In Defense of Laika's Hidden Gem "The Boxtrolls"

Scene from The Boxtrolls

This weekend marks the release of stop motion maestros Laika's latest film Kubo and the Two Strings. To say the least, the reviews have been positive - arguably the best for the studio since their big debut Coraline in 2009. When looking at reviews however, there seems to be one film that is left out of the average critic's summary of the studio: The Boxtrolls. While it is done in part for succinct summaries, it also is telling that their third feature maybe doesn't have quite the reputation of Coraline or ParaNorman. Even reviews at the time that would suggest that the 2014 release was their first misfire. However, there's something that should be noticed about The Boxtrolls. It may not be the prettiest film in Laika's collection, but it has a lot more innovation and heart than it gets credit for. It's the underrated gem worthy of a second glance.

A Look at the 79 Candidates for the Best Original Song Category

Left to right: Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley in Begin Again

As stated a few weeks ago, I have been long overdue to talk about the Best Original Song category. With the Golden Globe nominations recently released, it was only time until the discussion would turn to one of Oscars' least predictable categories. Today marks the release of the 79 titles that will be eligible for the award. While they do not include the name of the artists, I will do my best to decipher which ones are worth noting and what exactly we should make of them all. More after the jump.

A Look at the 20 Eligible Best Animated Film Nominees

Scene from How to Train Your Dragon 2

On the heels of the Best Foreign Film and Best Documentary eligible nominees coming out, the Best Animated Film nominees are officially out. While the others have an impressive quantity, those in this category have been narrowed down to 20 films featuring a lot of the familiar names. As a result, it isn't nearly as exciting, but should help us to get a better understanding of how the race could shape out. As per usual, I will list all of those selected for competition and then provide whatever commentary I want immediately following.

Review: "The Boxtrolls" is a Great Family Film with Innovative Style

The invaluable gift of animation is the ability to create limitless worlds and breathe life into weirdly shaped characters. It is escapism at its finest and with great stories in tow, the medium has the ability to provoke and create a lasting cultural impact. Laika Studios feels like a revolutionary force because in a world full of CGI landscapes, few are choosing to do anything interesting. The painstaking dedication to stop motion not only means that they will stand out, but that they have to pack a punch on each outing to compensate for long intervals between films. With their latest film, The Boxtrolls, they continue to expand on the potential of animation with one of their most fluid and ambitious films yet. While not entirely as pleasing as their previous output, it reflects a continuing need for animation to be as exciting as it once was.

My Top 10 Movie Scores to Look Out for in Fall 2014

Jonny Greenwood

Of every major category at the Oscars, one of the most difficult ones to predict months, possibly even weeks in advance is the Best Original Score. For starters, there are some that will become surprise favorites from rookies with an ear for melody. Others will be from composers who enter relatively late in the game. Other times it is simply because the schedules get moves around so much that it is impossible to know when any one film comes out. However, there is nothing quite like predicting what is going to be the best music of the fall. In this case, I have decided to highlight 10 scores that I am looking forward to based solely on the anticipation of the film and the clout of the composer. To say the least, we're entering a strong period.

A Guide to Films Worth Checking Out During the Oscar Season

Joaquin Phoenix in Inherent Vice

As September begins, it is once again the glorious time in which The Oscar Season starts up. While the year has already produced a lot of top notch films (The Grand Budapest Hotel, How to Train Your Dragon 2), it appears that there will be plenty more where that came from. It is the exciting time where the prestige films are released and suddenly the conversation will change on a week-to-week basis. What will take Best Picture? Where last year saw 12 Years a Slave take the honors immediately, this year doesn't have a distinguished lead. The excitement is about to start.

In order to give you a better look at what films to keep an eye out for, here is a list of titles that may be entering the conversation quite soon.

Will "The Boxtrolls" Continue Laika Studio's Best Animated Film Nomination Streak?

Continuing with the third piece on films in the Best Animated Film category for this week is a look at the trailer for Laika Studios' latest The Boxtrolls. Readers will undoubtedly remember my admiration for ParaNorman and the studio's impressive stop motion techniques. In fact, I eagerly await whatever their next move is. While this isn't the first trailer to pop up for the film, it is the first to give a strong grasp as to what the film will be about. In true form, it looks equal parts innovative as it does entertaining, pushing boundaries of animation into new and interesting places.