Films are a feast for the eyes, and as silly as it sounds, they need a balanced diet. People like variance in entertainment. If everything looks the same, everything gets boring. That isn't to say that there's anything wrong with following the herd, but when a style is dominant for a decade, it might be time to take risks.
I wonder if animation is at that point. If it's not, I wonder how much longer it will be. Technology produces wonderful artwork, but it hides the hand, which is just as talented. There is something to be said about craft, and when it's mastered, you see what you've been missing.
Classic Movie Trailers - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Recently, I saw an ad for the new "Peanuts" movie. I'm sure it's great and I've heard good things, but I can't bring myself to go and see it. I'm not one of those possessive fans, and I don't believe that they're ruining the property. It's just the context of the situation, and the loss of a style that may never return.
"Hercules" and "Tarzan" are historical pieces. It's "Frozen" now, in an "Ice Age" led by Disney/Pixar. Hand painted cells are dying off. If television follows film, they'll be nearly extinct.
It's happening subtly, and very slowly. Reruns are not being aired anymore and quality productions are shutting down fast. Shows like "Batman: The Brave and the Bold", would have had longevity ten years ago. Today, with Hollywood setting the precedent, viewers have adapted and changed their expectations.
I'm not pining for the return of VHS, and I don't want 8-track tapes back in stores. The dwindling 2D art style is not obsolete, and the prominent art style is not superior. What we're experiencing is a result, of an uncontested reign of traditional animation. There was too much of it for way too long, so the pendulum swung too far the other way.
"The Nightmare Before Christmas" shouldn't have been the exception, to a rule that started with "Steamboat Willie" in 1928. They should have produced a lot more of the same, and created more of a balance, that wouldn't have been so daunting. "Muppets" and "Sesame Street" should have blazed the way, for puppetry to play a much bigger role. We never cried for more because we didn't know the costs. The sun is setting fast and night is bringing tragedy.
It's painfully ironic to note that this film is still fresh. It provides the same relief today, that it gave to us over twenty years ago. Personally, I'll wait as long as it takes, for another stop motion marvel, to bring me back to theatres. It's beautiful and distinct and something tech can't match. The hand of CGI leaves prints, and I'm ready for a different pattern.
They're all valuable techniques, and at the end of the day, I wouldn't want a single one to go away. Even silent films have a charm that's their own, and we're poorer for their loss; we're certainly not richer. If black and white films endured past Technicolor, we would have been left with a more colorful history. Please know that we speak with wallets and views; if we don't change our tune it's going to be too late.
Do yourself a favor and go watch "Ninja Scroll". Put the kids to bed first, and then follow it with "Akira". If Japan could make those masterpieces years ago, imagine what Hollywood could do with that style today. If you find that you're still tired of drawing and painting, try sculpture, instead of going back to the same feed. "Toy Story" might provide nostalgia, but that doesn't mean you should pass on "Wallace and Gromit".
Trailer Here.
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@ChannelSeals
See "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on Netflix (Please)!
Next week Monday: "James and the Giant Peach"
Merry Christmas
/ Happy Hanukkah/ Enjoy Kwanza/ Happy Holidays!-B.A.S.
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