Editorial: In Animation, Anonymity is the Brand that Sells

"From the creators of:" Disney and Pixar are big selling points, but the directors rarely get a mention
in animated film marketing. As opposed to what we see in live-action.

When you hear about an animated film, you don't hear who's directing it but rather the name of the studio that's doing it. Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Blue Sky, among others, are studios that sell their films through the power of their respective brands but who rarely name the human talent behind the projects. For the record, I don't condemn that practice as people have come to expect a certain level of excellence when they hear a new film is coming from Pixar or Disney, but I think that this  kind of anonymity has contributed to the general disregard that animated films are an "easy" thing to do; leading to not taking the people behind them seriously.

This Week on A113Animation (9th - 15th September, 2013)

This week we got yet more clips and promos from upcoming, exciting projects like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; we got exciting cast and crew details about upcoming films; we got some cool stuff from Disney's Frozen; and we got an absolutely marvellous new short film from those talented guys and gals at Moonbot! Add onto that a special instalment of Damien's Futurama column, Munir's weekly Disney Retrospective, and William's review of the new Little Mermaid Blu-ray, and there's a lot of good stuff to catch up on this week on A113Animation. Oh, and we've slightly updated our logo! Now with minions!

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray Review - Under the Sea Looks Great in HD, Take it from Me!

The Little Mermaid is available to own on Disney Blu-ray™ today!

Until yesterday, I hadn't seen The Little Mermaid in about ten years. So, when the Diamond Edition Blu-ray set (which is out now in the UK, and on 1st October in the US) arrived, I was excited to dive back into the world of one of my favourite Disney films. And it was probably the best way I could've revisited this timeless classic, as it looks great, it sounds great, and the story, music and characters are as fresh, as entertaining and as, well, great as ever.

Ron Clements Talks Disney, The Little Mermaid and Moana - Which Is Apparently a Musical

Photo credit: Sioux City Journal

Ron Clements, alongside directing partner John Musker, is a legendary name in animation, having directed Disney classics like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and, more recently, The Princess and the Frog. Clements and Musker are now hard at work on their seventh feature film, a film we've previously learned is called Moana. In a new interview with Sioux City Journal, Clements talks about his tenure at Disney and speaks a little about Moana.

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #28: The Little Mermaid (1989)

Make Sure You've Read: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- The Renaissance, Part 1 (1989-1994) Introduction

The Little Mermaid represents a very important cornerstone in the studio's history. Not only did it mark the return to the fairy tale genre (something they hadn't done in 30 years, since the release of Sleeping Beauty) but it also marked the return of a better studio, a stronger and more confident one that wasn't afraid of new challenges and experimenting with new techniques in order to tell a story. Initially rejected because the company was afraid it drew comparisons to their recent live-action film Splash, the film was given a second chance by studio head Jeffrey Katzenberg; assembling a talented group of animators (including Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, Ruben Aquino, Mark Henn and more) and pairing them up with brilliant musical duo Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and directors Ron Clements and John Musker, created a unique fairy tale which is not only brimming with fun, but also has spectacular characters with memorable personalities. It's also important to note how prevalent the influence of the late Howard Ashman was in the film; he completely envisioned the Broadway-esque style, where the music complements the story and advances it instead of just being a diversion (something the studio would use in nearly every picture of this era). With clever lyrics and a wonderful score by Menken, this film has some of the most inventive and catchy songs in all of the Disney canon; songs like "Part of Your World", "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" are now part of the public's consciousness and are beloved everywhere. Ashman also influenced some of the characters' personalities, making them more complex and layered.  It's astounding to compare their previous effort, Oliver and Company, - with its unpolished and sometimes bland, cheap animation - with this one, which has amazing character animation and lots of special effects that make you feel as though you're watching something made with care and love - something worth watching. Strong box office receipts and two Academy Award wins were just the icing on the cake for a film whose reputation had already been cemented as one of Disney's best and most appealing classics. Rating: 5/5.

Next Week -- Animated Classic #29 Review: The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- The Renaissance, Part 1 (1989-1994) Introduction

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #27: Oliver and Company (1988)

After a difficult decade, where the studio struggled for survival, the end of the 80s arrived like a breeze of fresh air to the ailing studio. With John Musker and Ron Clements at the helm, they returned to the fairy tale genre and found tremendous success, a success that would accompany almost every feature the studio released for the next five years. Adding a Broadway-esque style and ambitious animation experiments, the studio arose like a phoenix, again becoming the king of animation. The first part of the Renaissance not only brought huge amounts of revenue to the company but also tons of critical acclaim and audience love. Moreover, this period of time put the studio back on the map and made animation important and relevant again. The animated films released in this era have become undisputed and beloved classics and brought some of the most talented crews of animators into the fold, crews that have now become legends in their own right. Arguably the best era for the studio since the Golden Age, the Renaissance is fondly remembered for its heartfelt and sharp stories, memorable characters, unforgettable songs and gorgeous animation and their films continue to enchant new and old generations of people even today.

The Little Mermaid to Hit UK Blu-ray Players Two Months Before US; Jungle Book Arrives in September

US cover art for the Blu-ray Diamond Edition Double Play;
no UK cover art as of yet.

Anyone out there outside of America knows the pain of Disney irritating staggered release dates. Disney's 28th animated feature, The Little Mermaid, is scheduled in the US for a 1st October release, and I'd long been under the assumption that Britons and Europeans wouldn't get a sniff of the now HD classic until at least early 2014. I'm happy to be proven wrong.

The Little Mermaid Officially Announced and Detailed for Blu-Ray Release!

Blu-Ray and DVD (BD packaging)

In very exciting news, Disney has officially detailed the Diamond Edition release of one its most beloved films, 1989's The Little Mermaid. Confirming the previously announced date of 1st Oct. in the US (there's no release date for the UK yet, but an announcement can't be far off), Mermaid will be released in four different versions: A Blu-ray/DVD Combo in BD packaging (top), the same set in DVD packaging, a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo and, confirming previous rumours, a Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy/Music Download Combo.

Video of the Day: The Harsh Reality for Disney Princesses, in After Ever After

Concerned Disney films are a little bit too happy? Not enough BP-bashing or Guantanamo Bay jokes for you? Fortunately, YouTuber Paint agrees with you. He posted the above video, suggesting some darker, possibly more realistic, endings to classic Disney fairytales.

It's inventive, tuneful and just plain funny, so be sure to check the video out!

First Trailer for The Little Mermaid on Blu-ray

The 3D re-release plans may have been scrapped, but the Blu-ray release is still on track; Yahoo! Movies have released the first trailer for the Blu-ray release of their 1989 animated classic, The Little Mermaid!

It's a fantastic trailer that rekindles the lifelong love of the film that I've had - a love that has unfortunately slumped slightly in recent years because of that most wretched of things, the Disney Vault. The trailer highlights the film's great story, characters, music and the magnificent visuals that are sure to look breathtaking in high definition.

You can take home the film that officially started the Disney Renaissance again from 1st October. We'll be counting down the days.

Disney Turns 88

88 years yesterday, on October 16, 1923, The Walt Disney Company was founded.

Starting off as the pipe-dream of brothers, Roy Disney and the eponymous, Walt Disney, as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, this was the studio destined to become the world's largest media conglomerate, changing the world forever, in terms of films, TV and in terms of all of the millions of lives it has touched.

From the Golden Age of its animated films way back when, with films like Snow White, Pinocchio and Dumbo, through the Silver Age of films like 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book and more, and to the Renaissance of such modern classics as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King and beyond to modern day; Disney has long been the gold standard of animation. Although accused of a dip in quality in more recent years (although currently undergoing a revival), Disney is, in essence, the company that made animation an art form.

From the debut of "Disney's folly" and Walt and his company proving to all comers that animation was, and is, a sustainable medium that can inflame the imagination and inspire the world, moving us all to laughter and tears, to today, there is rarely a person on the face of the world who hasn't heard of Disney and its famed mouse.

I'll try to keep this brief, as there is oh so much I could say about Disney, its influence on the world and on its influence on me, and more - particularly, of how, without it, it is questionable that Pixar would be the giant it is today.

Disney, in one word, means magic. At its best, nothing can touch Disney, the classics are unparalleled and without rival. Magic is imbued into every frame of so many Disney films, although Disney has rolled out several not so brilliant films, the fact that this is the company that brought us Bambi, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid more than makes up for that.

Simply put, I love Disney and I'd like to take this opportunity to say: thank you Disney. Thank you for the films, thank you for the music, thank you for the magic, thank you for the memories and thank you, most of all, for making my childhood as wonderful as it was.

Long live Disney!

Disney and Pixar 3D Re-Release Schedule

Disney have announced a slew of upcoming 3D re-releases on the horizon. Following the enormous success of The Lion King 3D over in the states, and, what I'm assuming will be a strong run over here in the UK when it opens on Friday, it's no surprise that Disney have chose to try and replicate this success with some of their most beloved classics.

As such, Disney announced in a press release yesterday that they will be re-releasing Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid as well as Pixar's Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. over the next few years, all in 3D.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast will hit theatres in 3D on January 13, 2012, Pixar's Finding Nemo will be released on September 14, 2012, with Monsters, Inc. coming back in 3D on January 18, 2013 - presumably to build hype for Monsters University later that year, in a similar vein to the Toy Story/Toy Story 2 double 3D feature to promote the release of 3 - and, finally, Disney's The Little Mermaid will open on September 13, 2013.

I've never been THAT big a fan of 3D in general, but love it in animated films, and, therefore, can't wait to see some of my favourite animated films back on the big screen in 3D.