Month: November 2009 (Page 1 of 3)

‘Jacques Drouin: Complete Pinscreen Works’ coming to DVD

The National Film Board of Canada is set to release the DVD box set Jacques Drouin: Complete Pinscreen Works on December 2, 2009. Drouin’s is known for creating beautiful shorts using the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen. The box set will be launched at a tribute to Jacques Drouin at the Sommets du cinéma d’animation, at the Cinémathèque québécoise, on Saturday, December 5 at 5 p.m. The event will include a screening of the documentary portrait Jacques Drouin en relief, by Guillaume Fortin.

“Jacques Drouin is a major figure in NFB history,” said Julie Roy, producer of the box set. “For three decades, he was the only filmmaker in the world who was working with the pinscreen, the incredible “dream machine” invented around 1930 by the Russian-born French filmmaker Alexander Alexeïeff. With his high-quality oeuvre, constant experimentation and eminently personal vision, Drouin proved that the pinscreen could express the imagination of people other than its inventor.”

The box set brings together the six animated shorts Drouin made at the NFB, including his now classic Mindscape (1976), all digitally restored for the collection created to preserve significant film works for the collective memory. Bonus features include four student films, two trailers and several animated sequences with the director’s commentary, as well as Jacques Drouin in Relief. Made specially for the box set, this documentary portrait offers new insights into the work of an outstanding artist. Complementing the films is a bilingual booklet containing essays by animation experts, Drouin’s notes and other invaluable archival documents.

A National Film Board of Canada production, the box set Jacques Drouin: Complete Pinscreen Works goes on sale at the NFB’s online store on December 2, 2009. It can by purchased by phoning 1‑800‑287‑7710 or visiting the website www.nfb.ca/boutique.

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New ‘Shrek Forever After’ details

According to USA Today Shrek Forever After will be the final sequel and will wrap up the Shrek story “happily ever after,” hence the title of the film. DreamWorks of course isn’t letting the Shrek cash-cow rest as they are hard at work on a Puss in Boots spin-off, which I’m sure would feature cameos by other Shrek characters; unless it’s a prequel to the Shrek films. I guess there’s always Puss in Boots 2…

Shrek fans will get their first peek at Shrek Forever After beginning December 18 when a trailer debuts before screenings of James Cameron’s Avatar. The story picks up with Shrek feeling down, losing his ogre-ness, seeing what life would have been like had he not been born. Had Shrek not been around, Donkey would have been forced into cart-pulling duty, Puss in Boots would have traded in his sword for a pink bow and Rumpelstiltskin would rule the kingdom.

As far as new cast members go, Kathy Griffin and Kristin Schaal will voice ogre-hunting witches, while Jon Hamm will voice an attractive ogre who just so happens to be the leader of an underground resistance group.

Shrek Forever After is scheduled for theatrical release May 21, 2010.

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Pixar Short: George and AJ

Check out this Pixar short featuring George and AJ from Pixar’s Up. And because you’ll probably wonder — yes, this is how it’s supposed to look. My guess is that this was a test short and if approved by Pixar bosses would have been fully animated. Instead, we’re left with this animated storyboard-like short, which I actually enjoy a lot.

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