does a FAR better job "translating" their 2D concept art and designs than recent Disney projects. Trolls, Megamind, Kung Fu Panda, etc just have a better "translation" from concept to CG animation than (imo) Frozen, Frozen 2, Moana, Encanto, etc. Granted, Frozen was in development hell for nearly 50 fucking years, but I think my point still stands for other Disney projects.

I'll put it another way. DreamWorks is much more "cartoony" when it comes to designs and animation compared to Disney, which I think is why Disney gets the accusation that they have "same-face" syndrome for so many of their characters. They try to go for more realistic human designs with juuuust enough cartoonish aspects to be in the middle, which can come across as more boring. Like I liked Encanto's character design, esp when you can tell these characters are all family despite looking very different from each other. But Disney-Pixar seems less willing to take risks and get really FUN with their character designs compared to DreamWorks.

It also helps that DreamWorks has way more non-human characters and casts: Kung-Fu Panda, Shrek, Monsters vs. Aliens, Trolls, etc. Crazy shit and characters is basically their wheelhouse. But that makes them more distinct than Disney's prettified, smoothed-down approach to character design.

Speaking of which I added the new Puss in Boots film and all 3 Kung Fu Panda films to my watch list. I watched the first KFP when it came out but never the next two and they look really fun.

Also, special and very specific caveat-filled shout-out to the often maligned Sony Animation studio because Genndy Tartakovsky's work on the Hotel Transylvania series is some of the best CG animation I've ever fucking seen. It is so full of life and bouncy and dynamic and even if I dislike a lot of their other projects, the Hotel Transylvania films have amazing animation. It and the Spider-Verse film(s) showcase two ends of the spectrum that is animation as a medium.

And Illumination and Blue Sky Studios! I know they get some admittedly deserved shit but I really like the art style of films like Despicable Me, the Peanuts movie, the Dr. Seuss films, and Secret Life of Pets. They both do a nice job translating their concept art to a CG animation style and I find it appealing.

#.personal #sloot's essays

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theme-park-concepts · 1 year

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what are disney/pixar/marvel movies deserving of rides (or do any movies “deserve rides”)

Well first there's like the artistic question "which movies would make a really good ride" and then the separate question of "which movies when turned into a ride would really serve our business goals?

Cause like on the artistic side...you're looking for movies that have a moment that when people see they're just begging to experience it. Or perhaps stories that weren't a great fit for the screen, but would be great experiences. Like my ideal scenario is finding an overlooked bit of material that could be worked into something special, new, surprising. Because those to me are the ingredients of what great experiences are made of (Rohde has recently been on a kick talking about exactly why the surprising and unexpected are necessary to experiences, go check it out, it's basically because of how attention works).

But like all those things aren't really why a modern theme park or attraction would chose to use a movie as the basis for a ride. They're looking to increase attendance, generate new trips, and mitigate risk. They're thinking "what's a movie a lot of people like? If we know how many people are fans of that property we can do some math and have a good idea of exactly what impacts we can expect to our attendance and what ROI we can predict on our investment." Parks like that because otherwise you're building a big attraction and you don't actually know if it's something that people will like as much as that big tentpole franchise. It's riskier. Outcomes less certain. There's also exclusivity bit. Generally theme park rights are exclusive, if you have it in your park, no one else has it in their park, therefore another reason to visit yours.

So like to answer the question...there's stuff I'd like to see because I think it would make a great ride that doesn't have a chance in hell of ever happening. Bedknobs and Broomsticks would be a really fun ride. Candleshoe would make a great walkthrough experience. Even Mary Poppins, sadly probably won't ever see an attraction (if it does it'll be the more recent adaptation). But there's so much potential there.

And stuff with potential in the material? The love bug would be fun, escape to witch mountain is maybe a less obvious choice, but I mean magic is always a good candidate for a ride, Flight of the Navigator, The Rescuers, Inspector Gadget could probably make a good one, Around the World in 80 Days, National Treasure I think would be game as well. All of those could be mined for a really great experience. But the cultural power just isn't really there.

On the business side? What movies have the cultural power to mitigate risk but haven't yet been used? Not that many anymore. Inside Out and Wall-E come to mind. Wreck it Ralph. (I'm leaving marvel out of this because I've seen all of two of them, superheroes just aren't my thing). Moana, Coco. There's probably a few I'm forgetting.

One of the big problems I've been seeing though is that with the Renaissance of Disney animation and Pixar and honestly TV in general....the stories were getting these days are better than ever on the whole (the remake trend aside). Like look at Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul - some of the best TV that's ever been made..., or look at Inside Out or Encanto - deep stories about what it means to be human and intergenerational trauma -but it's all because writers are really diving into what makes stories on screen good: character, relationships between them, our deepest-innermost worlds. Makes for fantastic TV...does not translate nearly as well to experience design. Even when a lot of these films have amazing worlds...there's not really ready made aspirational experiences baked into them in the way something like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Jaws, or Peter Pan do.

One of the reasons Avatar worked so well in a theme park is that it had some ready made experiences built into the narrative AND the themes of that narrative were already built into the park. A real case of serendipity. But like a lot of other properties in translation to theme park make you choose between staying true to the themes of the film, or just picking a fun moment. Movies are allowed to make you cry, rides currently aren't. Like encanto had a fantastic setting and casita would probably make a great ride...but no one is going to let you make "inter generational trauma the ride". Vs Peter Pan has themes of childlike wonder and has a flying over London scene...easy to mesh those two together in a ride. Adapting the amazing TV and Movies we have today into satisfying rides because the filmmakers have gotten really good at creating content specifically for their medium. It's not impossible, but takes a lot more effort, and there's less time than ever. It could be made easier if ride designers had a seat at the table while films were being made, or the people in charge of parks and designing attractions were more open to a fuller exploration of human emotion.

Anyway this doesn't exactly answer your question, but maybe it still might prove helpful.

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weltonreject · 3 years

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My beloved Mitchell,

YOU MADE CARROT CAKE!!!! it's my favorite, pls have a slice on my behalf! You are a really nice baker! I love the frosting on top (or I think that's frosting), when me and my family bake these we use chocolate on top, a classic. c:

About comfort movies... howl's moving castle, hugh the gender envy howl gives me is insane and it's my favorite movie since I was very little, my dad even pirated for me so I could watch it all the time. I'm also a big snow white fan bc the songs are very nice and she is very nice, good vibes all around. I'm sure I have many more I just don't want to flood your inbox with rants shaubsua how about yours??

I also have a few numbers for the ask game, I LOVE those.

The numbers are: 1, 8, 9, 26, 28, 29. (it sounds like the lottery numbers)

-the lover.

p.s. I promise I will get back to you about the college situation once I have like actual news, thanks for caring. I love you dearly

(*˘︶˘*).｡*♡

My Dearest;

I’ve had many a slice on your behalf-- and my own-- it’s really good. My friend’s recipe had pineapple in it??? And it’s surprisingly very good. Not too wet or heavy. Definitely would get a Hollywood handshake in my HUMBLE and BIASED opinion.

I just recently watched Howl’s Moving Castle for the first time! Oh the ENVY is SO REAL. I completely see how that can be a comfort movie oh I felt nostalgic even on the first watch-- I actually really want to watch it again very soon ngl. And my comfort movies are like, DPS (for the sad energy aklsj) but for more nostalgic/childhood energy definitely an old Pixar like Monsters Inc. That movie was a constant favorite.

For the ask answers: 1. is there a book you think everyone should read? - The Namesake!

8. is there a book that deserved a sequel but didn’t get one? - I know the story doesn’t need one but If We Were Villains because I was just in LOVE with the style and the characters.

9. do you have any favourite tropes in books? - I love the trope of long term stranger/fixture in routine that then becomes a friend/lover.

26. have you seen any screen adaptations based on books that are better than the book? if so, which ones? - I really think The Queen’s Gambit is a fantastic adaptation and I felt more engaged with it on screen than with the book. But both have their merits.

28. do you own any signed copies of books? - Nope!

29. what is the scariest book you’ve ever read? - I haven’t read a lot of horror (yet! it’s on my list to reader some Barker!) but Jurassic Park I remember really made me Sweat.

Can’t wait to hear your news. Hope you’re well.

All my love, -Mitchell xo

#personal #the lover #asks #pen pals #Anonymous

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okidenshi · 7 years

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Why do you dislike the trolls movie so much? I'm not trying to mean, I'm just genuinely curious.

Nah, you’re good anon! It’s just that recently, it seems Dreamworks has been investing their feature films in what will sell them the most toys, what they can market a popular song towards to help draw in a crowd, which, yea I don’t blame them for, they have to make money, but as a creator & to many other DW fans, it’s a punch in the gut.

Like, you guys remember the “experimental age” of Disney that came right after the renaissance? Well, that’s because the “high class” animators at Disney were off being trained on how to do 3d animation, and the projects were left to the “lower class” creators. So, we got things like Atlantis & treasure planet, which are often viewed as, not perfect, but a visual marvel in terms of animation and storytelling.

So, once those other animators go trained in 3d, Disney basically laid all of the other off, and guess what? Most of them were hired by dreamworks.

What i’m getting at is that, Dreamworks has a tendency to take more chances than Disney. They take weird, crazy ideas and those idea’s either do marvelous, or go down the toilet.

But i always respected that they cared about their stories. Yes the should have stopped after shrek 2, yea shark tale was awful, but aside from those films, you could tell DW wanted to tell a story an evoke something out of an audience. With trolls, it seems they just. Want to make money. Wich really hurts cause I try to have respect for what they try to do & have achieved, but it’s really hard when Trolls & Trolls 2 keep popping up.

Also, YOU ALL KNOW that they have the CAPABILITY of being SO MUCH better than pixar’s animation. We saw this with ROTG & HTTYD. Those films were beautiful WITHOUT the big-eyes, Disney soft lines. Yet w/ trolls & boss baby, god, especially boss baby, those designs make me want to cry. Like, they could be making such beautiful films yet they still go for this disney style and they once used to purposley go against the disney style and its just!!! frustrating that they’re falling towards popularity & profit versus effort & passion.

ANYWAY, it’s not that i hate Trolls, it’s that i dislike were DW is going with their feature films. I pat them in the back for Voltron, but their feature animation studio needs to get back to what they were once all about; giving a shit.

#sorry for ranting but yea DW im praying for y'all #ask #anon

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