TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

After a tsunami of homework, projects and social activities (well....let's be honest, mainly a lot of homework) it was sweet relief to go back into a place that demanded nothing but my money and my attention: the movie theater.  I knew little about "Frankenweenie" except that it was supposed to be a scary movie...you know, for kids.  Wanna know what's really scary?  Running into your teacher at a movie theater and pretending you're happy to see them. That didn't happen to me, (though it has happened in other public outings) but I didn't expect to be scared at "Frankenweenie" like I was when I attended "The Woman in Black" (yeah, you forgot about that one, didn't you?)  That movie scared the bejeezus out of me, and I went into this film thinking it would have the same effect on younger kids.  I'll admit some jump cuts did scare me and the five other people in the audience, one of whom looked a decade younger than me.  I'm...

Stop motion is one of the most rigorous, time consuming methods of animation ever, if you've ever seen the little, slight detail put into one of those features, it's jaw dropping.  One of my personal favorite films (not just of stop-motion, but of all time) is Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox."  You see every little ripple of clothing that was moved just an inch, to make it appear like these dolls or moving.  Other brilliant instances of this work are "Coraline," "Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit," and "Corpse Bride."  They're short, but only because it can take up to a year to shoot a simple five minute shot.  Take note that every movie I've listed has either won or been nominated for Best Animated film at the Oscars.  It's quality entertainment. Now add in there actually coming up with funny gags, characters worth investing in to, and having a positive message for kids, though I think a more adult...