Here, for the first time in print, is an accurate and complete guide to every animated movie ever released in the United States. This lavishly illustrated companion traces the origin of the art form, discusses what it takes to make a great animated feature, and guides the reader through all manner of hits and flops that make up this previously uncharted world. Every film listing includes reviews, four-star ratings, background information, plot synopses, accurate running times, consumer tips, and MPAA ratings.
Disney's legendary output is fully represented, but hundreds of other films, many of them rarely discussed, are analyzed, compared, and catalogued. The book doesn't only cover classics such as Gulliver's Travels, Fritz the Cat, Yellow Submarine, and An American Tail, it also evaluates such recent hits such as Shrek, The Incredibles, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and The Polar Express; examines art-house movies such as Waking Life, Spirited Away, and The Triplets of Belleville; and gives a clear perspective on the influence of Japanese animation, computer graphics, and stop-motion puppet techniques. Appendices include top-20 guides to made-for-TV movies, direct-to-video releases, foreign films that were never theatrically released in the United States, and live-action films with significant animation.
The Animated Movie Guide is an entertaining overview for moviegoers of all ages, as well as an invaluable reference for film scholars, animators, cartoon enthusiasts, and video collectors.
Aaron's Magic Village (9/19/97) Avalanche Releasing. 83 mins. Director: Albert Hanan Kaminski. Producers: Dora Benousilio, Peter Volke. Voices: Fyvush Finkel (Narrator), Tommy Michaels (Aaron), Tovah Feldshuh (Aynt Sarah, Zlatch the Goat, Matchmaker), Ronn Carroll (Uncle Shlemiel), Harry Goz (Gronam Ox), Ivy Austin (The Lantuch).
Consumer Tips: 2 stars MPAA Rating: G. Jewish folktale based on a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Story: Orphan boy Aaron is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the tiny village of Chelm, a town blessed with an overdose of foolishness. When a jealous sorcerer, using a Book of Marvels he stole from Chelm, conjures a destructive Golem to destroy the town, it’s up to Aaron to use his wits to save his family and friends.
Comments:Aaron’s Magic Village is an adaptation of four fables from Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Stories for Children and was put into production under the title The Real Schlemiel. The resulting film is sincere and has its good moments but is not a great work. Originally, Aaron’s Magic Village was produced in France as a television project.
To enhance the production, director Kaminski brought in some notable talents, including actors Tovah Feldshuh, Harry Goz, and Fyvush Finkel, well-known composer Michel Legrand (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Summer of ’42), and lyricist Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof). U.S. animation veteran Buzz Potamkin (Berenstain Bears, Hanna-Barbera) provided special animation sequences that enliven the rather pedestrian script and directorial pace. Sadly, the Golem sequence poorly combines computer graphics with traditional hand-drawn cartooning, distracting our attention from the story’s continuity.
The film was coproduced by Columbia TriStar Home Video, and given a billboard release in the United States by Avalanche Releasing (a division of Cinepix Film Properties, which later became Lion’s Gate Films). (JB)
Additional Credits: Screenplay: Albert Hanan Kaminski, Jacqueline Galia Benousilio. Music: Michel Legrand. Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
About the Author and Contributors' Biographies
Chronological List of Animated Features
Alphabetical Entries
Appendix 1: Limited Release Animated Features
Appendix 2: Top 60 Animated Features Never Theatrically Released in the United States
Appendix 3: Top 20 Live-Action films Featuring Great Animation
Index
Reviews
Animation Magazine...
"Deserves a spot on any movie aficionado's book shelf."
Library Journal...
"The commentary is excellent throughout."
Newsday...
"A bible to more than 300 animated features."
Treasure Valley Family...
"Provides easy access to a wealth of animated films."
Gazette...
"A boon to fans of cartoons."
NeedCoffee.com...
"A one-stop shop for all the overview info on these films you would want."
